Work Text:
Being roommates with Alex made sure that no day was full. Whether enemies were being snapped out of existence atom by atom before breakfast or customers in the queue being brainwashed to put their shopping down and walk away before dinner; no day was dull.
However, falling down a rabbit hole that seemed to go on forever was new and yet somehow also dull.
Morgan kept falling down, legs and arms crossed, waiting to be snapped back to Alex's side to scold them on opening interdimensional rabbit holes. But time seemed to keep going and Morgan seemed to keep falling.
A short while after, or maybe a long time after, other things seemed to be falling too, only in the other direction. A table, a clock, a deck of cards; an entire tea set complete with sugar cubes at one point.
It was only getting curiouser and curiouser.
Carefully, Morgan reached out for a book which was falling up. It had a picture of a cottage and a white rabbit on. "The late rabbit" Morgan read aloud.
It was a quick read, ten minutes or so, on a rabbit late for court at the Kingdom of Hearts. The rabbit kept forgetting things, much how Morgan had forgotten their phone that morning... They couldn't call Alex to get them out of this one...
They did all they could and simply continued to fall.
Down
Down
Down
Down
A thump came next as Morgan finally stopped falling, landing in what looked to be a makeshift crash pad made from leaves, mushrooms, and moss. Instead of being placed there is seemed as though they had burst from the ground, growing where needed.
Morgan found themself in a great hall, covered in doors of all sizes. Some large enough to fit entire buildings through, others which looked to be for ants.
Morgan had no other choice but to start walking. Maybe one of the doors was a way out, a way home.
Perhaps, Morgan thought, Alex had gotten far too sick of Morgan's jokes that they couldn't solve puzzles and made one themself to gloat.
Yes. That sounded about right.
Even when falling Morgan was in no danger, things moved out of their way and the landing was soft. Clearly this was a trick of Alex's.
So, they wandered through the massive hall, searching for the door that was just right.
It wasn't long before Morgan came to a door which seemed to beckon them.
It was just small enough that they couldn't fit, but all the same, Morgan felt as though this was the right one.
It was beautiful, much like the others, but this one was excellently crafted. Thick heavy oak with gold filling in what would have been knots and cracks in the wood.
The doorknob and hinges were also gold; polished to perfection with obvious care and love.
Yes, this was the door, Morgan thought.
But how the hell were they going to get through it?
It was too small to even crawl though. And even then... Morgan tried the doorknob, yes, it was also locked. Of course, why would anything be easy...
Pitter patter of hurried footsteps overtook Morgan's thoughts.
"Can't b-be late! Mustn't b-be late! Oh, look at the time!" A small white rabbit scampered down the hallway, a pocket watch in hand. He ran right up to the door Morgan had taken an interest in, and almost into Morgan themself without noticing. Only stopping briefly to look up at them, "I'm l-late!" He stuttered before going back to ignoring Morgan completely.
First, he tried the door, "L-locked, of course! Only only when I'm l-late!" The rabbit, who remind Morgan remarkably of Barnaby, hopped further down the hallway to a table Morgan could have sworn wasn't there before.
He took two things off the table, one was a key, the other something he quickly swallowed.
Amazed, and slightly confused, Morgan watched as Rabbit Barnaby shrank down to the perfect size of the door.
"L-late! l-late! l-late!" Rabbit Barnaby muttered with increasing volume as he hopped back over.
"Mustn't be l-late! Or it's s-stew for s-supper!" Rabbit Barnaby spoke once again to Morgan but in a way which Morgan felt he hadn't spoken to them at all, more seemingly at them.
With that Rabbit Barnaby unlocked the door, sun light flooding in with the sound of singing birds and the smell of a flower garden.
Rabbit Barnaby hopped through, down a path and out of sight. Morgan dropped to their hands and knees trying to catch another glimpse but could only hear the occasional muttering of being late fading away.
Well, that was odd.
Now what? Morgan thought.
The door had opened to a beautiful view. A dirt path leading far away into a high hedged garden. Over the hedge a castle could be seen, magnificently looking over the land with a high tower breaking through the clouds. If Alex was anywhere, it would be there.
Morgan glanced back over to the table. Whatever Rabbit Barnaby had taken to be small enough to fit should still be there, right?
Morgan wandered over, as they got a few paces from the door, it slammed shut and Morgan clearly saw a golden key appear on the table.
The table was made of glass. Not just the surface but the legs too. It was a work of art. Something Morgan would plan a heist to steal; definitely not something that should be found in some wired hallway.
The glass seemed to shimmer with a rainbow of colour every time Morgan made a slight movement.
It was truly mesmerising.
On top was the golden key which Morgan had watched reappear and a silver plate. On which were a few perfect squares of toast with little jam hearts in the middle. Strawberry or raspberry, Morgan was unsure, but it was a beautiful ruby colour.
Morgan took a square, surprised to find it was warm and ate it.
There seemed to be no effect at first but soon a tingling feeling began in the toes, traveling up their legs, past their waist and into their fingers, up and up until Morgan sneezed as it tickled their nose and all a sudden, they looked up and the glass top was way above their head.
It was an odd sensation to be sure, to have to look up to see a tabletop, but only by looking up did Morgan notice something.
They hadn't picked up the key...
Morgan sighed and frowned.
Now what..?
Morgan carefully grabbed one of the table legs, trying to climb up but the polished glass gave no grip, and they slipped down.
Morgan landed on their back; almost certain they heard something pop.
Only when they sat up did they see the solution, under the large table was an identical, but much smaller table. It was made of the same beautiful glass and on top of it was a corked bottle of some purple liquid which seemed to swirl and dance indefinitely with a shine as the light hit it.
The label read drink me.
Simple enough instructions.
Morgan just hoped it would make them bigger and not smaller. Then again if they got smaller, they could probably fit under the door instead.
Morgan downed the bottle.
At first it felt the same, the tingling feeling traveling up their body, but them it became more intense like being stabbed but hundreds of needles.
Then they shot up.
Taller and taller and taller until their head hit the ceiling and Morgan was sure they'd end up bursting though the top of the already exceedingly high hallway.
As sudden as it started, the sensation died off.
Morgan stooped growing and took the opportunity to breath.
A deep breath seemed to take longer but that was to be expected now their lungs were as big as some of the doors.
Now what?
That seemed to be the phrase of the day.
This place made Morgan so confused.
The table had been knocked over and pushed too far to reach, Morgan had realised they were very very stuck.
Morgan groaned, hitting the floor with their fists which made then entire hall shake, much to the annoyance of someone else coming down the hall.
"Hey! Watch it, giant! I'm in a hurry you see! It's almost teatime!"
Morgan craned their neck to look down, only just able to see a mouse man scurrying under their legs.
"And what time is teatime?" Morgan asked, hoping some sense of time would bring them some sense of peace. This entire ordeal had been so disorientating, it felt as though it had been five minutes and five hours all at once.
The mouse looked angry, "Teatime is all the time! And I am late!" He shouted.
"How can you be late if it's all the time?" Morgan shouted back, becoming increasingly uncomfortable and annoyed.
The mouse fell over, "Don't shout! You're a giant, you shouldn't shout!"
"I'm not a giant! Not normally at least... Won't you please just help me?"
"Help you? Help you?! After you knock me down and have been so rude? Help yourself!" With that the mouse went to a different door and slammed it shut behind them without a key.
Morgan sighed, leaning their head back against the ceiling.
Everything here was giving them a headache and with a head so big it hurt so much more.
Once more the thought came, now what?
Maybe if Morgan could just get a little smaller, they could fit through the unlocked door and follow that annoying mouse. Morgan wanted answers about this place. They knew if they asked Alex, they'd play it off as though it took them five minutes to create.
What's more, Morgan hoped that Alex had listened to them as they had spent endless hours explaining a good puzzle; the first and obvious choice is always a red herring.
Morgan tried to move again, awkward shuffling slightly so that the glass table, which had stood itself back up again, was just within the grasp of their fingertips.
Carefully and slowly, very slowly, Morgan pulled it closer until they could pick it up.
On top was once again a full plate of toast with red jam hearts and a golden key, all of which were tiny now.
Or more accurately appeared tiny in comparison for Morgan's new size.
Morgan awkwardly picked up the key, dropping it to the ground beside them and then took the plate in their hands, every more awkward Morgan took a slice of toast.
They ate one, waiting for that odd tingling sensation to take over, and once it did Morgan realised it was making them feel rather ill.
Morgan only shrunk a small amount in comparison to their size and took another slice. This time they seemed to reach their normal height, maybe an inch shorter or taller, they couldn't quite tell.
Then a third slice, bringing them back down to the size they had been before.
That sick feeling overtook them now, hunching over and vomiting up an odd concoction of purple liquid and chunks of toast.
Morgan grimaced; they supposed it was better than finding out what having this crap in their body long enough to be fully digested could do to them.
Wiping their mouth, Morgan steadied themself again.
With their head was spinning and stomach lurching, they picked up the key to the locked door and headed to the door which the mouse man had escaped to.
Swinging open the door there was a forest, or what looked to be. The trees were tall mushrooms casting great shadows down to the well-trodden dirt path.
It was hard to tell whether the mushrooms were massive, or Morgan was just especially small, but thinking about it made their head spin more so they pushed that thought to the side for now and set off down the path.
After a good few paces, Morgan checked their pocket, glad to find the key still securely there.
After what seemed to be another few hours, or possibly fifteen minutes Morgan noticed the mushrooms began to glow a low blue bioluminescence.
It was rather beautiful, and much needed as the mushroom canopy was becoming darker and darker.
Morgan stumbled on.
As the path became completely lit by the mushrooms, Morgan saw smoke and the sound of humming.
"Who goes there?" A long-drawn-out voice spoke.
This voice Morgan recognised too, "Rex? Rex Roofer?"
As they turned the corner, Morgan saw a caterpillar Rex, lounging on a large mushroom taking long drags from a hookah.
"That is me. But who are you?" He let out a few perfect circles of smoke.
"Rex? You know me, you battle my brother Chad all the time."
"I didn't ask who your brother was." caterpillar Rex rolled his eyes, "Who are you?"
"You know who I am. What's going on? How did Ale-"
"It's fine to not know who you are. Many don't." Rex seemed rather uninterested in Morgan now, focusing on his smoke circles.
"I am Morgan!"
"Are you?" Rex moved now, his face close to Morgan's, "You don't seem too sure. What's more, you don't look like a Morgan," he sat back again taking a long drag once more, "to me." His finally finished, blowing out smoke that spelled Morgan, but the letters quickly blew away.
"Well, I am."
Rex raised a caterpillar eyebrow if caterpillars had such things, "you sound more sure, but are you sure of anything?"
Morgan's head hurt; this conversation was not helping.
"I'm looking for a mouse man." They said finally, hoping to change the conversation and get some answers.
"Oh?" More circles of smoke, "Any mouse man or a mouse man in particular."
This was just as frustrating, "A particular one. He must have pasted through here not long before me. Did he?"
"Well, why are you asking me? Did he?" Rex blew his smoke circles around Morgan's head now; it made them splutter.
"He must have, there is no other path!" Morgan swiped at the smoke.
"Then he must have. Glad to have helped." Rex moved back to sitting as if his work was done.
"Did you see him?" Morgan asked, incredibly frustrated now.
"I may have."
"Sounds like you're unsure of yourself now."
Caterpillar Rex spluttered, "I am always sure. Maybe you're just struggling to see from all the way down there."
"I'm not normally this size." Morgan huffed.
"Then change size."
"I can't!"
"You can. This mushroom can help if you won't on your own." Rex gestured the the large low mushroom he'd been sitting on this entire endless conversation, "One side will make you grow, the other," he took another drag, "will make you shrink."
Morgan appoched, taking a piece from each side, "Well which is which?"
"If two witches had two had two watches, which witch would watch which watch?"
Morgan grumbled, whatever had been in the hooka was starting to take effect.
Morgan looked down at the two pieces, only then noticing a small path which led out to a clearing.
Morgan followed, noticing the path getting wider suddenly.
Once again Morgan looked down at the two pieces.
Risking it, Morgan took a bite of the piece which came from the left side.
The dreaded feeling took over once again but luckily this time Morgan made the right choice and was raising up.
It was a short trip but Morgan felt more the right size now and set off following what would be the mouse's path if Morgan was correct.
Further down the path Alex couldn't help but marvel at the craftsmanship of this puzzle. If Alex had created this entire place just to get even with Morgan they definitely must have spent days on it, even for Alex, this was impressive.
Up ahead Morgan could here chattering as the thick trees thinned out, opening up to a clearing. At the centre of which was a long table, brimming with tea pots and cups and cakes and sandwiches.
At the head sat a figure in a hat, at the side was a hare and scampering to the table was the mouse.
"You're late! You were supposed to be here three tea times ago!" The figure in the hat complained.
"There was a giant in the hallway. I know I'm late. But you know who's also late?"
The figure in the hat's eyes shone with excitement, "oh tea time gossip, do tell!"
"The white rabbit." The mouse said proudly, happy to bring some news that entertained the hatter.
"The white rabbit?" The hare repeated nervously.
"Yes the white rabbit that's what he just said!" The hatter rolled his eyes just as his pocket watch made a dreadful noise.
A clatter, a wizz and a pop.
"Tea time!" The hatter announced with glee dropping said pocket watch into a cup of tea as they all clamoured to grab a tea pot, and despite the wide selection all grabbing the same one.
Now what?
Morgan made their way to the clearing. Closer to the table, maybe he could get some information about the puzzle from them.
"Excuse me."
Three pairs of eyes snapped to Morgan in an uncomfortable fashion.
"The giant!" The mouse man squeaked, giving up on his hold of the tea pot and scampered behind the hat-ed figure’s chair.
The hatter laughed, "that’s no giant, why their as big as you or I." He stated.
"They weren't before. Before they were huge!" The mouse popped out from behind the chair to show just how huge but hopped back after making eye contact.
"If you're quite done." Morgan was getting annoyed again, these idiots has nothing for them, "shall we start over? I'm Morgan, and who are you?"
All three blinked, the mouse slowly creeping out.
"Why I'm Toaster, the hatter. Some call me mad, I call me Toaster." He grinned.
"Mug the mouse." The mouse said meekly.
A faded memory came back to Morgan of the two popping up in the apartment after Alex turned everything that was once human, human again. The pair made a long trip to IKEA that day.
Morgan's eyes shifted to the hare, waiting expectantly for an answer.
“Did you see the white rabbit?” Was the answer they got instead. A look of concern on his face.
A face Morgan was starting to recognise to be similar to Ohio’s.
“Yes, I did. He wasn’t very helpful.” Morgan answered.
“Probably because you’re so rude!” Squeaked Mug the Mouse, briefly hopping out from behind Toaster.
Exhausted, Morgan slumped into a chair. “I’m not rude.” They grumbled, looking up to see all three of the characters looking at them with wide eyes.
“Why I never!” Exclaimed Toaster the Hatter, “Taking a seat at tea which you were not invited to! I’ve never seen something so rude in my life!”
“I told you! I told you!” Mug the Mouse chirped.
To Morgan, it didn’t make sense.
There were at least a dozen chairs around the table and only three guests. So what if they sat down? It shouldn’t matter if they weren’t using those seats.
What’s more, with all the walking and growing and shrinking, Morgan needed to sit down.
Really, they needed a lie down, preferably in their own bed, but there was a tempting pile of leaves not too far away which Morgan was more than prepared to take a chance on if things didn’t calm down any time soon.
One this was certain; Alex knew how to drive Morgan mad. Whether it was by making them change size far more than is probably healthy for one person or having others bickering.
Suddenly the Hatter’s pocket watch began to ring once again, which Morgan wasn’t sure how the watch managed it, especially as the Hatter pulled it out of the cup of tea, violently shook it and loudly exclaimed, “It’s teatime!”.
The three jumping up from their current seats and dashing around the table, scrambling into new seats and started grabbing new teapots and cups. They only stopped the frenzied activity to stare at Morgan expectantly who huffed out of their seat and slid into a new one.
“Tea?” Toaster Hatter asked, already pouring Morgan a cup and adding more sugar and milk than realistically made a good cup of tea.
Morgan sipped politely, grimaced and then put it down. “So, may I ask, where is the white rabbit late to? It isn’t another teatime? Is it?” Morgan asked, silently praying there wasn’t another exhausting tea party to crash.
The hare gulped, “Late to the castle...”
“I think I saw the castle. What’s there?” Morgan asked, noting how pale Ohio had become at the idea of being late.
“The Queen Of Hearts...” Was the whispered response they got from either Toaster or Mug; they weren’t sure.
“King of Hearts.” Whichever hadn’t spoken corrected.
“Ruler of Hearts.” Ohio whispered to correct them both.
Morgan gave a slow nod.
Could that be Alex’s character?
Of course, they’d make themself the ruler. How typical of them.
Out of the corner of their eye, Morgan saw a white dot scamper down the path from where Morgan had just emerged from and following the path back into the woods. That dot was muttering something to themself as they hopped along.
“I’m oh so very l-late. Very very l-late indeed!”
“The white rabbit!” Mug squeaked, pointing just as he disappeared back into the trees. “Very late to the Castle! May there be mercy on his soul...”
Almost falling over themself to get up, Morgan took off, ready to catch up with Barneby- Rabbit for him to take them to the castle so Alex could send them all home and Morgan could sleep this headache educing day away.
Thankful to be free of the chaotic tea party, Morgan took off, not into a sprint as PE had never been their strongest subject, but into a comfortable jog at speed.
However, every single time that Morgan finally felt as though they were getting closer, Barneby would disappear around a corner and from view long enough to somehow get further away.
It was incredibly frustrating.
The woods around them were getting dark again, however this time there were no glowing mushrooms to light the way.
Morgan found themself stumbling around, unable to see anything as all. That included the white rabbit...
There was a fork in the road with no way to know which way was the right way. Now they were truly lost.
“Fuck!” They shouted, kicking the dirt path.
“Well, that’s rude word.” A voice spoke, but no one appeared.
Morgan jumped, “Who’s there?” Something about that voice put them on edge.
“Who is anywhere?” The voice spoken again.
Morgan looked up into the trees, at first there was nothing there, but then there was a grin... and then eyes and then... “Chad?” Morgan asked, even more confused. They could see Alex being able to ask, bribe and threaten the others into participating but Chad? Something was definitely strange here.
“Chad Chestier, and you are?”
“You know who I am. You’re my brother!” Morgan shouted.
Chad laughed, “Now that’s a new one. I can assure you; you are no sibling of mine. Much too...human...” The grin widened and Morgan took note of the purple cat ears which twitched occasionally.
This wasn’t an image they wanted at all...
“Whatever. Be annoying.” Morgan huffed, turning their back to Chad. “Where did the white rabbit go?” the muttered to themself.
“The white rabbit did you say?” Chad was suddenly right behind Morgan, making them jump even more now. “I saw the white rabbit.”
Spinning back around, Morgan was suddenly the most grateful they had ever been to run into their pain in the ass brother. “You did?”
“Did what?”
“See the white rabbit.”
“I did?”
Morgan grit their teeth. “Well, you just said you did.”
“Then I must have.” Chad grinned.
Morgan rolled their eyes; this conversation was tedious, and they were getting to a point where they may end up just punching Chad in that stupid grin. “Which way did he go?”
“Why, he went that way.” Chad’s tail swished side to side, indicating both directions of the path.
Morgan felt themself form a fist, this fucker...
“Not helpful.” They grumbled, turning their attention away from Cheshier Chad and back to the fork in the path. Hoping by some miracle to see a flash of white down one to no avail.
“The path that is correct will take you to the castle, the path that is wrong will take you to the hall of doors once again. You’d have to start all over.” Chad grinned.
Morgan turned back, ready to sock him in the mouth but when he did, all that remained was a fading grin and an irritating feeling.
“No shit Sherlock...” Morgan complained, more to themself now but aloud just in case he was still around.
For a short while, Morgan let those words replay over and over in their mind. Attempting to recognise some sort of code to them. There was only one, and it was obvious, then again, Morgan wasn’t confident Alex could come up with a riddle which had a double meaning and thus, they took the path to the right. Praying to some divine being they didn’t believe in that they had made the right choice.
After some time, the trees began to thin out. The path became wider and soon enough it was a cobbled road lined with roses.
White roses.
It didn’t seem to fit the aesthetic Alex had created for themself as this Red Heart Ruler so when Morgan ventured further down the road and saw two people painting these roses red, they couldn’t help but laugh.
These two guards looked up with worried expressions, Morgan vaguely recognised them as two of Alex’s goons.
“Oi! Stop laughing! You'll draw attention to us! Do you want to get beheaded?” One spoke, his uniform had the ace of spades on.
“Beheaded? For painting roses?” Morgan asked, enough bought of laughter building in the back of their throat.
“For the roses being white! Are you stupid?” The other retorted, her uniform having the ace of diamonds.
The ground seemed to rumble under their feet as the two guards exchanged a pale look. They threw accusatory looks to Morgan before all three of them were sucked down into the cobbled road.
It was the sky which seemed to opened up below the three as they fell down onto a perfectly cut lush lawn. The sounding hedges where shaped into hearts, spotted with red roses creating the illusion of evil eyes watching over the garden and Morgan wondered if these two were once white before a shadow looming over them snapped them back to focus.
The figure was tall, blocking out the sun behind them, black trousers with red heart details and a half skirt- almost cape like, cascading to their feet.
The figure reached down, gently taking Morgan’s face into their hand and making them look up. “Well hello there, what are you doing here?”
That voice.
That voice, Morgan knew it well.
That voice was Alex!
They’d finally made it! However, before they could say anything, Alex had let go of Morgan, stepping over them and looming over the two guards.
“Painting my roses?” they said, a more regal accent than the one Morgan had grown to know and love. Enjoy. Recognise...
“Your Majesty, it was a simple mistake-“
“A mistake?” Alex laughed, throwing their head back, “That you are. Take them away.”
It was now Morgan got a good look at Alex, their usually perfect pin straight black hair was slightly curly with red highlights mixed in amid the mess. Over their shoulder they held an odd looking croquet mallet, which Morgan could swear had a face.
Their eyes, however, were the same eyes. Alex’s eyes. Golden and a mix between reptilian and cat like. Alex would say all reptilian. Morgan would say all cat. One of their ongoing debates of which Morgan was determined to win.
In this moment Morgan realised that Alex’s eyes were actually back on them.
With haste, Morgan scrambled up, brushing off the dirt which had accumulated on their clothes.
“Alex!” They exclaimed, opening their arms and taking a step forward, ready to embrace their friend.
But no such embrace occurred.
Rather, Alex stumbled back, distancing themself from Morgan. Their face was painted in confusion, concern and possibly disgust.
Morgan took a moment to process this. What was going on? Was this a part of the game? Would Alex crack a smile and pull them in?
Unfortunately, Alex didn’t smile. Their face looking more intrigued than anything else.
“Why did you call me that?” Alex asked, leaning in, their eyes searching Morgan’s.
“Because... it’s your name?” Morgan spoke slowly, trying to piece together what was happening.
“Why yes. It is. However, no one, especially those like you, don’t call me that.”
Arms crossed, Moran leaned closer, “What do you mean those like me?” they interrogated, not liking this game anymore.
Alex blinked, leaning back a little and looking Morgan up and down, assessing each aspect of the person stood before them. Their eyes seemed to examine their very bones, and with Alex’s powers, Morgan wasn’t sure they weren’t.
After a moment or two, or three, or... Alex smiled, “You are interesting. Come with me.” Alex tossed the croquette malate over their shoulder, which Morgan was sure they heard yelp, turning, and walking towards the castle.
Morgan could only follow, trying to wrap their head around what was going on.
Once inside, Morgan was led to the throne room, Alex taking their throne and snapping their fingers, a slightly shorter, less ornate, however still a throne, appeared and Morgan sat.
“So, tell me. Who are you?” Alex asked, reminding Morgan of their exhausting conversation with Rex.
“Do you really not know me?” Morgan reached their hand out to Alex, this time, instead of shuddering away, Alex took it. Thier gaze locked as they shook their head.
“No. But I want to. Something about you... You’re... Something...” For once Alex was at a loss for words.
“Can I ask something a little odd?” Morgan felt Alex’s hand tighten slightly.
“Of course, please ask me anything.”
Morgan nodded, taking a deep breath, “I have a mouth, but I do not speak, I have a bed, but I do not sleep, I am always running but never move. What am I?”
Alex threw their head back and laughed, “You truly are something. A river. You are a river.”
Morgan retracted their hand, “You’re most certainly not my Alex.”
“Your Alex?”
Morgan nodded.
To their surprise, Alex smiled, grabbing Morgan’s hand by force, holding it a fraction too forcefully.
“Well, you’re my Morgan now.”
Before Morgan had a chance to process the fear, a precision of music began as Alex’s court filed into the room. At the head of them all was Barnaby, who looked surprised to see Morgan there but avoided eye contact.
“Cottontail, footrest.” Alex spoke with demand and nonchalance at once.
Reluctantly, Morgan watched as Kotetsu manifested and reluctantly plodded over to Alex’s feet which were promptly rested on his belly.
Morgan almost screamed at them but one glace from Barnaby shut them up.
Something in his eyes was pleading for Morgan to stay quiet, so they did. Biting their tongue.
“Bring in the offenders!” Alex boomed and the doors opened once again, the two guards who had painted the roses were dragged in and thrown to the ground.
“For the offence of planting white roses and attempting to decive me, who do you plead?” Alex’s voice echoed around the room with power.
Kotetsu let out a small whimper.
“My liege, it was not our fault, we only-” the first began but was interrupted faster than they could speak.
“I have heard enough. You are found guilty. Off with their heads.”
The two immediately erupted into pleads for their life, Kotetsu whimpered again. Everything was getting loud now.
It was the final straw, Morgan stood up.
“They deserve a fair trial!” They shouted, suddenly filled with rage, ripping their hand away from Alex.
Today had been too much, and this was the cherry on top.
It had taken a while, longer than Morgan would like to admit, to figure out but this was clearly another dimension. One in which this Alex was somehow worse than the Alex Morgan had willingly accepted the flaws of. But they couldn’t do it again. Especially when this Alex hurt Kotetsu.
Silence enveloped the room.
Eyes falling onto Morgan in shock and terror.
It was Alex’s eyes that struck the most fear before they lit up with something more dangerous than anger; amusement.
“A fair trial?” Their voice curled around Morgan like a python, removing everyone else from the room. Just the two of them now. Everyone faded to the background.
“Yes.” Morgan sounded firmer than they felt.
“Well then. If this is what you want. Let’s make it interesting. If you convince me they are not guilty, they live. If you do not... you join them. You are interesting but not enough to survive if you don’t entertain me.” Alex smiled, “Do me have a deal?” They extended a hand to shake.
Morgan took it, “Deal.”
Alex grinned, pressing a kiss to the back of their hand. “It’ll be a shame to lose you so soon.”
The courtroom was alive with the buzz of gossip. This was the first time someone had stood up to Alex, at least the first time that someone had survived this long from the endeavour.
A back and forth had begun as Morgan argued and presented evidence of faulty shipment and so on. The two guards had thanked Morgan and apologised for their now impending death before the trial had even begun. Morgan wasn’t one to so easily give up, however.
Twenty minutes later, Morgan carried on, “...and if these two had intended to disrespect you, why would they attempt to fix this? Would they not run? It was a simple mistake which they attempted correct with-”
“Enough!” Alex stood and clapped their hands together and everyone froze, mid breath.
The room didn’t stir as Alex rose, flying over to Morgan. Their hands rested on their cheeks, “You are beginning to bore me. I am willing to give you a pardon if you cease this frustrating endeavour.”
Morgan tried to take a step back but was held in place, “Get off me.” The spoke through their clenched jaw.
“No.” Alex said simply. “What now?” The grinned, leaning closer, their breath on Morgan’s lips.
Morgan’s heart was racing, and while they were, one, a strong independent villain and two, more than aware this wasn’t how it worked but they did the only thing that they could in the moment. “ALEX!” the shouted.
Not at the one in front of them, but out into the air, the universe, the different dimensions which Alex had once tried to explain. Calling out to their Alex.
For once, something happened.
The air shifted and wind erupted in the room, and then, there plain as day, another Alex stood. Eyes scanning the room until they landed on Morgan and the next moment Morgan felt their Alex’s arms around them.
“What the fuck is going on?”
The two Alex’s stood, glaring at each other. There was no point in fighting, they knew it would only lead to each of them cancelling each other's powers before either could do anything with no end in sight.
“Give them back to me. You had your chance and now they’re in my realm.” Heart Alex demanded.
“They’re not yours.” Alex relied, stood in front of Morgan.
“And they’re not yours. They are their own person, you know?” Heart Alex peered around the other, “Morgan please, I could give you armies to control. A kingdom at your feet, me by your side. There is nothing I cannot provide.”
Morgan glare, “You litteraly threatened my life less than a few hours ago.”
“That was hours ago!”
“They did what?”
The two Alex’s spoke at the same time, it was a dizzying sound.
“I need you. You’re...” Heart Alex trailed off, clawing to find a word but failing.
“Let’s go.” Alex spoke, opening a portal behind the two of them. Morgan nodded. “Your fault for losing your own Morgan.” Alex jabbed.
“I never had one.” Heart Alex’s voice broke, and Morgan couldn’t help but look back.
They hand fallen to their knees, eye’s pleading, “Don’t leave me.” They reached out a hand.
They looked pathetic, defeated, a look which Morgan had never seen on Alex’s face before, and they would be lying if it didn’t pluck at their heart.
But Morgan turned, stepping through the portal, waiting for Alex.
“THIS ISN’T OVER! YOU CAN’T BE TAKEN WHEN I HAVE ONLY HAD A TAS-” the portal closed, and Morgan shivered.
The two just stood there for a moment, taking in their apartment. The joy of being home after a long day.
The exhaustion catching up in a wave, Morgan sighed. “I need to sleep.” They said finally.
“Yeah, let’s go to bed.”
The two crawled into Morgan’s bed, arms around each other and letting their breaths comfort them to sleep.
As Morgan drifted off, their eyes lay on a mirror reflecting themself and Alex. Something about the mirror was off but Morgan didn’t let that stop them from letting sleep take them.
It was too late to be worrying about a looking glass.