Chapter 4: Zugzwang Tower
The cat had gone off again when Ameko awoke, straightening out the stiffness in her neck as she stood up. After a bit of searching and discovering she couldn't find him, she felt a bit disappointed, and set back to work on restoring the castle.
By now, most of the main level was back in proper condition, and so she began to turn her attention to the upper levels, and some of the many towers that formed the tips of the White Rook. As she walked around the halls, she noticed that something else had changed, as well, but it didn't seem to be the castle so much as herself. Before, she had only seen the faint ghosts and glimpses of past events while sitting on the throne in the great hall, but now she could see them in other rooms as well, and not just as glimpses, but scenes that played out in front of her, pieces of lives that had lived here in the past. All of them now dead and gone, she thought with a bit of pessimism.
The pieces that seemed to come up the most was that of her mother, Rain, the little blonde-haired girl that loved to run around the castle and play. Ameko watched these scenes with an intense interest, eager for every bit of the mother she'd never known, every little glimpse and moment. She saw Rain when the girl was sad and crying, when she was gleefully stuffing her face with sweets, when she was standing on the edge of a windowsill to the alarm of the nearby adults. Over the course of the day, Ameko found herself tracing these ghostly images of her own dead mother, letting the castle continue to repair itself around her.
One such memory led her into the the base of one of the towers, chasing after a happy, running image of Rain. As she entered the base of the tower, the images around her changed, and suddenly she was in a different moment of time. Instead of the cheerful curtains waving in the wind, she could see them torn and bloodied, the sounds of shouting and the clang of metal outside.
What the...? Turning, she saw a man holding a beautiful sword in both hands, one that seemed to draw the eye. As she watched, he raised it, pointing it at an enemy behind her.
She turned to look at what he saw, and took a step back unconsciously. The monster before her was easily eight feet tall, vaugely human-shaped in that it stood on two legs and had hands, but it was covered in scales, its mouth splitting open its round head with fangs protruding and dripping. It eyes were the worst feature, though, a piercing blood red set in black, with an expression in them of hunger and malice. "Ah, White King," the creature hissed, flexing its clawed fingers in anticipation. "How lovely to see you again."
He didn't respond, keeping the sword raised. "Not as happy to see me, eh?" the creature chuckled, taking a step forward with enough force to crack the stone underneath his feet. "But I'm so happy to see you. You're the last stop on my way to see the queen."
"You're not going to get that far," the White King said in a low, factual tone. "I'll kill you for what you've done to our Knight and Bishop, Bandersnatch."
"You're not going to kill me for them," the Bandersnatch laughed, towering over the smaller human. "They, however, will kill me for you."
The Bandersnatch then vanished from sight. Ameko gasped in surprise, turning to look back at the White King. The Bandersnatch stood behind him, leaning over to whisper in his ear, the human's face filled with shock. "Suffer," the Bandersnatch said gleefully, vanishing as the White King turned toward him.
Looking around, the White King turned, raising his sword just in time to absorb a blow from the Bandersnatch. The force of the powerful arm knocked him back, and he switched the sword to his other hand, the injured arm dangling limply. Panting for breath, he waited for the next move.
The Bandersnatch only laughed, vanishing again, and this time the White King did as well, the two blinking in and out in various spots across the room. Ameko turned around, trying to keep track of them, and then a cry spit the air, the sword whizzing through the air to embed itself in a post near Ameko's head. The White King was knocked to the floor, groaning as he tried to get up, reaching for the sword.
"Would you like your sword?" the Bandersnatch purred, crouching by the human. "I'll let you have it in just a moment. There's just one quick thing and then you can have your sword." The creature's mouth opened wide, almost seeming to split in two, and then he brought his fangs down, sinking them into the man's side.
Ameko put her hands to her ears at the agonizing scream that filled the room, staring in horror as the wound began to turn purple and black, the colors swirling down his exposed skin. Black steam began to rise off his body as he reached in vain for the sword, swirls of black entering his wide eyes. Dragging himself across the floor as the muscles underneath his skin began to writhe, he reached up for the sword, and cried out when his hand came in contact with it, the skin burning away at the touch. "No," he whispered in shock, collapsing back onto the ground.
"I see it's true," the Bandersnatch observed. "The Sword of the Lion and the Unicorn cannot be handled by a person of Neverland."
"No!" the man cried out, in physical pain as much as mental anguish, reaching for the sword again. This time, his hand didn't have the strength to reach up, and he fell back, flopping onto his back.
The Bandersnatch leaned over him, and smiled, the grin going from ear to ear. "And now, dear little White King," he crooned, stroking the man's discolored cheek in a tender gesture. "Shall I let you join your dear friends?"
Ameko's eyes widened in horror as the Bandersnatch's neck extended downward, mouth opened wide over the White King's body, and then she turned, running through the nearby door and slamming it shut behind her. Leaning against it and gasping for breath, she realized she'd just witnessed the murder of her grandfather.
The images, however, weren't through with her. Ahead of her on the stairs stood a woman, the one she had come to recognize as the White Queen. Closing her eyes, she tried to block out the images she knew were coming, but a thump against the door sent her fleeing up the stairs with the ghostly woman.
She made her way to the top of the tower, Ameko following, and locked the door behind her, looking down toward the nearby forest below. Ameko looked as well, and she could see two men leading her mother away. "Please don't show me this," she whispered to the shade of the past.
The woman did not reply, of course, and turned toward the door, her mouth set in a thin line. "If only we had it," she murmured to herself.
"Had what? What are you talking about?"
The woman looked over, and Ameko jerked back as she appeared to look right at her. No--she was looking at her, and smiled slightly. "A secret thing of our kingdom. You must be a shade from the future."
"You can see me?"
"Don't worry about me," the woman reassured, looking back to the door. "I can see my own future. To you...this has already happened. I don't know what will happen after today, so I cannot give you advice. Be strong. Be brave. The White Rook will open the doors to your future."
"I can't," she murmured. "I'm scared and I don't think I can do this by myself."
The woman smiled. "You aren't alone, Ameko. You have those of us in the past who came before to show you the way. And you will have many people in your future that will help you. That much I can see."
Ameko shook her head as the door in front of them thumped, then was knocked down completely, the Bandersnatch ducking its head in to the room. "One left," he said with his head-splitting grin, fixing his eyes on her.
"No!" Ameko cried, backing against the wall, unable to look away as her grandmother began to do battle with the beast, striking against him with nothing but her magic and her bare hands. "Stop! I can't take any more! Please don't!"
The Bandersnatch struck a blow with its claws, and the White Queen winced at the blood that erupted from her arm, sealing the wound with a touch. The bandersnatch only grinned wider, snapping its fangs at her, but she pushed them away with a finger, feet skidding back against the floor. Ameko let out a wordless cry as he struck at her again, knocking her to the ground, and shut her eyes, pressing her face into her hands.
She was barely aware of the strong arms that circled around her, lifting her up and moving her at a swift pace, away from the terrible battle. And then there was the sensation of the wind whipping her hair around and a sense of falling, and she realized she was out of the tower.
Opening her eyes, she squinted at the presence carrying her. Catching a glimpse of white ears, she let herself slump against him, feeling too exhausted to do otherwise. The cat sailed through the air, landing in a tree outside the castle, bouncing off the branch he landed on like a spring and using the momentum to cross the tree, jumping to another nearby. The cat didn't stop until they were in the forest, finally setting her down on a branch. "Hey. You okay? What the hell happened in there, Ameko?"
"Nikado...." She clung to him, body shaking, and was unable to say anything else. The cat's tail swished madly at the contact, then slowed as he put a clawed hand on her head.
"Hey. It's okay now. You're safe. The tower can't get you." She didn't respond, only stayed where she was, hands tight in his shirt and whole body shaking. He let out a soft sigh, stroking her hair and murmuring reassurances.
She at last became aware of the setting sun, letting go of him. "You okay?" he asked in concern, letting his legs dangle off the branch as she leaned against the trunk.
"I saw...." She ground her heels into her eyes.
"Hey, stop that," he ordered, taking her wrist in his hand. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to resist the urge to just shake again. "Have you heard of a creature named the Bandersnatch?"
The cat frowned. "He's a general in the army of Neverland, I think. I've only heard rumors. He went after...." He trailed off, realizing what he had been about to say.
"He murdered my grandparents," she whispered. "He didn't just kill them, he destroyed them. They must have been in so much pain."
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"Why are you sorry?"
He opened his mouth, then shut it. "It seemed like you were close to them. It's always sad to lose one you're close to. Isn't that what you told me?"
She reached for his hand, clutching it tightly. "Yes... Thank you for coming for me."
"I thought you were going to kill yourself," the cat said seriously. "You weren't moving or responding when I tried to reach you."
"Thank you," she repeated.
He sighed, resting his arm on a knee, tail swishing back and forth. "Are you really okay?"
"No. I feel like I'm going to be sick and I don't know what I'd do if he came after me."
"You'd run away, of course," he told her. "Fighting is a pointless venture. I...hate people that are violent."
"Why?"
He sighed, then looked over at her. "We'll, while we're ripping each others' wound open... My mother died violently. She was beaten to her death by a human while my sister and I watched."
"I'm sorry."
"The human was the man that sired me."
That made her jerk back in surprise. "Your father?"
"He is not my father," the cat hissed. "I refuse to acknowledge him as anything other than the man who sired me. He destroyed my mother. He tortured her and then he killed her. She *trusted* him, gave him her name. She even loved him. Her life was nothing more than a means to an end."
"I'm sorry. I can't...I can't imagine." She gave his hand a little squeeze. "I wish you could have met my father. I think even you would have liked him."
"Oh?"
"Yes. He's strong, and smart, but gentle," she said, wrapping her arms around her legs. "He always made sure to teach me right from wrong. I always felt loved when I was with him, like there would always be a value to my presence with someone. Now he's gone and I can't see him. I wish...I wish he were here...."
The cat looked at her with soft eyes, and looked as if he might say something, but nothing came out, and he turned away. "I need to go back," she said after a moment. "I have more work to do."
"Are you sure? You can take a night off. You don't want to burn yourself out."
"It's fine. I'm not going to go back to that tower."
He sighed again. "Then I'll see you back, at least. Here, get on my back so I can get you back to the ground."
She put her arms around his neck, and he picked her up with a little grunt, going to the edge of the branch and jumping off. Working his way back into the trees of the White Kingdom, he crossed to a tree near the walls, jumping onto the edge of the wall and dropping down inside. Once on the ground, he didn't give her a chance to get down, carrying her through the great hall and up the stairs beyond, finally making her way to her bedroom before he set her down. "But I'm not tired. I need to work."
"You are tired, Ameko Satoka," he urged gently, pushing her back down onto the bed, and suddenly she felt she could agree with him. "Take a little nap, it'll do you some good."
She laid back with a little sigh, and he hopped onto the bed, curling up near her. A hand slowly reached out for him, running her fingers lightly across his ear, pausing over the little scar that was still there. "Your fur's very soft."
"Cheshires tend to be," he replied with his eyes closed.
"Tell me about your mother," she said after a moment, rubbing his ear in a reassuring motion.
"She was very wise. She had a soft spot for humans before I was born. A lot of the cats respected her, even though she let herself be kept by a human. Their respect for her was great enough that they didn't say anything about my fur when I was born."
"Your fur?"
"Most cheshires are striped. I'm a bit of a freak, I guess," he said with a slight shrug.
"You're not a freak. I think it's beautiful," she murmured, turning over and putting his arms around him, still petting his ear.
"Go to sleep, Ameko."
She nodded, letting herself drift off to sleep. Nikado looked over at her, and surprised himself with a pleasant rumble in his throat, letting her snuggle against him. That feels good, he admitted to himself at the touch of her fingers on his ear. I guess this is why cats will let themselves be kept.
He let out a little squeak of protest as he grip tightened, the woman letting out a frightened whimper. It must have been frightening. It's okay now. He turned in her arms, purring reassuringly as he licked at her face, wiping away her tears. It's okay. Have a peaceful rest.
The cat was still in bed when she woke up, tail swishing occasionally in his sleep. Ameko smiled as she got up, feeling grateful for his presence as she looked out at the window. Dawn had yet to come, but she didn't feel like sleeping any longer. Grabbing a change of clothing, she went down to the baths, submerging her entire body under the warm waters, letting the heat seep into her. That shade of my grandmother responded to me. Was I in her time, or was she in mine? she wondered, emerging for air. Damn it, every time I think I've answered a question, another pops up. Could she see my future? Where am I going to find the other people that will help me?
Resting her arms on the edge of the bath, she thought about the cat, still curled up on her bed. For a cat that doesn't like humans, he's very kind to me. Maybe he just needs a reason to like humans after what his father did.
His father. I guess that would make him half-human, then, and half-cat. He certainly doesn't look any less cat than any other cat, not that I've seen many--or any at all. She shook her head. I need to think about finding this thing that my grandmother talked about. Could it be the thing I saw that cat carrying into the hall in the mirror?
So many questions. She let herself float on her back, staring up at the ceiling, a stray thought coming to her. The other kingdoms that were still in place, which were their closest neighbors? She tried to remember. Blue, but blue had been all but destroyed, the royal family wiped out and the Blue Rook hiding itself away. There was red, but she didn't know much about them. There was also Winter to their border, and...Autumn, perhaps? It might be worth her while to see one of those kingdoms once the castle was strong enough to stand on its own.
Nikado's face suddenly peered into her own. "What do you see in that much water?" he wanted to know.
She let out a startled squawk, ducking down into the water. "Don't you knock when you enter a bathroom?" she asked crossly, covering her chest with her arms.
His tail puffed out indignantly. "For all I knew, you were drowning. Some gratitude you have."
"Sorry, but I do have my modesty, you know," she replied sourly.
Nikado began cleaning his ear, clearly not bothered. "So? They're just milk sacks."
"M-milk--" She looked around for something to throw at him. "Oh, stop teasing me and get out before I throw you into this water, so help me!"
His tail poofed out fully at the threat, and he didn't need a second invitation, stalking out with tail high, muttering about oversensitive humans. "Nikado," she called after him. "What do you know about our neighbors?"
He looked over at her, then turned away. "About the other kingdoms? Blue is dead, Black's pretty stable at the moment, Spring's quiet as always and Winter's shelled itself off from the rest of the world. Why?"
"I think I should meet with them sometime," Ameko said, going to the edge of the bath. "I could use some advice from some people that are a bit more experienced. Where would you suggest?"
"Black, I suppose," Nikado answered after a moment. "I'm not sure you could actually get in to Spring or Winter."
"I'm not sure I can go anywhere right now," she added. "The White Rook still isn't powerful enough to resist the shock of me leaving the kingdom for a long period of time. Do you think you could get in to Red, then, and see about a possible meeting?"
"I could try, I suppose." He laid down at the opening to the bath, stretching. "We can talk about it in the morning."
