Her dorm room door opened and shut almost at the same time.

Reia had gone to her potions and Alchemy class, and immediately after it ended up back at her dorm—to of course nap her free time away.

Everything seemed normal then.

But unfortunately, only about 20 minutes into Reia's nap, her roommate Purah—an oak-bark brown-skinned long-haired brunette, came barging in with absolute horror thrown across her face.

And in a panicked high pitch, Purah squealed "What the hell happened?!"

Her face stayed planted in her pillow, sleep was just too good to give up.

"What do you mean what happened?" Reia said into the pillow yawning and stretching.

Her mind went blank—and to be fair Reia wasn't always using her brain.

"What did you do?!"

If Purah was mad that Reia lost something of hers while cleaning, it wasn't Reia, because she had placed all of Purah's small belongings neatly on her desk.

Then she remembered...

There was no way this had anything to do with what happened with Reia earlier, no way!

The redhead she left..who was he?

The boy with the chains...

Blanket...

Purple monkey...

The Stupid Purple monkeys...

In one move Reia was out of her bed and on her feet "If this is about Brick and his stupid Purple monkeys club—"

"Here look, just look!" Purah held up a newspaper, holding it directly in front of Reia and pointing to the headlines.

THE DAILY DECOROUS

Purple Monkey BRUTALLY assaulted by clubless rebel

—Only an hour before this printing, a rebellious and angry girl in a fit of rage-

...

Kingdom of Koncord on high alert after Neitharian Empire invades multiple sovereign-states in Northern region

...

Jaw-Gnomes devour rest of the purple forest, eradicating the world-wonder entirely

...

She was a rebel now?

Reia's mouth dried and lips parted, she took the paper from Purah, looking at herself taking a great swing at Brick with the mightiest angry-bitch face she had ever seen.

-That face needed to go.

"Wait–wait, Purah, this just happened!" Reia was bulge-eyed, scanning her eyes over the paper absorbing every single word as she felt more and more mortified.

"Dude, what happened? Please tell me you're not giving up on your future."

"How the hell did they get this thing printed so fast it's only been like—2 hours since! This is stupid!"

"Can you tell your roommate what's going on in that wild head of yours? Let's talk, let's talk!" Purah held up her palms and at some point began shaking Reia like a can of whipped cream, only stopping when Reia agreed, gently slapping Purah's shoulder.

"Okay! Look, shit happened today, nothing crazy...just...normal Decorous BS– this kid was being attacked, and I'm talking he was getting clapped up, but I walked past him and was feeling really bad, so when I saw Blanket wrapped up like some sort of chattel slave— I may or may not have hit the one responsible in their jaw a few times.

"And it was a Purple Monkey—One of the purple monkeys?"

Yeah...it was pretty bad now that Reia thought about it.

Still.

Her decision had been made.

"It was Blanket! He was getting choked and squeezed! I couldn't just let him get his ass handed to him! You know Blanket!"

"Dude! Look what the newspaper says! It says you attacked this kid Brick, in a fit of rage, when Brick... slightly bumped into you?"

Purah leaned over, looking at the paper, Reia's forehead squinted like she didn't believe what she'd just read out loud.

That wasn't what happened!

Though at that moment, she regretted hitting him so much, which ultimately led to this misleading paper!

"Purah does that sound like me? Like Reia Welsh? I don't go around just socking kids who piss me off, that'd go against my whole thing." Reia slapped her thigh.

"No, this is a bs article, but see—that's why you shouldn't have got involved! This isn't Castle! I know you want to do these things—but there's no type of way this doesn't end badly for you!"

"He was being bullied! I thought you hated it too?!"

"I do! And so does everyone else who's clubless and can't fight back, they get bullied! But it's not our job, that's the sentinels' and the instructors'!"

"Oh great, what're they gonna do? Write a damn report? That'll save the day."

...Because everyone knew that the sentinels took bullying extra-super seriously and would definitely work on rectifying the issue immediately.

"But now look at what happened!"

With her arms crossed Reia sighed "Well... no one'll believe this bs, right? Why would someone clubless like me, just right out attack someone backed by the largest club unprovoked? That doesn't make sense."

When silence was all that came from Purah, the Photonmancer felt like facepalming, she already knew.

"No, no—you're- pretty much being trash-talked everywhere, everyone believes the bs. That's why I came back here and didn't go to class!

Yeah, that sounded about right.

Reia just fluttered her eyes, reminding herself that what anyone else said didn't matter.

Of course, why would she expect anything else?

"All I did was help Blanket! How did it turn into me, me being the bully?!"

Well, she had stayed longer than necessary to get more hits in and that may have been her downfall.

"This photo does make you look violent," Purah noted, tapping the side of her lip as she thought.

"I look so like: grr, they really know how to get a bad angle."

"Oh please, I think look great, just...absolutely violent."

Falling back into her bed, Reia let out an aggravated sigh "This is dumb. So now what? What happens now?"

"Dude, if I knew, I would've already made some sort of counterplay for you! I'm still trying to keep you out of the spotlight."

"I just want to nap! I was in history and nobody said a word or tried to press me, so I think It won't be that big of a deal." Reia declared, opting to lay back and rest her eyes, hoping all her troubles would just get up and hop-scotch out the window.

But that didn't happen.

"No. You need to take a look at who you hit and understand just how big this is."

Who, didn't really matter to Reia.

"He had it coming."

"Reia...I'm not saying he didn't..." now Purah had her arms crossed.

"Okay! I might have hit him way more times than necessary—but I still don't feel bad for hitting him."

"Well, it's not about you feeling bad, it's what the Purple monkeys are going to freaking do to you!" Purah was waving her arms all over, trying to get her point "Look, today you hit Brick Nooruck—that's the brother of Kayo Nooruck, Vice President of the Purple monkeys and I hear words already spread throughout the school! That Reia Welsh, the one Photonmancer in our school attacked the Purple Monkey vice president's baby brother! Kayo is not a forgiving person."

Oh.

They came from the Nooruck family—though all she knew on that subject was that the Nooruck were a rich and respected family of knights and that's how those kids climbed their way to the tops of the totem pole.

That she didn't expect.

And laying on her bed, with her hands behind her head with all the minor issues of the day flashing in front of her eyes she let out a small laugh.

"Huh? What? This isn't funny. They're not known for being forgiving—you know what happened to Scott Markus and Nulie Athens with the giant-locusts cereal! I don't want that to happen to you!"

Oh, that was almost enough to make her shudder.

There were many stories of the Purple monkeys outright demonizing those who committed 'transgressions' against them.

And to be completely honest, she wasn't even sure if some of those kids were ever even truly guilty.

"I'm not laughing because that was funny, it's just so funny how it's all turning out—I mean some kid pulled up and took a picture of me then freaking ran and was able to both write an article and print that article in only a few hours. Sounds like my luck."

Not that she tended to have bad luck, but she couldn't point any many of the times where her luck was good.

What was going on?

"Oh, so that's how they got this shot of you!"

"There were like seven different people who saw Brick bullying Blanket, but what do they mean I'm the aggressor?"

"It's a lie, Reia..."

"That kid—" Reia took the newspaper and crumbled it up before incinerating it in her palm, it was ash now... "What a rat! I should go down there to the Newspaper club and demand an explanation, huh?"

Knowing damn well that wouldn't work.

"Did the guy who took that photo dislike you?" Purah calmly shook her head, as if to say let's not rush into things.

"Yo, I've never seen that kid a day in my life, he pulled up, snapped a quick shot, and jetted, right after I tried to ask what the fuck he was doing!"

"You gotta stay here for a while!"

"A while, how long would that be? I'm not staying locked in our room!"

"But they'll be looking for you! Huh? Why aren't you taking this more seriously?! We have to graduate and become awesome knights! Then you'll help me find the celestial sphere, and we'll never have to work again!"

"I'm not afraid to go out there even if some paper's slandering my name! It's only been two hours and these no lives already have something completely wrong to say about me. So, I'll just punch that kid and anyone else who wants a problem.", Reia declared, holding her fist up, that she'd just won a boxing match.

"Do you see what all this punching is doing to your nails?" The girl then grabbed Reia's wrists and started gently caressing each of her nails, before falling on her index, which was chipped about halfway down. "Use a weapon next time. Or put on protective sheeting of super-polish, I'll get you some the next time I go out! Then I can do it for you—well, if we survive this, that is."

She didn't really wear nail polish as much as she would have liked.

"...don't you have class?" Reia blurted out.

"I came to make sure you didn't get kidnapped or something!"

"I'll be fine, watch, I'm going to the library—"

"NO! If they see you and threaten you—I know you well enough to know how damn stubborn you are and well... I know you're gonna make it into some huge ruckus—"

"If they want a fight, they want a fight! I'll fight them! I'm doing what's right, nobody could dare judge me!" Reia pointed to herself, and Purah of course nodded agreeing.

"I'm just saying—you're strong, yeah! But you're not strong enough to take on the entirety of the Purple monkeys!"

Looking at Purah for a second, Reia just gave a confident smile and reached for the doorknob, immediately receiving a knock from the outside.

A swirl of paranoid questions flashed through her head, and she froze, her gaze switching to Purah who looked like she'd just been touched by a poltergeist.

"I knew it...they're here..." Purah whispered, reaching onto her belt and removing a small dagger and spinning it between her fingers and pointing it to the door "It's us or them!"

"Wait" Reia whispered back "Let's not get too hasty, it could be Maila!"

They hadn't seen Maila since board game night, so that could be possible.

"It could be the Purple monkeys, and I'd rather stomp my boots on my own toes before I let them have you! We're going to own twelve fiefs together, and a huge castle with a village to protect. I'll be damned if I let you get seriously injured by a bunch of fragile ego having bimbos!"

Touching...

She did remember saying something like that.

But despite how sweet and true everything Purah was spitting, Reia twisted the doorknob and pulled it open regardless.

Immediately, she found herself staring directly into the pale eyes of the subject of her thoughts, it was Blanket—Hair like newly discovered iron, shining in the both light of the hallway and their room.

What the hell was he doing in the girl's dormitory?

They were just gonna ignore that huh?

"Hello." He greeted his hand stretched out waiting for Reia to shake it...instead she just looked at it, particularly wondering how he'd made it into the girls dormitory "earlier, you really helped me get out of a tough situation—and I just wanted to warn you and show that I am honorably grateful." With the last part, Blanket gave a slight bow.

So he was thanking her?

"It was my pleasure," Reia assured a quick smile but for the most part, she kept her expression strictly for business.

"Oh Blanket, good to see you. See you've been busy." Purah said, with this weird sarcastic tone and Reia couldn't think of any reason as to why there seemed to be a smudge of hostility.

"Likewise." He replied in an equal tone. "If you told her about what happened earlier, no I've only minded my nose. But I'm not only here to thank you again" Blanket took a step into their room and Purah immediately pointed her dagger forcing him to lean back as she attempted to put the blade to his throat. His hands went all the way into the air and he swallowed "—I'm—I'm also here t-to warn you! May I come in?"

Warn?

Come in?

He asked this but kept looking Behind Reia with unease.

Reia looked back.

Oh, right!

"Put it down, Purah." She wanted to slap herself, but yeah, chose not to.

"What the hell is he doing out there? Is he not supposed to be here? And he wants to come into our room?"

"We've shared classes with him for all these years, why not?"

"I can list ten reasons as to why he shouldn't—"

"Put the dagger down, Purah!"

Purah's parents didn't teach her to be so aggressive, come on.

The inflation in her voice must've done the trick, because on queue Purah retracted her weapon, looking away digging her boots into the floor.

"I don't know how much trouble you'll get in for being here, but come inside."

With hushed movements, Reia quickly ushered him into their room and they locked the door.

"You remember what I said the moment you saved me, Reia?"

Yeah, she remembered...

"Let me guess, the Purple monkeys are gonna come after me because I got in their way and hit the vice-president's little brother. Yeah, yeah I know! Pretty predictable, but I'm ready." she said this as if to say Blanket's warning was unneeded.

"No, Reia. It's a little more complicated—but let's just say that you got yourself involved—well—you've got yourself involved in a drug deal." He flat out said.

What?...

Now Reia didn't process what he said for a moment, Purah looked at Reia with Purah's hands slamming into the side of her own face in surprise.

"Let me get this straight. You were working with the Purple monkeys and you owe them money for drugs?" Reia inquired, as she replayed the events of earlier in her head and the dots began to connect.

Blanket shook his head from side to side for a good minute, pacing through their room like he was already getting comfortable. "They paid me money to produce a particular high-value product at a particularly high quantity. And I usually put it together in my Pops' laboratory. It's not so hard when you've been dealing with chemistry and alchemy your entire life—but I made a mistake. I misjudged how early my pops would be home the other day, I missed the agreed amount I would sell."

"What drugs are you selling?", Purah asked, looking seriously curious.

"Static juice." It came out so normally, she had to do a back take.

Static juice!

Both Purah and Reia stared like there was an invisible exclamation point right above their heads.

It all was coming together

Hear this, Static juice was some weird gray sparkling almost soda-like drink that was also a moderate psychedelic.

Purah sighed clearly thinking the same thing as Reia.

The revelation made Reia shake her head and sigh "I don't agree with getting involved with those meatheads in any way, especially to sell contraband."

"I know! Thank you for protecting me back there..." He dropped to his knees like he was about to pray, or horrendously beg, and before she knew it his face was at her toes"...I've already run into the Deck 52, The Gunslingers, and even the Unicorn-benders! None of them want shit to do with me and after that kid posted that article...I don't know where else to go, we're both in trouble and I'm so terribly sorry! But—I'm not strong like you two—please, please let me rock with you guys! I'll help out in any way that I can! But I can't walk these halls with the pressure of unchecked teenagers! I just want to produce the best potions and concoctions that I possibly can!"

Without an afterthought, she rushed him back onto his feet and wiped a single teardrop from his own face with her sleeve.

"No reason to bow to me like that, I'm not your lord or king. I want you on your feet like me!" Reia's words for caused Blanket to freeze like a frightened deer and without any hesitation, Reia responded "Yeah, I'm going to do something about all of this. They're pretty pissed with me, huh?" And she said it without any cares in the world.

What sort of knight would she be to deny someone in need of consolation? Surely, the faceless knight would have done something similar.

Blanket's eyes immediately swelled.

But how would she protect him?

Reia bent over becoming face level with Blanket who had his face on the grown in the lost begging position possible, she put a hand on his shoulder then she took his hand and led him back to his feet.

"I'm not a dictator, no reason to bow to me Blanket, I see your resolve and I love it. I'll punch every single one of those Purple monkeys if I have to, I swear it on! And you and Purah will be right with me if need be!"

Purah put her hands on her hips "I didn't agree to protect him, I only want to protect you, Reia! I won't risk my future for just anyone!"

"Then I got him!" Reia jabbed a thumb at herself, making it very well known.

Purah was always a loyal friend and as such, Reia was the same in return, though for some reason Purah looked disgusted at the thought of helping Blanket and Reia could not figure out the reason why.

"Thank you!" He said his eyes held this shine to it, maybe it reflected light at that moment, but he looked genuinely relieved "Year two seems like yesterday and it's already our fourth, huh Reia? We'll be out of here...ha." He was of course trying to lighten the mood, before doing a complete 180 and saying "If we survive this."

Reia said, "I mean, maybe we can just act like nothing's happening, maybe they won't recognize us?"

Purah didn't sound so optimistic "You think nobody's going to notice us with that chariot of a backside you're carrying?"

...Okay... Reia wasn't too sure if that'd work if that was the case.

Making Reia suggest "Well, why don't we go somewhere and hide until it isn't hot?"

"They probably have people posted outside the building waiting for us—maybe inside too, because if Blanket can get in, anyone can!" Purah said.

"They'll definitely have a good amount of people after us before the entire club finally starts trying to ice us—maybe there is some way we can get off campus—Purah you can teleport right? Teleport us out of here—somewhere super safe.”

"I can only teleport as far as five outside mine wingspan...yeah, that only goes so far especially since I'm still trying to raise my mana reserves. And teleporting three people? That'll cut it down by about a third of its distance!"

"A third? Oh, that's pretty trash." Blanket said.

"Yeah it is, you see my point?"

"No, there's no need for any of you to use your mana, conserve yourselves...I have a plan, I got this..."

But Purah and Blanket probably wouldn't like it.

*>X<*

This was the first time she'd ever seen the Purple monkeys club room, but she was pretty disappointed that the only reason they were in there was that the Purple monkeys had basically captured them after Reia had attempted to commit to some sort of diplomacy and... it didn't work....she failed horribly.

Reia sort of had an idea that something similar to this would happen.

Their hands were bound, feet strapped together and tied in the strongest black rope Reia had ever been tied in and the trio found themselves being pushed right in front of a desk in the Purple monkeys club room, a crowd of knights with a purple monkey symbol, all eyes were on them as their captors pushed them in front of this desk, where a dirt brown curly haired teen slowly cut into the flesh of a juicy steak with a knife and fork.

The room was huge for a clubroom, at least three times the size as any other, it had a white brick theme and smelled of cooked and seasoned food.

"Smooth, Reia, real smooth! This is your great plan? They totally just captured us!" Blanket argued.

"I hope you have something in mind, Reia." Purah whispered. "Because...you threw us into the lion's den!"

"What is this, huh?" The dude behind the desk asked, tugging at his uniform as he swallowed calmly.

"Reia Welsh, Blanket Celcius and this one is Purah Sofree." the short lady Purple monkey with this orange short mohawk, she was who Reia surrendered to right outside of their clubroom, before she tried to engage in convo.

Looking at the three in disgust she turned away and went right back outside to her post. No other words were said to anyone.

"Oh, that's the Reia that hit Brick?! Holy hell, you guys already captured shawty? Get Brick over here, he'd love this!"

A few of the knights ran off to fetch him.

Purah looked to Reia, and Reia could see the question in her eyes.

What was the plan?

Well, Reia was bad at making plans—but she did have one thing in mind.

Two knights behind Kayo's desk went running off out of the clubroom and Kayo with a blank yet surprisingly polite stare looked at the trio.

"Reia Welsh... Blanket Celsius, two dumbasses who thought they could disrespect the Purple monkeys. Nice of you to pull up on our part, because I say you have some freaking nuts for a clubless dame!"

Blanket was already trying to talk his way through "I can pay you guys back, give me a few days—" Blanket ceased talking when one of the knights socked him with the hilt of their sword.

"Permission to speak hasn't been granted." Kayo reminded them.

Reia and Purah both stared in shock and concern, then at each other as they both had one silent conclusion. He thought he was some sort of king or something? immediately Reia attempted to shake off the ropes that bound her.

Maybe she should knock him off his clay pedestal?

"Permission to speak?! He doesn't need your permission! You have an exaggerated sense of significance!" Reia shouted.

"Hm? You've been here for four years and you think I don't have power. You're funny, you should know what the purple monkey's capable of. We do as we please, simple as that. You disrespected and hit my brother, and you had no right. I feel no remorse. He can beat you senseless if he wished."

Yeah, his brother was being an absolute bully.

And almost on queue, Brick entered, followed by twelve students with Purple Monkey patches—all watching the three as if they were some sort of circus attraction.

"Blanket! Reia! You guys are friends...oh? I was wondering why you would care so much about him. What, are you two dating? That's your girlfriend, Blanket?"

No, she was just being a decent person! A great knight and someone worthy to follow that knight from her memories.

"Shut up, Brick. You're just a poser! You're a Purple Monkey but I barely see you actually do anything for your damn club, you just sit on your ass and bully people, thinking your hot garlic knots!" Blanket immediately barked, causing Brick's forehead to bulge with a vein and Kayo to just chuckle, before stopping and shushing the goons who decided to laugh with him.

"How about I duel you right now? You want a repeat of earlier, bozo?"

"Screw you!"

And that's when Reia finally declared "I'll fight you!"

All eyes went to her.

For a half-second, silence.

"Reia..." Purah whispered, a warning from her friend.

"You're being called out, Brick." Kayo was twiddling a steak knife, he was grinning like a hyena on some magically enhanced opioid...or something...

"Oh yeah? Reia Welsh wants to fight me? After sucker-punching me?! Dude, I'm game! I'm all for getting back at that girl, bro, she needs to learn her place!"

That made Kayo smile "Learn her place...I like that, yes. How many times did she hit you? Brick, you'd better teach this girl her proper place. I'm not trying to lose more than the 60 iron ingots we gave to this Blanket kid."

"If she wants a fight... " he shrugged, "...bro...I'll give her a beatdown. Bro she'll regret fucking hitting me over and over again!"

Pretentious prick.

"That's a lot of talk for a dude who was too scared to take a fight earlier."

And Purah laughed, before quickly shutting her mouth "Oh—uh, that wasn't funny, I was just laughing because the image in my head of you getting punc—"

"So we can take this to the field, it's really that easy." Brick pointed out a nearby window with his thumb.

"I'm down for anything, but I need to make it worth my while—that's the only way I'll agree to spanking Brick over here," Reia said.

In short, she didn't see Brick as all that much of a threat.

"Huh?" Brick had a tilted head, Purah looked curious, her nose scrunched uncomfortably and Blanket was glossing his eyes all over the place like a kitten with an attention problem—or a knight looking for an opportunity.

Weird...

Kayo raised his hands as if to gesture for her to go on.

"I want a certain condition met in the event that I win my fight, you hear?" Reia said.

"The condition?" Kayo said blandly, using his elbow on the desk to rest his face on his hand.

Reia cleared her voice before declaring "In the event that I, Reia Welsh, win this next battle! All debts and issues between both myself, Purah Sofree and Blanket Celsius, be resolved, immediately!"

A murmur spread out between the crowd of Purple monkeys before Brick began yelling "I accept those terms, I accept!"

Kayo nodded his head looking at his brother, smiling with a surge of pride "This Photonmancer should be no problem. Remember your tact."

Really? No problem?

That just made her grip her fists tighter.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go? I'm ready, how about you?"

Brick nodded, and smiled "Ready."

"Oh now? As I'm finishing my medium rare" the Vice President shrugged "Ah, sheesh screw it! Let's take this to go—I'll meet you in the field, Brick. Unbind them, they look pitiful, please. This'll be a match for the books—spread it throughout the school as fast as you can! Let everyone know!"

Some knight saluted Kayo and then immediately went running off and out of the room.

That's when Brick looked Reia directly in the eye and sliced open her bindings in one slash of a dagger, Reia stood dusted herself off and gave each and every Purple monkey the stink eye, then she went back to Brick.

"So, you really want to fight me? I have a year over you, so I'll give you a chance to reconsider, apologi—"

"No! Screw that, I'm getting you back for that sucker punch!"

Reia gave a quick grin "Well, you can try."

"But let's talk about the conditions if I win! If I win, Reia Welsh, you will join the Purple monkeys and become my personal assistant—well, not before we beat you senseless and teach you basic manners." Brick nodded his head and the rest of the Purple monkeys did the same "Blanket you will either pay us back or we'll break your ankles—and Purah, well, we'll just have to beat you senseless because of your association with Reia over here. Eh, don't feel bad.

Before Blank or Purah could protest, Reia already shot her hand up "I accept those terms!"

"YOU WHAT!?" Both Blanket and Purah shouted, struggling against their rope and looking at Reia with absolute perplexed anger.

Kayo started laughing, a few of his men laughing literally only because he did.

"Then, why wait—get this over with. Brick, I want to see blood, it better be worth my travel!"

Brick just smirked, both at his brother and Reia. She didn't do the same, she just looked him up and down and kept going over her training and what she knew of him....

Well, she kind of knew nothing except that he had a sentient chain or something...whatever...

"Lead the way." Reia gestured with her arm as if to say go—she didn't tremble, she didn't feel the need to—all she felt was the need to win.

The need to protect.

And maybe if she continued down this path, she could be just like the knight of her memories.

TBC...

*>X<*