My Dream

👑 Quinn

"Help me Quinn!" Gwen cried. The ink had almost completely swallowed her and Riddle. "Quinn!"

A gloved hand grasped hers tightly. Someone started pulling Gwen up, and Gwen held tightly onto Riddle so that he'd come with her.

Gwen and Riddle began hacking, fresh air rushing into their lungs. "Easy you two. Take small breaths." A gentle voice instructed.

Gwen looked forward to see a dress. She looked up, and saw the face that had been haunting her dreams. "Quinn!"

Gwen had always thought of Quinn as beautiful. She was a dark skinned woman with her braids twisted into a bun. Her lipstick was in the shape of a bright red heart. A small crown, much like Riddle's, rested on her head around her bun.

Quinn let out a beaming smile. "Oh, Little Dormouse!" She bent down and pulled Gwen up into a hug. "We were so worried!"

"We? You mean Jack and Nekodemus, too?" Gwen asked.

Quinn blinked. "Well, yes. And the others too."

"What others?" Gwen asked.

A teary expression came over Quinn's face. "Oh, we were told you lost your memory... but I had hoped, since you called for me..."

"Uh, Gwen?" Riddle called. "What's going on? Where are we?"

Gwen turned to face her friend, who looked very confused. One moment, they had been drowning in ink. The next, a very regal looking woman had pulled them out of the ink and into a garden.

"Riddle, this is Quinn." Gwen introduced. "The Queen of Hearts."

Riddle's jaw dropped. "What? But, the statue..."

Quinn laughed. "Oh, my! How cute! Little Hedgehog, did Gwen not tell you?" She patted Gwen's head. "Gwen's from a different world. Different world, different Queen of Hearts."

Riddle slowly closed his mouth, understanding flashing in his face. He bowed low at the waist. "It's an honor, Your Majesty."

Quinn flew over to him, wrapping him into a bear hug. "Oh, you are just the cutest!" She cooed fawning over the boy. Riddle's face turned red. "Aw, so cute! Oh, when I have a baby, I hope their hair is as red as yours!"

"Quinn." Gwen interrupted, saving her friend from further embarrassment. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

Quinn pursed her lips, letting go of Riddle. "Well, to answer the former I must answer the latter. I'm here because you called for me."

"I... called for you?" Gwen repeated. Sure, she had called Quinn for help, but she had been close to death and confused by the return of her memories.

Quinn nodded. "As for what's going on... well, we've been pulled into a safe place, but only for a few moments."

"What will happen when those moments are up?" Riddle asked.

Quinn smiled sadly and fixed Riddle's tie. "Well, Little Hedgehog, do you want to return? Go back to Trey and the others?"

"O-of course." Riddle said.

"Look over here." Quinn pointed over to the garden entrance. "That's the way out."

"Then let's go!" Riddle moved towards it, but Quinn gently stopped.

"It won't be that easy, I'm afraid." Quinn told him. Taking the two children by the hand, she led them to two intertwined rose trees. "Maybe this can explain."

One tree was tiny, and had been wrapped up extremely tightly in a misguided effort to make it grow straight and tall. Tangled up around it was a much bigger tree, the wrappings on it torn to shreds.