Author note: Apologies for the delay in updating this fic! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I think it's fair to say I may be wrapping this fic up in a few more chapters from now—not sure how many….probably two or three more before it's done? We'll see. Thank you all for your patience, and for reading this fic so far!
21. Jabberwock
"Denys!"
Praline ran towards the tank, waving her arms. She knew she had to get into that tank, fast, before Diamante really started attacking everyone. She was the 'Alice,' and she had to fight it.
Even if it meant getting armed up as fast as possible while kicking Time out of the tank. Sorry, Denys.
"Denys, I need to get in that tank, now! We have to switch!"
The tank stopped moving, and the door attached to the hatch opened up—just in time for Denys to climb out, heaving. His hair stuck to his sweaty, pale face as he gazed around, before looking upwards at the sound of the Ba'al's roar.
"Diamante is…" He couldn't finish his sentence. As she approached him, watching him climb off the tank to stand by her side, she saw him tremble.
She looked him in the eyes. "Don't worry. I got it, okay? Just get everyone and anyone to safety."
He opened his mouth to protest, but she glared at him. "Alright, I'll do it. Just be careful."
"I'll try."
Those were her last words before climbing into the tank.
She'd used the tank earlier before Denys took control while she was fighting the Queen of Hearts, but for some reason, she couldn't help but feel like she had less on a grip on how to use the controls. Her hands grew sweaty, to her annoyance, and she tried her darndest not to let that bother her. She had to focus on the battle, right? Get rid of Diamante?
Then why did she feel this ever-growing sense of dread?
No. I can't give up. Wonderland's depending on me, right?
"Honey…"
"Nobutsuna, as much as I appreciate you and your soft spot for Praline's wellbeing, we really need to run!"
"But we can't just leave her to die!"
"She's not gonna die!"
Kikyo had the (somewhat amusing, despite the circumstances) chance to see the Caterpillar literally being half-dragged away from the tank Praline was in by his two lovers. It made the Dormmouse wonder how it would all go.
Would Praline live? Would she die?
Kikyo knew she couldn't do much but have faith in her.
Or maybe, she thought as she looked to the teary Caterpillar, then the tank containing Praline, maybe there's something I can do.
Maybe she doesn't have to face this alone.
"LOVE IN THE CROSSFIRE, READY AIM FIRE!"
A mighty boom rocked Praline's tank, and she groaned as she hit the back of her head against her seat. Swallowing, she pressed a few buttons to activate the magic shields that would guard the tank she still currently was in from Diamante's next attack. Lucky for her, the shields came up just in time for Diamante's Brilliancy attack, neutralizing most of the damage it would've otherwise given.
Sweat tricked down her forehead, and she knew she couldn't get a clean shot with Diamante just flying around her. At least, not right in the chest or anywhere vital. Aiming her cannon at one of Diamante's wings, she knew grounding it would at least distract it enough, if not down it so she could shoot directly at vital areas. It wasn't something she necessarily knew from Denys teaching her to use the tank, but rather from Kamiizumi—the Nobutsuna Kamiizumi from her own world, that is.
Swordmaster. She swallowed. I'll save Wonderland, I promise.
She would have wondered how he was doing, back in her world, if she wasn't so busy trying to get rid of Diamante right now.
A light thump hit the tank, and then the hatch opened, just in time for one Konoe Kikyo to slip into the tank and close the hatch above her. "Praline?"
"Kikyo!?" Praline's eyes widened as she craned her neck so she could see her. "What are you doing here!? I have to defeat Diamante!"
"Icametohelpyou!"
"I have to be the one to defeat it, though!"
Konoe gave her a look, pushing a few stray hairs out of her face. "The prophecy never said anything about doing it alone. Pleaseletmehelpyou."
Praline opened her mouth to respond, but that was when a blast from Diamante rocked the tank. The Performer nearly fell out of her seat, but Kikyo's quick reflexes and firm hands pulled her back into it. "Th-thanks. And as for your help, I'd really appreciate that right now!"
"Good." Kikyo looked to Diamante through the screens showing it on camera in the tank, and then to the Performer again. "Howmuchdamagehaveyoudonetoit?"
"I don't know…" The Performer quickly reactivated the shields, just in time to block another one of Diamante's attacks. Looking at the camera, she watched the attacks bounce back at Diamante, hitting it, and she heard its roar for what felt like the umpteenth time. "I think I've done some good amount of damage? I just can't reach the wings. I'm trying to shoot it out of the air so we get it directly."
"Keeptrying. Onceyoudo, I'llhititwiththeblade'srawpower."
"Raw power?"
"TheVorpalBlade's power. I'llstabDiamantewiththeactualSword." Kikyo looked to the sword in a case, watching it glow. It was one of the two things powering the tank, other than the Compass of Space and Time that lay in a case beside the Sword. "IthinkoneofushastostabDiamantedirectly."
"You mean I can't just shoot it down by using the Compass and Vorpal Blade as a power source?" Praline frowned. "Denys was able to at least damage Diamante enough by using the tank as is in the past!"
"Atankhastocontrolthepressureofthepoweritwields, right?" Kikyo looked to the sword again, then to her. "IfwestabbedDiamantedirectlywiththeSwordalone, withallitspowerinitself ratherthandirectingitthroughatank, maybewecankillitforgood?"
"You have a point. So, um," Praline tried to put it together, "I shoot it out of the sky, you stab it with the Sword, and I can maybe try shooting Diamante some more in case that doesn't quite work?"
The Dormmouse smiled, giving her one full nod. "Yes. Exactly."
The Performer wasn't sure what to say about the plan. It wasn't like she knew of any better plans, though. But… "Kikyo, that's mad, and I mean crazy-mad."
Kikyo chuckled, despite the fight they were involved with right now. "We'reallmadhere. We're in Wonderland, remember?"
Praline, despite herself, laughed. "Right."
A third Brilliancy attack from Diamante rocked the tank, and Praline almost fell out of her seat for a second time. She hissed, getting back into her seat as she glared at the screens. "Hey! Don't ruin the moment!"
The Dormmouse stopped herself from facepalming herself. "Let'sjustgetonwithkillingDiamante, shallwe?"
"Sounds good."
Praline took a deep breath as she put up the shields of her tank one more time. Aiming her cannon at Diamante, she tried to point at one of the wings. Diamante didn't stay in one place, not at first, but then it started charging its Brilliancy attack for the fourth time.
And that was when she realized it—Diamante stayed still when charging its attack. Its wings were perfectly outstretched, mostly, due to it flapping just enough to stay mid-air.
Ready.
She locked her canon onto the target.
Aim.
Took a deep breath…
Fire.
Kikyo heard the roar of Diamante as it fell to the earth below, Praline moving her tank backwards just enough so that Diamante wouldn't land on them by accident. As the Performer did so, the Dormmouse opened up the case containing the Vorpal Blade, taking it in hand before opening up the hatch.
"Kikyo!"
She turned her head to see Praline swallow, before yelling.
"Be careful!"
Kikyo could do nothing but give her a quick nod, before climbinig out. She couldn't waste another second going to Diamante, to slay it. Praline did her part, and the Dormmouse knew she had to do hers.
She heard the roar of Diamante as she stepped out of the tank and closed the hatch behind her. A large, bloody gash came from one of its wings, and before it could try getting up, the tank shoot two more blasts of energy at Dianate. The beast, unable to dodge it, could do nothing but endure the attacks that hit it.
Looking to the Vorpal Blade in her hand, she watched the sword's blade gleam in the light of day, before looking to Diamante once more.
"Do it now!" Kikyo heard Praline yell from the tank. "Now, Kikyo!"
Diamante reared its head up, growling, but the Dormmouse started running at it. Taking another deep breath, she leapt up high, pointing the Sword's blade at its head, intending to stab it there.
She didn't get the chance to.
She gave it too much time to charge up another Brilliancy attack, even after it was downed by Praline.
White light flashed, and Praline had to close her eyes. A heavy 'thump' hit he tank, before the sliding of flesh against the tank made her freeze.
Is that…?
Against her better judgement, she opened her eyes. A few of the cameras were blacked out, but not because they were damaged.
Red seeped over a few of the monitors as she heard flesh rub off the cameras and expose them to daylight.
Kikyo.
Diamante killed her.
That was the first thought that came into her mind, but Praline refused to let that come true. She still had the cannon of the tank, right?
And even if she didn't have the Sword powering it up, the Compass of Space and Time still was in there with her.
She locked the cannon's aim onto Diamante, and with a guttural scream, she pulled the trigger, firing one more time.
She wasn't fully certain if Diamante was entirely dead, but she didn't care.
She just wanted to get to Kikyo.
Battling a giant beast head-on and watching one of your closer allies die was different than fighting a civil war in Eisen all those years ago. At least Praline could sit back and do the work.
But here? Here in Wonderland was much different, and she wished she realized that sooner. She knew she should have realized sooner, back when she witnessed the Walrus slaughter all those soldiers that she helped him kill.
I should have realized sooner when I first fell into Wonderland.
Climbing as fast as she could out of the tank, she closed the hatch behind her before climbing off the tank.
Konoe Kikyo lay half against the tank, half on the ground. Thankfully, she was still in one piece, but the blood oozing from her side didn't make her look any better. Her skin paled, her eyes thankfully closed. On the ground, a few feet nearby, the Vorpal Sword lay in pieces.
Praline didn't care about the Sword. Instead, she ran to Kikyo's side, kneeling down to gently shake her.
"Kikyo?"
No response. She shook her a bit more, but the Dormmouse wasn't responding.
"Kikyo!?"
Nothing but the Dormmouse's ragged breaths came out this time.
Alive? She's still alive?
…Oh my god, she's still alive.
"Praline!"
She turned to see the Caterpillar limping over to her and Kikyo. Worry etched onto his face and despite his injured form, he ignored his own self as he finally got to their sides. "Are you…?"
"Kikyo got hurt really badly." Praline managed. "We need to get help for her!"
"Is Diamante…?"
"It's dead. I think it is." Praline took one quick look at the beast, and then to the Caterpillar again, swallowing. "Yeah, I think it's dead."
"Thank goodness. I was worried, I…" He bit his lower lip, before shaking his head at seeing Kikyo's still-bloody form. "We need to get Kikyo some help, first. I'll get Braev and the others to deal with the rest."
Two things resonated with Praline, at that moment.
First: She saved Wonderland.
Secondly: Konoe Kikyo might be dead at the end of the day because of her.