The Bureau Files: Series 3
ooOoo
Episode 13: The Refuge's Labyrinth (Part 1)
As another day came to a close at the Paradise Pet Store, Haru found herself lingering at the office door where Michael marked out the day's finances. She watched silently as he worked, a gentle wave of affection flowing through her for the young man, but it was tempered by the conversation that waited on her tongue.
"You know, you can come in," Michael said, cheerfully. "I won't bite."
Wordlessly, Haru entered the office and pulled up a chair.
"So, what's the problem this time?" her boyfriend asked. When Haru looked surprised, he chuckled. "You've been looking like the world's ending all day. And since you've been standing at that door for the past five minutes, I assume you finally want to talk about it." He set aside the paperwork to focus his entire attention on the woman. "Is it the Bureau? Or is it something a little closer to home?"
"A bit of both."
"Halleluiah, she speaks," Michael laughed. "Sorry. That was tactless of me."
Haru smiled weakly. "Not at all. I could do with a little cheering."
"So what's happened? Is Baron doing okay? I know you were worried about him."
"He's doing much better, thanks."
Michael waited for her to continue and then, when it became obvious that Haru had grounded to a verbal halt, gently prompted her. "So if he's not what's worrying you, what is?"
"Do you think I've… changed?"
"Everyone changes, Haru."
"I know. But, being with the Bureau… I've had to make… decisions to protect those I love. And the decisions I've made haven't always been… easy."
"Like what happened back at Fenland House?" Michael softly offered.
Haru nodded.
"If… If you really don't like what you're doing, perhaps you should stop." Michael paused, waiting for the usual heated response to follow from Haru. But, this time, none came. "Not for good," he continued. "Not forever. Just to… clear your head. You know, give yourself some space to think things through."
"I was afraid you were going to say that."
"I'm not telling you what to do. I'm just… trying to help."
"No, I know," she said. "But I was afraid you were going to say that because it's what I've been wondering for a while. And hearing you say it too just… makes it seem a lot more obvious."
Michael hesitated. "Haru, what exactly happened on the last case?"
"I nearly shot someone," she whispered. "He wasn't an immediate threat, but I knew he was going to try and hurt Baron again in the future. He's the reason Baron was sent away to Cap's world in the first place; the reason Baron almost broke before. And I just… I was just so angry and scared that I…"
Michael covered Haru's shaking hands with his own; a strange echo of Baron's own actions. "But you didn't."
"Only because Baron stopped me."
Michael had little to say to that.
"I think you're right. I think I do need space," she said. She withdrew her hands. "But… not just from the Bureau. I'm not sure I can handle being in a relationship right now."
His eyes dimmed, but there was no other response. And then he exhaled and nodded slowly. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay," he repeated. "Sure. I get that."
"It's not that I don't like you," Haru said. "It's just… I don't know much of what I'm feeling right now. I need time to sort it out. Michael, you have been so important to me in the last few years. You've kept me sane in the madness of the Bureau, been my anchor to the Human World, but… like you said, I just need space. From… everything, for a little while."
"Me included."
"You, the Bureau, everything." Haru hesitated, and lifted her gaze from where she had been staring down at the floor. "I'm sorry. I'll find another job – I have some spare cash that should keep me going for a little while–"
"No, don't." Michael reached out to her, and then caught himself before he could make contact. "I'm not going to fire you just because we're no longer dating. You're a good worker, and you're great company. Even if you don't want a romantic relationship, we don't have to sever all ties, right? We can still be friends." He paused, and then gave a weak smile. "I can't believe I've just given the 'we can still be friends' speech right after you've effectively dumped me. That's new."
"If you don't think it'd be awkward–"
"Oh, it's going to be awkward, all right. But I think you've survived worse things."
"Thank you."
Michael smiled, a little of his usual humour reasserting itself even amid the sadness. "Would it make me a horrible human being if I admitted that it's easier to bear, knowing you're giving the Bureau the same treatment?"
Haru laughed feebly. "I don't think I can fault you for that."
"Have you told them the news yet?"
"No. They're not going to like it." Haru rose from her seat, but this time Michael did reach out and gently wrapped his hand around her wrist.
"To be honest, I've been waiting for this for a while," he said quietly, his earlier humour sinking away. "But I thought I would be dumped in favour of Baron. You love him, don't you?"
Haru froze, even as her heart galloped inside her chest. "I'm sorry."
ooOoo
As Haru let the Paradise Pet Store door swing close behind her, she found her feet grinding to a halt. The street was empty and so there was no one around to see her sag her weight against the wall, hands raised to her mouth as the tears began to stream down her cheeks.
'What have I done? Have I just ruined the single stable thing in my life?'
She could go back. She still had time to undo her choice.
And yet, through everything, part of her was relieved. Michael had been right. She did need space… but not just from the Bureau. It wasn't merely a case of the Bureau vs. her human life. It was always going to end up as a choice between Baron and Michael.
Her hand dropped into her pocket and snagged on the tissue she had wrapped the ring in. She brought it out and laid it open on her palm, staring down at the unassuming piece of jewellery. To think that such a little thing could do so much.
She would take a short-cut. That would be fine, right? One last little luxury before she put her Bureau activities on an undefined hiatus. The street was deserted – all the shops had closed a good hour back – and, anyway, no sane individual would believe they had just seen a young woman vanish into thin air. That was the good thing about living in an age of science and scepticism – people were so quick to disregard the impossible.
The Sanctuary was its own little world, after all. It had a small pond in the Wood Between Worlds which she could jump into and it would take her straight to the Bureau's doorstep. Easy.
Just one more trip.
ooOoo
Michael watched Haru from where he stood inside the store. He didn't miss her abrupt disappearance, but he shook it off as a new gizmo or enchantment, courtesy of the Bureau. He wouldn't put it past their powers.
His gaze dropped down to the files he was meant to be filling out, and, unsurprisingly, any possible enthusiasm for the task had drained away with Haru's announcement. He pushed away the papers and rose to his feet.
Haru would reach the Bureau long before him, but that was no matter. It was really the rest of the Bureau who he needed to talk with. And, even if he wasn't sure how to reach the Sanctuary, he knew that a certain fat cat liked to linger at the Crossroads.
ooOoo
In the Wood Between Worlds, Haru pocketed the ring and waited for her memories to realign. The effects were becoming less pronounced each time, but she doubted the momentary disorientation upon arriving at the Wood Between Worlds would ever truly disperse. Stepping out of the Human World pond, she turned to the little side puddle that would direct her to the Sanctuary.
"This has to be the laziest I've ever been," she said aloud, trying to break the heavy silence of the Wood. She chuckled weakly and stepped towards the Sanctuary portal. "Can't even be bothered to walk to the Bureau, huh, Haru? Just imagine the teasing Muta's going to give you when he learns about this."
She smiled a little at the thought.
"I think I'll risk it."
She inhaled and stepped into the Sanctuary's pond. The Wood Between Worlds vanished as the portal dragged her down into the now-familiar between-dimension. Her surroundings turned dark and she was now falling towards the Bureau. The Sanctuary began to come into focus, but as her feet connected with the cobbled courtyard, the world abruptly spun. She felt heavy, as if her magic was suddenly transporting a passenger across worlds. A reflection of her dark brown eyes flashed before her, and then she was sent staggering as the world shifted again. She toppled sideways…
And was dropped down into the busy streets of the Crossroads.
"What–?"
A person bumped into her, throwing her off-balance.
"Hey!"
They carried on, and now another person sped by, his shoulder knocking into hers as he passed her. Haru stumbled and then, when a third person walked into her, she went stumbling into the pavement.
This… wasn't right. It was an early Tuesday evening when she left. And now… it was like rush hour on a weekend. It felt like mid-afternoon. Had she skipped time somehow in her leap through the portal? It had definitely spat her out in the Human World, and not the Sanctuary…
As she was fumbling back to her feet, she spotted something gold glitter on the ground.
The ring!
It had to have fallen out of her pocket in the fall. She lunged for it, but was knocked back by another person walking obliviously by. This really wasn't right. Even on a weekend, people weren't this mindless. She pushed herself back up, and this time elbowed her way through the crowd. She had to get to the ring… before someone else did and was accidentally transported away to the Wood Between Worlds.
Again, she leapt for the ring. Her fingers were inches away from reaching it when it… vanished.
Haru slammed into the ground, and now the Crossroads were silent. With the disappearance of the ring, the crowds had vanished too. Haru slowly rose back to her feet, absent-mindedly brushing the dirt off her freshly-acquired grazes as she gazed about the now-empty Crossroads.
"What… is going on?"
ooOoo
Michael arrived at the Crossroads and immediately realised a flaw in his otherwise brilliant plan.
The shops were closed. Ergo, no people. Ergo, no Muta around to scrounge off the unsuspecting public. But, otherwise, it was a faultless plan.
He stood at the side of the square that was scarcely illuminated by bare minimum of street lamps, and surveyed the almost-empty plaza, save for a few people hurrying home after a busy day. It was hardly suitable for Muta's usual begging techniques.
"Genius," he muttered to himself. "Now what?"
For good measure, he strolled across the Crossroads once to make sure Muta wasn't occupied elsewhere, and then headed back along the street towards his home. It was a stupid idea anyway. What exactly was he going to talk to Baron about? Perhaps he had thought they could bond over mutually worrying over Haru. He had known something had been unsettling her, but still… this was a sudden leap.
He sighed, and his breath spiralled out in misty white before him. He pulled his hood up and trundled along the cold street towards home when a strange-looking archway caught his attention.
He paused, hands in pockets, as he regarded the stone arch.
That was new.
He lingered at the opening of the alleyway. From within the archway was situated a cobbled courtyard enclosed by miniature houses.
He had only been to the Bureau once, and that had been after the case with the General, after which he hadn't exactly been thinking straight. That was the case that he had accidentally been dragged along on and had quickly been required to come to grips with what Haru did in her spare time.
Since then, he had had little reason to return.
But, from what his memory could recall, that… looked very familiar.
He skimmed his gaze across the street, where people were continuing past him without a second glance at the strange archway. Was he the only one to see it? Or was he simply the only one stupid enough to have not noticed it before?
Well, whatever the answer was, he was not going to find it standing out there. He tugged his hood further over his head and walked through the archway.
ooOoo
Haru sped down the alleyway that lead toward the Bureau, becoming ever more unnerved as the midday streets remained strangely unoccupied. She should have bumped into another human by now. Heck, it would have been nice to have bumped into anything. The town was utterly deserted, lacking even the usual thrum of urban wildlife.
She pushed further along until she came to the archway that opened up into the Sanctuary. Sure enough, the familiar little courtyard of houses stood invitingly within, and she shrank down to a mere foot in height upon passing through the archway.
Toto's perch was empty, and Muta's usual seat outside was unoccupied, but the lights inside the Bureau were shining merrily. She pulled open the doors and went running towards the feline silhouette sitting at the desk.
"Baron–"
ooOoo
If Michael had any doubts that he was at the wrong place, they were immediately expelled when he saw Muta sitting outside a green-and-white house, reading through a newspaper of sorts.
Michael hesitantly stood before the cat, waiting to be noticed. When it became quite clear that Muta was either thoroughly oblivious or just thoroughly rude (Michael leant towards the latter) Michael gave a pointed cough.
The fat cat lifted his gaze, stared up at the human, and then went immediately back to flipping through his newspaper.
Yep. Definitely rude.
"Hey, Muta… Has Haru dropped by recently?"
"Nope. Sorry, kiddo."
Michael frowned. "Are you sure? She said she was coming to talk to you lot–"
"Chicky's not here, alright?" Muta paused, and then squinted up at the human. "How'd ya even get here, kid?"
"I… just found it," Michael said. He motioned towards the arch, but now the alleyway beyond it was quite different from the street he had originally entered from. "Wait… that's not the way I came…"
"Oh, holy mackerel." Muta leant back in his seat and hammered on the windows of the Bureau. "Oi, Baron! Get out here! Looks like the Sanctuary's going funky on us again!"
The Bureau doors opened and the Cat Creation stepped out. "One of these days you're going to break the windows, Muta," he noted, much to Muta's wide grin. Baron tipped his hat to their guest. "Greetings, Michael. What can I do for you today?"
"It's Haru."
As expected, that single name was enough to make the Creation pay close attention. "Is she hurt?"
"No… Not that I know of…" The awkwardness of the situation was beginning to creep up on Michael. He had been so sure that Haru had gone straight to the Bureau, and had been equally sure that he would make it here long after she arrived – if he managed to find his way here at all. He had never dreamed he would be the first one into the Bureau. "She said she was coming here, and I thought she would have made it here by now. She was in the street and she just… vanished…"
Muta snorted. "Really? She's using that ring for cheap shortcuts now? And she called me lazy…"
"Muta, that's quite enough," Baron warned. "If Haru had used the ring to transport herself into the Wood Between Worlds, she should have arrived here by now." He paused and came to the same query that Muta had reached earlier. "How did you find the Bureau, Michael?"
"I just walked past it while on my way home. Does the entrance usually move about or something?"
"Only on rare occasions," Baron answered. "The Sanctuary must have wanted you here, for some reason…"
"And what reason would that be?"
Muta snorted again, and this time lowered his newspaper. "What do ya think? Chicky's in trouble."
ooOoo
"Baron–" Haru stumbled to a halt, the name dying on her lips.
The feline raised her head and smiled thinly. "No. Not Baron, I'm afraid."
ooOoo
"In trouble?" Michael echoed. "What kind? You're going to do something, aren't you?"
"Of course," Baron said. "Do you have any of her belongings on you? I'm going to need to perform a tracking spell."
Michael shook his head.
"Fine. Toto, I need you to fly to Haru's apartment and pick up something of hers."
"This… tracking spell… Will it tell us where Haru is?" Michael asked.
"Geez, kid; did ya work that out all by yourself?"
"It should give us a vague indication of her current location," Baron replied. "Her magic and her time in the Bureau should make her signature unique enough to tell us whether she's in this world or another."
"And if she's not in this world?" Michael pressed. "What then?"
"Then we go after her."
ooOoo
Haru froze, staring at the feline Creation. She was identical to the painting in the Bureau, right down to the green dress and the pink cape draped around her shoulders. Even the green parasol sat against her chair, but there was something… strange about her form. Something seemed off; something almost seemed hazy about her.
"Louise?"
The Creation's smile widened. "Oh, so you do know of me. I am flattered."
Baron's fiancée was almost exactly as she had appeared in Cap's world. White-furred, graceful, and poised… save for the cold gleam in her blue eyes. Eyes that had watched through a war of the world and come out far from unscarred. Between her fingers she held a familiar stone, its interior opened slightly to cast a blue glow over her hands.
"That's the lapis lazuli. How do you have it?"
"A friend gave it to me." Louise's fingers played over the stone, and Haru could feel its magic flowing into the Creation. "The same friend who dropped you off here, so I believe."
"Dropped me off here?" Haru echoed. "What do you mean…?"
The Creation laughed. "Oh, you are a let-down, Miss Haru. I would have hoped that the human who had been accepted as part of the Bureau would be a little bit quicker. This is going to be just so boring." She glanced back to the shadows at the far end of the Bureau. "You told me she was smart, Duke."
Another form joined Louise, this time human and far too familiar, save for a top hat and cane. He dropped a companionable hand onto Louise's shoulder, while smiling widely at Haru. "I believe the term I used was 'interesting'. Hello again, Miss Haru."
"You."
"Articulate as always, I see."
"Where am I? This isn't the Bureau, is it?" Haru demanded.
"Ah, that depends on what your exact definition on the 'Bureau' is. Technically… yes. You are in the Bureau. Albeit your immediate surroundings are far from the Bureau you're familiar with." The Duke smiled. "Come on, dear; you know where we are, don't you? You must have figured it out from the moment you saw my charming companion. After all, my other self did such a lovely job of trapping Louise away."
Haru inhaled abruptly.
Louise's painting.
Louise wasn't hazy. She was blurred, like her features had been created by brushstroke. Exactly as if she had been created by brushstroke, in fact. Her blue eyes were beautifully created, but they did not match up to the gemstone-like quality that Baron's eyes contained. Like Louise's eyes had probably originally contained.
The whole world that they stood in maintained that same brushstroke quality, which Haru had failed to notice because there had been more pressing issues than examining the wallpaper.
"How are we here? What did you do?"
"Do you really think I took nothing from you in our last meeting?" the Duke asked. He motioned briefly to his eyes which were now as brown as Haru's. "Oh, sure, the eyes were a nice souvenir – I always like to have something physical to remind myself of those I've stolen from – but they're not exactly useful, are they? Not half as useful as your magic."
He smiled at Haru's horrified expression.
"Oh, I know, the magic is passive, but it's surprising what it can do. When I sensed you were jumping through a portal back to the Sanctuary I simply… nudged you a little bit. Pushed you over so you fell into the painting instead, and hijacked the ride." The Duke glanced round at the new surroundings. "I must say, I never expected the plan to work quite so perfectly."
"Yeah. Well, don't get used to it. I'm leaving." Haru turned just in time for the Bureau doors slam in her face.
"Have you forgotten where you are already?" Louise asked. "This is my home. I control everything that goes on in this place. Even the mimicry of the Human World where you first landed was my doing." She raised a hand, and Haru's golden ring was secured on Louise's finger. "You won't be going anywhere without this."
Haru froze. "If you have the ring, why can't you just leave now?" she asked. "Why wait here for me at all? What do you want?"
"The ring will not work for me," Louise replied. "Not since Baron placed an enchantment to stop my form from ever leaving the Sanctuary house he locked me away in. No, I must be far more inventive if I ever want to see the true light of day again."
"What do you want?" Haru hissed.
"I want to place a bet, Miss Haru. You see, I cannot leave with this ring… but you can."
"You want to place a bet like the Duke did with Hakamada."
Louise smiled. "Indeed. The acquisition of a human body cannot be easily made without the use of magic that requires an agreement of sorts between the two parties. So let's play a game… If you lose, we switch bodies, and if I lose then I will return the ring."
"What's to stop me from just taking it right now?" Haru demanded.
As soon as the threat left her lips, the Bureau around them groaned. The lights dimmed and shadows began to ooze down from the ceiling, like tar. "Tell me, Miss Haru; how exactly do you plan on overcoming a whole world pitted against you? You have made it this far in my world through my good graces; don't test them now."
Haru swallowed nervously and stepped away. The Bureau settled back into its usual appearance, but Haru could sense the magic coursing through the air. "So what is the game?"
"Oh, be patient. Not all the players have arrived just yet."
"Players? You don't mean–"
"Who else?" the Duke laughed. "The Cat's Bureau can be just so predictable. I expect they'll be dropping in any time now…"
ooOoo
Michael squinted into the Bureau through the upper balcony windows, watching Baron work at the tracking spell. Toto had returned with a much-loved scarf of Haru's, which had shimmered like a disco ball until the light rose up and focused solely on a single picture.
"A painting?" Michael didn't bother to hide his scepticism. "Are you sure it's working?"
"I hope not," Toto muttered.
"It is," Baron said, although there was no triumph in his words. "She's in there…"
"It's… a painting," Michael repeated. Clearly he was missing something here. "Is… Is this like what happened at the Guertena gallery? Is there another world in it? But you've dealt with this sort of thing before–"
"No. It's not as simple as that," Baron said.
Toto hopped over to his fellow Creation. "We can't go in there, Baron," Toto said. "If we do…"
"I know."
"Well, I don't," Michael snapped. "What is this place?
"This is where I kept my… kept another Creation trapped," Baron eventually answered. "I placed a spell so that she would never be able to escape. However, the world of the painting is filled with Creation potential. As the longest inhabitant and a Creation, Louise can manipulate everything inside."
"And… you just have it hanging up in the Bureau…" Michael muttered. "So, Haru's in there?"
Baron nodded. "I don't know how. She would never have entered it willingly…"
"Yeah, but we can't just leave Chicky there. Who knows what your crazy ex would do to her."
"She's your what?" Michael demanded.
"Things… are complicated," Baron said slowly. He waved a hand through the tracker spell, and the magic dissipated, flowing back into him and Toto. "Please, our main priority is finding Haru. She could be in grave danger."
"Eh, one question, Baron: How are we gonna get out of there? Getting in is easy, but ya made it pretty difficult to escape. We're running out of time."
Baron hesitated, one hand already reaching out to the portrait. "I don't know. I could arrange for a portal crystal, but that would take too long to set up. We'll have to figure out a way back once we've found Haru."
"Well, count me in."
The Bureau paused and, almost as one, turned to Michael. "Are… you quite sure about this?" Baron asked. "I have just admitted that I have no plan for our escape. This is foolhardy even for us."
"Haru's in danger, right?"
"To be fair, Chicky's in danger most of the time."
"So you're going to need as much help as possible," Michael continued. "Look, I know I'm not one for these kinds of adventures, but I care for Haru as much as any of you. Let me help."
Toto and Muta looked to Baron. Baron smiled and bowed his head respectfully. "Then welcome aboard, Michael." He laid his hand flat against the painting and magic began to swirl across the canvas. "I must warn you, again, that Louise can control everything inside. It will probably seem a lot larger on the inside, and could be anything. You may be about to see another world, or another time entirely. I cannot tell. Are you ready?"
Nervousness crept into Michael's eyes, but he nodded. "Okay."
ooOoo
Haru stared down at the game board, one eyebrow raised. "Chess?" she asked. "How cliché."
"Oh, there's a twist," Louise promised.
Haru waited for further elaboration. And then, when none came: "Oh, come on. You can't just say that and leave me hanging. Twist? Twist how?"
"Play, and you'll see."
"I see that Baron isn't the only one who picked up a dramatic streak," Haru replied flatly. "Okay. So… I'm the white pieces, right? So I go first?"
Louise motioned smoothly to the board. "Choose your first move."
Haru raised her other eyebrow and slowly moved an unassuming pawn two spaces forward.
ooOoo
"This doesn't look so bad." Michael slowly pushed himself back to his feet after the bumpy ride into the painting's world. "I was expecting something a little bit less… ordinary, if I'm to be honest. Glad it isn't," he added, "but still… this is a little weird."
The Bureau gathered themselves and took stock of their surroundings. Upon entering the portrait, the world had dissolved away and reconstituted itself into a surprisingly accurate recreation of the Crossroads.
"It's a front," Baron said. He stood, and he was now several inches taller than Michael. The only one to not receive a human-sized upgrade was Toto, who took a perch on Baron's shoulder. "Designed to lull us into a false sense of security. Remember, Louise can manipulate this miniature world at will; our surroundings could change at any moment."
Michael turned to Baron, and then leant away when he suddenly found Baron's eyes on level with his own. "So how are we going to find Haru?"
"Looks like we won't have to." Muta pointed a paw across the plaza. "Chicky's found us."
In a rush of flapping coat tails and blur of brown hair, Haru sprinted across the Crossroads and flung her arms around a rather surprised feline Creation. "Baron! You're here!"
Baron pulled away from her, chuckling weakly. "Is that really such a surprise?"
"That was surprisingly easy," Muta muttered. "Can we go home now?"
"Hopefully. Haru, do you still have the portal ring on your person?" Baron asked.
"No. Louise took it–"
"Then we'll have to take it back."
"Are you crazy? I barely got away myself and–"
"That is a very good point." Baron's expression turned steely and, taking Haru's shoulders, he firmly put some distance between them. "Exactly how did you escape?"
ooOoo
Now was not a good time for Haru to remember that it had been many years since she had last played even a single game of chess. It was one of those games that she, in theory, knew the rules to, but was far from what anyone would call an expert. Perhaps she should have asked for another game. She doubted Louise would have listened though.
"Take your turn, Miss Haru."
"I'm thinking!" Haru snapped. "Don't get your tail in a twist."
She hovered her hand over the knight on the king's side, trying to work out whether jumping it over the pawns was a good move or something she should avoid.
As her fingers brushed over the wooden piece, she received a sudden image and swirl of emotions. She saw her own face, but scared and staring up, while a potent mixture of hope and fear battled inside the person.
Her hand shot back.
She recognised the feel of that mind. She had spent a good hour sharing his thoughts in their last case.
"What is this?"
"This is our little twist, my dear," the Duke said. "What? Did you think your life was going to be the only stake here?" He leant down and picked up the knight. Haru reached out for it, abruptly protective of the piece, but the Duke only held it away. "Ah, ah, ah. My, what manners you've picked up with the Bureau. Your father would be ashamed."
"As if you would know," Haru snarled. "What is this? What have you done?"
"We thought we'd make the game a little bit more interesting," he answered. "You see, the moment your friends entered this world, Louise here bound their each of their fates to a single chess piece on the board."
"You can't do that."
"Oh, but I can," Louise said. "My house. My rules. What I want, goes."
"What happens if one of their pieces are taken?"
"What do you think, Miss Haru?" the Duke asked.
"Then I can't do this. I can't play with their fates on the line." She rose abruptly from her seat and, to her surprise, neither of the Creations tried to stop her. She halted halfway across the room, thoroughly unnerved by their lack of response. "What? What is it?"
"Do you really think you can just refuse to play?" Louise asked. Her voice rose, as if biting back laughter at Haru's ignorance. "Do you think you can really just toddle out there and find the Bureau so easily? Everything in this house is controlled by me. The only way you'll ever see your friends again is if I wish it. Leave, and you and your friends will be wandering, lost in this world, forever."
"I can't do this," Haru repeated, quieter this time. She turned back around to face the two Creations, fear clear on her face. "I can't risk being the ones responsible for hurting them."
"Then you better make sure you play carefully," the Duke replied. He held out the knight. "Their lives depend on you."
Haru took back the knight and held it tightly in her hands.
'Of course Baron would be the knight. What other piece would he be?'
"Is there anything else I should know?" she asked hoarsely. "Any other surprises to trip me up along the way? Please, fill me in now. What else have you done to make this game more 'interesting'?"
Louise smiled. "The Bureau may find that they encounter a few old foes in their time here," she said, still smiling sweetly. "Their interactions will depend on the play of the game – and their fates on which pieces are lost. Of course, you and I are also on the board…" A single hand passed over the king. "Lose yourself, and you lose the game."
Haru's eyes flickered to the Duke. "And what about you? Or are you only a spectator here?"
"Oh, I'm on the board too. We had to make it fair somehow, didn't we?" the Duke answered.
"It's not fair," Haru retorted. "Now I'm not only protecting the king, but three other pieces as well!" She halted in her tirade suddenly, a terrible thought passing through her mind. "If… I lose… what happens to the Bureau?"
"Oh, no harm will come to them, don't you fret. The only casualty will be you. But don't go getting any funny ideas; I'll only promise not to harm them as long as you play the game."
The Duke smirked. "Oh, don't worry about that. Her instinct to survive is too strong for such petty tactics. She'd much rather hold the gun than jump before the bullet. Isn't that right, Miss Haru?"
"Shut up… please."
"Really?" Louise looked back to Haru with renewed interest. "And my old fiancé has taken you in as a Bureau member? How the times have changed. Duke, I believe you should be leaving to check on our newest guests," she added, glancing over to the now-human Creation. "They're going to need a few things explained."
She waved a hand and the Duke disappeared – to the Bureau, Haru could only guess. She looked back to her opponent, one hand still rested on the lapis lazuli.
"Now, I believe it's time we continued our little game."
ooOoo
Haru's expression crumpled. "What? Baron, it's me… Please, you've got to believe me."
Michael grabbed Baron's wrist, breaking the Creation's tight grip on Haru. "What are you doing?" he yelled. "Hasn't she been through enough already?"
Baron shook Michael away, but a little of his initial coldness had melted away. "I'm sorry, Haru, but we have to be wary. Please, tell us. How did you escape from her?"
Haru looked wide-eyed at Baron's uneasy attitude, but she started talking regardless. "Louise tricked me into a game – she promised me that if I won, I would get the ring back, but she lied. She let me go, though. Perhaps because she thought I would lead you back to her – which is why we can't go back! You'll be walking right into a trap!"
"If Louise wanted us at her doorstep, she would have made it so upon our entry into this house," Baron replied. "It makes no sense. Why would she do this?"
There was laughter from across the Crossroads. "Have you taken so long to realise the truth, Baron? Or do you need me to spell it out for you? Louise is playing a little game with you all."
At the Duke's appearance, Baron moved swiftly between him and Haru, one arm spread out protectively. The Duke only laughed.
"How predictable. You suspect she is a trick, and yet you still can't stop yourself from trying to protect her. When will you learn?"
"Tell me what's happening," Baron growled.
"Oh, you and your companion are just like broken records." The Duke paced the far end of the Crossroads, and something in his swagger warned Baron that there would be no use in trying to take him down. "'What is this?' and 'What's going on?' Can you just… give it a rest with all the questions? It's so boring."
"Yeah, well, some of us ain't filled in," Muta retorted. He shuffled over to Baron. "If it's just him, I think we can take him," he whispered.
"I told you, Louise is in control," Baron replied. He raised his gaze back to the other Creation. "So what is this game? What do we have to do?"
"Do?" the Duke echoed. He tipped his hat forward in a greeting eerily reminiscent of Baron, and a Cheshire Cat grin spread slowly across his face. "There's only one rule in this game for you: Survive."
He vanished.
"Why is it always a game?" Muta whined, breaking the long silence. "Why do they always want to play a death-defying game? Why can't it just be checkers, or noughts-and-crosses? Why does this always happen to us?" He wrinkled his nose and looked down at Haru. "He didn't even tell us if you were the real deal."
"I am," Haru retorted. She hesitated, and then added, quieter, "I think."
"Who was that guy?" Michael asked. He had one arm around Haru's shoulders, keeping her close in case Baron became paranoid again. "What kind of grudge does he have against you?"
"That was the Duke," Baron replied. "Haru may have mentioned him to you."
"The Duke? As in, your alter-ego or something?"
"I see Haru has indeed mentioned him."
"Perhaps we should discuss this later," Toto said. "Right now, I'm more wary of the Duke's final words. If the game is to survive, then there's going to be something – or quite a few somethings – after us. I'm of the mind that that should be our first priority."
A howl split through the air.
"Like… perhaps… that?" Michael pointed towards a shadow moving swiftly towards them. "What is that?!"
"At a guess, I'd say hungry," Baron replied. He slipped his hand into Haru's and started a sprint in the opposite direction. "Run!"
ooOoo
Haru stared down at the chessboard with sickening despair. Already many of her pawns had been sacrificed for the sake of the other pieces, and now her knight was being threatened by one of Louise's rooks.
She had discovered the rest of the Bureau. Toto was the king-side rook – given the pun, that was unsurprising – while Muta was the queen-side bishop. And Michael… was the other knight. The knight under threat, to be exact.
Her fingers danced over the board, her heart dropping upon discovering Michael. What was he even doing here? He wasn't made for the world of Creations and catastrophes. Had she dragged him, once again, into danger?
"What's the matter?" Louise teased. Her feline smile stretched shamelessly across her face. "Struggling? If you're so worried about that particular piece, you could always save it by sacrificing the other knight. It's all a matter of priorities."
"Take a running jump."
"Now, now, be civil. It's only a game."
"Maybe to you," Haru muttered. Her fingers played over the pieces, pausing by her queen. There was something strange about that piece. By all logic, it should have been as empty as the pawns that she had already sacrificed, but when she made contact she saw through someone's eyes. Just like she did when she touched the knights, or the other Bureau pieces. "What's with the queen? Something's not right…"
Louise smiled. "Oh, I thought you'd never ask…"
"Well? Are you going to tell me?"
"Nope." The Creation chuckled loosely at her own response. "But I'll tell you one thing – you really don't want to lose that piece. Now, it's time to decide – what are you going to do about the rook that's threatening your precious knight?"
Haru ignored Louise, and cast her hand over the board, brushing a finger over the rook that was threatening Baron's knight.
Suddenly she was seeing through the eyes of a beast. A long, hairy snout protruded from its face, giving Haru more than enough information to know it wasn't human. It was running – racing – after the familiar forms of the Bureau… and Michael. They appeared to be fleeing through the town – the same false town she had been dropped into. Were they also in Louise's portrait? That would explain her ability to link their fates to the chess pieces.
Haru moved her hand away even as she heard the snarl of a beast she believed was long dead.
Old foes, Louise had said.
As she broke contact with the rook, the images and sounds faded away, but it was enough.
"How… How are you doing this?" she rasped. "How do you even know about Stapleton?"
"Have you already forgotten my companion?" Louise asked. "He didn't just copy your eyes and magic, my dear. He also feeds on memories…"
"No…" The Duke had the whole of her Bureau experience to pick from. Every danger, every hurt, every thing they had gone through were now possibly running around the world Louise had created. Old foes, indeed. "You can't–"
"Oh, but I can." Louise's eyes sparkled with mirth. "The werewolf was an interesting option, but perhaps I should choose a danger more personal? I could always change the piece's form around." She considered this, smiling brightly, and then added, "Well, maybe later. Let's leave the Bureau running from this Stapleton a little longer. It should bring up some fond memories…"
Scowling, Haru moved Michael's knight away, leaving a pawn behind for the taking. As the knight moved across the board, she saw through his eyes… including an abrupt change of scenery. Suddenly Michael was standing in a familiar, dimly-lit corridor.
"What?"
ooOoo
The Bureau skidded around a corner and suddenly the howls following them died away. They collided into a halt, with Muta almost knocking Baron over as he slammed into the back of his legs.
"Is it gone?" Toto whispered, landing on Baron's shoulder.
Baron glanced back around the corner, despite his better instincts. However, much to his luck, the street was bare. "I think so."
"How… can it just… vanish?" Muta gasped. He slumped down onto the pavement, heaving for breath. "Not that I'm complaining!"
"Louise's world. Louise's rules," Baron said. He looked over to Haru, reassurance simmering in his stomach to see her still by his side. "We should keep moving before–" His brain did a sudden headcount and came to the ugly conclusion that they were missing someone. "Michael. Where's Michael?"
Haru blinked slowly. "What's happened to him?"
"We've lost the kid?"
"Baron, you don't think…?" Toto started.
"No. Stapleton didn't take him," Baron said. "I fear this is more Louise's doing. She must have spirited him away."
"But we'll find him again, won't we?" Haru asked. Her grip on his hand tightened, and Baron felt a flurry of instinctive protectiveness for the young woman.
He glanced to her, something unreadable in his eyes. "Sure, Haru. Let's keep on moving."
ooOoo
"Oh, did I not mention?" Louise laughed. "Sometimes you'll change the location of your friends upon moving their respective pieces. Don't worry; it's not the places they have to fear. It's the monsters that lurk there…"
Haru's hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. "This really is just a game to you, isn't it?" she whispered.
"Life is a game, my dear."
"Spare me the platitudes." Her mind returned to the shadowy hallway she had momentarily seen Michael dropped into. If the monsters were from her memories, there could be no doubt the locations were also. In which case, she knew exactly where Michael had been left.
She already knew what another of the monsters were. She just had to hope Michael didn't encounter it.
She moved Muta's bishop across the board, taking out the rook that had threatened Michael. Her first high-value enemy piece taken, removing Stapleton from the picture. But, in the process, she had sensed Muta's surroundings change around him – dropping away into a selection of familiar, bland corridors.
Now, only Baron and Toto were left together. And even that would be broken soon.
ooOoo
Teaser: "This ain't possible," Muta murmured. "You're dead." / "Hello." Mary laughed, her rosy cheeks dimpled with a smile. "I want to play a game." She held out the roses into the air, spinning them round in her hands. "It's called, Which Flower Should I Pick?" / "Louise!" Baron roared. "I've had enough of your tricks and games! You've had your fun! Come out!" / Louise stalked over to where Baron was caught, grabbing his chin to meet his gaze. "Haru, I know you're watching, so watch well. It's time to make your decision. Which knight will you save?" / "Just out of curiosity, who do you think she saved?" Louise asked. "You? The reckless figurine who left her in this lurch? Or the human she abandoned to run into the world of magic and mystery?" / "Save me." / "Please, come back to me… I'm sorry… I love you…"