The Other Side of Darkness

A Royal Overblot

Episode 2: Chapter 26

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Lev flinched. He didn't just say...

"All hail the Prince of Failure! The Traitor King! All hail the second-born Kingscholar!"

No...Leona can't be...

Ruggie's small form started to tremble with anger. "NO! Don't screw with me! After we've come this far...you can't just give up!"

"Shut up..." Leona muttered.

"Nothing's gonna change if you have that attitude!" Ruggie continued.

"Ruggie..." Lev whispered in a warning tone. A dark look crossed Leona's face. A look Lev had already seen once before.

"And you call us the bottom-feeders!" Ruggie shouted. "No wonder your whole family doesn't like you! You're...you're a lazy coward!"

"SHUT UP!" Leona yelled, grabbing Ruggie's arm and tossing him across the ground harshly. Dust and sand started to rise from the ground around them into a small sandstorm.

"GAH!" Ruggie cried out in pain, clutching his arm.

"Leona! Stop!" Lev shouted, reaching out for him. He grabbed her jacket and threw her to the side. Lev coughed at the sudden burst of sand in her face. Looking down, she saw that her jacket was slowly disintegrating into small grains of sand. "What the...?"

"Sadly impressive, right?" Leona said in a dull tone. "It's my unique magic, 'King's Roar'. Ironic, isn't it? For a prince of the Savanna--which hates droughts above all else--to be giving this power. Magic that dries out everything it touches and turns it to sand!"

"L-Leona," Ruggie gasped weakly, still holding his arm tightly to his chest. "I...can't..."

No!

"Ruggie!" Lev quickly stood up and ran to the hyena. He was nearly unconscious and his arm began to slowly dry up. "He needs help!"

"Leona! Stop this, now!" Riddle ordered. "Off With Your Head!" A collar appeared around Leona's neck, but almost immediately broke off.

"Don't underestimate me, hedgehog," Leona growled. "I'm not stupid. I've trained hard to have good defensive magic." He marched over to Lev and Ruggie. "Well, Ruggie? How're ya feeling?! I bet it hurts." Ruggie couldn't speak. "Ha! You're mouth is so parched you can't even reply! I gotta admit, it's rather nice!"

"Shut up, Leona! Ruggie needs help!" Lev shouted back.

Leona smirked. "Awww, little kitten's trying to make a stand. I bet your heart of gold is breaking to see even a villain like this. He's harmed multiple people including your friends yet you still defend him! Pathetic." 

"What's pathetic is what you're doing!" Lev spat back. "You have so much power, and look what you're doing with it! Why would you do this?!" 

Leona bent down so he was right in her face. "Why should I tell you? How's knowing the reason going to change anything? In this world there are plenty of times where talent and effort make no difference. Just look at Ruggie. He's nothing, will never be anything, and in the end, the world won't care for his pathetic carcass." 

"ENOUGH!" Jack shouted, charging at them. "Unleash Beast!" He howled and his body began to morph from a human-like being to a gigantic wolf. He ran forward and slammed into Leona, shoving him away from Ruggie and Lev. 

"Great!" Riddle exclaimed. "Now, Off With Your Head!" With Leona's guard down, Riddle successfully collared him. The dust storm around the immediately vanished, and Ruggie wheezed as he stopped drying up and moisture returned to his body.