A Friend of Your Mother's

Andria's head was throbbing painfully and her whole body ached. She cracked her eyes open and looked around. There was nothing but darkness surrounding her. She heard a voice whisper in her ear.

"So… you're her child…" It hissed quietly.

"Who said that?" She said, whipping her head around. She couldn't see anything through the pitch black.

"And you have the other one's powers too. You are a dangerous one, aren't you?" It laughed. Andria's heart was beating quickly.

"Who are you?" She demanded. "Show yourself!"

"You're so full of pain." It purred. She shivered. The voice sounded somewhat familiar.

"What are you talking about? Where am I? Why is it so dark?" Andria said defensively, raising her fists.

"You've been in pain for so long and you don't even know why. I can help with that." It whispered.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Where are you?" Andria growled as she started to sweat nervously.

"Why, I'm right in front of you." A faint light illuminated a figure a few feet before her. It seemed to be a person in black armor wearing a helmet with what appeared to be antlers sticking out of it. Suddenly several sets of glowing red eyes opened and Andria scrambled backwards.

"What are you?" She whispered. The person laughed and slowly strode forward.

"I'm an old friend of your mother's." Darcy said, sticking a hand out to help her up. Andria hesitated before taking it. She grimaced as she looked at Darcy. She seemed uncomfortably familiar. Darcy grinned. "Oh, yes, that probably doesn't clarify it does it?" Darcy said walking around her. "She's the mother you call Ma."

"How do you know that?" Andria bristled.

"Because I am in your head." Darcy leered as she tapped her own.

"What do you-" Andria put a hand to her head and felt something clinging to it. She panicked and tried to pull it off but Darcy grabbed her hands and stopped her.

"Don't!" She hissed menacingly before pausing and making her expression neutral. "Don't." She repeated softer. "You were injured when you landed here. I'm helping you. See?" She waved a hand and half of the darkness lifted. Andria could see what looked like a semi-destroyed laboratory. She looked down to see her arm and leg bandaged.

"Did you possess me?" Andria said as she started to freak out. "Am I possessed?"

"Only a little." Darcy laughed as the rest of the darkness lifted. "I can only seem to possess you when you're unconscious and you seem to be waking up." Andria looked around frightened. She scrambled to her feet and looked around wildly. Darcy watched with some amusement as Andria ran around the laboratory looking for an exit. "You're not going to find it." She trilled.

"Why are you doing this? You said you were helping me!" Andria said as she turned back to face Darcy.

"I am and I will. I'll help you get out as soon as we come to an agreement." Darcy said, circling her. Andria caught a glimpse of her reflection in a cracked glass tank. Less than half of Darcy's helmet was covering her head and obscured part of her face. She saw a single red eye and one broken antler that looked more like a horn.

"What kind of agreement?" Andria asked suspiciously.

"I don't blame you for not trusting me." Darcy whispered in her ear suddenly. Andria jumped. "There's plenty of reasons you shouldn't. However, we're going to need each other if you want to get back home."

"Where am I?"

"Another world."

"How'd I get here?"

"Through a puzzle box that was stolen from me years ago."

"What do you get out of helping me?" Andria said, narrowing her eyes.

"A chance to see the world again. A chance to live." Darcy said simply. Andria suspected she wasn't sharing everything.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I can help you, little Prince." Darcy smirked. Andria frowned and spun around. She couldn't see Darcy anywhere.

"What kind of deal do you want to make?" Andria asked slowly.

"A simple one." Darcy said as she reappeared suddenly. "I get to stay here." She tapped on Andria's head. "And in exchange I will help you find a way home." Andria chewed her lip. She looked at the broken tank again. Darcy wasn't reflected back in it. She touched the helmet lightly. So Darcy seemed to exist solely in this strange helmet. "What do you say?" Darcy whispered.

"I don't trust you but I don't seem to have a choice." Andria scowled. Darcy grinned widely.

"A wise decision little Prince." Darcy said with a hint of a laugh. Andria furrowed her brow.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" She said bristling.

"You were named after a prince." Darcy said, waving a hand dismissively. "Who grew up to be a failure of a king. But unlike him, I see great potential in you."

"And what do I call you?" Andria asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Darcy." She laughed. "Though I suppose that name may no longer be fitting."

"Darcy…" Andria said, frowning. "And you said you knew my Ma?"

"Yes." She replied as her lip curled. "I knew her very well. She was exceptionally brilliant minded." Darcy said as she looked at Andria with interest. "A shame she wasted such potential to be a lowly artist."

"Hey!" Andria barked. "Don't you talk about her that way! She's a great artist!"

"I never said she wasn't." Darcy smirked. "But she could have been so much more."

"Stop talking and show me the way out." Andria growled as she grabbed the helmet by the horn. Darcy's pupils retracted.

"Very well." She hissed and forced a smile. She bowed dramatically before turning and walking away. "Follow me, little Prince." Andria glared at her as she stayed close behind her. Darcy put her hand to the wall. "Place your hand here. It should open." Andria did and the wall slid into the floor. "This way." Darcy said as she led her up a steep sloping staircase. Once at the top she pointed to a hatch in the ceiling. Andria nodded and pushed it open. She climbed out into what appeared to be the ruins of a fallen tower.

"What's this place?" Andria asked curiously.

"An outpost of my former kingdom." Darcy said bitterly.

"Kingdom?" Andria said, looking around. "You were a… queen?" Andria said, taking a step forward. Darcy eyed the remains of Toad Tower critically.

"Several monarchs actually." Darcy sighed. "But there are fewer of us now…"

"What?" Andria said, furrowing her brow. "There's more of you?"

"Yes and no but that doesn't matter at the moment." Darcy said, waving a hand. "What matters is that we help get you and your siblings home."

"How do you-?" Andria started then stopped as Darcy grinned and tapped the helmet knowingly. "Where are they?"

"That, I don't actually know." She said lazily as she walked around the rubble of the fallen tower.

"I assume you know a way to find them though, don't you?" Andria said suspiciously.

"I might." Darcy said before vanishing.

"Then how do we-?" Her words faltered as a sudden sound behind her caught her attention. She spun around to see a large frobot looming over her. There was a heavy thud as Andria hit the ground. The frobot blinked and lowered its fist. A moment later Darcy returned to her feet and dusted herself off.

"Don't worry little Prince, I'll find them." She whispered to herself before looking up at the frobot. "And a couple of other friends too while I'm at it…" She said, glancing over at an old toad in the distance.