Birds chirped softly above, their calls mixing with the gentle rush of a breeze among leaves. The air was comfortably cool, warm patches heralding the touch of sunlight through tree boughs. The grass was surprisingly soft and comfortable, not at all itchy in the way grass should be. So peaceful. So wonderfully inviting after so much emotional turmoil and fear. The breeze gently caressed Clarissa's face. Her eyes were closed. She could feel that she was wearing a summer dress and cardigan. She took a deep breath of the clean air, allowing herself to relax for a moment, to simply be before she woke up. It reminded her a great deal of the lakeside house her grandparents owned. They visited every summer, spending the week having cookouts and taking the pontoon out on the lake. Occasionally, they would take grandfather's motorboat out with an intertube. It was the place for family to come and be together. Yes, that's what this was like. A safe, comfortable place. Any moment now, her mother would come looking for her, telling her to stop avoiding her cousins and take part in actual human interaction. She didn't particularly like her cousins. They made fun of Georgie. She would have to run interference to keep them from teasing him for his odd social tendencies.

Georgie's tear streaked face flashed across her mind. She mentally paused. Had they made him cry? No, that wasn't right, they would never go that far. And she had the sensed that this was recent. But what had made him cry so? Something terrible. Something about loneliness….

The truck slammed into the front passenger's side. Metal shrieked and twisted, glass shattered. The car crumpled, the passenger's side door crushing inward, into her mother's body.

Clary's eyes snapped open. It made no difference, the scene was playing whether across her closed eyelids or otherwise.

Her father gripped the steering wheel as the momentum jerked him sideways. Clary's head connected with her window. She could feel the crack as her vision blurred dangerously. Georgie clung to her tightly, his high child's scream mixing with the shrieking of metal in a horrific cacophony. For a moment, Clary had the terrifying thought that they were going to die.

Her hands gripped her head. She had curled up into a fetal position, her chest heaving as tears streamed down her face and into the grass below. She couldn't remember anything after that. It had gone black. But her mind pulled from what it did remember, running a macabre replay of the door twisting in on her mother. Over and over and over again. A sob stuck in her throat for a moment before finally breaking free in a low whine. The sobs came more quickly once the first one was out. Clary laid in the grass, body shaking with every struggling breath. Tears threatened to choke her. Still, her mind did not allow her to rest. It clawed for every possible memory of the event and dragged it forward. She remembered the voices that had sounded through the darkness

"Survival unlikely for the patient…the parents died on impact…prep her for surgery. We'll definitely make the attempt…" the previously patchy words had been filled in, perhaps dredged from the recesses of unconscious memory, "No, the boy is in critical condition…We're losing her! …Clear!"

She didn't remember a shock. But, she was alive, so, it had worked. She almost wished it hadn't. Georgie had been in critical condition. Had he survived as well?

Grandma. She and Grandpa had been there, in the hospital with her. They would know. Slowly, Clary uncurled herself, reaching out for the weathered hand that had been holding hers in her last truly lucid moment. Surely, she was out of the hospital. Living with them, like grandma had said. They'd taken her to the lake house to recover. They knew how much she loved the copse next to the lake. She had gone out and fallen asleep. Yes, that had to be it. And grandma wouldn't be too far. She wouldn't leave her alone after what had happened. But where was Georgie?

"Grandma…" her voice was a choked croak, "Grandma, Georgie…"

There was no response. Her grasping hand met empty air. No voice replied.

"Grandma?"

Unwillingly, she pushed herself up. She was stiff, like she'd been curled up for too long. How long had she been crying? Reliving those last moments of her parents' lives? Tears blurred her vision. There were trees, just large splotches of brown in her fuzzy perception. It smelled like the copse on her grandparents' property. Woody and natural. It sounded like it. Birdsong filled the air.

"Grandma?"

Her hoarse voice carried a little further. Her hand found a nearby tree and she dragged herself to her bare feet, staggering slightly. Her left side hurt, almost like there was a cut that was healing. She clasped a hand over it as she stood fully. Still there was no reply. Where was grandma? The old woman would normally bring a blanket out and sit with her if the two of them wanted to enjoy the woods. She should be practically right beside her. A few stumbling steps carried Clary forward. She caught hold of another tree and peered around it.

"Grandma?"

No sign of her. Beginning to panic, Clary scrubbed an arm across her eyes, drying her tears. She quickly turned around, looking about a bit more frantically.

"Grandma!"

The call rang out emptily.

She isn't here…where is she?

Clary returned to the place where she'd been laying. There was still no sign that her grandmother had ever been there.

There was, however, something Clary did not expect to see. Lying on the ground just a few feet from where she'd been was her violin case. She stopped where she was, staring at the black shape in the grass. She had missed it in her search for her grandmother. Seeing it now, though, brought a sudden host of images to her mind.

"They'll take you away, Clary. You'll have to play their game."

Clary moved to the violin and dropped down next to it in the grass. Her hands, pale and trembling, fell upon the black casing, trailing over the textured surface. The blades tickled her bare lower legs, where her summer dress left them uncovered.

"Game….Georgie, what game?" she murmured, still sniffing slightly, "Who?"

No reply was given. Georgie was not present. However, the dream had come back to her with surprising clarity. Why had Georgie been so distressed? He had cried. Who was going to take her? What game would they make her play? Why had her being lonely had anything to do with it? Her fingers stroked over the violin case. It had just been a dream, brought on by a mind filled with too much recent trauma. That had to be it. Gandma must have gone inside because Georgie was here with them and needed care as well. Yes, that was it. They'd been playing pretend. He got into the game a little too much sometimes. Someone must have been after her in the game. He'd probably been watching superhero shows on his tablet again. He really liked Avengers. And they were always saying things like "Enough games, Loki!". That was it. She gave a tremulous smile, breathing out a brief sigh of relief. That was it. Nothing nefarious was happening. She would just go back and apologize for sleeping too long. She had come out to practice with Grandma, playing to calm them both. Then, they had sat together until the warmth of the sun had gotten to her and she'd fallen asleep. Grandma had left her to sleep because she was worried about her mental state. But Grandma would need time to heal too. They all would. She would go back inside. They needed each other. Especially now.

Suddenly desperate for a hug from her grandmother, Clary gathered up her violin case. She paused a moment to get her bearings. Judging by how the sun was shining through the trees, it was late afternoon. She put the sun at her back and began to walk, still unsteady but able to keep her footing as she wove between the trees. She had only meant to leave Georgie alone for a little while. He was probably concerned. Grandpa would be working with wood constantly. And Grandma would be cooking and knitting. That was how they dealt with difficult things. Grandpa carved and built, grandma knitted and cooked, Clary played, and Georgie found solace in the actions of heroes. It would take time, and the void would never truly be filled, but they would recover.

Clary stopped ten minutes later. At first, she had thought that she had simply ventured deeper in than usual. But, she still hadn't emerged and there was no end in sight. Had she misjudged her direction? No, she knew the lake property like the back of her hand. There was no way she was lost in the copse, it wasn't that large. She slowly turned in a circle. She looked down, frowning in thought. It was then that she realized that she wasn't wearing a summer dress, but a knee-length hospital gown under her long cardigan. Her eyes widened. A hospital gown?

A loud snap startled her out of her confusion. Clary's head whipped around so quickly that her long hair struck her face. Her eyes, wide and startled, searched for the source of the noise. A part of her hoped, and still expected, to see her grandmother or grandfather. She saw no one. Nothing but the trees around her. It was then that she realized that the trees were unfamiliar. They were bigger than those of the lake property. Older and taller. She stared at them. But, if she wasn't on the lake property, where was she?

Another snap caused her to clutch the violin case tightly. She backed up a few steps and bumped into one of the unfamiliar trees. The tears returned as her chest started to rise and fall quickly. A rustle from the same direction of the snap confirmed that something large was near. There was nothing that big, aside from deer, at the lake house. Until this point, the only sounds she'd heard were her own footsteps, birdsong, and the chittering of small rodents. Normal forest noises.

The rustling came again, this time with a soft 'ow', followed by what sounded like a chuckle.

"Don't laugh at me, you asshole! It's your fault we're lost out here to begin with!"

Clary nearly dropped her violin, utterly startled by the unfamiliar voice.

"Aw, don't be mad, Mer. I thought for sure this was the way."

The cheerful male voice was equally unfamiliar. Clary clutched her instrument in a death grip, staring towards the voices. She pressed up against the tree, heart beating quickly in fear.

"You say that every time!" the first voice, that of a young female, sounded quite irate.

The man chuckled again.

"But you always come with me. You're so nice, Mer!"

"You idiot! I didn't go with you willingly! You grabbed my arm and dragged me off, rambling about how this was the right way to the castle! You always drag me whether I want to go or not!" this was followed by a great deal more rustling, "Stop ignoring me and get your head out of that hole! I hope a snake bites your nose off!"

"Ahaha! There are no snakes out here, silly Mer."

Finally, with a sound of utter defeat and annoyance, the woman burst into sight. She stumbled out of some brush that Clary had passed a few yards back. Twigs and leaves were stuck in her hair, standing out starkly against the platinum strands. Her face was one that would make other women weep in envy, full of angles that leant it an exotic beauty. A straight, Roman nose and full lips completed her elegant features. Clary couldn't help but stare. She had a sudden flashback to the first time she'd watched Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and how beautiful she'd thought the elves were. This woman, with her angular, elegant face, silky platinum hair, and tall, lithe figure, was just like an elvish princess. If elvish princesses wore red, heart-shaped corset tops and short black, frilly skirts.

"Don't 'Mer' me, you bastard. When we get back, I'm going to kick your ass!"

And if princesses talked like that, with such an angry scowl.

There was more rustling and, a moment later, a man stepped out of the brush next to her. The woman was tall, but her companion seemed to tower over her. He was well over six feet in height. But, while she was elegant, he was…not. His brown hair was fairly short and messy. He was dirty, much like "Mer", but in a more obvious manner. He wore a dark vest and pants under a long red coat, the bottom of which was torn and frayed. Tall black boots and grey gloves completed his ensemble. His clothing reminded Clary of a Final Fantasy character, one that a friend of hers had sworn was the most attractive video game character ever…Genesis Rhapsodos. But he was much different in his body type and facial shape. This man was broad and obviously well-muscled. While his face was that of a young man, he had very expressive eyes and a wide, childish smile.

The man laughed, either not taking his companion's anger seriously or amused by it.

"Come on, Mer, you can't beat-"

There was a loud slap. The man left off, obviously surprised. A red handprint was already visible on his face. Clary couldn't help but gasp. She hadn't even seen the woman move yet she'd managed to deliver a slap that hard? The man hardly seemed phased. His smile cooled just a bit, but, his expression seemed more amused than anything.

"Don't even finish that, you ass," "Mer" seethed.

The man, Ace, pouted. He opened his mouth to reply. But, then, his eyes finally found Clary. He cocked his head curiously, his smile returning, albeit it was a bit less childish. His eyes expressed a blatant curiosity. He seemed to completely forget his previous conversation. Clary shrunk back against the tree, not wanting to be noticed by the strange couple in their strange clothes. He seemed to completely forget his previous conversation. Clary pressed further back against the tree, not wanting to be noticed by the strange couple in their strange clothes.

"Hey, Mer?"

"What, Ace?" the woman asked with an aggravated sigh.

Ace, unaffected by the woman's aggravation with him, raised a hand to point at Clary.

"Do you know her?"

Taken aback by the question, "Mer" frowned and turned. As soon as her gaze found the dark haired girl huddled against a tree, her expression morphed into shock. Clary froze. "Mer" seemed unable to move for a moment, her reply coming automatically.

"No."

Clary stared at them, a deer caught in the figurative headlights. Her muscles tensed.

"Really?" the man mused curiously, smirking slightly.

Without a second thought, "Mer" left her companion and hurried towards Clary, looking concerned now. Her skirts were short enough that she didn't have to gather them in order to move quickly. Her approach finally snapped Clary out of her initial shock at seeing the odd couple. Clutching her violin, she bolted, a natural instinct in the face of confusion and fear. The woman called after her, telling her to wait. Clary paid her no mind. She had no doubts now. This was not the lake property. She was somewhere strange, away from her grandparents and Georgie. Her feet flew over the ground as she ducked between the trees. She'd never been a particularly athletic person, but, she could run. At least for a while. Still, she was already hurting in her side. It smarted again, the pain much worse this time.

"Ace! Don't let her get away!"

Her breath was already coming quickly as she heard the two give chase. She didn't know them. She didn't know where she was. She didn't know what was going on. Tears clouded her vision as she fled. Where was Georgie? Where was her family? Why was she alone again?

"Hey!" the woman shouted behind her, "Stop! We're not going to hurt you!"

For some reason, Clary couldn't bring herself to believe her. She continued to run, the violin case weighing her down. She wouldn't let it go, though. It was precious. She glanced off a tree, wincing at the new pain but continuing on nonetheless. It would take more than that to stop her. She didn't know where she was going, but, there had to be somewhere that she could hide and figure things out. Or a place nearby with people less shady than the two chasing her.

A crash behind her told her that the man was gaining. It had to be him. The woman was too lithe to produce such a crash. She wasn't surprised, he seemed the athletic type. But, the thought terrified her. She couldn't be caught by these strange people with their talks of castles and their odd clothing. They couldn't be sane. Surely there was a town or something nearby. Somewhere that she could contact the police and figure out what was going.

She burst through the treeline, her left side starting to burn continuously with pain. She continued to push, though, tearing across the stretch of openness that led up to the gate of a tall, imposing tower. Clary nearly tripped in her surprise. A tower? In the middle of a clearing in the woods? How had she not seen that before? It was monstrous, a monumental white building surrounded by four smaller towers. Regardless of the oddness, it was the first edifice she'd seen. Surely there was someone there who could help her. The white structure spoke of great importance, rising up into the sky imposingly. Someone with power had to be there, considering the wall around the place. Maybe even the police. Anyone who could help her.

Please…

She heard her pursuers leave the forest behind her but dared not look back.

"Haha! She ran right for the tower!" he paused, "Should I stop her?"

"Ace…you idiot!" the woman gasped, out of breath from the chase, "Put your sword away!"

Sword!?

Clary put on a burst of speed, utterly terrified of these strange people who were chasing her. Her bare feet seemed to barely touch the grass in her haste. There was no way she was letting herself get cut down by some crazy man with a sword. She had to get back to Georgie. She had her grandparents to think of too. She couldn't die and leave them. Panting for breath, she quickly took the steps two at a time. There were a great number, but, she was determined in her escape. Her lungs burned as she struggled for air. Her left side screamed in pain. She wanted nothing more than to stop, but, she could hear her pursuers gaining on her.

Just as she cleared the top step and took a stride, a hand clamped around her upper arm.

"Gotcha!"

Clary cried out in a mixture of pain, surprise, and despair as she was yanked back. The man in red, Ace, had caught her. He looked very pleased with himself as he pulled her back, away from the tower she'd been fleeing to.

Behind him, the blonde woman came huffing and puffing up the stairs. She was red faced from their mad dash as she sucked in air.

"Ace! Don't hurt her!"

The man looked over at his counterpart, blinking innocently. Clary took advantage of his distraction. Without really thinking about it, she swung the violin case, smacking him in the head. He grip on her loosened, though he seemed more surprised than pained. Clary ripped away from him and took off running again, tearing down the path towards the door.

"Hey!" the man called, recovering from the shock her fighting back.

Clary felt tears sting her eyes. She wasn't going to make it. The man in red was going to catch her. The one with the sword and the smile and the oddly cold spark in his eye.

Georgie…my Georgie…

The little boy's happy laughter rang in her ears as his face passed before her eyes. She had to get back to him. He was all alone, without mother or father. He needed her!

Up ahead, the huge double doors of the tower began to swing open. Relief flooded Clary's heart. They creaked as they opened outward, the sheer weight pulling at the hinges. As soon as the opening was big enough for a person to fit through, a figure emerged from the darkness within, moving fast. As Clary neared, she could see that it was a woman with long hair the color of autumn leaves. She wore a rather concerned expression. A motherly expression. Her clothes, too, bespoke comfort. A green sweater and a pair of loose fitting pants. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a messy way, like she'd just needed to get it out of her face. Everything about her put Clary at ease. This was the person she'd been looking for. Surely, a woman who looked this kind could help her.

The violin case was clutched in one hand as Clary hurried towards her. The hospital gown pulled uncomfortably at her legs with each stride. She was hot, sweat running down her face. Her lungs burned from lack of oxygen. She needed to reach her. She needed help.

The woman came within earshot, frowning deeply as she jogged towards them.

"Ace! Meredith!" she shouted loudly enough that her voice echoed between the towers, "Stop right there!"

Clary pulled up short, not sure what would happen now. Or what to do with herself, really. She glanced back, panting, to see that her pursuers had stopped. That was surprising. Ace seemed mildly put out that the chase had ceased, but, he was smiling all the same. Meredith scowled at the newcomer, her blue eyes narrowed. A breeze blew past them, whipping her silvery hair around. Whatever authority the woman had, the blonde did not enjoy it. Or adhere to it beyond a basic level, it seemed.

"Liana," she called back, annoyed, "This is none of your business!"

Clary turned her head to look at the other woman, Liana, to see her reaction. She jolted when she saw that the woman was much closer now. She had moved quickly and silently, appearing at Clary's side like she'd teleported. To Clary's surprise, the woman moved in front of her, placing herself between Clary and her pursuers at a slight diagonal, giving her new ward a partial view of her face. Liana was taller than her by a goodly amount and used that to her advantage, blocking the younger woman almost completely from view. Clary stared at her, utterly surprised. And relieved. She'd found help. Even more than she thought she would.

"You chased her into a neutral territory. As one of the residents here, it is my business," Liana placed a hand on her hip, the other sliding up to her throat to grasp the odd lizard pendent on her necklace

"Boo!" Ace protested childishly, "But we saw her first!"

He had yet to put his sword away. He looked quite imposing, wearing his red coat with his sword in hand. Clary felt a brief flash of worry for Liana. The woman had stepped in to save her, but, what would the consequences be with this man? Meredith folded her arms under her bodice, looking no less like a model than she had previously. The lacing across her corseted did nothing to stop her breasts from pushing up in a manner that caused the knight to cast a glance her way.

"She goes back to Heart Castle with us."

Liana's grip on the pendant tightened. Clary's eyes were wide as she remained unmoving, her violin case hanging limply in her grasp.

"I don't thin, so."

Meredith's pretty lips twisted in a smirk that did not sit well on her face.

"What? You're going to take the poor confused thing inside with the lizard and the caterpillar? Oh, that will work out well," every word of the last sentence dripped with sarcasm.

Clary's brows pulled into a frown. This was making no sense. Why were they fighting over her like this?

And what about a lizard and caterpillar?

"That was the general idea, yes," Liana replied in a rather deadpan tone, "She'll be just fine here. Safer, in fact, without the threat of the Queen…or the Knight," her eyes shifted to Ace, who merely continued to smile, though, this one didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I would never do anything unknightly," he protested cheerfully, "You know that, Liana."

Liana seemed to doubt that, if her deadpan expression was anything to go by. With a sigh, she reached around to undo her necklace.

"It's against the rules to spill blood in a neutral territory…but, we foreigners are not bound by the rules," she held out her closed fist, the pendent clutched in it, "I'll tell you one last time: leave. Or I will not hesitate."

Ace's smile grew. He seemed almost excited. By what? What was happening? Neutral? Spilling blood? Clary's eyes darted between Liana and the two in red. Meredith's eyes were widened just slightly.

"You wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't let you take this newcomer away without breaking this gently to her? You're right. I've promised to ensure that all new players receive ample explanations. I won't have the girl stumbling about like Alice had to. Or like you did when you refused my help. Leave her be, Meredith. You've played your game. Don't interfere with hers."

Game? New player?

The word resonated within Clary. Georgie's voice whispered it to her in warning.

Meredith's eyes narrowed again, dangerous and angry.

"…Fine. You can explain the game. But, I still hold that we of Hearts Castle found her first."

"That doesn't mean that you get to keep her like some sort of lost toy!" Liana burst out at the same time that Ace pouted at Meredith, "Awww, Mer, you're giving up too easy!"

Clary's head was starting to hurt. These people were fighting over her like she was some sort of possession. Though, Liana seemed to be asserting that she was not. Her side throbbed painfully, leading her to clutch it. She still didn't know why the other two wanted her. Or really why Liana was standing up for her. She felt suddenly very tired. She blinked furiously, needing to keep her eyes open. She didn't feel inclined to surrender herself to these people unconscious. But, the pressure grew. She was so unbearably tired. She had run so far so fast. It was exhausting. She was worn out emotionally from crying, too. And she was so confused. Sleep was much simpler.

Sleep.

The thought was not her own. In fact, it came to her in a surprisingly masculine voice. Nonetheless, Clary's eyes fell shut and she pitched to the side. Liana gave a cry of alarm and whirled to catch her, barely making it in time. Then, Clary was again gone.

I was reading the manga again and had forgotten just how much I love Ace. He's adorkable sometimes. Aaaanywho. There was the introduction of two new OCs, one of whom obviously resides at Heart Castle and the other at Clover Tower. Brownie points to anyone who can guess who convinced Liana to stay in Wonderland at the end of her game ;). As I said in earlier chapters, this thing will get updated as the fancy strikes me. I've got it plotted but, unless it gets a decent response, I'm kinda 'meh' about it. If you'd like more, leave a review and I'll get going on it again if possible :). Thanks for reading.