Starting the Journey

Alex had spent a while with the magic mirror, quite enjoying their company. However, they had then reminded her to get on her way and she knew that they were right. She should start her journey. If she was going to help she should do so as soon as possible. So she'd immediately headed towards the woods on her own and asked Queen Victory to meet her there. Alex currently stood just on the border of the trees, waiting for the Queen to join her.

"For someone who created something as amazing as me, you really do lack intelligence don't you" Queen Victory commented casually as she easily joined Alexandria. Walking up behind her and adjusting her cloak around her shoulders. As usual her golden tiara atop her head held in place by her complex braid. Her make up flawless and her dress simple elegance. She let out a breath and continued "but Logan has a thing for you, if that is what 'I would tap that means' - always eloquent my husband - and therefore ... lets do this. Where do you want to go first?"

Alex turned slightly pink at that comment. She found it rather odd that he would actually say that to his wife until she remembered that he was Logan. Ah, it all made sense all of a sudden. All the same, there was a rather awkward pause before Alex cleared her throat and said, "Well, the magic mirror suggested I look at the places were my char- were some of you have died... I already know about most of the ones that I kil- I mean, that died while I was writing... So can you take me to some of the places were people have died more recently?"

"You want to see the grave of a character you did not kill off?" Queen Victory asked in a thoughtful tone. Considering this request "well in order to go into that part of the woods we are going to have to discuss a couple of rules. Firstly if the air starts to feel hot, or humid, run for home as fast as you can without stopping. Secondly I am in charge of this little mission. What I say goes, got it?"

"Well, not necessarily the grave, but the place they died," Alex clarified before thinking about Victory's terms. Alex needed her as a guide... Plus, the mirror had said to take her. However, Alex was not good at doing what she was told. But she decided she didn't have much of a choice and eventually decided, "Fine. So long as you don't tell me to jump off a cliff or something equally dangerous."

"Where is the fun in that? If I wanted to kill you I would at least ensure it was in a way that was fun for me too" Queen Victory simply replied with amusement and a casual shrug like motion. She then turned and strode off into the wood. Expecting Alexandria to follow and keep up. To show she expected this she spoke again "but the others might be slightly put out if you died. Considering your meant to save us. So I shall put my personal hatred for what you have done to me aside, and let it go. Besides their is a beautiful irony in the fact you made me jealous, neurotic and irrational and therefore my hatred for you is written by you."

Alex followed Victory, slightly behind her but not to much so that she could lead since Alex had no idea were she was going but she was still close enough to hold a conversation. She raised an eyebrow at Victory and asked curiously, "Why do you hate me?" Of course, Alex had made her the villain, but she didn't see why that would make her mad. She was the villain because she had the personality of a villain. Thus, she hadn't seemed to mind it in the writing.

"You destroyed my life. You took everything away from me. My kingdom, my people and almost my life. You ruined everything. And fine maybe I deserved to be punished for my part in the Snow White story. I am not exactly ashamed of being a bad person in a lot of ways. But you have created my story in such a fashion that I am doomed to spend the rest of my life unable to love my husband - I hate you for that" Queen Victory informed Alexandria with a rare show of emotion as she walked.

Alex thought this over. "You're not incapable of love," She eventually informed her. Of course, she wasn't Victory, so she couldn't know this. But when she'd written her she didn't think of her that way. Yes, she was cold-hearted. But Alex had always assumed she really did care about Logan to some degree or other. Plus, Alex didn't like to think that it was impossible for anyone to find love. She shook her head slightly and added, "As for the rest... well, I'm sorry. Unfortunately, that's all I can say, but it's the truth." Alex did feel bad for what she'd written. She had clearly really hurt the people here...assuming they were real, of course.

"I think we already established I like to poison girls who are prettier than me. Imagine what I might want to do to people who attract the attention of my boyfriend. Does that sound like the foundations of a healthy relationship to you" Queen Victory simply replied and her tone had taken on the cold indifference she was use to. She then shut down the conversation with a simple "almost there."

Alex opened her mouth to object that Victory had said she wanted to love Logan, not have a healthy relationship with him. However, she decided to respect Victory's wishes to end the conversation when she clearly changed the subject. It was probably just as well that Alex didn't comment since it wouldn't have been remotely helpful. So she changed tack and instead just said, "Great." She hesitated a moment before asking, "Um... who..." She wanted to ask who had died at the place they were approaching, but she wasn't sure how to do that without sounding insensitive. Or even if she wanted to know herself.

"Red Riding Hood" Queen Victory replied "My husband helped save her from a wolf once, she was a sweet child - and now I feel almost bad. I suppose being married has made me attempt to care a little more. Attempt being the operative word. But she never saw it coming. Just one day she was there and the next day this ..." They had come into a clearing. Around the clearing were burned stumps of trees and the empty shell of what had once been a cottage.

Alex frowned slightly as she listened to Victory talk about Little Red Riding Hood. She felt rather bad that the little girl had died even if she had never really been one of Alex's favorite characters. She supposed the idea that they might be real made it harder to feel impartial at their deaths. She shook these thoughts from her head as she looked around. She assumed they had reached their destination since this was clearly Riding Hood's cottage. Well, it used to be, anyways. Now it just looked dead. For a moment, Alex just looked at the area with a sad expression. But it quickly turned curious. "Now what am I supposed to find here?" She pondered as she started forwards to begin exploring.

"I have no idea what your looking for, and quite frankly I am bored now. So I have a question. Do you have one of these?" Queen Victory had pulled a magazine out of her shoulder bag. She was now holding up a picture of a mobile phone. She had no idea what one was but she was sure that they were something human. And she wanted to experience what one was like.

"Yeah well, I don't really know what I'm looking for, either," Alex admitted, simply continuing to scan the area around her. She glanced back at Victory to see what she was talking about. "She nodded slightly when she saw the picture of a cell phone. She didn't like to talk on the phone, but the Evil Warlock had bought her one anyways so that he could contact her. So Alex confirmed, "I do. Why?"

"I believe non-optional social convention dictates I give you some form of pleasantry before asking you for a favour. To that end I can almost forgive you for being the current object of my husbands affection. As it is not your fault you are not completely deformed nor unfortunate looking ... to that end may I please see your ... 'mobile' ..." Queen Victory replied in her usual emotionless indifferent tone with an almost smile.

Alex shifted rather uncomfortably at that comment and said, "Well, if it makes you fele any better, I have no interest in a fictional character... er, I mean, Logan." Alex shook her head slightly, realizing that probably was utterly unhelpful. She took out her phone and tossed it carelessly at Victory as she said, "By all means." She honestly didn't care if it fell on the way to Victory and promptly stopped working. Or if Victory broke it. It wouldn't be the first time the Evil Warlock would have to replace it- Alex detested phones and wasn't afraid to show it. Plus, it didn't help that she had a tendency to take out her anger at the Evil Warlock's messages on the device he had delivered it by.

"No - that comments make absolutely no difference to me" Queen Victory simply replied as though it was obvious. She stepped forward and caught the mobile. She then proceeded to inspect it. Playing with the numbers. Attempting to get it to do something without being sure what it was meant to do. Then suddenly the phone began to make a weird ringing noise. Almost dropping the phone she held it out towards Alexandria "it says DP is calling ... whatever that means?"

"Joy," Alex muttered as she took the phone. DP, of course, stood for Diabolical Publisher. She had plugged that in a while before she'd come up with Evil Warlock and hadn't ever bothered to change it. Diabolical Publisher was good enough, she supposed.

Alex looked at the phone for a few rings, trying to decide if she actually wanted to answer it. First of all, the Evil Warlock couldn't even be mad at her if she didn't answer her phone in a dream. Secondly, she currently had no interest in talking to him. In her mind, it was his fault she'd broken her ankle in the first place. Of course, she'd made the stupid decision to wear high heels while climbing a tree, but he was the one who had made her wear high heels and so desperate to climb a tree.

But Alex supposed that yhe might actually be helpful... Somehow. After all, if the dream had decided to put in a phone call, it must have a purpose... well, unless if it was going to turn into one of those bizarre, nothing makes sense dreams, but so far it didn't seem like one of those. So she sighed and rather reluctantly flipped open the phone and brought it up to her ear, giving her customary greeting for the Evil Warlock of, "What do you want?"

Queen Victory did not make any move to listen to the conversation. She wondered away while the other girl talked. Lazily surveying the area. But then she paused. She could smell burning. It smelled like it was coming from nearby. Eyes widening Queen Victory turned and yelled "run!" Before sprinting as fast as she could away from the woods and towards home. To the head quarters.

Alex snapped her phone shut when Victory yelled at her to run and put it in the pocket of the pants she'd received at the headquarters to replace her hospital garb. However, she hesitated to actually do what she was told. She wasn't really sure what was wrong yet, but she figured it had to be something out of the ordinary or Victory wouldn't care. It might very well be what Alex had come to see. Besides, she had no real sense of danger since she still half-believed this was a dream. One couldn't die in a dream- they simply woke up.

But Alex recalled making a promise to Victory that, if she came along, Alex would do what she said. Of course, she had said that she wouldn't do anything dangerous, but following Victory was more the safe move than the dangerous one. She could feasibly make the argument that staying was safer for Fairy Tale World, but she felt like the would be stretching it. And Alex wasn't one to go back on her words. So, after a few seconds of silent debate, she turned and ran after Victory.

Queen Victory eventually slowed to a walk. When the air stopped feeling burning hot. She considered checking that Alexandria had run to. Then it occurred too her that she did not care. So she just kept moving forward. Still heading for the head quarters. She wanted to get back to Logan and far away from the stupid forest. She had no wish to die. She actively did not want to die in fact.

Alex resisted the urge to glance back and try to see what they were running from. She had a feeling it was important. After all, that was really the only interesting thing at the cottage. However, she knew that would just slow her down. So, instead, she focused on running faster and catching up to Victory. Alex was in good shape, but Victory had had a verily decent head start. So, by the time Alex had caught up and ran beside her she was panting for air. All the same, between these gasps, she managed to get out, "What... happened?"

"It got hot. Everyone knows what happens next when it gets hot. Someone dies" Queen Victory simply replied as though it was evident. She then added as they walked "but I did see something that you might find interesting. The area around three sides of the cottage were all destroyed, but the trees behind the cottage were absolutely fine. Quirky right?"

Alex nodded thoughtfully at this, absorbing the information. So the heat had something to do with the deaths, then? As for the cottage being destroyed, she wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Still speaking through gasps for breath she asked for clarification in the hopes that this would help her make a connection, "Destroyed... by what?"