Twisted Wonderland: The Seven Treasures

Twisted Wonderland & The Shell of Magic-Part 5

  The lights turned on once Azul closed the door, making him raise his magepen.
  There was no one in the room so Azul lowered it before walking over to the safe in the back of the room and spun the crank.
  "I hope Jade is right," Azul said. "I don't have time to try a hundred codes."
  The lock clicked and Azul pulled it open, spotting a few golden contracts laying around a small pedestal where a purple pillow sat the Shell.
  Azul reached in and grabbed the Shell, pulling it outside of the safe.
  "You are very impatient," Overblot Azul said, making Azul turn, seeing him leaning on the wall beside the door. "I could have given it to you if you had asked."
  "Why hasn't it activated?" Azul asked. "It's not glowing."
  "Oh that? It's just a prop," Overblot Azul said. "The real Shell should be completed in your pocket by now."
  Azul reached into his pocket and pulled out the shard he had been given earlier, nearly dropping it as it filled his palm, pulsing gently.
  "I see my darling is feeling more awake now," Overblot Azul said. "Now, hand her own."
  "The Shell?" Azul asked.
  "Of course I mean the Shell," Overblot Azul said, his tentacles rising up threateningly. "Hand her over!"
  He lunged forward but Azul shot off a fire spell before running past Overblot Azul back into Monstro Lounge, holding the Shell close to his chest.
  "You really think a spell can hold me back?" Overblot Azul's voice echoed around the room, making Azul turn. "I have collected power from hundreds of students who made wishes! I can take you as well!"
  Turning back, Azul stopped as the other students in the room turned to look at him with their golden eyes.
  "Seize him!" Overblot Azul's voice commanded, making the students charge towards Azul.
  In a moment of panic, Azul's fingers uncurled from the Shell, letting the golden light shine out like a beam of sunlight and the first line of students charging forward collapsed, the golden chains around their necks shattering.
  "No! My contracts!"
  Azul held the Shell out, letting the light pass over the entire room till all of the chains had been shattered and the students collapsed.
  Azul breathed heavily, lowering the Shell as Jade and Floyd walked over.
  "It's gonna take for-EVER to clean this place up," Floyd complained. "How're we gonna explain this to the Headmage?"
  Jade withdrew his magepen. "I don't believe this fight is over." He said.
  Azul turned and faced the shadows just as a pair of black tentacles flew out of the darkness and slammed into the twins, trappings them against the walls.
  "Well well," Overblot Azul said, coming halfway into the light of the Lounge, the purple flame around his left eye shining brightly. "It seems I underestimated you Azul Ashengrotto. You've managed to surprise me."
  Before Azul could react, another tentacle raced forward and curled around Azul, tightening with each wrap around.
  "Azul!" The twins exclaimed, straining against the tentacles holding them against the walls.
  "I'll be taking that back," Overblot Azul said, a fourth tentacle snaking over and grabbing the Shell out of Azul's hand. "And with it, I will finish you off, Azul Ashengrotto, and take your place."
  "You-you'll be found out," Azul replied, straining as the tentacle holding him squeezed his chest. "Someone...will know..."
  "It's cute that you think someone will notice a difference," Overblot Azul said. "But no one will remember you."
  The tentacle around Azul continued to tighten till he was struggling to breath, gasping like a fish out of water. He dropped his magepen and as it hit the floor, his body became limp.
  "Giving up so soon? How pathetic." Overblot Azul said, throwing Azul's body into the glass wall, with magic preventing the glass from shattering but not stopping the impact of the throw on Azul's body.
  "Azul!" Jade and Floyd cried again as Azul fell to the floor, unmoving.
  "He's nearly dead anyway," Overblot Azul said, releasing the twins. "Nothing you two could do could hope to bring him back."
  "Hey Jade," Floyd said, his sharp teeth showing."This guy's startin' to get on my nerves."
  "Agreed Floyd," Jade said, raising his magepen. "Shall we?"
  Overblot Azul rose up on his tentacles. "You dare to fight me?" He declared. "So be it. You'll perish alongside him."
  Floyd and Jade readied their magepens and the battle began.
~~~~~
  "Hey octo-twerp! Come out and play!"
  It was dark when Azul's eyes fluttered open. Who was speaking?
  "We know you're in there!" A second voice said. "You're always hiding in there!"
  Something moved under Azul's hand as he sat up, grating over as it rubbed against something else. Scalloped shells?
  "Hey! Hands off of my collection!" A third voice cried.
  Something small hit Azul and he covered his face as more things were thrown at him.
  "Why won't you all go away and leave me alone?" The third voice asked, sounding close to tears.
  Azul raised his magepen, lightning the jewel at the end to see and drew a sharp breath in.
  The inside of a pot, expanded by magic, with writing across the entire inside surrounded him.
  Sniff. Sniff.
  Azul turned the light towards the farther end of the pot and saw a small octo-mermaid.
  "Who are you?" The octo asked, whipping away the remains of tears from his eyes.
  "No one of importance," Azul replied. "Did you write all of these?"
  "Yeah..." the little octopus said. "But you're not interested in these."
  "I am," Azul replied. "What would make you think I'm not interested?"
  "Most adults aren't interested in what I can do," the octo-mermaid said. "They think I should be playing with the other mer-kids."
  He turned to pick up a paintbrush and a shell from beside him. "I'd rather stay here and create magic circles."
  Azul looked around again. "Did you create all of these?" He asked.
  "Sure I did," the kid said, slowly adding something to the shell. "One day, they're gonna be useful."
  "You haven't tested them?"
  The kid looked up at Azul, a stern look in his eyes. "I've done enough research to know they'll work," he said coldly. "So I'd appreciate it if you didn't question my methods."
  Azul was sure he'd seen that look before but couldn't remember where...
  "Oy! Azul, you in there?" An excited voice called out. "All of the little guppies are gone! You can come out now!"
  "Floyd, I seem to recall that he asked us to not bother him while he was working." A second, more calm, voice said.
  Azul looked towards the mouth of the pot as the voices spoke. "Is that...Jade and Floyd?" He asked softly.
  "Yeah..." the octo-mermaid said, without looking up from the shell. "They won't leave me alone."
  Azul looked back at the octo, the dots finally connecting. "So you're Azul," he said. "You're me."
  Little Azul lowered the brush down at those words and looked at Azul, tilting his head to the side. "Are you really me?" He asked.
  "I...I think so."
  "Then, can you tell me if I'll be able to make my bullies pay?" Little Azul asked, a light of excited determination in his eyes.
  Azul felt his throat close up. No. He couldn't tell him. He couldn't tell himself about the terrible consequences that would come. The horrible Overbloting, the loss of self-control. The child wouldn't understand. But he would. One day.
  "What if I keep that a secret for now?" Azul suggested. "But I'll tell you something. You're going to be great when you grow up."
  "But...what if I'm not?"
  Azul pointed towards the entrance to the pot. "You'll have Jade and Floyd nearby. Together, you guys will do some really cool things."
  "Them? They're just expendable board game pieces to my end goal." Little Azul said, but Azul shook his head.
  "Maybe at first, but they'll be good friends later," he promised. "I trust them."
  Little Azul looked down. "You're sure?" He asked.
  "I wouldn't lie to myself," Azul replied. "Alright?"
  Little Azul nodded and a light appeared nearby, making both of them turn. "Is that for you?" Little Azul asked.
  "Yeah," Azul said, adjusting his glasses. "Remember, never stop striving for what you want."
  With that, he vanished into the light.
~~~~~
    Monstro Lounge was beginning to look worse for wear when Overblot Azul threw his tentacles forward, attempting to grab the twins.
  "Bind the Heart!" Floyd cried, his signature spell successfully deflecting the tentacles.
  "How impressive!" Overblot Azul praised, withdrawing his tentacles back to his side. "You're fighting so strongly but it's all for nothing! Give up!"
  Jade looked at his brother, who was breathing just as hard as he was. Floyd met his gaze with a playful look in his eyes. "I'm not givin' up," he said. "Not for a second."
  "Agreed," Jade said. "But we can't keep this up forever."
  "Well," Azul groaned, getting to his feet. "You won't have to."
  Overblot Azul gritted his teeth. "Why won't you die!" He screamed. "All of you are in my way!"
  "I need a moment," Azul said, withdrawing a sheet of paper and his magepen from his jacket. "Can you give me that?"
  Jade and Floyd nodded then began casting defencive spells.
  Tuning out the world, Azul began to write, carefully thinking about how to word it. Every contract he'd written previously had been written carefully in order to take advantage of the signer but this one would have to be different. An open contract, with something to be gained that was alluring to both sides.
  What did the Shell want? Freedom to roam. But how could that be given?
  Azul racked his brain then recalled something that he had noticed earlier when he had spoken to the Claw and the Card. Roam freely...without issues...
  That was it.
  Azul began writing faster, knowing what needed to be written now. Of course, there was always the chance of the contract breaking, but if the offer was alluring enough, that wouldn't be an issue.
  Finally, Azul withdrew his magepen from the contract.
  The magic sat in the contract, waiting to be activated by the signature. Reading over it one final time, Azul nodded.
  Crash!
  The final defence spell fell, forcing Jade and Floyd to their knees as Overblot Azul moved forward, his tentacles entwining them.
  "You're grasping at straws," Overblot Azul told Azul. "I will take your place and take our vengeance on the bullies."
  "Was that the only reason you wanted to take my place?" Azul asked. "I could do that on my own if I so wished."
  "Why do you have to be so against me?" Overblot Azul cried. "I have seen your memories! I have felt your emotions! You were teased relentlessly, yet you do nothing! You can make people's desires come true with your unique magic! The students here have so many weaknesses and hidden parts! So why do you oppose me?"
  "If you've seen and felt what I have," Azul replied. "Then you should know why I can't let you take my place. But if you didn't pay attention, I'll explain it. You have adopted my flaws and fears to yourself. Therefore, you believe that by taking my place, you will suddenly be free of these issues. But as you told me on that first night, you will forever be haunted by the idea that the students of this school are judging you and that you will fail in your endeavours."
  "So what happens now? We face one-another in this mirrored reality till one of us is victorious?"
  "I have uncovered a way for both of us to get what we want," Azul replied, withdrawing the contract. "It's simple, you just need to accept me as your host and you'll be able to roam freely, though you won't be able to interact with anyone other than me without my consent."
  "And what do you get out of this?" The Shell asked.
  "Every piece of evidence that your twisted "wishing service" is erased," Azul said. "Everyone gets what's theirs back and they don't remember anything of what happened."
  "That's not much for yourself."
  "It gives me back my reputation," Azul replied. "And that's all I desire."
  The Shell accepted the contract and read it over, but Azul knew there was nothing in there that contradicted what he had said.
  "...very well," the Shell said. "I suppose I was over-ambitious when I had to choose a host."
  "Oh no," Azul said, shaking his head. "You just hadn't realized the benefits of fully accepting me as your host. Now, if you'll please..."
  The Shell nodded and signed the contract.