Love Beyond the Looking Glass: Chapter 1
IMPORTANT NOTICE: PLEASE READ "EUGENE IN WONDERLAND" BY JESSEGLENNFAN (JINXWRITER'S OLD ACCOUNT) BEFORE READING THIS IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THIS FANFIC.
Skylark stretched his arms lazily as he got out of bed. Things have always been peaceful around Wonderland. He fetched a cup of tea from the kitchen near his cozy little room that Red King had supplied him as the new ruler of Wonderland ever since Grey King's death and Thunder's imprisonment. He slipped into his shoes and headed out of the room, walking down the hallway as each of the castle guards greeted him.
"Yes, good morning, everyone." he greeted back. Suddenly Jumbo, a bird-like creature resembling a Lear's Macaw, saw him as he was making his way out to the courtyard.
"Good morning, Skylark! How was your nightly sleep?" Jumbo asked.
"Marvelous, thank you for asking. Tell me Jumbo, have you ever seen such a lovelier scene?" Skylark asked as they walked outside. Jumbo observed the scenery and a small smile appeared to his face. There were various coloured flowers that lit up the courtyard, surrounded by varying trees with a huge fountain in the middle. Chairs lined up around it to compliment its looks.
"Of course I haven't, Skylark. It's amazing that all of this survived. I simply cannot imagine what would happen if the battle we faced was lost." said Jumbo.
Skylark looked down as his smile turned into a slight frown. That very feeling still bothered him to this day, constantly aching in his heart. Grey King and his son, Thunder, had almost killed all of his people in battles during his reign, but they were lucky enough to even survive. However, if either of them had a bigger army and stronger firepower, could they have successfully taken over Wonderland? Or even unknown lands beyond that place?
Meanwhile in the town of Bayview, the English-speaking district of Osaka, Japan, there was a very different story going on over there. Eugene Kang, a 17-year-old girl with long black hair and dark brown eyes, was getting ready for a big day with her family. Eagerly turning off her alarm clock and changing into a white and blue striped top with blue buttons and jeans, she hurried downstairs where she greeted her parents. "Morning~!" She sang out as she headed for her place in the dining table.
"What's going on with you today, sweetie?" asked her mom while washing the dishes. The bubbly, energetic notes from the K-pop song "Lipstick" by Orange Caramel was playing from the iPad 3 as music filled the dining room. *
"Well, it's my best friend Emma's birthday party! She's gonna be 18 this year!" said Eugene, squealing with excitement as she mentioned her new best friend, Emma Blakeston.
"What time's the party?" Her dad asked as he grabbed his jacket and briefcase, his left hand occupied by a few papers.
"Well, Dan texted me last week and said it's going to be at noon. He, Marucho, Tanya and Shauna are going," She explained as she revealed the details from the text Dan sent earlier.
"That's nice." said her mom. Eugene smiled even wider as she continued to eat her breakfast.
Skylark walked back inside the castle with Jumbo. They continued talking about the past battle in Wonderland before they were interrupted by Elfy, an elf with a white-and-red cap. He hurried over with a bronze envelope, gasping for air and falling to his knees.
Skylark bent down to help him to his feet.
"What's wrong, boy?" Jumbo asked.
"I bring this message from his royal majesty. He gave me this letter addressed to Skylark," said Elfy.
Jumbo turned to Skylark as he took the letter out of his hands. It just read 'To Skylark Hatter' in elaborate handwriting. Growing confused, he tore the envelope open and took out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and realized it was a letter addressed to him. He read through the paragraphs carefully as his eyes widened with growing horror. After he was finished reading, the paper fell right out of his hands, slowly landing on the floor.
"Are you ok, Skylark?" Jumbo asked. All he got was Skylark dropping to his knees with a horrified look on his face. His already silvery-pale skin was turning into a corpse white. Elfy and Jumbo looked at each other confused. He didn't say anything at first, as he couldn't find the words to speak.
"I'm…I'm getting married!" Skylark suddenly said out loud. Dread started to sink in as he said those words. His companions ended up with their mouths dropped open with surprise. Him… getting married? To who?
Back in Bayview, Eugene ran down near the road leading to Emma's house, too focused on making her way to the birthday party. Hopefully she would make it in time, but thanks to her worried mother nagging about playing it safe when alone, she grew short on time. Her guardian bakugan, Ventus Pyxunoid, had trouble catching up with her.
"Eugene, could you please slow down?! My wings can't carry me that far!" he snapped. His body in ball form started to sink due to exhaustion but he struggled to stay upright as he hovered nearby.
"I'm sorry, Pyxunoid, but I'm running late!" Eugene exclaimed, also growing tired from speeding up. Pyxunoid groaned as they hurried to her friend's house, the minutes swiftly passing away. The only things crossing her mind were the words 'Please make it, please make it…'.
Skylark opened the doors to his room and plopped himself on his bed, clearly stressed out by the unexpected event approaching. He could not believe he was getting married, not only to a girl, but he really did not think he would be marrying the one who displayed little meaning to him. Jumbo and Elfy rushed into the room to check on him.
"I can't believe I'm getting married… and to her!" He kept saying as he paced around the room with anxiety. *
"Who is she?" Elfy asked.
"Her name is Marina, and she's a chaotic soul. Her father, Reginald Sr., is one of the richest men in all of Wonderland. It says here in the letter that he's going to arrange an engagement party next week for me and Marina." explained Skylark.
"An engagement party?" asked Jumbo.
"Yes. Maria and I used to date years ago. Her father used to spoil her a lot and she was really rude to my friends back when I used to be in school. I broke up with her once I found out her type of personality."
"Then why are you marrying her? Don't you love that one other girl? Uh… Eugene?" Elfy asked hesitantly, his fingers straining the cap he was wearing.
Skylark's eyes lit up at the sound of that name; he nearly forgot about her when she left, but thankfully, he always had a place for her in his heart. He really did still love her, but now with this arranged marriage to his former girlfriend, Marina, could he really still be together with her? Sighing, he stuffed the letter in a drawer and headed out of the room, his two friends following close behind.
At Emma's house, guests were arriving all over the place. Shauna Larson and Tanya Preston, two of Eugene's best friends, chatted with Emma, telling jokes and gossiping about their boyfriends. Little kids ran around with toy guns, pretending to shoot each other, while the adults were busy putting out presents and hanging decorations outside. Balloons and streamers in shades of pale pink, powder blue, lilac, lemon yellow, and mint green accented the living room, making the place lively with shades of spring. Eugene placed her Harajuku bag against the wall and ran over to the three girls.
"Hey Emma!" she said, making her way through other family members to greet them.
"Oh, hi Eugene!" said Emma, giving her friend a hug. Shauna and Tanya did the same as Eugene embraced them all one by one. "We almost thought you couldn't make it."
"What'd I miss?" She asked.
"Not much; everything's not ready yet." said Shauna.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Dan and Marucho are helping my dad make the cake. My aunt and uncle are still wrapping presents." Emma explained.
"Seriously? They're not prepared?" Eugene asked. The three girls nodded. Sighing, Eugene hung out as she joined into the conversation with her friends, with Pyxunoid wandering off to find the other bakugan. Maybe she'll help Dan and Marucho out with the cake later, if they would allow her.
The rest of the day, Skylark lay in his room, thinking all about the sudden marriage he had been targeted in. If Marina came back for him, why did she not give him any warning? Why a marriage all of a sudden? Was it because people don't want him to rule Wonderland alone? Not that he was against the idea, but still, he didn't want to marry her. Rolling over in bed, he felt his stomach clench up with a nauseous feeling every time he thought about the wedding.
What really bothered him the most, however, were his newfound feelings for Eugene, the one who helped him and his friends defeat the Grey King. Part of him wished that he could go to Earth and be with her, but it was impossible to make it happen.
Whether he liked the prospect of being married or not, he was stuck in an endless rut. The kind that would drag on and plague him for the rest of his life in all of Wonderland.
To Be Continued…
JinxWriter: This story will be co-written with one of my fanfic buddies, ShunKazamis-Girl. We both like getting reviews, so get them in! ;)
ShunKazamis-Girl: Yeah, and in case if you're wondering about pairings, it'll contain the following: Eventual "OC"XOC, ShunXOC, GunzXOC, DanXRuno, Spectra/KeithXOC, implied JulieXBilly, implied AceXMira, and one-sided OCXOC.
Disclaimer: We don't own the brawlers, Bayview/Osaka, Wardington/Tokyo, or any of the bakugan. Most of the OCs as well as OC bakugans and creatures all belong to JinxWriter. The following two mentioned here, Eugene Kang and Pyxunoid, belongs to ShunKazamis-Girl.