A/N: Yay! New story, new fandom! I haven't been updating as much as I should on my other stories (I'm so bad) and I'm really sorry. I'm thinking about putting Own the Night on hold and getting a beta reader because that story needs help.
As always I do not own Alice in the Country of Hearts (I don't remember the Japanese name, is iiiit. . . Alice no Kuni no Heart. . .?)
So, without further ado. . .
Let the story begin!
Though the air was humid the sky was gray and clouds hung low over the emerald green lawn. The lawn was spotted with lavish crème colored tents gilded with lace and silver. Noblemen and duchess swooped across the lawn in elegant suits and long, ruffled dresses. Most people would have been ecstatic to be able to attend such an event or even to know someone who was invited. Most people except Lilla.
Lilla sat in at a curled wrought-iron table, staring stonily at her lap. Events like this were the bane of her existence. Being stuffed into a puffy dress and having her flaming red hair piled so tightly atop her head her skin was pulled taught was not exactly at the top of her 'favorite things to do' list. Unfortunately, having her father being a duke made such a fate part of her everyday life. Thanks a lot, Pa, she thought bitterly. A jewel from the back of her dress dug into her thigh and she scratched angrily at an itch concentrated on her knee that she had skinned earlier that week. An adorable giggle sounded from across the lawn and she looked up so fast her neck cricked.
Kathrynne. Her golden hair was curled in two pigtails and she looked angelic in a creamy white dress and matching hair ribbons. The perfect little girl who was the perfect little example of how everyone in the perfect little world should act. She was the pride of the family and the daughter of Lilla's Aunt Alice. It was humiliating to be told by your parents (sometimes in front of guests) that you should behave more like a girl younger than you. It wasn't hard to hate her.
"Liiiiillla! Oneesan!" the little girl stumbled across the lawn with her arms wide open and ran and hugged Lilla around the neck. It was also not hard to forget how much you hated her.
"Kathrynne chan, how are you?" Lilla asked against her will, her mouth seemingly moving on its own.
"Very well, thank you," she replied. "And you?"
"I'm okay," said Lilla, noncommittally shrugging. Lilla craned her neck, "Hey, um, where's your mom?" she asked hopefully. Aunt Alice, it seemed, was the only person who understood her and her problems with the stuck up stuffiness of their family.
"She is here somewhere," Kathrynne said a little dejectedly.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" asked Lilla, her mouth still forming words without her permission.
"You like Momma but you don't like me? How come?" asked the younger pitifully.
"I do like you," assured Lilla quickly lying, this time of completely free will. "It's just. . .well, I guess I think your mom understands me better."
"Oh," Kathrynne whispered. "That makes sense." She grabbed Lilla's hand. "Momma was talking with Auntie Edith."
"Okay, thanks," said Lilla, more than a little unenthusiastically.
"Lilla," chided the six-year-old leading her by the hand, "I know you don't like Auntie Edith but at least pretend to be polite."
She sounded like an exasperated mother but Lilla sighed in defeat and kept walking. At least her Aunt Alice could protect her from her severe Aunt Edith. As they approached Alice noticed her tall lithe cousin, Basel, standing behind his mother, Aunt Edith. Though he was very tall his timid presence was masked by his mother's loud, opinionated one. His dark short-ponytailed hair fell in his eyes and his slouched posture gave the impression of a very small person. Lilla also noticed the way Aunt Alice angled her body away from Aunt Edith. She supposed she still felt threatened and mistrusted by her younger sister.
"Aunt Alice," called Lilla as they neared and Kathrynne walked faster to her mother's side.
"Lilla!" she cried and hugged her niece. Lilla breathed in the scent of cinnamon and clover of her aunt. She had been like a mother when Lilla's mother, her sister, had passed away. Lilla impatiently pushed the thought out of her mind and smiled into her aunt's hair.
"Hello, Lilla," said her aunt Edith briskly, mouth a flat line, eyebrows raised. Her dark hair was pulled severely from her face but somehow it gave the opposite of the effect it should have. It presented the effect of softness on her aunt's features. Lilla blinked, such odd thoughts were entering her mind today!
". . .lla. . .Lilla!" Lilla shook her head, shooing the odd thoughts away like flies.
"You space cadet, your mind is in W-wonderland," smiled her aunt Alice. "You're so much like me when I was your age."
"Sorry," said Lilla through a blush. "What were you saying?"
"I said hello," said Aunt Edith before her Aunt Alice could say anything.
"Hello, Aunt Edith," said Lilla, curtsying, "Basel," she nodded in his direction. He nodded quickly then looked back down.
There was an awkward pause and the five looked behind Aunt Alice at a rose garden Lilla's mother had kept. They all saw one another looking then looked back at each other. Aunt Edith cleared her throat.
"Why don't the three of you run along and play or something of the sort," she said. It wasn't as much a suggestion as a command. "And don't get dirty now," she said as the three cousins awkwardly turned and shuffled to a aged willow away from the groups and tents of the superficial gathering.
When neither Lilla nor Basel spoke Kathrynne, irritated, decided to fill the silence.
"You guys are very unsocial," she stated. Then she yawned. "And normally I'm very social but I'm tired. I'm going to take a nap."
Lilla nodded in agreement. Her eyes felt heavy and her limbs felt weak and tired, "M-me t-too," she stuttered through a yawn.
"Not me," said Basel softly, speaking for the first time that day.
"Fine," murmured Lilla, falling asleep.
A shriek filed the air and Lilla's eyes shot open. It was late and stars twinkled above them. She looked over and saw Kathrynne sleepily fluttering her eyes open. She turned her head to the right. Basel's eyes were wide and his face was white.
"You scream like a girl," Lilla sighed tiredly. Then she followed his line of sight.
"Oh. . .oh my god!" yelled Lilla and Kathrynne followed in suit.
"What is that?" asked Basel quietly. The other two nodded their heads in disbelief. In the middle of the now empty lawn was a gaping chasm. The three stood up and walked to the edge of the hole.
"Where is everyone?" asked Kathrynne quietly, looking into the dark pit.
"Oh, I expect they've gone home. It's late, you know," said a voice behind them. The trio whirled around. There in front of them stood a. . .well a rabbit. It was wearing a waistcoat and holding a pocket watch. It was talking though, the rabbit was talking.
"O-okay, wh-who, what are you?" said Lilla, throwing her arms in front of Kathrynne and Basel to shield them from whatever this thing was.
"I'm Peter, Peter White," he said, a smile in his voice.
"What do you want?" asked Kathrynne bravely stepping forward. Then she stepped back uncertainly as the rabbit stepped forward.
"I believe- no, I know- I've had the pleasure of meeting your mother and your aunt," he cocked his rabbity head to the side. "But you all need to come with me. Ready?"
"Wait- what?" cried Lilla and Basel in unison but it was too late. The rabbit was rushing toward them, forcing them backwards closer to the abyss. As he got closer there was a puff of smoke and where there was a rabbit a second ago there was now a tall young man with long bunny ears and white hair. He wore the same thing as the rabbit and had big round glasses.
He smiled and threw his arms out wide. The three human children screamed as he pushed all three into the whole.
"If there's a whole then down it we'll go," he hummed under his breath as the four fell down the dark well.
The children screamed and yelled in protest, though none as loud as Basel. A pinprick of light appeared at the end of the hole and Lilla pulled Kathrynne closer to her, at least she might be able to cushion fall for her. Then Lilla thought, I really actually might die. But their descent slowed as they hit the ground.
Though their descent slowed they still hit the ground with an 'oomph' and their breath was knocked out of them.
Blinking in the bright light they heard the words that would change everything:
"Welcome," said the rabbit, "to the Country of Hearts."
A/N: How was it? Reviews? Just tell me if I should write more chapters or not. So, I know Basel and Lilla's ages don't make sense in comparison to each other. Also, Lilla's feelings toward Kathrynne, frankly, even I'm not sure what's going on there. Maybe Lilla is bipolar.
Lilla: That's not funny. You shouldn't joke about that.
AChan: Sorry, no offense to anyone.
Lilla: It was pretty offensive.
AChan: I said sorry! Back me up here Basel!
Basel: . . .
AChan: What's wrong?
Basel: You gave me a girl name.
AChan: I swear it's a boy name!
Thank you for reading! Review! Happy late Holidays!