Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

What if the plan that Ortho and Idia had – the motivations that they were carrying with them, the ambition that they shared burning in their chests – had succeeded?

What if a whole new world order was created – a world order that let the phantom’s – creatures that were created from blot – roam free, turning the world inside out as it attempts to do anything in order to bring it to a halt. 

What if there was nothing to be done then. What if it were too late, madness overtaking most of the people alongside mass hysteria. 

What if people were overblotting left and right, in the wake of such a world; a world where Idia Shroud could roam “freely”. Where he could live anywhere he had desired and not just the Island of Woe – if only he hadn’t had a phantom steadily sucking him dry of his magic in the form of the curse that turns his hair into flames.

What if, the group that had gone to stop this from happening – who were at gates of the underworld at the beginning of it all – had just fallen short of their goal. Their ambitions, goals, hopes, had just fallen short in their gravest hour of need and resulted in a desperate attempt to both salvage things and get the word out before the world was overtaken.

That isn’t a question of what if though; it’s something that happened. 

It’s something that Epel remembers quite well; considering how he was sent into one of the chariots to get out of the Island of Woe as soon as possible despite his attempts to stay. Despite the way that he had seen his senpai fighting for their lives as they yelled at him to just go . Despite how he could feel the strain on his magical core as he fought against the current that kept the Isle of Woe separate from the rest of the world.

Epel had been the one to escape, the one to spread the word – if only by a few minutes.

He had been the one to come back alone only to bring the news of the world potentially ending.

And he had been one of the people who watched as everything began to fall apart once again.

Upon the third day of chaos; the third hour that humanity, beastmen, and fae alike had joined together in a way that was never seen before as everything was beginning to fall apart and they were all fighting for their lives; he was there when his fellow first year Ace Trapolla’s Unique Magic had awakened – not that Epel knew that was what happened at first.

He, alongside Deuce Spade and Ace, were sent back. Not by any tangible, physical force pushing them back, but through the twisting of time bringing them back moments before tragedy struck.

The outside was in a state of disarray unlike anything that the first years had ever seen before. It became a fight for survival just as much as it was a fight to try to preserve at least one bit of this world in a state that it could one day recover from.

Phantoms were all over the place; students and teachers alike are also scattered as they attempt to do something – anything to stop this.

Amidst these fights, the three first years had taken shelter in a tower that was off to the side of the main groupings of buildings; a location that is usually used for studies regarding the stars and universe that was optional in your upper years.

And of course, just as the moment of peace they had, looking at each other and how they were covered in soot and dust that it happened.

The wall to their left that has a chalkboard suddenly exploded inwards. They had heard the battle from outside raging – a phantom in combat is something that they had expected to hear considering just how wide-scale the struggle had become, but they hadn’t even considered that something more could be in play. That the building they had entered could crumble at one strong hit to it.

And it was in that moment of instant danger that it happened. An act of magic coated in a seal of whiteness occured and suddenly Epel was right back before the wall had caved. The sounds of battle still can be heard from the outside but that isn’t what any of the boys were currently focused on.

“Wha-” Deuce’s voice projects, his eyes wide as he looks around the room that they’re within. Epel can tell that his own are wide too – he feels a sensation that he would quantify as some sort of shock running cold within his veins. 

“Are- Are we all okay?” The purple haired boy finds himself asking without even thinking about it too much. They aren’t okay but… but he has no clue what just happened.

“Yeah, I’m a-ok dude!” Ace Trappola was not, indeed, okay, but he wasn’t about to admit it. Physically he’s alright, sure, but the shock of what he’d just done rattles him at a core – and even Epel could tell that much. Not that he’d call the other out on it though, they’re all at least a little shaken.

“We need to move-” Deuce speaks, taking both Epel and Ace’s hands into his own as he drags them away from the wall that had just caved in – but didn’t somehow? Before, the moment that they’re out, the wall caves in once more. The impact of someone being thrown against the cold hard stone was enough to cause it to turn into nothing but rubble of the classroom they were just inside.

“LILIA-SAMA” The voice of Sebek calls out, desperate and pleading.

Lilia’s voice can be heard, it’s cadence steady and sure – even if the three of them aren’t able to hear exactly what it is thanks to the sheer volume of the space around them.

The green haired first year comes around the corner, dragged along by Jack who’s brow is furrowed – clear that he’s troubled about whatever it is that he is taking Sebek away from but certain enough about what he’s doing that he is on the move.

“JACK LET ME GO, I MUST ASSIST LILIA-SAMA GET TO WAKASAMA. HE NEEDS US!” 

“No we can’t, Lilia-san said to take you away from there and we need to listen to him; he knows what he’s doing.” 

Sebek’s voice seems desperate while Jack’s is worn and tired, something that Epel can relate to somewhat.

“H-Hey!” Epel calls out, moving forward towards the other first years – hearing Deuce and Ace follow behind him as he moves. 

“How is everyone? Are… are they okay?” Deuce speaks out next, asking the obvious question. It’s clear that no one is okay, not really.

Epel looks to the side, there’s something in Ace’s expression that feels off – like he’s thinking of something. And… and he can’t help but wonder just what happened back there – what caused them to be able to get that strong sense that something wrong was going to happen. The memory of the very thing that occurred despite how the three of them had gotten out of it.

“No,” Jack begins, lifting Sebek off of his feet so that he wouldn’t go running off again. The green-haired first year seems to give up at that; realizing belatedly that there is no way he’ll get away from the wolf beastman in his current state of exhaustion. That, or he’s waiting for Jack to lower his guard which somehow feels a bit more likely to Epel.

“We’re… we’ve been spread pretty thin, it’s a struggle to hold off the phantoms let alone doing it while actively keeping our own blot under control.” Jack finishes, his ears lowered at that.

“Yes, what he says is true. It’s… a rather dire situation to be certain; though from the looks of things you three know that just as well.” Sebek speaks, his voice now soft in a way that they haven’t heard in ages – or at all to be honest.

“That’s true.” Ace comments, face serious in a way that Epel also rarely bears witness to.

“But… I did something back there – back with just Deuce, Epel and myself.” The orange haired boy continues, looking off to the side a bit.

“That wall that… that Lilia-san caved in? We… We were crushed under that weight. And suddenly, we weren’t and we were back right before it had fallen. I felt a pull of my magic and…”

Epel blinks, realization drawing within his mind.

“Do you think it was your Unique Magic? Some kind of Time Travel mechanic while being under great danger?” He asks, looking at the member of the base-ball club. If that is the case… Then maybe…

“I… I think so? I don’t know man, is there any other kind of magic that would be able to do something like that ?” 

“Ah… Yes I do believe such a magic is possible to be one's Unique Magic. Lilia-sama has mentioned a magic of such origin to me and Silver before – It’s something that is extremely rare and usually only activates when the user enters a life-threatening situation.” Sebek explains, now back on his own feet – eyes wandering over to where Lilia was last but not actively running away and towards immediate danger anymore.

“Really? Wow, that's something I’d have never expected.” Deuce comments and Epel finds himself nodding along to that.

“Do you think that I could use this to go back before any of this happened? I mean, obviously, I’m super cool and talented so of course I could if I had the power to but… do you think so?” Ace asks, which leads to the group of them shrugging.

“I dunno… But there is no use in not trying, right?” Jack speaks, turning his attention to the opposite direction of where Lilia seems to be engaging in battle, phantoms beginning to approach them. “But we’re ‘bout to get some company.” 

The group turns and notices just what Jack had spoken of – four massive phantoms coming right their way.

“Prepare for combat!” Sebek calls out, easily raising his magic pen to prepare for combat, the rest of them following behind.

The fight from there was… it was rough. The way that they had to dodge numerous attacks at once from a source of magic that had never seemed to end… It was difficult. It was tiring. It was something that Epel knew that he likely would not be able to do for too long – he may be fit, but he isn’t extremely so.

And soon enough, the five of them get cornered.

He watches as Ace closes his eyes. Watches as the boy's lips begin to move, to form words. Watches as a piercing light comes from the boy's magical stick before everything begins to fade away. 

The last thing Epel hears is the sound of the blot monsters growling, their approach, before nothing.

Chapter Text

Light blinding him is the first thing that he notices upon coming back into awareness – something that he finds himself solving by placing an arm over his eyes.

The second thing that he notices is the fact that he feels… far too warm, far too comfortable, to be on the ground where he had last remembered collapsing. Upon cracking his eyes open, he easily figures out just why that is.

He’s in his bed.

Not his bed at Night Raven College – he found himself within his bed back home. Back in Harveston.

The one that had all of the stuffed animals that he had been gifted by the elderly that live within the village. The one that had his apple themed blankets hand-stitched together by his grandmother, and the slight chill of the air in steep contrast to the warmth he feels beneath his blankets.

His invitation to Night Raven College rests on his bedside table, new as the day that he had gotten it.

Epel can feel his heart pounding in his chest as he races to get up and out of his soft bed. Is Meemaw okay? How are the others? Is everything okay? It was falling apart one moment ago and he had no clue how those in Harveston were managing but now he’s back and… and he doesn’t know what to do about it.

He sprints downstairs, not wasting a single moment as he makes his way to the kitchen – where he knows that his parents would be cooking and his grandparents would be messing around.

Before he even registers that anything feels different, he spots his Meemaw, easily springing his way forwards to wrap his arms around her. 

Her laugh feels like a symphony in his ears and he can’t even bring himself to feel bashful at the way that he simply feels a sharp feeling of relief surging through him at that. 

“Mornin’ Epel, didn’t expect to see you so clingy today considering how assured you were ‘bout going to Night Raven.”

Okay, now Epel can feel his cheeks gaining a bit of heat. “Yeah, well… I just felt like it, MeeMaw! Somethin’... Jus’ made me feel like I needed t’ make sure you were alright.”

“If you say so” His meemaw ruffles his hair in a way that Epel had missed desperately yet… he can’t stop his mind from wandering. Just… how far back did he go? It seems like the day that the carriage took him to Night Raven but at the same time he has no way to know if it was just a bad, bad dream.

Was that a dream, or the reality that they would face if they weren’t able to do something about Idia and Ortho’s situation? Epel thinks on this the entire time until he is on the carriage off to Night Raven Academy, a heavy feeling stacked against him within his chest.

Upon arriving at the school, Epel finds himself coming into awareness as most NRC students do – waking up when his coffin is opened and emerging alongside the other first years; something he recalls from his very first time around.

He looks for his friends – for Ace, Deuce, Jack, and Sebek – and manages to catch their eyes. Even as they are apart, Epel can tell that they remember – that it did happen. The weight held within their eyes alongside the way that they too gaze at him (and the fact that he remembered they existed) is more than enough proof that this happened.

That they had traveled back in time.

It’s at that point that Jack begins to mouth something – the other first years looking at him as he’s the tallest of the grouping. Something along the lines of ‘We need to talk after the sorting’ is what Epel is able to grasp from that, and from the thumbs up of the others it would seem that everyone got the sentiment.

It wouldn’t be the first time that Epel would skip out on part of the first night's stuff; after all, he did end up skipping the orientation alongside Ace once upon a time.

Silently, when the time came, Epel moved along with the others. 

Perhaps he was in a bit of a dazed state, or maybe he had simply found himself at a loss as to what he should do about repeating this day once again but he was not prepared for the meeting that he would undergo.

After all, he hadn’t really focused too much on how he had put on his ceremonial robe. No, he was on auto-mode, simply moving through the motions without double checking that he had put it on properly.

It’s not like he cared much the first time around though, with the school being filled with self-important rich kids who could very well overlook someone such as him.

“Hold it right there, freshman.”

That voice, the cold yet stern tone that he had grown to associate with his dorm leader was right before him and ready to sink his teeth in so to say.

Even so, Epel blinks taken aback by such an appearance. After all, the last time that he had seen Vil… well… he had been trying to hold off the blot – to prevent Idia from losing himself to his overblot – but had sternly told him to go.

Last time he saw him, he knows was one of the last moments that Vil had been alive and well. It was when they were all attempting to escape – when he learned that only he would be able to leave.

The grave look on both his and Rook’s face is something that burns itself within Epel’s mind.

“Huh?” Is all he can bring himself to say, his mind a clouded mess of memories and emotions that he hasn’t truly had time to process.

“You have some nerve to wear your ceremonial robes that are steeped in tradition like that . Undo the buttons and re-do them so that they are aligned. It doesn’t do to present yourself as sloppy, after all.” 

Epel finds himself moving to correct it before he could think of otherwise – before he could even consider challenging Vil for a battle to keep things as they were. The first time around he had been hot headed, rash, and incredibly opposed to the even concept of being considered… girly. Feminine. Cute. Anything like that.

Hell, he still dislikes it but… he can’t bring himself to go back to how he had once thought. His appearance – no matter how much he may loathe it – is a source of power. It’s a whole different method of getting the upper hand in any state of being.

Still, Epel wouldn't be Epel if he didn't rebel at least a little about being told what to do.

“Not like you’re any better; we all have off-days y’know.” 

“Oh really?” Vil’s voice is pointed, challenging the first year. “Then perhaps you should take more care in ensuring that your off-days don’t make you look like a complete fool. After all, you do have an adorable face and your looks aren’t half bad. It wouldn’t do to soil that just because of an ‘off-day’.” 

Epel rolls his eyes, taking in the advice given by Vil but… honestly, that kind of attitude is something that he can (begrudgingly) admire, but would never take into his own hands. Sure doing his best at all times is a thing, but he knows just as well that perfection in that regard just isn’t something he needs.

Still, he feels himself pouting upon the mention of adorable. He can admit that his cute appearance could be used as a weapon, but… no thanks.

Even so, he decides that he… really doesn’t have it in to openly fight against the person who had saved him in another life. Not right now at least.

“I dunno about that but… sure. Fine, I’ll be more careful about it, no promises though.”

There’s something in Vil’s gaze that seems to dig through Epel for a moment but eventually it’s an issue that is let go. There’s a weight that lies in Epel’s chest that he really doesn’t know what to do with in all reality.

“Perfect. Now off to the sorting ceremony with you, you shouldn’t just dawdle around after all.” 

The purple haired boy gives a nod, leaving the sight of one of the third years that he knows far too well compared to how the other knows him. It’s… That isn’t the Vil that he had worked with and fought against after all, even if it is still the same person.

And it dawns upon him as he leaves, that he hadn’t quite challenged his future dorm lead to a battle this time around. He had done something drastically different in comparison to how he would have in another life – the life that he had already lived through once.

…

Hopefully that doesn’t lead to anything too bad happening in the future. He recalls some mention of something called the butterfly effect somewhere in his books after all.

Chapter Text

The sorting was just as boring the second time as it was the first time.

That much is the first thing that went through Ace’s head upon entering the magic mirror chamber.

He was early on in the list – with his first name starting with the letter A, it was easy enough to just get called up and assigned very quickly. Of course, there was a slightly awkward moment when he worried that somehow, he might be placed somewhere else but he was grateful that he was placed once more into Heartslabyul once again. Unlike last time, Ace is a bit thankful for the slower pace of this event this time around – it gives him some time to think about things.

Ace? Thinking? Ha, you must be joking around; is what most people would say about that, but it’s the truth!

After all… he awakened his special magic. He felt the words “Twisting Fate” coming into his mind upon focusing on himself the second time he had used his magic and suddenly he woke up back home on the day that he was coming to this school.

He doesn’t think he could activate his unique magic again – not anytime soon at least. He can feel his magic still swirling from the exertion that it had taken; a limit in terms of time and danger is probably the limit upon his magic. At least, that’s what he’s thinking based solely upon how it feels.

He idly pays attention as Deuce is the next of the first years to be called forth, followed by Epel, Jack and eventually Sebek.

Really, the wait for the two-hundred something students to be sorted was looong. Far too long to be left as the only voice inside his head, the only distraction being the sheer amount of weight that lies upon his shoulders.

After all, there is much to be said. Much to be thought about considering the future and how grim it’s looking. (haha, grim. Get it, because the little guy?) (not even he found that joke too funny considering how the little fire weasel went out…)

It’s at that point when something that Ace almost forgot about happened.

The little gremlin, Grim came running through the room with a trail of fire all around. Yuu was chasing after the little guy – stopped only by how fast the little guy can run on his four legs.

Seeing Yuu here and not remembering them – seeing the way that he was once upon a time – hurts.

Ya boi just got hurt by the implications.

Yuu was their strategist. Someone they could always count on.

But he hadn’t gone back from that mission like Epel had. He was there when things broke out – from what little Epel had told them about that. And now here he is; safe and unharmed.

Ace could cry.

Not that he would – he has a reputation to upkeep (make. A reputation to create.). He’s too cool to cry.

He notices Epel take a step forwards, his magic stick raised before clamping a hand over the other’s shoulder with a squeeze.

They got Grim the first time, he gets the feeling that they really shouldn’t mess with this moment. Not really. Something in the back of his brain is screaming at him to not change this – to not change a few things.

There is an order to things – like it or not.

And a sinking suspicion tells him that not all fates can be re-written no matter how many times he goes back in time.

He doesn’t know how he knows this though – it’s just something weighing down on him.

Eventually, Kalim’s fire is put out and Grim is Captured. Seeing Yuu walk up to the Mirror afterwards, confused and a bit nervous before getting told that nowhere in this world there is a fit for him hurts more than last time.

Last time he got a real kick out of it.

This time, he knows that Yuu would become one of his best friends (cheesy, he knows). Yuu would fit in just as well as any other student at Night Raven College. The mirror is just one huge idiot – almost as much as their idiotic headmaster Crowley. Almost, there is no beating their headmaster considering what happened while they were here.

Either way, everything settles down from there and they are all made to be guided to their dorms.

Ace and Deuce follow along with the other Heartslabyul students as they are heading to the dorm before taking a slight turn. They could blame it on getting lost later – they have a meeting to get to.

Hand in hand (No, it is not homo– they are just holding hands to make sure they’re at the same pace; no comments will be accepted at this time) the two of them make it to where the other first years are waiting crowded behind the bushes that Ace had once pulled Epel behind the first time that they had been here.

“GOOD, IT WOULD SEEM WE ALL MADE IT IN ONE PIECE.” Sebek comments, louder than he probably should have, considering the way that Jack is quick to move to extend a hand to block his mouth for a moment. 

“Ahaha, yeah dude! We’re all here back on the first day.” Ace chimes in, commenting the obvious whilst easily putting his hands behind his head.

“Mhm” Deuce agrees easily, his face a little stormy looking. “But now that we’re back here, what are we going to do?”

“That’s easy, just fix stuff~” Ace comments once more – ignoring the feeling within his chest that institutes the opposite might just happen.

“Hmm… I don’t think so.” Jack comments, the true braincell of the group. “I mean, changing things by that big of a degree could make things worse, right? We know that something happened, but if it happens even a little bit differently something could go extremely wrong.”

“Huh?” Deuce lets out, clearly confused.

“Ummm… we’ve already done things a bit differently based on how we’re meeting right now, right? Surely some changes won’t be too bad?” The purple haired Pomefiore student asks, eyebrows raised a bit.

Jack nods at that, Sebek jumping in agreement. “Nothing will change if we do not try! There will be risks, but we will need to make sure that we are prepared. Epel!” The loud boy turns to face the shorter boy “What exactly happened to cause this – you mentioned that you were there when those creatures of blot were unleashed, correct?”

Ace notices Epel almost shrink in on himself at the reminder and he feels extremely grateful that he wasn’t the one there. Because on one hand it really SUCKS that he couldn’t do anything before – that he was rotting away in a hospital bed then – but he brought them back here. His magic did that – no matter how much it might have drained him, so they need to do it right this time.

“Y-yes.” Epel stutters out, looking to the ground. “The people who were overblotted were taken in by the organization S.T.Y.X. who is actually Idia-senpai’s family’s organization. It’s there that they study blot and its effects on people and are actively looking for a way to stop it.”

“But how does that relate to the Phantoms getting out?” Ace finds himself asking, genuinely confused about it.

“Because the phantoms are created when one goes into blot. I don’t know too much about it, but the creatures that we’ve seen behind those who were overbloted were those things. Usually the person attached dies, but we were able to detach them from the phantoms that were created before they could suck out all of their magic.” Epel explains to the best of his ability.

The first years find themselves nodding at that.

“The blot were unleashed by Idia and Ortho; though I really don’t know why. Rook, Yuu and I were kept separately once we had made our way into their secret base – it was off the coast by quite a bit and hidden by water; but when things started to go wrong we were able to meet back up with those who were kidnapped.” 

“So if we’re able to stop Idia-senpai and Ortho from unlocking whatever it is that keeps the blot in place, we’d be able to stop everything from happening?”

Epel nods at Deuce’s simple explanation.

“But… It’s hard to know what exactly caused them to go to such heights. If we are to make sure it doesn’t happen at all, we should probably try to figure out a way to make sure that they’re okay but…”

“Right, overblot isn’t something that just happens in one day, right?” Jack finishes for the shorter first year. “It’s compiled over a period of years. Unless we actively see everythin’ go wrong and stop it, we won’t be able to truly know if we changed anything.”

“Ohhhhh” Deuce seems to have realized something by the way he sits up. “Do you think that we could try befriending Idia-senpai and Ortho before any of that happens?”

“Maybe, but there is also the matter of our own dorms and studies! I know that I still need to protect Wakasama to the best of my abilities and you all will have your own dorm activities. From the simple fact that he is reclusive as the fae of Briar Valley were until just a few decades ago, it would not be easy to go about befriending him – especially as we are.” 

“How about we try and make small waves of change when we can – maybe try and prevent our dorm heads from getting overblot; and then see what we can do from there?” Ace offers but as soon as the words leave his lips he feels as though he had just spoken something vile – something that should not be.

He ignores that feeling.

“That sounds like a good enough place t’ begin with.” Jack agrees, the other first years nodding.

“Of course it is! Do you think I don’t know my stuff?~” 

Four pairs of eyes stare at him, faces blank.

“HEY I’m not that much of an idiot! Not you too Deuce – c’mon…”

“BUT YOU ARE!.” “Yeah, you really are Ace.” “I can’t deny that…” “Mhm”

“Okay, okay fine. Maybe I’m not always the smartest, but I have good ideas sometimes!”

“Sure, sure” Epel states, “maybe this was a good idea but that’d be a first.” 

The way that the purple haired boy sticks out his tongue makes Ace want to start a fight but… doing that outside of their dorms on orientation when he is pretty sure that the dorm leads would soon be sent out to look for them – considering what happened when he skipped the ceremony, the outcome of skipping out on anything else seems impossible.

“Oh right, before I forget.” he comments, looking to Deuce and then to the other first years. “We’re going to need to get almost suspended again.”

“What? Why?” The black haired boy seems stunned but a moment passes and he nods. “Right, I forgot that’s how we got to be friends with Yuu.” 

“Mhm! Gotta make sure that we get to bring our bestie into the scheme of things too~ Besides, if I recall correctly the monster that we fought in the mines was something that looked a lot like the Phantoms that we ended up fighting… y’know when.”

“Oh right, is it the same type we saw at Vargas Camp?” Jack asks, looking at the two.

Epel looks a bit confused but considering how he wasn’t the only one who wasn’t there when they entered the mines to find Deuce during the camp so it makes sense.

“Yep! You got it dude~” Ace finger guns towards Jack, who only rolls his eyes with a smile that Ace might just take as a victory.

“Right, we must eliminate those pests so that they won’t be able to join up with the others if the time arises!” Sebek exclaims, and Ace simply nods at that.

“Soooo….” He trails off a little. “Who wants to break the chandelier with me, and Deuce over here?”

… Needless to say, they all agreed to do that much – they would need as much man-power as possible if they are to take those things down, even with the Ramshackle Dorm Perfect’s guidance – even if he isn’t the Ramshackle Perfect just yet.

Eventually everything was cleared up and they returned to their dorms. Thankfully, it was mostly undetected that he and Deuce had left… or so he thinks.

It’s not like they were greeted with an “OFF WITH YOUR HEAD” upon entering the dorm, you know? It’s all about the small victories. He is so not looking forward to dealing with "mega ultra strict with a stick up his ass" Riddle once again.

But knowing what is in store, what lies before them in the future… yeah, they’ve got to do something. They’ve got to try – even if it means dealing with the same bullshit once again.

Chapter Text

A creature (a cerberus?) that appeared much like Grim – except with three heads – appeared before him; growling out fire blue as the color of the Shroud Brother’s hair before him.

However, the eyes were blank – not quite there. It’s obvious to Ace that this isn’t Grim; at least not how he had seen him last.

To his left stands Deuce and Epel, magic sticks grasped within their hands and ready. To his right are Sebek and Jack, in a similar fighting stance as him. And behind them? Behind them all stands Yuu, face set in concentration as orders begin to be given out.

This feels deadly.

This feels as though everything could go wrong – will go wrong.

He feels in his heart that they are fighting for something here; something important. But he can’t quite remember what as he feels his body pulled into action – a fire spell being cast with some ease before being slammed down to the ground by one of the paws on it.

He can only watch as each of his friends are cast down one after another.

Sebek, with a flame to the face that causes him to go reeling back. Jack, crushed beneath the great weight of one of the creature's paws. Epel, just barely standing up as he continues to fight on, clearly beaten up. Deuce, who is just as battered – if not more so; clearly overexerting his “bet the limit” Unique Magic.

And Ace himself?

He can tell he’s just barely holding on, no matter how many times he stubbornly gets back up.

One more burst of flames heading right towards him, and his vision fades to white–

…

…

And he wakes up.

Ace’s chest burns, his entire body feels as though it had taken a beating despite no physical harm being done to him – and trust him, he checked the moment he woke up with a gasp sitting rod-straight and glancing at his arms for any visible signs of bruises, cuts, and burns. Nothing, despite the pain that lingers within his mind; scattered, as though it were some sort of memory.

Despite his mind being filled with blue flames that feel vaguely familiar, he’s… pretty sure he’s never seen that exact sort of scene before.

But why would his mind provide him with that image? Why would he dream of a creature he had never seen before (Ignoring its resemblance to Grim) and wake up with this intense feeling burning within his chest?

That train of thought is soon broken by the soft murmurs of Deuce from a bed nearby his.

He had almost forgotten about the darker haired boy’s tendency to talk a little in his sleep and – considering the still dark sky from the window inside of their shared room, it is far too early to be up.

Even so, it’s not like Ace feels that he wants to go back to sleep. Not after a dream like that.

The exact details are fading now, but something inside of him is asking him to remember it. For what? He doesn’t know.

Might as well get ready for the day – he needs to make sure it plays out similarly enough to how it did the first time. His magic – as they had tested briefly the prior day – was just the same as when they had left in the future. It also meant that he was likely going to also need to take it easy considering just how far back in time that he had sent them.

Maybe messing up intentionally and taunting Grimmy could be fun.

Still, making sure he gets that detention and then proceeds to skip it so that they could end up breaking the chandelier by the end of their second full day at Night Raven College was the plan.

The only exception was, that they needed to not only get him and Deuce near expelled; but also the other three as well. There are Phantoms in that mine that need to be dealt with sooner than later – and they sure as fuck couldn’t ask Crowley to do something about that.

Everyone knows how much of a scam the headmaster is.

So of course the only answer that they had come to was to have the entire group go to the mine that first time. It would be the only chance that they would be able to go there and be completely unobserved by anyone who could become suspicious after all. 

Still… though he and Deuce had taken the Phantom the first time… would they be able to finish in time in order to not be expelled? Would they be able to get just as lucky as they had the first time and maybe even be able to get the other Phantom that was in there – the one that Deuce had ran into back during Vargas’ Training Camp – out of commission too?

It’s a lot to be certain…

He shrugs it off – thinking isn’t like him at all. At least not this deeply – not this seriously. Taking a shower now and being ready first in the dorm is a good idea.

Ace Trappola has one mission; and that mission is to make sure to fail as spectacularly as possible. Surely this much would be easy considering his and Deuce’s track record.

Heading out into the world in the light for the first time (within this life) in his school uniform felt both freeing and strange at the same time.

He knows these paths, he’s seen these sights.

He’s seen it all before – from the way that the students are walking to the way that the wind blows around them.

As he reaches his destination – the statues of the Great Seven – he spots Yuu and Grim, just as he had the first time. Seeing them up close and okay sends a sharp feeling of relief through him just as much as he had felt when he had first woken up back here; back where everything had restarted.

Even so, he walks forwards – head held high and a cocky smirk playing at his lips. He is sooo ready for this.

“You don’t know about the Queen of Hearts?” Ace laughs, putting on a show. After all; he’d like to think that he wouldn’t insult someone as wonderful as Yuu is as he is now – no, he’s much too smart about everything despite not even being from this world.

Grim, on the other hand, is free game.

“Haaa? Queen of Hearts? Is she a big deal?” 

“She was a queen who lived in a maze-like garden of roses long, long ago…” Ace makes sure to go through all of the same points that he had the first time. Explaining the history and significance of the Queen of Hearts, the King of Beasts, the Sea Witch, the Sorcerer of the Sands, the Beautiful Queen, the King of the Underworld, and Thorn Fairy, with his own very enlightening and witty commentary.

And of course, he makes sure to engage in combat once more.

Okay, maybe this isn’t the best idea he’s ever had – not only having done this in his last life, but doing it again; but this is a surefire way to make sure that everything goes according to plan.

Laughing about their circumstance – about how Grim had interrupted the ceremony and then the outcome of becoming janitors is still funny enough to him. ESPECIALLY considering how Yuu ended up actually cleaning up more of Crowley’s messes after he had become a student than when he was a janitor for the school.

Words sharp as knives find their way out of his mouth just the same as they had the first time and thankfully, thankfully , Grim had taken the bait, throwing fire at him. A burst of wind magic to throw off Grim’s magic attacks and dodging them until said attacks hit one of the statues is much easier than it was the first time around, he can say that much.

Crowley approaching them and issuing detention afterwards almost felt like relief.

The future will get there.

But first he has a detention to skip. That’s the easy part~

Chapter Text

When it took to gathering all of the freshmen in an area near the cafeteria – where Grim would likely run off to – it was not as easy as one could think.

To start; Sebek quoted his duties to Malleus as a reason that he needed to be extremely cautious about how he would get there – or rather when he’d get there. More than that though; he warned that Lilia and Silver might catch onto just what he is doing, or at the very least be suspicious as to his actions. 

Leaving Malleus’ side was not something Sebek often did willingly, after all. 

Secondly, apparently Epel had done something on his first night in Pomefiore other than getting caught by his dorm head from sneaking out after the sorting, and now he was being observed closely by Vil. Normally, this isn’t an issue – he knows at this point how much the dorm leaders of Pomefiore care for their own; but it makes Epel getting caught all the more difficult.

Escaping from the Housewarden of Pomefiore’s sight – or rather, that of the Vice Dorm Leader, would be difficult, but possible.

Thankfully, Jack isn’t having any issues just the same as him; considering Leona being as laid back as he is and how hands-off he is with freshmen, it just makes sense.

Still, they had managed to all gather right where they were needed.

Grim comes running past them, with Ace and Yuu hot on his tail, and that’s when Ace yells at them all to do something to stop him – and when Grim climbs up onto the chandelier.

“I’ve got an idea.” Deuce speaks, looking up to the chandelier that has not yet met its fate. Not quite.

“It doesn’t involve summoning a cauldron onto the chandelier, does it?” 

“YOU BETTER NOT DARE, HUMAN-” 

“Um. Nope!” Deuce chuckles a bit. Yeah, that was his original plan however he does remember just how he had done this last time.

The dark haired boy kneels down, his hands folded at a stepping stool height.

“You don’t expect me to-” Ace lets out, crossing his arms over his chest. Yuu just watches the group with both apprehension and something else that Deuce doesn’t have the time to deduce right now.

“Fine, if you don’t wanna do it then I know someone who would.”

“HELL YEAH!” Epel cheers, easily stepping up onto Deuce’s hands where he prepares to throw the other first year towards Grim.

“Let me help.” Jack simply ads, moving to the other side of Epel and using his strength to help as well.

Deuce has no idea just how the other two might be responding at this moment, but surely they understand just what is going on here.

And without further ado, the two of them launch Epel into the air with a great amount of force! Of course, the first year is able to grab ahold of Grim, however while doing so he gets caught up above the chandelier.

This… is not how Deuce remembers this happening, but then again, he had used a cauldron last time so maybe that’s a factor.

…

Nevermind. Epel then goes falling down from the chandelier – protecting Grim as Sebek is quick to cast a wind spell to catch and slow the fall of the first year.

“Gottcha!” The purple haired boy cheers – and Deuce is a moment from joining him before he feels a presence behind him.

Oh, Right. Crowley.

“You’re seriously stupid! We got Grim but we broke the chandelier! If the headmage finds out about this–”

“If I find about… what, dear Ace?”

“Ah! Headmage Crowley…!”

“Oh no, we’re really in it now” Epel comments, placing down the fire creature.

“YOU. THREE. AGAIN. Not only the three of you, but you roped in other freshmen into it too? Burning a statue wasn’t enough for you? Now you’ve destroyed a chandelier!!” Crowley rages, a sight that those who weren’t Ace and Deuce had never quite seen as intensely before.

“...you all worked together but… Enough. All of you are expelled.”

“ WHAT?!? ” 

They all move to plead with the headmage, asking for some reason to go back on what was done – what was said. Pleading for a way to not get expelled; a way that they would be okay. It’s then that Crowley goes into the specifics about the chandelier that they had destroyed – the history behind it that goes over Deuce’s head that comes to the main point.

The magestone.

The group of freshmen and Yuu look down, seemingly defeated. (Seemingly, only because they know just how this would come to an end.) 

“Ah! But there is one small chance that you all may recover from this. One tiny sliver of a chance to repair this chandelier.”

The group perks up at that – putting on their best act to seem desperate. And in a way they are desperate for the outcome for this much. Desperate to get to the mines and enlighten Grim and Yuu, to eliminate whatever Phantoms they find in there (because there was more than one for sure). 

“The magestone that powered this chandelier was mined from the Dwarfs’ Mine. If you can acquire a magestone with the same properties, it may be possible to repair it.”

“Then I’ll go find a magestone!” Deuce feels himself voicing, the others agreeing with him swiftly. 

They are warned that there is a chance that there will be no magestone to be found however… the collective expulsion of the group of seven (six? Should he count Grim at this point considering how he and Yuu counted as a single student? Maybe even five, because Yuu isn’t a student yet. It’s making his head spin, stupid time travel!) are suspended for this one night.

“Yes, Yes, I am quite kind to offer this much to you all! Surely, there is still a chance for redemption yet.” Even Deuce can feel the sarcasm from Crowley’s voice at that. “Just go through the mirror chamber, it shall bring you right to the mine.”

The group of six nods (Grim, being the one exception considering he is still dizzy from the fall… probably) and heads out and to the mirror room.

The plan had went exactly as they had needed it to! Deuce could barely keep the smile off of his face – barely because of course they are still working on a deadline that is very short. But this is progress!

“Don’t dawdle! We must make haste; there is only so much time until dawn after all!” Sebek’s voice lets out, bringing Deuce up and away from his own thoughts about the matter – same with the others if he hadn’t just noticed them jumping too.

“Oi! What’s with the attitude underling! You should pay more respect to the Great Grim!” 

Thankfully, before a full-out argument can be held, Jack is quick to interfere, putting a hand on Sebek’s shoulder as he turns over to our favorite member (or soon to be member?) of the Ramshackle dorm.

“Sebek’s right, Grim, we need t’ move quick. Through this mirror should be the dwarves mine.” Jack states, looking to the mirror before them before stepping forwards – not before Epel does.

“I’ll do it! Dark Mirror, take us to the Dwarfs Mine!” Epel calls out, stepping in front of the mirror in a smug manner. The words spoken works the magic of the mirror and before Deuce knows it, he feels himself being sucked into the Mirror’s portal – transportation magic clearly working for each intended party involved.

It’d be so much easier if his vision didn’t need to fade to black each transition though. It’s almost like he’s moving through loading-zones within a game or something.

When his vision returns to him, he notices that they are at a cottage – the place where he and Ace had first worked as a team; thanks to Yuu that is.

Not that Yuu remembers…

God that hurts a lot more than he thought it would, but he needs to stand strong! And so, he shakes himself out of it.

“So we’re here! We need to get both the crystal and to do our best in fighting the Phantoms that show up.” Deuce begins, looking to the path ahead of them. He knows that cave; he knows that there are many in there.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, what? I thought we just needed to get the crystal.” The voice of Yuu carries over to his ears and the fact that someone who is so crucial to well… everything they’ve done once upon a time does not remember or realize what is happening really takes its toll. 

“Oh right, we didn’t have time to bring you in on this yet.” Ace is the one to recover the fastest from that, arms making their way behind his head. 

“So the group of us have lived through this once before; not in the same way as we are right now but… y’know.” Deuce can’t help but think that’s a bit too vague of an explanation for Yuu, but thankfully Ace goes into a bit more detail.

“We lived through this school year once before – or at least just over half of it – but then everything went to shit so we’re trying to fix it.” Ace continues easily.

“You actually became a student after we got the crystal back for the chandelier” Deuce finds himself adding to Ace’s story. “And there are a lot of things that happen from there that we don’t really have the time to tell you about in full-detail right now but… yeah.”

Yuu blinks at that, his gaze shifting between each of the first years in front of them before sighing.

“So you’re telling me that you all traveled back to this frame of time?” Each one of them nods in response; that’s basically what happened. “And for something happened that caused what; the entire world to end?” Yuu’s tone is joking, but Deuce can only feel his heart sink at the reality of the situation.

“Not end… not really, but it sure felt like somethin’ like that was happenin’” Jack answers for the group. “These creatures called Phantoms – ‘least that’s what Epel found ‘em out to be – ended up breaking free from their prison ‘n attackin’ anyone and anything that they could get to.” 

Yuu blinks at that. Even Deuce can see the way this information is settling in his brain.

“Okay so first I’m transported to a world that has magic and a whole lore that I don’t know about, then time travel turns out to be real and the end of this world could very well be approaching?!?! That’s what’s happening?”

A chorus of yep's, yes’s and correct’s emerge from the first years.

“Great. Um… Is there something that I can do to help? Or well… keep track of the timeline? Who knows how time travel works; what if one alteration causes a whole chain of reactions to happen and for everything to occur much differently the second time around than the first time around? I-” 

Yuu’s rambling is interrupted by Grim biting his arm.

“There’s no need to worry, the Great Grim will be sure to protect you! And deal with whatever this… timey wimey stuff is.”

Deuce feels a small laugh bubble up at that.

“Thanks Grim. We don’t really know how time travel works just yet; we only just got to school yesterday after all! But… I’m sure it’ll be okay. We just… gotta’ do what we can to beat those assholes who started this mess into the ground before it happens.” His fist meets his hand in a show of power and he assumes he might just be getting a little, tiny bit fired up – at least based upon the hand he feels at his shoulder.

“Yes! It is as the human says. I do know that Diasomnia in particular has access to some tomes in regards to time in itself so I will be sure to access those as soon as we get this over with and return with the magi-stone required.”

“Okay cool!” At least Yuu knows how to take things like this… Thinking back on it, Yuu probably should have freaked out a lot about things that happened the first time around. Is he okay? Maybe he should make time to check up on him… this can’t be healthy.

“So, what’s the plan guys?”

“Well…”

Chapter Text

The plan was simple; get in, find a way to kill the Phantoms that they find within the mining facility, and then get out with the crystal.

In theory it’s easy; a simple plan for once in their lives that just involves charging in and getting out.

In theory, they should be able to do this before morning.

But they forgot one very important thing about this plan. This would be Yuu’s first time getting to know how each of them worked – Yuu’s first time leading them through battle with tactics that are much better than most people could come up with themselves.

And on that note, Deuce probably should have been able to see how it could fail coming from a mile away.

However, the moment that the very first Phantom showed its ugly self this fact became very much apparent.

While they did still have their Unique Magic – if it were unlocked – and the same magical power they had from before they had traveled through time, their more physical assets did not follow that much.

They haven’t been roughened up at all from their sporting teams yet; their bodies were physically, in the same shape that they were when they had entered on the surface level.

Of course, Sebek and Jack were doing extraordinarily well in avoiding attacks, but Deuce could feel his stamina being tested – the same was he can see it written on Epel and Ace’s faces as well.

They send magic to the blot creation then proceed to dodge away – thankfully having drawn the first of the ones they would encounter out of the caves. Who knows what could happen if they fought inside of the caves – Yuu was smart enough to suggest that they draw out each one they want to fight.

It wouldn’t do to have the cave collapse upon them all and end their efforts before they even began after all.

“Deuce, hit it with a cauldron!” Yuu yells out from where he is posted safely behind the five of them.

“Got it! I summon thee, CAULDRON!” A cauldron rains down, successfully causing the Phantom to crack.

“Ace, send a fire attack at it!” 

“On it~” Ace sends forth a fire attack at the creature and with that, it finally breaks apart completely, falling where it once stood. 

Deuce could almost fall to the ground at that, his attention instead going to the stone that was left behind by the monster.

Didn’t…

Weren’t those stones the things that Yuu mentioned messing Grim up a long while ago? The details are a little fuzzy, considering it was brought up very briefly before everything had fallen to pieces. Just before Vil and Jamil (along with Riddle, Leona, and Azul) were kidnapped by S.T.Y.X. – if not the night before. Being knocked unconscious messed up his head but… not that badly.

“Ohh! Somethin’ smells really good-”

“Nope. Don’t eat stones Grim; they’re… very not good for you.” Deuce offers up lamely, quickly swiping away the black stone before them. “I think that it was these things that caused you to go a little crazy back there.”

He can’t help but notice that just holding this thing causes shivers to race down his spine – it feels tingly. Like when you’re standing outside during a thunder-storm and can almost feel the electricity in the air giving you a charge; that’s the kind of sensation it gives.

“Me? The Great Grim? Going crazy??? Nahhh, musta been some other schmuck.”

“Nope, I’m pretty sure it was you dude.” Ace chimes in, taking the stone from Deuce in order to get a look at it, holding it with his gloved hand. “Either way, it’s for the best if you don’t eat it. This thing might look pretty, but it’s seriously givin’ me a bad feeling.” 

“It does look rather… heinous to be certain.” Sebek comments, simply taking a look at the crystal with a glare. “And I can feel its energy from here – it’s filled with all sorts of negativity.” 

“You can feel it?!? How? Is there a way that I can?” Epel exclaims, turning to Sebek with wide eyes.

“Nope! It is simply due to my lineage that I’m able to do this; a mere human could never-”

“This isn’t the time for that.” Jack steps in, his ears twitching in a way that tells Deuce that he is likely picking something else up. “We need to get back into the mine an’ get the crystal out of there before defeating the next Phantom. I can hear something that sounds a lot like the first one we fought just under the first area.”

“Right! We need to make sure that we can get back out of the mine and back to campus before sunrise if we don’t want to get expelled.” Deuce almost feels sick thinking of the possibility of his expulsion. That… would break his mother’s heart; he knows it.

“And don’t eat any of the rocks, Grim!” Yuu chides, picking up the small monster. “I know you’re hungry, but that won’t do anything for you.”

Grim simply mumbles something incoherent whilst pouting as Deuce notices Ace pocket the stone – for the best considering they don’t know just what could be out here.

With that said and done, the group of first-years venture into the mining area once more; both searching for the stone that Ace and Deuce found the first time around as well as the presence of the other Phantom that lingers amongst the upper levels of this facility.

“Is that it?” Jack asks, the first to voice something in what felt like forever but was probably closer to a solid minute (a new record!). 

“Yep! That’s the stone we’re lookin’ for alright~” Ace speaks, waltzing right on up to the stone and yanking it out from it’s place lodged into the wall.

While the reddish-orange-haired boy gets the stone from the wall, Deuce can’t help but feel… off. As though something were approaching them from somewhere that he can’t see… And that much is proven moments later when another Phantom; one that appears almost like the first one of its kind, rears its ugly face.

…Does it even have a face? The former delinquent doesn’t want to know nor does he have the time to think about it as the first years quickly begin running to get out of the cave. Deuce has never been more thankful that all of them were in a sports club (except for Yuu, but he knows well that the Ramshackle Perfect can handle himself quite well) because running through the narrow-ish passageways is not exactly easy to do.

Thankfully, they manage to get out in much the same way as he and Ace had done the first time they had been to the Dwarves Mines. Under the cover of the forest, they engage once more in battle against the creature – and Deuce can only hope that this is the one that he had run into during Vargas Camp once upon a time.

If this phantom isn’t that one… it could imply that there are a lot more inside of this cave system than one would presume otherwise.

Either way, he couldn’t help but notice just how much Yuu was improving at instructing him and the other first years where to attack – the weaknesses of this Phantom being something that the boy from another world was able to notice with quite the fast speed. This makes him wonder just how quickly Yuu had gotten used to it last time – all of them were struggling earlier; both with following instructions and learning to truly embrace the power of their magic so he hadn’t noticed it then but…

Yuu is incredibly powerful in his own way.

Deuce knows in his heart that if he were back with them at Night Raven when everything had begun to fall apart, everyone would have been able to put up a much more united front.

“Good job everyone!” The very person Deuce was lost in thought about for a moment speaks up, the creature of blot all but fading into dust before them as they reigned victorious.

“Thanks Yuu! You did amazing work too.” He can’t help but smile at that, picking up the second black stone from where it had fallen. Honestly, asking the headmage… or maybe Profesor Trein? He’s quite a bit more reliable than Headmage Crowley ever was (not that Deuce would ever say that aloud) might give them some answers at least.

“Hell ya we did!” Epel whoops, cheering for their victory once again – each small thing counts after all! 

“You needn’t have worried a single bit, humans! I had everything under control!!” 

“Yeah um… about that… Guys-” Ace begins speaking, soon interrupted by Jack.

“The sun is rising” 

“Shit.”

With that collective moment of profanity amongst the group of first-year students, they all go running back to the mirror that they had arrived in. They had to make it back – Deuce couldn’t let this trip go through without at least that much happening.

They ran through the forest, the sound of grass, twigs, and several other objects upon the forest floor being disturbed ringing through the air around them alongside the group's slightly labored breathing are the only sounds to be heard until they reach the mirror.

The words had never left his own lips so fast as this moment to direct the Mirror to let them go back to Night Raven College.

He cannot get expelled. He can’t – both for the future’s sake along with the disappointment he is near certain his mother will experience if he had come to that. He can’t disappoint her, he can’t fail this place that he has grown to consider a home away from home (even if the exact version he had grown used to has since been rewound… that’s even more reason he can’t leave). 

Thankfully , they had made it just in time; barging into Headmage Crowley’s office along with the crystal needed to fix the chandelier that they had been sent out to retrieve.

“What are you lot doing back here? Don’t you know that you are to be expelled shortly” The masked headmage asks, voice filled with irritation. Moments later though, his eyes go wide upon noticing just what the group had brought in for him.

“Oh, oh ! You’ve brought the crystal I’ve spoken of, huh? It was quite gracious of me to allow you all this chance of redemption and look what it has resulted in!” The headmage laughs and Deuce can’t help but feel a small smile make it’s way to his own face; his racing heart calming just the smallest bit. 

“Students of Night Raven College… working together… across the dorms…” The masked man almost tears up at that, and Deuce can’t help but remember just how similar this situation was to the last time they went through this and yet… how is it possible that this man is breaking down even further than that?

Is he okay?

Deuce was about to reach out – to figure out if there was something he could do – when suddenly the headmage sported a huge grin once again.

“It must have been you who let something like this happen!” Deuce can’t quite hear the muttering of the guy but he can tell that it’s something about this never being seen before… or something like that.

Something sparkles in Crowley’s eyes just as he opens his mouth to continue.

“As I am so very kind, not only am I allowing you all to continue to attend this school but!” He pauses for a dramatic effect and Deuce finds himself hanging onto every word all over again. “How would you like to become a full time student; Yuu, Grim? Of course, you both would be one half of a student with Grim housing your magic and Yuu handling the academic portion of your lessons?”

The two blink almost owlishly to the headmaster for a moment, and Deuce wonders just what could be passing through each of their minds.

Or well, he wonders for a moment before Grim chimes in easily.

“Wahahaha! You have finally come to see the power that the Great Grim possesses! I wanna be a student here and my loyal subject will agree! Isn’t that right Yuu?!” 

Even Deuce can see just how exasperated yet somewhat fond Yuu is at what was presented and simply nods his head at that.

“Perfect! Now, off with you all to your dorms you don’t have all day after all!”

And with that the whole group was sent out of the office. By sent out, what really happened was that some bit of wind magic or something like that just pushed them out of there.

“Okay we’re all set here then! Let’s just… head to our dorms and figure out the rest later?” Ace offers up being the first of the group to speak. It’s as though his words sparked some sort of alarm within Sebek considering the light green haired boy shot up immediately.

“Yes, I must get to Diasomnia before Wakasama is awake!!! Good day to you all!!!” 

With the first member of their group dispersing, the others soon follow.

However, what Deuce and Ace had both forgotten that waiting for them back at Heartslabyul was a certain Crimson Tyrant who would not hesitate to go “OFF WITH YOUR HEADS” the moment they had returned to the dormitory long after curfew had passed – something that was unacceptable within the dorm in itself.

After all; last time the had only been out until just before the sun had begun to peak its way across the horizon. This time, they had toed that line and ended up back to the dorm just after the first rays of light had scattered across the horizon.

As the familiar sensation of the lock wraps around his neck, Deuce finds himself sending a glance towards Ace in desperation.

He seems just as much at a loss.

They will certainly have quite the time in the dorm until they relive what had happened once before…

Or… maybe they could try to fix things without the whole… overblot business. Deuce doesn’t know what he would do if Riddle-senpai had actually died to overblot and… there’s a very real chance that they could fail if they did that again.

Maybe being sent back in the past could mean that they can do things better this time… Or not, Deuce knows that he is definitely not the smartest person of their group; asking the others would be the thing to do.

Either way, they’d figure something out. He just knows that they will!

Chapter Text

Jack was never someone who was able to just sit there while others were taking the fall for things; that much was certain. He’s never been able to sit still when he knew that injustice was in play – when he knew that there was something he could do that was right.

So watching the way that the Savanaclaw Magishift team were preparing for the match against Malleus even at the beginning of the year with the knowledge that he holds about just what happened as the game approached gives him a sense of unease.

A sense of wrongness.

Everyone is working hard, applying themselves into their craft – their sport – already at this point in the year, but… This hard work was something that was overshadowed and eventually pushed to the side for shady tactics last time around.

To make it worse, he couldn’t just take any time to himself – not really. Every moment that he simply settled down meant that it was a moment to truly think. To ponder, about what could have been and what will be and what might happen now. 

He just can’t stop thinking about how he had failed his upperclassmen back when the Phantom’s were let out; how he could do nothing as they were all beaten. Not when he takes the time to ‘relax’ and just comes out feeling like a sitting duck, to do nothing when he should be acting to be ready.

Either way, he has since decided to make sure that he is in the best shape possible – both for the upcoming game but also for whenever they may need to fight for survival. It wouldn’t do to not be on his best game after all – even if his knowledge of the events that are to come is muddling his mind a little (a lot).

That’s exactly the train of thought that has found him heading to the courtyard for a breath of fresh air. Sure he could get that from within his own dorm’s space but… something about the air inside the dorm's space was not feeling right to him today.

It might be because it was the last place he had seen Ruggie-senpai before they had parted ways about a day before the group of them were flung back in time, but Jack isn’t one to ponder on those kinds of details.

Besides, even if it isn’t super restful; time to himself is important. He knows that much, even if he hadn’t planned on relaxing until the next time the first years were to meet up.

However, that change in plans is met with coming face-to-face with one of the more difficult people to come across during the school year: one Ortho Shroud.

Jack hasn’t seen the robot much himself; with the younger Shroud brother being mostly known for how he goes out to usually get whatever his reclusive brother requires; however he remembers that the flaming blue-haired robot has something to do with how the future turned out how it did.

Epel had shared the basics after all – though even he didn’t know exactly how the Shroud’s had been involved in that whole event.

The fact that he was standing alongside their headmage did little to deeter Jack in his approach. After all, it’d be for the best if he got to know the robot at least a little bit; right?

“Hey, what’s up? And hello Headmage Crowley.” Jack greets the other easily, walking up to where Ortho stands. He… isn’t quite satisfied with his own words of greeting, but it seems to be more than enough for the robot to regard him.

“Hello, Jack Howl-san! How do you do?”

The high pitched voice and light energy of the other puts Jack off for a moment – that kind of purity is something that you rarely come across in Night Raven after all – before he moves to respond.

“I’m doing good.” An easy response to be sure – he’s doing well enough to be sure. “Is there something wrong with that tree? I noticed ya were lookin’ up at it for a while.” 

“Oh yes! It would seem that Lucius got himself stuck up in that tree after Headmage Crowley attempted to greet him! I was just figuring out exactly how I should attempt to get him down from there.”

“I was simply doing the part of a headmage to take care of Professor Trien’s cat while he was out and about! I am quite gracious to have done so myself.” Crowley professes aloud and something tells Jack that isn’t quite the full story.

“You don’t just grab a cat by the tail, headmage!” Ortho scolds the Headmage – an honestly funny image of the younger boy scolding someone who honestly should have known better.

Jack can feel a growl pulling at his throat at that – his tail tucking itself closer to his body at the thought. He would not appreciate just being grabbed by the tail after all – especially by someone without express permission to even touch it. That’s just a breach in privacy!

Personal feelings towards the headmage’s actions aside, taking a moment to look up to the tree itself reveals that yes; the black cat that was often seen within the History Classroom is stuck in the tree. Lucius also seems incredibly pissed off upon further observation. It’s a wonder that the headmage had managed to upset the cat that greatly.

“I was thinking of trying out one of my new functions from my brother to get him down, however I think that there is a 89% probability that you would be able to get him down much easier than I would. Could you get him down?”

Jack swears that he was just hit by the most potent pair of puppy-dog eyes that he has ever seen – and he’s a wolf-beastman! That’s saying something to be sure about the power that Ortho has.

Either way, Jack nods, knowing that he could easily scale the tree to where the cat had perched onto a branch. Moving up the tree is a nice test of his muscles that he has been training for since before joining Night Raven College.

“Gotcha Lucius,” He comments the moment he reaches the same branch that the cat had perched itself upon, gently gathering the cat into his arms. “I’ll let you get off to wherever you want to go once we’re down, okay?”

Thankfully, the cat doesn’t seem to mind being picked up by him – and if he’s understanding right from his animal communications class, it’s solely because of how long he’s been stuck in this tree and because he is confident that he could get away from the headmage if he attempted.

Jack is glad about that much as he holds Lucius close to him while swinging down from the tree.

Soon as he reaches the ground, the cat jumps right out his arms and proceeds to run as far away from the headmage as he can get.

Good. Deserved after the way headmage Crowley had tried to grab him.

“All set.”

“Thank you for getting dearest Lucius down, Howl. Truly, I am most grateful for what you have done!” Jack can notice that there is something a bit more behind the headmage’s words; but there is little he can do about that right now.

His eyes narrow but that’s about all he could do about that right now.

“Yes, Thank you Jack Howl-san!! Your ability to get Lucius down without much issue was greatly useful.” At least the bright sparkle in the blue-flamed boy’s eyes was enough to make him be distracted by their headmage’s nature.

“Don’t mention ‘t” Jack can feel his ears flattening just a bit at the flattery, a bit embarrassed for being praised at just climbing a tree.

“In that case I shall be off now! I shall see you two another time; for I am gracious and kind enough to bless you with my presence~” And with that the headmage steps away from the two of them – following in the direction where Lucius had run off to.

Jack can only hope that the poor cat managed to get back into the History classroom before the headmage caught up to it again. Crowley ain’t slick.

In another timeline, this tree would have died to Ortho’s overpowered attack upon it – not that Jack or anyone else would know what exactly became of the tree itself. The tree survives another day for now.

“So what are ya doin’ out, Ortho?”

“Oh right! My brother is taking an exam right now and I was told to head out so that there wouldn’t be any cheating.”

Jack nods at that, easy enough to take in. This is a time-slot that the second and third year students have class after all – this is just his break period.

“Makes sense. Do ya stick with him all the time?” His ears perk up just a bit in curiosity; he doesn’t know much about either of the two after all and he has to admit that he is curious about it.

“Mhm! Well, not all the time; but I do like to be around big brother as much as I can. I don’t like the thought of him being alone all the time after all…”

The way that Ortho trails off at that makes Jack feel a tad bit bad that he asked, but it’s still more information than he could have asked for otherwise considering just how little they all had truly known.

“That’s good. I’m sure that he’s really glad to have a brother like you, Ortho.” 

“Mhm!!!” 

Behind that affirmation is a weight that Jack doesn’t know exists. A weight that only Idia himself is privy to; and the very reason that Idia had fallen into a state akin to overblot. A weight that comes with the reason for one's existence and the emotional connection between what lies within the past.

But for now, that is a truth locked behind several levels of friendship as Idia might say. And this meeting might just be the beginning of a new social link leading to a future different than what they had just come out of.

Chapter Text

Life at Pomefiore was… different.

There was something to the air of the dormitory, the conversations of the people roaming the halls, along with his upperclassmen that just felt different . 

It was as though he were a fish out of water once more – the same song and dance that he has since memorized, yet having enough alterations that he is thrown entirely off balance and tangled up by his own movements.

The freedom that he feels within this dormitory is unusual.

Strange.

He doesn’t remember a day in Pomefiore that he has existed without Vil breathing over his shoulder, eyes keen and looking for something that he was doing wrong to correct him with.

He supposes that’s because he hasn’t tried fighting against the blond dorm leader.

Or maybe it’s because he can’t stamp the habits that Rook and Vil had instilled into him the first time around out of him; he doesn’t see the point in regressing as a person after all.

But at the same time; he knows that he’s being watched.

He knows that Vil is keeping a careful eye upon his every movement after he had both ditched the group of first years heading back to the dormitory, finding his way back on his own as well as his stint almost getting expelled thanks to that chandelier.

Yeah, he can feel the trained eyes of Rook upon him at random times of the day.

On one hand, he can’t help but find himself thankful for the room to at least breathe. The freedom from the weight of how he had challenged Vil and had then been at Vil’s mercy in order to become stronger like he is.

On the other hand he… he can’t believe he is even THINKING this but he honestly misses how things were before.

He misses the way that Vil and Rook had bantered around him, how Vil had been extremely harsh with his words but had clearly done what he believed to be the best for him and the group. He misses the side of Rook and Vil that he had seen the day that everything had fallen apart.

It’s strange to know that Rook once belonged to Savanaclaw and about his and Vil’s first meeting considering how he is not nearly close enough to the two for that information to be shared just yet.

The discrepancy of fighting alongside them for their lives right before the phantom’s had descended upon the world versus how they are all but strangers now honestly causes his chest to pull strangely.

He knows they’re alive.

He knows they’re okay.

And yet, part of him still mourns the future that they had given away for him. A part of him wishes that it were Rook or Vil or Yu or any of the others who were trapped upon the Isle of Woe that had made it back instead of him.

He doesn’t feel worthy, and he just knows that he’s already messing everything up.

Epel sighs, pulling a strand of his fluffy purple hair behind his ear knowing it’ll just bounce back moments later.

He can’t focus on the texts that he’s supposed to be studying for class. He’s already read about all of this, done these assignments once before.

Still…

“What is it that you are doing up at this hour? Should you not be in your room and preparing for bed?” 

Vil’s stern voice startles Epel from his reverie.

This Vil isn’t his Vil. It makes something inside of him stir, something toxic.

“Nah, I’m fine as long as I check out before midnight.” Epel notices his housewarden’s phone within his hands – a visual of Neige on display without the housewarden’s knowledge. He knows that Vil is envious of the black haired boy’s ability to stand on stage until the end as the role of a hero but…noticing that that is rooted there even now is strange.

How long was that brewing within his housewarden’s mind?

“Don’t be cheeky with me young man.” Vil level’s him a stare as his phone’s light turns off, a sigh playing at his lips. “The dormitory’s curfew is at Ten Thirty PM so that-”

“So that we’re able t’ make sure that our entire skincare routine and all of that bullshit is done by Eleven PM so that we’re able to sleep a full 8 hours before waking for classes.” Epel interrupts, leveling the housewarden with a stare of his own.

He isn’t about to challenge Vil like he had on the first day – he had been completely blindsided by his strength back then.

No, this Vil, much like the one he had (left behind, let down, abandoned) left in the future, was as lethal as the poison that he had brewed in order to become the dorm leader. He was far more powerful than Epel is – he can see that much – but still.

It’s wrong. Everything’s wrong and he’s so tired of it.

“Correct, though you could do with a lesson in manners. Also, watch your language!” 

“How? You want me to use a spell to have the words I say be written out so that I could watch it?”

Okay, maybe he’s intentionally pushing Vil’s buttons to see where this will go. Maybe he is feeling like he needs to create a bit of chaos or he’s going to lose his mind with… with something.

Worry? The weight of what he left behind? Guilt? Sadness? Desperation?

A glare from the dorm head was just what he needed right now, really. Hits him just right where he’s supposed to be.

“Haha, you’re so clever for that.” His voice is dry, exasperated almost. “But no, I just ask that you don’t swear where anyone could hear.”

Epel can tell that Vil is just barely holding his temper back there, and part of him wonders just what would happen if he pushed a bit further.

Just a small part of him; he doesn’t want to lose even more of the taller boy’s favor. That wouldn’t be the nicest thing to happen if he is honest – especially considering how he knows for a fact that he will need to be able to actually get into the VDC in a couple of months.

“Fine, fine. I won’t do it where you can hear it, Vil-san.” He smiles as brightly as he can at Vil.

Is he adding to Vil’s plate a little bit? Yeah, maybe. But man is this at least a little entertaining (and distracting from his other thoughts that had been beginning to spiral a bit before he showed up.)

“Good. Now get to your room, will you? Don’t make me sign you up for some emergency lessons about that tongue of yours.” 

Epel decides to head to his room and not irritate his housewarden any further. 

However, on his way upstairs, he did not expect to be yanked aside by one Rook Hunt. Yes, he’s known the man has been keeping an eye on him but…

“Bonsoir, Monsieur Crabapple! I can’t help but notice that you have been acting rather peculiarly.” 

He blinks, those words entering his brain and staying there for a moment. Acting peculiar??

“What?”

“Oh, I wasn’t upfront enough about it, I see. Allow me to speak once again.” Rook’s hand extends forwards, his fingers resting upon Epel’s cheek. “You seem to exude a lack of energy lately – fatigué if you would. Though you attempt to hide such dark rings around your eyes with a light layer of foundation to your otherwise unmarked visage, it is quite evident that you are quite down.”

Okay, Epel knew that he couldn’t quite hide the bags under his eyes from someone as observant as Rook but still… He thought he’d have a bit more time than that before he was caught and called out on such a matter.

“ ‘s nothin’ Rook. Don’t worry ‘bout it.”

“Au contraire, Monsieur Pommette! It is for exactly that reason that being concerned is something that is of utmost importance~ When you continue to bury a part of you that lies in struggle and strife, eventually that will begin to bubble over in a most uncouth way, non?” 

Epel truly looks at the blond for the first time since getting here – not as someone who looks like the Rook that he had left behind; but rather the present man who stands before him. One whose eyes shine with concern about him.

…

Epel can only hope that he hadn’t woken up with a scream these past few nights – mainly because he is almost certain Rook has been keeping a close eye on him before even thinking of approaching. It wouldn’t do to just… spill something like this to him.

To spill just why it is that he had gotten involved in the group outing with the first years that had almost ended his expulsion. To state just how it is that he has been able to mold himself into a version of himself that can truly exist within Pomefiore despite how it goes against his thoughts and nature.

“Really though, Rook, I’m fine. I just need some sleep and I’ll be all good.” He says, knowing that sleep has been but a myth since he had been sent back in time in the first place. Just resting feels incredibly wrong.

Based upon his expression, Epel can tell that Rook is ‘pressing x to doubt’ so to say; but he doubts the hunter will exactly comment that much.

“If you say so. Both myself and Roi du Poison are most concerned for you though, so I do intend to keep an eye on your progress and recovery. It would not do for you to drive yourself into the ground after all!” 

And that’s exactly his fear – not entirely but… getting to help the others with Rook on his tail will be difficult. Getting the hunter to leave him alone is just as – if not more – difficult a task; so it would seem as though he’s stuck for the time being.

Even if he were able to interact with the others – training his Unique Magic should it be needed undetected would be outright impossible considering how it summons forth a coffin that both protects and throws its occupant into some form of slumber. 

He wants to become strong enough to protect the people he cares about the most – but he doesn’t want them to grow worried or concerned or anything like that. Letting them in onto the fact that he has found his UM will only bring forth questions as to just how it happened.

That’s nigh impossible to answer without remembering just how that day ended up.

How he manifested his magic with the intent to protect those who he had grown to care about – who he had grown to call his friends – and how he had failed in just that.

He didn’t want to be left behind. Epel would have rather stood there fighting until his last breath than to have been sent back to the others right before the end.

… Fuck now was NOT the time to be thinking about that.

He hopes that his line of thought did not reflect upon his face or mannerisms or anything like that, but with the way that Rook is looking at him… he doesn’t know.

“I do say so. I’ll just… go to my room now and prepare to tuck in.” Epel starts moving to his room when he hears one final line from Rook.

“If you need anything at all – be it someone to talk to, or assistance with whatever it is you are dealing with – do not hesitate to contact Roi du Poison or myself! It is the least we could do for a student of Pomefiore, non?” 

He all but curses under his breath as soon as he gets away from the blond hunter, and back to his room. Knowing that Rook knows at the very least that there is a lot more going on in his head than what meets the eye…

Yeah, he probably isn’t going to be free from the hunter’s gaze for quite a while.

Fuck.

Chapter Text

The feeling of disappointment that floods through his veins is something new – something not befitting of a guard of the great Wakasama!

After all, he had just barely gotten away without being expelled upon one of his first nights within the facility. That, along with the fact that he had to ditch his usual patrol in Malleus’ name is something that he cannot forgive!

It may be necessary to both learn about what there is to do in order to prevent the cursed future that they had been faced with from coming into reality, but it does not mean that Sebek has to like it in the slightest.

It is on that note that he is afraid that he has been accidentally giving signs that there is something different about him.

Wakasama and Lilia-sama are quite observant after all.

To the Seven, even Silver could likely notice that something was up with him despite being a human.

They’ve all known him for most of his life after all – so hiding anything at all from them is a struggle. It’s something that he needs to do – no matter how much it ails him that he must – but there is little more important to him than ensuring Malleus’ safety.

Telling him, Lilia-sama, or even Silver of what had transpired within the future that no longer exists would only lead to concern. Worry over the future, without a doubt taking away the charm to the experience that Wakasama had desired when enrolling within this school.

Still, the fact that he has not been able to sleep as well as he had used to is also rather tedious. 

Especially when he must keep up with his studies (he might know the information already thanks to it happening the last time around as well, but he is not someone who is simply content without going over what he is being provided once again), continue training, going to the equestrian club, and guard Wakasama with every ounce of his being.

He is needed!

Escorting Wakasama to and from classes while also keeping an eye out for his safety takes away quite a lot of time – not that he regrets taking this duty at all! However, there is little time for him to pour through the ancient texts and tomes that he has at his disposal with this schedule.

Perhaps his exhaustion following the terrors that crosses his mind when the sun sinks below the horizon and the stars and moon come out to play comes with a positive side. After all, if he cannot sleep; than sinking into the books is something that can occupy him and lead to doing exactly as he needs to.

Nightmares where Lilia-sama is beaten senseless by the sheer amount of Phantoms that he had taken on; where Wakasama is just barely holding on against an army of his own – his immense power being the very thing that begins to drown the young lord… those are difficult to shake.

But wandering down the dimly lit halls to the where novels are housed and delving into the intense and complicated explanations of Time Magic is enough to at least push those thoughts to the very back of his mind.

It’s enough to push back the inky dark feeling that lies within his chest. The one that pulls at him as though taunting him for how he had failed at his duties to protect Malleus once before. How he had simply been picked up and pulled away when Lilia-sama needed him.

Reaching up into the tomes that are available regarding time travel magic, Sebek’s hands find their way to one book in particular.

It’s a lengthy book about the history of different time magic’s as they have been observed.

Really, it’s an interesting read all things considered.

From the topic of myths that involve something defined as a “river” all but sucking the youth from someone, causing their body to age tangentially differently to the area around them, to stories of ripples that hold the ability to transport you to another time that form along the planet’s outer crust that are said to show up only once in a million years; there really is quite a lot to be read.

Still, stories such as those are of no help to Sebek currently.

After all; he needs to figure out just how time travel could affect the world around them. He needs to figure out how time magic may affect its caster. He needs to figure out anything he can about this situation that they’ve been thrown into.

A yawn plays at his lips as he turns to a page about a third of the way through the tome.

This chapter seemed useful from the index – something about the possible paradoxes that could come forth from messing with time and what to avoid if you found yourself in a position where something had happened.

There are several different types of theories about just how Time Travel works. 

There is a theory that time works upon a single plane by which interference directly affects what had happened in the past and results in it happening this way. This theory is something that Sebek finds inaccurate in this position – after all; he knows that he and the others have already altered events from their past within this current present.

The second theory that he had located – that seemed more accurate to what they have been experiencing – is that time works on a multi-planar field. If you were to go back into the past, and ran into a single person that you had not in the initial timeline, there was a chance that everything could have changed once you make your way back to the present. Alterations can and will change the very way that events play out; the order that they may happen or even if they would at all could be in jeopardy if things are not done correctly.

He can only hope that the changes that they make won’t cause everything before them to spiral out of control.

There are also theories about different Universes and concepts that dive into their state of being as well.

Some theories state that there is only one single universe and everything runs in a rather linear format. Every change that is made will affect the world from which it came.

Some other theories argue that there are multiple parallel universes. When one person travels back in time – according to those theories – another universe is created where a new future will play out at the same time as the original timeline.

From there there are several thoughts and theories about choices and different impacts from those but Sebek has determined that he doesn’t really need to see that information now. His choices are his own and that’s all there is to it for now; there is nothing he could do for another universe version of himself after all.

Different types of temporal paradoxes are something that he is taking note of, but there is one in particular that is really standing out to him.

The butterfly effect. A property of chaotic systems by which small changes in initial conditions can lead to large-scale and unpredictable variation in the future state of the system.

In relation to time travel, it could mean a million different things.

The overblots that they remembered happening? By simply doing one thing different, any one of those could occur sooner – or later – than what was expected.

The release of the Phantoms unto the world? That could happen tomorrow if they did something wide enough to let it be known that it happened.

They don’t even truly know the circumstances behind it! Sure, it had to do with the invasion that S.T.Y.X. had in taking those who had overblotted somewhere but… other than Idia and Ortho having something wrong with them, there was little that Epel knew about the exact circumstances of things.

It’s quite overwhelming to even consider.

“I was wondering who was out and about around this time, though I can’t say I expected it to be you Sebek. Have you decided to turn to the naughty side?~”

He jumps, not having expected anyone to be out and about at this hour; even if he should have accounted for the possibility of being followed or found out. And even MORE so for that person to have been Lilia, who is all but lounging atop the table he had settled before.

“L-Lilia-sama! I was just doing some light reading considering how I haven’t been able to sleep.” 

“Light reading you say?” Sebek can see Lilia’s eyes spark with something upon taking a look at his book, but he couldn’t tell just what is going through the fae’s mind. “This seems like a bit more than that, does it not? Time magic is quite the tricky concept to grasp after all – even for fae that have lived over a millenia.”

He could feel himself growing pale at the mention of that much – he knows that they would likely have a higher chance than himself of figuring some of this out but also… it’s something he needs to do.

It’s also something that he’s meant not to burden Lilia with!!! Placing pressure upon both him and the young prince is something that he desires to avoid with every bone within his body.

“Yes! I was just a bit curious on the subject and decided to do a basic look through things…” Sebek trails off a bit, taking a second to think before turning to the older man. “Have you ever met anyone who could use time magic, or had something in relation to time as their unique magic?” 

“It is a thing that I’ve encountered before.” Lilia mentions, crossing his legs over top of eachother, simply perching upon the surface from which he has chosen to sit. 

“You have too.” Sebek’s heart stops and he could almost feel a slight feeling of panic bubbling in his chest in the single moment as Lilia takes a breath. “After all, you have seen Malleus’ Unique Magic in action before.” 

And everything returns to motion, just as it was meant to. He doesn’t know what he’d do if Lilia’d find out that there was more to this.

“Unless you’ve come across another with magic that meddles with time?” A brow is raised and Sebek swears there is a fire shining within the fae’s eyes at that statement.

“Nope! Nothing that you should worry about, Lilia-sama!”

The short haired student takes a long look at Sebek – one that he swears could read right through him – before he smiles brightly and jumps down from where he had gotten to.

“Alright~ Do be sure to tell lil’ ol’ me if anything does come up, okay?~”

He nods at that, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to. Not really, and he hopes that he would be able to do it by himself and away from that kind of interference. That future cannot come to be, it can’t.

“Now, come with me for a bit. It won’t do you too good to be stuck up here tonight.”

Without a single word from Sebek, Lilia takes the tome from his hands and places it along with the other books that the green haired boy had pulled out.

“Alright Lilia-sama! If that is what you think is for the best!” 

“Good~” Lilia stands up on his tippy-toes so that he’s able to pat Sebek’s head before heading out of the room, waiting for the half-fae at the door. “Let’s go outside for a bit~ Fresh air will surely cure your inability to sleep.”

With those words, the two of them easily navigate their way through the halls of Diasomnia; the beautiful green fire acting as a beacon to those who might pass at this time when the only light from the outside comes from that of the moon hanging high above their heads and the stars that twinkle ever-so lightly outside there.

“The stars seem to have been changing their tune lately.” The shorter of the two of them mentions once the cool air of the night takes them into a cool embrace. “It would seem as though the course that lady fate has been set on has decided to diverge slightly from what had been laid forth.”

Sebek’s own eyes find their way to the sky above him, taking note of the way that each star shines it’s brilliant light towards them. He knows that each one travels many lightyears – far longer than one person would be able to travel within their entire life combined – to get to where they are today. He knows of how they are all made up of gas that explodes in a beautiful show of both science and magic working in tandem.

He hadn’t thought that they could hold information pertaining to the future though.

“Do you really think that?” 

He ignores how his voice came out much softer than he usually allows himself to sound. Ignores how he had sounded like a child, asking a trusted figure within their life for guidance.

A sharp grin is what he is gifted in response alongside a gaze that feels far too knowing for his own taste.

“Of course. The stars see everything after all. Something big is coming. There will be a lot of confusion and a struggle unlike what we have seen for a millennia but… it would seem that there is a chance to make it right.”

“Why are you telling me this? Not that I don’t appreciate it Lilia-sama because I do!!! But is there a reason that you’ve decided to trust me with those words?”

They stand in silence for a moment, crickets singing their tunes in the background.

“I simply felt as though you were one of the people who needed to hear it the most.” A shrug is given.

“Besides~ Seeing you look up at the sky with this much wonder and thoughtfulness is something I have not seen since you were extremely young! My, I would say that such a look has not been seen upon your face since you were but a small child toddling alongside Silver.” 

Sebek feels his entire body flush at that. “There’s no need to mention my childhood now, Lilia-senpai!”

“Oh, but that is even more reason to, is it not? After all, it’s made you look so lively~”

“Nope! I have grown past such things!” Lilia laughs at his embarrassment and for just a moment, Sebek was able to put out the future from his mind.

At least for now.

Lilia-senpai is alive. Malleus-sama and Silver are also still breathing. They are okay – if only for the time being.

And the future is something that they can change. 

Time travel is tricky, the delicate balance of figuring out just what to change and what to keep the same is something that he knows that they won’t quite get right away…

But hope exists.

The stars above them will continue to be born, burn at their highest intensity, and then die no matter what. A steady presence…

And for now that’s comforting. He’ll find some other time to do his research, to ask Wakasama about his unique magic and ask Lilia about who else he had known with magic like Ace’s. 

There will always be tomorrow after all, as long as they continue to dream and work to make it so.

Chapter Text

When asked, Ace would deny all accusations about what he sees when he closes his eyes at night.

Not because he’s ashamed; but because he feels as though it’s wrong.

As though he is seeing far too much.

For the past week or so, he has been dreaming about Riddle’s overblot. The visual of their housewarden bathed in red and black, eyes wide and somewhat crazed, the rose bushes and preparations of an unbirthday party floating through the air thanks to a strong bout of wind magic.

However, with each dream of that moment he has; he sees many different variations.

Variations that he can’t just shake out of his head.

The first time he had dreamed of that overblot, he had simply thought it was his mind reminding him of just what had happened once upon a time. He remembered his words taunting their housewarden, poking him in a way that Ace now knows hits right up against the trauma he has. 

That’s how it always begins.

He watched as the red-haired boy began to break down – seeing that he was all alone in his vision; his thoughts and desires… and he watched the moment he cracked.

The transformation from Housewarden Riddle Rosehearts into Overblotted and Alone Riddle Rosehearts was one that he would never forget. He caused it once upon a time, after all.

The way that the creature of blot – the Phantom – fed off of Riddle’s magic as he was in a state of mania. A state that made him become dangerous; to both himself and everyone else that could be seen.

From there, the dream (memory?) changes. 

He remembers how they had defeated Riddle – causing him to fall unconscious and sever the attachment of the blot creature. How Trey had run to his fallen friend with Cater following behind.

But… his next dream made him think differently.

That wasn’t how it went the first time.

The garden that they had worked so hard on in order to prepare for the Unbirthday Party had been just as torn up – defying the laws of gravity and instead bending to Riddle’s own set of rules.

This time, it wasn’t them who had defeated Riddle but rather the Crimson Haired Tyrant who had beaten them into submission. 

The crimson color of their blood had blended in with the roses they had painted the very same color, the pleads and screams from the students around him were deafening; not that he could hear.

After all, how would you respond if you had just watched your upperclassmen be torn to shreds.

The dream – memory? – no, it has to be a dream; gets hazy for him there… but upon waking that second day, he can’t help but remember how he had felt a sense of deja vu when they had faced the overblot.

The third time he had seen this scene within his dream, he watched as the Phantom looming over Riddle’s shoulders consumed the boy who was just barely a year older. They hadn’t acted fast enough – able to dodge from attacks and avoid their own demise, but not working fast enough to save the housewarden.

The tears that he had seen streaking down his classmates faces is not something that he could quite forget either – the iron grip that Trey had over Riddle’s still body as Crowley had just barely managed to make it back in time to deal with the rogue phantom…

No, that wasn’t how it was to go.

His dream had a flash and corrected itself. He went through the same motions as the second dream and then eventually the one that had started it all.

It was like some kind of gauntlet and honestly; Ace is sick and tired of it.

Oh by the Seven he is tired.

Sleep just brings him visions of Crimson Tyrants and Phantoms of the past. (future? He will need to relive that again.)

Deuce sleeping in the same dorm as him (along with two others but honestly Ace couldn’t really care less about them) is both a blessing and a curse. 

A blessing in that he can get instant affirmation that everything is alright – because there’s Deuce right on the bed next to his. A curse because he knows that Deuce can tell that he hasn’t been getting as much sleep as he used to get. He knows that Deuce is trying to come up with the words to talk to him about it… but he really just doesn’t want to talk about this.

He doesn’t want those visions of death to leak into the present.

Ace yawns, taking a seat inside of the common room within the dorm. It’s been quite the long day of classes after all. 

Even though both he and Deuce had managed to get out of their confinements after explaining that the headmaster had sent them out on a fetch quest that late at night, he still felt the slight strain that was attempting to reach for his magic when it was inadvisable. The bone-deep tiredness that comes with it included.

Normally, he’d never even think of attempting to get an energy boost via coffee – frankly, he thinks it’s disgusting – but it’s too early to go to Sam’s for an energy-drink and tea is not enough as he figured out yesterday so he’s stuck with a mug of the bitter thing.

However – he had forgotten something crucial in his desperation for something to keep his brain active.

“Is that coffee you are having?”

“Yeah, I just needed a little pick-me-up y’know” Ace responds before realizing just who had asked that.

Before he could even think about the consequences, the very familiar sound of Riddle’s voice rings through his head – the words ‘OFF WITH YOUR HEAD’ ringing true and around his neck, once more, is that very same gadget that he had desired not to get at all.

“You have broken the Queen of Heart’s Rule number 424: Coffee is forbidden. Tea must be served at all occasions except for birthdays! This does include breakfast and other such happenings within the premise of this school.”

How he had even managed to get ahold of some coffee beans considering this tradition of the dorm is something miraculous, though unfortunate to him huh?

Ace honestly was surprised he didn’t slip up sooner considering his track record, even if it does suck.

“Ah, yeah that was a rule huh? Sorry for that Housewarden, I just really needed something stronger to push me through the day.”

By the Seven, he should just camp out at Yu’s place at this point. Privacy would be nice but also he forgot just how Riddle acted – a true stick was up his ass for sure. (And he doesn’t know how he would fare without knowing that Deuce at least is alive and okay every moment he wakes up from one of those night terrors.)

“I see, however it still doesn’t exempt you from the rules. You would do well to reflect upon your transgression while you are collared.” The red haired boy scolds him and in all honesty, Ace just takes it whilst rolling his eyes.

What? Like fighting back would do anything right now.

Without being graced with a proper response, Riddle is quick to excuse himself citing his duties around the dormitory and as housewarden for his departure.

Ace was just glad that Riddle was gone – that familiar stress he could see in Riddle’s frame; tense and ready for something – is not quite what he would have liked to see upon seeing his Housewarden.

“I’m sure that Riddle will forgive you eventually. After all, the coffee was not the most major transgression and it can easily be remedied by an offering of tea.”

He blinks and standing in the doorway from where Riddle had just retreated was Trey. The vice-housewarden seemed rather strained – it’s more obvious now that Ace has seen him take on a bit less weight constantly – and Ace couldn’t help but wonder how he deals with their picky housewarden.

“Ahaha, Riddle isn’t that bad once you get to know him a bit.”

… Did he just ask that aloud?

“Yes, you spoke aloud, Ace right?”

Darn.

“Yep! Nice to know that my name is that well known that even you know it, Trey-senpai~”

“That’s prolly thanks to how you were almost expelled on your second day~” And there’s Cater here to join in. Or… get more buckets of paint considering the paint buckets in his arms.

Is this a ‘make fun of Ace’ party that he didn’t know about? He didn’t even get a chance to finish his coffee; this isn’t the time to do that.

“Okay, but you’ve got to admit that is quite the story to tell~” Ace finds himself shooting back, finger gunning with a single hand considering his other hand holds his precious mug of coffee. 

“True! I know magicam would be all over a story like that~ Asking all about how it is even possible to even receive a risk of it happening.” The orange haired boy at least knows how to keep running with the conversation.

“Anyways, I should probably get a move on; I promised I’d meet with Deuce before classes.”

Damn, he is not looking forward to getting outed as the first of the two of them to have caved and accidentally evoked their house warden's punishment.

At least he wasn’t kicked out of the dorm entirely this time?

“Go on then, don’t let us hold you up. We’re just on our own way as well.” Trey speaks for the two of them, taking Cater’s free hand and yanking the other boy away. Strange, but expected – there is probably some kind of preparation they need to do on the dorm's behalf.

“And he just put the collar on you just like that?!” Yuu asks, their history class having just concluded its course.

Ace had met up with Deuce – who had indeed poked a little bit of fun at how he was the first one who got it from them, though he shut up after learning which rule caused it – and went to class. It was a miracle and a half he didn’t straight-up fall asleep in there if he’s honest.

But also, he would not want to sleep in public either.

“Yep! Just like that it was ‘off with your head’ and now I’ve got a rather flashy neck-brace once again.” 

The trio began their trek to the Ramshackle Dorm – it was after classes and as such they were able to be out until 4pm (as per the rules of their dorms of course considering they needed to be back by mealtime). 

Ace honestly didn’t really pay attention to much of the walk – but in his defense he’s dead tired. From having very little sleep thanks to the nightmares of potential realities passing through his mind, to having a rather straining day thanks to flight lessons and classes he could actually use the information that they were handed in his sleep.

Okay not literally because he had made sure he wouldn’t sleep in those classes because again – crazy nightmares that clearly are only his mind tricking him.

Before he knew it, the group of three were back at the dorm; with Epel, Sebek, and Jack waiting for them. 

It’d been difficult to find a time where they would all be able to meet up considering Epel had reported that his upperclassmen were keeping a very close eye on him and Sebek apparently had reason to believe that he also needed to act on the side of caution.

“Wait a second, you've been beheaded so soon? It’s not even the first week of classes Ace” Epel laughs upon noticing the collar around Ace’s neck. Really, does anyone have any grace in a moment of weakness such as this? (Not that he’d have expected it to begin with but it’d be nice to be asked ‘how are you after being collared, Ace’ rather than being laughed at first thing.)

“Yep I sure did, there’s no need to put up a front though. Most of Heartslabyul have been beheaded by this point after all.” He knows he’s pouting because they had likely put a bet on who would get collared first between him and Deuce and have it stick but shhh.

“Anyways, we should get to the reason that we have all come here right? I cannot make my stay long, as Wakasama is waiting for me!” Sebek speaks, reminding the group of the time that they’re wasting.

A few minutes later, they’re all seated and ready to get this meeting going!

It would have been amazing if Ace could fully pay attention, but the tiredness that has been haunting him like a Phantom behind an overblot victim is really fighting for dominance. His head is pounding and in all honesty, he doesn’t know how much more he could take.

Perhaps that’s how he ended up falling asleep during the meeting, leaning on Jack’s shoulder. 

Sure the details about the overblots – how many of them they should intervene with and whatnot was a concept that he would normally have quite a lot to say about; but sometimes you simply find yourself drifting off into the realm of slumber.

And for the first time since he was sent back in time, he was not plagued by nightmares of what could be and what was.

Chapter Text

“So, what should we do? Find a way to prevent the overblots?” Deuce speaks first, curiosity coating his tone.

“I dunno about that, there are too many factors that go into overblot for us to really do somethin’ about them all.” Jack speaks, his voice low in order to not wake up the boy leaning on him.

He isn’t blind and neither are the others within this room. They could all see how dead-tired Ace has been lately; it’s about time he crashed and he could only be thankful it was during their meeting rather than a more crucial moment within the Heartslabyul dormitory. He remembers the stories about how strict Riddle-senpai used to be before his overblot – falling apart any other time would simply not go through well.

“I believe that we need to allow them to happen as they have the first time.” Sebek speaks, shifting his weight a bit as he leans forwards towards the group. “We need to maintain the timeline to some extent so that we aren’t met with… a plethora of consequences to say the least.”

“Why can’t we just punch ‘em through it?” Epel asks, and while Jack doesn’t really think that method would work the best, it would be the easiest for their group to accomplish so long as they continue honing their strength.

“Because that’d both put us in danger and risk things going incredibly differently than it did the first time.” The former delinquent responds and with that said, Epel nods his head.

“True… Still, do we really need to see our upperclassmen suffer as much as they did the first time ‘round?” He finds himself inquiring, not keen on seeing the way that the dorm heads overblot. “Is there any way that we might be able to… lessen the blow? We can’t avoid the overblots entirely; they’re based on both the use of their magic ‘n their emotions, but…” 

“I don’t think we’re in a place where we can get through to ‘em though.” Epel is the one to speak, leaning back in his position on the beaten couch within the Ramshackle Dormitory. “They’re upperclassmen who wouldn’t even bat an eye at us; even if they’re lookin’ at us with any kinda intent.” 

Ah yes, intent. Just as Leona had desired to win against Diasomnia by any means necessary, involving both the act of making the Savanaclaw team stronger and the act of weakening the other teams. How Azul had looked to the students as free labor after partaking in that contract, keeping a close tabs upon the entire student body in a way that Jack had overlooked. How Vil had been invested in the VDC and wanted that team to shine the brightest in order to defeat Neige that year.

“Okay so… doing what we can to deal with the overblots as they arise is our plan… Should we try and get all of us there for each one?” Deuce asks.

Sebek, of course, if the first to speak on that line of reasoning.

“I think not! What if one of them overblots whilst I am in the midst of protecting Wakasama! Or if there is simply a moment that not all of us are permitted to get right to the scene?” The green haired half-fae asks, his voice raising to an octave that Jack wishes it wouldn’t get to right then.

“Besides, it would simply be impossible for us all to manifest to each and every one of these things. Yu, Deuce, and Ace might have been able to do such a thing within our original timeline because you three do not think before you charge into trouble; but I know for a fact that Epel and Myself have people looking after our every action. It is hard enough to get out for moments such as this, let alone at a moment’s notice when the blot begins to boil over.” 

“Hey!!! I haven’t done any of that… yet. I haven’t done it yet.” Yu defends himself, looking up from Grim – he was giving him some head rubs as the conversation was going on. (No, Jack isn’t jealous of those scritches going to Grim and not himself. Nope.)

“But you have within another lifetime! And I am quite sure you have the same recklessness that the Yu we had gotten through half the year with had.” 

“... Fine, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be different from that version of myself.”

Epel let’s out a light giggle at that comment and Jack can’t help but hold back a chuckle himself – only because he doesn’t want to move too much, no matter how deeply (or not so deep) Ace may slumber.

“That’s true ‘nough.” Epel gets out after calming down a little bit. “So we’re just going to ride this out then? Should we try and end the overblots that happen sooner?”

“Yeah! From the overblots that Ace and I have experienced in almost every case, it took Headmage Crowley far too long to get reinforcement. If we were to make a groupchat so that we were able to connect with each other easier, those of us who are there when it breaks out can just message the group chat and the others could get a teacher or… someone who might be able to help.” Deuce’s voice is earnest and Jack couldn’t help but nodding with that, feeling his tail wagging behind him.

“That sounds like a good idea t’ me!” A grin crosses his face. They might not all be able to show up to each and every issue without raising major suspicion, but at least they can try and make sure there is as little damage as possible.

Jack does not like just sitting around. He gets antsy even though there is nothing he can truly do in the face of situations and concerns regarding just what they’re able to do. 

From the looks on Epel, Sebek and Yu’s faces they agree with it – easily handing over their phone numbers; for the most part.

Yu however, needed to get a phone.

“There is no need for you to worry about that! I shall be able to secure one for you soon.” Sebek interjects.

Damn, that pay from guarding Malleus that he probably gets (and uses on training stuff usually from what he knows) leaves him in a position that he could get it; even if the knowledge of specific phone models are lost on the other.

Something in Jack’s mind still tells him it’d be better than what Yu’d get off of Crowley.

His ear flick upon hearing a slight shift in Ace’s breathing beside him alongside a light murmur that he wasn’t quite able to discern, and his eyes move to the boy who had sent them back to this time. 

Still, when Ace presses a bit closer to him with another grumble, Jack can tell that the other is awake.

“Mornin’ Sunshine.”

“Wh-” 

And Ace jumps back upon realizing that he literally made Jack’s arm his home base for a hot second.

The others break into a laughter and the heart-garbed boy’s face flushes almost as bright as the makeup that marks him.

“I’m not Sunshine – that title belongs to Kalim; thank you very much.” The other deflects but all Jack could do was shake his head at that.

Yeah, sure Ace isn’t someone who is traditionally like sunshine, but he had acted like a ray of light from above. A giver of hope where there was none to be seen, a creative thinker with a bright soul.

That sounds good enough of a reason to use the name to him.

“So are we gonna begin or what?” 

“Sooooo we’ve already finished. Deuce’ll let you in on what we decided though!” Epel speaks between giggles, still seemingly not able to get over how comical that wakeup was to him. Messing with Ace?? Funny as fuck.

“Yeah, if we don’t get back soon it’ll be off with my head and you might not be able to get that off for even longer than you would have been able to get away with before.” Deuce adds, stretching just a bit.

“You sure we can’t just stay here and wait out most of this, Housewarden Yuu?” Ace asks, his tone telling Jack that the guy is joking.

Yu simply shakes his head, sticking out his tongue in a teasing gesture. “Hell no, I’ve already got to deal with Grim making a mess of the place before I can clean it; I don’t wanna deal with anymore than that thanks.” 

“Darn.” Ace snaps his fingers in a false admission of defeat. He recovers from embarrassment quick enough at least.

“It is about time I headed back too; Wakasama should be returning to Diasomnia shortly! I’ll be in contact with you about your phone, Yu.” With that said, the green haired first-year sets straight out of the dorm.

“I believe I should go too – I have some training I need to get done before the end of tonight.” Jack finds himself commenting easily, stretching a bit once he ends up on his feet once more. 

Those remaining bid him goodbye and he can’t help but feel a fond smile cross his face as he hears Epel bargaining with Yu to stay – if only to get away from Vil’s routines for a night or two. Things are never quite dull with this group; even within the ‘calm’ before the storm.

Chapter Text

Things were strange.

It’s not out of the ordinary for Deuce to feel out of place or left behind within lines of reasoning but… it still felt odd to him.

His mind tells him that Riddle is someone that he could go to for assistance with whatever might come up; that Trey or Cater might have time to explain a social cue that he had missed. However, as things are right now that isn’t quite the case.

After all, Riddle was the Crimson Tyrant at the moment – rules consuming his every movement and thought. There isn’t time for the ‘card soldiers’ as the red haired dorm head is right now – not when the rules are insane.

Still, watching his upperclassmen work themselves into exhaustion and then defend Riddle just… it felt wrong.

It grated him in every way the same way it had the first time – except even-more so. 

He knows what a kind heart Riddle holds beneath this front. He now knows just how thoughtful the other can be when not trapped within the haze that likely draws back to his mother’s treatment of him.

Great Seven, just thinking about how Riddle’s mother treated him – at least the little he knew about her in any case – makes him feel ill…

He understands where the reaction is coming from.

He can see why Trey hasn’t stepped in – why he hasn’t explained how taxing it can be. But he still remembers Ace’s very true words the first time around.

You can have a shitty past, but nothing can truly excuse your actions if you are being an asshole. If you are projecting that horrible upbringing to someone else, it isn’t forgivable – same thing with just watching as someone moves on with their business like that.

So when their first full week of school was beginning to come to a close, he knew that there was something up.

Maybe it’s because things aren’t going exactly the same as they had once upon a time – while Ace is collared, it’s not because he stole the pastry within the dorm; nor was he barred from entering the dorm while trapped like this. 

Because Ace hadn’t been collared in the same way – alongside the lack of the other’s desperate attempts to get un-collared – they hadn’t yet been pulled into painting the roses or gathering materials in order to make an apology tart.

Everything is going differently –  they hadn’t quite had an encounter with Riddle that felt… explosive. The tensions were high for everyone but the exact moment where everything had begun to take a turn hadn’t come yet. 

“... Does anything feel off to you both?” Deuce finds himself asking his two classmates as softly as he’s able – considering they’re in class. 

“No??? Why, did you forget something at the dorm?” Ace asks back – looking much better than he had three days ago when they had the first-years meeting.

“Yeah, I haven’t really seen anything off today either.” Yu answers, keeping a hand over Grim’s mouth knowing that he does NOT know what an inside voice means.

Deuce doesn’t quite get a chance to answer as Professor Crewel begins his lecture to the group of them and he would really rather not be caught by a professor to be known about his time traveling or just… anything like that. Not when this much could just go wrong for everyone involved.

Still, he can’t help but feel as though he’s forgetting something. 

Call it a gut feeling, but he knows that there is something that’s wrong. Something much different than what had happened the first time they had lived through all of this.

Returning to Heartslabyul after class was just the thing that caused the pieces to click together in his brain. Or maybe it was how he had ended up spotting several of Cater’s clones all around the hedge-maze painting the white roses red that sparked his memory.

The dorm's very first unbirthday party of the year is fast approaching – as he remembered earlier. 

And with that, came Riddle’s overblot.

That would be the very first moment where they could seriously cause damage to the timeline; the first moment where they have a huge amount of risk.

Not only had they barely been able to return Riddle-senpai to his senses the first time around – who is to say that they’d be able to save him right away. After all, he remembers the words that he has heard around the school.

What he’s heard in those days after the world had ended and where people weren’t simply dying by damage from the world around then some had overblotted themselves adding to the army of Phantoms.

It’s extremely rare for people who have overblotted to come back from the brink.

If their magic isn’t drained by the phantom that manifests behind them, then the damage that they create would do them in instead.

It’s a miracle that Night Raven College were able to save the overblot victims.

The circumstances that had resulted in the red-head’s overblot likely wouldn’t happen in the same way either. Ace wasn’t collared for eating Riddle’s tart – he was collared for drinking coffee when it is forbidden. It’s not like he could just bring in apology tea for that after all – transgressing with that rule doesn’t require that as the punishment.

So even considering the uncertainty in regards to bringing Riddle back from over the edge, there is a chance that the overblot wouldn’t even happen.

Have they failed already? Were they already doomed to a future that would be thousands of times worse than what they had seen beforehand? 

Deuce blinks, his mind being dragged back to the moment by their senpai’s swift approach – and a light nudge from Yuu. 

“Heya firsties~ What’s got you all standing around the entrance to the dorm?” Cater’s voice is bright with a slight inclination to it that spoke of his exhaustion – it makes sense, considering how much he is being made to do at the moment.

Deuce knows quite well that he and Trey are being put to work far more than anyone else. If it’s due to their efficiency or if because Riddle trusted them with these more delicate and precise matters he doesn’t know, but he remembers how everything had spiraled out of control quite well.

“Nothing much Diamond-senpai! We were just heading back to the dorm. Would you like some help with the roses? The Unbirthday Party is the day after tomorrow, right?” The dark haired boy finds himself asking, words emerging from his lips before Ace has a chance to shove his hand over Deuces lips to make him shut up.

“What Juice over here means is that we are… going back to the dorm to study so we won’t have much time to help! So sorry about that Cater-senpai.” Ace attempts to leave however the ginger third year is quick to stop the attempt to drag Deuce, Yuu and Grim away from helping.

“I don’t know, I’m sure that you two could spare some time helping me with this. Don’t you want to learn some new magic? I’m sure some practical application could be much more useful than simply staring at your notes back inside your room after all!” He pauses for a moment before continuing, as though just remembering something. “Even if you aren’t able to cast it right now, Ace-chan it’ll totes be super helpful. I’m sure Riddle might even take it as a good sign to get that collar off of you!” The wide grin Cater is wearing is more than enough for Deuce to just want to flee. 

His mom did not raise a coward though! He is going to be an honor student even while saving the world for sure. How would he be able to face her if he couldn’t be someone she’d be proud of.

Shrinking on his duties as an underclassmen to help when needed would not cut it at all.

It’s not like he and Ace are super busy anyways – it IS only the first week of school; they haven’t gotten any of the long and tedious assignments yet.

“We’ll do it!” Deuce agrees for all of them, ignoring the way that a certain boys elbow is making contact with his side in a stabbing motion.

… okay he doesn’t ignore it, he shoves Ace back. But that is him being a responsible student about it and not just taking a beating he didn’t need to take.

“Nyahaha! The great Grim is ready to take whatever magic you throw at him~”

The way that Yuu facepalms isn’t missed by Deuce, though he can tell from the smile on his face that it’s a fond exasperation at their dorm’s only other student.

“Great~ Follow me you four!” Cater winks. “I’ll show you to one of the most magicam-able spots in this place as payment.” 

Deuce smiles, eagerly following Cater through the maze. He might already know the spell – but he knows that he isn’t supposed to know that yet. Sebek had taken some time to grill them on that much – humans such as themselves shouldn’t show the fact that they were more experienced than they were the first time. They needed to exert caution about the facts that they knew and were able to pull off or something could go horribly wrong or people could get extremely suspicious. 

So learning the spell to paint the roses from Cater now would be for the best considering how often he and Ace had ended up (would end up…?) taking care of them. Getting rid of the chance of slipping up is ideal after all!

“The spell for painting the Roses is easy peasy! You just gotta aim your intent to paint the color of the roses into a bit of Flora magic. Focusing on turning the white roses to red is the key, not pink, not green, not blue, but red! Got it?” 

“Yeah, yeah. I get it, but ya don’t need to rub it in.” Ace pouts, taking a can of paint and beginning to paint the roses the old fashioned way.

Deuce on the other hand nods, turning to look at the flowers.

He knows though, that there is no way he should get this right on the first time. He knows it well enough now, but Cater doesn’t KNOW that he knows it. Add into the fact that they’re time traveling and need to actually stick to their capabilities and not raise suspicion he knows that he needs to not do it right.

Still, it’s so ingrained in him to paint them red that it’s difficult to think of anything else.

“The great Grim has this under control! Look~” Grim yells out before Deuce moves to do anything, turning the roses into a rainbow of colors – some red; but the majority leaning in the cooler tones like blue, green and purple.

“You’ll get it in no-time at all~” Deuce can almost hear the slight laughter in Cater’s voice; and based upon the way that Ace is holding back a smile himself it’s easy to see that the sentiment is shared.

It’s nice to find himself going back to the beginning of things when learning magic was the only true obstacle that laid before them.

“Alright let’s try this.” He finds himself speaking, focusing on the roses that Grim had just colored… and soon enough the roses come out red.

Kind of.

There are numerous different shades of red – some looking more like a pink, while others are coated in a crimson that is far too deep in hue.

“Good job for your first time Deucey~ Just focus on the shade of red as the paint that Ace has over here, kay?” 

He can feel his own cheeks gain heat and he just knows that the face he’s making probably is one that Ace’d make fun of him for. He ignores it and looks right back to the flowers before him.

Painting the roses the right shade of red…

He takes a few times (intentionally, he swears. It’s not because he’s getting used to the way his magic is currently feeling in his skin again, nope.) but eventually all the roses fall into a uniform color.

“Perfect! We’ll get these roses painted just in time~” Cater comments as he notices that both Deuce and Grim are working well enough to get it done.

Still though, as he moves to finish painting the roses, simple questions flow through his mind. Namely regarding just how the overblot might happen. If he recalls correctly, things had only come to a head because Ace had brought the apology tart to the unbirthday party, which caused Riddle to clench in on the rules and punishments.

Add in the fact that Ace had then decided to go up against Riddle for the position of housewarden and proceeded to verbally rip him a new one whilst leading with physical violence as opposed to the magical duel from the rules and you’d get that overblot.

However, there is no apology tart this time – Ace didn’t make the mistake of stealing one of those twice.

The whole chain reaction is off… and yet the elements remain there.

As the final white rose on the bush in front of him turns to red, he feels as though he’s close to something. Some kind of realization regarding the situation… but he doesn’t quite know what that is.

They have time – as long as the overblot occurs before the first spelldive tournament of the year – before Leona’s overblot – they should be fine, right?

Right. It’ll be close enough to not send things spiraling out of control, he feels it in his gut. And if Deuce learned one thing from his years as a delinquent, it’s to trust his instincts.

Chapter Text

The day of the unbirthday party – and as such the day before Riddle had overblotted – is upon them and Ace can’t help but feel strange.

There’s an energy flowing through his veins that feels almost like static electricity.

It’s not a bad thing at all; but strange considering the fact that he is still collared and his magic can’t be the cause of it even if it were acting strange… right?

Yeah, it can’t be that.

The only good thing for his heart is that he hasn’t had a nightmare for the past several days – not since the meeting the first years had a few days ago. He really doesn’t know what he’d have done if they continued on.

Either way, he and Deuce had a conversation last night – after their other roommates were dead asleep of course (there’s no way in hell they’re sharing this information with them.)

Deuce mentioned the fact that they didn’t have the apology tart to jumpstart the process of overblotting this time around and Ace simply took that as it was. It’s true – they don’t need to go through the effort of making a tart from scratch (thank everything for that) but they do need something to get Riddle to kick them out.

They need something that would allow their upperclassmen to see just how bad the situation is and be able to help them when the time comes.

Sure, the fact that they “aren’t bad kids” as they might be called (for now, Ace reminds himself. He knows it’s only a matter of time before they end up calling him a troublemaker or something like that like they had in their last life) works strongly in their favor; but there is something deeper to it than that.

After all, Trey is Riddle’s childhood friend as Che’nya had told them once upon a time; along with the fact that Cater openly at least, didn’t want to deal with the drama of the situation, they could have some difficulty getting help until the help the other first years would call forth would arrive.

Add that to the fact that again, they didn’t make the apology tart and as such didn’t get such open exposure to Trey as an upperclassman; that puts them in a bit more of a tricky situation when it comes to the third years.

There is a lot up in the air that he doesn’t know how it’ll fall; but he is pretty sure that he knows just what to do to piss Riddle off enough to get him and the others out of there – alongside ways to make it seem as though he simply didn’t know what he was doing.

He does not want them to be more pissed at him than they possibly were before after all.

That, and he doesn’t want to test Riddle’s patience once he snaps back to the upperclassman that they knew from the future – if that happens.

When it happens. He needs to think in when’s and not if’s.

What if is something that is up in the air; something that could change just as easily as the wind. When is something that will happen without a doubt.

They will do what they need to – without a single moment of hesitation or doubt.

Easy as that.

Bringing tea as a payment to Riddle during the ceremony is something that is out of order – but isn’t quite the same level as bringing a tart in accordance to the rules. 

The bit that is the kicker though is what he will do while presenting the tea at the end of it all. If he were to ‘accidentally’ present it within a tea kettle as per normal and fail to bring his own teacup to pour it in – or rather, bring in a broken teacup that broke on the way there thanks to a trip or stumble… that should be good enough.

He’ll need to play his attitude right – just the right level of self-righteousness, mixed with a side of… genuineness. 

Ugh, he doesn’t even want to think about that.

But it’s for the sake of the future; the sake of everything that’ll come to be.

He isn’t getting paid enough for this at all. Or being paid in general, but shhh. He can ignore that much for sure.

“Are you sure it’s gonna work?” Deuce asks, voice uncertain.

“Absolutely. I looked up enough of the unbirthday party rules to make sure that we are toeing into the lines of breaking the rules while it’s clear that they’re outlandish.” A smirk plays at his lips as he brews the tea inside of the kitchen – easily making it to perfection; and by that he means a good bit hotter than usual.

It needs to be perfectly warm by the time the Unbirthday Party happens in an hour after all.

“I’m the ‘master rule-breaker’, remember? I’m pretty sure I can do this much properly~” 

“A rule breaker~ Oh what fun, what fun!!!” A voice Ace hadn’t expected to show up right now speaks from behind him. No one is visibly there however… future knowledge makes it obvious that it is in fact Che’nya.

“Who is that!” Deuce stands up straight, looking around the room for a sign for who it was. Ace finds himself looking around too – not quite knowing just where to look considering the fact that the cat beastman could have easily moved from where he had last spoken.

“Yeah! If you’re going to call out something we said, you should at least show yourself y’know~ It’s lame to just insult someone behind their backs yknow.” Ace comments, almost caught off guard from how Che’nya manifests right behind him, easily speaking into his ear.

“Ahaha, what a spunky energy mew both have! I like it~” 

“And don’t just speak into someone’s ear like that! Mega creepy dude-” 

And he’s interrupted by a laugh coming from Che’nya’s lips. “Sure, sure~ I won’t do that again… today that is.” 

“Is there a reason you’re in the kitchen of Heartslabyul? I’m pretty sure you aren’t a student here after all.” Deuce comments, looking at just what Che’nya is wearing.

Yeah, he definitely isn’t wearing the dorm’s uniform – a valid call from Deuce for sure.

“I was just seein’ if I could find an old friend of mine~ but I found the makin’ of drama instead! Truly an amewsin’ time~.”

“An old friend of yours? Who?” Ace finds himself asking easily – knowing that Che’nya would be looking for Trey at this hour. It makes him wonder just how often it is that the two of them ended up meeting up; though it happening today makes sense.

After all, they had come across the purple haired RA student the first time around on this day as well.

The cat of course, chuckles at that. “That’s for me to know and for mew to find out mewself~”

Che’nya might fade from view at that but he pops back in as only his head right near the exit. “I look forward to seeing just how mew go about breakin’ the queen’s rules~” 

And when he fades away the next time, Ace can tell that he had left – and likely went to actually seek out Trey. Or to stake out a good spot to watch shit go down; whatever it is that that cat might do.

He shares a look with Deuce – still confused about Trey and Riddle’s childhood friend despite it all; but perhaps they could count on him to be on the lookout for things going wrong.

Though he seems like the type to embrace chaos, Che’nya doesn’t seem like the type that would just do nothing. He had helped them to find Trey the first time – knowing things could go wrong, he probably is keeping close to their upperclassmen. Surely.

“To the unbirthday party?” Ace offers after a few minutes of silence – it’s about time to get moving after all.

“Yes! Let’s go; make sure not to ruin this, Ace.”

“But isn’t that my goal , Deuce?” He sticks his tongue out at the spade marked boy before heading out – tea properly prepared and in hand. 

It’s showtime.

Chapter Text

Deuce didn’t know just what he expected to happen when the two of them had met up with Yuu and Grim in order to attend the unbirthday party by the entry to the rose maze, but he hadn’t expected things to get out of hand so soon.

Ace was right; if he is good at one thing in particular in regard to their entire situation of heading back in time, it’s his innate ability to summon forth Riddle’s anger.

The tea itself hadn’t been a move that raised too many red flags upon their entry – but Deuce is able to sum that up to how they had entered casually rather than storming in with a rush and hurriedly presenting the other with the apology gift.

However, upon walking up to present the ‘apology gift’ to Riddle, Ace made a show of tripping, just enough so that the teacup in his hand clashed against the kettle and ended up with a solid chip in it. Something that Deuce knew would be absolutely unprofessional in Riddle’s eyes. Something that would call for even further punishment.

“For you, Dorm Leader! An apology tea to be shared in order to rectify the act of drinking coffee within the dorm.” 

An eyebrow is raised at that comment by Trey – something Deuce only noticed because he was tasked with keeping a lookout on everything that could foil their plan – if any of the upperclassmen ended up stepping in and preventing the attempt to make amends from falling apart it would ruin everything and he and the other first years don’t even want to think about what would happen in that case.

No thanks, he doesn’t want to change what has happened so much that he wouldn’t be able to recognize just what could happen in the near future.

“And the type of tea?” The red haired dorm head asks, his voice sharp and to the point.

Deuce remembers with a strong recollection how everything within these parties had to happen by exact intervals – and if this took too long, they would most definitely be infringing upon that.

“Chamomile; I figured that it would be the ideal tea to present considering how it is one that is often offered to assist with insomnia.” Ace answers, his voice carrying a sense of smugness to it that Deuce wants to stomp out just a bit. He always was someone to brag about the things that he just knew – even if it wasn’t even him who had come up with the idea.

Of course, that’s the entire point of the orange haired boy’s current attitude but that’s beside the point.

Riddle’s eye twitches a little bit, looking to the side at the table.

…

Wait, was that one of the types of tea that conflicted with the first Unbirthday Party of the school year? They had always alternated which teas were permitted for party-goers with each occasion. It’s an odd system that Deuce doesn’t even fully remember; which teas were to be banned for each party through the year and which ones were encouraged changed so often it feels random; even though it isn’t.

Suddenly, Ace’s plan for invoking Riddle’s rage in what would hopefully (for the time-space continuum’s sake) lead to the red haired dorm leaders overblot comes together in Deuces mind. 

Tea exchanged for Coffee but it was one that absolutely could not be presented at an unbirthday party.

He could see the way that Riddle’s face basically blooms in anger taking on an appearance almost as bright as his hair. 

“CHAMOMILE tea?! Of all the types of tea? Have you no shame?”

“No? Isn’t this more than enough of a repayment? It’s still warm and everything.”

“Queen of Heart’s rule 567, Tea which is to be presented at an Unbirthday Party is to be on the certified list of teas that rotate for each occasion.”

Deuce hears murmuring from the other students, blending together as confusion arises – Cater and Trey are even bringing it up.

“There’s that many rules?” Yuu asks, confusion clear to be seen about why there could be that many rules for something like a school dormitory.

“There are a total of 810 rules of which you must follow! Now, be rid of that beverage and get out of sight!”

“But-”

“There will be no ‘buts’, leave the Unbirthday Party or that collar upon your neck will not come off.”

“Okay, okay, jeez you don’t need to be so stuck up. Haven’t you ever heard of a tyranny? Because that’s sure what this dorm feels like.” Ace comments, before turning to leave the unbirthday party.

“A tyranny? No, it is simply the way of Heartslabyul to follow the Queen of Heart’s rules and ideologies. It is how things are meant to be, the way the Queen had intended it to be!”

Riddle’s face had somehow become even more red if that was even possible. The amount of rage in the garden is palpable and Deuce can’t help but wonder if Ace had overdone it just a bit. This is just the beginning after all; challenging Riddle for the dorm position – away from where most of the students are – is the goal that they’re aiming towards after all.

Either way, it is on a sour note that Ace leaves the party. It doesn’t take too long for things to fizzle out after that, allowing Deuce, Yuu and Grim their own escape. If everything has gone to plan, Ace will have talked with the headmage to convince him to allow a challenge against Riddle for dorm leader.

Seeing the headmage head over to Riddle and overhearing the challenge that has been made for the dorm head position affirms that the plan is firmly in motion.

The challenge itself would happen the next day; a full 24 hours to prepare for the battle to come. This time around, it was only Ace who would be sending forth the challenge but considering the things that they have already changed, it shouldn’t be too big of a deal.

After all, it would be what comes after the challenge that would hopefully lead to the outcome they’re seeking. The battle that they’d need to resolve as quickly as possible.

He parts from Yuu and Grim – sending a text in the groupchat about the challenge going as planned and to be prepared by 3:30 pm the next day– before heading back to the dorm for the night.

Sleep didn’t come easy for him or for Ace. After all, this would be the first step towards the same future they’re trying to divert. The weight of the situation is heavy upon his shoulders – all of their shoulders. The hope that they’re doing the right thing, the fear that they may mess things up and end up with an even worse outcome than the first time around…

Deuce isn’t much of a heavy thinker – much more of a doer if he’s honest. But… he can’t help but toss the situation around in his head just a bit.

“Can’t sleep?” 

Ace’s voice snaps him out of his reverie, and he looks towards his orange haired roommate. 

“Yeah. You?”

A laugh.

“When have I ever? It’s been rough, dude.” 

Ah. Honesty is not something he saw coming from Ace. Still, to have the other bringing that up now feels… almost odd, if he’s honest.

“I don’t think you’ve gotten a full night’s sleep since we…” Deuce trails off but his meaning is clear.

“Yeah. It’s wild though, isn’t it? How we’re going to be facing off with Riddle-senpai again – how I’m going to battle for a headwardenship that I don’t even really want anymore, how I hope that this’ll be enough to get through…” 

Deuce hums in response. It’s… a lot. 

On an impulse, he finds himself standing abruptly, moving to Ace’s bed without a second thought and plopping himself down next to his friend.

“It is… but we can do it. We did it once, right? Just gotta kick Riddle’s ass into gear and do just as good if not better than we did last time.” 

“Of course we can! Like you said, we did it once. There’s no way we lose so completely in something we’ve already done before.” Ace brags, tone filled with pride but Deuce sees something else reflected in his eyes. He wonders why Ace’s eyes seem so… sad, almost (?) when he brings that up.

He doesn’t bring it up.

What Deuce does though, is give Ace’s hand a squeeze. 

Ace is nervous about something. Deuce isn’t the smartest, nor the best with words but… he hopes that his company at the very least will be of some comfort. Maybe. 

“Let’s get some sleep, you need to have energy for tomorrow.” He speaks, not moving from his spot.

“Aight. Shouldn’t you get back to your bed then, dumbass?” 

“Hmmm.” Deuce thinks for a moment before shaking his head. “No. I think I’ll sleep right here, thanks.” 

He remembers during that meeting with the other first years, how Ace had actually slept for the first time since coming back. So… if company is what Ace needs to rest up for the battle of a lifetime (what should have been the battle of a lifetime rather than the first battle of many), then Deuce will drop his own pride and force it upon him.

“...Fine.” 

Ace conceding just proves his point. He smirks a bit before settling down beside the other. Tomorrow, the battle against the Phantom born from Riddle Rosehearts would commence. They’re as ready as they can be, they just need to get the job done.