Part 1 — Queen Steps In (And Derpy Breaks)
Queen Seraphine stood in the clearing like she owned the air.
Her fan rested half-open in one hand. Joker and King held position behind her—still, watchful, built like problems that didn’t need to announce themselves.
Seraphine’s gaze found Derpy.
“Boy—”
She didn’t get the next word.
Derpy’s breath hitched.
Once.
Twice.
Then it turned wrong—too fast, too shallow, like his lungs were trying to outrun his ribs.
His bones shifted.
A grind under skin.
His wings deteriorated mid-span—membrane thinning, structure collapsing like the magic couldn’t decide what shape he was allowed to be.
His tail followed—dragging, then thinning, then snapping into something else.
New ears forced their way up through his hair.
Wolf ears.
One red.
One blue.
A wolf tail formed behind him—red and blue braided together like spilled paint that refused to separate.
Derpy’s throat locked.
And then the scream ripped out of him—high, piercing, raw enough to make the trees recoil.
It carried.
Across Fenward.
Across the woods.
Across every roof and alley and sleeping room.
The forest answered.
Eyes appeared between trunks.
Pairs.
Dozens.
A ring of watching that wasn’t human.
Derpy’s knees threatened to fold.
A shadow snapped into place beside him.
Vambasta.
She appeared like she’d been pulled by the sound itself.
Her hand caught his shoulder—firm, grounding.
“Breathe,” she said.
Derpy’s chest fought her command for a second.
Then, slowly, his lungs obeyed.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
His heartbeat stayed violent, but his head stopped spinning.
Vambasta’s gaze flicked to his new ears.
Then his tail.
Her posture shifted—subtle, like she’d been caught off-guard by something she didn’t expect to feel.
Heat rose in her cheeks.
Derpy shut his eyes and forced another breath.
Now that there were eyes watching, he couldn’t afford to fall apart.
Part 2 — The Book Closes
Derpy opened his eyes.
The clearing was full.
Seraphine and her court.
Hina off to the side like she’d arranged the board and wanted to see what bled first.
Sir Reginal holding Queen (codename) limp—wing torn, body slack.
Vespera on the ground—rings gone, twitching like pain had teeth.
And the copy.
The Vambasta doppelganger stood a few paces away—Celica riding it like a borrowed body.
Derpy felt the weight of all those stares.
The forest.
The wolves.
The town.
He closed his book.
The copy went still.
Celica’s voice slid out through it—dry, unimpressed.
“Aww. Already?”
She paused, like she was listening to the air.
“Till next time, little dragon.”
The doppelganger collapsed into nothing.
Ace’s wings opened.
She lifted off, circling once above the clearing.
As she looked down, she spotted Seraphine.
Ace landed with control—boots touching earth like she’d practiced it a thousand times.
She bowed her head.
“My Queen. Why are you here?”
Seraphine snapped her fan.
“You did good, Ace,” she said. “But seeing pieces move on the board made me come out here.”
Part 3 — No Bloodshed (If It Can Be Helped)
Footsteps rushed through brush.
Lenora arrived first—blade ready, eyes sharp.
Lewd followed—quiet, heavy presence.
Vemi came with ears forward and tail stiff.
Riven appeared last—too silent, too clean, gaze fixed like she was trying to understand which rules applied.
Derpy kept his hands visible.
“I don’t want bloodshed,” he said. “Seeing Seraphine and her court here—can we resolve this peacefully?”
Seraphine’s eyes moved over the scene.
The broken rings.
The twitching fox.
The wolves in the trees.
The scorch of magic in the air.
Then she spoke in a civil manner—like a queen addressing a room that didn’t deserve her voice.
“I may not know you,” she said, “but I’ve been watching you.”
Derpy’s throat tightened.
Seraphine continued.
“The words you spoke. The music you played. The blast you sent at my kingdom—damaging my courtyard and part of my castle.”
Lenora’s head snapped toward Derpy.
Derpy didn’t flinch.
Seraphine’s fan tapped her palm once.
“Though it wasn’t a calculated attack,” she said. “I came to see the boy with so much potential. The bearer of books that were supposed to be nonexistent in this world.”
Her gaze sharpened.
“So much raw power.”
Vambasta felt Derpy’s heart hammering again.
She put her hand on his shoulder.
“Relax,” she muttered. “Your emotions are all over the place.”
Seraphine watched that small gesture.
Then she spoke again.
“I’m not here to start anything today,” she said. “Because I miscalculated.”
Her fan snapped shut.
“Kudos to you, my dear. I’m here to collect my pawns and leave.”
A portal began to open behind her—dark edge, clean cut.
Part 4 — Derpy’s Wager
“Wait,” Derpy said.
Seraphine stopped.
She turned her head slightly.
Derpy’s gaze dropped to Vespera—still twitching, still in pain.
His fingers tightened around Crescent Eclipse.
“I want a battle,” he said.
He lifted the weapon.
Pointed it at Joker.
“I want to take them both on.”
Seraphine stared at him like he’d announced he planned to bite the sun.
Lenora stepped in.
“Derpy,” she said. “Don’t do it. Let her go.”
Derpy’s voice stayed steady, but his body didn’t.
“I can’t agree with her,” he said. “They caused us pain and grief. Just once—I want to work in unison.”
Seraphine’s eyes narrowed.
“And how can you take on two of my heavy hitters,” she said, “when you had a panic attack the moment you saw Joker?”
She paused.
Then her tone shifted—transactional.
“How about I wager something worth your while.”
Her fan opened.
Inside the portal’s edge, a glass container appeared.
Mina.
Trapped.
Her calamity book pressed to her chest.
Her voice came muffled through the barrier.
“Help mew!”
She hit the glass.
Her book glowed.
“Where’s Cinder, mew?”
Seraphine rolled her eyes.
“That’s all she says in return,” she said.
She lifted her chin.
“If you beat my two Sinister Seven, I’ll give you this girl with her book.”
Derpy’s breath caught.
Seraphine continued.
“If my people win, you come work for my kingdom. You and your calamity.”
Her gaze pinned him.
“Does that sound fair?”
“I agree,” Derpy said.
Seraphine’s fan snapped shut.
“In thirty minutes,” she said. “We meet back in this place.”
Derpy swallowed.
“Or are you ready now?”
“Give me five minutes,” Derpy said.
He moved to Vespera.
Scooped her up carefully.
Carried her to a tree and set her down with her back supported.
As his breathing slowed, the wolf ears and tail faded.
His dragon wings returned.
His dragon tail returned too—both slightly bigger than before.
Lenora walked over.
And bonked him with the hilt of her sword.
“Why must you cause trouble,” she said. “You’re battered. Bruised. You need a break.”
“I can’t, Lenora,” Derpy said. “Seeing that Joker guy makes my blood boil. The way he humiliated us.”
Lenora’s jaw tightened.
“I agree,” she said. “But we can’t win. Not like this.”
Derpy grabbed her—quick, urgent.
“If we win this,” he said, “I’ll give you a special treat.”
He leaned in and whispered something into her bunny ears.
Lenora’s face went red.
She covered her face with one hand.
Then she forced herself to look up.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s give it a go.”
Her voice hardened.
“But if we lose, I’m coming with you.”
Derpy nodded.
“Deal.”
Part 5 — The Walk to the Line
Derpy and Lenora walked toward the waiting pair.
Ace stood facing Joker.
Joker didn’t move.
Derpy stayed in his dragon form—wings tight, tail steady.
His eyes locked on Ace.
The clearing held.
Fenward watched.
The wolves watched.
And the next decision would decide who got to keep Mina—and who got to keep their freedom.