Y/n was flung up by Deuce onto the overblot monster's head where she grabbed onto the crown it was wearing. She grunts as she pulls herself up and climbs her way to the top, the shouts of her friends encouraging her to not give up.

"Off with your heads! Off with all of your heads!!!" Riddle screeches as y/n made it onto the crown,"Hey, Riddle!" she shouts down, catching the boy's attention,"What!? How did you...!?" he shouts in disbelief while y/n cocks her gun and aims it at the blot monster's head,"OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!!" she shouts before firing.

Thanks to the constant attacks of her friends, the glass was weakened and easy to shoot to pieces, but she fell along with those pieces. Riddle's face was that off utter defeat and sadness,"Was... I wrong...? That can't be right... Mo... ther..." he utters with his head bowed as the ink fell towards him.

"Riddle!!!" he hears y/n shout and looks up to see the girl falling towards him with arms outstretched. Unconsciously, he reaches out to her as well and when they came into close contact, the ink had covered their entire being and vision.

Y/n's eyes flutter open and she's met with a black and white world once more. She took note that it was a dining room and before her stood two silhouettes of a woman and a child. The woman was holding something in her hand before setting it down in front of the child, who was sitting at the table.

"Happy eight birthday, Riddle. Your birthday cake this year is a low-sugar cake made with soy flower and nuts filled with lecithin to make you smarter." the woman says and y/n clenches her fists, feeling the dried blood on her hands crumbling.

"Thank you, mama. But, uumm, I..." little Riddle fiddles with his fingers,"Just once, I really want to try a tart covered in bright red strawberries..." he says meekly,"How could you say such a thing!? Such a mound of sugar is basically poison! Just one slice would exceed your daily sugar intake." the mother says before turning her back to her own son.

"Today, we're having a healthy tuna sauté with plenty of docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acid. Aah, but at age eight your ideal caloric intake..." she hums for a moment,"...should be within 600 kcal per meal, so don't more than 100 grams. Alright?"

"... Yes, mama."

"For so long, all I wanted to eat was a bright red strawberry tart." the original Riddle spoke up from beside her,"The tarts on display in the cake shops around town that I'd sometimes get to pass by always looked like jewels." he says fondly as the silhouettes changed positions suddenly.

"Let's end your classical magic studies here for today. Make sure to look over 50 pages of the textbook on the philosophy of language in magical ethics that we've just studied today by tomorrow." the mother says as she got up from her seat,"Now, I will give you an hour to self-study until your Alchemy lesson."

"Yes, mother." Riddle nods robotically,"Your mother has an errand to run, so I'll be back in an hour." the mother says before leaving. Y/n grits her teeth at this.

"Every minute of my day was filled to the brim with studies from all manner of disciplines. If I couldn't do it, the lesson was extended until I could." Riddle says and y/n clicks her tongue,"Sounds familiar..." she utters,"But this was my 'normal'." he tells her as only a single silhouette of little Riddle sat reading what appears to be the silhouette of a book.

Then there was knocking on the window,"...Someone is knocking at the window?" little Riddle questions as curiosity took over his being. He sets his book down and moves to open the window.

Original Riddle and y/n peer out the window as well and they spot two more little silhouettes of kids. One of them had animal ears[Are they Trey and Che'nya?] y/n thought,"Oh, there he is!" Trey exclaims.

"Hey, hey. Come play with us!" Che'nya chirps with a wave of his hand,"Who are you?" Little Riddle asks,"I'm Che'nya! This is Trey. Let's play croquet." Che'nya chirps as he throws his hands in the air.

"Um... I can't. Now us my self-study time. I have to keep studying." Little Riddle says as he fiddles with his fingers,"Self-study means that you decide what you study. My grand-paw says playing is a kind of study, too." Che'nya says and y/n quirks a little smile,[So, even as a little kid he had kitty puns up his sleeves.]

"Will you come down for a bit?" Trey asks as he holds a hand out to Riddle,"...J-Just for a bit. " Little Riddle finally answers before carefully crawling out the window, where he jumps and both Trey and Che'nya catches him from his short fall,"Can I ask your name?" Trey asks,"R-Riddle... Riddle Rosehearts." Little Riddle answers.

"Playing with Trey and Che'nya was so much fun." Original Riddle says with a fond smile,"I learned new things, played new games. They taught me so much. From that day on, I'd take the single hour I had to self-study every day and sneak out without telling my mother." he says and y/n nudges him playfully with her elbow.

"Oh~? So Strict Riddle was a Little Rebel Riddle~?" she teases and Riddle huffs an amused smile at her with a role of his eyes as the scene changes before them. Now they, and the three little silhouettes, stood in the front garden of Riddle's house

"Eh! Riddle, you've never had a strawberry tart?" Che'nya gasps with surprise,"Mother says it's like poison, so I can't." Little Riddle says with a slight nod,"Well, it's true you probably shouldn't eat too much, but..." y/n can only imagine the awkward smile Trey is sporting at that moment,"My family owns a cake shop. Let's go eat some." he offers.

"Huh? But..." Little Riddle looks down and fiddles with his fingers again,"One piece isn't going to kill you." Trey reassures him as he places a hand on his back,"I could go for a whole one right about meow." Che'nya chirps with hands behind his head as the three left.

"Atop a pure white plate sat a brilliantly red strawberry tart. For me, it shined brighter than any jewel. The first bite was wonderfully sweet. It tasted better than anything I'd ever had. I savored each bite, getting completely lost in the flavor." Riddle says with a warm smile before frowning," Forgetting the time all the while." he says as the scene changes to the dining room once more.

There, Riddle's mom stood over his younger self with hands on her hips and form bent slightly over his own trembling one,"How could you!? Not only did you skip out on your studies, you even ate a whole mound of sugar!" the mother screams as Little Riddle flinches at the volume.

"Those two troublemakers pressured you into it, didn't they? I won't allow you to spend time with such bad children ever again!" she announces as she straightens her back and crosses her arms.

Y/n glares at her form,[She's no mother! She's a parasite!] she thought,"I'm sorry, mother! I won't do it again! Please forgive me...!" Little Riddle sobs, but his mother's hand silences him,"Silence! This is because you broke the rules."

She then places the hand on her forehead,"Ahhh, I should never have given you so much free time. I must keep an even better watch over you..." she declares and y/n wishes to burn that woman alive right then and there. She doesn't care if she's famous. No parent should treat their children like that. Ever!

"If I broke the rules, my time for fun was completely taken away." Riddle spoke as his frown deepens,"That's why the rules Mother makes, I have to follow. Mother is the most talented person in town, so naturally, she was always right. But..." he places a hand over his heart as his lips tremble and tears prick the corner of his eyes.

"Tell me, Mama. Why? Why does my chest hurt like this? Even if it's only on my birthday, I want to eat a bunch of tarts. I want to play outside for hours. I want to make more and more friends." the tears escape and drip to the ground.

"Tell me, Mama, what rules should I follow to make this pain go away?" he whimpers as he curls into himself. Y/n stares at him with sympathy and knowing eyes before sighing and flicking his forehead,"Gah!? What was that for?" Riddle whimpers as he rubs his sore forehead.

"Idiot, there is no rule for that pain. That pain you're feeling? It's the lack of love your own mom never gave you. It's your yearning for comfort and love." y/n spoke as she took hold of Riddle's forearms and straightens him up.

"Your mom never gave you any of that, only Trey and Che'nya ever did. I'm sorry Riddle, but your mom was never right. She was never right to treat you, her own child, that way! She didn't even have the right to forbid you from seeing your friends ever again! No mother should do that! No one! She's a control freak, Riddle! Open your eyes!" she shook him a bit as Riddle stares at her with wide eyes, the tears still flowing.

"How... How would you know...?" he sniffs and y/n smiles sadly,"Because I was in the same situation as you. I had controlling parents who controlled me my entire life. I didn't even have anyone to help me through that. I only had myself." she says as she moves her hand to the boy's shoulders, bowing her head.

"What did... What did you do to get through all of it?" Riddle asks as he places his hands on her arms. Y/n let's out a broken chuckle,"I ran away... I ran away and provided for myself. I got part time jobs, I pay for my own food, clothing and education." she reveals.

"You see? We have something in common here. But, you had it more lucky Riddle. You actually have friends to help you through all of that. I didn't have anybody. Nobody wanted to talk to the Parents' Puppet." she adds as her own lips trembled now.

Riddle's eyes are wide at her back story and before he even knew it, he had wrapped his arms around the girl's shoulders, bringing her flushed against him,"Riddle...?" y/n calls out quietly as she places her hands on the boy's back

"Do... Do you want to be..." Riddle bites his lip for a moment before taking in a deep breath,"Do you want to be my friend, y/n?" he finally asks and y/n smiles softly at this as she rests her chin on his shoulder,"I would love that, Riddle." she says softly as their surroundings went dark.

"Riddle! Y/n!" the distant voice of Trey calls out to them as Riddle and y/n's eyes shoot open with sharp gasps for air. The two found themselves lying on their backs with their heads positioned above each other, almost like they're reflecting each other's beings.

"Oh, they woke up!" Ace says with relief as he and Trey helped the two sit up,"Whew... I swear, I was super stressed out over what we'd do if they didn't." Cater says with a relieved smile as Grim jumps into y/n's arms and nuzzles into her chest.

"...What...did I...?" Riddle gasps lightly for air as he took in his surroundings,"I'm so glad. He came back to his senses." Crowley says with a hand on his chest,"There's no need to think about it now. Just sleep." Trey says with comfort as he rubs Riddle's back as y/n got back up, staggering a bit though.

"Oh, come on. It's 'cause you coddle him like this all the time that he goes berserk after getting just a little mad!" Ace scolds before spreading his arms out,"The garden is a disaster, and we were in big trouble!" he adds as y/n kneels beside Riddle, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No joke." Deuce nods in agreement,"Seriously. Nothing good comes from bottling up all your stress." Grim says with crossed arms as he stood in front of Riddle,"... I... really wanted to eat that Mont Blanc." Riddle admits softly as he places a hand on y/n's over his shoulder.

"Wha?" Ace gapes at him with shock,"The roses are fine white, and the flamingos are fine being pink. I like putting honey in my tea more than sugar cubes, and I like milk tea more than lemon tea. I want to be able to sit and chat with everyone after we finish eating..." Riddle spills more and more as y/n gives him an encouraging smile while tears starts to appear in the boy's eyes.

"Riddle...?" Trey calls out quietly as tears starts to flow down Riddle's cheeks,"I wanted to spend more time with Trey and everyone else..." he whimpers before fully bawling his eyes out. This caught everyone, except y/n, off guard.

"Holy crap... I didn't think the day would come when I'd see Riddle sobbing like a baby..." Cater admits,"Stop that don't think I'll forgive you just 'cause you're crying!" Ace comically yells as he points at Riddle.

"You really refuse to read the mood..." Deuce says with a disappointed shake of his head,"It's Ace. What do you expect?" y/n deadpans at him before moving away to give Trey and Riddle some room.

"I'm sorry, too. Even though I knew you were suffering, I pretended not to notice." Trey says with a guilty frown as he clenches his fists,"So I'm going to say it now. Riddle, your way of doing things is wrong. You have to properly apologize to everyone." he says sternly and Riddle nods before getting up.

He turns to face everyone,"... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...!" he cries out,"There is something I wanted to say to you if you apologized for everything that's happened..." Ace says as he approaches Riddle.

"WORDS CAN'T FIX THIS MESS! I'M NOT JUST GONNA FORGIVE YOU LIKE THAT!!!" he roars as he points at Riddle, surprising everyone by his words,"Ace, what the hell man!?" y/n screeches,"Holy crap, what!? How can you even say that with this atmosphere!?" Cater asks with flabbergasted eyes.

"Why wouldn't I?! We've been put through the wringer, and he still threw away the Mont Blanc we put all that time and effort into making. I don't care if he's crying his eyes out, I still ain't gonna let him off." Ace states firmly with crossed arms.

"This guy holds a grudge worse than I do." Grim sweatdrops,"And that's saying something..." y/n mumbles whole sweatdropping as well,"But then...what should I do?" Riddle sniffles as he wipes the last few tears away leaving his nose and cheeks red and eyes puffy.

"... My birthday isn't for a while." Ace mutters as he crosses his arms and look up to the sky,"Huh? What are you on about?" Deuce raises a brow at him, but Ace ignores him as he points a finger to the sky.

"So I demand we have a Revenge Unbirthday Party. We didn't even get to take part in the last one. And this time, you have to make the tart." he says and crosses his arms into and 'x',"No getting help from Trey, either! Do it yourself! If you do that then there's nothing I won't forgive, I guess." he says as he looks to the side.

"Says the one who got help himself~ You should learn to be honest, Ace." y/n teases with a smirk,"Shut up, peanut gallery." Ace throws her a stern glare before turning back to Riddle,"You got it?"

"... Yeah, I got it." Riddle nods and Crowley claps his hands together,"Yes, yes, this is the beauty of settling differences through compromise. Then the issue is settled." he says with a pleased tone,"Well then, we should probably get started on cleaning up the garden. Our photogenic garden is in ruins..." Cater chirps with hands on his hips as he sweeps his eyes over all the mess,"This kinda sucks." he awkwardly smiles with a sweatdrop at the thought of cleaning all of the mess by himself.

"Don't worry, I'll help you out." Trey offers with a smile,"No, Trey, you take Riddle to the infirmary. He did just overblot. He should be looked at just in case." Cater tells him as y/n hides her hands behind her back.

"Mr. Diamond is right. I shall escort you there." Crowley says,"... Alright. Thank you very much." Trey nods before helping Riddle towards the infirmary.

"Hmm, I'm starving from using all that magic..." Grim whines as he pats his stomach,"Hm? This is..." he sniffs the air before picking up a familiar black stone,"This is the same as the black magic crystal we found at the Dwarfs' Mine!" he exclaims as the rest surrounds him.

"You're right! Where did it come from?" Deuce questions,"Don't eat it this time." Ace says with disgust,"He's gonna eat it." y/n deadpans,"I'll never forget that flavor! Don't mind if I help myself!" Grim cheers before eating the stone in one bite,"He already ate it!" Ace exclaims with shock,"I told you he was gonna wet it!" y/n face-palms.

"Wait, are you one of those types that eat a bunch of weird food like it's nothing?" Cater asks as Grim rubs his tummy before holding his cheeks,"Waaahh~! It starts out with a rich sweetness then finishes with the slightest hint of bitterness for an aromatic experience! This rock has its own unique flavor completely different from the last!" he cooes.

"Don't make eating things off the ground a habit! You're gonna get a stomach ache!" y/n scolds,"He's a monster, so maybe his stomach is just built differently than ours." Ace utters,"I don't think that makes eating stuff off the ground alright..." Deuce sweatdrops.

"The lawn has a really refreshing flavor too if you give it a try." Grim says before diving for the grass,"Stop! That's not for eating!" Deuce shouts as he causes Grim around,"Never change, you lot. Never change." Cater smiles before whispering,"And thank you."

"Did you say something?" Ace turns to him,"Nope! Nothing at all." Cater chirps before humming when he spots y/n's bloodied hands,"Whoa, y/n, your hands!" he yelps as he gently grabs the girl's hands,"I'm fine. I just dug my nails in too deep." y/n smiles awkwardly, but Cater shakes his head,"Don't care. I'm taking you to the infirmary now." he says before dragging the girl behind him.