***All Alice in Wonderland and Fushigi Yuugi characters and plotlines belong to their respective creators and I own nothing, except a computer, some twisted ideas, and on occasion, some original characters.***

5) In Which Miaka Meets the Creator and Gets an Earful

Miaka wandered through Tamahome's lawn for several hours. She passed several insects the same size as her and six large gold coins that Tamahome had dropped in haste. Finally, she was so tired that she sat down, resting her back on the base of a mushroom.

"What shall I do?" Miaka thought. "I don't like being small. Tamahome." A pouty look appeared on her face, and she wondered when Tamahome was going to come save her and pat her on the head.

"Well, he can't do that now," she said, "for he will surely squash me if he tries." She sat, thinking. "Maybe," she thought, I can climb on this mushroom and see where I am. Then I'll know where I'm going."

Miaka stood up and looked at the mushroom. It was as tall as her and almost just as wide. Standing on her tiptoes, she peered over the edge of it. Immediately her eyes met those of an old woman.

"YAAAHH!" she screeched, and backed up. "It's ugly, what is it?" she whispered to herself as she cowered behind a blade of grass.

"I heard that." the old woman said. "Who are you?"

Miaka snuck a peek at the old woman. She did not sit on the mushroom, but floated on top of it.

"Who are you ?" Miaka asked warily, crawling out from her hiding spot.

"I am Taiitsukun. WHO ARE YOU?" Taiitsukun peered at Miaka.

"I-I-I-I'm Miaka Yuuki, priestess of Suzaku. I --"

"I know who you are, my impertinent one. I am the creator of this universe. I know all. Of course I know who you are. I created..."

A teardrop formed on Miaka' s forehead as Taiitsukun rambled on. After several minutes, Miaka felt that she had to interrupt.

"Uhh...Taiitsukun?" Miaka interrupted as nicely as possible.

The old woman looked up and focused her eyes on Miaka. "Yes? What is it?"

"Well...I was wondering if you could tell me where I am."

"Don't you know?" Taiitsukun asked.

"No, not exactly. I mean, I know where I am but yet I don't and I..." Miaka trailed off as she became more confused of where she was.

"You should know. You did find yourself here, so you must have had some idea as to where you were going." The old woman closed her eyes as if she was falling asleep.

"Oh please don't fall asleep!" Miaka cried. "I don't know where I am and I'm not the right size, and--"

The old woman opened her eyes. "Not the right size?" she asked.

"Well you see, I was hungry and I drank this liquid and then I--"

"You were hungry so you drank something?" Taiitsukun interrupted.

"No, I mean I was thirsty so I drank the liquid and then I ate some Dingie Rings (tm) and then I--"

"Next time get your facts straight then, Miss Priestess. If you say you ate then say it, if you say you drank then say that. But don't get the two mixed up!"

Taiitsukun's interrogation affected Miaka so much that she began to cry .

"I'm sorry Taiitsukun. I didn't mean to..." she blubbered.

"Don't apologize!"

"I'm sorr--I mean, okay." Miaka sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. Taiitsukun sighed. She was getting tired of this. She had seen many girls approach her and ask for help. This girl was a classic example: wandering around, getting lost, saying they were the wrong size.

"So you want to be a different size, do you?"

Miaka blinked. "Well...yes. You see," she said, trying to explain, "three inches is such a horrible height to be and--"

"What's wrong with that height?" Taiitsukun asked. She was exactly three inches tall.

"I mean, I'm just not used to it, " Miaka said, almost crying again.

Taiitsukun closed her eyes again and floated above the mushroom. For several seconds she stayed like that, until Miaka interrupted.

"Please help me! Don't fall asleep, please! I need to find Taammaahhoommee!" she whined.

Taiitsukun's eyelids snapped open. "Patience is a virtue," she said, with a slightly irritated intonation.

"What's a virtue?" Miaka asked. "Is it a food?"

"This is the priestess of Suzaku? What a dumb girl," Taiitsukun muttered. She closed her eyes again.

Miaka, not wanting to say anything, stamped her feet, hummed, snapped her fingers, anything to get that old woman's attention.

"Okay, okay! STOP IT!" Taiitsukun roared after several minutes of Miaka's antics. "One side will make you grow taller; the other side will make you grow shorter."

"One side of what? The other side of what?"

"The mushroom! The sides of the mushroom!" Taiitsukun floated off the mushroom and into the grass.

"Wait! Taiitsukun!" Miaka called. "Am I supposed to eat this? Eeww! I don't like mushrooms!"

Taiitsukun paused in mid-air, then answered, "Fine! Anything to shut you up! Nyan-nyan!"

A pink bubble appeared from nowhere and floated over to the mushroom. It popped, and from it came a small girl with sea green hair. She landed on top of the mushroom and smiled. "Yes, Taiitsukun?" she asked with her Adorably Cute Voice(tm).

"Frost this mushroom so Miaka can eat it," the old woman said, then disappeared in the blades of grass.

"Yes ma'am! "the girl yelled. "Frosting, frosting, frost, frost!" she cried as she sprinkled something on the mushroom. Then she giggled and disappeared. The pink bubble reappeared and floated away in the same direction that Taiitsukun had gone.

Miaka walked over to the mushroom. A thick layer of frosting now covered the top, enabling Miaka to eat the mushroom without actually tasting it.

"Thank you!" she yelled to no one in particular.

With her left hand, she grabbed a chunk of the mushroom. Then, with her right hand, she did the same thing, on the opposite side. She held the two pieces side by side and inspected them.

"Well, they look the same. I guess I'll just have to try them and see what happens." She took a bite of the piece in her right hand. Immediately she began to shrink. "Nope. Not that one." Quickly, she took a bite of the piece in her left hand. It reversed the effect of the first piece, and she began to grow. Miaka nibbled from that "increase-size-piece" until she was her original height or what she thought was her original height. Then, she placed the pieces in her pockets. One in her right pocket, and one in her left.

"Never know when I might get hungry," she thought.

When she had brushed the crumbs from her hands, she surveyed her surroundings. Nowhere could she find the small cottage or the white fence. All around her was a vast open field of grass. In the distance she could see a big mansion.

"I wonder who lives there?" she questioned. She raised her right arm in the air, made her fist into a ball, and brought it close to her chest. "Better find out!" she yelled, and ran towards the mansion.

More parts coming soon! Stay tuned. Reviews welcomed and appreciated.