Sean stepped slowly back from the King of Squirrels, completely lost in thought. Why did he think he was Nathan? Was this real? Everything around him was telling him that it was, but he felt so... weird. The King of Squirrels touched his cheek with his soft hand, asking him in a beautiful voice. "Are you alright? You look a little pale?" Sean placed his hand on the King's wrist, telling him a little shakily. "I'm not sure. I... My memory is getting a little fuzzy." Even as he said it, he was starting to forget things. What was he doing before coming here? He was having trouble recalling. The King of Squirrels smiled warmly, then wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Pulling him close, the King told him chipperly. "You're overworking yourself again. You need to slow down and get away from court. It only stresses you out lately." Sean nodded, letting the King of Squirrel's lead him through the meadow toward a gorgeous little river. Nestled at the split to the river was a little picnic set up. Set under the shade of an oak tree. The King released him, walking around the edge of the setup to stand by the tree as he excitedly asked him. "Well? What do you think? Peaceful, right? Bright sun. A calm clear babbling river. Better then the dark woods back home, right?"

Sean blushed a little. It was so sweet that he'd put this together for him. He couldn't recall anyone doing this kind of thing for him. The King walked back up to him, taking his hands in his and whispering to him softly. "I know you want to keep us a secret... but I wish we didn't have too. He kept you away from me for so long this time..." Sean loved the way the King rubbed his soft hands over his. Every finger stroked his hand in a way that made his hands feel warm and relaxed. Meeting his eyes though, Sean asked him curiously. "Who kept me away?" The King blushed a little, mumbling out guiltily. "Sorry... I forgot. No talking about work. Come on. I made your favorite." The King let him go to drop down on the tan blanket with white designs of leaves. Pulling a basket closer he opened it and pulled out a sandwich for him. Dropping to his knees beside him, Sean accepted the sandwich and peeled the bread back to look at what was in it. Peanut butter and jelly. Sean chuckled softly, listening to the King tell him excitedly. "I know its nothing fancy like the stuff you are used to eating... but I think some casual finger food is exactly what you need. None of that fancy silverware and tiny bites crap. Stuff yourself. I made plenty."

Sean took a bite, then moaned as the flavors hit his tongue. The King stopped rummaging through the basket to look at him, asking hopefully with big brown eyes. "You like it?" Sean nodded, sitting down more comfortably as he told him happily. "It's really good." The King grinned brightly, leaning closer and gently tilting Sean's chin to lick some peanut butter that had smeared on his cheek. Goosebumps rushed down Sean's arms from the feeling of his warm breath to his brief loving lick. Turning his head into his lips, Sean kissed him passionately, tasting the peanut butter on his tongue. When their lips parted, Sean asked him a little breathlessly. "This is going to sound so bad... but what's your name?" The King of Squirrels had a beautiful laugh, before he answered sweetly over his lips. "Akern. It's old German for Acorn. But you've always called me 'Acorn or Squirrelly." Sean smiled, whispering to him. "Cute. I can see why they like you." Akern rolled his eyes with a bright grin in return, before whispering back with a blush. "Speaking of Acorns. I have something for you." Sean took another bite of his sandwich as Akern removed something from the basket.

While chewing, Sean mumbled out to him nicely. "You didn't have to get me anything." Akern held up a necklace between his fingers, telling him very softly. "I know it won't compare to your jewels... but I think you'll like this." Sean swallowed, looking over the little woven silver silk string that had a single acorn on it. However, the nut of the acorn was replaced with a smooth and shiny Amber stone in the shape of the nut. Sean's jaw dropped as he reached out to touch it, letting Akern tell him warmly. "The string is made from spider silk and the drop of Amber came from the oldest tree in Wonderland. I know you said that you've been having trouble finding your self-confidence and courage. That you feel like you need a little wisdom. So... I thought I'd find something that might help with all that. The acorn is a sign of growth and humble beginnings. It's good luck. I'm hoping it will keep you safe." Sean leaned forward to let him drape it over his head. Then touching it, Sean told him lovingly. "I'll never take it off. I promise." Akern cupped his face to kiss him and Sean leaned into it more. Akern even smelled like peanut butter.

Laying down beside him, they ate their sandwiches and watched the fish swim around in the river. It all felt like a dream. A pleasant romantic dream. Finishing his third sandwich, Sean asked Akern curiously. "Where did you get the peanut butter and jelly? It doesn't taste like what I've had." Akern removed two jars from the basket, telling him honestly. "That's because I made it myself. Since I run a kingdom of squirrels, we gather nuts and plant them. Then when harsh weather comes, I hand out nuts to them from our storage supply and lately... we've been making peanut butter with some of our older supply to keep from wasting them. It's a big hit. They even want to start a peanut butter festival to celebrate." Sean leaned against Akern, purring out sweetly. "That sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe one day, I'll join you." Akern wrapped and arm around him, saying close to his ear. "I hope one day you do..." Sean blushed shyly from how powerful his deep voice made those words sound. Then Akern's voice turned playful and lusty when he added against Sean's throat. "I'd love to lick peanut butter off EVERY part of you!" Sean squealed, trying to squirm away as Akern tickled him and nibbled at his neck.

Releasing him to let him breathe, Sean swatted Akern in the chest and sat up with fits of giggles. Taking deep breaths, Sean found himself petting Akern's thigh, before breathlessly panting over his shoulder to Akern. "Hey, Squirrelly...?" Akern sat up to kiss his shoulder, humming as his response. Locking eyes with him, Sean asked him anxiously. "What if I don't go back? What if I let Strahd and his vampires take over the night? Just... fake my death and run to Tulgey Wood with you." Akern blinked, then asked him coolly. "But... Oysters like you have always run Wonderland. If you give it up... Who knows what will happen." Sean turned slightly, feeling a little disembodied when he answered almost on autopilot. "Squirrelly, please... I can't live like this anymore. I'm not enjoying myself. I have no freedom. I had to lie and trick my guards just to get here. And when I go back, they'll drill into me how selfish I'm being..." Reaching out to touch Akern's cheek, Sean listened as his own voice told him with a strange disconnect. "I talked to my family, and they were ok with it. I didn't tell them about you... but that's because I know how... Mark feels about our families..." Akern placed a finger to his lips to stop him.

Giving him a small smile, Akern told him very softly. "My fate is to be with you. If you want to run away with me... I won't stop you. I'll happily steal you away." Sean chuckled, leaning in to hug him tightly. They stayed huddled together, sharing brief kisses and loving whispered words. Then Akern removed his golden circlet with little acorns to put it in the basket. Something clicked on to a lively little song as his hand lingered in the basket before he got to his feet. Sean watched him with curious eyes and bit his lip when he asked for his hand. Sean wanted to hesitant, but his hand moved on its own to take it. He didn't fight it, letting Akern pull him up to his feet. Leading him off the blanket a bit, Akern pulled him close and started to dance. Sean faintly recalled dancing to a waltz... but couldn't recall why. Dancing with Akern was so different from the formal dancing of the waltz. Dancing with Akern had formal moments but had a lot more swaying close to each other with silly bits thrown in for laughs. It was so much fun. Even when Akern playfully dipped him, only to fall as his weight pulled Akern off balance. Sean's sides hurt from laughing so hard. It was imperfect, but that seemed to be the point.

Laying in the tall grass with Akern, they watched the clouds make shapes in the sky and when he turned to face him, Sean whispered to Akern. "Marry me?" Akern brushed Sean's bangs off his face, then leaned in to kiss him so passionately as he laid him back across the soft grass. Sean's hands drifted up Akern's ribcage, while Akern broke the kiss to whisper softly. "Yes." Sean pulled him into another kiss, treasuring every second. Akern kissed a trail down to his neck, purring to him playfully. "Wanna skinny dip in the river?" Sean rolled Akern over, chuckling out. "Ok." Sean bolted to his feet, running up to the river edge and started pulling his shirt up, when Nathan's distorted voice rippled through the world. "Sean?!" Sean froze, lowering his shirt to look around. Akern patted his arm, asking him a little worried. "Sean? You alright?" Sean looked back at Akern, asking perplexed. "Did you hear that...? It sounded like..." Sean couldn't finish his train of thought because he felt a sudden wave of light-headedness rush over him. Staggering back a step, he shielded his eyes from the bright sun. Akern took his arm to steady him, chuckling out. "I didn't hear anything. Come on."

Shaking his head, he shook off his confusion. Akern pulled his green tunic up off his torso, revealing his back muscles. Akern glanced over his shoulder, purring out to him a bit wickedly. "Are you just gonna stand there, baby?" Sean huffed, quickly yanking off his shirt. He barely got his pants off, when he dashed toward Akern and tackled him into the water. Akern kissed him under the water, then hugged him as he rose to the surface with him. Sean giggled, until a voice thundered across the sky like thunder. "STOP! These are MY memories!" Sean stiffened in the water, brushing the water off his face to look around again. Akern wrapped his arms around Sean, whispering to him so softly. "I wanna make love to you. Will you let me?" Sean pressed his back to Akern's chest, reaching back to coax Akern's lips over his shoulder as he whispered back. "I'm yours." They shared a tender kiss and Akern's hand slid down Sean's chest toward his waist beneath the water. Sean closed his eyes briefly, hearing weird voices cutting in distantly through the darkness. "Fix it! Now! He's falling out of synch!" Sean gasped, opening his eyes and glancing around at the meadow and Akern. What was happening to him?

As Sean looked at the wood line on the other side of the river, he tensed up at the sight of Natemare. Although... he looked different. Ragged. His black shirt was torn at the seams, and he was covered in bruises and dirt. He stood in the shadows of the woods, staring directly at him before yelling out at him. "Sean! SNAP OUT OF IT! Remember...." The bruised Nathan began to glitch, but he desperately yelled out before vanishing. "HE'S NOT REAL! DON'T LET THEM SEE!" Sean blinked, not understanding what he meant. What was he taking about? The scenery around him slowly changed. Going from a bright sunny day in a meadow to a dark dense woods. The change was so jarring that it made him stagger into a tree. Looking up at the tree that he was on, he saw a wooden sign with an arrow that read in bold letters; Tulgey Woods. Sean stepped back, gasping out as he looked around. "Akern? What's going on?" From within the darkness of the woods, a familiar sinister voice sneered out eerily. "Looking for something...? What a coincidence. So am I." Sean heard twigs snap and the shuffling of something big moving in the dark but could see nothing. The sound seemed to be in front of him, until a voice hissed out from behind him. "What a pretty Vorpal sword you have there. GIVE IT TO ME!"

Sean only had time to turn toward the noise and look down at the sword belted to his hip. The sword shimmered like polished steel but had black markings etched down the blade. The pummel held a large red diamond and hilt brandished two horse heads in armor. One horse was black with a silver crescent moon on the helm and the other was white with a golden sun on its helm. The sword was light and thinner than he expected for a short sword, but visually striking to look at. From the shadows in front of him, the head of the Jabberwock lunged out at his leg like a giant snake! Sean fell back across the ground, then scrambled to his feet to run. As he reached a set of trees, the Jabberwocky's long tail slammed against them to block his escape. The Jabberwock's back lit up in bright blue light, revealing that he was so long that he had him surrounded. Sean felt a strong disconnect from what he thought was his body. He didn't want to fight this thing, but his body was moving toward it, until he saw Nathan practically step out of him. Nathan's ghostly body flickered, when he removed his sword and Sean heard his voice echo throughout the area. "You want it? Here!"

Nathan swung the blade at the face of Jabberwock, causing it to hiss in fear and retreat before the blade struck him. The Jabberwock opened its mouth to show him the lightning that sparked within its mouth with sharp snapping sparks of static. Nathan glanced nervously at the sword, prompting the Jabberwock to notice the metal lightning rod that he was technically holding onto too. The Jabberwock grinned, then shot out a large lightning bolt from his mouth. Nathan whirled around, throwing the sword as he fell to the dirt. The lightning tracked after the sword as it flew through the air. When the sword sank into the Jabberwock's hip, the lightning connected, and the Jabberwock let out a distorted scream as it got electrocuted from its own lightning! Sean was excited to see it, but Nathan didn't look happy. In fact, he looked terrified as he watched the sword melt from the power of the lightning. When there was nothing left to conduct the lightning, the Jabberwock staggered o his hind feet, hissing out in distress. "AH! It burns! It... It..." The Jabberwocky settled down suddenly, its large glowing eyes turning to look at Nathan. The Jabberwock's voice dropped to one of deep anger, upon finishing off. "It is a FAKE!"

Nathan shrugged with a nervous smile, then rolled up to his feet to run. The Jabberwocky let out a raging fit, slamming its body into trees to knock them down as it stormed after him. Nathan slid under bushes and weaved between trees to try and slow the Jabberwock down. The Jabberwock got stuck once or twice, but only for a minute. It was strong enough to level fully grown trees as it snaked through tight spaces to stay on him, hissing out. "Where is the sword?!" Nathan hopped over a cluster of leaves, then turned to yell back. "There was no sword! There never was!" The Jabberwocky knocked down the trees that blocked its way, creeping toward him as it hissed out. "LIAR! Mark knows you intend to BREAK the mirror with it! Where is it? Tell me and I won't burn your flesh off in layers!" Nathan backed up slowly, shaking his head as he yelled back. "You can do what you want to me! I'll NEVER tell you!" The Jabberwocky stepped on the cluster of leaves with its hind leg, then yelped as it fell through the ground. The Jabberwocky's high-pitched screams filled the woods. Its voice twisted in distorted agony. Sean crept up to peek in as Nathan did, seeing the deep pit was filled with sharp wooden spikes. Yet, even as impaled as the Jabberwocky was... it was still alive!

Nathan blinked in confusion, asking unsettled. "What the hell are you...?" The Jabberwocky stopped crying in pain and stopped trying to free itself. It's massive head turning to look up at Nathan with big watery eyes. The Jabberwocky's body then slowly shrank and changed, while Nathan's own voice snapped back up at him. "You know who I am... I'm... YOU!" Sean covered his mouth as he saw the Natemare that he recognized. Nathan jumped back from the pit, his head turning to look away as he blurted out. "Oh, my god... The mirror. It's creating shadows of US!" Natemare's hand dug into the dirt as he started to weakly climb out, hissing out at Nathan. "This isn't over, Nathan... I promise you. I will get you for this!" In that moment, Sean inhaled sharply as his own memory broke through to reveal the image of the Jabberwock dragging Nathan down the dark hallway. He had gotten him. This wasn't real. He had to get out and find Illinois! To Be Continued...