HI guys! I brought the second chapter here for you. Tell me what you think about it.
This chapter is dedicated to Lochesh, Ilana-walker, and to my dearBunny-tash for review my fic. You are great!!!! Thank you!!
And a special thanks for my beloved beta Flattered by Mockery!
Disc: Hell no, I won't say it again!! You already know it.
Chapter 2
Artemis started reading.
Burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge. In another moment, down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.
Suddenly, some long strings of light got out from the book, and they seemed to be made by the words the girl was reading.
"What the hell…?" shouted Kanda, but he couldn't finish his sentence.
The strings headed fast toward the four. They tried to dodge them, but those things rolled up around their bodies, tying them up and starting to drag them toward the book.
"Allen! Lavi! Kanda!" "Tyki!" cried out Lenalee and Road at the same time.
"Aaah, help! Do something!" screamed Allen.
"Dammit…I can't…move," hissed Lavi, as he fought to free himself.
"What the hell are these things? I can't pass through them," said Tyki. Though he tried to use his Noah power, this kind of rope refused to let him go.
Artemis continued to read, impassibly.
The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down what seemed to be a very deep well.
When she read those word, in front of her appeared a deep hole, like the one described in the book. The 'words ropes' started to converge toward the well, dragging the four guys with them.
"Dammit!" snarled Kanda. But as much as he tried to move and as much strength he used, the ropes didn't break, and neither could his katana cut them.
Lenalee moved quickly, trying to help her comrades, but one of the shining strings hit her like a whip and made her roll on the ground.
Road started to move too, but when she saw what had happened to the other girl, she changed her plan. She evoked some of her candles and sent them fast toward Artemis. But the candles were blocked, as if there was a shield around the girl, and they fell on the ground.
Meanwhile, the four arrived at the edge of the well. Despite their efforts, they couldn't free themselves.
Suddenly, the ropes vanished.
But it was too late. Their feet had already passed the edge and the only thing that remained was falling into the hole.
Lenalee screamed, trying to catch them, and Road did the same.
But, in this moment, Artemis closed her book and looked at them. "Don't worry, my princesses, I only borrowed them for a while. I'll return your knights as soon as possible."
And, with those words, she jumped inside the hole that, after her passage, disappeared.
********************
Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything: then, she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves: here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed: it was labelled "ORANGE MARMALADE" but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar, for fear of killing somebody underneath, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it.
They ended up in the strangest place they'd ever seen.
At first, even as they were falling, it went very slowly, like they were sinking into water.
Next, the well's walls, which at the beginning had been all black, started to become more and more coloured. Bright crayon-shade colours, like they were painted by a child.
"I'm starting to think we're inside Road's dream world…" murmured Lavi, looking around with wide eyes.
"Ah yes? Then would you be so kind as to explain to me why I'm here too?" replied Tyki, sarcasm clear enough in his voice.
"Well, you could be an illusion too. Or maybe she brought you here by mistake. Even the best are wrong sometimes," said Lavi, shuddering.
"Oh yes, sure," mumbled the other, crossing his arms with an annoyed expression on his face.
A moment after they heard an 'ouch' from Kanda, they all looked at him. He was holding his head and he had a glassed jar in his hand.
"Yuu, what happe-"
"This damned thing hit my head!" he snarled and he was about to throw it away, but Allen blocked him.
"Stop, Kanda! We don't know if there is someone underneath. If you throw it, you might hit him."
"If you didn't stop to say such a stupid thing, I'd be sure who this will hit, Moyashi."
"The name is Allen! And I'm not saying stupid things. It's you who's stupid, that you can get angry with even a simple jar."
"Idiot, who is the stupid here? Says the one who can only think with his stomach."
"So you agree that, at least, I can think. Activity which, for you, is a bit unknown."
"If you don't stop, I swear I'll slice you, Moyashi. Understood?"
"Oh, I'm trembling."
Meanwhile, Tyki was looking at them, blinking like he didn't believe his eyes.
"Tell me," he started, addressing the red-haired exorcist that was observing the scene with a bored face, "Do those two always act like this?"
"If they don't act this way, I start to seriously worry," answered Lavi. Then he smiled. "To tell the truth, they really like each other, but it's difficult for them to demonstrate their feelings," he whispered.
The jar, that just a moment before was in Kanda's hands, was thrown with a terrifying speed and landed to hit Lavi's forehead hard.
"Ah! Yuu, but what-" he started, but he stopped when he saw the other two's looks.
"Try to say it again, and I swear I'll skin you alive, Usagi," hissed Kanda, his voice seeming to come directly from Hell.
"You know, for once I agree with Kanda," said Allen with a smile. A sweet and innocent smile. But one mustn't trust Allen when he smiled. He could become really dangerous.
Lavi held up his hands in sign of surrender. "Okay, okay, I understand; there isn't any need to get violent. Can you explain to me why, in your fights, I'm always the scapegoat?"
The three boys heard a chuckle from the side, and they turned to see Tyki laughing lightly.
"Che, what's so funny here?" shouted Kanda.
"Ah, nothing, nothing. It's just that you three are the strangest exorcists I've ever known. Not that I've known a lot of exorcists, but you're nearly as odd as my family."
The other three looked at him with dubious faces. They wanted to reply that it would be difficult to compete with the strangeness of the Noah family, but in that moment, they heard a very familiar voice coming from above.
"Are you still 'falling'? Listen, we must hurry, this passage won't remain open for eternity."
They looked up to see Artemis descending quickly toward them, the book still in her hands.
"No, you have to listen-" started Kanda, but the girl stopped him.
"Not now, I repeat that we must hurry." They heard a noise from above. When the lifted their heads for looking, they saw the hole above them starting to close. And, damn, it was fast! "See? Would you start to descend, yes or no?"
"We would be very happy to obey, if we knew how to do it," said Allen.
"It's rather funny that you ask me this. You're the expert when we talk about connections with the Other World, right?"
"But I already said that I don't know what you're speaking about!"
"Oh, well, now stop joki-" replied Artemis, but she was stopped from a loud noise, that was increasing more and more.
"Your name is Artemis, right?" said Lavi to the girl. "Take us out of here and then we can speak, okay?"
She nodded, then opened her book again, and she murmured something in a low voice.
Suddenly, the 'force' that caused their slowed falling disappeared. And they found themselves falling for real.
"Aaaahh!" was the chorus that was heard in the hole.
Luckily for them, there was some grass waiting for them underneath. They all felt on the ground, one above the other with a loud smash. Allen, Lavi, Kanda and Tyki.
"I already saw this situation." said Lavi.
"I didn't. But I can't say that I appreciate it," replied Tyki.
"Can I know why I'm always the one that ends up beneath the others?" murmured Allen. "Yet I should be the lightest here (1)."
"Che, I doubt that by looking at all the things you eat, Moyashi."
As they got up, they heard Artemis mumbling something. "Uff, look, if it's me who has to find four idiots like you."
They turned toward her; she was standing with her hands on his hips and looking at them.
"So, guys, are you all okay?"
Kanda exploded. "ALL OKAY? How can we be ALL FUCKING OKAY? You appeared from nowhere, you dragged us here against our wills and, if that's not enough, you-" he stopped "See what we're saying, in what fucking place are we?"
Artemis smirked.
"My Lords, welcome to Wonderland."
(1) I have an idea on why you're always on the 'bottom', Allen… (*fangirlish smirk*)
Explanation-time: about my OC, I never planed to make her a Mary-Sue, I hate them. It's only that I need a character in the story for explain thing and guiding the others during the fic. She won't be 'in the way', if that's what you're thinking. Maybe she'll teasing the characters a little, but only this, I assure you!
Again thanks for the reading. R&R please!!!