Masquerade Chapter 2: une: down the rabbit hole, a naruto fanfic

project: masquerade
disclaimer: i do not own naruto, or the characters in it, or wonderland.
summary: she will follow the white rabbit. she will fall in love with the mad hatter. she will kill the queen of hearts. but fairytales don't always have a happily ever after and she doesn't believe in once upon a times.
pairings: sasusaku
notes: and finally she actually gets into wonderland. man, i wish i could go there, doesn't it sound like fun?
chapter: une: down the rabbit hole

How do you get to Wonderland?

It is not often that someone of my intelligence cannot comprehend a situation—no matter how bizarre and perturbing that situation is. I am considered a genius. I am the kind of person who does not get bewildered easily. I am the kind of person who does not believe in the extraordinary. There is nothing magical about this world—this disgusting, cruel, rotten world—Wonderland. It disgusts me. It can never surprise me or excite me; I do not belong here, in this twisted Game. But nor do I belong out there, in the Real World, with its horrors and its cruel laughter. I do not belong anywhere. I am dead inside. I have nothing to live for. I have no one to die for.

I am the Queen of Hearts.

I will not die for this world.

Oh, I beg your pardon—it seems I am quite late.

(for a very important date)

The rabbit hole was dark and deep.

The moment Sakura had chosen to jump, she had instantly regretted it—but his smile and he invited me, it would be rude not to go—and her mouth had stretched open in a wild scream. For a second, the noise hung in the air—high pitched and completely terrified—before the wind snatched it away and she could hear nothing. She fell downwards and panic bubbled up inside her; oh God, she was definitely going to die, and there was so much she wanted to do, oh God, oh no, die like her parents, dead and gone and oh God oh God oh—

She sucked in a deep breath, too quickly, and attempted to clear her thoughts; really, was there any need to be so negative? She was bound to be fine, otherwise Rabbit—Man wouldn't have jumped down, let alone asked her to follow him. She was slightly reassured.

"Well, first things first…" Sakura murmured, although she wasn't sure whether she'd spoken out loud or not. "I should find some way to stop myself, otherwise I'm going to break a leg, or something…"

She looked around and then rubbed her eyes in surprise. One moment, the rabbit hole had been so dark that she'd barely been able to see herself, as she tumbled and pin wheeled downwards, but now lights were springing up from the sides of the well. They were pale lilac and they glowed warmly, like they were better suited for a child's bedside table, and they didn't offer too much light on their own—together, though, Sakura could see the sides of the hole, as well as slightly below her and above her.

She blinked.

"I'm—I'm still dreaming. That's got to be it. I'm still dreaming—"

She smashed through a glass table. Instantly, her hands flew up to her face and she arched her back in pain—where had a table come from anyway and… and… if this was a dream, why did the pain feel so…

Real?

She winced, checking her body for any lasting damage. She gasped and her eyes widened.

(this isn't possible, this can't be happening, this is a dream, why aren't i dead, oh this isn't possible, this isn't possible AT ALL)

She was perfectly fine. It was as though she hadn't crashed through a table—it was like she'd imagined it all, but it had been so ridiculously real, how could she have imagined it? Slowly, she glanced upwards.

Above her, a glass table hung in the air, completely whole and not at all shattered.

"Okay…" Sakura sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, but panic was bubbling back up inside of her, dark and horrible. "So wherever I am, the rules don't apply—logic doesn't apply. And this hole doesn't plan on ending anytime soon so, until then, I'd better look around and calm myself down, because getting all worked up won't get me anywhere."

Maps were pinned to the walls around her—slightly below her hung a portrait of a queen; her skin was so pale and her hair was snow white, and her lips were blue—she was beautiful, like a fairytale character, and her gaze was as cold as her looks. Sakura shivered. Bookshelves and cupboards spiraled downwards—some of them flew past her and, every now and then, she was forced to wriggle in the air to avoid some of them. Knives and forks and various pieces of cooking equipment floated past—a toy rabbit, its fur as black as ink, dropped into her arms, and she turned it over, instinctively—pinned to the back was a note.

'Hold on tight.'

Sakura raised an eyebrow and let go of the rabbit, watching idly as it dropped down below her—and she noticed that she was slowing down, which was bizarre, until she hung completely still in the air.

She looked around.

"What…?"

An umbrella bumped into her side and she grabbed it, despite the fact that she wasn't sure why she'd grabbed it. It just felt like it was the right thing to do, that was all—and she opened it quickly and held it above her head, waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly, she was falling again—apart from, she wasn't really falling anymore, she was plummeting, and she could see the ground (checkered white and black tiles, like a kitchen floor) below her. She looked upwards. She could no longer see the opening of the rabbit hole—wherever she was, she couldn't turn back, not any more—so she held her umbrella tightly and closed her eyes.

(and something changed inside of her—like a light was suddenly switched on, but it shone much brighter than that, and it hurt her eyes and her head and her heart)

Her feet touched the floor, gently, and the fall was over. Sakura opened her eyes cautiously, wincing as she adjusted to the bright light, and she realized how ridiculous she had to look, stood perfectly still and clutching an umbrella over her head. She lowered the umbrella, slightly embarrassed, and then glanced around her.

She was in a corridor, it seemed—although, it was the strangest corridor she had ever seen. It was circular, with a high ceiling and checkered tiles; lined along the walls were doors, of various different shapes and sizes, and perched in the middle of the room was a glass table. She sighed, walking briskly over to a red door and tugging the handle. It was locked. Somehow, she'd expected as much.

Nothing was as it seemed in this ridiculous dream.

She suddenly felt weary and sick and tired and lonely; briefly, the Rabbit—Man's wide smile floated through her thoughts and his voice echoed in her mind.

"It's a pretty fucked up place."

Sakura scowled, trudging over to the table—why was she here, anyway? Who the hell was that Rabbit—Man? He'd suddenly started running through her garden and talking nonsense and whispering about rules and games and Wonderland. Was that where she was, then—in this Wonderland place?

She shrugged lazily, before gazing at the objects lying upon the table—there was a golden pistol, and she picked it up, despite the fact that she was sure any kind of gun was dangerous. It was just so pretty, she realised, the way it shone in the light and sparkled when she moved it from hand to hand. It wasn't too heavy and she held it snug in her hand, before spinning around and aiming it at one of the doors.

"Pow, right?" Sakura grinned, tilting her head slightly and peering down the barrel. The safety was bound to be on; and it probably wasn't loaded anyway; but even if it was, who left a loaded gun just lying around waiting for someone to pick it up?

Only an idiot would.

Even so, she placed the pistol back down on the table cautiously and picked up the second object. It was a small bottle, with a crystal clear liquid inside, and a green ribbon tied around the bottle—the words 'DRINK ME' were printed onto a paper label, which dangled from the side. She bit her lip, before figuring what the hell and picking the bottle up—she pressed it against her lips and smiled slightly.

Then she tipped back her head and took a small sip.

It tasted of strawberries, she thought, although that could have just been because of the strawberries she'd eaten earlier. After a few seconds of nothing, Sakura realised that she'd been being silly and placed the bottle back onto the table—what had she expected to happen, after all?

There was a sharp cracking noise and pain shot through her body—her eyes widened in alarm, as she gazed down at her left arm. It had suddenly snapped and was now sticking out at an awkward angle; there was another crack, and her other arm was doing exactly the same thing. And then the air was filled with cracking and snapping, and Sakura realised that all of the bones in her body were breaking.

Sakura would have screamed, but her ribs were currently crushing her lungs and she could barely think straight. She leaned on the table for support, panting wildly—sweat dribbled down her forehead and into her eyes; her spine snapped, and her entire body spasmed in pain. Her fingers gripped onto the table ledge, holding as tightly as she could; and then Sakura realised she was no longer holding onto the ledge for support, but instead clutching it to keep herself from dropping. Her legs barely touched the floor—she was having to tip toe to keep herself standing upright and, what with her bones all snapping and apparently re-shaping, she was finding it hard to do that at all.

Sakura was shrinking—and it didn't look like she was going to stop any time soon.

She swung her other arm upwards, holding onto the ledge tightly, and grimaced; her arms were still snapping and shrinking and, although none of the bones punctured the surface of her skin, she could see them moving beneath the surface—Jesus, she could hear them loudly enough. Her clothes slipped away, far too large for her now, and another thought struck her.

What if she shrunk down to nothing?

Was that even possible? She bit her lip and closed her eyes as a new bout of panic overcame her—so was she going to die, then? But the Rabbit—Man…

(he'd save her, right?)

'But the Rabbit—Man' what?

What could he do to help her? Why would he even want to help her? And, why did she even trust him? He was the one who had asked her to jump down the rabbit hole; "meet you there", he'd said; and now what? She was in pain and danger—the most pain and danger she'd ever been in—and where was he?

"WAH, ALICE-CHAN!"

Apparently, right behind her.

Sakura winced, turning as much as she could to see him, and his eyes were comically wide, once again—he has beautiful eyes, she thought, so bright and as blue as the sky—and he rushed towards her, his arms outstretched. He was huge and she was tiny, and he reached his hand out towards her.

Sakura took a deep breath and let go of the table, dropping the shortest distance before landing safely in his palm; instinctively, his fingers curled around her tiny body, cupping her close to his chest and peering down at her.

She blinked up at him.

"…What kind of person just drinks a bottle labeled 'DRINK ME', with no questions asked?" The Rabbit—Man said, finally, rolling his eyes and heaving a sigh of relief.

Sakura scowled. "What kind of person just asks someone to hop down a deep, dark rabbit hole and expects no questions to be asked, hm?"

He grinned sheepishly, fidgeting slightly from side to side and sending Sakura tumbling about the palm of his hand—okay, so she'd won that round—and then, in the midst of her triumph, she realised that she was completely naked; she squeaked, her arms flying to cover her body, blushing heavily. Oh God, and that asshole hadn't mentioned it at all (which was probably very polite of him, or he was just really dense).

Blue eyes met green.

Then the Rabbit—Man noticed as well; he let out a high pitched squeak, much like the one Sakura had made, and then reached into his pocket with his spare hand. "Oh God, sorry! I should have realised sooner—I mean, I came prepared, just in case, but I was so busy being worried that you might have slipped and let go and fallen to your imminent doom, that I didn't realise…" He rambled, as he tugged out a small dress. "I made loads of dresses—you should have seen my poor fingers—just in case you drank more or less and shrank more or less than you have now but… I'm sure you get the point."

He dropped the dress at her feet and she picked it up, flashing him a grateful smile. It was bright blue and probably clashed with her hair, but that wasn't something she was particularly worried about—she was more impressed at the craftsmanship to be fair, and wasn't really that bothered about the colour.

"I was going to get the Mad Hatter to make it," He admitted, after a few seconds, "Because he makes, uh, hats, obviously, so I figured he could probably make a dress as well…" The Rabbit—Man trailed off, sniffing slightly. "But he's a prick, so there's no way he'd do anything to help me out, even if it involves helping Alice as well."

"My name isn't Alice."

The Rabbit—Man blinked, obviously startled out of his thoughts, and gazed down at the miniature girl sat comfortably in his hand. "Ah, you said that before, right? Well, like I said, Wonderland is a weird place," He paused, before gesturing uncomfortably at his floppy ears. "I'm, uh, not actually a rabbit."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "So who are you then, Mr Rabbit—Man?"

He scratched his chin, thinking about something; and his bright eyes clouded over somberly as he thought. Finally, after a few more moments of seconds, he seemed to have come to a resolution. "I'm the White Rabbit."

She raised an eyebrow, glancing at his white suit and equally white ears. "…I can see that," She murmured, before smiling. "I'm Sakura."

The White Rabbit froze, his mouth dropping open; he does look like a rabbit, she noticed, when he's startled; with his eyes wide and his mouth gaping and his ears drooping. Like a rabbit caught in headlights.

He recovered gradually, narrowing his eyes and hissing, "You're not supposed to tell me that, Alice. You're not supposed to tell anyone that—it's the big, golden rule. Never, ever, tell anyone any information that can be used against you!"

Sakura simply scowled in response. "My name isn't Alice. I don't care what this game is, and I don't care what the rules are, because I'm not playing any games. I'm just dreaming, that's all, and in a second I'll wake up and you'll have vanished. You're nothing but a dream rabbit… man… that I thought up—and when I wake up, you'll be gone and I'll forget all about you. So you can either tell me your real name now or you can put me down and put me back to my normal size."

The White Rabbit looked torn—he opened and closed his mouth over and over again, his eyes flicking from Sakura to a door just behind her and then back to Sakura—and then finally he let out a string of swear words, conceding defeat.

"Fine! You win!" He snapped, his scowl mirroring hers—and then his face softened into a reluctant grin. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm the current White Rabbit—I'm your guide to Wonderland and your soft and fluffy companion. I'm sure you've got lots of questions," He pulled out his pocket watch, glanced at it, and then grimaced apologetically. "But right now, we're really late. We need to get moving."

"Really late for what?" Sakura asked, turning around to peer over his fingers—she could only just see over them.

"Y'know those questions that we're too late to answer?" Naruto mumbled, playing with one of his ears idly. "Yeah, that's one of them. Sakura-chan, I'm not going to ask much of you—okay, so that's not particularly true, but whatever—but could you just do this one thing for me? Could you just sit there and not ask any questions?"

Sakura huffed noisily, but nodded anyway; technically, this guy had saved her life and the least she could do was shut up for a few seconds, despite the fact that her head was brimming with unanswered questions. Naruto hurried past the table, span back around, and then scooped up the golden pistol as well as the bottle.

"Weapons."

"What do you need—?" She stopped herself just in time, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "Oh right. Questions. Sorry. I guess I don't deserve to know anything, right? I'll just sit here and, uh… sit here. Don't worry about me."

Naruto sighed heavily, pocketing the two objects, and walked briskly past the table towards a small door, around half his height. It was bright red, with a swirly W painted on it in white; she leaned forwards, over his fingertips, curious.

"Is that the door to Wonderland?" She asked, before she could stop herself.

"Uh, technically, I guess. I mean, we're already in Wonderland—well, uh, I guess we're in the Gateway to Wonderland—a corridor, or something. I never really understood that part. You're not very good at this entire 'no questions please' thing, are you?"

"No."

The White Rabbit heaved yet another sigh, checked quickly that Alice was relatively comfortable and safe, and stooped over, reaching for the door handle. He tugged it once, muttered a quick curse, and then fished a dirty key out of his pocket. "We used to let Alice do this part, but you wouldn't believe how difficult they found it," Naruto muttered, slotting the key into the lock. "Open the door first and then shrink yourself to step inside—it's actually not that hard—but it stressed them out, and they cried and practically flooded half of Wonderland. Well, so I've heard anyway; I'm relatively new to this job. I have to rely on the Gateway to fill me in—and, to a lesser extent, that mad bastard."

"You're rambling."

"Sorry," And then he pushed open the door and stepped into Wonderland.

wonderland. n. 1. an imaginary land of marvels or wonders 2. an actual place of great or strange beauty

Wonderland is beautiful.

That was the first thing Sakura thought as she gazed around her—and it was true; Wonderland was beautiful. It was picturesque, with its spiraling evergreens that climbed high into the pale blue sky—the sun shone warmly down upon their backs—ferns grew just next to the dirt path, reaching higher than Naruto himself. Flowers bloomed near and far, their petals curling upwards, leaves stretching out as far as she could see—and she recognized some of the flowers; roses and bluebells and lilies; but they were somehow more perfect and beautiful than she'd ever seen them before. Amongst the bright pink and blue and yellow and red flowers, were creatures—lizards and rabbits and frogs and bears and wild cats; every single creature Sakura could think of was either perched in a treetop or nestled in the undergrowth.

Wonderland is strange.

Not every creature, however, was one Sakura had seen—a small person fluttered past her face, small and tiny, with dragon's wings; behind them, a man with antler's was stood munching on a leaf; a man with the hands, legs and face of a frog hopped past, bidding them a good afternoon and then continuing on his way. Now that she thought about it, Naruto himself was pretty strange, with his long, floppy, rabbit ears, but she'd barely questioned that. And as she looked closer at the flowers, she realised some were so strange and brilliant, it was as though a young child had imagined them, with their spotted petals and striped leaves. It was a strange and new land.

Wonderland is perfect.

It was perfect. It was more picturesque than the world she had come from—in many ways, it was as though they had simply copied her world and filled it with these beautiful creatures. They'd perfected it.

Wonderland is scary.

Like every world, she realised, Wonderland had its secrets—hidden in the shadows were beasts so deadly and dangerous and ugly and ferocious, that they could not bear to show themselves. Every now and then, she would catch a glimpse of sharp teeth or narrowed amber eyes; every now and then, the bird song would be disrupted by a savage roar. Although, the dangerous creatures of Wonderland did not keep to the shadows; in the pocket of the frogman, she caught sight of a sword, as he hurried past. And some of the plants had teeth. And the shadows had eyes. And the vines seemed to be alive.

And no questions could be asked.

"Wonderland is a pretty fucked up place," Naruto announced, again, before moving his arm in a wide, sweeping gesture. "But I'm guessing its okay—when you get past the fact that nothing is as it seems."

"…Where is Wonderland?" Sakura asked, finally, brushing her hair out of her face and twisting around to face Naruto. "Where did it come from?"

The White Rabbit paused, tilting his head and glancing jerkily around him. "…No one really knows where Wonderland is, other than the fact that it is the land of dreams. I'm asleep right now. You're asleep right now. Everyone in this entire world is asleep right now. Depending on who you are, and whether you're chosen to partake in the Game, you'll fall asleep and wake up in Wonderland; and you'll ask yourself over and over again where you are, but the only answer you'll ever get is 'in a dream'. You're trapped in Wonderland, until you're finally freed—doomed to spend every single night battling for your life like some crappy science fiction movie."

Sakura blinked.

"And as for where Wonderland came from, no one knows." Naruto finished, shrugging slightly. "Not even the Gateway knows. They spend all their time telling us what we're supposed to do and the Rules of the Game, and they don't even know why we're playing this stupid Game, or who created it."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak again, but Naruto shook his head slowly—"Seriously, Alice-chan—I mean, Sakura—I'm not the right guy to be telling you about all of this. All you really need to know right now is that we're at war, and we're the good guys. When the Mad Hatter tells you what he needs to tell you, you've got to remember that. We're the good guys, and you can always trust us, no matter what. In this world or the Real World—it's our job to look out for you."

She nodded hesitantly, raising an eyebrow questioningly, but deciding she'd stop with the questions for a while. After all, they were apparently late and Naruto probably didn't need the distractions—despite the fact that he looked like he wanted nothing more than to sit and talk to her.

Wonderland is mysterious.

Sakura sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees and gazing forwards; her head was buzzing with questions that she longed to ask and desperately wanted Naruto to answer, but now wasn't the time. She'd have to wait; wait to meet this Mad Hatter guy; wait until it was the right time; wait until she woke up. When she woke up, she'd be able to make sense of all these puzzles and clues and, the next time she fell asleep, she'd do whatever they needed her to do and leave.

She'd wake up from this nightmare and continue with her life.

The man pressed his gloved fingers against the ground, his face twisting into a scowl—he glanced upwards, his gaze deadly behind his glasses, and stared at the soldiers surrounding him. "We were too late."

One soldier scoffed, adjusting his sword lazily. "And whose fault would that be, hm?"

A second soldier turned on him, scowling and spitting and angrier than he'd ever been before. "What are you implying, yeah?"

"That you're fucking incompetent."

Before they could continue with their argument, the man who had spoken first raised one hand, effectively shutting them up. They scowled at him with defiant eyes, and he smirked, amused. "Is there really any need for this, gentlemen? Now, the Queen was expecting Alice so we are going to find Alice. Am I clear?"

"Yes…"

"Pardon?"

The two knights rolled their eyes.

"Yes, Knave of Hearts."

He smiled, touching the tips of his gloved fingers together, satisfied. "That's much better. Now… it is time to find Alice."

—Wonderland is the most beautiful nightmare you will ever have, Alice-chan.

spiraling, tumbling, soaring
down, down, down we go

The Mad Hatter flipped his hat off his head and then caught it with a practiced ease, barely breaking a sweat as he did so. He flipped it again, caught it, flipped it, caught it, flipped it—and a butter knife flew through the air and into the side of his hat. The hat slipped past his fingers and fluttered to the ground, where it lay, crumpled and dejected, as he turned to the owner of the knife.

"…That's my hat," He murmured, finally.

The March Hare said nothing; he simply gazed blankly at the Mad Hatter, his turquoise eyes flashing dangerously, stormily—then he turned back to the table and picked up a cup. "You were getting on my nerves," He drawled, tipping the tea cup towards his mouth.

A knife soared through the air and crashed into the side of the cup—the contents spilled across the table, instantly staining the white cloth. The March Hare paused, regarding the mess coolly, and then turned back to the Mad Hatter—the Hatter was perched on his chair in a crouch, with an arm outstretched; he was obviously the one who had thrown the knife. The March Hare picked a fork off the table, just as the Hatter reached for a sharper knife, and the two stared at each other testily, each challenging the other to make the first move.

The Dormouse coughed loudly. "…Jeez, don't you two ever quit it with this macho bullshit?" He yawned, stretching and standing up—he'd been enjoying his sleep, tucked inside the spout of a red teapot, and disliked being disturbed.

The March Hare tilted his head and shrugged a shoulder. "No."

"…How troublesome…"

Finally, the Mad Hatter replaced his knife, plucked his hat up off the floor, and then slouched back in his chair. "That idiot is late, of course."

"As expected," The March Hare murmured, flinging his fork down the table, where it smashed into a glass jar. "Why he was chosen to be the White Rabbit is beyond me. He can barely tell the time."

"Alice is safe with him," The Dormouse sighed, dropping down from the spout and landing neatly in a crouch beside a croissant. "And besides, it's not like Alice would dare follow either of you two—you've got to be the scariest people I've ever seen—" Whatever else he'd planned on saying was cut off, as the March Hare slammed a tea cup down on top of him, trapping him. "—plus, you're the biggest dickheads I've ever seen as well."

The March Hare chuckled, dragging the cup closer to him and then resting his elbow on it. "You amuse me, little mouse, with all your big talk."

The Dormouse simply heaved another sigh, before curling up (despite the cramped conditions), tucking his tail between his legs, and promptly falling asleep again. It was a skill of his, he guessed—he could fall asleep anywhere, in any situation—he'd wake up and get out from underneath this stupid cup, the moment Alice appeared. The March Hare appeared to be thinking much the same thing, as he reached for another cup and began to stack them together, obviously bored.

The Mad Hatter watched the two for a moment and then tipped his hat forwards, so that it rested over his eyes, and smirked to himself.

"She's coming."

"Are we almost there yet?" Sakura said, from her cross-legged position on Naruto's hand; she stretched lazily, soaking up the last of the sun's rays—the day was already turning to night, and she could see the first stars up in the sky.

Naruto bristled, rolling his eyes. "What are you, five? This isn't a day trip, y'know. You're in danger and stuff. Wonderland is pretty damn dangerous. But, in answer to your question, no, we're not there yet—I, uhm…"

He slowed to a halt, ears twitching; he span around in a slow circle, tilting his head and gazing warily into the dark jungle around them. Sakura blinked, staggering to her feet and leaning against his fingers—she glanced forwards once, before looking up at Naruto, opening her mouth to speak.

"What—?"

"The path stopped."

She raised an eyebrow, before leaning precariously over his fingers—it was true, as well; the dirt path they had been walking along had been completely cut off. "…What's so strange about that? Path's stop all the time, back at home."

"You said it yourself, right? 'Back at home.'" Naruto paused, swaying slightly as he thought. "Here in Wonderland, the path's never stop—sure, they're misleading and they don't always take you to where you want to go, but they never just stop. Every single place in Wonderland is attached by a path, that's why there are so many sign makers—because there are so many signs to make," He gestured back at the path before continuing, "We passed a sign, can't you remember? A sign that said 'March Hare', because that dickwad never actually stays in his own house like he's supposed to—that's where we're going and… and the path has just stopped."

"…So this is the way to where we want to go, right?" Sakura said finally, twisting to face Naruto, and raising an eyebrow incredulously.

He nodded.

"Then why don't you just go this way? You know how to get to the March Hare, right?" She beamed at him. "Step off the path and make your own way—it's not that hard."

For a second, the White Rabbit looked surprised—his blue eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed—and then he shook his head decisively. "It's way too dangerous. The Hatter wanted me to get you to him alive, preferably. We're not doing it. We'll just turn around and go back the way we came, until I find a different turning and—"

"—what are you afraid of?"

Naruto blinked.

"…What?"

"I said; what are you afraid of?" Sakura repeated, gazing out into the darkness—and she could see the flashing deadly eyes and the sharp teeth, but she just didn't care anymore; she was tired of this dream and she was homesick and she wanted to get it all over and done with.

"What scares me, huh?" Naruto scoffed, rolling his eyes and then brought Sakura closer to his face, so that he could look into her eyes. "I guess I should tell you, Alice-chan—I guess I should tell you, even though I'm not good with words and I didn't want to answer any questions; it's funny, because I was scared of you, atfirst. Everyone says Alice-chan is going to be the one to win us the war—she'll do what has to be done and she won't second doubt it—and that's how Wonderland has always thought… up until the Rules changed. And when the Rules changed, Alice couldn't change with them, and so she died, and we were stuck here for a year or so, until they found you—the newest Alice. Sakura-chan, you're the scariest person I know."

Sakura blinked, raising her eyebrow. "Why?"

"Why was I scared of you?"

She nodded.

"Because you hold my life in your hands—you hold my freedom in your hands!—and I don't even know who you are. I shouldn't trust you because, in Wonderland, you should never trust anybody; but, with you, I have no choice. You're Alice. Our savior. You fell down the rabbit hole right into a war and you're our key player. I can't let anything happen to you, because, if you die, Wonderland's hope dies with you. The Queen of Hearts will win and we will be enslaved here for another year and who knows? We could end up stuck here for longer than that."

Naruto stopped, suddenly, and then sighed. "I guess I ought to answer those questions, right? We're going to be late anyway," He murmured and then sat down heavily—Sakura blinked, bouncing slightly as he shifted himself into a comfortable position and then rested his hands on his knees.

He grinned sheepishly.

"Fire away."

Sakura smiled warmly. "Okay then, first question—what's this game you keep talking about?"

"You had to pick the hardest question first, didn't you?" Naruto grumbled, reaching up to tug idly on one of his ears. "I don't know how the Game came about and anyone who does know won't be likely to tell you; the Game has a dark history filled with nothing but death and tragedy, and no one wants to stick around for long enough to find out about all the misery. What I do know, however, are the Rules of the Game and the basic idea of it."

"Which is?"

"Alice-chan has to kill the Queen of Hearts."

It was the way he said it which annoyed Sakura most—the way he smiled and announced it as though it were the most simplistic fact in the entire world. She opened her mouth to protest, but Naruto shook his head.

"Let me finish before you bite my head off, please."

She nodded reluctantly.

"Basically, the Queen of Hearts is selected and she, or he, runs over Wonderland; the Queen must gather an army and prepare herself for Alice's arrival—because Alice definitely will arrive, there's no doubt about that—and, in turn, those opposing the Queen must also prepare for Alice. In which case, that would be us," Naruto grinned, jabbing his thumb at his chest. "I'm your guide, like I said before—the Mad Hatter is pretty much always Alice's right hand man—but there are plenty of others who are on your side and will help you no matter what. Anyway, it's Alice's job to kill the Queen of Hearts; in doing so, she frees everyone in Wonderland."

"…How…?"

"I told you before, didn't I? We're trapped here—every single living inhabitant of Wonderland is a prisoner here—imprisoned by some kind of ancient enchantment, I don't know; freaky voodoo or something." He grinned, waggling his fingers and chuckling slightly. "And when Alice kills the Queen of Hearts, we're granted our freedom. We no longer have to take part in the Game and neither does Alice; and you forget all about the Game as well. It's like it was all a bad dream that you can't quite recall—a hazy memory stuck in the back of your mind—and you'll never remember."

Sakura stood and stretched, her mind racing; she was supposed to be Wonderland's savior? She was going to be the one to free all of them—to free Naruto? How could she do something as impossible as that? Even with help, she doubted she'd have it in her to kill someone.

"What if I can't do it?"

Naruto frowned. "That won't happen. By then, you'll have seen enough of Wonderland to realise the truth—that it isn't such a nice and happy and sweet as cherry pie place—and you'll do it because it's the right thing to do."

Somehow, she wasn't reassured. The idea of taking someone's life… Ripping it away from them, just as her mother's life had been ripped so cruelly away. She didn't think she could do it. All the loneliness she'd felt… Death didn't end with the person it had taken. It chipped and bit and pulled away at everyone who was left behind—until it becomes so unbearable, that

(you do what dad did, don't you, you act just like my precious darling father and you drink yourself to DEATH until you're just as DEAD as she is and as he is dead dead DEAD)

you feel like you can't go on anymore, just like she had. No one—no one—deserved that kind of pain and misery.

"It'll be hard, Sakura-chan, but when the time comes, I know you'll do the right thing," Naruto flashed a cheery grin and then scooped her gently up—he dropped her onto his head, where she sat between his ears, warm and comfortable. "I'm going to need both of my hands free if we're straying off the path, so you're going to have to hold on tight."

Sakura laughed, attempting to sit more comfortably on his messy hair. "You're a good guy, Naruto."

The White Rabbit smiled.

"You're not so bad yourself, Alice-chan."

The Cheshire Cat is a trickster by nature. He is smarter than the greatest scientists, sharper than the deadliest of knives and quicker than a bullet. He is strong and dangerous—and he can be twisted and cruel—but, deep down, he is a cat, after all; his can be as cuddly as a kitten. He is manipulative and sly and cunning; and his grin is deceptive; and he is the possibly one of the most terrifying characters in all of Wonderland. From the day he was born, until the day he dies—the only side he is on is his own. And he will remain that way, forever more.

And his grin is oh so lonely.

"…Of course they would be heading towards the Mad Hatter, and his insane comrades," the Knave of Hearts murmured, crouching down next to the edge of the path—it cut off, oddly enough, and he'd have to make sure to ask the Queen about that; it was necessary that he knew everything that happened in Wonderland. "How extraordinary, though… I doubt anyone has ever strayed off the path this openly."

The first soldier shrugged. "Is it such a big deal? They're going to end up dead either way, on the path or off the fucking path."

The second soldier rolled his eyes. "Oh, trust you to be so stupid. If the White Rabbit is willing to stray off the path, with Alice, despite the danger he's undoubtedly in, he obviously thinks Alice is very strong."

"Alice is always weak."

The two knights turned to the Knave of Hearts, who was busy cleaning his glasses. "Alice is always weak," The Knave of Hearts repeated. "She does not understand Wonderland or its Rules. She'll think she does, just as the Alice before her did, and the one before that—but she will never truly comprehend. Only the Gateway knows—only the Gateway understands."

"The Gateway can't take part in the Games, though…" The second soldier said hesitantly, uncertain of where the conversation was heading. "It's their job to search for Alice and the other participants. They have to find replacements for those who die, once the Game has ended."

The Knave of Hearts ignored him.

"We are fools. We rely on Alice, but it is the Gateway…" He trailed off, rubbing at the bridge of his nose in irritation, as though he was trying to recall something he just couldn't quite remember—something which hovered at the back of his mind, dark and deadly. "Oh well; it is our job to find Alice, but we're not going in there."

"Hey, why not, seriously?"

"You wouldn't last a night in there, yeah."

"Oh yeah? Try me, then, fucker."

The Knave of Hearts tutted irritably, drawing his sword—in one swift, glittering arch, he swung it through the air and sliced clean through the first soldier's neck. Blood sprayed out from the wound, splattering the second knight's face—he staggered backwards, eyes wide, watching in disbelief as his comrade's decapitated head moaned blearily, blood dribbling down his lip.

"…the fuck was that for?"

"Shut up." The Knave of Hearts snapped, wiping his sword upon the still-upright body with enough force to knock it over. "You," He continued, pointing his blade at the second soldier. "Gather your friend together. It's your job to carry him. And, both of you, shut up."

They complied.

He smiled pleasantly.

"That's better."

"Where are you heading, little rabbit, this far in the deep dark woods?"

Naruto jerked around, immediately tensing—and Sakura promptly hid underneath one of his floppy ears, peering out from underneath it at the newcomer. He was a man, who appeared to be around the same age as Naruto—he was taller though, swinging his long legs as he sat perched on a branch, in the treetop. He wore entirely black, which contrasted with his pale skin—he was as pale as parchment

(snow white)

and his skin was smooth and perfect. He had dark hair and it hung over his face—two large, violet ears stuck out of his head. Cat's ears, she realised, and they twitched this way and that, listening for even the slightest sound—and she found herself holding her breath as well. His tail twitched in time with his ears, curling and flicking and swinging from side to side. He was one of those brilliant and strange creatures, she thought, what with his fingernails as sharp as needles.

His face was twisted. His eyes were crinkled into a smile—his mouth stretched wider than she thought it could, smiling at her, and the tips of pointed fangs pressed against his bottom lip. He tilted his head, never opening his eyes; in fact, if it weren't for the fact that he'd spoken, she would have assumed he was sleeping.

"The path is that way," He continued, pointing a sharp finger in the opposite direction. "Are you lost, you silly rabbit?"

"The path stopped," Naruto snapped briskly.

The man's smile widened. "I know," He said, reaching into the branches above him—when he pulled his hand away, he was clutching a small bird. He stared at it critically for a few moments, before pressing his fangs against the soft of its neck. "I know everything, little rabbit."

Then he bit down, gradually, and blood welled up around his fangs. He drew back, his tongue flicking out to lick his lips, and then held the bird above his head—the blood dribbled downwards, slowly, and he craned his neck eagerly. Then, unable to wait any longer, he placed the whole of the bird inside his mouth and crunched down. Sakura recognized the sound of snapping bones and shuddered, paling slightly—this boy was a monster, which was for sure, and definitely not a friend.

"Ugh, that's gross, Cheshire Cat," Naruto snapped. "Do you have to eat in front of—"

"—a lady?" The Cheshire Cat finished, blood running down the corner of his mouth; he smeared it with his thumb and then completely ignored it.

Naruto peered at him, obviously waiting for something—probably for the Cheshire Cat to make his next move—to announce grandly which side he was on.

"Alice is an awful lot of responsibility for such a little rabbit," The Cheshire Cat purred finally, his smile widening. "Are you sure you're going to be okay in this big ol' forest? You wouldn't want to get lost or be late, would you now?"

The White Rabbit clapped his hand against his mouth. "Oh God, we are so late—the Mad Hatter is going to castrate me!" He waved one hand in goodbye, turning away from the Cheshire Cat and hurrying in the opposite direction. Sakura span around, so that she could watch the man until they left—there was something she just didn't trust about him.

The Cheshire Cat watched them for a moment, his feet kicking and swinging—and then they began to fade away, slowly, and Sakura found herself rubbing her eyes. Suddenly his legs were fading away and his arms and his entire body—gradually, he was vanishing. Finally, his head was the only thing left—grinning and smiling and just creeping Sakura out.

Then his eyes flickered open.

They were beautiful—one as black as the midnight sky, the other a bright and vibrant purple—and then they two vanished, and the only thing that was left was his smile, hanging in the air, and it whispered one word—one word which chilled her to the bone.

It was her name.

"Sakura."

The Mad Hatter pulled a pocket watch out of his coat and sighed, watching the second hand tick forwards and backwards and then finally judder to a halt. He tapped the glass once, willing it to begin moving again, but nothing happened.

The March Hare regarded him coolly. "What are you doing?"

"Killing time."

Underneath the tea cup, the Dormouse rolled his eyes and shifted into a more comfortable position. "You're insane."

The Mad Hatter tilted his head, smirking slightly, and then tossed the pocket watch to the March Hare, who caught it easily. The March Hare peered at it for a few seconds, ran his fingers through his red hair, and then flung it across the table, where it landed in a coffee mug. He allowed himself a small smirk of triumph. The Mad Hatter leaned back in his chair, moved his hat over his forehead, and then closed his eyes, even though he didn't plan on sleeping.

"Hurry up now, Alice."

The Dormouse yawned lazily.

"What a drag…"

"We're almost there, Sakura-chan!" Naruto announced, tugging a vine out of the way and treading on a fern in his eagerness. Sakura blinked blearily in response, tired from her exciting day in Wonderland, and Naruto's eyes widened as he noticed this.

"No, no, no—please, Sakura-chan, don't wake up just yet!" He begged, moving faster now. "I mean, we've come all this way—you have to meet the Mad Hatter; he needs to tell you the Rules, because I'm not too good at explaining those. Aw, c'mon, don't wake up on me yet!"

"Wake up, Naruto?" She mumbled questioningly, rubbing her eyes. "But I'm so tired."

"Naw, you're just tired in Wonderland—in the Real World, you're almost ready to wake up; c'mon, please don't close your eyes, because then there'll have been no point in me coming to get you and this entire journey will have been for nothing. Just hang on for another hour, Alice—I mean, Sakura-chan! For me?"

"…Fine."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you—!"

"—idiot. You're late."

Sakura blinked, standing up on Naruto's head so that she could see slightly better—in front of her was a long, thin table, set up in the most bizarre tea party she'd ever seen. There were plates and pots and pans and bowls placed haphazardly up and down the table—some were stacked upon each other—and there were tea cups and mugs and beakers, and knives and forks and spoons, and spatulas and whisks and even a toaster. There were various pots of butter, most of them upturned, and a couple of cubes of sugar misplaced.

Sat closest to her, was a man shorter than Naruto—he had the most wonderful hair she had ever seen in her entire life. It was fiery red—the exact colour of a candle flame and it was so vibrant and soft—it hung messily about his head, finishing at the nape of his neck. He had long ears which pointed high into the sky, only a few shades darker than his hair. He wore a maroon shirt, with a black battered waistcoat, complete with various knives tucked into the pocket. He had beautiful eyes, as well—turquoise, the exact same colour as the sea—but they seemed dead to her. Cold and dead.

She assumed he was the March Hare.

A cup overturned suddenly, and Sakura found herself peering down at a man around the same height as she was now—he had dark oaky hair, tugged back into a ponytail, and tired eyes; there were the biggest darkest bags beneath his eyes and, even as he scanned her, he ended up yawning and rubbing them blearily. He had a mouse's tail, which he dragged along behind him—it was as lazy as he was, she assumed.

She figured he was the Dormouse.

And there, sat at the end of the table, was a young man only just older than her. He was beautiful, she decided, like a prince out of a fairytale; with his pale skin and dark hair—it stuck up at the back, but the rest framed his face messily. In his hands, he clutched the largest hat she had ever seen—he placed it on his head and stood up slowly, stretching his hand out towards her. He was tall and lean, his murky green tailcoat flapping behind him. Numerous trinkets glittered in the light, but she found herself unable to look at them for too long.

Her gaze immediately flicked back to his eyes. They were perfection, she decided. No artist could ever capture what she saw in those eyes—and words did not describe them, either. They were wise and knowing and understanding and cold and welcoming and dangerous and passionate and oh so lonely. They were black—as black as ink—and she found herself drowning in them…

He was the Mad Hatter.

"Welcome, Alice."

The White Rabbit reached for her and she hopped into his hands, letting him lower her onto the table—she staggered for a second, so used to not using her legs, and then walked steadily down the table.

The Mad Hatter's mouth quirked into a smirk as he watched her and then he turned to the White Rabbit, "You took your time—and, apparently, you shrunk her."

Naruto looked outraged. "Wha—?" He spluttered, pointing at himself indignantly. "I shrunk her? I did not! That was all her fault—I mean, what kind of person just drinks from a bottle labeled 'DRINK ME', with no questions asked?"

The Dormouse rolled his eyes, completely ignoring the argument going on above him, and strode over to Alice. He was slightly taller than her, he noticed, with some triumph—but then again, she had been shrunk and when the Hatter gave her the cake, she'd simply grow back to her usual size. He sighed wearily, before extending his hand in welcome.

"I'm the Dormouse."

She shook his hand, grinning. "Oh really? I'm Sakura."

He froze, momentarily confused—Sakura? This girl was Alice, not Sakura—and then he realized. "You use your normal name?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and shoving his hands in his pockets. "You do realize how dangerous that is, don't you?"

"Naruto has said. Over and over again."

The Dormouse simply gaped, his eyes widening slightly. "…Since when did he use his actual name, as well?"

"Since I became fed up with calling him 'Rabbit—Man'," Sakura replied testily, before placing her hands on her hips and taking that bossy stance that the Dormouse swore every woman had perfected. "So are you going to tell me your name, or what? I'm guessing that you three are people I can trust."

"Of course, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned. "We're the good guys!"

The March Hare lobbed a glass bottle at him, which he managed to duck, shrieking as he did so.

The Dormouse frowned, dropping into a crouch as he pondered his situation—he could tell this girl, who obviously disliked the use of the codenames or aliases or whatever they were—or he could refuse, and risk jeopardizing their relationship before he'd even asked Alice to fight with him (to fight for him). He sighed, straightened, and shrugged slightly. "I guess there's no other way…" He eyed Sakura wearily. "Troublesome woman… I'm Shikamaru."

Sakura clapped her hands together once, grinning. "See? It's not that hard, Shikamaru," She murmured, before turning and continuing down the table—despite acting differently, she could feel herself getting more and more tired, and she desperately needed to find out what the Rules of this stupid Game were first. She stopped beside the March Hare. "And you are…?"

"Gaara."

She nodded slowly, twisting away and practically breaking into a run—why did this table have to be so damn long anyway?—until she skidded to a halt in front of the Mad Hatter. She opened her mouth to ask his name, but he shook his head.

"Priorities, Alice," He murmured, leaning forwards so that he could peer into her eyes. "First, you need to grow up."

She scowled—this man was so rude already—and then blinked, startled, as he handed her a crumb of what looked like a vanilla sponge cake. His smirk widened, obviously amused at her confusion, and he nodded slightly. "Go on, eat it—it's not poisonous," He said and shrugged off his tailcoat, which confused her even more.

Still, she ate the crumb.

She was growing again—she could tell—she could hear the familiar snapping of her bones and feel the sharp pain; except it was dulling quickly, because she was getting used to it. Her arms began to stretch and her legs got longer and she became taller, and suddenly she was her normal size again. Instinctively, she covered her body up with her arms, bewildered as the Mad Hatter thrust his coat out to her.

"Put it on for now—you haven't got long left."

She complied quickly, shrugging the coat on and holding it tight around her body, before waiting for the Mad Hatter to continue. He said nothing for a while, content with playing with the sleeves of his shirt, which dangled down past his hands—then his eyes flickered up to meet hers and he tilted his head.

"Sakura, when you return to the Real World, look out for us."

Those words chilled her blood and her eyes widened—she could tell she was paling rapidly, unable to hide her (fear) confusion. "What—what do you mean?"

"The Game doesn't just stop in Wonderland, Sakura—it's much nastier than that. It seeps into the Real World, through our dreams, through our memories; everything that happens here, we remember and we store and we use. We'll be looking out for you, Sakura, but so will they…" He trailed off, flashing a dark look at Naruto. "It's a shame. I wanted more time; I had much more to tell you. But you were late."

She was fading—her eyelids were drooping and she was finding it harder and harder to focus. She turned around, slowly, and found that the Dormouse—Shikamaru—was nowhere to be seen. He'd vanished, much like the Cheshire Cat; and, even as she watched, she could see Naruto yawning and fading slowly.

She was waking up.

They were all waking up.

She span back around to the Mad Hatter, who showed no signs of fading—instead, he was leaning back in his chair, watching with a superior smirk. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she jerked around.

The March Hare was stood behind her, holding out the golden pistol and the glass bottle, and a small package wrapped in brown paper. "You need to keep these—they belong to Alice," He murmured softly, pressing the objects into her hands and then turning away—and as he walked to his place, he too began to fade.

Sakura could no longer see her lower body—she clutched the objects to her chest and stared at the Mad Hatter.

"Look out for the Queen of Hearts and her merry men," The Hatter drawled, picking a tea cup up from where her leg used to be. "And never, under any circumstances, trust the Cheshire Cat." He lifted the cup up, suddenly smiling.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Sakura."

She jerked upright, gasping for breath and feeling completely bewildered—she gazed around her, drinking in her familiar surroundings; it was dark and there was her house, just up ahead, and there were the bowl of strawberries resting by her side—and there was her book, lying discarded just a few feet away from her.

And there was the golden pistol and the 'DRINK ME' bottle and the brown package, clutched tightly to her chest.

Sakura's heart stopped. She placed the objects on the ground warily, pushing them as far away from her as possible, and looked at them. They meant that it hadn't been a dream—Wonderland hadn't been something impossible her mind had imagined. The Game was real and she was a part of it.

She had met the White Rabbit, and the March Hare, and the Cheshire Cat, and the Dormouse. She had met the Mad Hatter. She had been to Wonderland and now…

Wonderland was coming to her.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Sakura—we'll all be seeing you soon."