Shion didn't really remember most of the path to the caterpillars keep. She had stumbled around on it so much in her grief, and when she looked back upon which direction she had came her memory failed her, and tears blocked her vision for most of the time she had wandered about. But either way, almost completely un-noticed by the enemies that usually would have tried to have claimed her life, she entered a section of the forest that played hiding place to the wisest creature in wonderland.

The caterpillar was not truly an insect though, as his small size would have lead someone to believe. He was instead a young man, only slightly older than Shion herself, his hair was at his shoulders, and snowy white in color, a sharp contrast against his dark skin, shimmering blue eyes. He wore ragged clothes though, and seemed, much like the rest of wonderland, thin and ill. He smiled slightly at the sight of Shion, though it was not really much of a welcoming smile, more like one that showed the creature was far to smart for his own good.

"So you've returned Shion?" He said softly

"Yes, but..." She shook her head "The rabbit never told me why..." She fought tears and looked up at the creature who was sitting on a mushroom, "And now he's gone."

He laughed slightly at this, though more of a spiteful laugh than anything else. "Why?" He cackled...but then his expression wavered and he looked almost expressionless. His sharp shifts in mood were quite a contrast in comparison to the Cheshire cats constant smile. "Because Wonderland is severly damage, and YOU must set it right." He said with a frown and sat upright where as he had been instead laying on his stomach.

Shion shook her head at this "But I barely recognize this awful place...What is it to me?"

His expression was calm at this "Home.." He said softly "Well, it could be," He added in seeing the brown haired girls almost stunned and repulsed expression "Having lost what you loved you nearly wiped us out." He said, still with the same expression on his dark face "You've started to rebuild, Your task...However, and your pain...are not over." He said in an offering of warning to the young woman who nodded her green eyes casted downwards as though ashamed as she relized she was to blame for the tragedy that had once been her childhood hiding place.

"Why must I suffer though?" She asked calmly, almost innocently.

This however only seemed to make the dark skinned young man angry as he glared at her coldly and almost yelled his reply to the girl, each of his words cutting her a little bit deeper than the last. "Because your mind is fouled by self-deception. Even your fantasies have fragmented into tortured versions of themselves. You are wracked with guilt because you survived, and you dread the prospect of a life alone." She felt as though she were about to cry at the young mans words but could not afford to let the tears slip as this would surely only lead to another scolding from him.

"Then.." She sniffed to hold back the tears "What do you think I must do?" She said, her eyes suddenly finding intrest in the dirt around her feet.

He leaned back calmly throwing something she could not see aside. Acting as if he had not just been yelling at her in his last moments of speech and as if instead he were having a casual conversation with her instead "Destroy the Queen of Hearts." He said calmly brushing a strand of white hair out of his face "And your entire world can become whole again." He said shutting his eyes as he crossed his legs and placed his chin in the palm of his hand "I need to rest now." She nodded not sure what this meant "You need to regain your human size. Grow up , Shion." He said calmly, a double meaning in his words and she almost took offense from them "Embrace the truth. Travel to the Fungiferous Forest, now, and nibble from the mushroom of life. Take great care. The voracious centipede jealously guards it, and rules over what you require.." he said, as a small door appeared as he waved his hand to one side. Gesturing to the door Shion nodded, and quickly left through that door with a frown on her pale face.

When she emerged on the other side she found herself standing face to face with the Cheshire cat. Well not so much as face to face, he was sitting on a dropping blade of grace with that same almost obnixious smirk on his pale face. "Oh, it's you?" She looked almost amused the sight of the cat always seemed to entrain her in one manner or another. "Yes, I have some adivce for you my dear Shion, Confidence and rashness are two sides of a single coin." Shion seemed slightly confused at this, she had reason to be confident of herself for she was almost certain she could take out this hideous creature. "Please remember," He began again "Your about as big as a middling-size garden slug, and until you find the magic mushroom get used to it." He smirked and almost began to disappear when she suddenly stopped him "Aren't you going to help me then? If you need me so much?" She seemed both frantic and amused as the white haired man attempt to fake a cough, his ears twitching slightly as he looked to the side. "I'm afraid I have to expel a rather ferocious hairball." He said as he once again began to disappear "Your on your own Girl."

Shion grumbled at this "alot of help he is." She said with a frown as she walked forward she heard a rather gruff voice, strict and military like, Yelling in the distance.

"You Pathetic and retched excuses for warriors! FORM A LINE!"

She frowned at this and headed in the direction of the voice. It was time to put a stop to this, and...as the caterpillar had said...Grow up.