Rude, Red, and Royal

Crimson Castle path...

On the path to the Crimson Castle, a toy soldier, who is drumming, leads Team RWBY and I who are followed by three more toy soldiers.

"Uh, are we sure we should do this?" Yang asked.

"Well, the Red King helped Alyx." Ruby said.

"We aren't Alyx." Weiss said.

"We won't ever be Alice either." I said, crossing my arms. "By the sound of things, Alice was nicer than Alyx."

As we walk, a turquoise butterfly is seen landing on top of a stone pillar.

Entering a courtyard, Team RWBY and I see many Toy Guards lined up along the pathway. A soldier does a drumroll, and the soldiers along the path play an extravagant fanfare. Pair by pair, they step aside, making way for a rather short-statured, crowned figure dressed in royal garments who walks down to Team RWBY and I. They pose dramatically as the fanfare comes to an end. Team RWBY and I looked flabbergasted.

"You're the Red King?" Ruby asked.

"The Red King? Not the Red Queen?" I asked, looking at Ruby. "That's how I remembered it."

"How dare you!" The Red Prince said, stammering. "There is no King or Queen! I'm the Red Prince. Hmph! Why, I never! Coming to someone's castle without even knowing who they are, and on my birthday!"

"Happy Birthday, Your Majesty!" The toy guards said, at the same time.

A soldier is distracted by the butterfly from earlier, before his fellow soldiers nudges him.

"Happy Birthday, Your Majesty!" Toy Guard 01 said, standing at attention again.

The Prince looks on with a slight anger in his eyes, before calming his composure.

"Yes, yes. A joyous occasion, thank you very much." The Red Prince said.

"Red Prince?" Blake asked, whispering to Ruby.

"The King wasn't nearly as rude, or small, or loud." Yang said.

"Well, if it hadn't been for your kind, the King would still be here!" Toy Guard 02 said, gasping.

"Our kind?" I asked, looking at Toy Guard 02. "What do you mean by that?"

The Toy Guards shush Toy Guard 02. Ruby sighs and steps forward.

"Happy birthday, Your Majesty." Ruby said, smiling and did a curtsy.

"Happy birthday!" Little said, excitedly.

"Ugh, happy birthday..." Yang said.

"Happy birthday." Blake said, nervously.

"Happy birthday, I guess..." Weiss said.

"Um, happy birthday." I said, sadly.

"How do you know such privileged information?!" The Red Prince exclaimed, gasping and climbing on a soldier. "You must be infiltrators! Here to steal my crown!"

Weiss facepalms.

"You literally just told us." Yang said.

"Also, we saw advertisements for your party... everywhere." Weiss said.

"SILENCE!!! You are in the presence of royalty!" The Red Prince said, while a guard kisses his hand. "That's me, thank you very much." He is hot tempered again. "The heir to the Crimson Castle!"

A snot bubble appears from the Red Prince's nose, the guard he's standing on pops it for him.

"Ew." Weiss said, looking at Blake and I. "Did I used to be this unbearably pompous?"

"When you were the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. Yeah. You were." I said, laughing a lot. "Caused so much fighting with Blake."

"I still can't believe I was like that to you, Blake." Weiss said, now fixated on Blake alone. "That feels like ages ago."

"It does." Blake said.

I was shoved out of the way with my friends by the soldier escorting Team RWBY and I.

"Your majesty! We have brought you a magnificent gift, befitting of the royal birthday!" Toy Soldier 02 said, kneeling.

Toy Soldier 01 is presenting the gift wrapped in a cloth, "It is very rare! The weapon of the greatest warrior to ever live!"

"Acquired by us and only us with no help at all." Toy Soldier 02 said.

"But we're the ones who gave it to you--" Weiss said, scoffing but getting shoved back by another soldier. "Ow!"

"Shut..." I said, rolling my eyes. "Up..."

"No help at all." Toy Soldier 01 said.

The Red Prince jumps off the guard and eagerly unwraps his gift, revealing Penny's sword. The prince's expression turns to disappointment.

"Uh green...? Why. Is. It. GREEN?!" The Red Prince exclaimed, while he angrily kicks the sword over a red hedge nearby.

"Penny's sword..." I said, looking down at Penny's sword. "Get it, Little Red!"

Ruby and I gasped and the silver eyed-girl tried to go after it, but was stopped by a guard.

"How could you...?" Ruby asked, disheartened.

"Forgive us, your majesty! We didn't know it was green!" Toy Soldier 02 said, worried.

"Please, please forgive us!" Toy Soldier 01 said.

The soldiers continue to beg pathetically as the prince walks away from them.

"Take them away..." The Red Prince said, sighing.

A couple of guards grab the begging soldiers and drag them away.

"Your Majesty, please!" Toy Soldier 01 said.

"They gave it to us!" Toy Soldier 02 said.

Their cries are heard on deaf ears, and they are dragged behind a red hedge.

"PLEASE!!!" Both Toy Soldiers said, at the same time.

A pair of axes are raised, before swiftly swinging down, and silence follows. Team RWBY and I looked on with horrified expressions.

Ruby turns and runs to the prince, "No, wait! Maybe we can help cheer you up!"

"Hm. Beheading people does cheer me up... But, go on..." The Red Prince said, touching his chin.

"We heard you like to play games..." Ruby said, smiling mischievously.

The Prince turns around, likewise smiling.

Castle...

Another fanfare plays, the turquoise butterfly from earlier is seen flying down the ringing bell tower over the castle. It then flies into a large room below. The floor is checker-patterned with a six-pointed star. There are winding staircases at each corner. In the center, a game table is shown with a throne-like seat at one end. Many soldiers stand guard, and the prince and Team RWBY and I enter the room.

"So, what exactly do you desire from me in exchange for playing my game?" The Red Prince asked, taking a seat on his throne, adjusting his crown. "There's always a catch."

"Your Majesty, you are as wise as you are... uh..." Ruby said.

Little whispers into Ruby's ear something.

"...small!" Ruby said, smiling.

"Wise and small?" I asked, looking over at Ruby. "Worst word choices ever."

Ruby cringes upon hearing what she says, and the rest of Team RWBY groans at their leader's and I groan at my best friend's choice of words.

"Thank you!" The Red Prince said, gasping and bowing.

"Yes!" Little said, quietly.

"If we win, our only request is that you help us get to... the tree." Ruby said.

"The tree? It's so... far away." The Red Prince said.

"That's uh... why we're asking." Ruby said, as she smiles sheepishly.

"Hmm..." The Red Prince said, humming to himself and he looked at Weiss, Blake, Yang, and I. He then stands up on his throne. "If you win, I will help you with what you ask."

"Why do I have a feeling something is gonna go wrong?" I asked, while the Red Prince sat back down. "It always does in Wonderland."

"Great!" Ruby said, sighing in relief and she sat down at her end of the game table."So, uh... how do we play?"

Suddenly, the prince and the guards burst out laughing hearing her question.

Rule one!" The Red Prince said, as the guards hup and stand at attention again. The pawns on the game board suddenly come to life. "Each player may move every pawn one space each turn. Rule two!" Little yelps. The guards hup again, causing one of the pawns to fall over. "Whoever gets the most pawns to the other side of the board wins. Rule three!" The guards hup one more time. "To take over a space, you must dispose of whoever occupies it..."

"Dispose of?" Ruby asked.

The Prince snaps his fingers, and the red pawns on his side of the game board draw their weapons and organize themselves into formation. The white pawns on Ruby's side of the board all groan, already looking roughed up.

"Okay... um... I think I'm missing some pawns..." Ruby said, sadly.

"Hmm... How perfect that you brought along friends to play then..." The Red Prince said, gasping in realization.

The Prince snaps his fingers, and suddenly, red dust surrounds and shrinks Weiss, Blake, Yang, and I, transporting us onto the game board.

"Wizard's Chess? Of all the Harry Potter things I didn't want to experience!" I said, angrily. "Now I know how Ron and Hermione felt."

Weiss, Blake,Yang, and I are now the same size as the other pawns.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Weiss?! Yang?! Blake?! Jared?!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Now we're all Littles!" Little said, excitedly.

"We're okay!" Yang said, giving a thumbs up.

"Ruby! The most important thing is winning this game!" Blake said.

"Do you remember Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone?" I asked, looking at Ruby.

"I do. We watched that at Beacon together." Ruby said, her eyes widening. "Oh no..."

"What's wrong with them?" White Pawn 01 asked.

"I dunno, they look stupid." White Pawn 02 said.

"I guess these are our teammates..." Weiss said, sighing and she draws Myrtenaster.

"No one's going to get hurt... right?" Ruby asked, looking at the Red Prince.

"As I am a gracious ruler, the white team may go first. Begin!" The Red Prince said, smiling smugly.

The lights around the room suddenly go out, a single spotlight shines only on the game table at the center of the room. The game has begun. Ruby tries to think of her first move.

"Uh..." Ruby said, looking at one of the white pawns near the front of the formation. "Can you advance one space forward please?"

The white pawn groans as they face the red pawn in front of them, who is clearly larger than them. The white pawn charges forward and engages in a duel with the red pawn, but gets knocked down. It dramatically 'dies'.

"Victory for me!" The Red Prince said, laughing.

Ruby winces. A stretcher appears next to the downed white pawn, and they roll onto it. It floats away and the pawn on it stretches its arms and yawns. Weiss scoffs at them.

"Okay..." Ruby said, sighing and she pointed to the three white pawns in front of Blake, Yang, and I. "How about you three?"

They charge forward, but get easily knocked down. Ruby groans and Little facepalms.

"Weiss, do you think you can take that space?" Ruby asked, looking at Weiss.

Weiss smiles, readying Myrtenaster.

"Have some faith!" Weiss said, going forward, easily dispatching the red pawn with Myrtenaster in front of her.

The white pawns gasp.

"Go Weiss!" Little said, happily.

"Nice one, Snow White." I said, while Weiss curtsies. "You were amazing."

"Thank you." Weiss said, looking at me. "You sure you don't want to take out your weapon?"

The prince gasps as he watches his pawn float away on a stretcher.

"I have a feeling I don't need to yet." I said, smiling.

The Red Prince then regains his composure, "Beginner's luck. Doesn't bother me!"

Ruby looks back down on the game board. The prince's expression turns from a smile to a serious face.

"So...tell me, why do you want to go to the tree?" The Red Prince asked.

"We want to go home, and we believe the tree can get us there. Yang, you're up!" Ruby said, looking at Yang.

"All over it!" Yang said, cocking Ember Celica and going forward.

Yang flips into the air and knocks another red pawn to the ground, delivering a barrage of blows. The white team cheers her on as she takes in the glory. Blake gives a small clap at her.

"Who are these people?" Red Pawn 01 asked.

Yang smugly rubs her chin with her thumb. The prince growls and nearly balls his hand into a fist, before calming himself down again.

"And how do you know this?" The Red Prince asked.

"Well, it...worked for someone we know." Ruby said, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "Uh... Blake, your turn!"

Blake then goes forward, easily taking down another red pawn with Gambol Shroud. The crowd cheers for her.

"Yeah!" Yang said, and Blake turns around and does a little blush from the compliment.

"This might end up being a relaxing adventure after all." I said, looking at Weiss.

Some of the white pawns murmur amongst each other.

"Someone you know, hm...?" The Red Prince asked, livid.

"Hey, hey! What about us? What do you want us to do?" White Pawn 03 asked, looking at Ruby.

Ruby points forward, and the white pawn charges forward taking down another red pawn.

"ENOUGH! It's my turn! ATTACK!!! Full speed ahead!" The Red Prince said, angrily.

All the red team charges forward and clashes with the white team, leading to an all out battle. Weiss, Blake, Yang,and I help take down some pawns too. Some pawns are sent away on stretchers. The prince slams his fist against the armrest.

"No!" The Red Prince said, kicking his throne. "This is not how it's supposed to go! This isn't right! This isn't fair!" He falls to his knees. "You're... you!" The Red Prince breathes heavily. "Wait... what type of creatures did you say you are again...?"

"Well, uh... Blake is a Faunus, Little's a mouse, at least I think..." Ruby said, looking at Blake and she looked at Little.

"Sure!" Little said, happily.

"And the rest of us are human?" Ruby asked.

"Um..." I said, when a pair of turquoise eyes appeared behind Ruby. "Is that bad?"

The pawns gasp. Some of the red pawns raise their weapons at Weiss, Blake, Yang, and I. The Prince's porcelain head suddenly cracks upon hearing this.

"Human...? HUMAN?!! I KNEW IT!!! You must've cheated!" The Red Prince said, hopping onto the table. "ALL OF YOU! GET THEM!! GET THEEEEEM!!!"

Suddenly, both the red team and white team charge towards Weiss, Blake, Yang, and I. The four of us prepare to fight. Blake swings Yang around with Gambol Shroud, knocking some pawns down.

"It's been a while since you last fought with us then." Weiss said, swiftly dodges and quickly moves around with her Glyphs, taking down more pawns. "You said you fought with an angel."

"Yeah. An angel named Pit." I said, leaping off a sword after realizing I teleported to it when  that flung backwards to knock three white pawns down and I noticed that my Semblance is evolving with time. "He reminds me of Ruby. In another world, he and Ruby would make an adorable couple."

"An angel and Ruby a couple?" Yang asked, looking at me. "How would that work?"

Blake and Yang take on more pawns.

"From what he is saying, it might have happened in a story he read." Blake said.

Yang delivers a series of blows onto a white pawn, planting explosive rounds on them in process and blowing them up.

"It was. It is called RWBY Uprising." I said, laughing a lot. "It's a good read."

Blake tries to go help Yang, but gets knocked back into a wall near the edge of the board.

"Hey! Leave them alone! You're going to hurt them!" Ruby said, worried.

"It's my royal birthday! And I can do whatever I like!" The Red Prince said, annoyed.

Some of the eliminated pawns return to the board on the stretchers. Yang gets dogpiled by some white pawns. Weiss, Blake, and I end up getting cornered at the top of a cubed hill near the edge of the table. Blake tries to fire some rounds with Gambol Shroud's pistol form, but quickly runs out of ammo.

"Damn it, Weiss." I said, holding Ebb and Flow. "You had to use Gambol Shroud."

"How was I supposed to know this was supposed to happen?" Weiss asked, when Ruby helplessly watches as she puts her head in her hands.

"I've won! Give up already..." The Red Prince said.

"We." Ruby said, sighing. "Won't..." She stands up. "Kick their WOODEN BUTTS!!!"

Now motivated, Team RWBY gets back into battle, Weiss prepares a series of black glyphs, allowing Blake to run over to her. Weiss then uses a summoning Glyph to sprout Nevermore wings, shooting feathers at the pawns. Yang activates her Semblance, knocking off the pawns that dogpiled her. She propels herself into the air.

"Go Team RWBY!" I said, enjoying the fight that is happening in front of me. "Don't worry, they've got this."

"Yeah. They do." Ruby said, looking at me. "You are still close to us."

Weiss and Blake, on a black Glyph each, hold an end of Gambol Shroud's ribbon. Yang goes to the center of the ribbon, and another summoning Glyph appears above her. The Arma Gigas' sword then appears in Yang's hands. Ruby and I cheer them on as the Prince looks on in shock.

"Yeah!" Ruby said, pumping her fists.

"Team RWBY! RWBY! RWBY! RWBY!" I said, excitedly.

With assistance from Weiss and Blake pulling the ribbon, Yang is flung downwards and she delivers a slam onto the ground with the sword, knocking back all the pawns. Team RWBY have won this battle.

"That was awesome." I said, looking at Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. "You guys were so in sync this time."

Suddenly, the Red Prince angrily flips the table, sending Weiss, Blake, Yang, the pawns, and I flying. Ruby quickly dashes over with her Semblance, reaching her shrunken teammates and I in time.

"Thanks, Little Red." I said, looking up at Ruby. "That was too close."

Weiss, Yang, and I land in her hands, while Little helps pull up Blake.

"Yeah." Ruby said, sadly.

The rest of the pawns are not so lucky as they fall over the edge of the platform.

"If you won't concede, then I will have you beheaded!" The Red Prince said.

"You can throw a tantrum if you want, but we won! Take us to the tree!!" Ruby said, angrily.

The toy soldiers surround us, pointing their weapons.

"Guards! THEIR HEADS!!" The Red Prince said.

"Your Majesty!" The Curious Cat said.

The Prince suddenly stops and turns around, the turquoise eyes from before appear on the overturned table.

"A talking cat?" I asked, looking down at the Curious Cat. "Oh, the Cheshire Cat."

"Oh, you must be so distraught." The Curious Cat said, manifesting itself before licking its paw. "Not able to do the one thing you were put on this acre to do. I understand. Surely you don't want to behead them, they are but fragile things without a head. If you get angry and break them, they might not ever come back..."

The cat causes its head to disappear, startling Ruby.

"Bu- bu- bu- but-- it's my birthday! And they wouldn't let me--" The Red Prince said.

"I know, Your Majesty, it truly isn't fair. You must play your game and win at any cost. It must hurt your heart. Let me help." The Curious Cat said, while he has a part of itself near the Red Prince's heart.

"Fine! I won't behead them... BUT I NEVER WANT TO SEE THEM AGAIN!!!" The Red Prince said, sniffing.

The Prince proceeds to throw a tantrum, crying like a spoiled child.

"Your Majesty!" The Toy Guards said, rushing over to console him.

"What about my friends? They're still tiny! And he promised he would--" Ruby said.

"Promises are like birds, they taste great, but always escape." The Curious Cat said, whispering into Ruby's ear. "You should go, before he changes his mind..."

"Don't touch me!" The Red Prince said, jumping back up before pointing to a guard.

"Come! Quickly!" The Curious Cat said.

"You're... BANISHED!" The Red Prince said, angrily.

"Banish them!" The Toy Soldier said, at the same time.

"So, RWBY Uprising, what is it about?" Yang asked, looking at me.

The guards proceed to chase after us.

"Well, it has the plot of Kid Icarus Uprising." I said, sadly. "And Teams RWBY and JNPR are inserted into it."

Ruby and the cat are going up one of the winding stairs.

"It is like this story then." Weiss said, looking at me.

The hallways of the castle are very confusing, twisting and turning, and some have Ruby run on the walls.

"It does seem that way." Blake said, frowning.

"Come on, men! They went this way!" A Toy Guard said.

"Whoa!" Ruby said.

"There they go!" Toy Soldier 01 said.

"I see them!" Toy Soldier 02 said.

"They went that way!"

"Get them!"

"Not a single one gets out of here!"

"This way!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Banish!" The Toy Soldier said, at the same time.

The cat continues to lead the way and avoid the soldiers stationed around the castle at every turn. Ruby leaps through a door, barely dodging the swing of the soldiers' axes.

"Go, go, go, go!" Toy Soldier 01 said.

"They went this way!" Toy Soldier 02 said.

Ruby runs down another hallway, but the cat stops them.

"Here! This is the way." The Curious Cat said.

"Where'd the red one go?!" Toy Soldier 01 exclaimed.

Ruby enters the secret passage with the cat, closing the doors behind them. The soldiers continue to run, searching and shouting at each other.

"They're out here somewhere!" Toy Soldier 01 said.

"Keep searching!" Toy Soldier 02 said.

"Who saw her?!"

"Where did she go?!"

Inside the passage...

Ruby sighs in relief. Her shrunken teammates, Little, and I rest in her hood near her neck.

"I don't know how that went so wrong... but thank you for saving us." Ruby said.

"Seriously. Thank you." I said, smiling. "This is beyond what I know."

Ruby and the cat proceed to crawl through the passageway.

"Good thing I dropped by the Prince's party when I did. I usually hate parties. How did you end up in his game anyway?" The Curious Cat asked.

"We wanted to speak to the Red King, but he wasn't there. And, now we're back to where we started." Blake said.

"The King?! How did you know him?" The Curious Cat asked, purring. "Well, time's changed, you know. And so do we when it's our time to change. Don't you?"

A light then appears at the end of the passage, engulfing them. Team RWBY, Little, the Curious Cat, and I find ourselves outside in the forest again.

Forest...

"Did you hear that? There was a Red King." Yang said.

"Right. But something's changed since then..." Blake said.

"Great! So we're not in the stupid story after all. We're in its stupid sequel!" Weiss said, angrily.

Little, asleep again, snores and leans into Weiss, much to her chagrin.

"I hate this. It had to be Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. Why couldn't it be Alice's Adventure in Wonderland? We had to end up in the story's sequel. Or a version of it for me." I said, rolling my eyes.

"First things first. What are you? What did you need to talk to the King about? And what..." The Curious Cat said, lying on its back."...is your favorite dessert?"

"What, again? We're humans, and..." Ruby said, letting out a sigh.

"Ugh, I must say, you're not nearly as interesting as the others I've met. What about..." The Curious Cat said, gasping. "Hold that thought."

The cat spots a butterfly landing in the bushes, and proceeds to chase after it.

"What's the deal with this cat? Can't anyone here be normal?" Weiss asked.

"That's not just any cat. When Alyx was lost, she met the Curious Cat, who loved to ask questions." Blake said.

"And the Curious Cat helped Alyx find the tree." Yang said.

"That's what happened to Alice in my version of this story. But instead of the Curious Cat, it was the Cheshire Cat." I said, sadly. "The Cheshire Cat wasn't my favorite character."

"Wait, so the cat is our ticket out of here?" Weiss asked.

"Going off of what you guys have been saying. Yes."

"Rubes, don't let that cat get away!" Yang said, worried.

"Cat! What cat?! Oh goodness..." Little said, yawning. "Now I need a nap."

Ruby quickly chases after the Curious Cat.

Elsewhere...

The Jabberwalker runs to a new acre of the Ever After; a purple wasteland with a thunderstorm casting over it.

Jabberwalker: "Go... Run..." The Jabberwalker said, runs past some sharp plants, leaving drops of blood behind. It then stops to pick up something. "Fix..."

The Jabberwalker tosses the object away.

A pink-colored light crashes onto the wasteland. The Jabberwalker turns around. It reveals Neopolitan has crashed there. Neo is on her knees before she angrily uses her Semblance to transform as Ruby. The Jabberwalker climbs and observes Neo, who then transforms into Cinder Fall.

"Find..." The Jabberwalker said.

Neopolitan stands up and looks up to see the Jabberwalker. As the Jabberwalker approaches Neo, she transforms back to herself and confronts it. Suddenly, Neo notices a clone in her image appearing by her right side. Jabberwalker watches. Neo then notices another clone appearing to her left. Jabberwalker watches multiple Neo clones appear.

"Stop... It..." The Jabberwalker said.

Neo stares at her clones from left to right; the clones did the same thing. Neo opens Hush and snaps her fingers. The clones then intimidatingly approach the Jabberwalker with Hush in their hands.

"Cease! No! NO! NOOOOOO!" The Jabberwalker said.

As the Neo clones corner the Jabberwalker, Neo sharply grins.