Setting Underland Manor

"RRRRRAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH! AAAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!"

The screams could be heard throughout the mansion along with the sound of groans and painful moans. The servants of the manor hid inside any room they could, fearing being in her sight would incur the wrath of the mad Underland. The only ones that tried to do anything were the castle guards, marching toward the hall where the frenzied Underland was, but their attempt was in vain.

"AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!"

The floor of the kitchen and the hallway before it was littered with fallen castle guards. They laid on the ground, beaten as unconscious, with bruised bodies. They were defeated through combat and their numbers continued to increase. The ones that still stood did their best to do what they were ordered; subdue Alyssa Underland.

In the middle of a hallway were the castle guards equipped with spears, swords, and steel batons were surrounding Violet who was full of ire. Her eyes were bright orange thanks to Marigold using his semblance, Madness, inducing her into this enraged state and she was fighting anyone that stood before her. Violet has been training and fighting ever since she left home. Over the years, she has become an extremely strong fighter and the various foes she has faced has given her the experience she needed to grow. It showed in this fight, though the Madness was preventing Violet from fighting strategically. She was relying on sheer force to win, forsaking defense for raw power.

The castle guard swarmed in, using their superior numbers to overwhelm the young woman, but Violet punched, elbowed, and kicked them out of her way. When one guard tried to attack her with his spear, Violet barely dodged the weapon, her side and aura were slashed by the blade. She grabbed the spear by the pole, then gave the guard a powerful kick to the throat, pushing him away and giving her a weapon to fight with. Spinning and twirling the weapon around her vicinity, Violet beat away any nearby guards to keep them at bay. She began to slam and smash the end of the poles against some unlucky guards and continued her assault.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Dahlia laughed loudly from the end of the hall leading to the dining hall. With her were the other Underlands who watched the situation unfold.

Marigold watched with a pleased grin, Bluebell was watching while huffing from his hookah, Aster stood and observed silently, and Linnaea and Linnaeus watched as well, but sometimes walked back to the table to swipe and munch some of the food. Violet's cousin simply enjoyed the show.

"Quite the show," Bluebell commented.

"Indeed. It turned out the rumors about her time in Vacuo were true. She pretty good at fighting, very good," Marigold said impressed with Violet's battle prowess.

"Do you think she might be the strongest Underland? She could be," Bluebell suggested.

"Hmph. Doubt it," Dahlia answered. "There's still Zinnia. She's the strongest Underland, stronger than any in several generations. Alyssa doesn't stand a chance against her."

"I don't know. She's pretty tough. Alyssa might hold her own against Zinnia," Bluebell said with intrigue.

"Want to see whose stronger? I believe we can make that dream a reality," Marigold said with a cunning smirk.

He pulled out his scroll and tapped the screen several times before holding it up to his ear. The scroll began ringing as Marigold pleasantly waited for the person on the other end to answer.

"What do you want, Marigold?" Tarax rudely asked.

"Ah, uncle. It's good to hear you're still alive. It seems that our beloved cousin Alyssa has gone on a rampage. The castle guard is trying to contain her, but their efforts are only awarding them contusions, broken limbs, and all the like."

"What do you want me to do about it? This should be proof to you and the rest of your lot that Alyssa shouldn't be crossed," Tarax retorted smugly.

"True, she is formidable, however she has made it clear to us she holds a massive grudge against you. If she continues with her onslaught, Alyssa will either escape the Manor or come after you and end it all," Marigold said with a calm voice to hide his triumphant tone.

Tarax was silent on the scroll as he thought about Marigold's words. He was right. Violet would do either one when the opportunity showed itself. He wasn't ready to lose his last chance at remaining in control and he sure didn't want to die by the hand of his own daughter. Violet needed to be stopped. Tarax was silent as he thought about his options and Marigold realized his uncle was truly concerned, meaning he could manipulate the situation like he wanted.

"If the castle guard can't match up to with Alyssa, then there's only one person who can defeat her. I think it would be best to send Zinnia the Paragon to put an end to this. She is in the manor today, is she not?" Marigold asked, knowing the answer.

"Very well. I'll contact her immediately. Just make sure Alyssa doesn't leave the manor," Tarax ordered Marigold.

Marigold chuckled before saying, "As you say, uncle."

Marigold hung up his scroll and smirked to his fellow cousins. "And with that call, we're gonna have a showdown."

"AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

Violet let out another battle cry before bashing the head of another castle guard with the spear in her hand. As the fighting continued, the number of castle guard members dwindled and Violet was breathing heavily. The battle may have been in her favor thanks to the guards being ordered to capture instead of kill, however fighting against such great numbers was wearing Violet down considerably. She was getting tired and couldn't stop if she wanted to. Marigold's Madness was still in effect, causing Violet to continue her berserk state of mind.

The number of castle guard members almost seemed unlimited as more marched into the hallway. With Violet getting tired as the fight continued, she was beginning to lose ground. A guard wielding a sword rushed to Violet, ready to attack. He swung his blade only for Violet to sidestep away from the weapon then swung her own weapon against the man's side. The polearm slammed into the guard and he was knocked into one of the hallway's windows, breaking through and falling onto the snowy ground outside. Violet followed him and leaped outside, leaving her cousins and the other guards behind. She was still induced by Madness so she didn't have the sense to run. Instead she stood above the guard that fell through the window and began to punch him relentlessly. Her pummeling didn't cease despite the man's pleas for mercy. It wasn't until Violet's orange eyes finally returned to their natural purple color.

"Huh? What?" Violet had control of her actions again.

She didn't remember everything that happened while under Madness, just glimpses of her battle, but Violet realized one very important thing; she was outside. Violet felt the fresh, cold air and flakes of snow hit her skin and send a shiver down her spine. Violet was cold. She wasn't dressed for being outside, but she didn't care. Violet wasted no time and ran away from Underland Manor. She only took five steps before a metal whip-like object flew out of the broken window, wrapped itself around Violet, and pulled her back into the hallway. She slammed against the wall then dragged and hurled back into the dining hall.

Setting: Dining Hall

All the Underlands watching in the dining hall ducked to avoid being hit by Violet's tossed body. The rogue Underland landed on the table and slide along the long piece of furniture, crashing and knocking down all the tea and food in her path, much to Marigold displeasure.

"I worked all morning on that," he complained.

Violet stopped sliding on the table, sitting somewhere in the middle while someone entered the room. None of the castle guard entered the room. The one who strode into the room, gaining everyone's attention was the Underland known as the Paragon, the strongest Underland in all the land, Zinnia.

Zinnia had long red hair that looked like dancing fire and sharp, golden eyes. She had a beauty mark on above the right side of her lip where it served its purpose of being beautiful. She was quite attractive, but her neutral expression displayed severity. She wore a small black jacket that faded to red at the bottom and red lining. There were several badges above the left breast. One of the badges had the insignia of the Underland family and another which served as proof she was part of the Atlesian military. She wore a lightly armored bodysuit beneath her jacket. It was red from the waist up and black the rest of the way down. Wrapped around her waist was a white cloak that reach reached down to and ended right above her ankles. Zinnia wore black knee-high boots and black gloves. On her right arm was a mechanical device which served an unknown purpose and in her right hand was Zinnia's weapon of choice, a whip sword; a segmented sword that could extend into a whip.

Marigold and the other Underlands walked out of her way so they could enjoy the second act of this spectacle. Zinnia walked to the end of the table with her gold eyes focused on Violet.

"Alyssa Underland. Allow me to say it's good see you after all this time. I was happy to hear you were alive and returned home, however I can't disregard your violent outburst and attempt to leave the manor without uncle's permission. I wished we could've properly meet, but I've been tasked to return you to your room. Please come quietly and without resistance," Zinnia asked with a serious yet caring tone.

Violet thought about her cousin's offer. She still didn't fully understand what happened a few moments ago, probably something the other orchestrated, but Zinnia was giving her a chance to just go to her room and pretend nothing happened. Violet believed that was the best course of action, however her mind was looking back at the brief moment she was outside. It felt liberating, something she hasn't felt in weeks and she didn't want to return to being held captive in a place she hated. Violet wanted this to end quietly, but she wanted out more and her opportunity was out there through that broken window. Violet had no weapons, just forks and knives scattered about the table. She picked up several before beginning her assault.

Violet ran on top of the table directly toward Zinnia who reacted by shooting out and extending her whip sword. She had the whip aimed at Violet's feet, preparing to wrap around them, but Violet jumped over the weapon and threw some forks at Zinnia. They weren't her usual throwing knives, but they would serve as distractions for now. Her cousin easily blocked against the utensils with the light armor on her body suit deflecting all of them and Zinnia herself catching the one in midair that was aimed at her left eye. Violet landed behind Zinnia and sprinted for the door, ignoring her other cousins and thinking only about escape. She was in the hallway but didn't reach the window thanks to Zinnia stopping Violet's movement by shooting out her whip sword and wrapping it around Violet's body. Zinnia pulled back, reeling Violet back into the dining hall and tossed her into a wall.

"Close and guard the door," Zinnia ordered her fellow Underlands.

Linnaea and Linnaeus did as they were told and closed the door leading to the hallway. The twins dutifully guarded it while the others continued watching the fight. Marigold had an amused smirk on his face, loving how things were going the way he orchestrated. He relished being a puppet master and wondered what it would be like once he is the head of the family.

Slowly but surely, Violet was getting back on her feet. She was hurt, but her aura was still intact. Looking at Zinnia and the others guard the door, Violet saw no way out of this. Instead, she glanced at the large windows in the dining hall. They led to the courtyard garden in the center of the mansion. It was outside, but not out of the mansion and Violet figured she could think of the next step later.

"Alyssa Underland. Stand down," Zinnia ordered.

Violet remained silent, slowly standing to her feet then raising her arms up as a sign of surrender. Violet glanced at Zinnia who didn't budge from the look in her eyes. Out of nowhere, tulip petals began to form on Violet's body, peeling off her arms and legs, and as they formed, Violet's body began to disappear. Violet activated Invisibility, creating petals around the body parts she wanted to vanish. Violet disappeared in a flurry of tulip petals.

"Where'd-"
"she go?" Linnaea and Linnaeus asked in confusion.

"Uncle really should've done something to negate her semblance," Bluebell said.

"His mind's slipping thanks to growing old. It's a shame," Marigold insulted with a joyful tone.

Zinnia extended her whip sword and twirled it around above her head. She then swung her whip sword at the area of the room near the windows and her blade did hit something. An invisible Violet was struck by part of the extended blade and she was knocked into the table. Violet's semblance deactivated when her spine hit the edge of the table. Zinnia predicted Violet's move to escape out the window. She noticed Violet glancing at the windows and how she's been focused on escaping instead of the battle.

Zinnia exhibited intelligence being able to guess Violet's actions based on quick observations. Her abilities in battle were also something to behold. She never wasted a move, adapting extremely quickly to her opponent's style. Zinnia was a strategist and capable fighter and this was only a sliver of what she could do. She definitely could be someone who rivaled Violet or maybe even surpassed her based on everyone's claim.

The drawn-out battle with the guards along with the hard hits Zinnia delivered, Violet's aura was at the end of its rope. She didn't have enough aura to remain invisible so she appeared before everyone in her defeated state. Violet was tired, had no weapon, and scraping the bottom of the barrel of her aura. There was nothing else she could do. Violet's attempt at escape ended in failure.

"Whelp, it's over. Zinnia is still the strongest," Dahlia stated with her hands on her hips.

"While I agree with you about the outcome, I still think it was very one-sided, Bluebell interjected. "It's not like Alyssa had her weapons with her."

"Doesn't matter. She focused too much on trying to escape rather than fighting Zinnia. Her single-minded objective is what brought her down," Aster said.

"Hmm. I don't know. What do you think, Marigold?" Bluebell asked.

Marigold held a mad smile as he looked at a defeated Violet then said, "It doesn't matter if she could win or not against Zinnia. She'll certainly make this interesting."

Zinnia ignored the comments of her cousins and had her eyes on Violet. She retracted her blade back into its sword form and slowly approached Violet who was leaning against the table to hold herself up. Zinnia extended her arm with an open hand to Violet,

"Please, come with me and return to your room," Zinnia offered.

Violet eyed Zinnia then ultimately ignored her. She felt it for the first time in weeks. The outside, freedom, and she wanted more. The feeling of the chilling wind against her scalp was the best sensation she has felt in a long time and she wanted more. Violet didn't try to fight anymore, instead she grabbed the closest chair and dragged it with her toward the closest window. The legs of the chair slowly scrapped against the floor, making a grating and unpleasant sound. Once she reached the window, Violet tried to raise the piece of furniture over her head to smash the window, but Zinnia shot out her whip sword, extending it at the chair and destroying the metal object in one thrust. Violet held nothing left of the chair in her hands, so she decided to rely on her fists alone. Her aura was extremely low so punching through glass would not only break her aura, but also get a few shards lodged in her hands. She was prepared for the pain. It meant nothing if it meant she could escape and maybe even return to Vacuo, hoping maybe her team was there waiting for her.

Before Violet could continue with her last act of defiance, Zinnia moved in and quickly delivered an open palm strike to Violet's chin. This attack broke Violet's aura and the strike to the chin knocked Violet out. The fight with the guards forced by Marigold's manipulation combined with her bout with Zinnia left Violet exhausted. She laid on the ground unconscious. Zinnia carefully picked up her cousin and carried her out of the dining hall with all the other Underlands watching.

Setting: Violet's Room

Violet awoke from her slumber, opening her eyes to see the white ceiling of her room. She noticed that she was laying in her bed and immediately felt the soreness in her body. She didn't know how long she was out, but she knew it wasn't long enough for her not to feel the pain. Violet also felt something else wrong with her body. She brought her hand to her neck to feel some kind of metal collar around her neck. Violet looked over at the mirror on her dresser to see exactly what it was and she recognized it as a device similar to the high-tech handcuffs used to disrupt a person's aura. This thing prevented her from accessing her aura as well as her semblance. Violet was actually surprised her father didn't give this to her in the first place.

With no access to her aura, Violet's body couldn't be healed with it so she was writhed in pain. She mustered whatever strength she could to sit up and she did. Violet began to notice something else in her room; a small table that wasn't there before and a tray with tea, biscuits, and a note. She didn't want to feel any more soreness by reaching for the note, so she just read it where she sat.

"Here's some food and tea to make you feel better. Get well soon. Love, Marigold"

Violet didn't know what to make of this since he and the other Underlands declared war against her. She thought it might be best not to accept his offering just in case it was poisoned. Without warning, Galanthus entered her room with a first aid kit.

"Oh. You're awake. Your father asked for me to tend to your wounds. Please don't make a fuss about this," the rabbit faunus asked.

Violet just nodded, allowing the butler to do as he was ordered. With no aura protecting or healing her, Violet needed the medical treatment. Her aura wasn't going to heal her anytime soon and she was more vulnerable than ever.

Setting: Tarax's Study

Tarax sat at his desk with an infuriated look on his face. Zinnia stood on the other side, watching her uncle with a neutral expression. He viciously tapped the index finger on his right hand against his desk while writing documents with his left. His blood was boiling about what just transpired. His rebellious daughter tried to escape and she almost succeeded. Tarax believed Marigold and the other Underlands may have had a hand in her outrage, but it didn't change the fact that Violet proved to be too much for the castle guard. He didn't believe his daughter would actually put up an actual fight but she did and she almost won. Not to mention the fact that he allowed her to roam in his mansion with the use of her vexing semblance. It completely slipped his mind to prevent her the use of her semblance. This lapse in judgement showed Tarax's mind wasn't as sharp as it used to be. Tarax finally realized how loose his grip really was on Violet at the same time feeling irritated about how important keeping her was to remain in power.

He grumbled to himself, forgetting that Zinnia was in the room. The Young Underland patiently waited for her uncle to speak but he remained in this state of frustration for over twenty minutes. She decided it was best to initiate the conversation in order for him to move forward.

"Uncle Tarax, I was able to return Alyssa to her room and placed the disruptor collar on her. She won't be using her semblance anymore. Also, I ordered Galanthus to go to Alyssa's room and give her medical treatment. With her aura disrupted, it won't be able to heal her body. I hope that is okay with you? I don't mean to undermine you," Zinnia said with respect.

Tarax sighed with relief before saying, "Thank you, Zinnia. This place would be in chaos with you."

"Think nothing of it, uncle. I'm only doing my duty while I'm still here," Zinnia replied.

Tarax was glad Zinnia was on his side. And more importantly, she had no desire to be the next head of the Underland family. If she truly desired to lead the family, then she would with ease. No other Underland would dare oppose her. Zinnia has proven to be one of the greatest members of the family in a long time. She was truly gifted, a prodigy, but her ambition lied elsewhere.

Rather than be the next head of the Underland family, Zinnia instead chose to enlist into the Atlas military. She did this when she was thirteen as has been rising through the ranks as a prominent soldier. Now that she was 22, Zinnia has become a trainee in the Atlesian Military's Special Operative Unit. She only needed another month before being a full-fledged specialist. Zinnia remained stationed at home per her uncle's request and respectfully fulfilled his desires before being called by the Atlesian Military.

"Uncle. Alyssa may be crippled by the restriction of her aura, but she has proven to be defiant and she'll continue to be as long as things remain this way," Zinnia said.

"What do you think we can do to make her complacent?" Tarax asked, ready to accept any answer if it means Violet will be submissive.

"I doubt she'll ever be obedient, but I'm sure we can take measures to prevent an incident like that from occurring a second time. Perhaps make Alyssa less volatile. Unfortunately, we don't know the exact method to keep her under some form of control, but I believe there's someone who can assist us. Someone who knows much more about Alyssa than we do," Zinnia answered.

Tarax had to think about who Zinnia was talking about, but he figured out who quickly. He was aware she was still in Atlas, so he decided to give her a call. He knew Zinnia was correct. That person knew a lot about Violet and probably knew how to make her behave. It was the best option Tarax had available and he needed to put the reins on his daughter.

"Zinnia. Please summon Ebony Vantablack for me. I need her here."


Violet finally receives her second theme song and it's Survivor by 2WEI. This song is the most ideal theme for Violet. The lyrics to the song are things Violet wishes to say to her father. She doesn't need him to survive anymore. Violet is more than capable of making it out on the world on her own and has proven that throughout her life in Vacuo. Violet is strong, smart, and independent. This song is Violet's best theme song for her because it defines Violet's character correctly.

Violet's first theme is Castle(Winter's War) by Halsey which portrays to Violet's current setting but serves more as the volume's theme song than Violet's. Survivor Violet's main theme and the perfect song for her character.

Dahlia Underland is based on the Red Queen and the sister of Aster. She is temperamental, stubborn, and very loud, but she is also insecure. Her semblance allows her to read a person's mind and emotions, but only if those thoughts and feelings pertain to Dahlia. Just as Aster said, Dahlia's semblance is egotistical and self-absorbed. It basically serves as a way for Dahlia to know whose talking about her behind her back. She always keeps her semblance active to know what people say and this drains her aura considerably. She has never given her semblance a name, but the others call it Ego. Dahlia gets jealous easily by anyone doing something better than her, especially her sister, Aster. She is named after the Dahlia flower which symbolizes elegance and dignity, but also as a warning for something terrible.

Aster Underland is based on the White Queen and the sister of Dahlia. Aster is a very mysterious person and hard to read. She displays elegance, serenity, and no crazed tendencies which is very abnormal for an Underland, but has made her a very popular figure to other family members and the manor's staff. She is peculiar and her semblance only adds to it. Clairvoyance allows Aster to see the future. She has no control over her semblance. Clairvoyance activates randomly and shows random events. Sometimes if she is in the presence of another person, the future she'll see might be related to them. There's one aspect to Aster's Clairvoyance that Marigold purposely didn't bring up and he'd wants it to be a surprise. Aster is named after the Aster flower which comes in several colors with their own symbolism and it complements Aster who's a complex character. Aster is also the Greek word for star and Aster herself does seem otherworldly.

Zinnia Underland is based on the Knave of Hearts. She is a prodigy in the Underland family and a soldier in the Atlesian Military. Zinnia is probably the only one in that family that acts like a noble. She is respectful to her elders and superiors, and is empathetic, willing to allow Violet to choose the path of least resistance rather than fight her. She is named after the Zinnia flower which universally symbolizes endurance. The red Zinnia symbolizes steadfastness and family ties, things that are a part of Zinnia's character. She is known as the strongest Underland and nicknamed the Paragon because of it. Even though Zinnia may have fought Violet when she was weakened and didn't have her Enigmas, she is still a better fighter than Violet.

The second theme for the Underland family is Dollhouse: Melanie Martinez. It defines what life is like in the Underland Manor. To the outside, superficial world of Atlas, the Underland Family seems like an eccentric yet ordinary family. The dark twisted truth of the family is only known by the family and they keep up the facade because of Atlas's strict rules on self expression and because it's partially fun to keep it secret.