I thank KatherineOzawa of Wattpad for helping me.
Niho felt like she was on clouds as a dream began to manifest in her mind. "A parade of animals…?" She saw a number of hyenas marching like soldiers before a seated lion.
"The world is about to be turned upside down. A shining new era is near." Scar smiled with mad glee.
"And where do we fit in?" Shenzi questioned.
"Just listen. We're going to take out Mufasa AND his son. And then I will be king!" Scar grinned.
"All right! Long live the king!" Banzai cheered, followed by the hoard of hyenas, chanting wildly,
"Long live the king!"
"I've fangs and courage that none can match. So be prepared!" Scar swore to the dark skies as he laughed maniacally.
"Why did he want to be king so badly?" Niho felt like she was to know how this played out but something was blocking her memory from remembering, when suddenly she was forced from her slumber.
Her eyes jolted open as she sat up confused and scratching her bed-head like she had a headache.
Grim walked into her room, the door left open and saw she was up. "Oh, Niho, you're up? Breakfast is gettin' cold! Let's go eat already!" He urged her. She did so, deciding to dress in her uniform later as she saw Rajni at the table in her own sleepwear and setting food down on the table. She urged her to come forth and fill her plate. Niho decided on grabbing some scrambled eggs, a bagel and some grilled ham and she sat at the table, scooting her chair forward, Rajni and Grim doing the same. A small silence swept the dining room as everyone ate with comfort. But Niho, chewing on her bagel, had to get the truth out to Rajni. These dreams were telling something to her and she needed her allies to know the truth.
"Rajni?" the demi-lioness nodded, signaling she was listening. "I...need to tell you something..." she took a deep breath and kept talking, "Ever since I came into this world...I...I've been having some really vivid dreams...and...and they seem to be connected to...the Great Seven in some way..."
"The Great Seven?" Rajni asked, putting down her fork, fully intrigued by the topic now. "That's something people here don't see everyday..."
"Well yeah, and...besides that...I've...been hearing dripping lately...like leaking pipes but...deeper and darker..."
"Dripping? Dreams of the Seven?" Rajni raised an eyebrow confused. "Care to explain?"
"Eh...Yeah, I want in on this too!" Grim decided to stop gorging himself and listen to what's at hand.
Niho nodded, knowing there was no turning back. "Sure. So just recently, I've gone through dream sequences involving The Queen of Hearts...and...for some reason, those events mirrored what happened in real life: Riddle collared the guys for not obeying the rules just as she had three cards-men killed for soiling her roses. And when...Ace told Riddle exactly what he thought about him, Riddle lost it...just as the Queen did on...Alice...that's what led to...overblot, it was called?...but now with the Queen out of the way...the King of Beasts is next...and I just woke up from one dream of his...and I've a feeling...it may have to do with Leona..."
Rajni, who was listening with thought, nodded. When Niho stopped, she took a deep breath and spoke, "That's a strong thing you did: confessing something that's been bothering you. If what you say is true, that somehow the stories of the Great Seven are being reflected in real life now, then something big may be at play regarding Leona...and maybe future students..." her tail swished with some anxiety but when she looked at the clock, they knew they had to pick up where they left off on their so called 'investigation'. "We'll discuss this more later. We have a job to handle."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
The three got to Main Street, both girls in their uniforms. Unlike Niho, Rajni was dressed to impress. Her hair was braided back, barely reaching the ground as she donned a white collared shirt, the signature black and gold jacket buttoned once and instead of pants, she stuck with a long pencil skirt which reached past her knees, and black strappy sandals clad her feet. The demi-lioness was happy, knowing she could conceal that nasty scar upon her arm with the jacket. She tried to figure out how to tie her tie, muttering to herself in confusion as Grim looked to Niho.
"By the way, did you go somewhere last night? I got up to warm up some milk. Was gonna see if you wanted some but you weren't there." he said.
"Oh, that's right. It was the weirdest thing…" she nodded, recalling last night. She told Grim about the mysterious figure and their brief conversation, including where he promised to keep her identity a secret, like everyone else. This made Grim interested.
"Huh! A weird dude with horns? Did this dude have a name?" he pressed.
"He told me to call him by a name of my choosing." Niho remembered.
"Ooh, ooh, let me pick it! Howsabout… "Hornton"!"
"I don't know that he'll appreciate that one." she gave him a look that said that was the most ridiculous name ever heard.
"He said "of your choosing," right? Then he's got no right to complain! If Hornton's a student here, who knows when we might run into him? If we do, introduce me! I ain't never seen a human with horns before." Grim smiled.
"Is there even someone like that on school grounds?" Rajni asked, halfway with the tie struggle.
"Mornin', Niho, Rajni." Cater greeted, drawing attention to him and Riddle, meeting them halfway down the street. Riddle saw Rajni's failed attempt at the tie and approached her.
"Hm. Your tie is crooked, you know. A disorderly uniform suggests a disorderly dorm. Niho, as prefect, you should set a better example for your dorm members. Even if you only have two." He chided subtly as he started his work.
"Sorry. A tie doesn't suit me." Niho shrugged, happy being in her sweatshirt.
"…There. All better." Riddle smoothed down her jacket once he was sure he was done and stepped back to admire his work.
"You know Rajni's a girl, right?" Niho whispered to him.
"It's the polite thing to do!" he countered back.
"So, where's Ace and Deuce?" Grim poked his head between the two.
"In accordance with rule 249, it's their turn to wear pink clothes and feed the flamingos. By the way, it seems there was another incident last night." Riddle spoke.
"Myah?! Really?!" Now all three were in detective mode.
"According to a portrait who witnessed it, the victim was a sophomore from Scarabia House. His name is Jamil Viper. It appears the accident happened in the kitchen." Cater checked his phone notes once more.
"That's the dorm with red-and-gold armbands, right?" Niho tried to remember her crash-course lesson the first day here all those months ago.
"It's breakfast time, so he may be in the cafeteria. Let's go see." Riddle led the way.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
The group burst through the doorway as Cater kept looking at the student's profile. "Jamil has long, black hair. Let's see… Ah, there he is!" he spotted him immediately. By the far left sat two people. Riddle recognized Kalim and looked next to the one mentioned had mocha colored skin framing Charcoal Gray eyes. His hair was jet black and stylized in a ponytail with three accented braids running down his head and small gold beads, leaving some bangs on the other side of his head out. He, like Niho, wore a sweatshirt under his jacket but with a flame pattern at the bottom of the jacket colored red and black and brick red sneakers.
Grim didn't hesitate running towards the two, leaving everyone else to catch up. "You're the guy who got banged up in the kitchen yesterday, right? Mind if we chat?" He got up onto the table.
"What is this? An inquisition?" Jamil narrowed his eyes at the two foot tall creature, which Kalim knew almost immediately.
"Oh, hey! That's the weasel who set my rear on fire at orientation!"
"Grim. You need to work on your tone. Tact is important for these sorts of things." Riddle chided before sending an apologetic glance at the Scarabia co-leaders. "Forgive us for interrupting your breakfast."
"Wow, the Heartslabyul housewarden and the fire-spitting weasel. Ahaha, what a fun combo!" Kalim laughed.
"I ain't a weasel! The name's Grim. And that's my minion, Niho." Grim complained, to which she yanked his tail.
"I'm not his minion. I'm the new prefect of Ramshackle House. So I guess that makes me housewarden. And this is Rajni. She's here for the beastmaster program." Niho introduced two for one.
"Huh! Well, I'm Kalim, Scarabia's housewarden. And that's my vice housewarden, Jamil." Kalim introduced.
Grim, rubbing the sore spot of his tail, was caught off by the persona Kalim gave off. "Uh, sure. Man, this guy throws me off."
"He does seem rather happy-go-lucky compared to others we've encountered." Rajni agreed.
"So, why are you asking about my accident?" Jamil looked at Niho.
"We're here at the headmage's behest." she answered, to which she gained a quizzical look, but went with it.
"The headmage? Huh… Well, okay. Last night, I was in the kitchen frying up some lamb rolls at Kalim's request."
"Oh man, you guys have NO idea how amazing Jamil's lamb rolls are. You've gotta try 'em one day." Kalim was giddy.
"Can we stay focused here, Kalim?"
"Ah, right. Sorry!"
"When I was chopping the ingredients, it was like my knife hand went wild and cut my other hand all on its own."
"You sure you weren't being mindless and careless while handling sharp tools? Previous students claim to have either been burnt by chemicals or didn't notice when they fell down the stairs." Rajni pressed subtly.
"No, I'm always focused on my work and nothing more." Jamil denied.
"It makes no sense! Even the dorm's head chef can attest to Jamil's legendary knife skills. Were you tired from Spelldrive practice, maybe?" Kalim wondered.
"No. Not so tired I couldn't control my hands. But at one point while I was cooking, I did feel kind of light-headed."
"You got dizzy?" Niho assumed.
"Most people would think that, but I know the sensation. I think I was feeling the effects of someone's signature spell." This raised Red flags on both Cater and Riddle's end, knowing they may be getting somewhere.
Kalim seemed rather undeterred, however. "Oh, right! Because your signature spell is- MMMPH!" He found a hand on his mouth from spewing anymore information and yanked Jamil's hand off his mouth, sending a glare. "Pffft! Why'd you put your hand over my mouth?!"
"Because we're not talking about me here." Jamil chided. "Anyway, my theory is that someone was controlling my movements with magic."
"So my hunch was right..." Rajni whispered to herself.
"Interesting… That WOULD be a way to hurt people and have it appear like it was nothing more than the victim's own carelessness." Cater dotted down on his phone.
"And if it only lasted an instant, even the victim might perceive it as his own mistake. When I nearly fell down the stairs, I never felt as though I was being controlled against my will." Riddle picked up, recalling his own story.
"We're getting somewhere...finally." Niho sighed quietly.
"Well, I guess this kind of a lead? What's our next move, guys?" Cater looked to the two girls and his liege.
"A spell that can control someone… If I could learn how to cast that, I could really clean up on bakery day!" Grim sighed. Riddle was less than pleased Grim didn't learn anything.
"Such small-mindedness… Truly, Grim? That's as far as your ambitions extend?"
"Man, imagine eating all the deluxe grilled cheese I wanted- Huh?" he stopped as he saw Niho. Although he didn't figure it out, Niho connected the dots almost immediately.
"Speaking of bakery day…"
-flashback-
"Might you be willing to trade your deluxe grilled cheese for this very exciting hot dog bun?" the hyena offered, slipping out a bun the size of a baseball, golden and flaky looking that he snagged from a nearby table while no one was looking.
"Whaaat?! You must be outta your mind, dude!" The tanuki was fast to defend what was his with a scowl. Ruggie smirked mentally, noting how cute he looked when he pouted. But he was needed somewhere ASAP with the food. And he knew just what to do.
"Oh, come now. Let's not be like that. Here, have the hot dog bun. I insist." He swiftly held out his hands with the hot dog bun to Grim. And all of a sudden, Grim began to mirror the exact same thing!
"Myah?! What in the name of tuna...?! My paws are movin' on their own!" Grim's voice shook as he walked like a zombie toward the hyena, arms outstretched with his proclaimed meal.
-end flashback-
The two had shared the look, Grim still being confused until it clicked and he screamed. "AAAAAHHHHH!" Cater and Jamil were spooked, and Kalim nearly fell out of his seat.
"WHOA! Why are we screaming?!"
"I, Grim, Expert Detective, have solved the case! I know who's got that signature spell!"
"What?" Riddle looked between the two confused.
"The culprit is…Ruggie Bucchi!" Niho answered.
Cater scratched his head, "Ruggie? That lil' dude from Savanaclaw?"
"It's highly likely." Rajni supported her.
"Let's track him down and see what he has to say." Riddle decided.
"Hmmm… Looks like Ruggie's in class 2B." Cater had checked his notes. Riddle turns to the two Scarabians,
"Thank you both for your cooperation!"
"I'm still kinda lost here, but good luck!" Kalim smiled as he waved goodbye as they left.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
In one of the classrooms, the group stormed in with Grim demanding,
"All right, where's Ruggie Bucchi?!" At his name being called, the demi-human stood up.
"Right here. Ah… It's you guys again. I really hope this isn't about that deluxe grilled cheese. We traded fair and square." He sighed, eyes going towards the two faces.
"Unless you did something no one noticed." Niho scoffed subtly.
"Ruggie Bucchi, we need to ask you some questions about the spate of injures that have befallen prospective Spelldrive tournament players." Riddle stepped forward.
"Oh ho. This sounds like some serious business." He chuckled with some sarcasm.
Cater winked with, "How about we move to the hall and keep this in the figurative DMs, if you catch my drift?"
"I'm cooperating. Let's all try to be gentlemen, now." Ruggie held up his hands in surrender as he followed after. However, one look at Rajni and he seemed to back away from her slightly as he was walking. He may have caught on to how she was seen to Leona, but again: for reasons unknown.
Back into the hallway Riddle turned towards the fellow second year. "Very well. While we do not yet know exactly what transpired, it is abundantly clear that your signature spell is a dangerous one. I will be casting "Off With Your Head" to-"
"But Riddle, are you sure you should be casting such a powerful spell without your magical pen?" Ruggie grinned like he had found out his dirty little secret. Riddle raised an eyebrow, confused, until his hand went to his jacket pocket, not feeling anything and his eyes widened.
"Huh? Wait…what?! What happened to my magical pen?!" He patted down his body to make sure he didn't misplace it.
"Hey, Cater! Your pen's gone too!" Grim noticed, making the third year freak out.
"You're kidding me! How?!"
"He has them!" Rajni snarled. Ruggie, in turn, held up his hand, gripping two black pens, both baring bright red crystals.
"Shyeheehee! Children of privilege, every one of you. So unprepared. So complacent. Like stealing candy from a baby."
"Myah?! He cast his spell to snatch your pens away without us even noticing?!"
"Puh-lease. As if I'd need magic to do that! Anyway, having a showdown in the hallway is not on my agenda for today, so I'll be on my way. Toodles!" He wiggled his fingers and took off.
"Hold it right there!" Grim shouted.
"Curse you! You will halt if you value your head! "Off With-"" Riddle started but Cater halted him.
"Whoa, Riddle, stop! Don't be a hero, man!"
"You just got out of overblot, we can't risk it a second time!" Niho warned. Suddenly, something caught her eye from down the hall.
"Dude, your flamingo-feeding outfit was insane. Who knew they made leopard print in hot pink?"
"L-look, it's not like I had a choice! It's all I had in pink!"
"I can't believe we still gotta follow weird rules like that. But I guess it's better than it was."
Cater saw them and strained a smile at their roughed up appearances from their recent activity. "Oh! Ace, Deuce! You boys are a sight for sore eyes!" Riddle stormed up to them as Grim took it upon himself to go after Ruggie.
"Huh? What's going on? Why are you running?" Ace shouted but Riddle grabbed him by the tie and, with his usual Red facade, he grit his teeth all while sneering,
"The culprit! He's getting away! You need to apprehend Ruggie Bucchi immediately! Housewarden's orders!" Obviously the two weren't that keen.
"Whaaat?!"
"What does this gotta do with us?!"
"He's got their pens!" Rajni answered.
"This is your chance to earn a spot on the roster!" Niho wasn't trying to sound desperate to corner him but it managed to get the two on board. The boys had led the charge as Niho and Rajni stuck together. Traveling down several halls, it wasn't before long til they caught up to Grim and Ruggie followed after.
"Myah! We've got you now!"
"What, you think some freshmen and a weasel can catch ME? All of you look as slow as molasses- and I'm not talking about your runnin' speed!" Ruggie chuckled dryly while challenging them.
"I am NOT a weasel!" Grim shouted, hissing like what a normal cat does as Ruggie ran for it a second time.
"Save it! We got work to do!" Ace bonked him on the head as he bolted after with Deuce. The two, and Rajni secretly trying not to show herself to Ruggie, fired several spells to try and trap him but the demi-hyena was too nimble and slipped through their traps with ease.
"You're in over your head! Better go recharge in your dorm with a spot of tea." Ruggie shouted over his shoulder.
"Argh! It's like chasing a wild animal…" Ace groaned in annoyance.
"Hah… Hah… But if we let him get away, our heads are gonna roll…" Deuce started to feel his ribcage hurt.
"Respect for not throwing in the towel, I guess. Shyehee!" Ruggie heard them and sarcastically congratulated. It wasn't before long til the two first years and the gremlin started wavering, their steps faltering.
"There's no way we can outrun him…" Deuce stumbled to a halt and Grim flopped to the floor, faceplanting onto the tile.
"I… I can't take another Step."
"Aww! Is that it? Were you even trying to catch me? I've seen warthogs with more spunk than you! Shyeheehee! Three-on one, and this is the best you can do? Pretty pathetic, guys." Ruggie stopped to berate them with a crass smile.
That only riled up the three to push themselves to chase him more, but five minutes later after Ruggie made his way to the courtyard, their sides were hurting.
"What is WITH this dude?! He's crazy fast!" Ace fell to his knees, huffing and puffing.
"It's not just that he runs fast… It's like no terrain even slows him down!" Deuce commented, nearly falling onto the asphalt.
"Myaaaaah… I don't even think I can catch him." Grim face planted onto the cement for the second time just as the girls ran up to them.
"He's like an assassin! Fast on his feet..." Niho claimed.
"Shyeheehee! Compared to the backstreets of the slums, this is a cakewalk. Did you even think the through? Let's say you do catch me- can you even be sure that I did it?" Ruggie looked at them with a smarmy smile.
Deuce clenched his hands into fists. "What? Of course you did it!"
"And what about evidence? Do you have a witness who saw me casting spells? For that matter, did anyone snap a picture? You don't have anything like that, do you?" Ruggie countered. This stopped the first years, knowing he had a point.
Ace tried to think of a comeback but couldn't find anything witty. "Yeah, but…still!"
"Maybe so, but it's cowardly…" Niho glared at him, but Ruggie kept up his triumphant smile.
"A coward? I take that as a compliment, honestly. Shyeheehee! Next time you wanna come after me, do me a favor and gather some proof first. Thought that sounds like a tall order given your track record." Ruggie sneered.
"Grrrrr… This guy…" Grim wanted nothing more than to scratch his eyes out.
"You know you won't get away with this." Rajni stood tall before Ruggie. "Eventually, karma will strike you down before we can." But the hyena didn't regard her warning and sniffed.
"Well, I'm done playing tag for today. I'll leave those pens of yours I stole right here for you, okay? Toodles!" He placed both pens onto the bench and scampered off with a wave of his fingers.
"Argh! He really gets on my nerves!" Ace shouted as soon as he was gone.
"Housewarden Riddle is not going to be pleased." Deuce ruffled his hair, stressed.
"He did say "next time," didn't he?" Niho thought back and went to grab the pens, keeping them tucked into her jacket pocket to return to Riddle and Cater later.
"Well yeah..." Ace nodded to her question. "Why do you say so?"
"It's quite obvious. There's more unfinished business here." Rajni argued.
"'Unfinished business'? But he's taking down strong competitors left and right?! How's there unfinished business?!"
"Maybe they're after a true adversary..." Niho guessed.
"Knowing Leona, he won't stop for sure until he gains what's his." Rajni agreed.
"So you guys are still on the hunt, huh?" A voice asked and from the wall out stepped Jack Howl. But his presence made Ace narrow his eyes.
"Yup. Hey, here's an idea: Next time, maybe give us a hand? There is seriously something wrong with that guy."
Jack asked, "Why're you going through all this trouble for the sake of total strangers?"
Deuce was confused. "I'm not sure I follow."
"Please reiterate?" Rajni asked. Jack nodded, complying to her request.
"I mean, I'd understand if you were out for vengeance for an injured friend, or something."
At that Ace chuckled, "Buddy, you're missing the point."
"What?"
"We're not doin' this for anyone else's sake!" Behind Ace, Deuce and Grim smiled snarkily,
"This is just a chance for us to score some kudos by catching the culprit."
"Yeah. I'd do anything to get on my dorm's team so I can show my talent to the world!"
"Yeah, me too! I wanna catch the guy so I can get this glorious mug of mine on TV!"
"I feel bad about what happened to Trey, but if there's an opening on the roster… I'll take it." Ace's voice held some sentiment in it at that.
"Wow. I was doubting whether I could trust people who would suffer like this for strangers… But it turns out you guys're total scum." Jack looked between the three.
"Well, maybe they're doing that for fame, but I'm not. I'm doing this to stop the students from making mistakes they can never take back and ruin their lives." Niho stood in front of them with a determined glare in her eye.
Ace peeked around her shoulder and went back to glaring at Jack. "If we're scum, then you're less than scum, because you knew all along, didn't you? You knew exactly who the culprit was."
"It's true." Rajni nodded. "And because of that-"
"Oh! I get it! That's why you were sure he wasn't gonna come for you- you knew the culprit was from your own dorm!" Grim interrupted from a stomp on his tail from Rajni, he whimpered and silently backed away to let her finish.
"And because of that, you're technically an accomplice to this whole controversy."
"Rajni's right. You were in cahoots all this time and yet you stayed in the shadows with your lips sealed like a coward. You're no better than the rest of these dunderheads for students." she could feel Ace and Deuce glaring at her but she didn't care. She was giving Jack a piece of her mind, whether he wanted to hear it or not.
Jack could only look at her with a hint of guilt in his eyes. Something about what she said just now struck a nerve in him. But not in an infuriating way, but a 'getting slapped in the face with the bitter truth' way. He looked away from her, not staring her in the eye. After a moment of silence, he spoke.
"Fight me. The whole lot of you."
"Huh? Why should we?" Ace threw back.
"If I'm gonna trust you, I gotta size you up first. Prove to me that you ain't all talk, and I'll tell you everything I know." Jack swore.
"Ugh, do I have to? I hate getting all sweaty." Ace fanned himself, not liking where this was heading.
"You may come to regret your words. Female lions are always the alpha of the rock." Rajni looked down at Jack as she flipped her braid behind her shoulder.
"Now you're talkin' my language. Let's cut to smack-talk and THROW DOWN!" Deuce cracked his knuckles.
"Myah?! I'll never get used to him flippin' out like that!" Grim backed away from Deuce.
"Fine. Let's let our fists do the talking." Niho rolled her eyes, pushing up her sleeves.
In just five milliseconds, it became an all-out free-for-all. While both Heartslabyul boys gave their all, Jack was a force of his own. Striking and dodging like a wolf when it runs through the forest. Even when Rajni gave solid hits that would've surely broken bones, Jack refrained from countering. It didn't take long for Ace to tap out and Jack, starting to feel winded himself, flew one last fist, prompting Deuce to push Rajni and Niho to safety as he countered back.
"Hyeeeaaarrrgh!"
"Grrraaaaah!"
The two socked one another in the face and they flew back from the force of the other's punch. Niho sighed internally, thankful their fists didn't meet each other. That'd be a can of worms she didn't wanna open.
Jack heaved heavily, "Man, you just… You just don't give an inch…"
"Phew… You neither. You sure can fight." Deuce wiped a stray drop of blood away from the corner of his lip.
"It's like every one of your punches rattled me to the core…" Grim started to feel dizzy and promptly sat down.
"Yeeesh… Maybe we got a little carried away. Ugh. At this point, I don't even care about makin' the stupid team." Ace sat up on his elbows on the ground only to flop back down in defeat.
"Wow, we all sure took a beating." Niho looked between everyone, but Rajni seemed fine.
"Maybe for you. I however had been trained thoroughly since birth to build up my stamina. I don't even feel a bead of sweat on my brow. Save for this damned pencil skirt, that was my only drawback..." she struggled to shift her skirt to feel more comfy in it.
"All right. The path ahead is clear. I'll tell you what I know." Jack stood taller.
""The path"? The path to what?" Ace got up, brushing stray grass off his pants.
"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!" he shook his head in disgust. "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!"
"I think I preferred talking to his fists." Ace soured.
"So..this is all about you, then?" Niho put it.
"I get it! I know exactly what he means!" Deuce nodded in agreement.
"That's not a good sign." Grim's ears twitched.
"Tell us all you know. And Never withhold any information!" Rajni demanded.
"Ruggie's signature spell- It makes its target 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 confessed.
"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 nodded, thinking back.
"I WAS right!" Rajni whispered to herself in confirmation.
"That lousy, rotten…! Aaargh! Now I'm angry again! Food grudges never die!" Grim seethed, only to calm down as he felt the scratch spot behind his ears being tickled and he melted.
"Down, Grim. What's done is done." Niho cooed, scritching his head to keep him calm.
"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 asked.
"Ruggie didn't cause these accidents by himself. Most of Savanaclaw was probably in on it too." Jack answered.
"Myah?!"
"So there were more students in on it than we thought..." Niho surmised.
"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 looked at Deuce to further detail out.
"The whole dorm was in on it? But why?" Deuce pressed.
"Well, duh. How well they do at the Spelldrive 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 snarked but Jack's gaze went on him, now a glare, and his teeth flashed as a warning.
"Grrrrr…"
"Dude! Don't bare your fangs at me! I'm just connectin' the dots!" Ace backed away in mock surrender.
"Not everything is about fame and fortune. It's obvious there could be another reason behind this web of accidents." Niho argued.
"Hmph." Jack sniffed as if agreeing with her, "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!"
"Yeah, for as lazy as that guy is… He seemed insanely strong." Grim decided to humor him, making Jack nod vigorously.
"Right?! Why would you possess such power and not even hone it? I despise guys like him!"
"Rajni, if you knew Leona when you were kids, do you have any other idea why he would do this and just lay around?" Niho looked to the demi-lioness for an answer.
"He's been rather secretive about what goes on inside his head, as well as behind castle walls." she confessed. "But one time when I asked about his family all he told me was, 'everything's fine' and nothing else. I tried pressing for answers, but he grew increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. I never asked after that."
"The way played when I saw him three years ago… It blew my mind. That was the reason I came to this school." Jack thought, looking away.
"As did I." Rajni nodded with him. "He was astounding. He wasn't who I imagined out there when we first crossed paths."
"What?" Niho looked at her with confusion as well as Deuce.
"You really saw how he played? What was it like? HOW did he play?" the bluenette pressed.
"Like a mighty lion sprinting through sandhills...with strength of ten thousand men..." she whispered. "Like no man stood a chance against him."
"That was the reason I came to this school. I thought if I joined Savanaclaw, he and I would be tearing up the Spelldrive field together." Jack went with what she was saying.
Ace leaned over to Niho, whisper-talking with her. "Yo, Niho. He's pretty harsh when he talks about his own housewarden, but I'm starting to think…"
"He actually really respected him."
"All these "accidents" are just an incidental part of the plan. They're hunting bigger prey here." Jack got to the point of 'why'.
"Bigger prey?" Deuce asked again.
"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 answered gravely.
"Without a single point…? For a dorm that usually wins the tournament, that had to hurt." Deuce winced just thinking about it.
"You know it. Our greatest moment of shame- broadcast to the whole world in real time. The upperclassmen want to redeem themselves, but the way they're doing it is despicable." Jack grit his teeth.
"Either way, Karma WILL come for them." Rajni sneered coldly.
"So this all comes together on the day of the tournament." Ace agreed, cracking his knuckles.
"Yep. And that's why I need to stop them!" Jack declared, but before anyone else moved, another voice cut through the air.
"I believe I've heard enough."
"Hello, Housewarden Rosehearts. Cater." Deuce greeted, smiling at seeing the two upperclassmen appearing from the shadows.
"I guess you heard the whole thing?" Niho summarized.
Riddle nodded, his voice full of spite, "I cannot allow such an important tradition to be tarnished by personal grudges."
"So what's the sitch, Riddle? We got a plan?" Cater sounded giddy.
"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."
"Indeed. The perfect crime must come with evidence or else we'd declare the wrong party innocent." Rajni agreed.
"So you're saying we need to catch him in the act?" Ace added.
"Yes. And I have a suggestion to that end. First-" Jack held up a hand to stop Riddle.
"Stop. I've told you what I know, but that doesn't mean I'm planning to join your merry band."
"What? C'mon, Jack, even after all we've been through together? The smiles and the tears?" But Cater's sweet-talking weren't a match for Jack.
"Savanaclaw is my dorm, and I'm gonna be the one to settle this. Seeya." He walked off, but three steps in and Niho stopped him.
"Even though you did nothing until now?" With this icy sentence, Jack looked back at her, offended by what she said and glared back at her.
"What'd you just say?!"
"Ouch. Been a while since you've let someone have it like that, Niho." Grim winced.
"It's true, though. You versus your entire dorm? Can't say I see the odds favoring you." Deuce stood beside her as well as Rajni, the demi-lioness saying,
"It's you versus an entire armada. You're just as good as dog food if you think of butting heads with them."
"The most successful wolves hunt in packs." Niho said this as if quoting a book author.
The demi-wolf was silent for a long time, but relented, "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."
"Man, this guy is impossible." Ace huffed, watching him come back.
"Funny, I was just thinking how much he reminds me of you and Deuce." Cater jabbed teasingly.
"Then, if I may continue explaining my plan? The first step is…" Riddle started.
Everyone listened intently, taking mental notes on what to expect on the day of judgement. Ace nodded, once Riddle finished, "Huh. That's actually not half bad, dude."
"I like it as well." Rajni said.
"That is quite a plan, Housewarden Rosehearts!" Deuce praised.
"Sounds like ol' Cay-Cay has a lot of prep work to do before the big day!" Cater got to work, taking notes on his phone as per usual.
"Thank you, Cater. Take care not to raise any suspicions." Riddle claimed.
"So H-B-U, Jack? You heard Riddle's plan. Are you in? Or out?" Cater looked to the wolf for confirmation.
"There's nothing cowardly about it, at least. I suppose we can work together this one time." Jack shrugged.
"Really feelin' the trust there, Jack." Grim was sarcastic.
"Can you blame him? We don't even know much about him." Niho argued.
"Cool beans. Let's all get back to our dorms for today. I know I'm about ready to keel over." Ace wavered slightly.
"Yeah, and I'm starving!" Grim added, but Riddle stopped them, before they could move.
"Hold on a moment, freshmen. Because of the information it yielded, I am going to overlook your flagrant violation of rule #6: "No fighting on campus." But rest assured that if it happens again, it will cost you your heads. Are we clear?" Riddle glared, but it was less menacing towards the girls compared to the boys and Grim.
"Yes sir, Housewarden Rosehearts."
"…Yeah." Jack nodded, looking away, ears pinned to his head in fear.
"Very well. Let us return to our dorms." Riddle turned tail and started walking off.
"Man, I thought he looked like a wuss, but your housewarden is one scary dude." Jack whispered to Ace.
"You ain't wrong. Mistake him for a friendly hedgehog and you'll quickly learn he's actually a furious porcupine." Ace nodded back.
Niho massaged her head. "Let's all get well-rested for tournament day!" she said with a small smile.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Night had fallen over the dorm as Leona rested beside the small pool in the lounge. Sitting crossed-legged, over lying in the green lawn chairs, or the rustic-colored couches on the stone ledges under green canopies. Or the small wooden tables with chairs themselves. The cool air ran through his head as he heard footfalls coming his way and he promptly stood up.
"Ruggie, what's this I heard about you gettin' chased around by the Heartslabyul kids at lunch?! You idiot! I told you a thousand times to make sure you didn't leave any evidence behind!" he at first had his back to him only to whip around to glare down the sophomore.
"I… I didn't!" Ruggie held up his hands in surrender. "That was some kind of fluke. You don't need to worry about a thing, Boss. They've got no evidence whatsoever. Cross my heart and hope to die!"
"Hmph. Anyway, I secured the cooperation of that creepy squid at Octavinelle, but it didn't come cheap. If you idiots mess things up on tournament day, I am gonna fry you up and eat you myself." He kept up the hostile glare while Riuggie rubbed his hands together with glee.
"The main dish is coming along nicely."
"Don't worry. We're gonna have those Diasomnia jerks pleading for mercy on tournament day!" One of the students nearby stood up with aggressive glee with his friends.
Ruggie's eyes flutter shut as he could picture it out while voicing his thoughts aloud, "I do look forward to watching this all play out. Oh, how the world will praise us when they see you standing over a battered Malleus Draconia! Maybe some top corporate recruiters will even take an interest in a little ol' hyena like me."
"Even the pro leagues will be scouting you!" More students cheered with ravenous glee.
"Look at all'a you- celebratin' when you've only just sunk your claws into your prey." Leona smirked looking upon his minions.
"You're gonna be the most famous of all, Leona!" Another spoke up, directing his praise at the Junior.
"Everyone in Sunset Savanna is gonna have some second thoughts about who should be the next king!" a third cheered. Leona gave them a dry smile, only to look away with a scowl and he muttered to himself,
"Succession ain't got nothin' to do with ability."
Ruggie looked over, hearing his grumbling, "Huh?"
"Nothin'." Leona brushed off only to yawn. "I'm headin' to bed. All of you, scram." he ordered.
"Yessir. Sleep well, Housewarden." Ruggie mock-saluted as he and the several students around retired to their chambers til Leona was the only one left. He turned back to the waterfall. The running water did little to calm the storm brewing within his mind; his hands clenched, the leather gloves tightening around his knuckles.
"As if conquerin' this school is gonna fix anything in the real world…" He said with bitterness, unaware of a dripping becoming louder than before...