Pippa's Story

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Aria rubbed her head, looking back at the tree she had rolled out from. She had thought that she must have entered an underground cave system, but when she turned around, it wasn't a cave that she saw.

It was a whole new world ...

Some of the trees had pink leaves, a bird with a spoon for a bill flew past her, and she could see islands floating in the far distance.

"Okay ...," Aria mumbled. "Either someone slipped me LSD or I seriously conked my head and now I'm dreaming." The forest she was in seemed rather thick and she felt the need to get out. "Gah ... not like it matters if I get out. It's a dream, I'll wake up sooner or later." Aria looked around one more time, walking over to a tree and gently touching its bark. It felt so real. She shook her head and walked forward.

Rustle Rustle Rustle

Aria looked around, her hearing wasn't the greatest, but whatever was rustling around sounded big enough to possibly run her down.

"Not gonna panic, not gonna panic," Aria whispered, looking for a good place to climb up. She spotted a good tree and quietly made her way to and up it. It was an easy climb, but by the time she felt at a safe distance, she was out of breath and a little light headed. Something she was used too. "I'll just wait up here until I wake up."

It didn't take long for her to feel comfy when something moved on her leg. She looked down, wishing she hadn't shortly after. A large spider, about the size her hand and as blue as the ocean, rested on her leg ... and it was looking right at her. She could feel a panic attack coming on. Then it barked.

"It barked," she choked out before promptly passing out and falling, with the spider still attached, out of the tree.

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Blake almost dropped the stranger on her shoulder as Adrian came freight training by her. Jeez why was he in such a hurry? No hello Blake? Her ears unconsciously flattened against her head in a sad gesture but since her hood was up no one saw. As she made her way towards the tree line Blake sensed another being and her nose picked up on the scent of cat fur and blackberries. She's smelt this scent before but what was her name....umm.....oh that Claire girl. Blake's only seen her around and has never talked to her before but she knew the scent. So why was she following her?

Once Blake stopped at the tree line she sensed Claire close the distance between them then tap her on the shoulder. Blake looked down at the shorter girl and raised a silver eyebrow in question.

"I found her, I don't know her name" Blake answered simply. Looking up from Claire she saw Adrian and another cat talking just outside of the town. Blake highly doubted Claire would take the girl to town and make sure she was alright but if Blake managed to at least cross the small valley and get to where Adrian was she could give the stranger to him then she could high tail it but into the dark forest. The fact that Blake hasn't left the security of the dark forest in six years and is now going to just so a stranger is safe. Some time's she questions herself of why she does the shit she does. Taking in a deep breath Blake calmed her rapidly beating heart. Its just to the edge of town, just to Adrian then back to the forest. Blake just listened for a moment, she could hear Adrian's plan to kidnap his sister. He could just give this stranger to Jaxson, whom Blake could hear loudly even though he was in the pub.

It may not be a big deal to anyone else but for Blake, who had only being out of the dark forest once in her life and that one time seemingly scarring her for life, it was a big deal. But before she could rethink anything Blake walked out of the forest. For anyone else it would have been a quick run but for Blake it felt like forever. She reached Adrian, took the stranger from off her shoulder and put the girl into Adrian's arms.

"Please give her to Jaxson, thank you bye" Blake said quickly then got on her tippy toe's, give Adrian a quick peck on the cheek then ran back to the forest as quick as possible. Even from the distance she could hear a town's person walking to where Adrian and the other cat where and angrily shout "STAY AWAY FROM OUR DAMN TOWN! YOU HELLISH DEMON!". Blake whimpered and Pippa hugged her neck, having been perched on her shoulder the entire time. Blake hated the fear she had of leaving the dark forest. It made her feel weak when she knew she wasn't.

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Aria had felt as if she was floating, on a cloud, on the wind ... something that was light or weightless. That is, until she got a nice blast of cold in the face. She shook her head, almost like a dog, then opened her eyes. Had Kai found her? It did seem like something her older brother would do, despite her fear of water.

"What the hell do you think you are doing K-," Aria paused. The man holding her was not her brother.

Now, Aria wasn't scared of strangers, in fact, she enjoyed talking to them. But there was a difference between talking to one and waking up to one throwing ice water on you. So Aria stood herself up as she tried to wipe most the water off her face. She didn't even have time to ask what had happened or where she was or why she was here before people started running out of the place, going to ... the Ice Queen's castle? Yeah, Aria thought, this is just a dream.

The only way she could dream though was if she was knocked out. There were the times she slept, but it felt rare. She hoped she wasn't laying dead in a hole somewhere. It would be horrible for Kai ... she didn't feel dead ... but how would she know what being dead feels like. All she could was stand ... trying to chase her derailed train of thought.

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Blake was minute's ahead of the rest, having smelt the fire moment's before it was announced. She had shifted into her wolf form and was now running through the dark forest to get to the castle. Everything was a blur around her and she swiftly moved, avoiding all tree's, rocks and roots as she ran. She could see the castle and jumped from a steep cliff, shifting back into her humanoid form half way and landed silently on the forest floor. Blake's emerald eyes widened as she took in the castle. No one even thought it possible that an ice castle would be able to catch on fire but the sight before her told her other wise. But....this flame was different. It looked darker.

That's when it clued in. This was dark fire otherwise known as hell fire. A mystical flame that could form anywhere and burn everything in its path. But if she remembered correctly dark fire can't manifest on its own, it has to have a wielder. Meaning whoever started this was still around controlling it. Blake's ears perked up as she heard the other's arrive. Blake knew she could just enter her Shade form and use dark water to extinguish the flames but she doesn't have good control over her power's and what if she hurts someone? She....she can't risk it.

So instead Blake decided she would enter the castle and rescue anyone who was still in it. Since her cloak was fire resistance she wouldn't get hurt. Blake stepped out of the forest and walked towards the castle door. She could hear people on the other side shouting that the door was melted shut. Blake growled and with one yank of the melting door handle the crystal ice door flew off its hinges. Blake dropped the door as people started to flood out of the castle door. One man stopped at her.

"The Queen and a few other's are still inside" he cried and Blake nodded her head.

"Katarina you coming?" Blake said before heading into the castle. Even with the smell of the fire Blake could pinpoint where everyone was.

"There are people on the second floor in the east and south wing, you get them and I'll get the Queen" Blake's voice was stern, she had a plan and was giving an order and if anyone didn't like it Blake would do it on her own. She then started running up the stair's and to where she smelt the Queen. The floor's of the ice castle were slick with water and the wall's were literally melting around her. Blake hurried towards the Queen chamber's and burst through the door. A look of relief was on her face as she saw the Queen was unharmed.

"We need to go".

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"Damn it" Blake cursed her mind instantly going to Katarina. Great was this Blake saves everyone's butt day today? funny it wasn't marked on her calendar.

"Katarina is here I can smell her, I'll find her and Pippa will take you out of here" Blake informed the Queen. Pippa nodded. Blake picked the Queen up bridal style and went to the balcony. Pippa jumped onto the Queen's stomach and Blake through them both over the edge of the castle then went back in to find Katarina.

Pippa squeaked in join and it and the Queen fell, the little spirit finding more of a ride then something to be frightened about. But once Pippa noticed they were 15 feet from the ground the little forest spirit used it magic's to make tree roots grow from its small body. The roots wrapped around underneath Pippa and the Queen until the root's formed a slide. The roots seperated from Pippa and now left standing beside the castle was a large swirly slide made from tree roots and leaves. The Queen with still Pippa sitting on her stomach, gracefully slid down to the end of the slide, which ended beside the group of people outside the castle. Pippa squeaked in joy again.

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Blake rushed through the melting castle, following Katarina's scent. Once she reached the room Blake saw Lux and growled. What was she doing here? Without a word Blake wrapped an arm around the girl and partly covered her with Blake's cloak then Blake smashed down the door and jumped through the flame's. Blake got into a crouch, the smoke being to heavy up top to see clearly even with her eye's. Then she saw Katarina laying there, her own blade impaling her. Blake snarled darkly. She shot towards Katarina's, dragging Lux with her, and lifted the woman over her shoulder. Then with one swift jump Blake jumped, with Katarina and Lux, through the semi melted window and landed gracefully back on the ground beside Pippa and the Queen. She let go of Lux and then gently laid Katarina down on the ground. She removed the hood of her cloak, displaying off her angered expression, gleaming silver hair and adorable wolf ear's. She mumbled a string of curse word's as she quickly removed the blade and plugged her canine teeth beside the wound. Shadewolf saliva had the ability to heal any wound as long as the person's heart was still beating so that the saliva could course through the body. Sure she could have licked the wound but biting is faster and well....she just really didn't feel comfortable licking Katarina. Blake could still hear Katarina's heart beat strongly. Blake watched as the wound started to stitch itself up, the one on her stomach and the one on her head, but then Blake caught the scent of another's blood and her head snapped to Adrian's direction. Another growl slipped past her and she glared down at Katarina's unconscious body before moving over to Adrian, who was still conscious unlike his sister. Without a word she gently pushed him down so that he was lying down then removed his hand's from the identical wound. She then bite down beside his wound as well. She watched as his wound also healed up then stood and moved out of his way. She like everyone else knew Adrian would be steam rolling over to his sister in just a moment. Blake walked over to the Queen.

"Are you injured?" she asked polity.

Jaxson sighed as Lux rushed in and out of the pub. He eyed the blonde human with disinterest, seeing as she looked as through she was mentally freaking out. He took a swift sip of his drink then patted the small girl on the head.

"You should calm down there's really nothing to freak about, if I know Blake she'll save everyone's ass like she always does, like who do you think saved your's from falling out of that tree?" Jaxson questioned. With his magic and his hand on the girl's head Jaxson retraced her memories of just being in Wonderland. There's wasn't alot and the last memory was of her fainting and falling.

"I think you will like her when you meet her, she's a bit of a hard ass and doesn't talk alot but she's got a good heart and not many people here in Wonderland realize it" Jaxson said sadly. He knew Blake cared about the people of Wonderland and he also knew she protects the villages closes to the Dark Forest from the other Grimm's, killing them before they could even step out of the darkness.

"Well we should go see if everyone's okay don'tacha think?" Jaxson questioned as he lifted the small girl from her chair and placed her on his back.

"Hang on tight" he said as he wrapped her arm's around his neck then they whizzed off, Jax's wind making him glide over the land at a high speed. It didn't take long to get there but by the time they did Blake had done her thing and was now standing beside the Queen. He walked up to her and placed the blonde human beside her.

"Thanks for leaving me to babysitting duty but I'm done for the day so pay up" Jax grinned widely but his grin faded when he saw Kat.

"Shit what happened?" he asked, his voice laced with worry. Blake told him what happened and that she healed her but didn't know how long she would be out for since she hit her head. Jax nodded as a response and moved over to be by Katarina.

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"You should calm down there's really nothing to freak about, if I know Blake she'll save everyone's ass like she always does, like who do you think saved yours from falling out of that tree?" Aria looked up at the man as he pat her head. "I think you will like her when you meet her, she's a bit of a hard ass and doesn't talk a lot but she's got a good heart and not many people here in Wonderland realize it." Aria smiled, feeling a little more at ease.

Wait ... did he say Wonderland? Aria was about to speak up, but the man made a suggestion.

"Well we should go see if everyone's okay don'tacha think?" Aria nodded, complying as she was placed on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck lightly. "Hang on tight."

It didn't take long to arrive to the ginormous castle, and a scene that looked straight from a movie at that. Aria was set down as the man complained about having to babysit. Aria would have testified, said she 17 and fully capable of taking care of herself, but she was taken captive by the sight of the flames. It wasn't normal fire, that was made clear. Was she really dreaming? Everything was starting to feel more and more real. Once again, Aria's train of thought derailed and she quickly walked up to the one the man had called Blake. She was simply gorgeous, along with every other female in her presence.

"Blake?" She addressed the woman before smiling and hugging her. "Thank you so much for catching me! I'm sure that if you hadn't I would have been horribly hurt." Aria backed up and continued smiling. "I don't think I can thank you enough. I know this might offer might not be necessary, but if there is anything I could do to pay you back, just ask."

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Blake nodded back at the Queen and was just about to leave when she heard a light voice say her name. Blake turned around just in time to steady herself when she was hugged. Looking down it was the blonde strange that had her arms wrapped around Blake's torso. A light blush came to Blake's cheeks as the girl released her and thanked her for saving her.

"Don't worry about it you don't owe me anything" Blake answered as she pulled her hood back off her head, covering her ear's. She then gave the girl a smile and left the small group, running back into the forest. To many people all at one time.

Blake sighed in relief as she entered the wood's, the shrouding darkness bring her comfort. Though as she walked further in unease started to chill her skin. Something seemed off. It was to quiet. Then she heard the snap of a twig and shot around. Nothing. No scent. Nothing around her. Just that one noise.

She was just about to ignore it when something hard hit her across the head and Blake went flying into a tree, the loud crack of the wood breaking beneath her echoed through the silent forest. Blake suppressed her groan of pain bubbling at her throat and looked around for her attacker.

Nothing.

She was about to get up when she felt something clamp around her ankle and she was flung into another tree. This time a small scream of pain echoed with the loud crack as a piece of splintered wood impaled itself into her leg. Easily fixable. Wounds never troubled Blake because of her ability to heal but that didn't stop it from hurting any less. She whimpered as she tried to stand but then she left something clamp around her neck, a loud click vibrated in her ear's. Blake looked down at her neck and saw a collar. She's been collar! and not just any collar. This collar was especially made for Wolves. Its encahnted so they can't break them and if she tried to shift the spikes on the inside would impaled her and it would be instant death. A silver chain was connected to the collar but where the chain ended there was nothing. What!

"You have to love magic hey little ShadeWolf?" a gruff voice asked from in front of her. Then out of no where a huge man appeared. Shit he used invisibility. That's why she couldn't see or smell him. Dammit!

"The Red Queen wishes to see you" he said before hitting Blake on the head again this time making her past out. Her last thought were that hopefully someone would be able to see Pippa, whom she had left with the Queen just for protection, and keep Pippa safe and happy.

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"Time to wake up my little Wolf!" Blake heard a shrill voice wake her from the darkness of unconiousness and slowly opened her eyes. She was in a grand room of red and black. The only thing not of those color's was the huge gold throne right in the center where the Red Queen sat proudly, looking down at Blake as though she was some prized catch. Blake growled at the woman.

"Stand" the Red Queen demanded and Blake would have ignored the request if not for the horrible jot of pain that came from her collar the moment she didn't listen. No!

"Yes my dear Wolf, that collar is enchanted, every time you don't listen if will send a current of pain, for now the pain is minimal but the more you don't listen to me the worse it will get until it kills you" the Red Queen stated proudly, watching with a smug look as Blake stood.

"You know it took me a while but I knew, I knew that fire would draw you out, so then I could finally grab you and make you my pet and now I, the Red Queen, have one of the strongest creature's in Wonderland at my beck and call, oh what a wonderful world this is" the Red Queen chuckled.

"Now my darling I have a job for you, I need you to kill the Ice Queen"

Willo the Wisp

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"I guess we can be friends, at least for the time I'm stuck in this strange place."

"Yay! New friend!" Willo cheered, swirling around it's new friend. At the end of it's little parade around the human it popped up and let out a small burst of confetti like sparkles, each spark a different color of the rainbow and all of them neither hot nor cold.

"But I'm from a place far away from here and at one moment, when I get a chance, I'll try to return to my place, to my home. And you will not be able to follow me"

"Aw. Why not?" It asked, confused as to why she believed it couldn't follow her. Does human friend live under water?
That would make sense if she went under water. It assumed her meaning until she could answer otherwise.

"But I'm sure it will take a lot of time for me to leave this place and I'm sure we will meet many times and have a lot of time to do the things together" Willo went back from confused to cheery and happy. It let it's back end drift out into a fiery tail, a blazing rainbow colored trail following the body of the wisp. It harmlessly weaved between branches and wound around trees, the lines of psychedelic burning colors complimenting the eccentric flora that surrounded them. Tree's with leaves and flowers of every color, branches and trunks of unusual shapes and sizes, Fungi which adhered to no real strict laws of physics. Some mushrooms had eyes that watched as Tracy and the wisp passed them by.


"Are... are you made of... fire?" Tracy asked it as it was in the middle of dancing through the forest. Looking to her with it's happy little smile it bobbed up and down to indicate a yes. "Yup! I'm a wisp! All wisps are made of fire!" It answered her rather simple question easily.

"I think we need to be careful with that. I see you can control it. But when you're upset, like right now you drop parts of your... energy. In those moments better fly over dry path and avoid flying above trees to avoid burning... you know, injuring them."

When she mentioned that it had been dropping parts it looked at her quizzically. "What parts? I don't think I dropped anything..." It looked around, trying to see what she meant by that. It knew the flame trails it was making were safe, as were the guiding torches. It spotted a certain blue fire burning back over at the hill with the tree. It was the hot kind of fire. "Oooooh! That fire! Whoopsies!" It realized it's mistake. "Be right back!" It assured her before gliding back over to the source of the hot fire.

As it drew close it could see that the flames didn't quite do too much damage to the area yet. The tree was fine but it was starting to spread through some of the grass towards the tree line by the foot of the hill. It was a simple enough problem for Willo to fix. The flames that were once raging and burning everything in their path lifted from the ground up into the air. Quite quickly the fire was reabsorbed back into Willo, simply disappearing into the blue ball of light.


When Willo returned to Tracy it was now a bit bigger and a bit brighter than it was before. The fire that it created contributed returned little but the flames that were produced as consequence added some girth to it's spherical frame. "There we go! No more burny fires!" It boasted proudly, happy to have righted it's wrong.

"Hey, you can fly, right? Can you fly higher, like climb above trees and see if we are going deeper into the forest or are we on the right way out? Let's play you're scout in our team and you tell me where is something else, beside trees, like some buildings?"

"Okay!" It didn't know what a scout was but she wanted to do fun things so her request didn't seem even the slightest bit questionable. With a whoosh it soared straight up at a terrific speed. From above the forest it's blue light could be seen all across the forest nearby like a signal flare. It looked down then looked around and saw the general layout of the land from a bird's eye view.

Not a moment too long and down the wisp came, now hovering at shoulder height with it's new friend. "I saw a building and then I saw another building further away that was on fire and had humans around it. To get to them we gotta go back the way we came and then a little further. Wanna go? Which do we go to? What do you wanna do? You're fun to do stuff with." It summarized what it saw about as accurately as it could. Though the people around the burning place were technically denizens of Wonderland they all looked an awful lot like it's new friend which was a human so by that connection so were they.

Tracy smiled as she watched Willo's quick, almost chaotic movements. She was watching with her mouth open how the fallen fire was absorbed by Willo. She was glad the wisp could undo the damages it had done.

When it returned from above the trees, they got really useful data. It was a bit disheartening they were waling the wrong way, but at least they could change into the right direction.

"I think we need to go to that burning building, where other people gathered." Tracy said wondering if Willo had the abilities to help with that fire as well. "Let's go, I'd like to meet those people you've just seen. Which way to the burning building?".

When the wisp had shown her direction, she started marching quickly. She felt rather guilty, but she was counting on being relieved from "babysitting" the wisp when they would be among others. Maybe there is someone who likes to play more? She felt really guilty with that thoughts and was marching quickly not showing anything to Willo. The wisp reminded her of her own little brother - was a bit annoying, like every little kid, but she had to admit the wisp had a pure, honest heart made of golden flames.

"Have you met other people here? Do you know anyone from the ones who were by that building on fire?" Tracy asked. She was marching quickly, the way she liked. She really enjoyed the fact that she knew the destination now and sh was sure they will get to the edge of the forest soon. Girl had already known the wisp was quick, much quicker a human could be and she was trying to be as fast as she could not wanting it to be bored with he march.

"Hey, Willo, can you do the scouting job again? Please check if we are closer to the building on fire." Girl asked the wisp. If it enjoyed flying fast and high, it was probably treating that as a sort of play. If it's way of thinking was the similar to her brother's, she had known for a long time that a biggest "threat" wisp was facing was a boredom...

When Willo returned there were some good news. They were really close. "Do you think you could help them with that fire, like you did it a moment ago with that fire on trees?"

She was listening to wisp's answers when they reached the edge of the forest. She looked around. The building on fire resembled some sort of palace, It was big and a beautiful, despite the damages.

Girl looked at the people standing there. Something changed inside her. She was no longer feeling like a brave adventurer. There was suddenly so many people around her, not just Willo... and they were not humans, they were locals, local creatures... They did look partially human, one girl was even looking like she was from a Tracy's world...

"Hi, I'm Tracy and that's Willo" She said bashfully, putting her hands to the front pockets of her jeans and watching the others. The wisp had flown towards the group...