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After hearing the White Queen's question, [second] froze and stared apprehensively at nothing. Her real self. She didn't want to answer that, didn't want to think about it. After all, this was suppose to be her break-her second chance. No, she did not want to talk to some random stranger about herself, even if the stranger looked to be the head-honcho of the entire place... She swallowed and forced herself to breathe, 'Its fine. I'll just throw her some bones...'

She took another breathe and replied, trying to keep her voice as even as possible. "My name is Tairal Norn. I am a fear-born Nue residing in Halloween."

A pregnant silence stretched between them. [second] could hear the Queen sight before she spoke again in a tone that chilled [second] to the bones, "Did you really think I would be satisfied with only that?"

[second] found her gaze somewhere on the floor, she gathered up her courage and swallowed her pride before continuing, "I'am a recluse and a paranoid freak. I don't like people, and I scare most people away from me. I'm here playing this game because I'm afraid to step out of my room."

"Much better. Next visitor, I want to hear about your journey."

This was a question that [second] could answer comfortably. "It was nice, I suppose. It was nice to get away from reality for a while. Nothing could hurt me for real and people couldn't actually die here- even though the talking trees and the floating teeth were a bit unnerving...most of the other scenery made up for it." At this [second] paused and recalled the beautiful temple she had visited prior to here. Then she frowned. "But, you guys got to stop putting hallucinogens into everything!"

When the queen spoke next, [second] could tell that she was amused by her statement. Humph. She couldn't help but get the tiniest bit annoyed at that, but it was quickly forgotten. "Explain to me the world you live in. Not this one, the one your real bodies occupy."

"Halloween?" [second] took a moment to collect her thoughts, "I don't like to venture out much-there's always so many-" she broke off in mid sentence, and seemed to be at a loss at how to continue. After a few seconds, she spoke again, "but, it's a nice place really. My friend said that there it's always filled with all sorts of different life forms. It'll take several lifetimes to study all of them."

The Queen didn't seem fully satisfied with that answer- [second] could feel the temperature drop-but she didn't press further. Instead, she gave a new question, "Have you ever been hurt by someone you love?"

[second] responded immediately for there was only one person that she could ever refer to with the word "love", "No. I mean, not seriously hurt anyway. We've had our ups and downs, but nothing that wasn't resolved after a day or two. I don't put my faith into many things-but he is the one person I trust absolutely."

The Queen spoke again, "What are you afraid of?"
[second] couldn't hold back a small snort at that question. It would take to long to answer if she listed all the things that worried her, they didn't call her a paranoid b*****d for no reason after all, so she simply responded with, "Everything."

Evidently, the Queen could hear the truth in [second]'s voice because she accepted the answer easily. She continued on with another question, "Tell me a secret about yourself."

Jeez. She was really trying to get personal, wasn't she? [second] gnawed on her lip slightly before replying in a terse voice, "I sometimes wish I didn't always have to know all the time. And sometimes I don't want to help-even if I know that I'm the only one who knows."

[second] could feel the Queen's confusion at her cryptic answer-ha! Let her try to figure that one out. [second] doubt that its AI programming was advance enough for that.

However, the White Queen was not deterred for long, for soon she replied with yet another question."What is it that you wish for the most?"

[second] looked at where she thought the voice originated from and replied with an resolute tone. "I want to be able to change things. To make people listen to the words I say."

The Queen paused again, as if weighing the truthfulness of her words.

"It is strange." The White Queen responded, "You are different, and so are your memories. I feel as if something may, perhaps change. Thank you for your story. I hope we do not meet again."

This world was so very unusual indeed. BrotherOfWar mused to himself as he made his way through the White Queen's Castle to stand before the empty throne. Now then, where was this White Queen whom he was supposed to defeat? Perhaps this game would come to an end then the moment the first player on either side managed to find the opposing side's Queen and slit her throat.

He looked around himself when the voice instructed him to stand and listen. Nobody. There wasn't anyone in sight whom he could peg the voice to. He gave a little snort, about to ask in return as to what business the voice had with wanting to know more about him when he changed his mind at the last moment and decided to play along with it for now. "Yves. Executioner from the War Clan." Pausing to think for a bit at the next question, he gave a shrug. "I started my journey in the woods. There were talking cats, talking trees, talking signposts. Everything seems to talk around here. There was also a very unusual tea party." He decided to leave it at that without elaborating further.

"The War Clan is no more. What remains of the Four Clans is now united as one under the Lost Clan. This has been the case ever since the wretched humans came and destroyed our homes and families." He recounted darkly. "No. My family loved me and never gave me grief for as long as I can remember." Was his reply to the next question. "Horsemen aren't afraid of anything."

He started to get impatient when the questions kept coming. "I love Kasja." He told the voice flatly. "I wish for Kasja, my love to be returned safe and sound to my side some day." He actually looked a little hopeful as he spoke of his wish, his memory of his encounter with ShadowStalker back at the Tavern still fresh in his mind though it hadn't ended well. Well, no matter. So long as he knew that Kasja was real and alive, there would come a day when his wish would be realised and it was with that thought in his mind that he pressed on.

MistahDarcy had been meandering up until this point. If he followed alongside anyone it was mostly him following 'Tai (or perhaps now it is Ariane) because she dragged him along and refused to let him linger anywhere alone. He appreciated the thoughtfulness. In this small way she showed that she cared for him and that made him love her all the more.

When he ended up in the chamber and was commanded to stand? He simply did so without any real hesitation - this was a dream and nothing horrible could happen to him here, the fact that Ariane was in the dream didn't make him second guess that notion. Weird things happened in dreams and it was easier to believe then the idea of being forcefully 'kidnapped' into another realm via his soul.

First, visitor, tell me about yourself. Your real self.

His real self? MistahDarcy looked down at himself but mostly focused on his hands as if trying to derive a satisfactory answer from them, "My name is Jude. Jude Xavier Hargrave. I ... I am a Hunter of the Death Division..?" There was an expectant silence that came after this. She wanted a little more.

"...I like to read. I like to spend time with my loved ones...I apparently also like to pick up strays."

And long walks on the beach...

Jude suppressed the smartass voice in the back of his mind.

Next visitor, I want to hear about your journey.

It seemed he'd contented the voice with that small extended introduction and had gone on to the next question. He rubbed the side of his neck, "It's been pretty uneventful...I met some new folk but I don't know if I'll see them again...I reconnected with my girlfriend here? Can people share dreams? Is this a dream?"

The voice didn't answer or correct this question.

Explain to me the world you live in. Not this one, the one your real bodies occupy.

MistahDarcy was secretly glad that it had moved on, because he wasn't sure how to explain the tidbits of his journey here - he didn't battle often and he didn't do many of the sidequests offered. Uneventful much like his real life he supposed. "The...world I am from...I live mostly on a small island with a group of other people, but the world outside of that is much larger and full of other types of people," or so he assumed the island was on the human side of things - even if small incidents happened on the island he had no reason to question it.

Have you ever been hurt by someone you love?

The question was a hard one to answer and gave him a moment of pause. "Yes...and no..." He sort of clenched his hands into a fist, "When a loved one dies...It hurts. It can feel like a betrayal, even if they didn't do it on purpose because it is out of their control. Then again they died before they could hurt me in other ways...So this is a question I am unsure of on how to answer with a concrete response..."

It wasn't fair to those that had died to feel that way, but it couldn't be helped.

What are you afraid of?

He sort of had to think about that question because it was obvious, "I am afraid that I will die before I can tell Ariane how happy she makes me. I am afraid of leaving her alone again ... She needs me."

Tell me a secret about yourself.

He froze at the idea of a secret. Jude was not a keeper of secrets and was truthful a lot of the time with everyone he crossed paths with, "I have... distant memories... or maybe dreams...? Sometimes I remember asking about someone important that was briefly in my young life, but it being dismissed..."

MistahDarcy's brow furrowed a little. "But that is not really a secret as much as a mystery."

Maybe he had an actual secret? "Maybe ... I am not as distant or aloof as people think I am. I do care and perhaps I care a little too much..."

He floundered a moment or two before the voice went on.

What is it you wish most?

"I wish I was braver. I wish to be able to face my own demons. I am only able to face the demons of others to protect them...Maybe if I could face my own fears and feelings... I can be a better person?" MistahDarcy sort of shrugged his shoulders. Every answer he spoke felt so superficial and strange, like something that would come out of a cheesy novella of some sort or perhaps even from a Saturday morning cartoon.

Briefly Jude found himself missing the days of Saturday morning cartoons...

Walking down a single path for a while to find a long white elaborate gates that slowly open up when she approches them. Looking around to see that there were so many mirrors in this castles great hall and she did have to wonder why so many of them and to why not replace the ones that were cracked and broken HotRocks thought to herself. But looking closer into one of the mirrors faces peer out of them that startle her a little as she was totally not expecting that, but to her none of the faces are not familiar. The more she walked into this place it got darker which didn't bug HotRocks she just thought it weird. Now she had stopped to find a single throne with no one in it and she kept on her guard just in case other came.

HotRocks jumped a little supised to hear the booming voice as it wasn't something that she was expecting at all. She did heed on what the voice had told her as she carefully stood still and listened and when she heard the word grief and she thought of the lore, she did wonder if this voice knew more about that.

Thinking that this was really nice of this voice to let her go and ezplore this castle as it was intersting to HotRocks. But she was a little unsure if she wanted to share anything of her with this voice but then what harm could come of it since she didn't know much herself.

"Ok I will answer this questions that you have," she said.

"First, visitor, tell me about yourself. Your real self."

Shifting on her feet a little uncofrotabel to how much she should tell. "My real self is a Lava Dragon, I have just started school to were I can learn lots of new things," she answered.

"Next visitor, I want to hear about your journey."

"Well I was dreaming and I do think that I'm still dream in this place, but it has been a fun adventure, the first place were the woods with the talking trees and I didn't like some of those talking trees very much. Then I went to a mad tea party were everything was bigger than I was and so many good sweets to eat and things to fight and then I traveled here to explore this place,"

"Explain to me the world you live in. Not this one, the one your real bodies occupy."

HotRocks didn't know too much about her own world and that was something that she would have to fix after all this was done. "Well the school that I'm attending it called Amityville its one of the best places to learn in Halloween Town and so many different type of people go there from ghosts, monsters and reapers to demons and undead. There are also minipets that can be hunted near by as those are little creatures that you can have for pets or you can eat them too as some are very good," HotRocks answered.

"Have you ever been hurt by someone you love?"

"No I have not," she answered as then HotRocks did have to think for a little on the second part of why not. Had she been hurt in the memories she couldn't remember, well this was not the time to think on that. "Because I haven't got anyone I love and I'm very reluckent in letting others get close.

"What are you afraid of?"

"The loss of my memory,"

"Tell me a secret about yourself."

"That I'm also a Destruction Dragon,"

"What is it that you wish for the most?"

That is an easy question, HotRocks thought. "I want power to become the most scaryest and powerful dragon,"

To what the White Queen said confused her just a little to why she had said that. HotRocks just nods when thanked as she didn't know what to think when the White Queen didn't want to see her again. Excited now that she could now explore the castle.

K1ll was yet again, late to the party, only realizing that a new zone had opened after everyone had left the previous. Arriving in the big white hall, he walked forward until he arrived at the throne at the end. Brow wrinkling, he listened to the questions. This was a quest? Where was the yellow ! sign that let him know he would be getting loot from it?? "m3? l0lLlz d00d 1m @ t0t3Z r@d d00d, u kn0? 1 ju$t l1k3 h@ng1ng @nD cH1ll1n, g@m3Zzz, w@t3vr l0ll." He scratched his head. "j0rn1?? w3llz th3r3 w3r3 l0tzz 0f tr33z th3n c@k3Z @nd 1m h3r3 n0w???? l0lZz??" the white queen may have been getting irritated, but it was clear that k1ll was replying as best he could, in a way he thought was /perfectly appropriate for the situation/. "d00d 1dk h1t0ry n sh1t l00l 1m @ m0nst3r n0t @ n3rD l0lZZ" He gave a brief shrug. What could you say about Amityville? The next question was even harder to think of an answer for. "n0? l0lz" as for the second half, there was a slight hesitation. "cuZz l0v3 1s g@yYy lm@0" He looked around as more questions were thrown at him, wondering if this was really supposed to be happening. "n0th1ng" - "d0nt g0tZ n0n3" - and "l33t h@x w3@p0nZz" were the last three increasingly uncomfortable and short replies. This was wayy too much self reflection in wayy to public a manner, even if it was just talking to one person, in a dream. Not even waiting for a reward at the end, he turned and booked it out of the hall.

She didn't know what had happened. The kiss remained in startling clarity in her mind. Her title falling from his lips, and that startled look he'd given when she'd whispered his name. All that remained, but then the dormice had pushed them out, and everything had gotten fuzzy. She'd held onto his hand, clinging to him, but now she walked through the castle alone, and without any recollection of how it had come to past.

And maybe that was for the best. Maybe whatever had happened after had been painful, heartbreaking. Maybe her fractured mind was protecting her. Even thinking it made her chest tight, but she left it alone. She would not pick at the memories that refused to come, because she couldn't not handle it if they were bad ones.

So the mare kept moving forward, or what she considered to be forward. The path was long and twisting, but through all her wandering this was where it had directed her to go.

And here she looked so out of place in her dusky skin. A dark blemish against all the white. Reflected back countlessly in the mirrors, unfamiliar faces showing like pale ghosts behind her. Mismatched eyes settled before her, and she walked on, ignoring the play of images moving around her. Ignoring everything but the voices.

Ah, but one among the many was not the same. It is loud, and demanding, and it makes the priestess stop in her tracks.

Tell me about yourself. You're real self.

"I am a horseman of the Apocalypse. A priestess of Death. I am a warrior, and so much more." And I am nothing, remained unsaid. Her own doubts echoed back by the cool mocking murmur of voices through her mind. Nothing. She was nothing. Nothing.

Nothing.

The muscle to right of her glowing eye gave a twitch, and another, and she lifted a hand to rub at her cheek.

"I want to hear about your journey."

Mismatched eyes retreated behind silver laced lids as she offered a slow blink. Almst taken aback by the question, as if the speaker should know, should have some control, over what had been happening. "I walked through a forest of rude, talking trees. I was force fed memories at the bank of a lake. I was shown everything I had lost, everything I could become, and everything I could ever want under the addling influence of some thick smoke. I was chased through the woods, shrank after eating a tiny nibble of pie. Oh yes," she paused, tone darkening as anger rose up to mask the sudden twisting of pain. "I married the stallion that broke my heart." And had somehow managed to lose him again.

Unloved. unloved. We'll help you. We'll take it all away. All away. Away. Away

Her jaw tensed, and the hand at her cheek pressed flat to smooth her palm up and across her temple and brow. Thin fingers curling loosely in silver bangs.

"Explain to me the world you live in."

"It is a poor substitute for the home that was destroyed and lost to us." But it had been home. It had been enough. "We live on a reserve near a school. It is nothing special, but it is adequate."

"Have you ever been hurt by someone you love?"

Duel colored eyes widened, and dark fingers twisted tightly in pale hair as her shoulders hunched and her lips split into a wide and absolutely humorless smile. The look that twisted delicate features when her head came up was anything but sane, and she chuckled, humorless, before the sound gave way to something closer to a sob. She couldn't answer. Her reaction alone would have to serve.

Had she every been hurt by someone she loved.

When hadn't she?

"What are you afraid of?"

The broken sounds ceased altogether as if a switch had been thrown. She blinked, features sobering, and after a confused second of silence she finally shook her head. "Nothing, anymore." Not pain, not death, not even the consuming nature of the Insanity.

"Tell me a secret about yourself."

Her jaw tensed, teeth clenching momentarily, but with a frown she answered, though it was more than apparent she didn't want to. "I'm glad she's dead."

Who. who. Who. who.

She shook her head, hand touching her temple as her expression grew vacant. This place was murder on her mind. Eating away at was had already been touched, but had so recently been fractured.

"What is it that you wish for most?"

The answer to that was so painfully simple. The hand dropped from her face, arms crossing tightly across her stomach, and that was it, all she could take. The mare backed away, sought an escape, but in the light, in the acoustic hall, a single name, whispered, sounded like a yell.

Or maybe that was just how she heard it...

First, visitor, tell me about yourself. Your real self.
"Ah... My real self?" Bronze looked surprised, no one else had asked about his real identity. "Well, I guess I'm a little similar in appearance to this," he gestured down his avatar self. "I'm a demon though, not a cat. But- I'm pretty good at using magic, at least compared to the rest of my family. I really love them, ah, I'm not as strong or fast as the herd, but I do enjoy running and hunting. Being with the herd- we do most everything together! Being around other people- that's good. I've felt pretty alone here..." he murmured, feeling obliged to give the intimidating figure as much as he could think of off the top of his head. "I guess I try to make people happy?" he asked hesitantly, then shuffled a little, unsure of what would make this Queen leave him alone.

Next visitor, I want to hear about your journey.
Thankfully, that seemed to be enough, though it was getting chill in the spacious room. "Um, it's been very confusing... It's interesting for the most part!" he blurted, hurrying to not offend the ruler. "Just- I haven't had to do something like this alone before, it's like a quest in all the stories Grandmere used to tell..." he smiled. "I met talking trees, then I think I got lost in a broken section. All the trees were messed up there, but after that I found some things to eat. None of them were just food, everything was enchanted-" his eyes glittered at the memory. "Someday, maybe I'll do that, be able to make things like that..." He blinked out of his reverie, shaking his head as the Queen spoke again.

Explain to me the world you live in. Not this one, the one your real bodies occupy.
"It's amazing! Much different than here!" he waved his hands, not sure where to start, "I- well, people are usually born in pumpkin patches, so those are everywhere. I live with my family, and they are monsters, but there's others- undead and demons- and, well we have to learn how to inspire Fear- I, well I'm going to study magic, but my family are pretty big and scary already..." he floundered about,trying to encompass everything exciting about Halloween into the essentials. "It's much darker there, but there's surprises there too, animals and plants we use for all kinds of things. You can't change size just be eating something, but you can make potions that do it, if you know how to." Bronze shrugged, "There are meadows and forests and towns- cities where more people live and work- i haven't actually seen a real city here, but we would go into towns if we need to buy things we can't find."

Have you ever been hurt by someone you love?
Bronze thought long and hard. "I think no.... I mean, I've been hurt by little things, but... nothing was ever a real hurt, anything that lasted longer than a few days. I know my family loves me, and everyone says or does stupid things they may not mean. I know I have done things to hurt my brothers and sisters, but we made up eventually... so, I would say No, or at least, not for long." This was probably the one answer that he felt pretty confident about knowing the proper answer. It was something truthful that he could answer with confidence, and not too much explaining.

What are you afraid of?
The cheshire wilted a little. "Errr... well, I don't like being alone... Bright light is pretty bad too." He wrapped his tail around himself, feeling more cold and not sure if it was the surroundings or flashbacks to his nightmares.

Tell me a secret about yourself.
Bronze hunched down, weighing his answer. he considered lying but he was scared the Queen would somehow know. Honesty was the best, wasn't it? "I don't think I'm really... good at anything... I don't know what I want to do..."

What is it that you wish for the most?

That was easier... though in a similar vein to his secret. "I want to be really good at something, but a good thing." He gave a wobbly shrug, and sighed, "It's not really interesting, I know. Sorry..."

The tea party started to get a little boring as Lass made her way off the table and continued along the road. She started to follow a path, a single path to somewhere that loomed far ahead. Skipping and whistling while twirling her hat, a grin was plastered happily on her face as she had little care in the world. There was no doubt that nothing was going to go out of its way to ruin her day or at least not the fun she had while eating a few desserts. The best part was she didn’t even have to worry about getting fat from eating too many sweets, the entire world was imaginary and she had no worry what so ever. The closer she got to the end of the path the more her curiosity was peeked in the castle that lay before her. The gates were tall and white, feigned with elegance as much as they were loneliness. Stepping through Lass continued into the castle and down a long hallway. The walls were lined with mirrors that instead of bearing her reflection showed pale faces of others. Once in a while Lass would stop and peer at one, watching it move before continuing down. It was definitely a nice little trick, a trick she wish she could do to someone she disliked. Others were black and cracked, as if broken by something and letting its contents that were trapped the ability to escape.

At the end of the hallway she greeted by a dark room where an empty throne stood alone, surround by mirrors.

Stay, a voice sounded as brittle as the icicles that would hang from the windows during the winter. Exist only to ease the pain of destruction; a laugh arose in Lass’s mind at such a thought. It was true, there was no doubt that Lass’s prefer ability was towards destruction, why should someone care about something such as grief.

Questions? Lass peered at her the throne before grinning again, “Fine I’ll answer a few if only to my amuse me.”

First, visitor, tell me about yourself. Your real self.

“My name is Lasairfhíona Caoilfhionn Ní Muircheartaigh, or Lass and I am a reaper at Amityville. My skill lies in illusions.” She answered in a rather matter of fact voice. After a few minutes a silence Lass sighed as she played with the brim of her hat, “I don’t know much else other than that. I would tell ye were I was born but I don’t remember. I can tell ye I woke up and they ushered me to the school but that is all. Anything before is gone and there is no doubt that I won’t ever remember where I am really from and there is no reason to care.”

Putting the hat back on her head she placed her hands on her hips, “If ye want to know more about things like my hobbies there’s little to tell. I practice, I learn I don’t believe in friends just minions or anyone to aid in strength so there.”

Next visitor, I want to hear about your journey.

Curling her lip in annoyance she folded her hands across her chest, “well the usually of course going through the stupid forest with the stupid talking trees. Dealt with a rather obnoxious Jabberwocky and ate my fill of desserts at a tea party that was rather oversize for me. You might want to tell anyone else who comes to visit that they should really think about making some ladders for the tea it was a shame to pass it by.” How could someone who owned the castle of the land not have any idea what was in her kingdom, surely someone would report to her or at least tell her at some point?

Explain to me the world you live in. Not this one, the one your real bodies occupy.

“The world I live in? It’s a school, it has dorms and student and I am pretty sure there are some teachers somewhere and a library,” Lass replied as her eyes narrowed, “I guess I shouldn’t be entirely surprise you know nothing since you seemed to know little of your own kingdom but that’s all it is. A school. There must be something like it here in your world.”

Have you ever been hurt by someone you love?
“No.” Lass replied shortly, how stupid would she have to be to allow someone to hurt her when she had little interest in love in the first place? Love didn’t fix things; it didn’t stop death, or help her in battle. It was a silly emotion made up by little boys into conning girls to do things for them.

“Its hard to be hurt by someone you love when you love no one, I cannot speak for the past me but this me the one that exist now has no love and I have no intention in falling for a simple notion.”

What are you afraid of?

Tapping her foot on the ground she paused, she had little fear, any fear she had she tended to attack head on with full force of anger and destruction.

“I fear nothing, nothing more than what I do not know. I am sure something one day from my past will erupt and I fear not having power to defeat it. I guess that is what you can consider as my fear, not having the power I need to defeat everything in my path.”

Tell me a secret about yourself.

“A secret, how about someone tell me a secret I had?” Lass replied as she huffed with her hand slapping down to her sides. “I have no secrets I mean I have my spells things that I have learned with for my illusions but they are not secrets I need to tell you or anyone. As for any other secrets I don’t know I will never know now leave it alone.”

What is it that you wish for the most?

She started to laugh, and continued to laugh louder as tears rolled down her cheeks, “Power of course! I wish for more power, power to destroy anything in my way.”