Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters depicted. These characters come from The Matrix, Harry Potter and Tombraider.
The Forests Of Fantasy
Chapter 1: A Strange Place
Neo opened his eyes, what had happend? Where was he? He sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. He felt plain unblemished skin, this was obviously some kind of matrix, though he was seeing things as they were meant to be seen rather then in code. He felt like he had been sleeping for a very long time. Then again it was possible that he had, looking around he saw he was in a forest, such a strange forest, huge trees with twisted trunks streched skyward, their giant umbrella-like leaves crowded the view of an upward glance so he could not see the sky above. The trees were all that there was, there was no undergrowth and no other plants. Mossy grass covered the ground and in it were no weeds, the grass and the leaves were still anf the air was humid, heavy with moisture. It didn't seem real. But of course, Neo reminded himself, it wasn't. He stood and thought carefully, trying to remember how he got there. Then, suddenly it all came back to him as a river of memories. Zion, the sentinals, the fight. Trinity. He tried to keep tears from his eyes as an overwhelming sense of loss overcame him. But no he had to be on his gaurd, he supposed the battlw was over, but to what end he did not know, But what has happened to him? He thought he had died, it felt like he had died, the feeling was becoming allmost familier now and yet, once again, he was still here, still alive. Allthough exactly where 'here' was he wasn't sure. Something like this had happened to him before and last time Trinity had come, rescued him from the trainstation. But this time...This time...He would have to find his own way out.
Neo started to walk, trying to see if there was anything else in the forest except those tall haunting trees. But wandering around he found nothing, so, bracing himself for flight he took off. Smashing through the branches of the giant trees, but he went slower and slower till the swaying branches threw him hard back to earth. He crashed onto the ground in a hail of broken branches and a few leaves fluttered and twirled down to him. Neo picked himself off the ground, he had fallen hard even though the mossy ground was quite soft. Getting to his feet he heard footsteps , automaticaly he tensed and turned, staring around. He peered through the shafted light. The footsteps approached and a teenaged boy with ruffled black hair and glasses walked out from behind a tree.
Harry had been wandering through this strange forest, trying to figure out, firstly, where he was and secondly, how he had gotten there when he saw that man. He had dark hair and was wearing a black coat that fell to his ankles, simerler to the black robe Harry himself was wearing. What colour his eyes were Harry could'nt tell as he was wearing dark glasses that reflected the strane trees and Harry's own face. "Hello." siad the stranger almost questioningly. Then, "Who are you?"
"I'm Harry, Harry Potter." the words seemed forced as if he had forgotten how to use his voice "What is this place?" asked the man. So he's stuck here like I am Harry though he was almost glad of this, they were in the same boat, somehow Harry got the feeling that he would not like this stranger as his enemy. "Dunno, I was hoping you could tell me. Whats you're name? And were are you from?" Harry had another hundred questions but decided to limit himself to jst two. "My name is Neo." the man said but he did not answer Harry's second question and Harry decided not to pursue the subject. "How did you get here?" Neo questioned as Harry opened his mouth to ask the same of him. Harry considered the question and it suddenly occured to him that he had no recollection of how he had gotten where he was, he was just simply 'here' as if he always had been. "I have absolutly no idea." Harry answered still searching his brain for any clues as to how he came to be in this forest. "Don't suppose you've got any idea of how to get out?" Harry wantes to know , though he thought he already knew the answer. "No" Neo said just as Harry had expected "but," he hesitated "we should go this way. Harry found himself agreeing allthough he wasn't quite sure why.
As they walked Neo suddenly heard something in a tree above. They stopped, Harry had heard it to. A thick branch came crashing down followed by a shower of big, tropical leaves. Neo jumped grabbed the first branch and swung himself easily to stand on it. Peering up he saw movement in the foliage above, someone was evidently trying to battle through the bright green leaves to the top. A woman gracefully swung down from the branch above the one they both now stood on. She had dark eyes and long brown hair that hung in a plait down her back, when she spoke it was with a smooth english accent "Who are you?" she said carefully, hands lingering by the guns at her hips. She was not so much asking for a name but rather asking if he was friend or enemy. "My name is Neo he found himself quickly telling her "I'm not from here." well that was true enough. "How did you get here?" It wasn't a defensive or threatening statement but an honest question, she seemed to have accepted that Neo did not wish to fight her "I'm not sure" he answered. She eyed him trying to sum him up, failing she simply said "I guess we're in the same boat then, I'm Lara Croft."and she leaped off the branch and landed square on the ground.