Twisted Wonderland: A New Dawn

Chapeter 9

Headmage Crowley shook his head sadly after Prefect told him about Rhyme the next day.
  "I'm very disappointed in her," Crowley said. "A girl of her talent truly does belong here but she seems very determined to hate you."
  "That doesn't make me feel any better." Prefect said, but the Headmage continued like he hadn't spoken.
  "Of course, her actions will need to be corrected. I will speak with Headwarden Azul at once and get Rhyme back to Ramshackle."
  "Thank you sir." Prefect said.
  "Oh yes," Crowley replied. "My generosity knows no bounds."
  Prefect rolled his eyes, but Crowley didn't see it hidden in the shadows of the hood.
  "Now, I believe Grim is in recovery?" Crowley asked.
  "Yes sir," Prefect said, nodding. "Rhyme used a spell on him called "Queen's Board". Grim says he can't remember what happened last night after Rhyme said the word "scratch". "
  "So you think it was a mind-controlling spell then?"
  Prefect nodded. "I do, sir. But she said that was her second signature spell."
  Crowley leaned forward. "Her second? Do explain."
  "Last night, she trapped the ghost in a spell called "Through the Looking Glass" and controlled Grim using "Queen's Board", " Prefect explained. "She also told me that "Queen's Board" was her second signature spell."
Crowley leaned back, stunned. "A second signature spell is extremely rare," he said. "It can take years to craft one suited to your specific characteristics so to craft two spells of that high power...I suggest you talk to Housewarden Riddle and learn what you can about Rhyme's two spells while I hunt Miss Rosehearts down."
~~~~~
  The students of Heartslabyul were in the middle of a croquet practice when Prefect walked over.
  Cater waved at him before taking a swing with his flamingo. His hedgehog rolled quite a fair distance before unrolling to nibble at the grass.
  "What brings you down to Heartslabyul?" Cater asked as Prefect walked over.
  "Headmage Crowley suggested I talk to Riddle about Rhyme," Prefect said. "She ran off last night and used her signature spells. I need to know more about Rhyme in order to understand her."
  Trey, who had just swung at his own hedgehog, turned to look at Prefect. "Rhyme ran off? That would explain Riddle's current mood."
  "His mood?" Prefect inquired.
  "Yeah...Riddle's been a bit easier to anger today," Cater said. "If you want to speak with him, it might get heated."
  Prefect looked down the line of students and flamingos till he saw Riddle at the front of the line, just as he swung his flamingo so hard that the small hedgehog flew through the air, before landing in front of Cater's.
  "Oh dear," Trey said, shaking his head. "I suppose it's only natural of him to be upset by this turn of events but I'm worried it'll turn into a mess if we can't calm him down."
  "Where are Ace and Deuce?" Prefect asked, having failed to see them down the line.
  "Farther in the garden," Cater said. "Practice tends to get a few hedgehogs lost in the maze so someone has to grab them."
  "So they're avoiding Riddle's anger." Prefect summarized.
  "Pretty much."
  Prefect nodded, then took a deep breath. "Well, I'm not leaving till I learn everything Riddle has to say about Rhyme."
  "Riddle won't talk till practice is over," Trey said. "And in his current mood, that could take awhile."
  "Well," Cater said. "There is one exception...What about a formal game?"
  "It could work," Trey said. "But many of these students are still clumsy with their flamingo's and don't have the same bond that Riddle had with his flamingo."
  "So single combat then," Cater said. "Riddle alone against you or me."
  But Trey shook his head. "Riddle overtook both of our hedgehogs with a single blow. We'd fail."
  Prefect noticed a few flamingos still standing on the sidelines and wandered over.
  "Those are dud flamingos," Cater said, looking over. "You know, one's who curl up their necks before they can hit the hedgehog?"
  "So they're avoided just for that?" Perfect asked, walking back over.
  Trey and Cater nodded.
  "How fast can you guys teach me how to play?" Prefect asked.
  "Huh?"
  "I keep my word. I won't leave till I learn about Rhyme, so I'll challenge Riddle and get him to tell me about her during the game."
  Trey and Cater looked at each other and Trey shrugged, shaking his head. "I doubt it'll work, but alright. I'll inform Riddle of the challenge. Cater, you'll have to run Prefect though a croquet crash-course."
  "You got it!" Cater exclaimed as Trey firmly planeded his flamingo into the dirt before walking over to Riddle.
  Prefect was too far away to hear what was said but it was very visible that Riddle was angry.
  "Focus Prefect," Cater said, pulling Prefect's mind back. "You've come to a few practice rounds before but you've never actually played. Here's what you're gonna need to know."
~~~~~
  Only a few people remained to watch the croquet match; Trey, Cater, Ace, Deuce and a handful of other students.
  Riddle and Prefect held their flamingos and Ace elbowed Deuce. "Is Prefect holding one of the dud flamingos?" He asked.
  Deuce looked over and squinted. "I believe it is. But why wouldn't he grab one of the better flamingos?"
  "He said he didn't want to break the bonds anyone had with their own flamingos," Trey said, overhearing the conversation. "So he chose one that had no bond."
  "Won't that put him at a disadvantage?" Ace asked. "Riddle's a pro at this. And Prefect barely learned the rules."
  Trey shrugged. "Yes, there is a disadvantage, but I don't think Prefect plans to win."
  Worried, the two freshmen turned back to watch the match.
  At the beginning of the rose maze, Prefect gently rubbed his flamingo's neck, murmuring calming words to it as Riddle stepped over.
  "You won't win against me with that sorry excuse for a Queendom of Roses flamingo," Riddle said. "You won't even hit the hedgehog."
  "I don't plan to win," Prefect said, keeping his eyes on the flamingo. "I only want to know about Rhyme from you."
  Before Riddle could reply, Prefect had picked up his flamingo and struck at the hedgehog in front of him, sending it into the maze, starting the game.
  The two of them quickly spread through the rose maze, each hitting their hedgehog with the flamingo, heading towards the center of the maze before doubling back. Whoever reached the entrance to the maze first would win.
  The hedge walls were thick, but as Prefect was rounding a corner, he saw his hedgehog crawling over to Riddle, who was leaning on the hedge wall.
  "My sister doesn't know how much this is hurting me," Riddle said softly. "I guess that's something we have in common."
  Prefect didn't say anything.
  "When we were kids, Rhyme stayed in the attic, a banishment because she couldn't, or rather, wouldn't learn the rules like I did," Riddle continued. "She didn't complain, but I think it hurt her to be forcefully pushed into the shadows."
  "So she's doing this because she wants to stand out," Prefect reasoned. "But she wants to do it in a place where she can reach greater heights."
  Riddle nodded, then reached over as Prefect's hedgehog climbed up his arm. "She's my sister and I can't do anything to stop her," he said gently stroking the hedgehog's head. "She came by last night before heading to Octavinelle. I tried to talk her out of her idea, but she wouldn't listen. It's infuriating how she's so set on this that she isn't seeing why she's in Ramshackle."
  "You can?" Prefect asked, intrigued.
  Riddle nodded again, placing the hedgehog down. "She already has all of the traits of the Great Seven. That's why her soul didn't fit in any dorm. But she can't see that."
  "So she's going to try and forcibly change her personality to fit into a dorm, potentially destroying her original personality." Prefect realized.
  "I can't lose Rhyme again," Riddle said, picking up his dozing flamingo. "So you better get her back, Prefect."
  The game of course ended with Riddle winning by a masterful swing which sent his hedgehog flying into the air and out of the maze while Prefect's flamingo, who had recovered some of its fear of the hedgehog, quickly returned to curling its neck up to avoid the quills.
  "Don't let Rhyme lose herself," Riddle said after the match. "Bring her home."