The sound of birds chirping was gradually getting harder and harder to ignore, as was the stream of sunlight filtering in through her eyelids. She must have overslept...why didn't--
“Aaaah!!”
This repetitive train of thought was quickly interrupted as the tree branch the tiger had apparently been sleeping on snapped, sending her plummeting to the ground. After a brief struggle against drowning in the frozen powder, she managed to regain her footing...finding herself in...
“The middle of...the forest? Whaaa?”
SG2 distinctly remembered falling asleep in her own bed last night - well, in the futon she kept at IRC Studios for just such occasions. She had spent the entire previous day at Castle Bones while the Konungur complained about every single aspect of the holiday party, and by the time she left she simply did not feel like taking the train back to her apartment on the far end of the city. And while it was true that she and the other pantry members had dedicated guest houses in the Boneyard area of Knochenstadt, they'd all had quite enough of the place for one day. Regardless...she knew for sure that she hadn't fallen asleep in a tree for at least three months. So what was the deal?
Sunlight was still leaking in through the heavy tree canopy, stinging the tiger's unadjusted eyes. She didn't know what time it was, but she knew that she ought to make haste back to the castle, lest the Konungur find more to complain about. But what forest was she in that would have gotten so heavily pounded by snow? The closest forest to the city was the Wayward Woods, but why on earth would she have wound up there? And if this was the Wayward Woods, getting back out would not be easy. The forest was cloaked in such a thick magical fog that the farther one traveled inside, the more lost they would become, unless they too had strong magical senses...which SG2 did not. What she did have, however, was control over the Earth element - and her primary usage of this talent was digging tunnels. Perhaps this could circumvent the magical cloak of the Wayward Woods and see her out safely, as long as she traveled in the relative direction towards Knochenstadt...
“Well, it's definitely better than having to walk through half my height in snow...”, she muttered, clearing a small path in front of her, before setting to work.
Even the hardest soil was no match for her claws, channeling the energies of Earth and allowing her to break through it as easily as, well, a normal person might shovel fresh snow. When the hole was sufficiently deep, the tiger slipped inside...and continued to carve a path through the dirt like a mole. She continued in this fashion for a solid 20 minutes...she had no idea how deep in the forest she had been when she woke, but it might not be a bad idea to resurface and check out her surroundings.
“Ptehhh!!”
SG2 spat a few times, having gotten a mouth full of snow as she popped out of the hole. She pulled herself to her feet, only to stumble and fall face-first into more of the fluffy white stuff.
“Ptoo!! Man, it's like being xL on a Satur...no, any night!!”
Straightening herself out, she noticed that she was now in a clearing...she managed to find her way out of the forest quicker than she'd anticipated. There was still a smattering of trees not far in the distance, so she was obviously not quite to IGNO City...though...she'd never seen that cobblestone path before. Or the gate that it lead to...she didn't recognize any of the wooden cottages decorated with simple yet festive Christmas wreaths or sprigs of holly. The tiger rubbed her eyes...was she still dreaming? This definitely didn't seem like the IGNOLand she knew.
Pushing forward further in the chest-deep powder was extremely difficult...but she felt it was a better idea to keep an eye open in this unfamiliar territory for now, rather than go back underground. Eventually, she came upon a larger, though still very old-fashioned building with a faded sign reading 'The Good Hoof'.
“What is this, an Inn...? I've never seen this here before...maybe they've got a phone? Would be nice if I could call somebody to come pick me up...er, though I guess I'd have to tell them where I am...and even I don't know that much...”
As she pondered over the situation, a familiar man opened the door and stepped out of the inn.
“...Bones?” “SG2? What are you doing here?”
They both spoke at the same time, equally surprised to see the other.
When the initial shock had passed, the two exchanged information...apparently they'd both woken up in an unfamiliar location. In Bones' case, he had been informed that there was a terrible blizzard and he was found passed out in the snow, and taken back to the inn for recovery. Additionally, he'd tried the phone already - but was unable to reach any outside lines they were familiar with. They decided to head out and explore this strange land...first pointing themselves in the direction of the town square, to which the girl at the inn had apparently provided Bones with directions. Supposedly there was a map in the train station that may be of some use to them.
SG2 rides Bones' shoulders as they walk through the quiet countryside - a much faster means of travel than struggling through the snow on her stubby little legs. Bones seems oddly enraptured by the holiday charms of the village as they make their way into the town square...snow-covered cottages, people bundled up tight in warm clothing, horse-drawn carriages and jingling bells and the smell of homemade baked goods drifting through the cold winter air...it felt like something you'd see on an old Christmas postcard, or in a cheesy made-for-TV holiday movie. It was definitely nice, but to SG2 it felt incredibly phony...nobody actually lived like this.
Before long, their goal of finding a map became of secondary priority...for there, right in front of the very station they had been seeking, were none other than all of their friends. Karma, Reese, Bradios, xL...LG, MTS, Hamel, Tim...and the new faces they'd come to know recently, Iris and Azaran. Adding SG2 and Bones, they totaled twelve altogether. Something very strange was going on, but there was no use thinking about that now. Their friends were already busy discussing their own unusual circumstances.
“...she gave me milk and cookies, and this warm scarf...then told me how to reach the station”, says LG, adjusting the muffler around his neck.
“Interesting...that's very much like what happened to me”, adds Karma. “I woke up in a strange bed that was definitely not in Blood Castle, and a kind young couple told me I was passed out in the snow after a blizzard. Their little girl was so worried that she gave me a big hug when I woke up...I'm normally not fond of children when they're not on my dinner plate, but it was very sweet.”
“I actually woke up right over there...”, xL says, pointing to a nearby bench. “But I know I didn't fall asleep on a bench last night...it's been at least 3 days since the last time I did!! But, when I asked a passerby how I might get to the Gas Station Next Door, he shrugged and told me there was a map inside the station and to check it myself. I was on my way there when you guys showed up.”
Everyone else nodded, saying that they went through something similar. Their stories all shared a common thread - though they remembered falling asleep in their own bed, they woke up somewhere unfamiliar. A kindly stranger informed them that they had been found unconscious in the middle of a snowstorm. Not everyone had access to a telephone, but those who did were unable to reach any familiar numbers. When asking for directions on how to return to IGNO City, they'd say they had never heard of such a place, but inform the traveller how to reach the train station where they would find a map.
But the strangest thing to SG2 was...she had heard all of this before.
The others continued their discussion fervently in the background, but SG2 was frozen stock still, and not because of the cold weather. The wording and details were slightly different...but she was overcome with this incredible feeling of annoyance. Over and over and over again this just kept happening!! How many more times would she have to sit here and listen to the same events play out ad-nauseum? She could take it no more...and she screamed.
“Aaaaugh!! Enough already!!”
The IGNOites went silent, staring at SG2 in confusion. The villagers continued on their way, not a single one pausing to bat an eye at the strange talking tiger causing a scene in the middle of their town square.
“Don't you guys get sick of saying the same things over and over and over again?! How many times are we going to have to listen to everyone's stories about waking up in strange beds? How many times do we decide to go find a map and get distracted by that dumb ol' train? How many times will I have to convince Bones to stop moping and just enjoy the holiday atmosphere, and how many times will we go on the same Christmas adventure, having snowball fights and singing carols and petting reindeer and watching that stupid play about the living nut smasher or eating the same food every single night?! I love turkey and potatoes and delicious holiday treats as much as the next tiger but I can only eat it so many days in a row before I just need to cram a peach-mango pizza and some cheese soda down my gullet!! Aren't you guys sick of it too?!”
By the time SG2 realized she may have gone a bit over the line, it was too late. Her friends were staring at her, their eyes wide with a mixture of confusion and anger...she'd always had a problem being too blunt and not taking care with her words, and now she'd gone and done it again.
“Ah...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything...”
“SG2...you mean, you remember it too...?”, asked Tim.
“I...what...?”
She didn't understand the question...LG nodded as well, staring at the Tiger with nervous, unblinking eyes.
“I-I remember too...I didn't until you just said that...but it's true!! We've been through all of this before...I remember the reindeer licking Tim, I remember showing off my sick dance moves with The Straight Experience, I remember everything you just said!!”
“I, um...I remember how sad I felt when Mr. Reese destroyed my snowman...”, said Iris.
“And I definitely remember eating nothing but turkey and stuffing for days on end...aaah it's been so long since I had some toast with my signature spread, I'm going crazy!!”, xL lamented, throwing his hands in the air dramatically.
“So you're telling me I wasn't just having a prophetic dream...I really have woken up in the same stranger's bed dozens of times already...?”, asked MTS.
“And that music...”, Azaran added, “I'm just...so, so sick of hearing it...!!”
Everyone held their heads in confusion, the memories suddenly flooding back...for many of them, they'd already known, or at least suspected this was happening. But it was so easy to brush it aside and forget, to simply enjoy the holiday festivities...until SG2's outburst made them realize that they weren't going crazy, and they weren't alone in this feeling of deja vu.
“You guys...I'm pretty sure we're all thinking it, but...I'm just gonna say it, okay...? Okay?”, said SG2 nervously, trying to prepare her friends this time before thoughtlessly blurting something out. “I-I think we've been...repeating this same day...for a long time, now...”
There was a sudden, convenient crackle...like when a television network cuts suddenly in the middle of night and the quiet room is filled with loud, grating static. And then the music...became louder. Much louder. And far, far more ominous...a piercingly shrill, off-key affair, with only a passing resemblance to that familiar holiday tune. The IGNOites moved to cover their ears, but found their hands were better served defensively...as all at once, those villagers who had been going about their business...were closing in on them.
“You weren't supposed to...fInDdDd OuTtTt...”, says one man, his voice cracking.
And then, his face...melted. His eyes had transformed into pitch black pools, leaking down his cheeks like so much sloppy eyeshadow. Ears became pointed, mouth filled with razor-sharp fangs...his back hunched, clothing ripped to shreds, and his human guise was completely broken. The others followed suit and soon the IGNOites were completely surrounded by grotesque, misshapen monsters.
“I don't know what's going on here...but it seems like SG2's guess was spot on...”, LG says, taking a battle stance.
“We need to get out of here, and fast.”, says MTS, cupping her breasts and braced for combat.
“But where are we supposed to go?!” shouts Bradios, “We have no idea where we are!!”
“That's not true. Think - we all remembered, right?! We know this village...we know the route we took around it every single time!!”
As though to punish them for believing there'd be no consequence for standing around and talking freely, a transformed villager leaps in for an attack. Without even batting an eye, SG2 chucks a brick dead-center in its face, causing it to burst into a cloud of shadows. But there's no time to rest, as the others pounce one by one, eager to join the fray.
“Nngh!!”, xL grunts as he fires his toast cannon at the encroaching shadowbeasts. “Can we talk about this on the way? More of them are gonna keep coming if we stick around like sitting ducks!!”
“Dammit, there are too many to fight!! Everyone scatter!!”, screams Bones, his axe slicing through flesh that quickly melts into shadow. “They can't get all of us...we'll do what we can to shake them, and then reunite later - meet at the tree farm!! Now move!!”
The IGNOites finish clearing out the opponents right in front of them and make a break for it, scattering in several directions. Bones was confident in their abilities, and he knew they could hold their own...he still didn't understand what was going on here, or why...he couldn't deny that he, too, felt like he'd lived these events before, but it all felt so real to him...what did this mean? And what about Linda? Was she in danger? He had to push these dreadful thoughts from his head for now as he ran for his life from his pursuers, seeking a way out of this twisted world......