A/N: A new chapter! I'm really on a roll! I just downloaded the free prolog of HNKNA! The drawings are lovely!
Sleeping Moon: XD thank you very much! And yes, I've read it! It was amazing! Took me awhile to reach the last chap ^^
Guest: Sure thing! Thank you so much :D
guest: Of course~
Time Lady Fighter: Thank you so much! ^^
I own nothing except for the plot and the OCs.
Mission 8
Scent
"…I owe him 500.000 G."
There was a moment of silence between the knight and the 'Gryphon'.
"Pfffft! HAHAHA!" Ace laughed, clutching his sides when he couldn't stop.
Hikari's left eye twitched in annoyance. "S-Stop it! It's not funny, Ace!" she shouted, balling her hands up and shook them threateningly at the man. Her shoulders shook in anger when Ace didn't take her threat seriously. She swiftly put Ace in a headlock, rubbing her knuckles against his scalp as he continues to laugh. "That's enough! How would you feel if you have a debt that large?!" she yelled, glaring at the Knight in her arms.
Ace wiped the tears away with his gloved finger, "I feel nothing because I never have a debt that large!" he joked, unhooking Hikari's arm around his neck. Hikari pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked away from Ace. The Knight chuckled as he poked Hikari's puffy cheek. "Aww come now, Hikari! No need to pout like that! Now turn that frown upside down!" he teased.
"How could I—?!" Hikari's eyes widened when Ace pulled her cheeks, pinching them. She gripped Ace's wrists when he wouldn't stop. "Argh! Awright! Awright!"
Ace grinned. "That's the spirit!" he slapped Hikari's back a few times and placed his hand on her shoulder. "By the way, you smell really nice today!" he sniffs the air, lost in the aroma of roses.
Hikari gave an irritated look. "Are you implying that I stink every day?" she said bitterly as she cupped her cheeks, rubbing the pain away. She was always the one pinching everyone's cheeks to smile, but she never knew that it was so painful! A sour look was on her face as her hand cupped her left cheek. It was almost like having a toothache!
"Of course not~!" Ace sang.
"I'm not convinced…"
Alice giggled, "You both are like brother and sister." She commented, staring at Ace and Hikari with a smile.
"You probably said that because we have brown hair, right Hikari?" Ace said, smiling. He glanced down to the brunette in his arm. She was surprisingly quiet. Usually she would respond with a sarcastic comeback, but this time she was silent. His crimson eyes blinked confusedly at the brunette's odd behavior.
"Hikari?" Alice tilted her head, staring at the girl.
Ace shook Hikari's shoulders, snapping her from her thoughts. "What's wrong? You looked dazed." He asked, staring at her with his crimson eyes.
"A-Ah… it's nothing, just thinking about my brother. That's all..." Hikari trailed off, scratching the back of her neck as she stares at the ground.
Alice looked unconvinced. 'She must've missed her home… No matter how much she says that she doesn't miss her home, she still misses her home.' She thought sadly, gazing at Hikari with a concern look.
"Hmmm," The knight hummed, placing his hand on his chin. He grabbed Hikari's wrist, pulling down her hand that was covering her cheek. His left hand tilted the brunette's chin up, making her stare at him. "Or maybe you were thinking that you need a knight to kiss your boo-boo?" he kissed her left cheek.
Hikari's left eye twitched. "Gro—GROSS!" she screamed with a horrified look. She pushed Ace away with one hand as the other held her left cheek, rubbing it intensely to get rid of the cooties. The brunette ran to Alice, hiding behind her while glaring daggers at the smiling knight. She didn't mind Nightmare, but perhaps that was because he was in her dream so it wasn't real. She shook her head. "W-Why did you do that for?! You have cooties!" she accused, pointing her index finger.
Alice looked as horrified as Hikari. She didn't expect Ace to just boldly kiss Hikari's cheek. Then again, this was the directionally challenged knight they were talking about.
Ace pouted, "But isn't it a knight's duty to kiss the princess?" he crossed his arms, walking closer to the two girls.
"Get real! I ain't no princess! So find another one!" Hikari retorted, giving him the stink eye. The brown-haired man smiled and leaned his head down to Alice, surprising both girls. The keyblade wielder quickly pushed the two apart, holding Alice protectively in her arms. "Not Alice! She already has a prince charming! Go find another one!" she angrily ordered.
Alice blushed. "Hi-Hikari!"
"Hahaha! There you go! All lively again~!" Ace sang happily, patting Hikari's head. He ruffled her short brown hair, grinning from ear to ear. "You were so serious before that you didn't look like yourself! I'm so glad you're back to your lively self!" he said.
Hikari huffed, blushing a little. Ace was so nice. Just like her brother, Sora. His smile reminded her of the ones her brother gave to her. She remembered when they were little, Sora would drag her and Riku all around the island, going on an adventure. One time, they got lost in the forest and Hikari cried. Sora comforted her, patting her head, saying that everything will be alright. His words were never a lie, always honest and encouraging. Funny, kind, loving and understanding. That's her brother.
"You're so cute when you're blushing!" Ace pulled the girl to a tight embrace, rubbing his cheek against hers.
"I'm not blushing!" Hikari denied, squirming in his arms. "Why don't you hug Peter instead?! He loves cooties!"
"But I don't want to hug Mr. Peter! He's not my type!" Ace childishly whines. A sudden thought came to his mind. He snaps his finger, remembering his mission from the queen and Peter. "Ah! Speaking of the Prime Minister, I'm here to kidnap you~!" he happily said, lifting Hikari up with one arm.
"What?! Put me down! I don't like being carried!" Hikari shouted, pinching Ace's cheeks.
"Ace!" Alice yelled, rushing over to the knight's side. "Put Hikari down this instant! What does that perverted rabbit want anyway?!" she demanded.
"It's not actually Mr. Peter… Her Majesty also wanted me to kidnap Hikari. That was my mission." Ace replied to the previous foreigner. He took Alice's wrist with his other hand, dragging her along. "She's been feeling down lately that you haven't visit, so to let her frustration out, she's been beheading maids and soldiers endlessly!" he cheerfully stated.
"What?!" Both Alice and Hikari exclaimed in surprise. Hikari smacked the back of Ace's head. "Well? Don't you just stand there! Run to the castle! Those poor maids and guards' lives are depending on us! But put me down first." she quickly added the last part.
"Aye, aye, my prince~!" Ace saluted, giving a nickname.
The three ran to the Castle of Hearts, with Alice leading the way of course.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Has Ace returned to the castle yet, White?" Vivaldi asked, sighing as she propped up her chin with her knuckles. She gazed down at the servant who was kneeling down, begging for her forgiveness. Her violet eyes were cold and sharp, making everyone—minus Peter—flinched under her stare. The King beside her tried calming the queen down, saying that Ace would arrive soon. He was trying to save the servant's life. "Silence! Do not tell me what to do!" She moved her scepter to the King's neck, glaring at the man.
Peter let out a soft sigh, a troubled look on his face. He held a stack of papers, each of the papers were filled with reports of the servants' mistakes. He pushed his thick frameless glasses up, closing his eyes. Oh if only his precious foreigners were here. That would brighten his day a million times.
"That's enough! Off with his head!" Vivaldi order, pointing her scepter at the servant.
"WAIT!" Before the two guards could even lay their spears on the servant's neck, a loud frantic voice stopped them. The two guards turned their head over their shoulder, finding one of the Hatters' servant running to them. They both quickly moved their target from the Hearts' servant to the Hatters' servant, pointing their spears at the young servant. "S-Stop… don't behead…him… So tired…" he panted out, collapsing to the floor.
"Give me a minute…" He held up his index finger to the Queen, silently telling her to wait for a minute. He sat on the cold marble floor, trying to catch his breath. Finally, a minute later, he stood up, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He lifted his chin up, gazing at the Queen's eyes with his light blue ones. "Don't behead him please, Queen Vivaldi? Me and Alice are here so no more beheading… okay?" he laughed nervously, placing his arms in a large X.
Vivaldi raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow, "And pray tell, who you might be?" she questions.
"Haha, it's me! It's me!" The servant said and his mouth formed a friendly grin.
Peter's crimson eyes widened in realization, "Hikari?! What has happened to you?! Why are you dressed like a servant?! The Hatters' servant might I add!" the white rabbit jumped down, landing safely on the floor with a soft thud. He lunged at the brunette, hugging the girl close to his chest. He pulled apart and cupped Hikari's cheeks, staring into her eyes. "What has that filthy vermin done to my precious adorable sweet kitten?!" he shouted dramatically.
Hikari's eye twitched at the pet name. "Now that's just over-exaggerating," she commented, revering to the nickname Peter gave her—to which she dislike. She pushed Peter away and glanced up to find the Queen walking down the flight of stairs with the King right behind her. As soon as Vivaldi was beside her, Hikari bowed her head. "I'm really sorry for not visiting you earlier!" she apologized.
"There's no need to apologize, my precious~! You have already been forgiven." The Prime Minister said gleefully, hugging the brunette around her neck.
"I didn't ask for your opinion." Hikari deadpanned, prying Peter's arms off of her. She smiled sheepishly at Vivaldi, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm really sorry though… I should've find a way to sneak out and visit you sooner, Queen Vivaldi. It's just that my Boss had me locked up until I learned the way of a gentleman." She said, giving a nervous laugh.
"You are working for the Mad Hatter?" Vivaldi asked, looking up and down at Hikari's uniform. "Why are you wearing a butler's uniform instead of a maid's uniform?" she added.
Hikari laughed. "Sort of… and he said that I look like a gay crossdresser when I wear the maid's uniform."
Peter gasped. "How dare that vermin calls you a gay crossdresser!? My precious kitten looks beautiful in everything she wears!" he said, wrapping his arm around Hikari's shoulder, pulling her closer.
Hikari pushed Peter away. "But I also agree with Blood… I look good in the butler's uniform." She puffed her chest out, smiling smugly.
Vivaldi laughed, the back of her hand covering her mouth. "You are funny, yes." She said, smiling at the brunette. She tilted Hikari's chin up, getting a better look at her boyish face. "Blood did a fine job bringing your boyish nature out."
"Err… thanks I guess." Hikari blinked.
"Where are Ace and Alice, didn't you say that they're with you?" Vivaldi asked as wrapped her arms under her chest while holding her scepter. She waved her hand, silently ordering her soldiers to release the poor servant.
Hikari looked back, "Eh? There're not here?! I thought they were running right behind me." She exclaimed confusedly, scratching the back of her head. She squinted her when two silhouettes came to view. "Ah, there they are." She grinned, crossing her hands behind her head.
Alice placed her hands on her knees for support when she reached Hikari. "You…ran pretty fast, Hikari…" she wheezed out, panting.
Ace jogged right behind the young woman. He didn't even break a sweat as a smile was present on his lips. "Hahaha! It's almost like the time when we were being chased by that bear!"
"How dare you put my precious foreigners in danger, you filthy germ?!" Peter turned his pocket watch to a gun, pointing it directly at Ace's head.
The knight unsheathed his sword, smiling brightly while doing so. "You're one to talk, Mr. Prime Minister~" he sang as he reflected Peter's bullets with his sword.
The three girls plus the King watched the fight between the Prime Minister and the Knight. She turned her head when Vivaldi and Alice began to walk away from the chamber. "Uh… Shouldn't we stop them?" Hikari said out loud, stopping the two women from walking. "It looks like they're really serious about killing each other." she sweat-dropped at how Peter kept on shooting Ace.
Alice sighed, "Leave them be. They've been at it for as long as I can remember." she hooked her arm in the crook of Hikari's arm, dragging her away from the danger zone.
"Ah! My dear! Wait for me!" Peter shouted.
A visible vein appeared on Alice's forehead. "Let's go." She hastily said, picking up her pace.
Hikari laughed nervously as Alice kept on dragging her away from Peter. The brunette stared at the two figure walking in front of her and Alice. The King and Queen of Hearts. Though the King has the higher title, Vivaldi was the one more superior one. It almost seems like the King was scared of his queen. A snicker slipped pass by her lips. The King was just like the short King from the previous Wonderland. Something never do change.
"What's so funny?" Alice whispered.
Hikari looked down, shaking her head. "Nothing, nothing, just wondering." She whispered back. Her blue eyes glanced over to the pair in front of her with soldiers guarding at every side. She raised her hand, placing it in front of her mouth as she slightly leans down to Alice's ear. "I didn't know Queen Vivaldi is married…" she stated.
"Oh! They're not married. It's just their tittle, but I think deep down inside, Vivaldi cares for the King." Alice smiled, staring at Vivaldi's back. Vivaldi was a really strong woman…with the bad habit of beheading every person that displeases her. But still, she looks up at Vivaldi like a big sister.
Hikari nodded her head, thinking back of a certain someone. She might be cold and standoffish, but once she warms up, she can be a very protective person to her friends.
The brunette watched as Vivaldi elegantly sat on her chair. The Queen clapped her hands for the maids to prepare tea. In a matter of seconds, a dozen of maids and butlers came, quickly setting everything to the Queen's taste. Hikari could only stare in amazement. In less than a minute, the table was perfectly set! It took her nearly twenty minutes to prepare Blood's table.
Vivaldi caught Hikari's stare. "Is there something wrong, dear Hikari?" she asked, raising her teacup to her lips.
Hikari blinked, laughing nervously. "Ahaha… Nothing, nothing. I was just admiring how fast your servants are in preparing tea. It took me almost twenty minutes to prepare tea for Blood." She admitted embarrassedly.
Peter grabbed both of Hikari's hands, clasping them in his big ones. "How dare that Hatter make your pretty hands get dirty! I can't forgive him for letting you do such things!" he dramatically exclaimed.
Hikari laughed. "Haha… I bet your hands are softer than mine… I have man hands." She stated, doing jazz hands.
Peter blinks, "You are wrong my dear! I shall prove it to you!" He hesitatingly took off his right glove before cupping the brunette's cheek.
She was wrong… they weren't soft… they were extra soft. Her pride was certainly broken.
Alice cracked her knuckles. "Hands. Off. Pervert." She hissed, glaring down at the Prime Minister.
Peter gasped. "Are you jealous my dear ex Alice?!"
"I'm not! Why would I be jealous if we never even dated, you perverted rabbit!" Alice drew back her fist as far as she could. She swung her fist, punching Peter square in the face. The man instantly fell to the ground with a thud, a trail of blood coming out of his nose. Hikari paled at the sight. Alice was strong! "Hmph! Serves you right." She huffed, crossing her arms.
Ace hollers with laughter, the whole garden was filled with his laugh. "Ahahaha! You really don't know how to treat a girl, Mr. Peter~!" he said before laughing again. "Isn't that right, Hikari?" he turned his head to the brunette sitting across from him.
Hikari stared blankly at her gloved hands. Her hands were probably the manliest girl hand there is. The texture of the skin on her palms were rough from doing the chores Riku made her do and of course, from training every day. Peter's hands were softer than anyone she has ever met! Even softer than Kairi's! He wears gloves every day and seems to be a very hygienic man. Unlike Peter, Hikari didn't mind getting down and dirty. It kind of hurt her pride as a girl that Peter was more hygienic and has softer skin.
"Hahaha! Looks like Mr. Peter hurt her pride as a woman~!" Ace concluded, as if reading Hikari's thoughts.
The keyblade wielder sighed heavily, resting her forehead on the table with a soft thud.
"Shut up, Ace!" Alice shouted to the Knight, patting Hikari's back. "Don't worry, Hikari. I'm sure your hands are soft too! Just…not as soft as Peter's…" she trailed off, averting her eyes to Vivaldi for help.
Vivaldi chuckled, a smile gracing her red lips. "Do tell us, how your days are working for the Hatter?" she changed the subject.
Hikari tilted her head up, resting her chin on the table with a pout. "…It's a total pain." She mumbled.
"Then stay at the castle! We can be roomies~!" Ace exclaimed excitedly.
"Absolutely not! I will not allow you to stay in the same room with this idiotic knight!" Peter interjected, his nose still bleeding.
'He recovers fast.' Both Alice and Hikari thought, staring at the white-haired man. The two girls watched again as the two men began to fight for the second time that day.
"Tsk," Vivaldi clicked her tongue. She took a sip from her tea, trying to ignore the sound of a clashing metal and gunshots. "Those men are complete buffoons." An angry tick mark appeared on her head. Her purple eyes gazed the two foreigners sitting beside her. "Ignore those men, Alice, Hikari. They're not worth our time." she said, placing the teacup on the saucer.
"That's what I'm thinking." Alice nodded her head, taking a sip from her tea.
'How can I just ignore the noise?' Hikari sweat-dropped when kept on hearing the ruckus from behind her. She took her teacup, bringing it up to her mouth. She sipped the tea, averting her eyes to Vivaldi. "Uh… is there something wrong Queen Vivaldi?" she awkwardly asked.
Vivaldi placed a hand on her chin. "We have been wondering of what Ace had said. Why don't you quit working with the Hatter and work for us instead? We will treat you with love and care." She suggested, giving a smile.
"I… would love to, but I promised Blood that I would work for him full-time until… things are sorted out. Thank you for the offer though." Hikari politely declined, scratching the back of her head.
Vivaldi sighed. "We see… The offer is still open for you."
"Don't worry, Queen Vivaldi! I'll try to take as much as day-offs to visit you!" Hikari cheerfully said, giving a thumbs up. She really hates to see her friends all sad and gloomy. "And if he won't let me, I'll just sneak out! Piece of cake!" she snapped her fingers, grinning smugly.
A laugh escaped Vivaldi's lips. "You are entertaining. We await your return."
Alice cupped her cheeks. "You really understands a girl's feelings, Hikari. I wish every guy can understand a woman's feelings." She sighed dreamily.
"Yeah well… I am a girl dressed as a guy." Hikari laughed. A sudden thought came to her mind. She still needs to buy the tea addict's teas. She slumped her shoulder and stood up, the chair behind her screeching against the cobblestone. "Speaking of which… I need to go. You two don't mind right?" she claps her hands together, giving an apologetic look.
Alice gave a worried look. "Oh yeah… your deadline is in three time periods… Are you sure? I can come with you…"
"You don't have to come with me if you still want to spend time with Queen Vivaldi, Alice." Hikari said, placing her hands on Alice's shoulders, gently pushing her down to sit back on the chair. She leaned down to Alice's ear. "Please don't tell Queen Vivaldi about my debt… and keep Ace from doing so too." She whispered quietly.
Alice nodded her head, whispering back, "You got it."
"Deadline?" Vivaldi raised an eyebrow.
The brunette stood straight. "I have to run around buying Blood's tea errand." she sighed, rubbing her temples.
"If it is tea you want, we can simply give them to you." Vivaldi snapped her fingers and two maids appeared behind her. "Now, what does the Hatter want?"
Hikari waved her hands in front of her. "That's not necessary, Queen Vivaldi! I can just buy them off in the stores. You don't have to give them." she said, a reassuring smile on her face. She pulled something out of her pocket, tossing it up and down in her palm. "Besides, I'm using his money. So it's no problem." She smirked. Then she remembered the warning Blood gave. "Uh… just tell your soldiers to not kill me when they see me in town, okay?" a nervous laugh escaped her lips.
"We will."
"Great! Oh! Before I forget, please call me Griffin or the Gryphon whenever Laura is around. I'll see you two later then!" Hikari shouted over her shoulder as she ran towards the castle, dodging Peter's death bullets and avoiding Ace's dangerous swings.
Vivaldi tilted her head. "She has met Laura?"
Alice exhaled a deep breath, "Hikari told me herself. It's kind of a long story…"
"We have time."
"Alright, it starts after the event at the circus."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
It was a fairly quiet day for the soldiers of Hearts. The sun was shining down at them with its warm light. The gentle breeze kept them from cool while they were in their uniform. On a hot day, their attire could be quite bothersome. They could just roll up their sleeves, but that would disobey the Queen's orders. They don't want to disobey the Queen or have their heads cut off clean their shoulders. They like to live as long as they can, even if they're not as important as the Role-Holders.
"You can take a break now, it's our shift to guard the doors." A soldier said to his friend, smiling.
"Ah, yes. I'll leave it to you." His two friends saluted before walking away to the servants' quarters.
The two soldiers stood by the doors, holding the spears in their hand as they stood straight like a statue. The one with the number two glanced up before turning his friend.
"It really is a nice day." Two said, smiling.
The one with the number five followed his friend, glancing up to the sky. "It really is." He agreed. He cleared his throat. "Although…it is too quiet for Wonderland. I have never thought a day in Wonderland would be so peaceful." he reckoned, glancing around his surroundings.
"You're right. Let's just hope the cat and the twins won't ruin it." Two chuckled.
"Ah," Five joined in Two, chuckling. Suddenly they both heard rustling noises from the bushes not far from them. They quickly pointed their spears at the direction where the rustling was coming from. They stood in a defensive stance, sweat running down their face. A familiar blue and red hats pops out from the bush. Speak of the devil, here comes the Bloody Twins. "Halt! In the name of the Queen!" Five shouted.
Dee and Dum stood up from their hiding spot, holding their axes. "Awww, looks like we've been caught, brother!" Dee sighed, pouting.
"No matter, brother! We can play with them now!" Dum said, pointing his axe at the soldiers.
"Yeah! Let's chop them up to bits!" Dum nodded his head in agreement, standing in fighting stance. "Let's play~!"
Five gritted his teeth as he blocked Dee and Dum's axes with his spear. He struggled with the twins' strength. They were kids, but they were strong. He turned his head to Two. "Go! Get back up! I'll hold them off!" he ordered.
"But—,"
"Go!"
Two complied. He quickly rushed to get other soldiers to assist Five.
"Awww, one got away, brother!" Dum cried, a disappointed look on his face.
"It's alright, brother. We still have this one!" Dee assured, grinning from ear to ear as he and Dum corners Five.
"Let's have fun, mister~!"
Five tightens his grip around the spear, standing in a defensive stance, preparing to block the attacks the twins would give him. He saw Dee charge at him, swinging his axe dangerously. Five moved back every time the twin in blue swung his axe. His back his the wall and Dee jumped. The soldier of Hearts jumped out of the way, just in time too. Dee's axe was slammed to the wall behind him, destroying the wall.
The soldier of Hearts sat on the ground, still recovering from Dee's attack. He stood on his knees as he held his spear. Wait, if the blue one is in front of him, where was the red one? He glanced around, trying to find the red twin. Suddenly a shadow consumed him body. He turned around, finding Dum in the air with his axe drawn back.
'Shoot!' Five exclaimed in his mind. Before he knew it, someone tackled him, pushing him out of harm's way. The mysterious man wrapped his arms around him, protecting his head as he twist his body around to take the impact. They both landed a few feet away from the Bloody twins, Five's spear landing beside him with a clang. Even though Five doesn't have eyes, he could see a man—no, a young teenage boy hovering on top of him. 'He has eyes…' he thought.
"Are you okay?!" The young boy questions.
"Y-Yes, I-I'm fine." Five replied, he stared up and down the young boy's attire. 'The Hatter's servant! But why would he save me?' he confusedly thought.
The young servant sighed. "Thank goodness…" he said, giving a small smile. Suddenly, he took Five's spear, blocking the Twins' axes from killing them both. "Ceh!" he clicked his tongue.
"Eh?! New Onii-san?! What are you doing here?!" Both twins exclaimed in surprise as they withdrew.
The servant relaxed a little, lowering the spear. "I should be the one asking you two that! Why the bloody heck are you Bloody Brat doing in Hearts Castle?!" he yelled, getting up to his feet.
"We were playing games with the mister!" Dee cutely said, pointing his axe at the faceless man sitting on the ground.
"Yeah! We were having so much fun!" Dum added.
"Doesn't look like fun, you were going to kill him!" The servant shouted, holding the spear in his hand. "Now go and apologize to him." he ordered, glaring at the twins.
"Don't wanna!" The twins exclaimed in unison. They kicked the young servant's shins, making him writhe in pain. They both stuck their tongue out, mocking the servant. "Catch us if you can, Griffin nii-san~!" they both sang.
'Griffin' growled. He stood back up, shaking his fist at the twins while stopping his foot on the ground. "I'll get you two for this! Just you wait and see, you Bloody Brats!" he bellowed.
Five stared confusedly at the scene. 'Griffin? A new Role-Holder?'
"Troublesome kids…" Griffin sighed out, shaking his head. He turned his head to Five, walking towards him with a spear in hand. Five's muscles tensed up when the Hatter's servant was above him. What Five didn't expect was the servant's hand, extended to him. "You alright?" he asked, offering his hand.
"Ah…I am, thank you for asking…" Five confusedly replied, taking the young boy's hand. The young man tugged on his hand, helping him up to his feet. The boy gave him his spear back, crossing his hands behind his head. "Are you…perhaps a new Role-Holder?" he asked.
Griffin blinked. "Ahaha no, no… Hey, what's your name?" he bluntly asked.
Five stared down at him.
"Don't tell me that you don't have a name…" The young boy gave a look, frowning. "Fine! I'll name you… Lexy!" he snapped his fingers, grinning proudly at his naming skills.
Five chuckled into his loose fist. "I may not have a name, but Ms. Alice calls me 'Five'."
"Oh! I guess I'll call you Five too!" Griffin nodded his head in approval, his arms crossed. He patted Five's shoulder, smiling brightly, happy to make his first Faceless friend. "Hey! Wait a minute! You're the one who I drew eyes on!" the young servant suddenly exclaimed, pointing his finger.
"Impossible… Ms. Hikari? Why are you dressed as a boy? O-Oh, forgive my bluntness." Five bowed his head in shame.
"No need to apologize man! This isn't the first time I've heard that line. It's actually the third—no fourth maybe? Including yours. I'm proud that I can actually keep up my act. Usually, I'm not very good at acting." Hikari proudly said, pointing her thumb to her chest.
"You've remembered me…" she heard Five mumbled under his breath. She caught him staring, his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry…" the flustered soldier apologized again.
"Again, it's cool!" Hikari reassured, laughing when Five began to stutter. "And of course I remembered! Why wouldn't I?" she tilted her head.
"I'm… flattered that you remembered and saved a faceless like me, Ms. Hikari. We are just cards that can be replaced…" Five said, trailing off.
Hikari blinked before grinning, "Hahaha! What are you saying? No one can be replaced! You're important too, everyone is." she poked Five's chest, the spot where his clock is. "And lose the 'Miss' will 'ya? I feel like we're not friends." She slapped Five's back.
"…friends?"
"Don't say that you don't know what a friend is!" Hikari exclaim, shocked.
"You considered me as a friend?" Five tried to confirm, disbelief in his voice.
"Sure we are! Unless…you don't want—,"
"No, no! It's…wonderful. Besides Ms. Alice, you are the only foreigner that consider me as a friend." Five said, feeling a smile coming to his face.
"Now that's just rude! Don't worry my friend! I shall hang out with you! Well… as soon as I pay Blood his money back." Hikari grinned sheepishly. She patted the dirt off of Five's uniform, making the faceless soldier blush at the contact. "Sorry about your uniform…"
Five smiled, "It is alright, Mis—Hikari. I can always get it cleaned later."
"Halt! In the name of the Queen!" A dozen of spears was pointed directly at Hikari's neck, the soldiers circling them around. Instantly, Hikari shot her arms up in surrender, paling at the sharp objects in front of her eyes.
Five stepped in front of the brunette. "Stop! Ms. Hikari has saved my life. She isn't like the Bloody Twins." He defended, glancing over his shoulder to give a smile. "You don't have to worry anymore, she has chased the twins away." He continued, placing a hand over his chest.
Hikari scratched the back of her head, laughing nervously. "Well… haha, more like they ran off after kicking me in the shin." she said, exhaling the breath she has been holding when the spears were lowered down. She was glad that Five was beside her, otherwise she could've been dead the moment the soldiers saw her. "But don't worry, I'll try to keep those bratty twins in check so they won't bother you much." She crossed her arms, giving a small smile.
Two stepped forward. "T-Thank you, Miss… Y-You saved us a l-lot of trouble." He stutters, bowing his head.
Hikari nodded her head, "Well then Five…and other guards from one to ten, I'll see you all later. I have some errands to run. If those brats bother you again just tell me! And stay safe!" she hastily ran off into town.
Two placed his hand on Five's shoulder, giving a concerned look. "Are you alright?" he worriedly asked.
Five nodded his head, glancing over to Two before moving back to watch the young girl sprinting to town. "I'm fine."
As soon as she disappears from view, one of the soldiers said to his friend, "What a weird foreigner she is."
"Certainly."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Hikari sneezed, wiping her nose with her index finger. She held the bag of Blood's favorite tea in one hand as the other kept on wiping her nose. She has been sneezing a few times now. Someone was definitely talking about her. Her eyes gazed down at the boxes of tea, wrapped elegantly in a wrapping paper.
'I never knew Flowery… dokey pokey or something would cost so much money…' She thought. The brunette was lucky that the money she was using was Blood's or else she would instantly be living in the streets! Heck if she buys fifteen more boxes, it would be the same amount of money she owes Blood! 'I bet he's not the one who likes instant tea…'
The brunette ran around town, buying the teas from different stores. She was surprised that most of the tea brands on the list was at the Castle of Hearts' town. By the time shifts to the afternoon, her hands were already full of bags and boxes, piled up in a tower. She received many weird looks from the residents and shopkeeper. She almost looked like a walking pile of boxes.
'Just… ignore them.' Hikari tried her best to ignore the whispers lingering in the air. She shifted the boxes and bags to one arm, holding the bags on the crook of her right arm. Her free hand took out the piece of paper, reading over the list, skipping through the ticked ones. 'Only a few left… I can buy them in the Hatter's town.' She shoved the paper back into her pocket. 'Blood lied about the tea in Clover Tower…huh I guess I don't have to visit the Clover Tower, but that would be rude. I guess I can spare a few hours hanging with my favorite role-holder~' she snickered to herself.
Julius can be fun to tease, but if she went a little too far, he could really be a scary man.
'Maybe I can spare a few hours visiting the Amusement Park and the Circus too… It's been awhile since I saw them.' Hikari thought happily.
"Mrawww, look what we have here…" a voice purrs from above.
Hikari blinked, turning around 360 degree, looking for the source. A pink tail suddenly stroke her nose. Her nose twitched a few times as the tail kept on stroking her nose and face.
"Hachuu!" The brunette sneezed, the boxes in her hand wobbling at the strong wind from her mouth.
"You could at least sneeze a bit more girly." The voice said again. "You sound like a man sneezing up a tornado."
Hikari craned her head up, finding a familiar man with cat ears lounging up in the tree branch. "Boris!"
Boris laid on his stomach, using his arms as a pillow. He stared down at Hikari with his sharp yellow eyes, a cynical smile on his lips. "Yoo~ It's been awhile, Hi-ka-ri." He purred, flicking his tail around.
"Wait! How did you know that it was me?!" Hikari ask, surprised.
The Cheshire Cat hummed in confusion. "Hmmm?" he raised an eyebrow, jumping down to meet face to face with the girl. He leaned closer, sticking his nose in, sniffing the air around. "I would've mistaken you if it wasn't for the Twins. Your smell was smeared with perfume. It's hard to tell." He admitted.
"Blood said to me that I reek so he told me to wear this stupid perfume every time I finished taking a bath." Hikari sniffed herself, scrunching her nose up in disgust. She wasn't really a fan of perfume smells. She hates the fact that the smell stings her nose so much. "Honestly, I hate the smell. Plus, it's a men's perfume." Her eye twitched. The least Blood can do was give her a woman's perfume.
Another hum was heard from the back of his throat. "But I kind of like it. You smell nice~" he purred, flicking his tail to stroke her chin. "It gives you a manly scent."
"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult, but I'll take it as a compliment. So thank you!" Hikari said, staring at the tail in front of her eyes.
"So…what's with the tea?" Boris questioned, his eyes moving to the bags and boxes in the brunette's arms.
"Didn't the twins tell you?" Hikari raised an eyebrow and Boris tilted his head in confusion. The brunette sighed before taking a deep breath. "I owe Blood 500.000 G." she whispered lowly.
"Bwahahaha!" Boris broke off into fits of laughter, clutching his sides. First Ace now Boris. She waited for the cat to stop laughing. "Hahaha! I know! I just want to hear you say it! It's way funnier when you said it!" he gave his famous Cheshire grin.
Hikari huffed. "You're so mean! I would've hit you if it wasn't for the teas." She furrowed her eyebrows down, pouting.
"Awww don't be like that!" Boris laughed, placing his hands on Hikari's shoulders. "So where are you heading? I can help you carry those if you want." He took a couple of boxes from her arms.
"The Clover Tower. I was thinking of visiting them before going to back to the town in Blood's territory to buy the rest of the tea. And maybe after dropping these, I can visit the Amusement Park and the Circus." Hikari explained, she tilted her chin up to look at Boris' eyes. "Do you want to come to the tower? I'll make some of my special tea!"
"Sure! I love teas with milk!" Boris exclaimed excitedly.
"Talk about acting like a cat!" Hikari laughed.
Boris grinned. "Well, I am a cat. The Cheshire Cat~"
A/N: end of the chapter! Now it's time for the cat to shine xD
Special thanks to Time Lady Fighter and CloeGryffindor for adding this story to their favs!
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