also ANOTHER thing i really like about tma is how they have this concept of "gods" but they also stick very strongly to the "they're NOT gods they're so much MORE than that" idea. like yeah gertrude was totally right when she said i believe that may be the best analogy for our short-term purposes or whatever when she was recording the tape for the Next Archivist. she was real for that. and then after the reveals the series did a good job of not just beginning but expanding on that instead of leaving it at "they're gods but not; interpret that as you will because we can't explain it". it's just so much scarier and better to have a more concrete framework in the audience's minds — while also making said framework completely inconceivable — as to what a dread power really is.
to me at least it doesn't sound too fantastical or far-fetched at all for the story they're telling, despite the cliché "oh here are the specific categories of fear we have been writing the statements around and here is the epic hero's journey that will be embarked upon in order to defeat this great pyramid of magic hierarchy" shtick that might appear to be the case at first. they actually balance the sense and the nonsense perfectly i think. the dread powers bleed together in such a way that the impossibility of a single ritual succeeding is logical, but also that being able to discern particular rituals at all makes sense canonically too.
(woah, this is mostly just for writing practice, and hey, best way to go about it is in a storybook setting lol. Hope y'all enjoy and sorry for any spelling mistakes or punctuation errors, I was just excited to kickstart this little side project)
* ~ StoryBook IBVS ~ *
Chapter 1 – Once Upon A Time:
Once upon a time, in a luxurious and prosperous kingdom there was a mortal of magical prowess. Who within the world, was known as a mage with a talent for dark forbidden magic, who was currently being sponsored by the wealthy nobles to use his magic for good. However…as of the current moment, the mage went from a childhood full of magical prowess to… being Isaac Beamer. Someone who had no idea where he was and no idea of the history of this world.
Waking up on a picturesque hill, where the grass was greener then green and the sky was a bright blue with a few clouds scattered around, facing towards the bright shining kingdom directly in Isaac’s face…ironically waking him up. Making him groan and grumble as he rubbed his eyes. Before feeling extremely unsettled by the fact he was in fact in a completely different world.
Soon springing up to his feet as he checked the area around him. The colours feeling far too vibrant compared to the world where he was originally from. Even flowers felt unusually bright as Isaac could see the flowers fields in the far off distance. The world was far too surreal to be real. But as Isaac scanned the area, he could hear the gentle breeze and people shouting and cheering in the far off distance, he could smell the scent of flowers (which oddly enough had a faint paper smell along with it) and he could feel the grassy texture of the ground around him.
Yep. The place he was currently in was most certainly ‘real’ to a degree. Not knowing much about how he got here, he just knew that this probably wasn’t the strangest situation he had ever been. Isaac looks down the large hill that led to a tall wall that surrounded the kingdom wall. Deciding that would be the best place to start looking for his way home, he began his stride down the hill…before immediately tripping over a strange metallic object and falling flat on his face.
“What the-“ He grumbles, pulling himself off of the ground and inspecting whatever he had fallen over. “…Huh.” He said upon finding that it was a gauntlet, which had a person’s arm in it and that person was thankfully familiar in this unfamiliar word.
Dressed in a full suit of pristine and well looked after armour, dawning a bright red woven scarf, was what this world knew as the Captain of the Royal Guard. The one who had exceeded to the top of his class and graduated a grand school for knights in training. Therefore, despite being young for a Captain (for this world’s standard) he was an excellent candidate to be in charge of a group of talented young men with the most dangerous task of all.
To protect the royal family, no matter the cost.
Yet within this world. The prior training and knowledge to be in such a prosperous was all forgotten…replaced by the memories of one school king within FoxField, Edward Quinton. Someone else who had no idea where they were or how they got here…mostly due to the fact he was currently fast asleep.
A peaceful expression over his face…which Isaac admired for just a few seconds, smirking in slight amusement that the world they had transported too removed his ever present hair gel. Letting the tightly wound curls fall graciously over his face.
Isaac never really thought he’d see Ed in such a peaceful state. With all the power ramblings and dealing with Felix’s schemes, he always seemed to be in some state of over enthusiasm or being the king of FoxField. But, Isaac was also not in the mood to let Ed simply sleep when they were in such a strange space.
“…Psst, Ed.” He nudges Ed’s arm gently with his leg. “It’s time to get up you know. Since we have a situation here.” He added before reaching round his hip for a small satchel, noticing a book that rested there. And upon hearing Ed start to snore, he holds the book in his hands and dropped it on Ed’s chest.
Which thanks to the metal armour…a loud bang erupted as the two collided, making Ed jolt up in alarm.
“I’M AWAKE-“ He exclaimed as he sits up like a bullet. Blinking in alarm he soon looked around, his face confused. “...Isaac?” He said not even making direct eye contact with him. “What’s going on?” He picked up the book and handed it to him.
“Beats me.” Isaac said with a shrug and placed the book back in its original hold. “…But I think we’re in a different world.”
“I’d have to agree with you there.” Ed rubs his eyes, now also adjusting to this world’s heightened sense of colours.
Isaac put his hands on his hips. “…Got any idea on how we got here, ‘cause I can’t remember anything.”
“Like to how we could’ve got here?” Ed double-checks, which Isaac nodded to confirm. “…I remember us hanging out in the lair. Well me and you, as well as Drew.” Ed proceeded to stare intently at the ground. “I think we were talking about us meeting up after school, Wolfe barged in and…that’s all I think I know.”
“Well it’s more than I know.” Isaac looked over back at the castle. “…How much are we betting that’s Wolfe’s castle over there?” He said in a humorous tone.
“Honestly, with his huge ego…I’d say we’d need to compare all the castle’s here first before we can decide which one’s his.” Ed added before coming to a realisation. “Wait have you seen Drew yet?”
“Nope, you’re the first person I’ve seen.”
“Then if we were all together before being sent here, surely he’s around here somewhere-“ Immediately Ed was bolting into action, beginning to awkwardly make his way down the hill. This suit of armour would take some getting use too.
Isaac proceeds to follow, at a more leisurely pace. “Can’t you find him with your intuition?” He questions almost immediately catching up with Ed.
“Maybe? But at the moment it feels like the feeling is at a constant right now. Especially from that kingdom.” Ed replied, before looking amongst the fields. “If he’s not in the kingdom’s direction, maybe I can.” He adds, deciding to try and walk backwards down the steeper portions of the hill and check the grassy verges ahead.
Unfortunately also tripping over something metallic.
His own leg.
Luckily, Isaac reacted in time to grab Ed and pull him forward. “…You good?”
“Yeah…thanks for that.” Ed quickly thanks getting his two feet properly on the floor below him. “…And I don’t think he’s in the grass.”
“Well, with any luck, his sixth sense is way better than yours at recognising people so maybe he’ll find us before we find him.”
“Good point.” Ed agreed for a moment. “…Unless he’s asleep.”
Isaac sighed. “No one woke me up and I ended up just fine.”
“And we’re sure about this.” Ed said slightly teasingly. Before pausing in his steps, his head sharply turning to the right. “There.”
“What?”
“Drew’s over there-“ Ed began to make his way towards a very, very small wooden area right next to the kingdom’s walls.
Which looked rather conspicuous. There was a singular archway which led into the wooded areas. It was extremely well decorated, the vines wrapped around two small trees that were also woven together, where dotted along its carefully intertwined there was plenty of roses of all different colours. Even more peculiar… Isaac and Ed witnessed as small pixie like creatures tended to the roses.
Forcing even those that had began to wilt or those that had yet to bloom, to come to life and blossom. Their strange eerily high pitched giggles drew the two boys to their location, as quiet whispers gossiped about the fearless captain and the strange mage. Yet Isaac and Ed could not make a word of their conversations.
“…You sure you sensed him here? And not these…fairies?” Isaac asks, getting multiple tiny glares at the simple mix up off a fairy and a pixie.
Ed, fascinated by what he saw. Had raised a hand to one of the tiny beings creations, brushing his hand against some of the flowers delicate petals. “…I don’t think so. Well, we’ll never know if we don’t check.” He stares into the brush ahead…seeing as though a few steps in they’d be in front of a clearing. “…Maybe we can ask one of these?”
“Okay, well you can.” Isaac quickly said proceeding to hide behind Ed from the onslaught of murderous stares.
“Fine.” Ed responds looking at the pixies. “Hey there. So we’re looking for our friend, Drew Jovel? Do you know if he’s here?” He followed up the request by providing a brief description.
Their giggles soon erupted into shrieks, excited chatter was amongst them as seemingly more pixie’s emerged from the bushes and leaves above. Grabbing at their clothes and swiftly rushing the two boys inside their wooden globe. Continuing to giggle manically as they soon dropped the two boys off in the centre…the only place where the sun actually shone through the densely plotted woods.
And where the next member of their club was, sleeping peacefully in the dew covered grass.
Dressed in what most have been the finest clothes amongst the three, wearing a golden waistcoat with white gloves and button up shirt (which miraculously wasn’t dirty). A silver crown laying by his side as the Prince of this world slept without a care in the world. Within this world, the Prince was known mostly by his people as the sheltered Prince of their kingdom. Though from his few appearances in the public eye, many would say he was kind-hearted and full of grace.
Yet the royal life something high schooler Drew Jovel was certainly not use too.
“…I think I can guess who lives in the castle now.” Isaac said slightly jokingly.
While Ed proceeded to actually go awaken their friend and see if Drew could add anything to what they already knew. “Drew? Hey it’s time to get up.” He gently shakes his shoulder. “…Isaac I swear, if you throw that book-“ He said noticing Isaac standing ominously at his side, book in hand.
“What? It’s an effective way to get people up!”
Ed sighs once more. “Fine I’ll let you do it, if we can’t wake him up.” Ed then tries sitting Drew up, hoping that moving him around would hopefully wake him up. Yet all it did…was make Drew slightly stir before immediately falling back into deep sleep. “Drew! Hey Drew-“ Ed starts shaking him more. Snapping his fingers in one hand, right in front of Drew’s face.
Which was starting to properly wake up Drew…who upon opening his eyes. “…Ed?...Did I fall asleep again?” He said, yawning as though he was genuinely tired compared to the other two.
“Nope, don’t worry. This is…a bit of a strange situation.” Ed reassured, making sure Drew was sat up properly before he let go off his shoulder.
“Feel like that’s the only way we can describe this situation.” Isaac commented putting the book away once more. “Anyway, you remember anything before we ended up here?”
Drew couldn’t help but weakly laugh. “You’re asking the guy with the worse memory about what happened before we got here?” He was briefly bewildered by where they were. “…But I think I remember something with Chris and Nev.”
“…Wait what?” Isaac said baffled. “Ed didn’t you say we were in the lair?”
“Yeah then Wolfe barged in.” Ed adds, as he and Isaac look at Drew for more context clues.
“Oh yeah he was there too.” Drew confirmed. “But Nevin and Chris broke into the lair first, so I kinda told Nevin not to do that and we started arguing.”
“Classic.” Isaac interjected.
“…Yeah, and then Felix came in with a book and…here we are I guess?” Drew gets onto his feet. “…Which, I could get use to this.” He said happily glancing around.
Isaac shrugged. “It’s not too bad. But we should probably try and leave.” He turns around back to where they just came from.
Ed hummed in agreement. “Definitely. I mean there’s a kingdom around the corner if you wanna check that out.” He said to Drew as he began to follow.
“…Are we in some kind of storybook or something?” Drew commented seeing the sparkle in the ground, indicating where ‘his’ crown lay. Deciding to pick it up and immediately. “Hey Isaac? Do you mind putting this in your bag?” He catches up.
“Sure.” He shrugged opening up the latch and seeing the precious crown get placed inside.
Making their way out of the wooden area, the trio swiftly decided to climb one of the nearby tree’s in order to gain access inside of the Kingdom’s walls. Luckily for them the Pixies gave them no hastle as they hopped over the walls, hiding in the dark alleyway, hidden from the sun as they discussed a brief plan on what to do.
Unknowingly airing out their plans to those lurking in the shadows…those who had been keeping a cautious eye on the trio ever since they had awaken…
Waiting. Waiting for the perfect moment…to get this story back on track.
Hey so it's Friday again and I'm in the drawing mood! My ask box is open so feel free to ask away anon or not and I'll respond to it like i usually do; with a picture, or short comic depending on the ask, and some text along with it. So ask! Anything you want, and as much as you want! Have fun!
