Page 52 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
I opened my eyes to find a crystalline flower blossoming between my palms, its petals shifting through colors that didn't exist in ordinary reality. Unlike the flowers in the forest that had been created by the pocket itself, this bloom radiated with myunique magical signature—silver and gold light pulsing through its translucent structure in patterns that matched my heartbeat.
"It's alive," Chi murmured, his tail unwinding from my wrist to examine the creation more closely. "Not just a construct, but a living thing."
Vee leaned forward, his silver eyes wide with fascination. "True creation magic. We haven't witnessed this level of manifestation in over three centuries."
I held the crystalline flower carefully, marveling at how real it felt in my hands. Through the pattern, I could sense its unique life force—not borrowed or reshaped from existing matter, but genuinely new. The petals pulsed with gentle warmth, responding to my emotions with subtle color shifts.
"The pattern is pleased," Dee observed, his temporal devices humming as they registered the magical resonance. "This level of creation suggests your communion has reached unprecedented depths."
"It feels different," I said, watching the flower's petals shift from silver to gold and back again. "Not like I'm using the pattern, but like we're creating together. Like we're dancing."
Dee gave a small hum, a flicker of a smile on his lips, "That's exactly what the First Queen described. True partnership rather than dominance." He gestured toward the flower in my hands. "What are you sensing from it?"
I focused on the crystalline bloom, feeling its unique resonance through our connection. "It's... connected to me, but also independent. Like it has its own purpose beyond just being created." The flower's petals pulsed brighter, as if responding to my recognition of its autonomy.
"Most creation magic produces temporary constructs," Vee explained, his silver eyes tracking the flower's magical signature. "But this appears to be permanent. Self-sustaining."
I carefully placed the flower on the silver grass, watching as it immediately took root, sending threads of crystalline light deep into the earth. The pocket itself seemed to welcome the addition, the surrounding grass brightening in response.
"Can you create something larger?” Heart asked, a thoughtful look on his face.
"Something larger?" I repeated, feeling the pattern stir with anticipation beneath my skin. The success with the flower had awakened something deeper—not just confidence, but a sense of unlimited potential. Through our communion, I glimpsed what the pattern was capable of when truly partnered with rather than simply wielded.
"Perhaps something we could actually use against my mother," Heart suggested, his golden patterns pulsing with protective intensity. "The flower is beautiful, but we need practical applications."
I nodded, closing my eyes again to sink deeper into communion with the ancient consciousness. This time, instead of asking the pattern to show me creation techniques, I shared my concerns—my fear of facing the Queen unprepared, my worry about protecting those I cared about, my need for tools that could counter her blood magic.
The pattern responded with a flood of possibilities, showing me weapons of pure light, shields that could deflect even the Queen's strongest corruptions, crystalline constructs that could disrupt her blood magic at its source. But among these visions, one caught my attention—a staff of interwoven silver and gold, crowned with a crystal that could reflect magic back upon its caster.
I opened my eyes, hands already moving in the intricate patterns the First Queen had used for larger manifestations. Silver and gold light poured from my fingertips in torrents rather than streams, weaving together in a double helix thatspiraled upward from the silver grass. The pattern's joy was palpable as we created together, ancient knowledge flowing through my consciousness while my human perspective guided its application.
"Alice," Chi breathed, his tail lashing with excitement as he watched the creation take form. "This is..."
"Magnificent," Vee finished, his silver eyes wide with wonder. “She could end up being as proficient in magic as the First Queen.”
Between my outstretched hands, the double helix of silver and gold light continued to twist and solidify, taking on substance and weight. The energy condensed into a staff approximately my height, its surface etched with symbols that shifted and changed as I watched—an ancient Wonderland script that told stories of balance, healing, and protection. At its crown, a multifaceted crystal formed, capturing and refracting the impossible light of the pocket's sky.
When the manifestation completed, I felt the staff's weight settle into my palms—substantial yet perfectly balanced. Unlike the flower, which had been beautiful but simple, this creation hummed with complex enchantments woven through its very structure.
"A reflection staff," Dee murmured, approaching cautiously to examine it without touching. "The First Queen created something similar during the early border wars, before the courts were united."
I turned the staff slowly, watching how light danced through the crystal at its tip. Through my connection with the pattern, I could feel the weapon's purpose—not to create or destroy, but to turn the Queen's own magic against her. The crystal pulsed with gentle warmth, already attuned to my magical signature.
"It's designed specifically to counter blood magic," I said, understanding flowing through me from the pattern'smemories. "The crystal can absorb corrupted energy and reflect it back purified."
Heart's ruby eyes blazed with fierce satisfaction. "A weapon that could neutralize my mother's greatest advantage." He paused, studying my face with concern. "But creation at this level... how do you feel?"
I considered the question, taking inventory of my body and mind. The deep communion required for manifesting the staff had been intense, but unlike my early attempts at magic, I didn’t feel drained enough to fall asleep. I felt tired like I had done a long run, but that was it.
"Surprisingly good," I answered, running my fingers along the staff's smooth surface. "Tired, but not exhausted. It's like the pattern is working with me instead of drawing from me."
Chi moved closer, his tail swishing with fascination as he examined the staff without touching it. "The energy flow is reciprocal rather than one-sided. You're not just channeling the pattern—you're dancing with it."
I nodded, feeling the truth in his words. The staff pulsed gently in my hands, responding to my emotions like a living extension of my will. When I focused on it, I could sense the intricate enchantments woven through its structure—layers of protection, reflection, and purification that would make it a formidable weapon against the Queen's corrupted magic.
"I wonder what else I could create," I murmured, more to myself than the others. The pattern beneath my skin hummed with eager anticipation, showing me glimpses of other possibilities—armor that could resist blood magic, communication devices that worked across vast distances, healing constructs that could purify corrupted areas.
"Careful," Vee cautioned, his silver eyes studying me with analytical precision. "Creation magic is addictive by nature. Thepattern's enthusiasm can push you beyond safe limits if you're not mindful."
