Shugo Wonderland!

by Chibi_Celesti

Summary:

"Humpty Dumpty Sat one a Wall, and fell into the Rabbit Hole"

Hinamori Amu, after encountering a strange egg appearing in her world, woke up to the strange world of Twisted Wonderland. As if attending a school dedicated to obvious bad guys wasn't weird enough, she also has to deal with X-Eggs sprouting alongside Overblots. At least she has her trusted Chara by her side. Navigating her new school life, X-Eggs, and fighting prone classmates, this is one journey Amu won't ever forget.

Prologue/ Book 01(CH:01-19): Complete!
Book 02:(CH:20-3?) In progress!
Event No.1: Coming Soon~

Notes:

Say hello to my newest blurb! I'm really happy with the reception my awkward sneak peek for this got! Alongside Twst. Tone, I wanted to spice things up with some more ideas crossed over with TWST. And lo and behold, Shugo Chara! just so happened to have been the one to click lol

Hoe you all enjoy tonight's introduction to my second(possibly as big) long fic!

Chapter 1: Ch.1: A Lost Egg in Wonderland?! ~Welcome to the Villains’ World~

~???~

 

Amber eyes opened to darkness confused, their host-a girl with pink colored locks- wondering where on earth they were. “Why is it so dark?” She tried to stretch her arms, but her wrists hit a wall(?) “Ow!” Panic started to settle in as she wondered if she had been kidnapped!

“Dangit! They’re almost here!”

‘Who is?’ Her abductors, maybe? The girl began to freak out, as whatever she was in was shook roughly again. Then, before she could comprehend whatever or whoever was talking out the darkness.

 

*WHOOSH!*

 

“FIRE!!!” The thing she was stuck in caught fire, and in a panic, she pushed out the opening and fell to the ground, rolling around in a panic to get any traces of fire off her being. “STOP! DROP! ROLL! STOP! DROP! ROLL!!”

“Myah! You’re awake!” The culprit shouted.

Rolling over, the pink haired girl sat up to yell at the arsonist, and was baffled by what she saw. A gray creature with his blue fire in his ears. “A Tanuki?”

“I ain’t a Tanuki! The name’s Grim!” The not-tanuki, tanuki, Grim, corrected her. “Now give me your clothes!”

“EH?!”

“Give. Me. Your. Clothes!” He demanded again. “I ain’t afraid of roasting ya to a crisp!” Ears burning bright, Grim shot a fireball at the girl again. This time she jumped to her feet and ran towards the doors.

It was so dark; the hallways, the courtyard; EVERYTHING WAS SO DARK!! ‘Was I kidnapped by a weird cult?!’ Thoughts like that ran through her head as she continued to run, not seeing a soul in sight. Taking a risk to glance behind her, the fire breathing furball was still chasing her. ‘Where’s a police officer or Animal Control when you need them?!’

She ran and ran as fast as she could until she collided with something that knocked her onto the ground. falling on her butt, the girl tried to right herself and looked up to who or what she ran into-

 

-and saw two sets of glowing green eyes looking down at her. “Meep…” There were two shadowy figures: One was taller, the other was very, very small.

 

“Ne, ne. You see what I see?”

“...”

Swallowing hard, the girl stood up slowly, and through chattering teeth uttered an apology. “S-s-s-s-ss-ss-s-sorry.” She weakly said. “I-i-i-i-I wa-was just-!”

“I found you~”

“Ack!” Fan-freaking-tastic, the pyro menace was back. “Bye!” She zoomed away; the strangers watching Grim chasing the pinkette with curiosity.

“Wonder where she came from?” The smaller shadow sniffed the air. “I smell eggs on her.”

“Eggs?” The taller one said.

“Mmmm! Though I didn’t see them with her…oh well.” They and the taller boy went about their way to their dorm.

It was mere minutes later when the girl ran into what she could tell was a library and hid as far into the room as best as she could. Taking a deep breath to relax, she dropped to her knees trying not to panic again. ‘Ok, Amu! Calm down! you just need to figure out where the heck you are! And hopefully contact authorities ASAP!’

The Pinkette-Amu-tried to retrace all that happened leading up to her ‘kidnapping’.

 

1. She was on her way home when a bunch of X-Eggs were causing trouble near a park by her house.
2. She managed to wrangle in and heal said egg.
3. Once she and her Chara were done, they spotted another weird Egg that was idle in the park.
4. Then, she heard the sound of a horse drawn carriage.

 

And then…nothing afterwards.

What the heck happened to her? Amu looked down, and only now noticed her school clothes were replaced with a weird black and gold robe suit thing. and it was then she realized something much worse. Her pouch was missing. “Oh no!”

If her bag was missing, that meant that Ran, Miki, Su, And Dia were in trouble! Jumping up to her feet, Amu rushed to the library entrance, and nearly got singed by blue flames again. “Ah!”

Grim finally cornered the poor girl. Panting, and almost out of breath, he stalked toward her. “You have…no idea…who you’re dealing with!”

Scooting away from the beast, Amu tried to reason with him. “Pl-please! Don’t burn me!”

“I won’t, if you give me your robes!”

“Why the heck do you need these?! You’re a midget! You’d drown in these the second you wear them!”

“I don’t care! I’ve busted my high end trying to get to this place, and no one, not even you, are gonna get in my way-!”

 

*WHIP!*

 

“Ah!/ Wah!” The sound of cracking surprised the girl and cat. In another instant, Grim was hogtied up, muzzle entirely zip shut! “Nyah! What is this whip?!”

“It tis’ not a whip, but my LASH OF LOVE!” An older man wearing a bizarre mask shouted. He glared down at the troublemaker before setting his sights on the pinkette. “There you are! I was beside myself with grief when you disappeared.”

“Eh?” She stared owlishly at him.

Offering a clawed hand, the strange man pulled her to her feet. “I get that you have first day jitters in your stomach, but you and your familiar running off like that caused a bit of a stir.”

“Familiar?” She sees him point to the hogtied cat. “Wait wait wait! He’s not mine! He-!”

“Now’s not the time for excuses,” He turned around and started for the door. “Come. We must return to the Opening Ceremony.”

Amu rushed to catch up to the birdman. “Wait, sir! What do you mean Ceremony? Where am I?”

“Oh, did you forget? You must be disoriented from your journey through your gate.” He mumbled. “Very well, since I am so generous, I shall graciously explain it to you. This is Night Raven College, one of the most prestigious Arcane Academies in all of Twisted Wonderland!” The headmage started his explanation. “I am Dire Crowley; Headmage of this esteemed academy!”

“Night Raven College?”

Seeing the strange, fancy dressed man, Amu began to ponder her earlier thoughts. ‘So this is a school, and not a cult? Then what’s with the weird mask and feathers? Is he secretly a chicken?’

Rambling over, Crowley, ensuring Grim was harnessed well with his whip, faced the quiet child by his side. “By the way, one of my students found these near your gate.” He snapped his fingers and in a poof of glitter, the girl’s eyes widened at her favourite hip pouch. “There were also some eggs. Four of them in total. I made sure all were placed back in accordingly.”

She snatched the bag out of the air and hugged it close to her chest. “Thank you, sir!” She said, almost close to tears. She double checked the bag, and just as Crowley told her, all four colorful eggs were safe and sound. “Thank you, sir!”

“You can thank me later,” He stopped in front of a set of double doors. “Once we finish up with the Ceremony.” Swinging them open, the principal made his way toward a podium. at the center of it was an eerie glowing mirror with a giant freak head floating inside. ‘Wait. That face…I think I saw that somewhere before…’ She’s broken out of her stupor by Crowley nudging her up the steps towards the artifact. “Eh? What are you doing?”

“You are the last most sorted into a dorm.” He stated matter-of-factly. “Face the Dark Mirror and it will tell you your home dormitory.”

“State thy name!”

Trying not to freak out over the bellowing voice of the Dark Mirror, the girl finally said her full name. “Amu. Hinamori Amu.”

“Hinamori Amu. The Nature of your soul…” It pauses for a moment; voided eyes widen then narrowed at the girl. “Is unclear to me.”

“Unclear you say?”

“Her soul is bound to paths unknown. Four roads of open possibilities lie before Her, yet all are shrouded in mystery. Therefore…”

 

“NO DORM BEFITS HER!”

 

To Be Continued…

Chapter 2: Ch.2: Not Befitting of any Dorm?! ~New Home: Ramshackle~

Summary:

After experiencing the weirdest Orientation she's ever witnessed, Amu is shown her 'temporary' home by the generous Dire Crowley.

It's a Fixer Upper, that's for sure...

~Night Raven: Mirror Chamber~

 

“NO DORM BEFITS HER!”

 

Those words still echoed loud and clear throughout the Chamber, everyone was baffled by what the Dark Mirror told them. Granted, Amu had a feeling what it said made some sort of sense given the sleeping eggs in her bag. Why is her not going to a dorm here such a big deal?

Even the weird bird man next to her was confused about this.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Grim managed to rip himself free of his binds, and scurry to the center of the platform. “Pfft! So what if this crybaby ain’t Night Raven material? Y’all wanna know who is?” He patted his fur chest with his paw. “This guy!”

“Huh? You little-” Grim shot a fireball in the air, which then broke apart and fell all over the chamber like rain. Everyone started to panic and run away from the hellfire. Amu followed not too far behind them when she noticed a few things that were off. Firstly, someone’s butt was an unfortunate victim of Grim(to whom she rushed over to help), and secondly, two out of the six were making their way to the dire beast. A redhead boy and another boy, but with wavy gray locks pulled out two tiny pens with gems on them that matched them weirdly enough.

They caught Grim’s attention, faces stern and irritated(Riddle) and smug(Azul) as they looked down at him. In a panic he ran, continuing to voice his frustrations of wanting to attend Night Raven College. ‘Tanuki is really a stubborn lil guy?’ But then, she thought about so many of the kids back home adamant making their wishes and selves that they all wanted to be come true. ‘Is it possible that he…’ She thought to herself as the ‘no longer butt on fire’ boy next to her sighed in relief.

The chase, as silly as it was the longer she watched on, had come to an end. Grim, now back into a corner, tried to look defiantly at his pursuers. “I’m getting into this school! Even if it’s the last thing I do!”

“Azul, stand aside,” Riddle ordered. The other happily obliged, watching with a subtle smirk on his face. With authoritative steps, the redhead approached the dire beast, pen glowing bright. And recited an unsettling spell:

 

“Are you ready for your sentence?”

 

Step after hard step, he grew closer.

 

“The verdict comes afterwards.”

 

The pen glowed even brighter.

 

“Any last words?”

 

Sensing a scary rise in magic energy, Grim tried to run away again-

 

“OFF WITH YOU HEAD?!”

 

In a flash of light, a gaudy collar appeared on Grim’s neck! It freaked him and Amu out at its sudden appearance. “Nyah! What the-” He tried to shoot fire at the boy, but nothing happened. “What did you do to my magic?!”

“I sealed it away with my Unique Magic,” Riddle states as he puts his pen in its holster. “Let that be a lesson for your boarish actions tonight.” His eyes remain on Grim as the Headmage comes to collect him again. “In addition, your presence violates the Queen of Hearts Rule No. 023: Do not bring a Cat to a Formal Affair.”

“That’s a thing?” Amu said aloud to no one. At least that's what she thought.

Riddle had heard her loud and clear. Grey eyes turn to the girl in ire as Riddle(potentially) popping a blood vessel at her words. “YES IT IS!”

His shouting made her jump out of her skin. ‘When did he hear me?!’

“I am well versed in memorizing every single Rule the Queen of Hearts forged over the years. And no. 023 states that no Cats are allowed in formal events.”

‘Never heard of that rule in the story! Since when did the Queen ever say THAT?!’

The sound of clapping halted Riddle's tyraid before things could escalate. The boy beside him, Azul, complemented the other's prowess using his Unique Magic. He also(quietly) corrected himself when briefly mentioning his desire to have it for himself.

Picking up the now collared Grim, Crowley thanked the boys for their successful capture, then frowning at the pinkette. “Mr. Hinamori, with all due respect, I told you to keep a close eye on your familiar.”

Annoyed at his assumption yet again, Amu went into stubborn mode. “I told you already, Crowley-sensei! THAT WEIRD WEASEL ISN'T MINE!”

“Oh. He's not?” He gauged the creature in his hands. “Hmm. No matter,” He waved down two staff members that were still in the Chamber. “Escort him off the premises, if you please.”

“Wait! My magic-!”

“The collar will disappear once you've been removed.” Riddle told him, trying to remain composed despite the wrench in the Ceremony. Bad enough there was a delay from the Headmage stepping away to collect the last student, Hina…whatever his name was. And now they need to play catch u-

 

“Can I go home now?”

 

“Excuse me?” Crowley and the other remaining students stared back at Amu confused.

“Can. I. Go. Home. Now?” She said pointing to the double doors. “I’m not supposed to be here, so am I free to leave?”

The rose tyrant felt a blood vessel about to explode. “...What?”

“Is there a problem?” With the weasel gone, fires put out, and their…orientation thingy over, Amu was hoping that she was free to leave.

“Yes, there is!” The redhead wasted no time laying into her again, a finger repeatedly jammed in her chest. “You have be chosen to attend Night Raven College, and yet you, Mr. Amu-!”

“Miss.”

“ANYWAY!!” He quickly stopped poking her. “You dare to say ‘Can I go home now?’ after everything?!”

“I don’t belong here obviously! I’m a girl in an all boys’ school! I have no clue how I got here! The least you guys can do is let me go home!” Angry at getting yelled at again, and emotions getting the best of her, Amu attempted to shake the Dark Mirror. “LET ME GO HOME, YOU STUPID TRINKET!!”

Her actions put the other boys and Headmage in a panic. “STOP THIS AT ONCE, HINAMORI-SAN!” Crowley attempted to yank her off, but her grip on it was firm.

“NOT UNTIL YOU SAY I CAN LEAVE-”

 

“There is no home for her to return to…” The Dark Mirror declared again.

 

...Huh? She hoped she was hearing things again. There’s no way Japan-

 

“It does not exist.”

 

Letting go of the mirror, she slid down to her knees, staring dumbfounded at the mirror. “B-but…”

“Ms. Hinamori,” Crowley placed a hand on her shoulders. “I do apologize for the revelation. But,” She turned to face him. “If you would like, I have a small solution to your predicament.”

“...”

“There is another dorm I can offer to you until I can find a way to send you home.”

She stared at him, hope returning to her eyes. “You do?”

“Why of course! I AM a generous man, and I refuse to allow a young lady such as yourself be homeless. Absolutely not!” He turned on his heels and started to exit the room. “Come now!”

“H-hey! Wait!” She rushed out right behind him.

As soon as the doors closed, the remaining students were left to their own devices. “My my~ That was quite a change in tune. Never would’ve guessed that the Headmage would take pity on that Potato.”

“Aye. Even funnier is that the little Herbivore looked minutes away from passing out.”

“I like her! She seems nice!”

“Total normie behavior, lol. All talk, no skill, unlike Riddle-shi.” The floating tablet noticed that Rosehearts had gone strangely quiet after the professor and girl had left. “Riddle-shi?”

“Riddle-san?” The others also chanced a glance at him. “What do you have to say?”

“Vil.”

“Yes?”

“May I request some hand sanitizer?”

 

~Outside NRC: Ramshackle Dorm~

 

A haunted house…of all the places to be given as a ‘shelter’ for her…it had to be a fricking Haunted House?!

 

It’s a bit of a fixer upper, according to Crowley as he guided her through the main door and into the Main Lounge. So many hinges creaking, floorboards splintering and spider webs; Amu was sure it violated more than just simple health codes from a school perspective. He reassured her that despite the appearance, it's only temporary until he finds the way for her to return home. something she hopes is true.

Crowley left her alone to fetch some dinner and extra clothing, at least, that's what Amu was hoping on. As the night continued on, it started to rain. And due to the current condition of the broken down dorm, water started to drip from the cracks and holes in the ceiling. She started looking around for something to keep the water at bay, all the while checking every now and again on the Eggs.

Amu noticed they have yet to hatch again. She sat down on a splinting wooden chair carefully as she watched over the yet to awaken would be selves. “Hope you guys can hear me. Please wake up,” She felt herself starting to cry. “Ran…Miki…Su…Dia…please. I’m so alone.”

“Boo-hoo~”

“Huh?” 

“Boooo-Hooooo hooooo~”

‘Am I hearing things?’ Wiping away her tears, she looked around wondering who was making that noise. “Crowley-sensei?”

“Waaaah hahaa~”

The room started getting chillier, but not because of the rain. Oh how the Joker wished it was just the rain.“W-who’s there?!” She looked around frantically; the crying turned to mocking then to laughter. She held her eggs close, face paling as three faint, white orbs made their way to her.

“Awww. what a sad and lonely human.”

‘No…!’ 

“Hehehe~~”

‘There G-g-g-g-’

“Won’t you join us?~ Hehehe~~”

 

“GHOSTS!!!!!!!!!!!!”

 

To Be Continued…

 

Notes:

RIP to Amu. Where's the Ghostbusters when you need them?!

Chapter 3: Ch.3: HAUNTED MANSION?! ~An Unlikely Duo Emerges!~

Summary:

The fear of ghosts bringing scaredy cats together.

Notes:

Glad I remembered her fear of ghosts and most things spooky for this chapter. And we haven't even gotten to the Dwarf Mines yet...RIP to Amu

~Ramshackle Dorm: Corridor~

 

“Ghosts?! Why did it HAVE to be ghosts?!” Amu ran away out of the main lounge and into the nearest dark corridor. She knew it was too good to be true! 

And the nerve of that chicken birdman leaving her here without anything to defend herself. ‘I knew it! He left me here to be ghost food!’ Taking a risk glance again, Amu screamed as she saw the ghosts show fast behind her. ‘I'M DEAD! I'M SO GONNA D-’

Suddenly, she tripped over something that made her fall to the ground. “Wah!”

 

“YEOWCH!!!”

 

She snapped her head so fast at the source of the screeching. “Watch where you’re goin’ girly! You nearly crushed my tail!!!”

“You again!!!” Amu jumped to her feet. “I thought they kicked off campus!”

“Ha! You can’t get rid of me that easily!!” He puffed his chest out. “Sneakin’ back was easy since they don’ botha with this dorm!”

“Oh…Wait! WHY AM I TALKING TO YOU?! I GOTTA GET AWAY FROM-?!”

“Peek-a-Boo!”  Her shrieking hurt Grim ears.

“OI! What did I-” His face paled as he saw what freaked the pinkette out. “GHOSTS?!”

“Oooo~ Another guest.”

“Come join us~ The more the merrier~” The trio of ghosts laughed.

Grim wasted no time trying to shoot first at the ghosts. Sadly, they easily dodged his flames with ease. And he tried over again, and again, but with each fireball aiming at the ghosts, they dodged them, and which each dodge…

 

*WHOOSH!*

 

Grim was setting some of the furniture and support beams and walls on fire.

“You stupid weasel! Will you cut it out?!”

“WILL YOU STOP CALLING ME WEASEL?!”

“You’re not even aiming at them right!” Amu ducked as one zoomed over her head. “And your flames are making a-DUCK!” They both crouch down as another one flies over them. ‘These creeps won’t leave us alone! Unless…’ She looks down at the dire beast, and then her Eggs. “Ne, Grim. If you help me, I’ll give you some tuna!”

“Huh? You think bribing me with food to save your skin is gonna work?”

“You wanna become ghost chow?!”

 

…

 

“Fiiiine!” He sighs. “You owe me two cans. And they better be premium!”

“Mmm!” Amu watches the ghosts’ patterns as they flew about. When the smaller ghost tried to ambush Grim from behind again, she called out. “Behind you!”

“Nyah!” Grim blew his fire, hitting the ghost on the mark! “Huh? I got him? I got em’!”

“Concentrate!” She points to above his head the second one. “There! Aim there!”

Grim does exactly that, hitting his target square one once again. The unexpected teamwork between them to banish the ghosts was surprisingly effective. And when they scared off the ghosts into the darkness, both human and cat sighed in relief. Amu couldn’t believe that the principal had left her in a haunted house, while Grim was exhausted and didn’t think there’d be ghosts in this building either.

They both ended up agreeing on one thing though; at least the nightmare was over. And the Joker prayed it stays that way!

In the dark of the night, footsteps began to approach them. “Another ghost?!” Amu panicked thinking it was the ghosts and tried to run off again. 

“Hinamori-san! It’s just me!” A cast of light from the shadowy figure revealed himself to be Dire Crowley. In his hands were a parcel of clothes and a tray of food.

“Mr. Crowley…” She sighed again, then started to yell at him. “Sir! You got some nerve leaving me here! Why didn’t you tell me this place was haunted!!”

“Huh?” He blinked at her owlishly. “Oh, yes! I remember now. Since this dorm was declining in students, ghosts had decided to take residence here.”

‘Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?’ She silently wept again.

A poking on her legs turned her and Crowley’s attention to Grim. “Oi, Pinky! You promised me tuna cans! Cough ‘em up!”

“You again?!” Crowley scolded him. “How many times must I-”

“Sir, wait! Please give him a chance to stay! He helped me ward off the ghosts!”

“...Come again?”

She picked him up into her arms. “Yes! If it wasn’t for him, the ghosts would’ve eaten me alive!”

(In the background, the ghosts were mortified by Amu’s statement. “But we don’t eat humans! What does she think we are, Henry Wendigs?!”)

“...”

“Yeah.. YEAH!! I saved this weakling! Told ya you’re missing out on having me here!”

 

…

 

“Mr…Headmage?” The girl and cat looked at the quiet man as his dark beady eyes stared at them intently.

“Ah, forgive me. Given the information you have given me, I realized my misgivings about you.”

“Huh?”

“If what you said is true, then by all means, I am more than happy for you two to be a part of the Night Raven family-”

 

“Booyah!”

 

“As Janitors!” A record scratch echoed in the silence.

“Say what?” They said together.

“I do see potential in you both, yes; however, given current circumstances, The best way to accommodate for you two-especially you, Hinamori-san, would be to allow you into our schools as janitors. in exchange, I will do my due diligence to find you a way back home.”

Amu slumped down into a puddle with Grim. ‘THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING?’ Then, she thought it over again,

“Wait. You mean it?”

“Of course I do! I am a generous man, after all.”

Amu and Grim give Crowley a hug, repeatedly thanking him for this chance. He awkwardly patted the girl on the head, and escorted her to a more ‘befitting place’ to rest. Giving her her dinner, she ate it while sharing some with Grim. (It’s not tuna, he laments, but he was a bit famished from fighting).

One last farewell after giving her a set of clothes for tomorrow, the pair cleaned up the bed of dust and webs as best they could, and turned in for the night.

 

As the two slept, in Amu’s pouch bag on the bedside table, one of her eggs- the pink egg- showed signs of hatching.

 

Notes:

And Amu is moving on up the later from being a girl lost in another world...to a janitor! Yay/s

Side Note: Henry Wendigs is a spoof name of Hannibal Lectur

Chapter 4: Ch. 4: New Cleaning Crew; Legend of The Great Seven!

Summary:

First Day on the Job, and Customer Service is already terrible...from the students themselves, not Amu.

Notes:

More creative liberties with the prologue. And compared to Twisted Tonelico, Amu knows who the Great Seven are right off the bat compared to Meryu.

~Ramshackle Dorm: Amu’s Room~

 

Sunlight illuminated the dusty room, shining down onto the sleeping residence in the worn down bed. A groan of annoyance was made by Amu as she turned her body away from the bright light. It didn’t help that the loud snoring was making it harder to fall back asleep.

Snoring?

Amu blinked her eyes, squinting at who on Earth could be snoring in her room? It sure as heck didn’t sound like any of her Chara, and it didn’t sound like Ikuto either. She lifted her head a bit and saw the grey weasel cat from last night sleeping by her stomach on the comforter. ‘He’s still here?’

“So it wasn’t a dream?”

“Nope~”

Frozen still, she robotically turned to see the ghosts from last night in her room. They stared at each for one millisecond before she screamed violently, falling out of her bed. Her screaming scared Grim and caused him to get tangled in the blankets.

The sight was hilarious, but the phantasm trio were getting concerned about the pinkette. “We’re sorry, Miss. We’re not here to scare ya again.”

“Lies! You’re here to eat me!”

“We told ya we ain’t cannibals. Ghosts honor,” One of them placed his hand on his chest where he would’ve had a heart.

The Joker peeked out from behind the turned over chair. Eyeing them with skepticism. “Y-you sure?” Grim, who finally freed himself from the bedsheets, narrowed his eyes at the girl and the ghosts. 

“Of course. Besides, we were here to wake ya up before the Headmage does.”

It was only when they said that that blue flame tipped ears twitched. “Huh? For what?”

The clicking sound of heels to wood and the opening of the bedroom door had welcomed the residents of Ramshackle Dire Crowley. “Ah. I see you both are wide awake!” He presented a tray of a simple breakfast near the bedside desk. “This will make the next part simpler to explain.”

Amu left her hiding spot, and nervously made her way to the Headmage. He offered the food again for her and Grim to eat as he went into detail for their assignment. He tells them that while they will not be participating in the school curriculum, he is offering them a chance to clean up around the school all the while he tries to help Hinamori return to her world. ‘Unauthorized Child Labor…oh what fun,’ she thought sarcastically.

 

During this conversation, the pink egg began to shake and crack some more.

 

---

 

Once Amu and Grim were given their cleaning supplies and smocks, they followed Crowley to the Main Street Area of the campus. “Your first job will be to sweep the streets here.”

“OK…” Amu and Grim said.

“Should you need anything, don’t hesitate to contact me or any other staff. Ah, does my generosity know no bounds?” Crowley gave himself a pat on the back for his 'Compassion', then left the two to start their work.

 

It was a few minutes into their cleaning when they saw students of all kinds entering the main hub to get their classes. Some were sporting animal characteristics, some had pointed ears, some had animals that seemed to be important to them(Amu even saw an elderly man walking to the front of the school with a fluffy black cat in his arms); it was super diverse beyond what she could imagine! 'I never knew there were people that walked around like animal hybrids,' She then laughed to herself. 'Ikuto and Yoru would fit right on in here.'

Grim heard her laughing. "Hey. What's so funny?" Obviously he was disappointed at not becoming a student, and assumed that Amu was making fun of him.

"Eh. Oh, nothing," She heard him growl. "I mean it. I just find it funny how different the people here are from my world!"

"Huh? Wha 'ya mean they don't exist where your from?"

"Nope. If anything, they're considered Fairy tales."

"Ooooh... Your world sucks." He smirked as she gasped at what he said about her world.

Trying not to get upset again, Amu went back to sweeping the street. She swept til she was closer to one of the statues. Raising a hand to cover her eyes from the sun, she took a closer look at it, and noticed how...eerily familiar this person was to her. She was well rounded, holding a staff in one hand and her skirt in another. A crown on her head with a 'happy' smile on her face. 'Isn't this-'

"Hey, pinky! Checking out the Queen of Hearts' Statue, eh?"

"Eh?" She felt an arm resting on her head, hurting her neck a bit. "Oi!" She tried to move the arm off her head, when suddenly the weight disappeared. The culprit was a cheeky redhead with a heart covering the left side of his face. "This is the Queen of Hearts?" 'As in THE Queen of Hearts?!'

"Yup. She's well regarded both here and in the Queendom of Roses!"

The dire cat scurried over to where they were on the road, and asked: "Oh, really? How'd she managed that?"

"She ruled over a kingdom of chaos, establishing rules for all her subjects to follow by. And anyone who fails to abide by them..Off goes their head!"

'Yeah, under an ironfist of tyranny! She even tried to off the head of a little girl!' She wanted to say, but was ignored as the boy began listing down the traits of the other Statues. And with each one shown and explain, nausea started to settle in. 'King of Beasts! His name's Scar! And that sea Witch, there's no way I forgot Ursula and her cruelty to using Ariel and her father when they had a falling out. And Jafar, Evil Queen, Hades and...' She gulped. Maleficent. The most insane one out of them all...'

It was then Amu realized this school she was whisked away to...is worshipping people who killed, cheated, and lied their way into power! This world is praising monsters and tyrants!!

Her head was so dizzy, she felt like she was gonna faint. And then she was rudely poked in the temple by the boy. "Oi. Whatcha spacin' out there for, pinky?"

"Huh?" She blinked, then shooked her head fast and hard. "Why is your school worshipping jerkwads?!"

"...Come again?"

"Your Queen of Hearts; she tried to kill a little girl once."

"Yeah, right. History says she wouldn't lay a finger on a kid, let alone behead them. Who told you that?"

"Everyone knows that!"

The stuff Amu told him was starting to tick him off. "Uh, no. That's bullshit! And you know it!" Then he decided to mock her. "Though I suppose this is what happens when you're not even a student here."

"Huh?/ Wha?"

Their situation was made even worse when the redhead laughed at them. "I can't keep a straight face. The fact the mirror picked you, someone midget with no magic, and a stupid weasel is priceless."

Amu felt a blood vessel popping. And Grim...yeah. He was pissed, too. "You think this is funny?" He said

"Well you two DID put on quite the show during the Opening Ceremony. I just had to get a front seat at what you two were." He turns on his heels and waves a dismissive hand. "Have fun cleaning up garbage and windows~"

Blue flames danced in Grim's throat, ready to burst. "That wise guy..." He flailed his paws and legs about. "Don't you dare make fun of the Great Grim!"

"Grim, stop it-!" But it was too late for her to do anything. He rushed at the boy, and shot a fireball at him.

Before it could hit its target, the boy moved out of the way and yelled at the dire beast. "Wow~ Trying to assault an official Night Raven student with puny magic like that?"

"Bring it on, you jerk!" Grim ran for him again and tried to light him on fire again, only for it to be blown away by the wind. Which only made him even more mad, and attack the boy even more.

Great, just great. The day just started, and Grim is picking an unnecessary fight with someone. Granted, he was being a jerk, but Amu does NOT need the added on stress. Especially since, their fighting was attracting a crowd. 'Why me?!' She was this close to tearing her hair out. Helpless as she watched two stubborn boys ppicking a fight with one another.

Another clash of magic caused Grim's flames to be pushed away from the heart painted boy, and barreling to someone else standing by one of the statues. Another boy with a black spade on his right eye.

Amu gasped. 'Oh no! He'll get hurt!' Before her mind could even react to what she was doing, she rushed to save that other boy from getting hit. 'Dangit! I wish I could have stopped this before things could get worse!'

 

"Then why not change it!"

 

She gasped. "Ran?"

Zooming out from her pouch and weaving around the spectators, the Pink egg emerged. And out of it came a little girl with pink hair wearing a sports hat and cheerleader clothes. "Hmm-hmm!" She flew straight to her partner, determination on her face. "I gotcha, Amu-chan!"

She smiled, relieved to see her first Would Be Self again. "Thank you, Ran!"

"Here we go! From a girl who CAN'T fly, to a girl who CAN fly! Chara Change!"

Amu's hairclips shifted from a red 'X' into a Red Heart.

 

"Hop! Step…!"

 

And right as the fire could hit Amu and the endangered student,

 

"JUUUUUUMMMP!!!"

 

“Ahh!”

“Waaaaahhh!!!”

 

She grabbed him by his waist, and jumped up high into the air, quickly saving him and herself from getting severely hurt.

Down below, everyone started to freak out; some leaving the scene before they got in trouble, others gossiping about the burning of the Queen of Hearts’ Statue. While the others...

“Hey, where did Pinky and the other guy go?”

“D-did they burn to a crisp?”

"Hey! What's that up there?" One of the students in the mob pointed toward the sky, and there they were. Amu holding a panicking bluenette in the air, without wings or a broom!

...

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!" They all exclaimed. Even Ace and Grim were flabbergasted at seeing Amu and another student high up in the sky!

"How's shorty doin' that?!"

"I don't fricking know!!"

Meanwhile, the Joker was having trouble with holding the boy because of his freak out. "H-hey! Calm down!"

But he wouldn't listen. "We're flying?! Super high?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

"Stop it! If you keeps this, I'll-"

 

*FIZZLE, POOF!*

 

"-Lose focus..." She paled as she sensed the magic in her disappear in an instant.

 

And then they both fell to their doom. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

To be Continued...

Notes:

Yay! Ran is ready to help!

Chapter 5: Ch.5: Expelled on the First Day?! ~Race to the Dwarf Mines!~

Summary:

A Falling out leading to potential expulsion, and to the discovery of a pandemic only Amu knows

Notes:

For those of you wondering how X-Eggs will play alongside Overblots and Phantoms, this part will showcase some of the influence an Overblot can have over them.

~Night Raven: Main Street~

 

This was the End. Amu didn't think her short life was gonna get any shorter! Plummeting to her death all because she was trying to save another person. Said person was also screaming his lungs out with her. And even though they barely knew each other, they held each other tight, bracing for the end.

And they wait. And waited…and waited.

 

…

 

Why aren't they dead? They both opened one eye each and saw that they were levitating a few feet from the ground. “We’re alive?”

Crowley marched to where the two were still floating. “Dear Seven! If it’s not these two scorching the Queen of Hearts’ Statue, it’s you two nearly jeopardizing Night Raven’s reputation- I mean- You two nearly falling from the sky WITHOUT a Professor’s supervision to even fly at all!”

“Uh…” The magic holding them up readjusted them to the ground; Amu and the boy no longer clinging to each other, sitting on their knees instead. ‘How am I not dead?’ A giggle next to the Headmage(and a binded Grim and Redhead) revealed the person who saved them.

“It was quite a scary fall, wasn’t it?” A short man with cropped bangs and two hair strands pointed out like horns said. “Luckily I was nearby to assist.” He laughs again.

“Uh…”

“Hinamori-san!” 

Crowley’s yelling made her body go rim-rod straight with fear. “Y-yes?”

“Didn’t I advise you to watch Grim while tending to your duties?”

“I did, but-”

“No butts! And on top that, YOU,” He sets his sights on the bluenette. “You should know better than to use levitation magic WITHOUT an overseeing professor!”

“Huh?!” The boy was shocked by what he said. “Sir, that wasn’t-”

“What is your name?”

“Uh. Deuce. Deuce Spade, Year One.”

“Spade-san. Hinamori-san. To my office with Trappola and Grim. Now.”

They both flinched, yet reluctantly followed him and the bounded duo to the Principal's office.

 

Silently, Ran snuck back into Amu’s pouch undetected. or at least…she thought she did.

 

---

 

“An abandoned mine hidden in a Dark and Spooky Forest. It just HAD to be an abandoned mine in a Dark and Spooky Forest!”

 

The poor Joker wished this was all a really bad dream, she really did. But alas, that was not the case as she walked through the dusk covered Dwarf land woods with the boy that started this whole mess-Ace Trappola-and the other boy who she accidentally got into trouble-Deuce Spade. Oh, and Grim, too.

She tried to stay calm as best as she could, hoping her “Stubbornness” can help her out this time. Even so…

 

Amu took a glance at the others and saw how laser focused trying to find the Dwarf Mines. ‘If what the Principal said is true, then the Mines we're going to are the same ones from Snow White.’ She giggled a little. ‘I kinda can’t wait to see them.’

“What’s so funny, Pinky?”

She saw that the three were staring at her. “Eh?”

“You’re laughing at our misery, aren’t cha?”

“What?” She was annoyed by what Ace said.“Why would I be laughing at the two who started this mess in the first place?”

“Oh you’re going that route? Maybe you should’ve watched your stupid cat.”

“Who you callin’ stupid?!” Grim siad back.

“That’s rich coming from you. YOU’RE the one who provoked him!”

She heard him utter ‘whatever’, making her even more upset and run up ahead of all three of them.

They quickly ran after her, until they found the entrance to the mines right past the abandoned cottage.

 

Even then, Amu continued to ignore them even as they were inside the mines. Deuce, worried about the girl, rushed up to  her. “Say, Amu was it?”

“Yeah?”

“Um, I kinda wanted to say, thank you for saving me earlier.”

She was surprised to hear that. An actual compliment from someone in this weird world. “It was nothing,” She waved a dismissive hand, her stubbornness mask returning like an old friend. “Just be mindful of your surroundings, Deuce.”

“I’ll remember that,” He thanked her. “Another thing. If Ace and I get expelled, we’ll be sent home. But what will happen to you?”

That notion froze her in her tracks as the reality of what Deuce said was true. If Amu was kicked out of Night Raven… “I…don’t know. I mean. I'm not from here.”

Grim and Ace caught up to them, shocked after hearing the echoes of her confession. “Hold up. What do you mean you’re not from here?”

“I’m not from Twisted Wonderland. I’m from Earth. So in other words…”

Ace cursed under his breath as Deuce swore aloud. To know the girl with them will be screwed the most after everything.

“Hey-”

 

“Useless~”

 

The group stopped in their tracks at the noise. “Who-who said that?” Grim demanded through chattering teeth.

 

“Useless~”

 

A small shadow zoomed by. Then another, then another, until a near storm of darkness engulfed them. They covered their faces to protect themselves from the wave of dark energy forming around them. The shadow mass continued to taunt them with their endless taunting.

“Nyah! What’s going on?!” The dire beast tried hard to drown out the overwhelming insults.

Ace started coughing. “I don’t know…can’t breathe.”

They all dropped to their knees as the cyclone continued without end, luring  another problem towards them.

‘These negative feelings…How can there be this many X-Eggs in the mines? Were…Were they the dwarves’ Would Be Selves?’

“.....One….”

A chill went up the Joker’s spine. ‘Not another ghost!’ “Wa-was that you, weasel?”

“N-no! A-and stop calling me w-w-w-weasel!”

 

“Uselesssssssss…”

 

“Very funny, Juice!”

“Hey! That's not me!”

The mass of X-Eggs parted, hovering above the fallen group to allow their ‘Master of the Mines’ through. The sound of moving sludge and something dragging on the ground brought their attention to a giant monster donned in torn ragged clothes, and an inkwell bottle for a head. ‘THAT’S NOT A DWARF!’ Amu internally screamed.

“Sssssttooooone…” The monster came even closer to them. all of them paralyzed with fear. “Myyyyyyy STOOOONESSSSSSS!!!”

The monster raised its arm-a giant pickaxe, and swung down onto them. Luckily they regained their senses to roll out the way. Ihe impact however still caused them all to fly in different directions. 

When they all crashed back down, Ace, Grim and Deuce wasted no time trying to cast spells at the monster. But that only made it angrier.

Slowly rising to her feet, Amu watched as the boys struggled to tame the monster. She wanted to run and help, but her legs ,scraped and bruised, weren’t working with her. She felt… helpless.

‘Dang it! Why can’t I move? I want to help them!’

“Useless…”

The swarm of X-Eggs had not left, and they felt Amu’s fears. As their ‘master’ was busy, they charged towards the pinkette. Skitting back from Ink Monster’s attack, the Card suit pair chanced a look at her. “Amu!/ Shorty! Look out!”

 

“AMU-CHAN!!”

Another blob zoomed around again, this time in front of the X-Eggs. A barrier pushing away the hoard, forcing them to group once again. The light from one of the boy’s pens revealed the culprit: a Pink Egg with a heart pattern. The shell around the Egg started to crack and out from it-was a little girl dressed in cheerleading clothes and sports hat with a giant red heart holding her hair up in a ponytail! “You leave Amu-chan alone!”  

 

…

 

“Huh?” They stared at the tiny child in front of them. “Who’s small child is this?”

“Ran!” Amu smiled at the Chara.

“Amu-chan!” She hugged her partner. “I’m so happy to see you again!”

“Mmm. Me too.”

The monster’s attention shifted to Amu and the newest intruder. “Staaaaaaayy aWAAAAAAAYYYY!! MY SSSTTTTTOOOOOOOONNNNNEESSSSSSS!” It tried to hit her this time, but thanks to Ran’s quick thinking allowed Amu to use her Chara Change! and leap out of the way and back over to Ace, deuce and Grim.

“Huh? So you CAN use magic?!”

"You know that...fairy thingy?"

“You could say that,” Amu wished she could explain herself more, but sadly, their current situation didn’t allow her the time to. “Ok. Ran, let’s do this!”

“Hai~~!”

 

“My Heart: UNLOCK!”

 

---

 

Back at school, a Tyrant of the Roses was not pleased to be informed that two of his students have disappeared to the Dwarf Mines for the sake of a Magestone. It was a grave offense.

 

One that will cost them their heads.

Notes:

As you can see, I'm hybriding parts of the manga and light novel(Partially on the light novel) for this one.

Also, Amu finally can fight now! yahoo!

Chapter 6: Ch.6: First Egg Reawakens! ~Amulet Heart’s Debut!~

Summary:

Amulet Heart saves the Day(...kinda)

~Dwarf Mines~

 

“My Heart: UNLOCK!”

 

A bright light engulfed the area, blinding the boys and causing the Monster and X-Eggs to shriek back. 

The redhead tried to look through the light for Amu. “O-oi! What the hell’s going on?!”

“I don’t know!”

Once the light vanished, they gaped at what Amu was now. Instead of the school outfit and cleaning smock, she wore an all pink cheerleader outfit with a red ribbon around her neck, and a sports headband with a Big Red Heart holding her hair up. “Chara-Nari: Amulet Heart!”

 

…

 

They could only stare at her dumbfounded. “She turned into a cheerleader?”

“What’s an Amulet Heart?”

She promptly ignored their less than enthusiastic responses, and rushed after the monster. It tried to swing at her again; she leaped away then summoned a pair of pom poms and threw them at its back, exploding right on contact. the monster groaned at the attack.

“Myah! Explosive pom poms!” Grim shouted.

Something shined from the corner of her eye in the dark. It was hard to make out, but...she knew it had to be what they were looking for. Hopping back to them, voice serious she orders: “It’s too dangerous to get the Stone right now. Let’s get out of here for now!”

 

“EH?!”

 

“Just come!” She grabbed both their wrists and hollered at Grim to run as well. The Swarm of Eggs attempted to seal off their escape, but that’s when Ace threw a fireball at them, breaking apart the blockade, giving them the slip and exit they needed. The monster, angrier than before, charged right behind them, its ‘legion’ following not far behind. The groups’ feet pounded on the ground as they turned, ducked and ran all the way back out the way they came.

They continued to run until they were sure they were a safe distance from the monster. Once they were sure the coast was clear, they worked on catching their breaths. It took awhile, but Ace was the first to regain his senses and breath, pointing an accusatory hand at Amu. “You CAN use Magic!”

“Huh?” 

“You’re still on that?! Dude, cut her some slack.” Deuce clapped back. 

“Nuh uh!” Ace continued complaining. “The Dark Mirror said nothing about Pinky having Magic!”

“Well, maybe it was off?” Deuce tried to excuse.

Grim went to the girl, eyes all sparkling at the tingling of magic he felt. “Hey, Minion! How’d you do that?!”

“Oh, uh…”

 

*BOOM!!*

 

“USELESS!!!”

 

The ground shook from the force of the Monster and X-Eggs heading towards them. They all couldn't believe that how the monster is still trying to get them. Ace felt like giving up since it was a legion of weird eggs alongside a Phantom whereas Deuce was afraid he wouldn't be able to keep his promise to himself to improve for Her. And while Amu wanted to give and cry, she knew that she couldn't and that they needed to get that Magestone for the Headmage.

Maybe, luring the monsters to them and stopping them together was their only chance.

"Guys. Hear me out." They all turned to face the Pinkette. "You two really don't wanna get expelled, right?"

"Uh, duh./ I do!"

She looks to Grim. "And you want to be a student here, right?"

"Obviously!"

"Then, as much as you guys may hate it, we HAVE to work together!"

"HUH!" "Why should I work with water baby over here?"

That seemed to have ticked off the bluenette. "What did you call me?"

"You heard me. You were whining and moaning the whole time. Going all 'Woes is me. I'll never be an Honour's student' bullshit."

Deuce cracked his knuckles his face in near rage. "Say that again! I dare ya!"

 

*BONK!!* 

 

"AH!!/ITAI!"

 

She whacked them both on the head. "Will you stop it!" They grumbled, but complied. "Listen, I saw what you guys can do back at school."

"And?"

"Why not try combining your skills together to handle that giant monster."

"HUh? You mean, US working together?"

"You rather get your parents mad you got expelled from her?" She says stubbornly.

And it seemed that her clapback struck a nerve with all three boys. "Ok, fine. But what about those weird orbs going all "Useless, Useless~?"

She flashed them a determined smile. "I can take care of them."

"How? With your fancy Pom Pom Bombs?" Ace joked.

"They're not bombs!"

 

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

 

"It's gettin' closer!"

 

They all came up with a quick plan of action; while Amu dealt with the creepy eggs, Ace and Grim will combine their wind and fire on the monster first, then Deuce will knock it down with his cauldrons. They boys then got into position while Amu jumped high in the air to get the X-Eggs' attention. As they watched her go after the floating spawn, Ace couldn't help but wonder how the mirror read her soul wrong if she could do stuff like flying. He'd have to wait to pester her about that since the Phantom was making its way towards them.

 

Back in the sky, Amu flew and dodged many ambush attempts by the tainted Chara. Spiral Heart and Heart Speeders gave her an edge to fight back and get them to focus on her instead of the boys down below fighting for their lives.  And yet, the negative emotions coming from the Eggs nearly over whelmed her. To the point they circled around her in a clouded mass once again.

Deuce looked up from blasting the beast with a water spell, eyes wide at seeing Amu engulfed by the mass. "She's in trouble!"

A near death swing from the monster's axe dodged by Ace pushing him out the way. "Focus! Don't be loosey Deucy now!"

"But she-"

"Can handle herself. We'll give her a hand once we kill this freak!"

"O-ok..."

 

Meanwhile...

“So many…”

'Why were there so many X-Eggs in the cave? How many kids lost their hopes and dreams they attached themselves to that Cave Monster?' Her mind wondered. All these little kids, so far away from the child they were meant to protect…

“Useless~…Useless~!” They endlessly chant. Her heart aching over this many Would Be Selves abandoned in this world. She clenched her fists, face shifting from sorrow to determination. Using Heart Speeders again, she skated fast and free from the Eggs. This only angered them as they launched themselves at her like a giant serpent.

She had them right where she wanted them!

Once Amulet Heart was sure that all the X-Eggs were following behind her, she stopped midair and turned back to face them. Deep breath in, and deep breath out. Amu formed a heart with her hands.

 

“Negative Heart: LOCK ON!”

 

Suddenly, a Heart shaped beam enclosed around the swarm, capturing all of the X-Eggs. A few tried to break free, but the purifying light magic from Amu made it impossible to break out.

 

“OPEN HEART!!”

 

The final pulses of magic restored the Dwarf Mine Eggs, the darkness that once held onto them disappearing, and the ‘X’s on them changing into a golden heart and wings, and flying away beyond the Mines, and away to their kids.

She smiled watching them fly away into the starry night sky. Her own heart is at peace at being able to do something that she’s familiar with. "Take care, Shugo Chara."

 

“RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!”

 

‘The guys!’ She flew back to the area where they had originally lured the Inkwell monster. From where she was, Amu saw the monster break free from Deuce’s cauldron, looming over Ace, Deuce and Grim, ready to strike. ‘Oh no!’

“I got this! Heart Sp-”

 

*BLAST*

 

“WHOA!!!” Amu nearly lost her balance trying to dodge the sudden explosion in front of her. A few cartwheels, and then the pinkette righted herself in the air in time to see the Monster engulfed in flames. “W-wha? What just happened?”

 

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”

 

*CLINK*

 

“AAHHHH!”

“Ace! Deuce!” Amu cried. 

 

*FIZZLE, FIZZLE!*

 

*POOF!*

 

"Uh oh..." Amu’s transformation vanished as she was in mid-flight. Ran’s eyeballs were dizzy as she tried to stay steady herself, but it didn’t matter in the end…

…As Amu fell to the ground again.

 

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!”

 

“Amu-chan!!”

She fell down super fast but was slid up to her feet thanks to some of the remaining debris. She skid on the heels of her feet into the dirt hard to keep herself from falling, then tripped till she tumbled forward-

 

"!!!"

 

-into the arms of The Rose Tyrant.

Notes:

And I oop- 👀 *runs away*

Chapter 7: Ch.7: Awkward Encounter! ~Expelled No Longer!~

Summary:

The doomed-to-be-expelled are no longer gonna be expelled. But that won't stop two of them from getting in trouble~

~Abandoned Dwarf Lands~

 

All Riddle desired from his dorm was Order and Obedience. Like the Spirit Queen of Hearts, he demands obedience and lays down the law of every single one of the 810 rules the Queen Herself has made. Should anyone of his dorm, or any other dare to challenge him, it’s OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

And given that two of his students were not only near expulsion, but also dared to skip the most important event this evening involving Queen of Hearts Rule no. 304: “On days when a Hedgehog sneezes, all Card Soldiers are to assemble to perform a song.” Such delinquent behavior will NOT go unpunished.

Ordering his trusted aides, a green haired boy with glasses and clover on his face-Trey Clover- and another boy with orange hair pulled back in a ponytail with a small red diamond on his face-Cater Diamond to come with him, they set off to track down the runaway first years.

Crowley may have his…moments of brushing off particular situations to save face for the school, but Riddle thanked the professor internally for informing him where his men went missing. Lucky for them the Abandoned Dwarf Lands were not that far from school grounds with the Dark Mirror’s help.

 

*BOOM! RUMBLE!!*

 

The sound of fighting wasn’t far from where they arrived. “Weird. There shouldn’t be any other people around,” Trey said.

Cater twirled a piece of his hair, face neutral as ever. “Toats creepy~ You sure our lil’ juniors are here, Housewarden?”

“Headmage gave them the task of finding a Magestone to replace a broken one for one of the chandeliers in the Cafeteria. He would never try to lead us astray.”

“Still…”

 

“Useless~”

 

“Did you say something, Trey?”

“No.”

“Ah! Guys, check out the sky!”

Cater took out his cellphone, and turned on the flashlight while his leader pulled out his pen to cast a small light spell. They all looked upward and saw a strange mass of negative energy flying around in the air. It seemed to be chasing after something up it surrounded them.

“She’s in trouble!!” They heard someone shout, followed by the bellowing of a monster nearby.

“That sounded like one of our missing freshies.”

“They must be close.”

“Come! We must get to them at once!”

“Yes, Housewarden.” They obeyed without question.

Soon, the trio found the missing Heart and Spade soldiers kneeling in front of a Phantom. The monster had just broken free from the giant cauldron, its gurgling cry reverberating in the barren forest, and raising its arm in the air to kill the boys. Hmph, killing this creature is mere child’s play.

 

Summoning his wand, Riddle cast a potent fire spell obliterating the monster in an instant. And not long after, he collared them both. “OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!!”

“AHH!!!”

Their attention was finally drawn to the Rose tyrant and his Guards. Deuce’s face paled seeing his seniors whereas Ace was stunned into silence. “Huh? When did you guys-?”

“I’m disappointed with you two.”

“Wha?”

“The both of you skipped curfew, on the verge of expulsion, and to add on top of this, you both-! ”

 

“AAAHHHHH!!”

 

Someone’s screaming halted his reprimanding of the boys and soon a weight had fallen onto him. “!!!” He caught himself and the person on time, his eyes focusing on a spot of pink in his vision. Trey and Cater gasped, worried for their Leader. Soon, all four of the card soldiers and the Dire Beast were in different phases of shock as they saw what almost could be seen as a massive death warrant for anyone: Riddle Rosehearts holding the new girl in his arms.

 

---

 

It felt as though time had frozen still. Amu’s eyes were closed as she waited for the feeling of her face hitting dirt. But it didn’t happen. She waited, and waited, until finally she slowly opened them and nearly blushed as a pair of shocked gray orbs stared back at her. She felt almost as if she was saved by Prince Charming…

But then that vision vanished as the face of the Rose Tyrant started turning bloodshot red, causing her to fly back with a shriek. “Eeek!! Sorry! I-I was-”

“Y-y-you-!” He was so furious(and secretly embarrassed), his words were failing him. “Who gave you the right to just-?! Have you no shame!!!”

“Is he blushing?” Ace said, rightfully confused.

“I think so…?” Deuce was too stump to confirm what they were witnessing.

“To dare throw yourself at me, I should have your head!”

“Who a whoa whoa~! Easy there, Housewarden!!” Cater raised his hands. "We came for Loosey Adeucey, and we got them."

"Yeah. I'm sure she didn't mean to startle you like that." Trey further explained. "Let's go back to Heartslabyul."

Riddle would've loved to say otherwise, but...they were right. The troublemakers were collared; returning home for now is the best course of action. With a wave of his hand, the seniors were quick to picking their juniors and made their way out of the Dwarflands.

The Joker and  quickly recovered from her shock as she watched them take away Ace and Deuce. "Hey!" The older boys didn't respond, just continued carrying away a confused duo. "They came with me to save themselves from losing their chance at being at this school! Why are you punishing them for something the Principal gave them as a chance to stay enrolled here?!"

'This child...!' He issued another order for the four to continue onward. "And what of it? They still disobeyed the Queen's Rules!"

She gaped at him. "Seriously! All this over a stupid rule?!"

"Stupid. STUPID!!" This girl truly must have a deathwish! "Must I remind you of your place, Miss Hinamori!"

“STOOOOOOOP!!!” Just before he could say more, Ran appeared between her kid and him, protecting her from any further remarks. "You leave Amu-chan alone, you bully!"

"What is-!"

"Ran!"

"Myah? You again!"

Where did this small fairy come from? ... Riddle didn't have time for this. He'll behead her later. "If you still wish to 'stay enrolled', return to Night Raven at once." And with that he left all three of them there, cape flowing as he strode away in the night.

Whether or not she was expelled was of no concern to him. So long as Order had been restored, Riddle can rest knowing that that pink girl will be given her dues.

After everyone had finishied singing, Riddle was pleased with the results and uncollared the runaways, dismissing everyone to their rooms for the night. Settling in his room after dealing with the same pesky Ace, Riddle was undoing the pins holding his cape to his top when he heard something fall to the floor. He looked down and picked it up. A red ‘X’ shaped hair clip.

Ruby brows furrowed as he examined the item in his hands. “I don’t own such a thing. How did it end up on my wardrobe?”

 

---

 

“Yataaaaaaaaaaa!” Amu falls onto the bed, relief washing all over her. "I'm no longer doomed to be homeless!"

"And I'm finally an official student here!"

Taking the redhead's advice, they decided to return to campus. Not without rushing back into the cave(with the help of Ran) to grab the Magestone and book it out before encountering any other monsters and running for the hills. As soon as they found the way back to the school, they ran straight to Dire Crowley and shown him it and how they obtained it. Needless to say he was pleased, even if his weird crying of her working with Ace and Deuce made things werid, it was worth it in the end.

 

All four of them can stay in Night Raven College again!

 

"Techincally we still are homeless..."

"MYAH!" Grim jumped at seeing Ran in the room with them still. "You're still here?!"

"Of course, Mr. Cat! I'm her Would Be Self after all!" She told him.

"I don't get it."

Amber eyes side eyed him. "Makes sense that you don't. Weasels like you probably don't have one~"

"Say that again!" He harrumphed, faking his hurt. "And to think, I was gonna share my present with you!"

"Present?"

"This!" He waved a black rock in the air. "I found this bad boy where the monster used to be."

Amu and Ran looked at each with concern. "You sure it's safe to eat."

"Of course it is~!" He ate it in one gulp, making the girls cringed at the sight. They waited to see a reaction from him. At first it was bulging eyes, then rather than spitting and fake vomitting, he jumped and twirled about. Gushing about the taste of the stone. "A mellow but full bodied flavour! An aroma and a sweetness that blossoms on my tongue. It's like a flower garden in my mouth!"

Amu cringed again at that while Ran voiced her disgust. "Too much information, Grim!"

"You're just jelly~!"

"Oh yeah," She began chased him all around the room, "Say it again!"

"Catch me if you can!"

 

Amu looked on and smiled at their antics. Never would she have guessed her first official day in this strange world would have so many chaotic moments. Resting her head on her hand, she wondered about the Headmage sending her back home, whenever he finds one. Then she looked down to the other three sleeping Chara. 'This is sure gonna one weird school year for all of us.'

"Hope you all wake up soon, Miki. Su. Dia."

 

---

 

"A sniff in the air here. A sniff in the air there..."

"Umbra? What's the matter?"

"An Egg woke up! An egg woke up!"

"Hmm? Really?"

"Mmm!" The Chara-Umbra-nodded enthusiastically. "It was one of the ones that smelled like that girl who bumped into you last night."

"I see."

"And, there's more, Mal-Mal!"

"More?" Mal-Mal said curiously. "My interest is piqued."

"I hope the rest hatch soon! I wanna play!"

"..."

"Mal-Mal?"

"Nothing," He answered. The Chara stared at his kid with worry. "Come, don't you wish to say goodnight to them."

Umbra gaped. "Oh yeah! I promised Gobby that I'd clean his ears tonight!"

Mal-Mal, or rather..., Malleus Draconia smiled at his Would Be Self. "Then let's not waste anytime." And together, they disappeared in a sparkle of green fireflies.

 

To be Continued...

Notes:

And now the Stage is set for the real story to begin. (How embarrassing I got stumped on this fic for two weeks ToT)

Umbra is one of a few Chara that will be introduced slowly in the story. Can't wait to see you all in the next installment!!!

Chapter 8: Ch.8: Trappola Blues ~ Welcome to Heartslabyul!

Notes:

Amu gets a glimpse of the beautiful dorms that grace Night Raven College. You can thank the Beheading of a card soldier for that

~Ramshackle Dorm: Main Foyer~

 

Ace Trappola, collared once again by his Housewarden, was the last person Amu, Ran, and Grim expected knocking on the door to their dorm so loud it felt like the whole foundation would’ve collapsed. They all blinked at him, speechless over his overnight arrival to their dorm.

“Uh, what are you doing here…?”

 

“I’m never going back to Heartslabyul!” He declared, storming inside directly to the Main Lounge.

 

“HUH?!/MYAH?!/WHAT?!”

Amu chased after him. Her mind scrambled to understand what the heck he was saying. “Wait wait wait wait! Why?!”

“Yeah! Who died and made you Boss?! Cause the only person here that deserves to be called that is me!”

Ace sat on the rickety couch, grumbling to himself. “...art.”

“Huh?” They said, confused.

“...i ate a tart..”

“What was that again-”

 

“I ATE A FRICKIN’ TART!!”

 

Amu and the younger ones jumped back at his yelling. Then his words began setting in. “You ate a tart?” She saw him blushing as he looked away angrily. “THAT’S what got you into this mess?!”

Ran flew up to him, and asked: “How did a tart get you in trouble?”

“...I got hungry after everything that happened last night. So I snuck down to the kitchen and…” He elaborated on how there were three huge tarts premade in the fridge. Since he didn’t get to eat dinner since they went straight for the mines, he thought no one would bat an eye to a piece missing from any of them.

But then, Riddle, the Housewarden of Heartslabyul, showed up behind him, his face that of a demon’s.

 

And brandished his infamous collar on his neck.

 

Amu and Grim were…not impressed nor phased by his admission of stealing.

Ran on the other hand knew what to do. “You need to apologize.”

“What?! Apologize?! Why do I gotta do that?! I’m the victim here!” He whined. “You should’ve seen what he forced me and the rest of the dorm to do earlier!”

“But you still stole and ate something that wasn’t yours!” She pulled out her pom poms and did a little cheer. “If you’re honest and say you’re sorry, he’ll forgive you and you two can be friends!”

 

…

 

“Pfft. You gotta be jokin’.”

“Did you stop to think that those tarts were for some important party?” Amu explained to him. “With three well crafted treats like that, Riddle had to have asked someone to make those for an important event.” She strolled over to Ace and poked the redhead’s forehead. “And to think I thought you learned your lesson from the mines. Ya know, where us and your other classmate were gonna get expelled for what you started?”

“Oi! YOU’RE the one who didn’t keep that cat in check?”

“He fought in self defense,” She stuck her tongue out.

“Ooooo~ Busted~~”

“Shut up!” He yelled, causing the little cheerleader to fly about in a dizzy. “And what’s with the fairy?”

“Fairy?” Ran felt offended over what he called her. “I’m not a Fairy! I’m Amu-chan’s Shugo Chara!”

“Same diff.”

“Anyway, you sure you don’t want to apologize for what you did?”

“Nope.”

Amu’s eye twitched at him. “Fine. But you’re sleeping on the couch.”

“The couch?” He stared at her. “C’mon. You’re practically a midget. I’m sure your bed has room for me too.”

“Nope!” She denied him, face burning red. “ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!”

“No way!” Ran followed suit.

“I swear I ain’t gonna do anything to ya!”

 

“HECK NO!!!”

 

“OK! OK! SHEESH!!”

 

---

 

The next day, they all woke up to get ready for class. Grim was going about the morning with a pep in his step, gushing over the magestone Crowley gifted him last night. Ran watched Amu adjust parts of the hand me down clothes that were one size partially too big. “Of course there’s nothing too close to my size.”

“Too bad Miki’s still asleep. She’d fix up this outfit lickey split!”

Flaming ears picked up on the name. “Mee-kee? Who’s that?”

“Oh right,” Amu picked up her waist pouch and carefully showed him the other Eggs, pointing to the blue eggs with a Spade pattern. “She’s my other Chara. So are Su,” She pointed to the Green Egg with the club/clover pattern. “And Dia.” She pointed to the yellow diamond one.

“Wait? You have four of those Charcola?!”

“Shugo Chara!!”

“I want one! Gimmie!” He tried to swipe at one of them. Luckily, she moved the bag away before he could steal one.

“No way!” She barked at him. “Go get your own!”

“It’s not fair you have four! Gimmie!”

“No!” She booked it out her room and down the steps, the feline and Chara not too far on her trail.

During this, the grouchy ace of hearts stretched his back on the couch, yawning loudly and smacking his lips. His vision when heard the sound of running and shouting from upstairs, watching as Amu and Grim ran around the Lounge. He tried to process what was going on, even going so far as to grabbing Amu’s bag from her hands as she ran past him.

The Joker felt the tug, causing Grim to run into her and two falling over. They both fell onto each other on the ground. “Amu-chan!”

“Hey! Give that back!”

“Why should I?” He mocked the Joker. “Besides, you three seemed to be awfully carefree compared to my agony.”

“She has eggs in her bag!”

“Grim!”

“Eggs?” He opened her bag(rude >:c) and saw that Grim was right. There were three more eggs inside. “You a Beastwoman or something!”

Amu jumped to her feet and tried to snatch it back, only for Ace to stand up and raise his arm with it high over her. “Hey! Give them back!”

“I dunno. Maybe I’ll make sunnyside up eggs with them~” He grin evilly at her.

“Like heck you are! They're mine!”

“Says who~?”

“Says me!” She kicked him in the shin, making him lose grip of the bag.

“Ow!” He grabbed his leg and bounced on one foot from the pain. “God dang! For a pipsqueak, you’re pretty violent!”

She glared daggers at him, and then at Grim, who backed away when she saw him trying for her again. The tension in the room died however, when a knock at the front door got their attention. “Hmm? Another visitor this early?”

Fixing her bag to her person, she made it to the doorway and opened it up, and saw that it was Deuce Spade. “Oh. Good morning, Spade-kun, was it?”

“Good morning.” He said back. She let him inside from the doorway. “Have you seen…” He started his question, but stopped when Ace and Grim showed up to the entrance, too. “I knew you came here last night.”

He glared at Deuce. “Oh, bite me. What are you, my keeper?”

“You’re lucky you weren’t at the dorm this morning. Housewarden Riddle was livid when some students had overslept. He collared them all.”

Ran gulped as Amu’s eyes widened. ‘He didn’t give them a second chance…’

Hearing that also sent shivers down Grim’s spine. “Maybe talking with him isn’t such a good idea right now.”

“Talk?”

“We were kind of hoping to see Riddle so Ace could say he was sorry for eating something he shouldn’t have,” Amu turned to him with a smug. “Right~”

Said boy looked at her like she grew a second head. “Come again?”

“You,” She goes behind and starts pushing his back. “Are going,” She pushed him hard out of the door.  “Back to your dorm. Now!”

He went to dig his heels to stop her. “H-hey! Stop pushing me!” Grim and the others followed right behind them, laughing at the sight.

“Go, henchwoman, go!”

“Yeah! you show him Amu-chan!”

“Oh. You’re still here, too?”

 

---

 

Despite all his protests and excuses, Amu and co. had managed to miraculously push Ace all the way back to the Hall of Mirrors(thanks to Deuce showing them the way to the area.) They currently all stood in front of the one decorated in what Amu can tell were roses and cards associated with the Queen of Hearts and Wonderland.

She almost felt small, recalling how authoritative Riddle is. To the point her mind went to compare him to another prince she knew. She immediately shook her head, she nearly got whiplash. ‘No no no! That freakazoid is NOTHING like Tadase-kun! Bad Amu! Bad Amu!’

“Are you ok?”

“Huh?” She noticed that the others were staring at her. “Oh yeah! I’m just kinda nervous to see what your Dorm is like.”

“Don’t worry. You both are going to love it!” Deuce said, hoping to calm her down a bit.

“Well what are we waiting for! Let’s go!” Grim hopped in first without hesitation. Ace and Deuce went in next, with Amu and her Chara being the last ones to enter.

What they both saw was something straight out of a Children's Storybook. Like the one her parents read to her and Ami a lot. In fact, the front of the dorm looked nearly identical to the Queen’s Castle!

“Sugoi~” All the pinkette could do was nod alongside Ran’s response.

“No way! This place is WAY cooler than our place!” Grim pouted. That hurt Amu’s pride a little, then she thought of the ghosts that lived and retracted her disappointment. No offense to them, but a place that is NOT a haunted house is better than Ramshackle.

The cheerful Chara flew to the residence of this piece of Night Raven and Asked: “So, Ace-kun. Deuce-kun. Where do we go to find that Riddle guy?”

Before either of them could come up with an answer, they heard some nearby in the rose bushes about ‘painting the roses red’ or something.

Hmm. Who could that be?

They followed the voice deeper in the garden, and spotted someone wearing what appeared to be the Uniforms for Heartslabyul. He was a tall light ginger haired boy with his hair pulled back in a small ponytail. Judging from home he went from one rose tree to another. “Gotta paint these roses red or it’s off with my head~”

They blinked at him and his creepy phrasing. “Who says that with a smile on his face?”

“Maybe he knows where your Dorm Leader is,” Amu moved away from the group and ran over to talk to the ginger. “Eto, excuse me.”

“Hm?” Footsteps crushing onto grass caught his attention as he turned to see her come over, and the others not far behind. “ Hi Loossey Adeucey. Ooo~ You’re the cute pink freshman from last night.”

That statement caught her off guard. “Huh?”

“You hear that, Amu-chan? He remembers us!”

“OMG!!!” The boy’s eyes light up seeing Ran show up. “I didn’t see you in the dark all that well, but I didn’t think you had such a cute lil Fairy with you!” Quickly, he pulled out his phone, with a emoji like diamond on it, and snapped a photo of Ran.

“Ah! I’M BLIND!!” The poor Chara rubbed at her eyes to get rid of the flashing light.

“Now to put in the tags. #TwoPinkies@Heartslabyul #CheerleaderFairy?! and send!” He finished, putting his phone away until he looked back at his work. “Crap! I gotta get these roses done!”

“Uh, why do you need to paint the roses red?”

“They need to be painted for an Unbirthday later this week.”

‘They do those here?!’ Amu thought excitedly. 

“But I’ll be in, like, super hot water if they don’t get done!” He whined to his juniors. Then, he was struck with an idea. “Say, think you guys can help me out here?”

“Oh, uh, sure. We can help. Right guys?”

“The sooner we get done, the better!”

“Yeah. We’d be happy to help, umm…”

“Name’s Cater Diamond. Your residential Senpai!”

He ushered them to the paint buckets scattered everywhere and to the bushes that still needed painting. Objective at hand, everyone got to work with a brush or their magic pens, and started painting. 

 

And inside Amu’s pouch, Miki’s egg began to stir.

 

To be Continued…

Chapter 9: Ch.9: New School, New Classes ~First (OFFICIAL) Day of School!~

Summary:

After a rough morning at Heartslabyul, the quartet can finally get started on their first day of school.

~Heartslabyul Dorm: Rose Garden~

 

“Paint the Roses Red. Not Pink, Green or Aquamarine. It’s red roses, nothing else~” Cater warned them as they all readied themselves at each rose tree. He, Deuce and Grim would use their magic to change the color of the roses, while Ace, Amu and Ran used brushes. It felt exciting to Amu, who held her brush in her hands with determination.

“Hai!”

“Hehe! This is fun! No wonder Alice-chan in the movie enjoyed painting the roses!”

“Yeah,” Now that the sport chara mentioned it, this DOES feel like something Alice did. ‘And in the dream I had last night before Ace showed up, this scene played out the exact same way.’ Amu thought as she painted the roses. Crouching down to dip her brush in the bucket again. ‘I wonder why I had that dream of Alice in Wonderland?’

“Myah! Oh no!” Grim’s panicking had all eyes on him as he made the colors pink, green and aquamarine. The total opposite of red!

Ace laughed at the goof up. “That’s whatcha get for rushing~”

“Can it! Not like you guys are any doner than we are.”

“Oh yeah! Miki would’ve had this done lickety split!” Ran yelled back, waving her paintbrush around.

“Let’s talking, more paintings. Otherwise, we’ll miss out on seeing Riddle-kun!”

“Oh! Right!”

‘Miki?’ Cater wondered, twirling a piece of his hair as he fixed the bush in an instant.

It was thirty minutes later when they all finished painting every rose bush. Deuce and Grim were exhausted from the trial and error of it all, while Ace, Amu and Ran’s arms were hurting. Rather than pitying them, all Cater gave was blunt critique. “You guys are even worse than I thought.”

“So much for being a kind person,” Amu said to herself.

“Say, Senpai. Since we helped with painting the roses, do you happen to know if Riddle is here?”

“He is.”

Ace sighed in relief.

 

“Bu~ut, did you bring an apology tart?”

 

All five freshmens minds froze at the question. “Huh?”

“Rule no.053: Anything stolen must be returned. You broke the rules again, so I can’t let you guys in!”

“Huh?!/ You’re kidding me?!” Grim and Ace cried.

“Actually that makes sense as a rule…” Ran nodded with Amu on that one.

“If you want to live in this dorm, you gotta follow the rules?” Cater told them in a serious tone. “A~nd, since you didn’t bring one, I can’t let you back in. Otherwise, heads will roll. Mine especially.”

‘His mood flipped,’ Amu was shocked at the mask change, watching him use his pen again on them. “I am Me, and We are They. Split Card!”

“Wah! He made himself a buncha times!”

‘How did he do that?!’ “Ah!” She didn’t have much time to process the scene, as Cater’s copies ushered and pushed back all of them away.

Once all of them were out, Cater closed the gate and turned his back on them. “Come back again when you have a tart, k? Buh-bye~”

During the struggle, the Blue Egg shook a bit once again, only to fall out in the grass in the garden. 

 

---

 

Outside the Garden, the freshmen all were dumbfounded by what had transpired. Cater managed to kick them out of the garden, citing they needed to make something to replace what Ace ate. And what was weirder was that, nobody knew how that cloning trick he used was possible.

“That meanie head! He broke his promise!” Ran cried. “I’m gonna file a complaint to HR!”

“Meanie head? What are you, a toddler?”

“Cursing is bad!”

“Why would he not keep his word like that…”

“Hey guys,” Amu got their attention. “About… Cater-senpai, was it? He never said we’d see your Dorm Leader, only that he himself needed help with the roses.”

Hope dimmed out of them as they realized what she said was true. “So you’re saying-”

“Yeah. He took advantage of our misery for his own gain,” Amu and Deuce deflated, crying over the shared betrayal.

“What a dick…”

“Not gonna cuss, but you said it!”

 

*DING DONG, BING BONG*

 

“Myah! What was that?!”

“That was the bell!” Ace exclaimed. “We gotta get to class!” They all got up and exited the dorm out the mirror and back onto Main Street.

“By the way, what class are you guys in?”

“We were assigned to Class 1-A!”

“Oh neat. Same here!”

“Me too!”

“Then off we go then!”

Back in the garden, the cracks of the shell opened to blue eyes who looked around for her Kid. She was about to fly away, when the crunching of shoes on the ground had her hid in her shell to observe. Polish red heels stopped by where she rested. Miki held her breath, wondering what the person was bound to do next.

She was picked up, her shell closing back up, and placed inside something.

 

---

The first bout of classes at this school were…something for sure.

 

Amu and the boys got a scary introduction to their Homeroom Teacher for Alchemy/ Potionology, a fashionista by the name Divus Crewel. ‘Is this guy Cruella De Vil’s distant relative?! Why is this teacher allowed to have a crop?!’ His aura set off every danger alarm in Amu’s brain. The sight of him barking out orders for students to pay attention in class increased them tenfold. ‘Note self: Never get on this one’s bad side!’

 

The History of Magic Professor-Movus Trein-was a serious older man. Yet he seemed the most normal compared to Crewel. He even had a pet cat that doubled as a Familiar. ‘I wonder if Yoru and Ikuto would get along with him?’ She sees the feline, Lucius, come up to her spot, and nudge his paw onto Grim who was sleeping. The latter popped up from his sleep wondering who woke him up. ‘Yeah…on second thought. They’d likely cause a cat fight.’

 

The next period, Gym, was when she met the school's burly yet muscular Coach Ashton Vargas. He spoke about how it’s impatient for mage’s to have good stamina if they wish to use their magic to the fullest. ‘He’s the spitting image of Gaston…It’s kinda scary.’ Hearing him call his first official order of business: 20 laps around the field and 100 push ups, Amu wanted to die on the inside. ‘There’s no way I’m gonna survive this!’ She panicked as she attempted to do her third push up.

“Quittin’ already! You need another set! NOW!!!” She heard him yell at her and a couple other students struggling.

‘I’m gonna die from this! I’m SO gonna die from this!’

Hidden within the school gear and brooms next to Vargas, Ran peeked her head out ‘Go, Amu-chan. Go!’

With a little help from Ran, Amu miraculously managed to do the first rep of push ups along with the additional reps he gave her. Jumping to her feet, she even went and did twenty more laps around the field. Her actions gobsmacked the whole class, Coach included.

Making her way back to the class after the final lap, Vargas popped his jaw back in place, blowed his whistle for everyone to stop, and laughed joyfully as he patted Amu on the back. “WAY TO GO, AMU!! Now THAT’S what I call striving!”

Unlike him,the rest of the class, including the lone brain cell trio, saw the exhausted and traumatized girl looking moments away from passing out. ‘RIP to her.’

 

---

 

Inside the privacy of the locker room, Ran ran ahead of Grim; the latter chasing her freely in a mini game of Tag. ‘At least those two are having fun…’ Amu had some trouble trying to regain the feeling of her limbs after her Chara’s little stunt back in gym class. She prayed that the path home opened up to her soon, otherwise, this was going to be the most stressful year of Amu’s life. Once she was sure she could feel her legs from all the running and push ups, she started to change back into her school uniform. When she adjusted the strap on her Egg pouch, she felt something was off. ‘Why does it feel lighter?’ She took it off and peek in to check on the girls, her face paling.

 

Grim ran up next to her on one of the benches in the locker room. “Mmm? You good there, Henchhuman?”

“...”

“Amu-chan?”

“She’s gone…”

“Huh?”

“Miki’s egg,” She showed them where once stood three sleeping Chara-

 

“She’s gone!”

 

-Was now two.

 

---

 

Riddle was in the middle of his third period class, writing away at his notes thoroughly, clean and with decorum. He made to take in everything his professor said extensively, less he needs to redo them again.

And He, someone who is ranked First in all his class, does NOT need to redo notes.

From his bag perched next to his desk, Miki peeked out from his bag and watched him closely before examining the rest of the room. It was hard to see how many people were around, but if she timed it just right, she could slip out undetected and find Amu and the others-

 

“Can anyone show the class what the correct symbol for the Fairest Queen’s chest is?”

 

-or not.

 

The old professor’s eyes surveyed the room for a volunteer. Many waited patiently for him to pick out the unfortunate volunteer. He laser focuses on one person in the front, a second year wearing a violet and red colored armband. “You?”

“H-huh?!”

“Draw the symbol on the board, please.”

“O-of course, Professor,” The student nervously rose from his chair and made his way to the chalkboard. He picked up the chalk and started to sketch out the symbol. Sadly, his nervousness of standing in front of the class, his lines were crooked and some shapes were a bit disproportionate. Nevertheless, he kept going until he was done.

 

Or he would’ve, were it not for Riddle.

 

“Professor. Allow me to correctly draw it out.”

The boy froze, hoping the professor would show leniency and decline the Housewarden’s volunteering.

 

“Sure, Mr. Rosehearts.”

 

He did not.

 

With confident strides, Riddle made his way to the front of the class and took the chalk out of the nervous boy’s hands. Wiping away his attempt, and drawing in its place a perfect replica of the symbol. “Well done, Mr. Rosehearts.”

“Much obliged professor,” The red head smiled before glaring at the other student. “How could you deface your Dorm’s reputation like that?”

“I-I was nervous! I know how to draw the famous Heart and Dagger of the Queen! It’s just-”

“Excuses!”

He stopped the boy’s rambling. “And for you to represent the Spirit of the Fairest Queen…I can only imagine the disappointment when your Housewarden knows what you’ve done.”

The boy stood there, holding back his tears at the humiliating reprimanding of the Rose Tyrant himself.

 

---

 

Back at Riddle's desk, Miki watched the scene fold right in front of her. And felt a storm coming…a very scary one at that.

 

To Be Continued…

 

Notes:

Bam Bam BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMM!!

Chapter 10: Ch.10: Lunchtime Lament! ~Search and Rescue Begins!~

Summary:

Amu gets the Blues(Literally and Figuratively), and gets a little pep talk by an unexpected character.

Meanwhile, a Pomefiore student loses the Self He Wants to Be.

Notes:

Warning: Ace Trappola being Ace Trappola in this chapter. That is all. (He does get better, promise.)

~Night Raven: Mess Hall~

 

Ace and Deuce could feel the negative energy coming from Amu at their table. Her shoulders were slumped as she picked at her meal. It was a bit unsettling to see, yet neither one of them knew what to do…

“So, pinky…what's with the whole…emo thing?”

Ace felt Deuce shove him. “Dude!”

“What? What do you want me to say?!”

“You could’ve been nicer about it!”

Grim and Ran, who watched her with worry, paused the middle of their meals. “She lost one.”

“Lost one?”

Ran nodded. “One of her Eggs’ is missing. It was a blue one with spades on it.”

“Blue one with Spades?” Ace repeated the description. “Oooh! The ones in your pouch, right?”

Amu grumbled, still depressed.

“I’ll take that as a yes?” Deuce guessed. He got a grumble again as his answer.

“Hey there, freshies~” The dreaded sound of an all too cheery voice broke through the gloomy atmosphere a bit. “How’s your First Day comin’ along~”

Cater’s appearance had Grim and Ran hop up from their spot on the table, the former pointing an accusatory paw at him. “The swindler from this morning!”

“Hey! That’s my line!” Ran cried.

“Hey, hey~ What’s with the hostility? No hard feelings, remember?”

“Easier for you to say. YOU’RE the one that kicked us out over another rule!”

Cater purposely ignored Ace’s remark, and saw that the new girl wasn’t as emotional as they were. He can tell a mask off moment when he sees one, and while he could leave it alone…curiosity whispered at him to stay. “Hi-hi, Pinky~”

“Hi Senpai…”

“Ouch. Such a vibe killer…”

“She’s emo cause she lost one of her Eggs.”

“Eggs? She has more?”

“Four in total. Pink, Blue, Green and Yellow.”

He was caught off guard by that. “Dang! That’s a lotta Eggs! Sorry for your loss.”

“Who’s loss?” Another voice chimed into their conversation. This time it was Trey Clover, the other boy from last night.

“Ah! The other bozo!”

Trey raised his hands in defense. “Hey hey. I mean no harm.”

“Ignore, Grim. He has terrible manners,” Ran bluntly said.

“Myah! What gives?!”

“Oh. You must be the ones who live in that Ranshackled Dorm- I mean-”

Amu was too sad to feel provoked. “Save it. Not in the mood to respond.”

Trey looked at the pinkette with worry. “Is she ok?”

“An Egg flew the coop. And she doesn’t know where it is.”

“Egg?” Now why did that sound familiar, Trey wondered.

“Miki. Her Blue Egg.”

“!!!”

“Will you suck it up already?” Ace had enough of her moping. 

“...”

“So you lost an Egg. Big deal. You have two more besides this twerp!”

“Yeah yeah! Hey! Who you callin’ a twerp?!”

“...” Amu gritted her teeth.

“Need I remind you I’m the one who’s suffering here. And it’s just one egg!”

 

*SLAM!!*

 

“SHUT UP!!” Her shouting caused the whole Mess Hall to go silent. “You don’t have ANY clue how important that ‘Just one Egg’ is to me!”

“Amu-san…”

“Why should I? I’m not the one labeled Beast Tamer. That’s your job!”

“Tch!” Amu got up from her chair and ran out the Hall, not caring for the people around her seeing her off, nor Ran and Grim running after her.

“Henchhuman!/ Amu-han!”

 

…

 

“Smooth, dude.”

“What? I’m being honest. Not my fault she’s carrying around those things like a mother hen!”

“Ace…”

“She’s the one who threw a tantrum! Not as bad as Riddle’s, yet I’M the bad guy?!”

“Yes. You are.”

“Who said that?” Ace’s face paled at the person who answered. Grey eyes looked at him in disappointment.

“H-HOUSEWARDEN?!”

 

---

Outside the Mess Hall, Amu ran and hid under one of the trees in the courtyard, face in her arms, hunched over her knees. Ran and Grim sat on each side of her, staying quiet as they kept her company. They heard her sniffle on occasion, but they still didn’t know how to make her feel better. Especially Ran. She always knew how to make Amu smile when she was done, and helped out when she could when things were tough back home. The gung ho Chara wasn’t afraid of lending Amu a hand no matter the danger.

 

But here, in this strange world, where everyone seems to be an unapologetic bully. This was a bit harder for her to do.

 

A small shadow peeked out from the tree branches and gazed down at the trio. He tilted his head before flying down to meet. His presence got Ran and Grim’s attention, but not the girl’s. He gave her head a gentle pat. “Hi, Miss.”

“...”

“Hmm…” No movement. Maybe his kid would know what to do-! Wait, he’s with the others back in the Mess Hall. Darn. He nudged her again, “Miss Human Lady.”

“...” Amu lifted her head and blinked away the afternoon light and tears from her eyes. Wiping them away, she turned to what she saw as a floating blob, and gasped to see another Chara she never met before. This Chara had small, curved horns on his head wearing a cute blousy black shirt and pants. On his feet were brown shoe loafers and sticking out his back were wings and a tail that looked like they were from a dragon.

“A Shugo Chara?”

“Why are you so sad, Miss Human Lady?”

“Human Lady?” She repeated.

“Yeah. You’re a human, and lady. So Miss Human Lady!”

She was still confused, but the little one’s mannerisms made her smile and laugh. “I’m fine…”

“Where did you come from?”

“Are you a Shugo Chara, too?” Ran asked, amazed at seeing another Would Be Self besides…Herself and her sisters at Night Raven.

“...You could say that.” The small dragon Chara said. “I’m Umbra. Nice to meet you!”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

“Hi! I’m Ran!”

“Hi, Ran-Ran!”

“Look! I got a nickname, too, Amu-chan!”

“Hey! What about me!” Grim shouted. “The Great Grim deserves one! And it better be one that shows how great I am!”

“Ok. How about…Pokey?”

“POKEY?!” Amu and Ran laughed as Grim was mortified by his name.

“Anyway, you didn’t answer truthfully, Miss Lady.” Umbra hovered closer to her. “Why are you sad?”

Amu’s eyes were downcast as she uncurled from herself and tighente her fists and her lap. “I just…Had a rough couple of days.”

“They were that bad?”

“Not world ending, but they sure felt like it.” She said sarcastically. “I recently lost one of my other Would Be Selves, and I don’t know where to look for her. And with the first impression I got from other people here…I doubt anyone would be interested in helping me find her.”

“Yeah…this school is a ‘Survival of the Fittest’ kinda place,” Umbra admitted. Knowing very well this behaviour based on his own Kid’s interactions with others over the last few years. “But, there are some people here who are nice that’d be happy to help!”

Grim arched a brow in skepticism. “Like who?”

Umbra flew around in the air, and turned back to them with a smile. “ME!”

“Really?” Hope started to return to the Joker’s eyes.

“I have a good sniffer! I can help you find your Egg!”

“Umbra, thank you!” Amu rose to feet, feeling better already. “Ready Ran? Grim?”

“What about the others?”

“...We’ll see them again. I just need to know where Miki is.”

“No problem! Say, there’s still time before Lunchtime ends. Let’s go together!” Umbra led the way, the Ramshackle gang not far behind.

 

Above a perch gazing into the Courtyard, a crow observed them. And another…

 

---

 

Inside a classroom used for the Film Research Club, the Housewarden of Pomefiore, a beautiful blond with lavender eyes named Vil, conversed with one of his students. “Seba, I spoke with Riddle Rosehearts near the VIP section. He said something about you embarrassing the Fairest Queen’s name.”

The Pomefiore student gulped. “Yes, Housewarden.”

“And it was about drawing out Her precious Emblem?”

“Yes?”

He heard the Junior sigh. “I know you have anxiety doing your art in front of others. Has my training of dominating the crowd with your finesse failed?”

“I’m sorry! I’m normally good with crowds and showcasing my work! I just-”

Vil cut him off. “It’s fine. We’ll need to work on that again. Make sure you come to me after school.”

“But my club-!”

 

“If you fail to show, I won’t hesitate to ruin your chances at making your art a career! Is that clear?”

 

“...Yes, Housewarden.” He was then dismissed by his Housewarden. In the hallway, Seba walked holding his sketchbook in his hands. He paused in his steps, flipping to the pages he did of the Heart and Dagger symbol. All of them were neat and had perfect symmetry. and a few of them were colored in with pencil or watercolors. His hands gripped the book tiger as he fought back the tears that threatened to fall. “Why…Why can’t I do anything right?!”

He began ripping the sketchbook into pieces, casting so many of his beautiful pieces to the wind or ground in a heap by his feet. “My drawings are never good enough! WHY ARE THEY NEVER GOOD ENOUGH?!”

 

*CAW, CAW*

 

*THUMP, THUMP*

 

The sound of a crow’s cry resounded in the air, making Seba’s body freeze. His heart suddenly darkened. And his precious Would Be Egg turned black.

 

---

 

“That troublesome Card Soldier,” Riddle muttered to himself. “I was expecting he had learnt his lesson by now given the tart he ate one of my tarts. but not only did he and that girl cause an uproar in the Mess Hall, he’s not sorry at all.” He needs to find another method of discipline for that one, otherwise he’ll cause neverending trouble the rest of the year.

“...Now I must hurry to ensure that Egg hasn’t hatched yet. I was torn between leaving it in the Dorm or my bag. The former is the safest option, but I want to make sure the Flamingos get their baby back.” He was feeling kinda giddy imagining when the Egg would hatch. “I wonder what a baby Flamingo looks like?”

He was so lost in thought, he almost slipped on a piece of paper on the ground. He looked around and saw the mess over the hall. “Litterers?! Seriously?!” His face started to turn fully red. “Queen of Hearts Rule no. 529: Pick up any and all litter on the premises! Wait til I find the..Individual…” Riddle stopped in the middle of cleaning up and spotted Seba unconscious on the ground.

 

And above his body, floating in the middle of Hallway, was a lone Black Egg, with a giant white ‘X’ on it.

 

“What is an Egg doing here? Did it do something to him?” The Rose Tyrant wondered. “No matter. I don’t have time to waste worrying over this.” He pulled out his pen. “I’ll chain you to me, then take you to the Headmage.”

He began reciting his incantation again. “Are you ready for your sentence?”

The Egg was not phased at all. “The verdict comes afterwards.”

“Any last words?”

 

“Do you like drawing~?”

 

The response back threw Riddle off. The eerie aura from the Egg expanded, its shell cracking, and a dark, oppressive energy spilt out. It was awful, throwing them off kilter.

And out from the Egg was a small creature with a giant X on its head and an evil smile on its face. “What is…?”

It curled in on itself. “I…”

 

And released a powerful blast of anger and hate. “HATE DRAWING!!!!!!”

 

“RIDDLE!!!!!”

 

To be Continued…

Notes:

Stuffs going down.

And I know that it feels odd for Amu to break so soon on day two of being in Twst, but considiering how young she is compared to everyone else, and the only people she knows that are with her are Ran, Miki, Su and Dia. You can't really fault an adolescent kid for feeling overwhelmed. Hell, I wouldn't have blamed InGame! Yuu for having one at the early start of the game.

Chapter 11: Ch. 11: Creative Chaos! ~First X Chara Outbreak!~

Summary:

The start of the first X-Chara outbreak begins, with Amu and co. hoping to reunite with Miki before things get worse.

~Moments Priors, Night Raven: Riddle’s Room~

 

Miki peeked out of her Egg, finally letting out a sigh of relief. She didn’t think he’d leave, what with him tending to her via laying one of his handkerchiefs on his desk as a nest swaddle. It would’ve been really sweet, if it weren’t for the harsh words he inflicted onto that other boy she saw in class.

Words that definitely affected his Heart’s Egg.

She may be away from Amu; but, with the small window she has, Miki can track down her kid and tell her what’s going on!

Slipping out her egg, Miki looked around the room for an exit. She hates to admit it, but the room looks really pretty, and well kept. Wait! No time for distractions! She needs to get out of here-!

 

“What brings you here, Riddle?”

 

She suddenly heard someone talking outside the door. She leaned her ear near it to pick up the conversation.  And it sounded like that Riddle guy from earlier with someone else.

“I was just dropping off an Egg I found in the Rose Gardens.”

“An Egg?” The other person said. “Was it one of the Flamingos?”

“I believe so, Trey. Since it was close to when class would start, I couldn’t go to the Pins to return their baby egg, so I held onto it until lunch break.”

“He likes animals?” ‘He doesn’t give off the impression of an animal lover. More like a taxidermist or an old cat lover…’ Miki thought to herself.

“I left it in my room for now until I finished my meal. Hopefully the baby has not hatched yet until then,” She heard footsteps walk away from where she was. And now knows her window of time is smaller than she thought! She needs to find Amu and QUICK!

She rushed to the windows, and sighed when she saw he left it partially open. It was a doozy for her to stick her heand under, then her bag and boy, but Miki managed and flew out of the Rose Tyrant’s room. Finally free, she flew above the building to find the way out of this topsy turvy area. Viewing closely beneath her, she saw that that Riddle boy and a tall green haired boy next to him leaving through a looking glass of sorts.

Miki grinned, and zoomed down to the Mirror Portal and braced herself for a long and arduous search for her Kid and sisters!

 

---

 

Back at the Mess Hall, Ace lamented his woes over his lost chance at getting his collar off. Deuce shook his head, disappointed at how his dorm mate fumbled the ball once again. Trey and Cater were still with them, with the latter reminding him that replacing the tart he ate could win him over at the Unbirthday Party. But, there was one thing that kinda bothered the green haired senior after their encounter with their Dorm Leader.

 

~Flashback~

 

Ace paled at seeing the last person he wanted piss off show up at their table. “H-HOUSEWARDEN?! When did you get here?!”

“I came to see if you had shown any signs of remorse,” Riddle crossed his arms in disappointment. “But I see you still have yet to learn your lesson from last night.”

“No no no! I did! I swear-!”

 

“Silence!” He stopped Ace’s flimsy attempts of apology. “Clearly you still need time to reflect on your actions. Lucky for you, your classes are not reliant on magic yet, so for now the collar will remain. Is that clear?”

 

Ace sulked and muttered. “Yes, Housewarden.”

“I did not hear that!”

“YES, HOUSEWARDEN!!” Ace AND Deuce shouted together.

“Good. Now if you excuse me, I must go and refill the sugar bowl for the evening tea. I should also see how the Egg is doing.” Riddle as he was about to leave.

“Egg?” Cater spoke aloud.

“Ah, yes. I found it in the Rose Garden, nearly buried in the shrubs. I assumed it belonged to one of the Flamingos.”

“Poor thing. Their Mama must be worried about them.” He smiled a little, surprised but proud of his Warden taking care of such a small animal. “Where did you leave them?”

“In my room. Hopefully they haven’t hatched yet.”

This is new! Amu lost her Egg, and Riddle just so happened to have found one in their dorm! “Excuse me, um. Housewarden Riddle.”

“Yes, Deuce.”

It was a bit of a stretch, but the Spade wanted to ask, if only to see if it was just a coincidence. “The Egg you found. I was wondering if, uh, if you knew what color it was?”

“Mmm. It’s a fanciful colored egg. It’s blue, with a plaited pattern, almost like fabric design. Oh, and Spades.”

 

“Spades?!” Ace and Deuce were hoping they were hearing things.

 

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“N-no!  What you said, it really IS a fancy egg.” Unbeknowst to the senior's, this was bad news for Ace and Deuce to hear! The Egg the Tyrant was talking about; That’s Amu egg! Their Housewarden has Amu's missing Egg!

 

THEIR HOUSEWARDEN HAS HER MISSING EGG!!!

 

~End of Flashback~

 

He knows that his childhood friend loved playing with the Flamingos and Hedgehogs when they were kids, so he knew the Egg was in good hands. But given his juniors’ reaction to what Riddle told him, something was wrong. He’d have to talk with them about it later, since Ace had begged and begged him to help him make a Tart. He obliged, so long as Ace and Deuce lend him a hand. He’s not gonna fix Ace’ mess for free; the boy has to learn the hard way.

Parting ways with the freshmen for now, Trey and Cater made their way to Alchemy at Crewel’s Homeroom near the Courtyard. “That was really sweet of you to throw them  bone there, Trey~”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“C’mon~ You can be honest with Cay-Cay!” His friend jokingly elbowed him. “You plannin’ a surprise Tart for the Unbirthday and it’s gonna be big, ne?”

“And what if I am?” Trey grinned cheekily at Cater.

Said boy was about to rebuttal when he stopped in his tracks. Trey stopped to look at him, wondering if he was ok. “Cater?”

“What’s that?”

“Huh?” Not too far from where they were, Riddle was standing face to face with a strange Egg with a huge X on it. They heard him recite his unique Magic when the Egg spoke. “Do you like Drawing?~”

“Drawing?” Their eyes widened when they soon spotted what they could see was a Pomefiore student lying motionless on the ground. “Hey. Ain’t that Seba?”

“What’s going…?”

 

“I…HATE DRAWING!!” 

 

It happened all too fast. One moment, the Egg hatched, and a weird little creature with an ‘X’ on its head appeared. The next thing they knew, a huge pulse of energy exploded, aiming directly at their Housewarden. “RIDDLE!!”

The Vice Housewarden rushed to activate a barrier to protect him and his friend. The magic from the strange monster suddenly shattered his shield, and blew them back and onto Cater. The three of them fell into a heap on the ground, still thrown off from the unexpected attack.

The X-Chara laughed at their misfortune and flew away, but not before encasing their Kid in binds formed from Seba’s shredded drawings.

 

“USELESS~~~~~”

 

---

 

“Amu-chan! Ran!” Miki called out to her friends.

Once she made it through the Mirror and found herself in a huge hall full of mirrors, she flew through the exit and onto the MASSIVE campus of this strange new world. The sight of the dark castle like building meshing with the countless domes and outer auditoriums about. The site, she had to admit, was very beautiful. “Sugoi…”

Swallowing down her nervousness, Miki continued her journey trying to find the others. According to what she heard Riddle say,

he was going to the Mess Hall.

 

If he was going there, then that would mean Amu and her sisters should be there, too!

 

Miki flew through Main Street, amazed at the Seven statues of some dangerous Fairy Tale villains she read and watched alot with Amu back home. ‘Why does this school have them? Are they avid fans or something?’ She thought as she continued up the road toward the school’s heavy entry doors.

 

“Useless!~”

 

Her body froze at the sound of that all too creepy voice. “That’s-!” She looked around for the source. Soon, the doors busted open, students poured out of it in a hurry, as if they were running away. The panic written on most of their faces told her clearly what they were escaping! With her small stature, it was easy to go over them and track down that X-Chara!

 

---

 

Around the same time, Amu, Ran, Grim, and their newest companion Umbra searched around for Miki. They looked everywhere for her, from empty classrooms that had traces of her scent(the small Dragon Chara’s words, not theirs), to even other parts of the school like Main Street. They looked around the statues, bushes and shrubs, but there was no sign of the tomboy Chara nor her Egg.

They all decided to rest on one of the benches near the Statues of the Great Seven to recuperate. “This place is stupidly HUGE!” Grim whined, dropping onto his stomach in exhaustion. “And we STILL haven’t found that frickin’ Egg!”

Umbra frowned. “I was sure she came about this way. My Sniffer never lies…”

“It’s ok, Umbra,” The Joker thanked him.  “We tried. This school IS pretty big, so I sort of knew finding Miki wasn’t gonna be easy.”

“Still…” He pouted, when suddenly he and Grim perked up. “You feel that?”

“Myah! What is this freaky energy I’m feeling?!”

“Amu-chan, isn’t this like-”

“Yeah. The Dwarf Mines.”

“Dwarf Mines?”

 

“Run!”

 

They spotted a bunch of students making their way down Main Street. Screaming and telling others to book it or contact Staff. So many were in a hurry, they almost bumped into Amu. Trying to figure out the situation, Amu reached and tried to get someone to answer. “Hey. What’s going on?!”

“Some weird monster showed up and is tearing apart the place! A bunch of Housewardens are trying to handle the case, but even they’re having trouble!”

“Trouble?” Umbra was confused. What kind of monster would cause such a mess?

“Ran.”

“Let’s go!”

Grim was shocked to see Amu and her Chara run in the direction of danger instead of away from it. “Huh?! Henchhuman! Where you going?!”

“To track down that monster and stop it!” She knew the monster everyone’s escaping from is no ordinary monster. It was an X-Chara.

 

Something she was hoping to not have happen again, but considering the ones she saw last night… She needed to save that Chara and their Kid before its too late!

 

To Be Continued…

Chapter 12: Ch.12: Operation Chara Rescue! ~Amulet Spade vs. X-Chara!~

Summary:

The Joker has arrived to save the day.

Notes:

I do apologize in advance if my fight scenes suck. I have been trying to work on them both here and my other long fic(I have the image in my heart, but my brain can't compute them into words) ;;;;

~Night Raven: Main Building Entrance~

 

Thanks to their small stature, Amu and Grim managed to squeeze between and maneuver through the crowd. Ran and Umbra, on the other hand, had flown overhead. There were moments where she feared she'd fall and get trampled over by the people running away. But, through some miracle, they all made it to the end, and now are trying to locate where the X-Chara could be.

Umbra sniffed the air. “Sniff here sniff there…Found it!”

“You found the monster?”

“Yeah! But I also smell a bunch of people trying to fight it.” He sniffed again, and gasped. “And…one of them smells like you, Miss Human Lady.”

“One of them?” That could only mean-

“Miki!”

“Lead the way!” She begged in a hurried voice. The Chara nodded and flew ahead, allowing the Ramshackle group to follow. They followed the path all the way tot he Courtyard, where they saw exactly what the runaway students were saying: Many other well known Mages(Housewardens she remembered they were called) battling the X-Chara they sensed. And the scariest part: the Human the corrupted Guardian was in the air unconscious and bound by…paper chains?

“What the heck’s going on?!”

“Whoa. This power I smell is scary!”

Amu sweated at the sight and wondered how this Chara managed to spawn in the school this way.

They heard someone call out for help. Ran eyes nearly bulged out their sockets. “Amu-chan! That sounded like Miki!”

“It did, but where is she?!” They looked through the clashing of spells trying to find her, when Grim spotted something trapped in a doodled box in the sky near the boy. “Hey, Henchhuman! Up there!”

“You do?!”

“Yeah. It’s a pipsqueak like Ran here, but blue!”

Amu clenched her fists; relieved that her second Guardian is ok, but now is in a predicament. ‘I gotta save Miki and stop the X-Chara, but I also can’t risk Grim getting into trouble again.’

“Umbra.”

“Yeah?”

“Take Grim out of here and somewhere safe!”

“Oki doki! Let's go, Pokey!”

The dire beast was not happy to be sidelined. “Myah?! Why me?!”

“This is almost like how last night was, but WAY more complicated. So you need to stay hidden!”

“B-But-”

“Grim…please,” She begged him, her amber eyes string into cobalt blue. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“And miss out on seeing you kick butt with your fancy pom pom bombs!”

“Her what?!” Umbra’s eyes glowed with glee. “I wanna see! I wanna see!”

 

“NO!”

 

The boys grumbled and deflated sadly, not wanting to miss out on the action. But if Amu said no… “Ok…”

She leaned down and petted Grim. “Thank you.” Then ushered him along to hide somewhere beyond the Courtyard. Once they were out of sight, Amu turned back to the battle in front of her, ready to lend a hand. “Ran, help me!”

The cheerful Chara flew right to her side. “You got it!”

 

“My Heart: UNLOCK!”

 

---

 

“Useless~”

 

“Roi des Poison! Behind you!”

Vil was swift to knock back a pencil arrow thanks to Rook's warning. “Thank you, Rook.”

“But of course!” The huntsman smiled, turning quickly to shoot down another blast of energy away. He must admit, this newest foe was quite a challenge.

The both of them, partnering with Idia, Ortho, and a partially injured Trey, Cater, and Riddle, were trying to handle the situation. The moment Crowley was informed of such madness(even witnessing some of the chaos and a student being held hostage) he gave consent for his students to use their magic to stop the strange monster. It truly worried everyone at first since they mostly assumed it was an Overblot.

 

But they were wrong. Oh, so very wrong.

 

The last thing they expected was a small fairy creature throwing about giant pencils and crudely made drawings that came to life to attack them in the school’s Courtyard!

“THIS THING’S GOTTA BE OP!! HOW IS THIS THING ABLE TO CAUSE THIS MUCH DAMAGE AND NOT GET TIRED?!?!?!?!” Idia observed from his tablet again, shocked by the madness he saw from his Camera.

“This is bad. Nothing we're doing is weakening this thing!” Trey looked at his wand, noting the color of his gem was turning black quickly.

“Is it possible this is an advanced type of Overblot?!” Riddle panted, feeling just as tired.

“That I’m unsure…but we need to restrain this creature at once!”

 

“I’m not good enough…”

 

All the wardens looked around confused. “Did you guys say something?”

“Wasn’ me,” Cater said.

 

“Everytime I see my work, it’s never satisfying for anyone! Not Housewarden, not the Professors; NO ONE! WHY AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH?!”

 

They realized too late that these negative thoughts seem to power the small being as its creations blasted at them all again. Some were lucky to conjure a barrier to block the attack, but unfortunately for them, they were all getting tired out. 

But out of all of them, Riddle Rosehearts was at his wits end. Since, for whatever reason, this thing was targeting him the most. “This has gone long enough!” Face a deep shade of red, he casted his strongest fire spell.

Trey called out to his childhood friend, begging him to stop. “Riddle, don’t! We’re supposed to contain it!” But his words fell on deaf ears as columns of fire shot up to kill the X-Chara. In a split second, just as the fire spell was about to engulf the being whole, something-or rather, someone-swooped in and caught it.

As the flames died down, Riddle saw not a trace remained of the monster, and yet Seba was still bound in the air. ‘Where did it go!’

“Everyone!” Ortho pointed to where someone was in the air doing somersaults before landing to the ground feet first. Slowly, they rose back up, the monster worming in her grasp before escaping and glaring harshly at the meddler.

 

And Amu, donned as Amulet Heart, faced it, ready to fight as well.

 

---

 

Hiding in the bushes, Umbra and Grim peeked out as were awestruck by Amu’s quick reflexes. “Wow! Miss Human Lady can do that?!”

“Yup! I taught her that!” Grim Boasted(lied) to the Dragon Chara.

“So cool~~~” The little one was super hyped at what he saw. “I can’t wait to tell Mal-mal!”

“Who’s Mal-Mal?”

 

---

 

…

 

There was an all consuming silence as the Wardens took a look at the 'magicless' girl facing against the creature in a cheerleader outfit, face stern and full of determination. No one was sure what to think other than ‘Is this girl serious?’

The X-Chara, annoyed that another person was ruining it’s fun, set its sights on Amu this time. “I HATE drawing!”  It shouted again, sending pencils down on her like a hail of arrows.

“Heart Speeders!” On her feet, a pair of glowing pink skates appeared, and with lightning speed, Amu dodged the barrage of pencils. she zigzagged about the Courtyard.

Rook was so amazed. “Ma parole~ She’s quick on her feet! Je n'ai jamais vu quelqu'un bouger aussi vite! Pas même les hommes-bêtes de Savannahclaw!”

The Heartslabyul seniors were speechless seeing Amu fly fast and fight back. Cater was so impressed, he had pulled out his phone to quickly record all that he was seeing. Trey and Riddle, compared to him, remained frozen and confused.

Once she stopped speeding about, Amu jumped high in the air, floating above them all. “This little guy is tough. Tougher than the eggs back at the mines.”

‘Don’t worry, Amu-chan! We got this in the bag, remember!’

“Mmm!”

“Amu-chan! Help me!”

Amu gasped hearing Miki’s voice again. She looked around and gaped seeing her Blue cladded Chara trapped in a pencil prison, floating next to the unconscious boy. “Miki! You ok?!”

“I’m ok!” She answered. “But this Chara, it's this boy-Seba’s!”

‘I see,’ She figured as much, but still with the trouble this boy’s Guardian is causing, the need to purify it asap became stronger. Ran can help her dodge its attacks, but maybe… “Hold on, Miki! I’ll get you out of there!” She flew higher into the air, distracting the X-Chara even as it sent more of its doodle monsters after her.

“Miki?” Ortho wondered, next to his brother’s floating tablet. “Who could that be?” They, along with everyone, eyed the girl’s next moves, still wondering how she managed to stand toe to toe with this creature compared to them. The cyborg boy scanned the skies, noting that while the pinkette was dodging the minions chasing her, it seemed she was aiming for a specific target. His scanner noted another person trapped as well: a little girl wearing a blue hat with a Blue Spade on top. “!!! There were two hostages?!”

“Two?! How so?!” Vil didn’t see another hostage, and neither did Ruggie or the others.

“Next to Seba. It looks to be a small fairy!”

Meanwhile, the doodle monsters charged fast, but the Joker was faster, summoning Her Spiral Heart scepter to knock a bunch of them back as well as acrobating her way from other attacks they threw. Internally, she was worried of losing time and not making it to Miki in time. Just as she reached for her caged Chara, Seba’s Chara grew angrier at her and forged a giant crumpled paper ball at her. It tossed it in her direction at the same time the tips of her fingers grazed Miki’s prison.

 

*SLAM!!*

 

The X-Chara laughed with glee, seeing that its ball had crushed the girl ruining its fun. “Useless~~~”

“!!!” The Wardens were horrified at what they just witnessed.

“No way…That kid had MC energy, and got One-Shotted like that?!”

“Blasted child! She shouldn’t have…”

 

“Colorful Canvas!”

 

The mourning did not last long, as a huge wave of rainbow paint blew the ball back and caused it to explode like confetti. The Courtyard was stunned once again as they saw that Amu was alive and well. And her outfit was different too! Gone was the pink cheerleader attire, and in its place was a blousy blue long sleeve shirt, dark blue shorts and striped socks of the same color, with brown shoes. And also in her hands, a giant paintbrush!

 

“Chara-Nari: Amulet Spade!”

 

“Amulet…Spade?”

“Très bien!! Mademoiselle is alive and well!”

Standing proud facing the panicking evil guardian, Amu stretched out her arm and pointed her hand at It. “Hey! Seba, right? Don’t you think you’re being too hard on yourself?”

“She called that thing Seba?”

“So it IS an advanced Overblot?”

“You’re a good artist. But, like every artist, you’re your worst critic,” She continued. “No matter what your peers say, you shouldn’t throw away what you worked hard on because of your fears!” Taking her brush in hand, she twirled it about until she formed a spinning fan, destroying the doodle minions and pencil arrows instantly.

The drops of paint also covered the monster, Wardens, and the whole Courtyard. While it made the Chara freak out, everything else and everyone else was healing and restoring back to the way it once was. “Healing paint?” Riddle looked down at his hand covered in Amu’s paint.

“It doesn't seem to be staining our uniforms,” Vil sighed in relief.

‘Ne’, Amu-chan. May I?’

“Certainly!” With Seba’s Chara distracted, it was time to heal him for good.

Bringing her hands together, Amu formed a Heart over her locket. “Negative Heart: LOCK ON!” A pulse of light energy formed around her, nearly blinding everyone in the area. The light captured the X-Chara who flailed as it was trapped. The energy dispersed, shooting directly toward it en masse.

 

In one final command, Amu chanted: “Open Heart!!!”

 

The last of the dark power that enveloped the Chara soon vanished, the dark form it’s body took was then replaced by a Pure White Egg.

Amu did it. She saved Seba.

The White Egg began to shake and hatch. “Rouge! Bleu! VERT~~~!”

Amu and her Chara smiled as they saw the newly healed Guardian Character: a Painter wearing a stained smock and beret. “Hehe. You must be Seba's Would Be Self, ne?”

“Mmm hmm! But he's still a bit unsure of his skills and courage to show his art with pride. So, I'm gonna go back and watch over him!” He flew back to his shell. “Merci, Miss! Bye-bye!” Once the shell covered him up again, the Painter Chara flew back into the unconscious Pomefiore boy, still asleep, but now safely on the ground.

‘Thank goodness. Hopefully he'll be ok now.’

“Don't worry, Miki. He definitely will.” Amu comforted her Chara. “Not our first, and definitely not the last.”

“Yay! You did it Amu-chan!” Ran appeared next to her, pom poms in hand and giving a cheer. Following not far behind was a grinned Grim and giddy Umbra.

“Nyah-ha! That’s my minion!” She laughed in response.

“You there!” They all froze at the sound of that call. Slowly, knowing full well who that person was, Amu turned to face the Rose Tyrant again.  Said boy stood no more than a few feet from her. “What in the name of the Seven was that?!”

Amu gulped. “R-Riddle-san…”

“Answer now!” He demanded. “What in all of Twisted Wonderland did you do to that ‘Strange Creature’?!”

“I saved it.”

“Saved it?”

“Yes. That Creature was connected, no, BORN from this boy’s Heart. And they needed to be saved.”

“Why when that thing brought chaos and nearly endangered many people?! It should've been detained if not destroyed!”

She hated what he was saying. ‘Shugo Chara are the Dreams and Selves of what people dream of Being. They're not monsters that should die!’

“If you hadn't intervened-”

“Seba would've been a ghost!”

 

!!!

 

“Seba…a ghost?”

 

“If that Shugo Chara was killed, a part of Seba's life would perish. He'd just be a ghost, with no reason to keep going. Let alone pursue his dreams!” With a hardened expression, Amu(still dressed as Amulet Spade) leveled her eyes to shocked grey ones. “That's why I chose to save it. To save Seba.”

 

To Be Continued…

Notes:

About the ghost analogy Amu used. When I look back at the first time we see what happens when X-Egg and Chara destroyed, I really felt like that poor child became a ghost. Not only were his eyes lifeless, I could only imagine how his parents felt seeing their child lose interest in all the things he loved to do.

So that is kinda why I had her used that. Good thing that alternative didn't happen hehe...

Chapter 13: Ch.13: Calm After the Storm! ~Unbirthday Set Back & Heart’s Eggs Explained~

Summary:

Everything had calmed down now. Though with some *minor* consequences...

~Later that Afternoon, Night Raven: Mirror Chamber~

 

After the situation regarding the ‘Strange Creature’ was dealt with, the Dorm Leaders had spoken with the Headmage about an emergency meeting. Specifically, they wanted to provide a thorough update about the situation along with the sudden implications of Hinamori's supposed “Magic” status. And so, an urgent meeting request was sent to the other Dorm Leaders that were not present: Leona Kingscholar, Kalim Al-Asim, Azul Ashengrotto, and Malleus Draconia.

The latter was actually accounted for this time, which was a shock since most of them had ‘trouble’ getting Draconia to come to these meetings. “Finally decided to show your face again, you damn Lizard?” Leona mocked the Prince.

“A pleasure to meet you as well, Kingscholar,” He replied sarcastically.

Umbra popped up from his spot on his Kid’s head with a giggle. “Still salty at Mal-Mal being cooler than you, Grumpelstiltskin~”

“And you brought your bastard brat with you, too?”

“His presence is as valuable as Lilia’s in my stead. In fact, He was the one who told me right away.”

The clicking of heels as Crowley arrived last cut through the near fight. “Now, gentlemen. There is time for you to settle your conflict next month.” He ordered. “We have other matters to discuss.” Once he had seated at the front of the round table, Crowley’s voice took on a serious tone.  “From what I understand, Rosehearts, Schoenheit, and Shroud have witnessed Ms. Himamori using magic to deal with the problem?”

“Yes, Headmage,” Said three were still trying to process the incident.

“Yet you all seem…disappointed by her actions. Why is that?”

“Headmage, the Mirror stated that she had no magic,” Vil confessed.

“Correction: It said it couldn't read her Soul, but also that she had four paths of possibilities. Er go, she does possess magic, and it hasn't manifested until now.” Idia pointed out.

“Four paths?” Maybe it was referring to her eggs, Malleus and his Chara thought.

“Even so, I will give credit where credit is due. That troublemaker did well with the containment and rescue efforts,” Riddle couldn’t help but recall those words Amu told him in the aftermath.

 

“If that Shugo Chara was killed, Seba's life would've perished…That's why I chose to save it. To save Seba.”

 

“Riddle-san? I can tell there’s something else you’re not telling us.”

Nosy lil’ bastard, was what the Heartslabyul Warden wanted to say to Ashengrotto. But…he knew this information was as crucial as the girl’s sudden awakening to magic. “There is one more thing. She seemed to know what that Creature was called.”

“Did she now?”

“Yeah, yeah! She called it a Shugo Chara!” Umbra interjected. “She called me that, too. And she has four of her own!”

“Shooe-go Kar-a?” Kalim sounded out. “What’s that?”

“We didn’t know at the time, but Rook and Ortho had deduced afterwards that the black Egg was this Shugo Chara.”

Leona didn’t seem to care, but his tail swishing showed his curious side. “And what does that have to do with the Herbivore?”

“This Shugo Chara…She purified it.”

“Purified it?!” This was new for the others! “That's so cool!”

“It was! She made her hands into a heart and a light laser came out of it! It also healed Seba and woke him back up!”

“Alright, we get it!”

Crowley hummed at the news. Knowing what we know now of this Strange Creature called a ‘Shugo Chara’, and the possibility of them being connected to… That , then, it would be safe to say this newest student has the potential to purify someone. And perhaps many more.

In essence, this power she wields should be looked at carefully…

 

*PLOP, PLOP*

 

---

 

Back at Ramshackle’s Lounge, Ace and Deuce(mostly Ace) had confronted Amu and the others. “You just HAD to be extra, didn't you?”

“Why are you getting on my case, Ace?” She yelled back. “I saved someone’s life!”

“You wanna know why I'm pissed!” The card soldier ignored her and proceeded to jab at her forehead repeatedly. “No thanks to you, Riddle pushed back the Unbirthday to the day AFTER tomorrow!” He slumped back into his seat on the couch.  “This suu~uucks! Now I'm stuck with this for ANOTHER day!”

Miki snickered at Ace’s tantrum. “You say that, yet YOU were the one who ate a well crafted Tart that wasn’t yours. And forcing Trey-san AND us to help you? You definitely are a child in a man’s body.”

She could see the blood vessel popping from where she floated as he jumped to yell at her next. “H-HUSH!!”

“You’re Amu-san’s missing Would Be Self, right?” Deuce asked, hoping to change the subject. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise. I’m Miki.”

“Deuce. Deuce Spade.” He was careful to shake her small hand in his. “The Drama Queen over here is Ace.”

“And don’t you forget it,” Said boy replied, his mood still sour.

“I won’t.”

Ran, who had sat next to Grim in the rickety, rocking chair, spoke up next. “I’m glad we managed to save Seba and his Heart’s Egg. I don’t wanna imagine what would’ve happened if we didn’t stop him in time.”

Amu nodded. “Me too.”

“Heart’s Egg?” The boys looked at them with confusion.

“Oh, right. Despite this being a magical school, you all wouldn’t know what a Heart’s Egg even is.” Amu placed a finger to her cheek, wondering how to explain this odd phenomenon to them. “Hmm…”

“Take your time. We don’t mind waiting.”

“That’s not it. I just wanted to think of a good example…” Then an idea came to her. “Say: What do you, or did you, want to be growing up?”

“Pfft. What kind of question is that?” Ace scoffed.

“Answer the dang question!”

“Um, well. I want to aim at being an Honour Student. And hopefully, a Magical Police Officer.”

“Wow!/ Impressive.” Ran and Miki said.

“Oo! Ooo! Me next! Me next!” Grim jumped from his seat. “I wanna be the Greatest Mage in the World!”

“No surprise there,” Amu mused, then gave a raised eyebrow to Mister High and Mighty. “Well, Ace-kun?”

“I’m thinking! I’m thinking!” He told her. “Sheesh! Why we gotta do this dumb exercise anyway?”

“Because that’s how we’re born!” Ran said Matter-of-factly.

“Huh?”

Amu started her explanation. “As Children, everyone has an Egg inside their heart. That Egg holds the Self You Want to Be . No one can see them unless their Feelings and Wish are strong enough to awaken them.”

“Uh Huh.”

“And when that happens, POOF!” The Cheerful Chara jumps up high in the air. “We show up to help and guide you!”

“Of course, as you get older, the Egg vanishes. But that’s ok. It usually means you found your calling and the Self You Want to Be.” Miki also added.

“Ok… But what happens if you don’t?”

“We disappear, or worse,” The two Chara shivered. “Become a Self that causes trouble to others.”

“So that case with the sophomore, Seba, was-” A nod from the girls made the boys gulp.

“But, you saved him. So he should be better now, right?”

“Hopefully. Given how he felt afterwards, Seba should be ok.”

“Yeah.”

“Wonder what he’s doing now?”

 

---

 

“Your Housewarden apologized?”

“Yeah. He and Vicewarden Hunt both,” Seba said, talking to his Clubmate. “Felt odd since he was a bit strict as Housewarden Rosehearts was to me this morning.”

“Still…You gotta go to him for make-up courses, right?” They asked.

“Oh definitely. So we may need to move the deadline for publishing to November.” He laughed dryly.

“Fine by me. That’ll give the rest of us time to edit and proofread everything else.”

“Yup! The World of Manga better prepare themselves for Vanguard Rouge: Beauty Thief!”

 

---

 

“What about your little transformations?”

“The Chara-Nari?”

“Yeah those. How the heck is that possible?”

“That’s…a bit hard to explain.” Miki admitted. “Amu-chan can do that thanks to the Humpty Lock.”

“Humpty Lock?”

Carefully, Amu pulled out the locket from her collar and showed them. “This.”

Grim’s eyes lit up seeing it. “Ooooo! Shiny!”

"That thing helps you turn into that fancy pants Cheerleader?" Ace blinked at it in confusion.

"She also can turn into a suavy painter, too! Even doing whatever else she did to stop that weird Egg from going more nuts!"

"The Correct Name is Amulet Spade!" Ran pouted, making Miki and the others laugh.

She nodded with a smile. “I’m lucky enough to have this with me. Without it, I don’t think we’d survive the Mines the other night.”

“True dat.”

“Also, in a way, it’s kind of your magestone, Amu-san.” Deuce mentions while looking at it.  “And also an official student of Night Raven College.”

“Too bad we also have to deal with scary Professors, X-Eggs, and termites,” Miki shivered and sighed.

 

“Don’t remind me…”

 

---

 

That night in the Heartslabyul Dormitory, Trey and Cater had made their way to the Main Lounge. Their Housewarden had retired to his room for the night after the Meeting, so any questions they had for him will have to wait in the morning.

 

However, this did not change his behavior onto his students.

 

One of the other Heartslabyul students rushed to them, his voice in a panic as he told them about Riddle collaring three students for breaking Queen of Hearts Rule No. 256: No drinking Honey-sweetened lemonade after 8p.m. He bowed his head into the Vice warden’s shoulder, the stress of the maddening rules they have to follow getting to him. “I can't take this anymore. Everything we do breaks some insane rule.” He sobbed uncontrollably. “I want to leave this dorm. I want to transfer out of here!”

Trey patted his back hoping that comforted them, then telling him to go rest while he and Cater took care of Riddle.

Seeing him off, Trey and Cater faced each other. “I'll go talk to Riddle. Could you…?”

“Say no more,” The diamond sighed, turning around to the exit. “I'll go brew Riddle a tea in deference to him.”

“Thank you. And remember; it needs to be herbal tea, not black. You know rule number 153 says about drinking tea at night.”

“Don’t worry. I know.”

They parted ways: Cater to the kitchen, and Trey to his friend’s room. He knocked a few times, waiting until he heard ‘Enter’ from inside. He walked in and saw Riddle at his desk, writing away at some papers with the only source of light being from the lamp on his desk. Both boys were mostly quiet for a few moments more, even up to the other third year’s arrival.

 

Only when the Housewarden placed his pen down did he finally speak. “There will be no Unbirthday Party tomorrow.”

 

“Huh?!” No Unbirthday Party?! That was unheard of. Especially since Riddle took over last year. “H-how come?”

Riddle gritted his teeth for a moment. “I…moved it. Per recommendation of the Headmage.”

“But doesn’t that go against the Queen of Hearts’ Rules?”

“On one hand, there is no Rule for what to do in the case of a Catastrophe like the one earlier today. On the other hand, He said it would be best to do so since I, along with you and Cater, we harmed the most.” And it doesn't help that the incident cost him time to check on the Egg he was tending to too, but Riddle kept that part to himself.

“So that's the reason why. He wanted to look out for you then?”

“Possibly…”

 

…

 

“One more thing, Trey. Cater.” “Headmage wanted us to share one piece of news from the meeting.”

“Sure./ What’s up?”

The red head closed his eyes, then reopened them; his silver eyes hardened. “Even though Ms. Amu had helped with the situation, we still must keep an eye when these strange new cases happen.”

 

“So, should you see an Egg like the one this afternoon, capture it and bring them to Headmage for detainment.”

 

To Be Continued…

Notes:

Uh oh....

Chapter 14: Ch.14: (Aftermath, Aftershock, and) Afterschool Easy Bake! ~Tasty Tart Time!~

Summary:

Waves of the 'Shugo Chara' still shake the Dorms, with varies reactions and actions in place.

And later, the crew finally start on the Tart for the Unbirthday Party.

~Night Raven: General~

Heartslabyul wasn't the only Dorm to have simple discussions regarding the ‘Shugo Chara’ incident that day. All the other dorms explained the news as best they could to everyone with their own parameters.

 

With mixed results and response methods.

 

---

Savannahclaw laughed up the case, assuming such a small fairy capable of curb stomping Heartslabyul as humorous. Leona only offered this titbit of advice to his men. “Crowley says to keep an eye on them if any happen to pop up again. Honestly I don't care so long as you dimwits don't get out classed by the Herbivore that supposedly stopped it.”

“Outclass, eh?” Ruggie, his right hand man chuckled. “Shishishi~ So a race to see who'll crack it first? I like the stakes.”

“Against a midget with pompoms and a paintbrush? Odds are Ruggie-Senpai will be that twerp!”

Leona let out a small puff of a laugh, yet mind strayed to how strong that girl was. Magicless to magical? Or a secret she kept well hidden?

 

---

 

Octavinelle's Housewarden, Azul Ashengrotto, took it upon himself to provide a more methodical approach. “Based on Diamond's recordings, and Riddle-san's testimony, the Strange Creature came from Seba himself.”

“What do you propose we do?” Vicewarden Jade Leech, and his brother Floyd, were curious about their boss’ plan. Both eager, and have an inkling about his plan.

“Why simple. Should they have an Egg issue, they can offer it to us and we can keep it out of their hair. For a price,” The curly haired boy smirked.

“And Shrimpy’s Faeries?”

“We’ll observe her and them for now. If there is a possible chance for them to be tied to her saving one of Vil’s students, she may be of use to us later.”

 

---

 

Kalim Al-Asim of Scarabia, and his Vicewarden Jamil Viper, offered an amicable approach. “Riddle and Malleus both said Amu of Ramshackle knew how to cure them. So, if you guys see any, we'll ask for help!”

“I'm still unsure of this, Kalim. What if this ‘Shugo Chara’ is unable to be healed?” Jamil asked.

“Riddle showed us the footage from Cater's phone! It was super cool! I'm glad she was able to save both it and Seba. Makes sense since the little guy was a part of him; at least that's what Riddle said…”

“A part of him huh?” Jamil glanced at the small silhouette hiding in the curtains by the balcony. “...”

 

---

 

Pomefiore, the Dorm hit by the Controversy, was in serious mode. Vil, while grateful his student was now safe and unharmed, loathed the possible implications the Shugo Chara's mess brought on Social Media. He decided to take on more serious methods. “Rook and I will be available anytime an Egg like today’s shows up.”

One of the other students in the Dorm asked a genuine question: “What will become of them, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Roi des Poison and Moi shall gift them to Headmage for quarantine,”  The Vicewarden Rook Hunt answered with his usual finesse. “As for their fate, we cannot say.”

The room began to whipster and nod. While Seba was worried about another Egg case happening again, someone else was more nervous compared to the rest of them. A fresh man with Doe eyes and lavender hair named Epel, gulped. If it’s not one thing, it's another. ‘I betta make sure to hide ‘em well, less Vil n’ Rook spot 'em.’ He thought, thinking back to the sleeping ones he stuck under his pillow.

 

---

 

The Dorm dedicated to the Gatekeeper of the Underworld was flipping out. Not over the Egg incident causing trouble, but what they had witnessed because of it. TLDR; they're fanboying over the ‘magicless’ girl actually being a Magical Girl. Transformations and all.

Idia Shroud, their shut-in of a Leader, fanboyed and panicked at the same time, rambling on to his younger brother, Ortho.

“I can’t believe it. I feel like I’M the one who isekai’d here!”

“Nii-san?” Ortho hovered over his brother, who was frantically running his hands through his hair in a panicky tone.

“I mean, you saw her too, right?! The fact that she can do something like that! Switching between TWO job classes when all hope was lost. Then *BOOM!* She goes ‘Open Heart!’ and saved the day!” He shouted, eyes bright and sparkling like a toddler in a candy store. “THIS IS THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO US EVER!!!”

His little brother laughed. “It is. Such a probability is 0.0001 out of a Million. But we should also be focusing on those…Eggs Headmage and the others discussed.”

“Oh, them. Already 5 steps ahead of those normies!”

“You are?!”

“Since we saw Hinamori had the capacity to heal them, capturing them and detaining them might be safest alt, bu~ut,” Idia started typing on his computer. “Since she’s able to purify them like ANY Magical Girls does when things get corrupted, having her deal with them will net more potential results.”

 

…

 

Ortho summed up his Brother’s plan as: “So, in other words, have her do all the work without intervening at all…”

“We’re still getting good data out of it!”

“Still, I can’t help but wonder…if Eggs like these exist, does that mean he was one of them?” Ortho pondered.

 

---

 

Diasmonia was informed through both Malleus and Umbra in the Main Lounge. “Should you find an Egg similar, we shall request the assistance of this ‘Hinamori Amu’ to deal with them.” He tells everyone upon his throne.

A young man with Silver hair spoke up. “Why, if you don't mind me asking, Malleus-sama?”

“She patched up that Egg, and another lil guy like me showed up and went back to Seba!” Umbra shouted excitedly. “Sure her powers don’t seem all that fancy as Mal-Mal’s, or anyone else as far as I know, what I do know is that when it comes to saving others, she's serious!”

“Are you implying Waka-sama to NOT be serious about this?!” Another teen with light green hair shouted. 

“No way, Zippy!”

“Z-ZIPPY?!”

“Calm down, Sebek. Umbra meant no harm in his nickname of you.” The Vicewarden that saved Amu long ago, a Bat Fae named Lilia Vanrouge, assured him. “Keep in mind he was there when we and Malleus were not. Thus, he has a better understanding of her abilities.”

Said little one nodded, flying around with joy. “Plus, she's really nice. Scared, but really nice. She wouldn't have saved everyone in the Courtyard if she didn't.”

Keeping an observation on this newest development wasn’t inherently new to the Housewarden. That being said, he knows Umbra to never be wrong. And Lilia has always told him to socialize and understand humans, right?

 

Why not put that faith into practice for his, and by extension his childhood fae’s sake.

 

---

 

Since the date for the Unbirthday Party was pushed back another day, this meant that Ace, Deuce, and the Ramshackle gang would work with Trey(and Cater who joined for moral support) to make their newest Tart afterschool post the incident.

 

The newest Tart Trey wanted to bake: Mont Blanc!

 

“Mont Blanc? Nice,” Miki nodded, her sketchbook out to draft out the ideal design.

“What’s a Mont Blanc?” Ran and Grim asked.

“Basically a fancy tart made with chestnuts,” Ace answered. Secretly hoping for this to be his meal ticket to freedom.

“Do we even have the chestnuts to make it?” Amu asked, looking at the counter filled with ingredients. “I didn’t see any in the Pantry.”

“There’s some growing on school grounds,” The senior told them. “Right behind the school as a matter of fact.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Deuce smiled.

“Great. Gotta do a side quest before we bake,” Ace whined from his spot near the dough crust for the tart.

“You want your collar off or not?”

The Joker heard him grumbling nonsense then turned to the exit door. “C’mon, Loosey Deucy, Pinky and the No Brains. Let’s go grab some nuts.”

“Dude!”

“He was waiting to say that, wasn’t he?”

All of them made their way around back, the stone roads paving way into a small forest with apples and chestnuts galore. The perfect picking spot for their missing ingredient!

Grim, ever the troublemaker, happily ran to pluck one for his hungry gullet. But just as he reached out his paw for one-

“OW!”

 

-His paw was poked by the hard, pointy shell of the chestnut.

 

“They’re that sharp?” Ran reached out to grab one and recoiled her hand back too. “Owie!”

“We’ll need something to get them down safely without hurting ourselves again.”

The boys then were hit with an idea. “How ‘bout we check the Botanical Garden for supplies.”

“You guys know the way there?”

“Yeah. It’s not that far from Ramshackle,” Ace poked her in the forehead again. And they were on their fetch quest for equipment needed to get the chestnuts. Going downhill from the small first area, they arrived to the Botanical Dome that hosted all types of plants-both safe and dangerous-for educational use.

Ran and Miki ‘wow’-ed at the marvels they saw. Amu, too, was amazed by it. ‘So cool. I wonder if they ever hold meetings in this place? Maybe lunches, too?’

“A’ite. We’re here for…what again?”

“Gloves, a net or something else to store the chestnuts in until we get back to the kitchen,” Miki listed to Grim. “Since there’s likely to be a shed in here, that’s where we need to go.”

It was then Ran pointed out a small problem. “But this place is huge! How are we gonna find those things!”

“We should split up and cover more ground.” With that new plan down, everyone discussed which path they would take to find the supplies they were looking for. Ace took the West side, Deuce took the east, leaving Amu, Grim and Her Chara to take the center path. As they were going down this path, Amu and her group still were amazed how many exotic plants were on this gothic campus.

Hopping on her shoulder, knocking Ran off, Grim asked her: “How much you wanna say any of these are edible?”

“No eating the plants, Grim!” Ran yelled.

“Wha~t. I’m hungry!”

Amu pulled at his cheek. “And you’ll eat, once we’re done getting the Tart made.”

“That is if there’s any leftovers,” They continued their banter when suddenly Amu stepped over a branch. “AH!” She stepped back when she felt it wiggle, freaking out and causing both herself and Grim to land on her butt.

“Amu-chan, you ok?!” The Chara flew to her side right away!

“I think I stepped on a snake’s tail!”

“SNAKE!!!”

“I-I’m not scared of snakes!” Grim rose back up to his feet, trying to act tough as he saw the ‘snake’ going into the bushes. “Come out you overgrown worm!”

“Who are you calling a snake?” A gravelly voice said from in the shrubs, rising to his feet and walking out, revealing himself. It was a tall, tan man with long, almost shaggy hair. He was wearing the school uniform minus the blazer, and one of the buttons to his top was undone exposing a bit of his collarbone. 

Amu was surprised to see him, her face noting another set of features she was well familiar with: a pair of feline ears and a long cat. She then chanced a glance up at him, and saw green feline eyes staring down at her angrily. Yet…she found him kinda handsome. Even Ran and Miki were caught in a daze by his appearance. “Well, how are you gonna pay for stepping on my tail?”

Oh great, another (handsome cat) jerkwad. She jumped to her feet, and dusted herself off. ‘Nope! Not again!’ She turned on her heels and left the beastman. ‘Not falling for another Cat boy! No sury!’ She didn’t make it that far when she felt her collar tugged and her body held in the air. “Oi!”

“Amu-chan!/ Henchhuman!”

“Let her go, you…you bully!” Ran zipped straight to the Lion man’s face, demanding him to let her Kid go.

 

“…”

 

He blinked at her, all unimpressed.  He raised his other hand and flicked her into a bush. “Eek!”

“Ran!” Amu and Miki cried.

Grim, now angry, pointed his paw at the other. “What right do you have to pick on my minions?!”

“This little cub woke me up from my nap by stepping on my tail,” He explained like it was a regular o’ Tuesday. “So. I think I deserve some payment for that.”

“Myah…” Grim whined.

“Well?” He turned to face Amu with a grin. “How are you gonna apologize?” His smile dropped when he sensed something off about her. The smell of Eggs, but not bird eggs or rotten. more…a familiar warmth he couldn’t put his name on.

 

“Amu!/ Amu-san!”

 

They turn to see Ace and Deuce not that far from them. Faces mixed with confusion and panic. Leona wouldn’t have minded the extra company, but with his mood still sour and mind confused himself, he lets go of the pinkette, dropping her unceremoniously to the ground. He walked away from them this time, tossing a lazy glance at all of them before shooting down at Amu. “Don’t forget next time we meet, you owe me for my tail.” He smirked one last time and left the Botanical Garden.

 

As soon as his form vanished within the flora, Grim let out an exhale of breath. “Myah. I thought I was a goner.” 

Meanwhile, Ran had popped out of the bush she fell into, brushing off every leaf and removing any twigs stuck in her hair. “What a meany pants. As if any of us would’ve seen his tail in the middle of the walkway,” She pouted.

“He sure has an attitude problem. But still,” Miki recalled that last moment with the lion beastman. “That smirk of his made him look like a king.”

During this, Amu finally stood back up and dusted herself off. And Ace wasted no time jabbing her again with his words. “Can’t go one day without causing trouble, ne Shorty?”

“Hush!” She stuck her tongue out at him. “You weren’t the one who nearly choked on her shirt because of him.”

“Anyway, we managed to find the stuff we need to get the chestnuts,” Deuce told the others.

“Yay! Back to Tart time again!”

They laughed as they made their way out the Garden and back to the School Kitchen.

In her Egg Pouch, the Clover Egg began to slowly stir.

 

---

 

Buckets and Nets filled, the freshmen returned in high spirits with their spoils, and Trey began to show everyone how to carefully peeled the spike shell to get the center out. He, Grim, and Deuce used their wands to undo the shells, while Ace and Amu used nut crackers to break them. Even Ran tried to crack them using her own nutcracker, with it occasionally slipping from her hands or bobbing her in the head.

Grim began to mock her and Ace. “Haha! You can’t best these skills-WHOA!” He dropped one from his paws.

“Watch it! Don’t go wasting those things! Bad enough you ate some when we started!”

“Lighten up, Ace. We have enough.”

“They’re right, and once they’re all cracked and the innards scooped out,” Trey said, filling the bowl with the last of his fill. “We mix in the wet ingredients in and- SHOOT!”

“Huh?/ What’s wrong?”

They watched the junior sigh. “We’re short some Eggs. Without them, the Tart won’t be done.”

“Oh.”

 Ran leaned in to whisper to Miki. “If Su were here, you think she’d finish making it eggs-less?”

“Don’t know, but maybe…”

“Su who?”

“My third Chara. She’s quite the baker!” Amu answered Grim.

“Sweet./ Like Senpai?” While Ace and Deuce were amazed hearing what the next sleeping Chara, Trey on the other hand felt a bit on edge recalling their Dorm Leader’s words last night.

“So, should you see an Egg like the one this afternoon, capture it and bring them to Headmage for detainment.”  

 

‘...’

---

 

Deuce and Amu offered to go fetch the additional missing ingredients, with Ran wanting to get some fresh air, too; much to Grim’s dismay. Miki offered to stay and helped their Senpai watch over Ace and Grim while they were gone.

All three of them bid farewell as they went to: the School Store?

“Is this store like a Supermarket or something, Deuce-kun?”

“Not necessarily,” He told the little Chara. “I heard it’s more of a simple shop, but the Owner there has just about everything you need. you just tell what it is from groceries to stationary equipment you need, and he’ll get it for you instantly.”

“Sugoi~~”

“Hehe, that just makes it sound like a convenience store.”

“Oh, I guess it does,” He laughed with them as well.

They continued their way around the school, where they found a simple shack resting around a small plain area. A sign on the building said ‘Mr. S’s Mystery Shop’. They are awed at it before entering the door. The doorbell chimed, announcing their presence, and from the counter a lanky man with small dreadlocks under a purple tophat wearing an odd but all purple suit topped with white gloves. “Welcome, Little Imps to my Mystery Shop! What can I do for you all?”

“We need some of these,” He gave their grocery list to Mr. S. The man hummed looking at everything on it.

“This is a sweet line you all have here,” He says with a grin. “And lucky for you three, it's all In Stock Now! Wait here, I’ll be back in a minute.”

They sighed happily as he left to get the supplies in the back, Ran and Amu were mesmerized by everything in the shop. “So this is what Dr. Facilier’s twin does in his spare time~”

“Huh?”

“N-nothing! I just think it’s super cool. This really DOES have everything, even the kitchen sink here!” She laughed awkwardly.

“Mmm. Maybe they’ll have some things to help you make little uniforms for your Faeries.”

“Oh,” She never thought about it like that. She knows(and hopes) Crowley is keeping his word on getting her back home, but still…it wouldn’t hurt to make some cute clothes she never got to wear outside the punk style her parents always bought her. And plus, uniforms for the Chara would be fun too! “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Deuce-kun!” She smiled.

“Of course. That’s what any honour student would say.”

‘Honour Student?’

 

---

 

Parting from the store, Deuce and Amu each carried some bags, with the former carrying more than the latter and Ran cheering as they made their way back. The Joker worried watching the boy holding most of the bags. “You know, I can take some off your hands if you want.”

“Me too!”

“Oh, I’m good. I did this for my mom a lot back home, so it’s no problem,” He reassured them.

“Aww. How sweet!” They cooed at him.

He blushed at their compliments. “L-like I said, it’s no big de-ahh!” Suddenly, he bumped into something- or in this case, someone.

 

*CRACK*

 

“Watch it, brat!” Someone pushed him back, almost knocking Amu down. They turned around, and so did two of their other friends. It was a trio of Night Raven students, and judging from their armbands, they all were from different dorms. And the worst part, the Eggs they bought were all cracked.

“Oi! What was that for?!” She yelled at the suspect. 

“You jerks did that on purpose!”

“Huh?”

“You guys weren’t here til just now! So what gives?”

“Oh nothin’ much, just some Egg huntin’,” One of the other bullies mocked back. “And aww, yours are all cracked.”

‘Egg hunting?’

“Not the ones we waz searchin’ for but eh, who cares?”

“Hey, you.” Deuce spoke, setting his bags down, his voice an eerie calm yet demanding. “Say sorry. now.”

“To who?”

“To these Eggs, AND the chickens.”

‘Eh? Is he serious?’ The girls wondered.

The bigger bully laughed at the Card Soldier. “Why should I? I did y’all a favor for crackin’ them.”

He was about to mock him again, when Deuce grabbed him by the collar and started to shout at him. “LISTEN HERE, ASSHOLE! THOSE LITTLE CHICKS WON’T HATCH INTO CHICKENS ANYMORE! AND WE'RE GONNA BECOME A TART! AND THANKS TO YOU, THEY ALL BROKE!! YOU BETTER SAY SORRY FOR EACH BROKEN SHELL!”

‘He IS SERIOUS!!!!!’ This was a one-eighty neither Amu nor Ran expected out of Deuce at all.

“I ain’t gonna pay shit!” He pushed the bluentte away. “You outta your fucking mind if I’M gonna pay you or say sorry!”

“WHY IS EVERYONE SWEARING?!”

“Fine, then. If you pay back, or own up,” He cracked his knuckles. “Well…LET’S JUST SAY YOU DON’T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN!!!”

“Deuce, wait don’t-” It was too late; Deuce stared slugging at the guys without restraint. try as she might, not a single boy was listening to her. Every single plea fell on deaf ears as they all tried to jump her friend. A while, Amu had enough and called for Ran to gift her a Chara Change. 

“You’re not gonna-”

“Trust me.” A little hesitant, Ran gave her Kid her power. In a quick flurry, Amu kicked the main bully away and grabbed at Deuce, pulling him up and into the air again. He looked a bit wounded but still conscious. “Idiot! Get a hold of yourself.”

On the ground, the bullies all had fallen over in a pile from the kick. They pushed each other to try and get their footing. Looking at how the two were up in the air again had them gobsmacked. “Oi! Think you’re all fancy with your flying, eh?!”

“Buzz off, big nose! Less you want me to kick you BEYOND your face!” Amu yelled back.

They growled, spat some blood out, and gave up trying to keep fighting. “Ah, it ain’t worth it. Come on, boys.” They left them be, heading away to the Hall of Mirror. Only when she made sure they were gone did Amu lower herself and Deuce to the ground. She let out a sigh. “Those guys. Would it kill for them to show some humility?” Moving away from her friend, she checked on him and saw a scowl still on his face. “Deuce? You ok?”

 

As soon as he realized what he had done, Deuce shouted angrily to himself.“Dammit! I did it again!”

 

“Again? What are you talking about? You sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah. You were super scary just now.”

“Kinda-wait no. I’m not!” He grimaced. “I got hotheaded again, when I swore I wouldn’t!”

“In our defense, those guys started it by being in the way in the first place.”

“But still! I made a promise to myself, and for my mom…YET I FUCKED IT UP AGAIN!!”

 

*CAW, CAW*

 

*THUMP, THUMP*

 

Deuce froze at the crow’s cry. His heart blackened right in front of Amu’s eyes! ‘Oh no! Deuce’s Heart Egg-!’ She didn’t even finish her sentence when his Egg left his body and turned into an X-Egg. The Card Soldier’s body nearly hit the ground were it not for the girl catching him mid fall. She laid him next to one of the Statues carefully then rose to her feet to face their current threat.

 

---

 

“Sniff here…sniff there.”

“Hmm?” Malleus saw that Umbra appeared restless and sniffing at the air hastily. “Is everything ok?”

“I smell them!”

“!!! Them what?”

“That bad Egg from the other day,” He inhaled a huge gulp of air the gasped. “And its by Miss Human Lady!”

 

To be Continued…

Notes:

Oh no! Not Deuce!

Chapter 15: Ch.15: X-Egg Ahoy! ~Saving Private Deuce Spade~

Summary:

Second X-Egg attack, though this time it's to save a trusted Card Soldier!

Notes:

I only have one small Warning for this, and that is Rook being Rook. For a good cause.

~Night Raven: Somewhere on Campus~

 

Rook Hunt has an…interesting habit he enjoys doing. One of those is watching his ‘prey’/ newest obsession with curiosity and note anything and everything he can. His love for what he perceives as beauty has been both a blessing when he hunts, and a curse when his target knows it's him(still a win in his book.) Though in this case his target was a bit…peculiar.

After the near end tragedy with his and Vil’s student, Seba, and finding out such a beautiful secret from the magicless-now magical-Prefect from Ramshackle, Rook’s curiosity had doubled! Tripled given the news about those Black Eggs that spawn those strange creatures, Shugo Chara. He wanted to know more about them after seeing Seba’s healed and restored.

 

So what better way than to locate and study these findings by stalking observing the person who knows them best!

 

From what he overheard from his Chemistry Club partner, Trey, some of Riddle’s troubled students are going to make an ‘Apology’ Tart for the moved Unbirthday Party. And also, the young Hinamori and her familiars will be joining them. C'était parfait!

Quietly and carefully, he watched her and Deuce leave from Mr. S’s shop and down Main Street, talking away about the boy’s history even to their encounter with some other  students. And judging from what he heard, the other dorms are working their way around finding those ‘Shugo Chara’. Ah the neverending competitive stride of Night Raven strikes again.

And as the conflict escalated and reached its hopeful conclusion, the last thing he had expected was to see Monsieur Poussin freeze and collapse onto Madame la filoue and the very Egg that caused trouble to appear right in front of them. ‘Mon seigneur! So, THAT’s how they’re born?’

 

---

 

 

Amu and Ran wasted no time transforming into Amulet Heart quickly, and facing Deuce’s X-Egg alone without needing to worry about any hostages or people caught in the middle. His Egg seemed more agitated and jumpy; in other words, a HUGE problem if it runs away. It sent out a wave of negative energy her way, but she was quick to block it. The blast skidded her back a bit, and she gave a quick glance to the sleeping boy, relieved that he was ok. ‘If I had moved, it would’ve hurt Deuce.’

The X-Egg used this as a chance to run away, but Amu was able to catch up with it as it flew around in the sky. It tried everything it could to elude her from slipping around gargoyles on the school, hopping from one rooftop to the next; it couldn’t shake her no matter what it did.

Amu noticed how erratic the Egg was getting as she tried to catch it. “Man, this little guy’s as stubborn as the last ones.”

 

“I wanted to better myself.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I told myself you need to do better! And to do it for Her!” She could feel Deuce’s intense anger and frustrations, but they weren’t towards another person.

 

“Honour Students don’t get into fistfights, SO WHY DID I DO IT AGAIN?!”

 

They were about himself.

 

She gritted her teeth at hearing him hate himself. “You’re too hard on yourself, Deuce!” With a push from her powers, she managed to get in front of the X-Egg, and got ready to purify it.

Down below, the eyes of a watchful huntsman were amazed at the whole incident playing out before him. He didn’t need binoculars to see how the little jester was quick to respond to the situation. Not to detain or shatter, but to rescue and heal. ‘Just like with Monsieur l'Artiste,’ Rook thought to himself.

Once he saw her return with an Egg with cute wings and a crown, and said egg returning within Deuce, he made himself scarce. Leaving no trace of his presence at the scene.

 

---

 

Teal eyes slowly opened up. Deuce moaned and rolled his neck to get rid of the pain he felt. Mind foggy and hazy, how he doesn’t know. “What happened?”

“Morning, sleepy head.” He jumped, seeing Ran and Amu smiling down at him.

“Morning?! Did I oversleep?!” He rose to feet in a panic. “Oh no! The Unbirthday party!”

“Calm down, Deuce!” The girls were quick to keep him from almost having a nervous breakdown. “It was a joke.”

“Joke…?”

“Yeah, you weren’t doing too good after the whole thing with-” She paused before asking him a question. “How much do you remember exactly?”

“Uh, I remember fighting some guys about eggs,” He then gasped as he recalled what happened after. “I…got into a fight with them, didn’t I?” Their silence was a dead giveaway. He frowned and slumped back on the ground again. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Slowly, she sat down beside him. “You wanna talk about it, Deuce-kun?”

He stayed silent. “... You promise not to make fun of me, will you?”

“We won’t.” Ran agreed with her Kid.

“Thanks,” He started to tell his story. “Before coming here, I wasn’t that good of a kid. I skipped classes a lot, bleached my hair, picked fights, and overall caused fights nonstop.” He sighed. “I didn’t think much of it at the time. About how bad it was affecting my mom.”

“How…bad did it get?”

“There was a night I heard my mom talking to my grandmother over the phone,” He could recall that night clearly: the crying and sobbing, his mother questioning if she failed to raise him right. Everything. “And ever since that day, I’ve tried to better myself. To become an Honour Student she could be proud of.” A small laugh escaped his lips. “When the Dark Carriage came to get me, I knew this was my chance at proving to her and myself that I can do better. BE better.”

“And now…I messed it all up.”

 

…

 

Amu took in everything he said, understanding a bit how hard it is to change and wanting to become a better version of yourself. And while she may not know him personally, she sees he’s not that bad of a kid. Aloof and punchy form what she can tell, but his heart is in the right place. “Not really.”

“Huh?”

“Come on. You’re talking to someone who-as embarrassing as it is to admit-kinda is responsible for you getting in trouble.” She smiled with an air of her ‘Cool and Spicy’ attitude. “Throwing hands against people who are the ones at fault isn’t world ending in my book.” She got back up and turned to him. “And, Fun fact: Most Honour students aren’t afraid of getting their hands dirty. And any that don’t, are they really Honour Students?”

He blinked up at her, eyes filled with renewed hope. He let out another pity laugh. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, Amu-san. Thank you.”

“Don’t forget me!”

“Yeah, and you too, Ran.” The trio then looked back at the bag with the broken eggs. “At least those little chicks can rest easy, too.”

“Um, about that Deuce. They…” She froze in her speech, noticing something standing WAY out on Deuce.

Said boy looked up at her, wondering why she stopped talking. “Um, Amu-san. What’s wrong? Are you sad about the chicks’ deaths, too?” He blinked at her. He saw how her and Ran’s faces changed from being calm to confusion, and then horror as Amu raised a hand slightly pointing to his lap. He panicked, covering himself. “What are you looking at?! It’s not funny!”

“Your lap.”

“What about it?!”

“...Egg.”

“Egg?” He moved his hands and looked down, all color fading from his face as he saw the reason. “Wha. Ahhhhh…”

 

A marine blue egg with a picture of a Police Hat with a mage pen and metal pipe above a Spade symbol was resting peacefully in his lap.

 

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”

 

---

 

“So…those Eggs are born from the hearts of people?” The Huntsman theorized from his new hiding place after seeing Amu come out victorious. “And any moments of stress could turn them evil. But under the right conditions, in this case Mademoiselle Amu healing them, they turn white as the purest snow and return back to their owner? Hmmm.”

This information pleases him greatly. Seems like there is more to these Eggs than meets the eye. Now, Rook needs to update Vil about this soon. This should benefit them greatly if these things are somehow connected to Overblots.

 

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”

 

“Ooo!! I sense that a bizarre miracle has happened!” Rook took out his handkerchief and wept. “Alas, I have missed the chance…”

 

---

 

“See! See! I told you Miss Human Lady could do it!”

“That you did.”

Malleus and Umbra watch from above the later events of the situation. The former was impressed by the dexterity of the Child of Man’s quickness to halt the ‘Shugo Chara’ from causing more trouble.

“And for her to heal them from their darkness… I do wonder what the limitations of this Open Heart might be?” He pondered.

“I dunno.” Umbra answered, unaware of it being rhetorical. “But now that you’ve seen this, you’re gonna keep your word of having her help when someone from our dorm is in trouble, right Mal-Mal?”

“I will permit it so long as she is capable of doing so.”

“Yay!” Umbra did his victory dance in the air. “Gregory’s gonna love hearing this again!”

 

---

 

Grim jumped from his stool as soon as he saw Deuce, Amu and Ran return. “Yeesh what took you two so long!”

“N-Nothing!” Deuce stood straight and flustered. Totally not internally panicking still after seeing an egg in his lap! And totally not having an identity crisis if he knew anyone in his bloodline was a bird beastman and forgetting all about what Amu said about how Would Be Selves are born! What are you talking about?!

“Was it busy at the Mystery Shop?” Trey asked as he took the bags from the both of them.

“You could say that,” Amu answered on the panicked boy’s behalf. “By the way, some of the eggs were busted by accident. Sorry, Senpai.”

“It’s fine,” He eased her worries. “You guys did great keeping the mess from spreading, so we can salvage what we can to finish making the Tart.”

“Yippee! Back to the old grind!” Ran rushed to pick up her spoon when Miki snatched it from its spot on the counter. “Hey!”

“Wash your hands first,” She scolded her. “You know better than that.”

“Sorry,” Her sister pouted as flew to the sink. Deuce robotically followed her to do the same along with Amu, who kept giving small glances at him during the rest of the baking.

Once they had garnished the top of the Tart, their Mont Blanc surprise was finished, plus an additional one made from what was left over, and ready for the party.

“Yay!/ Woohoo!/ Yata…”

“It’s beautiful,” Miki said. “Who knew you had it in ya, Ace?”

“Haha. I forgot how to laugh.”

No sooner were they finished, an infamous ginger had arrived in the Kitchen. “Hi-hi, Mina-san~~~”

“Oh look, Mister Lazybones is back.” Amu said.

“Ouch! So harsh to Cay-Cay, A-chan.”

“A-chan?” She raised a brow at him.

“I didn’t know what to call ya since your name is…unique, so I decided to call you A-chan, for Awesome!”

“Thank you, I guess…”

“What brings you here, Senpai?” Ace asked, just as curious(and annoyed) as the others barring Deuce(his mind is still broken).

“I stopped by to see how things were going,” He whistled at the sight of the Mont Blanc. “Wow! You guys outdid yourselves! Definitely Magicam worthy!” He wasted no time pulling out his phone again and snapping a quick photo of it.

“Hey! You’re not the artist here!”

“Yeah! We were the ones who busted our butts to make this!”

“It’s ok, girls,” Trey tried to calm the angry Chara down. “He does this all the time.” They grumbled and pouted, floating to their Kid and sat on her shoulders as she and the others took a bite of the extra tart.

“Mmm! This is delicious, Senpai,” She scooped a piece for Ran and Miki, each one smiling and wow-ing at the taste.

 

As they were eating their fill of the extra, Cater elbowed and winked his classmate. “Say, Trey. Show them the thing.”

 

“Thing?”

“What thing?”

“Seriously, Cater,” Trey shook his head at him.

“C’mon! It’ll be fun. A-chan and her mini mes!”

Grim asked first for everyone out of the know. “What’s he talkin’ about, Trey?”

The junior didn’t say a thing, and pulled his pen out. “Tell me a name of your favorite food.”

“Huh/ Favorite Food?”

“I’ll take…Grilled Lamb with diavolo sauce!”

‘That’s random!’

“I like Cherry Pie and hamburgers.”

“Tuna for me!”

“Omelettes.” She growled when she heard Ace laugh at her and whispered ‘Typical.’ When she noticed that a certain other Card Soldier wasn’t responding she gave him a small nudge and called out. “Deuce. Tell him what you like!”

“Oh, uh, omurice…”

“So we have two eggheads. Fantastic.”

“Hush!”

“All good choices either way,” And with a wave of his wand, he casted a spell onto the extra Mont Blanc. “Doodle Suit!” The extra tart in front of them glowed and sparkled for a moment. “Now try it this time.”

Each one took a bite of their tart, and were blown away at how the flavor immediately became that of the food they mentioned. “Sugoi~”

“How’d you do that Senpai?” Deuce asked.

“That’s just my signature spell, Doodle Suit. I can rewrite the properties of things like food for example.”

He and Cater then went on to explain more about Unique Magic: Spells exclusive to a Mage and how each person in school will develop theirs over time or had theirs since childhood. It was a neat food for thought to Amu and her Chara because of how it differed from how people would talk about magic in their world. At least, the ones from fairy tales, not the Heart’s Egg stuff.

Soon, they all began cleaning and putting away the borrowed equipment. As they were wiping down the counters, Amu had a question she hoped the Senpais would know. “By the way, do you guys know anything about an ‘Egg Hunt’?”

“Why’d you ask, A-chan?”

“We heard some students talking about how they were Egg Hunting.”

“Egg Hunting? Sounds silly, but delicious!”

“Can you go one second without thinking of food?”

“Oh, that’s just a small caution the Housewardens told everyone after the hoopla that happened yesterday.”

‘Yesterday?’ Then it clicked for the freshmen what Cater was saying. ‘The X-Chara incident!’

“Per Headmage’s request, the Housewardens issued out a warning for anyone who sees those weird ‘Shugo Chara’: capture them and give them to Headmage for detainment.”

 

“D-DETAINMENT?!”

 

They’re willing to go that far over ONE incident that got resolved thanks to Amu?! Did they not catch on that Shugo Chara are NOT bad?!

“You guys good?”

“Uh, yeah! We’re good! Promise!” Amu assured them while not freaking out. Ace, Deuce, and Grim were no better as well since they too thought it was a bit overkill given what they know of what Shugo Charas really are.

As the quartet headed back to Ramshackle with the Mont Blanc in hand, Amu’s mind began thinking about the harsh course of action this school was taking over. It reminded her of Easter, and what they were trying to get out of by stealing or exploiting children’s Would Be Selves. But instead of stealing their wishes in hopes of finding Embryo-an Egg that supposedly could grant wishes-Crowley wants them locked away like their wild animals!

 

---

 

“They’re not evil monsters! Why is that so hard for anyone to understand?!” She raked her hands through her hair in frustration. Collapsing on her bed, she stared up at the ceiling with stress.

“I mean…with how that one acted last time, and the ones in the Dwarf Mines, can you really blame them for thinkin’ that?” Ace siad from his spot on the floor in her room.

“But that’s bad, guys!” She told him. “I’ve seen what happens when Eggs are taken away from someone. How hollow they become, lost and cold. Choosing to give up who they want to be and just be something easy for them, or to please others…”

“All that in your world?” They almost missed it, but Amu hummed as a way of saying ‘Yes.’

“Dang. Your world may be crummy, but I wouldn’t wanna see a ghost person just cause they lost an Egg,” Grim said. “Good thing I don’t have to worry about that!”

“Betcha don’t even have one, stupid cat.”

“Oi!”

“Enough guys,” Deuce cut them off. “Let’s not worry about for now.”

“Yeah,” Ran yawned from her Egg in Amu’s pouch. “We got a big day tomorrow, remember?”

“We need all the sleep we can get, so we can show Riddle,” Miki paused in the middle of a yawn. “Our Mont Blanc.”

Everyone settled into their beds for the night. Well, almost everyone.

Since he was having trouble closing his eyes, Deuce called out to the girl in bed. “Yeah?”

“What do you think I should do about…the Baby Chick?” He said, thinking of the Dark Marine Egg sleeping beside all of Amu’s.

Close enough, she guesses with a faint smile.“Deuce, I know you are still a bit confused about…what happened on Main Street,” She waved her hand around, hoping he would catch on. “If you want, I can keep an eye on them til they hatch, so that way, Riddle doesn’t see it and take it away.”

“Really?”

“Sure.”

“Hmm. That does sound like a good idea,” He says. “But, I think I’ll hang onto him for a bit.”

“!!!” She slightly turned her body to the end of her bed. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I laid that Egg, so they’re my responsibility now.” His voice was filled with sleepy determination. “My blazer has inner pockets, so I think they should be safe there even after the Unbirthday Party.”

“...”

“Don’t worry. I promise I’ll keep them safe.”

“Ok. Good night.”

“Night.”

Finally they both let their eyes close and minds wander off to dreamland.

 

During the night, both Amu’s Green Egg showed signs of moving along with Deuce’s.

 

To Be Continued…

Notes:

Seems like things are gonna come to a rolling boil, and it's not even the main even yet. But they'll be fine, it's not big deal. I think 👀

Chapter 16: Ch.16: Paradise Lost?! ~Banished from Heartslabyul Again?!~

Summary:

The Unbirthday Party is here at last. And the Mont Blanc is gifted and ready for serving- and now the Dorm Leader is ticked. Again.

Feat. the Revival of Su~

Notes:

They came so far, and tried so hard, but in the end Riddle didn't care.

~Ramshackle Dorm: ???~

 

Amu felt herself going into the mirror again, a flash of light showed her the rose gardens again. Only this time, it was a scene she remembered partially from Alice in Wonderland: the Queen of Hearts getting angry at who painted her roses red.

Hiding behind one of the rose trees, she witnessed Alice and the three Card Soldiers bowing at the Queen's present as she marched to the last tree still wet with paint. One swipe to a petal with her fingers, and demanded: “Who's been painting my roses red??”

And when no one answered, she repeated it again, ripping the entire tree from the ground in anger. “WHO'S BEEN PAINTING MY ROSES RED?!”

“Yikes! I forgot she's super scary when mad!” Amu thought to herself. “Good thing I know she's long gone, and can't scare people like this anymore…”

She then watched as the Royal turned to the aforementioned men on the ground asking them who did it. “Well!”

Each one panicked and began accusing one another of being the Mastermind. It went on until she grew tired of their squabble…and ordered for all three of them to lose their heads!

‘They’re just roses. It shouldn’t matter whatever color they are! ’The Joker shivered at the sight, relieved that Alice wasn't caught in the execution but still worried for her. “I got a bad feeling about this…” She said aloud. “I really do hope this dream isn't some scary omen.”

Suddenly something glowed out the corner of her eye. She turned, and gasped at what she spotted in the crowd.

 

The same mysterious Egg she saw that day in the park!

 

Then the bright glow swallowed her whole vision .

 

---

 

The morning had finally arrived; sunlight illuminating the room with an aurora of colors like the Egg in her dreams. She rose up and sat on the edge of her bed, thinking back on the dream she just had. “Why did I dream of Alice in Wonderland again?” She glanced over at her sleeping Chara on the end table, and then to Deuce’s Egg in the middle of them. “...”

A few moments later, she got Grim and the others up so they could get ready for the Unbirthday Party. ‘School shirt? Check. Slacks? Check. Blazer? Check.’ She checked herself in the mirror, making sure she didn’t have a horrible bedhead.

Not long after, Ran and Miki flew to her and gave four thumbs up of approval. “You got this, Amu-chan!”

“I think you mean WE got this.”

“Yeah.” But something dawned on her that her form felt a little…off. “Why do I feel like I’m missing something…”

Miki observed closely as did Ran. “Hmm…” And then it dawned on them. “Where’s your hair clip?”

“My hair clip?” Amu looked back at her reflection and paused. Her Chara were right; her hair clip wasn’t in her hair! “AH! Where’d it go?!”

“You lost it?! How?!”

“That’s your signature look!!!”

“I dunno! I know I had it on when I cleaned Main Street! And the Dwarf…Mines…” Her mind began to spiral in despair. ‘Did I drop it there after that fight with that monster and X-Eggs?!’

 

---

 

At the same time the Ramshackle group was getting ready, Riddle had just finished making his bed and went off to dress himself in his Dorm Leader ensemble. Adjusting his crown on his head, checking that the clips on his cape were in place, and make up was applied carefully and smudge free. With a satisfied smile, he left his vanity and passed by his desk. He soon stopped when he saw the distinctive red ‘x’ clip near his letter opener. Against his will, he picks it up and gives it a once over. He does not know where it had come from, but he couldn’t help but wonder why he felt drawn to it now. “...”

He had opted to leave it behind, but a small piece of him knew better than to leave it be. He sighed, reciting Rule No.053 in his head again. “Anything stolen must be returned. Yet I do not know the person who knows of a missing hair clip.” Heaving a sigh, he places the clip in his breast pocket under the cape, and makes his way to the door. “After the party, I will focus som efforts of locating the owner of this clip.”

 

---

 

The hexad arrived to the front gates of Heartslabyul, amazed at the massive sets of decorations and students running about. While Amu was disappointed by knowing she didn’t have her hair clip on her anymore, the others told her they could easily get her a new one post the party.

 

~Flashback~

 

“You guys sure?” She stared at the braincell duo questionably.

Deuce, ever the gentleman, nodded with pride. “Think of it as a thank you gift.”

“Thank you gift?”

“Yeah. For making me kiss up to Riddle- I mean, helping us make the Mont Blanc for the Party.”

 

…

 

‘Sure sounds like blackmail’ The girls all thought.

“I…sure. You guys can do that.”

“Sweet!/ No problem at all!”

“But I get a say in what I want it to be!”

“...Diva.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” Ace lied with a smile.

As they made their way to the door, Amu tapped Deuce on the arm and leaned in to whisper. “Deuce. Remember what we said last night?”

“Don’t worry. I do,” He lifted his balzer to show the inner lining. And right there bulging out of it was his sleeping Would Be Self. “They’re safe and sound. As promised.”

 

~End of Flashback~

 

That aside, they all were confused about why everyone was still running about when these students had one more day to take care of any last minute additions. Grim jumped as he nearly dodged the feet of a Heartslabyul student carrying a hodgepodge of party plates. “Yeesh! What the heck’s goin’ on?!”

“I don’t know!”

“Maybe we should find someone who knows what’s up?”

“Good idea,”  They all head for the garden, knowing and hoping they’d find the one person who would have the answers.

They rushed over to the garden to find someone and ask him questions. But the last thing they all expected was to see five different versions of Cater running around painting the rose trees!

“Huh?!”

“Hey, me! The Roses over here are all done!”

“Thanks, Other Me!” The original Cater in the Dorm uniform winked.

“Yikes! I’m having some trouble here, me!”

“Massive ooof,” The real Cater said.

“Why are there so many Caters?” Ran could feel her head spin.

Cater noticed them from the entryway. “Hi again, freshies. I’d love to talk but I’m kinda busy.”

“We see that,” Ace mentions as he saw one of the clones-a Cater in the Ceremonial Robes-painting two rose trees at once. “I thought with the extra day, everyone here would be done on time!”

“We were. Kinda.”

“Kinda?”

“TL;DR: Most last minute stuff were back burnered due to IRL issues. So I’m knocking these last minute.”

“Oh really?”

“Yep yep yep!”

They all sighed, having a bad feeling about what’s next. “Miki-”

 

“No.”

 

“Figured.”

Pulling their sleeves back, and tart kept guarded by the Cheery and Timboy Chara, they dipped their pens and brushes into helping the junior get everything done before Riddle arrived. After a near ten minutes had passed, all the roses painted red, smiles of joy on everyone and clones dismissed, they all rushed to meet with the rest of the dorm. 

 

Once again, Su’s Egg and Deuce’s Egg shake with the speed of a baby bird breaking through their shell.

 

---

 

Everyone had gathered into the Garden where the party was being held. They all were standing at attention around the tables as two Heartslabyul students arrived with trumpets and played the introduction fanfare. Another boy standing by begins the announcement. “Now presenting his excellency, the Queen and Dorm Leader of Heartslabyul, Riddle Rosehearts!”

The red head arrives, walking with his head held high. An air of authority follows him as he enters the Garden and approaches his seat at the front of the table. ‘He really does scream royalty, even for a title as big as Dorm Leader.’ Amu sweated profusely. ‘Total opposite of Tadase-kun.’

Once Riddle sat down, he eyed everything in the Garden. “Tea is prepared, the roses are all painted red, and the dormouse,” He sees the sleeping critter in the pot. “There is jam on it. Good.”

With an approving nod, this allowed everyone to take their seats. For her spot, which she thought was admittedly cute, Amu saw that Ran and Miki, since they were the smallest, were given mini chairs positioned around her spot at the table. Each person, cat and Chara raised a cup in the air as Riddle declared the tea party began. 

“A very merry Unbirthday.”

“A VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY!!”

As everyone took a sip of tea, Ace felt someone tap his shoulder lightly. It was Trey. “Hey. It’s time.”

“Huh?”

“The tart.”

“Oh yeah. Thanks,” He got up from his seat, grabbing the tart in and making his way to Riddle's throne. Deuce, Grim and the girls were not that far behind to give Ace moral support. Clearing his throat, Ace tried to be as formal as possible. “Hello, Prefect Riddle.”

The boy in question eyed him wearily. “Ah, yes. The Tart thief.”

“Y-yeah,” He tried to play it cool and not blow his gasket. “I, uh, made you a new one to make up for it.”

“You did? What is it?”

“A Mont Blanc.”

 

There was silence as Riddle took in what flavor it was. “Did you just say ‘Mont Blanc’?”

 

“Uh, yeah.” Ace answered.

Amu could sense the chill in the air as she saw how angry Riddle was getting. Innocently, she asked. “Is that a bad thing?”

“It is,”  He rose from his seat. “He has ruined the party!”

“Ruined?!/ Myah?!/ No way!!”

“How did we ruin the party?” Ace demanded.

“Queen of Hearts Rule Number 562: One must NEVER bring a Mont Blanc to an Unbirthday Party! ”

‘562?’ The Joker had hoped she was hearing things. Who the heck would make that many rules, let alone one as stupid as this one?! “How many are there?!”

“810. And I’ve studied them all to a ‘T’.”

 

"810?!?!" Miki gasped.

"That's 810 too many." Ran felt her head get dizzy again.

 

The whole garden had whispered amongst themselves in fear. Trey and Cater themselves were panicking as this was news to them. “Did you know about this rule?” The diamond asked his friend.

“I only made it up to Rule 350.” He replied, shaking his head.

“Riddle-san, please. Ace tried so hard to make this for you. Can’t you at least appreciate that he wanted to apologize this way?”

“NO!” He yelled back. “The fact it is in clear violation of the Queen of Hearts’ rules can not, will not, and should not be overlooked.”

“That’s not fair,” Deuce clapped back. “You shouldn't be forcing everyone to bend to you over one mistake!”

“Yeah!” Grim added. “You got a lot of nerve to throw away our hard work!”

Summoning his magic staff, he issued out his newest command. “Men. Destroy this tart and banish these traitorous hooligans.”

The group all looked at everyone else of the dorm, hoping that someone would speak out against him.

 

…But no one did. Not even as a reluctant Trey and Cater came to usher them out, with a: “Yeah, Riddle-sama.”

 

‘This can’t be happening’ Amu had hoped this was a bad dream even as those two closed in on them. She felt them trying to pull them away, ‘This can’t be happening!’ She thought to herself again.

 

“No more fighting, everyone~~”

 

The whole area went silent, looking around for the sound of that voice, which in turn made Riddle so angry his whole face turned red. “Who said that? I DEMAND TO KNOW!”

Rising from her pouch, a Green Clover Egg appeared above them at the table. And with it, the debut of Amu’s third Chara-a maid holding a weaving basket- appeared. “Su is here to help you~~~”

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” The banished all exclaimed. As no one could stop her from making the situation worse. One moment she had recited her Chara Change spell on Amu “Chip, Syrup~~”

 

And in the next moment-

 

“WHIIIIPCREEEAMM~~~~~~”

 

The whole area was drowning in a sea of whip cream. Everyone was swallowed in wave after wave of the sweet frosting, making the entire garden a mess. It overwhelmed the metal gates they came undone, and the whip cream poured out it, carrying all the party guests out. Some of them had tried to get up only to slip back onto the ground. Others were trying to get their bearings about what just happened.

As for Riddle, who was partially buried beneath the sugary topping, his anger reached a boiling point, the frosting was melting off his person. Getting up to his feet he was about to declare the troublemakers’ head severed.

 

But they were gone. Vanished.

 

He growled in anger as the tea drinking party of the party had been destroyed, but tried to cool down his composure enough to order some of his card soldiers to track them down in case they tried to sneak back in. After that, he ordered everyone to move to the Croquette part of the party.

Meanwhile, whether by some fluke or lady luck herself, the banished group were actually in the air thanks to Ran and Miki’s last minute quick thinking. Amu tragically trying to hold onto Ace and Deuce while not bringing attention to themselves as she flew them closer to the Mirror Portal. And as for Grim, he was being carried by three Chara trying to hold his ‘big bone’ form.

 

---

 

Not long after the party concluded, Riddle spent the latter half of the day punishing many more rulebreakers in his dorm without remorse. Even as one of them begged for forgiveness, he did not give him a passing glance of pity, and casted Off With Your Head on him like many others.

As Trey and Cater dragged the sobbing boy away, one of the second years, who was almost as devoted to the rules as Riddle was, came with two other students before their Leader. “Riddle-sama.”

“Oh. What brings you here?” It was strange to see one of the more…intriguing students arrive in the Main Lounge.

“I came to offer some good tidings.” He says with a smile.

“Tidings?”

“Since you told us of Headmage’s inquiries regarding the dangerous Eggs from the other day, I and my trusted roommates did room inspections of the Dorm after the party,” The new student’s eyes shined with devilish intent. “And we found these.” He had one of his helpers come forward and showcase a box to Riddle. He extends his arms for the Dorm Leader to take it. He accepted it with a raised brow and opened it with some skepticism.

 

His expression changed immediately to surprise by what he found. Five sleeping eggs with different designs and patterns. “You found these in our Dorm?”

 

“We have. Plus,” This student smirked. “Deuce Spade apparently has one, and both he and Ace Trappola have chosen to keep it hidden from us.”

Trey and Cater’s eyes widened at that. “Deuce…has one?”

“Yes, we found out after we spotted them leaving through the Mirror Portal.”

“I see…” Riddle closed the box in his lap. “Thank you for informing me. You three are dismissed.” The boys bowed and left the lounge. “I was right to banish those two.”

 

“Riddle-”

 

“To know one of them has a potential threat in their possession, and he has failed to mention this at the party,” He tightened a fist over his lap. “If they ever reveal themselves to me again, I will see to it that Deuce's Egg is confiscated and given to Headmage. I suggest you to do the same if you run into them again.”

 

“Yes, Prefect…” Trey and Cater said, his voice unlined with uncertainty.

 

*PLOP, PLOP*

 

To Be Continued…

Notes:

I felt tempted to call the Heartslabyul Student Eito (after Hundred Line Defense Academy), but I nyxed it so he didn't hijack the climax of the story. He does have *some* parts of his persona (from a few pieces of info I gather form that series though) so there's that lol

Chapter 17: Ch.17: The King's Lament ~Trey and Riddle's little secret!~

Summary:

After escaping a disastrous party, the banished brigade earns something else in turn. Well, more than one thing.

Notes:

So I had a bit of a stump with this one since some of canon was altered HEAVILY at the party end's. So while the setting for the infamous chat with Trey is set somewhere else, among other things.

~Party Aftermath, Heartslabyul Dorm: Hedge Maze Entrance~

 

Flying while carrying one other person was one thing, but carrying TWO people?! That was a whole different can of worms! Granted, were it not for Miki’s quick thinking about getting away from Riddle before he collared them all. (Wasn’t their first rodeo with a Whip Cream incident). They spotted the entrance of the Dorm and Mirror Portal far away from the party, and decided to land there. Carefully, Amu landed them safely on the ground, panting as she felt her body partially drained from holding Ace and Deuce during the whole flight. Her Chara also were tired, and practically dropped Grim on his high end unceremoniously.

“I saw my life…flash b…before my eyes…” Grim huffed.

“How was it?”

“Full of nothing but close calls.”

“That was close, desu.” Su sighed.

“Close?” Ace repeated, his voice slowly rising in anger. “Close! We just had our butts kicked out over another dumb rule. AGAIN!” He stared angrily at the Maid Chara.

“Sorry, desu!” She cried, and cowarded behind Miki.

“I can't believe I got kicked out, too…” Deuce lamented quietly.

“Look at the bright side. At least the rest of us weren't collared,” Ran tried to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

Miki noticed how quiet Amu was as everyone was trying to gain their bearings. Her eyes shadowed by her bangs. “Amu-chan?”

“Why?”

“Huh?”

“Why didn’t he listen to any of us?! Why does he value rules over people's lives?!” She clenched her fists. “No one, no matter if their queen or king, should do that!!” How could Riddle act that way, believing his words are absolute, that the Queen’s rules are absolute. And anyone that strays even for a second deserves to be punished severely. She slumped to the ground again. ‘What is WITH this crazy world?’

 

But there was definitely something that troubled the group. Something that kept looping around that one question that bothered them the most: What in all of Twisted Wonderland happened to turn Riddle into a Tyrant?

 

“That what?”

They all jumped at the presence of a floating head next to them(Amu looking seconds from fainting). But the head of the person was that of a pinkish-purple haired cat boy with yellow, feline eyes and a small fanged smile. Slowly, the rest of his form appeared and his outfit was very different from the rest of Heartslabyul. Heck, different from the standard school uniforms of Night Raven all together; his was all white with a pure red armband vs. the all black Amu’s used to seeing.

Su flew to him to greet him. “Who are you, desu?”

“I’m Alchemi Alchemivich Pinka,” The cat boy introduced himself with a silly now. “Nice to meet ‘ya!”

“Pink…huh?/ Ali Olo…who?” Ran and Miki got tongue tied trying to say his name.

“You can call me Che’nya.”

Amu and the others were still confused by his presence. ‘What’s with me attracting Cat Boys?! First Ikuto, then the guy at the garden, and now-!’ She jumped suddenly as she saw the new guest smiling smugly at her.

“Ah~ The Lucky Joker,” He said in jest. “You and yours hold the key~” He lifts an arm that was separated from him holding her locket.

“H-hey!” She reached for it, only to be shocked when he placed it back in her hand.

“Anyway, what do you want?” Ace asked rudely.

“You all sounded so glum, and the glumess came from Riddle.” He answered nonchalantly.

“Yeah,” Grim huffed. “He got all pissy at us for making the wrong tart for a big party cause it went against the rules and crap! And then tried to kick us out!”

“Granted we ended up removing ourselves before he could do anything else since SOMEONE ,” Ace glared at Su again. “Turned the whole party into a Whip Cream typhoon!”

“Ooo! Yum!”

“Not really since it only made things worse with all of us banished from the dorm now,” Deuce thought back on his failure at being an Honour Student again until he felt his Egg shaking a bit and took it out.

Che’nya giggled at their plight as he heard Ran say: “Riddle is a rotten egg for doing that to us!”

“Rotten he might seem,” Che’nya then vanishes and appears at Deuce’s side, plucking the restless Egg from his hands. “But if you take a closer look, you’ll see there more than meets the eye about him.”

‘More than meets the eye…’ They all gasped as the cracks showed a nervous yet curious golden eye peeking out. The shell opened and out came a boy with blue hair and yellow tips pulled into a tail feather-like ponytail wearing a punk leather jacket underneath a police uniform, who smiled and waved at everyone. With gentle hands, the cat boy placed him in Amu’s hands. “Or if you like, go find Trey. He, just like I, knew Riddle when we were younger,” Che’nya’s body then began to slowly disappear. “Ta ta, my friends~”

As they watched him disappear after hearing this cryptic speech, they(mostly Amu) mulled over his words a bit. “More than meets the eye.” And Trey supposedly knew Riddle when they were kids? “Hmm…”

Grim stared at the new Chara in Amu’s hands. “You have a fifth Shugo Egg thing, Henchhuman?”

“Huh? Oh no, this is Deuce’s.”

The newborn Chara smiled and waved again at everyone. “Hi.”

 

…

 

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?/HUUHHHHHHHHHH!?!?!?!”

 

From the shadows of the Hedge Maze, some card soldiers saw them leave. The three of them grinning at what they just saw.

 

---

 

Making their way back to Ramshackle, Ace bickered with Deuce over the sudden realization of him having a Would Be Self. “How did someone like you get one before me?!”

“Not my fault! It just happened!” He yelled back, holding his little Chara away from the other boy trying to take it. “It’s new for me too!”

“No fair!” He sulked even further. “I call nepotism!!”

“Seriously,” Amu just sighed at Ace’s pettiness as they made their way inside to the Lounge again. “If anything, you should be happy he has one.”

“Happy? Of this numbskull getting one before me! As if!”

They all sat in the decrypted furniture, still taking in what the strange cat boy had told them back in Heartslabyul. They all sat in their usual pots they did the day before, with Ace still pouting and mumbling. “Can’t believe you got an Egg before me…”

“Aww~ Don’t be sad, Ace. You’ll get one someday.” Ran patted his head.

“Not helping.”

“Anyway! We need to focus!” They all looked at Amu. “Remember, Che’nya said he knew Riddle when they were kids. And Trey-senpai too.”

“Apparently.”

“So we should talk to him about that.”

“One problem: we can’t go into our dorm anymore.” They all signed. This would mean they would need to reach out to Trey again in a different way.

“Um,” They looked to see the newest addition looking at them curiously from Deuce’s lap.

“Hey there, little Egg.”

“Little Egg?” Ace giggled.

“I don’t know what to name him.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. I should tell you guys my name,” He said, floating to be beside the other Chara. “I’m Axel. Deuce’s Would Be Self, if that’s what I’m called.”

“Are you guys not called Shugo Chara here?”

“I think so. Sorry, I’m still new to this stuff,” He blushed, feeling embarrassed.

“It’s ok! Welcome aboard, Axel!” Ran shook his hand happily.

“Hi, Axel~/ Nice to meet ya.”

“Thanks,” He smiled back. “But I dunno about tackling this Trey guy so quickly today. Wouldn’t Riddle be with him too?”

“Doubt it,” Ace quickly said. “And even if he did, not like he can do anything to us outside the dorm than what we are now.”

“Hmm. Maybe an invitation to see us somewhere could work. Or maybe a citation; that’ll get him to come to us!”

That escalated quickly! ‘Where did the citation come from?!’

As they all chatted away, Su gasped at how horrible the whole place had looked; all the dust on every surface, the curtains were torn or eaten up by moths, and so on. “This place is awful, desu!”

“We know.” They all said bluntly.

“We shouldn’t be sitting around where dangerous spiders, dust and the other one hundred and one other health code violations I’ve missed live!” She waved a finger and conjured up cleaning supplies and equipment for everyone. “How about we clean up to take our minds off the party, desu~”

“Really? Cleaning?”

“If you help, I’ll make your favourite foods, desu~”

“Food?”

 

“FOOD!!” The moment that word was dropped, Grim grabbed a rag and wasted no time cleaning.

 

“Hey, wait for us!”

“Wow. If only you were this motivated at the start…” Amu said to herself, but Ace and Deuce heard her enough to agree with her.

Since they needed to take some time off of Riddle and the ridiculous rules, the rest decided to join in and clean up around the Main Lounge. This  time, instead of it leading to a torched statue, it was more of a race between who cleaned the windows the best(mostly between Ace and Grim, but there were instances of Deuce getting involved too), who couldn’t reach the ceiling to dust out the webs and scooting the spiders out-Amu and Su definitely needed her with that one since they were not a fan of bugs; the new Chara offered to help. “My honour to help!” Axel said to them.

“What a gentleman. Thank you, desu~”

Axel immediately blushed at the compliment. “W-well, that’s what cops do, ma’am!”

Amu laughed at the interaction, reaching out to dust the remaining cobwebs and spider webs. 

Once they tackled what they could of the Dorm, they all stood and smiled at how much of a difference, smiles on all their faces. And stomachs growling with the need to eat, which then triggered them all laughing.

“Time to eat, desu~!” Su declared.

Then it hit Amu like a truck regarding food. “Wait, we don’t have anything here to eat…”

“Boo! What a bad guest you are, Pinky!”

“That can be arranged, desu~!”

“Huh?”

 

---

 

Trey, guilt ridden but trying to not look unaffected, was walking down Main Street after returning his book to the library when he heard laughter. He looked up and noticed the freshmen that he had initially helped were racing down towards Mr. S’s Shop. Ace and the little pink faerie(Ran he thinks her name was?) were neck in neck with Deuce barging on ahead with what looked to be some sort of small policeman following him too, and the pink haired girl not that far behind.

“What are they doing out here?” He wondered. A part of him wanted to check on them, but considering how things went earlier that day, he shook his head and went about going about his way back to the dorm. 

Trey was close to returning, when he noticed something in front of him. A Purple striped egg that popped open with a small cat thief wearing big boots who jump-scared him. “Boo!”

“Ah!” He fell to the ground with his glasses getting skewed.

The small cat swordsman laughed at Trey. “I got you goo~ood! Hahaha~~”

He just sighed, fixing his glasses after he got back on his feet. “Hello, Vio.”

“Hi, Clubs!”

Knowing that this odd faerie was here, it wasn’t long until: “Peek-a-boo~” The notorious cat appeared.

“Hey, Che’nya.”

“Aww, and to think I got, ‘nya.” His whole body appeared to his side and he threw an arm over his friend. “I heard you had a super sweet Unbirthday today.”

“I rather not talk about it.”

“Not even about the newborn in their possession?”

“...”

“He recently hatched~”

“!!!” Gold eyes looked at smiling cat eyes. “It did?!”

“He did. And his birth definitely brought joy to those youngins that got the boot.”

They looked over as they saw the students in question came out of the shop with bags full of what looked to be food and other meal items and snacks. All chatting away and smiling still as they saw the newest one lifting a bag and pretending he was ok carrying it. Deuce speed walked to him to help make sure he didn’t hurt himself.

‘He didn’t become like the Shugo Chara from two days ago?’ He wondered.

“Reminds me of yours and Riddle’s back then, Club,” Vio smiled. “Don’cha think?”

 

“... Yeah.”

 

---

 

As soon as they got back, Su flew with Amu alongside her to make some meals in the kitchen. Some simple burgers, omurice and the like(with some tuna cans on side dishes for Grim). Once they were done, they all went back into the Lounge, bringing the food in and everyone started to dig in. They all hummed in delight from the first bites and chatted.

 

Roughly in the hour they were eating, a knock at the door got their attention. Mouth full of food, Ace quickly washed it down with his drink and got up. As soon as he opened the door, his face went from curious to annoyed as he saw who it was. “Well look what the weeds brought in.”

The others, confused by what he meant by that, looked at the Lounge entrance and eyebrows were raised as they saw Trey come in behind an angry Ace who sat back in his spot. “Oh, uh, hi Trey-senpai.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to check up on all of you,” He confessed. “I see that you guys are doing well.”

Miki narrowed her eyes at him. “If you mean us eating comfort food no thanks to you defending your childhood friend as us doing well, then yes.”

He did not expect to hear that from them. “How do you-?”

“Some cat boy named Che’nya told us,” Ran said.

Amu answered, watching him sigh.“Why did he have to stick his nose into this?”

“Consider it the consequences of your actions, Clover-san,” Axel chirped, then took a bite of his sandwich. “For being complacent.”

He jumped seeing the newest odd faerie perched on Deuce’s shoulder. “And I see he was right about you having a faerie.”

“Yes he does. But that’s beside the point,” Ace changed back to the main topic. “You grew up knowing him, yet let him dictate everything and everyone like he’s the descendant of the Queen of Hearts herself.”

‘Feels like it to be honest,’ Amu keeps to herself.

“You guys don’t understand,” He noticed that the odd Clover Fae had brought a seat for him. Thanking her, he sat down and rested his arms on his legs as he leaned in and continued. “The reason why he’s so strict with guidelines and rules, is because they are what made him.”

“Are…what made him?” The Joker repeated. Does this mean that Riddle…had that type of childhood growing up.

Her fears were answered as Trey continued his explanation. “Back where we’re from, both his parents are well regarded doctors, his mother especially. And she made sure that Riddle followed her legacy. She scheduled everything for him  down to the foods he ate, books he read, and people he socialized with since he was born. That includes him learning his Unique Magic by the time he was ten.”

“No way./ Scary, desu…”

“And I guess it was a big deal, huh?”

“It is,” Deuce told her.

“He believes obeying the rules are the only path to success, and anything debating from that is a great offense.”

“Like taking away and detaining Shugo Chara over one mishap?” Amu wondered allowed, but was visibly upset. As were her girls.

“...”

“Bad mom or not, that still doesn’t excuse him for being a fucking control freak!”

“You said it brother!”

“WHAT IS WITH THIS UNNECESSARY SWEARING?!” Crowley’s sudden appearance caused all of them to jump and yelp.

“Who invited you?!” Grim pointed his finger at the professor.

“Ran was proving a point with me about Housewarden Riddle being a lousy Leader.” Ace explained, defended the Cheerleader’s outburst.

“Who?” He looked around until they pointed at the pink girl in question. “Ooooo, I see. Anyway, what is this about Rosehearts-san?” They told him everything that happened between yesterday and today-sans Su’s Whip cream mishap-regarding their issues with the Rose Tyrant. “Hmmm… If you cannot see eye to eye with your Dorm Leader, you always transfer out of Heartslabyul to another Dorm. Of course, that will take some time and prep work to get sorted.”

“Dorm switching sounds nice,” Axel mentioned, until he realized what that would mean for Ace. “But that would only prove Riddle right in the end, wouldn’t it?”

“Right, and like hell I’m gonna bow down and beg for forgiveness,” Ace said.

Deuce chimed in as well. “Same here. I may not have gotten collared with you, but I hate what he’s doing to everyone, too.”

It was then that Crowley proposed an idea. “There is one other solution. You could challenge him for the title of Dorm Leader.”

“Challenge?” Amu and Trey said in shock whereas Su and Grim’s said it but with mouths full of food.

“There are ways one becomes Leader of their Dorm: each challenge is different based on the spirit of the Dormitory, a recommendation, or, in common cases, a Magical Duel.” He helped elaborate further that while magic is prohibited on campus without professor consent, in magical duels, they are allowed . ”

“Do it!” Grim cheered after pouncing on Amu’s head. “And let me in on the action, too!” 

Before Amu could tell him no, Crowley beat her to the punch. “Students from other dorms are prohibited from participating.” And down went Grim’s hopes and dreams.

“Guys, please reconsider this,” Trey begged.

“They won’t listen,” The girl next to him said bluntly. “And honestly, I don’t blame them.” She narrowed her eyes at the junior. “Just because someone is your friend, and their childhood was messy, it doesn't excuse pushing around others like a crazed dictator.” Seeing his face turn sour made her almost feel bad a bit, but then she remembered all of what was said in the kitchen too about the Egg Hunts. And what Riddle issued to have happened to the Chara Eggs.

 

---

 

A couple of hours later, Trey returned back to Heartslabyul. He went to the kitchen, biding his time by cleaning some loose dishes in the sink from the party. It was there that Cater came and chatted with him for a while. But it wasn’t long until he mentioned what had transpired when he saw the freshmen on his way leaving the library. “A duel?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeesh,” Cater cringed hearing Trey’s response. “Glad it ain’t me in the hot seat tbh.”

“I tried to stop them, but they’re adamant of facing Riddle that way instead.”

“Their fault when they get OHKO’d by him again,” He shrugged his shoulders. “By the way, did you see Loosey Deucey’s Egg at all?”

“I didn’t see it; however,” Trey paused in his cleaning of dishes. “There was…something else.”

“Something else?”

“A faerie. But he was wearing a police uniform, and almost looked like a mini of Deuce.”

“A mini Deuce?” The diamond’s eyes widened.

“Yeah. And seeing him had me think about that Strange Creature that attacked us the other day. I think those ‘Shugo Chara’ aren’t normally those hostile things.”

“You think so too?”

“Too?”

“I was kinda thinking that when I checked back on the recording of A-chan when she went Magical Cheerleader,” Cater then pulled out his phone and opened his gallery. “I tried to get a good angle, but look.” Replaying the footage, they both watched how the Egg went from ink black to pure white and then the little painter popping out of it. “Still thinking it may be like that , but I dunno.”

“And then there’s the ones in his possession right now,” Last time they saw them, none of them showed signs of turning black. Just sleeping. “Coincidence or not, if they do fight, Riddle’s gonna take Deuce’s away.”

His friend said nothing, only twirling a piece of hair and rewatched the recording before closing out of the app and pocketing his phone.

 

---

 

Amu realized she was dreaming again when the light in the mirror pulled her in. This time she was in the infamous Courtroom scene of Alice in Wonderland. Watching as poor Alice had to deal with everything going the Queen’s way or death’s way had her feeling super extra worried again. For what she wasn’t sure.

 

Then the scene played out as Alice ate the two pieces of food in her pocket at once, growing big as she called the Queen every single insult in the book. ‘You tell her Alice!’ Amu cheered from the sidelines, until she began to pale as the curious girl started to shrink down back to her height. She didn’t even get to glance over at the Queen of Hearts’ expression, as what was once fear had turned to pure rage. She heard her shout throughout the whole courtroom: “OFF WITH HER HEAD!!”

Card soldiers jumped to capture Alice, who managed to run away, Amu following not that far behind. It may be a dream, but she did NOT want to die at the hands of a wicked woman!

“..U…an”

‘Huh?’

“Mu-chan…”

She looked around and saw the strange egg glowing again near the end of the corridor. She ran and ran, as the light engulfed everything again.

 

---

 

She gasped, sitting up from her dream. The newest one being scary, and felt more like a huge omen for what's to come.

 

And she'll see it, soon enough.

 

To be Continued…

Notes:

I smell a storm brewing~~

Chapter 18: Ch.18: Roar of Thunder, A Rose's Cry ~The First Overblot!~

Summary:

The duel for Heartslabyul turns on its head for the worse. Leading to an unfortunate outcome...

~Heartslabyul Dorm: Hedge Maze Garden~

 

The promised day had arrived as Headmage Crowley brought Amu and the others into the domain of the Queen of Hearts. Ace, collared but determined, stood across from his dictator of a Housewarden. Deuce standing at his side to help, too. Amu, her Chara, Grim, and Deuce’s sleeping Egg all stood on the sidelines with the rest of the dorm, listening to Riddle’s students cheer for his victory. It felt uncomfortable to watch and hear.

“They really are scared to oppose him,” Miki frowned.

“Card soldiers to the literal ‘T’, desu~.” Su agreed, her voice filled with sadness.

Ran, meanwhile, cheered on the boys in her own way. “Go Ace! Go Ace! Kick his butt! Go Deuce! Go Deuce! Get him in the you know what!”

“You know what?” Grim snorted at her cheer.

“What! I don’t wanna cuss!”

Amu worried her lip between her teeth, and talked to them one more time before she had to step back. “Guys, you two sure your plan is gonna work?”

“Of course it will!” Ace patted her shoulder. “And once I beat him, I’ll make him grovel and apologize for humiliating us over his dumb rules.”

“Ok…”

“By the way, thank you for watching over Axel,” Deuce thanked her. “He doesn’t need to see this.”

“But he could definitely help you though…”

“No. This is my mess, and he deserves to be kept out of it until the duel ends.”

Said Chara peek out from the Egg Pouch in her arms, giving him a thumbs up. “Be careful, Deuce,” Axel chimed.

He nodded, and soon Amu moved back into the crowd as the headmage then stood between the combatants(which was her and the girls cue to step back) and went over his explanation of the rules. Once he was done, he turned to Riddle. “Before we begin, please remove the collar off Trappola-san’s neck.”

With his scepter, the redhead removed the seal off Ace’s neck. “Thank goodness. I was afraid I couldn’t feel my neck anymore.”

“I’m nervous of it claiming mine, too.”

“Don’t get too comfortable. Your necks will be collared again shortly,” Riddle smirked. “I admit I was surprised to hear you two challenge me. You have some nerve trying to defy me again.”

“Well just you wait. We’re gonna beat you at your own game.”

“Now, when this mirror falls from my hands, the match will begin. Understand?” All the participants nodded. Moving to the side as moderator, Crowley raised the mirror in his hands in front of himself, and let it slip from his fingers. Once it crashed onto the ground, the magical duel began-

 

-And ended as fast as it started.

 

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!”

 

“AAAAHHH!!!”

“Guys!” Amu gasped as she saw Ace AND Deuce get collared by Riddle again. The boys didn’t get a chance to strike first.

“They got one-shotted?!”

“How horrible, desu~”

“Strong magic comes from a strong imagination. The stronger one can accurately craft their imagination, the stronger and more effective their spells are,” Crowley told everyone, smiling at Riddle and his skills. “As expected of one of our top students!”

The girls didn’t care for that, as they rushed to go check on their friends. Just when they got close to them, one of the Heartslabyul soldiers halted Amu in her tracks. “Huh?”

 

“We’ll be taking that!” And before she could process what was going on, they ripped her Egg Pouch from her arms and carried it over to their Housewarden. “For you, Riddle-sama.”

 

“Thank you.”

“Deuce-kun?! Amu-chan?!” Axel’s muffled voice cried from inside the pouch.

Ace, Deuce, Cater, and Trey were horrified by what was going on. “THE HELL?!/What are you doing?!” The collared boys cried.

“I was informed that Deuce Spade had in his possession a dangerous Egg. And thus, like the moronic fool he is, should he show his face here again, it was to be confiscated,” Riddle told them apathetically, accepting Amu’s pouch and removing the Marine Blue from it and noted the diamond one sleeping inside. “And since you too have a dormant Egg as well, Ms. Amu, we’ll be taking that one as well.”

“WHAT?!”

“That’s not fair! Her Eggs ain’t got nothin’ to do with us!”

He raised a brow at them while smirking. “And what of it? It changes nothing that they are a threat to everyone!”

‘A threat?!’ Amu was dumbfounded. ‘Is that what he got from the incident days ago?!’ Stomping her feet, she yelled back at him. “Did you really forget what I told you?! Shugo Chara are not bad, scary monsters!”

The rest of the dorm was confused by this confession. ‘Is what she said true?’ ‘Are the Strange Creatures born from the Eggs really not as dangerous as they were told?’ ‘Is Riddle the one in the wrong?’ All these questions stirred around in the crowd, and even affected Headmage Crowley.

Ace and Deuce stared at them all dumbfounded. Not caring for any more repercussions at this point, Ace hollered at them all, including the passive Trey and Cater. “Uh, hello?! Do ANY of you give two shits about what she said back then?!”

“Pardon?”

“Hello? Cater-senpai’s recordings! ‘That's why I chose to save it. To save Seba.’   Does THAT ring any bells?!” Amu was caught off guard by his spot impersonation of her voice. “Those Eggs ain’t the crazy time bombs like you think they are! Amu told you that shit upfront that day!”

“You two and I both know that childish rhetoric doesn’t work.” His housewarden said, annoyed. “Just like mother said, men and children who don’t listen to reason nor the rules are lost causes.”

“Riddle-san, I know that rules are to be followed, and that laws are important. Ace does, too. But you have no right bossing and scaring everyone here into submission, nor taking Axel and Dia from us!” Deuce said honestly.

“Yeah yeah!” Ran added. “We’re not evil or dangerous!”

“And you don’t need any mental gymnastic logic or rules to know that to be true!”

 

“ENOUGH!!”

 

Riddle’s voice boomed through the garden. “Listen closely, Ms. Hinamori. Those ‘mental gymnastic’ rules as you so called it, are VITAL! They are the law of the Dorm, and as the one who sees to them followed and obeyed , I AM the law!” He tells her, mocking all three freshmen as if they were toddlers. “Your parents must be disappointed in having a delinquent for a daughter,” He scoffed at her. “I bet they were magicless, with no form of magic etiquette. Pathetic.”

That struck a cord in her. It’s one thing for her to worry about how others perceive her and not to let it bother her, but for Riddle to insult her mom, dad and little Ami?!

 

That was unacceptable!

 

“You little-”

“SHUT THE HELL UP!!”

 

*THUMP*

 

Amu gasped as she and her Chara saw Ace sucker punch Riddle in the face. making him fly for a second and land on the ground, crown gone and cheek red from the impact. It happened so fast, she was shocked he did that. “Ace…”

“No way!”

“He punched Riddle-sama…?!”

Ace stared daggers at the fallen housewarden. “Silver spoon bastard…” He said, holding in his hands Amu’s pouch. “Picking on a little kid who’s twice the wiser than you’ll ever be.”

‘Huh? He saved them?’ She thought, catching her bag after he tossed in her direction.

“DEUCE!!” Axel jumped out of the bag and flew straight to his kid and hugged his face. Fat tears and snot falling down his face. “I was scared! I dunno why they took me, and *hic* and-”

“It’s ok. Sorry for worrying ya,” He patted the little Chara.

As Trey and Cater ran to their leaders, the crowd was shocked at seeing the Shugo Chara not as the strange creature seen on social media, but a small Faerie like creature. “Deuce’s Egg had hatched?”

“And it’s not a monster? But a little Faerie in police clothes?”

“Then that would make Riddle-sama in the wrong, right?”

Riddle, holding his wounded cheek, rose up while Trey and Cater hovered over him. He was trying to process everything, even as his eyes turned over to Ace and the others. He…was punched in the face? He was punched in the face. By the troublesome freshman. But what struck him the most was the last sentence uttered by one of his students. He was in the wrong?

 

“If that’s true, then he should give them all back then!”

“Yeah!”

The ones who protested in defense of their Housewarden cut them off. “Those Eggs ARE dangerous! You saw what that mark on his Egg was!”

“But look at him!” Someone else in the crowd pointed at Deuce. “He has no sign of being  a monster! So Riddle-sama lied about them being dangerous! He’s in the wrong!”

Wrong.

“And didn’t the one from Seba-senpai turn normal?”

“It did!”

Wrong?

“Give them back!”

He…was…

“Return them, you tyrant!”

 

NEVER WRONG.

 

Subtly, Riddle rose to his feet(face hidden in his bangs), even as his two trustees flanked his sides. He called his staff to him again, and slammed the blunt end on the ground. The force knocked back the both of them from him, and caused the whole dorm to go silent. A drip of something liquid hit the grass. Then another, and another. The air grew colder as the disgraced Leader lifted his gaze to stare down at Ace and the others.

“Myah! His face!”

His face…it was awful! Creepy black liquid poured from his eyes and lips! But somehow he didn’t notice them or seemed bothered by its presence. “R-Riddle-san…”

“Yo u…” His voice sounded off. “Da re to la y a hand on me?!”

“Rosehearts! You won the duel since Trappola’s disqualified by resorting to physical violence! Please calm down!”

“NO! I R EFUS E TO ST AND B Y TH IS!!” The dark energy surrounded him even more, even ignoring Trey’s call for him to stop.

“Amu-chan! Look!”

In a flash five Eggs appeared by his side. It was the stolen Eggs! But, rather than returning to their children’s Hearts, they were all at Riddle’s side like card soldiers. That was not a good sign!

“Guys, get back!”

 

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”

 

Suddenly, more students were collared by the enraged red head. Not even the trio that kissed up to him were spared. And just when they thought things wouldn’t get any worse-

 

*THUMP, THUMP*

 

-All who were collared started to faint, and above them, their Heart’s Eggs separated from them and flew to where Riddle stood.

 

“Wha?!/ What the heck?!”

“Everyone’s down?! Riddle-sama really IS a monster!!”

 

“SHUT UP! SHUTUPSHUTUP SHUT! UP!” “I! AM NEVER! EVER! WROOOOOOOOONG!!!”

 

Trey rushed to reach him, calling out his name. “RIDDLLLLLLLLLLLEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

 

But it was too late.

 

The dark ink surrounded him; from the ones oozing out of every orifice, to even dripping onto his clothes from the dark magic cocooning him. The Rose Tyrant was swallowed whole, along with the Eggs he robbed from every collared and unconscious student in Heartslabyul. From the plumb of ink, a monster with an ink jar head wearing a decrepit version of the Queen of Hearts’ dress, but one of the arms was a full rose tree! following it were the Hearts Eggs, all dyed black with the cursed ‘X’ and also…the formerly composed Riddle.

His dress was dualed red and black, with a choker made of ink and protruding like spikes around his neck. A crown of blot adorned his head and a flame of red covered one of his eyes.

 

Riddle has Overblotted. And it was terrifying.

 

“Those foolish enough to disobey me,” “I have no need for them in my world! In my world, I AM the LAW; I AM the World’s Rules!” His distorted voice bellowed for all to hear. “Nothing other than ‘Yes, Riddle-sama is acceptable here! And those foolish enough to disobey, it’s off with their heads! HAHAHAAHAHA!!”

“Going to lose your heads~” Those countless X-Eggs sang with scary delight. “Going to lose your heads~ It serves you right, your time is nigh! you’re going to lose your heads~~” They ended their song with an eerily laugh.

Panic ensued from the rest of the dorm and bystanders, all of them paralyzed from horror at what had become of the Rose Tyrant. “WHAT’S GOING ON?!”

“IS THE WORLD COMING TO AN END?!”

“SOMEBODY CALL AN EXORCIST~!!”

A million thoughts ran through Amu’s mind, many of which reminded her of what happened to Ikuto during their final siege on Easter. ‘No. This is worse than then! What happened to Riddle?’

“Oh no! In all my years of teaching, one of my precious students has succumbed to Overblot!” Crowley wept.

“Overblot?!”

“It’s an event in which a Mage who uses their magic beyond their limit, leading to them going through an event we call an Overblot.” Trey explained.

“I still don’t get it!” Grim tried to wrap his brain around it and failed.

“Just think of it as a Berserk mode for Mages!” Cater said for comparison.

Raising an arm, Riddle conjured a fatal fire blast towards the others.  Crowley rushed to cover his students and formed a barrier to protect them all from the blast. “This is bad. If this continues on, he will-!” He turned to his students. “We need to evacuate! Everyone, make your way to the Hall of Mirrors!”

“But there are other students down, sir!”

He cursed under his breath, noticing that snag in the plan. “Work together to get them out! And go directly to the Head to the Hall of Mirrors!”

Each card soldier wasted no time in helping the unconscious get out; some lugging two on their shoulders or others dragging them by their arms. They took his instructions to heart to make it to safety. And even when the Overblotted boy tried to strike them again, Trey used his unique magic to halt the attack from happening.

That, unfortunately, pissed off Riddle even more. “Trey, you traitor!”

“I’m not betraying you!”

“Like that’ll get him to listen!” Miki screamed.

“Off with his head~ Off with his head~” The X-Eggs mocked the junior. “Kill him! Kill him!”

 

But Lady Luck had indirectly favored the escapees, for some of them had chosen to fight back thanks to the power Doodle Suit.

 

“RRARGHHHH!!!”/“NYAAAAAAAA!!”

Ace and Grim casted fire and wind magic back at Riddle and the X-Egg Swarm.

 

“I command thee: Cauldron!!” Deuce summoned his cauldron on the tree arm of the beast.

 

“My Heart: UNLOCK!!”

 

Amu took Ran and called upon her help, transforming herself into Amulet Heart once again. Summoning and tossing her Poms Poms at him.

“EH?!” Crowley, Cater and the Vicewarden were shocked. “Why are you fighting?!”

“What else! To save Riddle!” Ace answered back.

“Save?”

“An Honour Student always saves those in trouble!” Not the best time for an analogy Axel, but the support is still appreciated.

“You guys  really think we’re gonna let Riddle die like this!”

“But how did you know exceeding one’s magic this way would…”

“You can say that’s my unique magic, Trey-senpai!” She smirked at him. “Him dying wouldn’t do good for any of us!”

“But…”

“You and Cater let this go on for too long, desu~” Su chastised him.

“May as well cut your losses and chicken out if you wanna,” Miki added. “But we’re not running away!”

The juniors were at a loss for words as was the Headmage. Even as they saw Amulet run and soar up in the air to get his attention. Trey knew they were right about this. His gross enabling to repent for sin’s past ultimately led to this mess they were in. He clenched his hand into a fist and gritted his teeth, accepting the hand dealt to him.

 

This was his mess, too. And he would see to it he would save his friend from himself.

 

He pulled out his pen, and called to Crowley: “Headmage, go and stay with our students, and get help!”

“Trey!!”

“This is my fault, Cater. Riddle is losing himself to his Overblot, and I have to stop him.”

“Yeah, but…”

“If Ace and the others get hurt or worse, it’ll be bad for all of us.”

The diamond hated that he was right. And didn’t like the mess they’re in. He’d rather cut his losses and run like a coward. But, Trey brought up good points as did Amu.

And, though he didn’t admit out loud, he’d rather not have a dead Dorm Leader and classmates on his guilty conscience either. He heaved a heavy sigh. “Fine! I’ll help!” He pulled out his Magipen.

Meanwhile, Crowley shook his head at seeing his students stand firm and fight. He nodded and told them he’ll be back as soon as possible with help and made his leave.

 

The race to save Riddle Rosehearts had officially begun.

 

To be Contniued…

Notes:

*in Monokuma's* LET'S GIVE IT EVERYTHING WE GOT!! It's Overblot tiii~iimmmee!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 19: Ch.19: It’s Do or Die! ~Saving Riddle Rosehearts!~

Summary:

The fight rages on to save the Red Rose Tyrant.

~Heartslabyul Dorm: Distorted Garden~

 

The rose garden was a total battlefield. Riddle and his legion were relentless in their assault on those that opposed them. Ace and Grim fought back, casting a wind and fire combination like they did at the dwarf mines. Deuce landed a cauldron on the monster behind Riddle, earning them an advantage, until the demented sophomore let a crazed uproar, bloodshot eyes staring them all down.

“You worms!” He screamed at the top of his lungs. “I AM the RULES! I AM the LAW!! IF NOT, THEN WHAT AM I MOTHER?!”

“A spoiled brat who doesn’t think for himself beyond what his mommy says!” A tree was flung in their direction, and would have crushed them were it not for Trey’s Unique Magic turning it into playing cards.

Deuce and Axel chewed him out after that. “Really Ace?!”

“I’m not wrong!”

“YOU’RE not wrong? Ahahahaha! Ace, Ace, Ace. I can count the many ways you are wrong. The most egregious one being breaking EVERY RULE since you’ve joined my dorm!” Riddle looked down on him and Deuce as if they were lower than dirt. “If anything, YOU ARE FOREVER WRONG, AND DESERVE TO D-” Just then, something swiped down and bonked him on the head. Hard. “Who did that?!” He ordered. “I demand to know!”

“Yoo-hoo~ Riddle-kun~~~” He turned his gaze above and saw Amu flying above him. Catching back her baton: the weapon that hit him on the head. “Forgetting someone~?”

 

Her… The biggest blemish in his domain, making a mockery of him. “You…!” He growled. “Go forth, my subjects! Clip that pesky girl’s wings, and bring me her head!”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty~!” The Eggs charred past their Master and flew after Amu. Hastily she called out: “Heart Speeders!” And made a beeline away from the X-Eggs.

“Amu-san!/ Hinamori-san!”

“Dammit!” 

“Focus, Trey!” Cater yelled and reminded him. “No slip ups, or we’re toast!”

“Still, talk about having all your eggs in one basket…” They can see signs of fatigue on Riddle, but they’re worried their attacks aren’t making a dent, and he might be closer to… “Anybody else got any ideas on how to stop him?”

Miki looked over to Deuce and his Chara. “Axel! Can’t you do a Chara-Change?”

“Can I?!” He panicked; then blinked and went: “Oh yeah! I can!”

“HE CAN?!” The guys yelled in shock.

“Well he IS a Would Be Self, desu~!”

They nearly missed another onslaught of attacks from the tyrant’s Phantom. “Axel! We gotta hurry!!”

“Ok, ok! Hang on Deuce! From an Honour’s Student who wouldn’t lay down the Law, to an Honour’s Student who WILL lay down the Law!” He swirled around his Kid. “Chara Change!”

“Spade!” A cop hat appeared on his head.   “Speed!” He gained a police patterned armband.

 

“SPIRIT!”

 

In that instant, Deuce adjusted his hat, his eyes sharpened and summoned a set of handcuffs. “Riddle Rosehearts! You’re under arrest by order of The Headmage!”

“EH?!” The others were stunned by his personality shift. “He’s a cop now?!”

Deuce stretched the cuffs in his hands like elastic and lassoed one end of it into the air. Once he deemed it good enough, he tossed them, making them fly into the air and expand into bigger cuffs.

Meanwhile, Amu was trying to dodge the swarm of Eggs heading her way. It was way easier to avoid getting ambushed by these ones compared to the ones in the Mines due to smaller numbers, yet the darkness surrounding them was more potent no thanks to Riddle’s Overblot. ‘I can’t believe these Would Be Selves were tainted this way. How much ire is in His heart to influence others’ hearts like this?!’

“USELESS!!” They screamed from behind, ready to capture her when-

 

*CLINK, CLANK*

 

-The swarm was caught in giant handcuffs. Each group was imprisoned in their bindings, unable to slip out. “My soldiers!”

“Giant handcuffs?”

“Myah ha! Bulleye!” 

Deuce pumped his fist, and the others seemed to be ecstatic that his attack hit.

That only made him madder, and charged after them and Amu. Riddle slung more burning flames and rose bramble to cut through them again, with it once again becoming playing cards until he finally landed a hit, knocking Trey into Cater, and bulldozing them back into Ace, Deuce and Grim.

During this, the monster grabbed another tree, but instead of hurling it at Ace and his group, it was aimed at Amu, who barely dodged it and flew downward instead. She barely caught herself as she landed back down, gasping at the sight of the others on the ground and in pain.

 

“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!” In that very instant, all the boys were collared. Their magic completely cut off. Not long after, the cuffs that held the Queen’s guard disappeared, and returned to his side, laughing at their misery.

 

“Guys!”

“I told you all, didn’t I? Fools like you do not belong in my world.” Riddle loomed over them, a wicked grin splitting his face. “And the consequences for your disobedience…” He raised his hand in the air, blot building up in his palm. “Is death.”

“NO!” She rushed to save them when suddenly: “I’m always right. Right, Mother?”

‘!!!’ That was Riddle’s voice.

“What good of a son am I without them?! I’M NOT A FAILURE! I REFUSE TO BE A FAILURE!!”

 

Was his mother…did she really consider him a failure?! What parent says that to their child?!

 

Just as he was about to strike them down, a bright barrier appeared and blocked his fatal blow. The light vanished, showing Amulet Heart standing between him and his students. “AGAIN?! Why must you CONTINUE to intervene?! How much more do you plan to destroy my perfect world?”

“Until…” Amber eyes stared down voided grey. “You open your eyes and see how much suffering you’ve caused! And how no matter the rules, no matter the law, you AND your mother are wrong! And you shouldn’t force yourself into being like her.”

“What?” How does she know anything about his mother?!

Standing tall, Amu readies herself. “It’s time to end this Riddle. Negative Heart: LOCK ON!”

Like clockwork, she forms a heart and prepares to purify both him and the X-Eggs. The light from her spell trapped them all, nearly overwhelming them all. Even the Phantom roared in pain from Amu’s healing powers.

That said, with the amount of people she was healing at once, it nearly made Amu lose her footing. From behind, she felt a hand on her shoulder, then another, then two on her back. She looked back, and gaped seeing them anchor her back and help her out. “We got ya, Pinky!”

“Whatever this Unique Magic trick is, we’ll give ya a boost, A-chan!”

“Us, too, Amu-chan!”

“Everyone!” She smiled then turned and concentrated on them again, and unleashed Open Heart!, finally freeing the Queen of Hearts from his Overblot, and all the X-Eggs were purified with him.

As the light vanished, and Riddle turned back to normal, his body fell slowly to the ground. Trey rushed over to his friends side while the healed Heart’s Egg all hovered momentarily and disappeared to the Mirror Portal, and returned to their Kid. All except for one.

 

One stayed floating by the remaining mages and flew closer to the Joker. It was a beautiful rose red color, with a slice of a strawberry tart on the shell.

 

“Is that…what I think it is?”

“It is,” Amu gently raised her hands to cup the Egg, and then her vision went black. The cries of her friend were the last thing she heard before losing consciousness.

 

---

 

“Eh?” Amu woke up and saw she was in a monochromatic void. “Where am I?” She sat up, and looked around trying to figure out where she was and why.

She looked around again and wound up in a small colorless home, and- is that Riddle as a kid. ‘Aww, he’s super cute!’

“Happy Birthday Riddle,” An older woman’s voice said. “This year’s cake is a low sugar recipe made with nuts and lecithin rich soy flour to improve cerebral functions.”

That was Big Word’s speech for mood killer cake. ‘Who says that about cake?!’ She turned to see a blurred woman in an all crimson suit top and red pencil skirt. Her face was obscured, but right away Amu knew who this had to be: Mother Rosehearts.

“Thank you, Mama,” The younger Riddle smiled at his mom; though Amu could tell it wasn’t a happy one. “I wish that I could try a Tart. One with bright red strawberries.”

“Absolutey not!” She snapped at him. “Those tarts are monstrously unhealthy. I may as well be feeding you poison!”

Amu stepped back at the outburst. His mother is definitely exaggerating. Sure, too many sweets can ruin your teeth and make you sick. But eating just one? Lady’s fricking nuts! He’s a little kid; let him have one little snack!

 

I’ve always wanted to try a tart with bright red strawberries. The one I would always see in the Sweet Shop’s window. They shined just like forbidden jewels.”

 

They switch to a scene where Riddle sat at his desk, his one hour of independent study Amy recalled. “This was my normal.” And soon both she and the Dorm Leader witnessed him peeking out his window where kid versions of Trey and Che’nya (and a Shugo Chara that looked like said Cheshire Cat?! ‘Great… another cat boy with Shugo Chara…’) were inviting him to play with them. Little Riddle was scared to since his mother wanted him to study, but through some persuasion from the silly cat boy, Riddle snuck the window and followed them to play.

She could tell they all had fun. Playing games from croquet with flamingos and peek a boo with Che’nya’s Would Be Self. Every day, it was something new and, during one of their play dates, Riddle showed them a surprise. It was the Egg Amu saw before she fainted.

“Wow. You have a Guardian Fairy, too,” Trey smiled at his friend.

“Just like me~”

“Yeah, but mine’s an Egg…”

“Don’t worry, Little Red,” Che’nya’s Chara-named Vio-told him with a grin. “One day it will hatch. Just you wait!”

Before that day had ended, Trey decided to give Riddle and his Egg a special surprise: a visit to Trey’s Family Bakery!

Trey offered him some tarts to try, of which Riddle was so happy to eat with joy, his Egg glowing warm and bright in his arms. He ate so much he forgot about the time.

 

And to his younger self-and the Pinkette’s horror-his mother found out.

 

She yelled and betrayed the Clovers for giving her child their sweets, even almost threatening to have their store shut down. But the worst part of it wasn’t even just that; even when he cried and begged her for forgiveness, she completely ignored Riddle’s apologies and stole his only small respite and extended her regiment to where he could never go outside and play with Trey ever again.

“After that day, I followed the rules to ensure nothing else was taken away.” Yet there was a price in doing that: his Heart’s Egg grew cold, and slowly faded away from his memories. “Everything I did was to make her proud, and yet…” A tear fell, then another. And another. Until a river of tears fell from his eyes.

“What must I do to show you I’m sorry. To earn your love again,” He wept, trying to wipe away at them when he felt someone take his hand and hold it in theirs. He saw Amu, still as Amulet Heart. But her yellow eyes showcased something he never saw her show him before.

 

Sympathy. Warmth. Understanding.

 

“Riddle. I may not know all the pain you went through because of your mother's strict rules,” She held his hand in both of hers. “But you don't need to make any up to please her. It's unhealthy. Not only to you, but to those you love.”

“Don't be hard on yourself, and…maybe rebuild the bridges with your dorm.”

He stopped crying, a smile slowly forming on his face.

 

She formed her hands into a heart. “I…open your Heart, Riddle.”

 

To be Continued…

Notes:

Riddle's mom will forever be a cruel woman who needs her own form of therapy. Or a good look in the mirror to call out her toxic behavior. That'd be great

And yes, Che'nya has one. Thought it would be cute for that him to be a cat menace with a Chara.

Chapter 20: Ch.20: Farewell, Heartslabyul! ~Unbirthday Re-Do!~

Summary:

Amu and Riddle wake up, a new Unbirthday is planned, and a special guest is welcomed as well.

~Heartslabyul Dorm: Garden Ruins~

 

Back in the real world, the others crowded over the unconscious pair, hoping that nothing bad had become of them. “Riddle! Riddle!” Trey gently shook his friend’s unconscious form, begging him to wake up. Of course, he was not alone, as the others were checking on the unconscious Joker. “Amu-san!/ Amu chan!”

Golden eyes blinked and slowly sat back. Amu wondered aloud: “Guys?”

Her Would Be Selves hugged her, sobbing uncontrollably. “Yay!/ You’re ok!/ Don’t scare us like that, desu~!”

“Sheesh! What was with the falling over, Henchhuman?!”

Slowly, grey eyes open up, a groan passing his lips. Crowley and Trey breathed a sigh of relief. Riddle was ok. He didn’t die to his Overblot. “Thank goodness! Rosehearts is back to normal!”

Said boy ‘hmm?’d and tried sitting up, trying to ease the pounding headache. “What…happened?”

“You overblotted,” The older boy answered.

“I…I did?” He raised a hand to his head. Once he felt his sight was no longer blurry, he saw the ruins of his dorm’s garden. He couldn’t believe the state it was in. and worst of all…it all came from him nearly Trey and his students.

“It’s ok., Riddle. Don’t push yourself.”

“Again with the babying. You know that’s the reason why he-Ow!” Ace rubbed his head, glaring daggers at Deuce. “What was that for?!”

“Just chill for a second man.”

 

It wasn’t long before Riddle, the scary tyrant of Heartslabyul, started to cry.

 

“Eh?! He’s suddenly crying!” Cater voiced his reactions to seeing the red head in tears. And can you blame him since the two modes he’s used to seeing were strict/ calm and Uber red!

“This is new!” Ran added.

“The Mont Blanc…I really wanted to try that,” Riddle confessed. “I don’t mind the roses being white instead of red, I like honey in my tea over sugar cubes, and milk tea over lemon tea…and…I missed being with you and Che’nya and Vio,” He continued to sob.

“Is he broken?” Axel whispered.

“No. He’s being more honest with himself, and all of us,” Miki whispered back.

Su was, you guessed it, balling like a baby herself. “Poor Riddle-kun, desu~”

Amu is taken aback like they all are, but not by much. Since she saw what he truly was beyond the face of a tyrant: a little boy who was denied the chance of having an actual childhood and friends. Does it excuse everything he did until now? No, but she understands him a bit better.

Which made it a surprise tenfold when she got up and walked over to him and Trey. “Riddle-senpai?” Both boys turned and looked at her. “Ace is right. I know you feel bad for what you did, but I speak for everyone, including Ace-minus the crass.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“-That we can’t forgive what you did so easily. Not now, anyway.” Then, she did another unexpected thing; she reached out her hand for him to take. “Wanna start over, Riddle Rosehearts?”

In the wreckage of the garden, the Housewarden and his friend stared up at the girl. Wiser than her years, and honest to a fault. “…” He accepted her hand, and with some aid from Trey, got back up to his feet. He never let go of her hand, and gave a faint smile and nod. “I…I’d like that, Amu-san.”

 

Next to him, it was there, Trey also knew deep down, heeded to set things right. And be honest with his feelings, too. 

Soon after, they saw them out the Garden. And Grim had begun sniffing around as he picked up the scent of something ‘tasty’. “Tasty~?”

“What do you mean, Grim?”

He ignored Su and Miki’s questions and ‘aha!’’d when he found the source. “I found the Jackpot!” In his paws, was a black rock near identical to the one he ate at the mines. “My nose knows grub when it smells it!”

Amu and Ran knew this was going. “Grim, don't eat-!” He swallowed it whole. “-That.” The Joker shook her head at familiar.

“Gross!” The Cheerleader shouted. “You know you shouldn’t eat things off the ground!”

“Clearly you never heard of the five second rule~”

“And you clearly lack a brain…”

 

---

 

Sometime after Ace’s demand for Riddle’s repentance by throwing another Unbirthday Party, Crowley escorted the exhausted mage to the Infirmary for an additional check up. Best to be safe than sorry as he puts it. (Deep down it was mostly so that he would play damage control in case this got leaked to the public.)

In the quiet hours of the evening, the two had their talk about everything. Their feelings, the trouble they’ve dealt with in the past, and the hope to mend fences. “Riddle, I’m sorry for not being there when you needed it the most.” His friend stayed quiet and listened. “But what you were doing to everyone, the extensive punishments and rulings. It’s wrong.”

“...I know. I didn’t mean to…I just…” He clenched his hands. “I was scared to lose everything again. I didn’t want to go back…to nothing.”

“I know… And one more thing,” He dug into his inner pocket, and pulled something out. “I think…this is yours.”

Riddle gasped at what Trey had in his possession; something he thought he never thought he would ever see again. His childhood Guardian Faerie Egg! “Where did you find this?” He asked as he cupped the sleeping Egg.

“Amu gave it to me when we were leaving,” The Clover explained, recalling that moment briefly.

 

The three of them were on their way to the Mirror Portal, when they heard someone calling his name. “Trey-senpai!” Amu called out to him, stopping in his tracks. “Here. For Riddle.”

He looked at what was in her hands and nodded, taking it with gentle hands and turned back around to exit the Dorm after Crowley and Riddle.

 

“But…I thought…it wasn’t possible to see them anymore…”

“Seems like Grandmother Goose gave you a second chance,” Trey joked, rubbing his friend’s back.

 

*CRACK*

 

“!!!” They both heard a cracking sound; it was coming from the Egg. The shiny red shell showed signs of hatching, and both of them held bated breath as the shell gave way and the upper part lifted itself up from the inside, showing a single eye peeking out.

Riddle cried again, with Trey smiling and giving him a small hug.

 

---

 

The day of the redo Unbirthday was here, and with it, a Tart Riddle had to make on his own sans Trey’s help. Ace’s orders per his way of wanting an apology.

In the days that followed, normalcy(or the closest thing to normalcy) had finally returned to Heartslabyul. The pressure of punishment from the rules had dimmed a bit, though there were moments where Ace tested Riddle’s patience here and there, with Deuce also catching some of the brunt no thanks to him. And while Amu was a bit sad that the boys left, she didn't have to worry about managing her privacy with three guys in her dorm.

 

Speaking of the Joker and Her Chara, they were invited back to for the Unbirthday again, and this time, Cater helped them fit right in by magicing up some honorary Heartslabyul clothes for them.

Everything seemed to be in order. That was, until the Housewarden dropped a bombshell for everyone there. “Before we begin, I wanted to establish two things. Things that I hope will make my trust with you all stronger than ever this time.”

“This is new,” Deuce said, his Chara nodding in agreement.

“Huh? Now?” Ace whined, wanting to eat the Apology Tart already. “What, you got cold feet already, Riddle?”

“No. In fact, it’s important that you all know now, so we may fix these in the future,” He stepped away from his seat and stood by the card soldiers still standing at attention at the Garden entrance. “You may come out now. It’s ok.”

“Ok, Riddle-kun!” A cheery voice said happily.

“Riddle-kuuuuUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” Everyone barring their Wardens and Amu screamed in shock and confusion at seeing a smaller Riddle(?) floating in. Or was it? Their minds were fried trying to process the little guy.

 

His hair was cut like Riddle, but half of it was red while the other was white. He had a crown that was shaped like a tart covered with a big strawberry. His cap was clipped on his shoulders in a traditional way, and his outfit was like that of a young prince but with his boots a different style: black with yellow rims on the sole and red lining on the inside. And his eyes, compared to Riddle, were different as well. Instead of grey, they were a bright yellow.

 

“EH?!?!” Cater asked nervously. “Did ya clone yourself Rids?!”

“Not really,” He said, unfazed by their reactions. “Gentlemen, ladies. I would like you to meet Ichigo.”

“Ichigo?”

“It means Strawberry,” Amu said, calming down from the hysteria. “Hello there.”

The newest guest flew beside his Kid, and bowed to them all. “Hi, everyone! I’m happy to enjoy this very merry Unbirthday with all of you!”

“Aww~ He’s adorable!” Ran cooed.

 Su agreed. “He’s as cute as Kiseki, desu~”

“50/50 says his temper’s as bad as Riddle-kun’s.”

As the shock managed to finally disappear, one of the other Card Soldiers raised a nervous hand. “Um, what is the second thing you wanted to say, Riddle-sama?”

“That is…A modification of the Egg Hunt.” He could hear them gulp and sweat at the sound of that name. “Should an Egg cause trouble and become corrupt, you are to assist Ms. Amu in saving it. Capture is optional but only for aiding in her purifying them, and no more detainment. Just help in the rescue.”

 

This…was completely unexpected.

 

“Riddle-kun…”

“Riddle-sama, are you sure?!” The one responsible for giving him the Eggs cried. “What if it’s a lie?!”

“Oh, you challenge my ruling, even after seeing the evidence showing an error in my judgement? Both the day of my Overblot, and now with Ichigo?” He questioned them.

“N-no, sir…”

“Good.” He gave a curt nod. “For those affected by my decision, please see me afterward for your Egg. Please.”

“And with that,” Ichigo’s eyes shined with mischief. “It’s Tart-ty ti~me~~”

“Ichigo. Wait-” He tried to stop him, but it was too late.

The little guy zoomed towards the Tart Riddle prepared and cut it into slices with his magic, and distributed them to everyone. As he took a huge bite of his tart slice, he went purple in the face. “SALLLLLLL~~~~TYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!” He flew in a panic, snatching a nearby tea cup and drinking down the taste. “My mouth hurts!”

“What did you do?!”

“All I did was make the tart following the recipe…Ah!” “I added Oyster Sauce to it. And since I couldn’t ask Trey for help with the measurements, I may have added too much…”

“Oyster Sauce?!”

“In a Tart?!”

“Who does that?!”

Hearing this from their Leader was so unexpected, it made Trey laugh hard. “Hahahahahah! I-I didn't think anyone was gonna take that seriously!”

“Eh?/ It was a joke?!”

Trey’s laughter caused a chain reaction to Riddle as well, realizing he was duped. “Ah. I suppose I did.”

It wasn’t long before everyone else did, jesting about it here and there. And they continued to celebrate the rest of the party, even as they all introduced themselves properly to Riddle’s Would Be Self. Starting with the titular fae going first. “Hello, your Majesty. I’m Axel, and I’m happy another Shugo Chara lives here, too!”

“Hi, Axel…”

He immediately panicked. “Did I do something bad?!”

“I think he’s still sad the Tart was super salty,” Ran reassured him.

“I wanted something sweet, but my mouth feels bleh now…”

Su bowed before him, and chimed: “It’s ok, Your Majesty. We can always make a new one.”

“Yeah. And it’ll be a Mont Blanc that can be enjoyed beyond an Unbirthday!” Miki nodded.

That made him feel a bit better, and he shook hands with all of them; including a floating lemon-wait what?!

Yes, there was a floating Lemon that appeared to the no longer downtrodden Ichigo. “Here,” The ‘Lemon’ said, breaking into two halves. “To wash away the yucky salt, and save you from being a raven at a writing desk.~”

 

“AHHHHH!! Talking Lemon!”

 

The Lemon laughed, and it wasn’t until a small purple cat boy in small swordsman get up appeared right in front of them. “Sillies! It’s me! I came to cheer up our sour Queen, ne Che’nya~?”

“Mmm-hmm~” The purple cat boy from before reappeared right next to Riddle, starting with his head, then arms, and then the rest of him. “Hello hello~! I see you are in good health, and you have your Egg back, Riddle~”

“Che’nya! Vio!” Riddle jumped from his seat in shock. “When did you two get here?!”

“AH! Two cats?!” Axel and Su’s eyes started getting dizzy.

“O-oi! Calm down, you two! He’s a good kitty!”

While the Chara were freaking out over the unexpected plus two, the rest of the dorm-barring the main group-got super defensive and angry. “Hey! A Royal Sword brat’s here?!”

“And he’s close to Riddle-sama and the Prince!”

‘Prince?!’ Already giving Ichigo a name title?!’ The minds of these boys were…interesting if they instantly viewed the little Tart boy as Prince. 

And it wasn’t long before both felines disappeared and chased by the aggressive students, leaving everyone else behind. Cater, Trey, and Riddle weren’t all that phased by the card soldiers’ behavior. Amu, Ace and the others, on the other hand…were rightfully confused.

Amu turned to the red head, who was in the middle of rubbing his temple. “Riddle. Why are they chasing him?! Isn’t he one of your students?”

“He is not.”

“Huh?”

“Che’nya doesn’t go here…” Trey answered them. “He goes to Royal Sword Academy.”

“Royal Sword?” Amu and Ace sounded out. “Academy?” with Grim and Deuce finished.

“It’s another prestigious high school, to the South of this Island.”

Island?! “We’re on an Island?!” The girls screamed in shock.

“Awww. Loosey Adeucey didn’t tell them,” Cater teased them.

“Didn’t tell us what?”

“The Island we’re on, Sage’s Island, is home to both Night Raven College, and Royal Sword Academy. Where our school represents the Great Seven, they represent the Heroes and Princesses of Lore.”

‘Ah. So this Royal Sword honours the princesses and princes,’ She thought about it. 

“They sound fancy and princely,” Su interjected. “Like heroes rescuing a damsel in distress, desu~”

“More like pompous,” Ace chuckled. “And airheaded.”

 

‘Well…if they’re anything like Riddle and Trey’s friend and his Chara, odds are they’re more tolerable than these guys can be.’

 

---

 

Somewhere in another Dorm, two people were chatting within the privacy of the Dorm Leader’s Room. The two men; one a lion beastman who harassed Amu back at the garden, and other a shaggy blonde hyena beastman. “So, Ruggie, got anything good on Heartslabyul?”

“Just enjoying another tea party. And they seem to have five of those annoying midgets hanging out with them, too.”

The lion-Leona Kingscholar-laughed at the news. “Going soft there, little red?” He smirked, while fiddling with a Would Be Self Egg Ruggie nabbed from a gullible student. “Getting rid of them will be a piece of cake. Then, Malleus Draconia will be next.”

 

“They all better be prepared.”

 

---

 

The sun was setting on a calm, quiet evening in Tokyo. People were making their way home, or enjoying the beautiful orange canvas sky with family in the park. All was peaceful; peaceful enough for one Ikuto Tsukiyomi and his partner Yoru to have casual time to walk and visit their turf once more.

From the corner of his eye, Yoru noticed something sparkling on the ground near the jungle gym set of the park’s playground. “Hey, Ikuto! Look!” He pointed toward it.

“Hmm?” The older boy noticed it, too. Surprised that no one else saw the spark. He walked over to it and saw something: A black book with a mirror in the center, and ravens and feathers designs and gold accents, he picked up the book and tried to find the title of the book. The book shook in his hands, shaking Yoru on his shoulder, and it opened to an illustration that made him eyes widened and heart freeze.

 

The pictured showed Amu and her Chara having a party with the Queen of Hearts, her Card Soldiers and the Cheshire Cat.

 

End of Book 01...

Notes:

And thus concludes Book 01! Who knew I was stumping with this story, but that's what I get for juggling tow long fics I guess hehe...

And yay! Ikuto cameo at the end!!!!!!! (And Leona I guess, but details.)

Chapter 21: Ch. 21: Lions, Spelldrives, and Scares? Oh my! ~Overblots Explained!~

Summary:

What is an Overblot? What is a Spelldrive?

~Seiyo Elementary: Observatory~

 

The Director of the Guardians was stargazing at the beautiful painted stars above. He enjoyed seeing them every now and then, welcoming the calm and quiet. Being one who can provide as much advice for those who lost their way. Always there for his friends, including the girl his nephew, Tadase Hotori, cared for. Ms. Amu Hinamori.

 

After all, Tsukasa Amakawa, wants to ensure the Shugo Chara in people’s Hearts to come true.

 

He felt the presence of another in the dark. “I was wondering when you come visit again, Ikuto-san.”

The bluenette in question and his Chara walked up to where Tsukasa rested, a hand in his pocket and the book he found in the other. “Director-san./ Yo.”

He noted the gothic looking literature. “That’s quite the book you have there. I see you took up studying while away on board.”

 

“...”

 

“Or…has something else happened?”

“You know Fairy Tales, right? The Grim tales?” Yoru asked.

“I may know of them,” He smiled, though it concealed a level of confusion he was hiding. “Why do you ask?”

“Read this. I bookmarked where for you to look.” He passed the black book to him.

Tsukasa accepted it and examined the book closely. He opened to the passage Ikuto told and gasped. “This is-!”

“That’s what I want to know…” He said, gazing at the picture of the girl they knew in Wonderland, with the Queen of Hearts. “How did this happen?”

 

…

 

---

 

A month had passed since the First Day of School, the First Chara incident, and Riddle’s Overblot. A lot has calmed down since those events, and Riddle had become more welcomed and cautious as Housewarden compared to his tyrannical self. And, as a bonus, his Would Be Self had returned and the Unbirthday Parties seemed more lively with the inclusion of this ‘Prince of Hearts’!

 

That being said…

 

Amu did not expect an urgent meeting in the Headmage’s Office first thing in the morning. Nor did she expect for Ace, Deuce and Grim to be here, too. “Um, is everything ok, Crowley-sensei?”

 

“Yes, all is well” He rose from his seat and moved closer to them. “However, I do need to explain a few things in the aftermath of what you four need to understand.”

‘Doesn’t he mean eight?’ Axel whispered to himself inside Amu’s pouch.

‘Yeah, but shush!’ Miki said to him.

‘Understand? Could he be referring to what happened to Riddle?’

“Before we begin,” He snapped his fingers, calling forth the ghosts again to his office. 

“AH!” Amu froze seeing them again, jumping behind Ace and Deuce.

Ace stared at her, annoyed. “You still haven’t gotten over them?”

“I was fine when you guys hung out!”

He had them all engage in a mock fight, ensuring they wouldn't burn down the room. It was afterward-Crowley had called the end of it. That the boys noticed some black haze over their magestones. “Eh? Why is that happening?!” Grim hastily tried to wipe away at the black mist, but nothing happened.

Ace and Deuce looked over to their principal in a panic. “Headmage, what IS this?!”

“You see, when Mages use their magic, it accumulates waste. That waste is what we call Blot,” He spoke firmly. “This blot taints a mage’s stone over time, and if too much magic is used, the stone will be swallowed in Blot.  Another trigger that causes this is when not just a Mage exceeding their limit, but also negative stress and emotions. Combine them together, and that, in turn, causes them to Overblot.”

“So…when Riddle had that thing…Overblot? That means he overdid it with his magic?” The girl asked.

“Close, but yes. Huh?” He saw that despite her own use of magic against the ghosts, the four clover charm on her neck was spotless. “Amu-san, I see that your necklace bears no Blot.”

“Oh. My locket isn’t a Magestone. It’s a…gift from my friends from Seiyo Elementary.”

“Seiyo Elementary?” That is an interesting detail. “And this was your former school, right?”

“Yes sir!”

“Perfect. With that, it could help locate your world.”

‘He is helping me find my way home,’ She internally sighed. ‘That’s one less thing to worry about.’ But there was still… that hunt thing. “Sir, one more thing.”

“Hmm?”

“About the Egg Hunts. Did you…really ask for them?”

“I merely requested for everyone to keep an eye on any cases of those Strange Creatures, Shugo Chara was it?”

“Yeah, about them. They-”

 

“Whoops! Look at the time!” He noted the clock on the wall. “First period is about to begin.” He began ushering them out the door. “And I have much to prepare for this afternoon’s Dorm Leader meeting!”

 

“What for?”

“For Spelldrive,” He simply answered.

“Spelldrive? What’s that?” Grim asked.

“It’s a popular sport in Twisted Wonderland.”

“Indeed. And I must go get ready for the meeting,” He finally pushed them out the door. “Good day!”

“Sir-!”

 

*SLAM!*

 

They all stood outside the door confused, and indifferent-Ace and Deuce were, Amu…not so much-at being kicked out so abruptly. “He didn’t answer the rest of my question…”

“Ah, well. can’t be helped,” Ace shrugged his shoulders. “Though it sounds like he’s making some progress on gettin’ ya home.”

“Mmm!”

“I guess…”

 

Four growling stomachs went off at the same time. That signaled to them it was best to take Headmage’s advice and leave. “By the way, what is Spelldrive?”

 

“We’ll tell ya on the way,” Ace said, slinging an arm over Amu’s shoulders and dragged her along. Making Deuce and Grim speedwalk to catch up. “So Spelldrive goes like this…”

 

---

 

The Mirror Chamber was prepped for the meeting for all Dorm Leaders and Dire Crowley. Everyone was seated in their designated chair around the circular table, except for Idia Shroud who, once again, is using his tablet as his proxy. They went over the preparations for concession stands, the list for the students who will be participating and the deadline for such roster, and so on.

However, there was ONE topic of discussion that reared it ugly head- for the Dorm Leaders-Malleus Draconia. “Eve since Draconia-san enrolled, No Dorm has been able to defeat Diasomnia; in fact, no one has scored a single point. And ninety percent of the points they earn all come from Draconia-san.”

“Fr, Fr! He’s a walking Cheat Code incarnate!” Idia chimed.

“Indeed, and because of this, the winning of Diasomnia prevents other dorms from showcasing their talent. Such as Savannahclaw.” He emphasized the beastman Leader next to him. “Hence why he and I discussed a proposal for this year, so all Players of every dorm had a chance to shine.” The solution they came to: Malleus Draconia moving into the Spelldrive MVP Hall of Fame, to balance out the complicated discrepancies in the Interdorm.

 

And of course, none of them were having that. With Leona Kingscholar being the most vocal.

 

“Listen here, Crowley. If there’s one thing I hate being told is that I should call it quits before I’m given the chance. You really sayin’ we could cut our losses and let him stay out of this?”

 

“That’s not-”

 

But the prince didn’t let him finish. “You forget one thing when it comes to Spelldrive. It’s not about strength, it's about brains.” Leona tapped his temple. 

 “I don’t think what’s in my brian can beat Malleus…” Kalim, the kind silver-haired boy, didn’t get what he was saying.

“Maybe yours can’t, but mine can,” He grinned at everyone at the table. “How else do you think the King of Beasts managed to rule a Kingdom of Plenty?” Kalim stared at him, still confused. “Through planning and strategy. You herbivores are really gonna let a once in a lifetime opportunity pass you by? I sure as hell am not!”

His speech seemed to have made everyone change a tune, even though Idia was the one vote against. Sans him, the others decided that recanting Malleus from the games to be a bad idea, and offered to let stay one more year, in hope of besting him themselves.

“Very well,” The professor sighed and clasped his hands. “Given the majority vote, I will allow Malleus Draconia to participate again this year. I do wish you well in ‘defeating’ him this time.” And then a thought struck him. “Speaking of which, did anyone remember to remind Draconia-san of this meeting?”

 

An awkward silence and panic shrieking faces covered the table. Once again they had failed to inform him of-

 

“I was hoping for him to show up from one of you guys, but man,” From the empty chair spot, rested Umbra(wearing giant glasses on his head) reading over the notes he made after Leona’s declaration of War. “You guys are bigger jerks more than the last batch!”

“EH?! Umbra-tan?!” Idia freaked out. “When did Chibi-Draconia log in?!”

“So the Bastard brat comes instead?” Leona said smugly. “How riveting. Making a baby do the work for him.”

Umbra lowered his lens at him in turn, smirking at him. “Funny. Cause last time I checked, You’re the baby, Pussy Cat.”

Kalim was close to laughing, until a glare from Leona stopped him. (Though that didn’t stop the others from chuckling at the insult.

Riddle cleared his throat, and faced the little Shugo Chara. “Draconia-san’s Heart Fae? When did you…?”

“Get here? I already WAS here, listening to your silly death threats against Mal-Mal, and how ‘Brains always surpasses Brawn’ Speech. And completely vetoing his parley,” He poofed away his glasses and snapped away his notes. “Don’t worry, he knows everything thanks to me.”

Vil arched a bow at him. “Then shouldn’t you have been the one to bring him?”

“I was, but he insisted on putting his faith to the test for someone to send him a letter for the meeting,” He sighed. “Oh well, have fun losing again!”

“Wait-!”

 

*POOF!*

 

“And he’s gone,” Azul sighed while fixing his glasses.

The drive Leona had was officially gone. “I’m amazed at how that damn lizard is able to put up with him. Annoying lil runt…”

“On the contrary, Leona. They're more cooperative than you think…”

“Hmm?” Vil turned to the red head. “You said something, Riddle?”

 

“No,” He answered. “Nothing whatsoever.”

 

*DRIP, DRIP*

 

To Be Continued…

Notes:

A little more of an expose this chapter, with a glimpse regarding how things are going in Amu's World.

With Ikuto catching the Director up to speed, who knows how everyone else will react to this~

Chapter 22: Ch. 22: Spelldrive Disaster! ~The Blackmail-I mean!-Investigation Deal!~

Summary:

Spelldrive is in full swing, and already people are getting into strange accidents.

~Night Raven: Interior Stairwell~

 

“Another one bites the dust.” From within the interior halls of the school, near the stairwell, a shadowy figure giggled to himself behind one of his classmates. They both laughed to themselves as they observed a fallen Heartslabyul student and his friend from the bottom of the staircase. “Go job covering my flank, Raph.”

“With pleasure, Senpai” The bull beastman smirked. “By the way, you found any…”

“Stuck out like a thumb,” He twirled the Egg on his finger. “Guy shouda kept it under lock n’ key better. Shishishi~”

 

---

 

After school, the Ramshackle students returned to their humble abode, tuckered from ANOTHER one of Vargas’ painful exercises. but that was(sort of) the least of her concerns. “Haaaaa…He completely ignored my question…” Amu slouched on the rickety couch. “This stinks.”

“You think THAT stinks!” Grim pouted from the ripped up recliner. “We can’t join Spelldrive cause we’re not an official dorm!”

“Still…it’s odd he ignored Amu-chan’s chance to ask about the Egg Hunts, desu~.”

“He was in a hurry for that meeting,” Ran brought up.

“Doesn’t change the fact he seemed pretty dodgy over letting her finish,” Miki said, drawing out a map of what she managed to get about Spelldrive. From what Ace and Deuce told them during breakfast, it’s a game in which two teams compete to score the most points using a magical disk. One side tries to run it down to score a goal, while the other intercepts them, and-should they catch it-toss the disk into the other teams’ goal. It awfully sounded like American Football to them, but still interesting. “He claims to have asked them to keep watch for X-Eggs cases. But I wouldn’t put it past him to vaguely tell them to find and have them all detained.”

“...”

A few minutes later, the Ghostly trio came by. “Good afternoo~n, Amu-san.”

Amu and her Chara jumped a bit again at their phantasmic roommates. “Hey, you guys again…”

The small ghost flew next to her. “Aww, don't be so glum. We told you we ain’t gonna hurt ya, ‘member?”

“Thing is: Amu hates spooky stuff…”

“How cruel of the Headmage to do that to ya, Lassie,” The bigger, rounder said. “But like we said, we mean you know harm.” He offered a ghostly handshake. Hesitant, she took them at their word again and shook his hand. “So why are you all so blue?”

Sitting up from her seat, and facing them, she told them why. “I asked Headmage about the Egg Hunts, and he told us it was for making sure they didn’t cause trouble for everyone.”

“That’s hilarious,” The skinnier laughed. “From what I’ve seen, they’re breaths of fresh air and special. Just look at yours.” He points to Ran, then Miki, and the Su. “They don’t look monstrous or dangerous to me!”

Ran and Su blushed at that. “Aw, shucks, desu~”

“Can’t believe we got complimented by ghosts.”

“Yippee for you…”

"What’s with him?"

“Ace-kun and Deuce-kun told us about Spelldrive. But because we’re not an official dorm, we can’t play,” Amu answered them. “Sounds dumb if you ask me, hyping someone up only to ruin their mood later.”

“Spelldrive? Hohoho~ Boy does that bring back memories~”

“You used to play that game?”

“Yup. 90 years ago in fact,” Ran’s eyes shined at his confession whereas Amu and Miki whistled. “I’d be more than happy to show you and Grim a thing or two.”

Grim immediately hopped from his seat, on his knees and begging: “Please please please!”

“Only if your Tamer says so~”

“Sure,” The girl huffed. “But I’m not playing.”

“Killjoy.”

“Her body still hurts from Vargas-sensei’s class, desu~”

 

In a flash, the hyper kitty and cheery pinkette bolted out the door, the former player not far behind. The Spade and Clover Charas followed, too, for support. The smaller and rounder ones casually floated besides Amu and watched as he showed them the basics. “By the way, I never got you names.” Do ghosts still know their names when they die?

“Ah, where are our manners?” The smaller ghost laughed. “I’m Arthur, and he’s Benjamin. But we just call him Ben.”

“How do you do~”

“Arthur-san, and Ben-san,” They sound easy to remember, which was a relief to her. She looks down to the group running around and playing. “And your friend’s name?”

“Clive.”

“Clive-san. Got it,” Hell must be freezing over, cause Amu laughed and smiled. Feeling at ease with these late introductions done. “You know,  I might get used to you guys.” They heard cheering and looked back to see Grim and Ran dancing and singing how they scored a point against Clive. Su clapping at their victory.

 

Suddenly from out of nowhere, they heard someone loudly sobbing from behind. Jumping Amu out of her skin, and even Arthur and Ben-however that works. “How heartwarming! You truly have matured, Amu-san!”

 

“Eh?! Cr-Crowley-sensei?!” ‘When did he get here?!’

“Batman’s back!!”

“Who?”

“N-nevermind,” She hid her aggression and changed the subject. “Why are you here?”

“I wish to speak with you about an urgent manner,” He ushered her inside, Grim and Her Would Be Selves inside.

 

The ghosts, sensing the seriousness of the situation, left. Amu felt a bit saddened missing her chance at making new friends again. She kept it hidden and followed him into the lounge. Once everyone was there, the professor began to tell her. “As you may already know, the school’s annual Interdorm Spelldrive is upon.”

Amu nodded. “Ace-kun and Deuce-kun told us about it. Is something wrong?”

“Yes. Many students of Night Raven College all look forward to this event as this would allow them the chance to earn scholarships from professional teams all around the world. Since the announcement, a sudden rise in incidents where students are hurting themselves or falling and sustaining injuries. Thus unable to join in this year’s game.”

“So?” Grim pouted, not caring about the case. “Why tell us?”

“I came to you because-”

“You’re demanding me to look into this,” Amu said bluntly. “To save face, and so angry parents don’t demand the games to get canceled.”

They could see his jaw hitting the floor at her response, but regained his composure. “It’s less a demand, and more of a request.”

“Why can’t you do it?” Miki pointed out. “You’re the Headmage.”

“I’d love to, but alas, my hands are tied finding someone else- I mean, checking on the well-being of the injured. And, if you help, I will reward you all handsomely.”

Before Grim could decline, Amu silenced him with a hand to his muzzle, ignoring his futile attempts to pry it off. “What’s the catch?”

“Whatever it is you desire. It could assist me in helping you find your way home.”

 

“Hmm…” Sounds tempting, even if illegal, to resort to child labor again for something dangerous like investigating a case like this. But this could be the window she needed regarding this morning. “I want three things if we find the culprits.”

“Of course, Amu-san!”

“Firstly, you keep your word in finding me and my Would Be Selves the way home. Next, a chance for Grim to play in the games. I don’t care how; let him in.” She could feel the cat stiffen behind her hand.

“Finding a team interested in his support might take time, but I shall do my best.”

“And lastly,” Amber eyes narrowed at dark ones. “Call off the Egg Hunts.”

 

“!!!”

 

“Tell the Dorms hunting down the Shugo Chara to stop. They’re not dangerous creatures, and they aren’t a threat. So, if I find the people responsible, I want you to keep your word and do all three of these things!”

Crowley hesitated at first. He technically may not have ordered for that to happen, since he gave it to the floor for the Housewardens to decide what to do, but this girl seemed serious about protecting those bizarre Eggs. Just as much as she cared for the Fae that accompanied her. Still… “You certainly drive a hard bargain, Amu-san.”

“Is that a no?”

“It’s not,” He clarifies, rising up from the chair, hand placed on his heart with the other in the air. “I swear I shall keep my word on all three promises as part of our agreement.”

‘Good’ She hopes that this would be the push in the right direction to get home faster. Her mind flashes back to when Axel hatched and Ichigo drinking tea and laughing with Riddle. ‘I want the Shugo Chara here to be happy and the dreams for many here to not disappear.’ 

“We’ll start looking into it tomorrow, Sensei.”

 

‘That’s a promise.’

 

---

 

Over in Heartslabyul, Riddle went over the days’ notes from the Dorm Leader meeting in his room. His Chara and Trey were told everything, and needless to say, the little guy was rightfully upset. “Riddle! I told you I wanted to go with you!” Ichigo whined. “I wanted to prove that silly Chara Heartslabyul will surpass Draconia!”

“And I told you to help Trey make sure the Hedgehogs were fed,” He reiterated to him. “How did it go?”

“A near mess,” The older boy replied. “They kept trying to eat his crown and cape. Luckily, all of them have full stomachs now.”

“I see…maybe I should make an exclusive rule for you to dress as one of them to avoid future conflict.” He laughed at the image of Ichigo dressed as a Hedgehog and rolling around with them.

“Can it be red?”

“Of course.”

“Yay!”

“Careful, Riddle. You might end up spoiling him,” Trey teased as he settled the form containing their list of players.

“I-I’m doing no such thing,” He denied, face flushed red.

Ichigo laughed, and started eating away at his tart. From the corner of his eye, he noticed something sticking out underneath the paperweight. He gently pulled it out, and saw it was a hairclip of sorts. “What’s this?”

“Nothing,” Riddle told him, resting his hand carefully on the Chara’s and carefully taking it away. Placing it in the top drawer of his desk. “Finish up your tart. We need to drop this list off tomorrow. And you need to sleep early if you want to come with us.”

“Ok…”

They wrapped up their meeting until the sky had become dusk, gathering their plates and cups, and saw Trey out the door. Riddle began his nightly ritual to get ready for bed and dinner; only this time incorporating his Heart Fae into it. Brushing his hair and magicing a matching pair of pajamas for him to wear. For bed, he opened his bedside drawer, and saw Ichigo going into his Egg to sleep. “Nigh’ Riddle…”

“Night, Ichigo,” He knows he won’t be going to bed immediately, and brought over some books from his massive bookshelf to pass the time. His mind needed something to do until it was 22:00 hours. And yet, it kept falling back to that hairclip, his Overblot, and Amu bringing Ichigo back to him. Looking over at the red tart Egg, he smiled peacefully hoping to make up for all the time lost they never got to have.

 

To Be Continued…

Notes:

With how soft I made the ending of this for Riddle, I'm disappointed in myself that I did not finish this in time for his Borph. Oh well, Better late, than ever lol

Chapter 23: Ch. 23: Charabusters! ~The Investigation Begins!~

Summary:

The Ramshackle Crew begins their investigation. Followed by some revelations to these incidents not even the Dorm Leaders know about.

Notes:

Double Feature Day(kinda)!

Felt bad for having this in limbo for before posting the last recent chapter. So boom! Double wammie for today!

~???~

 

Amu found herself dreaming again. This time, instead of the Rosy, Crazy realm of Wonderland, she saw herself surrounded by animals she’d see at the Zoo or read in books for Geography class back home. They all were stomping, bellowing and crying for joy about something. ‘Hold on. I think I know this one!’

She looked up and saw the iconic Pride Rock, and above it, she saw the Monkey Shaman-Rafiki-carrying baby Simba in his arms. ‘It’s the Celebration of Simba’s Birth!’ She saw him get closer and closer to the edge, and raised the lion cub up high in the air. This made all of the Pride Land happy, singing praises in the morning light for Simba’s health and prosperity into becoming their future king.

That said, ‘Oh thank god! I thought he was gonna throw him!’ Amu sighed seeing him hold him steady. ‘Next time I see Yaya and Rima, I’m SO gonna yell at them for showing me that stupid edit!’

Though strangely, the dream shifted, and in place of the party, it was the inner sanctum of Pride Rock. There, Scar sulking over losing the crown to his nephew, and trying to eat Zazu before Mufasa-Simba’s Dad-stopped him. “That Hairball is my son, and your future king.”

‘You tell that asshole!’ Amu cheered, enjoying seeing the older brother tell off his traitorous little brother.

As Scar left into the lush green fields, a small Egg floated not that far from where she stood. ‘You again.’

 

She went to reach it, the light enshrouding the scenery in light.

 

---

 

Amu woke up, feeling off about her dream. ‘Another weird dream…about Scar this time? Why?’ She raised a hand to her head. “What are they telling me?” And then that Egg from the Wonderland dream showed up again. “Is that an Embryo of Twisted Wonderland?”

 

---

 

True to their word, Amu and her team began looking into the strange accidents occurring all over the school. Miki offered to memo down notes, Su offered snacks, and Ran offered emotional support. (That last one might not be needed but it’s the thought that counts.) That left Amu and Grim to ask everyone questions from what they were doing during each incident and when they occurred.

The first place they decided to go to was with the first injured patients from that day. So for their first destination, they went to the Nurse’s Office to meet with them. Surprisingly, they were Heartslabyul students, and the moment they made eye contact with them, they greeted them welcomingly. A huge departure from bumpy beginnings. “Hello boys.”

“Amu-chan. Grim. Hello.”

“‘Sup?”

“Don’t forget us!” Ran pouted.

“Oh, right. Amu-chan’s Heart Faes. Nice to meet you three,” The boy resting in the cot waved at them. “What brings you here?”

“We heard you guys got hurt, desu~” Su explained, and summoned a bag of cookies for him to take. “So we brought gifts!”

“Aw, shucks.”

The Joker turned to the other boy sitting beside him. “How did this happen?”

“We were walking down the stairwell, talking about how excited we were for Spelldrive.”

“Really?” Grim said and Amu wondered to herself; Miki listened and wrote down everything in her sketchbook.

“Next thing I knew, I fell over and tumbled down the stairs,” The injured boy finished. “Sprained my ankle in the aftermath.”

“Sorry to hear that. Get well soon, k?”

“Sure. Oh, and thanks again for the cookies.”

“Our pleasure, desu~”

 

The group left through the door, bidding thanks and goodbye to the Nurse. As soon as they were gone, however, the boy in the chair turned to his friend in confusion. “You didn’t tell her?”

“Too many ears, dude. Riddle-sama may have called it off, but who’s to say the other Dorm Leaders didn’t.”

“True…” They were quiet for a bit until his friend eyed the bag in his lap. “You gonna eat those?”

“I was gonna share them, idiot,” They laughed.

 

---

 

The next place for them was a third year class involving a student from Pomefiore. “Who’s Dorm that one again?” Amu asked.

“The Fairest Queen. They’re the Drama Queens of the school, and they wear a lot of purple; dorm uniform wise.”

‘So basically Evil Queen wannabes? How riveting…’ Judging based on those descriptions, she was going to love speaking with them. They found the classroom for this injured student, and she was not wrong. Not only did they look beautiful with well kept wavy hair, he was also a jerk. “What do you want?”

“We just came to a-”

“Oh, look, darling,” Their friend sneered at the Chara and Grim. “The child has little pests following her.”

“Who you callin’ a pest, pretty boy?!” Grim growled back.

“Grim, stop it!” She put a hand between him and the primadonna. “I just wanted to know if you were ok. I heard you got hurt.”

“And why should I tell you?”

Keeping her composure, Amu explained herself. “Because I heard it was a nasty cut,” She then showed them a bag of snacks.“And I thought you wouldn’t mind a little cheering up.”

They both gawked at her; the victim more than their friend. “What is THAT?!”

“Homemade cookies.”

“Are you trying to ruin my complexion?!”

“Simmer down, darling. You’ll break out if you keep this up.”

“On second thought, nevermind. Sorry for interrupting you.” Amu turned around and left the room, seconds away from turning red herself. 

The others followed behind quickly, catching the surprise of a familiar student passing by. He entered the room they were in and took a peek inside. “Uh, is everything ok, senpai?”

“Yes, Seba. We had a nosy brat trying to speak with us.”

“Brat?”

 

---

 

Amu stormed down the hall, miffed that those boys were so hostile to her, even she tried to placate them and hoped they’d talk to her. But nope, all she and the others got was grouchy McGee and his sidekick Douchy. ‘Why is everyone here such a dick?!’ Never in all her life did she feel so annoyed being around so many boys. ‘Those reverse harem shows lied! Being surrounded by boys brings trouble!’

Behind her, Ran, Miki, Su, and Grim were all calling her name. “Amu-chan, calm down!”

“Yeah! It’s hard to catch up, ya know!”

“Amu-chan!” Miki called out again. She gasped as she saw the pinkette about to run into someone. “In front of you!”

“Huh?” She noticed too late, and knocked into them. “Ah!”

“Tch!”

“Amu-chan!” 

They fell over on the ground, in a heap. The Joker laying over top of the other person. 

 

Groaning, she felt angry with herself for not minding her surroundings. ‘Dangit. I really didn’t mean to do that.’ Slowly, she lifted herself up, and caught the sight of animal ears poking out from shaggy blonde hair. Then, she glanced down, and noticed a pair of blue eyes staring up at her. Then she screamed, face beating red as she jumped up. “AAAHHHHHH!!!! S-sorry! I didn’t mean to!”

He sat up and chuckled at her. “Suuu~re you didn’t, that’s why I have this stuck to me, right~” He says as he lifts a hand up, her Humpty Lock dangling from a finger.

“Huh?” She felt around her neck, gaped at the boy on the ground and got angry again. “Oi!”

“Relax, I’m just messing with ya,” He laughs again, tossing it at her. “They weren’t kidding when they said you’re jumpy.”

“No, I’m not!”

“She is.”

“Not helping, Grim!”

Rising up from the ground himself, the blonde walked over to her and leaned close into her space. “Bumping into me like that wasn’t nice, though. How you gonna make it up to me?”

“Eh?”

“You ran into me. I think I deserve some form of compensation,” He smirked at her. “What’s it gonna be?” He sniffed the air, catching the smell of something sweet. “I smell cookies.”

“That’s me, desu~” Su forward to them, pulling out one of her cookie bags. “I made these for some friends, desu~”

“They sure do smell nice,” He complemented the Clover. “Mind if I take one?”

“Hmm?”

“C’mon, it wouldn’t hurt to share. We technically are friends, now,” He held a hand, and, somehow, Su gave him the bag.

“Huh?”

“Su./ Da heck, Su?!”

“Much obliged, Suey. Shishishi~” He licked his lips, mouth already hankering for a bite. He turned on his heels and left, waving a hand dismissably “Later, Amu-chan~”

She sighed as she watched him walk away. “What’s with everyone at this school being a prick?”

“Yeah. And what’s with getting all suddenly chummy, Su?”

“Eh?”

“You gave him your ‘Cheer Up’ Cookies. You said they were for the injured Spelldrive Players,” Ran said. “Why would you give him one?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose, desu~! Honest!”

 

…

 

“Whatever, let’s just go,” Amu walked forward toward the stairwell and out the main building.

 

---

 

Shortly after leaving the building, they moved to Main Street and sat on one of the benches by the Great Seven to rest and review their findings. “I say these guys all got super excited and hurt themselves, ruining their chances at playing. Case Closed,” Grim summed it up in a huff.

Ran placed her hands on her hips. “That’s not fair, Grim.”

“I don’t care! He’s not lettin’ us play!”

“He said we would if we found out what, or who, is causing these things to happen.”

“I don’t care. It’s his fault he chose to skip out seeing the Great Grim and all his glory on TV.”

“There’s no excuse for you being a moodkiller, desu~”

“That’s rich coming from you, Cookie liar.”

“I’m not a liar~”

“You still think these are all accidents, Amu-chan?” Miki asked her Kid.

 

…

 

“Amu?” They all turned to her, face scrunched up in worry. Fists clenched in her lap. “Henchhuman~ Hello~”

“Hmm?” She looked at their concerned faces. “Oh, sorry, guys. Just thinking.”

Her Chara had a small idea about what’s bothering her. “It’s the Egg Hunts, isn’t it?”

“Sorry. I just…” She tried finding her words. “I know we broke Heartslabyul of that mentality; slowly but surely, but…”

“We know. It feels like Easter all over again.”

“Easter?” Grim asked.

“They were a group of bad people who stole Shugo Chara Eggs. Remember?”

“Oooh, those creepizoids that crushed children’s hopes and dreams. The one who got Amu’s cat-boyfriend into a tizzy.”

B-boyfriend?! “Who told you that?!” He pointed to the three girls pretending to be aloof. “You-!”

“Amu-san!” They look over to see a pretty boy in a Pomefiore vest coming towards them. unfazed by her rage face. “You’re Amu, right? The Pink-haired heroine that dealt with an Overblot and the Strange Creature, right?”

“Uh, yeah?” She blinked.

“You may not recall me, but I’m Seba of Pomefiore.”

“Seba?” It then dawned on her who he was. “Oh, you! How’ve you been?”

“I’m fine, but I was wondering if you could come with me quickly,” He told her. “A few people wish to speak with you.”

“Speak…with me?” She rose from her seat, curious.

“Yes. Right this way.”

 

---

 

In one of the classrooms on the main level, Seba opened the door and held it for Amu and the others to go in first. As they entered, they were surprised to see a group of students, each one from different dorms-Heartslabyul, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde and Diasomnia. They looked at her, faces that showed they were on edge morphing into relief upon seeing her. One of the boys spoke up. “No one else followed you, right, Seba?”

“Nope,” The boy grinned shamelessly. “And if HE did, I told him it was ‘cause of a club emergency.”

“Uh, what’s going on?” She started to worry; makes sense one little girl plus a room full of guys equals really really bad connotations! “Is everything ok…?”

“Yeah, well no,” A boy wearing a bright blue vest chirped nervously. “Um…It’s about those things. The Eggs our Dorm Leaders told us about.”

“What about them?”

“Here’s the thing: a lot of us here are like Seba.” An Octavinelle student spoke next. “We have those things, but we didn’t give them up to our Dorm Leaders.”

Their eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yeah. your speech after saving Seba, and the rumours of them not being all that bad had us keep them. They reminded us of those stories about a Fairygod Mother-like Fae we heard as kids.”

“But there’s a small problem,” A Sacrabia student came forward. “We lost ours.”

“Lost, desu~?”

A familiar Heartslaubyul boy came forward next. “More specifically, when my friend got injured, his Egg was gone. He and I thought it broke, since we all know what happens when an Egg lands on the ground. But there was nothing there.”

“Same goes for the rest of us.”

 

That was a bombshell! “Myah! You lost your Eggs?!”

 

“Keep it down!” Amu shushed him. “Is this true?”

Seba nodded. “If you want proof, one of the Third Years you tried to speak with, Amu-san. His hand was cut during Alchemy class. We of Pomefiore specialize in potion making and are careful not to cut ourselves if glass breaks. Myself included.”

“THAT’S what he was scared to tell us?!”

“Does that mean he had one, too?”

“I don’t think so, but I DO know this,” “My classmate is not a liar, and our Dorm Leaders detests liars. If he had one, odds are-like everyone else in this room-its gone.”

“We came to you wondering if you could help us get them back. We don’t give a crap about the Egg Hunts.”

This was a tough request. If it was ONE Egg, that’s fine. But with it being multiple form different dorms.

“I’m not sure if I’m able to find them,” “but, I made Headmage promise to undo the Egg Hunts. I’ll find your Eggs, and bring them back!”

They all smiled and cheered. “Thank you, Amu-san. We’d be more than happy to pitch in, too. In any way we can.”

“If you don’t mind, you guys recall what they looked like?” She asked, offering an example by showcasing the sleeping Diamond Egg. “All Heart’s Egg have different patterns and colors. That can help me locate them.”

“Say no more!” Seba pulled out a pen and his block. “I can help with that.”

“Thank you, everyone,” The Spelldrive Investigation just got even crazier. But this, Amu can handle. Especially since she knows one Would Be Self that could lend her a hand in this.

 

---

 

Outside the classroom window, a small pair of slitted red eyes watched closely at the group of students. He took in their expressions and reactions, deducing whatever they were discussing in hopes to pass it to his Kid. He flew into the bushes, and quietly soared towards the Gymnasium.

To Be Continued…

Notes:

NPCs 🤝 Amu

Fjck the Egg Hunts

Chapter 24: Ch.24: Another Spelldrive Disaster!?! ~Helping Hands Acquired!~

Summary:

The pressure's on now. And with it, another person injured too close to home for Amu. Leading to more help then ever!

~Night Raven: Outer Hallway~

 

After the events of the classroom meeting Amu, Grim and the Chara had with Seba and the other targeted Spelldrive players, everyone separated for the evening. Some to recover, others to lament on their missed opportunities for the game; meanwhile, the Ramshackle students made their way back to their dorm. But one thing circled back to the Joker: she made a HUGE promise that’ll be difficult to keep. “I think I might be biting off more than I can chew…”

“You think?”

In her hands, they looked at the list and sketches the injured players and their friends provided of the missing Shugo Chara Eggs. And to see how many magically disappeared during each incident…left a huge lump in her stomach. ‘So many missing Newborns…if only Tadase-kun and the others were here to help me…’

Grim leaned over from her shoulder, and viewed all the different patterns and pictures of each Egg. “Judging by their shells, finding them all should be a sinch! Especially with Great Grim’s magnificent nose!”

“Oh really?” She gave him a side eye.

“Damn straight!”

 

One of the papers was pulled from her hands unexpectedly, freaking the both of them out. “Oi!!”

 

The perpetrator whistled as he gauged the pictures he took. He was tall with teal hair and one long strip of gray hair on his right side of his face. And his uniform was super unkempt; poorly buttoned collar, blazer, and his dress shirt was out instead of tucked in. “Wow~ Didn’t know the new guppy was super talented~ And Egg obsessed~” His mismatched eyes, one grey-one yellow, looked down at her and the others with his sharp toothy grin.

Amu freaked out a bit. ‘Are those…REAL teeth?!’ How can someone have teeth that sharp?! What surgeon-scratch that- WHAT PARENTS WOULD LET THEIR CHILD HAVE THAT KIND OF TEETH?! IS HE SECRETLY A SHARK?!?!!!!

His eyes shift to Grim and Amu’s Chara. “Ehh~~~ A baby seal and krill~”

That, surprisingly, made Ran angry. “Krill?! Who are you callin’ Krill, buster?!”

“And the Krill can talk too~  How cute~” He poked the Cheerleader.

Miki and Su hastily hid, behind the pinkette, frozen at the size difference between them and him. Trying to make sure her friends aren’t made into God knows what, Amu tried to gain the new boy’s attention. “Uh, excuse me? Can I have those back?”

“I dunno, can you~?”

‘This [redacted]-’ She inhaled through her nose, then exhaled to calm herself down, and tried again. “MAY I have those back, please?” She pointed to the stolen paper in his hands.

He then proceeded to laugh at her. “That’s a good Guppy~” He then offers them back after a condescending pat on the head.

Someone else’s voice called out not far from where they are. It was a boy with tan skin and dark hair pulled into a low hanging ponytail that was a mix of braids and loose strands and a long bang nearly covering an eye. “Floyd. Your brother-” They stopped in their tracks and saw him leering over at Amu. “Oh, am I interrupting something?”

“Save us!” The Card Suit trio flew and hid behind him, with Grim not far behind.

“H-hey!”

“Hi, Sea Snake~” He waved at the new arrival. “I made a friend~”

“Ok,” He ignored his upperclassman’s nickname and cleared his throat. “Jade’s looking for you.”

The boy named Floyd’s mood suddenly changed. Gone was his chippy self, and in it’s place, a glum chum. “I don’t wanna…”

“He said it’s urgent.”

“Fiiiine,” He said, annoyed. Floyd then stretched his neck and walked away, but before his mood changed and waved back at Amu. “See ya, Guppy~”

As soon as she was sure he was gone, Amu sighed and paled, almost fading like a ghost. The other boy came to check on her right away. “You ok?”

“I was sure he was gonna eat me!” She shivered. “I never met a boy that tall before…!”

“He’s partially ok so long as he’s in the right mood.” He assured her, laying hand on her shoulder. “Though I would recommend staying away from Floyd, and his brother.”

“Brother desu~?”

“There’s two of him?!” Miki nearly screamed.

“Yes. His name’s Jade. And both are trouble when they’re together.”

‘Duly noted. Stay away from identical boys!’ Amu made a reminder to herself. “Thank you for intervening, umm…”

“Jamil. Jamil Viper.”

“Jamil-kun,” She smiled at him. “Thank you again.”

“No problem,” He gave one back, and froze checking the time on his phone. “Shoot. I have to go now. Stay safe, Amu-san.” He left them and the others alone in the empty hall.

“Bye…” Her smile remained on her face even as she saw him disappear around the corner. A kind person for once in this crazy school, and admittedly, he was kinda handsome.

Grim scurried back over to her, relieved that the weird boy was gone. “G-good thing that Jamil boy showed up. I was this close to tellin’ him off!”

Miki and the girls did too, and the former called him out on his bluff. “Su~re you were.”

“You chickened out and abandoned Amu-chan, desu~”

“So did you three! Back me up, henchhuman!” When he heard no response, he called her again. They looked over and saw that she was blushing and still staring down the corridor where Jamil left. “Hello~ Henchhuman~” Grim tried again. “Why’s her face all pink?”

“It’s okay. She’s mentally adding him to her ever growing har-”

 

*SMACK!!*

 

She never got to finish as Grim, Su and Miki jumped as they saw Amu wacked Ran on the wall like a fly. Her smile was still there, but the aura around her was not pleasant. They stopped their teasing immediately. “Myah! She hit her!”

“Her stubbornness is still alive…”

“Looks that way, desu~”

“Huh?”

 

Suddenly they heard someone shout: “Trey!/ Trey-kun!”

 

“EH?! Trey?!”

“That sounded like Riddle-san!” They turned towards the sound of Riddle’s screams and rushed over to help.

Far away from them, Ruggie and his cursed quietly from atop the scene of the crime. “Dammit. Didn’t nab a thing. Ah well, that’s one less problem.” And he disappeared in the shadows.

 

---

 

Thanks to some needed help from nearby staff, and the school nurse, Riddle and Amu helped guide Trey back to Heartslabyul and to his room. Su wasted no time going to the kitchen to make him some personal ‘Get Well Cookies’ while the others stayed at his bedside. Riddle sat at the foot of Trey’s bed with Ichigo hovering next to him, as Amu borrowed his desk chair and sat in that, with Ran and Miki on her shoulders and Grim in her lap.

Amu, nervously, spoke up. “Are you ok, Trey-senpai?”

“I’ll be fine. It stings, but I’ll live,” He answered, sensing his friend and his Heart Fae still unnerved by the events.

“I’d give ya one of my tunas, but they’re all back at our dorm.”

“It’s fine. Thanks for the kind gesture.”

Not soon after, Cater, Ace, Deuce, and Axel arrived to check on him. When they heard the news, they rushed as fast as they could to come see him. Imagine their surprise when they saw Amu and the others in their dormitory. “Hey, A-chan. When’d ya get here?”

“Hey, guys,” She waved at them. “I was nearby when the incident happened, and stayed to help them out.”

Axel flew over to Trey, inspecting him and looking at him with worry, too. “How did this happen?”

“It all started after Riddle, Ichigo and I dropped off our list of players for our Dorm…”

 

~Flashback~

 

The titular trio had made it to the stairwell of the interior hallways. Ichigo, so as to not disturb the meeting, had stayed in Riddle’s inner coat pocket. Though the other reason was to keep him hidden from Azul since his Kid did not trust him at all, and the last thing he wanted was for him to be exploited. 

“You don’t seem to like him, Riddle-kun,” The Shugo Chara pointed out from their encounter with the Octavinelle Dorm Leader. “Is he scary?”

He patted his coat where he rested. “Scary? No. A con artist, absolutely.”  

“Con artists?!”

“Long story,” Trey added on. “We’ll tell you later.”

“Ok, maybe during the afternoon tea. And with milk instead of sugar cubes?”

“W-we’ll see-Ah!” Suddenly, Riddle felt himself tipping over the second landing of the stairwell.

 

“Riddle!/ Riddle-kun!” Trey and Ichigo cried.

 

The junior acted quickly, grabbing his friend’s arm and pulling him up. But in doing so, he lost his own footing and started tumbling down the stairs. He tumbled down all the way and fell unconscious. “Trey/ Trye-kun!”

He rushed down feeling a sudden gust of wind halt his steps. “Grr!”

“Riddle!” He felt his Fae slipping out his coat, and quickly placed his hand on his out coat pocket, steadying his balance until the wind died down. After it subsided, he hastened his steps down the stairs to his friend. And not long after, Amu and the others showed up to lend them a hand.

 

~End of Flashback~

 

“It was super scary. I thought Riddle was gonna get super hurt!”

“What about Chara-change? We can do those things with our partners.”

“I haven’t mastered mine with him yet. Plus, I didn’t want him getting into trouble using magic without a teacher’s permission.” Ichigo confessed, twiddling his thumbs.

“Awww,” Ran and Miki said, feeling sympathetic for him.

“Ichigo…”

“Sorry!”

“Another kiss up. Why am I not surprised…”

Ace raised his hands in defense when he saw his Leader stare daggers at him again. Shaking his head, he turned back to Trey. “Becasue of this accident, Trey won’t be able to participant. And that leaves one slot open for our dorm’s team.”

“A spare spot you say?” Ace and Deuce were grinning from ear to ear hearing that.

 

On the other hand, something about their statement triggered something in Amu’s brain. “You said a gust of wind suddenly hit you?”

 

“Yes.”

“And before that, you felt your body leaning over, as if you were going to fall. When you were tipping over the stairs.”

“Yes,” He answered again. “It felt like it was moving on its own.”

Amu ‘hummed’ and her mind went over the notes and drawings about the missing Eggs from every injured participant.

“Say, Pinky. What up with the specific questions?”

“Yeah, A-chan. I get you radiate empath, and a side of spiciness,” Cater eyed her with a grin.

“Eh?”

“I agree with my men. Why were you asking for details about our incident?” He eyed her as well. The girl in question curled at the sudden attention, and fumbled trying to explain her reasoning.

 

Right then, Su busted the door open, declaring: “I’m back, desu~ I almost forgot about Rule 267: Cookies are made only for Official Birthdays. So make a ‘Get well soon Tart instead’!” Blissfully unaware of the sudden tension in the room. She went about her business and offered Trey her dessert. It was when she saw the others looking at Amu that she realized what’s going on. “Oh, hello boys~”

 

Because they were close to the door, Axel and Deuce jumped out of their skin. “Su-su!/ Where’d you come from!?” 

“I was in the kitchen.”

“Say Suie. You wouldn’t happen to know why Amu asked about what happened to us, do you?”

Oblivious to her Kid’s plight, Su spilled the beans. “We were blackmailed by Crowley-sensei to investigate everyone who got hurt, desu~”

“SU!!!!!!” Amu, Grim and her sisters freaked out. Begging her to stop.

Her answer left them all feeling conflicted and dumbfounded. “....That’s it?”

“Mmm-hmm! And were also pressured into finding missing Heart Eggs from each of the injured too!”

It’s official. Amu wanted to die right then and there. Cause of death: Su’s Bluntness.

“Huh?!”

“So that’s what that wind was all about!”

Defeated, Amu came clean about everything. Going into depth about their involvement in interviewing everyone that was hurt. The dead end leads, and the newest ones. All up until the moment they came to help Trey and Riddle. “And now…you guys know.”

 

…

 

“That’s a lot to do on your own, Amu-chan,” Axel said.

“Oi! What am I? Chopped liver?”

“Ah, yes. You too, Grim. Ladies,” He corrected himself.

“If that’s the case, we can len’ a hand, too.”

Amber eyes looked at the group in front of her. “Huh?”

“Let us help!”Axel repeated himself. “It’s one thing for people to get hurt. But to know Heart Fae like us are missing from our Kids is disgusting!” He puffed his chest out, going full cop mode. “If those Eggs are missing, that means there’s a thief taking advantage of everyone getting hurt! And they WILL be brought to justice!” He heard the red head clearing their throat. “I-if Riddle-kun’s ok with it…”

‘He had it and lost it…’ Amu internally weeped.

“Nice try,” Ran and the other patted his back.

Hearing the Police Chara’s speech even boosted Ichigo’s spirits. “Riddle-kun? May we be of assistance to them?”

“I don’t see why not,” He crossed his arms. “This is a heavy job you all were given.”

“Wait! You don’t have to-”

“Nope!” Ace slung an arm over her shoulders. “You’re stuck with us now!”

“You’re gonna need all the help you can get, Amu-san.”

She looked between the two egg heads beside her. “This is to claim Trey’s spot for yourselves, ain’t it?”

“Yup!” They confessed.

She still felt unsure, until she looked over at the bedridden junior. This case turned out more complex than she originally thought. If it were just injured boys, that would be one thing. But now Eggnapping was involved, too; which muddied the case into danger territory if they’re not careful. Not only that…there are other people counting on her as well. A healed Seba, his friends…a lot of people are in trouble.

“...Ok. You guys can help.” She pulls her bag onto her lap, and gives everyone a paper of a Missing Egg and the name of the student that lost them. “Remeber, so long as the Egg Hunts are still around, it’ll be harder to save. The sooner we find them, the better.”

“Sorry I can’t be of any help, guys.”

“It’s ok, Trey-senpai. Just rest up for now.”

“We’ll reconvene in the morning and start our searches with clearer, fresher minds,” Riddle informed them. “Everyone understands the assignment?”

 

“YES, RIDDLE-SAMA!!”

 

---

 

In the Dorm of the King of Beasts-Savannahclaw-Leona and Ruggie spoke about the recent 'incident' ending in mixed results. “No Egg?”

“Riddle held onto his Egg too well, couldn’t nab the thing,” Ruggie explained to Leona. “He went from hard headed to soft boiled.”

“Figures,” The lion chuckled. “So long as you weren’t caught it doesn’t matter. Reclaiming the crown and destroying Malleus is our top priority.”

“And for them?” Ruggie cocked his head to behind Leona.

Emerald eyes gazed over at the crate filled with Eggs again. “Those? Hehehe. They make a perfect bargaining chip for later. For the grand finale.”

 

*PLOP, PLOP*

 

To Be Continued…

Notes:

If you want a rough est. of how many Leona and Ruggie got a hold of currently, it's about 15 Heart's Eggs.

Chapter 25: Ch.25: The Great Spelldrive Detectives! ~The Search Continues!~

Summary:

The group rallies together and aides in the quest for answers.

Notes:

I blame the Great Mouse Detective for the Bardic inspiration for this chapter. Good movie 10/10

~Heartslabyul Dorm: Main Entrance~

 

The following day after class, Amu and the others made their way to the Hall of Mirrors to meet with Riddle, Cater, Ace and Deuce. as soon as they arrived, said Leader and aspiring influencer met them by their Dorm gates. “Hey, guys!” Grim hollered at them.

“Hi, Riddle-senpai! Cater-Senpai!” Ran cheered.

“Good afternoon, desu~/ Hey.”

“Howdy, ladies and Grim!” Cater greeted them, too. “Ready for Day Two?”

“You know it~!”

Riddle saw Amu’s necktie was crooked and walked up to her. The sudden steps had her jump a bit, even up to the closeness. An “Eh?” was her response, followed by nervous sweating and blushing. “Is everything ok, Riddle-san?”

“Your necktie is crooked,” He said, hands already at work fixing it properly. “Appearances are important, especially as a Dorm Leader.”

“Dorm Leader?”

“Grim and your Heart Fae are your students, are they not?”

So that’s what he meant. “Huh, I guess they are in a way,” She smiled.

Once he was done, he gave a curt nod, and smiled at the results. “There. Much better,” He stepped aside to open the front doors, and, ever the gentleman, motions for them to come inside. “Shall we then?”

 

---

 

They were escorted to their lounge, and began to strategize with the Prince of Hearts, Ichigo, leading the meeting. (Per permission by his Kid of course.) He stood at the front of the living room table, a mini dart board containing a list of injured people, locations, and doodles of said locations. He donned himself in brown checker board themed detective clothes and a Mont Blanc tart crown, hands behind his back like an army sergeant. “Card soldiers roll call!”

 

“Ran!”

“Miki!”

“Su!”

“Axel!”

“Grim!”

 

“Reporting for duty!” They saluted at the small prince.

“Listen closely, everyone! We have a massive outbreak of mysterious accidents plaguing Night Raven College! What’s worse; not only are these students ones participating in an important tradition for this school getting hurt under unknown causes, their Heart Eggs are also getting Egg napped at the same time! It is paramount that we find the cause and/ or culprit and stop them as soon as possible! Is that clear?!”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

“Any questions?”

“Uh, tiny tyrant?” From the taller crowd, Ace raised his hand. “What up with the set up?”

“It’s to motivate everyone!” He near shouted his answer. “Axel helped sketch everything! Miki, too, and even made these clothes for me!”

Deuce was next, albeit his was a bit nicer. “But why a Mont Blanc…?”

“Per Prince of Hearts Rule no. 721, made by me and Riddle-kun, The Prince of Hearts is allowed to don a Mont Blanc for emergencies!”

 

…

 

“Seriously?”

Ichigo became flustered. “Y-yes seriously!”

Speaking of Dorm Leaders, Riddle cleared his throat. “Moving on, Cater has offered to be our informant.”

“And lucky for ol Cay-cay, I found some potential players that may be next on the hit list!”

“How?”

“Through the magic of Magicam, A-chan~” The junior pulled out his phone to show off. 

“Ah, right,” The pinkette blinked and awkwardly laughed. She almost forgot this world had social media sites and stuff just like Earth. “Do we have names?”

“Yup!” he said, popping the ‘p’ sound at the end. “Rook Hunt for one, and Jade Leech and Floyd Leech for the second.”

‘Floyd? Why does that name sound familiar…?’

“Any other questions, troops, besides demanding breakfast again, Grim?” The Chara asked.

“No, sir!”

 “Ok, troops! Onward march per the Queen’s orders!”

“HAI~~!!!!”

 

Soon the Investigation Team(TM) set off to find their first set of clues!

 

---

 

Heading back into the Hall of Mirrors, Cater and Riddle showed the freshman their first target’s location: the Dorm of the Fairest Queen, Pomefiore. Stepping into that area’s Mirror Portal, they were met with a medieval-like white castle nearly identical to the one in the Snow White movie. But rather than banners showcasing plain flags and emblems of Grimheide, the red banisters with the dorm’s Emblem on them instead.

Slowly and carefully, they snuck into the building, and made it to its Main Lounge. peeking inside, they saw the charismatic huntsman standing beside the beautiful blonde Leader and a petite lavender boy. He seemed off putting to them, from his flowery language to his extra theatrics.

 

Being a potential target that might get ambushed? Yes. But he seems to handle himself, they guessed. Heart Egg in danger? Nope. So they quietly and hastily fled the scene.

 

---

 

Shortly after that recon, their next set of targets were last seen in the school’s courtyard. Making their way to that location, Cater had his phone out as he explained some small details about the Leech brothers. “These two are from Octavinelle. Super tall, and very…out there, as Spelldrive players.”

“Out there, desu~?”

“You’ll see once we find them,” Riddle told her, his voice sounding a bit off.

“Hm? Is everything ok, Riddle-senpai?”

“I’m fine, Amu-san. Just…the sooner we check on them, the better.”

Ace eyed the sophomore skeptically. “I smell bullcrap~”

“I smell you getting collared, Ace-kun~” Ichigo sang back. Deuce and Axel just sighed at those two.

They finally reached the courtyard and found them chatting away. And Amu felt her brain fry at the sight. What she was told from that Jamil boy yesterday was no joke; Floyd DID have a twin brother. Even height, appearances-barring the sloppy uniform look, and eye colors! She couldn't say a word; except for Grim, who voiced the same thoughts as her. “Myah! They look the same!”

“That’s what identical siblings are,” Miki said to him.

“I didn’t think that was possible here!”

“Can’t believe the guy who called us Krill yesterday is a possible target of the accidents!” Ran stared back at them. “He’s super scary, why would anyone wanna mess with him?!”

“Because their height and scariness won’t ruin the fun for anyone else, desu?”

 

“Tall? Scary? Now that’s a new label to have,” A velvety voice chuckled.

“Me, scary? Nah. That obviously fits you, Jade,” A high mellowed voice answered back.

The group immediately froze from their hidden spot behind a pillar, and turned their heads to see the brothers smiling at them, sharp toothy grins and all.

You could hear the audible gulps from everyone as they tried playing off the awkwardness of getting caught. Cater tried playing it cool. “H-Hii~~ Jade. Floyd. How ya been?”

“Plesant. Though that doesn’t excuse you all casually spying on us, Cater-san,” The composed boy-Jade-replied.

Amu went into a full panic. “W-w-we weren’t spying! Honest!”

This turned out to be a big mistake. His heterochromic eyes instantly flit to her direction. His smirk showed off the same sharp teeth she saw from his twin yesterday. ‘Him too?!?!? Who ARE these people?!’ “And you must be the ‘Krill Keeper’ Floyd told me about.”

“K-krill keeper?!”

Riddle wasted no time pushing himself between her and Jade, face defiant if not agitated than usual. “Stand down, Jade. No need to pick on Amu-san.”

“I was doing no such thing, Riddle-kun.”

“These guys are creeping me out.”

“Me too, desu~”

Miki, unlike her sisters, seemed slightly swooning over Jade despite his intimidating nature. ‘Pretty…’

Floyd then noticed the smaller version of the Rose Tyrant hovering next to him. “Eh~~~ So you did become a mommy, Goldfish~ How cu~~~te!” He reached over to grab him, only for Riddle to smack his hand away.

 

“DON’T YOU TOUCH HIM!!”

 

“Hhahahahaha! Just like a mommy protecting his school~”

Ace decided to try and break the tension. “Hey~ We know this looks bad, but we wanted to ask you guys a couple o’ things,” He laughed awkwardly. “So, why don’t we go somewhere and talk. Ne, Deuce?”

“Huh?!” The Spade duo felt like deer caught in headlights. “Why are you lumping me into this?!”

“Yeah, Ace-kun! That’s not fair!”

“Oya, more Heart Fae? Fascinating,” Jade’s grin grew bigger. “Surely you wouldn’t mind us… socializing with them at our Lounge, would you?”

Nope. Not a a chance in hell was that gonna happen, and the Heartslabyul seniors made that aware, by Riddle grabbing Amu by her wrist and booking it, and Cater ordering Ace, Deuce, Grim and Chara to follow suit. They fled out the halls to get back to Main Street, all the while the Leech siblings had chased them down. Luckily, thanks to some alternate pathways, they managed to elude them and make it back to the Statutes of the Great Seven safely.

All of them were panting, exhausted from escaping their leads going dry and souring the mood. “I think it is safe to say, no one in their right mind will ever target them.”

“Yeah…those guys…were super freaks…!”

“So much for getting anything new from them…” Ichigo said sadly.

“Tbf, we still have one more lead, Ichigo-chan,” The diamond tried to cheer him up.

“Hmm?”

“There’s one more guy; he’s new to Night Raven and said to be a perfect candidate for this year’s game!”

“Really?”

His statement seemed to have rejuvenated the Investigation Team(TM). “Then what are we waiting for, Senpai? Let’s go!” Grim rallied.

 

The younger one and Cater headed out first sans Amu and Riddle. The latters walked behind, with the pinkette feeling stressed about the outcome of this mystery. The ruby haired boy picked up on her worries, as did Ichigo. “Amu-san, are you ok?”

“Huh?”

“You seemed…tired if not troubled.”

She sighed, knowing that lying in front of him won’t do any good. “This case. It has so many confusing clues, and I feel like we aren’t making ANY progress.”

“I see,” Stopping his tracks, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought. “I understand your worries. It’s cruel for someone to handle such a complicated mess on your own, but…you can rely on my Dorm anytime you and your Heart Fae are overwhelmed.”

“Riddle-kun…but I’m not Heartslabyul’s material.”

“True, but you have become cordial friends with Ace and Deuce; ergo, I consider you one of our own.”

Hearing this warmed her heart. Amu found it endearing to hear from the reformed Leader and new holder of a Shugo Chara. “Hehe. I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Riddle-kun.”

“By the way, Ichigo and I won’t be able to go with you all. Please pass this message onto the others, if you can,” He checked his watch after explaining that to her.

“Eh? Is everything ok?”

“Yeah. Thing is, it’s almost five o’clock, so we wanna make sure no one’s breaking Queen of Hearts Rules, which is NO playing croquette after five pm.”

She covered her face in her hands, trying to stifle her laugh. “… You gotta be kidding me…I thought you were past the harsh punishment type.”

“Still, as Dorm Leader I need to make sure the rules are followed…”

“No. You’re right,” Amber eyes full of mirth, gazed back at gray. “Just, don’t get carried away. That goes for you, too, Ichigo.”

“I promise to keep him on the Queen and narrow path away from Tyranny!” He saluted to the Joker.

Shortly after their talk, they ran to catch up to the others in the Hall of Mirrors. Once there, Riddle and Ichigo parted ways, but only after reminding the boys to keep an eye on her after they told her where their target was next. “So…how bad is the Dorm we’re going to?”

“Uber bad. Savannahclaw are tough and rumble guys. Guys that enjoy playing super rough.” This reminder made Amu and her Girls gulp.

“So in other words…they’re jocks?”

“Yup,” Ace told her. “Most-if not all of them-of them are athletes, and are also Beastmen.”

“Don’t worry if any of those guys tries to mess with any of you, Amu-san,” Deuce tried to reassure her. “Axel and I can hold our own against them!” A nod and matching grin from said Chara relieved some of the stress.

“Save some for me, too! I’ll show them what the Great Grim can do!”

 

---

 

No sooner than they stepped out the Mirror, the intense heat emitting from the hot sun beamed down on them. Nearly all of them felt sweaty, and they have only been in the Dorm for two seconds!

 

Savannahclaw lived up to its namesake; the entire place had small trees that provided limited shade from the intense heat. Rough sandy dirt, shrubs grass, and-the creepy icing on the cake-skeletal remains of animals around the place. And to prove a point of their location being the land of the Beastmen, the banner of the Dorm stood proud at the entrance, tattered and singed on the lower ends.

‘Really does look like the Pride Lands, but after Scar and the Hyenas had ruined the place…’ Amu turned to Cater. “This is where the last person for today’s at?”

Cater gave her a wink. “His name is Jack Howl. A First Year, wolf beastman.”

“Wolf beastman, desu~?”

“Ah, he’s almost like a big doge!”

“I wouldn’t say that out loud…”

They moved on from the mirror, and looked around for someone who matched the description they got. Near one of the watering holes where a replica track field laid, a tan skinned boy with white hair, tail and ears was doing pre track stretches. His sharp eyes focused on making sure every part of his being was ready for running. ‘That must be him.’

But before any of them could talk, Grim decided to rush on ahead and call him out. “Grim, wait!”

“Hey you!”

Jack gruffed, looking down at the dire beast, and eyed him skeptically. “Hmm?”

“Someone’s planning to take ya out! But fear not,” He puffed his chest out and smirked. “As I, the Great Grim, will protect you!”

Ran and Miki yanked him by his ears and pulled him back to Amu. “Owowowwowow!!!”

“Sorry about that,” Amu apologized, reigning in the troublemaker. “He can be a handful at times, hehe…”

“Okay…” He eyed them all skeptically.

“We’re sorry King, for reals,” Cater spoke up next. “We came ‘cause we hoped to chat with ya one-on-one.”

Jack was annoyed, but relented anyway. “What do you guys want?”

“Jack-san. Is it ok if I call you that?” He gave her a curt nod. “A lot of people aspiring to join this year’s Spelldrive Tournament have gotten injuries and forced to step away cause of them.”

Ace added on. “And we’re tryin’ to figure out who or what’s causing them.”

“I see.”

“To put this bluntly, we’d like to do a stakeout,” Cater said, all charismatic. “If you would, we’d like to keep an’ eye on ya in case you’re targeted. That way, when the culprit strikes, we can catch them in the act. EZ PZ!”

“No thanks.”

Say what now, they all thought. Ran was the next to speak up. “But Jack-san. Wouldn’t it be better to have people look out for you!”

“As they say, friends help friends, desu!”

He waved his hand, moving both girls away from his face. “I can protect myself!”

“But-!”

 

“And he’s gone…” They sighed. So much for trying to lend a hand to the more approachable boys on their list.

“What’s his deal?” Grim felt someone staring down at him from all sides. “Myah?” He saw the whole team looking at him in disappointment. “What did I do?!”

“You had to say something…” Amu told him, eyes twitching in annoyance.

“This was a total bust,” Ace whined. “He doesn’t want our help at all.”

“So much for the Honour student way…” Axel lamented on Deuce’s shoulder.

Miki decided to act as the promptu leader then. “Being mopey isn’t gonna do much. Let’s call it a night and try again tomorrow.”

“Smart thinking, MK.”

“Aww, you have a nickname, too, Miki~”

Mission incomplete, the gang made their way back towards the Mirror Portal to leave and retire for the night. Or, that was their idea. For no sooner did they make their way back there, a trio of gruffy Savannahclaw students stopped in their tracks.

“Oi. Whaddya tea sipping pansies doin’ in our dorm?!”

“Huh?!”

“Tryin’ to sabotage our team? Didn’t think Heartslabyul had it in them~”

OK, that was out of line! “Hey! We were just leaving after having a civil chat with one of your classmates!”

One of them noticed Amu by her scent. “Eh~ If it ain’t the pinky girly girl with the dumb faeries.”

“Dumb? WE’RE NOT DUMB! WE JUST WANNA GON HOME!!!”

“And let ya leave without saying goodbye? Where’s the fun in that?”

And before anyone else could talk, another voice cut through their stalemate:

 

“What’s going on here?”

To Be Continued…

Notes:

Looks like the investigation Team (TM) is in deep trouble~

Chapter 26: Ch.26: Playing with the Big Boys! ~Enter Savannahclaw~

Summary:

The Pride of Savannahclaw vs. Investigation Team(TM)

~Savannahclaw Dorm: Main Entrance~

 

“What’s going on here?”

 

From behind, a crowd of other Savannahclaw students had arrived. In the front of the group stood a lion beastmen and a familiar, blond hyena beastman. 

“Leona-sama!” The mob trio greeted him.

“Leona-sama…? As in a Dorm Leader, right?”

“Exacly, A-chan.”

Seeing Ruggie had Su gap in shock. “Ah! The cookie thief, desu~!”

“Cookie Thief? Me? That’s not very nice,” He laughed all smug. “The’s name is Ruggie Bucchi. Got it memorized~?”

‘Redhead guy from K*ngdom H*arts, you are not!’

Su’s outburst, however, did not give the Team any favors, as Leona saw Amu hiding right between Ace and Deuce. Sensing the intense stare had her look at him and pale. “Well, well, well~ If it isn’t the little Herbivore that stepped on my tail.”

 

This had her panicking. ‘God kill me!!’

 

“You stepped on our Leader’s Tail?!” The whole dorm growled and glared at the group.

“Not only that, she ran into me the other day~”

“Oh, this true, Ruggie?” Leona scowled.

“Yup, and without an apology, either. Though I gotta say, those cookies were de~lish. She should’ve made you some for stepping on your tail~”

‘Mother-[redacted!]’ “Liars! Both times were accidents, and I DID apologize to both of you!”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it!”

Cater got between Amu and the beastmen, trying to hopefully calm them down. “Look, guys. She’s just a kid. Cut her some slack.”

“Pfft. Let us teach her a lesson!”

“No,” The lion told them. “If you pick a fight with them close to the Tournament, we’ll get disqualified.”

The Investigation Team(™) all sighed unlike his students, who were still irked. “So we’re just gonna let them walk away?”

“I never said that,” From seeing his grin, all of them started laughing and grinning vigorously.

“H-Huh?!” Cater and Amu started to panic, versus Ace, Deuce, and Grim kept themselves on guard.

“I dunno, shishishi~” Ruggie grinned as well. “They don’t seem to be much of a challenge. Easy game if you asked me~”

And Ruggie’s comment did the worst thing imaginable: making the younger boys riled up for a fight against them.

Deuce cracked his knuckles, as did Axel. “Oh, y’all wanna go?!”

“Yeah. Who you calling easy prey, ya dick?!”

“Yo, Cater-senpai, remember this when you and Riddle select members for our Dorm!”

“Guys! Stop!” Apparently, someone didn’t like that, for next thing Amu knew, she was held up by the back of her collar.

“Babies like you are too little to play,” The grabber spat in her face.

“Put Amu-chan down, jerk!”

“That’s not how you treat a girl, desu~!”

This was not becoming a good day for Cay-Cay. But at least he had a good conscience. “Ok, ok. But chill out on A-chan. She’s too young to play.”

“Huh?”

“You think I’m stupid, herbivore? I know what she can do.”

‘Dammit!’ Cater thought. He just HAD to record her Magical Girl moment and post it. Alas, beggars can’t be choosers right now. “Sorry, Amu-chan. Seems like you have to play with the big boys.”

“And we’ll help too!” Ran said, determined. Alongside her, Miki and Su nodded in agreement.

“Don’t forget me!” Axel cheered.

That made all of their opponents laugh. Even as Amu was unceremoniously dropped onto her butt. “Let’s set the stage then.”

Helping her up, Ace and the others followed them to a huge Spelldrive arena in the heart of Savannahclaw. Leona, Ruggie and a few of their toughest and nimble players took stage against the Investigation Team.

Cater took up borrowing a broom to cover the ground, and Amu offered to help using Ran. That left Ace, Deuce, and Grim to cover the ground terrain. Once both teams were set, the match began. Ace charged carrying the Spelldrive disk as Grim threw fireballs and Deuce tossed cauldron and water shots. When things got in a pinch for them, Axel’s Chara-Change helped lock down (quite literally) anyone who got too close.

Cater’s fire shots from above helped them have additional coverage against Ruggie’s attacks. And a good Spiral Heart sike-strike knocked him off his teammate’s broom. “Good one, A.M.-chan!”

“Mmm!”

But that didn’t mean Lady Luck spared them. Soon, Leona charged forward and knocked back all of them, with Amulet Heart lucky enough to regain her balance. She panicked when she saw them on the ground. “Guys!”

 

“The hell?!”

 

“He came in like a wrecking ball!”

And the icing on the proverbial Middle Finger cake, Leona had the stolen disk in his hands-

 

-and shot it straight to her team’s goal.

 

“Eh?!”

“So fast and precise!” Miki gasped. “THAT’S how good he is?!”

 

---

 

Loss after loss, the Heartslabyul and Ramshackle group were left exhausted by the might of Savannahclaw. Nothing they did broke through their lines enough to score even ONE goal. All of them were on the ground, trying to catch their breath as the beastmen laughed at their humiliating defeat. 

“Aww, is that you got?” Ruggie mocked the exhausted group.

“Get up. We’re having a rematch.”

“Again?” This pissed the Joker off. Her eyes leaving her tired friends, she turned her angry gaze at Leona. “Seriously?! You kicked the crap out of them, and demanding them to play again despite how tired they are?!”

“So?”

“So?! They’re tired! And defeated!” She reasoned, not backing down despite everything in her screaming at her to stop. “A leader knows when to quit and not bully people at their lowest! And you; you’re not a leader! You’re a dickhead that likes to pick on the weak!”

He didn’t seem to like that. “What did you say, herbivore?”

Amu covered her mouth in a panic. “I-” She was grabbed by her collar and her face brought dangerously close to the Dorm Head’s. “Let go of me!”

“Amu-san!”

“Hey! Are you seriously picking on a kid like this?!”

“Serves her right, for messin’ with Leona-sama,” The boys laughed at the site. “Girly gonna get it now.”

Amu’s Would Be Selves went into panic mode, worried about what will happen to her. That’s when Su saw someone come their way, and then an idea started to brew. She darted away toward the newcomer, Jack, and begged for his help. “Jack-san! Help us, desu~!”

“Huh?!”

“Leona-san’s threatening to hurt Amu-chan! Please help!”

“Ok ok! I’ll go!”

They rushed over to the arena, Jack’s eyes hardened at his Dorm Leader holding the girl like that. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

A bigger Savannahclaw student spat: “It ain’t your business, frosh!”

“It is my business when I see my dormmates picking on a little kid. And when one of them is also Housewarden,” Jack lashed back.

“Aww, trying to play Mr. Knight in Shining Armour~”

“No-!” He denied. “It’s shitty Sportsmanship to bully rookies and amateurs the way you lot are doing.”

His mood ruined, he unceremoniously dropped Amu to the ground. She coughed on the ground, “We’re finished here.” He left, Ruggie following not behind acting non-chalant, and the rest of the dorm did as well.

Ace and Deuce-still in pain-then rushed to check on her. “Amu!/ You ok, Amu-san?!”

“I’m-” She coughed a bit. “I’m ok.” She took an offered hand up, and her Shugo Chara flew to check on her, too. As they were worried about her deeply.

Cater turned over to the wolf. “Thanks a bunch for helping us there, Jack!” He complimented him.

He tsked. “I’m not a fan of seeing a pathetic spectacle.”

“It’s ok, Jack-san,” Su patted his head. “You were a hero we definitely needed, desu~”

He gently swatted her away, “I’m no hero!” And then cleared his throat. “Now go. And by the way, if there IS someone causing these attacks, I can handle myself.” And left them alone once more.

Exhausted and defeated, the Investigation Team(™) left out through the mirror portal. Calling it a day.

 

What they all didn’t know, that in hurting them, Leona had foolishly caused the final Egg in Amu’s Pouch to begin shaking.

 

*DRIP, DROP*

 

---

 

Later that night, after a cool bath(one Amu had to admit that she lucked out that the heater decided not to work that night), the girls and Grim all retired into their bed. Bodies still sore from getting beaten earlier.

“I can barely feel my paws…!”

“I can barely feel my everything…!”

“Those jerks! I can believe how big headed they were. Even though you said sorry to them!”

“And to rub it in our faces how cool they were, desu~”

“They’re not cool! They’re dookie heads!”

“You mean shitheads, Ran,” Grim said, slightly annoyed.

“I don’t wanna swear!” He heard Ran mumble.

“C’mon. Henchhuman did it.”

“And look where that got me!”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Amu had noticed Miki isn’t as vocal as they were about their wounded pride. “Miki, are you ok?”

“Hmm?” She looked up from her sketchbook and turned to the others, all of them waiting on a response. “Oh. I’m fine, just thinking.”

“About, desu?”

“Probably, how arrogant cocky Leona and his Dorm acted.”

“No surprise there…”

“But, they also take Pride in Spelldrive alot. After one of his classmates threatened to beat us all up, he told them no or else they’d get kicked out,” Miki pointed out, tapping the end of her pencil to her chin.

“Yeah. Cater mentioned something about them being all athletes, right?” Grim asked.

He did tell them that as Amu recalled their talk in the Hall of Mirrors. Then plopping back down on her bed. “Still doesn’t excuse their behavoir… you’d think they knew how to treat a kid not like punching bag.”

The rest of them all sighed, too.

No use in thinking about that stuff, since all their leads again led to a dead end again. Conversation, they all laid in their beds, and Eggs, and fell asleep. Hoping tomorrow will give them newer clues.

 

And Dia’s Egg shook a little more.

 

---

 

In her dreams, Amu saw the events of the Lion King play out again. This time scene took place in the Elephant Graveyard; sometime after Mufasa kicked their butts for trying to kill Simba and Nala. “Why here?”

The scene continued, playing ‘Be Prepared’ as Scar continued to persuade the hyenas in his plan to kill his brother and nephew. She tried to not bounce to the tune of the song. ‘Curse you, Scar. You just HAD to make a good plan through song, didn’t you?!’ Then the scene showed the hyenas marching and chanting ‘Long Live the King!’ At the evil Lion, evil envy eyes smirking at his army. From the cliffside under him, the march continued on and- huh? One of the hyenas in the march is rounder than the others…and GLOWING?!

“The Egg from Wonderland?! It’s here too?!

Quickly, she climbed down and chased after it, trying to blend in and reach for it. Right as she got closer the land beneath her crumbled, Scar’s booming voice the last thing she heard as she fell.

 

“YOU WON’T GET A SNIFF WITHOUT ME!!!”

 

“AHHH!!!”

To Be Continued…

Notes:

It's almost ti~~~~me!!!!!!!!!!! Next chapter is the fated encounter~~~

Chapter 27: Ch: 27: Friend or Foe? ~A Midnight Rendezvous~

Summary:

Lack of rest, Amu goes to get fresh air, and meets some familiar faces outside her Dorm.

Notes:

Man. Back to back chapters? Yeah, wanted to spoil you guys for a while since I AM trying to juggle more things irl. And I figured I leave you with threefer(that's a word, right?) until next time!

“YOU WON’T GET A SNIFF WITHOUT ME!!!”

 

---

 

~Ramshackle Dorm: Amu's Room~

 

 

“Wahh!!”

 

*CRASH!*

 

Amu flailed and fell off her bed, landing head first on the ground. She moaned in pain, trying to regain her bearings as the brief glimpses of her dream still lingered. Flipping her body about til she sat up right on the floor, she saw that everyone else is still asleep. ‘Those jerks really did a number on all of us.’

She sighed and gets up, walking past her Egg Pouch, and her gaze lingered on Dia's Egg. Still clean and uncracked as the day she came back to her. ‘Dia…you missed out on so much,’ Mulling it over, she decides to pick up the diamond egg and carry it with her out her room and then her Dorm. “Some night-time air will do us both some good, ne?” She talked to her, not expecting a reply.

Once outside, Amu sat down on the crooked porch, her eyes turning upward and gazing at the stars. ‘Mom…Dad…Ami…I hope we all go home soon. I miss you all so much, and my friends…’ Slowly, her body trembled as she tried not to cry. Tries not to break down at being alone in a strange world. ‘It’s been almost two months, but I wanna go home so much…’

Something passes her then, its light making the unshed tears shimmer in amber eyes. “Eh?” A small speck of green light turned into two, then seven, then more. ‘Firefiles?’ Amu looked around and sure enough these fireflies danced around the front of her Dorm.

“Where did they come from…?”

A shadow passes by, almost scaring her if it wasn’t for the sparkle surrounding her. And familiar reptilian green widened. “Miss Human Lady?!”

 

“Umbra?” Amu jumped to her feet. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I should say the same thing!” He said back. “How did you find our favorite sightseeing spot?!”

“Sightseeing spot? This is my…dorm,” She answered him awkwardly.

“Huh?”

“Umbra, who are you talking to?” A deep voice spoke in the starry night. It sounded strange; not enough to make her skin crawl, but it did freeze her on the spot. The sound of shoes crunching on dirt approached the porch and a shadow loomed over the Joker. Nervously, she turned her gaze over to the new guest, and gapped.

She couldn't see much of his face from how he stood in the moonlight, but she knew has tall. WAY taller than any of the people she met in school. He was wearing the same school wardrobe issued to everyone, and with a green vest and armband. Some of the light shined on his hair; a deep black with teal, maybe blue green, tints. And his skin was pale; it made him almost otherworldly.

 

But what stood out the most, the one thing that made him more otherworldly to her: his horns. They were the same as Umbra’s but obviously bigger!

 

The same green eyes Umbra had looked down at her with mild confusion. “A Human?” He said, almost sounding disappointed. “I assumed this building was abandoned.”

‘Oh great…another cryptic,’ She sighed internally. “If it helps, this wasn’t my first choice of a place to sleep.” Her eyes twitched.

The strange boy didn’t seem fazed by her statement. “You look familiar…”

“It’s Miss Human Lady! You know! The girl that saved Seba and his Egg! The one I told you about!” Umbra told him, all giddy.

“That’s not…”

The little Chara then noticed the diamond Egg in her hands. “Ooooo!!! Is this your last Egg?!”

“Y-yeah,” Amu laughed at his enthusiasm. “I hope she wakes up soon.”

As she and Umbra chatted, she missed the brief smugish smile on the boy’s face as he saw them interact. It was supposed to be an endearing one, but alas…he’s trying. He sees that his trusted friend enjoyed her company enough. It amazed Malleus to see someone so young lost in this strange world able to find a small familiarity in Night Raven College. He nearly lost himself to his thoughts when she called for him. “You and Umbra are pretty close, ne?”

“Hmm?”

“Umbra. He’s your Shugo Chara, right?”

“Shugo…Chara?”

“She said that’s what we’re called in her world!” Umbra reached and held the tips of his shoes.

“...Yes. He is,” He answered after some time.

“He’s really sweet. He helped me back on my first day. Thank you…uh.”

“You don’t know who I am?”

“Uh, not really,” She stated bluntly. “I’ve run into so many guys here, there are a few who I don’t remember their names. Except my friends in Heartslabyul.”

“I see,” He grinned, almost scaring the girl with how slightly intimidating it made him.

However, Amu is very familiar with those types of smiles by this point. “What’s so funny?”

“He gets like that sometimes. But~~~, if you wanna know his name, it’s-”

 

The little dragon didn’t get to finish his sentence as the taller boy grabbed him and muffed him.

 

“Still, it is a shame this place is now occupied. Looks like we may have to find another place to walk,” The boy sighed. “May you and your newborn companion sleep well.”

Both boys disappeared in a light, the fireflies that surrounded her also leaving her, too. In the silence, Amu giggled to herself. “I swear everyone in this school is strange,” She then looked down at her Egg fondly. “At least it wasn’t a troublesome cat boy again, right Dia?”

Whether it was Father Time or not, the interaction had finally tuckered her out enough to go back to sleep. Mind and body feeling much better after the fiasco from that afternoon.

 

And as for Dia…while she may not have awoken yet, was smiling all the while.

 

---

 

Around the same time, Leona and Ruggie still remained in their Dorm’s Lounge, sitting by the watering hole. The lion was reclining in his chair, Ruggie leaning his back on the seat from his spot on the ground. Their ‘stash’ had expanded a bit more from their last attack, and the hyena was causally counting away their load. “18, 19, a~nd 20! Twenty of these dumb eggs in total!”

 

“I must say, you’re on a roll in Egg Hunting, Ruggie,” His leader chuckled. “I’m impressed.”

 

“Like taking wallets and credit cards from gullible prey,” Ruggie laughed. “So what’s the plan with ‘em?”

“Crowley said to keep an eye on ‘em, but baby sitting Eggs ain’t my forte,” Leona joked, an idea already brewing in his mind. “But they can be used for…a bargaining chip.”

 

“Bargaining Chip?” Their ears perked up at their newcomer. The scent they picked up had them turning to see a familiar freshman coming their way. “Shouldn’t you two be sleeping for tomorrow’s training session?”

 

“We will, after taking care of business, shishishi~”

Jack’s gaze then turned to the colorful Eggs inside a Spelldrive gym bag. He gasped at the quantity in their possession. “Where did you get those?!”

“Egg Hunting~ Jealous, Jackie boy?”

“Rumour has it Riddle Rosehearts had five before he overblotted. I can see our roommate give theirs up, but that’s way too many!” He could also tell the faint smell that most of them aren’t from Savannahclaw. “Those belong to the injured players of the other dorms, don’t they?”

“And?”

“Why worry about nabbing theirs when they could easily had given them to Headmage?”

“Because there’d be no point,” Leona clapped back. “Crowley wanted us to see if they ended up like that Shugo Chara last month. And if they did, send them away for detainment.”

“None of them look like the one in the video…besides why take them away if you wanted to take the coward’s way out?!”

“Cause Malleus Draconia needs to be taken down!” “Every year, Savannahclaw has been the top dog in Spelldrive. All of our students, jumping at the chance to get scouted and recognized by the rest of the world! And then…HE showed up.”

“Once he joined Night Raven College, Malleus Draconia had led Diasomnia to victory. Dethroning us from our position as Spelldrive champions,” He felt his claws sharpening as he rose from his seat, remembering the losses he and the others suffered encountering the Dragon fae on the field. “Since then, we were left in the dust. Not a single person bothered scouting our group, constantly favouring him and his team.” He walked over and leaned into his junior’s face. “This time, things will be different. We will take back our crown, and destroy Malleus Draconia once and for all.”

“And then, WE will be victorious once again!”

 

*PLOP, PLOP*

 

---

 

After that talk, he retired to his room for the night. That chat with his Leader made Jack feel…conflicted. His reasoning made sense, but to cheat and not strategize to overcome and beat Diasomnia for once…

 

He didn’t like it, but what could he tell anyone without any proof?

 

A sigh left his lips, turning his head to his sleeping roommates, his gear, and then the window peering out to the night sky. “Less than five days until the game… and more people are gonna get hurt until then.” He noticed one of the stars in the sky shined brighter than the rest, and he felt himself blush embarrassment thinking about that story his parents told him and his siblings back in the Shaftlands. “Wish upon a star, no matter what it is and no matter who you are, your dreams will come true…”

Rising up from his bed, he walked over to the window and closed his eyes. “Look, Star. I know I sound stupid tryin’ to ask you for advice. But I need some help. Leona-senpai wants to win no matter who gets hurt in the process. And I get the desire to win, but to physically cause harm and ruin everyone else' s chances ticks me off.” He leaned into the windowsill, hands half folded together and gaze never leaving the sky. “I need help. Like a sign to show him he doesn’t need to do this. People like our dorm, and Vil and his; hell, everyone deserves a chance to show their skills, amateur or pro. But…show me anything. A hint, clue. That’s all I’m asking.”

 

…

 

“... A waste of time… Just forget it. Night,” Jack turned away and slipped into his bed to rest.

 

The Star granted his wish. And a gentle stir slowly formed in his heart.

 

---

 

The next day in Alchemy class, another tragedy struck. An Ignihyde student had somehow burnt his dominant hand, slipping it into the hot liquid cauldron he and his classmate were working on. He winced in pain, tears prickling in his eyes.

“Peaches!” His partner came to his side, Divus Crewel not far behind. “The heck happened?!”

“I-I don’t know! I had just put one of our ingredients in the pot and counted the time needed before stirring!”

The fashionista professor ordered him to show him the wounded hand. It was blistering, bad. “This is bad. You.” He pointed to Peaches’ friend. “Take this pup to the infirmary.”

“Y-yes sir.”

The culprit grinned while pretending to be shocked at the incident.“Shishishi~ Another one down…No Egg but~ One less problem for us~”

But what this foolish hyena didn’t know…

 

*CAW, CAW*

 

*THUMP, THUMP*

 

was that he- Ruggie Bucchi- had unleashed hell in the worst way. And his victim hadn’t even left the Lab Dome….

 

To be Continued…

Notes:

Is it me, or am I getting addicted to cliffhangers?

Chapter 28: Ch.28: Peaches and Screams! ~The Third X-Egg Attack!~

Summary:

Just when the culprit thought he could get away with sabotage again, his actions led to dire consequences.

Notes:

Update ahoy~~~~~~~~~ Good to be back in the swing of things for Shugo Wonderland!

And no, I do not know why I quoted Jigsaw. It just came to me hehe...

~Night Raven: Potionology~

 

The moment the X-Egg appeared, all hell broke loose. The entire glass dome shattered because of the intense dark energy from the Egg. Students duck and covered from the fallen shards as Crewel casted a barrier to hold off more from harming anyone. Even then, it did very little as cauldrons, samples and even shelves started to tumble over. “Everyone! Evacuate outside immediately!” He barked at them.

Peaches’ friend, a Diasomnian student named Archer, picked up the unconscious boy and threw him over his shoulder, following the professor’s orders. He needed to get him to safety and inform his Dorm Leaders about this.

 

Ruggie slithered into the crowd once he saw crap hit the fan, and ran. Hiding in the bushes, he swore under his breath. “Damn! I didn’t think those were THAT bad! Cater’s recording made them seem like small fries!”

 

The commotion itself wasn’t kept private; Vargas’ class were doing flight training when the explosion happened. He just so happened to be on his own broom as the chaos started. He blew on his whistle to get everyone’s attention. “Sinew, listen up! The Potionology building went kablewy! Descend carefully, and check on anyone that got hurt!”

“Hai!”

Grim and Amu were in the middle of sharing a broom (thank you Ran for the pick me up) when they heard what their PE teacher said. “Myah! Kalbewy?!”

“How?! Was it a gas leak, desu?!”

“Su, it’s a magical school! There’s no way there’s a gas tank in Crewel Potion’s class!”

 

All of a sudden, just before they could go help, something zoomed high in the air just right beside the flyers. “!!! IT’S THAT EGG FROM LAST MONTH!!”

 

“IT’S HERE TOO?!?!”

Frozen in fear, Vargas and his students watched in horror as the shell started to crack and a creepy voice spoke to them. “Wanna play a little gaa~me?” The X-Chara popped out and grinned. It cast aside its shell, and summoned dozens of shadow Spelldrive disks directly targeting the flyers. “LET’S PLAAAA~~~~~~AAY!!!”

 

“MOVE!!!” Vargas screamed, blasting away as many disks as he could to give his students time to flee.

Unfortunately for him, some slipped by and began chasing many of them. Their fight or flight senses went off; some tried to run away, others used their magic to destroy any disks that got nearby. Grim was the latter as Amu tried to pilot them away from danger, and ordering him where to attack. “There Grim!” She pointed to three heading their way.

“Take this!” He shot his flames at them, destroying them instantly. “How do you like that!!”

“Stupid things! Go away!” They both turned as they saw a boy with wavy grey locks trying to stay on his broom like a lifeline, trying to dodge them as best he could.

“He’s in trouble!” She tried to turn to help him, but was blocked by more shadow disks.

“Ah! So are we!”

The whipping wind and disks made it impossible for him to hold on. A sneak attack from behind hit the brush end, causing the boy to begin slipping off his broom. “Oh no!” The Joker rushed to come up with an idea. And found one. “Grim! Keep riding the broom!”

“Are you crazy!”

“It’s ok, Grim!” Ran hollered from her end of the PE belt loop of Amu’s uniform. “We got this!”

“Ok. But you better not cry to the Great Grim if you end up becoming a Main Street Pancake!”

She nodded, nervously slipping off the handle and holding tight by her hands. ‘This is insane! Like death wish levels of insane!’ Then she looked back and saw him losing his grip and falling to the ground. “AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”

 

“HOLD ON!” She trusted her gut and let go of her broom-

 

-and started to fall herself.  

 

“Ahhhh!”

 

“Ready Amu-chan!”

“R-ready as I’ll ever beeeeeEEE!!”

She managed to Chara Change and control her fast descent, then beelined for the screaming boy.

The boy flailed about, his mind running a million miles a minute. One fact looping in his head: He was gonna die! He was gonna die in the worst possible way! in the worst possible class in existence!

“Hey!” He looked around, the wind making it hard for him to see. Squinting his eyes, he saw the Pink haired girl. And she was flying?! “Grab my hand!”

“Are you crazy!”

“Do you wanna die?!”

Good point! He took her hand and felt her covering him in her arms as tried to control her own descent. After what felt like an eternity, Amu managed to land them down safely by the Alchemy class. She breathed a sigh of relief, and moved to let go- She couldn’t move. She tried again, but an iron grip held her in place. Seems like curly q’s eyes were shut and didn’t know they were safely on land. “Uh,” She patted him on the head. “You can let go now.”

He peeled one eye open, and saw she was right, and that Crewel and his students were rushing to meet them. He immediately let go, and hastily composed himself. “T-Thank you, Amu-san.”

“Uh, no problem…?”

“Ashengrotto. Amu. Are you both alright?!”

“Yes, Crewel-sensei!”

“Amu-chan! The X-Chara!”

‘Right,’ She almost forgot. “Prof. Crewel, I’m gonna go get Headmage!”

“Thank you. We need all the help we can get,” He growled, watching as his co-worker was trapped protecting their students in the air.

"You better hurry up and get here, Dire."

 

---

 

It wasn’t long before the whole school was in a near uproar. Many classes and teachers peered outside after they heard the explosion happen; some took to moving them away from the windows, while others ran to contact Crowley and the Dorm Leaders about the situation.

Riddle and Ichigo were in Practical Magic class- shared alongside Vil, Leona, and Jamil- when the announcers went off. “MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! A STRANGE CREATURE HAS APPEARED AND IS ATTACKING THE SCHOOL!!”

“Strange Creature?” They don’t mean-

“It’s the Shugo Chara Amu-chan talked about, Riddle!”

He gasped. “Again?!”

“Again!” Vil's voice grew concerned and angry.

“HEADMAGE AND ALL DORM LEADERS! PLEASE REPORT TO THE ATTACK SITE IMMEDIATELY!!!”

Rising from his seat, Riddle rushed out the door. “Come! We have no moment to waste!”

“I’ll go find Kalim and meet you guys there!”

“Leona-”

“I heard them. Don’t need to remind me,” The leonine growled. Everything was going according to plan. What the hell happened to trigger this Shugo Chara to pop up?

Soon all three of them exited the main building; the message telling them the incident is at the Potionology Building. They wasted no time and rushed to the location. “Can’t believe this is happening again. After we already had two scares last month.”

“Neither can I,” Riddle muttered under his breath. “But alas, we must hurry and subdue it.”

“Right. And then serve it to Crowley under lock and key,” Leona said, his gaze focus “Right Little Red~?”

They didn’t notice, but he had pursed his lips, mind wandering to his Heart Fae in his pocket. ‘So long as Amu-san heals it, there won’t be a detainment…’

They finally arrived, noticing the damaged hall, and PE professor fighting for his life and many other students lending a hand. They saw Crewel assessing Azul and made their way over. “Crewel-sensei!”

“Pups! We got trouble!” Crewel warned them. “That Strange Creature appeared after another student was injured and ruined the bio dome!”

“So we heard.”

“And now Vargas and his students are tangled in this mess as well.”

“Shouldn’t headmage be here?”

“Ms. Amu left to go find him. He’ll be here shortly. Hopefully.”

More screams echoed in the air, causing them to look up and see the X-Chara unleash a bigger spell that hit everyone flying, sending many to cling on their brooms for dear life. Even Ashton, tired yet desperate to hold on longer.

“Let me help Riddle! Please!”

“Huh?”

“I can lend you my power to help them!”

“Will it be enough?”

“We won’t know unless we try!”

 

“..... Ok. Lend me your power, Ichigo,” He moved his hand away, letting his slip out carefully and to his side. “On my mark.”

 

“Ok!” “Chara Change! Red!” A Tart-shaped crown appeared on his head. “Royal!” His magipen became a giant fork. “Resolute!”

And a wave of the massive cutlery staff, he summoned- 

A giant Tart?

 

…

 

“Ichigoooooo!”

 

“Sorry, Riddle! But this is what your Chara Change does!”

“Why this?!”

“I mean. Your wish was childhood sweets like!”

“Oh my,” The beautiful blonde tried to hide his smile while Leona laughed at Riddle’s misery.

Though looks can be deceiving as the Tart managed to catch everyone that fell from the sky. Including the PE professor, who popped out the confectionate like a daisy, licking frosting and sugar off his nose. “Mmm. Kiwi!”

Crewel looked over at the Rose Leader arguing at the tiny faerie at his side. “Rosehearts. You did this?”

Said boy froze in place, and quickly tried to save face. “I tried casting a wind spell to prevent severe injuries from happening. Alas, I may have…missed lunch and my cravings led to my spell becoming… this.”

“Either way. You thought on your feet. Well done.”

“Thank you,” He said, his cheeks still red.

 

“PEACHES!!!”

 

They all looked back to see Archer held in place by the masterless brooms! After all the flyers fell off, the X-Chara controlled them to target him and steal back his master. Caging him in a wooden, bristled prison. His friend, meanwhile, was carried away by the monster, suspended in the air like Seba last month and encased in giant Spelldrive disks.

 

“USELESS~~~~~~~!!!”

 

---

 

During this, far away from everyone, Amu stopped to catch her breath. Mind racing over the current events happening right now. A third Outbreak happened; a third X-Egg disaster happened, during prep work for the Spelldrive tournament. ‘Why now?! Of all times, why did it happen again?!’

Her Chara left their place on her PE suit, their faces all line with worry too. “We gotta go back and help them!”

“I know, but…” She thought back to the announcement of the Egg Hunts. “Even if I save this one, they’re still gonna demonize the Shugo Chara! What’s the point of saving them if no one is willing to listen outside of Heartslabyul?”

“Seba and the others did!” Ran rebutted.

“And they came to the conclusion after they realized their Would Be Selves were gone,” Miki added.

Still… It didn't change the girl’s uncertainty about the situation. She’s already juggling one too many things, no thanks to Crowley. And it doesn’t help that he seems content with the approach everyone else wants to do over listening to her. Why give her a crappy title and status when all it’s doing is making things worse?!

 

“Miss?” A voice chimed in the foliage.

“Who’s there?”

“Do not be alarmed,” This calm stranger said as they floated out from their hiding spot. “I’m merely here to check your wellbeing.”

Amu and the girls gasped. It was another Shugo Chara; another boy with dark long locks. Part of his hair was styled in a scorpion-tail ponytail and his bangs looked like pointed fangs. He wore vermillion, baggy dancer pants and a matching crop top; both with golden embellishments. His ruby eyes softened when he saw she was ok. “Good. No signs of any severe injuries.”

“Who are you?”

“You may call me Ruby. Like you three, I am a Heart Fae,” The newcomer, Ruby, bowed.

“Uh, nice to meet you, Ruby. But…Why are you here?”

“I’m here because I was separated from my master.”

“Master?” He’s probably referring to his Kid.

“Now I believe it is my turn to ask questions. What is on your mind?”

“…” She paused for a moment, and then confessed: “I’m just… angry.”

“Angry?” She explained everything to him. All that occurred so far, as well as the current events unfolding by Main Street. “I see… I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s been super difficult, desu~”

“Yet, you managed to sway a whole dorm’s opinion. And a few more from the others.”

“Still, I’m scared saving this one is gonna make things worse again. That one will listen to me…”

“So the dreams and desires of this boy matter little to you?”

“Eh?” She turned to him, confused.

“If you’re scared of failure, then both the Heart Fae of this victim should suffer as well,” Ruby stated matter of factly.

“That’s not what I said!”

“Then what do you mean?”

 

“I… I don’t want them to think Shugo Chara are all bad.”

A small smile appeared on his lips. “I’m not a professional therapist, but I can tell you truly care for other’s dreams. If you believe that to be true, deep down in your heart, then, prove them wrong. And I suggest you’d hurry.”

 

“PEACHES!!!”

 

They all looked back at the way they came from. “Peaches?”

“That must be the boy the X-Chara’s from?”

Fist clenched at her sides, Amu’s self doubt vanished. And in its place: determination was born. “Let’s go girls!” They all nodded and ran, but before she tried to thank Ruby-

 

-But he was gone.

 

“Amu-chan!”

 

“Right!!” She turned back and raced after her Chara, oblivious to the newest Chara that smiled again before fading into black.

 

---

 

“BOOO~~~RIII~NG!! I WANNA PLAY MORE GAMES!!!”

 

“Damn lil’ bastard!” Leona cussed, already out of breath and magic reserves.

 

“He deflected everything we threw at it…” Vil panted beside him. “Not even Riddle’s new tricks made a dent.”

“Sorry, Riddle…”

“It’s fine… I just didn’t think it’d be this difficult. Amu-san made it look easy.”

 

Why…The voice of Peaches could be heard by everyone. Why me? I just… I just wanted to be good again. He showed me how to get better at Spelldrive! I was looking forward to beating him this year. And now… As his voice got more desperate and heated, the dark magic from the X-Chara got worse.

NOW I CAN’T EVER PLAY AGAIN!!!!

 

The waves came out in bursts, and were about to knock everyone and everything back. But just in the knick of time!

 

“HONEY BUBBLES~~~!!”

 

A wall of yellow, sticky bubbles halted the attack from harming anymore people. It even gently pushed back everyone that was stuck in Riddle’s tart cushion.

“Honey…”

“Bubbles…?”

 

“That sounded like…” Both Heartslabyul boys looked around, and saw a shadow leap onto the bubble barrier. “Up there!”

 

Standing atop her own sweet creation was Hinamori Amu in a green, poofy maid dress. A whisk in hand and a bowl in another.

“Chara-Nari: Amulet Clover!”

To Be Continued…

Notes:

This is why you don't mess with people, Ruggie. They get upset, and their Would Be Self goes bonkers!

Also, Su's time to shine! I was itching for her to Chara Nari and debated exactly when she should show! Better now than never, right?

Btw, anyone wanna guess who Ruby's Kid might be~?

Chapter 29: Ch.29: A spoonful of Honey makes the Medicine go down! ~Amulet Clover's Debut~

Summary:

Sweet sweet Su saves the Day. And Amu may have(unintentionally) gave the culprits an out about the X-Charas...

~Night Raven: Ruins of Potionology Dome~

 

“Chara-Nari: Amulet Clover!”

 

…

 

“A maid? How original.” Leona chuckled. “Herbivore really DOES fit the bill of a girly girl~”

“I don’t get how domestic bliss will stop that meddlesome creature…” Vil crossed his arms in disapproval.

“Maybe enough to clean up this mess for us~”

Rightfully ignoring everyone’s ignorant comments again, Amulet Clover rhythmically tapped on her bowl. “Sugar, Spice, and everything nice…” She says as she raises her whisk in the air. “All of your anger and sadness will melt in the sweets ♡” She jumps and spins in the air, the tip of her utensil conjuring yellow honey.

 

“Remake Honey~~”

 

Her spell formed waves that counteracted the X-Chara. Sweeping the broken glass shards, damaged street parts and brooms holding Archer prisoner. And the Honey swept through the main Potionology building, repairing everything inside and shifting the glass back in place; making it good as new.

“She fixed the building!? With Honey?!” Azul exclaimed, his glasses falling off his face. “How is that possible?!

“Talk about being prophetic, Leona,” Vil laughed at the other; said lion only grumbled as he placed a hand to his head.

Enraged at his fun being ruined, the X-Chara tried to attack her by summoning more Disks her way. Hastily, she transformed her whisk into a pan and started batting each thing away. Even using it to form a small barrier to push back against one. “Stubborn thing. Time to up the ante then,” Changing cooking tools again, she split her whisk into two and spinned.

 

“Remake Honey Special!”

 

This time her Honey ensnared the naughty Chara, and disabled its magical disks holding the unconscious student as it guided his body gently onto the ground. Angrily, the X-Chara tried to break out. Each of its attempts led to it falling back in the sticky, syrupy trap. Amu approached the little guy, waving a finger at him. “You’re not going anywhere, you naughty thing!” She said in disapproval. “Your Boy is badly hurt, and this is the way you lash out?” The X-Chara could only look at her nervously. 

 

As for everyone else, they were dumbfounded at how EASY she made this case compared to the last.

 

“You may not be able to play this year. But that doesn’t mean you can never play again. There are other ways to show your friend what you’re made of,” Amu smiled, recalling when she saved Maika-chan when she thought she could never be a primaballerina anymore. “After all, you and him both deserve the chance to shine!” She readied her hands and performed “Open Heart!” on Peaches’ Shugo Chara.

The negative emotions that plagued the Chara were no more. And the darkness of the shell faded back into pure white once again. “Spin, spin, spin~ For the Win, win WIN!” The Egg broke open and revealed a Spelldrive Chara wearing a golden medal on his neck.

Amulet Clover opened her palm for him. “Peaches’ dreams of being good at Spelldrive, huh?”

“Mmm-hmm! All thanks to his best friend in the world, Archer! And me, too!” He puffed his chest out, but then made a small, sad smile. “But I’ll make sure to keep an eye on him since his hand needs time to heal. Thank you again, Miss!” He vanished  back into his Egg and slipped into his Kid’s Heart once more.

Amu sighed in relief; the chaos was over. Another person and their Chara were saved, but… “Will this be enough to still change their minds?” She wondered.

“Even if it doesn’t, we’ll keep working hard to prove them wrong, desu~”

“Mmm…”

 

“Amu-chan/ Amu-san!” She turned and saw Riddle and Ichigo coming to them after slipping through some of the remaining honey bubbles, the former checking over her well being. “Are you hurt? It didn’t scar you; no bruising?”

“No. I’m fine,” The Joker reassured the Rose Queen. “I’m glad no one else got hurt. Quick thinking on that tart by the way.”

Blushing, Riddle cleared his throat again. “I-it was no easy task. Your class ran the risk of suffering severe injuries. So Ichigo and I improvised.”

“That’s good.”

 

“Ms. Hinamori!” Crewel popped away at the rest of the bubbles to confront the girl. Vargas, not far behind, finally broke free of the tart cushion, and ran to the couple. “That was some strategic thinking using home economics to tackle that beast!”

 

“Don’t encourage her!” He yelled at his co-worker, before facing the girl. “What were you thinking?! I told you to get Crowley.”

 

“I-I know, but-!”

“What is going on here?!” Speaking of Headmage, the man of the hour decided to show himself at last. “When the alarms went off, I ran to hide- I mean, ensure anyone close to the incident were out of harm's way! And now the Potion's Lab is…fully restored?” It was. And it was exactly what Divus and Vargas wanted to know. The remaining students, on the other hand, were still in awe that the glass dome building was as good as new. As if the Shugo Chara never destroyed it! “How could this be?”

“Uh… I did that.”

“HUH?!”

“It’s true, Headmage. She came back to assist us in,” Riddle froze for a moment to correct his words. “Halting the mess before it could cause more destruction to the school.”

This was news to him. Good news, since that meant the school wouldn’t face any public controversy. Bad news, since this happened during their annual spotting event. Either way, it seems like this little girl managed to quell the issues once again.“I see. Then, with the building fixed and no one severely injured, I believe there’s no more-”

“Actually sir… there is one…” One of the other Dorm Leaders, Azul Ashengrotto, came forward and stopped their headmage. “Mister Persephone of Ignhyde. Since he was the recent victim of the Shugo Chara incident, he may know what caused it to happen.”

“I can help fill in the blanks. He isn’t the only pup that knew what triggered this case…”

 

---

 

In the Sandy Hot desert of Scarabia Dorm, the Shugo Chara, Ruby sat on the kitchen counter as he watched his Master mill about. “You were onto something about her. Though it’s a shame I couldn't stay longer…”

“And risk you gettin’ stolen by Savannahclaw or the other dorms? As if,” A calm voice said toHeart Fae, passing him a bowl of curry. “Still, her commitment to saving another student after everything that transpired so far… she’s either a diamond in the rough, or foolish joker.”

“Nevertheless, it's essential to what she means by these Shugo Chara not being evil. Everyone knows Heart Fae aren’t evil, but these Shugo Chara on the other hand…” Charcoal, serpentine eyes narrowed as he rested his elbows on the counter. “Still, she made it sound like they’re one the same…”

“Maybe in her former world we are.”

“… Let’s discuss it more tomorrow. What do you say, Ruby?”

“Fine by me… Jamil.” He nonchalantly passed him his bowl. “May I?”

“That’ll be your fourth one. At least save some for me, you glutton,” The Vice Leader of Scarabia giggled.

“Not my fault your food’s delicious,” Ruby pouted.

 

---

 

Case resolved, Crowley ordered everyone- including Divus and Ashton- to go to the infirmary and have all other staff assist in checking all other students of both classes checked for any other scrapes or bruises. It was here that Archer, Peaches, and Crewel gave their testimony about what occurred before the X-Egg had appeared: Another Spelldrive candidate was involved in another accident, only this time it summoned that Strange Creature again.

Armed with this knowledge, the Headmage dismissed himself and left the two boys alone. “Sorry, Archer… I didn’t mean to cause such a mess.”

“It’s ok, Persephone. Accidents happen,” The Diasmonian student told him. “I’m just glad you’re not getting suspended over this.”

“True dat. Though whatever power-up Amu-san had really helped,” He showed the other boy his hand. “See. My hand’s not as blistered as it was when it happened.”

“Would it be weird if I told you it was magic honey?”

“Tbh, no. We live in an era of magic, AND a REAL Magical Girl, so anything’s possible!”

His friend chuckled at him. “Yeah, yeah. Get better soon. Next time we meet, it’ll be on the Spelldrive battle friend against those prissy, goody two shoes!”

“Damn straight!”

 

A tap on the curtains alerted them of another person stopping by to see them. “May I come in?”

 

“Sure,” They gasped as they saw Amu and Grim come to see them. “You.”

“Hey…” She smiled awkwardly.

“No no no. Sorry, it’s just-” The blue dressed boy flustered, trying not to fanboy out.  “It’s super cool to see you after all that you did!”

“Forgive him. He’s a weeb like everyone else in his dorm,” Archer laughed. “Thanks for saving us back there.”

“Our pleasure. The Great Grim DID train her to be the best Henchhuman ever, ya know~” He got a bonk on the head for that. “Hey!”

She ignored him. “How’s your hand by the way?”

“Not as bad as earlier,” He flexed his hand again for her to see. “That magic honey of yours really helped.”

“Hehe. Thank you,” She smiled then activating her stubborn persona. “Still, you better be mindful not to get carried away with not being able to play.”

“Can’t be helped. After this year, all third years will begin their Internships. So this was our last chance to face each other in the interdorm.”

“Eh? That’s a thing?” Her and Grim blinked.

“Yup.”

“So, do you know how the burning happened?”

“We already told Crewel and Headmage. But since you helped us, I’ll tell ya.” Peaches then went on how he and Archer were working on their potion assignment in class. He stayed to stir the mixture every so often while the other boy left to grab the last ingredient they needed. He looked back to his desk for a moment to double check the recipe in their textbook; but the next thing he knew, his hand went into the scolding hot cauldron instead of grabbing the mixing oar. “What’s weird is that I'm good at potion making. Good B+’s down the board, but I’ve never fumbled that badly.”

“He’s not wrong. You should see him play Alley Fighter!”

“But it did feel like someone pushed me, or my body was pushing me to burn myself.”

 

‘Someone or some force pushing your body to do it…’

 

---

 

Later that same evening, Leona cornered his hyena student in his room, fangs bared in frustration. “What the fuck did you do, Ruggie?”

 

“I did my usual thing! How was I supposed to know that was gonna happen?!”

“That’s all?” He leered down.

“Yes! Seven Damn!” He snared back, pushing the older boy off him. “He didn’t show signs of having a stupid Egg, so getting rid of Peaches was easy!”

Leona sat back down on his bed, arms crossed as he still glared at Ruggie. His mind kept playing over the entire X-Egg incident hours ago. Trying to figure out when that creature appeared and how it almost blew their plan out the water.

Peaches didn’t have an Egg on his person. He never had one on his person, so there’s no way it could’ve popped up and destroyed Divus’ Lab.

 

“That Creature was connected, no, BORN from this boy’s Heart. And they needed to be saved.”

 

Peaches never had one on his person…

 

“That Creature was connected, no, BORN from this boy’s Heart!”

 

Never had one on his person…

 

“BORN from this boy’s heart…” And then it hit him. “Born from his heart.” And soon he let out a twisted laugh.

His lackey didn’t seem to find it funny. “What’s so funny?”

“Remember Cater’s recording about Pinky and those ‘Shugo Chara’? During the first case?” 

He watched as the hyena gave a nod. “Yeah? What about it?”

“She dropped some spicy information about where they come from.”

“Oh yeah? Shishishi~ this outta be good.”

‘Herbivore, you better be prepared for the coup of the century,’ Leona smirked. Cause your little confession is what I need to get rid of Draconia.’

 

*PLOP, PLOP*

 

---

 

Meanwhile, Umbra had snuck back to Ramshackle to visit his favorite human friend. “Miss Human Lady!”

Amu stepped outside, a sleeping Dia in tow, and smiled as she saw the tiny Dragon fae again. “Umbra. Hi. I thought you and your…friend weren’t coming anymore.”

“He didn’t wanna come tonight,” He pouted. “Something about him missing the alarm announcement about the incident again. Even after I told him I wanted to see you!”

‘He must’ve really bad time management skills,’ She thought humorously. “It’s ok. Thank you for checking on me. You’re so sweet.”

“Aw, shucks~” He blushed. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

“Mmm. Friends,” Amu, then a thought came to her. “Umbra. I have a question for you?”

“Shoot.”

“These accidents. If… if you thought these injuries all these Spelldrive players were getting weren’t really accidents, but someone forcing them to hurt themselves. How would you go about it?”

“Hmm. My best guess would be… some form of puppeteering magic. Almost like mind control.”

“That exists?!”

“Of course. This is a school full of mages after all,” He reminded her.

‘Ah, right…’

“Now usually mind control requires the caster to see the target in order for them to make them do something against their will. Why’d you ask?”

“... I spoke with the recent victim, and the way he told me how he got hurt… it made me think whoever is doing this might be using a spell like that and hiding themselves so they don’t get caught,” She heard him gasp beside her. “But I don’t have any leads…” She rubbed a thumb over the diamond shell.

“I see, I see~” “He might know a thing or two,” Umbra whispered to himself. “Tell you what, Miss Human Lady. Once I go home, I’ll tell him everything about what you said. He might have an idea about your theory.”

“Thank you,” She felt happy that he heard her out.

 

“Before I go, wanna meet Gustave?”

 

“Gustave?” She blinked at him, puzzled.

“He’s a friend He and I made! He’s still a work in progress, though.”

“Uh, sure. Lead the way,” And off they went to meet this Gustave near the school’s exit.

 

To Be Continued…

 

Bonus Scene:

 

In his room, Riddle and Ichigo sat in their beds, recalling the turn of events. Subconsciously, the rose queen had picked up a pillow and cuddled it to his chest, his chin resting on top.

 

In the span of three seconds, he rolled around in his sheets trying to suppress the reality of Amu’s third transformation. “By the Queen of Hearts!!!!!! A maid?! A MAID?!?!? She became a maid?!!” It didn’t help that his face was a shade of pink. “And she-! And she defeated evil in such a modest manner!!”

And the catchphrase she used. “All of your anger and sadness will melt in the sweets ♡" He giggled like a schoolgirl after repeating that phrase. "Such a wholesome incantation…”

Ichigo just giggled in the background. “Riddle-kun has a Maid fetish~”

 

“NO I DON’T!!” He screamed so loud the whole dorm heard him from their rooms, nervously hoping he wasn't relapsing to his old ways again...

Notes:

To everyone who guessed the owner of the Shugo Chara Ruby: You guys hit the nail square on the noggin! I was conflicted whether or not to include him so early, but there is a small reason.

And yeah, did a bonus reaction from Riddle. I debated including a smaller segment on his reaction to her outfit as I didn't want to bloat everyone's reaction to her too much. Nevertheless, I think I captured a bit of a flustered Red Rose Queen.
(If you read Twst Tone., then you know what I did with Ace there, too lol)

Chapter 30: Ch.30: Stolen Hearts Unite! ~The Culprit’s Identity Revealed!~

Summary:

All the pieces reveal the true culprit of the Spelldrive incidents. But they still had one more trick up their sleeve...

~Night Raven: Hall of Mirrors~

 

Same strange case, just a different day for Night Raven. Long after curfew, everyone had gone ballistic over the third X-Egg incident that happened during classes this time. Granted, they were mostly gossiping about the newest transformation Amu used to stop the X-Egg disaster that endangered not one, but TWO classes. They were giddy and losing their minds over Amulet Clover.

 

And no other Dorm was more vocal than Ignihyde.

 

“Holy shit! Holy shit! We are living in THE timeline!”

“Ikr!!!! Like, I thought her suave, blue transformation looked cool, but a Maid! A MAID?!”

“AND SHE’S A HEALER CLASS!!! HOW COOL IS THAT!!!!”

“MINA!” The voice of their Housewarden had the gossipy boys freeze. All nervous eyes were on him, and yellow eyes hardened at them. “I know you’re gussing over the latest update on Amu-chan’s Signature Spell. And it seems you all forgot one important thing here.”

All remained quiet, minus a handful that gulped.

“We…are no longer Team Red vs. Blue. We got green in the mix now; a healer maid, so we need to up the ante!” He grinned twistedly. “So who wants to help make Amulet Clover merch?”

Everyone had locked in and debated who called dibs on making Amulet Green.

 

And as she tucked herself into bed, Amu suddenly sneezed.

 

---

 

The next day, Amu met up with Cater, Riddle and Ichigo again. Grim and Ran pumped about sniffing out the suspected culprit, Miki looked over her notes, and Su brought more Cheer Up cookies for any more people they’d encounter today.

“Morning boys,” She waved.

“Morning.” 

“Morning, A-chan. A-chan minis~” 

Ran looked around and saw they were three heads short. “Where’s Ace-kun, Deuce-kun, and Axel?”

“Oh. It’s their morning for Flamingo duty!”

Amu felt confused, until she realized it’s ANOTHER Queen of Hearts Rule for their dorm. Her face deadpanned. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” She watched Riddle nod. “In accordance with Queen of Hearts’ Rule no. 249: One must don pink when feeding flamingoes.”

“Aww. How cute, desu~ Tending to animals and making them feel safe~”

“Maybe next time, you can help them, Ran. I’m sure they’d love you.”

 

Getting back on track, the Diamond grinned. “BTW, we got some breaking news we think you might like.”

“Huh? What news?”

“Let’s discuss this once we meet with them. It’ll be easier that way,” Riddle ushered them all to the Mess Hall. “By the way, are you ok? I know yesterday must’ve been tiring after you saved Persephone.”

“Oh, um. I’m fine. WAY better than the day before,” Amu joked, pretending that a certain jerkwad lion didn’t exist.

“Cater told us yesterday after he came back,” Ichigo said by his spot on Riddle’s shoulder.

“That guy was a total knob. He and his team beat us up. He even grabbed Amu-chan by the collar.”

“Wow. You refuse to swear, yet you called him knob.”

“It’s not a swear if it equals calling him a lazy, stupid head.” Ran grinned with a smug.

“Lazy? Yes. But Leona is NOT stupid, Ran.”

“He’s not, desu~?”

“Yup. He and his Dorm dominated Spelldrive for a really long time. Savannahclaw is the place to be if you’re an ambitious Spelldrive player!”

 

‘He and his dorm were the winners for many years…’ She pondered this information. ‘If that’s true…’ She pinned this thought down for them to discuss later as they made their way to the Cafeteria.

 

“So we’re gonna be chatting with Jamil Viper.”

“Jamil…Viper…?”

Grim knew exactly the name. “Oh him! He the guy henchhuman cru-”

Until his mouth was covered by Amu picking him up and holding him still. “Where is he?”

Smugly smiling at the hidden implications, Cater pointed to two seats not far from them. “There. Sitting next to Kalim. In the white cardigan.” They approached the duo, and found him talking and eating next to a boy with white hair and red eyes, wearing a golden bandana on his head. “Hello Kalim. Jamil-chan.”

The Heir smiled and greeted back. “Cater! Riddle! Good morning-!” He gasped as he saw the infamous pinkette and leaned over the table to greet her. “AH! Hi there, Amu-san! And the weasel that set my butt on fire. I’m Kalim, Dorm Leader of Scarabia!”

“Uh, hi…” She said as both of them were taken aback by Kalim’s sudden intrusion. ‘He radiates super puppy energy! Like Yaya, kinda.’

The boy next to him ringed him back. “Calm down. You’re overwhelming her,” He sighed before putting on a smile. “Hello, Amu-san. Riddle. Everyone.”

“Sorry you were hurt, desu~” Su apologized, and offered them a bag. “Here. I made cookies for you!”

“Aww. Thank you!”

“I’ll... save them for later, but I doubt you guys are here just to give me sweets.”

‘Oh great another one. Though he is kinda handsome,’ Amu lamented again. “The Headmage wanted us to check on you in his stead.”

“The headmage?” Now that got him to listen. “Very well then.”

“So how did you get hurt?”

“It was strange,” Jamil confessed. “I was cutting meat for a meal when suddenly my hand moved on its own and cut my other one.”

Cater nudged the Joker in the shoulder. “Too bad he didn’t get a chance to try your Remake Honey, Amu-chan~”

“And I remember feeling out of it when it happened.”

“Feeling out of it?” Amu and Riddle pass a glance at each other hearing that.

 

“Maybe you were tired from practice?” Kalim suggested, too. “He told you not to overdo it the other day.”

 

“I dunno…it didn’t feel like sluggishness to me. It felt like…a Signature Spell.”

“Signature Spell, desu?”

“A super spell made by someone, and unique to only them,” Ran explained to Su.

Kalim nodded enthusiastically. “That’s right! Cause Jamil’s-” He didn’t finish as the other boy covered his mouth in a panic.

 

“Hmm…” Miki thought as she wrote down his statement and compared it to others she had. And then let out a gasp. “Amu-chan! I think I know who it is!”

 

“Eh?”

“I added what Jamil said to my notes,” She made the sketchbook a bigger size for Amu to read. “And look!”  Reading over all the tomboy had penned down, she was hit with an epiphany. All the cases were starting to add up. Each accident having someone aiming to play this be a player with potential, Shugo Eggs going missing at the same they happen, and the most damning of all: the person who could've done this since HE used it on Su, and tried to eggnap Ichigo from Riddle.

And it all boiled down to…

 

---

 

“You ran into me. I think I deserve some form of compensation,” He smirked at her. “What’s it gonna be?” He sniffed the air, catching the smell of something sweet. “I smell cookies.”

“That’s me, desu~” Su forward to them, pulling out one of her cookie bags. “I made these for some friends, desu~”

“They sure do smell nice,” He complimented the Clover. “Mind if I take one?”

“Hmm?”

“C’mon, it wouldn’t hurt to share. We technically are friends now,” He held a hand, and, somehow, Su gave him the bag.

“Huh?”

“Su./ Da heck, Su?!”

“Much obliged, Suey. Shishishi~” He licked his lips, mouth already hankering for a bite.  

 

---

 

She sat up fast, spooking everyone at the table. “Amu-san. What did you and Miki find?”

“Ruggie…Bucchi.”

“Huh?”

She turned to the rose queen, face serious. “It’s Ruggie Bucchi! He did this!”

“Really?!”

“I have a hunch it's him. Does anyone know his homeroom?”

“Class 2-B.”

Grim finally slipped out of Amu’s arms, angry that the cookie thief and prankster was under their noses the whole time! “Let’s get that cookie thief!”

“Grim, wait!” Soon, the Investigation Team ™ got up and hastily left the Mess Hall to find the perpetrator. “Thank you for the information! Hope your hand recovers, Jamil-san!” 

 

“Uh, later… I guess.”

Once they vanished beyond the doorway after the dire beast, Kalim sighed sadly. “Awww. They didn’t ask about him?”

“I think they didn’t want to intrude given the circumstances. Besides,” Jamil smirked at his leader. “Ruby’s good at keeping himself out of trouble. Since he witnessed their culprit stealing a few Eggs during Alchemy class.”

 

---

 

Thanks to Riddle and Cater having a better layout of the second year hallway classes, they managed to track down the beastman in his homeroom class. He was sitting about in his chair waiting when they arrived. “Ruggie Bucchi! Get out here and face the Great Grim!” He said, stomping into the classroom.

“Oi! Be quiet!” Amu tried to tame and apologize to everyone else.

Said hyena in question arched a brow and snickered to himself at the little motley crew. Playing along, he got up from his seat. “You called, Mr. Kittycat?”

Grim got angrier at that until Su whipped a ribbon up and tied it around his mouth. She made a shush to keep him quiet.

Hoping to keep things calm and collected, Riddle approached Ruggie first. “Hello. We need to speak with you about the recent incidents that befell many aspiring students.” He requested. “Do you have time?”

The smile on his face vanished as the hyena’s tone turned somber. “Oof. Sounds serious.”

“Toats. We can chat in the hallway. Keep it between the DMs.”

“Don’t grill me too harshly; I’m cooperating. Remember I was part of the people that got ambushed by that crazy Shugo Chara the other day.”

All of them stepped out of the class, needing to proceed with caution with interrogating him. They asked him everything; from where he was when each incident happened, who he was with until they told him everything and laid bare all the facts and damning clues they found. Yet he still denied it all.

“Since you’ve cooperated with us, just to be safe, I will use my Unique Magic on you.” 

 

Now that made Ruggie’s face instantly change into a smug. “You sure you wanna do that without your pen~?”

 

Cater and Riddle check their breast pockets, and sure enough, their pens were gone. “Huh?”

“EH!!!!”

“Shishishi~ You Heartslabyul folk are easy to fool. You privilege types outta keep an eye on your possessions,” He laughed at them.

“Give them back!” Grim demanded after finally removing the ribbon from his mouth.

“Sorry. My hands are full,” He grinned, holding up Amu's Egg Pouch and Locket in his other hand.

“EH?!” Amu felt around her neck, and paled. He took her precious items and Dia, too.

“I can’t believe we’ve been bamboozled, desu~!”

He didn’t think twice once he heard and felt his bonus prizes rumble in the bag. “Whoops! Gotta run!”

Then they noticed someone in their group was missing. “Hold on. Where is-!”

 

“RIDDLE! HELP MEEE!!”

 

“Ichigo?!” He patted his inner pockets, face turning super red. “RUGGIE BUCCHI! HOW DARE YOU KIDNAP THE PRINCE OF HEARTSLABYUL!!!” Rules be damned; that con artist stole his Heart Fae, and won’t hesitate to behead him to get him back.

“Riddle!/ Ridz!”

“He’s on a rampage!”

“Can you blame him!” 

They gave chase as well to stop Ruggie from getting away. He was fast, ridiculously fast! Even in his rage, Riddle tried to keep up with him. Then he saw three familiar faces far ahead of him and the thief. “Ace! Deuce! Stop him!”

“Huh?/ Why?!”

Amu yelled at them, too. “He’s the perp!”

Cater tried to motivate them to move it! “And he stole Little Red!”

 

“RIDDLE-KUN!!!!!”

 

“Ichigo!” Axel cried. “He’s been eggnapped!”

Now that got their feet moving, as they wasted no time charging after Ruggie through the halls. Even the former tyrant still gave chase until he had to be reigned in by Cater. “Let go!”

“Chill! Don’t be a hero!” The older boy yelled as they struggled. “Let Adeuce save him and catch Ruggie. He’ll be fine!”

“No! I can’t lose him again!” His voice bordered on hysteria. And Amu didn’t blame him for feeling that way. They needed to stop him from escaping and get Ichigo and Dia back, but how?! She looked around for something; anything could turn the tide and intercept him before he got away.

“Amu-chan!” Miki called her name, flagging at a nearby window. ‘Of course!’

She rushed over to the struggling pair, and called the red head’s name. “Riddle! This way!” And pulled him from the other’s grip.

Cater and Grim panicked at seeing the little girl pull the Dorm Leader to the window, opening it and crouching on the sill. “Huh?! Twisted Wonderland to A-chan, whaddya doing?!”

“Stopping Ruggie and getting Ichigo back! Ran!”

“O-On it!”

She Chara Changed Amu, and the pinkette carefully picked Riddle up by the waist and leaned over the edge. “Hang tight, ok?”

 

“OOKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Riddle screamed, eyes closed as they descended fast until she used the wings of her magic to guide and hop from tile to tile. He squeezed the girl tightly, amazed at how nimble and cautious she is into helping track down the culprit. And based on her skills and concentration, he had to scream his question. “Where are you taking us?!”

“The one spot still in the main building with open space!”

 

Meanwhile, Ruggie cackled to himself in the quiet of the school’s courtyard. “Shishishi~ Those Heartslabyul losers are easy to shake off. No one can beat my speed,” He eyed his prizes: the pens, the pure white clover locket and the sniffling baby in the pouch he stole. “Perfect blackmail to keep them off our backs for the final part. But I w-” Just then, the bandit got hit with a wave of snow, burying him up to the neck. “Waaaah! S-snow?!” He was imprisoned in snow, IN THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER?!

The sound of a snowboard hitting the pavement made his ears twitch. 

“Nice moves, Jackie~ You sure showed that diva what for~”

“H-huh? W-w-who said that?”

“Cool off a bit, Ruggie-senpai.” A deep voice mocked him. “Less you wanna get burned.”

 

Stepping out from around the snow mound, the identity of this culprit showed himself. “J-JACK?!”

To Be Continued…

Notes:

Happy birthday, Jack! Consider this an early Birthday present as your next one feats. you and a surprise guest!

Also, good thing Deuce didn't see Amu's parkour or else he'd suffer a heartattack.

Chapter 31: Ch. 31: New Allies Obtained?! ~Jack and London's Debut!~

~Night Raven: Rooftops~

 

If his mind was in a better headspace, Riddle would've chastised the girl for pulling him through a window and roof hop! He can't believe he agreed to this, a small part of him was saying. ‘You promised NOT to break the rules like this again,’ It cried. Yet he could barely hear it over the louder voice telling him it's ok; that this is to save Ichigo from Savannahclaw. To stop Ruggie from running off with his Heart Fae, even if it means breaking the rules he follows to roof hop. Speaking of roof hopping, it felt amazing traversing the building tiles and from spire point to point to reach the courtyard in Amu’s arms. He didn't think the girl could do something like this willingly for the sake of catching a thief. It was exciting, thrilling even.

“Riddle,” He heard her call his name. “Sorry I dragged you to do this!”

He felt compelled to tell her off right, adrenaline demeaning but nothing severe came up. “It’s fine. I didn’t expect you to do this!”

“Hehe… It wouldn't be my first time doing this. Just uh, don’t tell the others…”

“I’m afraid they’ll already know soon enough,” He admits, then sees the shrubs of the tree in the Courtyard. “There!”

“Hold on,” She controls her descent as she, Ran, and Riddle had finally made it to their destination.

 

---

 

“J-Jack?!” Ruggie stared at the wolf boy in his frozen predicament. Where the heck did he come from?! He didn't detect him here at all!!

The freshman, a snowboard in his right arm, only said: “Hey Ruggie-senpai.” And just stared at him in serious determination.

Soon, Ruggie felt something poking at his body inside the cold dusty mound. “Eh?! What's touching me?!”

“Calm down, sticky fingers. Just looking for…” He strained his ears when he picked up on someone's muffled voice. The new person shouted excitedly as they popped out of the snow like a daisy. “These!”

If his eyes could bulge wider, they still would have trouble comprehending what he was seeing.

 

In front of him was a wolfen Heart Fae in winter sports clothes. Their ears and fur matched Jack's. And rather than Jack’s yellow eyes, the little one's were marine blue. But that wasn't the only thing that shocked and ticked him off; the runt stole the loot he stole from Heartslabyul! “Huh?!”

 

“Here. For when those Hearty boys show up,” They tossed the bag to Jack, who caught it with ease as they held the pens.

“O-o-oi! What’s t-t-t-that f-f-f-for?!” He got raspberries in response.

“Hey!” Jack and his Fae look to see Amu, her Fae, and Riddle landing not far from the three of them. Ace, Deuce, and not far behind, Cater, Grim, and the girl’s other Chara had arrived. The former group stopped to catch their breaths and were shocked)at seeing the bandit trapped in snow, AND their Warden here before they got here. “Stop right there… Huh? Jack-kun, where did you come from?” And she saw the Chara holding the pens and Humpty Lock and him holding her pouch.

“Where’s Ichigo?” The ruffing near the wolf beastman revealed the Prince of Hearts, who wasted no time rushing and crying into Riddle’s shirt. Nervously, he comforted his Chara. “There, there. I’m here.”

“RIDDLE!!!”

Ace wasted no time confronting both Savannahclaw boys. “How did you stop Ruggie? He ran faster than any of us?! You working with him, too?!”

“Sheesh. After we saved crybaby red over there and got these backs- by the way- catch!” The mini wolf Chara sighed sarcastically as he tossed the pens and locket to the ginger. “This is the thanks we get~”

Cater caught them easily and handed Amu back her Locket, and Jack walked over to give Amu her pouch. One check inside, and Dia was safe and sound. Again. Then all eyes narrowed at the shivering Bandit.

“Dd-d-d-d-don’t mm-m-m-mm-mind me over hh-h-h-h-h-ere! Fr-fr-f-r-freezing to death!” Ruggie complained, body already frostbitten beyond belief.

“Oh, right,” With a wave of his pen, Riddle melted the snow heap; but he kept his guard up, as well as keeping Ichigo close. “You got a lot of nerve exposing your hand like this!”

“Why are you sabotaging everyone else's chances of playing Spelldrive?! Why are you hurting them?!”

Shaking off the cold, the hyena merrily laughed at them all. “You su~ure you have the right to accuse me without proof?”

“The Stolen Heart Eggs?”

“Duh. The Egg Hunts,” Drat. They forgot about that. “Who’s to say they weren’t gonna go nuts. I did those guys, if it REALLY was me. Shishishishi~”

“Yet you stole my bag and locket! AND their pens!”

“Just a prank, girly,” He casually countered. “What is it, your time of the month~” And he earned a tart to the face.

 

“DON’T YOU DARE SAY THAT TO A LADY!” Ichigo yelled in anger.

 

Ruggie, tired of the punching bag schtick, wiped the pastry off his face and ate instantly. “Doesn’t matter anyway. You guys wanna say I’M the culprit, next time bring proof.” As he high tailed it out of there, he paused before grinned back at Jack and his little Fae. “Also, have fun tonight. Leona’s gonna enjoy mocking you for this as much as we did about your other tail problem.”

He left without any sympathy; Heartslabyul and Ramshackle still glaring daggers at the hyena. “Damn bastard.”

 

“He got away, desu…”

“We have proof, but all of it is still circumstantial…” Miki sighed. “And he’s right about the Egg Hunts. Because we’re not doing them, he’s excused from getting punished.”

“But we can’t keep letting him get away with hurting more people,” Amu said, hands crossed. “How can we stop him now?”

Deuce thought of an idea, and looked for Jack, and jumped when he saw him and his Shugo Chara walk away. “H-hey! Where you goin’?!”

He turned to look back at them. “Where else? To class.” His other half shrugged with an apologetic smug. “I’m done helping you guys.” He continued to walk until he was stopped by Cater’s copies. “EH?”

“C’mon now, Jackie~” The lab coat Cater grinned. “You can’t just play hero and leave your fans hangin’.”

“Yeah, tooooatally cruel dude,” Another clone said.

“Well what about y’all? You chased Ruggie-senpai out of revenge for a player of yours.”

“Not just him, but everyone else who pressured us to find their Eggs,” Miki deadpanned.

“And we're fighting for a spot on the team!”

‘How heroic…’ Amu internally sighed as she and the other leader came up behind the wolf, their faces stern as they confronted him again. “Also, you never explain yourself,” Riddle started. “Why did you stop Ruggie if you want nothing to do with helping us?”

“Like I said, I’m not one to help strangers-”

“Baloney~” His Fae poked him in a singing tone.

 

He immediately got all flustered. “Will you stop it, London!”

 

“So that’s their name.”

They saw him freeze, and let out a huge sigh. “Yes. And you can thank him for the help. He’s the one that knew where Ruggie was heading.”

“Only because you keep playin’ chicken~ Especially since YOU know Ruggie ain’t the only one involved in the sabotages.”

This got everyone’s attention. “Eh~~ So it ain’t just him?”

“It’s ALL of Savannahclaw, pussy cat~” They all gasped hearing this. It isn’t just one person like they initially thought, it was all orchestrated by Savannahclaw, and kingpinned by Leona Kingscholar?!

Su flew over to the Wolf, sadness in her eyes. “Why, desu~”

The baby-doll eyes seemed to break him down and told them everything: the accidents, the Egg napping, and about Leona’s plan and reasoning for why. “And for what I did to Ruggie, it wasn’t nice of him to pick on a little girl, but I was gonna let it be-” He glared at London. “-until YOU decided to get me involved.”

“Whatever, Jackie~ I’m trying to keep myself from becoming an Egg Sandwich for that loon. Especially since Leona sold off those other ones this morning…”

 

HE WHAT!??!?!?

 

---

 

In the VIP Room of Octavinelle, Leona inspected the vial he had received from Azul, a shine in his eyes. “And you’re sure this potion works?”

“When have I ever lied to you, Leona-san?” The ashen haired boy sighed dramatically. “This potion of mine is guaranteed to boost the unique magic of the caster.”

“Good, that’s all I give a damn about.”

“Though I must say” His glasses shone in sinister joy at the cauldron of Would Be Self Eggs on his desk. “For you to give me your spoils from the Egg Hunt? I’m quite impressed by the haul as part of our agreement.”

“I could care less about what happens to these things. I have my eyes set on a bigger game anyway,” Two of them, he omits as he sets off from the Monstro Lounge.

 

“Of course, of course,” Azul says back to the fleeing lion. “Anything to make this year’s Spelldrive more entertaining.” He then fixes his gaze to his newest spoils and smirks. “This truly will be one we’ll never forget.”

 

---

 

Amu fell to her knees in shock. ‘No… they’re gone?’ All the Eggs she promised to save for everyone hurt… Leona sold them off?! How could this be?!

“He took them… and you let it happen?” Axel, who was a victim of being snatched, felt Amu’s sorrow. “That makes you an accessory, too, you know that!”

“But how did they hurt so many people and steal all those Would Be Selves?”

“Ruggie’s Signature Spell, it allows him to control another person’s body. When he does this, the victim mimic’s his body.”

Tending to the Joker, Riddle understood then how dangerous that skill of his is. From his near falling on the stairwell, and Peaches burning his hand despite being careful. And even…

 

“Making Su give him her treats over a mishap,” Grim growled.

 

“Exactamundo,” London piped in. “Their whole reason is over getting pissy that they kept losing to Diasomnia, specifically to one Malleus Draconia. And rather than planning ways in the Sportsmanship style to beat him, they decided to be dicks and ruin everyone else’s fun.”

And now they knew the truth. The team knows there is more at stake this time: an entire Dorm and their Leader are the targets of another.  “We should tell the other Dorms, desu~”

“And start a Civil War, Su-su?” The diamond pointed out. “That’ll make a mess of things and cancel the games.” Is there really no other way to stop Savannahclaw, and expose them of their crimes?

“We-”

 

“No,” Amu said aloud, amber eyes burning with anger. “We’ll tell them. But if we’re going to do that, we need to make sure it’s discreet.”

 

“Will they listen?”

“They’ll have to. Because this Draconia isn’t the only possible target judging by what London told us…”

“He’s not?”

“Then…who else?”

They all looked away from her to each other, but it was Miki and Su that gasped as they guessed who it was.

 

---

 

Later on that night, Ruggie treated himself to a nice hot bath. The cold never bothered him all that much back in the Slums he lived in, but the chill Jack inflicted onto him stung. ‘Freshie got a lot of nerve to try that on his senior…’ Then he thought about the tiny wolf fae that appeared next to him. ‘How the hell did he get a Faerie like that? Never seen them at all last month. And they didn’t seem like the ones we snagged from the other players.’

“Tch. Whatever,” He dunked his head deeper into the hot water, and resubmerged before stepping out and draining it, raking a towel in his hair and gently squeezing water off his ears. “Not my problem anymore.”

 

Once he left the showers, he didn’t have to move to sense Leona leaning on the wall outside. “Got the goods?”

 

“Right here,” He pulls the bottle out his pocket, and shows it off. “Finished the deal with cephalopunk earlier to get it.”

He tossed it to Ruggie, who caught it with ease. “Sweet~” 

“By the way,” He continues, stopping his lackey in his tracks. “I heard that frosh caught ya in the Courtyard.”

“So?”

“Never pegged him to jump ya with snow. Let alone with his newest bastard brat.”

“I was chased by a bunch of Heartslabyul, and shook them off my tail! I even attempted to keep Riddle’s spoiled baby prince as a hostage to get ‘em to piss off! How was I supposed to know-”

“That brat was born recently,” Leona cut him off, and cobalt eyes shocked at the fact. “If he shows up here again, both Jack and the brat are our next meal. Make sure you don’t end up the same.”

“I won’t,” Ruggie raised his hands before leaving but not without saying one more thing. “Oh by the way, I left a little present for ya in your room. Have fun~”

Green eyes arched a brow in amusement and left the shower hall. He passed by his dormmates chatting about Ruggie’s near blunder and plotting to mull Jack for betraying the dorm. He didn’t mind their excitement as he was a bit excited of the last of his plan coming together. But right now, he had a present to open.

 

And what a gift it was. Seeing a caged Heart and plait patterned Egg and frightened cheerleader inside his room.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 32: ~Ch.32: Steel Cage of Emotions! Leona’s Elegy~

Summary:

Plans are in motion, for better and for worse.

Notes:

IT LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVES!!! (also insert unintentional Ace Attorney ref. for chapter name lol)

Back at it again, this time for a little layered twist of Leona's backstory pre OB! Monologue.

~???~

 

‘Oh great… Another dream…’ Amu whined as she looked around and saw she was in the clouded ruins of the aftermath of that scene. The scene where Mufasa lost his life, and Simba… She watched the poor lion cub try to wake up his dad again. Hoping that his father was alive. But there was no movement, no ear twitching. His dad… was gone. ‘Oh Simba-kun…’

 

It wasn’t long until Scar reappeared, lying to the boy that it was all his fault, causing him to run away from his home.

 

And then the scene changed, where Scar lounged on a stone throne, cleaning his teeth away with a bone, forcing Zazu to sing to him a joyful song, until he snapped at the bird for saying his brother’s name. Then the hyenas showed up, and they were upset with Scar. “Scar there's no food, nor water.”

“Yeah. It's dinner time and we ain't got no stinking entries!”

‘Well maybe if you weren't gluttonous usurpers, you'd have food.’

The bickering scene ended, this time turning into the moment of Scar facing an angry Simba. “Murderer… you don't deserve to live.”

‘Amu gulped as she watched him confront his uncle. ‘I forgot how peeved he was when the truth came out,’ She watched the battle between them rage on. ‘But to go this far because you weren't king… is it really worth it?’

 

As Simba threw Scar off the cliff, Amu noticed the Shining Egg again at the edge. She went out to reach it, and nearly fell over into the flame below until…

 

“I gotcha!”

 

Then everything went white.

 

~Ramshackle Dorm: Amu’s Room~

 

Amu shot up from her bed again, gasping for breath. She looked around, seeing Grim asleep next to her, her Would Be Selves, except for Ran, on the desk, and Jack and London cuddling on the makeshift futon on the floor. After a moment, she sighed in relief. “It was just a dream…”

Trying to collect those pieces back, she replayed that dream of Simba and Scar’s fight, then the glowing Egg, and then the voice. ‘Who was that that saved me? I never heard them before…’

Amber eyes turned to view the full moon in the sky as Amu bit her lip. “We’ll get you back, Ran. And stop Leona’s plan. Promise…”

 

---

 

As the hour of the Spelldrive Tournament approaches, Leona kept their newest acquisition close as he lounged in his bed. He gives props to Ruggie; he was smart for nabbing the bigger thorn amongst those faeries that pink herbivore owned. Sure, he could’ve gotten rid of her via passing her to Azul, but he refused to pay that guy anymore than already is. Plus, he’s ever so respectful to girls, so why not show her his domain’s hospitality.

Speaking of Chara, Ran had remained in the cage since last night, never once allowed to set foot out of it, or scream unless she wanted to face punishment. And seeing these burly bullies all hovering and chatting away at breakfast about the fall of Diasomnia made her worry for Amu and the others. But, since she was kept close to the leonine in his room, maybe she could get him to let loose and tell her the truth. “What are you guys planning to do?”

“Hmm?” One feline eye looked down at her.

“This whole mess. Why are you trying to hurt another dorm? Why not give them two peas and a biscuit instead of sabotaging everyone?”

 

…

 

Leona just laughed at her, as did his men all around the lounge. “Two peas and a biscuit? What are you, three?”

The poor cheery girl felt embarrassed.

“If you’re that desperate to know why, you’ll find out soon. But by then… you kid can’t do a damn thing to stop it.”

“That still doesn’t explain it! There’s no way this is the kind of person you want to be! What about everyone else's dreams? Is this really what you all want?! WHAT YOU WANT?!”

 

…

 

He sat up from his spot, grabbing his chess board and pieces, arranging them in front of the cage and his seat, sitting Ran near the edge. “Wanna know a funny little story, Pinky?” Nervously, she nodded as she watched pick up the two king pieces. “Long ago, there were two brothers. One was older, aloof but trusted his heart to guide his people. His younger brother, he was more brains than brawn. He knew how to protect himself physically but he had better smarts than the older brother.” He moved to rearrange his pieces to illustrate his tale. “The people adored the older brother. They sang praises day after day, heralding him for his selflessness. What do you think his younger brother got in return?”

“He was complimented for his strategies and laws to help people?”

He let out an empty laugh. “Nope. He got nothing but insults and whispers behind back. The people viewed him as lesser than his brother. Not a single thoughtful word about his cunning nature nor ideas to help the country grow. Nothing.” He finished, kicking and sliding a pawn to the lonely king piece. “The younger brother dealt with that ridicule day after day until he gave up, biding his time until someday he could be king.”

“Did it happen?” She must’ve said something wrong, for Ran noticed how his eyes darkened after she said that.

“No. Because that older brother…” He ragged the pieces again, this time a Queen piece stood beside the King, and in front of them: a pawn. “Had a son. And the younger brother’s Dreams of being a King died that day.” He showed proof by taking the lonely king and pawn and crushed them with his magic, reducing both pieces to sand.

She eyed the destroyed pieces and then back to Leona. “But, what about Spelldrive? Even though you kicked our butts, you seemed like you had fun! Like a King or something!”

 

“I AM THE KING!” He yelled. This made Ran backed away on the other side of her prison, shivering from the might of his roar. “I WILL always be King, no matter what that bastard Draconia or anyone else thinks.”

 

“Hey, Leona. It’s ti~~~me!”

Ruggie’s voice echoed behind the door. Remembering the plan, Leona composed himself. “Be there in a few.” He picked up the cage Chara, smirking at her. “Ready for a front row seat for the show, Ran?”

 

---

At the Spelldrive stadium, many people and booths flooded the main street. Amu, Grim and Riddle, Ace and Deuce all walked around, keeping an eye out for anything strange, but mostly keeping an eye out for that particular smoking gun.

“He stole Ran right under our noses,” Grim growled. “That stupid thief.”

“Hopefully she’s ok, desu~”

“She will be, once we-”

Ace shushed Axel. “Keep it down! Too many ears, got it?”

Riddle moved closer to the Joker. “By the way, Amu, have you seen them?”

“I ran into Umbra and he said he’d pass the word onto them.” She tells him.

“Good. It still amazes me you managed to befriend him…”

“Well he did help find Miki that day.” 

Ichigo chimed from his spot in Riddle's coat. “What a gentleman, right Riddle?”

“Mmm…” Soon they heard additional footsteps coming close. It was Jack and London; the latter chilling on top of his partner’s head. “Well?”

“All good to go!”

“Good. Cater and Lilia are doing the last few adjustments, then we can begin the next part of our plan.”

 

---

 

On the other side of the vendor area, Ruggie slipped around the crowd, right as Diasmonia was making their way to their post. “Shishishi~ Looks like it’s time~” He took out the potion, and unpopped the cap. “Azul’s potion better work,” He down it all in one gulp, cringing at the after taste. Mold flavor, how delightful… “Leona better reward me with a better meal tastier than this! Ok everyone, Laugh With Me!”

Soon the crowd around him panicked as they felt their autonomy taking away. “What’s going on?!” “I can’t move my body!” “Help!” But then, all their fear and horrors grew worse as everyone caught in the hyena’s spell began running in stampede towards the students. Panics and screams of terror echoed the streets, even as the possessed people begged anyone and everyone in the path to move, even as they closed in on Diasomnia’s Spelldrive team.

And just as the crowd slammed into the Disasomnia students, Ruggie flicked his wristed and swiped Umbra from Malleus and slipped him in his own pocket. making his getaway through the crowd and back towards the hall of mirrors.

 

Completely oblivious to the shadowy figures trailing right after him.

 

---

 

Once he made it back inside Savannahclaw, he made his way to Leona and the others on the Spelldrive Field, being cheered on right and left by his peers. He made it all the way to Leona, practically out of breath. “I did it, Leona. Did you guys see the broadcast?”

“Yeah, I did.” His smirk never leaving his face. “And the bastard brat?”

“Huh?!”

“Shishishi~ Got ‘em in the bag. And he says he cares for this brat,” He pulled it out his pocket, spinning the Egg of Malleus Draconia on his finger. “Look how easy it was to nab him!”

 

Ran gasped as she realized who that Egg was supposed to be. “Umbra!”

 

Ruggie tossed the Egg to his Leader, smugging all the while at Ran. “Your friends were just too slow~”

She gulped, and shivered at the cruel reality she had just heard. One entire Dorm’s team, stomped to death so these jerks could win?! And Amu-chan didn’t make it?! She held back her tears as tried blocking out the endless cheering from the rest of Savannahclaw, praying that this was all a bad dream.

One of the mob students then asked their Warden a horrifying question. “Whacha gonna do about that lizard's twerp, Leona?”

“Hmm~ It’d be satisfying giving him up to Crowley for detainment,” He toyed the Egg around in his hand, an evil grin splitting his face. “But, I think it's fair to crush Draconia’s already broken spirit instead.” That earned him some ‘ooo’s and ‘aaa’s as they watched him hold Malleus’ Egg up in the air. In even caused Ran, much to her dismay, to look up and see his hold Umbra up high-

 

-And crushed it into pieces.

 

The little cheerleader’s eyes weld with tears again, witnessing the death of Umbra unfold. Her sadness drowned out again as everyone started cheering louder. ‘No! Umbra did nothing wrong!’

“Long live the King!”

“Long live the King!”

“Long live the King!”

 

“Long live the Cowardly Lion King!”

“Long live the Cowardly Lion King!”

“Yeah! What they said!”

 

She gasped as she recognized those voices! “Amu-chan! Mina!”

The entire dorm froze; all of them, including Ruggie and Leona turned and saw Jack the Traitor, the Red Rose Tyrant, his card Soldiers and the Wildcard Prefects all behind them. Staring definitely at them. “Huh?! Where did y’all come from?!”

“We’ve been here for a while, and Cater-senpai recorded everything you guys did. From Ruggie’s stampede and you killing an innocent Heart Fae!”

“And the admitted gated gaul of you to hurt Ran by kidnapping her and forcing her to watch!” Riddle said, Ichigo on his shoulder as well. “The nerve of you to commit sabotage and ruin a Night Raven tradition!”

 

This only ignited the Savannahclaw's students ire, and Leona merely ‘tch’ at their righteousness. “Save your bitching for someone who cares.”

“I do, you ugly pussy cat!” He growled at his prey, but this time Ran wasn’t scared of him.

"Still, ya'll got some balls to come here. A puny pack like you against ours," Ruggie chuckled. "You only signed your death warrants."

“Want us to shut ‘em up, boss?” 

 

“Go ahead,” He ordered them to attack. And thus the two sides began to fight.

 

 

To Be Continued…

Notes:

Sorry that the ending felt crappy. I dunno why Spooky month, my favorite time of years, always messes with me? Doesn't help that some IRL things made things a doosey to move the ending of Book 2 forward ;;;;

Chapter 33: Ch.33: Eye of the Storm ~The Second Overblot!~

Summary:

The Ringleaders are exposed, but no happy ending is found quite yet...

Notes:

Double feature time~~~~ To make up for the delays~~

~Savannahclaw Dorm: Spelldrive Grounds~

 

Spells flying, fists punching jaws, and necks beheaded. The fighting between the Investigation TeamTM and Leona’s Pride was near intense. Even though Amu was down her Ace Chara, commanding Grim while she used Su’s Chara Change! for Honey Bubbles and her Frying Pan did help push back his men from causing more harm than needed.

 

That said, it didn’t stop one jerkwad from pulling at her and trying to hit her. “Ah!”

 

“You’re mine, girl-” He got immediately hit on the head by her frying pan. “lieee….” And fell to the ground.

“How rude, desu~!”

“Good thing this came in handy!”

 

Moving over to Riddle and Deuce, each of them used their spells. But when push came to shove, Axel and Ichigo gave them a hand thanks to Chara-Change!; Deuce conjured his cuffs and threw them at his targets, locking into place a couple boys in his grip. Riddle, on the other hand, imprisoned them in mini towers of Tarts. Topped off with ‘Off With Your Head!’ for good measure.

Leona and Ruggie, to them, were the bigger problems. The hyena’s speed and slippery fingers made it hard for them to hit him. Needless to say, his speed and spell shots got on their nerves.

But that’s where Jack and London come in again. Using their own Chara Change, they jumped him using Jack’s Snow board. “Ack!” Ruggie nearly missed the snow trap again, but this made Deuce’s job easier for he changed his cuffs into crime scene tape, and lassoed it around the hyena, trapping him in it. “Oi! I’m stuck!”

 

Deuce only mocked him by saying: “You’re under arrest, by order of the Queen of Hearts!” With Axel taping a Cease and Desist note stuck to Ruggie’s forehead.

 

As for Leona, Cater and Ace tried dealing against his tricks and spells. Listening to Amu’s commands to dodge and combine their attacks. Some did hit and knock him down, but then they hit a huge snag: Ran. Because she was still held hostage by Leona, any extreme attacks could result in her getting hurt, too. “Dammit… we can’t do anything!”

“Totally! Huge vibe killer using Ran-Ran as shield!”

“I’ll be fine! Just show this jerk who’s boss!”

“You sure you wanna say that, Pinky?” Upon his staff, a small sandstorm formed, and he aimed it at her. “Cause those may be your last words if your master doesn’t back off.”

As they watched Ran cough from the sand blowing in her face, everyone ceased fighting. “WHAT?!”/ “NO!”

“Unhand her at once Leona!”

From his bindings, Ruggie scoffed at the Heartslabyul ruler. “So? You idiots are too late to save Diasomnia, and Malleus’ stupid brat. Leona cracked him to pieces! Who’s to say we don’t mind doing it to another-”

 

“Oh really?” All eyes turned to where three imposing boys stood. A boy with silver locks, a boy with pale green, and a shorter one. His fangs poked from a simple smile on his face. The same Lilia Vanrouge, and other two students that follow the prince. The same man who they all thought was with Malleus at the Spelldrive Coliseum. The same prince who was supposed to be crushed by the stampede of people! “What the- LILIA?!”

 

“How are they-?!”

 

“They told us everything.”

“It was thanks to Amu-san and Riddle-san. Because they warned us, no one on our team was injured.”

“And Umbra…?”

“Right here~” And as for Umbra, said Fae popped from the side of Lilia’s head. “Just wanted to tell Lils that Mal-Mal is wrapping up guiding the stampede of people to a stop!” He saw the shocked suspects and laughed at them all. “What? You honestly think he’s gullible to let me roam without him knowin’ and feelin’ where I am all the time! You seem to forget the link between Would Be Selves and their partners is super strong.”

 

As the color drained from all of Savannahclaw, and Leona’s spell died, Ran started to bawl like a baby. “U-U-u-u-u…UMBRA! YOU’RE OK!!”

 

“Ran-Ran!” He gasped seeing his new friend caged. “Wow! You say you don’t bully girls, but I never you'd stoop so low!” He warped over, surprising the lion, and whacking him in the face, causing his nose to bleed and his hold on Ran to weaken. This allowed Riddle to collar Leona so he didn’t try that again.

Umbra then warped back to the others, and poofed the cage away. He instantly got a strong bear hugged by the cheery pinkette. “There, there. It’s all ok.”

“Huh?! Then what was the Egg I nabbed?!”

“Oh that? Miki and Su made a full blown replica using modelling chocolate!” He said it like it was normal. “To be fair, it was hard NOT to eat it since it smelled so nice~” The girls in question puffed their chest with pride.

“He’s not wrong. Su kept smacking my paws away with her spoon!”

“If she didn’t, you’d destroy our masterpiece, Grim.”

“And the students I ran over…”

“All were my clones in Diasomnia uniforms~” Cater winked, the real him appearing behind Sebek and Silver. “I gotta admit your clothes are super photogenic~”

“You gotta hand it to Cater, he knows how to rock the looks and impersonate each boy you trampled over.”

“But why would you make a big deal over a fake egg getting cracked? It shouldn’t have bothered y’all.” One of the tied up students asked.

Amu, Riddle and Lilia approached the defeated lion and his lackey. “On the contrary, even if it were fake, the lengths you’d go to achieve victory are deplorable,” The vice warden states. “Umbra’s mere crime in your eyes was his existence and connection to Malleus. To even go so far as to kill him to rub salt in the wound is unforgivable. A real king wouldn’t dare harm a child as retribution for his father’s sins.” 

 

Amu looked over at the older boy in surprise. ‘He sounds like he’s seen this happen before too…’

 

“.... I fold.”

 

Ruggie looked to Leona as best as he could. “Huh?”

“I quit. There’s no point in winning since Malleus isn’t hurt.”

The hyena, and every other defeated Savannahclaw boy couldn’t believe their eyes and ears. Their Leader… After everything they did to make it this far. The people they hurt, the dreams they stole… was throwing in the towel? “Bu-but we still got a chance!” Through sheer willpower, or maybe even desperation, Ruggie shifts himself to sit up, pleading with Leona. “All the other Dorms still lost a lot of players! We can still beat them-!”

 

“ENOUGH!!”

 

His yelling at the hyena shook the whole dorm; people, Chara and infrastructure alike. And an all sickening sound of ink hitting the ground as he approached the bound second year. “It doesn’t matter what we do,” He picked him up from the collar as the sand around them all began to dance in the air and at their feet. “With Malleus still in their team, we’re destined to lose. At the end of it all, it’s still the same. We, a bottom feeder and second born prince, are never meant to climb the ladder.”

“Huh? What’s going on?!”

“He’s collared so why is this-”

 

‘Oh no!’

 

The sand bellowed about, dancing on Leona finger tips as he still held Ruggie. In his hand, Ruggie’s body started to crack and dry out. “Can’- breathe…!” Riddle’s magic, that was supposed to hold the prince back, broke into pieces. And started swirling over many of the Savannahclaw students. They felt the same excruciating pain 

“Jackie! Ruggie’s in trouble!”

“Grr! London, move aside. I’ll take care of this! Unleash Beast!”

Pen in hand, Jack’s body morphed from his current state to a giant wolf. Then he dashed over to his seniors and knocked Leona back. Using his canines to pull Ruggie onto his back and jumping back to the others. “Whoa! Nice~ Jackie!”

“Huh?!” The others exclaimed. “How’d you do that?!” No one was ever allowed to transform their body this way.

“Eh~ Learned an Illegal transformation potion there, pup?”

“No. This is my Signature Spell! I can turn myself into a Wolf, no potions required.”

He merrily brushed off, his mind past the point of no return. “Doesn’t matter, if I can’t be King of this world, I may as well be the King of Sand! With you all as the foundation for my kingdom!” He roared, the sound echoing everywhere as the sandstorm got worse and then.

 

*THUMP, THUMP*

 

Every single student under Leeona’s guidance had their eggs stripped from their hearts. All of them lined up in a row behind him. Not just them, but also the ones they stole from the injured appeared by Leona’s side. Thus, countless unconscious boys fell to the ground, threatened to be buried alive by sand.

 

And the scorned prince of lions was swallowed whole into oily darkness alongside his new pride.

 

“Ahh!! He’s Overblotting, too?!” Ran cried.

 

Leona laughed as his last bit of sanity varnished. “Yes! For my teeth and ambitions are bared. SO YOU FOOLS BETTER BE PREPARED!”

 

“Drat! He’s must’ve expended his magic over the limit he could handle!” Lilia panicked as the storm grew worse. “Amu-san, get behind us!” He extended his arms to shield Silver and Sebek, as well as Amu. Riddle followed suit to protect his freshmen.

As the plumb of ink vanished, a giant lion beast appeared behind the former Dorm Leader, the Eggs have gone corrupted, and Leona… His whole body had become ashen grey. An all black fur shoulder piece over the top of his form, nearly hiding the corset around his stomach. A tattered grey skirt piece surrounded his waist, helpd together by golden belts and more fur. His legs, covered black like leather tights and anklets decorated his feet. His claws were dipped in black ink, reaching his elbows like ripped gloves. And finally, like how one of Riddle’s eyes had burned red, one of Loena’s burned golden.

 

Leona had tragically become the second Overblot victim.

 

And as he smirked down at his prey, His legion of corrupted Eggs chanted in his name. “Yes his teeth and ambitions are bared! Be prepa~~~~red~~~”

Goosebumps started to form all over Ruggie’s tired body. “Huh?! What up with the Egg army?!”

“Those are all the ones from your Dormmates and the ones y’all stole from the other players! They’ve been lured to Leona because of his Overblot!” Ace explained. “And let’s just say, they’re just as bad as the Monster behind him!”

“Dammit… Umbra, return to Malleus!”

“But-”

“He already tried to kill you! We can’t let that happen again. Now go!” Nervously, the dragon Chara disappeared to his Kid, leaving everyone else to stall for time. “Silver, Sebek. Help evacuate all the injured!”

“Ace, Deuce, Axel. You all as well! And if you can, find the Headmage and send him here!”

“Hai!”

“I’ll lend a hand, Rids!”

“Hmm?” Riddle was surprised. “Cater?”

“It’s a Card soldier’s duty to help the Queen. Plus, If I leave you and Little Red be, I’ll never hear the end of it from Trey.”

“Thanks, Cay-Cay!” Ichigo said over the howling wind.

In a hurry, the Heartslabyul and Diasomnia pairs rushed to get all the injured out of the Dorm as soon as possible. All except fort Ruggie, who moved himself off the shifted freshman’s back and tried standing up. “Don’t count me out.”

“R-Ruggie?! Are you nuts?!” Grim yelled at him. “You’re one step away from death!”

“I don’t care…” He said, getting his teeth through the pain. “That stuff he said to me. I wanna make him pay for telling me off like that.”

“Senpai…” Canine eyes shimmered at hearing his resolve. He gruffed and nodded. “Remember that London and I got your back, got it?”

“Yeah, yeah… Let’s do this.”

The tomboy called out to her partner. “Amu-chan, let me handle this!”

 

“Ok, Miki! My Heart: Unlock!”

“Don’t count me out, either. My Heart: Unlock!”

To Be Continued…

Notes:

...Is it bad that I had Be Prepared(literally and mentally) on Loop doing this chapter?

Chapter 34: Ch.34: It Takes Two! ~Saving Leona Kingscholar!~

~Savannahclaw Dorm: Sandstorm Spelldrive Stadium~

 

“My Heart: UNLOCK!”

 

In a flash, not one but two pillars of light engulfed everyone’s visions. The X-Eggs winced, but were shielded by the giant lion monster as Leona covered his eyes. Growling in anger again. “The hell is this light? Is someone else transforming with that Herbivore?”

London held onto Jack's ear for dear life, smiling like a lunatic. “THIS IS AWESOME!!”

“I’ll say! How is this possible?!” Jack said.

“Whoa! Twin power up mode?” Cater tried to keep himself and Ruggie steady.

As the light vanished, Amu transformed thanks to her partner Miki. “Chara Nari: Amulet Spade!”

 

But the biggest surprise was the other boy who transformed with her. In sharp, black stiletto boots with a red heel, a ballroom red dress with whipped cream like ruffles, and crop cape held together by a gold link chain onto his shoulders, and donned atop his red hair with white tips laid his crown adorned with strawberries… was Riddle Rosehearts himself! His cutlery staff in hand, he declared his name proudly: “Chara Nari: Tarte Sucrée!”

 

That’s right! Riddle Rosehearts had transformed alongside Amu!

 

“Eh?! What just-?!” Riddle looked down at his clothes, flabbergasted at what he was wearing. “How is this possible?! Is this a newer dress from the Queen of Hearts herself?!”

“No, Riddle-kun! We did a Chara-Nari just like Amu-chan!”

“A Chara-Nari… you and I?”

“OMG! You rock the look, Rids!” Cater applauded. “100/10! Super kawa~ii!”

“Pff. Hahahahahahaha! Seriously? A fancier dress? THIS is the best you can do, Little Red?” Leona and his pride laughed. “No matter. You herbivores won't live to see the next sunrise!” He lets out a mighty roar and charges at the group.

“I’ll aim for the X-Eggs and try to purify them! Think you guys can stall Leona until I get back?!”

“We’ll try! Cater get ready!” Riddle orders, holding his fork staff ahead.

“Sure thing! I am me, and we are they! Split Card!” The junior summoned some clones and formed a simultaneous fire blast at Leona. It landed a hit, but the flames still faded into grains. The ginger was lucky he and a clone had dodged the swipe aimed at them. Though the same could not be said for the other two…

The swarm of X-Eggs, instead of going for the Joker, descended onto the corrupt leader’s students. Amu pursued them on foot, brush ready to fight.

Meanwhile, hopping onto the wolf’s back, Ruggie and Jack managed to dodge the stampede. Yet, that didn’t stop them from chasing them. “Yeesh! What annoying cling-ons!”

Peeking out from his fur next to Ruggie, London gulped. “I’ll say! Jack-Jack, need a mini pick me up?”

“Is it possible in this form?”

“I’m sure it is!” They dodged another swipe from the Eggs. “From a wolf who can’t ski, to a wolf who can! Chara Change!”

“Hold on tight, Senpai! Diamond Dust!” Two giant skis made for a giant wolf appeared on Jack’s feet, and, thanks to the sand and snow mix, he navigated away and around the sandstorm.

“Whoa! This is new!” The hyena screamed.

“Cool right!”

“Uh, Jackie! Ruggie!” The swarm was still chasing after them.

“I’m on it! Get a load of this!” He shot a void spell at them to get them off their tails. This blast knocked away many of them and shortened the mass, but they refused to light up.

Soon, Amu’s shout of: “Colorful Canvas!” Mopped up the X-Eggs from chasing them. Leading to most of them stuck in the rainbow paint.

 

“Thanks!”

 

“No problem- WAH!” She ducked as the blotted beast born from Leona’s darkness swiped at her. She jumped again, avoiding its claws as it pounced at her again. Since Amulet Spade isn’t as agile as Heart is, all she can do is use her brush to block off its attempts.

“Amu-san!”

“I’ll be fine! Go help Cater and Riddle!”

Far away, dealing with Leona alongside Cater and Grim, Riddle sensed their arrival. “You two ok?” He says as he casts another barrage of flames against Leona, growling as some of them were blocked or destroyed by his wind magic.

“Yeah! Had to deal with some annoying admirers. We shook them off thanks to Amu,” Ruggie joked.

“Hold up! Where’s my Henchhuman?!”

“Leona’s pet monster’s jumpin’ her!” London hollered back. “Sure giving her one helluva pouncing lesson!”

Riddle cursed under his breath. “I’ll assist her! Cater cover for me! Jack, Ruggie help him out! Grim, Amu’s Heart Fae, come with me!”

“Oki doks, Dorm Leader!/ Don’t have to tell us twice!”

Soon the group split up again; Riddle and Amu’s fae and Grim going to help Amu while Cater and co. stalled for time.

Sensing the obvious plan shift, Leona began to gloat at them. “My, my~ You all are runnin’ amuck, like a bunch of headless chickens. My Pride, crush these fools. I have a date with Herbivore.”

 

“Yes our King~” The hoard began regrouping, charging at them.

 

Behind them, Grim’s ears twitched. He turned and yelled his lungs out. “Myah! He’s on our tails!”

“Leave us alone, desu~!”

“Riddle-kun. We can slow him down together!”

“How so?”

“What else but our Chara Nari’s abilities!”

“Of course…” He recalls the odd power flowing through him when they merged. “Grim, get behind me!” He aimed his staff at Leona’s feet. “Pirouette Coil!”

From thin air, a huge Pirouette candy appeared and wrapped itself onto Leona. The lion fell over and bit, pissed at being slowed down.

Riddle froze, gaped at what he just did. “I did it? I DID IT!”

“Way to go, Riddle!”

A panic shriek reminded them of their goal. “Hurry!” They rush over to catch up to Amu as she waves another blast of paint in the monster’s face and paws. As soon as he got close, he commanded: “Croûte ferme!” Summoning a tower made of tart crust, and surprisingly it’s sturdy for a pastry as the monster swung repeatedly at its walls.

“Riddle?”

“Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah! Thanks for the save!” Their reunion didn’t last, the foundation of the barrier falling apart. “Grim! When a hole shows up, hit the monster directly in the face!”

“Got it!”

“Ran, when that happens, can you use Chara Change to fly him out of here?”

“S-sure!”

The walls felt apart more, and the monster began to attack. “Grim, now!”

“On it!” He blew fire into the leonine shaped head, making it back away and flail about. And giving them a chance to escape.

What they didn’t expect however, was for Leona to break out of Riddle’s trap. Sometime after they left, he managed to use “King’s Roar!” to undo the Pirouette seal on his body. Satisfied and free, he bided his time until Amu made her presence known. He waited in the flowing sands and wind, waiting right for the right moment to strike.

Just…about…

“Grim, now!”

 

Checkmate.

 

Once they broke through Riddle’s shield, Leona ran forward, claws barred to grab Amu.

They just landed away from the Phantom, panting and almost tired from the fight. So much so, that they were ignorant to the King of Beast’s ambush. As his claws neared the pinkette, the Queen of Heartslabyul saw him, and pushed her away, getting grabbed instead.

“Riddle!”

“Eh~ Just when I thought I caught a mouse, I got a queen instead,” Leona bemoaned, yet grinning all the while. “No matter, getting rid of you will be easy.”

“Oh no! The guys!” The X-Eggs enveloped Ruggie's group, their negative emotions and feelings draining them all, even Jack and London who continued to fight back against the hoard.

“Like I said, you all never stood a chance!” He began using his Unique magic again, this time on the Dorm Leader in his possession.

“Ack!/ Owie!”

“NO! RIDDLE! ICHIGO!”

“What’s the point?” There those voices went again. “I studied day and night, worked endlessly for their approval.”

“This is…!” She heard him speak again.

“No matter what I do, no matter what I show them, it’s never enough.”

‘People looked down on Leona? How?!’ He's mean, cool and- how could anyone look down on a smart man like him?

 

“I’ll never be the best.”

 

And his constant self loathing pushed her over the edge.

“SHUT UP AND SUCK IT UP, YOU STUPID PUSSYCAT!!”

Her remark paralyzed him, the Eggs, and his phantom. In fact, everyone except her Chara stared at her in shock, even Riddle. “Kings work hard for the sake of their people! To make them proud!” She remembers all the times Tadase, Nadeshiko and everyone in the Guardians did their best as the figure heads of the school. “What you see, what you think, is that your people owe you everything. That’s not true!”

Her words struck and nerve, and blew up many veins inside Leona. He dropped his fellow Warden on the ground, charging at the Jester in blind fury. “HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW?! YOU’RE JUST A DUMB KID!” 

“I know more than you! And I know that Kings that acts like you-” She flips her brush over, hitting him in the abdomen using the blunt end. “ARE ALWAYS DESTINED TO FALL!!”

And tosses him in the air and near the Phantom. His servants roared to life in ire, teleporting back to his side.

“Amu…” She turns to see a slightly wounded Riddle next to her. “Shall we?”

She looks at him in awe “You sure?” He nodded, determined. She then nods as they look over at the disgraced Leader. “I just need to heal them.”

“May I join you?”

“Sure. If you don’t mind us… ya know.”

Rising up once more, Kingscholar let out one final roar that shook the earth again, aimed for the pair.

 

However, this was a Checkmate for them.

 

Riddle followed her lead, and together they made a Heart with their hands. Their targets: The Usurpers of the Sandy Wilds. “Negative Heart: LOCK ON!”

Their powers combined enveloped all of them in the bright light. Not a single one of them could escape. Even as the Phantom tried to sever and strike Riddle and Amu, it couldn't budge! 

 

“OPEN HEART!!”

 

A final pulse of her magic combined with Riddle’s and the monster’s head cracked apart. its form dissolving into a black haze that faded away. The X-Eggs that only obeyed him were now purified, and the Leader of Savannahclaw no longer bared the markings of his berserk form. And as the sun peeked through the clouds and shone down on the dorm once more, they all let out a huge sigh of relief. They did it; they saved Leona from his Overblot.

Ruggie and Jack wasted no time rushing over to check on him, but Amu noticed something else. Next to her and Riddle still was an Amber Egg. An Amber Egg that had a picture of a Lion Guard symbol and claw marks on it.

“Leona-senpai’s Egg.” She reached out for it and held it in her hands.

“What is it, Amu-sa-” Riddle looked over at her and saw her faint and nearly hit the ground. “Amu-san!”

To be Continued…

Notes:

Guess who's back from much needed break~ Got the chance to see Wicked: For Good, and had a blast seeing with fam!

But, yeah. Riddle was the first NRC boy to Chara-Nari~ Don't worry, Deuce will his time soon, as will Jack!

Chapter 35: Ch.35: The Lives We Try to Reclaim ~Let’s play Spelldrive!~

~???~

 

Amu awakened into the same gray void she found Riddle in. ‘Again with this weird void. Why here?’

“Farena-sama is a kind and just king,” She heard someone say. “Why can’t Leona-sama be more like his brother?”

Getting up from the ground, she saw the silhouettes of some servants. and judging by the animal ears on their head, this must be Leona’s vision of the past. “I know, right? Why must his little brother be so moody?” The other complained, crossing their arms.

“Not to mention his unique magic is so scary. Turning anything into sand with a wave of a hand,” The first one gossiped, shivering in place before making a mocking smile. “Thank goodness he’s not king-”

“Oi! What are you two doing?!” A third one appeared, rightfully angry at them. “You can’t say that out in the open. What if someone heard you?” Oblivious to them, a child version of Leona heard everything from his spot behind the door to the room. He clenched his fist on the wall next to him.

‘Really? THAT’S what you’re concerned about?!’ Needless to say, she was pissed. Back enough she worries about others talking about her- a habit she’s slowly trying to kill off- but to do this to the younger brother of your king?! Talk about being douchebags poking fun at a child.

“Ignore ‘em, Leona. They don’t know what they’re talkin’ about!” A small voice next to him chimed. “You’re as cool as that dumb dumb Farena!”

Teary green eyes smiled lamentably as the source of the voice- a shadowy Shugo Chara- patted his cheek.

Amu was about to reach out to him, but then the scene bled away into a marbled illusion.

 

“Since the moment I was born, there was an unmovable boulder on top of me, that’s been too heavy to lift.”

 

She jumped, spotting the real Leona cross legged on the ground next to her. Dull eyes staring into the void.

“Leona-senpai…”

“I bet if I was born first, they’d sing a different tune,” She heard him scoff. “[Leona-sama is so smart and a judicious young man. He wields such incredible power. How can Prince Farena be so carefree?]” He grinded his teeth with each word spoke. “All because I was born second, they faulted me no matter what I did, just to sing praises about my brother.”

‘Oh…’ With how his life unfolded before her eyes, each condemnation the people put on the leonine was like a knife stabbed into his back. ‘My parents love me and Ami. I’ve never seen them pick favorites between us, so…’

The scenery finally sprouted into something different. This time Leona sat in his room’s lounge chair, a sports magazine in his hands.“Ooo! Is that this month’s Spelldrive Sports Edition?!” The Chara jumped up and down in Leona’s lap. “Lemmie see, lemmie see!”

“Pipe it down. You’ll see it,” He complained, a faint smile on his lips at his partner’s excitement. They opened the magazine together, reading about everything inside.

“Ya know~ I bet if you were King of Spelldrive, those meanie pants would bow and lick the soles of your shoes for all their bad mouthing!”

“King of Spelldrive? Seriously?”

“I mean, I think you’d make a cool King out of it. Besides,” They looked up at Leona from his lap. “Faren’s only doin’ the acting ruler thing till the old man gets better, right? Which means~ Owie!”

Leona pulled his ears hard. “Don’t push ya luck, you midget. You know that ain’t gonna happen anytime soon.” He ignores the glaring daggers and continues reading.

“Me, a king? Now that would’ve been a wonderful dream, ne? But…” The scenery changed again before their eyes. And revealed the last piece of the prince’s despair. The day his brother would Sire a son; the next in line for the Throne over Leona.

 

“All dreams are doomed to die.”

 

“Leona,” Another shadowed person appeared. Amu could deduce that he was the Farena spoken in this landscape. He sounded upset as he spoke to the other boy. “Why weren’t you at today’s Ceremony?”

“Hmm?” Green eyes lazily turned away from the window and stared back. “Eh. Must’ve slept through it.”

He shook his head. “Brother. This day was a very important celebration. Showing the people the face of the future king.”

King. Just hearing that word in this context made Leona scowl. And wasn’t afraid to show it. “Yeah, showing off your kid is so important. As is letting it know to everyone that the second son loses his claim to the throne forever.”

“Please. It’s not like that…” His brother pleaded gently.

“It must be so nice for you, Farena,” Leona said, his rage boiling over. “You can do whatever you want; nap, sing,AND still become king!”

“Leona. That’s not true,” Farena tried to reason with him. “You may not be king, but you’re still bright and wise.” He laid a hand on his shoulder. “There’s so much more you can do for this country. Isn’t he proof of that?”

Those words alone should’ve eased his brother’s anger. Made him realize and forge a new path for them and their homeland.

 

But alas, they did the opposite.

 

“Well if this country chose its king based on merits instead of birth order, I’d be more motivated to do something with that wisdom!” He brushed off his hand, and rough shoulder shoved him away, and left through the door.

“Leona, come back here!”

Once he was inside his room, his anger got the better of him. His fingers itched to do something. Throw, destroy; anything to vent out his anger. And so he did, throwing the stuff in his room about, not caring for the mess he made of the place. His blood boiled so much, he missed sight of what he destroyed next. Tunnel visioned, the next thing he grabbed was flung to his wall-

 

-and a sickening smash snapped him out of it. For in the heap of his ruined room, lies the shattered remains of his Would-be self.

 

The Leona before them fell to his knees, his hair curtained his eyes, hiding the silent tears that fell for hurting the one person that mattered most to him. Dead, all ‘cause of him.

Amu turned back to the tired boy next to her. “Why did I have to spend the rest of my life feeling this way? Just because I was born a few years late?”

“No matter how hard I studied, no matter how powerful the magic I command… From the Day I was born to the Day I die, no one will ever acknowledge that I’m better than my brother. I will never be King! Why… Why?” The Dark thoughts raced around, forming a wave of negativity that nearly swallowed them whole. “WHY?!”

She rested her hand on top of his shoulder, kneeling next to him on the ground. “You know…” She said, hoping he’d listen to her. “Even if one dream fades away, you can still forge a new one. Sure, you’re not the King at home, and I know it’s not fair that people compare you to your brother all the time, but you kinda are one to some people. People who never looked down on you.”

He scoffed at her with a scowl. “Name one?”

“Hello? Your Dorm, you dummy!” She yells. “Everyone idolizes you! Jack, Ruggie; need I say more! You lead to victory so many times until these last few years. So you hit a snag, so what? Isn’t that you basically being a King? Ruling as King isn’t just about merits. It’s also about aspiring others.” Then, Amu smiles exasperatedly. “He wanted you to know that, right?”

He blinks, facing unwavering amber eyes. And there were no lies in those youthful orbs. It felt ironic to him; a kid who doesn’t know a thing about him, a kid who he tried to kill was wiser than him. And also understood him.

She made a heart with her hands. “I open your Heart…Leona-senpai.”

 

---

 

Back in  the waking world, Ruggie and Jack shook him, trying to wake him up. “Leona! Leona! Wake up you idiot!”

Riddle and Ran also did this, but to the Joker. “Amu-san! Amu-san!”

“Why did this happen again, desu~?”

 

Soon a set of yellow eyes also awakened again, and sighs of relief. “Henchhuman!” Grim glomped her chest. “Would it kill ya not to faint after an Overblot?!”

“Gomen, Grim…” “Hey, how’s Senpai-”

“He’s awake, too,” Riddle said, still in his Chara-Nari. “Are you alright?”

‘Wow! He looks handsome in a dress!’ ‘Bad Amu! Bad Amu!’

“Hmm?”

“We’re still in our transformation, Riddle-kun.”

He blushed as he looked down at his clothes. “!!! R-right.” He immediately dispelled the form, Ichigo happily resting on his shoulder. They left shortly after instructing Cater to stay and watch over her and the others.

Meanwhile, groggy emeralds finally opened up again. A groan escaped his lips as Leona sat up from where he laid on the ground. Not far from where he laid, the Headmage and a few others from Heartslabyul and Diasmonia had appeared. He looked around and saw the near destroyed state his dorm was in. “The hell happened?”

“You Overblotted,” Crowley stated matter of factly.

His eyes widened upon hearing that. “I did?”

“Yes. It was a terrible incident. Do you recall doing so at all?”

“No, I- I remember fighting them, but after that… nothing.”

With the Headmage here, Grim wasted no time rushing to him and pointing a paw at Leona. “He did it! He’s the one responsible for the accidents!”

“Huh?”

“He and the rest of my dorm,” Jack elaborated. “They all schemed to try and win the tournament using underhand tactics.”

“And he also Overblotted on top of that?” Crowley sighed.

“... Yeah. I did it.”

“Very well then,” He hummed a bit. “Savannahclaw Dorm is hereby disqualified from participating in Spelldrive. The rest of your punishment will be dealt with after the tournament.”

A collection of defeated growls and whines echoed through the dorm. “Ouch…”

“I kinda feel bad, desu~”

“Still, they hurt a lot of people.”

“But it’s not fair on Jack and London. They had nothing to do with this…”

“Headmage,” Soon more people could be heard arriving in Savannahclaw. Trey, Jamil, Peaches; it was all the people that Leona’s people had hurt! And seemed to be doing a lot better now. “These are the victims of the accidents.”

“Huh? Why are you all here, Trey-senpai?”

“We came to reconsider the ruling of disqualifying Savannahclaw.”

“Guys?” Jack and Ruggie were the most surprised to hear this.

“Aww. You all wanna give them a second chance, desu~” Su beamed. “How thoughtful~”

“No that’s not what we meant,” Jamil told her, sounding angry.

“Using magic against others is against the rules in school,” Riddle and Ichigo crossed their arms.

“Huh?” Amu did not like where this was going.

“But they’re not,” Trey smiled evilly. “If used in the name of the sport.” And many of the other victims agreed, all wearing the same evil grins. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we hashed things out in the tournament, instead of letting our grudges build up until we snap, sir?”

 

‘Ah, yes. Revenge…’ Can ONE person in this school be normal for crying out loud!

 

Even though this was a death sentence standing right in front of them, Leona wasn’t phased that much. Ruggie and Jack backing him up. All their Leader said to Dire after he asked if they agreed to those conditions: “Don’t underestimate me, Crowley,” He rose to his feet. “I’d be asleep and still take down a pack of injured herbivores.”

As all this was going on, Grim did a happy dance until he stopped and turned back to Crowley.“What about our deal?! You promised if we found the culprits, you’d let me participate in the Interdorm Tournament!”

“Oh. Did I promise that?” He asked dubiously.

“Yes you did. We have four other people to prove it!” Amu said, putting her foot down.

“A-Ah, of course I did. My apologies,” He feigned an apology. “But your dorm is still down a few players.”

“No we don’t.”

“I beg your pardon.”

“The ghosts in our dorm count as additional residents. AND one of them was a pro back in the day!”

“Still-”

“AND! I think it’s fair for two fellow classmates of mine to join my team~” She grinned herself.

“Eh?”

Behind their Housewardens, Ace and Deuce, and Axel, walked over. Excitement obviously clear on their faces, even as Ace asked her: “For real, pinky?”

“You guys deserve it for lending a hand. If Riddle-san doesn’t mind.”

“I don’t know…”

Deuce brought up a special loophole. “The rules don’t say a team has to be made from the same dorm.” 

“… Very well. I give you permission to use my card soldiers, Amu-san.”

“Thank you!”

“Oh yeah! We’ll show you for stealing me and trying the same on Ichigo!”

“And your Overblot!”

“And my stolen cookies, desu~!” That made everyone look at Su in confusion. “What? I made them for everyone that got hurt because of him, desu~ You know how difficult it is to make ten dozen cookies all by yourself?”

Murmurs echoed amongst the slighted. ‘She’s not wrong.’ ‘I mean she gotta point.’ ‘They were very delicious.’

“Seriously?”

“Her point still stands, Ruggie-senpai.”

“Whatevs.”

“And also,” Amu raised one finger in the air. “If you win, I’ll give you something as a token of surviving the ‘Revenge Gauntlet’.” 

Leona grinned at her, secretly impressed by her decision. “Form whatever army you want, Pinky. You and your Fae will make a fine meal.”

 

Upon his declaration to battle, the final Diamond Egg shook with excitement.

 

---

 

The Interdorm Tournament has officially begun. To start the match, as Crowley had promised(see: pressured by a bunch of teenagers) Ramshackle started the games as the opening match for the world to see. So close yet so far, Grim…

Amu, Ace, Deuce, Grim, the Ghostly Trio and the Shugo Chara got ready to face up against Leona and his team in a rematch. Stretches were done, shoes tapped on hard, and brooms at the ready, both parties were ready to throw spells. “Ready to eat dirt, Leona-senpai?”

He answers Ace with a laugh. “I should be the one asking you that.”

“Stay focus, Ace,” Amu told him. “We’re a team, got it?” She stared hard at him, determined to prove to him what she’s made of and if he deserves to have Him back. She transforms in Amulet Heart, baton at the ready and once the whistle blew, the match had begun.

From the bleachers, Miki, Axel, Su, and a sleeping Dia cheered on their friends alongside Riddle, Cater and Trey. “Go Amu-chan! You can do it!”

“I believe in you, Deuce-kun!”

“Show him who’s boss, desu~”

“Behead those bullies!”

They laughed at Ichigo’s additional battle cry. “Easy there, Ichigo. Don’t wanna make outside guests freak out from screaming that,” Trey said to him.

“But he deserves it…”

“They’ll get their sentencing soon. Just be patient,” Riddle said as he watched Amu throw a Pom Pom to knock out two flyers that got too close to Deuce, their current holder. Her group was super close to scoring until a play by both Leona and Jack caused them the disc. Then Savannahclaw wasted no time trying to do a long range score, which they earned. She gritted her teeth, hating the fact they were getting a repeat of their last encounter.

The match continued on, both sides doing fairly well with Ramshackle earning one goal, versus Savannahclaw that got two. They were partially tired but not backing down. Grim, ever the self proclaimed genius, decided to use a special move that mimicked Leona’s play the last time they fought. “You better get ready for my secret weapon! Here it comes!” He twirled the disc in his possession. “Behold! my Great Grim Hurricane!” But instead of going towards the goal-

 

“ACK!”

 

-It hit Amu instead, undoing her form and causing her to fall from the sky.

“Crap crap crap!” Ace and Deuce rushed to catch her, and thankfully caught her before she suffered major injuries. Top off with Ran landing on her, also unconscious and in pain from the hit. It wasn’t long until the medical staff on stand by and collected the girl from them and whisked her away to the school’s med bay!

 

From the Heartslabyul Leader’s Lap, orange eyes peeked out from her golden egg as she saw the medical team lift Amu away.

 

To Be Continued…

Notes:

Guess who's about to come out and pla~ay