Hello! I'm back again. First, I would like to apologize. I promised you guys ten chapters, and chapters you will get, BUT that means this chapter is quite a bit shorter, and more of a transition to the big finale. I hope that's alright. Anyways, here it goes!
Things felt strange from the moment she entered her mind. For one, in all of the time she had spent in Nevermore, she had never encountered this area. The flowery aroma was cloying and smothered her. Everything was sickeningly sweet, like it was trying to mask something far more malevolent.
She spun about, searching for something familiar. Like it's pungent aroma suggested, hordes of flowers had sprung up. In the distance, a strange house stood. The longer she stared at it, the more it seemed to blur in and out of existence.
"When did that get here?" She muttered. Timid and Brave's respective forests were the first familiar landmark to be found. Neither were her favorite place, so she set off to walk around Brave's domain, and through Happy's instead.
The landscape gradually melted into a prairie of pink sand, abundant in overly green grass and fruit trees.
She was further baffled when the normally noisy region was quieter than a sleeping mouse.
"Hello?" She yelled. Her call was met with no response. Things were really starting to get weird. Ninety-five percent of the time, the pink doppelgänger rambunctiously sprinted back and forth, playing tag with whoever she could convince, or chasing butterflies.
She doubled back to Brave's forest. Even it seemed limp and lifeless. Not a single monster sprang up to stop her, although she explored each of it's numerous paths.
"What is going on here?" She growled. "I swear, if Beastboy screwed up my mind, no matter what kind of animal eyes he gives me, he's in for a beating."
Paranoia compelled her to finish her check. Timid's forest was also devoid of life. Rude's bar was empty, as was Hate's armed fort. Even Love's riverside jungle home was abandoned, save for the plentiful wildlife.
"Who does that leave?" She wondered aloud. She had to mentally count on her fingers. "Knowledge!" She remembered triumphantly. It had been a long time since she had needed to seek out the yellow-cloaked emoticlone. The last visit to the grand library she could recall was while she still in Azarath. Only then, she had been twin doppelgängers: Intelligence and Wisdom. Without the need to separate book knowledge and metaphorical questions and overall common sense, the two had eventually merged. It wasn't much different, and sure was a lot more convenient.
It took plenty of stumbling around before she found the building. It felt like forever as she drifted between two eerie, dark forests. Brave was going to be so disappointed when she finally made her way back to her domain. It was so, as she would put it- boring now.
When she finally stood before her destination, she had to pause. Something felt sinister, but it was a hazy and vague hunch, with no real evidence. Regardless, she pressed forward. From inside, faint arguing and general chaos could be heard.
Curious to find out what on earth was wrong with Nevermore, she pushed at the door. It stayed firmly in place. She shook at it for a few moments before extending a small tendril of power to push the internal lock open.
By this time, a chorus of "No! Don't open the door!" had already sounded, but it was too late. The disturbing presence barreled past her and threw itself inside. It was pure luck that she managed to duck inside as well before whatever it was slammed the door shut again, sealing it.
Yay! Another chapter done. Like I said, I'm sorry it's short, but I didn't want to stretch it out too far and make it incredibly boring. (I still think I might have drawn it out a little too far.) But, the last chapter is going to finish it out with a big bang. Thanks for sticking with me, you guys. It's been awesome, and this story is one of my favorites that I've written. I'll probably post the next Thursday, but I'll give you guys a challenge. If I get 10 reviews before then, I'll post I early. Let me know what you guys think in the reviews! :)