Twisted-Wonderland: Heart of the Night

Episode 1-22: Soundly Chastised!

"Off With Your Heads!", Riddle casted his magic.

"Bwaaaaah!", Ace and Deuce were collared.

"Urrrgh...  Not again.  I didn't even have time to finish my spell!", Ace.  "He shut us down like it was nothing...", Deuce.

"That was fast!", I wasn't sure if I blinked and missed it.

"Visualization is key to spell casting.  The better you are at accurately visualizing your magic's effects, the stronger and more precise it will be.  It would appear Mr. Rosehearts has finely honed his magic.", Crowley.

"Myah...  they didn't stand a chance.", Grim.

"Hmph.  You didn't even last five seconds.  That was all you had, and still you thought to challenge me?  You must be utterly humiliated.  I guess my mother was right.  A man who cannot follow rules is a man who cannot achieve anything.", Riddle.

"Tch...  We agree that rules should be followed.  But forcing others to follow nonsensical rules like the ones you've enacted is tyranny!", Deuce.

"Then you agree that breaking rules is wrong.  And in this dorm, I AM the rules.  Therefore, those who cannot abide by my decisions deserve not the heads they use to complain!", Riddle.

"But that's not right!", I stated in his direction.

"I am the one who decided what is wrong and right!  What sort of pitiful education have you received that you cannot follow such simple rules?  Clearly, you were born to parents with no great magical capability.  And as a result...  You lack even the basic education necessary to attend a school such as this.  It's quite sad.", Riddle responded to me with a smug face.

*(!) He's probably referring to all four of us regarding the insult to our magic capabilities, but my chest feels like he's digging daggers into it because I don't have magic at all.... (!)*

I tug at my chest a bit trying to hold it together.

"You little...", Deuce formed his fists.

"You shut your spoiled little mouth!", Ace darted towards Riddle.

Faster than Deuce could make, Ace made a right hook punch right in Riddle's face.

"W-what...?", Riddle was caught off guard and fell to the floor.

"Riddle?!", both Cater and Trey were in shock to what just happened before their eyes.

"Mr. Rosehearts?!", even Crowley.

"Whoa!  He just punched the housewarden...!", the dorm students.

"Bam!  Right across to the face!", Grim.  "A-Ace?!", Deuce didn't even expect that even though it looked like he would at the moment.

"That's all I can take.  Forget Riddle.  Forget the duel.  I'm done.", Ace.

"That hurt!  You... p-punched me?!", Riddle slowly got himself back on his feet while he too was still in shock from the impact.

"Kids aren't trophies for their parents to flaunt.  And the accomplishments of a child aren't determined by the worth of their parents.  It's not your parents' fault you became a tyrant-- or anyone else's.  You've been here a year and haven't even made a friend who will tell you you're outta line.  And that's on you.", Ace.

"What are you even talking about?", Riddle.

"Yeah, maybe you had some rigid upbringing from a relentless helicopter-mom.  Is that all you are?  An extension of her?  Can't you think for yourself?  You call yourself the "red sovereign"?  You're just a baby who's good at magic.", Ace.

"Baby...?  Did you just call me a "baby"?  You don't know anything about me!  You don't know anything about anything!", Riddle's eyes widened to that insult.

"Nope, sure don't.  And I don't need to.  Your attitude tells me all I need to know- that you're nothing but a spoiled brat!", Ace.

"Shut up, shut up, shut UP!  My mother was right!  and that means I'm right too!", Riddle began to shout.

"Riddle, calm down.  The duel is already over.", Trey tries to intervene.  "Mr. Clover is correct.  The challenger has been disqualified due to physical violence.  If you do not cease your conflict now, I'll have you written up for breaking school rules!", Crowley.

"Ace is right, though!  I've had enough of Riddle!", a random student spoke out and threw something at Riddle.

"Huh?!", Riddle had what appeared to be egg yolk on his face.  "An egg?", Trey.  "Who did that?  Who threw that egg?!", Riddle.

"......", no response from any of the students.

"Heh heh...  Ah ha ha ha!  You say YOU'RE fed up?!  I'M the one who's fed up with all of YOU!  No matter how strict I am, no matter how many heads I remove, you keep breaking the rules!  All any of you care about is doing what YOU want to do!  If the guilty party won't come forward, then I'll pass judgement on all of you!  Clearly, none of you value your heads!  Off With Your Heads!", Riddle shouted.

"Bwaaah!  Let's get out of here!", now everyone had collars.

"Urrrgh...", one of the students couldn't handle the impact.

"Ah ha ha ha!  How do you like that, hm?  Now no one can do a thing to me!  Do you see now?  My strict adherence to the rules was clearly the correct path!", Riddle had a smug face on.

"Cease this improper behavior now, Mr. Rosehearts.  I expect better from you!", Crowley.

"Trey, if he keeps casting magic like that...  This could get ugly, fast!", I overheard Cater talking to Trey.

*(!) What did he mean by.... "ugly" (!)*

"Riddle, stop this!", Trey.

"Wow, way to totally prove me wrong here, pal!  I call you a baby, and you immediately throw a temper tantrum!", Ace.

"Retract your comment immediately, or I shall skewer you where you stand!", Riddle's face was now bright red, and not the good kind.

"No way.  I ain't retractin' squat.", Ace stood firm on his stance.

"YEEEAAAAARGH!", Riddle screached.

"Dude, this is bad!  Everyone get outta here!", Cater shouts to the others.

But before we knew it, the whole rose maze had turned dark and gloomy, darkening the atmosphere.  Bits of the ground were starting to float off the ground, even some of the rose trees starting to rise up.

"The rose trees!  They're floating!", Grim.  "This is some serious magic!", Deuce.

"Mighty roses, tear this brute to pieces!", as if by call, the trees came behind Riddle.

"Cease and desist at once!", Crowley tried once again to stop him, but to no avail.  He was attacking.

"Run for your life!!", I shouted to the top of my lungs urging them to run.

"*gasp*", Ace braced himself for the impact.  Some of the others didn't look like they were going to escape in time.  It was the same for Deuce and Grim.  I was too distracted by how fast this is happening that I now am in the same spot as them.  I close my eyes bracing for the worst to happen.