The beginning is with a mark

Ch.25: The Deck...

Arthur carefully walked into the castle, he opened the doors to the forbidden castle and walked in calmly almost like he was at home in a way. The fire lamps around the castles walls in the interior began to dimly light themselves. When Arthur came across a room, where all the light was on, and a cozy chair sat besides a fire. Arthur walked into the room, not caring to knock.
"Arthur, my boy! I'm glad you're here" a male voice said from the chair. Arthur staggered back feeling weird listening to a familiar yet unfamiliar voice. It's like He heard it but he didn't hear it.
"Who the hell are you and why did I know the path to get here?" Arthur asked in a slightly strict tone.
"I see you remembered huh. Clara sure likes playing games" he said once more, still not facing Arthur. But Arthur could clearly see this man had black hair, it wasn't long but rather nicely cut. His eyes looked broken...thinkative and yet yearning to comprehend.
"Who are you. And who's Clara?" Arthur asked once more finally remembering that he had left the castle suddenly after lashing out with immense power at his friends.
"You should ask yourself who are you. Are you Arthur Kirkland from the beginning of the cardverse era or the Arthur Kirkland who came to stop me?"
"I'm....just Arthur..." The Brit replied
"Exactly! No matter what you are Arthur, your heart will always belong to Alfred, and your soul will always belong to the Clock and I. After all we did create you...next question is...will your soul be mines or hers?" he asked proudly with a smile
"I don't understand....first of all, Oliver, my replica, who almost killed most of my friends and family, then the Queens ritual which almost killed me! The loss of memories, then regaining them, and regaining the old memories...and knowing that I died such a sad death...and what do ya mean by 'soul'?" Arthur said as his heart ached a little. The decks eyes were red, with a hint of blue, that seemed to change colors to green and yellow, just depending on the perspective you saw him from. His dark hair, covered one of his eyes, and he had a smile on.
"Arthur...you died...I saw that, and I was infuriated but...I made sure to curse the royal lineage to relive to have a happy tale. Although it does seem I want to rewrite history itself...I came to understand...that maybe I shouldn't kill my greatest creations" the deck said as he gazed at Arthur. Arthur looked at the deck, he wore a suit of Victorian era. Black and white, yet he had little designs on his suits jacket that were all the kingdoms signs, he was attractive... (Just saying) he was mysterious, a rare sight to to the human eye.
"You are less scary than I thought you were" Arthur commented
"Well...this is my human form, my other form is quite...scary? I am tall, always wearing a cape, that is laced with all the kingdoms crests and every time a new King or Queen arise, Their crest is added to my Cape. I find it strange but, it's quite beautiful" he commented as he spun around to look at the door. "Come in you two" he invited,
Alice came in quietly, and Noah did too.
"Yes sir?" Noah asked
"Do you still believe in Rebelling against the kingdoms?" he asked them
"We do...the society is unfair, they do not accept the different colors except stupid red, yellow, green and blue...they don't accept us...who are different" Alice said with a pout
"And what is your favorite color Alice?" The deck asked as he sat down, his eyes becoming droopy with fatigue.
"It's green....but I also really like white like the snow...but green belongs to clubs which hates us and white is well....just a flower color" she answered
"So what? If you want to be part of our society, come to the castle with me. I promise we won't harm you, and I promise that you will live happily with my-" Arthur began saying but she cut him off.
"No. I cannot accept....how can you believe someone as deadly as me could come and live with peaceful idiots such as you" she replied.
"Aren't you tired of hiding in the shadows?"'Arthur asked her, gazing into her eyes trying to prove a point to her. She looked away,
"I'm staying with our master, I won't abandon him. Whether he wants to redo the cardverse world, or whatever. I shall stay with him." She said in a determined face,
Arthur looked at the deck who had gone back to sit down, his eyes shut. He seemed almost asleep.
"Do you....perhaps....love...him?" Arthur asked quietly
Alice began blushing in embarrassment. "Never! I would never! I don't possibly know what 'love' is"
Noah tapped her shoulder and gave her a wide grin, "liar" he simply stated with a laugh. She blushed harder, and punched him lightly on the arm.
"Shut up Noah! It's not like you didn't like Marie-"
"Shush your mouth! No one needs to know" Noah hissed at her, Arthur couldn't help but laugh.
"I can offer you a better life, just come with me" Arthur offered. As he extended his hand out. Noah smiled in defeat and walked toward Arthurs side, when Alice grabbed him by the wrist.
"Y-you're leaving me?"
"No. I'm leaving the shadows, You know the deck won't stay any longer because he intends to meet 'her' so let's just go...besides remember what happened when he woke up...in the other form?" Noah said as he took his wrist back from Alice.
Arthur looked at the deck, and began noticing a slight dark aura coming from him.
"Let's go. I don't have all bloody day and surely I don't want to know what happens when he wakes up" Arthur hissed.
"I-I can't go" Alice said once more but Noah carried her in bridal position. She began kicking and even slapping him.
"Shut up idiot! Last time he woke up from THAT type of sleep he turned-" before Noah could end his sentence, the decks eyes opened. A dark shade almost like blood red in his eyes. With a killer grin, his human form was slowly converting into the 'monsterous' form he had told Arthur about. A cape surrounded his body, and it almost seemed as if he grew taller. The darkness was behind him and all the fire candlelights turned off. His face was hidden behind the capes darkness....
Arthur began panicking. "Fire light the way" he mumbled, as fire began to surround the three in a circle. There was nothing but utter darkness around them
"This happened last time, we barley got out alive....the deck...turned into some kind of echo....almost like you could try and be good and it would throw back the exact opposite at you" Noah said as he still carried Alice.
"An echo? So...it does the exact opposite from good?" Arthur asked
"The exact opposite from the light." Alice said as they heard something sound them moving.
"Shit...this is scarier than those woods at night." Noah commented as he held Alice closer. She didn't even mind, because she herself was afraid.
"We will make it out Alive....I can't end here. I have stuff to do" Arthur said as he spread the fire wider around them until it finally hit someone feet not even burning them.
"Oh...Arthur...how foolish can you be? Where is the key??! You have the key! She gave it to you- no...she placed it in you didn't she. I'll just have to rip your heart out then" he hissed through a maniacal laugh. Arthur felt his body shake in fear...not knowing whether he would actually mark it out this time....

The clock smiled as she saw Arthur find the Deck. "Found you" she mumbled to herself as she opened a portal to the human world. She placed on her small white coat and smiled as she looked at the joker,
"I believe....we have a party to crash. Oh! And go get Alfred and the others! I'll see you later" she said with a smile as she went through the portal leaving the joker dumbstruck, she hadn't gone to the human world in 3,000 years
In a matter of minutes, Gilbert was in the spades. He ran through the hallways, until he finally found them in a throne room walking around, pacing in nervousness.
"I have news!" The joker said as he began breathing heavily. "Arthur..." Breathe "forbidden castle" Breathe "danger" breathe "jackpot! Awesome" he said with a laugh.
"What the fuck are you fucking talking about? Arthur? Forbidden castle? Jackpot? Awesome? What?" Alfred asked in frustration, Gilbert began to straighten himself and gave a wicked grin.
"Arthur found him. The deck. And he's taking him on right now! So get your asses moving and go!" Gilbert said with enthusiasm
Alfred began rushing out into the stables to get a horse. Everyone beginning to follow him.
((Sorry to leave you with this little bit, I have had a shit ton of hw and then a slight writers block but aye!!! Tell me...how would you like this to end? What do you expect? A passionate kissing ending? Death to the deck? Do you even know what to expect?))