Croquet Game

(Ayla's POV)

*Chris blew his trumpet while the cards ran around to get in position*

King of Hearts (Snively): To your places! To your places! By order of the King! Hurry, hurry, hurry!

*The cards all got in a deck*

Captain of the Guard (Knuckles): Shuffle deck! *the card soldiers shuffled the deck* Cards, cut! *the cards spilt the deck* Deal, cards! Cards halt!

*The cards dealed out all over the field & arched their backs. Eggman rolled up his sleeved while Chris herded some multi colored flamingos into a golf bag. Then he pulled out the pink & orange flamingos. He threw away the pink flamingo & straightened out the orange one. Then Chris came over with two balls on a pillow. One green & the other blue. He put down the green ball, which unrolled to reveal a hedgehog. He rolled up again when the Queen got ready to swing her flamingo like a croquet mallet. I pulled the green & blue flamingos out of my bag, but they immediately tried to fly away. They were squawking like crazy*

Queen of Hearts (Dr. Eggman): SILENCE! *her shout blew me away. I lost my grip on the green flamingo, but managed to hold on to the blue one. I held it's peak shut so it would be quiet. the Queen got ready to swing her flamingo. she swung, but missed. the King coaxed the hedgehog to move & it rolled with a running start. all the guards moved so it would go thru them. everyone cheered when the hedgehog went through all of them. even her flamingo waved at the crowd. I knew they were only doing it because they were afraid of her, but I clapped along with them. then she took another turn. she swung her flamingo at the hedgehog & it ran to get get a rolling start. the cards all got in a line of arches. the last card, who looked like my friend Rotor, tried to get to the end, but missed & skid in the dirt* OFF WITH HIS HEAD!

*Rotor was dragged away by the guards*

King of Hearts (Snively): Off with his head! Off with his head! By order of the King. You heard what she said.

*The Queen turned away from me to yell at the Captain for not training the soldiers properly. Just then, I saw the Duchess, Sonia, in the crowd. I immediately went over to her*

Ayla: Um . . . Excuse me, Your Grace. *I pulled the fan & gloves* I found these for you.

Duchess (Sonia): Oh, my gloves & fan! *she put on the gloves & took the fan* Thank you, my dear. *then she tucked her arm into mine* I'm so glad to see you again.

*She patted my arm, making me a bit uncomfortable*

Ayla: And . . . I'm glad to see you.

*It her unusual friendliness that was putting me off. We walked & talked for a while. Well, the Duchess was doing most of the talking. I couldn't even get a word in. Suddenly, the Queen of Hearts appeared in front of us, making her voice die in her throat*

Duchess (Sonia): A fine day, Your Majesty.

*Her sounded weak.

Queen of Hearts (Dr. Eggman): Leave immediately or off with your head! *the Duchess turned blue from fright & ran away. then the Queen turned to me* You're next!

*I jumped*

Ayla: B - But, I - !

Queen of Hearts (Dr. Eggman):

*I sighed in relief. She meant it was my turn*

Ayla: Yes, Your Majesty.

*She set her flamingo up like a chair & said down. I got ready to swing, but my flamingo wouldn't cooperate. The Queen & the crowd was enjoying me having a bad time. They even started laughing at me when I had the flamingo by the neck & his feet were at my stomach. He started tickling me, making me laugh*

Queen of Hearts (Dr. Eggman): Oh, of all the impossible . . .

Ayla:*whispering* Do you want us both to lose our heads? *my flamingo nodded* Well, I don't!

*I managed to get free, but my flamingo tried to fly away again. I held on to the legs, while it was flying around. Now the everyone was really laughing at me. But then they started cheering because the flamingo was now trying to use me as the mallet. I tricked it into coming closer to me & I grabbed him. Then I managed to hit the hedgehog ball, but none of the guards would let my ball go through their hoops. Eventually, my ball crashed into one of the rose bushes, making them laugh again. Then the Queen went to take her turn. Just then, Blaze appeared, hovering over her*

Cheshire Cat (Blaze): So, are you having fun?

Ayla: No.

Cheshire Cat (Blaze): Beg pardon?

Ayla: I said no!

*The Queen turned around & Blaze disappeared*

Queen of Hearts (Dr. Eggman): Who are the talking to?

Ayla: A cat, Your Majesty.

Queen of Hearts (Dr. Eggman): Where?

Ayla: There! *I pointed at Blaze, but she disappeared* There she is again!

Queen of Hearts (Dr. Eggman): I warn you, child. If I lose my temper, you lose your head! Understand!?

*I nodded ferociously. Then she turned back to her game. Just then, Blaze appeared again*

Cheshire Cat (Blaze): You know, we could make her really angry. Shall we try?

Ayla: No! No way!

Cheshire Cat (Blaze): Oh, but it's loads of fun

*She turned the flamingo around, making it's beak get caught in the Queen's dress*

Ayla: No! No! Wait! Stop! *as the Queen tried to swing, her skirt was flipped, revealing her white red heart bloomers* Oh no!

White Rabbit (Chris): Oh, my fur and whiskers!

King of Hearts (Snively): Oh, dear. Save the Queen!

*The guards surrounded the Queen*

Queen of Hearts (Dr. Eggman):*off-screen* Someone's head will to roll for this ! *she knocked over the guards surrounding her & turned to me with a red face**on-screen* YOURS! *her shout made me fall back into some card soldiers* OFF WITH HER -

*She stopped when the King tugged her skirt*

King of Hearts (Snively): But, consider, my dear. Couldn't she have a trial . . . First?

Queen of Hearts (Dr. Eggman): Trial!?

King of Hearts (Dr. Eggman): Well, just a lot trial?

*I nodded. The Queen patted her husband's head*

Queen of Hearts (Dr. Eggman): Very well, then. Let the trial begin!

*The cards cheered*