Shattered Confidence
Loyal Heart led Grumpy in the direction that he had said the Castle was in. Loyal Heart made sure not to lose Grumpy Bear as they walked but Loyal Heart kept sniffing, expecting something to jump out at them at any moment.
Grumpy watched as Loyal Heart sniffed around, "Anything out there?"
Loyal Heart shook his head, "I don't smell anything, but I wouldn't put faith in my sense of smell at the moment," he said.
"Yeah. Things are so Topsy Turvy around here I don't know what to trust." As if to prove his point a rocking-horse fly went zipping by them and landed on a flower that was releasing bubbles into the air.
"Yes, but despite that, we should keep moving, Swift Heart is likely in grave danger," Loyal Heart said.
He had had it, "Stop saying that! I know she's in danger. I know we have to save her! I'm done with everyone reminding me of that! Just because I don't have supernatural powers like the rest of you doesn't mean I'm an idiot. I couldn't save her back in the burrow, but you can bet that that's not going to happen again!"
Loyal Heart was taken aback by Grumpy outburst, but he sighed and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "I am sorry, Grumpy Bear. I should be considering how this is affecting you, but we should move or something will find us."
"Well what do you know, the littler bow-wow's right about something," Loyal Heart whirled around to see Shatter Heart advancing on them clapping his hands sarcastically.
Grumpy's fists balled as Shatter Heart approached them. "I am getting real tired of seeing your face."
"Well I'm getting tired of having to chase after you," Shatter Heart said, "but I'm about to deal with that problem of my permanently."
"You may try but you will not succeed!" Loyal Heart created one of his swords and pointed it at Shatter Heart.
"Ahh the words of a knight, how sickening," Shatter Heart rolled his eyes. Loyal Heart growled and charged, swinging at the bear, but Shatter Heart had drawn one of his swords in an instant and blocked it.
"Oooh, too slow," he taunted. Grumpy picked up what he thought was a stick and charged at Shatter Heart. However the stick turned out to be a pretzel stick and it crumbled in his paws.
Shatter Heart laughed, drawing his other sword, "So the little blue bear wants to try and save his girlfriend. Too bad it won't matter by morning!"
"Why does she matter so much? What are you going to do to her?" He was hoping to distract Shatter Heart so Loyal Heart could attack him.
"Oh, quite simply she's going to be turned into the white rabbit, and I'm afraid that change will erase everything about her that ever was, in other words, she's going to forget who she was and forget about all of you, in other words Swift Heart won't be Swift Heart anymore!"
"You fiend!" Loyal Heart had had enough and he forced Shatter Heart back before charging at him and striking out at him. Shatter Heart just grinned and began stepping backwards, parrying each of the dog's attacks.
Grumpy leapt onto Shatter Heart's back and locked his arms around his neck, squeezing tight, "Nothing you do will ever make her 'not' Swift Heart!" He hissed in the black bears ear.
Shatter Heart grimaced, "Get off my back!" he demanded before taking a deep breath "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" the last word created a sonic boom emanating from Shatter HEart's throat. Loyal Heart backed off, his hands over his ears. Grumpy fared better but Shatter Heart still dislodged him and kicked him into a nearby tree. Shatter Heart grinned.
"Well what do you know, I finally mastered the shattering shout," he said," and look, the doggie is in pain, that's right, you're ears are extra sensitive." Laughing he clashed his swords together, creating a minor sonic burst, forcing Loyal Heart to step back, wincing in pain. Taking this chance, Shatter Heart struck out at the dog, punctuating each stab with his sword with a verbal stab at the two blue animals.
"You failed your friend! You failed your family! You're going to fail Wonderland! And you especially failed your wife, Loyal Heart! You'll never see her again and you'll never meet your son!" Shatter Heart raised his sword overhead, ready to deliver the killing blow to the dog, who was bleeding, in pain and on his knees still holding his throbbing ears.
Grumpy tried to focus but his eyes were swimming. "Don't listen to him Loyal Heart! The only way you will fail Proud Heart is if you give up now!"
"You shut up!" Shatter Heart said, looking over his shoulder at Grumpy Bear, "Unless you want to die now."
Grumpy took a page out of Swift Heart's book and smirked at him, "Why don't you make me tough guy." He got his tummy symbol glowing, preparing to stare Shatter Heart if he came after him.
"Don't tempt me!" Shatter Heart snarled, turning away from Loyal Heart and pointing one of his cutlasses at Grumpy Bear, "the doggie may have been able to resist, but I'll make you into mincemeat in no time flat!"
"I'm shaking." He taunted. "Bring it on Shatter Fart."
"That's enough! I planned on keeping you around to interrogate but I think I'll get rid of this nuisance now and tell your dear Swift Heart that he lover boy is dead!" Shatter Heart charged at Grumpy Bear, both swords ready to vivisect him.
"Ha jokes on you! She doesn't know I love her!" He stared Shatter Heart, hoping it would slow him down long enough for Loyal Heart to recover.
"Then that will make the emotional blow to her all the better!" Shatter Heart was stopped by the force of the stare, but it didn't seem to be hurting him an Shatter Heart pushed past it lifting his left hand and sword as he came into range, ready to strike Grumpy Bear down.
There was a clatter, and Shatter Heart stopped, his left arm held in place by what looked like a blue plastic chain with a small weight on the end. "What, what's this?" Both Grumpy and Shatter Heart looked over at Loyal Heart. The blue dog was holding the other end of the chain in his outstretched left hand.
"Grumpy is right, I will not fail until I give up!" he said holding out his right hand, "and it appears that this world is affecting my own powers and granting me the strength to defeat you," he added.
"Glad some part of my plan is starting to work." Grumpy retracted his stare seeing Loyal Heart had things under control for the moment.
"And I thank you for the reprieve," Loyal Heart said, lifting his right hand up a longsword slowly formed, the hilt was orange and the blade was blue and again it appeared to be made of plastic, "and now, Shatter Heart, we shall finish this!" Shatter Heart was unprepared for Loyal Heart yanking back hard on the chain and pulling the bear towards Loyal Heart and as he came in range, Loyal Heart slashed at him. The chain dissolved as Shatter Heart was cut and flung into a patch of bramble-like bushes nearby.
Grumpy walked over to him and clapped him on the shoulder, "Nice one."
Loyal Heart smiled, "no pro-"
"That's enough!" Shatter Heart ripped the bramble patch to shreds, now extremely mad, "I'll tear you apart Loyal Heart!" He charged and Loyal Heart barely had time to form a morningstar in his left hand, the spiked ball being blue and the handle being orange, in order to block the attack. The two of them began going at it in force, now that the playing field was level they began each scoring several good hits on one another.
The bear and the dog kept fighting, each landing blows on the opponent until both were bleeding and tired, but they kept fighting until they locked sword, Loyal Heart having changed the morningstar into another sword during the fight.
"Face it!" Shatter Heart spat, "you're outmatched here Loyal Heart! You'll never beat me alone!"
"Perhaps you're right, but you forget one thing," no sooner had those words left his mouth then a heavy branch, as hard as metal, smacked Shatter Heart on his head and he collapsed, "I am not alone." Loyal Heart looked up at Grumpy who was holding the metallic branch, "thank you."
"Figured you'd had enough. I know I had." He looked at the unconscious bear, "What should we do with him?"
Loyal Heart prodded him with a sword and he groaned, "Neither of us could kill him in cold blood, and I do not want to be near him when he wakes up, those sonic attacks really hurt my ears," Loyal Heart said, "If we knew a fast way to a hiding spot that would be helpful."
As they tried to figure out what to do with Shatter Heart, two rolly polly twins came walking down the path. Seeing the unconscious bear, one of them elbowed the other, "Hey look at this. Isn't it that who's it?"
His counter part shook his head, "No no it's that thingama person."
"Oh no how?"
Looking up they saw Grumpy and Loyal Heart, "Who's them then?" Looking at one another they shrugged.
"Umm, hello," Loyal Heart said, letting his swords dissolve, "may we help you?"
The twin on the left "I don't think we need help. Do you need help Dee?"
"No don't think so Dumb, but how de we know they don't?"
"Know how we don't do we?"
The twin called Dee looked to Loyal Heart, "Do you need help then?"
"Well if you know a way tot eh castle, or at least a place we can hide when this bear wakes up, that would be much appreciated," Loyal Heart said.
"The castle eh? Sure is dat way." Dee pointed to the left.
Dumb smacked his head, "No idiot, it's thats a ways."
He pointed right. "I think I'd know which way it isn't an it isn't that way." he shoved his brother.
"You don't know anything." Grumpy interjected, "Okay enough! Second problem then, can you tell me where we can hide him?" He pointed to Shatter Heart.
"Tulgey Wood." Dumb pointed to the multi-colored trees behind him.
"Thank you, will you join us or shall we go on alone?" Loyal Heart asked.
"No we don't go in there."
"No way no how."
Dee leaned over to his brother, "Reckon they don't know bout the Jabberwocky?"
"Proly do."
"Yea right."
They waved at Loyal Heart and Grumpy, "See yas!" Joining hands they continued on their way.
Loyal Heart nodded then, with Grumpy's help, picked up Shatter Heart and carried him into the forest. A short time into the walk Loyal Heart looked over at Grumpy and asked, "Jabberwocky?"
He shrugged, "I guess well see it for ourselves. I don't think those two were all there." He twirled his finger by his head. He hefted his half of Shatter Heart up, "So where should we drop him?"
Loyal Heart looked around and spotted a large tree, "There, help me get him sitting up against the tree."
Grumpy scowled, "Can't we just leave him on the floor or something."
"Just aid me," Loyal Heart said as the propped him up against the tree. Loyal Heart stood in front of Shatter Heart and placed his hands together, creating a length of chain, he handed on end to Grumpy, "here, we shall use this to secure him, he will break free but it will take him some time." Grabbing his end and muttering about the magic chain he began to walk around the tree in the opposite direction of Loyal Heart. Loyal Heart walked around and met Grumpy at the other end, grabbing the chain he held the two ends together, and they fused, locking in place, "There, now let's move before he wakes up."
Leaving the woods, they found the Cheshire Cat laying on one of the branches of the trees. Grumpy groaned, "Not this guy again."
Loyal Heart rolled his eyes, "Perhaps he can help us," he said, approaching the cat, "Hello, friend, what brings you here?"
"I find you and your friends rather amusing. They way you totter around in circles and manage to attract the attention of no one nice."
Loyal Heart approached the cat and reached up to scratch it behind the ears, "Other than yourself and those twins, there don't seem to be many nice people here."
He purred and rolled on his back, wrapping his tail around the branch he ung below it. "Oh there are. They're all mad however."
"Mad is in crazy, or mad as in the emotion I'm feeling because of all these delays!" Grumpy snapped the question at the Cat.
He merely grinned, "I'll let you be the judge of that. I'm feeling generous right now, so I shall point you in the direction of the castle." He turned into a purple arrow with eyes pointing to the right.
Loyal Heart bowed to him, "I thank you, now we must depart, though to be honest, it might be better to see the other people here who are less interested in killing us. Could you show us where those people are? They might prove helpful."
"Oh some of your friends are quite near one of them. If you continue down the way I've pointed you, you may find another. It's hard to tell."
"All right," Loyal Heart turned to Grumpy Bear, "shall we?" he asked.
"Surprised you even have to ask. I hope the others are fairing better then we are."