Chapter 26: Changing

Kasandra's POV

"K-Kasandra... Can I talk to you for a second? Alone?" I glanced over my shoulder at a worried looking Sora. Sylvia stopped walking, pointing her staff at him.

"Move and die." She stated simply, her face impassive.

Sighing, I gently pushed the long staff away, "I can handle it, Sylvia. Calm down. We'll be just a minute."

Her dark glare and matching sneer almost made me cry for her. This wasn't supposed to be this way... My angry friend walked away before a fight broke out once more. For that I was thankful. I followed Sora deeper into the forest.

"I... I wanted to say... That..." He ran a shaking hand through his chocolate spikes, "I'm... sorry..."

A small smile spread across my lips, "Thank you, Sora... That means a lot."

"But, that's just it! Why would you forgive me for all this? I've been an ass since we've met... And... And I just tried to k-kill you!" Whimpering, he leaned against a mushroom for support.

"Sora. Look at me- hey, look at me. I don't blame you for suspecting me. You had every right to and that means you deserve forgiveness. You aren't the one at fault." I stepped closer to him.

"The fuck he's not-" I heard a strangled cry of pain behind a group of bushes. I smiled slightly. Poor Sylvia.

I jumped onto him, wrapping my arms around him, sending us both crashing to the ground. I squealed happily, "Because I've wanted to do this since we arrived in Traverse Town."

"Ha... Haha... Hahahahaha!" Eventually, he began laughing happily, hugging back.

"Finally!" Sylvia jumped out of the bushes with the others, "Took you fucking long enough!"

I pouted, not letting go of him, "You always do this! Knock it off!"

"Why would I leave the love birds alone?" She smirked. We were on our feet, a large gap between us.

"Don't know what you're talking about." Coughing, I dragged the girls by their shirts back towards the entrance of the forest.

"Cheshie?" We called out.

"You called, dear fabricators?" A large furry dark grey cat with dark blue stripes appeared with a large grin on.

"Oh my god... Johnny Depp version..." The girls ran up to glomp him, only to dog pile on each other on the catless ground.

"Depp's got nothing on me." He chuckled from behind us.

We had a screaming fangirl moment. His grin widened even more than it was, "Does darkness wither in light? Or does such existence really exist? Would you embrace neither or both? How IS a raven like a writing desk?"

Silence.

"No. Duh. Both. Edgar Allen Poe." Sylvia answered.

"What she said." Hazel, Elena, and I answered.

"Has ANYONE seen Alice?" Donald asked suddenly.

"This way?" He pointed left, "That way?" He pointed right, "Does it matter? Left, right, up, down! All mixed up thanks to the shadows! Step deeper into the forest to the deserted garden. You might find shadows in the upside-down room! Oh, and fabricators? Have a very merry unbirthday!"

"You took, Cheshie!" Sylvia tapped our shoulders, wide-eyed.

"Was he pointing in the direction I think he was?" Our eyes widened and we nodded, "Go go go!" We bolted in the direction of the tea party garden.

I vaguely heard the boys running after us, shouting in protest. We burst through the gates to large table with variously sized chairs. A short white haired man in orange with a large green top hat was singing with a small panic stricken grey rabbit in a waist coat. The two linked arms, clanked their teacups together, and gulped, "A very merry unbirthday! To me! To who? To me! Oh you! A very merry unbirthday! To you! Who me? Yes, you! Oh me! Let's all congratulate us with another cup of tea! A very merry unbirthday to you!"

They turned to the girls as we clapped.

The hatted man frowned, "How rude! Crashing a party you weren't invited to!"

Sylvia grinned, "But it's our unbirthdays too! All seven of us!"

The rabbit hopped up onto the table with him, "It is?"

They dragged each of us to an empty chair. They raised their cups of tea. The girls did the same.

"A very merry unbirthday to you! To you!" The mad hatter and march hare sang.

"To us!" The girls sang in. Donald and Goofy soon joined in.

Sora cut us off, "But what IS an unbirthday?"

The mad hatter spoke with Sylvia simultaneously, "Now statistics prove, prove that you've one birthday."

The march hare nodded, "Imagine, just one birthday every year!"

The two spoke again, "Ah! But there are 364 UNbirthdays!"

The march hare agreed, "Precisely why we're gathered here to cheer!"

The girls cheered and clanked our cups together, "A very merry unbirthday! To us! To us! A very merry unbirthday! To us! To us! Let's all congratulate us with another-"

Hazel screamed out, "Clean cup, move down!"

Everyone but Sora scrambled to their right. He eventually figured it out and jumped into the next chair, "Cup of tea! A very merry unbirthday! To us!"

I set my cup down, "Well, thank you so much for the party, but we really must be going. Crazy, mad, late for tea. Down with the bloody big head. You know how it is."

The mad hatter jumped onto the table pointing a finger at Sylvia, "How is a raven like a writing desk?"

Silence.

Sylvia blinked, "Edgar Allen Poe."

We followed her through the house door. The mad hatter could only stare sadly at our leaving forms.

AN: I actually got this done yesturday, but here it is. Holy crap! There was an earthquake today! O.O It was the strangest thing!