The Other Ichabod (Part two of a short story that might get too long to be short.)

by Tasha in the Southern Water Tribe, stalking Sokka

The Other Ichabod (Part 2)

Ichabod Dumbledore yanked his comforter over his head and screamed. He was dreaming. He had to be dreaming.

He just couldn't be awake.

The comforter was yanked off of Ichabod's head, and a hand was slapped over Ichabod's mouth. His scream was muffled by the hand, but he didn't stop screaming.

He stared up at the other Ichabod with wide, terrified eyes. The other Ichabod's glasses were gone, and his blind, red-grey eyes seemed to shine in the darkness. He's taken off the black beanie hat, and faint moonlight glinted off his bald head.

His face was completely blank, and his voice was an emotionless monotone as he whispered, "Don't fight this."

Then, in one swift movement, the other Ichabod grabbed Ichbod Dumbledore around his shoulders and legs and lifted him out of bed.

Ichabod was too terrfied to fight. He was rigid with fear.

I'm dreaming, he thought to himself, I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming I'm dreaming I'm dreamingI'mdreamingI'mdreamingimdreamingimdreamingimdreamingimdreamingimdreamin!!!! It became a desperate chant in Ichabod's mind as the other Ichabod walked over to the window, and, still holding Ichabod, jumped out.

Ichabod's room was on the second floor. If they didn't die when they hit the gorund, they'd certainly end up with more than a few boken bones.

Ichabod shut his eyes tight and screamed even harder, but the other Ichabod's hand still muffled his shout.

Ichabod waited and waited for the impact.

It never came.

He finally let his eyes slip open.

They were flying.

Flying! Ichabod was flying! Or, rather, the other Ichabod was flying. Ichabod Dumbledore was just along for the ride.

It was wonderful and terrifying at the same time. Ichabod finally stoped screaming, and the other Ichabod took his hand away from his mouth.

"What's happening?" Ichabod whispered, too awed and afraid to speak any louder.

"I'm taking you home," the other Ichabod said, his voice still an emotionless monotone.

"Home? What do you-" Ichabod didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. One moment, he was looking down at the shining city lights below, and the next he was zooming impossibly fast in a vortex of light and rushing wind.

* * *

The vortex dissapeared as quickly as it had come. The two Ichbods crashed to the ground, landing heavily on thier knees.

"Ow!" Ichabod Dumbledore shouted.

The other Ichabod didn't make a sound. He just got calmly to his feet, then held out his hand. Ichabod hesitated for a seocnd, then accepted the hand. The other Ichbod helped him to his feet, then said, "Come."

Ichabod followed the other Ichbod, a few paces behind him. They were in a strange place, unlike any place Ichabod had even been. Towers and buildings made of swirling, shiny pink and white marble stood everywhere, seeming to grown out of the marble gorund. The sky above was completely covered by a single, flufffy white cloud. The cloud was shining a pinky-yellow colour, as if it was it's own sun.

"Where are we?" Ichabod asked in awe.

"Home," the other Ichabod answered. "Don't you recognize it?"

Ichabod frowned. He was certain he'd never seen anything like this, even in a picture or on TV. And yet... the other Ichabod was right. It did seem kind of... familiar.

Ichabod ran a bit, catching up to the other Ichabod.

"Who are you, anyways?" he asked once the two boys had fallen into step with one another.

The other Ichabod's normally blank face was suddenly broken by the faintest smile.

"I'm you," he answered.

"What? You don't even look like me!" Ichabod exclaimed, unable to wrap his head around the ridiculous idea.

"No? I wouldn't know," he said, gesturing to his blank eyes. He gave Ichabod another small smile. "Are you sure?"

"Well, ah..." Now that the other Ichabod had mentioned it, Ichabod had to admit there were similarities.

They both had red eyes, although the other Ichabod's were also a cloudy grey due to his blindness. And although his head was bald, the other Ichabod's eyebrows were the same deep black as Ichabod Dumbledore's hair. And now that they were walking side by side, Ichabod could see that they were the exact same height.

"Bet you don't have a scar on your arm," Ichabod challenged, feeling confused.

The other Ichabod held up both arms, showing that he indeed did not have a scar on either arm.

"Ha. There. You're not me. Of course you're not me. I'm me, so you can't be me."

The other Ichabod slapped a hand over Ichabod Dumbledore's mouth.

"Stop babbling," he said, losing his smile. His voice reamined monotone. "I'm not exactly you. I'm your alternate self."

"Alternate self? What the heck is an alternate self?" Ichabod demanded after the other Ichabod pulled his hand away.

Instead of answering, the other Ichabod stopped walking.

"We're here," he said. "You'll get better answers here than from me."

Ichabod looked at the building in front of him and his jaw dropped. It was enormous, taller than any sky-scraper, longer than a city block.

An enormous castle of marble.