The Magical Wheel screeched to a halt as Deuce and Epel reached their destination: one of the coastal areas near about halfway down Sage's Isle. "Alright, we're here," Deuce said as climbed off, kicking the stand out to make sure their ride didn't collapse on its' side.

Epel let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding before climbing off the bike as well. "You're more of a speed demon than I took you for, Deuce. I won't lie, you had me a little worried for a moment."

"Really? I thought I was going pretty slow, actually," Deuce replied before quickly shaking his head. "Y'know what? Nevermind." He grinned and gently patted their Magical Wheel. "Anyway, the boys at Ignihyde sure know how to trick one of these babies out, huh? I had no idea what about half of those functions did."

"Heh heh," Epel chuckled. "Well, I'm already feeling better! I've always loved going for drives." His smile gave way to a look of mild concern. "Are you sure this is a good idea, though? We're supposed to get permission before we leave campus."

"Grk… I'll be honest with you, getting permission didn't even cross my mind until we were already out," Deuce admitted. He gave Epel a hopeful look. "Will you help take some of the heat off me when we get back?"

Epel smiled. 'Classic Deuce,' he thought. "I bet Vil and the others are furious." He pulled in a deep breath of the salty air, the sound of the ocean waves crashing to the shore calming him. "Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've been to the beach since I got to Night Raven College."

Deuce nodded. "Same here. Sage's Isle isn't all that big, but Night Raven College sits on top of a mountain on the north side."

"And Royal Sword Academy sits along the southern coast, right? Wait a minute…" Epel paused before turning toward the south side of the island and pointing off to a building in the near distance. "Isn't that it over there?"

Deuce turned to look in the direction Epel was pointing and saw a large white and blue castle-like structure that maybe just the tiniest bit smaller than Night Raven College practically sparkling in the setting sun. Both boys gaped for a moment, unable to find the words.

"Wow…," Epel finally said. "Their main building looks like a palace out of a storybook. Hard to believe it's actually a school."

"I've never seen it this close before; the only views I've gotten were from the observation deck back on campus," Deuce commented. "It's even fancier than I imagined."

"Some of my teammates in the Spelldrive Club say it's a school full of snotty, pampered rich boys," Epel recalled, "but that's also where Neige goes to school…"

Deuce looked at the main school building, positively gleaming even at a distance, before turning back toward the ocean and pulling in a deep breath as he clenched his fists. "I'M NOT ABOUT TO KNUCKLE UNDER! YOU HEAR ME?!"

Epel jumped back, startled by the shout. "What gives, Deuce? Why are you yell-"

"I know I'm not the smartest guy out there and I'm not good at reading social cues!" Deuce continued ranting at the ocean, causing Epel's eyes to widen as he began to realize what his friend was doing. "All my old delinquent habits are still here and I've got a hair trigger temper, but I'm doing my best, okay?! If you think you can keep makin' fun of me, Ace, you'd better think again! Just you watch; I'll be a real honors student one of these days and then you'll be eating my dust! I'M GONNA CHANGE! BET ON IT!" He let out one last scream into the void before resting his hands on his knees as he panted, a relieved smile on his face. "Ahh man, that's much better!"

"Do I even wanna know what that was about?" Epel asked, intrigued.

"Just something I used to do whenever I got upset about something. I'd drive to the beach and let it all out at the top of my lungs. It doesn't get much more cathartic than that," Deuce explained as he pulled in another deep breath to steady himself. "I've always been a slow learner. My grades are always below average no matter how hard I study. I wanted to find an excuse for why I did so poorly in school, so over time I started taking the easy way out. "Psh, whatever. It's not like I'm trying anyway. Of course my grades are bad. Bein' a try-hard's about as lame as it gets." Stuff like that."

"Wow… I had no idea," Epel replied softly.

"I was out of control for years. I became a delinquent and made my mom cry," Deuce admitted, closing his eyes in shame for a moment. "But then I got an acceptance letter from Night Raven College. I thought a change in environment might help me get my act together. I thought this would be my chance!"

"Do you think you've changed since you enrolled?" Epel asked.

Deuce sighed and shook his head. "Not at all. I can play the part of the honors student, but I'm finding that I can't change who I am deep down. I'm still that same bad boy with the grades to match. But even so…I learned something after coming to this school." His thoughts turned to the dorm leaders he'd come to know since he enrolled: Riddle, Leona, Azul, and Vil. "I've learned that even the most capable guys on campus are struggling hard behind the scenes. Even when it's embarrassing, or lame, or involves playing a little dirty, the capable ones never give up." His thoughts turned to Devon as well. She'd come to Twisted Wonderland knowing nothing about their world or magic and with a power that she didn't understand, but she still found a way to carve out a place for herself. He knew she still struggled with homesickness and feeling out of place, but whether it was her studies, wrangling Grim, or being there him and the others when they needed her, she never gave anything less than her best and he couldn't be prouder to call her his friend. He nodded to himself before turning back to Epel. "I invited you out here because I got the sense that you were like me."

Epel blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Ever since we ran into you at the well, I've noticed that sometimes you'll do this thing where you start to say something but then you'll stop yourself," Deuce pointed out. "I keep getting the sense that you want to change, but you can't, so you end up floundering."

"I…I guess you might have a point," Epel agreed.

Deuce smiled before gesturing toward the ocean. "I'm the only one here right now, so why don't you give it a try. Just let it all out at the top of your lungs. It'll make you feel way better!"

Epel looked back and forth between the ocean and Deuce before nodding. "Why not? Can't do any harm, I guess." He inhaled deeply before shouting as loud as he could, "IF YOU THINK AH CAN TURN ALL DARLIN' OVERNIGHT, YER OUTTA YER GOURD!"

Deuce took a reflexive step back and Epel ranted, his accent out in full force.

"Ah'm a farm boy from out in the sticks! We got more heifers 'n people in mah neck o' the woods!" Epel continued. "It's all Ah kin do ta talk without slippin' inta mah accent! And aside from hoedowns and field day games, Ah ain't never danced afore! How'm Ah s'posed to know the first thing about them trendy clothes an' fancy manners?! S'not like Ah ever wanted ta be all darlin' anyhow! Ah wanna be a big an' tough an' strong man! YER A BIG OL' IDJIT, Y'HEAR ME?!" He braced his hands on his knees once he'd finished, letting out a few pants before letting out a yell toward the ocean. By the time he straightened up, there was a grin on his face. "That felt mighty good, I tell ya what!"

"Wow…," Deuce marveled. "I only caught about half of that. Were you speaking a different language just now? No, wait…don't tell me that was your natural accent?! I mean, you've let it slip around us during our squad hangs before, but never like that! Where are you from exactly, Epel?"

"Ah'm from a little village called Harveston. It's in the northern part of the Shaftlands, up in the mountains," Epel replied. His brows furrowed. "Vil's always tellin' me not ta talk much around other people on account o' mah accent bein' too hard ta understand. Ah swear, it's like every time Ah open mah mouth, he's on mah case about somethin'." He cleared his throat and put on his best imitation of Vil's voice. ""Don't speak with an accent. Address people by name. Mind your volume." It drives me nuts."

"Y'know, way back when we first met, I pegged you as the quiet and timid one of our group. You proved me wrong almost immediately, but I had no idea until today just how off-base I was," Deuce said with an amused smile.

"Ah've had to be careful about how Ah spoke since Ah got here. Never knew when Vil was gonna be there to call me out," Epel replied. "Y'know he's the reason Ah have to wear those frilly uniform shirts too, right?"

"Seriously?" Deuce asked incredulously. "Why though? Pomefiore doesn't have a crazy set of rules to follow like Heartslabyul does."

Epel closed his eyes. "See, it all started back in September, just before the entrance ceremony…"

Epel glanced around at the other students milling about in the Mirror Chamber as they waited for the ceremony to start, unable to keep the disdainful look off his face. 'Everywhere Ah look, it's all the same. Just a buncha hoity-toity rich boys too big fer their britches. Ah was always treated like Ah was some kinda wuss back home cause'a the way Ah look.' He smirked to himself. ''Course, back home Ah wasn't shy about whoopin' anyone who gave me flak ta mah face. Ah ain't about to let anyone give me any guff here.'

"You there. New enrollee," called a voice from nearby.

Epel turned to see an elegant-looking upperclassman striding toward him, sleek blond hair peeking out of his hood."Hm? Y'need somethin'?"

The upperclassman gave him a stern look before gesturing to his shirt. "Are you trying to make a mockery of the ceremonial robes? Button up your collar at once."

'Hold on. Ah think Ah recognize this guy. He's the Pomefiore dorm leader, ain't he?' Epel thought as he gave the man before him a closer look. 'Ah sure as shoot don't want no part of a dorm run by someone all prim an' proper like him. This beanpole ain't nothin' compared ta the Savanaclaw dorm head.'

"You know, I wasn't sure what to make of you from a distance," Vil said as he gave Epel a once-over. A tiny smile tugged at his lips. "But I must say, upon closer inspection, you've quite the winsome façade."

"What's that s'posed ta mean? You callin' me a wuss?!" Epel demanded, hackles raising on instinct. He didn't understand what this stranger had just said to him, but he couldn't afford to show any sort of submission. "Well, if Ah'm a pot, yer a kettle!"

"Oh, dear. Dear oh dear," Vil replied, the tiny smile quickly replaced with a mix of disgust and disappointment. "No, this won't work at all. You are utterly unpresentable."

"Scuse me?" was Epel's affronted response.

"The way you dress, the way you act, even the way you think is utterly devoid of sensibility," Vil told him.

"Oh yeah?! Let's take this outside, then! You'll regret sayin' that in a few seconds!" Epel challenged as he squared his shoulders.

Vil sighed. "Why are so many students selected for enrollment here so quick to resort to violence?" He smirked. "But very well; we'll do it your way. After all, it's my duty to give my underclassmen a proper Night Raven College welcome."

The pair left the Mirror Chamber, turning into a deserted hallway a short distance away. Epel geared up for his first strike…only for Vil knock him flat on his rear before he knew what was happening. Each time he tried to get back up, Vil wasted no time knocking him back to the ground. Epel was left with no choice but to surrender.

'Grgh… What in tarnation?! He completely wiped the floor with me and he ain't even usin' magic!" he gasped out.

"Let this be a lesson to you, spudling," Vil called out to him, looking as if he hadn't even broken a sweat. "In this school, the rule is that the weak must obey the strong." His eyes landed on Epel's empty magical pen holder. "From the looks of it, you haven't been placed into a dorm yet, but since you lose to me, you will do as I say."

'What's he gonna do ta me?' Epel thought, his mind racing as he got to his feet. 'Take all mah money? Make me his errand boy?'

"Your first order of business will be to button up all those loose buttons on your robes," Vil ordered.

"Umm…what?" Epel replied. That wasn't what he'd been expecting.

"Now," Vil told him firmly, leaving Epel scrambling to do as he said. Once the buttons had been fixed, he moved to stand behind Epel. "Next is your belt. You have no business letting it hang low and loose from your waist like this, especially considering your stature. Such disgraceful form is completely unacceptable."

"Ack!" Epel gasped as Vil cinched the belt as tight as it would go. "A-Ah kin barely breathe in this now!"

"And we can't forget about your hair," Vil continued as he stepped back in front of him. "Did it not cross your mind to brush that rat's nest out?"

"It ain't like Ah carry a comb wherever Ah go!" Epel protested.

"Lastly, your elocution! Speak properly!" Vil ordered.

"Whuh?! Are you sayin' mah accent ain't as good as how city folk talk?!" Epel demanded, offended.

Vil narrowed his eyes. "Don't put words in my mouth. I have nothing against your home or native dialect. What I am objecting to is your attitude. There's no shame in being proud of where you come from, but there's a time and a place for it. The way you address your superiors is completely out of line."

"Grrrr…," Epel growled, helpless to do anything more.

"You should know that in this school, the losers don't get the right to whine and complain. If you want your voice to be heard, you'll have to beat me in a fight." He smirked again. "Now, what is the correct response?"

"Gh… Yes, sir," Epel replied, his voice barely louder than a whisper as he dropped his gaze.

"Only the Dark Mirror knows which dorm you will be placed into," Vil said, the smirk still on his lips, "but you'd best hope that you don't get assigned to Pomefiore. I am its dorm leader: Vil Schoenheit. If you come into my domain, know that I have no tolerance for the behavior you exhibited today. Remember that. Now fix up your clothes as I instructed and get back to the ceremony."

Epel could only watch as Vil turned on his heel and marched back toward the Mirror Chamber. "D-Dagnabbit…"

"…An' that's more or less what happened," Epel finished.

Deuce was taken aback. "Hold on. You're saying you pick a fight with a dorm leader on your very first day here?!"

"Ah didn't know how strong the dorm leaders were, okay?!" Epel exclaimed. "Besides, you don't have no room to talk. Didn't you an' Ace get into it with your dorm head right after orientation?"

"Technically yes, but it wasn't exactly intentional," Deuce clarified.

"Well, the only way to be "powerful" back home was to be big an' buff an' strong," Epel continued. "Lookin' the way Ah do, Ah've always been an easy target fer teasin'. When Ah look back on it now, Ah don't think Vil meant nothin' by what he said, but…"

"I get it. You felt like you have to prove a point the first chance you got," Deuce finished for him.

"Fat lotta good it did me. Ah ain't been able to beat the dorm leader even once, so Ah've been stuck doin' what he says ever since," Epel grumbled.

"So that's what Vil was talking about when he mentioned "the usual" during practice earlier," Deuce realized. "I guess Rook was right when he said it wasn't a fight. It was more than that to you guys."

Epel nodded. "Vil says Ah can act however Ah like if Ah kin take him in a fight, but Ah keep losin' ev'ry time Ah challenge him. Ah just wanna be stronger…"

The pair lapsed into silence for a moment and listened to the waves breaking against the shore. Once again, Deuce sympathized with Epel; he knew what it was like to feel stuck. He hoped the advice he'd gotten before he came up with this spur of the moment plan would help Epel out as well. "You know, before I left to find you, Kalim and Rook told me something. They said that each of us has a power that's only ours and that we should make the most of it. I've thought about it a lot and I think I've figured something out. I think my strength…might actually be how hard-headed I am."

"Whuh?! But you just got done tellin' me how much you hated that about yerself," Epel reminded him.

"I know. It frustrates me to no end, but it also means that I can take off running without stopping to second-guess myself," Deuce elaborated. "I'm not like Devon and Ace; I just don't have the brain power to think about a lot of things at the same time. But once I have my sights set on something, I'll make a beeline for it without stopping. I think that's a power I can call my own-my weakness is also my strength."

"Well that's all well an' good fer you, but it don't mean much fer me," Epel replied, his brow furrowed in frustration. "Followin' yer logic, my "power" would be mah looks, right? Ah just don't see how lookin' all dainty and effeminate can be a strength." The sound of a phone ringing interrupted the conversation. "Oh, that's mah phone." He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. "It's…mah folks?" There was a soft 'bwip' sound as he answered the call. "Hello?"

His mother's voice came through loud and clear, her accent just as thick as her son's. "Epel! Just what in tarnation did ya do with that juice we sent ya?!"

Epel blinked, confused. "Huh? Ya said ta share it with mah friends, so Ah did. Why?"

"We're gettin' slammed with orders from all over the world!" his mother replied.

"Yer what?!" Epel exclaimed, putting the call on speakerphone so Deuce could listen in as well.

"Ah was mighty confused by the whole thing, so Ah asked one of our customers callin' in where they'd heard about us. They said somethin' about seein' it on "Vil Schoenheit's camera"," his mother explained. "Ain't Vil yer dorm leader?"

"Vil's camera…? Wait, do you mean his Magicam?" Epel gestured to Deuce, who immediately pulled up Magicam on his phone. "Hold on a sec!"

Epel muted the call as Deuce scrolled to Vil's Magicam page. His most recent picture, posted not long after they left campus, was of himself holding one of the bottle of apple juice Epel had shared with the caption, "My routine! #PostLessonHydration #HarvestonAppleJuice #NaturalFlavor #GoodForTheSkin"

"Wow, you're right! Vil posted a picture of your family's apple juice to his Magicam page. Look, he even angled it so you can clearly see the label and everything!" Deuce commented.

"It's chaos over here right now!" Epel's mother told him once he unmuted his phone. "The phones have been ringin' off the hook. "If'n it keeps up like this, Ah'mma hafta call the co-op head an' get help from the neighbors just ta keep up with the shippin'! And ta think, Ah was wonderin' what we'd do with all the leftover stock. You done pulled through for us, Epel! The whole village is overjoyed! Give Vil our thanks too, y'hear?" The shrill sound of multiple phones ringing at once could be heard clear as day. "Welp, sounds like Ah've gotta go! These phones ain't gonna answer 'emselves. Ah'll send along some more juice later."

"Wait a second, Maw-," Epel began, only to cut himself off when the call disconnected. "Sounds like she hung up."

Deuce was still looking at the picture Vil had posted. "I'm seeing a ton of comments on Vil's post saying they ordered the juice. This is…really impressive, actually."

Epel's eyes widened as Vil's words came back to him: "You speak of being "charming" and being "strong" as if the two are mutually exclusive, but both of them are equally valid forms of power. You'll never be a match for me if you can't realize that." He looked over at Deuce. "Ah wonder…d'ya think this is the power of beauty that Vil's always talkin' about?!"

"I think you might have a point there. After all, the reason Vil has this much influence is because he puts so much work into cultivating his beauty," Deuce reasoned. "He wouldn't have been able to get this kind of result if he only relied on magical might or brute strength alone."

"Ah wonder…" Epel cleared his throat, his accent much less noticeable when he spoke again. "I wonder if this was the point he was trying to make. That my charm is a power that only I have and I should use it to my advantage?"

"Could be. I mean, neither of us is all that smart or buff, but I'm positive none of the other guys at school could beat you in the cuteness department!" Deuce declared confidently.

"I'm…not really sure how to feel about that," Epel replied. "Still, I'm not gonna look like this forever. Who knows, maybe this time next year I'll be taller or buffer. Maybe I'll even have a mustache!"

"Heh. Not so sure about that last one, buddy," Deuce chuckled.

"Vil says that my charm is my power," Epel continued. "If I can put it to good use at the VDC, I could probably give my village a much bigger boost than just sellin' a bunch of juice crates."

"I'm with you there," Deuce agreed. "If there's power to be found in things we've spent our whole lives being ashamed of," He smirked and slammed a fist into his palm, "then I say we play to our strengths and do our best to break out of our shells! If it'll give us a chance to beat our rivals, I say bring it on!"

Epel smirked. "Yeah! You're right!"

"You know what I think, Epel?" Deuce began. "I think we should give it our all to win the VDC and prove ourselves to Ace and Vil!"

"Now that's what Ah'm talkin' about!" Epel cheered, his accent back in full force. "Ah'll be as cute an' powerful as kin be!"

Confidence renewed, the boys slapped their hands together in a high-five, laughing the rest of the day's frustrations away. For the first time since they were selected, they felt like they could make the VDC happen. They certainly weren't about to give Ace or Vil the satisfaction of thinking they were right. They were about ready to head back to campus and face whatever trouble they were going to get in for leaving without permission…until a voice pulled them out of their victory lap.

"Daaang! Look at this tricked-out Magical Wheel!"

"Hm?" Deuce and Epel turned in the direction of the voices to see a group of guys they'd never seen before crowded around the Magical Wheel they'd used to make the drive to the shore.

"I've never seen one modded like this before!" one of the guys exclaimed as he and his friends gushed over the customized design. "Just look at the wheel and cowl!"

Another one of the guys laughed. "Never thought I'd see the day we'd stumble upon a Magical Wheel model you haven't seen before! Makes me wonder who owns this beauty."

"Can you even drive one of these without magic?" a third man asked.

The first man nodded. "You can, but a lot of the features will be limited. Most Magical Wheels are equipped with a technomantic battery as a backup fuel source. C'mon, man. How do you not know that? That's like Magical Wheel 101! Ha ha!"

"Whaddaya reckon those folks want with our ride? They've been eyeballin' it pretty hard," Epel commented to Deuce.

Deuce eyed the group uncertainly. "I had to beg the Ignihyde students to let me borrow that against their better judgment and that was after Dev and Ortho vouched for me. I'll be in serious trouble if anything happens to it!" He took off running toward the Magical Wheel with Epel close behind. "Umm, that's actually my Magical Wheel, guys!"

The trio eyed him skeptically before one of them spoke up. "Seriously? You're just a kid." He caught a good look at Deuce's gym uniform and his eyes widened. "Hang on. I think I recognize that uniform… You're a Night Raven College student!"

"You wouldn't mind if I took this baby out for a spin, would ya, kiddo?" the first man asked.

Deuce shook his head, his tone polite but firm. "I'm sorry, but it's not mine to loan out. I can risk letting it get damaged."

"Excuse me? Are you callin' me a bad driver?" the first man asked, offended. "I resent that!"

"Yeah! He's got a little magic in him, so he should be able to handle it no prob!" the second man chimed in.

"Dude, really? I didn't know you could use magic!" the third exclaimed.

The first man shrugged, looking mildly embarrassed. "Nothing much. Certainly nothing that would attract the attention of a big name school like Night Raven College, but more than enough to handle a Magical Wheel."

"Pfft, whatever," the second man scoffed. "Didn't you drop outta magic school because you couldn't keep up with the coursework?"

"Shaddup!" the first man shouted.

"Look, magical ability or no, I really think this machine is too dangerous for a beginner," Deuce interjected firmly.

The first man gave him an affronted look. "And just who are you callin' a beginner?"

"Is that how you talk to your elders? I'm not sure I like your attitude, kid," the second added, narrowing his eyes.

"That's fine. I'm still not letting you borrow it. End of story," Deuce replied before gesturing to Epel. "C'mon, Epel. Let's go."

"Uh…right," Epel agreed, following Deuce toward the Magical Wheel's seat.

Unfortunately, the three strangers weren't about to let them go so easily. "Hey, hold up. We're not finished here, rushing toward them and grabbing Epel's arm.

Epel winced. "Ow!"

"What do you think you're doing?!" Deuce exclaimed, moving to stand between Epel and the stranger. "Let go of Epel's arm!"

The third man leaned closer to get a better look at Epel's face, his brows knitting in confusion. "Hang on, ain't you a girl? I thought Night Raven College was an all-boy's school."

It was all Epel could do to fight back an eye twitch, his voice lowering just enough to sound threatening. "…Huh?"

Sadly, the three stooges didn't seem to notice, with the first one commenting, "Whoa, you're not kiddin'! And she's a real cutie, to boot! When did that place go co-ed?"

Deuce was about to snap, but he tried to focus on getting himself and Epel out of there and back to school before this situation could escalate any further. "Look, just lay off, you guys! We don't want any-"

"You…" Epel looked up at the one holding his arm with the biggest, sparkliest doe eyes he'd ever given in his life, keeping his voice as demure as he could. "You're hurting me. Won't you please let me go?"

The three strangers gasped in unison, utterly blown away by Epel's cuteness. None of them could bring themselves to tear their eyes from his for a moment, but finally the one who had grabbed Epel's arm spoke up. "Wow…I think my heart just skipped a beat…"

"I may have finally met my soulmate…," the second muttered.

"Alright, let's lay off, guys," the third said, easily detaching his buddy's hand from Epel's arm. "We wouldn't want this poor, delicate thing to get hurt, would we?"

As soon as he'd been released, Epel dropped his wounded gazelle gambit and gave the three would-be assailants a smirk. "Ya wanna see hurt, do ya?! Ah'll show ya hurt!" He knocked the man who'd grabbed him right in the jaw before any of them had time to react, causing to shout in surprise and pain as he staggered back.

"What the-?! Did she just headbutt him?!" the second man exclaimed.

"Ha ha ha ha! Looks like this face o' mine really can come in handy sometimes!" Epel crowed. "Y'all just made some right fools outta yerselves! Who're you callin' dainty an' petite?"

"We didn't call you either of those things," the third man pointed out. "Wait a minute! You've totally got a boy's voice!"

"And why d'you sound so surprised?! Maybe you oughta get yer eyes checked!" Epel shot back.

"Hang on, Epel! I don't think Vil meant you should use your charm for fighting," Deuce said. "It's gonna be real bad for us if we get into a fight while we're already off-campus without permission. ...Not that a fight would be a good thing in normal circumstances."

Epel's eyes widened as he took a step back. "Ah crud, yer right!"

"Tch," the man Epel headbutted scoffed as he got back to his feet, rubbing his jaw as he did so. "So this is what we get when we try to be nice." He shot Deuce and Epel a disdainful look before cracking his knuckles. "Y'know, I've never liked mages anyway. They think they're so much better than everyone else just because they know a few parlor tricks."

The air began to crackle with magical energy as he readied a spell and Deuce and Epel braced themselves.

"Is he really planning on using magic against us?!" Epel asked Deuce, realizing too late that antagonizing these strangers maybe wasn't the best idea.

Deuce clenched his fists and squared his shoulders. "I'll handle these guys, Epel. You get out of here and call the school."

"What?! Ah ain't leavin' ya behind, y'hear?!" Epel argued.

"I can't let you get hurt or use your magic," Deuce retorted. "I brought you out here, so I'll take responsibility for this!"

The next few minutes felt like hours to Deuce and Epel. The stranger's magic might not have been all that powerful but all the hits Deuce was taking were beginning to take their toll. Using magic on civilians could land them in serious trouble, so his only real option was to do what he could to block the hits, maneuver himself to keep Epel out of harm's way and hope the other guy got bored or wore himself out.

"What's wrong, kid? All you've been doin' is blocking. Where's all that fancy magic you Night Raven brats are so proud of?" the first man taunted with a smug smirk on his face.

"So much for all that "superior" schooling," the second man jeered.

"Have ya learned your place yet, punk?" chimed in the third. "If not, we'd be glad to help you find it!"

"Gah!" Deuce winced in pain as he was hit with another spell and knocked flat on his back.

It was all Epel could do not to jump into the fight. "Deuce! I can't just stand here and watch this anymore!"

"No, Epel! You can't use magic against them!" Deuce reminded him.

"But-!" Epel began, but ultimately let the sentence hang. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew Deuce was right.

'We're forbidden from using magic against the general public, but it's all I can do to defend us right now,' Deuce thought. 'I have to do something…and fast!'

"Oh, so you wanna play with the big boys, huh?" the first man said as he focused his attention on Epel, getting ready to fire up another spell. "Well try this on for size!"

"Epel!" Deuce called out. He did his best to put himself between Epel and the incoming spell, but he knew he wouldn't be fast enough. In desperation, he reached his hand out in a vain attempt to pull Epel out of the way when he suddenly felt a surge of magical energy coursing through him, more powerful than any spell he'd ever cast before. "What… What is this?" The air around him began to crackle. "Magic's welling up inside me…" Before he had time to try and get it under control, the magic funneled its way to his outstretched hand and shot out toward the three assailants, knocking the incoming spell away in the process and sending all three men flying, landing on their backs with groans of pain. Deuce and Epel could only stare, dumbfounded, at the aftermath, Deuce's hand hanging in the air for a moment before he let it drop. The magic was receding now, but he could still feel the tingle from where it had coursed through him. "What was that…? And how did it knock those guys to the ground?"

Epel stared at Deuce with a look that was equal parts admiration and astonishment. "Deuce…was that what I think it was?"

Ending Notes: I've always loved Deuce and Epel's talk at the beach. I think it gives some really great insight into both their characters and really cements Deuce as the most empathetic member of the freshmen squad (possibly barring Yuu/MC depending on how the writer characterizes them). He deserves the absolute world and I've got a development planned for him that I'm hoping people will be receptive to. I'm going to plant the seeds for it soon (probably in the chapter after the next one) so I hope you guys will be looking forward to it!

Like I said before, the next chapter is going to consist of Devon going to have a talk with Ace after Deuce leaves to go borrow that Magical Wheel from Ignihyde, followed by Deuce and Epel coming back to Pomefiore refreshed and ready to recommit to practice.

Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome. Geekinthepink, out!