Disclaimer: I own nothing.

/^_^\\\\\\\\\\

Chapter 3: The Red Knight and The Weeping Willow

I walked.

And walked.

And walked.

I walked until I was once again hungry and my legs felt like they were going to drop. I kept walking until I couldn't take another step. Right before I dropped, I walked to the closest tree. Then I dropped. I sat there trying to get my breath back somehow. About an hour after I had left The Duchess's, I had realized that I had no idea where The Weeping Willow was; so…I kept walking. I was determined to find it and nothing could stop me. I must have nodded off because I woke up to the sound of my name.

"Nunnally. Nunnally wake up!" My eyes snapped open at the familiar voice.

"Red Knight!" The blonde haired knight nearly fell on his butt in surprised when I shouted his name. He stayed staring at me before he got on his right knee in a bow.

"Yes! It is I! The Red knight!" I lightly tapped on his shoulder and The Red Knight rose back up. When he stood to his full height, I had to tilt my head up a bit to see his face. He was the first to speak. "Your Highness! What are you doing in such a dangerous part of the forest? Especially without an escort? You should be back at the castle with The Dodo!" I stared at him for a bit in confusion.

"What do you mean 'dangerous part of the forest'? There's no one here!" The Red Knight sighed before he answered me.

"That's because I fought them all off."

"WHAT!?" I looked around and, sure enough, there were small splatters of blood. I turned back to The Red Knight. "Why did you have to kill them!? Couldn't you have just knocked them out and tied them up!?"

The red knight gave me a look that seemed to ask if I was stupid or something. "Your Highness," he said slowly. "Those were Shadow Knights." For a moment I was stumped. Was that supposed to mean anything to me?

"Okaaaay…and?" The Red Knight's eyes widened considerably.

"Your Highness! Are you saying that I should have let them kill you!?" I put my hand on my hip and hardened my face.

"And why would they have killed me? What if they just wanted to talk? Hm? What if they were here to surrender? Or sign a treaty? Why did you kill them, Red Knight?" The Red Knight sighed before he looked away.

"Because Zero Knight told us to." I felt my eyes widened before I grabbed The Red Knight's arm and shook it.

"Where is The Zero Knight!? Tell me!" The Red Knight looked surprised before he answered me.

"I—I don't know. That was just his last order before he disappeared." I felt as if I was just crushed by an unseen force and I fell to my knees in front of the Red Knight. Then I remembered about my last two options.

"Well, what about The White Knight?" The Red Knight looked shocked before his eyes darkened with…displeasure.

"He's gone. The Treacherous White Knight fell in The Battle of Wonderland at the hands of The March Hare." I sat there in shock.

"So," I began slowly," The White knight is not one of The Lost? Wait…" I then realized something. "If The White Knight isn't alive then why is he one of the people that know where The Lost are located?" The Red Knight's eyes widened.

"Did The Duchess tell you this?" I nodded and The Red Knight gave a sigh.

"Of course. She knows everything about everything…except the battle…" From his expression I could tell he knew that I knew next to nothing about whatever the heck he was talking about.

"Hah…The Battle of Wonderland was kept hidden from everyone who was not a part of it. Those that were involved were sworn to secrecy…at your command."

I sat there even more confused. "My command?" The Red Knight nodded. "But…why would I do something like that?" The Red Knight shrugged.

"Only you would know that. All I know is that we would all much rather not remember that battle but…that seems like a rather impossible task…" The Red Knight started to get a faraway look; like he was reliving that very battle.

"Red Knight?" The Red Knight flinched before he looked at me.

"Yes, Your Highness?" I fidgeted, feeling ashamed over the fact that I didn't remember something so important.

"Who…who did we battle against and why?" The Red Knight looked at me with eyes full of both sadness and pity.

"We fought against the Mad Hatter. He tried to take over both Wonderland and the Shadowlands and control everyone. His knight was The White Knight. There were rumors that said that The Cheshire Cat was in league with the both of them." I stared at The Red Knight; I got the feeling that he was still keeping something from me.

"Tell me whatever you're holding back." He stayed silent as if debating whether he should keep his mouth shut or not. "Just tell me; I can take it." And there went his hesitance.

"You had something to do with the disappearance of The Lost Ones."

"Me…?" The Red Knight nodded and that was the last straw. I stood up and began walking. I didn't care where I was going. I heard The Red Knight shout after me.

"Where are you going!?" I stopped and turned to face him.

"I am going to find The Weeping Willow!" I watched as The Red Knight ran towards me.

When he finally reached me he said something strange to me. "Cry."

"What?" and with that, The Red Knight punched me in the gut.

Right before I hit the ground the bastard of a knight caught me and slowly lowered me to the ground. As tears leaked from my eyes, I gave him the best glare I could muster up at that moment.

"Why did you do that!?" The Red Knight had a stony face as he answered my question.

"The Weeping Willow will only appear when there are tears." I felt my left eye start to twitch.

"Yes…BUT WHY DID YOU HAVE TO PUNCH ME!?" The Red Knight had the audacity to shrug.

"I panicked." My complete and utter anger left me breathless. I was about to start yelling when we both started to hear running water. Suddenly, a small trickle of water started to flow past us and towards a clearing that was visible beyond the trees just a few feet ahead of us. The Red Knight stood up while holding me bridal style and followed after the trail of water that was slowly growing bigger.

"There!" up ahead a small tree was standing in the middle of a clearing. And it was growing bigger. The water that we had been following was growing deeper and wider. The Red Knight went up to the growing tree and stood beside it. The water trail was soon a stream and it ended up making a perfect circle around the tree that now stood five feet above The Red Knight's head. All was quiet except for the sound of running water and the creaking of the still growing tree. A few seconds later I realized something. The tree that we were currently watching was a willow tree. A few minutes later I realized that it had stopped growing. And moments after that I realized that drops of water were flowing off the willow's leaves and into the part of the stream that was circling around the willow.

The Red Knight set me down and made a sweeping motion with his arm. "I present to you: The Weeping Willow." I looked up and saw some off the sunlight shining through the branches. When I turned back to thank The Red Knight, he was already gone. I looked around and realized that I was alone.

"Hello?" No answer. Then-

"Why the Hell are you here?" I looked above me again and, sure enough, there was a cat sitting in the branch right above me. The Cheshire Cat that is.

/^_^\\\\\\\\\\\

Comments:

HI!

Oh! Oh! And REVIEW!