Author's Notes: I'm in love with Fang and Zelos. Also with Alice in Wonderland. I was watching the Tim Burton version of Alice and I just had this attack of ideas of Fang meeting Zelos in the new world which has sort of become an Underland itself. If you've read Maximum Ride; this takes place after Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel. If you've played Tales of Symphonia; this takes place after Dawn of the New World. I'm going to try to make it so if you're into one of the fandoms you can follow this story. The next chapter is going to sort of explain Fang from Zelos's point of view and what not. But things you need to know to understand this first chapter are mostly about Fang. Fang is 17 years old and is commonly the second in command of the Flock (a group of bird-hybrid teenagers that were experimented on from infancy onward). He is able to virtually disappear(sort of like the Cheshire Cat) but, if he stays perfectly still he can also walk while still invisible if he breathes very slowly and is the same speed with everything in his body (like heartbeat,etc.) and is described as a strong and silent person. He is also able to breathe underwater. He's no longer with his flock and has begun wandering the Earth. This first chapter takes place in the woods of Canada during the summertime. The only thing you might want to note if you're not in the Tales of Symphonia fandom is that Zelos used to be a very high-up noble and aristocrat. Not too mention a member of a well respected group of heroes. NOW ON WITH THE STORY!

Staring across the cell over at the man he shared the jail with, Fang was seriously regretting jumping into that stupid hole. Who did he think he was? Alice in Wonderland? What a laugh. He knew better then to just aimlessly run into holes. And for what? A rustle that could have very well been a squirrel? He felt like an idiot.

He had been walking in the woods, his wings spread out nice and wide to stretch out the muscles. Occasionally he had to put them tight against his back to maneuver through the trees but he didn't mind. It was quiet out here. He liked it. For once, he had quiet. It was heavenly.

Fang lifted his head and froze- that noise. That damned noise that would cause all the confusion later. He heard the rustle of scampering tiny feet and he turned to see a bush near a large oak tree move as something dove into the hole. His stomach growled loudly. If it was a rabbit, it'd be a welcomed meal right about now. So he stealthily advanced along until he was right by the tree.

Leaning down he gazed down into the dark hole but he saw nothing. He heard nothing. Maybe the rodent had run past this point. He scowled and, just for all his trouble, leaned in more. "If you are in here-- there's no way you'll get out now," the seventeen year old growled as his last body part, his feet, entered into the hole that was larger than he had initially thought.

His wings tucked tightly against his back so he didn't rub against the bark and he reached out more to touch the bottom of the hole. That's when he'd started falling.

Mistake number one: Leaning into that stupid hole.

Falling was never a sensation he was used to, being a freaky bird kid and what-not. But he toppled over himself in numerous summersaults down the tunnel. At one point, just out of disparity, he whipped his wings out. It may have been a long hole but it definitely wasn't a wide hole because his wings slammed into the sides causing him to cry out in pain before letting out a line of obscenities.

Great, now he was dizzy and hurt. Fantastic. Oh, and apparently he was going to end up in China because the painful slam to the ground just wasn't coming and there was no way any normal hole could be this deep.

Then he felt his body slow down. Well, that was different. He slowly began to pull his wings out, hoping to parachute to the ground now. Looking down he could see ground.

Thank God.

With a quick plop-plop of his feet, he was finally grounded. Fang looked around the hole with his eyebrows pulled together in a tight line of confusion.

"What the Hell?"

The area around him was barren, a landscape like a burned down battle ground. Something bad had happened here, that was for sure. His expression softened when he saw corpses litter the smoldering field. Yeah, something really bad had happened here.

Investigating the area further from his current position he could see a door randomly placed in the field. It was unbelievably prestigious looking which confused Fang even more. It looked like the doorknob was made of gold. What the hell? Did that mean there used to be a building there? Walking closer he realized there was no previous building placed around the door. There was no signs of foundation or anything else.

Nope.

Just a random door.

Totally normal, right?

The avian-hybrid's gaze looked around time and time again at the perimeter. There was nobody here but the dead. So, what's the worse that could happen?

Fang scoffed at himself. There were a lot of things that could happen that were worse than tea-time with a bunch of rotting dead soldiers.

His hand outstretched and he wrapped his fingers slowly around the doorknob, just to be careful. With a swift motion he opened it and peered inside the world he had just opened.

Beautiful. That was one word he could use for it. Peaceful and beautiful. A garden of unbelievable proportions. He could see roses blooming on the bushes and a large mansion in the background. The grass was the perfect shade of green and the trees were trimmed just right. He saw a topiary in the shape of a fish (not the animal he would of picked but he was sort of biased towards birds so who was he to criticize?) and decided that the garden was better in every way than the battle field he was on currently.

So Fang took a step inside.

Mistake number two: Assuming the stupid garden was safe.

Stepping inside, the door shut behind him with a curt pop! and he jumped, turning to try to open the door again only to see the door had disappeared.

Crap.

He turned his attention back in front of him now (what other choice did he have?) and realized the garden wasn't like he had seen it through the doorway. It was dead, just like the soldiers on the battle field. Fang slowly walked over to a rose bush and lifted a bud into his hands to examine the demise of the beauty close-up. His head lifted and he looked around with his lips pursed. This was not a good place to be, he could feel it in his gut.

That's when a large medieval appearing knight pressed a dagger into his back. "What are you doing in forbidden territory?" he growled.

"I have no idea," Fang replied, turning around to knock this knight out. He hadn't really been expecting the knight to stab him with a needle in the neck.

Mistake number three: underestimating the technology of somebody just because they dress in stupid chain mail.

He'd woken up in this cell. This disgusting, claustrophobic, jail cell. It was dark but that didn't change the fact that he could see he had company. Across from him, leaning against the wall was a person. He said person because he couldn't differentiate the sex of this individual with long curly red hair who was clothed in what appeared to be an unusual amount of pink.

In the dim lighting Fang could see that this person was watching him with cerulean eyes. They were freakishly bright, he'd never seen anything like it before. Fang wasn't on Earth anymore, he could just tell.

"Good morning," it was a man. He had a masculine sort of tenor voice. Peculiar to say the least when compared to his feminine clothing and appearance. Cocking his head, the man sent a crooked smile his way. Fang's eyes had adjusted so he could see now that this man was unbelievably dirty. He must've been there for a long time. Either that or at some point rolled around on the filthy ground for entertainment.

"Good isn't the word I'd use," Fang dryly replied as he sat up in the cell in slight pain.

"What would you use?" the man with no defining age inquired, his eyebrows scrunching together as he awaited an answer.

"Shitty."

The man let out a rich laugh, "Shitty is the understatement of the YEAR, kid."

Fang scowled at the tone. "Don't call me 'kid'. You aren't that old… I don't think."

"I'm older than you," the man replied, lifting his head as he pressed against the wall and he shut his eyes. "What's your name, kid?"

"Fang. Not kid, it's Fang."

"Well, that's not a very normal name."

"That's not very normal hair."

"Oh, touché, Fang," he let out a warm chuckle. Not something Fang could manage to do while in the nasty prison.

Fang watched the man for a moment longer before he found himself asking, "What's your name?"

His bright blue eyes reopened and he looked over at Fang, "Zelos," he held his hand out to Fang to shake, "The Great Magnificent Zelos Wilder, for long," he grinned at him.

Fang decided not to shake his hand after the second part of the introduction was spoken.

"Ouch, my pride," Zelos moaned, leaning back and pretending to faint against the filthy cell walls.

"Zelos…" Fang didn't quite like the way the name felt on his tongue but continued despite himself, "Where are we?"

"Prison," Zelos curtly responded without much thought.

"No shit. I meant… This place. This… world."

Zelos laughed perkily and clapped his hands together as he leaned forward in an excitable fashion, "Funny you should ask that. This place has had many many names and under all of them it's been completely different!"

"What's the name of it now?" Fang asked, not sure if he wanted the answer.

"Welcome to Hell, Kid."