(In the magical world; into Wonderland)
It took quite a week to get through the pass upwards and downwards. The group of the siblings faced rainy days, slippery trails, breezy nights, crooked trees or sharp brambles around the bends, slight incidents of falls, stumbles, and furious mother birds.
The first look of Wonderland from the peak was mysteriously enchanting. To their amazement, they can see a quilt of patchwork, different in colors of blue, green, black, white, golden, red, orange, brown, purple, and even pink!
In texture by judging by distance, they look like fields, meadows, forests, swamps, roads, lakes, you name it. By the time the sun was about to set, the siblings set foot into the first section of woods called Whimsy Forest.
Strangely, this forest contained a very unique fauna, and that is the luminescent purple mushrooms. Dotted everywhere in this very forest, it is quite whimsy to see this wonder, and at once, they realized why it's called Whimsy Forest. Guided by the mushrooms as they are pointing northwards, they journeyed throughout the night, and camped near a crooked stream when they became too exhausted to continue on.
Another morning came upon the horizon, filtering through the forest, shining upon the siblings, and Anya was the first to get up. She yawned lightly as she stretched out her legs and arms, looking around and seeing that her older sisters and younger brother is still sleeping on, and she saw the stream nearby.
She grinned lightly as this is the only chance for her to bathe, and so she grabbed a fresh bundle of clothes and some soap, knowing that washing herself in her nightdress is safer and better than being naked in this foreign land.
She went a little ways far off from camp, but still close enough in case if she's in danger, and her family happens to hear her scream or whatever. She hummed a lullaby as she found the perfect spot for herself to bathe, not too shallow yet not too deep.
Shivering upon the slightly cool sensation of the water as she entered, she looked around to make sure nobody's looking, and she then went under to soak herself, coming up for air when her lungs called for it. She sang her and Dimitri's song, having half a mind on her unofficial 'official' boyfriend.
She has been truly best friends with Dimitri ever since she was six, and then everything changed when Dimitri had his 16th birthday. She had decided on a song as a gift, and she sang for him. Somehow, that day, he earned his courage to tell Anya his feelings about her, and there, she had her very first kiss that night.
So, ever since then, she and Dimitri had been dating for six months secretly, and she was quite upset when she found that Dimitri was gone. She knew that Dimitri would never leave without a intention to tell her, and besides, he only said that he was coming back with a courtship gift which was necessary of tradition as they had dated for six months straight.
Oh, she hated the Bolsheviks more than ever, loving Dimitri so much, the pain she'd never imagined before, and in her heart, she knew that Dimitri would never betray her or her family ever. Anya sighed softly as she then grabbed the soap, still singing the song under her breath as she washed herself.
A growl-yowl of surprise and shock then pierced the air, and Anya gasped, looking around as she covered herself, and she then heard a crash somewhere nearby. Soon, a voice spoke out, "Well, that wasn't the best idea ever. I swear that bird taunts me every time!".
Anya shakily called out, "Hello? If you're out there, show yourself!", grabbing her clothes as she lugged herself out of the water, still covering herself, and the voice spoke out loud, "Okay, okay, I'm coming! Dang, it has been a long time since I heard another voice! Hatter sure was the last one I've talked with, ages ago...".
Anya could see the bushes and grass rustling around, hearing the patter of steps, and then out stepped a particular creature, about the strangest one Anya has ever seen so far. She almost didn't see it due to the creature blending in so well with the grass, but she caught a pair of bright amber brown eyes staring at her.
It's a cat, but not a housecat of the norm she's used to seeing in her world. Big as a badger, possibly, and the pelt is dark green, black tiger stripes all over the pelt, and the ears are of a lynx, and there's a dark pink nose among a pale tan snout on the underside, with the same color inside the ears.
The cat breathed shakily, "Anya?". Anya stared at the cat, the voice clearly male, and she asked directly, "How do you know my name?". The cat somehow gave her a too familiar smirk if it's a bit catlike, "What do you think, my princess?".
Anya widened her eyes, gaped at him, and breathed softly, "Dimitri?". The cat nodded softly as he padded on closer, and he tilted his head lightly with a flirty wink, "Somehow you're more beautiful every time I see you, even if this is the only time you're wearing that nightdress.".
Anya blushed brightly, "Dimitri!". Dimitri breathed softly, "It's really you.", and Anya sobbed lightly, "What happened to you?!". Dimitri sighed heavily, "It's quite a story, but first, you got to change. You're kinda distracting me.", giving her a sheepish smirk.
Anya gave out a gasp of realized surprise, and huffed at him, "Turn your eyes away!", and Dimitri chuckled heartily, "As you wish, Anya.", turning his body halfway around, his eyes away as Anya went to change.
(Dimitri's P.O.V.)
I can't believe she is really here! My fiery, stubborn princess. Anya looks quite good from the first glance, and admittedly, she's truly growing into a beautiful woman...She must have gotten through the rabbit hole...Is her family nearby, or are they thinking of her being kidnapped or worse?
I don't know how long it has been since I have seen my beloved Anya, but it felt like three months or so, but perhaps the surroundings of this strange, incredible world must have disjointed my bearings around. I lifted a front paw, blowing the fur backwards to reveal the courtship gift I was intending to give Anya, wishing to get it off, but it's cursed to stay on, burned into the skin somehow by that wicked sorcerer!
I sighed under my breath, glancing at the indentations of the sterling silver metal necklace with a blue and white crystal snowflake, twice wrapped around my wrist. It would be so gorgeous on Anya! I was so dumb to follow that white sable when I should have realized that the color of white on sables didn't exist at all in Russia!
Pushing me into that rabbit hole, I fell into bushes of all things when it appeared to be like the other side of the world! But it wasn't ordinary bushes, but rather peculiar bushes that contained black roses with red spots on them, and then there was that unearthly scream...
I didn't mean to fall into her bushes, but she was really mad, calling security to arrest me and all...I spent three days in that dungeon...hearing things about the woman...the beatings on the way to the throne room...the sorcerer aroused by her...the order to do a spell...
I closed my eyes in aggravated angst, remembering the pain...the bone-breaking, shrinking, and burning pain! By day, I am a freaking damn cat! Nights, I was human again, but I was cursed to sleepwalk and get lost everywhere.
I was bound to the forests and meadows of this so-called Wonderland, meeting crazy-good/insane-bad people and creatures here and there, earning allies and enemies in the midst of it all yet it is only the second worst thing on my list. Being away from Anya is the very worst thing, my heart breaking every time I tried to break away from the boundaries, and having nightmares of seeing her forgetting about me, marrying a stranger, growing old and alone.
A familiar voice breaks me out of my thoughts, "Dimitri, are you all right? I finished changing my clothes.", and I breathed out loud as I looked back, opening my eyes to see Anya looking truly beautiful and real in the sunlight, a concerned look on her face, her bright blue eyes full of love and slight confusion.
I gave out a small smile, realizing that I wasn't obsessing over my situation anymore for she's right there before me, and I spoke warmly, "Yes, Anya. I just wish I would be able to hold you and kiss you like old times...", seeing her confusion shift to a glimmer of understanding, her face becoming determined with that adorable furrow of her forehead, and I then knew she'd do anything to have me back in her arms for she, of all things, loves me no matter what.