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Chapter 5: The Mock Turtles Delima

Shion growled slightly as she climbed up the face of the cliff. It seemed that someone did not want her to get to the top of the large cliff and was hurling rather large, and unplesant bolders at her on occasion. Which in turn meant that she had to run back down the cliff to hide in a suitable corner where the Rock wouldn't reach when it went down the slopping hillside. As she neared the top she found that her legs were getting very tired, and she was growing rather irritated at whatever was hruling the stones. As it turned out these things, she found once reaching the top, were ants. Ants that, much like the card guards, were easily disposed of. She saw in front of her a small stream. A rather smaller path wound it's way beside that stream and she walked up it. At the end of this path was a rather large pool. She couldn't see the otherside of it from where she was standing, but the water didn't appear to deep it seemed. Sitting to the side, the origin of the lake, A large Statue of a girl resembling herself greatly, The figure was sitting on it's knees A hand covering the statues face as two torrents of water poured from the eyes of the statue. The entire image, with this realms grey sky, and murky surroundings was quite depressing and Shion frowned in distaste at it as she stepped into the water. Seeing no other way to cross the lake. Swimming halfway she relized soon that she no idea of which way she was suposed to be swiming.

"Cat!" She called out reluctantly "Could you provide a little help here?" There was no response to this.

"CAT!" She called out once again sounding rather irritated "CAT!" She growned as she swam back to shore wondering if perhaps he was there and simply not answering.

Sure enough the Cheshire Cat sat on one of the large mushrooms, his legs crossed a bored expression on his pale face, Grey ears twitched slightly, He was filing his nails. "CAT!" She growled from her spot, still in the water keeping herself afloat her hair clinging to her shoulders and the back of her neck. The white haired boy looked over to her smirking slightly but didn't move from his spot. "Yes Shion?" He asked something causing his ears to flatter themselves to the side of his head in discontent. "I was asking for your help!" She said crossing her arms with a frown.

"Oh yes." He said calmly still filing his nails in a bored manner "To put it quite simply, I don't do water." He replied with a frown.

"What do you mean you don't do water! I might have really needed your help!" She said with a glare developing on her pale face that would have killed any normal person.

"WILHELM! I ASKED FOR YOUR HELP!" She yelled once again standing on her tip toes. The White haired boy winced visibly at this "Please do refrain from calling me that in the near future."

Shion frowned at this looking slightly confused "But it's your name isn't it?"

"Exactly, and I'd prefer to be called it, if people could pronounce it correctly." He replied wincing again.

"Something wrong?" She looked concerned slightly as he winced again. "Such an Awful racket." He muttered putting his hands over the ears that were already almost totally flattened to the side of his head. "Reminds me of your Violin lessons." Shion growled slightly at this.

"Hey! I play the Violin fairly well I hope you know!" She said with a frown. "What "Racket" are you talking about anyways!" He shushed her at this and it was then that she noticed a rather loud wailing sound coming from a small distance across this pool. She frowned slightly and then began to swim off in the direction of the sound.

About halfway across the pool she began to see another shore. On this shore sat a boy maybe a bit younger than her, He was sitting on the ground sobbing miserably. It was also to be noted, that he was not fully clothed, he was instead wearing a white muscle shirt and a pair of white boxers...the embrassing kind, with the little hearts on them. Though not quite so curious about his choice of clothing as she was his reason for crying. Shion neglected this fact and she climbed onto the shore and walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder softly. "What's wrong? Did someone die? Did you lose your family?" She asked feeling rather sympathetic for the boy who shook his head brown hair shaking with it as he looked at her miserably.

"No it's my shell!" He proclaimed something in Shion automatically caused to lose intrest. "The Duchess stole it from me and tried to eat me for lunch!" He sobbed "Nobility must be served I supose." He said and looked to Shion for some form of consolement only to find the girl was simply staring off into space. "Ahem." He cleared his throat. Shion looked down at him a little suprised "Oh, Did you say something." He sighed frustratedly at this. "Yeah I said..." Shion cut him off at the moment "Tragic I'm sure, but I'm a bit pressed for time." She said with a frown "Have you seen a Rabbit go by here?"

The boy scratched his head in through "Twitchy nose? Shifty eyes? Constantly consults his pocket watch? Most perculiar character indeed." He said.

"He's very dear to me." She said softly "I must find him quickly."

The brown haired boy nodded "The Caterpillar could help." He started "I'm quite certain. He knows everything there is to know!" He proclaimed. Shion frowned slightly.

She remember the Caterpillar, he was quite an irritating character if she remembered correctly, always secretive, sitting there on his mushroom behaving in a rather annoying manner. "And just where does that smushy layabout hang his hookah these days?" She asked crossing her arm slowly.

"Since the troubles began, he's in hiding," He stated with a frown "I couldn't divulge his secret..I couldn't risk telling you..." He paused looking at her slightly suggestively "without something in return."

Shion sighed rubbing the bridge of her nose in annoyance "Risk nothing gain nothing I supose." She said.

"His whereabouts then, in exchange for my shell." He said holding out his hand to shake on the deal "The Duchess won't part with it willingly." He added in with a frown as Shion raised her own hand taking his in acceptance of the deal "Then She must do it unwillingly." She said with a slight smirk rising on her pale face.

The boy Nodded as a stray leaf fell in front of them and the brown haired boy shuffled over to a tree taking out a small twig that resembled a boat ore. "Your brave." He stated "But I'm going to warn you, she treats everything as prey." He said motioning for her to step on the leaf. Shion did so, hopping onto the leaf suprised that it held her weight though she reminded herself that she was alot smaller than she usually was. The boy followed shortly after using the stick to shove the leaf off much like one would do a boat. As they set off down the stream.

They pushed down the stream without problems it seemed. Shion gazed into the water with a frown as she took notice of the small fish like creatures in the water that did not look the least bit friendly. The grey sky above her was of little comfort and the silence that was occuring around them seemed none to plesant as well. "Brace yourself." Warned the boy suddenly sitting down to stop pushing the leaf and let his hands grip the edge of the leaf. Shion looked confused. "Why?" She asked, looking around him to try to see what had him worried. "Waterfall." He said simply as she noticed it herself grabbing hold of the leaf's edges, just as they went over.