Twisted Wonderland: Princess of Outworld

Chapter 17 A Surprising Background

Though they had left the unbirthday party, they stayed somewhere in the rose maze to cool off. (Y/n) had to sit down to cool her head. She remembered that her family always told her that kombat should be a last option, but she still drew her weapons out. She felt so ashamed, but Ace's screaming cut off her thinking.

"Rrrgh! I hate that little ginger megalomaniac! Does he think HE'S the Queen of Hearts?" Ace ranted angrily as he paced around. "Banished by the housewarden from my own dorm... My dream of becoming an honor student is slipping further and further away..." Deuce slowly fell to his knees in defeat. "Stupid collar! It's so tight! Grrr..." Grim tried to get the collar off. "Oh, if Mother and Father saw me draw out my weapons first, they'd be so disappointed." (Y/n) mumbled.

"You're really racking up those collars. Quite the impressive collection." A floating head appeared in front of them. Everyone screamed in fright. Grim quickly leaped into (Y/n)'s arms. "Myah! A ghost head!"

"Oh dear. It seems I'm not all here." Turns out it was a boy around their age. He had short, choppy purple hair with his bangs cut in a curve, as well as three bobby pins pinned to the bang on the left side of his face. He has a pair of purple cat ears with a piercing of a speech bubble containing the word "up" in his left ear, as well as three arrow piercings in his right ear. He has yellow eyes with slitted cat pupils. He wears a baggy white shirt over a striped purple t-shirt and blue pants with a purple belt that has the sentence "Do you stand on your head?" printed on it.

(Y/n) smiled at the boy. "Amazing! You have a similar ability as Syzoth. If he were here, he would be thrilled!" The mysterious boy smiled back at her. "Thank you, purretty lady!"

Ace and Deuce quickly pulled (Y/n) back next to them. "What? Er, so you do have a body, then? Who are you?" Deuce narrowed his eyes.

"The name's Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker. Am I a cat? Am I a purrrson? A mimsy borogove, perhaps? A mome rath with a knack for magic?" The boy gave a spin before he bowed. "Uh, look, Ar... Arte... Run the name by me again?" Ace tried to repeat the name. "Heh heh. People usually just call me Che'nya. Let's just say I'm not from the other side of the looking glass." Che'nya chuckles.

(Y/n) noticed that Che'nya's uniform is different from Ace and Deuce's. She thought he must be from another down. "Forgive me for asking, but what dorm are you from?" She asked. "Why don't you try to guess?" Che'nya grinned as he moved closer to her. Grim placed his paw to his chin before he smirked in confidence. "Oh, I know! He's got animal ears, so he's gotta be from... uh... Bananaclaw, was it?" Che'nya made a fake buzzing noise with a thumbs down. "Bzzzzzt! Incorrect. Bananas grow on trees, do they not? I, on the other hand, am a cat."

"And besides, other dorms have students with animal ears, too." Deuce adds. "After the insanity that teapot tyrant put me through, I'm not in the mood for whatever this is. Just leave me alone." Ace turned away from them and crossed his arms.

"Riddle the teapot tyrant... Heh heh. Well, I can't dismiss that perspective as wrong. He's always been quite strict." Che'nya spoke as he had (Y/n) stroke his ears. He won't lie, he liked getting her attention. (Y/n) couldn't help but giggle at him. Deuce quickly pulled (Y/n) back to her. "Do you know something about him?" Che'nya pulled (Y/n) into a hug and nuzzled his cheek against hers. "Perhaps there are things that I know, and perhaps there are things that I don't." Grim pulled on (Y/n)'s leg. "That's not an answer! And let go of my hench-human!" Che'nya smiled and finally let go of the princess of Outworld. "Is there something you wish to know about Riddle?" This got Ace's attention. "Yeah, what created such a control freak?"

"I believe his four-eyed friend may have the answer." Che'nya told. "Four-eyed friend. Are you referring to Trey?" (Y/n) asked. "He's known Riddle since we were all little boys. If you want to know more about Riddle, I would begin my quest there." Che'nya nodded his head. "They're childhood friends? I didn't really get that impression." Deuce said. "If you're so perceptive, then what are you asking me for? Buh-bye! And buh-bye purretty lady!" Che'nya's body slowly disappeared. "H-hey!" Deuce tried to stop him. "Ha ha ha ha...!" It was too late, Che'nya had vanished. "I tell ya, no one makes any sense around here." Grim spoke out. (Y/n) couldn't help but giggle at their encounter. "His ability reminds me of Syzoth. I bet he would be thrilled to know someone else holds a vanishing trick." Grim turns to (Y/n). "Oh yeah. Ya mentioned that Suzoth guy was part of that royal circle back at your home." (Y/n) nodded. "Yes, Syzoth is Mother and Aunt Mileena's emissary to the Zaterrans."