There was one Pawn seemed to only be there to ogle the glass-work of the White Queen’s Hall. Three others already sat, patiently waiting, on the benches. Another two more were just dodging in through the side doors, waved in by the guards. Quiet. Nervous.
The Royal Announcer counted them first, before lifted their horn, and blowing. The anthem was pale imitation of the many anthems either the announcer or the horn had played before.
The Ear of the White Queen was now open to the Hearing Of Grievances.
~
“I would like to go on record as saying I would have preferred something much more subtle,” Still, Dirk was in place, concealed a stone’s throw from the Queen’s Hall.
“It’s the only finality we’re going to get, chum. Even if you still don’t trust Her Highness – and that is a long road to follow – Roxy is telling the truth. We both know that.”
“Yeah Jake – I just wish this was something other than means to an end.”
~
Citizens had been disappearing, emptying the streets. All the stores had closed, except the Hatter. Food stores were depleting, as pawns feared leaving their homes.
These facts were stated.
No new pawns were emerging from the clone vaults. This meant, if the vile Dersites were behind it, that the missing Prospitians were being held in locations unknown, alive. However, there were whispers among those who still dared to cross the streets. Disappearances were occasionally observed – and the were accompanied with flashes of white and dark blue and bright green.
These facts were stated.
The White Queen rose and paced. There was only one thing to do.
She turned to the guards closest to the throne.
“Gᴏ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ Wʜɪᴛᴇ Kɪɴɢ. Tᴇʟʟ ʜɪᴍ… ʜᴇ ɪs ʀᴇǫᴜɪʀᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ Cᴏᴜʀᴛ.”
~
Jane walked the long road to the castle. Occasionally she raised a hand to needlessly adjust her beige jacket – there was nothing else to do. A small group of white pawns followed her – silent. Each new pair of eyes that fell upon the procession inevitably drew a new member – and, if she wasn’t careful, another sigh from Jane.
She walked the parade route – a long route that wound past every residence on Prospit. But she walked it in reverse.
The road was long, and for her part in the plan, all the girl had to occupy her mind and hands were these occasional adjustments – her jacket, her lapel – and repeating the scenario in her head.
~
It took six guards to remove the statue of the White King and Queen from the Great Transportalizer. But seconds after they had completed their task – there he was; His Majesty, the White King. It had been eons… and for the first time in as many eons, the Queen ran up to her husband and embraced him. He gave her a gentle hug back, taking long moments to listen to each other’s breath.
“Wᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴡɪɴ ᴛʜɪs, ᴀʀᴇ ᴡᴇ?”
“WE WILL SEE THIS WORLD THROUGH. TO OUR END, OR ITS OWN.”
Alabaster monsters started to poor in through the Great Transportalizer behind the king. The strongest, hand-chosen from the field of battle that could make their way back to Prospit – the Knights.
~
No pawn or Guard present would had ever seen the King in Court. More generations then any cared to count, since before the war had started.
His entrance caused those few subjects present to shiver in awe and terror.
TT: Jane, ETA?
“COME, ALL.” The king’s voice boomed, the very pillars of the hall shaking, “THE WHITE PALACE IS YOUR SHELTER, PROSPIT.”
As if in response, the great doors at the end of the hall burst open. “Why the shouting?” Jane’s voice shook a little as she shook out jammed fingers, “We’re already here!”
There were cheers as the small crowd of carapaces rushed in, from the audience, from the guards. The King and Queen did not smile.
“And they are gone.”
Jane’s detective-tier outfit switched to it’s standard form, and the room lit up with a blinding green glow. The cheering pawns withered in a fraction of a second, falling towards the ground, hollowed bodies crushed under their own remaining weight. White streams of smoke flowed from decrepit husks towards the spell’s caster. Guards, too, felt their essences compelled. They did not wither as the pawns did, but many fell to their knees. The knights behind the Royals sagged, but did not fall. The King and Queen steeled themselves against this horror.
“And there we go,” Dirk leapt from his concealment, racing from the courtyard as soon as the light of Jane’s opening necromantic spell faded. Now breaking is stride as he entered the hall, Dirk’s sword ran across the staggered guards along the left side of the hall. Jake arrived at the door shortly after, leveling his pistols at the lining the right wall, felling them before his first clips of ammunition ran out. Behind Jake, Jane removed her great fork from her syladex.
Dirk dove wide past the King and Queen, launching himself into the middle of the Knights’ ranks in the Great Transportalizer room. Before they could assess the threat, The Prince of Hope had felled a choice few who stood around the Transportalizer – lumbering forms fell upon the pad, blocking it, their blood starting to flow from deep gashes.
The remaining horde of Knights quickly closed rank, blocking the human’s path to the main hall. Dirk whipped his Unbreakable Katana to the side, momentarily flinging the blood and gore off it’s edge. The Knights gaze burned down upon him, as they started to raise their own weapons. Down, he thought. The important part. It all was going according to plan, so far.
~
“DEAREST, I MUST ASK YOU TO TAKE SHELTER. WHILE YOU LIVE, THERE IS STILL A KINGDOM.”
There was a short embrace between the two – then she started to flee. It not fast enough; from the rafters fell a navy streak. It dropped upon the the White Queen, consuming her, and itself disappeared from sight.
The King’s countenance darkened, turning to face the two Nobles left before him, their weapons raised.
~
The were lights, and darks. The brightest of greens, the darkest of blacks, spinning around the White Queen.
It wasn’t Prospit. Or Skaia. Far beyond Derse. There was more out here – she felt something – streaking around her – but it was impossible to locate as fast as she spun. She looked up at the dizzying depths – to catch a glimpse of grey. Flying closer. A Winged Angel, clothed in – well, her knowledge of humans made her think “tutu”, but this was no human. Smaller. Grayer? It flared full size right above her, a small pouch tied to one foot – A glorious sight as she spun in the black.
And then it flew away.
Curse that winged creature. Curse the Nobles, who had failed to put the worlds to right – and it would seem, banished her here. Curse that Black Queen-
“gottcha!” came from somewhere.
“ahh… whoops sry i had ta check come things.”
A hand gently caught the queens shoulder, and slowed down her spin until she rested. She was looking at the green sun. Her mind steadied. The Rogue of Void appeared before her, head eclipsing the Green Sun’s rays – just out of reach. And in the skies…
“hey lil gal wer u commin from?” The rogue stroked the winged Earth creature, who regarded her as if it knew something.
“Tʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ. Yᴏᴜ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀʟʟ ʜᴇʀᴇ.” The White Queen craned her neck to scan the sky – the streaks had resolved to dots. And those dots- “Mʏ Pᴀᴡɴs.”
“uh… yeah. te pawns are allright. but uh…” the winged creature launched away, “oh maaan. fine you bird, see if i care,” Her face didn’t show and annoyance, though. Rather, it carried a wistful look. She turned her attention back to Queen. “they aint your pawns. anymore.”
“Tʜᴇɴ… A ғɪɴᴀʟ ɢɪғᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ Bʟᴀᴄᴋ Qᴜᴇᴇɴ.”
“no. they aint gonn be nobodys no more.”
“Aɴᴅ Yᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ Bʟᴀᴄᴋ Qᴜᴇᴇɴ ʟɪᴠᴇs. Aɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴏʙᴠɪᴏᴜsʟʏ sɪᴅᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ,” She paused for a long moment of thought, “Tᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀs sʜᴇ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ? Is ɪᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴡʜᴀᴛ sʜᴇ ʜᴀs ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ?”
“hey, i know seas a dangerous biptch. were gonna handle it.”
“Aɴᴅ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀɴᴅʟᴇ ɪᴛ – ɪᴛ ᴡᴏɴ’ᴛ ʙʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏʟᴅ Eᴀʀᴛʜ ʙᴀᴄᴋ. Yᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇ. I ᴄᴀɴ sᴇᴇ ɪᴛ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜ. Yᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ.”
“i kno well find somthin after youre gone. when we leave.”
“Aɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ sʜᴇ ʀᴜɪɴᴇᴅ.”
“how do yu know she ruined it?” anger was threading through Roxy’s voice.
“Oʜ, I ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴘɪᴇs. Hᴀᴅ. I ᴋɴᴏᴡ sʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ, sᴏᴍᴇʜᴏᴡ, ᴀʙᴀɴᴅᴏɴɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇғɪᴇʟᴅ.”
“damn you, shes more than just yr stupid balck queen.”
“I ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sʜᴇ sᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴ ᴏʀᴅᴇʀ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴇɴᴇғɪᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄʟᴇᴀᴠᴇᴅ ᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ғʀᴏᴍ ɪᴛ’s ʀɪɢʜᴛғᴜʟ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ɪɴ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ. I ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ɢʀᴀᴛᴇғᴜʟʟʏ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴜᴛᴇʟᴀɢᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ – ᴛᴡɪᴄᴇ? Mᴏʀᴇ?”
“yu make me wannna…”
“Hᴏᴡ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅs ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏᴇᴅ ʙʏ ʜᴇʀ ɢʀᴇᴇᴅ? Aɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ʟᴇᴀᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪsᴇs-“
“just tear that face offa ya.”
There was a long pause.
“Tʜᴇɴ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ.”
“not my plac to kill yu, evn if ya have to die.”
“Nᴏ – ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ sᴇᴇ, ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ?” The White Queen half-looked over her shoulder, “Yᴏᴜʀ ғʀᴇᴇᴅ ᴘᴀᴡɴs. Tʜᴀᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʙᴇ ғʀᴇᴇ. Pᴜʀᴘᴏsᴇʟᴇss, ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ғʀᴇᴇ,” She breathed hard for a moment, pained by some unseen stab, “Dɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴs ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ɪᴍᴍᴏʀᴛᴀʟɪᴛʏ? Oғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ. Oɴʟʏ Hᴇʀᴏɪsᴍ ᴏʀ Jᴜsᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғɪɴᴀʟ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ…” a few more moments of hard breathing, “Fɪᴛᴛɪɴɢ. Sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ʟᴏɴɢ ʟɪғᴇ, ᴀʟʟ Pᴜʀᴘᴏsᴇʟᴇss. ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ɪᴛ’s ᴇɴᴅ. Bᴜᴛ-” a gasp for air- “ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴏʟᴇ. Tᴏ ᴡᴀɪᴛ. Aɴᴅ, I sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇ, ɪᴛs ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ɪs ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴡɪsᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ.”
The sprite knew. Every statement a subtle dagger, a threat of a fractured timeline where she attacked the White Queen. It was possible the Rogue would win this fight. It was possible she would end up a mess of tangled limbs – not that that would be heroism or justice. But each option left a chance open that this queen would be extinguished, and a newly cloned Queen would show up on Derse, or on whatever Earth was to come, the game unsatisfied that the loss of contact had been a proper death.
Roxy knew she couldn’t. The session had to end.
“Nᴏ?” The Queen seemed to ask after a long pause. Her form was tortured. “Tʜᴇɴ ʟᴇᴛ ᴜs ᴅɪᴇ ᴛᴏɢᴇ-“
The White Queen didn’t see Roxy move. The endless dark merely disappeared, replaced again with the Queen’s Hall. Down asserted itself as a direction, and from the rafters the White Queen fell.
Her head never met the ground. A long fork broke first her fall, then her body.
~
“That last bit was a little dramatic, wasn’t it? Having her fall on my fork?” Jane was asking that question for the third time. Roxy shook her head in response.
The four Nobles walked out into the royal square – into silence.
Skaia was darkening. It was already dark enough to see the glow of the halo of souls that Jane’s necromancy had collected.
“How long is that going to last?” Dirk was polishing his katana on a quickly cut down standard.
“Long enough to get the cloning machines back up on – Earth 2? Should we be calling it something other than Earth? It feels like we should,” Jane pulled of her glasses and glanced at them – they were clean – before putting them back on, “Anyways, these guys should be enough to keep it from getting as bad as Roxy grew up with. A proper civilization and all that,” Jane looked at all the empty windows staring down on them.
“The Carapacian middle class? We’ll see.” Dirk took a deep breath. It didn’t seem like a great thing to do, to bring more pawns back to Earth. But if it improved lives – he could deal with that feeling.
“Can we call it earth threeve? Maybe?” Jake took off his own glasses to polish them, but also came to the realization that the dimness falling over Prospit wasn’t their fault. He put them back on.
“well have time ta talk about it – anwyas, go get yr stuff.”
Jane and Jake quickly flew off to see if there was anything more to recover from their sleeping chambers, towering high of prospit. Roxy and Dirk sat, watching the sky continue to darken.
“Never thought I’d see a black hole forming this close. Sort of makes me wish I had saved one of those rockets. You know.”
“we saved them, right?”
Dirk paused, immedaitely realizing Roxy’s mind was elsewhere, “You didn’t end up killing anyone, did you, Roxy?”
“not taday. sorta wish id figured out how ta stor the guys sooner, tho,” she sighed. This was fine. This would be a suitable end, if only –
A great red ship appeared in the sky. If only.
____
A session harvested, tiers obtained, but no “good end”. An ending of sorts is required, though, to move on with your life.
Illustrations by Kadaashi
https://archiveofourown.org/works/13457169
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