ic Double the Treble

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Leprachaun gave a sour laugh. 

 

"Oh its a bit more complicated than that. And I don't understand it. This place is life... life squared. Life to the max. So vivid that it makes you sick, drives you mad. You won't get tired here, at least no physically. You won't die either, other than in your soul. Every inch, every second... squeezing life into you, until you are...."

 

He smacked his fists into the tree trunk next to him. 

 

"SICK SICK SICK OF IT!"

 

He took a deep breath in and continued. 

 

"You are a vessel. A very attractive vessel, given there are more than one of you. Music land can squeeze much more life into you than regular people. It loves twins, triplets, clones. Delicious. And before you think this place is roses and delightful, Music land doesn't much care for happiness or joy. the bacteria and virus here are ten times the potency. When I say you will get sick of this place, it wasn't just metaphorical. Disease is just more life."

 

He gave a cough, spluterring out green phlegm that he wiped on his green linen. 

 

"The Duke though, he is dying. He wanted to get to this place. I was the door, and you were the key. Well, not you, but anyone who had.. ah... doubled up, so to speak. Your ten fingered friend back there is probably a delicacy, all those fingers plucking strings."

 

The sun shone a little brighter, the rainbows looked a little more colourful, and the whole landscape looked like a nauseating pollock. 

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

The two Bernadettes listened as the Leprechaun explained a bit more about Musicland. "Well, sounds bloody wonderful." The duplicate Bernadette replied when the odd figure finished trying to explain the unusual nature of this dimension.

 

The Irish redhead frowned slightly as she tried to take in what the Leprechaun had to say. While one of her classes at Claremont had discussed a bit about alternate dimensions, it had only briefly introduced the subject. There was an elective course for those that wanted to study the subject in more depth, one that Bernadette had not taken (and had not been planning on taking).

 

She glanced back to where the Duke and Summer were still sleeping. "Whatever the case, he has made it here, now how do Summer an' I get back home?"

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Well theres the rub, ain't it. This place wont give ya up that easily. And stay here to long will drive ya crazy. Not like me, of course, no I'm totally freekin sane and not a goddamn depressed lunatic after spending years in this place. No.. I'm not a bitter sour mess with a head full of melanchoy tunes and whiskey soaked brain cells. Not me, not me, no way!"

 

The Leprachaun smashed his fists in rage on the tree trunk he sat on, so hard that the wood splintered. He gazed at his bloodied hand which started to heal almost instantly. 

 

"Bloody place, you can't even kill yerself!"

 

He cleared his throat. 

 

"Best I can tell ya, is you get out the same way ya came in. Music. And magic. And for some reason, twins - they seem to open the door. Or doubles. Or something like that. The Duke now, he got a real strong connection to this place, I can feel it..."

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

The two Irish redheads frowned again as the Leprechaun explained more about the nature of this dimension and how it would be difficult trying to leave the place. The duplicator was not thrilled to hear that magic played some role in getting out of this place, as that was something she had no real experience with and even less ability to use.

 

"Well, music an' duplicates I 'ave aplenty." Bernadette finally stated as she turned back to where the Duke and Summer still lay asleep. Making her way over, the redhead tried to wake the other girl. "Summer…"

 

Meanwhile the Bernadette duplicate remained near the Leprechaun, looking at the strange creature, she asked, "Why do ye think the Duke is connected ta this place? How is he connected?"

[Supercape]

GM

 

Summer yawned and opened her eyes, looking around and then closing them. 

 

"Ouch!" she mumbled. "Feels like a have a hangover. What happened? I.. think I'm getting a migraine. Everything seems bright, loud. Whats that smell?"

 

She kept one eye clamped shut and opened her other one, peering at Bernadette. "What the hell happened? Did one of those punk girls hit me on the head?"

 

Meanwhile

 

"The Duke?" said the Leprachaun. "I don't know much about him. He is rich. He is dying. He's smart, and got a tongue made of pure silver. I don't think he's a bad man, just a desperate one. Afraid of death. Can't blame a man for that - I've had a few close scrapes meself, and got the scars to show it. But this place is the pendulum swung too far. Its too much life. You know like how a vampire kills you by sucking the life outa ya? This place will drive ya mad by blowing too much life into ya!"

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

Bernadette Original

 

"Unfortunately nothing that fun." Bernadette commented when Summer mentioned feeling like she had a hangover. "An' no, those punk girls didn' lay a hand on ye." The redhead then added as she reached down and helped Summer up to her feet.

 

"We've been transported ta another dimension. Apparently it's called Musicland." The Irish teen stated as she indicated the bazaar terrain. "The Duke was workin' with the Leprechaun over there," she gestured with a thumb to where one of her duplicates was talking with the strange orange haired being, "ta get himself here. An' apparently we were the key ta doin' so."

 

Bernadette Duplicate

 

"Well, even good people can do bad things, particularly when their desperate." The duplicate stated in response to the Leprechaun.

"But anyway, if yer the door, you should come with us an' maybe we can all get out of here an' back ta Prime."

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Key? Dimension? What the hell are you talking about?" asked Summer, eyes widening in utter incredulity. "But..."

 

She sniffed the air. 

 

"This place does feel strange... like the smell crawls up your nose. I can practically taste the air... like strawberies and flowers and a vindaloo curry all at the same time..."

 

"Musicland? So what, we played music to get here? How the hell do we get back? Play our songs in reverse?"

 

She gave a look at the Duke. "And is that fat man why we are here?"

 

Meanwhile

 

"If you can get back, ill kiss yer backside till it black from bruises" laughed the Leprachaun. It was not a particularly jocular laugh - it was the kind of laugh that a dirty vase of sour vinegar would give. "But that's the problem, isn't? Cost me a thousand bad fortunes to get back last time, and that cos some damn pixie stumbled in to my dimension with some magic box. Now that's not going to happen again, I'm sure. But as I understand it, if you enter or leave this foul world you do somehow become a portal. So maybe me, maybe you, maybe someone or something can open the door. But..."

 

A series of sharp evil chords ripped through the air like alarm bells. 

 

There was the taste of drooling saliva in the air. 

 

"But... Musicland doesn't like to let go of its guests. Its got... antibodies, you could call them. And I think they are coming..."

 

 

 

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

Bernadette Prime

 

"Well…our music might be a way ta get out o' here, but not sure exactly how to make it work. The Leprechaun over there says ye need music an' magic." Bernadette replied with a frown before glancing over towards the Duke when Summer asked about him.

"Aye, apparently he is dyin' an' wanted ta get ta this place, as part o' its nature is ta fill its inhabitants with life." The redhead responded. "So, he staged this competition ta get a gateway opened ta this place."

 

Bernadette Duplicate

 

"Eww, that's okay, just help us get back an' we can call it good." The duplicate of the Irish teen replied to the Leprechaun, scowling a bit as he seemed to have limited information to help them get back to Earth Prime.

 

When he mentioned the dimension having "antibodies," the duplicate glanced around slightly startled. "That doesn' sound good, likely best ta try n' stay ahead o' them." She said as she started over towards the original Bernadette and Summer, gesturing for the Leprechaun to follow after.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Leprachaun duly followed, back into the "room" the Duke had rented. Inside, it was pretty much as it had been back on Earth. But it's smells were far more vivid. Footsteps sounded like musical drums, and even the rise and fall of chests-breathing-had a sort of whistling melody. The air seemed to shimmer with colour, with every previously dull or faded tone now bright and vibrant. 

 

"What the devilly devil is going on!" proclaimed the Duke, shaking himself free from his doze. 

 

"I do feel quite invogorated, I do!" he said, taking a deep breath in through his nostrils and wearing a wide grin. "Havent felt this well in a hundred years! Must be the air, or maybe the music!"

 

The air was fresh, and there was a sound in the distance. The sound of some dark opera starting up, full of low strings and sombre, ominous chords. 

 

"Ya know bloody well where you are, you toff!" said the Leprachaun, spitting out some green phlegm. It was very green, too. Lurid, even. 

 

"And now we have this bloody place come to keep us from leaving. I'd advise you all to stuff your ears. Its the music of this place... it gets to ya!"

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

"Apparently ye got yer wish an' we have all been transported ta Musicland." Bernadette stated to the Duke as he came to consciousness and feigned ignorance as to where they were. "While ye may want ta be here, the rest o' us don' an' are goin' ta try ta find a way home.”

 

"So, ye can either stay here an' wait for Musicland’s defenses ta arrive an’ hope they don’ consider ye a threat, or ye can come with us."

 

The duplicate Bernadette that had led the Leprechaun here focused on the strange little man. "Where can we go ta get away from these 'antibodies'?" She asked.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Antibodies? That doesn't sound to good," said the Duke, stroking his elegant white whiskers. "No, not so good at all. I may feel as fit as a fiddle, but I am in no mood for antibodies."

 

Cheep cheep cheep! Cheeped the birds, as they started to circle around the groups heads. 

 

"Don't trust the birds," said the Leprachaun. "They are just pointing out the targets."

 

The Leprachaun didn't have any birds around his head. But then, he wasn't alien to Musicland. He was a resident, even if he was a resident who despised the place. 

 

Ominous deep bongs came from yonder. Between trees and bushes, bouncing along the green meadows and vivid flowers, came the antibodies. 

 

Four of them, to match the four-four time of the bongs and tweets. 

 

Four amorphous blobs, full of such vivid scintellating colour that it could make your eyeballs bleed. Four bouncing blobs, ten feet high, ten feet across, ready to gobble up any intruders. 

 

Maybe a hundred yards away, but every bounce bringing them closer...

 

"Yer can run, I suppose," said the Leprachaun. "They don't like water much. Find a stream or a pond and hold your breath... But seems to me they are faster than you. "

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

"Well, they will certainly catch us if we don' bloody try ta run." The original Bernadette replied to the Leprechaun, getting a bit annoyed with his half-measure help. She then took Summer's hand and started off away from the approaching antibodies while looking for some sort of body of water.

 

The duplicate Bernadette also started following, sticking close to the Duke in case he needed any assistance in trying to outrun the approaching antibodies.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Here they come!" said Summer, voice shaking. 

 

"The little turds!" sighed the Leprachaun, ignoring them as they flowed past him, trying to chase down Bernadette(s), Summer, and the Duke. 

 

There were four of them, chasing down the four. Faint, blurred, not easy to see, like a mirage in a desert. But one could hear them, hear them with crystal clarity. 

 

Was it a buzzing sound? or a deep bass? or a sound in frequencies beyond human ears, that still rattled inside the skull. It was melodic, yes, and perfectly in time, but each of the four musical antibodies made a vexatious, cacophonic sound, like a church organ being played perfectly badly. 

 

"They don't like you!" shouted the Leprachaun at the fleeing foursome. 

 

"And I don't like them!" shouted the Duke, his short legs pumping to keep up with Bernadette. "Auditory assassins, I tell you!"

 

[Thevshi]

Mutli-Girl

"We wouldn' 'ave ta be dealin' with them if ye had not been set on gettin' yerself here" Scowled the duplicate Burnadette as she did her best to help the Duke and Summer with their sprint toward the nearest body of water.

 

The original Bernadette followed closely behind the trio, giving a bit if space between her and them as she kept a close watch over her shoulder for the anti-bodies. If any drew close, she was prepared to counter attack to try to stop them from catching the others.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"But I feel so invogorated!" said the Duke. "You can hardly blame me for wanting to be alive, can you? Its quite splendid! Why, I believe I can feel my liver working again, and my gout is gone! In fact, I could swear that my haemarrhoids have shrunk, too! I shall be producing the most wonderful faeces now, I can tell you!"

 

"I don't want to hear about your bowels!" complained Summer. 

 

"You will understand in a hundred or so years, my dear!" retorted the Duke. 

 

The musical notes flowed across the lurid grass and singing plants, and circled around Bernadette. She could feel their presence as much as see them. Faint to the eye, but quite noisy to the ear, bleating some melody in a rhythmic 2/2 time. 

 

And read to pounce!

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

The Bernadette duplicate glanced over at Summer as she ran near the other young woman and made a disgusted face in response to the Duke's comments, nodding in agreement to Summer’s response.

Meanwhile, a little further back, the original Bernadette let a slight grin come to her face as the musical note "anti-bodies" began to circle around her. Just where I wanted ya. She thought to herself.

 

Then, in a flurry of movement, Multiple Bernadettes sprang into existence as the original began moving forward as well. As they went, all the Bernadette where either punching or kicking at the musical notes, creating a flurry of fist, feet and knees all around where the redhead had originally been standing.

The sudden swarm of Irish teens managed to strike each of the pursuing musical notes in the process. Two were knocked back and to the ground, apparently out of the fight. However, the other two bounced back and recovered, apparently still prepared to pounce.

Bernadette and her duplicates all braced themselves as she scowled. "I think ye bit off more than ye can chew."

[Supercape]

GM

 

BOOM!

 

It was not an explosion. It was not fire, or force, or concussive energy. But when the Bernadettes punched out the musical antibodies, the loudest cacophony of noise errupted-like the world's biggest church organ playing all pipes simultanouesly. 

 

It was not melodic, either. 

 

The sound smashed into the eardrums of all around them. 

 

Bernadette could see the others clutching their ears. Summer gave a frightened look at Bernadette and mouthed I can't hear you...

 

All the others started speaking, but Bernadette was just as deaf as the rest of them. The world was silent. 

 

And yet, in her bones, she could feel the remaining two Musical antibodies shriek - sonic vibrations that ripped through her skeleton...

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

Bernadette's sense of victory quickly proved short lived, as the two remaining musical notes unleashed a powerful sonic attack, which caused the redhead and her duplicates to try to cup their ears, which were now ringing, preventing any other sound from being heard. She also felt the wave of sonic energy wash over her, slightly turning her stomach, but luckily she was able to withstand the feeling.

 

Focusing back on the now silent scene around her, she could see the two remaining anti-bodies, sort of, and her duplicates were all there ready to act. Thankfully, she did not need to speak to direct them, and they all began moving towards the anti-bodies once again to attack. However, the Irish teen's equilibrium had been thrown slightly askew, and she and her duplicates did not act in quite a coordinated a manner as before. In fact, a couple of her duplicates collided with each other and both ended up on the ground. Ultimately, the two anti-bodies had managed to bounce away from the group of redheads.

Meanwhile, the other duplicate was still running along with the Duke and Summer, pointing in urgently in the direction of the nearest body of water.

[Supercape]

GM

 

By the water

 

Quite the water it was, a lurid mixure of vivid colours, more like a painters palate, a mix of oils, than water, although water it was. The surface was calm but for an intricate riples that set off a singing, ringing melody. 

 

"My goodness!" exclaimed the Duke. "This really is the world of music, eh? And I have to confess, much as I am a music lover its really getting on breasts. I dont think I can bear listening to it much longer. What a cacophony! I will have to listen to death metal for three weeks solid when I get back. Errr... we are going to get back, aren't we?"

 

Meanwhile...

 

"Go get them, the little bastards!" shouted the Leprachaun with encouragement at Bernadette. She missed her swipes, for the antibodies were swift and drancing. 

 

And also lacking any imagination. In an almost predictable manner, moving to their own time signature in faultless rhythmn, they trumpted sonic blasts at Bernadette!

 

"Brrrrr-AWWWWW!" came one trumpet blast. Bernadettes ears may have been ringing, but she could feel that in her bones! A deadly sonic vibration!

Edited December 5, 2023 by Supercape

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

Bernadette felt the sonic attack of one of the anti-bodies smash into her, the vibrations shaking her to her bones, causing a sharp pain in her shoulder. But it was a minor injury, not much worse than what she once had to deal with while playing lacrosse.

Scowling at the Leprechaun as he bounced around offering encouragement, but otherwise no direct help, the redhead focused on the two bouncing musical notes once more as she and her duplicates again rushed forward with punches and kicks to try and deal with them. But again the notes bounced and dodged away and the redhead failed to land any solid blows.

 

Down by the edge of the water, the duplicate stopped at the edge of the strange water with Summer and the Duke as she glanced back uneasily to where the original Bernadette was. At the Duke’s question, the duplicate gave him an angry scowl. "What ta bloody hell do ye think we are tryin' ta do? Ye were involved in ta spell that brought us here, do ye have any idea on how to get back?"

[Supercape]

GM

 

The floating Musical Antibodies kept dancing around Bernadette, in time with their music. Bernadette was beginning to get the sense of them now; thanks to her own musical knowledge and feel. They bobbed around in a particular rhythmn, and at the end of every bar, 

 

Brrzzzzzzm!

 

More sonic blasts, vibrating though the gaudy air. 

 

the Antibodies were evasive enough to avoid the multitude of punched from Bernadette, and one of the sonic blasts tickled her shoulder, sending a buzz through her clavicle. 

 

"Ah yes, getting back. Well, that's quite the little puzzle, isn't it!" replied the Duke, stroking his elegant orange moustache. "It seems that the little ritual of this place attracted twins, or something like that, as the gateway."

 

"Each of my fingers? A twin?" said Summer, extending all ten fingers. 

 

"Why yes! Very powerful, I imagine. Especially playing music. Now, what say we play the tune in reverse? Can you remember it?"

 

"Well enough..." said Summer, unsure. 

 

"And you, can you sing it in reverse?" the Duke ased Bernadette. "And whip us up a guitar for your friend whilst you are about it?"

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

The duplicate Bernadette glanced somewhat nervously back to where the original and other duplicates were trying to fight the anti-bodies, worried things did not seem to be going so well. Looking back at the Duke, she scowled slightly. "I probably can, buy not sure why ya believe I should be ta one ta figure out how ta get Summer a guitar, yer the bloody one that got us inta this, ya figure it out!"

 

A short distance way, the original Bernadette was once again attacked by the two anti-bodies, that unleashed their sonic attacks once more, this time one of the striking the redhead on the hip. The Irish teen and her other duplicates again unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks. But once again, the two animated musical notes bounced away and avoided the attacks.

 

This an't bloody workin'. Bernadette thought as she dismissed her other duplicates and began sprinting back to where the others were by the edge of the water. Not having to slow down for the Duke or Summer, she was easily able to cover the distance in a few seconds. "Jump in an' swim away from them!" She shouted as she reached the edge, waiting until they jumped in before she and her duplicate followed after.

[Supercape]

GM

 

And into the lurid lake they jumped. 

 

It was water - that much was clear. But it was water in the way that sparkling mineral water was water. Bubbles that went up your nose and a fresh, clear texture. No normal lake would be so gloriously free of grime, dirt, sediment. No normal lake would have glowing fishes that swam past your face singing an opera. And singing it well, too. 

 

This was a lake, squared. 

 

Bernadette had correctly deduced that sound travels differently underwater, and so the Musical Antibodies (the two that remained) merely danced on the surface, quite unsure what to do. 

 

The only problem was that the assorted gang had to breathe underwater. 

 

And...

 

They could!

 

"Hey! I can breathe underwater!" yelled Summer, spluttering and gulping at the same time. 

 

"This water is very refreshing! You could bottle it and sell it for a fortune!" agreed the Duke. 

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

Bernadette and her duplicate kept their pace slow that Summer and the Duke could keep up as they swam under the water. The redhead was quickly surprised by the environment in which they found themselves, looking at the singing fish that went by with a bit of amazement. Does every bleedin' thing in this place sing. She thought to herself as she came to a halt to look over at the others.

The Irish teen had just been wondering what they were going to do about needing to go up for air, when Summer discovered that they could actually breath the strange water in this place. Bernadette took a "breath" of the water and sure enough it worked, although it was a very strange experience.

 

Bernadette then stopped to face Summer and the Duke. "So, ya believe we just have ta play the song backwards, which I can do fer the lyrics, problem is we don' have a guitar." Looking at Summer, she asked, "what about somethin' ta use as a drum, do ya think ya could use that?"

[Supercape]

GM

 

Summer looked around, her fingers instictively splitting and forming her uncanny 20 digits. 

 

"Errr..."

 

The fish looked pretty relaxed about the whole thing. Until one was caught in a torrent of fingers. Summer had let all twenty fingers loose from her hands and they had shot like torpedoes to a brightly coloured pink and green (yes, the colours did clash) bladder fish, with two enormous balloon like sacs on either side. 

 

The fingers of one hand carried on gripping the bladder fish, and the other ten started tapping out a rudimentary beat. 

 

Bd-bd-bd-bd-bd-diddy bdbd. 

 

"I'm not really a drummer, but here you go..." she said, doing the best she could. It was in time, at least!