Prolog: Hideki Introduces His Wonderland
There are many names for our land, it depends on who you are. This is a place of dreams. Countless children come and go, many in between childhood and adulthood. There are a few who stayed behind, and became citizens of this world. Though there are some setbacks. The children loose their humanity, they either become a minion of the Queen or get turned into a creature of unknown origin.
My name is Hideki, I am a descendant of one of those poor souls. I am considered a cat, though I hate the term. The word just seems so common, that everyone and their walls know the word. In Japan, where my great-great-great-great grandparents came from, I am called a Neko. At least there I get some respect. My kind is adored, there are some kids that have seen me and became artists that has drawn their creations in my likeness. Though the others have nightmares of my other side appearing out of thin air, and try to obliterate them. Ok, I must confess I did try to tear them to shreds. I was a kitten then, I didn't know what the heck I was doing.
I live with Duchess Chiyo, her son, Katsu, and their cook, Izumi. When I met Lady Chiyo, it was shortly after her husband, Duke Nobu, was beheaded by the Queen. She was a good looking girl, no older than twenty-eight. But the jealous Queen had someone disfigure her in the night, shortly after she brought me in from the cold. I helped to find the guy, and was given the opportunity to do what I want to him. Now that I look back I shouldn't have done what I did. He was hung into a tree, by his big toes, and I used him as a scratching post until he fell and broke his neck. That was really mild compared to the others, and I shall never mention that again.
Katsu, Lady Chiyo's banshie child, is one of the most annoying infants you'll ever see. I would just love to see the thing get thrown off of a cliff not far from where we live. I mainly shadow Izumi, to keep away from the little demon. Izumi is the cook of the household. She loves pepper, for some reason that woman loves pepper. I'm immune to the black cloud, unlike the other two in our home. I love to have whatever Izumi cooks. Everything's perfect, though she has fifty layers of pepper that one has to get through.
Queen Aiko rules the land with two iron fists, and a fiery temper. Whomever makes her mad, they get sentenced to death. There was one time that over half the population that was executed in one day. King Kyo wasn't too thrilled, but, in my opinion, he's terrified of his beloved wife. The Queen, or Queenie as I love to call her, wasn't always like this. She was a kind soul. What happened? Only she, Duchess Chiyo, and their husbands know. I must ask my master later to find out.
Well I bet you're wondering who is going to be narrating this story to you, besides my name. I have cat ears and a cat tail, but the rest of me looks human. I have dark purple hair and golden eyes. Like most here, I am insane. You have to be to survive in this harsh land. I can appear and disappear at will. You will always see an unusually large smile on my face, but that is because I'm Cheshire in breed. I will tell you my life on the day I met Hikari. The day I found a girl as interesting as I.