Chapter 3

The Tweedles

and the Bandersnatch

As they continue to watch the race, a certain figure caught Yugi's eye; the white rabbit he chased earlier. Pointing to the now rabbit-turned-boy, Yugi said to Yami, "That's the white rabbit I followed here."

Seeing the boy with white rabbit ears run into the trees and Yugi running after him while dragging Yami along, the older teen became curious why the child was following his friend, "Why were you following Ryou?"

"Is that the white rabbit's name?" Yugi asked when they stopped for a moment. After Yami nodded, Yugi answered his question. "You see, back when I was in the backyard with my cat Amethyst after having my history lesson with my older sister, I saw him pass by. When he changed into a rabbit and started to hop away fast, I became curious as to what he was late for. So I followed him to this rabbit hole where I fell in. After falling for so long, I finally crashed through something and that's how I arrived in Wonderland."

"I see." Yami nodded now that he knew what got Yugi to arrive.

"Could you tell me what he could be late for?"

Just as Yami opened his mouth to answer, they heard the feminine voice from before. "Yami, come here!"

Growling with annoyance, Yami faced Yugi and said, "Sorry Little One but I need to leave you alone for a while to see what Rebecca wants. I'll try to be back as soon as I can." With that, Yami ran into the trees and just as he was leaping as if to reach a branch, he suddenly changed into crimson mist before disappearing among the trees.

After seeing Yami vanish like that, Yugi's eyes widened at the fact he disappeared in the blink of an eye. Just as he was shaking his head, two identical beings appeared behind him from a few trees. Seeing the child glancing around the forest, one of the beings spoke so suddenly that it startled him. "What could this child be doing here?"

Looking over his shoulder, Yugi looks around the trees to see who said that. "Who's there?"

Seeing nothing was behind him, Yugi did not notice that the two figures that were once there reappeared behind him again. "Just what brings you here, kid?" the second being said.

Quickly turning to look, Yugi saw two older boys that same age as Yami but have similar appearances as Ryou with their hair longer, both had gold eyes and one had white skin and wearing a black waist coat, a white shirt underneath, dark blue pants, and black boots with the other having a sun-kissed skin color and wearing a similar outfit with a red open waist coat with no shirt to show of his hard abs, dark brown pants and black boots. Startled by the two suddenly appearing like they just did, Yugi asked, "Who are you?"

With a hand to his chest, the first figure said as he went for a bow, "We are the Tweedle Brothers. I am Bakura."

Using the same gesture, the second figure said as he also bowed, "And I am Akefia."

No longer bowing, both brothers crossed their arms over their chests with Bakura speaking, "And what brings you here?"

"I've been following the white rabbit."

To hear that he has been following their young lover, Akefia asked as the two suddenly took out twin daggers, "Do you mean Ryou any harm?!"

Quickly raising his hands and shaking his head in denial, Yugi quickly said, "No! I'm just curious where he is going. That's all."

To know that this young child doesn't mean any harm to anyone, the two put their daggers away as they remembered this one time when someone was curious. "The oysters were curious once too." Akefia said as the two faced each other.

"And everyone knows what had happened later on." Bakura added, making Yugi become curious about what did happen to the oysters.

"What happened to the curious oysters?"

To hear his question, the two brothers faced him. "If you want to know, you're going to need to stay here to hear the story."

"I can stay long enough to hear the story."

With a nod, Bakura had Yugi sit on a log and so the two began the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter.

Entering day from night, two old friends of the King of Hearts, Rafael who is a walrus and Valon the carpenter were walking down a very sandy beach. Tired from so much walking on the hot sand with the grains starting to get in their shoes, the two became hungry and were in need to rest and regain their strength when Valon had found a group of oysters in the ocean.

Since he was a sea creature, Rafael went into the salty water to talk with the oysters to join them on a walk. But the mother oyster was smarter than her young ones and knew it was not the time to leave the sea. When he saw that the mother oyster was trying to convince the younger curious oysters to stay, Rafael convinced the young girls to come with him.

And so, the curious oysters followed the walrus to land, where Valon lead them to a nearby restaurant. Once all seated at a table, Rafael and Valon soon picked up every one of the oysters and in no time, all that was left were their shells. Now having full strength, the two friends left the restaurant with the shells in their pockets to sell at a market for money and then pay a visit to their old friend Amelda.

Once they had finished the story, Yugi let out a sad sigh for the poor oysters. "What a sad story."

"Yes." Akefia agreed.

"But there is a lesson to it." Bakura added.

"Oh yes it was a very good lesson, for an oyster."

"Not just to oysters, kiddo; for anyone who could become curious."

Knowing what they mean, Yugi nods his head as he starts to get to his feet. "Well, I'm going to get going."

"Okay, just be sure you don't cross paths with the Jabberwocky."

At the sound of that name, Yugi froze. "What is a Jabberwocky?"

"A fearsome creature that is terribly deadly. If someone like you faces one, you're better off running away and hide until it leaves."

"Okay, thank you, Bakura, Akefia."

"Just be careful, kiddo." and with that, the Tweedle Brothers disappeared into the trees as quickly as they came. Once alone, Yugi starts to walk through the forest, hoping that maybe he can find Yami.

Making his way through the trees, hoping to find any signs of Yami or Ryou, Yugi stops in his tracks when he hears a dead branch snap. Keeping still, Yugi listens to his surroundings until he sees a huge creature with white shaggy fur with a few dark gray spots, a barrel chest, fore-paws with wickedly sharp claws, a flat face, a wide mouth with many rows of teeth and a long tail.

At the sight of the great beast, Yugi stands still, afraid that the creature will strike him down. But as the creature look deeply into the child's pure amethyst orbs, Yugi suddenly no longer felt fear. Slowly reaching his hand to it, the creature let him gently touch it and as he slowly stroke him, the creature sounded like he was purring like a kitten.

Then Yugi heard a voice from within the trees. "YUGI!" Within a few minutes, Yugi smiled when he saw Yami appear on a branch in a tree a few feet from him until he sprung from the branch to standing between Yugi and the creature, with a dagger covered in old, dried up blood in his right hand. Sensing what he was about to do, Yugi stopped Yami by placing his hands on the one wielding the weapon. "Yami don't."

"But Yugi, this Bandersnatch could strike you down."

At first he was curious about that name, but Yugi shut that curiosity thought down. "This guy didn't. I thought he would, but he did not attack me."

Then his eyes widen with disbelief before he turned to the great beast. "I've never known a Bandersnatch would not attack someone on the spot."

Seeing his new friend growl at the Cheshire Cat, Yugi gently pat the Bandersnatch and spoke gently, "It's okay, Onyx. He's a friend." To hear that, Yami gave Yugi a puzzled look. "It's a name I came up for him." the child answered the older teen's unasked question.

When Onyx showed that he trusted him, with one hand still on the creature, Yugi took one of Yami's hands and gently place it on Onyx's head. In a few seconds, Onyx calm down, knowing that the Cheshire Cat won't strike him down. Knowing that things are now okay between them, Yami started to scratch Onyx behind one of his ears, bringing a smile to both his and Yugi's faces.

It seems that Yugi is learning quite a few things about some of Wonderland's residence, from the animal shifters to the most feared creature in all of Wonderland, the Jabberwocky. And even gaining a very unlikely ally in a Bandersnatch. By the way, Yugi named him Onyx because of the color of his eyes for those that don't know why he was given such a name by our beloved Hikari. I hope everyone that are reading this are enjoying it since I've been working hard to make it good and original as possible.

Next chapter: meeting the most annoying duchess ever and learning of a prophesy