Awakening X - Through the Looking Glass pt. 3
Jun 4, 2019 22:36:57 GMT -5
Shadowlove, Wade Moor, and 5 more like this
Post by Lissie Hope on Jun 4, 2019 22:36:57 GMT -5
DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ THE PROLOGUE POSTED IN THE AW NETWORK BOARD.
IT'S THE INTRODUCTORY SCENE.
YES, I CHEATED TO GET UNDER THE CAP.
ENJOY.
IT'S THE INTRODUCTORY SCENE.
YES, I CHEATED TO GET UNDER THE CAP.
ENJOY.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror, failing to recognize the person staring back at her.
And it scared the fuck out of her.
But she wondered.
What would it be like to see things from the other side?
She demanded to know the answers.
And like a diver fifty-feet in the air, she walked to the ledge, and headfirst: she dove.
Spiraling.
Spiraling.
The plush grass cushioned her fall.
It all smelled so fresh. The sun radiated warmth, the trees whistled as she wandered through. Timid and scatterbrained, she was unsure of how to navigate the forest of dreams. Time stood still, the only thing she could hear was the crackling underneath as her feet tread lightly along the path. She arrived at the creek, the aroma of pure spring water as it glided past. She buried her hands in the stream and lifted it up to her mouth; water never tasted so clean.
"What are you?"
The sudden voice frightened her and she lost her step, splashing into the deluge. It was no longer a peaceful tide; no, instead, she struggled to find her footing as the creek now seemed like an endless channel to the unknown. The vision of a talking Red Bishop to be exact, paralyzed her to the point where her limbs froze, and she felt no urgency to fight. She let herself submerge and allowed the current to carry her away.
The river would eventually recede into a small pond, and Lissie, breathless and unconscious, had to be pulled from the stream. A gentle hand brought her to dry land, and she felt herself coming to, only to come face to face with White Queen. The shock sent her into a panic and she attempted to flee, hearing White Queen pleading behind her.
"Please! Don't go! I need you!"
Lissie ran through the forest, hoping to get back home. She made her own path, through the tall trees and over the jagged rocks, running for what seemed like an eternity. She periodically looked back over her shoulder to ensure White Queen was not following her, and eventually, she had gotten free. She kept her eyes peeled for the portal that would send her back into reality, but when she turned the corner, there she was.
Again.
Lissie had arrived right back where she started.
"Where am I?" she screamed, the tears beginning to flow from her eyes.
"I need your help! Red Queen has gone mad! She wants to rule the kingdom! Please!"
White Queen sounded sincere, but Lissie was still apprehensive. How could she even help her? But like a moth to a flame, Lissie was drawn to White Queen.
"Where's the King?" Lissie inquired. "Isn't that his job?"
"White King is plagued with sickness. This is no job for him. You, alone, can take her crown. I will help you! Please, follow me!"
White Queen led Lissie to the mountaintop overlooking the forest. Much to her surprise, from this perspective, the land was divided like a giant chessboard. She could see the neat little squares, separated by flowing rivers. But these plots of lands weren't little. She recognized the first as the place she had crash-landed!
"Where... am I?" she asked, puzzled. "What am I doing here?"
"This is the land you've always dreamed of, Lissie," White Queen answered. "The world beyond the glass."
"I don't understand how I got here."
"You've always been here," she said, drawing Lissie in. "You just didn't know it."
White Queen and Lissie never heard the footsteps approaching from behind.
"Who doth we has't hither?"
White Queen immediately surrendered, taking a knee at Red Queen's feet. Lissie looked at White Queen in confusion, but was even more perplexed by the question.
"Um... what?"
"Boweth bef're me, liketh the peasant thou art!"
"Lissie, she wants you to bow! She rules the land!"
"But... aren't you a queen, too?"
"Doth not asketh questions. Kneeleth!"
"Look, I can't understand a fucking word you're saying. It's gonna be hard for me to do anything if you keep talking like that."
Red Queen rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers, now controlling Lissie's body and forcing her to bow at her feet.
"God, you're stubborn. On your feet, peasant! Indulge me; I'll explain the rules of the game. This may be beyond your comprehension, so I shall do my best to ensure you don't make any mistakes. You are to be Pawn for White Queen. Eight squares determine your destiny. You will battle in each square, and win or lose, provided that you battle valiantly, you shall advance. I only ask that you sign the tile I provide in blood. Once you have completed every battle and you arrive at the eighth square, you too will become Queen. Do you possess the courage to embark on this journey?"
Lissie looked over at White Queen, who's nodding her head with enthusiasm.
"Answer me, Pawn!"
"Yeah... I guess?"
"Good. Now be gone, your first battle awaits."
White Queen and Lissie teleport to the first square. No longer is the sun beaming down and illuminating the forest; no. Instead, the tall silhouettes shadowed the ground and the wind howled, chilling the air around the decomposing trees. The odor was pungent, the ground was damp.
As Lissie and White Queen walked slowly through the forest, Lissie still had questions.
"So Red Queen..." Lissie began. "She's kind of a bitch, huh?"
"Whatever do you mean?" White Queen asked, bewildered. "She is no canine, silly! She's royalty!"
"No... that's not what I meant," Lissie answered with a half-smile. The first one since she arrived. "I mean... she's just trying to take over everything, right? That's her plan? She wants to reign supreme at the top of the kingdom?"
"She thinks she's entitled to it, yes."
"Where do I fit in?"
"You must pass her tests, Lissie! You must reach the eighth square and become Queen, too! I will help you!"
"What's in it for you?"
Before White Queen could answer, the sound of a limb breaking caught their attention. Lissie was suspicious as White Queen trailed a few steps behind her, urging her to investigate the source of the noise.
Much to Lissie's surprise, a scared Fawn poked it's head through the tall grass. Lissie's cheeks reddened and she bent down on a knee, attempting to establish trust with the poor thing.
"Aw, don't be scared, Fawn! Come here!"
Fawn placed his hooves in the mud and approached apprehensively.
"Hello! I'm Ryan the Fawn but I'm afraid that I'm lost! I don't know my place in the kingdom. I've come from lands far and away and have been wandering from square to square, trying to find my way back! Will you help me?"
"I would love to help you, Fawn, but I'm awaiting my first battle!"
It was then when the Fawn saw White Queen hovering behind Lissie.
"You're one of them!? You can't help me!"
And with that, Ryan the Fawn began galloping through the forest, crying for help but away from Lissie and White Queen. Lissie jogged a few steps after him but realized it was no use.
"Why did he do that?" Lissie asked. "I wanted to help!"
"You couldn't help him," White Queen answered. "You had to defeat him."
"Wait... that was my first battle?"
Lissie peered off into the distance, still seeing Ryan the Fawn running for his life. And then, without warning, the Lion leaped from the bushes and dug it's teeth into Fawn's neck, the blood gushing out from every angle. Lissie gasped in shock.
"And you won! Congratulations!"
"...the fuck?"
Vayden the Gnat was a pest, seemingly never taking the hint that he wasn't invited. He simply flew alongside Lissie and White Queen as they walked through the second square, and Lissie never even realized that he was the battle until she finally swatted him away out of annoyance. Vayden the Gnat crushed under the force of the slap, and that's when White Queen congratulated her.
"Battle two, complete!"
"Bruh....?"
Out of thin air, Red Queen appeared.
"Only the weak are overconfident, wench. Follow me to the third square."
Lissie followed Red Queen and White Queen from a distance as they spoke secretly. Lissie could discern that she was the topic of their conversation. When they arrived at the passageway, Lissie noticed that she would have to cross over a narrow log, but after one step on the fragmented wood she felt her foot slip. Her equilibrium was all over the place, and she noticed the change in dimension when White Queen grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the next square.
"Thank you," Lissie said with gratitude. White Queen nodded her head and smiled, noticing the strange electricity between them.
It was a dry, barren desert. The heat radiated from the cruel sun, and with each step, her foot sunk into the searing sand. The lizards slithered into refuge behind the jagged rocks. The only source of shade she deteremined was a cavernous hole on the side of a dune. She began a trek towards that opening, hoping to catch her breath.
"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," Red Queen warned. Lissie eyed White Queen for advice but she simply looked down, offering none.
Sam the Lion appeared behind Lissie and stalked her until she saw his shadow, jumping out of the way as he tried to pounce on her neck. She could see the remnants of Ryan the Fawn hanging from his teeth, bloodying his mane.
"This is the biggest challenge you'll face," Red Queen finally said. "Don't die."
"What if I do? If I'm killed..." Lissie asked, the fear growing inside her. "...can I ever go back?"
"Do you want to?"
Lissie squared up with the hungry lion and felt around her belt. After arriving in the desert, she had been armed with a hatchet. Readying herself, she prepared for the inevitable as Sam the Lion stalked his prey. He leaped, mouth agape, and Lissie duck underneath, missing with a swing of the blade.
"No better taste than fresh meat," Sam the Lion teased. "Thank you for dinner, Red Queen." An emphatic roar followed as the Lion leaped again, landing on a huge rock. "You are no match for me, Pawn."
Lissie was beginning to believe it. She was in a battle that she had no business in, and the challenge would be far too difficult to overcome. And Red Queen noticed, too, that Lissie's self-doubt had begun to creep in. With a snap of the fingers appeared Dandy the Unicorn.
Sam the Lion's attention turned from Lissie to the Unicorn as he be ran his long tongue around his teeth, salivating. Dandy the Unicorn took off running with the Lion in hot pursuit, saving Lissie from her demise!
"Looked like you needed a little help," Red Queen divulged, handing the next tile over for Lissie to sign.
Lissie and White Queen traversed from square to square through hidden paths and secret tunnels. They were having quite the adventure, getting to know each other and starting to truly enjoy each other's company. There was a bit of a learning curve to truly interpret White Queen's dialect, as she would often say words from another dimension that Lissie couldn't quite understand. Despite the fact that they came from different worlds, they were starting to become... friends?
"Thank you for your help in the frozen tundra," Lissie graciously expressed. "Those Vikings nearly took my head off... but there were you were, camouflaged with the snow, helping me escape. I really, really appreciate it," she finished, fluttering her eyelashes.
White Queen didn't understand the signals. She was looking at their friendship under a different lens, their awkward chemistry completely transparent to her.
"You're a lot of fun, Lissie!" White Queen said. "I'm really glad you're here. You're going to be a wonderful Queen!"
OOF.
"I don't know if I'm cut out to be a Queen though," Lissie admitted. "You are Queen of Starlites. You bring positive energy and integrity to this kingdom. Red Queen is all about bloodshed, wrath and fury. What happens when Red Queen decides that she will not give up her crown?"
"If you make it to the eighth square, she might not have a choice."
The fifth square was fast-approaching. After crossing into the next land, the bright colors were blinding. The myriad of balloons and the screeching cacophony of organ music made Lissie's ears bleed. Literally.
"Are we in a fucking carnival?" Lissie asked, pawing at her ear. She shrieked when she saw the blood on her hands.
"You need a tissue, Pawn?"
Red Queen, once again appearing out of thin air, ordered one of her own Pawns to rip off a piece of White Queen's dress to plug her eardrum.
"God damn, are you always around?"
"Prepare yourself, for your enemies are closer than they appear."
Lissie looked around and noticed a portly, robust chocolate egg, sitting atop the ledge. Below him was an abundance of miniature eggs of every color of the rainbow, reaching for his heels. When she looked closer, she saw a gold chain draped around the egg's neck.
"Humpty Harry is my name," the Egg said. "Now it's time to play a game!"
"Is he rapping?"
"Listen, children, even those out back," he continued. "See the girl? Gather 'round... attack!"
The legion of miniature eggs set their sights on Lissie and gathered in formation, wielding sharpened candy canes. They began marching towards Lissie, who was flustered for a moment. But she remembered the task at hand and punted the head of the battalion, clear across the air! The egg bounced off a balloon and crashed into the brick, and Lissie immediately started raining down stomps on the minions, her boots covered in cracked shell and yolk by the end. She finally ended every single one before coming face to face with Humpty Harry.
"Very impressive, Pawn!" Humpty Harry said. "You've destroyed every prospect that sought to take my spot upon the ledge! You see, I've been their ruler for far too long, and it's time for someone new to take the throne. You have proven yourself capable!" It was then when Humpty Harry marked the sign of the crucifix and leaned back, tumbling backwards! "GOOOOOOOD LUCCCCCCCKKKK!"
SPLAT.
Elias was the general of the Jobbercock Army.
Lissie showed him her tits and his head exploded.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," Lissie said, now somewhat embarrassed that White Queen had gotten a clear view of her funbags. "White representing representing purity and shit..."
"They were quite nice," White Queen admitted, a sly smile forming on her mouth. She looked Lissie up and down before realizing that she was being enamored with a woman, much less a human.
"Fuck it," Lissie said. If she wasn't going to tell her in reality, she was damn sure she would tell her here. "Let's ditch this mission. Queen of Starlite, I'm madly in love with you and it's time you should know. So what are we gonna do about it?"
White Queen was at a loss for words. White King had never demonstrated his desire for her; he knew she was a descendant of royalty and used her for his own gain. And Lissie, meanwhile, had immediately regretted that she just blurted out that she wanted to fuck a chesspiece.
"Before I answer your proposition, you need to know how it works beyond the glass," White Queen began. "You can have me to-morrow, and you can have me yesterday. But you cannot have me to-day."
"That doesn't make sense," Lissie said, trying to unravel the riddle. "Yesterday has passed, and what if tomorrow never comes?"
"Those are the rules."
Before they could get any further in their conversation, they heard a pair of giggles. The two ogres couldn't keep their hysterical laughter in when they realized they had been discovered.
"Sorry to interrupt your little song-and-dance," one said. "But if you aren't going to give us a show then prepare for battle!"
"Be nice to the poor girl," the other said. "She's so in over her head. It's adorable!"
"And who the fuck are you?" Lissie demanded, drawing her sword.
"We are the evil Twins of the seventh square! I'm Dane..."
"...Johnny," the other interrupted, much to Dane's chagrin.
"You two are sooo not twins," White Queen interjected. "And around here, Lissie, they go by names much more accurate of their sterling personalities! Meet Tweedledee..." Dane raised his hand pensively. "And Tweedledum!"
"But before we battle," Tweedledum began. "You must learn the story of how the Jobbercock Army came to be. Take a seat, open your mind, because this story is going to last forever!"
"It really will," Tweedledee conceded. A convenient microwave beeped, and Tweedledee began throwing kernals of popcorn in his mouth.
Lissie kept looking at the clock as Tweedledum's story reached it's climax before he would announce the beginning of a new chapter. She looked around and White Queen had already fallen asleep, and she noticed that Tweedledee was stretching his legs out, succumbing to the long haul. But the clock never moved forwards, only backwards!
Tweedledee's head got redder and he finally snapped.
"Enough!" he cried out, and took his spear and shoved it directly into Tweedledum's heart! "I've had to hear you talk and talk and talk and--"
Lissie swung her sword and severed Tweedledum's head clear off his shoulders!
"OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" she yelled out, giving a high five to White Queen. "Sorry, I've always wanted to say that."
White Queen and Lissie proceeded to march forward, and they paused to take a look at the fight in the square beside them. Red Bishop had just overtaken another White Pawn that had made it as far as it was destined to go. Finally, her destination seemed so close and Lissie began to hyperventilate, knowing she could soon come to her demise. She was nearing enemy territory, and hadn't even realized it until now.
"Don't worry," White Queen said, grabbing her hand. "I'll protect you."
Lissie nodded in gratitude as she looked to another nearby square, occupied by Red King, all alone. He was so close, but she could see that he was sleeping through all of the fighting around him.
"What's his name?"
"Jaice," the Queen responded.
"And why's he wearing a mask?"
"He always does."
Red King shifted in his slumber as Red Rook tried to awake him, telling him an enemy combatant was near. But Red King waved him away. "Bugger off, Rook!" Red King said. She felt he was speaking to her.
"You're almost there."
"I'm scared."
"Do you know why Red King always sleeps?" Lissie shook her head no. "It's because nobody has gotten this far."
Lissie noticed that Red King's square wasn't surrounded by clear water. In it's place was a river of lava. Lissie knew that if she didn't make the jump, she would be boiled alive, her skin melting off her bones until there was nothing left. Lissie stood at the edge of the seventh square, preparing to jump over. She noticed that she was getting faster and stronger with every battle, but all of the enemy Red pieces began closing in on her from every direction.
"I... can't!" she cried out.
Red Queen suddenly appeared, dashing across from four squares away, intending to intercept Lissie. Was this all a test? Was Red Queen seeing how far Lissie could go before killing Lissie off herself?
"JUMP!" White Queen yelled, and Lissie leaped... as far as she could.
Lissie landed on the hard floor of the castle, and much to her surprise, landed right in the middle of a massive celebration.
For her.
"Congratulations, #bestie!" White Queen shouted. "You're a queen now, just like me!"
"But I didn't have an eighth battle!" she cried out, overwhelmed but overjoyed.
"You didn't need to! You just needed to make it to the end of the board!"
Red Queen presented Queen Lissie with a brand new crown to wear atop her flowing red hair. Lissie was relieved as she finally realized that everyone she had battled up until this point was preparing her with this moment.
At long last, she had ascended to royalty.
Red Knight galloped through the crowd and whisked Lissie up by the arm, placing her atop the horse.
"Enjoy a celebratory stroll," Red Queen announced. "Fit for a queen."
Lissie watched as Red and White Queen toasted to her achievement and began talking and laughing to themselves. But something didn't seem right. Why were they so friendly all of a sudden? Why had they been enemies all of this time, only to finally reconcile after Lissie became a queen herself? What did it all mean?
"Your enemies are closer than they appear," Red Queen had said, back in the fifth square.
Time stood still. Lissie noticed the silver, metallic hair protruding from the back of Red Knight's helmet. The helmet was slowly removed to show the face of a young, pale woman with emotionless eyes.
"I'm Geri," Red Knight said, and pulled on the reigns, startling the horse. Lissie plunged to the concrete below as Red Knight approached, wielding a sword. Lissie reached back for own... and found it was no longer harnessed onto her body. She was weaponless, staring face to face with Red Knight.
Red Queen and White Queen approached from the rear, circling her in and enclosing her.
"This was your plan all along?" Lissie tearfully cried out, and White Queen, while devastated, nodded her head yes.
"I'm sorry."
And White Queen stabbed Lissie in the chest, penetrating her heart. She could feel the life draining out of her. White Queen tearfully ran away while Red Queen looked at her bleeding carcass and cackled maniacally. Red Knight jumped back on her horse and paced around Lissie's dying body.
"I'm sorry it has to be this way," Red Queen said, stoically. "But no Pawn like you will ever complete the eighth battle."
"Starlite, you liar!" Lissie choked out, coughing up blood. While she faded, wasting away, she could see Red King approaching her to finish the job. His would be the last face she would see as he reached under the crevice of the mask, and pulled it back, revealing...
In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:
Ever drifting down the stream —
Lingering in the golden gleam —
Life, what is it but a dream?
"Lissie? Lissie! Wake up!"
Robbie had spent the night, eager to get in an early morning workout. He knew she needed that extra kick-in-the-ass, but when he went in to wake her, he noticed that her eyes were pouring tears, and the sweat was dripping off her body. She was paralyzed by fear and he knew that it was up to him to shake her from the obvious nightmare that had engulfed every limb.
Her eyes shot open and she delivered a right hook across his jaw.
"Lissie! It's me!"
It took her a second to come to the realization that she had just decked her brother in the face.
"Where's Boom?" she said through tears. "And Izzy?"
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm the only one here!"
It took a minute to come to her senses, but like light illuminating a black room, everything shifted back into focus. Clarity was a fucked up thing.
Robbie counted down with his fingers after pressing the record button.
Three...
Two...
One...
I...
She could still hear Kennedy's words from Clash in the back of her mind.
Replaying over and over.
Replaying over and over.
I...
"Your enemies are closer than they appear."
The Red Queen had said the same thing.
The Red Queen had said the same thing.
I... can't.
STATIC
END FEED