Game of Hearts (Original Version)

Chapter 6

First of all, little disclaimer, this chappy may be a little dark, so be prepared. xD I can't decided if I like the creepy, eerie feel of a fairytale better than the silly, light 'everything is magicalll' approcah, so we're going to see who this lil' combination works. I mean, I like it, so hopefully you will too!

Second, thanks to Icanhazkingdomhearts for the amazing picture that the tiny multimedia box does NO justice (it was originally just a random image from google, which she edited the shit out of for me, so thank you lovebug, it looks awesome xDD)

Well, yeah. That's about it from me. Enjoy~!

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With a gasp, the world of consciousness returned to the silver haired prince of the Woodlands. Riku was laying flat on his back in the middle of a patch of wet, mossy, marshlands. The canopy of leaves and moss overhead made it impossible to see the sky, but he got the sense that it was nighttime by the sounds of the insects creaking, and the lack birdsong. He could have been unconscious for an hour, or it could have been six, or even a full day. His poor sister could be still trying to outrun the wolf and the huntsman, or she could be long dead by now. The only thing he knew for sure at the moment was that he was in a great deal of pain.

His head was ringing, and his forehead was sticky and slick in places where blood had rolled from the fresh cuts over his eyebrow from the huntsman hitting him over the head with a rock. There were also the stinging gashes across his chest and arms where the monstrous wolf had mauled him, and the ripping pain in his side where he had fallen on his dagger during the fight.

It hurt like hell, but he knew he couldn’t just sit there all day…especially if night really had fallen. There wasn’t a more inhospitable place in the kingdoms than the Woodlands at night. Even the Dark Forest, with its quiet, eerie calm and looming sense of danger, couldn’t hold a candle to the perils of the swampy woods. The Dark Forest was dangerous because of its inhabitants—witches, thieves, murderers, wolves, and beasts of the night—but up here the woods themselves were a threat. The trees and plants were alive, would move, and deceive. The paths would change as you walked on them, leading you in circles or deeper into the mess of swamps at the core of the woods. This place was a nightmare, and he needed to get out as quickly as possible.

He had to peel vines off of his arms to free himself from the ground. It was trying to envelope and bind him until he wouldn’t be able to get up, and eventually it would pull him into the ground and leave him there to become one with the moss he was laying on. These woods were alive, and they wanted him dead. He had to work to free his hand, but once he did he was able to reach for his dagger that was sticking out of the ground a few inches away from his fingertips. The blade itself was wrapped in vines and being pulled into the earth, but he was able to pull it free with relative ease. He then used it to cut the rest of his arm free, then his other arm, then his torso, and finally his legs. Once he was untangled from the mess of vines, he began the painful process of standing up.

The slot in his side where the dagger had pierced him earlier was so painful it was almost paralyzing, but he had no choice other than to press onwards. He returned his dagger to its sheath on his belt, and then grabbed a tall, sturdy fallen tree branch to use as a walking stick. He couldn’t go back home, and he had no chance of finding Snow White again, so he decided his best plan was to get to the nearest town and have his injuries looked at. He would decide what to do after, but for now he limped on.

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You were beginning to wake up, feeling comfortable and warm. You took in a deep breath and snuggled into the soft covers and pillows. You began to think of how very odd it was that it smelled so much like nature in your room this morning. It even felt slightly humid, as thought it had just rained. You were about to roll over to try to catch some last few minutes of sleep when the bed moved under you. Your eyes snapped open and everything suddenly came back to you in a rush. You weren’t at home, you weren’t in bed, and you couldn’t sleep on any longer.