The sun was glorious in this world. Golden rays lined a pale shade of blue for a sky, while fruit trees with exotic pink petals filled the lands beneath the heavens.

Splash!

Dirty boots met river

"Is this...water? So...pure..."

Indeed, it was clearer than some diamonds he held... Too bad the water behind his feet ran dirty.

"...Im sorry. I will move."

He continued his path, his all black cloak, shirt, and pants a stark contrast to the vibrant pink, crystal clear water, and flawless blue skies. His tattered cloak fluttered like a flag in the wind, his step squelching with riverbed mud.

As he finally walked around the Pink Forest (and gathering some berries from the branches), he laid his eyes upon the largest city he had ever seen.

Pale white marble, clearly magical with the faintly glowing golden runic script meticuluously carved upon them, contrasted a blue sky and pink lands. Everything was of this material, from the hundred meter wide and two hundred meter tall wall, to the various temples, towers, and palaces visible from his location.

Even from here, he could make out the location of the market using enchanted hearing. Most were selling items never heard of. Things such as 'indigo' 'tobacco' 'Tyrian Purple', and 'honey' were as foreign to him as permanent safe shelter.

The city seem to draw the beholder in, somehow appearing bigger the more he took it in. His nose could make out the smell of grilled lamb in the distance as he-

Armored forearms blocked his path. Ahh it appears he inadvertently walked towards it. Explains the two guards that approached him. One was redheaded and short.

"Hey there stranger. May we ask for your business with Argentum, our beautiful Silver City?" the taller guard's baritone voice called out.

He blinked his cerculean eyes at the guards. That-

"-is the most beautiful looking breastplate I had ever seen," he told the taller of the two.

Indeed, it was immaculate in its carvings, solid platinum depicting a dragon roaring with its rings outstretched, upon silver-esque armor.

"Ha! My colleague here would be wearing one too, if she didn't fail her promotion tests!"

The aforementioned colleague performed a strange hand sign he never seen before towards her superior.

"Hey I outrank you now. Anyways..." he looked looked back at him.

"So. What brings you to Argentum?"

"Nothing, I do not even know how I got into your nation. Or what continent I am on. Or if I am even on the same world from an hour ago."

PSST. Septimus!

?

Deceit detection shows nothing

"I see. So, where you from traveler?"

"Abyss."

"...the region you are from is called 'Abyss'?"

"Yes."

"What, did it have some giant gaping hole that spewed out soulless demons that ate people's faces?"

"Yes"

Poor sap...

Well. I will try to improve the mood.

"...whats next, the land was cursed for millenia and you, after winning an immensely costly victory, came here accidently while wandering in self exile?"

"Yes"

Wow, good job, 'sir'

Blinking chocolate irises met unfazed cerculean.

"Sir... do you mind meeting with our Queen?"

"Yes, but I will go."

///

Solid purple rolled out to greet his wet shoes and smelly self.

The Queen Regnant sat on her throne, a massive edifice of arcane Snowstone and glacier-ice blue Cryo-Sapphires. There were twelve steps, each flanked with a phoenix on her right and a lion her left, the phoenixes with wings outstretched, the lions mid-roar. Each Snowstone statue lifelike in detail, time and a half in size, eyes of Cryo-Sapphire. All leading up to the Everwinter Throne, the head of the seat reaching into the cieling like a column pressed against a wall. The heart of the throne, where the monarch sits, was made of solid Cryo-Sapphire, carved and telekinetically reshaped.

Her white haired and silver eyed gaze bored into what remained of his soul.

He honestly wished to die, hence he did not kneel and instead maintained eye contact.

The queen sat unmoving, straight backed and hands clasped upon her lap, before she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Do you know why I had you brought here?" she asked him.

"Tell me."

She made a hole in the world, and soon the hole showed a world...

His world.

A world of war and horror... a world of only suffering and false hope, a world that-

-is covered in farms and schools and playing children?

He teleported over to the gazing hole to confirm. Yes, unmistakable. It is. Somehow.

"My apologies, but can you give me some personal space?"

He was standing atop one of her throne's armrests. He teleported back to his prior location and did a quick bow.

"My apologies. You took me by surprise thats all,"

"It is fine. If you are ready, I can show you more."

"I believe the power of friendship will defeat the darkness that haunts the rainbow forest!" The princess, Sugar Plum, exclaimed.

"The power of friend--- Are you serious right now? 'The darkness' is literally an old wizard living in the woods, give me a map to his house and I'll go snap his neck and we all can be back for dinner."

"Havoc, how could you even suggest such a thing! You would take the life of another just to have an easy way out of this mess? It's your fault for destroying his sugar tree on your way in, you just need to apologize."

Havoc pulled out his knife, waving it in the direction of the two beings before him, "Listen here, Mr. Unicorn and Princess whatever-whatever, it is not my fault that a dumbass 'Superhero' from my universe missed their mark and blasted me in this sickening sweet nightmare land. This much pink is not natural, by the way."

"My name is not Mr. Unicorn, it is Hank. And I understand your need to get back to your land, scary knife man, but that is just not the way things work here! You need to bring the seeds and apologize to the old wizard. He must be very sad about his precious tree."

A shrill scream could be heard from the forest, the trees swaying and shaking as if alive and terrified of the noise.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure he's so upset and for sure not going to kill us the minute we set foot in there."

"Of course not! No one would ever do such a thing."

"Well, good luck with this Princess, if you won't do things my way then I guess I'll leave you to deal with the mess." Havoc made it for about 10 feet away before he heard the most disgusting sound he had ever heard, a child crying.

"Wh--Why is Mr.Knife man being so mean to us, Hank! All-- All I wanted is him to apologize and make the scary forest go awayyyy."

"Stop that." Havoc warned, pointing at the Princess, slowly walking back towards them.

"My Princess, please do not be sad. It will be wonderful again, I promise!"

"Why are you being so mean, the wizard just wants his tree back and to make friendsss."

"I'm serious. You better stop that crying, little girl."

"Whyyy are you such a m-m-meanie!" She blubbered out between the sobs.

Havoc shushed the princess, which he realized too late he shouldn't have done, as she threw herself to the ground and was having a full-blown temper tantrum, her legs beating against the ground and her wails drawing the shrill in the forest closer.

"Okay. Okay! We will get find the stupid Sugar tree seeds and take them to the wizard. I'll even apologize if you just- STOP!"

The princess' whining immediately ceased, and she sat up with a wide grin on her face.

"Oh, that's just wonderful! We must go now! Come on, Hank. It's such a lovely day for an adventure." She started skipping into the forest, ignoring the shrieks of the large creature that was surely waiting for them.

"I think I prefer getting shot. Hell, I would rather get stabbed 12 times before I hear that crying again." Havoc mumbled as he sheathed his knife and followed the Princess and the unicorn, Hank, into the forest.

Once upon a time, there was a dark and brooding anti-hero named Midnight Jack. He was a man with a troubled past, haunted by the demons of his own making. He was a loner, with no friends or family to speak of, and he liked it that way. He was content to live in the shadows, doing whatever it took to survive. He had a reputation as a ruthless killer, feared by many and respected by none.

One day, while on a mission to take down a notorious crime lord, Jack was suddenly transported to a fantasy world. It was a place of bright colours and sweet-natured creatures. The sky was always blue, and the sun shone brightly. The people were friendly and welcoming, and they all seemed to live in harmony.

When Jack first appeared in the fantasy world, he was confused and disoriented. He had been transported there in a flash of light, and he had no idea how he had gotten there or what was happening. He found himself standing in a lush forest, surrounded by tall trees and colourful flowers. The air was sweet and fresh, and the sun was shining down on him.

As he looked around, he saw that there were strange creatures wandering around the forest. They were unlike anything he had ever seen before. Some were small and furry, with big eyes and fluffy tails, colourful birds with long feathers and others were larger, with scales and wings. They were all looking at him with curiosity, as if they had never seen a human before.

Jack felt a sense of unease, as he didn't know what these creatures were capable of. He drew his gun, when one of the small furry creatures spoke to him. "Don't be afraid, friend. We mean you no harm."

Jack was shocked, he couldn't believe his ears, animals talking? He quickly realised that this world was not like his own, it was a fantasy world. He lowered his weapon and looked around, trying to take in everything that was happening.

The creatures, seeing that Jack had calmed down, approached him and offered him food. Jack was hungry and gratefully accepted. As he ate, he started to talk to the creatures, trying to understand where he was and what was happening.

The creatures explained that he was in a fantasy world, the kingdom of Eldrdia a place where magic was real. They told him about Sorathar the powerful sorcerer who ruled the land, using his magic to oppress the people and keep them in fear. They also told him about a prophecy, that a hero from far away would come to the Eldrdia and defeat the sorcerer, and bring peace and prosperity to the kingdom.

Jack was hesitant at first, not sure if he was the right person for the job. But he knew that he couldn't just stand by and do nothing while the Sorathar continued to terrorise the people of the Eldrdia. He made the decision to stay and help. He may even find answers on how to return to his home.

***

As Jack travelled through Eldrdia he was trying to think of a way that his weapons could harm a being who could wield magic. The creatures didn’t even flinch when he had drawn his pistol. He would need to act fast with the element of surprise on his side. If he could catch Sorathar off guard then maybe that would be enough to stop him.

As Jack continued on his journey, he eventually came across a wagon with a broken wheel. As he approached, he saw a young woman sitting alone, her head in her hands. She was dressed in a long, flowing gown, and her hair was golden and shining in the sun. Jack immediately knew that this must be the princess of Eldrdia.

Jack introduced himself and asked her to tell him more about the sorcerer. The princess Seraphine told him that the sorcerer had always been a powerful figure in the fantasy world, but in recent years, he had grown more and more tyrannical. He had taken control of the castle, using his magic to control the minds of the people and keep them in fear. He had even taken the princess's family captive, threatening to harm them unless she cooperated with him.

"He is a cruel and heartless man," Seraphine said, "He has no compassion, no mercy. He only cares about his own power and will stop at nothing to keep it."

Jack could see the fear and despair in the Seraphine’s eyes, and he knew that he had to do everything in his power to stop the sorcerer. He promised the princess that he would do whatever it takes to defeat Sorathar and free her family.

Seraphine was overjoyed at Jack's promise and promised to help him in any way she could. She provided him with a map of the sorcerer's castle, and told him of secret passageways and weaknesses in the sorcerer's defences.

***

As Jack and Seraphine made their way to Sorathar's castle, they came across a treacherous forest that had been corrupted by Sorathar's influence. Jack had the idea to cut through and save them time from going around. The forest was filled with dark, twisted trees and the air was thick with a dangerous magic that made it difficult for them to see or breathe.

Jack, being experienced in operating under the cover of darkness, was confident that he could navigate through the forest and protect Seraphine. However, as they ventured deeper into the woods, he soon realised that his usual tactics would not work. There was nowhere to hide. The trees seemed to come alive and attack them, and strange creatures lurked in the shadows, waiting to pounce.

Jack tried to fight them off with his weapons, but they seemed to have no effect. He tried to outsmart them with his cunning, but they always seemed to be one step ahead. He even tried to talk his way out of it, but the creatures of the forest were not interested in listening.

After hours of wandering through the forest, they finally stumbled upon a clearing. But it was too late, they were both exhausted, wounded and low on supplies. Seraphine was limping from her twisted ankle and Jack's shoulder was injured from a creature leaping out of the canopy. They had no choice but to rest for the night, but the fear of the forest creatures kept them awake.

The next day, Jack climbed up one of the taller trees. He realised they were close to where they started. Disheartened they turned towards the closest edge and left the forest.

***

Shade Grimstone had no clue why or even how he had gotten to this... place.

He had spent hours drilling Draxx about it, yet the centuries year old demon that inhabited his mind apparently had no bloody clue.

Of course the locals weren't able to help. The concept of hell and demons eluded them, they did have magic though, entirely useless magic but magic nonetheless.

He has interrogated just about anyone who would stop and talk, which was just about everyone he encountered. By the 9 lords below, surely at least one person could be rude, but no, they all insisted on being falalala-fucking intolerable. Shade took a deep breath consoling himself. He had to find out just what he was doing here and find a way back.

He had defeated Grimlax the risen but no doubt he still had minions back home trying to wreak havic. He couldn't risk them hurting Aunt Lena or Mav, or... Well that was about it, the rest could go burn for all he cared.

Which was just about what he wished he could do to all of the little sweet individuals that surrounded him.

Apparently the world, as far as the locals knew, was made out of just about every cute and childish thing possible. There were 5 kingdoms total, Robot Land, Blanketopia, Candy Kingdom where he currently resided, The Fuzzy forests and Barbie world.

When he'd asked about the political situation, the answer had frightened him to the core. Of course there had been everlasting peace. Of course nobody had ever bothered to assassinate anyone. Of course wars were based in pillow fights and competitions of skill and of-fucking course they were all functional democracies with no kind of tyranny what-so-ever.

The whole thing was just intolerable. Did it really have to be all good? Like seriously even the food was fucking amazing, and apparently nutritious despite being composed entirely of candy.

Shade had pretty well lost it after the fourth day of it all. So he fired a fireball at a candy cane tree to the dismay of the townsfolk and the veritable joy of Draxx. Of course the demon had told him to burn a person next but he'd long learned to tune the dark thoughts out.

The worst part was, immediately after witnessing the destruction, the town in it's entirety had organised an adhoc feeling circle around him, attempting to get him to disclose his frustration. Unfortunately to their lack of understanding the last therapist he had come to with any form of issues had turned out to be the spawn of Beelzebub and the dredging up of some pretty bad memories had caused him to literally fly away and sulk.

Which was what he was doing now.

Kicking at a loose rock candy pebble, Shade muttered to himself. He really shouldn't be mad, but the whole thing was just too much. Maybe when he was five this would have been the best thing ever, but then he remembered his mother had been sucked into a portal to hell when he was 5 so maybe not even then.

It wasn't like he was incapable of understanding niceness, or tolerating it but....

Shit. He was incapable wasn't he. The thought ht dawned on him. He'd gotten so wrapped up and used to the grim dark world that lay beneath, that he actually balked at the idea of talking about his feelings, or receiving a hug.

When was the last time he'd hugged Aunt Lena, or not attempted to squirm away from her when she tried? When had he last disclosed all the shit he had to deal with?

Fucking hell, he finally realised, the breakthrough of the century dawning on him. He had to fly back to the town, say something, thank them maybe, no that was too far, but at least see if there wasn't something to learn from them. Maybe that was the answer, he had to learn to be nice again before he could return back home? That was how all the sappy kids shows worked right? He heard Draxx groan but mentally flipped the bird. He knew what he had to do now.

.......

As he flew back towards the town on wings of pure shadow, Shade actually felt embarrassed. He wanted to apologise, to explain his behaviour, to ask them forgiveness. It almost twisted like bile in his throat, but it was, how would his Aunt put it... Ahh yes, "the right thing to do".

He was practising the words in his head, how he should say it, and then he heard the screams, not of joy, but terror and pain, an unfortunately familiar sound. Followed by the smell of burning sugar and the sudden feeling of heat as he approached.

He could see the smoke, clear as day now, of course the sun never set in this land either. The clouds of thick pungent smoke billowed up from burning houses engulfed in roaring, green, flames. Not hellfire he thought, but faerie magic.

He landed with a thud, summoning cola from the town well and balling it up as he muttered a brief spell and enchanted the liquid before him.

He shot concentrated streams at each house, dousing the flames, screaming shrilly as they died down.

It took him thirty minutes, but eventually all threat of the flame was gone and he was able to assess the damage.

It was a massacre. Everyone lay dead, Candy Cane Colin, Lollypop Lorry, Minty Marvin. Decapitated, split open, cracked and burnt, their sugary syrup blood soaking the sugar grass and turning the dirt to mud... cake.

He wheeled around at the sound of a snapping twig, his black eyes landing on the sight of a heavily injured Cadbury bunny. The Baron, Carollus Cadbury, a stream of steaming cocoa flowing from a wound rent in his side.

He was weak.

"Carollus, who did this to you?" he asked holding the old man tentatively.

The Chocolate Bunny's voice was ragged, speaking in between coughs that spluttered wet cocoa powder around him.

"I.. don't know dear boy. I... have never... seen such... we possess no word for it.. but it is deep and dark...." he shook his head, a single melted tear falling from his beady eye as he looked at the devastation.

"They were.. dark, wearing armour.. harder than Jawbreaker. Their eyes- they glowed, a million different colours... and-and they seemed to fly, on wings like crystals. Their leader... A woman.. she had long black horns, a crown of them, deep golden eyes, and skin like the whitest coconut. She is... angry"

Shade nodded, his suspicion growing.

"Please dear boy, I grow.. weaker by the second...please save them"

"Save who?" Shade asked.

"She took them... The children and the strong... Those she did not kill.. She put them in bindings... She tied them to some kind of cart. Please... I"

Shade nodded, his eyes growing wet. "I will Baron, I will save them, I promise."

The Baron nodded, smiling weakly.

"I'm sorry... our hugs weren't enough. We only... Wanted... To help."

"They were Baron, they WERE. " He wanted to tell him, tell him everything, his realisation, his desire to learn, to try, but it was too late. The Baron had breathed his last.

For a moment, Shade held him, weeping into the warm chocolate. When he stopped, he found his arms and clothes covered in sticky melted chocolate.

He attempted to scrub it off the best he could, but it held on remarkably well.

Shade stood up, finally, he had made a promise he intended to keep. One he would've if not for the blow to the head he received then and there.

Blade Broadland was pissed off. As he walked with his "band of friends" which consisted of a unicorn called Marion and a girl who referred to herself as "Super Sparkle Hero".

"Can't we just- like, jump him?"

Marion just pushed Blade forward. "Aight, damn.."

They got to the Devil of Destruction or whatever the shit his name was.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" they heard a cackle from the castle. Out came the Devil guy who was just a normal guy with an Italian suit.

Blade pulled out his shotgun- affectionately named Chainsaw, it was his favorite gun- and just shot the Devil guy.

"AGGGH JESUS FUCK!" he cried, clutching his stomach. "WHAT THE FUCK-!"

"OH MY GLITTER!" Super Sparkle yelled. "BLADE- YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

"Pipe down, we defeated him, yeah?"

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

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