Saku Nervetti's Story

The Shop Keeper looked at Azura and chuckled, "I see..." he then smirked, "Quite the Mad Hatter aren't you, Azura? It fits nicely that you picked the Mad Hatter." then he frowned, "Speaking of which, where is he and Alice, hm?" he asked seeing that they weren't with her, "If something happens to those dolls, it's off with her head!" his eyes widen a bit and he chuckled to himself, "I must be going mad if I am talking like her." he said to himself.



Blood repeated the chorus again as he eyed the black haired girl.

Aveline sighed and continued on down the corridor, the music playing in her head seemingly becoming louder and louder with each step she took. She didn't find it unusual, but rather very calming. She soon fell into a pattern, looking at the checkered floor and playing a sort of hopscotch with it. Despite her age, she was still a kid at heart and a tad bit insane. She soon found herself dancing, the music echoing in her head ever louder and soon blocking out her footsteps.

And then it stopped. The teal haired girl looked up, seeing a regal looking door before her. Forgetting her previous adventure, she opened it and walked in, seeing an odd bunch of strangers. "Hello!" she called happily to them, skipping over to the table they were seated at.

"Hello!"

The Shop Keeper looked up and saw a teal haired girl skipping towards the table. He snapped his fingers and the piece of parchment which she signed appeared, "Lady Aveline Mason..." he said as his face was hidden behind the parchment, "You're late for tea!" he said as he threw a cup towards her but missed.

He stood up and smiled, "So glad you were able to make it even though you are late. Please have a seat and don't mind the serious black haired girl named Azura." he sighed, "She's not fun at all." he said while twiddling with his fingers.

Suddenly a ball of glass appeared in front of him, "Oh? What is this?" he asked to himself and peered towards what the glass beholds. The first boy who came to his shop must have accidentally triggered the activation key for his dolls. He sighed deeply, "Why? Oh, why?" he then took a toy robot made out of wood and started to wind it up. Once it was fully winded, he let his lips touch the head of the toy, "Turn them off." he whispered to the toy.

He placed it down and started to walk on its own going to the door. He looked at Blood, "We must hurry." he then took a golden pocket watch, "We don't have that much time anymore."

Blood nodded and went on with the lyrics...

"This place could only be one place Wonderland or depending on the take Underland and if this is so than let me ask this: Why is the raven like the writing desk?"

The Shop Keeper's crimson eyes flickered at Azura. A smirk appeared on his face, "How should I know? Even my dear father did not know the answer to his own riddle." he chuckled a bit, "Pathetic is it not?"

He reached for another slice of cake, "But I can assure you, this is not quite Wonderland." he took a bite, "It is like Wonderland but at the same time is not." then he took a sip of his tea, "You can say it's a Mystery." he said as he smiled a ghostly smile.

Aveline didn't even flinch as the shopkeeper flung a tea cup at her. She simply smiled and sat down at the table with the others. She picked up a tea cup and drank some of its contents, but did not find it sweet enough. "Could you pass the sugar?" she asked, as if she were at a regular affair as apposed to a rather creepy and well, mysterious situation.

"Mystery?" she asked, looking at the girl whom he'd pointed out earlier as being rather boring. She didn't seem too bad. She was pretty enough. Aveline waved to her and took another sip of tea. She looked back at the shopkeeper, trying to determine if he really could be the Hatter's son or not. He acted like it.

The girl then looked at the other person attending their little party. She had pink hair, which made Aveline a bit angry. She liked being the girl with the crazy hair.

Megan raised her eyebrow slightly, stopping her paceing. "One, I said that in my head. Two, Look back at the film or book, b****. He says he's mad himself, but the best people are. If you don't want a copy of Alice in Wonderland shoved down your throat, paper by paper with a some kind of dictionary, I'd suggest you don't insult my intelligence like that." She smiled polietly with an air of ignorance behind it.

"The character was not crazy but super smart, a Savant type of genius. Two there is a huge difference between being mad and being crazy. Need I give the dictionary terms for it?" Azura said.

The Shop Keeper rolled his crimson eyes, "If my father was so smart, then he would know by now the answer to his own riddle. There were many others as well who tried to answer my father's riddle, all are good enough but the creator of the riddle itself does not have the slightest idea." He stirred his tea slightly, "Never understood my old man as well, I love my mother though. She creates lots of things, wonderful and seemingly impossible things." He smiled gently, "I am dear sorry I left home, my mother."



The door suddenly opened revealing the two last players for his game, he grinned widely, "You two are late for tea!" He said as he threw a cups towards them but all missing them. He snapped his fingers revealing two pieces of parchments, "Ah, Rahls Crellin and Megan Robb." He looked at them again and saw they were projecting the looks of murder, the Shop Keeper just ignored this.

"One, I said that in my head. Two, Look back at the film or book, b****. He says he's mad himself, but the best people are. If you don't want a copy of Alice in Wonderland shoved down your throat, paper by paper with a some kind of dictionary, I'd suggest you don't insult my intelligence like that." Megan said.

The Shop Keeper titled his head a bit, "Wonderland? Why should I make that horrible place? You do know my father leaves there." He stood up and walked towards his doll, "Oh no no no. This place was made by yours truly as well this doll," He said as he touched Blood's hat indicating that he should stop, "It is okay now, my dear. You quest is over." Blood nodded and placed down is guitar, "This place is Mystery. Even when I created it, I have no idea what it is." He sighed a bit, "I believe I have inherited my father's intelligence of creating something and not actually sure what the answer is. Moving on, it is best if you all sit down while we discuss this quite serious business with tea." He said as he walked back towards his throne with Blood following him.

Aveline looked up as two more people came through the door. She gave a small wave before going back to drinking her tea. Why was everybody so angry all of a sudden? She thought this was a great tea party! But soon everybody was swearing and using big words and... oh she was lost. She just kept sipping her tea, hoping these people would calm down soon.

She was particularly displeased by the loud brunette who had just entered. "Do you kiss your mommy with that mouth?" she asked, half innocently and half in a mocking way. It amused her that people were so insane whereas she was perfectly normal. "And I don't know why you don't see any reason in some tea and snacks. You could use a massage. Here, I'll help you!" Aveline motioned for her to come and sit near her. Maybe she could just snap the girl's neck instead? No, that was mean. And she didn't wanna be mean like her.

Rahls had been quiet for a long time. Finally, he sighed and, in a rare display of something that was actually not an idiotic thing to do, he looked up.
"Okay. Lets all calm down for a second," he said, hoping that he pitched it low enough that no one would think he was a girl. He really felt like hitting something right now, but was managing to keep himself under control. "First... You. Weirdo." He pointed to the shopkeeper. "The hell is going on here? And why do I still have a doll with me?" Pulling out the small dormouse doll he held it out as if it were a weapon that had been used against him. "And finally... Why are you drinking tea in a..." He looked around and rummaged through his brain for words that could accurately describe the odd building. Something that he was pretty sure was actually a phrase that made sense finally popped into his mind. "Labyrinthine dungeon. Yeah, let's go with that one."

"Do you kiss your mommy with that mouth?"

Megan laughed bitterly, glaring at the girl. "Do you want a boot mark on your face, kid? Shut up and snap out of it."

"And I don't know why you don't see any reason in some tea and snacks. You could use a massage. Here, I'll help you!"

That was exactly her point.. These people seemed too naive or just too strange to believe anything. Maybe they thought it was all fantastic, away from real life but this still isn't normal. Realising how she was initially percevied, all she did was mumble an apology and stay silent.

The Shop Keeper looked at the teenagers bicker at each other and at him with a calm expression. Once everything was cleared out, he smiled and clapped his hands together, catching their attention, "Now that everyone has released all their emotions, I may now start. I, the Shop Keeper, congratulate and welcome you to Mystery. As you can see, you all have dolls," He said as he pointed at a random doll, "That you have bought from me." He then placed a hand on his chest, "And now you're wondering why you are here and why you still have that doll, well the answer is quite simple really. You all have to fight to death to become the ultimate character." He said with an annoying yet creepy smile, "Beyond these doors lie Mystery which is almost like my home, Wonderland. But it is not that sweet as you think." He chuckles a bit, "Ah, no. There are monsters in Mystery that are called Chains. These Chains are shaped like broken toys and have a variety of power." He chuckles again, "I wish I could tell you which Chain has which power but I couldn't remember for they have multiplied greatly now. As for the dolls, well right now they're just ordinary dolls but once you step into Mystery they'll be just like Blood here." He said as he gestured towards his beloved doll, "Each have their own power based on their character of course. But since I've been making them for so long, I don't know what power this batch inherits." He then gave a smile, "But that's part of the excitement. Moving on how to find Mystery, well, you have to try every door if you must but if you do know the story of 'The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland' by Lewis Caroll, then you wouldn't have that much of a problem. Now are there any questions to this game?"

Aveline stuck her tongue out at Megan as she refused her offer and yelled at her. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're on drugs," she mumbled, looking at Azura and the pink haired girl. "So how are you this fine day?" she asked them. A butterfly floated by and she resisted the urge to chase it. Her parents were always reprimanding her for chasing things like butterflies and pigeons in public. She just wanted to play was all- nevermind her age.

It was then the Shopkeeper began to speak, explaining what was happening, where they were, and who exactly their dolls were. Aveline shrunk in her seat a bit as she wasn't entirely sure if she still had the Cheshire Cat with her or not. When she'd awakened randomly in Mystery and returned to the Maze of Doors, she found that she didn't have him with her. There was also the matter of fighting each other to the death- that was a bit of a big deal now, wasn't it? She raised her hand to ask a question, wondering what exactly 'becoming the ultimate character' meant. If this was a competition, she wanted to know what she was playing to win for. She loved to win and was instantly determined not to lose to the potty mouthed girl.

Megan formed her hand into a fist, it shaking slightly as she dismissed Aveline's comment. How am I the one on drugs? She thought. These people think this is fantastic, being kidnapped and trapped in a place this man had created. 'Mystery', was it? And then they had to fight to the-- Wait. What!! She glanced around the room, no-one really seeming too fased. In contrary to what she would usually do, she did her best to stay calm and wait for some kind of explanation which would stop her worrying. She may be violent, but she wouldn't kill...

Rahls blinked and looked around at the company he was in. It wasn't a very promising crowd if the man wanted a deathmatch.
"So... Let me get this straight. You're saying that these dolls have powers or some shit and we have to..." He paused, thinking about it and looking at the small doll in his hand. "I don't know, turn these thing into monsters and kill each other with them?" He stopped again. The shopkeeper still looked completely serious, though he did have an odd, lazy smile on his face. "Are you screwing with me? Y'know I thinks there's a name for what you have. Schizo... Phrelium or something? Whatever."
He turned to walk out of the room. "I'm leaving, whether you let me or not." He flipped off the shopkeeper as he began to walk away.

((Also, as you can tell, Rahls isn't the most... Learned or read of this group of people. He's also basically a violent jerk or whatever. It's kinda funny with his looks and all.))

Megan glanced back at the others in the room. "You're all sick." She pointed directly at The Shop Keeper. "Especially you."

"Oi, Rahls!" Megan went after him. "I think me an' you are the only two sane people here, I'm not being stuck with them lot. A girl looks like she wants to kill me, too. Perfect for a death match, eh?" She chuckled to herself, smiling slightly although her gut couldn't let go of the terrible twisting feeling. A fight to the death wasn't Megan. It wasn't normal for teenagers. "And anyway," She sighed. "You don't know the story of Alice in Wonderland. You'll probably need a little knowledge to get out of the maze and into Mystery. Seems like the only hope of getting out of here."

The Shop Keeper looked at Aveline when she asked the question, he smiled lightly and was about to say what would be their prize when he was interrupted by the two bickering logic people. He sighed in annoyance, "I hate people like them, thinking they're all so great and a know at all. They are the exact people that I will never become. People like them, would probably end up wearing suits and emotionless masks. What a boring life." he thought.

He took a quick sip of his tea to calm his mind and then smirked at Rahls who was leaving, "My dear boy, you can no longer escape this dimension." he took another sip, "No matter how much you deny it, you're not with your little sister anymore." he chuckled evilly, "Even if you escaped from this dimension, how sure are you that you'll end up in your own timeline, hm? How can I say this...a second in this dimension is like a decade in your dimension so your sister must have grown up already with a missing older brother." he grinned, "Though this piece of information will let you truly play this game of mine...the winner of this game gets back to their own dimension in the exact day and time when you entered and exit my shop plus a single wish."

The Shop Keeper smirked when he caught the boy's attention, “And how…” Rahls asked quietly, “Do we use these dolls…?”

The game master chuckled, "Did I not explain it earlier? While you're still here in the maze, your dolls are lifeless though Blood here is an exception." he said as he pointed out his own doll, "But once you enter Mystery, your doll will come to life but they are not monsters as you say they are. When they fight, they fight as dolls; using their own special ability to defend themselves and you as their source of power. Going to that matter, I suggest that you do not fight with the others quickly after one battle. You see, these dolls get their energy from you humans; your blood is their source of energy and whatever hit or damage that dolls get, you will be effected as well."

He looked at Azura with his crimson eye, "Unfortunately, Azura will not have any special treatment with the source of energy. You chose two dolls and these two dolls will get their energy for their abilities for you. You may be the first to be eliminated or you may be the most vulnerable one. If one doll dies, then half of your energy now will be depleted until the end of the game."

"Are we all clear?"

"What is the 'ultimate' character?" Aveline asked, eyes wide once the loud people had stopped yelling. Honestly, she hoped that they got attacked by a something or other. She wasn't going to kill them unless it was more desperate than it was now. The dolls being connected to them was interesting though. She surely had enough energy for her doll to feed off of when he needed it.

"What is the 'ultimate' character?" Aveline asked.

The Shop Keeper looked towards her direction and grinned, "I am glad you asked that question, Ms. Aveline." he then sat back and relaxed on his throne and rested his head on one of his hands, "The Ultimate Character is the winner's doll. Where do you think the dolls will go once you won and go back to your own dimension? Of course they cannot go with you and so they stay here in Mystery but since you, their source of energy, is gone their only main source of power is the souls of the defeated players. An additional power is gained by the doll every time the doll takes away the life of the human by making the doll consume more energy from its master. When this is done, the power of the fallen doll will be transferred to winner." the Shop Keeper smirked, "Dolls have their own power but in order to be activated, they need human energy. That is why you children are so important to this game of mine. To let my dolls have their own life, their body!" he chuckled loudly like a mad man then breathed deeply to stop himself, "Oh one more thing, when you go back to your dimension, you will have no memory of this place. What you would remember is that you entered my precious doll shop but did not find anything that sparked your interest and left."

"Correct me if I'm wrong here, Sir." Megan sighed, rubbing her eyes. "You're telling me to escape from Mystery, we have to... to kill each other?" She looked at everyone else in the room. They all seemed to be calm, so she tried to also stay calm. "And if we win, we'll go back to our dimension with no memory of murdering all these innocent kids - just like us - and also while in Mystery gain a lean, mean fighting machine in disguise as a doll. Is this Pokemon Alice in Wonderland?" Not even bringing sarcasim into it, Megan glanced at all the people around the room and then concentrated her gaze on The Shop Keeper.