Chapter 45: (Hey all! Thought a shorter break between chapters was in order as I was on a grand total of 6 hours of plane travel. Again, I apologize for the delay in the last chapter, but this semester of school has been different than expected. And I've been having a lack of motivation. BUT here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it!
This chapter has been rated T for DRUG USE/REFERENCE, SWEARING, and BRIEF AND MILD DISTURBING IMAGERY.
Oh, and I guess a trigger warning for anxiety? I dunno. Read some other fanfictions that put trigger warnings for panic attacks and stuff. So here's that.
REVIEW REPLIES:
Okay, here's a little information: I wrote the review replies while on a plane with no access to wifi. As such, I couldn't see all of some of the longer reviews because they didn't appear in the email fanfiction sent to me. I did my best, though, and this is ALL of the reviews I had in my inbox. If I missed anyone or if I accidentally responded to you twice, I apologize. I just thought you all deserved a response after being generous enough to share your thoughts and praise. :)
Guest (no signature): Check the chapter again, in the author's notes I suggested you reread one chapter in particular. ;) Glad you liked it!
Rio: Hahahaha well…define 'happy'. ;) I have the end already planned (have for a good long time now), and there'll be no changing it now! C: Thank you! Sorry for the delay, I'm really trying to update faster!
Anjelle: Hahahahaha yeah I think quite a few people are with you on that. XD Hahahaha you might consider rereading a few chapters then, just to refresh your memory. Has your revelation returned to you yet? If not, wait a while. It'll pop back up eventually. Hopefully. If not, *shrugs*. Hahahahaha but cliffhangers are my favorite! Well, glad I could put you in a writing state of mind. XD Did you end up getting anything done? Really? Interesting. I didn't know that. I'll be interested to see your psychoanalysis at the end of the story. ;) Well…there's a reason for that, of course. Marco, calm, cool-headed Marco, freaking out like that? What could Cheshire have shown him I wonder? And then there's the point to remember that whatever he showed him is part of Ace. That's something I'm worrying about, you guys seem to be separating the Inhabitants from Ace a little too much. Not necessarily you in particular, but just the readership in general. Wonderland IS ACE. Everything down here is representative of how he thinks and acts and behaves and wants to act, these impulses and desires etc. organized into several distinctly different persons based on their focus, and sometimes are entirely contradictory. He has, essentially, all these different parts of himself screaming at him as to what he should do or how he should be, and these all have some degree of influence on him, so making a decision 'on his own' is practically impossible by now, but at the same time, they're all parts of him so I guess he makes every decision 'on his own' but…gah. It's hard to explain. …Sorry, unrelated tangent was unrelated. Hahahahahaha well…as you recall, in Wonderland blood has a good deal of power. Seriously, if you honestly don't remember, go read chapter 35 again. Then all will be clear. ;) Sorry, but wifi being inaccessible as it is, I can't actually read the rest of your review to reply to it, so I apologize!
Arrancar13: I'm glad you're liking it! I know the whole 'wonderland' thing has pretty much been done in every permutation by now, but I thought my version had enough originality that it was worth posting. C: Really? Out of fear or sadness? (I need to know for future writing reference. C;) Yeah…Cheshire isn't playing very nice, is he? That's certainly a guess, though I can't tell you if it's right or not~. Well, perhaps. You'll have to wait and see. C: Sorry the next chapter took a while, but I hope you like it!
Noitalapsi: Hahahaha that's pretty much the general reaction at this point. Yeah…go read 35 again and see if that gives you any clues. ;) As for what Cheshire did…well, he showed Marco something that in some way defined who he is as part of Ace's mind and, as is outlined by the end of the chapter, bled on Marco. Well…there's something funny about what you just said there. I can't really specify what it is, but maybe this chapter will give you some clues as to why your line "Marco is definitely not himself right now, just can't be! Going around and saying that they can't save Ace!" made me chuckle slightly. Well, Thatch is doing his best. But it's hard to solve a problem if you don't know exactly what it is. ;) Well…again, there are things I can't say because of the spoiler content, but maybe it's something to do with what Marco saw and less to do with what Ace wants. Well…he is being suspiciously antagonist-y towards everyone's favorite phoenix. And Mr. Savage's identity is still a mystery to you guys… ;) Cheshire's being sneaky. And really mean. I'll expand on this more later (when it'll no longer be a spoiler), but he's actually being very clever. Hahahaha you think that one's bad? I've got an absolutely AWFUL one planned for the second-to-last chapter of the story. And I truly can't wait to see you all freaking out about that one. Hahahaha thanks! *munches* Sorry the update took a while, but I hope you enjoy/enjoyed it! (Sorry I can't quite respond to the tail end of your review, the site truncated it and I couldn't access it on the plane! D:)
Ujvari: It's all right, I think I can find it in my heart to forgive you. XD Hahahaha that seems to be the general reaction to 43. XD Oh you lost little sheep…muahahahaha oh the things I have planned! :D Sorry it took so long, but I'm glad you liked it! Hahaha and shit DID go down. The full extent of the shit that went down won't be expressed until later, but there's still a lot of problems with what he did do while he was there. Well, the Cat figured out Metamorphosis, after watching Marco do it. So…safe to say that puts us in a bit of a tight spot. But you won't see why until later. Well…the true consequence won't be shown until later, but that's an interesting theory. I have just one question though: why do you assume Cheshire isn't Mr. Savage? *smirk* Whitebeard's a pro. He's a little hard to write, though… :/ I've gotten better, but he's a character I respect so much I'm terrified of writing him OOC. As for the voice…well, you might want to consider the origin of the expression "don't look a gift horse in the mouth." It has a bit of a darker undertone, if you consider that it came from the story of the Trojan Horse. Essentially, looking in the horse's mouth might reveal some kind of trap or danger in something that otherwise seems fortunate. Hahahaha I'm glad you liked it! Thatch is a pretty great guy. XD Sorry, I can't respond to the last part of your review, I'm on a plane. :/ If there are any questions that you want me to address, shoot them to me in a PM.
Guest (Teengens): Hahahaha I'm glad you're liking it! Yeah, there's kind of a lot of twists and suspense. XD I'm glad you find the imagery that good! And I'm glad some of the horror is getting to you, or that it makes you feel emotions! Actually yes. A Freudian slip is where you say or do something by accident that hints at a subconscious desire, often sexual. Hahaha that's okay, nobody's picked up on everything. XD The delay (entirely my fault because I fail) between chapters certainly doesn't help with retention either. I'll certainly do my best! Thank you very much!
Guest (moi): Je vais essayer de repond en français, mais je le parle juste un peu! Pardonez-moi, et je suis desolée! Ce n'est possible pour me dit a vous qui est Mr. Savage, vous devez attendre pour le fin~! ;) Peut-être, si vous faisiez l'attention, l'issue avec Marco deviendra clair. c; Merci bien! Je ne vais pas arrêter écrire! J'éspere que vous ceriez aimer cette chapitre!
Son Goshen: Well, you'd be the second. XD But you might have caught something I didn't intend? You seem to be kind of taking it darker than it actually was… What did you pick out…? I'm glad you liked that part! And you've got me really curious, what did you pick out? O_o Hahahaha well you mean the whole story or just for poor Marco? Because the good/badness of the 'ending' might depend on which ending you're talking about. ;) Hope you like the chapter!
LordofCamels: Welllllll…I can't really say. But who in Wonderland has blue eyes? I know I've talked about it several times. Perhaps consider looking back on past chapters to see who it is. I'll give you a hint: the question of who Mr. Savage is has already been answered if you look in the right places, specifically during Ace's time with Shanks. If you find the giveaway there is no WAY you won't know who Mr. Savage is. You'd also do to consider what roles all of the Inhabitants play in Wonderland and how they've interacted with Ace. I know that's a broader, less searchable clue, but it's the best one you've got. c:
Guest (E): Heehee really? I'm curious to see who you think it is… Well, the Mr. Savage reveal is after the segment with Queen, so maybe after it's officially revealed you'll tell me what your guess was? Thank you! Hahahaha yeah…well, remember, they're Ace. So what does their behavior reflect about him?
Guest (PeppermintPatty): Sorry it took me so long to get around to this review! If anything, my reply is too late. :( Sorry! Hahaha that's okay, I took an unforgivably long time to update anyway. *slams head into desk* I'm glad you liked it! Sorry the next one took a while, but I hope you liked it too! Well, we already saw how dangerous Hatter was. He was able to down Thatch, and Whitebeard and Marco were having a hard time too. So the other commanders would definitely be hard pressed to fight back successfully. Carpenter won't be making an actual appearance in the story, but suffice to say he's not a friendly guy. Well, we'll just have to wait and see. c: Well, if there were living inhabitants left they'd probably be making appearances, but after the panic attack and level of terror Ace would be feeling after seeing Hare again and having Jozu and the others corner him, Mr. Savage did a lot of damage to the Inhabitants. The Duchness might be the only one currently alive. Sorry it took a while, hope you liked it!
Guest (OfficerNarwhal): It wasn't so much writer's block as a lack of motivation and time. What with the school year having drop-kicked me in the face, it's been hard to find energy in my free time to devote to this story. 9: Nonetheless, I'm doing my best to update more quickly, and I hope you'll bear with me! Well, there's a reason for that of course. ;) But more on that later in the story. Sorry my reply to this review is so late! Yeah! I'm super excited to write them! One of them's going to be short (literally one chapter), but the other is going to be fairly lengthy. Not as long as this, mind you, but at least 10 chapters. I need to headcanon about it more, though, cuz I haven't quite decided on the ending. *scratches back of head awkwardly* Thanks for your patience! I'll try to do better in the future! And I'll do my best to always respond to reviews, though sometimes with the timeframe I have it's just not possible. :/
Guest (MuffinCrumb3): It's fine. I've been swamped with life, so responding to reviews in the length I'd like to has been difficult anyway. Hahaha no! I love hearing from you guys! And what I say in the replies is usually fun to write because I already know what's going to happen and you guys are still in the dark, so I can kind of tease you guys. ;) Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it that much! Well, to be honest, I haven't actually read really any horror fanfictions…the one I'd recommend, though, is called Bread and Circuses by OperaRose94. But go in prepared to cry. Because you probably will. A lot. I did. And it's also pretty damn scary, so be prepared for that too. Sorry the next chapter took so long and I didn't reply to your review until now! I hope you like it!
LadyUzuScarlet: Hahaha yeah…sorry…? Well, that apology is a little hollow, seeing as it's only going to continue to get worse. XD Oh just you wait. The whole audience is literally going to simultaneously shit bricks at the end of the second-to-last chapter. And the last line of the whole story. And I get the feeling many of you may want to punch me in the face. Which is why I don't tell you all where I live. XD (Deeper still. Just wait. There's more. XD)
(Aw thanks!)
(I read this and literally double-taked. Good job. XD)
(And then, seeing the conclusion, belt better. XD)
Dappled Leaves: Wow, thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it! Sorry the update took so long. :( Hope you still enjoy it, despite my slowness. :c But I'm glad you like it so much! It gives me a sense of purpose, as a writer!
SqueeFreak: I'm glad you like it! (I know the feeling. I'm writing review replies on a plane and there's NO internet and sometimes the site doesn't send me the whole reviews in the emails so I can't see the full comments everyone left, so it's just a big hot mess. DX) I'm glad you find it frightening! :D I'm lucky enough that I don't often get nightmares or when I do they're pretty mild (except the Girl with the Eyes. *shivers* I didn't sleep for the rest of the night after that. DX) Yeah, anything where there's something wrong with a character/person's eyes freaks me out on TV and in movies and stuff, so I figured the best way to make other people afraid was to go off of what frightens me, because then I can specify what's actually frightening about it and take the things that freak me out and magnify them. I dunno. That's what I'm trying to do. The problem is, not everyone's scared of the same stuff, so there are some people I have yet to really freak out. XD That's a very interesting image! It's strange, looking back, I don't actually remember what her face looked like in my dream. All I remember is that she had no expression. Entirely stoic. Even as she was doing these horrible things. It was freaky. I'm glad you liked the chapter! Hope your internet is fixed by the time I responded to this review. (I'm so late it's not even funny. DX)
SqueeFreak: Poor Selma. She doesn't deserve this crap. XD But alas. And everyone's doing their best to keep it together and support each other, but at the same time everything is going to hell and people are dying and their Captain isn't there to help them or lead them…it pretty much sucks to be them. The delay between 43 and 44 was truly unforgivable, though. 2 months is just ridiculous. I'll do my best to NEVER do that again. (hahaha lucky. Hope you liked it!)
SqueeFreak: Ah good job! You're the first one to really pin it down. Everybody else had the sense of distress like something major happened, but they couldn't actually pinpoint what was wrong, but you got it! Well, the other way was to wash it off, but by the time Marco regained consciousness and Thatch found him, it was too late for that. Cheshire's being a little too antagonist-y to write off as just meddling, don't you think…? I'm glad! I'll be sure to keep including them! :D
Guest (no signature): Your first guess was more accurate. :) Good question. And why is he being so antagonist-y? It's kind of odd, isn't it? Because in some ways, he's aided them remarkably, but at the same time, he pulls stunts like this…hmm. What could his end game possibly be…? ;) Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it and it seems realistic! Sorry 44 took so long, but I hope you liked it! I hope you continue to like the story! Thank you!
94Insane: Wow. That's quite a feat! 43 chapters in 2 days? And some of them are lengthy! Pro points to you, friend! Hahahaha I'm glad you're enjoying it and that you find it frightening! Well, after over 2 years of headcanoning on the same general idea, you come up with some crazy stuff. XD But I'm glad all the time and thought makes a difference! I'm glad! I'm trying very hard to make it creepy for you guys! (~eue)~ I hope it wasn't too freaky of a dream, I'd feel bad if you actually lost sleep over it. XD Thank you so much! Sorry 44 took so long, but 45's update is faster, right? I'm going to really do my best to reduce update time as much as I can for you guys. And I PROMISE this story absolutely WILL se completion!
Guest (HMP): Aw, I'm sorry! But hopefully the faster update makes for a good new-year's gift? And I made it a resolution to be faster on update times!
HMP: Yup Cheshire's pretty messed up. But why is he being so aggressive…? Well, that's a guess. But the question still stands as to why he's been outright antagonistic. Keep thinking about it. ;) Hahahaha yeah pretty much. XD But there are certain cases where it thickens more than others.
Guest: Sorry I'm so terrible. *dies of shame and self-loathing* The time it took me to write chapter 44 is unforgivable, and I'm going to do my best to shorten update times as much as possible!
Guest: Interesting theories! I can neither confirm nor deny, of course, so you'll just have to wait and see. ;) Sorry 44 took so long, I hope you liked it!
Twilightfairy: Interesting image! Hahahaha I dunno, after writing that I had to curl up under my safety blanket and spend almost 2 hours watching stupid youtube videos in order to get me into a state where I was actually capable of sleep. XD And the night I had the dream of her, I didn't sleep for the rest of the night. It was bad. XD
Twilightfairy: That would have been a good one! Ooo, but did he actually become part of Wonderland or something else…? ;)
Guest: Well, Cheshire has to be part of Ace's mind, seeing as he's an Inhabitant of Wonderland. Mr. Savage is the Inhabitant that represents Ace's fear, and he's one of the Inhabitants we've already met. It's up to you guys to figure out who it is, though. ;) Oh? Why not? As for Serpent, she was Ace's botched attempt at creating Cheshire as his own separate entity, but he didn't do a good job of separating out the bits that were Cheshire from the rest of himself, so Serpent is essentially nearly identical mentally to Ace and shares a portion of his mind. Hahaha no, not a fool! Your guess may have been a bit off, but the fact that you formed one means you were paying close attention!
Guest (Rio): Sorry it took so long! Hope this quicker update makes up for it a little.
.Difficult: Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it! :D And I'm glad you're finding it creepy/frightening, that's what I'm going for! C: Ooh, 1AM may be a bad time to read this story…hope you don't loose any more sleep! Thank you! It was a moment of inspiration I'm quite proud of, lol. XD Thanks! I think writing quality has definitely noticeably improved since the beginning of the story, and my vocabulary probably has too. Yeah…it was really, really hard for me to squeeze them in there…it was too much of a jarring change to have it switch from a third-person limited with Ace's thoughts being detailed to a third-person omniscient with Marco, Thatch, and Whitebeard's thoughts. Any time I tried to stick them in, it ended up being a really awkward, jarring switch, so I didn't end up doing it as frequently as I – and you guys – wanted. I did my best, but I'm sorry it wasn't quite enough. :/
Morwyn K: I love you too! XD
Sairakanzaki: Well…Can't outright tell you. But this chapter should clear it up for you a bit. :) Hope you enjoy the quicker update!
Guest: Doing my best! Hope you like it!
Animezpeps: Yeah, Marco's acting strange, isn't he? What did he mean with all that stuff about how he and Ace can't go back? It's all pretty odd isn't it…and the way he treated the Duchness after he/she touched his back…? I wonder why that was what triggered him? (hint hint) Thank you! The idea of the Estrella being that didn't come to me until fairly recently, so I'm glad I got the chance to wiggle it in. :)
Anjelle: Thank you! I'm glad! I was kind of worried that the bluntness of it would make some people uncomfortable, but I'm glad you didn't find that to be the case! Poor Ace. His life kind of sucks. Well, the Duchness has a valid point, but Ace kind of does too. Yeah, it is different than in most fics…do you think it seems OOC? I think, given the circumstances and events of this story, that it's more realistic than its opposite… It would be interesting…they're really almost entirely different people, huh? Characterization will always differ from author to author, though, so I'm not too concerned about either being OOC. XD Yeah, I can imagine how much stuff like this really crushes parts of people in near irreparable ways. That's part of what makes what happens to them so cruel, is the devastating effect it has on them as a person. Well…pretending to be all right isn't a long-term solution, and it shows that, despite all the time that's passed, it still really affects and bothers him. Otherwise, why else would he hide it? Lie about it? So I guess it kind of goes both ways. It's good that he can behave normally enough to function in daily life, but the fact that that's an act isn't good at all. Sorry I can't really respond to the rest of your review, it's too long to load in my email! :(
Guest (Rio): Sorry about that! This update is hopefully somewhat of an effective apology for how long the last update was! Well…maybe. ;) Depends on who Mr. Savage is.
Teengens: Hahahaha sorry for the shortness of the last chapter…if I made it any longer, it would have felt drawn-out and weird, and I love ending on cliffhangers, so that was the best place to cut it! I'm glad it makes you this pumped up, though! And just you wait, there are still plot twists to come. ;)
Guest (LordofCamels): Hello. Yeah…pretty much. Stockholm's Syndrome seems counter-intuitive to me, but it's undoubtedly a problem many people suffer from, and I figured it deserved a place in this story. Oh my GOSH Queen is going to be so fun. I'm pumped. Yes, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Sorry I forgot to send you an email and wish you a happy holidays! D: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, it was a bit different than the others…I tried to kind of go for some of the creepiness of the shining with Hatter's domain and all the really long, same-y hallways, which always creep the hell out of me in movies and games. We're kind of sort of getting back to the other stuff in this chapter…I think, anyway. You'll have to let me know you're opinion. XD Hahaha no, it made sense! Hope you enjoyed your trip!
Son Goshen: Yeah…this chapter was a bit more on the disturbing side than the downright scary/creepy. Well, considering his/her limited perspective, it makes sense the Duchness would think that way. :/ Well, Marco's got some pretty damn heavy problems to sort out right now, not to mention still looking for Ace. Poor baby. He needs a break. I feel bad for how I treat him. XD Yeah, I was thinking you guys would possibly pick up more on the possible sexual implications of Marco's behavior, but everyone picked up on the darker undertone instead, which I'm impressed by! You guys are getting better at picking up on the subtler stuff! :D I'm going to do my best to make the update times as short as possible from now on, but no real promises. :/ I'll really try, but I can't always promise school isn't going to hit me over the head with a baseball bat and drag me through the mud.
Roo17: I'm sorry, I hate it when the site breaks! D: Poor Selma. She needs a hug. Probably more than anyone else in the story. XD Yeah, I thought it'd be interesting to switch it up for a little bit, to kind of remind you guys there's more to the story. Yeah, things are pretty awful. And Hatter definitely isn't playing nice. But even if he's dead, at least he's not unlived anymore. Right? …Right…? I would be disturbed, freaked out, and crying. A lot. Out of fear and worry and just…shock, I guess. Well, it kind of sucks with the way time is in Wonderland and how fast time in the 'real' world passes in comparison. But they're doing their best to get back as quickly as possible, and they've gotten a little help along the way, thankfully. PS: How's your mom liking the story? (Assuming she's actually reading it…?)
Guest (E): …Scime…? Perhaps you meant…scan…? …Skim…? I'm going to go with skim, that seems to make the most sense in the sentence. Well, you're certainly welcome to express any thoughts you have on where it's going, I'm always interested to see if you guys pick up on my foreshadowing! Hahaha you're lucky! Thank you! Hope this update didn't feel too long, I'm doing my best to pick up the pace.
Guest (OfficerNarwhal): Maybe. ;) What do you think?
SecretAnswers: Is there a book called Jabberwocky? Or were you doing it on the poem from Through the Looking Glass? And essay-writing sucks. XP I always end up procrastinating until the night before. XD Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it! Well, I draw inspiration from quite a few sources…some of the main ones are the Alice is Dead online game series, Alice: Madness Returns which is an enchanting horror game for the xbox360, various horror films such as The Shining and Donnie Darko, and of course the original book, Alice in Wonderland. And my own twisted mind which definitely spends too much time pondering over the possibilities of this story. 95% of what I come up with is crap, but when I'm coming up with it practically all the time, even that 5% of not suck can accumulate into something decent. XD (Hopefully not, or if so, only a little. XD) I did my best to update ASAP, but I haven't had wifi in forever, so the update was a bit delayed. Hope you enjoy! :D
Oh, and I may or may not have cut my own feels with something that's revealed in this chapter. We'll see if you guys pick up on it.
And now, ON WITH THE CHAPTER.)
You know the rules by now. Are you going to be mature enough to play by them or do I have to keep up this farce?
Marco felt as if he were suspended in darkness, weightless, blind, immobile.
Caterpillar's ahead. And he'll know if it's me. So it's your turn to play. But do you know the rules, Marco?
What are you going to do? Marco asked, trying to move, to see, anything.
I don't need to explain myself to you. Now do you want control or not?
Marco froze for a minute. …You're lying.
But I'm not. I can't, remember? Queen is the only one who lies down here.
Marco felt as if a great weight were pressing on his chest, a massive pressure. His bones would have crumpled beneath the force, but he was purely metaphysical, here in his own mind.
Don't talk about me. Don't even consider it. You know I have the power to stop you. And I know you'd like to talk to your family again, Marco. So let's play nice, hmm?
Why are you doing this?!
Because. Like it or not, you need me. I'm helping you. You'll see, one day. Laughter, dark and low, sent a shudder up Marco's spine. …But I doubt I'll ever convince you of that. You're lucky my survival instinct outweighs my hatred. But don't forget, when this is over, Marco, I will kill you.
Thatch and Marco stood before a set of double doors. They were ornate, intricate carvings marking the wood with tiny scenes. The hazy, transparent smoke that had covered the area, the whole city, slipped out from beneath the doors, looping gently around them. This more condensed, pure version of what they'd been breathing all along made Marco gently lightheaded, and as he looked over at Thatch he could see his eyes dilate slightly. Marco blinked.
They'd been breathing this stuff all along. Yes it'd been more diluted, but it'd been hours. Even a lighter dose for that long…
…How could they tell what was real down here?
I want you to know,
That the smoke billows out the depths of the pipe…
Here, at the very deepest point in this underground network. The depths of the pipe. They'd been warned, but hadn't realized it.
…So what would Caterpillar look like now?
He'd designed and built this whole elaborate trap, the whole illusion, and no doubt his own image would be a hallucination. If they needed to fight back, they'd probably end up attacking empty space, the hallucinations guiding them to a fake target. Marco could feel the edges of his thinking going fuzzy.
"Thatch," he said quietly, fighting desperately to remain focused.
"Hmm?" Thatch said, eyes drooping slightly in relaxation. This was bad. They'd be slower, like this. If Caterpillar…attack…ed…
Marco blinked slowly, hands hanging limply at his sides.
"…I forgot what I was saying, just now."
You can come in, you know. The voice was warm, friendly, and Marco found himself automatically smiling, and looking over found Thatch much the same. The door's unlocked. You're guests after all.
Marco reached forward, turning the handle without a second thought. It swung in on well-oiled hinges, making no sound. A billow of smoke poured out behind it, dissipating into the air of the hallway around Marco and Thatch. Inside, wisps of smoke hung about like pale fog, reducing visibility and seeming to shimmer in the dim, ambiguous light.
Marco and Thatch stepped inside, the door swinging quietly shut behind them.
There was no way of telling how large the chamber was, with the reduced visibility. Instead, they meandered through the smoke like wraiths, no real destination or purpose. The smoke caressed around them, around every sense, feeling like evaporated silk, tasting like starlight and darkness, smelling like forest musk and tobacco smoke, appearing like wisps of incense, and seeming to muffle all sound. It floated lazily, the more intrepid wisps moving upwards seemingly willfully, towards the ceiling or sky, Marco wasn't sure which.
This way. Marco's head swung lazily toward the source of the voice. Your father's already here, but we decided to wait for you two. Marco wandered toward the welcoming voice, feeling more at ease than he could remember being.
Through the smoke, two figures appeared.
Marco instantly recognized one as Whitebeard. The other was smaller, seated, but probably would have stood a bit shorter than Marco's eyes. He had golden skin, which marbled between bright amber and pale honey. He had long hair, nearly matching the smoke in color, in an intricate braid that looped from the back of his head over one shoulder and down his bare chest. He wore loose, Persian style pants, and no shoes. The pants were mildly off-white, and he wore a sash of vibrant purple, a jeweled strand of gold tied over it. About his neck were gems to put a sultan to shame, deep rubies, glowing tanzanite, and minutely cut sapphires and emeralds coloring his throat, all set in intricate gold. He sat cross-legged on the floor, a hookah clasped in his top right hand.
He had three arms on each side.
The bottom pair rested on his knees as he sat cross-legged, pointer finger against thumb, fingers extended, a position of meditation. His middle pair of hands held similar postures, but were extended loosely to the sides, perpendicular to his torso, elbows slightly bent. His final pair of arms was raised higher, elbows bent, his left completing the appearance of a Hindu deity by extending loosely upward, palm open and fingers angled towards the sky, the right elegantly clasping the end of the bronze hookah. Bangles and bracelets decorated each arm in still more opulence and wealth, agates, emeralds, and pearls clutched in gold.
Welcome, he said, inclining his head slightly in recognition. Marco felt the absurd obligation to bow.
Don't you dare. I bow to no one. Marco's spine stiffened entirely outside of his control. Caterpillar was still smiling quietly, and wordlessly drew the hookah to his mouth, inhaling delicate smoke.
I'm impressed you made it here, Marco. The Girl with the Eyes was one of Ace's more petrifying childhood night terrors, Caterpillar mentally murmured.
…You're responsible for those? Caterpillar's smile tightened, and Marco could feel his bitterness.
That's what Mr. Savage made me into. Nightmares. Twisted flashbacks. Panic attacks. I used to be so much more, so much better. I was a co-creator of Wonderland, once.
You were Caterpillar once. What are you now?
You know the answer to that.
The Wyrm. The near statue-like figure nodded silently, drawing more smoke from the hookah. It's smile lightened.
…Want to hear something interesting? Marco didn't respond, and the Caterpillar continued a moment later. Thatch isn't seeing the same Wyrm you are. Marco's eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion.
What do you mean?
I don't entirely create the images you see by myself. Everything you've seen previously were imaginings of Ace's, but now that you're closer and more under my influence, I can see your impression of things. The image I've chosen to show each of you differs from what the others see, based upon what you imagined I'd look like. It seems you were quite taken with Ace's drawing of me.
What do they see?
That's a secret.
A moment of silence passed between the two after that. Marco's train of thought, slowed as it was by the drug, stumbling to this conclusion belatedly.
The Estrella…?
Oh she's real. Ace tried to lock her away in a distant, barren corner of his psyche. So in answer to your question no, she is not one of my creations. Nor is the Duchness. My abode is a shelter for those who have no domain of their own.
Marco's brows furrowed in gentle confusion. Domain?
Caterpillar sighed mentally, his voice going patronizing. Yes. All of the most powerful, influential members of Wonderland have a domain. One they can't leave of their own volition or anyone else's. Dodo. Hatter. Myself. Queen. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum once had the Tulgy Wood, but…you saw what happened to them. There's two…no, I suppose three exceptions to this rule. Caterpillar trailed off, taking another breath from his hookah. His eyes never left Marco, but now they quickened with interest. …Do you want to know more?
Yes. Marco's answer held no hesitation.
Let's play a game then, shall we? Caterpillar's voice was smooth and low.
What kind of game? Some part of Marco warned this was dangerous. But the smoke lifted that thought and carried it gently away until it was no more than a distant murmur.
Every time you ask a question, I get to ask one too. Honesty for honesty, Marco, I can tell when you lie. Caterpillar's voice still retained that deep undercurrent, like a strong tide, and his tone combined with the smoke was nearly overpowering. It was a compulsion, practically, for him to agree. Caterpillar smiled, seemingly sweet, but sharp with cunning. Please, you go first.
Marco considered his response as carefully as he could, given his current state of disorientation. He needed to be as clearheaded as possible, now. Ask only the important questions, the ones that need answers. Because he was damn sure Caterpillar's would be deeply revealing, working towards some benefit Marco didn't understand. …Which three powerful inhabitants don't have domains and why? Caterpillar's smile remained as jovial and humoring as a snake's.
The White Rabbit, the Duchness, and the Cheshire Cat. The White Rabbit has free reign because he was Queen's messenger, in the lighter, friendlier version of Wonderland and because of his role in the current Caucus Race. The Duchness, based on the strength of its role in Ace's subconscious…and conscious, I suppose…deserves its own domain, but Ace keeps it locked down so tightly, suppresses it so much, that he actually destroyed the domain the Duchness once inhabited. But the Duchness still has quite a bit of pull, and if it tried it could actually entirely influence Ace's decision-making for a fair amount of time, and the long-term repression only makes the Duchness stronger still. Being that powerful and not being tied to any specific location should make the Duchness one of the most powerful pieces in the current Caucus Race, but because Ace fears it so much and because it will never die, the Duchness has become inconsequential.
As for Cheshire, if you consider this Caucus Race a chess game, Cheshire is undoubtedly the queen. He is the oldest of all. The first Inhabitant. The rest of us were cultivated as Ace grew older, but Cheshire has been with Ace since the day of his birth. He didn't assume form or true definition until Hare pushed Ace to his limit, but he was the first to reach out to Ace, to try to communicate. He was the one that finally snapped the cord. By speaking to Ace, he defined himself as separate and Ace's subconscious latched onto that, instantly forming all of us as separate too. Add onto this how massive his role in the creation of Wonderland…well. The Cheshire Cat is not to be taken lightly. Not to mention because of how he treated Ace during the first Caucus Race, he has great influence over Ace's decision-making. Not only that, but he can move freely because of what he is.
It isn't that Cheshire doesn't have a domain, it's that his domain is all of Wonderland.
…And the White Rabbit's the same, now, I suppose.
Caterpillar fell into somewhat pensive silence, taking another deep inhale from his hookah, exhaling the smoke skyward in a thin stream. I expect answers of equal truth, Marco. He returned his gaze to Marco, serpent's smile returning full force.
…What does Thatch fear the most?
That question gave Marco pause. …Why do you want to know?
Consider it a precaution.
Marco's brows furrowed, and he glanced over to where Thatch stood beside him. Thatch was staring at Caterpillar, his expression placid, non-revealing. Indecision welled in Marco's chest. He needed to be honest if he wanted to get more information out of Caterpillar. But how would this information negatively impact Thatch, Whitebeard, and himself? He wished he didn't have all this damn smoke in his head. The answer to that question was obvious, he knew it, but it eluded him. I'll help you since you're being pathetic. This voice in his mind was different, somewhat…veiled. Marco got the sense it was somehow removed from what Caterpillar could hear. With the words came a memory. "Thatch isn't seeing the same Wyrm you are." Caterpillar's words echoed in his head, his mind latching onto them dimly. If Thatch isn't seeing the same Wyrm…
…Perhaps he's not talking to the same one, either.
And suddenly it made sense. It made sense why Caterpillar never looked away from Marco towards either of his companions. It made sense why he never addressed them.
They were having entirely separate conversations, ones Marco had no way of hearing or influencing.
If he gave this information to Caterpillar, he could use it against Thatch. Somehow. Marco's brows furrowed at that. It couldn't do that much damage, though, right? Caterpillar, thus far, hadn't been aggressive. Maybe he was just taking precautions should he feel threatened?
Telling Caterpillar felt inherently wrong, but there was, undeniably, more Marco needed to know.
…I'm not certain if it's true anymore, but Thatch told me once that as a child he was nyctophobic. I saw a little of it when he first joined the crew. He always hated being on night watch, and he collapsed outside my door once on hall patrol. He was gasping like he couldn't breathe, like he was drowning. That was years ago, though. He couldn't have been more than 14 at the time.
Caterpillar smiled. I'll accept it, despite your brevity. Thank you for your cooperation. All right, your turn. Marco's gaze on Caterpillar hardened.
What is it that the Inhabitants want and how does the existence of Wonderland play into Ace's behavior? Caterpillar arched one delicate eyebrow.
Two in one? Less than fair, Marco. But I suppose I'll answer.
…Let's go in…chronological order. In case you hadn't previously deduced this, most people don't have a Wonderland. The only reason Ace does was to escape his reality to the only place he could flee: his own mind. Well, with just him, he couldn't have sustained the illusion that his mind was reality for very long, so his subconscious, in order to keep his conscious from recognizing the truth, birthed us, the Inhabitants. By our very existence we pose a rather concerning threat to Ace's mental health and, given the opportunity, could entirely fundamentally change who he is as a person and how he behaves in day-to-day life.
The healthy person doesn't have Inhabitants like us. The healthy person doesn't have Inhabitants at all. The healthy person is, instead, a well-combined mixture of all of the traits we represent. Because they are combined with their opposite, each trait is subdued, mostly canceled out, causing a mild, well-balanced person. But Ace's subconscious has royally screwed him over by creating each of us the way it did.
Instead of Ace's mind being a smooth, well-blended, subdued combination, all of his traits were separated from one another, taken away from their opposite and left to stand on their own. Ergo they aren't being mostly canceled out by their contrary. Ergo they're much, much more powerful, each trait more highly defined and taken to an almost dangerous extreme. This leads rather directly into what it is we all want.
Wonderland, Ace's mind, always has and always will need a King.
Ace, by returning down here, has left that throne wide open.
The Ace you know and the Ace you're searching for is the representation of the mixture I described before. He's in a constant struggle with us, who all want our part of his mind to be the one in charge, the one calling the shots, the one – the only one – influencing his decision making. He has to subdue all of us simultaneously in order to maintain tenuous control of his own mind. He's lucky we don't work well in teams. I don't envy him for what he faces every day. Imagine having dozens of voices all talking over each other, all recommending a different course of action than the rest. Except they all sound right because they sound like your voice. He doesn't have it easy, and he doesn't always do the right thing.
In other words, if Ace's concentration, for whatever reason, slips, especially while he's conscious, we all jump on it like vultures. Caterpillar smiled coldly. You've even seen us, though you didn't know it. When Ace snapped at Jericho? That was Queen. If Ace hadn't regained his senses in that last moment, Jericho would probably be short an unshattered skull.
As for why we don't just take over while Ace is down here, there's a simple enough answer. The Jabberwocky. It only exists while Ace is down here with us, and its duty is to defend the Location against all but Ace's entry, as well as prunes back anything his subconscious deems unseemly or out of place. It keeps us from becoming too powerful, from too fully separating ourselves and becoming a separate personality. In this way, we are and always will be fully of Ace. Caterpillar's eyes attained a kind of near-sadness. Never forget that, okay? He seemed to rouse himself, shaking his head faintly and drawing another inhale from the hookah.
But anyways, while he's conscious his subconscious fades into the background and the Jabberwocky loses its power. So it's when Ace is awake that we have the best chances of taking over. Specifically in moments of mental weakness on Ace's part. Any extreme emotion can make him slip; in particular anger or fear, but enough of any feeling will do the trick.
I'm lucky you're so chatty, aren't I? Caterpillar's cold, distant smile returned.
You're lucky I've been feeling friendly. Thatch and Whitebeard are playing the same game as you. Do you want to know what I asked them? Marco thought of the question he'd been asked previously and knew he didn't have to inquire. He felt a distant warning in the back of his mind, a sense of unease. Whatever tenuous peace they had with Caterpillar wasn't going to last. And when it fell apart, all hell would break loose.
Your turn, he thought, cold dread settling in his stomach, taking a little of the fog from his mind. Caterpillar's smile remained, his eyes searching.
Do you even know how royally fucked you are? Marco froze, mouth going dry.
…How do you mean?
Caterpillar's laughter was bell-like and melodic. It should have been pleasant. Instead, Marco felt his pulse quicken. Well, in every way, really. You're not even close to prepared to fight Mr. Savage, you're going to be stupid enough to fuck with Queen, you don't even know where Ace is or how you're going to convince him how to come back to 'reality' with you or even speak with you after that disaster with Jozu, and so, so ignorant about what it is you're bringing back. You act like bringing Ace back will fix anything. It won't change anything down here. It won't make him 'better.' And Ace coming back down here sincerely fucked things up upstairs too, when he gets back, when you all get back, hell, you've got a pretty damn big surprise in store. Marco felt a bit of a chill shoot down his spine.
What do you mean?
Caterpillar gave another bark of laughter. Well, for one thing, you'll be mentally jointed with Ace now. Do you know what that means? Let me give you a hint. You get to experience the joys of his anxiety, panic attacks, night terrors, flashbacks…you think it's going to be pretty? I'd be surprised to see you last a week. Oh, and let's not even get started on the voices. All of us, all shouting over each other, all fighting to get you to listen, to follow our orders, to ignore all the others. I'm curious to see who you'll side with the most, Marco. Queen? Hatter? Caterpillar smiled harshly. I think not. I see too much of Cheshire in you. You've brushed with your own Cheshire in the past, haven't you, Marco? Then it won't be hard for him to twist you around, manipulate you, and when you finally submit he'll make you do things you have nightmares about, he'll-
You wound me, Caterpillar. Don't you know me better than this? Marco felt a foreign grin pull at his face and he saw Caterpillar stiffen. I'm more ambitious than you give me credit for.
…Don't do anything you'll regret. Caterpillar's voice sounded nervous, almost shaky, and Marco felt his face pull further into that grin.
Oh come now Caterpillar. You cling to life like maggots to a cod's carcass. Why not smile? Haven't you heard? Everyone's happy these days! Marco felt his eyes widen, the grin so wide his face nearly ached with it and it frightened him, because the more he wore it, the more it became his own.
Tell me, Caterpillar. What do you fear most?
Thatch practically jumped out of his skin when Caterpillar screamed. The vision he'd been talking to contorted once, then disappeared. For an instant, through the smoke, he saw something else. It was massive, covered in pale skin, writhing as if in agony, and faces, hundreds of faces, crammed side by side, each smiling or sobbing or screaming or singing, hundreds of pairs of eyes staring back at him, unblinking, glassy and dumb as dolls'-
And then it was gone.
Thatch looked around, disoriented and feeling the slight queasiness of the bizarre, sudden shift.
He wasn't in Caterpillar's chamber anymore.
And he was entirely alone.
That realization alone set him on edge, his back stiffening slightly. This coupled with the knowledge that he now had no idea where he was and no idea where the others were or if they were unharmed had Thatch's heartbeat quickening. Calm down. It's fine. They're fine. You're fine. He shut his eyes for a moment, repeating the thoughts like a kind of mantra. You were on your own before down here, and so were they and you were all fine at the end of it. You can do that again and so can they. Thatch reopened his eyes slowly, taking a deep breath.
He was in a very, very long corridor. Instead of the complete sameness of Hatter's domain the walls and floors alternated between uneven, roughly carved stone and smooth metal pipe. Throughout the whole corridor the ceiling was high enough for him to stand, the pipe being maybe 11 feet in diameter.
It was moderately, if nonsensically, lit by a single light bulb, which hung from a wire about halfway down the corridor. Illogically, that one light was able to hold the whole hall in fair brightness, though it flickered now and again, as if the wiring were faulty. Thatch couldn't see the end of the hallway from here, but the light of the light bulb continued to extend to the edge of his seeing. He took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. No time like the present.
At first, walking down the hallway, he'd been nervous, on edge. Long corridors always made him feel like something was about to jump out at him. After a while, though, it faded to mere annoyance that he seemed to have gotten nowhere. This whole scenario had the strangeness of a badly crafted dream. Nothing was changing, nothing was happening. It was almost like a space-filler, something to keep him distracted while he waited for something else. Thatch had started out by measuring his progress against the light bulb, but once he approached it to a certain point, it was like he stopped getting nearer to it at all. He was walking, still moving, or at least it seemed like it, but it was like the light bulb was moving with him. Either that or, somehow, he was walking without moving forward.
His annoyance at the lack of change swiftly faded to boredom. He didn't know where he was exactly, but nothing was happening. Nothing good, nothing bad. The light bulb remained as tantalizingly close-far as ever, as unreachable as the damn stars. He still couldn't even see the end of the hallway, nor what lay at the end of it. He felt his mind and tension slowly relaxing as time progressed. There was nothing here. Nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be nervous about. So why waste the energy?
The light bulb flickered, sputtering and guttering for a bit longer than usual. Thatch glanced at it, brow furrowing. Don't you dare go out you son of a bitch. After another moment, it returned to its former steady brightness and Thatch relaxed again. He sighed, continuing his seemingly pointless march forward, passing into a section of pipe, light bulb still fifteen feet away. Thatch's guard eventually lowered again, the monotony and lack of event lulling him into a sense of security.
Which is why it came as such a surprise when the light bulb shattered, raining shards of glass on the floor below.
Thatch froze, whole body tensing. The silence which had previously pervaded the hallway remained, but it no longer felt so benign. Breathe, breathe, breathe… Thatch felt his heart speeding up, the familiar sense of the lightheadedness of terror heightening his perception. You're okay you're okay you're okay you're okay you're okay you're okay. The darkness was infinite. No distant, second bulb offered a shred of hope. The black, unknown and smothering, was complete, wrapping around Thatch, squeezing around his chest and he couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe!
Blind terror began clawing at his heart, crawling up his throat. His heart hammered wildly against his chest and he could hear gasping, choked breaths and recognized them as his own, which only furthered his panic. He couldn't breathe here. The dark would get inside him, in his lungs, it would crush him it would unmake him, he couldn't breathe darkness, he was drowning in it.
Fight or flight began trying to kick in, somewhat belatedly. Only there was nothing to fight. Nowhere to run. It wouldn't stop Thatch from trying, though, feeling the darkness compress around him like water but horrible. His hyperventilation left him feeling dizzy, near fainting, and he couldn't stay here any longer, the dark was getting him it was in his throat he could feel it in there like some kind of putrid sludge, tasteless poison. He threw out his arms, seeking the edge of the pipe. His left hand collided painfully with the wall, and as soon as he had it as a bearing, he began sprinting down the hallway, keeping his hand on the wall as a guide despite the painful scraping of rough stone against his fingers and palm.
Running didn't help, though.
With every gasp, every pant, he felt more of it crawling into his mouth, closing up his throat with that condensed slime, that inescapable oppression. His legs burned, his heart raced, and the lack of oxygen was beginning to make his mind fade. He was nearly blacking out, he knew it, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't. He had to find something, somewhere. There had to be a light. The darkness had to end.
The other option terrified him too much to consider.
Finally, brain lacking enough oxygen to continue to support him, he collapsed to his knees, skidding a little, scraping his skin away on the stone. He was autonomically gasping in huge lungfuls of air, but this didn't help him, contrarily it only made him worse. He tried to get up and run but immediately collapsed again, crying out as his weight landed on his hands. He lifted them hesitantly, the fingers of the right carefully exploring the palm and fingers of the left.
Wet.
He was bleeding.
No. Nonononononononononononononononononononononononononononnono- Thatch could already feel it, could feel the darkness sliding inside his veins, into his blood, heading for his heart. He felt the tightness in his chest as the darkness tightened around it like a vice. It struggled to beat and he clutched at his chest, gasping, clawing at his own flesh. GET IT OUT GET IT OUT GET IT OUT! He threw back his head and-
His eyes snapped open and he sat up, gasping, and that wasn't better, his heart was still being crushed in that black mire. He tried to leap to his feet, mind still too blind with terror to pay attention to where he was or what was happening.
Hands settled on his shoulders, trying to press him back to the ground and Thatch screamed because this was what he knew would happen, this is why he'd tried to run-
"Thatch you're all right! It's okay! It was just a dream!" Thatch tried to buck, to struggle, to get away, but the grip was unwavering and his oxygen-deprived muscles were weak in comparison. He was pressed back to lie on the ground and he whimpered, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. "Thatch, listen, look at me, you're okay! It's me, Marco!" Thatch shuddered. "Look at me!" And despite himself, despite the fact that he knew that if he opened his eyes, it wouldn't be Marco, it would just be that endless nothing, that consuming void, did.
And saw Marco's concerned, nearly panicked face.
"You need to breathe, Thatch. It's okay now. You're okay. Breathe." Thatch realized his breathing – if it could even be called that – had been reduced to superficial panting, his whole body aching for more air. He took in a great gasp, trying to will his heart to slow it's frantic hammering.
It was night now, and only a few stars denoted the otherwise black sky, but Marco was holding a lighter, and the tiny flame was a lifeline for Thatch, and he found himself reaching out, wrapping his ands so tightly around the one Marco had holding the lighter he knew it must have hurt him. Marco didn't complain, though, didn't even comment. Thatch was gasping desperately, his body trying to make up for all the oxygen it had missed out on.
"You're all right, son. You're okay." Whitebeard's voice was deep and soothing, and Thatch realized it was he who was holding him down, not Marco. But Thatch could only stand to tear his eyes away from the lighter and the globule of soft illumination it offered for a moment, eyes snapping back from Whitebeard's face to the small flame.
His breathing was beginning to regulate, but he was still trembling violently, his heart taking longer to cease its frantic pounding. He relaxed back against the ground, closing his eyes for a moment, a final powerful shudder traversing his spine. Whitebeard patted his shoulders once before releasing them, knowing Thatch wouldn't bolt. Thatch opened his eyes finally, relaxing and releasing his hands from Marco's and the lighter. He sat up, swiping his right hand over his face. He could feel his heart beginning to unclench.
"I…Sorry, I didn't-" Marco's eyes went wide for a moment, before dropping away from Thatch's face to the ground.
"No. I…I'm the one who should apologize. When we were speaking with Caterpillar…he and I were trading information back and forth. And when he asked what you were afraid of…I just…I didn't think he'd actually be able to…" Marco trailed off, eyes still on the ground. "I'm sorry, Thatch." Thatch blinked. Marco hardly ever apologized for anything. He must have been feeling pretty damn guilty to think an apology was necessary. Thatch's brows furrowed.
"Wait…did you wake up from a dream like I did?" Marco flinched, then nodded. "…Then I think it's safe to assume we all have something to apologize for. Caterpillar asked me what Oyaji was afraid of," he said, a little drily. Marco looked up at that, an expression of sudden comprehension on his face. Thatch snorted. "Since we all essentially gave each other panic attacks, let's just consider that penance and agree not to do it again, okay?" Marco still looked unsure. Thatch clapped him on the shoulder, looking into his face and forcing Marco to meet his eyes. "It's okay. Well…not really, but I get it, okay? I made the same mistake. Just…I guess learn from it. And hey, at least you didn't mention spiders to Caterpillar." That got an amused chuckle from Marco, even if it was brief.
Thatch blinked, looking around for the first time. They were in a kind of barren plain, and in the distance Thatch could see what he suspected to be the dim city occupying the surface of Caterpillar's domain. "…Um, so…where are we?" Marco sighed, passing a hand through his hair.
"I think we're on the very edge of Caterpillar's domain. From what I understand based on what he told me, the Inhabitants have complete control over everything in their domain. So…when Caterpillar got upset, he put each of us into a hallucination and willed us out here. Is what I'm guessing, anyway. Caterpillar wanted us gone, so we went," Marco shrugged.
"I think it's fair to say he put us in the right direction," Whitebeard said slowly, looking past Marco and Thatch off to the right. Thatch turned to look the direction Whitebeard indicated.
The few stares provided dim illumination, but Thatch could still make out jagged shapes jutting out against the sky like claws, like bones. "…Is that…?" he asked, squinting.
"I think it used to be the rose garden," Marco said darkly.
The plants were gnarled, twisted, and overgrown now from what Thatch could make out at this distance. Some looked dead, no leaves or blooms protruding from the shrubs. Others tangled themselves so tightly about each other it seemed they were trying to strangle one another. It was clear no one had passed through in a very long time, as Thatch couldn't even distinguish where the path used to be.
And beyond it, hulking against the sky like a corpse, was the Red Palace.
(A/N: IT'S 5 IN THE MORNING AND I'VE BEEN UP ALL NIGHT DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS MEANS? It means I'm really really tired. And covered in mosquito bites. I have 27 on my left leg alone. It sucks. I'm about to scratch my fucking SKIN OFF.
Well, anyway, how did you like the chapter? Did you pick up on the thing that hurt my feels and why? It's okay if you didn't. It's probably me just being dumb and making something meaningful that to the average person has no emotional impact at all. But whatevs. It happens.
In other news, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to do a better job of updating this story at a more acceptable pace. I promise you I will do my absolute best, but as always I'm not going to commit to a specific schedule because I KNOW I won't be able to keep up with something like that.
Well, I'm going to go sleep now. Yay. Oh, by the way, did I mention I'm mildly nyctophobic and had to write this part with Thatch at 3 in the morning? So yeah. I kind of effectively freaked myself out there. I don't think many of you guys will find this chapter all that scary and, to be honest, not that much actually happens (*hides*), but the next chapter will be more exciting, I promise. So anyways, hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you all next time! ~Mountain97)