Hana & Kitty in Wonderland
Chapter 1: Kitty Enters Wonderland
“Hana, you try catch me!”
It was little Kitty again, running after a mysterious something. When Hana, her friend, saw her, she ran after her to try to make sure she didn’t run too far. “What are you running after?” Hana called.
“A White Rabbit!” Kitty called. “Hurry, while it’s still in sight!”
“A White Rabbit? I really don’t believe that.” Hana said as she caught up to Kitty’s side. Kitty’s pink hair blew in her face and she coughed at it until Kitty pulled it aside.
“I know what I heard and saw. He said ‘I’m late! I’m late!’ and kept going.” Kitty insisted.
“Well, where is he?” Hana asked. They had reached the wall of the garden they were in, and all that was around was a tree with a hole in it. Kitty bent down to look in the hole. Hana was inspecting the wall for clues of the so-called White Rabbit. But poor little Kitty, she bent down too far, and fell down the hole.
She expected to hit the bottom rather quickly, after all, it’s normal for a fox hole to be small. But this was like a bottomless pit. Soon, objects floated around her. Wooden chairs, ticking clocks, and even a tea set with cookies and candy. Kitty was hungry for the candy on the spot and reached out for it and put it in her pocket. Soon, Kitty felt herself hit the bottom. There was a chess floor patterned floor, and a table with a bottle that said ‘Drink Me’ on it with a key next to it. There was a small cabinet, fit for a doll, with a tiny plate that said ‘Eat Me’, but the plate was empty. Kitty looked at the cookies and candy she nabbed and saw that what at first was normal sized was now very small. She placed it on the cabinet, and it fit perfectly.
“Well, I am thirsty, but what’s with this key?” Kitty asked, and placed it in her pocket. She drank from the bottle that said ‘Drink Me’ and that’s when she realized that either she was getting smaller, or everything was getting bigger. She was amazed that her clothes fit her still. Then she was very small when she stopped. Kitty spotted a door and saw that it was locked, and used the key for it. It fit perfectly and she left the door open behind her.
Chapter 2: Kitty Meets the Red Queen of Hearts
Kitty wandered into the lovely garden that lied beyond the door. “Wow, it’s so beautiful!” she said. One moment she was standing, admiring the garden, next thing, she was dragged away in a whirlwind by a red figure.
“Hurry you fool! Don’t you know what square you’re in?” came the snappy voice from the red figure.
“N o.” Kitty said.
“Fool! Off with your head!”
“Wait! Why? I’m new here! Please, I’m innocent!” Kitty pleaded. “Please tell me who you are, where I am!”
“I’m the Red Queen of Hearts, but that’s just a title you know. My name is Heather. And you’re in the first square, about to be cornered by the White Knight.” Heather the Red Queen of Hearts hissed. “And the first square is the part of the eight squares of Wonderland.”
“Oh dear, and all I did was wander through a door.” Kitty said. “Well, thank you, Your Majesty for saving me from the White Knight.”
But the Red Queen of Hearts just kept running, dragging Kitty along. “Run you fool!” she hissed. Kitty tried her best, but it was never enough for Heather. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked when they stopped for a rest. “Can’t you go any faster?”
“No. I’m going as fast as I can.”
“Well, in Wonderland, in order to move forward, you must run twice as fast. And if you want to run even faster, you must move even faster.”
“Where I’m from, I’m pretty fast and I always move forward no matter
how slow I go.” Kitty said.
“How dare you defy me? Off with your head!”
“No please, Your Majesty! I’m still new to your ways! I could learn!” Kitty begged.
“What’s your name?” Heather asked.
“Kitty.”
“Well Kitty, I like you. Come with me. You can be my Red Rook, or my Ten of Hearts.”
So Kitty, her head still in a whirlwind, followed Heather the Red Queen of Hearts into the weird Wonderland, and had completely forgotten about the White Rabbit and about Hana.
Chapter 3: Hana meets the Checher Cat
Hana didn’t see any clues of the White Rabbit. “Well, I think you were
seeing things, there’s nothing here, Kitty.” But there was only silence. Hana
turned around for the first time and saw that Kitty was gone. “Oooh!” Hana
groaned. “Where did she go now?” she then noticed the fox hole for the first
time. “Kitty?” she called, and heard her own echo. “Strange, fox holes aren’t
deep. I’ll just have to go in after her.” So Hana climbed down the fox hole,
and then fell in the same way Kitty did before her. Chairs, ticking clocks,
plates and other house hold objects floated past her. “Where am I?” Hana gasped
as she landed on a chair. Her weight made the chair fall smoothly downward.
Soon, she landed on the chair and saw the White Rabbit. “You do exist!” Hana
gasped. “And I thought Kitty made you up.”
“Me? Made up? Not a chance! Oh, this is no time to dilly dally! I’m late! I’m
late! On a very important date! Oh, no time to say hello or good-bye! I’m late
I’m late I’m late!!!” the White Rabbit chanted and dashed out the door Kitty
left open.
“Wait! Wait for me at least!” Hana called, but found she was much too big to fit in the door. And without Kitty, she couldn’t get into her Pokémon form. “Darn it! If at least Absol were here I could change!” She blushed at that thought.
Then Hana spotted the bottle that was labeled ‘Drink Me’. “Well, here goes nothing.” She said, and drank from it. She felt herself shrink. “I hope I didn’t drink too much!” Sadly, she did. She was about the size of an eraser and knew she had to get a little bigger. Then she noticed the cabinet with the cookies Kitty put back. The label said ‘Eat Me’. So Hana did eat a small bit, and found herself the perfect size again. So, she went through the door and like Kitty found herself awestruck by the beauty of the garden before her. The White Rabbit was suddenly before her. “I don’t know about you, but if you want to go far in Wonderland, go see the Checher Cat, towards the border of the second square. I’m late!!!” he yelled suddenly and dashed off.
“I think he’s a tiny bit scatter brained. But a ‘square’? What on earth could he mean? And what’s a Checher Cat?” So Hana, with very few clues of anything at all, wandered around.
Hana soon found herself near the edge of a forest. It was very dark when compared to the lovely garden, as if the sun didn’t shine there. “Could this be the second square up ahead?” Hana wondered.
“You’re a fast learner.” A velvety voice spoke. Hana turned and was awestruck at the creature before her. He had cat ears, a cat tail, and whiskers, but he was human otherwise. He was beautiful, in his own neko kind of way.
“Who are you?” Hana asked breathlessly.
“The Checher Cat. So, you’re new here. What’s your name?”
“Hana.”
“I’m a Checher Cat, but my name is Drake. So, what are you doing here in Wonderland anyway? Right now, you arrived at a bad time. Some of us, like the White Rabbit you probably saw, are preparing to go to war.”
“War? Whatever for?” Hana asked, taken aback. Despite not knowing Drake for more than five minutes tops, she couldn’t stand the idea of him going to a war.
“You know about the Red Queen of Hearts?”
“No.”
“Oh right, you’re new here. Well, in reality, the White Queen, Violet, is suppose to be Queen of Wonderland. Or maybe it’s cause she’s nicer. I don’t know, but all I know is that I want Heather, the Red Queen of Hearts out. And she enjoys the idea of a war because beheading people is her favorite past time. I’m the last of my kind here in Wonderland. She beheaded all the others. I managed to turn invisible and hide.”
“Wait wait wait.” Hana said. “Heather beheaded all your kind, but you turned invisible?”
“I’m a Checher Cat. You may call it our gift. Here let me show you.” Drake faded out bit by bit. First his legs, then his body, then his arms, just leaving his head. Then his head vanished.
“Amazing.” Hana breathed out slowly. Suddenly she felt something take her hand. She looked, but saw nothing. “You’re by my side.” Hana said, realizing who it was.
Drake’s head appeared, and he was smiling. “As I first said, you’re a fast learner. Come on, time I take you to see the Mad Hatter.”
“The Mad Hatter?” Hana asked.
“Well, his real name is Jun, and he’s friends with the March Hare, who is named Andrew.” Drake explained. “They’re meeting with the White Rabbit, and now you and me, and then we’re off to see the White Queen.”
Chapter 4: Hana, the Mad Hatter, and a March Hare
They walked hand-in-hand for a short while, until it came time to leave the first square, and then, similar to Heather’s style, Drake started running at full speed that he was almost invisible without even trying. Hana tried her best, similar to Kitty, but she was really slowing Drake down. When she told that to him when the stopped at the third square (for they had to get to the fifth one), he just smiled and said that he didn’t mind too much.
Finally, they arrived and saw that the White Rabbit, Andrew the March Hare, and Jun the Mad Hatter were waiting. “You kept us!” Jun said, almost laughing, “Hana, you especially! You naughty!” and then he burst out laughing about it. “But none the less you are here, but you quite aren’t, am I correct?”
“Pardon me?” Hana gasped.
“Your true form itches to get out, and you have no way of doing so.” Andrew said, almost rolling his eyes. “But now to the real reason as to why we want you here, despite you’re only being half here.”
“I don’t understand? As far as I’m aware of, I’m whole.”
“But you’re not your true self.” Jun said. “Now, first let us celebrate Hana’s un-birthday!”
“Un-birthday? Drake, he’s mad!” Hana hissed.
“I told you he’s a Mad Hatter.” Drake said quietly. “Um, gentlemen, shouldn’t we discuss about how to meet the White Queen?”
“Of course, of course, that’s on the half list.” Andrew said. “We’re working on the whole list first.”
“Wait. I’m lost.” Hana said, throwing her purple hair over her face. “All I want to know is where Kitty is!”
That seemed to get Jun’s attention. “In order to survive in this world, they say you have to be as mad as a hatter, or a hare, or a cat. Kitty, in heart, is a cat. She will survive and be fine. You, on the other hand, are a fox. You’re not mad, so you need us to survive. You need Kitty to survive. And I’m terribly afraid that Kitty went away with the Red Queen of Hearts.”
“Voluntarily? Or by force?” Hana asked.
“We’re not sure. The Red Queen can be quite forceful, but Kitty is fast enough to get away from her.” Andrew said.
“Well, either way, we must go after her!” Hana said.
“You mean go for her.” Jun said. “Well, one thing at a time. We start off with the whole list, then the half list, and then the none list.”
“The none list? What’s on that list?” Hana asked.
“Nothing of course! That’s why it’s called the none list.” Andrew said.
“Then it’s not a list at all!” Hana said.
“Of course it’s a list!” Jun said, and held out a piece of listing paper. “See, it says nothing! That’s the none list.” On the paper, the word ‘nothing’ was on it.
Hana crossed her eyes and wondered if Kitty was faring just as well.
Chapter 5: Kitty is a Rook!
Kitty and Heather were running, (although Kitty was mostly dragged along) until they arrived at a red garden. Everything but the grass and leaves was red. There were, however some black roses. Some little men with a bunch of hearts on their armor were painting them. “What is this?!” Heather demanded.
“We originally painted them black, Your Majesty.” The pawn with three hearts said, shaking. “And then the Bishop said to change it before you got back, so we’re painting them.”
“The Bishop said to hurry, but it is hard to get red paint from the storehouse because we use so much.” The pawn with seven hearts said, also shaking.
“Which Bishop?” Heater demanded.
“The Left Bishop.” They both said together.
“You went to the Left Bishop for help?! Off with your heads!” Heather said. Some other pawns dragged them away. Heather turned to Kitty. “The Left Bishop left to travel around Wonderland, and came back totally insane! The Right Bishop is always right about things, and is my advisor, not like I really need him, but its protocol.” Heather said.
“That is sad, Your Majesty, that he came back insane.” Kitty said. “By the way, I’m hungry after all the running we did. Do you have anything to eat?”
“Like what?” Heather snapped.
“Candy.”
“Candy! She actually wants candy! Silly Rook of Ten Hearts, candy is reserved only for Jacks, Kings and Queens. A Rook can’t have any.” Heather laughed.
“What’s a Rook of Ten Hearts?” By this time, they were walking into the castle.
“You’re a Rook of Ten Hearts.” Heather said. “Not many of my
Rooks ever got that title. You realize that I made you that because you have seen things I haven’t, and it will help me with my plans.”
“The outside world will help with what plans? We are totally different from your world.” Kitty said.
“Do you want to end up like those pawns?” Heather growled.
“No!”
“Then start spilling, and bring me the Bishops!”
Chapter 6: Kitty’s Education
Kitty, the newest Rook of Ten Hearts, told her story about the outside world. She told them about Pokémon, and how she herself is a Pokémon. For the first time, she realized that Hana never appeared, and she hasn’t seen the White Rabbit since. She told Heather about Pokémon trainers, legendary Pokémon, the legends in general, her own life story about losing her mother and finding her again and went away from her again. Kitty went on about many other things. Heather frowned, pretending to be interested. Finally, Kitty stopped talking, and Heather spoke. “Very interesting, yes, yes, trainers, legends, stuff like that. But, you did not speak of your education. Are you educated?”
“No. Drake never thought it necessary.” Kitty said.
The Red Queen of Hearts raised her eyebrow. “Drake, did you say? That’s very interesting. But never you mind why. What you must worry about right now is your proper Wonderland education by me! Now, let us begin your first lesson to be a Rook. First we shall start with math equations. If you divide a loaf by a knife, what do you get?”
Kitty blinked. “Isn’t math involving numbers?”
“Answer the question or be learned!”
“Twelve?” Kitty offered, remembering that she was able to get six sandwiches out of one package of bread.
“Wrong!”
Kitty hung her head, disappointed. “What’s the correct answer then?”
“Never you mind that!” Heather hissed. “Sugar and spice go with everything nice. What is everything nice?”
Once again Kitty didn’t know a real answer. “Sweet stuff?”
“Wrong! How can you be a Rook of Ten Hearts if you aren’t learned? Fine, let’s swap to your English lessons. Bring the book!” Heather called to the nearest servant. The pawn brought a small book to Kitty. “Read and memorize the poem by tomorrow and recite it to me. If you can say it before tomorrow, I may reward you with that candy you want.”
“But Your Majesty, I can’t read!” Kitty said.
“Goodness Drake ought to be ashamed! You, the one who brought the book, make her well learned!” Heather said. They walked away. Heather smiled. Heather summoned the Knave of Hearts, Absol. “Find that annoying Checher Cat. It’s time someone made the first move in this war.”
“As you wish.” The Knave of Hearts said, and went on his horse to find that Checher Cat.
Chapter 7: Hana befriends the White Queen
The small group just finished celebrating Hana’s un-birthday, which Hana still couldn’t figure out. As they ran (Hana got help from Drake), Hana thought about Jun’s answer to why it was called an un-birthday.
“Is today your birthday, Hana?” he asked.
“No, but…”
“Well, then! It’s not your birthday, so it’s your un-birthday!”
“Isn’t that just a party celebrating me then with no true reason?” Hana asked.
“No, there’s always a reason! We’re celebrating that it’s not your birthday and you’re not a year older or younger…”
“But people and Pokémon don’t get younger, they get older!” Hana said, getting frustrated.
“It’s rude to interrupt,” Jun said, “but anyway, if you were born at the Fountain of Youth, you’d age backward. So you’d start off at the age you’re going to die and just count backward.”
“Fountain of Youth?!”
“So many questions. Never you mind that fountain right now, Hana, for now, we leave for the White Queen, for we’re on the half list now.” Andrew hissed, trying to eliminate questions.
Soon, they arrived at an all white palace with snow all over the ground. “Does it only snow here?” Hana asked Drake.
“Snow? What’s snow? This is sugar. It snows sugar here.” Drake said.
Hana rolled her eyes. Why did she sort of see that one coming?
Jun waved at the guards and they let them in. The White Queen was sitting in the sole room of the huge palace. The cooking and other activities happened elsewhere Drake whispered to Hana. Jun and the others started to step aside after bowing and then Jun whispered: “Don’t forget, when you stand up after bowing, pull out you wedgie. They hurt after a while.” Hana nearly hit Jun for that, but because the Queen was present, she restrained herself.
“You may bow now.” The White Queen spoke with a soft voice. Hana did so. Sure enough, Jun was right about the wedgie so she pulled it out. “The Mad Hatter spoke of you with kind words. Oh, forgive me, I didn’t introduce myself. I am Violet, the White Queen of Wonderland, but I may as well not be queen at all. My sister, Heather, the Red Queen of Hearts, has stolen my rightful throne from me, and has made certain acts that were formally illegal, legal. For instance, she forbids any Bishop from wandering around to learn, and those that do are instantly labeled ‘insane’. Long ago, Bishops use to leave out of Wonderland and learn and they are well learned in general first. But now that is forbidden. One of her own went to wander the eight squares of Wonderland just to see if there was a ninth square, but no one knows because she labeled him ‘insane’ right away. I don’t think he was ever insane.
“The old laws say you can walk from square to square, but because she enjoys war, she made it that people had to run all the time just to tire them out. Everyone from the second they’re born must be educated about old poems from the worlds she forbids them from learning about through the Bishops. So everyone is confused as to where the poetry comes from, as she didn’t write it. Heather is a tyrant and must be dethroned. I ruled three hundred years before she took over. Wonderland is rightfully mine, and the people want me back anyway.”
“Wow, Your Majesty, you are very smart of the old ways.” Hana said. “Your Majesty, Heather has my sister, I don’t know if my sister joined her by force or by will, but we must save her. I don’t know how though.”
“Simple, Hana, simple. We have to fight piece by piece.”
“Piece?”
“I respect you for that, you’re always eager to learn. If you choose to stay after the battle, you would make a good Bishop. Look at me Hana.” Violet said. Violet seemed to pose around in different ways for Hana. “What do you notice?”
“You… don’t… have… any legs!”
Hana gasped it out slowly. “So you’re a…”
“Chess piece? Yes, I am. Did you wonder why there are eight squares in Wonderland? Wonderland, as
far as we know, is just a big chess board that was huge to start with and was
eventually overgrown and life flourished, like it began in the beginning of the
world, according to science. I don’t really believe in religions or mythology,
just in science. Heather, however, fully believes in mythology and science and
sometimes tries to combine the two. She knows how dangerous it is, but she’s
willing to take the risk of it. You have to credit it her that much – she’s
willing to try things no one else would bother to try.
“But yes, all the royal people of Wonderland are all chess pieces.” Violet concluded her speech. Hana noted that she was good at coming up with speeches on the spot. “Bow again, please.”
Hana did so, and had to pull that annoying wedgie again.
“Thank you. It reminds me when people bow to me that I’m the rightful queen.” Violet said. “You are now my Lady in Waiting.” She told Hana. Hana blinked at such words. “If something should happen to me when we go to save Kitty, you are to take my place for the battle. After the battle… I know you will decide who takes my place. I know Wonderland is not your home.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Hana said, bowing and plucking at the wedgie yet again. She was not expecting this.
“No time for thanks. Why I believe that one of the Red people are coming now.” Jun said. Sure enough, there was a bang at the moat door.
“Let me in! I bear news! Not to attack!”
“Let him in.” Violet ordered. The white pawns opened the moat, and the Knave of Hearts rode in. “What news do you bear?”
Chapter 8: What the Knave did Instead
“I’m going to tell a long speech, so please don’t interrupt until I’m done.” He said.
“My name is Absol, and as you can see I am the Knave of Hearts for the Red Queen of Hearts, Heather. My duty lies to Wonderland, for the past four hundred years. Not for the new ruler. I hate to serve a ruler who makes choices for their own benefit and not for Wonderland. But, I am good at holding my tongue when I have to, such as when Heather orders me about.
“Recently, she kept this quite from you all, but all those who oppose her are now labeled ‘insane’ and ‘not fit to be listened to’ but she ‘gladly will fight for the sake of her throne’. She mixes science with magic, so she is now a more real threat than before. Her love of experiments certainly makes her ‘insane’ in the Wonderland sense.
“I’m not sure why she does what she does. I clearly think she is insane herself! Beheading people as you know is her best pastime. You, Checher Cat should be thankful I will not commit my true reason to be here. She wanted me to bring you here, to commit the first act of war. She lusts to erase your kind, cat! As far as we know, you are the last one to survive her past genocide. Be thankful I avoid trying to serve her if I can.
“So, as you can tell from where I am going with this, she has done too much wrong for my liking and has done nothing to help support Wonderland. As you probably already know, she forbids Bishops from traveling, and it’s like there are many left to begin with. Almost everyone is considered ‘insane’. I side with you in the wars ideals. However, that does mean I will not side with you in the attack. I’m bound to Heather because I am a Knave of Hearts. I’m sadly not a Knave of Diamonds or some such like that.
“Now, as for Kitty, who I’m sure you know is a new Rook of Ten Hearts. Kitty is considered a ‘dull jewel’. She has a wealth of information on the world outside of Wonderland, yet she is stupid in Wonderland ways. As much as Heather tries to learn her, she cannot learn easily. She cannot read, she knows nothing of Wonderland math. Writing has not even been attempted yet. She did not join Heather willingly. Heather literally dragged her along. Heather threatens her every five minutes with a beheading. Kitty must be saved.”
Absol paused, and gave a moment for everything he said to sink in. Hana’s olive green eyes were filling with tears. All because of a stupid White Rabbit they were here, in the center of a war! Kitty was in danger, and had to be saved. And since Hana wasn’t considered mad, she needed to stick to these mad people and the White Queen for her own safety. If she was mad, she’d ran off by now and save Kitty personally with her own survival skills that would probably work just as well here in Wonderland as they did back in the human world.
“What are you thinking Hana?” Violet asked. “You can speak up if you wish. Your voice is always fully appreciated.”
“I’m just thinking as to why I’m down here in the first place. Kitty spotted a White Rabbit and followed it, and somehow fell down a fox hole and ended up in a house here in Wonderland. Now look where we are! In the center of a war!” Hana finally let the tears flow out, but instead of flowing down her cheeks, they floated up and floated and vanished in the air. “Is this a dream? Nothing is normal here!”
Violet looked at Jun, then at the Knave. “Knave, you have done well, doing the opposite of what you were suppose to do. When my sister asks about Drake, say you found out he died, but you heard that his spirit lives on in its own way. You may take your leave now.” Violet said. Absol bowed, and left for his own castle to report the news. He wondered what Violet meant by that last bit, about his spirit living on in its own way.
Once he was gone, Violet waved her hand at Jun, Andrew and Drake. They left the castle through another door to wait in the sugary snowy outside. Then, it was just Violet and Hana in the large, single room. “Do you know why you’re here, Hana?”
“No, Your Majesty.” Hana said.
“You got my message. I needed you and Kitty to help overthrow my evil sister. How did I know you two were the ones out of how many other humans? I did not know. I told the White Rabbit to appear to the rightful people, based on his own judgment. And he selected well. He never let me down ever. You are the kind of person who knows your limits, you know your emotions, you know your thoughts, you know your mind. Kitty is the kind of person who knows how to encourage, how to give love to those who need it most, and how to understand. Because you are separated, it makes things difficult, but rescuing Kitty gives us more of an incentive to end Heather’s evil reign.
“You must be brave Hana, and you must respect your limits, emotions, thoughts and mind. I don’t deny it, it will be hard for a Pokémon fox at heart. Wonderland is no easy place to live. It use to be at one time.”
“Before Heather took over?” Hana interrupted.
“No, even before I reigned. Somehow, a short time before I took the throne, the perfect balance of Wonderland tipped for the worse. We’re going to try to fix that, and the first step is to eliminate the evil from Heather’s experiments. Remember about that ninth square? Well, personally, I think there is one, and it holds some answers to the balance.”
Hana sniffled a bit, then looked up at Violet, a new determination in her eyes. “So, what is our first step to defeat Heather?”
Chapter 9: Kitty’s Battle Gear
“I personally think it looks good on you, Kitty, my Rook.” Heather said.
Poor Kitty was in a heavy suit of armor that was bright red with ten hearts on it. She carried a lance in one hand, a shield with a huge red heart (Heather’s crest) in the other, with a sword in its sheath on her belt along with a bow and in a quiver on her back about thirty arrows. It was weighing her down. “Your Majesty, I’m sure your recommendation is very wonderful, but I can barely move!” Kitty gasped after lifting the hood of her armor so she could breathe and talk normally. When it was down over her mouth, she had a metallic sound to her, and she sounded quite hollow, so she preferred to keep it up.
“Hm… perhaps you are right after all. Well, you have attempted very hard at your lessons, and you can read a few words to me, unlike before. I think you deserve a little reward, don’t you think? How about some special made armor?” Heather asked.
“Will it be lighter then this?” Kitty asked, lifting the hood up again. It kept falling down.
“Of course. By special made, I mean it will fit you perfectly and will weigh like air and you won’t need so many weapons. Perhaps you are the one worthy to wear it!” Heather said, starting to enjoy where this was going. “Are you daring enough to try it, Rook of Ten Hearts?”
“I am! Just get me out of this!” Kitty said, her voice metallic because the hood fell down yet again.
Heather got some measurements, and went down to her secret room, that only a select few pieces and cards knew about. It was her lab. She was designing a new bit of magic and science together, this time in the form of a light suit of armor. “If what Mother told us when we were supposed to be too young to care, then me and my sister should be extremely advanced with our products. Yet why am I the only one of the two who tries to explore what that could mean?” Heather asked herself out loud. “Violet… my sister… She was a waste. Mother was the smart one, with what she did. Look at what she did! She did things so wonderfully! Her education was very top of the line, as with all she did. Is that why I aspire to be like her, while Violet aspires to be like Father? Hm… perhaps. Perhaps this war will tell also! Oh-ho! I love war.”
Heather kept talking things like this for a little while, while she worked on her experiment. She used different witch-spells and different alchemist tricks to make a light armor. “When my dear little Rook sees this and wears it, she will not only be stylish, but the most powerful of all my warriors! And then when her friend, Hana, comes for her, she will be so powerful, she won’t want to be rescued. Yes, a well thought out plan, Heather, as always. Show your sister what it means to embrace your true self! Embrace your magical and scientific past and make a wonderful future out of it!”
And when Kitty put it on, not only was light, but a powerful surge of
magic went through her body and it felt so good. Her eyes went from black to
brown, to bright scarlet, in a fit of rage and true power.
Chapter 10: Begin the War!
Heather smiled, Kitty was magically well aware of Wonderland’s ways. She was well learned. “I should have done this a lot sooner.” Heather sighed to herself. Heather went by her window, which was high above her courtyard. Her red army was standing there, ready for a signal to indicate war had begun. Heather smiled. Ten more minutes, then she’d make the war happen herself.
* * * * * * *
Hana stood near Drake. She was in a suit of armor, which was slightly big and bulky for her. “Are you sure this is okay?” she asked.
Drake, who was armor-less, smiled his catty smile. His fangs were large and took up most of his face. “Yes, I’m sure. It’s better in terms of sustaining hits.” He turned invisible except for his face. Then he held her close. “Don’t worry Hana. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. You’ll be one of the best.”
Hana looked at the beautiful Checher Cat before her and said, “I just want to tell you something… before we go…”
Drake’s smile went down in size. “Yes?”
“I… I… like you.” Hana said, blushing. Her armor fell over her face. Drake picked it up.
“I like you too, Hana.” He said. The distance between their faces was getting smaller, and they were taking in each other’s fine, otherwise unnoticeable smells. He smelt like similar to Kitty, when she was a Skitty, except he had more of a flowery field smell, with a trace of clover. She smelt like pine needles and wild flowers. Soon, the distance was mere centimeters. Hana closed her olive-green eyes, and he closed his dark blue eyes. Their smells were closer than ever then suddenly…
“GO SET READY!!” Jun called, pulling them apart. “Move move! Heather is attacking.”
He left, and Hana pouted. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I’ll see you later. Be safe, Hana…” Drake said turning invisible and who knows where he ran off to. Hana moved close to Violet.
“She did what we thought.” Violet said. “She got tired of waiting.”
“Yes. I wonder where they’re keeping Kitty.” Hana said.
“Even I don’t know that information. I don’t think any of her ranks do.” Violet said simply. “We have to find her once we destroy the front ranks. Once those are stopped, it’ll be somewhat easier to slip on the castle and look around. It’s not much for a plan, but that’s better than not having any form of a plan at all.”
“Of course.” Hana said.
The two armies soon stood infront of each other at the eight square. Around them on one side was thick, dark jungle vines and thorns. It looked like it went on for awhile, and was able to conceal another square, should another one have been there.
Heather was nowhere to be seen, but her voice came out: “This war is useless, dearest sister. Why fight over something the people had already decided upon? You make the worse politics, and they are aware of that.”
“This is your fault. You took over by force, you changed everything to suit your own needs. You prevent any further exploration of Wonderland, and yet at the same time, you are a hypocrite of that by teaching old poems that came from the further explored lands. The people are aware of this. They fight for me! Their pain is my pain! Their wrath is my fuel!
“You also dare to experiment with something our parents taught us to never do: combine magic and science. Both alone are dangerous, and together they are most deadly. I won’t let this go unpunished! My troops… GO SET READY!”
The White troops ran and charged at the red ones. The ranks collided with a clash of steel. Moans of death and the smell of blood soon began to fill the air. Even in Wonderland, the art of war was the same as it was in the outside world. Hana waited for Violet to give the signal. Then suddenly, it came faster than it should have.
“Now Hana, while they are distracted!” came the hiss from Violet. Hana slipped between the warriors and into the open moat of Heather’s castle. She was inside.
Heather smiled from her throne room, where Kitty was. “So, they fell for the bait.” She murmured.
Hana ran all over, not sure of where to look first, when suddenly, she felt something take her hand, even though nothing was there. “Don’t worry its only me.”
It was Drake.
That seemed to make everything okay again, despite the fact that they were in deep danger. The fact that he was alive, touching her skin, whispering in her ears, his small smell filled her sense of smell, and worked its way up to her brain, where she imagined a flowery field and clover. She was nearly giddy with love. But she soon had to get a grip of herself.
“What did you find?” she managed to ask.
“It’s a trap.” Drake said. “She is with Kitty, but something is very wrong with her. Kitty is silent, still, and her eyes are red, and she is in a custom made armor, clearly. I think Heather has forced control on Kitty.”
Hana began to tear up. “No!” she moaned.
“Shhh!” Drake hissed. “Don’t give us away, especially me. This is risky business. But I do have a plan.” He whispered it right in her ear.
“But you will…”
“It’s alright. Isn’t that what war really is about? And love? Sacrifice for what is right and for those you care about.”Drake said. “Now, let us get started. Violet is counting on us, and so is Kitty’s soul.”
Hana felt worse still, but she opted to say nothing. She couldn’t see Drake just let himself, the last of his kind, be killed for this. He was still needed for this war, and for her own sake of mind. Without thinking, she leaned forward where his face probably would have been, (and she was right), and kissed him. Drake was surprised. That much was unexpected. It felt warm and slightly wet, yet there was a burst of joy inside of both of their chests. When they finally pulled away from each other, Drake turned his face visible.
“Hana…” he said. He looked at her, but Hana couldn’t tell exactly what his emotions were. Then, to hide it even more, he turned himself invisible again and he took her hand and led her to what appeared to be the throne room. While he could easily slip around the castle, Hana couldn’t. Whenever a guard appeared, she would have to try to hide, which wasn’t always easy. Finally, they arrived at the throne room. Drake made himself visible.
“Hello, Drake and Hana. You’ve fallen for my traps, each one. You think I know nothing of your plans, Drake. You’ve escaped me many times before, and now you are willing to sacrifice yourself for Kitty. I’m not stupid. Kitty is a valuable prize. One that shall connect me to the outside world, one that’s beyond Wonderland’s ways. The powers that are there, all of it raw and waiting for me to tame it and claim it for myself. All of the knowledge, legends, and stories that could work to my favor. The epics that sing a hero’s sad fate each time. And yet you are still willing to give your pathetic self up for that? Compared to what opportunities Kitty give me, you are worthless. A former diamond turned into a simple stone.”
“What do you want with the outside world anyway?” Hana asked.
“What do I want? What do I want, they ask! I want to take over the whole universe~ All that power! All the science and magic! All the love, lust, angels, demons, Pokémon, technology! It’s too good to pass up! Everything has some form of power, and I plan to get it all! Enough chatter. Kitty, go get them.”
Kitty looked at Heather, then she looked at Drake, then she looked at Hana. She stared at Hana the longest. Something about the others reminded her as demons, but Hana was like an angel. “No. I will not hurt her.” Kitty said. She threw her sword at Heather, who was then stabbed in the heart. Suddenly, everything began to change. The castle was gone. Everything was looking like the route where Hana took a nap. Was everything a dream? No, no something was wrong here. A horse and buggy went by, and the riders were old-fashion with their clothes. Hana saw herself in old clothes.
“We time traveled! And I have to find Kitty!” Hana said fiercely.
Meantime, a little girl, who was pixie-like was being dragged off to the near-by asylum…
