The Rite of Spring
Chapter 9
"You can't even get into this college on your own merit. Your parents must have been terrible to raise such worthless creatures." Riddle laughed.
"A child isn't a trophy for their parents!" Ace growled.
"A parents worth isn't measured by how long their children perform." Deuce snapped.
"You're only proving my point." Riddle chuckled until Ace punched him in the face.
"Oh my god." Odette whispered. 'This isn't good.'
"It's no one's fault that you're a tyrant, it's yours alone. You're acting like a spoiled brat." Ace shouted.
"He's right!" One of the students shouted.
"I agree!" Shouted another until most of the crowded agreed with Ace.
"All of you shut up! OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" Riddle shouted collaring most of the crowd.
"Mr. Rosehearts calm down." Crowley warned. "You need to stop misbehaving."
"I called you out and this is how you response? You're just proving my point." Ace shouted.
Suddenly there was a clap that sounded like thunder and the ground cracked open. The nearby rose trees began to float. Riddle stood there but he looked different. His skin was a grayish white and over his red glowing eyes was a black lace pattern. His outfit was even different. It was a black and red ballroom grown. It appeared he had rose thorn branches growing out of him. He was surrounded by a dark aura.
"Mr. Roseheart you need to stop." Crowley commanded.
"It's too late. The storm is here." Odette choked out as her heart began to race.
"He's overblot. I need to get the other students out of here before it gets more dangerous. Please try and stop him." Crowley said as he went to remove the crowd.
"What's overblot?" Odette asked she looked over Riddle in shock.
"It's like going berserk. He has overwhelmed his mage stone with all the magic he's been doing." Trey explained stepping in front of her.
'Is this what my bad feeling was about? Those weird dreams?' Odette thought as her ears began to ring with the sound her heartbeats. "Is there anyway to stop him?" She asked.
"Yes, I think so if we work together. Please try to keep a safe distance since you don't have magic." Trey said as he and Carter went to stand next to Ace and Deuce.
The battle felt like it was an eternity but eventually the group was able to defeat Riddle. During the battle Odette kept dodging flying rose trees. "Is it all the magic flowing? Has it effected them?" Grim wondered as he floated above her to protect her trying to burn anything that came near her since she kept having to stop and caught her breath.
At the end she snuck to her knee trying to fight back the dark. She could hear strange voices.
"Happy 8th birthday. I made you a cake." A feminine voice said.
An image of a young Riddle appeared in her mind.
"Thanks momma, can I have one of those red tarts in the window?" A young Riddle asked.
"Oh no honey, those are poisonous. My cake is health for you now eat up." His mom said.
"Okay mom." Riddle sighed. 'I really wanted one of those tarts.' He thought.
'Take deep breaths Odette. Feel the grass under your hands.' She thought still fighting the dark.
She could hear the voices again and the same image of Riddle.
"It's free study now Riddle. I'll be back in an hour to start potions. I need to go get the material." His mom said then left the room.
Riddle sat reading until he heard a knock on the window. He turned to see two boys, a young Trey and Chenya.
"Do you want to play with us?" Trey asked.
"I can't I'm suppose to be studying." Riddle answered.
"My grandpa says playing is a form of studying." Chenya said climbing into the window.
Riddle played with them for a months and even got to try the strawberry tart until he was caught.
"No more free studying for you. You can't seem to be able to handle the responsibility. You will not be playing with those urchins anymore." His mother chided.
'I broke one rule and was punished. I lost my favorite part of the day. I vowed never to break other rule.' Riddle thought as the darkness began to recede and the image fade.
Odette finally caught her breath and saw that the battle was over and everything had mostly returned to normal. She got to her feet and went over to Riddle before anyone could say anything and took his hand in hers.
"He's still asleep." Trey said.
"I think he's working through his emotions." Odette explained. "Trey, you should take his other hand, a familiar voice might help him."
"What is going on with you?" Grim asked.
"You sound so sure, how do you know this?" Trey asked kneeling on the ground and taking Riddle's other hand.
"I'm not as certain as I sound but it's hard to explain right now." Odette whispered.
Soon Riddle came around and stared up at the group.
"Oh thank goodness, we were starting to get worried." Trey sighed.
"I'm sorry. I wanted to eat that tart, I want to use honey instead of sugar and I want to drink milk tea instead of lemon tea. Some of these rules are ridiculous." Riddle muttered as he began to cry. "I wanted to play with you and Chenya back then."
"It's okay Riddle." Odette whispered as she brushed his bangs out of his face gently squeezing his hand giving him a gentle smile.
"Those are just crocodile tears!" Ace snapped but only got a glare from Odette.
"I'm sorry too Riddle. I saw you were suffering and said nothing." Trey said patting his hand.
"Well I don't think an apology is good enough." Ace snapped.
"What can I do?" Riddle asked wiping away his tears.
"I want another unbirthday but you have to make the tart." Ace said after a minute.
"You just want another tart." Grim muttered shaking his head.
"That seems fair." Riddle said slowing sitting up.
"We should get you to the nurse." Carter said picking Riddle up.
"Well, that could have gone better." Odette sighed as she got up.
"It could have gone worse through." Deuce pointed out.
"Oh look another black stone." Grim cheered than popped into his mouth.
"Oh gross." Trey said making a face.
"Grim! I really wish you wouldn't eat weird things off the ground." Odette sighed then began to yawn.
"Let's go home. I'm exhausted. You two going to be okay here?"
"Yup, we'll be fine together and with his guidance." Deuce said nodding towards Trey.
"Glad to hear it." Odette said and they left. 'I know I can be a stickler for the rules but thank god I never got that bad.' She thought.
The next day Ace and Deuce came and got Odette and Grim.
"Apparently it's against the rules for outsiders to come to Unbirthday Parties but Riddle thinks we can break this rule this time." Ace explained.
"He said it was only fair since you guys helped with the Overblot yesterday." Deuce added.
They lead Odette and Grim through the fixed rose maze to the center where a giant table was set out with several treats and pots of tea.
"Welcome, please enjoy yourself." Riddle greeted as Odette made her way up to the head of the table.
"Thank you. It all looks amazing. I hope you're feeling better." Odette said.
"I am." He said with a small smile.
Odette wasn't the only visitor, Chenya shown up and made Riddle and everyone else laugh.
That night Odette didn't dream of a girl in a blue dress but she did dream.
"This program here will help you do your job. This is our one of our bibles. When we say do it by the book this is what we mean. Let me show you the other." Odette heard herself say. She had a rugged laptop in her lap and she was opening up programs on it to show someone beside her. Everything was blurry including the laptop screen, All she could tell was everything around them was gray and she was wearing a blue uniform of some sort.
'Was that part of my past life? I had a job of some sort. How old was I?' Odette wondered as she sat up. She saw outside the sun was beginning to raise.