ā§Reader is mainly based on my own personalityā§
"()" is for if the situation applies to you so reader can still reflect anyone
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š“ššššššššš ā§ 1 ā§ 2 ā§ 3 ā§ 4 ā§ š©ššš 3
Another nightŁ« another weird dream...This timeŁ« it wreaked of an overly earthy smell. It was inside of a caveŁ« the lion from your previous dream lying off to the side while a bird seemed to be trapped in what looked like a cage made of bones.
"Oh, Zazu, do lighten up and sing something for me with a little bounce in itŁ«" the Lion mocked.
"Oh.. I would never have had to do this for MufasaŁ«" grumbled the bird.
"What? What did you say? I...am...the KING!" The lion roared in fury. His outburst was soon disrupted by a hyena entering the caveŁ« and a few others following behind.
"Hey, Boss! We got a bone to pick with you."
"Scar, there's no food, no water...
Scar got up and wandered over to the opposite side of the cave before answeringŁ« "What are you complaining to me for? Eat Zazu."
"I thought things were bad under Mufasa..." A hyena had murmured.
"What did you say?! Get out!"
"But we're still hungry!" Another hyena whinedŁ« but quickly left with the others.
A scoff sounded from just around the cave entrance. Instead of any hyena coming back to complain some moreŁ« it was a lioness who strided in.
"AhŁ« SarabiŁ«" Scar calmedŁ« "Have you finally come to your senses and decided to be made my queen?"
"As if I'd want to be the queen of a tyrant who can't even feed his own peopleŁ«" Sarabi quipped back.
"Why can't you see I just want what's best for you?" Scar began to circle around her. "I just know in my heart that my dearly departed brother would want you be care protected and cared forŁ« and who better than your new king?"
"Lies! Mufasa would never want Sarabi anywhere around the like of you!" The bird piped upŁ« but was quickly quieted from Scar's growl.
"Zazu's right. My husband would never want for me to have to rely on his and my son's murdererŁ«" the lioness stated.
Scar scoffedŁ« "For the last timeŁ« their death was just an unfortunate accident. I would never do something so cruel to my own kin."
"Whatever you sayŁ« 'Your MajestyŁ«'" Sarabi mocked before leaving.
You started to wakeŁ« the morning light invading you senses and sleep still heavily holding on.
"Jack?!" Any remaining drowsiness left your body at the sudden fright of the beastman right by your bed. You gripped you sheets to your chest like a woman clutching her pearls.
"Huh? What are you doin' in our dorm?" Grim askedŁ« oddly calm. Better question: How did he get in?! And why was he here?!
"I'm on my morning run. Today's the day of the Spelldrive tournament, and I wanted to make sure you didn't mess everything up by oversleepingŁ«" he answered. YeahŁ« because that made perfect sense! ActuallyŁ« it kinda did...Anyways!
"Oh! Yeah, you're right!" Grim realized. "We gotta catch the bad guys so they'll squeeze
Ramshackle House into the tournament as a reward!"
"I have a bad feeling about this..." You grumbled beneath your breath.
Jack sighed before speakingŁ« "I'll see ya at the tournament grounds. Don't you dare go back to sleep!"
How could you go back to sleep now even if you wanted to?! You desperately tried to wrap your brain around the idea that practically anyone could've just wandered in while you were sleeping. WellŁ« at least it was someone respectful that led you to figure it out...
"Myaaah! Get a load of all the food stands!" Grim cheered as you and him walked past the stalls with Ace and Deuce. "They got churros and funnel cakes, and...Ooh, is that jerky?"
"Man, I can't believe I didn't make the team after all thatŁ«" Ace whined.
"Me neither..." Deuce agreed.
"There's always next yearŁ«" you shruggedŁ« too busy admiring each of the food stands with Grim.
"Well, we have an important job to do anyway. We should focus on that." Deuce seemed to have brightened up a bit from your comment.
"Yeah, good point. Focused. That's usŁ«" Ace agreed.
"Whoa, what's a corn dog?! I wanna try one! Come to papa, whatever you are!" Grim jumped out of your arms and started to scurry off before Ace grabbed him by the scruff.
"'FocusedŁ«' huh?" You mused.
"Eat later! We need to go!" Ace fussed at Grim.
SoonŁ« everything went exactly as Jack described it would. Moments after the announcer began speakingŁ« a stampede of audience members rushed out onto the field and right at the Diasomnia House players. In the endŁ« they were all crushed and trampled over.
Ruggie ran to LeonaŁ« panting.
"... Leona, I did it! Did you see the broadcast?"
"Yeah. That was nice work, Ruggie. So long, Malleus. This year, the throne is mineŁ«" the lion praised.
"Long live the king! Sha ha ha!" Ruggie started to cackleŁ« leading the other Savanaclaw student to join in.
"Long live the king! Hooray!"
"I believe we've heard enoughŁ«" Riddle loudly declared as he stepped into view. Following right behind him was youŁ« GrimŁ« AceŁ« DeuceŁ« and Jack. Leona and Ruggie looked thoroughly surprised.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Heartslabyul kids. And is that Jack?" Leona questioned. "You transfer to Heartslabyul on us, frosh?"
"Nah. I just don't feel like celebrating the underhanded accomplishments of a bunch of cowardsŁ«" the wolf fired back.
"You filthy traitor!" Leona hissed.
"You have tarnished a proud Night Raven traditionŁ«" Riddle denounced. "As housewarden of Heartslabyul, a dorm focused on orderliness, I cannot possibly overlook this."
"Listen, kiddiesāsave your heroic speeches for someone who cares, all right?" Leona sighed putting a hand to his head in exasperation.
"Honestly, coming into our territory with only a handful of people... It's like you WANT a beatingŁ«" Ruggie taunted.
"You want us to take care of 'em, Boss?" One of the dorm members piped up.
"Sure. Have a little fun with 'emŁ«" the housewarden dismissedŁ« treat in the request like a kid asking to play outside.
The fight ended pretty quickly. You meanŁ« it's pretty hard to win in a duel when your magic gets sealed off.
"Off With Your Heads!" Those familiar collars suddenly appeared around each of their necks. It felt pretty good when it wasn't your side that was getting collared.
"Urk... He's so strongŁ«" one of the dorm members groaned.
"Man, housewardens are no jokeŁ«" another muttered.Hmph.
"Nothing but a lot of hot air. Ace, Deuce, are you all right?" Riddle asked. You were sure the only reason he didn't ask you was because you were right behind him. Was he trying to act like a knight or something?
"Yeah. That was nothin'Ł«" Ace casually replied.
"You bet, sir!" Deuce assured.
You heard Leona scoffŁ« "Tch. I knew those chumps'd be no match for Riddle."
"Shyeheehee! Maybe not! But this doesn't change the fact that they were too late to save DiasomniaŁ«" laughed Ruggie.
"Oh? That's quite the interesting claimŁ«" a new voice sounded.
"They seemed right on time to meŁ«" a deeper one added on.
"Indeed. It's thanks to them that not a single one of Diasomnia House's players got hurtŁ«" a third voice agreed.
You looked to see a trio of Diasomnia students. You were pretty sure you met him beforeŁ« but you only managed to get one of their names. What was it again? LiliaŁ« right?
"What? How?! I saw you get swallowed up by the stampede!" Ruggie yelped.
"Oh! About that..." Cater walked up from behind the trio. "So it turns out those were actually duplicates of me, made with my signature Split Card spell."
"What?" Leona looked taken aback.
"I must admit, I really dig those Diasomnia House outfits. They're so extra! I'll DM you some of my selfies laterŁ«" Cater sang.
"Is that right? If I knew you were such a fan, I'd have gladly loaned you mineŁ«" Lilia cheerfully offered.
"Such a sweetheart!" Cater cooedŁ« "Though I think yours would be a little small for me."
"All right, can we get to the point?" The lion started to complain.
"Riddle told us everything. So we had him put on that little charade for usŁ«" explained Lilia.
"So, then... Malleus?" Ruggie's eyes widened.
"Oh, he's in tip-top shape, of course! He's been clearing up the chaos, using his magic to guide all the people safely back to the coliseum. You can thank him laterŁ«" one of the Diasomnia members beside Lilia praised. He was honestly pretty loud.
"H-how could this happen?!" Ruggie cried out.
"....Tch. Whatever. I don't even care anymoreŁ«" Leona grumbled. His attitude change kinda reminded you of a kid saying they weren't even playing once getting out.
"I'm done. It's overŁ«" the Lion repeated.
"Boss, what are you saying?!" The hyena desperately questioned.
"Are you payin' attention? If Malleus is able to take the field then we got no chance of winning. There's no point even trying. I'm out."
Was he serious? All that work just to give up right before trying?! You weren't even apart of their scheme but you felt pissed off for them!
"Y-you can't just...!" Ruggie began to stumble his words. "Malleus might still be in the game, but we took out all the other dorms' best players, right? But without you on the field, I don't even know if we'd have a shot at the top three! You're just going to abandon our dreams?"
You could see Ruggie's desperate smile from hereŁ« as if hoping it was just some bad joke.
"For all the talk about 'the world watching,' this is still just schoolkids playin' a gameŁ«" Leona belittled. "All you wide-eyed tenderfoots talkin' about your dreams... Pfft. The whole thing amused me, so I threw you a bone. That's all this was."
"What do you mean? What happened to working together to 'turn the world upside down?'" Ruggie practically beggedŁ« his ears pinning back against his head. Right nowŁ« he looked exactly like a kicked puppy.
"Are you seriously still goin' on about that? All right, fine. You wanna hear the truth? You're a hyena who grew up in a dump, and I'm a secondborn prince who won't ever be king. And there is NO turning that around!" Leona hissed.
"What? You gotta be kidding me! What is this? You can't just quit after we've come this far!" Ruggie frantically argued.
"You can't do this to us, Boss!" A Savanaclaw student piped up.
"You're gonna play, even if we gotta drag you out there kicking and screaming!" Another joined in.
"Bah, I'm so sick of this nonsense. Shut UP, you nobodies!" Demanded Leona.
A huge amount of magic sparked upŁ« leading to sand flying everywhere. If you didn't know betterŁ« you might almost think it was a sandstorm.
"What?! My nose is dryin' out... M-my eyes hurt!" Grim whined
"Everything the housewarden touched is turning to sand?!" Jack shouted in bewilderment.
"That'd be my signature spell. 'The King's RoarŁ«'" Leona announced. "Ironic, ain't it? Nothin' the savanna hates more than a drought. Yet its prince's magic desiccates everything-reduces it to sand."
His words were dripping with self deprivation. Was that how the prideful Leona Kingscholar thought of himself?
"B-boss... It huuurts...!" Ruggie audibly groaned in pain. The reason for his pain looked truly terrifying.
"Ruggie's arm! The skin is cracking!" Deuce yelled.
"Your spell can legit dry out a HUMAN BEING?!" Ace all but shrieked.
"Leona, I cannot allow this to continue! Off With Your Head!" Riddle orderedŁ« but his spell did not follow through.
"Myah?! Riddle's collar bounced right off!" Grim gaped.
Leona had used his own magic to blockŁ« letting go of Ruggie and allowing him to drop to the ground in the process
"Maybe you're some kinda prodigy, kid, but don't go thinkin' you're smarter than your elders. I aced my Protective Magic classes in my sleepŁ«" boasted Leona before kneeling down to Ruggie's level.
"Hah! How do you like that, Ruggie? Does it hurt? Is your mouth too dry to keep licking my boots? That was your finest talent, tooŁ«" the lion ridiculed. Ruggie could only groan in pain.
"If we don't stop him, Ruggie's gonna....!" Jack didn't finish. He didn't need to because you knew exactly what he meant.
"Whatever it takes, stop him!" You screamedŁ« trying to protect your face from the sand. Your words seemed to stir something in the four Heartslabyul members and JackŁ« because they now seemed all the more determined to take the rogue housewarden down.
"If you have that much power, why do this?!" Riddle demanded.
"'Why?' What do you care, kid? You gonna scold me? Try to talk me down?" Leona tauntedŁ« standing back upright. "Don't you get it? Power alone ain't enough to make waves in this world. Look at Ruggie here. He's like a muzzled dog. Pathetic, ain't it? Hard not to pity him."
He motioned to RuggieŁ« writhing in pain while only pained groans escaped.
"That's enough! 'Unleash the Beast!'" Jack shouted. Right afterŁ« he turned into a giant wolfŁ« like some sort of werewolf. What the hell...
"What justā" Riddle beganŁ« obviously just as bewildered as you. He was shortly cut off by Jack's incredibly loud howling and snarling.
"Whoa, what just- Gah!" Leona was thrown off guardŁ« and rightfully so.
"He broke Leona's concentration! 'Off With Your Head!'" This timeŁ« Riddle successfully collared Leona.
"GAAAAAH!" Leona stumbled backŁ« with the sand calming down right after.
Ruggie let out a loud gasp and began to coughŁ« catching your attention.
"That was beautiful, Riddle! You stopped Leona's magic cold!" Cater praised. You didn't listen to him though.
You hurried over to Ruggie and began to check on himŁ« since obviously no one else was. Every conversation around you became background noise as you checked on the injured hyena. He must've really been out of itŁ« because he didn't even react as jumpy as he normally would when seeing you. InsteadŁ« he seemed to lean wholly into you as you examined any possibly injured areas. You felt the need to treat him like glass because of the cracks that had formed on his skin.
"No... NO! You can't collar a lion! And Jack! How did you...Transformation potions are forbidden! Where did you get that?" Leona sputtered.
"I didn't use a potionāthat's my signature spell. With it I can transform myself into a wolfŁ«" Jack answeredŁ« fury still behind his words.
"Ha! What's that saying? Every dog has his day? Well I guess you had yours!" Leona continued to mock.
"Housewarden Leona, I want you to know...I only came to this school because of how much I admired you! What happened to the man you used to be?" The wolf beastman demanded.
"Shut up... Your dreams got nothin' to do with me!" Leona grumbled.
"I understand the irony of me being the one to say it, but it pains me to see you like this. You'd be wise to confine yourself to your room and try to calm down!" Riddle urged.
"What do you know about how I feel?!" Leona accused.
Lilia was the one who spoke nextŁ« "Would that the lion king of the savanna could witness this absolute farce. No, if you ask me, the collar suits you far better than a crown ever could."
"...Huh?!" Leona growledŁ« but Lilia continued to taunt him.
"You may bemoan the fact that you're not higher in line to be king. But with that sensitive ego of yours? That so quickly directs all your petty anger at your retainers...Well, the idea of you ever
contending with a REAL king like our Malleusāis absolutely laughable. Even if you COULD defeat Malleus, so long as that's how you choose to conduct yourself? You would never be fit to rule!
"Hah...Ha ha. Yeah, you're probably right.
No, you're EXACTLY right...! Ha ha ha ha!" Leona laughed in self depreciation. "I will never become king. No matter how hard I try!"
As Leona's mood once again sourŁ« so did the air.
"Myah?! All my fur's standin' on end!"
"The magic power within Leona is surging...I don't think my collar can hold it!" Riddle groaned.
"No. That isn't magic power. That's negative energy, which means..." Lilia observed.
"EverybodyŁ« get down!" Cater yelled.
You flinchedŁ« curling in on yourself to where Ruggie was laying on your lap. You grabbed onto him since he obviously couldn't protect himself in his current state. You even felt him clutch your shirt a bit. You only looked back up when you heard Cater shout.
"Riddle's collar flew off?!"
Sure enoughŁ« the collar around Leona's neck had shattered somehow.
"I've been loathed since the day I was born.
I've never had a place, never had a future. None of my hard work is ever rewarded! How could any of YOU possibly understand?
MY disappointment?! MY pain?!ŠAŠŠŠŠŠŠŠŠ!" Leona bellowed.
Blot began to leak from his every pourŁ« dousing his skin in it. A monster began to manifest behind him. A monster much like the one that appeared during Riddle's overblotŁ« but still completely different.
The lion-like creature only covered Leona in more blot until the substance finally overtook himŁ« transforming him into a creature much like itself.
He had overblottedŁ« just like Riddle had. ExceptŁ« this time wasn't quite like Riddle's. This timeŁ« there was no headmage to help out. Just a bunch of mages-in-training.
You didn't even realize how tightly you were holding onto Ruggie until you felt the ache in you knuckles. The hyenaŁ« howeverŁ« didn't say anything about it. InsteadŁ« he tried to sit up like he was trying to figure out a way to protect you in his current state.
Leona let out a roar befitting a lion. You wincedŁ« and you noticed Ruggie do the same.
"What's happening?! Some kinda giant shadow is comin' outta him!" Jack exclaimed.
"That's the incarnation of his blot!" Deuce pointed out.
"Is he goin' into evil darkness berserker mode like Riddle did?!" Grim yelped.
"If you can move, seek shelter! Ace, Deuce, help me take the wounded outside! Lilia, please get help from the faculty! And JackŁ« go help ___ and Ruggie!" Riddle orderedŁ« and everyone agreed. Lilia even basically disappeared into thin air. Grim somehow managed to be to first over to where you and Ruggie wereŁ« positioning himself to protect you.
āWhy does this keep happening to us?
This is soooo not my #brand!ā Cater complained.
"If you're afraid, feel free to runŁ«" Riddle responded.
"Trey wouldn't let me hear the end of that. We do this together, Housewarden!" Cater stepped up next to Riddle to help fight against Leona.
"I dunno what's going on, but if we hit Leona hard enough, maybe we can snap him outta it?" Jack noted.
Ruggie started to speak up in between coughsŁ« "I...cough I'Il help too...cough No way am I taking what he said lying down!"
Ruggie pushed himself upŁ« stood right in front of you and Grim.
"So even the lowly hyena turns against me? Ah ha ha! What a total joke!" Leona taunted.
"___, if we can take this guy down, they'll let us play in the tournament!" Grim thought aloudŁ« helping you find a bit of light in this really dark moment. "I'll give it everything I've got!"
"If I can't overthrow the world, I'll turn it to sand! It's pointlessāall of it!" The lion growled.
"Have you always felt this way? All this time...?" Ruggie wondered.
You could only watch as they foughtŁ« occasionally warning them of Leona's strikes. SoonŁ« you noticed a heavy looking boulder that had formed due to Leona's magic. You crawled over to it and tried to pick it up only to realize it weighed just enough to carry it. An idea formed in your head.
Distracted by the othersŁ« Leona failed to notice you sneaking around him. You braced yourself for the overwhelming aura of his magic as you got closer. Even though Leona hadn't noticedŁ« the others did and immediately grew wary of firing anymore spells.
"Hah! Giving up already? I was just getting started!" The lion jeered. He soon noticed they weren't looking at him but behind him. By the time he began to turn aroundŁ« it was already too late.
"Hyah!" You slammed the rock hard against his head before he could finish turning. You actually managed to knock him out! You didn't feel as useless as you had last time.
The realization of what you actually did only dawned on you once he turned back to normal and you saw the wound you left on his head.
"OhŁ« Shit!" You quickly dropped down to make sure he was still alive.
"Hey! Wake up!" Grim had started to get in Leona's face from where the lion's head was laying in your lap.
After you had figured out you hadn't actually killed a princeŁ« you mentally celebrated. You did feel kinda bad for accidentally having nearly killed himŁ« thoughŁ« so you decided to let him rest in your lap as a bit of compensation. Grim wasn't too pleased that his spot was takenŁ« though.
"...Huh?" You startled a bit at the sound of Leona's voice. EventuallyŁ« you sighed in relief that he was okay. WellŁ« mainly okay...
"I did it! He's awake!" Grim cheered. "I was startin' to think you weren't ever gonna regain consciousness! Now, hurry up and confess."
"Wh...What?" Leona grumbled and put a hand to his headŁ« specifically where you had hit him. NowŁ« there was a bandage there to stop any further bleeding.
"Mr. KingscholarŁ«" Crowley stepped forward as he spokeŁ« "Your negative energies accelerated your blot accumulation, inducing an overblot episode. Do you not remember?"
Leona sat up in shock. "Wait, ME...? I overblotted? No way..."
"Careful..." You warned cautiously putting your arms up a bit in case he fell back.
"And more importantly, the Spelldrive tournament is about to beginŁ«" Grim urgently remindedŁ« "I'm gonna need you to confess that you're the culprit, so I'm allowed to enter!"
"Heh. If this is a joke, I ain't laughin'Ł«" Leona glared.
"He's completely seriousŁ«" you sighed.
"The headmage got Grim's group to investigate the accidents in exchange for letting them compete in the tournamentŁ«" Jack explained.
"Whaaat? THAT'S what this has all been about?" Ruggie's eyes widened.
"You bet it has! And EXCUSE you?!
You were the one pushin' people down stairs for the chance at a little fame and glory!" Grim argued back.
"Urk... W-well... Fair point, I supposeŁ«" the hyena conceded.
"Is he correct? Were you responsible for the series of injuries sustained by competing players?" Crowley interrogated.
"...Yeah. That was meŁ«" Leona admitted.
"Very well. Then to begin with, Savanaclaw House will be disqualified from this year's tournamentŁ«" the Headmage concludedŁ« "The rest of your punishment will be decided after I discuss it with the victims. Are we clear?"
"...UnderstoodŁ«" the lion accepted.
"Headmage, waitŁ«" Riddle interrupted. He walked overŁ« dozens of other students following right behind him.
"Mr. Rosehearts? And I see you're with...Ah."
"Correct. They are the victims in this incident."
"Headmage, speaking on behalf of the victims, I have a request for youŁ«" Trey statedŁ« "We would like you to permit Savanaclaw House to play in the tournament despite their crimes."
"What..? Are you saying...you wish to forgive their crimes?" For onceŁ« you were with Crowley. Were they actually forgiving them?
"You guys..." Ruggie started.
"No. That's the last thing we wantŁ«" Jamil declared.
"If Savanaclaw is disqualified from the tournament, we'll lose our chance at revengeŁ«" Trey elaborated. Of course that's why...
"Wh-whaaat?!" Ruggie yipped in bewilderment and ducked behind you.
"Revenge?!" Jack asked in shock.
"After all, fighting with magic is forbidden on campusŁ«" Riddle explained.
"But during a Spelldrive game, it's all in the name of sport, right?" Trey maliciously smirked. "It just happens to be a sport where players face off using the fullest extent of their magic."
"Yeah. If we lose our chance at revenge, it'll gnaw at us all year!" A Heartslabyul student joined it.
"We throw down the gauntlet! Duel us!" A Pomfiore member demanded.
"Plus, I dunno what happened here, but it looks like it left the Savanaclaw kids in even worse shape than we're inŁ«" Jamil smirked.
"What we're saying is: now that we know who did this, we have an opportunity to hash things out on the field instead of letting grudges festerŁ«" Trey concluded.
"You've said it yourself, Leona-fighting doesn't break school rules if it's part of a Spelldrive match!" Cater quoted.
"Normally, I would demand their heads. But if Trey and the others insist on settling their grudges on the field...I am willing to overlook their disregard for the rules this onceŁ«" Riddle grimaced.
"I understand where you're coming from. However, the question is: Are these Savanaclaw students even capable of taking to the field? Mr. Kingscholar has only just regained consciousness!" OhŁ« so now Crowley cared about student health.
"Heh heh... Ha ha ha! Don't you underestimate me, Crowley. I wouldn't even need to be awake to handle this sorry pack of wounded herbivoresŁ«" Leona laughed.
"Wow. Now THAT is audaciousŁ«" Jamil notedŁ« slightly amused.
"I got no intention of bowin' to anyone. If you want my apology, come and take itŁ«" he offered.
"Do we have your blessing, Headmage?" Trey asked.
"Dear me. Aren't I the fool for thinking you all wanted to talk about your feelings? Your petition is granted. Savanaclaw will be allowed to participate in the tournament, as originally plannedŁ«" Crowley agreed before muttering to himselfŁ« "And as headmage, I very much appreciate that this will keep our little scandal under wraps as the whole world is watching."
"Yup, just sweep it under the carpetŁ«" you sarcastically commentedŁ« getting the overwhelming urge to roll your eyes.
The Headmage cleared his throat. "Well, the spectators have surely grown weary of waiting for the players to appear. Do make haste."
"All right, let'sāUrk! That hurt..." Leona groaned.
"Don't think you've earned my forgivenessŁ«" Ruggie warned.
"RightŁ« and?" Leona put a hand to his head.
"Still...I couldn't tell you why, but...It still pains me to see that pathetic look on your faceŁ«" Ruggie frownedŁ« before beginning to grin. "Your usual smug, sneering grināsomehow, that suits you better. So come on, now! 'Laugh With Me!'"
Ruggie put his hands to his mouth and pulled at the corners to make a grinŁ« his magic making Leona do the very same.
"Owwww! Ruggie, what are you doin'...?!"
"Shyeheehee! I can't tell you how long l've wanted to do this!"
"You guys are a buncha idiots...HehŁ«" Jack chuckled.
"You actually laughed!" You excitedly pointed at JackŁ« mental documenting this major event.
"I...I did not!" Jack denied before turning to the others. "I owe you guys for this. Thanks to you, I'll be able to go out there and give 100%."
"But on that field, we will be enemies. We will hold nothing backŁ«" Riddle humored.
"I wouldn't have it any other way!"
"Hey, Headmage! We caught your guy! You know what that means...Time to cough up the reward you promised!" Grim demanded.
"What? Ohhh... I did promise you that, didn't I? But it's far too late. The tournament brackets have already been announced. What to do...?"
"WHAAAAAAAT?! You wretched, backstabbin' swindler!" Grim insulted.
"So I did all of this for nothing?!" You fussed in exasperation.
"l am gonna make it rain fire, you liar! MYAAAAAAAH!"
"I will go to those reporters out there and tell them everything you've bee hiding!"
Crowley seemed to be thoroughly intimidated by both of your threats. "Stop, please! Restrain yourself for a moment! I will...come up with something. Uh...Ah! I've got it! What would you say to playing in a special exhibition match? If it were held before the tournament itself, it wouldn't interfere with anything. And the eyes of the world would be squarely on you!"
"On me?!" The direbeast excitedly gasped.
"Well, so long as I'm the center of attention, I guess that will do. This'll be great! After the scouts see me kickin' tail on TV, they'll be swarmin' all over me!"
"How do you plan to fill out our team?" You interrogatedŁ« your hands on your hips.
"The other players...Ah, right. And we'll need an opposing team as well. Perhaps we could cobble one together out of faculty members..." Crowley muttered under his breath.
"Myah?! You haven't given this any thought at all!" Grim gaped.
"Hey, so, couldn't help overhearing..." Ace and Deuce walked towards the three of youŁ« grinning.
"If you need some teammates, we could help you outŁ«" Deuce proudly suggested.
"What are you doing? You're members of Heartslabyul!" Riddle stated.
"There's no tournament rule that says we can't play for another dorm's teamŁ«" Ace smugly replied.
"Ha! He's right! I guess no one thought that would ever happen, so no one ever wrote it downŁ«" Trey laughed.
"OohŁ« now this sounds totes fun! I wanna be on ___'s team too!" Cater announced.
"B-but you're an actual member of our team!"
"I didn't go through all that just to sit back 'n cheer for you guys. If I'm getting the chance, I wanna play!" Ace declared.
"I'm not like him, okay?! I just want to have my friends' backsŁ«" Deuce defended himself.
"YeahŁ« right...You just want more Cutie time..." Cater pouted.
"If you need someone to play against, Savanaclaw will be happy to helpŁ«" Jack offered.
"Of course. Playing against the faculty would be no fun. We'll give you a proper matchŁ«" the wolf promised.
"Sa-weeet! Guess you ain't such a jerk after allŁ«" Ace teased.
"Don't get the wrong ideaāthis is just payback! I don't want that debt hanging over my headŁ«" Jack reasoned. "You don't got a problem with it, right?"
Ruggie let out a dramatic sighŁ« "Yeah, sure, what's one more game when we're already at the brink of exhaustion? You're a monster, Jack."
"Pfft. I don't even care anymore. Come and take your best shot, herbivoresŁ«" invited LeonaŁ« "It may be an exhibition match, but we ain't gonna be playin' footsies here. You better be ready for us."
"Ah, splendid. And here I was bracing to endure another three-hour scolding from Professor Trein. Well, I believe that's four members on your team now, ___. You only need three more!" Crowley delighted.
"Hey, that's still not enough! And that's WITH people comin' from whole other dorms to join us!" Grim grumbled. "Why does our dorm only have two people in it?"
"You know, now that you mention it..." you began to trail off in thought.
"Oh... That's right! If they live in the dorm, they're our dormmates, right?" Grim caught on.
"Sounds like solid reasoning to meŁ«" Ace agreed.
"Then there are more members of Rasmhackle House than just the two of us!" Grim proudly announced.
"The ghosts!" You joined in Grim's cheerŁ« lifting him up like the lion cub had been in your dream from a couple nights ago. He didn't seem to be all too resistant towards it. He looked more pleased with the new height.
"Pardon? Are you telling me you intend to register ghosts as members of your team?" Crowley questioned. You looked back at the Headmage and brought Grim back down to holding him up to your chest.
"One of 'em said he used to be a real good player! They'll be perfect!" The direbeast boasted. "Sit tight, I'm gonna go get 'em! Wahooo! I'm gonna be on TV!"
He wriggled free from your arms and started to rush to the mirror.
"Seriously? A match against ghosts?" Jack wondered.
"What? Gonna chicken out?" You teased with a grinŁ« peering up at the tall wolf.
"H-huh? Of course not!" He quickly countered. Behind himŁ« you could see his fluffy tail swishing back and forth. How cute! He must've been excited to finally play a real matchŁ« no cheating this time. You were honestly starting to feel the excitementŁ« too.
"Hey, ___ is playin' despite having about as much magical talent as a box of crayons, so what's the problem?"
"WowŁ« thanks..." you repliedŁ« you tone oozing with sarcasm.
Next to AceŁ« Deuce was muttering to himselfŁ« "I'm actually going to be on TV? S-suddenly my knees won't stop shaking..."
"Hurry off to the tournament site, now. Ah, but first, has anyone spotted a black, stone-like object on the ground?" Crowley inquired.
"Huh? A black rock?" Ace thought back.
"Did you lose something like that, sir?" Deuce wondered.
"No...Simply wondering if anyone had noticed one. Right, then. Let's all hurry to the coliseum nowŁ«" urged the Headmage.
"C'mon, ___." Jack put a hand on your upper backŁ« guiding you to start walking forwards.
"Let's play some Spelldrive!" You cheeredŁ« thoroughly hyped now.
Playing Spelldrive was actually pretty funŁ« even though you lack the magic for it. PlusŁ« your team was actually doing pretty good despite going against a team like Savanaclaw.
"OH, YEAH! SCORE ONE FOR US!" Ace bragged.
"Ha. You're all rightŁ«" Leona commendedŁ« "Bask in your moment of triumph while you can, though. It won't last."
"That's what YOU think! Wait till you see Grim the Great land a goal from HERE! I call this baby the Great Grim Hurricane!"
All you remember after that was a disc flying at your headŁ« followed by a weightless feeling. ThenŁ« nothing else.
Waking upŁ« you found yourself in one of infirmary beds with a massive throbbing in on your head. It was even dark outŁ« now. How long were you out.
"Hey, ___'s awake!" Grim cheered.
You slowly sat up and put a hand to the ache on you head. The direbeast fell back from where he was sitting on your stomachŁ« landing on his back into your lap; he popped right back up after. Looking aroundŁ« you also saw AceŁ« DeuceŁ« and Jack standing around your temporary bed.
"At the start of the second half, Grim threw the disc right at your noggin and knocked you out.Ł«" Ace explainedŁ« grabbing Grim by the scruff to get out of your face. "You don't remember?"
"I was tryin' to seal our victory with a shot from way downfield..." he tried to reason while struggling in Ace's grasp.
"You amateurs gotta work on your disc controlŁ«" Jack scolded.
"I'm just glad you're awakeŁ«" Deuce sighed in relief. The way he was looking at you made you feel like some sort of fragile vase. "You were out so long that I was starting to worry the hit had caused some real damage."
"Yeah, you even missed the closing ceremonies! They're taking everything apart right nowŁ«" Ace commented.
"Which dorm won?" You yawned.
"The grand champion was Diasomnia HouseŁ«" Leona answered in a grumbled.
"In the end, there was nothing we could do...It certainly didn't help that we took a beating from every other dorm on the way to the finals. What a miserable tournament this year wasŁ«" Ruggie bemoaned.
"Housewarden! Ruggie!" Jack greeted.
"Tch... Bein' stuck in an infirmary bed for anything other than a mid-day nap is about as lame as it getsŁ«" the lion complained.
"And what's worse? Not a single Diasomnia student ended up hereŁ«" Ruggie pouted.
"I'd heard the rumors, but man, seeing Diasomnia's housewarden in action...That dude does NOT mess aroundŁ«" Ace sighed.
"Yeah, he was incredible. You wouldn't have believed it, ___!" Deuce recalled.
"Now I get why everyone thinks he's invincible. I can't even imagine taking him downŁ«" Ace thought aloud.
"Not with that attitude, you never will. You've let him beat you before you even face himŁ«" Jack reprimandedŁ« "I haven't, though. Next year, I'm taking Diasomnia down. And I'll win by givin' it everything I got."
"Does 'everything' happen to include your capacity for evil?" Leona mused from his own infirmary bed.
"That doesn't sound like remorse to meŁ«" you tauntedŁ« bringing your knees to your chest and laying your head on them.
"Pfft, I didn't realize we were in an after-school special hereŁ«" the lion fired backŁ« "I'm givin' next year's tournament all I got, too. And l am gonna do whatever it takes to win."
"Shyeheehee! There's the Leona I rememberŁ«" Ruggie snickered.
"I can already tell this isn't gonna end wellŁ«" Jack exhaled.
"Next year, I wanna be in the tournament for real!" Grim declared.
"We need to practice so we can make the cut tooŁ«" Deuce admitted.
"Yeah, no kidding. No way do I wanna embarrass myself in Grim's kiddie league againŁ«" Ace teased.
"Hey!" Both you and Grim fussed.
"Unca! There you are! I finally found you!"
You looked to see a little red haired boy bounding towards Leona. He even had ears and a tail quite like Leona's. WaitŁ« "Unca"?
"Myah? What's a kid doin' here?" Grim exclaimed.
"Unca Leona!" The boy? cub? Whatever...
The little one clung onto the older lion like a little leech. Kinda reminded you of some people. It was cute on himŁ« though. He just looked like a little cutie in general.
"Baaah. The screech box found meŁ«" Leona grumbled.
"'Unca' Leona...?" Jack stammered.
"That furball's my brother's son, Cheka. You know...my nephewŁ«" explained the Housewarden.
"Your nephew?!" Everyone was in total shock.
"So this is who's next in line for the throne...?" Ruggie calmed down.
"I saw you play, Unca! You were so cool! Next time I visit, teach me how to play!" Cheka practically vibrated.
"Fine, fine. Just stop screamin' in my earŁ«" Leona dismissed. "Where're all your attendants? They gotta be tearin' their hair out lookin' for you!
"I couldn't wait to see you, Unca, so I left them all behind! Hee hee!"
"So...the source of all Leona's anguish..." Jack started.
"Is this innocent angel?" You finishedŁ« desperately wanting to squeeze the little thing out of cuteness aggression.
"The kid sure seems to love everything about himŁ«" Grim baffled.
"Shut up, all of you! And stop gawkin' at us!" Leona growled.
"So when are you coming home to see us, Unca? Next week? And when's the next time after that? Did you read all the letters I sent you?" Leona seemed fed up with all the rapid fire questions.
"Look, I told you, l'll be back for the holidays Ow! That hurts! Get offa my stomach!"
"He's riding Housewarden Leona like a horse...?!" Jacked shouted in disbelief.
"Pffft... Ah ha ha ha! This is priceless!" Ruggie chuckledŁ« "So THIS is why you never want to go home to visit your family!"
"Are you all Unca Leona's friends?" The little cub curiously tilted his head.
"Heh heh. Yeah, we sure are! We're your Unca's besties! Ain't that right, 'Unca Leona?'" Ace mocked.
"U-Unca Leona...! Ahaha-OWWWWW! Argh, it hurts so much when I laugh..." the hyena wheezed.
"Go ahead, laugh it up. I'm gonna remember this!" Leona threatened.
You hadn't even noticed Cheka's staring until he climbed into you bed. This closeŁ« the baby fat still clinging to him was quite noticeable. So cute!
"ChekaŁ« leave 'em aloneŁ«" Leona scolded.
"He's fine. He's just a little cutie pieŁ«" you cooedŁ« playfully squishing his cheeks together. He lit up at your approval.
"Hi! You're really pretty!" Cheka excitedly complimented. "What's your name?"
"AwŁ« thank you. My name's ___."
"That's a pretty name!" He rambled on before askingŁ« "Are you Unca's mate?"
You choked on your own spitŁ« not expecting that question at all. Looking aroundŁ« the others all seemed just shocked.
"Hu-huh...?" You coughed out in surprise.
"You're covered in Unca's scent. Doesn't that make you mates?" The little cub tilted his head to the side out of curiosity.
"NoŁ« it's only because I had to carry them here after they got knocked out..." Leona correct with a groan.
"AwŁ« boo..." Cheka poutedŁ« then dramatically threw himself into your arms. "Unca's gonna be alone forever and I'm never gonna have a little cousin to play with!"
You and others chuckled at his dramaticsŁ« and you even held him in return. Leona didn't seem nearly as amused.
"Now where the hell did you get that?!" Leona shouted.
"Mommy and Daddy say it all the timeŁ«" Cheka theatrically sniffled. Leona rolled his eyes with a groan.
"Can you please be Unca's mate? If you get marriedŁ« then we can play together everyday!"
"That's not how it worksŁ« runtŁ«" Leona shot down Cheka's pleading again. He didn't back downŁ« though.
"Pleaseeee!" The cub continued to plead.
"I-I'll think about it..." you dismissed.
"Yay! Everybody's gonna be so happy Unca finally has a mate!"
"Don't go around spreadin' rumors!" The older lion yelled.
"After only what felt like forever did you get to leave the infirmary. All you wanted to do now was collapse on your bedŁ« alone. WellŁ« just Grim was fineŁ« too.
"Grim, are you already asleep?" You heard snoring and looked to see the source was the little fluff ball sprawled across your bed. He was way too small to be taking up all that space. "Good night, Grim."
You moved him over and gave him a kiss on his forehead before going to sleep yourself.
Life seemed to have other plansŁ« however. Instead of a peaceful sleep after today's exhausting eventsŁ« you notice the mirror beginning to glow.
"Is the mirror...shining?" You mumbled to yourself. It pulled you in like a moth to a flame. You didn't even realize how you had started to approach the strange glow. SuddenlyŁ« a shadow appeared from the other side of the mirrorŁ« but disappeared just as quickly as it had come. What the hell...
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