Twisted-Wonderland: Heart of the Night

Episode 2-20: Truth Brought to Light!

"Hyeeeaaarrrgh!", Jack.

"Grrraaaaah!", Deuce.

They charged in at each other for one final throw down.

*Bam*

After colliding they stepped back a bit.

"*pant* *pant*...  Man, you just...  You just don't give an inch...", Jack.  "Phew...  You neither.  You sure can fight.", Deuce.

"It's like every one of your punches rattled me to the core...", Grim.  "Yeeesh...  Maybe we got a little carried away.  Uuugh.  At this point, I don't even care about makin' the stupid team.", Ace.

"Ugh, everyone sure took a beating.", Kalin.  I was lucky enough to not get hit, cause Jack might have found out if he hit me in the wrong place.

"All right.  The path ahead is clear.  I'll tell you what I know.", Jack.

"The path"?  The path to what?", Ace.

"The path my heart's telling me to walk.  Remember, I'm betraying my own dorm here.  But I can't be quiet any longer!  I don't care how strong the foe--  I wanna face them with my own two fists!  I've been training hard for this tournament.  I was excited to see how far I could go.  But these cowardly schemes are making me sick!  A triumph won through treachery means nothing!  I wanted to claim victory on the back of my own strength and skill, and fight to defend it!", Jack/

"I think I preferred talking to his fists.", Ace.

"So... this is all about you, then?", Kalin.  *(!) Yeah, I'm the only one then... (!)*

"I get it!  I know exactly what he means!", Deuce.  "That's not a good sign.", Grim.

"Ruggie's unigue magic--  It makes its targets copy Ruggie's movements.  Since he's making the same movements as the person he's controlling, he's able to make it look like an accident on their part.", Jack.

"Huh.  So that's how he was able to get Grim to trade without getting caught.  He just put out his hand, and Grim put out his.", Ace.  "That lousy, rotten...!  Aaargh!  Now I'm angry again!  Food grudges never die!", Grim.  "Yeah, your telling me...", Kalin.

"Wait, hold on a minute.  If he was mirroring the movements of someone about to fall down the stairs, surely someone would have noticed that?", Deuce.

"Ruggie didn't cause these accidents by himself.  Most of Savanaclaw was probably in on it too.", Jack.

"Most?", Kalin.  *(!) Maybe that guy from the other day... (!)*  I don't know why he comes to mind, but from what I could tell, he didn't seem to act like the others do.

"Myah?!", Grim.

"Like you said, someone would have noticed if he was near the targets and also mimicking their actions.  I believe he escaped notice by surrounding himself with a wall of his dormmates.", Jack.

"The whole dorm was in on it?  But why?", Deuce.  "Well, duh.  How well they do at the Magift tournament could make or break their careers.  If that's their motive, well, it isn't hard to understand where they're comin' from.", Ace.

"Grrrrr...", Jack.

"Dude!  Don't bare your fangs at me!  I'm just connectin' the dots!", Ace.

"Hmph.  If they're not willing to show what they're capable of now, what does the future even matter?  I'm most disappointed with our housewarden, Leona Kingscholar.  He has incredible talent, but refuses to even use it!", Jack.

"Yeah, for as lazy as that guy is...  He seemed insanely strong.", Grim.  "But why?  When he's clearly powerful both in strength and magic on his own?", Kalin.

"Right?!  Why would you possess such power and not even hone it?  I despise guys like him!  The way he played when I saw him three years ago...  It blew my mind.  That was the reason I came to this school.  I thought if I joined Savanaclaw, he and I would be tearing up the Magift field together.", Jack.

"Yo, Kalin.  He's pretty harsh when he talks about his own housewarden, but I'm starting to think...", Ace whispers to me.

"He actually really respected him.", Kalin.  *(!) So that's why he's against this so much (!)*

"All these "accidents" are just an incidental part of the plan.  They're hunting bigger prey here.", Jack.

"Bigger prey?", Deuce.

"Malleus Draconia, the Diasomnia housewarden.  He possesses monstrous power.  He led Diasomnia to victory two years running.  He's the reason we were knocked out of both tournaments without scoring a single point.  The older dorm members won't ever forgive that.", Jack.

"Without a single point...?  For a dorm that usually wins the tournament, that had to hurt.", Deuce.

"You know it.  Our greatest moment of shame-- broadcast to the whole world in real time.  The upperclassmen want to redeem themselves, but they way they're doing it is despicable.", Jack.

"So this all comes together on the day of the tournament.", Ace.

"Yep.  And that's why I need to stop them!", Jack.

"I believe I've heard enough.", Riddle.

"Hello, Housewarden Rosehearts.  Cater.", Deuce.

"I cannot allow such an important tradition to be tarnished by personal grudges.", Riddle.  "So what's the sitch, Riddle?  We got a plan?", Cater.

I took this moment to return their magical pens I was holding onto.

"As we have no proof of Leona's machinations, nor of Ruggie's assaults, we cannot take this to Crowley.  Without solid evidence, that sort of accusation would never stick to someone as sly as Leona.", Riddle.

"So you're saying we need to catch him in the act?", Ace.

"Yes.  And I have a suggestion to that end.  First--", Riddle.

"Stop.  I've told you what I know, but that doesn't mean I'm plannin' to join your merry band.", Jack.

"What?  C'mon, Jack, even after all we've been through together?  The smiles and the tears?", Cater.

"Savanaclaw is my dorm, and I'm gonna be the one to settle this.  Seeya.", Jack turns to leave.

"Even though you did nothing until now?  What makes you think you can do anything now alone?", Kalin.

"What'd you just say?!", Jack turned to me.  I didn't care if he would bite my head off, he's being too stubborn on how to handle this.

"Ouch.  Been a while since you've let someone have it like that, Kalin.", Grim.

"It's true, though.  You versus your entire dorm?  Can't say I see the odds favoring you.", Deuce.

"The most successful wolves hunt in packs.", Kalin.  He took a moment to look at me and see how serious I was.

"......  All right, fine.  I'll hear you out.  But I'm not committing to anything.  If I don't like the sound of your scheme, I'm out.", Jack.

"Man, this guy is impossible.", Ace.  "Funny, I was thinking how much he reminds me of you and Deuce.", Cater.

"Then, if I may continue explaining my plan?  The first step is...", Riddle.