I do not own Kamen Rider Ryuki or Ever After High. They belong to their respective creators and not me. I am not writing this for profit, only for fun.
Knights of the Otherworld
By Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 31: Warlord's Maneuver
Oh boy, so the Order of Rogues are starting to get organized?
So it seems. And Brooke, you can't warn your friends.
I know, I know…
Don't worry, Brooke. I'm sure they will be able to handle them. Now, let's see how the story begins with Cerise Hood.
Ever After High - Castleteria
"Mmmmmm!" Cerise hummed happily, munching on another perfectly cooked chicken leg from Deacon. Savoring the taste, she looked across to another table where he was sitting. They caught each other's eye and waved.
Their relationship was, well, unclear at the moment. Deacon made it clear that he was crushing on Cerise and wanted to get her to like him too. So he kept passing cooked chicken, spiced salami, or other delicious meats that Cerise royally enjoyed Cerise definitely liked a guy who knew how to cook meat. Of course, him being an Alpha-type and a Rogue Knight just made him even more appealing.
And he was pretty hot too.
Cerise would walk with Deacon to class and they would talk whenever they met up. Deacon turned out to be a Rebel. Seeing how being so gluttonous and lazy had turned around and bit his father pretty hard in his story, Deacon had no desire to be like that. He was pretty fitness-minded, always training or working out, and kept a pretty good grip of discipline on himself to keep in shape. The washboard abs she saw when he was on the bookball field during a grimmnasium class made that pretty clear and if she was less in control of her instincts, Cerise would have let off a wolf whistle.
Both liked what they had so far, but Deacon did make it clear he really wanted to be Cerise's boyfriend and ask her out on a proper date. Cerise was all for a relationship, but she wasn't sure how she could while she kept her heritage a secret. She liked Deacon, but she wasn't sure if she could trust him with the secret like Ramona did with Max. The temptation was strong though, especially when it was like her parents' love story was repeating itself with her.
Then there was her dad...He was a great dad but a bit overprotective. OK, he was fairy overprotective. He did not want to create any drama by revealing their family secret. It was why he could not publicly acknowledge Cerise as his daughter and she had to make sure she did not accidentally call him 'dad' while at school. He was not ashamed, no way, he loved his wife and daughters and was proud of them, but he didn't want them to be separated by people who could not accept what they had.
Like any dad, he was wary of any boys who showed interest in his daughters. He begrudgingly accepted Max since he was a knight and had sworn an oath. Did he like it? No, but he could respect their relationship and Max had been nothing but a complete gentleman to Ramona. If anything were to happen, Ramona would likely be the instigator.
Ramona encouraged Cerise to just go for it. High school was about enjoying their youth and that meant dating and having fun. Cerise did enjoy her time at school but her need to hide her secret made having any romantic relationships hard for her. She never even had a crush before she met Gawain. And now she was interested in another wolf-boy. She really was her mother's daughter.
Well, she couldn't ask her dad so maybe she could ask her mom for advice. She would at least help with her love life. Her dad would just tell her to focus on her studies and sports and not think about boys until she graduated or something.
Deacon made a gesture with his hand, pointing to the doors before he made his fingers move as if his hand was running. Cerise grinned, Deacon was offering to go on a run together through the woods. A favorite pastime of theirs when they had time. She nodded and finished off her last drumstick before moving to throw out the pile of bones.
She definitely would have to ask her mom for advice. If things kept going like this, Deacon's scent was going to overpower the chicken smell and her dad may stop caring about keeping their secret.
'Might be worth it though,' Cerise's more wolfy side pondered.
(-)
Cupid was sitting with Dexter at lunch when she stood up and scanned the room. There was love in the air and she could practically smell it.
Dexter noticed her sudden reaction, "Cupid, what is it?"
"My love sense is tingling," she answered, looking excitedly around the room. "Two people here have the potential to fall in love and I just have to see it!"
Dexter had long gotten used to this. His girlfriend was happiest when she made love bloom between two people. She was also never wrong when she sensed two people in love. It was like her special power to sense it. Of course, being a daughter of Eros, the one who went out to help people fall in love, it only made sense she had a power like that.
Cupid's eyes fell on Cerise Hood and then over to Deacon Wolfe. She could detect a mutual attraction between the two. Ooh! How hexcellent! "Sorry Dexie, but duty calls!"
"Have fun," Dexter smiled before Cupid quickly collected her things and started moving to where Cerise and Deacon were leaving the castleteria.
"Cupid's arrow strikes again, huh?" Harry asked. Briar was sleeping beside him, listening to music on her MirrorPhone with her earphones. The music put her to sleep, so Harry just wrapped an arm around her shoulders to keep her steady while she sleepily grasped him again.
"Looks like it," Dexter nodded. "I've gotten used to it and it makes Cupid happy."
"Maybe her powers have gotten stronger since you both started dating," Harry suggested. "I mean, she's practically our own Goddess of Love. Maybe being in love makes her more powerful."
"I wouldn't say more powerful. More passionate, maybe," Dexter replied with a blush.
Harry was happy to see his two friends dating. If things had been different and the knights never came to Ever After, Maybe Dexter would still have a crush on Raven and Cupid would sacrifice her happiness just to help Dexter get the girl he wanted. Well, that was another story.
Enchanted Forest
"So, what does the winner get?" Deacon asked as he stretched in front of the woods with Cerise.
"Well, what do you want if you win?" Cerise questioned.
"I asked you first but, if I win, I'll ask for a date."
The frank admission brought Cerise up short. She looked to Deacon with a red face and sputtering words, "W-what!?"
Deacon laughed, but looked a little red in the cheeks himself, "Yeah, a date. Now, your turn."
Cerise, a little thrown off, tried to think of what she wanted. Since she was caught off guard by Deacon's admission, she could only think of one thing at the moment, "Um...how about you cook me dinner?"
Deacon grinned and Cerise realized she might have slipped up a little, "Ah, so a date then too. So, no matter who wins, we both get what we want."
Cerise blushed but shook her head. A delicious meat dinner from the guy she was into sounded good either way. Still, she wouldn't let herself get beaten in speed by anyone. Not by her sister, and definitely not by her guy. Not realizing she was already referring to Deacon as 'her guy', she got her head in the game as they got ready.
Getting into a starting position, they looked to the forest as Deacon grinned.
"So, where's the finish line?" he asked.
"One step further than last time," Cerise smirked.
"Okay. Hope you wear something nice for our date," Deacon teased.
"Better have a couple of steaks ready for my dinner," Cerise shot back.
Deacon's grin only got wider.
"Ready, steady, go!"
The two broke into a run, tearing down the path through the Enchanted Forest. Meanwhile, Cupid watched them from behind some bushes and giggled. The love between the two had so much potential to be a powerful one. It was almost like it had happened between a Hood and a Wolf before, passed down to those two. It just made it more wonderful to watch.
"Spying, Cupid?" Kitty accused playfully from her perch on a tree branch above her. Cupid blinked and looked up, not even knowing that the mischievous cat had been up there.
"And what about you, Kitty?" Cupid questioned.
"Just having my afternoon catnap," Kitty replied, grinning as she stretched. "Can't help when I see something interesting. Guess Cerise is running in mommy's footsteps."
Not a lot of people knew Cerise's secret. Raven was the first person she had trusted with it while Kitty found out when she caught Cerise racing with her pet direwolf. Max also found out when he came to visit her home to meet Ramona's parents.
The good news was that Kitty would not reveal Cerise's secret, at least not directly. It would just be too boring for her. She just wanted Cerise to expose the secret herself.
"She is?" asked Cupid. "How?"
"That would be telling," Kitty grinned before she pulled her vanishing trick.
"Hm, weird," Cupid pondered, but she just shrugged and moved to try and see how Cerise and Deacon's relationship would develop and if it needed her magic touch.
(-)
Cerise's wolf heritage gave her superhuman speed so she was among EAH's best athletes, easily outrunning everyone else in Track and Shield. She had not had a challenge until she met Deacon. Unlike everyone else in school, he managed to keep up with her. She knew he could go faster if he wanted to. In fact, he did not look winded at all. It was like he was enjoying a run with her and not taking this race seriously at all. Well, if he wasn't going to take this seriously, then she was going to win. Cerise picked up speed, running ahead of Deacon. She turned her head to smirk at him.
Cerise wasn't looking where she was going and tripped on a tree root. She nearly fell when Deacon caught her. He had literally dashed in, reacting quickly and proving he could run faster than her.
"You OK, Cerise?" Deacon asked as he held her in his arms. "You nearly had a nasty fall there."
Being held this close to him, Cerise got his scent. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of a wild wolf and the forest. Her father had a similar scent, but that was her dad. It was comforting and helped her stay calm as a little kid when she had a bad dream. Deacon's scent felt more exciting, like how she expected Alpha wolves should smell like and she found herself really liking it.
Cerise's eyes suddenly flashed golden yellow as she was overcome by instinct. She took hold of Deacon's face and pulled him to her.
At that moment, Cupid gasped as she witnessed their kiss. That was fast! She hadn't even realized that Cerise and Deacon had moved along so quickly! This was even better than she had expected! Did she even need to lend a hand at all?
Cerise broke their kiss and the instant she did, she gasped and scrambled out of Deacon's arms, trying to hide her blushing face with her hood.
"S-s-sorry!"
"I'm...not complaining," Deacon chuckled, cheeks red. "Can we do it again?"
"Su...I mean, uh, no!" Cerise sputtered. "I-I shouldn't have done that! I don't know what came over me!"
"Maybe it's my animal magnetism," Deacon tried to play it cool. "Guess you couldn't resist my charm for long, huh, Cerise?" The hooded girl made a strangled squeak while Deacon laughed. He prepared to tease her a little more when he felt the wind change. The air grew chilly and when Deacon exhaled, his breath was visible. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.
Danger!
Deacon quickly ran toward Cerise and picked her up and took cover when white fireballs came raining down. As they struck the ground, giant icicles bloomed on impact.
"What!?" Cerise cried out in shock and the two heard a growl. Looking up, they saw a white wyvern with a serpentine body circling above them. However, this was no normal wyvern as it appeared to be mechanical in nature. It looked like it shared a resemblance with Dragredder but the body was shaped differently and it had wings.
"Oh, no," Deacon paled as he recognized the Mirror Monster.
"Deacon?" Cerise shivered. "Y-you know what this is?"
"Yeah, and who controls it," he replied, making Cerise blink in confusion.
"That's good. So I don't need to reintroduce myself."
Stepping out from the shadow of the wyvern was a Rogue. His bodysuit was white, like solid snow. His torso armor was polished silver, inlaid with gold dragons on the sides and a blue stone in the collar. The shoulder armor looked like silver dragon heads and his gauntlets and greaves were polished silver with metal gloves and boots, like a knight's. Mounted over her left arm was a bracer shaped like his dragon's head, similar to what Ryuki and Ryuga wore. His helmet showed a striking resemblance to the two knights as well, although his eyes behind his visor were solid blue and he sported a gold crown headpiece with blue stones set in it.
"Whyte Knight," Deacon growled.
"You have proven yourself unworthy of my gift, Wild Knight," Whyte Knight decided. "I gave you that deck to join our ranks and instead you take it into the wild, not even trying to fight our enemies. Surrender your deck and you may live."
Deacon took out his Advent Deck. It was an easy enough decision. If he handed the deck over, Whyte Knight would leave him and Cerise alone. However, was that even guaranteed? Also, what would stop Whyte Knight from giving the deck to someone who would go along with his evil plan? Deacon could not allow that, Not at all.
"No," Deacon refused firmly. "I'm not giving it back to you. Do you think I'm some idiot? You want to bring down the Knights of the Round Table. Pretty sure that means something nefarious." He took out his MirrorPhone and held his deck to the screen, summoning his V-Buckle belt.
"So, you choose to fight," Whyte Knight concluded. "Well, if that's the case, I'll just take the deck back once I defeat you."
"Henshin!" Deacon declared, sliding his deck into his belt. Immediately his armor appeared over his body, changing him into the Wild Knight. "Cerise, you'd better run back to school. I'll hold this guy off."
Cerise looked between the two knights who were about to engage in battle. She didn't want to run but she knew she would be of no help and would just be a burden. She nodded and zipped away, running back to school.
"Sending your damsel away for her own safety. How noble," Whyte Knight commented, drawing a card. "You would have had a good place in my Camelot."
"One you would steal and build on violence," Wild Knight retorted. "Just take, and take, and take. You think I don't know the signs of greed? Look at my dad. I grew up with those signs!"
"It is not greed when I deserve it," Whyte Knight retorted. He pushed the brow of his Whyte Visor down and slid his card inside.
[Sword Vent!]
"And like my dad, you convince yourself you deserve it," Wild Knight shook his head. Placing the card in his dirk, he slid it back into his Wild Visor.
[Sword Vent!]
Both Knights were armed with their respective swords. Whyte Knight's looked like a silver version of the Drag Saber.
In a burst of movement, Wild Knight charged at Whyte Knight. The Rogue lifted his blade and their weapons met in a shower of sparks. Whyte Knight weathered the blow before he parried and swung at Wild Knight who avoided the strike with ease.
"You're fast," Whyte Knight admitted. "But are you strong?"
Wild Knight drew his dirk to dual wield with his sword, "Let's find out!"
(-)
As Cerise ran back to school, she took out her MirrorPhone and found Max's number on her contacts list. Just by looking at Whyte Knight, she knew Deacon would need help. Just because she couldn't fight the Rogue, that did not mean she was totally useless.
Ever After High - Castleteria
Max was playing cards with some of his classmates in the castleteria. He studied their faces, focused, determined to win.
"Does anyone have any threes?" Max asked.
His classmates grumbled and they each handed him their threes and he added them to his hand before putting down the complete set.
"I still think you're cheating," one student grumbled.
"I just remember what you guys asked for and who got what," Max answered.
The other students just grumbled and refocused their efforts on trying to win. Max reorganized his hand and went over the mental list he made of his classmates' hands. He suddenly stopped when he heard his MirrorPhone going off. Setting his hand down, he picked it up and took the call, "Max here."
"Max, it's Cerise! Deacon's being attacked by a Rogue in the Enchanted Forest! He's using a dragon! Hurry!" Cerise's panicked voice came from the other end.
"What?!" Max gasped. "Okay, where in the Enchanted Forest?"
"Straight out the west doors of the castleteria. It'll get colder as you get closer! Hurry!"
Max ended the call and tossed his cards down.
"Gotta go guys! Emergency!" He got up and ran for the doors of the castleteria which led outside. His classmates looked to each other before shrugging and splitting his cards between them.
Once Max stepped outside, he went to the closest window and pulled out his Advent Deck. Facing his reflection, he summoned his V-Buckle to transform.
"Henshin!"
Once clad in the armor of Kamen Rider Ryuga, he summoned his Mirror Warhorse and got on. Snapping the reigns, he took off towards the Enchanted Forest.
Enchanted Forest
*ROAR!*
Wild Knight huffed as he dashed out of the way of the white dragon's breath. It left a trail of frost and ice over everything it touched. Wild Knight skidded to a halt, huffing slightly. The dragon was quick, and Wild Knight had to bounce around the area to avoid being frozen by its breath.
"Your discipline and speed serve you well," Whyte Knight spoke, his sword slung on his shoulder. "Why did you decide to go and be a lone wolf? Siding with my cause would have netted you anything you wanted."
"Ha! You've heard of my dad?" Wild Knight huffed. "He just kept taking whatever he wanted, threatening people or lying to get it. What did he have to show for it? A pumped stomach, battered by farmers and tossed in a river to sink. Lying and beating people to get what you want can only get you so far until karma catches up."
"I never lied about what I deserved. Since the old King Arthur abandoned Camelot, it is now my right to rule it!"
"Sorry, but I doubt that'll happen with the new King Arthur around who, by the way, could be a way better king than you'll ever be."
"You know, I was going to leave you alive when I took your deck," Whyte Knight growled as he drew his card. "But now, it seems, it's time your story ends before it begins." He opened his white Drag Visor and slotted in the card before sliding his device shut.
[Final Vent!]
Whyte Knight's wyvern, Dragwhyter, roared as Wild Knight chose to retreat. However, he slipped on the ice covering the ground and fell. Once he fell, Dragwhyter hit him with its frost breath, freezing him on the spot. Meanwhile, Whyte Knight was getting ready to deliver his Final Vent.
Whyte Knight leaped into the air as Dragwhyter followed and he got into position at the apex of his jump. He aimed at Wild Knight, both legs extended to deliver a dropkick. Dragwhyter positioned its head behind Whyte Knight and unleashed arctic winds that propelled the Rogue at his target.
Wild Knight could not move so he braced himself for it.
[Advent!]
A roar was heard as Dragblacker slammed into Whyte Knight, knocking him aside and canceling his Final Vent. The black dragon then breathed its dark flames on Wild Knight, melting his icy prison.
Whyte Knight recovered and rolled out of the way before Ryuga could strike him with his Drag Saber. The blade hit the ground as Whyte Knight picked himself up to face the Black Knight of the Round Table.
"Lefay," Whyte Knight snarled.
"Sorry, do I know you?" Ryuga questioned. "Know what? It doesn't matter. I'm just going to beat you and get my answers after the act."
"As if the spawn of Mordred could bring down the King of Camelot!" Whyte Knight growled. He swiftly drew another card and placed it in his Visor.
[Strike Vent!]
Dragwhyter's head flashed before a gauntlet in the same shape landed on Whyte Knight's free hand. Whispers of cold air escaped from the gauntlet's maw, indicating what it was supposed to do.
"Sorry, but if your name's not Pendragon then you can't claim to be that!" Ryuga shouted as he charged at Whyte Knight. Whyte Knight fired his Drag Claw at Ryuga who leaped over the attack to land a kick into Whyte Knight's face. As he staggered from the blow, Ryuga slashed him across the chest then delivered a reverse roundhouse into his stomach. He transferred his sword into his left hand and drew a card before sliding it into his black Drag Visor.
[Guard Vent!]
Whyte Knight fired but his attack was blocked by Ryuga's Drag Shield once it attached to the socket on his left arm. Returning the sword to his right hand, Ryuga bashed Whyte Knight with his shield, sending him reeling, but the Rogue would not be beaten. However, the Rogue seemed to have forgotten there was another Knight still in the vicinity.
Running past Ryuga, Wild Knight struck Whyte Knight violently with his dirk, ripping sparks off on impact.
"Payback!" Wild Knight howled victoriously.
"I thought you ran," Ryuga remarked.
Wild Knight shrugged, "I was gonna but I wanted to stay to teach this jerk a lesson. By the way, how did you know I needed help?"
"Cerise called me," Ryuga answered simply. Fortunately, Wild Knight didn't seem to wonder why Cerise would call him of all the Knights.
Whyte Knight growled and dismissed his Strike Vent before he drew a card which had 'Freeze Vent' written across the top. He inserted it into his Drag Visor, activating it.
[Freeze Vent!]
A sphere of cold collected in Whyte Knight's hand. Clutching it, he hurled it at both enemy Knights. Ryuga, recognizing the name of the card and its effect, dove to the side to avoid being struck. Wild Knight, not having the benefit of experience, found himself frozen once again on the spot.
"Rookies," Ryuga lamented. He saw Whyte Knight coming and raised his shield as the Rogue threw a punch at him. His shield was completely frozen in ice, made brittle before it shattered and Whyte Knight drove his fist into Ryuga's chest, knocking the wind out of him. The Black Dragon Knight soon found himself on the ground as Whyte Knight knocked him down with a kick to the stomach.
"I told you, the true King of Camelot will not fall to Morded's line!" Whyte Knight declared. He drew his Final Vent again, "And now I will eliminate the line and end one more threat to my Camelot!"
"Right...nope!" Ryuga grunted and lashed out, striking Whyte Knight directly between the legs. The Rogue gasped, wheezing before he dropped his card, clutching himself before Ryuga pulled himself back, getting back to his feet.
"You...you…!" Whyte Knight gasped.
"Did you really think I wouldn't do that?" Ryuga asked. "I'm the 'villain' of the Knights of the Round Table. Chivalry has its place in court and ceremony, but not when someone's trying to kill me. I'm pragmatic that way."
Whyte Knight snarled, but managed to pick up the card he dropped, "I see...so Arthur allows...one like you to keep existing...as part of his Round Table…"
Ryuga chuckled, "Someone has to do the dirty work. Someone has to shoulder the burden of the villain in the story of Camelot. I'm the grandson of Mordred, so why not me? Besides, even if I am a villain compared to the others, who says I have to be a bad guy?"
Whyte Knight huffed, managing to pull himself up, "And again he shows just how much of a failure he is to his own destiny! Allowing any link to Mordred to continue will only lead him to ruin. This is why a new king needs to take Camelot and truly make it great!"
"A king also has faith in those that serve and follow him. Clearly, you have no faith in anybody."
"Bah, what need have I for faith?" Whyte Knight scoffed. "All I demand is obedience from my men!"
"Doesn't seem like you were able to keep it," Ryuga retorted. "I mean, half of the ones we met seemed to like going off on their own to cause trouble."
"Bah! They were tests, nothing more," Whyte Knight scoffed. "They are easily replaceable! Now stop with your prattle!"
"Sorry, just needed to distract you while I sent a group hext message," Ryuga showed off his MirrorPhone. "I should mention this, but I'm good at texting without looking at my phone."
Whyte Knight stopped, "W-Wait, what?"
A couple of artillery shells flew past Ryuga and hit Whyte Knight, sending him flying as he screamed.
Zolda emerged from the forest, holding his Giga Launcher aimed directly at Whyte Knight. Raia wasn't far behind, holding a copy of the Giga Launcher, doubling their available firepower.
Ryuki walked out from between them, the Drag Claw attached to his hand and aimed at Whyte Knight.
"So you're this white knight who's been handing out these rogue Advent Decks?"
"Arthur…" Whyte Knight hissed as he picked himself up.
"This guy claims Camelot belongs to him. Guess having you around is not part of the plan," Ryuga informed Ryuki.
Ryuki groaned, "Oh not again. Another Camelot fanatic?"
"Ha! It is my destiny! I am the rightful heir of Camelot!" Whyte Knight snapped back. "It was my right after your cowardly grandfather abandoned Camelot! You're not even worthy of being king!"
"Maybe I'm not but that doesn't give you the right to spread chaos either," Ryuki argued. "And my grandfather left because he could not allow the people who reside there to be drowned in war and conflict. He decided it was better to create a new Camelot somewhere else instead of being a slave to destiny!"
"And that's why he was a coward! He didn't even try to fight that destiny and just abandoned it altogether!" Whyte Knight retorted.
Ryuki scowled at Whyte Knight, "Max, mind if I tagged in?"
"Be my guest. I gotta thaw out our friend over there," Ryuga gestured to the frozen Wild Knight.
"So, we finally meet in combat, Arthur Pendragon!" Whyte Knight grinned under his helmet. "Good. Once I defeat you, I shall claim Camelot with my white dragon and lead it to the shining destiny your line could not achieve!"
"Not happening," Ryuki dismissed his Drag Claw, freeing his right hand to draw a card, his Sword Vent.
[Sword Vent!]
"You want Camelot? Then fight for it!" Ryuki challenged.
"My sentiments exactly!" Whyte Knight agreed.
[Sword Vent!]
Sparks flew between them as the two clashed furiously with their swords. Ryuki blocked Whyte Knights sword only to be punched across the face. As he was sent into a daze, Whyte Knight landed a violent slash across his chest before sending him tumbling with a kick.
"Pathetic. You're an amateur compared to me!" Whyte Knight taunted. "The bloodline of King Arthur must've grown weaker."
Ryuki picked himself up and gripped his sword. Whyte Knight charged forward but missed as Ryuki sidestepped before slashing him across his flank, causing him to grunt. He then kicked Whyte Knight in the side, knocking him away. Whyte Knight recovered and brought his sword down but Ryuki parried the blow which brought him to his knees. He braced himself against Whyte Knight who kicked him in the face, knocking him down again.
Ryuki rolled out of the way as Whyte Knight drove his sword down on him. Picking himself up, Ryuki parried Whyte Knight's next strike which sent him backpedaling,
"Do we just watch?" Raia asked.
"It's between the two of them now," Zolda answered.
Ever After High
Although Ryuki, Zolda, and Raia were the first to reach the scene of the fight, they weren't the only ones trying to get there. Higher up in Ever After High, Kevin, Kyle, and Ben were racing to get to the ground floor so they could meet up with their friends and back them up.
Reaching the ground floor, they ran for the castleteria, knowing it would be in the right direction of the fight. As they passed by the grimmnasium though, they heard screams and shouts along with a very distinct noise.
*Eeeeeeeeee!*
"Oh come on!" Kyle grimaced. "Of all the times!"
"Let's just deal with it!" Ben insisted, changing his direction.
The three hit the grimmnasium doors, slamming them open. Some of the sports teams were practicing or friends were hanging out in the open space on most days. Today, people were trying to flee. In the middle of it all was another fight between Knights.
One was on his knees, sporting the scaly armor of the Bog Knight. He looked like he had taken some blows and got knocked around. Shaking his head, he stood up and squared off against his opponent. Like other Riders, he wore a black bodysuit with silver gauntlets and greaves with orange accents. His V-Buckle sported an orange Advent Deck with a spider emblem on the front. His torso armor was orange with silver bands going over and under his arms with a red stone in the middle and near his collar, making it look a little like a giant spider was clutching his chest. His helmet was orange, but his visor took up most of his face, having the same outline of his emblem with eight slits, making him appear to have eight eyes in a sense. His shoulder armor was styled like Ryuki or Knight's, but orange with a spiderweb pattern on them. Mounted over his left arm was what looked like a large spider with an orange body, silver legs, and red stones.
"Another one?" Kevin gaped.
"Bog Knight, you're not making this any easier on yourself," the spider knight sighed, sounding almost like he was being bothered by the fight. "Just hand over the deck. It was your brother that was supposed to get it anyway."
"And that is why I can't let you have it, Weaver Knight," Bog Knight huffed, drawing a card from his belt.
[Sword Vent!]
Bog Knight lifted his hand and caught the Vile Buster, his large serrated sword. With a grunt, he charged at the now identified Weaver Knight. Said knight seemed to sigh like he couldn't be bothered to do such a thing, but he drew a card. It looked like an orange pack with eight silver legs coming from it. He pulled a tab at the mouth of his spider, his Weaver Visor, and it slid out to reveal the chamber. Placing the card inside, he snapped it shut.
[Strike Vent!]
An orange pack attached to the sockets of Weaver Knight's back. Connected to it were eight long silver legs that looked fit for a spider. Weaver Knight crossed his arms as the silver appendages started stabbing at Bog Knight once he was close enough, or parrying the strikes from his heavy sword.
"What should we do?" Kevin asked his fellow knights.
"We help," Ben answered as he took out his Advent Deck. He went to the windows and held his deck to his reflection to summon his V-Buckle. Kyle and Kevin shared a look then followed their big friend's lead.
"Henshin!"
The armor formed around them, allowing Imperor, Ohja, and Abyss to enter the fray. Weaver Knight looked over his shoulder, again his posture looking like he had better things to do. Heaving a sigh, he drew another card and fed it into his Visor.
[Advent!]
A hiss echoed from the windows as a massive orange and silver Dispider crawled out of the Mirror World. However, this one was different from the one Ohja fought previously. Where its head would have been, a humanoid torso with orange armor and club-like arms and a face not unlike a Solospider's was there. More people screamed as they fled, almost everyone having an innate fear of spiders, especially the big ones.
"Dispider, please deal with those losers," Weaver Knight sighed. "I still have to retrieve our property."
The arachne-like Mirror Monster snarled and scuttled down the wall before charging at the three Knights.
[Sword Vent!]
[Sword Vent!]
[Spin Vent!]
Summoning their weapons, the three Knights went and surrounded the Dispider. It swung its spider legs at Abyss who parried them with his Abyss Sabers. At the same time, Imperor struck with its Gazelle Stab as Ohja swung his Veno Saber. The Dispider spun and drove them back before hitting Imperor with a string of webbing. It wrapped around his neck as the monster dragged him over.
"Lemme go! Lemme go!" Imperor shouted as he struggled to break the line. Luckily, for him, Abyss came to his rescue and severed it with his sword. "Thanks, Ben!" He drew his contract card from his belt and inserted it into his Visor.
[Advent!]
Gigazelle and a dozen Zelles jumped out of the windows to follow his command. The Zelles jumped around, striking the Dispider as it tried to retaliate.
"They'll distract it! You guys help Bog Knight!" Imperor shouted. "Take down that weaver guy!"
"Got it!" Ohja nodded, running for where Weaver Knight was still using his extra legs to fight Bog Knight without even moving. Running closer, he drew another card and slapped it into his Veno Visor.
[Steal Vent!]
Weaver Knight blinked when his Dis Striker suddenly vanished. He didn't get much time to contemplate it when Bog Knight caught him across the chest with his sword. A shower of sparks followed and Weaver Knight stumbled back, "Ow! That hurt you know!"
"It's supposed to. We're fighting," Bog Knight answered.
"Nifty toy you got here too," Ohja admitted, now sporting Weaver Knight's weapon. The limbs clicked around him as he got used to their movements, "Good thing I'm happy with Venosnaker, otherwise I'd be tempted to take your monster for myself."
"Tsk! Annoying," Weaver Knight sighed. He quickly drew another card and fed it to his visor.
[Steal Vent!]
The Dis Striker vanished from Ohja's shoulders, reattaching to Weaver Knight's back, ready to defend him once again, "I only came for Bog Knight's deck. Just let me have that and I'll gladly leave you guys alone."
"Sorry, if you take that deck you'll just give it to some annoying creep who'll come after us and that's vexing," Ohja hissed.
Weaver Knight shrugged, "Probably true. I wouldn't hand it over if I were you either." He drew another card and used it.
[Nasty Vent!]
Dispsider hissed and reared back before spinning around and unleashing streams of webbing in everything which was in front of it. The Zelles began to get tangled up in it, yelping and snarling as they struggled to break the numerous silk threads pinning them.
"Now it's a little fairer," Weaver Knight nodded. "I've got a deck to grab so let's get this over with."
Ohja shook his head, "You sound like one lazy sucker, you know that?"
Weaver Knight shrugged, his metal limbs sliding against each other to make a metallic ringing noise, "I guess I am. Let's do this."
Enchanted Forest
The fierce battle continued between Ryuki and Whyte Knight. The Red Dragon Knight definitely did not have the same level of training as Whyte Knight did, relying more on what combat knowledge his contract with Dragredder granted him. He did have more combat experience, allowing him to keep up with his icy counterpart, although Whyte Knight did not like this, seeing himself as superior to Ryuki in every way. Still, Whyte Knight's training showed as he dipped around a sword swing before he sent Ryuki sprawling with a slash of his white Drag Saber. Ryuki landed hard and shook his head. Trying to get up, he saw Whyte Knight already making his move.
"And with this, I stand victorious over you," Whyte Knight decided as he drew his Final Vent. "Camelot is mine!"
"Arthur!" Raia raised his Giga Launcher to fire but Zolda stopped him.
"No, he's got this."
"Don't think so!" Ryuki spat as he drew his Survive card. The instant he did, flames rose up around the two of them. Whyte Knight stumbled back from the searing heat, almost dropping his Final Vent card. Getting back to his feet, Ryuki's Drag Visor morphed into the Drag Visor Zwei. He put the Survive card into the Visor's jaws and slammed it shut.
[Survive!]
"Camelot's future is in my hands!" Ryuki declared, his form engulfed in flames before his crimson Survive form emerged. "And I'm not giving it up without a fight!"
Whyte Knight growled as he activated his Final Vent in his Visor.
[Final Vent!]
[Guard Vent!]
Whyte Knight attempted to deliver his finisher when Dragredder appeared and evolved into Dragranzer. The huge red dragon circled around Ryuki like a barrier, shielding him from Dragwhyter's frost breath before it smacked the incoming Whyte Knight away with its tail.
"Gah!" Whyte Knight cried, crashing to a heap on the ground. Grunting, he struggled up to his knees, "How...how can that beast block that?! A Final Vent always destroys what it hits!"
"Guess Dragranzer's defense is much stronger than your Final Vent," Ryuki retorted. "Evolving tends to give little perks like that."
It appeared that going into Survive Mode was a good idea. Ryuki had felt the strength behind Whyte Knight's blows and he was clearly no pushover.
[Sword Vent!]
The Drag Blade folded out of his Visor and extended. He charged at Whyte Knight who was picking himself up and swung his weapon, catching Whyte Knight across the chest, ripping sparks off and sending his opponent staggering back. Growling, Whyte Knight retaliated and swung at Ryuki who blocked his sword before hitting him with a kick.
While Whyte Knight had more training and experience, Ryuki's Survive Mode allowed him to close the gap between them.
Grimmnasium
With the majority of the Zelles bound in Dispider's silk webbing, the fight was no longer so controlled. Abyss and Imperor, with what few Zelles were left, tried to keep the giant spider distracted while Ohja and Bog Knight kept fighting Weaver Knight himself.
Weaver night was proving to be an annoying opponent. His style of fighting was using his Dis Striker to keep them at a distance while hitting them from afar. Bog Knight and Ohja were attempting to get in closer, but Weaver Knight proved to be very accomplished with his weapon and managed to divide his attention between the two.
Weaver Knight didn't just fight defensively, he was also able to go on the offensive. His legs were able to slip through the guards of the two Knights and stab both Knights in the chests in showers of sparks. Both stumbled back with grunts.
"This is getting annoying," Ohja huffed.
"Agreed," Bog Knight nodded. "Can't summon our monsters. Not enough room."
"Shame," Ohja agreed.
Perhaps, at the most random of times, Milton Grimm suddenly entered the grimmnasium once he heard there was a ruckus and came across a scene that he had seen only in his bad dreams. Knights fighting against knights and monsters both. Chaos and confusion. Worst of all, there was damage being done to his precious school!
"What is going on here!?" he shouted.
"What does it look like?!" Abyss shouted, shooting at the Dispider with his Abyssmash. The spider screeched and backpedaled from the high-pressure water blast.
"While I understand these battles are part of your destiny, I insist that you take this outside!" Milton Grimm commanded. He did not want to see the grimmnasium wrecked. The amount of gold to fix it would be taken out of his salary.
"You want this taken outside!?" Abyss dismissed his Abyssmash to draw his Final Vent and fed it into his Visor. "Fine!"
[Final Vent!]
Abyssodon came flying out of the Mirror World and grabbed Dispider in its powerful jaws before it flew back into the Mirror World with its prey.
While Abyssodon engaged the Dispider, Abyss rushed at Weaver Knight who was distracted by Ohja and Bog Knight. He tackled into the spider knight and grabbed him around the waist while running at a window to throw himself into the Mirror World with Weaver Knight.
"Well, that makes things easier," Ohja remarked. He followed after Abyss with Bog Knight while Imperor moved to free his herd of Zelles.
Enchanted Forest
[Freeze Vent!]
Frost coated Whyte Knight's blade as he prepared to unleash it upon Ryuki.
[Shoot Vent!]
Dragranzer roared as it hovered behind Ryuki who aimed his Visor at Whyte Knight. He pulled the trigger and Dragranzer spat a fireball at Whyte Knight who countered by throwing frost in its path. Both elemental attacks collided, creating an explosion.
Whyte Knight burst out of the smoke cloud and struck Ryuki across the chest. Ryuki stumbled slightly, but recovered quickly, swinging back at him. Whyte Knight blocked the blow but then received a kick to the side which made him stumble.
"And again you show you're unsuitable to rule by using barbaric tactics!" Whyte Knight growled.
"Oh spare me," Ryuki huffed. "Chivalry is all well and good, but you were the one who started this as a battle. Not a duel, not a challenge, and certainly not befitting the court of Camelot! A battle is not a place where propriety can be expected. Save being proper for courtly life. Right now, you have sounded the call to war."
Whyte Knight trembled with rage, perhaps at being called out for his hypocrisy or some other reason, but he roared and charged at Ryuki again with his weapon raised. Ryuki waited for him to come and then took a page out of Darren's book. As soon as Whyte Knight was close enough, he ducked under his swing and swept his legs with his Drag Blade. Whyte Knight jumped to avoid it, but Dragranzer roared and shot another fireball, blasting Whyte Knight out of the air and launching him back in a heap.
"I also trust my partner," Ryuki spoke, standing straight. "Your monster hasn't moved much since I showed up, only attacking when you give an order," he pointed to Dragwhyter which was just watching from the edge of the battle, either waiting for the other Knights to attack or for an order. "Dragranzer may indeed try to eat me if I fail my side of the contract, but I still treat him with respect and confidence to show I am someone he can trust and vice versa. I trust him on the battlefield to watch my back or aid my friends. Another reason why I refuse to just hand over Camelot's fate to you."
"Well said."
The feminine voice echoed almost from all around. A pool of water suddenly flowed up from the ground. Rising from it was Calibur Knight, appearing as regal as ever. Raia and Zolda trained their launchers on her, knowing she was insanely fanatical about Camelot. If Whyte Knight wished to make the Camelot she wanted, she could turn on them.
"Finally, you came, Dulac!" Whyte Knight yelled happily as Calibur Knight showed herself. "Now, help me defeat Arthur! As your king, I command you!"
Calibur Knight's response was to hit him with a blast of water. Whyte Knight was pushed back, hitting a tree before collapsing again. Calibur Knight gave him a withering glare through her helm.
"And betray my king? I'd rather slit my own throat!"
"Treacherous wench!" Whyte Knight spat.
The other Knights blinked at the sudden attack on their enemy. It was like a stroke of luck, although they still remembered Calibur Knight's assault on Raven. They were going to be wary of her and her devotion to Camelot.
"I have always told you that my loyalty is to Camelot and the king. Arthur always reigns as the Once and Future King, not Vortigen!" Calibur Knight declared and turned to Ryuki. "Sire, your will is my command."
"Not going to try and kill my girlfriend again?" Ryuki asked with a frown in his voice.
Calibur Knight winced, "I..I do not approve of her...but violence clearly will not make you see sense. A greater threat exists now. We can speak of the witch later."
"Oh, we will," Ryuki frowned. As much as he hated anyone talking about Raven like that, Whyte Knight demanded attention first.
"Traitor...I'm surrounded by traitors," Whyte Knight snarled. "Why can't anyone see? I am the more deserving heir of Camelot! The true and rightful king, not some descendant of a coward who uses dishonorable tactics!"
"War is not pretty, glorious, or chivalric," Ryuki restated. "Camelot can be as chivalric, courtly, and honorable as we wish to make it. But combat has no room for any of that."
Whyte Knight snarled but decided to retreat as he leaped into one of the puddles that Calibur Knight's water abilities created. Dragwhyter let off a roar before it dove into the puddle behind him.
"Should we go after him?" Zolda asked. If they went after Whyte Knight now, they could catch up to him.
"No, let him go. If his obsession is anything to go by, we'll meet again." Everyone was tense for a moment before they turned their attention to Calibur Knight. "So, you're on our side now?"
"My loyalty is to you, sire," Calibur Knight stated firmly as she knelt before him. "Your will is my command."
"...Awkward," Zolda remarked.
"Even when we've seen it before," Raia nodded.
Ryuki sighed, rubbing his face. Waving to Dragranzer, the monster returned to the Mirror World. Since Calibur Knight had no intention of fighting them at the moment, he was willing to take the peaceful route. Especially after fighting Whyte Knight.
"Then I command you, Calibur Knight, identify yourself. I wish to see who it is under that mask," Ryuki ordered.
"Yes, sire," Calibur Knight obeyed as she stood up. She pulled the Dolphin Advent Deck from her belt, making her armor shatter off.
The girl in the armor wore a blue sweater top which bared her shoulders with a black tank top underneath. A blue silk scarf was wrapped around her neck for a bit of style. She wore capri pants with heeled blue shoes. Gold bangles rested on her wrists, decorated with blue gems. Her hair was so dark, it was almost a shade of blue which flowed freely like waves down her back. Her bangs were colored blue, matching her blue eyes and the blue lipstick she wore.
"What's your name?"
"I am Vivi Dulac, sire, daughter of the Lady of the Lake." she introduced, "The next custodian of your blade, Excalibur, and your humble servant."
Everyone had a brief intake of breath before Ryuki nodded, "Then we are going to have a long talk back at the library. Lie or try to do anything aggressive, and you will regret it, understand?"
"Yes, sire," Vivi nodded gracefully.
"Uh," Wild Knight spoke up, thawed out from his freezing, "I'm confused."
"We'll explain on the way," Ryuga patted his shoulder, "Come on. We have to collect Cerise and make sure she's okay."
"Hey, not to be a downer, but I think we missed our next period," Raia reminded. "It's Prof. Rumpelstiltskin's class."
Everyone, even Vivi, let off groans.
Mirror World - Ever After High
It was a good thing that the fight did indeed move to the Mirror World. With Dispider and Abyssodon fighting, they were smashing through walls and destroying equipment left and right as they tore at each other.
Weaver Knight felt himself feeling the pressure as he now had three Knights fighting him, forcing him to split his attention, and his defense, against the three of them. With the gaps in his protections becoming wider, he was starting to lose the advantage he had against them.
"Ugh," Weaver Knight growled, but then gave a sharp whistle.
Hisses came from above before a Reispider, a Mispider, and a Solospider descended from the rafters on their silk threads, jumping at the three Knights with their claws ready to try and tear them apart.
"Good thing the spiders seem to work in teams like the Gazelle Knight's monsters," Weaver Knight huffed. "Okay boys, it might be a hassle to kill them so just grab the Bog Knight's deck and we can get out of here. If you have to kill them, well, you gotta do what you gotta do."
The three monsters lunged at the Riders, who were forced to parry or block them. Weaver Knight just watched, getting his breath back. He was used to pacing the fight according to him and hadn't been pushed very much. Still, in his focus on the battle in front of him, he forgot a rather important detail.
Collateral damage didn't matter anymore.
[Advent]
[Advent!]
A wall of the grimmnasium suddenly exploded, showering the area in dust and debris. A roar and hiss came from it, showing the forms of Vilegator and Venosnaker charging towards the battle. Dispider screeched and began turning between the three, trying to figure out which of the three to try and fight first.
"Man that's a big monster," Weaver Knight blinked at Vilegator. "Okay, I'm out of my league here. Dispider, we're leaving!"
"Hey, wait! You can't just-!" Ohja shouted, but Weaver Knight merely turned and began jumping away, using his Dis Striker to help him cling to walls and other surfaces to escape. Dispider followed its contractor's lead, leaping up to stick to the ceiling to scramble to the hole that Venosnaker and Vilegator made before leaping outside.
"Oh come on!" Abyss grunted, blasting his Spider away with another stream of water.
"Let him run. Just kill the bugs!" Ohja shouted.
"I'm going to be late for class like this," Bog Knight sighed, slashing at his Spider with his heavy sword. With another strike, he stabbed his sword into the ground and drew a card, "I don't want to spin gold for Rumplestiltskin if I don't have to."
[Final Vent!]
Vilegator roared and began stomping towards Bog Knight. The knight himself waited for his Solospider to charge at him again before using an upward swing which knocked the spider into the air with a screech. He then jumped onto the end of Vilegator's snout before being launched into the air. Rising above the spider, he used his large blade in a double-handed cur which crashed into the Solospider.
"VILE CUTTER!"
The spider was bisected, screaming before it exploded, leaving the life energy sphere to drift down to Vilegator. Bog Knight landed hard, cracking the floor before he stood up again.
[Final Vent!]
[Final Vent]
Abyss and Ohja, using the distraction, activated their own Final Vents. Abyssodon sent the Mispider into the air with shots and its sawblade nose before Abyss jumped and smashed it with his Visor, causing it to erupt in an explosion. The Reispider was made victim of the Veno Crash as Ohja jumped up and then came sailing down with his own venom attack. He landed multiple kicks on the monster before those strikes and the venom likewise caused the monster to explode. Both Contract Monsters absorbed the life energy with glee, satisfied once again.
"Well, we drove him off," Ohja sighed before he looked at Bog Knight, "So, looks like the Rogues have a target on your back. You gonna side with us now or what?"
Bog Knight looked to the two and sighed, "If I wish to keep my power and remain on the path I wish to be on, I don't have much of a choice."
"So what's your name then?" asked Abyss.
"Valentine Jackson," Bog Knight answered. "Son of the Knave of Hearts."
Imperor tilted his head, "The one who stole the Queen of Hearts' tarts?"
"The same. Though he claims he was framed."
Ever After High - Chemyth-try
"DETENTION!" Rumplestiltskin shouted, or more like cheered. Finally, he finally got Harry for something and would have him spin his straw into gold for him. Better yet, he got numerous other knights for missing his class, which meant even more gold!
"Actually, Professor, we do have a good excuse," Arthur tried to defend them but Harry shook his head.
"Just take the detention. It's easier that way," Harry told him. He heard that the professor would just extend their detention if they tried to argue with him. He was that spiteful. This way, they would spend only one afternoon spinning his straw into gold in his dungeon.
Ever After High - Halls
The next morning, Vivi followed Arthur as he went to meet Raven by her locker as he usually did. He knew he couldn't hide who Vivi was, as she would now follow him since she no longer had to hide her identity from him. In her own words, she could now be part of King Arthur's court as was right and proper. He just hoped things didn't explode too badly when he revealed who Vivi really was.
"Hey, Blackbird. Good morning," Arthur greeted.
"Good morning, Arthur," Raven smiled.
"Morning, Arthur. Would you like some tea and a scone?" Maddie offered.
"Maybe later. I actually came to introduce you to someone." Arthur weakly smiled, he stepped aside and presented Vivi, who was looking rather emotionless. Clearly she wasn't excited about meeting Raven, someone she considered unworthy of Arthur's affections.
She simply gave a plain wave, "Hello, Raven Queen. I'm Vivi Dulac and I'll be joining you in Ever After High starting today."
Raven blinked at the...unenthusiastic greeting, "Are you a friend of Arthur's?"
Vivi nodded, "In a way, I am. We've actually met before."
Now Raven was getting curious. She didn't remember meeting anyone with Vivi's style before, nor them being so emotionless, "Really? When did we meet?"
"I tried to drown you," Vivi answered bluntly with no subtlety.
"WATER WITCH!" Maddie screamed, immediately getting the clue and pointing accusingly at Vivi. Raven covered her hands in magic, ready for a fight.
"Whoa, whoa, Raven!" Arthur put his hands up to placate her. "It's OK! She's on our side now!"
"Seriously!?" Raven could not believe this.
"Calm yourself, Raven Queen," Vivi spoke calmly, her hands up. "My King has given me clear orders that no harm comes to you. While I do not accept you as his romantic partner, I must respect his choices."
"Vivi, I asked you to apologize," Arthur requested.
"Oh, and sorry I tried to drown you," Vivi apologized. "I thought you were a vile temptress who enchanted My King with an evil spell."
"Is that even an apology?" Raven asked, bewildered.
"I am loyal to the Once and Future King of Camelot and while My King has ordered me not to make another attempt on your life, that doesn't mean I must respect you. I can, however, tolerate you." She addressed Arthur, "My King, I must go to Magicology. I shall see you at the castleteria for lunch." Vivi went away as Raven, Maddie, and Arthur watched.
"Sorry about her. I can't order her to change how she feels about you," Arthur apologized to his girlfriend.
"It's fine, Arthur," Raven sighed. The things she put up with for dating King Arthur. "Are you sure she's on your side?"
"Merlin questioned her. Turns out she's the next Lady of the Lake. She's loyal to me but she's obsessed with making sure the story of Camelot goes as she believes it should be." Arthur sighed. "She even tried to convince Gwen to dump Darling and go out with me."
"Ow," Raven winced. "Was she able to tell you anything about that Whyte Knight guy Cupid and Cerise were talking about?"
"Plenty," Arthur nodded grimly.
"Looks like it's time for a flashback," Maddie said.
(LINE BREAK)
Book End Library
After school had ended, and detention was served, the Knights gathered together at Book End Library. With them was Deacon Wolfe, but also the mysterious Valentine Jackson. He was a fit young man with red hair streaked with black. His eyes were heterochromatic as well, the left being red and the right being so brown it was almost black. He wore clean-cut clothes like a suit jacket and pants with polished shoes. He seemed stoic, although oddly dull-looking for someone from Wonderland. The only crazy thing about him was how he devoured the tarts Mira brought out as a snack for everyone.
"Well, well, well, you're Vivian's daughter huh?" Merlin rubbed his chin. "Wasn't expecting to see you joining up with the enemy."
"In my defense, he was very persuasive," Vivi replied. "I had believed since no King Arthur had appeared, Whyte Knight was the next best choice to ensure that Camelot rose."
"Seriously, what is with you and Camelot?" Rob wondered.
"It's my destiny to serve the Once and Future King of Camelot, like my mother had before," Vivi answered. "She was so very depressed when the previous King Arthur did not claim his sword or even try to raise the kingdom. I vowed to succeed so she may see that shining kingdom appear in her lifetime."
"And then you heard we came back and started going yandere on us," Lance added. "Okay, whatever, so who is this Whyte Knight guy? Where is he getting the Advent Decks and why is he passing them out?"
Vivi showed no hesitation in answering, "His name is Victor Torgen, the next Vortigen, warlord of Britain. His true destiny is to be a king of the land by conquering it and be a rival to Arthur's legend. When the last King Arthur left, he was groomed to take Camelot to make his rule complete and total. As for the Advent Decks, I do not know his source, but I do know he has been handing them out to people in hopes to form his own version of the Knights of the Round Table."
"He never said anything like that to me," Deacon frowned. "He just made some big speech about the rewards and glory of being a knight."
"He assumed you were like your father," Vivi explained. "Victor is skilled, but he overestimates his skills, allowing him to make mistakes. He misjudged your character, believed Rebellious Charming's lies, and mistook Valentine for his brother. Other Knights he selected were supposed to be loyal to him, but again he misjudged them, their own vices driving them to be foolish and pursuing their own vendettas."
"Maybe he should've done what Merlin did and kidnap a bus full of teens," Kyle remarked. "He might've gotten better results that way."
"Hey," Merlin frowned. "I did my background checks, thank you very much!"
Harry rubbed his chin, "Okay, so this guy, Victor Torgen, is trying to take Arthur's destiny and rule Camelot. Do you know if he commissioned the decks, or did someone start giving them to him?"
"I am unsure. He came to me with mine after he took the mantle of Whyte Knight," Vivi shook her head.
"Bad judge of character with bad sense in names," Darren quipped.
"So he may just be a pawn to the one who made the decks, possibly even the same person who brought the Mirror Monsters to Ever After," Rex frowned thoughtfully. "Just another test subject for them in either case."
"Uh, question," Gabe raised his hand. "I've never heard of this Torgen guy. Does he go to school here?"
"No. It is why you never met me, Rebellious Charming, or some of the other Rogues," Vivi shook her head. "We go to school at Far Far Away High."
"Far, far...oh, right. A long time ago in a land far, far away," Kevin nodded.
"Think of it like Hollywood back in your lands," Merlin offered. "This place is like a more tempered Beverly Hills."
"So how many more Advent Decks does this Victor guy have?" asked Kyle.
Vivi answered plainly, "As many as he wants, Sir Kay. As many as he wants."
(LINE BREAK)
"Did you have another knighting ceremony?" Maddie asked.
"By now, it's tradition anyway," Arthur answered.
(LINE BREAK)
Book End Library
Vivi was asked more questions about the Order of Rogues, which was truly becoming an Order since Victor was getting his butt in gear by his benefactor. It seemed Victor wanted to complete his Round Table to match and defeat Arthur's. Part of that was reclaiming Deacon and Valentine's decks since Vilegator and Silverclaw were strong Mirror Monsters and valuable resources for Victor's order.
That brought up the question of inducting the two as Squires of the Round Table. Max vouched for Deacon, hearing plenty of secondhand accounts about him from Ramona, plus his actions proved he had the discipline and integrity for Knighthood. He may have preferred to be a lone wolf, but right now he had to either join a pack or keep running around with a target on his back.
Darren decided to vouch for Valentine. Perhaps it was because Valentine was Wonderlandian and seeing him as morose as the Mock Turtle was just wrong in his eyes or some other reason. Darren didn't really explain himself. Arthur himself met Valentine first and was willing to take a chance on him since he seemed to hold himself to a higher standard as well.
No one was ready to vouch for Vivi since she was quick to change sides and had in fact made a serious attempt to kill Raven. Oddly, Vivi didn't seem to mind. She was perfectly content to just be considered part of the new Camelot and be of service to Arthur himself.
It was put to a vote and cases were made by Max and Darren for their prospective Squires. While the majority of the Knights didn't know Deacon or Valentine as well as they did Hunter, Jillian, or Dexter, their actions and their own interactions with the Knights were enough to get them the votes they needed to be inducted.
The ceremony was held at the actual Round Table, which made Vivi literally squeal as she hugged it. Once she calmed down, they held the knighting ceremony. It was a private affair, so it was much shorter than some of the others.
"In the name of the Father, I charge you to be brave. In the name of the son, I charge you to be compassionate. In the name of the Holy Ghost, I charge you to combat injustice where it is found and bring fairness to all. Do you so swear?" Arthur asked.
"We swear!" Deacon and Valentine declared.
"Then rise and be recognized, Sir Deacon Wolfe, the Knight of the Wolf, Kamen Rider Lobo! Sir Valentine Jackson, Knight of the Alligator, Kamen Rider Sobek!"
"What a beautiful ceremony," Vivi awed with tears in her eyes, filming the entire ceremony with her MirrorPhone. Merlin, with a flourish of his staff, created two new banners to hang with the others, hanging slightly behind the ones for Darren and Max, showing who they were squired to.
"This is going to be the start of a great friendship," Lance put his arms around Valentine and Deacon.
(LINE BREAK)
Ever After High - Halls
"What about her deck?" asked Raven. "Did you let her keep it?"
"I thought about that," Arthur admitted. "It wasn't an easy decision."
(LINE BREAK)
Vivi knelt before Arthur and presented her Dolphin deck as she held it in her palms.
"I surrender myself to your judgment, My King," she spoke, showing absolutely no hesitation or doubt in her actions.
Arthur frowned and looked at the deck, plucking it from Vivi's hands. On the one hand, taking it away would certainly be a good idea. Vivi was dangerous enough with her hydromancy. If she really was a spy, taking away her main means of fighting would only make sense.
On the other hand, taking it would only eventually lead to her monster acting out and trying to feed itself. As Merlin said over and over again, feeding the monsters magic was a stop-gap measure. So taking her deck away would actually put Vivi at more risk than she already was for betraying Whyte Knight.
Sighing, Arthur pressed the deck back into Vivi's hands, "You're in more danger without it. Consider this the first bit of trust I'll give you. This is your one chance at proving you are on our side. Ruin it, and you will never set foot in any Camelot we build."
Vivi looked up with a smile, taking her deck back, "Of course, My King. I shall not disappoint you."
"And one more thing: you will not harm my girlfriend Raven Queen."
A sour look came to Vivi's face, but she nodded, "As you command."
(LINE BREAK)
"And you trust her?" Raven asked incredulously.
"No," Arthur shook his head. "But this way we can keep an eye on her and we have Merlin set up some insurance in case she tries anything. Considering how, well, obsessed she is with seeing Camelot rise, she's liable to do anything to make it happen. No way can we trust her right now. So this is her only chance we're giving her."
"Well, if there's anybody who can keep the Water Witch in line, it's you, Arty," Maddie grinned.
"That's the plan," Arthur nodded.
OK, so good news, the Knights of the Round Table have gained a couple of new members.
Bad news, Victor Torgen will be recruiting new knights to join his Order of Rogues and this time he'll make sure he gets some members he can rely on that share his vision.
Well, it won't matter who he recruits. The Knights of the Round Table will stop him. I'm more concerned about this Vivi, though. She's loyal to Arthur and hates Raven. I hope things will be well with her around.
"I think it'll be fine," Darren interjected.
Darren!?
"Hey, Brooke. Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Narrator."
Hello, Darren. What brings you our way?
"Just wanted to catch up with Brooke. Also, if you know anything that might help us."
Sorry, Darren. No spoilers. Those are the rules.
"Bummer. Anyway, there's going to be a Spring Fairest soon. I was wondering if you'd like to join us for the day."
*Gasp!* Spring Fairest!? Mom! Dad! Can I go?
Fine, you may go, but you'll have to wait. It won't be until a few more chapters.
Yes, there are still things we need to cover before Spring Fairest.
"Like what?"
Sorry. No spoilers.
A/N: Alright, we have a name to go with the ones leading (or attempting to) the Rogues. He's also got a friend in Weaver Knight. On the other hand, their ploy has turned Wild Knight and Bog Knight to the side of the Knights, allowing them to become Kamen Riders Lobo and Sobek. Still, the leader of the enemy is revealed and now things might get trickier now.