𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚 |. 𝙏𝙒𝙎𝙏 .|

𝟏𝟗

——"Gah!" Riddle gasped from below me, suddenly lurching forward only to be stopped by the foot on his chest, which was my own.

"He's back!" Ace gawked. "Well, it's about time... We were just about losin' our heads here - figure of speech, sorry - 'cause we thought you might never wake up!" Cater said.

I stepped off of Riddle, my body felt heavy, I was exhausted and panting. "...What in the world happened...?" He asked, coughing as he stood up. "Ah, Mr. Rosehearts appears to have regained consciousness. Excellent." Crowley chimed.

"Don't worry, Riddle. Just try to rest." Trey said, catching him as he almost collapsed. "Yo, that's just the sort of coddling that led to him going nuts in the first place! Now the garden is tore up from the floor up, not to mention that we could've died!" Ace scolded.

"He's right. It was looking bad for a while there." Deuce added. "For cryin' out loud. When you humans let that stress build up, the results sure ain't pretty." Grim commented, rubbing against my legs. Hmm...where have I heard that before?

"The truth is, I...I really wanted to eat the chestnut tart." Riddle started, looking toward Ace. "Huh?" He asked. "And I don't care if the roses are white, or the flamingos are pink. And I prefer honey to sugar cubes in my tea, and I like milk tea better than lemon tea anyhow. And after a meal, I want to be the one sitting around talking with everyone..." Riddle sniffled.

"Riddle...?" Trey muttered. "And I really wanted to play with you and Chenya more, Trey. (Sniff)...(Sniff)...WAAAAAAAH!" Riddle wailed, falling to his knees, sobbing like a baby. So it wasn't real. It was an illusion.

"Riddle Rosehearts, in tears... Hashtag #WOW." Cater's eyes widened as he took a step back in surprise.

"You think a few crocodile tears is all it'll take for me to forgive you?" Ace asked, his voice stern. "Give the guy a break, Ace." Deuce elbowed his arm with a frown. That's my boy.

"I'm sorry, Riddle. I knew you were suffering, and all I did was pretend not to notice." Trey said, he himself had his eyes pricked with tears. Riddle let out another sob.

"So I'm gonna say what I should have said earlier. Your way of doing things was wrong, and you owe everyone an apology." Trey said, wiping his tears away. Riddle nodded inbetween sniffles, getting his life together.

"... I'm sorry... I'm really sorry." He said, wiping away more tears. "I know I've been saying I wanted an apology from Riddle, but now that I got one, y'know what? One stupid "I'm sorry" doesn't even come close to making up for what he did!" Ace exclaimed.

"DUDE! Way to be a capital-J Jerk!" Cater exclaimed. "I hate to say it but he's right..." I started, crossing my arms. "HAH?!" Everyone exclaimed at once, (excluding Riddle, who was still gathering himself.)

"Think about it. Riddle almost killed us and himself. Would you forgive a thief who's told your belongings if he said sorry?" They all looked at the ground at the prompt. Go figure.

"Have you forgotten how he made a total fool outta me?! Have you forgotten how he just threw away that chestnut tart we worked so hard on?!
That ain't something you can make go away with a few tears and a flimsy "I'm sorry"!" Ace added with a weak glare and a frown.

"Wow. I ain't never met anyone who was better at holdin' grudges than I am." Grim said. "Then... Then what do you want me to do?!" Riddle asked, rather desperate for forgiveness. How the turn tables indeed.

"You know... I don't got a birthday coming up anytime soon." Ace started. Oh no, please not another one. I can only consume so many pastries, no matter how good they taste. "Huh? What are you talking about?" Deuce asked.

"So I demand a do-over for the unbirthday party!
Except this time, we ain't gotta do squat. This time, YOU'RE the one who brings the tart! And no getting Trey to make it for you! Do that, and then things are square between us." Ace said, his frown turning into a smirk. How petty.

"Just admit you want a tart." A said with a smile. "Quiet from the peanut gallery! What do you say, Riddle? We clear?" Ace asked, helping Riddle up with a small smile. "Yes... We're clear." Riddle sighed. "Ah, yes. Compromise is a beautiful thing. I believe that concludes this matter." Crowley applauded.

"Welp, looks like we got some cleaning up to do.
All that work making the garden Magicam worthy, and now it's a total tire fire. Laaame." Cater groaned with a pout. "I'll help out." Trey chimed with a smile.

"No, why don't you get Riddle to the nurse's office. That was a full-blown case of overblot. We need to make absolutely sure he's okay." Cater said, crossing his arms with a frown.

"Mr. Diamond is correct. I will go along with you." Crowley said. "Understood. Thank you, sir." Trey said, nodding his head in respect before leaving, Crowley carrying an exhausted Riddle.

"Man, am I STARVED after usin' so much magic! Hmmm Hey, check it out!" Grim said, pointing to a pure-black stone. "That's another black magestone, just like the one we found at the Dwarfs' Mine!" Grim observed.

"You're right. Wonder where it came from?" Deuce pondered, holding his chin in thought. "Just don't put it in your mouth this time." Ace sighed. "No way. After how great that last one tasted, I can't get that thing in my mouth fast enough!" Grim drooled.

"Aaand there it goes." Ace sighed, watching Grim consume the rock like it was his last meal. "Oh, Grimmy... Have some self-respect, honey! That was literally trash." Cater grimaced.

"Ahhhhh! Rich and sweet, but with a complex hint of bitterness in the aftertaste. Equally delicious, but with quite a different mouthfeel from that last one I ate." Grim purred.

"I guess this is just a thing now." I said, pinching the bridge of my nose in disappointment. "As a monster, maybe his stomach works differently than ours?" Ace prompted. "Even still, eating trash can't be good for anyone." Deuce said.

Grim suddenly spoke up. "Oooh! I just tried the grass, and the flavor was surprisingly pleasant! Crisp, even!" He purred. "That's our lawn! Don't eat that!" Deuce scolded, scooping up Grim in his arms before he could cause more havoc.

"Uh, A-F-K while I go throw up... But...seriously, guys. Thanks." Cater muttered the last bit. "Did you just say something?" Ace asked. "Hm? Nope. Not a thing." He nervously chuckled.

A/N: SO CLOSE TO THE HEART ARC BEING DONE AHHHHHH.