What's this? Could it be? Yes, yes it is! It's chappie threeee. :D Finally, right? xD I'm happy to finally have this chapter out here. :3 It was supposed to be longer, but I cut it because there would be no action for the next chapter if I didn't. o.o And we can't have a boring chappie, now can we? :3
PS. Sorry for any mistakes or if it sounds rushed. I often write at night when my mom is sleeping, so she's not all up in my face, so I'm sleepy. :3
The feel of the beating heart underneath his hand disgusted him. He curled his fingers, his nails not quite tearing the protective flesh instead gripping it. Kaname had entrusted his treasure to the half naked boy beside him and here he was sleeping away, leaving an emotionally wrecked and naïve Yuuki to fend for herself. It was not that the pureblood could not protect her, he would do a better job than Zero, but he was not around the girl as much as he would have liked to be.
It bothered him further when the hunter did not respond. He was sure that once he stepped into the room, Zero would open his eyes. Kaname growled, his nails slowly penetrating Zero's skin. The hunter remained immobile. He snatched his hand away, slashing Zero's somewhat fragile skin in the process. He frowned when the gashes on Zero's chest healed as quickly as he had created them. What in the world could Zero be undergoing that would make him heal as if he were a pureblood? The scent of sickly sweet blood filled the room, Kaname's hues tainting crimson. He wondered how it was possible for an ex-human to smell so mouthwatering.
The pureblood pushed the thought from his mind and slashed at the hunter's chest once more, hissing when they disappeared before he even lifted his moved his hand. What was happening to Zero?
Kaname sighed, his head falling into his hands. He did not care – he should not care, but he did. The hunter had fallen into a coma while he was injured. He should be dead by now, but he healed quicker than a pureblood. Kaname slowly began to wonder if Zero was a pureblood. Though, the boy was of a hunter lineage (and it could be proven) and turned by Shizuka, the idea was very plausible. After all, Yuuki was born a pureblood made human.
Kaname lifted his head, pursing his lips as his eyes roamed over the unconscious boy repeatedly. It amused him to think of Zero as pureblood. He did carry aspects of one, but they could easily come from his hunter blood. Before the pureblood stood, he leaned over the hunter, his lips at the hunter's ear. "I will return, Kiryu. And you had better be closer to awakening."
He stood from the edge of the bed, ignoring the blood stains on the sheets. Kaien would know as he always did, he trusted him not to do anything reckless. He would explain later on.
He swiftly slipped out of the room's window. He could always use the front door, but there was the risk of being caught by Yuuki. He would have no distractions from tonight onward. He would be sure to tell Ichijo later. Though Kaname knew enough about Zero, he had never delved deep enough into the boy's heritage. He would learn everything there was to know about the Kiryu bloodline and when that ran out he would find something else on the silver headed prefect. Kaname held onto his theory that Zero was a pureblood and was merely awakening. Of course, he was very doubtful, but there was a high possibility and Kaname wanted to know how Zero would turn out if he happened to be one.
The pureblood was rather annoyed that Zero had caught his interest; being a pureblood, he had too much to do. Papers needed to be filled out, a few meetings to attend to, galas, and on and on. He had no time for the ex-human, but he found himself wanting to know more about the prefect. Even if he did not want to admit it, he liked being in Zero's room. It was peaceful; not to mention that the subtle hints of emotions that radiated off of Zero during his short time there was more than bemusing and utterly enthralling. And he knew that the Night Class would not disturb him there if he controlled his power well.
Yes, Kaname would definitely return to that room. He would study and await the hunter's awakening. He told himself that is was to punish Zero – which he certainly would – and nothing more, but he could not ignore the silent nagging at the back of his mind.
"Are you sure we should be doing this?" A hesitant, nearly silent voice mumbled.
The second voice hummed in response, his eyes drawn to the figure ahead of him. He had to keep a close eye on him; he had to make sure he went down the right path. If not, his whole plan would be screwed up and they would be in…trouble did not even describe it.
The boy beside him sighed, running his hand through his hair as he looked up toward the sky. He was growing annoyed, a feeling he had never really experienced before… It made him feel a little awkward. "Are you listening?"
The boy waved at him over his shoulder, trying to silence him. He needed complete concentration on Zero. "I heard, I heard. And I'm positive that we should do this," he retorted, whiningly. "He didn't ask us to do it; I made everyone do it on their own free will."
The petite girl standing beside the other boy scoffed as her lips twitched upward in a small annoyed smile. So, he had tricked them into tagging along with his plan? Really, she had better things to do; none of which required following Alice around until he ended up at one of their houses. She pondered over why he would ask them to help; he was perfectly capable of doing this himself. Her thoughts paused as her eyes glazed over the male's back. No, she was wrong. He could not do this himself because he would find a way to screw up his own plan. She kicked at a rock near her feet, clearing her throat, "So, you're just doing this to be a kiss up. Is that correct?"
He spun around to frown at her. He was not trying to be a kiss up; he just figured it would be in everyone's best nature to snatch the boy up.
"Rima," Aidou sighed, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't you want to see Kaname-sama smile? Don't you want peace in the palace? We're doing this, so that Kaname-sama can sleep peacefully and so that we can sleep peacefully."
Rima rolled her eyes, shaking the blonde's hand off of her, "Hn."
Aidou turned his attention to Zero once more, nearly shrieking when he saw how far he had gone. How in the world did he move so fast? He charged after him, forgetting the two he had brought with him.
"Come, Shiki," Rima ordered, poking his nose to wake the boy up. It was not uncommon for the boy to fall asleep standing. He was known for doing so and often scolded by Kaname for falling asleep at the wrong time. She laced her hand with his and dragged the sleepy boy along, slowly following Aidou.
"Hn," Shiki hummed. "Why did we get stuck with the Hatter?"
Rima shrugged, "I don't know."
Of course she had to be stuck with them; the two idiots squabbling behind her. That was why they were called the Troublesome Three…she did not even cause the trouble. She did her work, but of course, the two made her look bad, so their work was only partially done. Then again, she really did not care; her master had his favorites. It made her wonder why he sent them out.
It was a miracle, he never asked them to work. They usually hung around in the unused wing of the palace, goofing around unless he called for one of them to feed off of them. She nodded, finally understanding why they were chosen for the job. Sayuri probably returned with good news. Aoi sighed, trying her best to tune the other two out, but failed miserably.
"Eh, why do we have to go on this mission? Sayuri is master's favorite, why didn't he send her?" The youngest one, Kamiko, whined.
Aoi grit her teeth, suppressing a jealous growl. She was not afraid to admit that she was jealous of Sayuri, and she did not hide it from the others, especially Sayuri herself. She wanted to be one of her master's favorites; what made Sayuri so special? Just because she did not have two children – though, Rina was the same age as her – clinging to her. "Sayuri," she seethed, "is busy at the moment."
Rina and Kamiko fell silent, their lips forming a perfect 'o'.
"And besides," Aoi continued, gaining control of her anger. "The Red Queen's subordinates don't know us, since we're horribly underused." Aoi halted. She turned to narrow her eyes at the two.
Kamiko held her hands up, in both defeat and defense. Aoi could be very scary when she wanted to be… And that was often. "Okay, okay, lighten up. We'll do our job today," she paused, pursing her lips. "Besides, Zero-sama is too handsome to look away."
Rina, the one who was often silent unless provoked by Kamiko, raised an eyebrow in amusement, pointing in Zero's direction, "Really? He's getting away."
Aoi and Kamiko turned their direction to the male, who was slowly being hidden in the crowd; the latter squealed, while the former groaned. They were already off to a bad start. Aoi and Kamiko jetted after him. Rina walked, she was not one for physical exertion, though her job often called for it.
"Hurry or we'll lose him!" Kamiko shouted. Aoi skidded to halt when they were safely distanced from Zero, simultaneously clamping her hand over Kamiko's mouth, "Shut up! He'll hear us, idiot!"
The three had been assigned to follow Zero through town on behalf of their master. He wanted to know who Zero was staying with, where he went, what he did. They were ordered to bring him in if there was a moment when he was completely alone. Truly, they did not understand why Zero was so special to have the White and Red Queen battle each other for him, aside from his obvious beauty.
Aoi released Kamiko as she studied Zero's backside for a moment. He certainly had the build; not too muscular, but not at all scrawny. He was just right. From the short glimpses of his face, his amethyst eyes sent shivers down the Persian-orange headed girl's spine. The way the sun's rays reflected off of his silver hair and porcelain skin was enough to take her breath away. She bit her lip, heat rushing to her cheeks, "For once Kamiko is right, Zero-sama is stunning."
Rina raised her hand, pressing it to Aoi's forehead ignoring the smug look on Kamiko's face, "Are you feeling all right? You just said Kamiko was right."
Aoi slapped her hand away, scowling. Her face darkened, "I'm fine. Weren't you two just talking about it anyway?"
Rina giggled, her own cheeks tainting with a rosy hue, "Handsome, indeed. I mean, just look at him. Even the way he walks is absolutely gorgeous."
"It's nice to know Aoi even had an interest in men other than master," Kamiko teased, her eyes suddenly brimming with joyful tears. "Finally, you realize Zero-sama's beauty!" She paused, playfulness evaporating. She whispered, low enough so that only her partners could hear her, "Maybe we should form our own party and fight for Zero-sama."
Rina and Aoi slowed as Kamiko's proposal sank in. It would be nice to have Zero to themselves and bask in all that he is. They certainly wanted him in an unfamiliar way. But the question was not if they wanted to do so, but whether they had the strength and mentality to rebel against their master. He had threatened them when he overheard them hypothetically speaking about switching sides. They simply wanted to know what life was like behind enemy lines. Would they even make it on their own? More importantly, would Aoi, the strongest of the group, be able to desert the attention that she was so close to achieving?
Whatever the answer, the girls needed to make a decision before it was time to report back to their master.
He had to get out of there, he just had to. Zero was minutes away from exploding. The whispers throughout the crown were maddening. The stares that were directed at him were nerve wrecking.
"Is that Alice-sama?"
"Alice-sama has returned!"
"Ah, Zero-sama is so cute!"
Zero groaned and picked up his pace. He did not understand why the crowd was acting as though he were above them. Half the town was made up of noble vampires (which made him even more fidgety; his hunter senses were going berserk), but unlike at home, they praised him.
"The Red Queen finally brought him back. He's back."
Zero released the breath he did not know he was holding out. He had finally reached the woods on the other side of town. He stepped into the shadows, deeply disappointed. If he had not been the object of everyone's attention, there was a great chance of him remaining in town. He had seen a poster for a fair that was taking place on that same day. Perhaps he would have attended, just to walk around and study Wonderland's inhabitants. The hunter pondered over the mass amount of the vampire population. Did all of Wonderland consist of the beings he hated? Were the Red and White Queen vampires, too? He knew Yuuki and Ichijo were vampires here, being bitten by the former and put to sleep by the latter.
While his mind journeyed through his questions, Zero did not miss the environment in which he was passing through. He was surprised to find that the flowers did not speak or hybrid creatures wandering about. Wonderland was more normal than what he had once thought. He shuddered. He would rather Wonderland be the way it was in the books; it was much simpler and he knew the ending – the girl woke up. How would his adventure end? Would he wake up or was he really trapped in this unfamiliar place where he left everything and everyone back home?
He liked to think that he would wake up; that made his stay in Wonderland much more bearable. The question that troubled him was how that would happen. He was already hit in the head, which should have woken him up if it were a dream.
"Zero-sama, Alice-sama, Wonderland," Zero muttered, blowing his flowing hair away from his face. "It's all a bunch of nonsense."
"Nonsense, you say?"
Zero froze, his hand twitching into his apron pocket. Unease flooded through him and the desire to kill something overtook his mind. The sickly subtle scent of cherry blossoms invaded his air, making his skin tingle. He successfully latched his hand onto his gun, but did not immediately pull it out. He would wait until she did something drastic. Of course, changing him was pretty drastic already, but maybe she would explain to him why she did it – why she kept only him alive.
"Before you go blasting that thing off, I'd like for you to know that I may be her, but I am not her. You should know this, Zero, Kaien already taught it to you," Shizuka scolded almost silently, emerging from behind a tree. "And nothing in Wonderland is nonsense, Zero. You're here for a reason."
It was then that Zero raised his eyes to her. Any snide remarks he had to her flew out of his mind when he saw the cat ears and tail emitting from her. His eyes bulged as he took a step back, gritting his teeth to contain the small chuckle that tried to escape his lips. He was surprised to find that all his murderous intentions were replaced with shock and unknown giddiness. Perhaps being Alice made him that way…or the fact that Shizuka was a pureblood cat was completely absurd.
He swallowed his chuckles, clearing his throat, "You're the Cheshire Cat?" He asked, suddenly remembering the grinning cat that appeared out of nowhere in the books. So far, the only difference was that Shizuka was not grinning or acting eerily idiotic. She was herself.
"You see, you catch onto things quickly. It's no wonder why she picked you." Her lips twitched into a small smile, briefly. She twirled a strand of her silvery pink hair, "As long as you are here, I'd prefer it if you didn't compare me to her, Zero. I would never do something like that. I would never harm you, so you can trust me."
Zero smirked. Purebloods were always very manipulative. She knew that he knew that and she knew that he would never do such a thing, so why would she tell him to? The characters of Wonderland were more complex than they were portrayed to be and Zero began to give up on comparing the real thing to the fake. "That will never happen. And you know that, very well, Shizuka. After all, your counterpart was the one who made me this way. Don't you have any control over her?"
Shizuka shook her head, "Perhaps counterpart isn't the correct word to be used. Neither of us is connected to them; we're completely different from them unless they are the same through and through. Think of us as what they truly are on the inside." She paused, when she saw his eyebrows furrow together.
"But Cross said that you're different because you live in a different place."
Shizuka smiled, "That's because he was going easy on you. There's a lot for you to learn about Wonderland, but we can't overwhelm you, now can we?" She sighed, vanishing and reappearing on a tree branch. She lay on her stomach, resting her head on her arm while her legs and tail dangled over the edge. She continued when Zero's amethyst hues turned to her, "Take Cross for example. Back home he is erratic and gives you constant headaches, correct?" Zero nodded. "Because he was a hunter prior to the Academy, deep inside he still carries the disposition of a hunter. Therefore, here in Wonderland, he is serious. However, if he were joyous both outside and in, he would be the same here as he is there."
Zero pondered over this for a while. It did make sense – a lot of sense. He hissed as he tossed his hair over his shoulder. It bothered him more than he thought it would. He glared at Shizuka when her twinkling laughter danced in his ears. "It's not funny," he growled.
"No," she agreed. "It's cute. You'll get used to it." She giggled again when another growl emitted from the hunter.
"You said I was here for a reason. What is it?" Zero questioned, thinking back to her reprimanding. She reminded him of Yuuki when she yelled at him for being rude to the Night Class; more importantly, Kaname.
Shizuka sat up, all traces of laughter shed from her being. She locked her gaze on him, her eyes narrowing slightly. His hand itched toward his gun again as a strong and fiery aura surrounded him. "To rid Wonderland of the Red and White Queen."
No sooner had Zero left, his three shadows stalked toward the upcoming diverged pathway. Aoi's frustration had vanished upon the girl's silence. She knew what the other two were thinking, because she was thinking the same. They still had not made up their mind on what to do after they captured Zero. Aoi was sure, though, that Kamiko and Rina would want to split from their master and take Zero with them. She, on the other hand, was far from coming up with a decision. She wanted to remain with their master, only because she did not Sayuri to think that was weak, but she also wanted to break apart from him, so that she would not live under the constant competitions he threw at them.
"Aoi, look out!" shouted Rina.
Aoi snapped out of her reverie, spinning around to face the myrtle haired girl. She felt the ground tremble underneath her and as she turned her attention to it, it cracked and split. Before she had a chance to move, the terrain rose, lifting Aoi in the process and encasing her body in stone. The girl struggled against her restrains, screaming when she was shocked in response.
"Aoi!" Rina shouted again. She took a step forward, unknowingly triggering a trap. She gasped as a net suspended her from the ground. She would have clawed her way out, but the net was not made from rope. Instead, it was made of a material similar to barbed wire. It cackled whenever she moved. Rina gritted her teeth, "Aoi, don't move. These are hunter traps. Kamiko, leave now. Get some help from Sayuri."
Kamiko nodded, slowly retreating. She had not triggered any of the traps the other two did, so she turned around and picked up her pace, but soon realized that that was a mistake. She flew backward as she hit an invisible barrier, stopping when her back hit the electrical stone. She shuddered violently, sinking to the ground, nearly unconscious.
"Kamiko!" Aoi shouted, twisting her head to check on the saffron haired girl. She screeched as another violent shock rippled on her skin.
Rina growled, "I told you not to move!"
"Hm, you three really are pathetic. And you were doing so well."
Aoi bit her lip, restraining another scream as she turned her attention to the shadowed figure in the tree. She could feel Rina's glower, but briefly as she turned her attention in the same direction. Kamiko remained immobile, afraid to move an inch. Aoi hissed and Rina growled upon Shizuka's appearance. "You traitor!" Aoi seethed, "You're supposed to be on our side."
Shizuka chuckled darkly, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her hand. She cocked her head to the side slightly, "I was never on his side. He's always known that." She smiled as her eyes roamed across her work. She really did have fun trapping the three, but unfortunately she would have to set them free. It was how it was supposed to be. She sighed inaudibly, "I will not let you harm Zero. I will not your master get his hands on him. Zero is Kaname's; there's nothing that can be done about that." She paused. It would be less fun if she warned them of his whereabouts, but Zero was not to be stopped until sundown. She jumped off of the tree, sinking into the black woods, "And as far as following him once you're released, you won't be able to. He is currently in their territory; you'll get caught if you continue to pursue him."
Shizuka's words danced in Zero's mind. He was brought to Wonderland to rid the land of both queens. He honestly did not see how that would be possible as he had not met either queen, and he did not plan to. He did not want to be Wonderland's savior. He just wanted to return home. He would rather deal with Cross or be forced to stare at that arrogant pureblood for years than be confined to Wonderland another minute.
To rid Wonderland of the Red and White Queen, Zero thought. Wonderland looked fine to him. He saw no sign of poverty or slavery in town. The bloodsuckers looked happy enough, even though they were in the sun, which surprised Zero beyond belief. Of course, the part of Wonderland that Zero had seen upon his arrival was another story. Was that still Wonderland or was it a border? As far as he knew, and as far as anyone had mentioned, there was only Wonderland with two rulers.
Zero's thoughts slowly shifted to the two he only knew as the Red and White Queen. So far Cross was just Cross, Shizuka was the Cheshire Cat, and Yuuki was the White Rabbit. He was Alice and Ichijo was…what was he? He did not look like anyone from the books or royal, so what was his role here? The hunter cleared his head, focusing on the Red and White Queen. Who were they? Why were they addressed as their title?
Being lost in his thoughts, Zero stumbled. He threw his arms out, catching his balance quickly. Zero was not one to trip or fall. His hunter lessons practically lived on reminding him of grace. If one did not have grace, there was no way to win; the enemy had an advantage. But he did not sense any vampires around; all he could make out was a nauseating nicotine aroma. He coughed, awkwardly, covering his mouth and nose with the crook of his elbow.
"Oi, watch where you're going." A husky tone warned, a small smirk playing onto his face.
A little ways away from Zero, sat a man with unruly navy bluish hair. One of his pale baby blue eyes was covered with a patch and a cigarette placed gingerly between his lips. Zero recognized him immediately, but was surprised to find him here. Toga looked slightly different without his hat or formal clothes, thought Zero as he moved closer to where the older hunter sat on the ground. From the looks of it, he was wearing silk. Was he supposed to be the Caterpillar? "Master?"
Toga removed the cigarette from his lips, exhaling smoke, "I'll let you call me that because you're used to it from your master, but here I'm known as Toga or the Caterpillar."
Zero sat down, but not too close to the older male. The putrid smell still managed to break his barrier. He wrinkled his nose, "Hasn't anyone ever told you that you can get lung cancer?"
Toga chuckled, leaning over to ruffle Zero's bangs. Even with a bow, the male still found a way to mess with his hair. Another soft chuckle escaped Toga's lips as he put the cigarette out, viewing Zero's annoyed and slightly pinched face. "Is that better?"
"Much." Zero dropped his arm, the aroma suddenly fading. "Since you're the Caterpillar, you know about almost everything, right?"
"I know my share of things," Toga replied, resting his head on his hand. "Kaien definitely knows more than I do because of that advisor guy."
Zero stared at the older hunter, questioningly, "Advisor guy?"
"That one vampire that works for the Red Queen. The blond one," Toga recalled. He never paid any attention to the vampire's names. He might not be the real Toga, but he was still a hunter like him and he did not care much for the vampires, which was most of Wonderland's populace, unfortunately.
It rang in Zero's mind that he was talking about Ichijo. So, now he knew that Ichijo was an advisor to the Red Queen. Which speaking of… "Who is he, the Red Queen? And the White Queen? Why doesn't anyone mention their name?" Zero questioned.
Toga winced inwardly. He had not been expecting for that to be the first question out of Zero's mouth. He would have preferred why the two queens were at war as it would have been much easier for him to answer. It was not that he could not answer the question, he could, but it would result in Zero trying to change things and that could not happen. He searched his brain, attempting to fabricate a decent lie. "Their names are much too sacred to be said," he muttered.
"You're joking," Zero scoffed. That did not make sense at all, but the look on his master's face told him that he was telling the truth. He picked another question from his mind, not bothering to investigate further on their names. It was obvious he would not be told. "Why am I Alice?"
Toga sighed inaudibly, suppressing an eye roll. The boy would choose to give him the hardest of questions first. "The Red Queen chose you to be his Alice." He paused when Zero's confusion settled onto his face. "Whoever succeeds the red throne, gets the right to choose who they want to be their Alice. It's unusual for one to choose an Alice outside of Wonderland, but there's always that one…"
"Why am I called Alice-sama or Zero-sama?" Zero tossed another question at him. "It's not as if I'm above them," he mumbled referring to the vampire populace. "And I'm a hunter."
"Hn," Toga hummed. "I knew that one was coming," he mumbled to himself. "Technically speaking, Alice is the one true ruler of Wonderland. The Red Queen or King rules if he or she is unavailable."
Zero's jaw nearly dropped, "There's a king, too?"
Toga shook his head, "It's either or. There is always one red ruler. As for the white ruler, truly, there was no such thing until the current Red Queen took the throne. We don't know where he came from or how he established his monarchy." He continued when Zero urged him to. "No one listens to the White Queen, though. Only those that work for him do. He rules the desolate land across the gorge from the Pool of Tears. We don't call it Wonderland, but it's still a part of it."
The young hunter pondered over the information he had just been given. He certainly knew much more than when he first arrived, but he knew that he was far from understanding Wonderland. His conversation with Shizuka drifted into his mind, lingering over the first few minutes. "How did Shizuka know that I talked to Cross? Or what we talked about?"
Toga's eyes fluttered open, after having been closed while Zero thought of another question. A small smirk played onto his lips, "Nothing is a secret in Wonderland, Zero. The only thing we don't know is what runs through each other's minds."
"So, you mean…"
"Everyone knows who you are. Everyone knows you're here, who you talk to, what you do. But it doesn't only apply to you. It applies to all the Wonderlanders."
Zero swallowed the lump in his throat. He felt like he had been exposed, somehow, like he was being assaulted. He shuddered slightly, suddenly feeling dirty. He picked another question from his mind to steer him away from his unease. "Why are the queens fighting? Wonderland seems to be in perfect condition."
If Toga thought that the question was easy before, he changed his mind. It was not an easy question to answer. How would he be able to tell him that they were fighting over him without the boy running away? "The White Queen wants power," started Toga, tying the appropriate words together. He resolved to allow Zero to figure the answer out for himself. "He wants to be the sole ruler of Wonderland and make the Red Queen serve him. The Red Queen simply wishes to protect what is his."
"So it's just the standard battle over land?"
"It's more complicated than that. Land has nothing to do with it. Like I said, the people only follow the Red Queen."
Zero did not understand why the man would not just tell him why they were fighting. He rewound their conversation, beginning with why the White Queen is involved in the war. He wants to be Wonderland's sole ruler. Sole ruler. A light sparked in Zero's eyes, the pieces slowly falling together. Alice is the one true ruler of Wonderland. The Red Queen chose you to be his Alice. The Red Queen simply wishes to protect what is his. An inaudible gasp emitted from Zero. "They're fighting over me…"
After all but kicking Zero to go on, Toga pinched the bridge of his nose. He had not expected for the boy to be pissed. Sure, maybe a little, but not to the point where he was homicidal. He waited until Zero had calmed before rushing him off. He certainly could not afford for the boy to hurt anyone; it would ruin everything.
The hunter smirked, chuckling softly, "Kaien, I know you're there."
Kaien emerged from the tree behind him, slightly flushed from having been caught eavesdropping. "How long did you know?" He stalked over to the next, sitting next to him.
"A while."
"You didn't tell him," Kaien smiled, stiffly.
Toga reached into his hidden pocket, retrieving a cigarette and a lighter. He had put the previous one out for Zero's sake, but he knew that Kaien could handle it…if he stayed long enough that is. It had been obvious that he had been following Zero for some time. "It would have made a mess of things. We've worked too hard for it all to go down the drain." He paused to light the cigarette. "Aren't you going to follow him?"
The former hunter shook his head, "As you said, it would make a mess of things. He's on his own from here on out." He stood, heading home, waving over his shoulder.
"You care for him too much," he heard Toga mumble.
Kaien chuckled softly, pushing his glasses up further on his nose, "So do you."
Zero was finding it hard to concentrate on where he was going. After being told that he was being fought over as if he were an item, he did not know which way was up or down. All he knew was that he needed to escape Wonderland before either queen found him, which would be hard to do because he was always being watched. They would always know where he was, so it made no sense to hide. Zero muttered something incoherent, but sounding dangerously close to a string of profanities.
He found himself at another diverged road. Unlike the other, this one had a sign. The road to the right led to the Duchess and the road to the left led to the Hatter. Neither of the two interested nor applied to Zero. He wanted to return Cross' and take a nap; that would be best for him to think things through. His head was beginning to throb.
"If I were you," Shizuka appeared, resting her head on the sign. "I'd visit the Hatter. The Duchess does not favor you much and she's quite obnoxious."
A small smile played onto Zero's face briefly. He had forgotten that their thoughts were at least private. "How do I get to Cross?"
"The Hatter's way is the shortest," she replied flatly and almost too quickly. "There's a marked path near the area where he holds his tea parties. It should lead you to his house."
"Thank you," Zero mumbled, taking the Hatter's path.
"No problem." But she knew full well that it was. She would have like for him to take the Duchess' way, because she would not cause Zero as much trouble as the Hatter, but she could not change what was chosen. She tried to ignore the growing guilt in her chest, but failed. "Good luck, Zero."
ooo
Zero was beginning to trudge along the path. His head had officially begun throbbing and his stomach was slowly becoming active. He had been walking along the path for a good ten minutes and had not seen any sign of life. Perhaps he should not have trusted Shizuka and went the other way instead.
His doubt came to a halt when he came to a small clearing. In the center was a round table, rather than a rectangular one, loaded with sweets, silverware, and tea sets. He could understand the excess amount of settings if there were more than three people at the table, but there were only three people. The one who had been babbling looked up and his face lit up. He stood and skipped over to Zero, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Ah, our guest has arrived."
Zero shook the hand away, ignoring the devastated expression the blond took up. He now knew that he should have taken the other road. "Sen-"
"No, no," Aidou cut off. "Here you call me Hanabusa." Aidou returned to his seat, tapping the chair beside him. "Come, sit, Zero-sama."
Zero growled, "Don't call me that." He sat in the seat next to the one Aidou had chosen. He would rest for bit, only until his headache had dulled…if that were possible at the moment.
Aidou pouted, slightly, "It's your name."
"You know," Zero folded his arms across his chest, crossing his legs. He leaned back in the chair, directing his attention to the Hatter from the corner of his eye. "I lost sleep because of you. On top of that, I'm not a big fan of you in my world. I have a headache and decided to rest here for a while. If you so much as make my anger toward you even greater than it already is, I won't be afraid to shoot you."
Aidou visibly paled; his frame freezing. In a way, he was reminded of Kaname when he frustrated him. He could now see why Kaname chose him. Even though they would not admit it, the two were alike in many ways. The blond gulped, moving one more chair away from Zero. He resolved to his plan, finding that the quicker they got it over with, the better. "W-would you like some tea?"
"No thank you," Zero replied bluntly. "I'm not too fond of tea or sweets."
The Hatter was at a loss. Not only had his plan failed, but he had no idea how to entertain someone so stubborn and he certainly did not want to do anything that would annoy the male. Aidou valued his life. An eerie silence fell upon the party, putting Aidou on edge. He hated silence.
Zero was studying the two that sat across from him. One was sleeping and the other sipped at her tea, her eyes shifting periodically. She had brownish-red ears sticking out from her head. The other had round maroon colored ears. If he remembered correctly, at the Hatter's tea party were the March Hare and the Dormouse, but he only remembered as far as Alice being mistaken for Mary Ann. "Touya-senpai, Shiki-senpai," Zero voiced, waking the male. "What are you supposed to be?"
"March Hare," Rima replied quite dully.
"Dormouse," Shiki followed.
Zero's eyebrow rose in slight amusement, "Isn't the march hare supposed to be mad?"
Rima shrugged, "Cross told you about the books already, Zero-sama."
"Oh, don't be too hard on him, Rima. He's obtained a lot of information, so he probably forgot. Right, Zero-sama?" Aidou popped in.
Zero fixed a glare on him, "Did I say you could speak?" He paused, proceeding when Aidou shook his head. "Why are you the Hatter, anyway? Shouldn't you be one of those fat twins?"
Rima giggled lightly. Shiki coughed, hiding his laughter. Aidou pouted, glaring at the two. Oh yes, Kaname and Zero were exactly alike. They loved to pick on him. "I don't know why I'm the Hatter. That's like asking why everyone is who or what they are. And the twins don't exist here in Wonderland. The author just added them in."
The hunter nodded, tucking a piece of his hair behind his ear. He did not want to know where he learned that from, but it made dealing with the new length of his hair much easier. He sighed, standing from the table, his eyes meeting the path Shizuka had mentioned to him. "Pleasure speaking to you," Zero pursed his lips. "Some of you." He added quickly before departing.
Aidou stood, "Zero-sama, don't you want to –"
His words faltered as Zero spun around to give him one last glare. The blond sat back down, flushed as he tried to ignore Shiki and Rima's soft laughter.
"It looks like our plan failed," Rima sputtered between breaths. "What do we do now?"
Aidou shook his head, taking a sip of his tea. "Nothing. We wait until it happens."
"One, two, three, four, five, six," Zero counted under his breath. He had heard somewhere that counting until one hundred could calm someone down, but it was not working for him. He had not expected to run into Aidou of all people, but he was grateful that it was not the pureblood. He did not know how he would live if he saw him in a dress.
Zero froze as the bushes rattled; he sensed three vampires. He reached into his pocket, retrieving his gun.
"Forgive us, Zero-sama," Kamiko whispered, appearing at his ear.
He shuddered, planning to spin around, but was rendered immobile, falling into Rina's arms. He tried to move, but could only wiggle stiffly. He growled, hissing at the three females.
"Shh," Aoi murmured, pressing his final pressure point. "Sleep.
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