Chapter 5 Red Threads of Fate

The next morning was... fine. Amy supposed. She was wheeled out to the Castleteria for breakfast and... well... someone had to feed her. Amy wished she could move her hands, her jaw.... she would take a hallucination right now.

"We can switch places."

Amy paused. That was to her... who spoke to her? Amy couldn't move or look around or speak. She pondered if that was Kanbey or something like Kanbey.

'Switch? With whom am I switching?' Amy tried to think back in response.

No response. Nothing happened. Was something supposed to happen?

'Hello?' Amy tried again. No response.

Suddenly a sound of snipping filled her ears and reality changed around her. But it was different. This wasn't a hallucination, she can move when that happens. Red strings held Amy in her wheelchair as it dipped like a hammock. A startled scream was caught in her throat momentarily. Strange creatures seemed to approach her. They were like spiders but only in limbs as their body as a pair of scissors. These creatures didn't look real either. The solid colors and lack of shadows... it was kind of like colors cut out and formed into this creature. Not even her hallucinations were like this, they seemed real, this did not.

"AMY!" this time a familiar voice did hit her ears. That was Kanbey.

'Kanbey? What is going on?'

"You know those creatures of curses we talked about yesterday?"

Oh... oh no...

"If you want to get out of here alive, you are gonna need to make that contract."

'You work by fae rules don't you? I gotta word it right. If I want my wish to come true.'

"That is correct," Amy could see the strange spider esque creatures chasing Kanbey who weaved and dodged out of their way.

'I wish...'

A bright green light enveloped Amy. A snicker snack rang out, as something blasted the creatures to pieces.

"To save my wonderland, and the power to make it a reality! W-woah!" Amy swung her arms as she fought to keep balance on top of the wheelchair she no longer needed. After all, she could move again. However, she toppled to the floor, as reality changed again, the red thread vanishing along with the remaining creatures. Kanbey was still there. She lost her footing and tipped herself and the wheelchair over. Amy groaned in pain from that. Though hearing her own voice in a normal space was... weird. When was the last time she could do that? Before the fire that robbed her of her second home, that's for sure.

"Did you throw knives at them?" Kanbey questioned as it plopped its but over near Amy's head.

"Vorpal blades go snicker snack. They don't need to be long. Knives work well. What was that?"

"The familiars of a witch. More will be about and attacking others if the witch herself isn't dealt with."

"And these witches and familiars are the creatures of curses you want me to fight for you."

"Yes, they are the main thing."

"Main thing? What else do I have to worry about?"

"We can talk about that bridge when we get there. For now, I suggest you enjoy your new life of sanity."

It was then Amy really realized what her wish was. And how she botched it. Saving Wonderland is a temporary fix... if she worded it better her mind would never have the threat of mental collapse again. But right now... right now she should be able to do things again... to eat and speak and...do things.

"This works out," Amy heard. She was able to look around to try and see the source of that. Though maybe it was a thought to her. She didn't see anyone speaking to her though. There was more people today, more coming in.

Something then occured to Amy... how well known was her madness? Like if it was known she was magically cured with a wish... or was that normal? Was she gonna have to fake her hallusinations from now on? Or is she unknown enough to do things without people getting curious or confused? Like Amy walked into a pillar yesterday. Is she gonna have to do that at least once a week to seem 'normal'? Though she could enjoy the wheelchair, and speed down the halls. She was sure she could make something up in regards to why she would do that instead of walk... which she could do now. And her muscles were pretty ok because of her hallucinations. Well ok in that they can still function. She knew that her mom had a bit of trouble walking about after not moving for so long. Do muscles just rot if you don't use them or how do they lose strength? Is it possible to be paralyzed, not because of illness, or injury but simply because your muscles are so rotten they cease to move anymore? What happens when muscles rot away? Is that way old people are all saggy? Amy paused for a moment.

Ok... Wonderland is saved. Her mind is ok... but she still... thinks like this. She didn't know if that was a good thing or not. And thinking like this is how Amy ended up falling through the sky thanks to cloud eels. But that was a hallucination. So that didn't actually happen. But it sure felt real as it happened. Though in theory, that wasn't going to happen anymore.

Though today was that... book-to-school thing? Wait how do witches work? And their familiars? Kanbey was gone so... that's great... She could ask about that. Cause she had no clue. Was she just supposed to stumble into them? How the hell was she supposed to fight witches anyways? Does she have to find them, how does she does she do that?!

Questions buzzed in her mind, but she decided she could get breakfast. All on her own! What a monumental occasion. How frabjous! Amy didn't actually know what frabjous meant beyond joyous and that was because of word association. Though she doubted she would find the word in a dictionary as it was a word her mom made up when she was small. Anyways, she was gonna get food now.

Amy wasn't sure on... if she should take her wheel chair with her. She decided no, and that she will come back for it later. Amy ended up joining the lunch line and had trouble communicating what she wanted. Which was rather embarassing as she had no idea what the food there was. But she really wanted the cake... but as a cake...

Pancakes do exist in Amy's time... she just didn't know they were called pancakes... nor did she have pancakes before. Mom wasn't really well off from her nightly job as a stage hand.

Eventually, the lunch lady gave up and just gave her pancakes, because that was all she could understand from Amy's request of "the weird naked cakes". Which is what Amy was requesting... so... victory she supposed. Though she was a bit more confused when eggs and this fried clump of... something was also plopped onto her plate. With cake? Cake was a meal of it own! Though it was more of a desert. But still! Eggs? Who eats eggs with cake? Or this thing? Amy didn't know what hashbrowns were. Infact, should she be in her own time, back in Rutledge, hashbrowns wouldn't have been invented yet. Yet she had her wierd cake that was unbound with eggs and the fried mass of...stuff and sat down at a random table, with no one there at the time.

Until there was of course. A girl dressed funny that was almost leaping as she skipped ended up sitting next to her.

"My hello there!"

"Hello," Amy responded as she was trying to figure out why these cakes weren't so... mushy as normal cake. Her fork was going through it but it wasn't pulling apart like it should.

"You know you have to cut that up right?"

"Like a steak? Who cuts up steak like a cake?" Amy paused," Other way around... I meant the other way around... cake like... you know."

"Pancakes, as you might know them."

"No way this is a pancake. Its too thick. I mean when pan is in the name they tend to be thin. Like frying pans."

"Well I suppose these would be where your from," the girl spoke.

"I do suppose there is more than one way to pan your cake. Or there would be."

"I think they are made different too. Maddie, by the way."

"Amy. Why are you sitting here?"

Maddie looked around before giggling to herself, "The narrators have been talking about you."

"The what?"

"Say are you still hallusinating or are you actually hearing voices?"

"Wha- you have no right to ask that of someone you just met!"

"My bad..."

A brief silence fell upon the two before Maddie spoke agian,"What sin was your Cheshire Cat talking about?"

"How do you know this?!" Amy questioned. "That WAS a hallucination and you were even there! You can't just see that if your not... what?"

"I told you silly. The narrators have been talking about you. You can't hear them, only me and I think Kitty can. So your gonna break the curse right?"

This was the second time someone mentioned a curse, with the context of Kanbey out of the equation.

"What curse?"

"The curse of the storybook of legends of course, or that is what some have been calling it. If the narrators are having you as a focal point, you are probably the person to do it. Winged hearts fell to crowns. If it is the will of the book or a curse is left to time."

"What?"

"You don't speak riddlish do you?"

"No..."

"You talk like you do."

.....

It took a few hours before Amy realized she was transformed, and that no one seemed to recognize her in her magical girl form, and by that, she had passed Blondie and Apple and neither of them seemed to recognize her. She didn't realize in the moment of her contract that she did transform. She had a checker print skirt, black boots, a red top with puffy shoulders with card suites on it, along with a yellow sash, and a ribbon around her neck, when transformed. She decided to just ride out the rest of the day like this. Maybe she should just do school like this. But it would be troublesome if teachers didn't recognize her. However she hasn't met any yet. But if she was in classes with people she did know, would be they confused by someone else claiming to be Amy? Would her room mate let her into the room if she was to just walk in like this? Did her room mate just kind of ditch and forget about her or was she now worried sick cause her room mate had vanished from her wheel chair? Amy had spent the last few hours just walking around the school. She didn't know how this magical girl thing worked but she was hoping to stumble upon that witch or something. She had no idea how to... look for it.

Though for some reason the school was more empty. Though it was probably cause they were doing that orientation thiny? Was Amy late to that? Huh?

Amy didn't know how to describe it but she felt kind of a tugging feeling. Not on her body but in her head.

"Lost thing," A familiar purr sounded. Amy turned around with confusion only to groan.

"I thought I was cured."

"You summoned me. Whether you realize it or not. Your wish also made me as real as you. Though I am not the only one you made real with your wish."

"What is it you want?"

"I have a gift really. One that might help you until you can help yourself. After all, you trust more in Wonderland than you do yourself."

The Cheshire cat vanished, but in its place was a golden trinket. Amy curiously picked it up, opening it up to see that it was a compass.

"Is this what I think it is? Mother spoke of this in one of her tales, I am sure. An inner compass. Quite literal but I have no doubt it would be of use... if only I knew how to use it." Amy rambled on to herself. Though now that it was open, she could see things. Though that was how it worked... She understood that much.

She could see trails and writing and emblems on the walls and floors. Arrows that marked locations and where to go were etched there by the footsteps of others, with arrows pointing to what class was what, which way to go to get to this place or that. Though the trail was different and unlike her mother's stories. The trail was more or less floating, and black in color, with the compass' arrow seeming to point to it. She decided to follow this trail and came to the realization that, this trail was the source of that tugging feeling she felt earlier. This meant something if it was tugging on her... right? So she kept following it. That was until it led her near the Charmitorium (which she knew because of the compass' power). The trail seemed to stop there. Amy was confused. Until she took yet another step forward.

"WOAH!" Amy yelped as reality shifted and distorted. She imagined that this is what mail felt like should it go through one of those mail tubes, as she felt herself being shot forward in a very constrained way as she wasn't actually in a tube, but it felt like it.

When she was shot out of that feeling, Amy managed to slow her descent with a bit of magic, to see that she wasn't in school anymore. She was in a castle but it was far stonier with red thread all throughout, sometimes acting as the floor, and others, the glue of the bricks. It was as if that thread was holding this entire area together. The weaving of the floor was much more solid that the spider like web she found herself that morning. When her feet hit the 'floor', it sagged a bit but ultimately held her upright. The compass was still working as Amy saw arrows pointing the way. To double check, she shut the compass, to verify that said arrows did come from the compass. Which they did as they vanished the instant she closed it, which led to her opening it back up and following it. The compass lead her to a door.

Reality shifted and flashed before her as the door swung open, which led to another door being opened... Amy counted at least 4 doors opening as she was shot through them kind of like she was earlier. This room was a lot like a cocoon. Red thread made up the entirety of the room, with those scissor creatures from earlier seeming to come in from outside, wiggling into the red thread like mites burrowing holes. Though in the center of the room, surrounded by those creatures was... someone?

That wasn't quite right... They looked similar to a person, but they weren't. This human looking thing had green hair that seemed to curl at the end, and a dress with yellow short sleeves and skirt. Her torso was orange with a red pattern similar to a spider web. but that wasn't the in human part about her (beyond her hair being that of a drawing than actual hair). It was her limbs. From each arm sleeve came two long red threads that seemed to act as arms in how they extended and curled around and the bottom of her dress merely had 2 to act as legs. The six limbed creature got up and 'looked' at Amy. Look wasn't the right word. The flesh of her face seemed to be a pale red, but there were no eyes (unless you consider the six holes on that "flower" that seemed to be her face as eyes), though Amy could see a head peice that consisted of two pinkish purply feathers on its head.. The creature swung one of its arms at Amy, the red threads acting like claws as the gave a long and wide sweep towards the black haired girl. Amy dropped the compass as she dove backwards, managing to avoid the creature's sweeping attack. With a small flash of green light, a knife, similar to a kitchen knife but perhaps a bit larger formed in Amy's hand. The light blade was probably not enough for this thing and its ability to use those arms of hers as very long and very stretchy claws, so Amy was gonna have to find a way around them. Amy rushed forward, unsteady as the cacoon sagged and dipped from her wieght. The creature's strings on that arm had retracted, as it spun towards Amy, red strings shooting out around her. Amy assumed that the witch over shot, as she continued trying to move forward, until she saw the red tips suddenly infront of her and weaving back behind her. This thing was trying to grab her, Amy turned and swung her blade, however the thread weren't thick enough to be slashed. In a matter of moments all Amy saw was red, her feet no longer touched the ground.

...

"You're not giving up are you?" a voice spoke. Amy was in a pool of water, but she had no control over her limbs. She could see someone standing over her. A girl with grey fur as hair and dressed in a blue dress with a blood stained white apron. A grin was etched onto her face.

"Giving up? I am positive I just died!" Amy retorted though she had no control of the words coming out of her mouth.

"You wouldn't happen to want some help, would you?"

....

Amy paused as a black blade of a scythe was pointed at her, her lungs heaving to take in air as a girl with pink hair and red eyes glowered at her.

"You aren't supposed to be here! You weren't supposed to 'return for repairs'. Because you aren't supposed to know about HIM."

"I assume you mean that gold masked... thing... Why do you hate it so much? Why is it everywhere?"

"Because you are the only one who DOESN'T KNOW about him! You were never meant to KNOW about HIM! That is how you broke in the first place!"

...

Amy stumbled backwards, dropping the small object she was holding, it clanging to the floor.

"No... what the hell? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with my face? That's -"

...

A snicker snack rang out as Amy's vorpal blade had sliced through the cocoon the creature contained her in. Amy stumbled slightly as she tried to catch her footing. The hell did she just see? What was all that? The creature stumbled backwards as its 'arms' were torn to shreds with that slice. The thread was so close together, and so tight, it gave Amy the chance she needed to slice through them in that moment, and now her limbs were cut apart... or so Amy thought as more thread spewed from those sleeves, giving the creature enough slack to try and attack with.

Clearly a knife wasn't gonna cut it.

Suddenly another light flashed from Amy's neck, as a staff formed in her hand. The staff had an ashen tip that resembled a pen somewhat but not... kind of like a beak of a 3 pieced bird beak. She had no clue what this was but it worked. Amy could feel heat radiating off of it. Amy jolted as she felt something go from herself to it, as flames spewed from the staff's beak. It seems like this thing fed off of her to function. Which was fine, as she was pretty sure she won't need a lot of it.

As thread launched at her, as if attempting to skewer, Amy pointed the staff and gave it a good chunk of whatever it was siphoning, as a large fireball formed before flying off like a meteor. The spider scissor creatures around the humanoid creature either tried to run or tried to block the ball of flames with themselves, incinerating in the process. With the sound of a large BOOM! the fireball made contact with the humanoid, as its threads burned from red to black, to ashes as the cocoon was suddenly torn to shreds instead of going up in flames and Amy fell with the creature into the abyss.

...

Amy found herself sitting on the floor, with a strange black thing in her hand. It was a black sphere but it had a metal spike at the bottom, the metal encased the sphere, giving it a pattern similar to a ball of yarn. It didn't quite spike up at the top but it did have a bump, which led to a circle which led to a diamond that had a small pair of scissor blades or the two feathers that made up the creature's headpiece. What was that thing?