Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Welcome to Wonderland ❯ Chapter 2

“I am telling you, mother,” Holly began the next morning at `dinner', “I dreamed that I was within Wonderland. I think it is the same Wonderland you always spoke about.”

Alice Little walked over to the dinning room table to work on the hot tea she usually had for their breakfast dinner. “Wonderland, hu? You are enduring it the around the same time I did.” She took her seat at the table, minding her baggy, white pants she had on.

“She woke up close to midnight talking all about a Red Queen with hearts and some grinning cat,” Bernard explained, as he worked on his steak. “I am sure it was just a dream, honey; take your vitamin.”

Alice didn't say anything to her husband, as she felt differently about what Wonderland was. “Don't mind him, sweetie.” Upon finishing her meal, she caught the time on her wristwatch to see it was time for her to head off to work. “I better get to work. It is quite early or late, depending on how you want to look at it.”

Getting to her feet, Alice bent over to kiss her daughter on the cheek while working at tying her blond hair back into a bun. Turning to her husband next, she kissed him goodbye as well before bothering to straighten his tie. “Love you both, and please be mindful of the nanny, Holly.”

Holly accepted the kiss from her mother, as she picked away at her broccoli. She always was mindful of the nanny, but she didn't like the fact that during the summer, her parents still had to work a majority of the day. “Love you too, mamma.”

Bernard could tell that Holly wasn't happy that her mother was leaving, and he knew his departure for the moment wouldn't make her feel any better. “I guess I better go too,” he expressed with a light sigh at seeing the disappointed frown on Holly's face. “Hey, I'll be home tonight, and you can tell me all about this Wonderland of yours that you witnessed.”

She knew her father was trying to cheer her up, so Holly pressed a smile. “Okay, daddy. I will see you later.” With another kiss to her other cheek, she watched as her parents were soon out of the building.

Sighing to herself, Holly departed from the dinning room table to make it towards the living room. She could clearly see that it was raining outside from where she soon found herself resting upon the sofa. Holly could hear the nanny walking around upstairs.

However the sound of her walking sounded more like thumping at first—like someone was hopping up and down. “Julia?” Holly called, pulling from the sofa. “Julia, is that you?”

There was no answer, but the noise continued.

“Julia, are you up there…?” Her voice trailed off when she realized that her father was still talking to the nanny out on the sidewalk. “Julia…?” Holly said curiously. Her eyes shifted from the woman behind the umbrella up towards the ceiling above her.

Getting to her feet, Holly walked nervously towards the end of the stairs, which led up to the second floor. She couldn't believe that someone or something was within their house. Holly refused to move at first from where she was until finally finding the strength in her legs to bolt up the carpeted steps to the upper section of the house.

She could tell the sound was coming from her bedroom, making her all the more anxious. Taking a deep breath, Holly moved quietly towards her room door. Her hand upon the doorknob, she swallowed harshly before throwing open the door to allow herself inside.

Holly found the room normal. Nothing was out of place regardless of the thumping sound she could hear from downstairs. “Hello?” She called. “Hello, is anybody here?”

Everything was quiet. It put Holly on edge, even if she was used to her bedroom being quiet around this time of the day. She just couldn't ignore the fact that she heard awkward thumping earlier.

Soon, her closet began to rattle. It was as if something was behind the doors wanting out. Holly turned her attention to the white, sliding door to see it shaking a bit. She slowly advanced towards the closet to grab onto the doorknobs in order to throw it open to find nothing there—until her eyes slowly panned downwards to see a white rabbit staring up at her.

“Awe, where did you come from?” Holly asked, kneeling down to reach out for the rabbit, whose nose was twitching from side to side.

The rabbit hopped into her arms, finding it to be perfectly comfortable there.

Holly took the white rabbit and headed over towards her bed to sit down upon it. “How did you manage to get in here?” She knew the animal wasn't going to talk, but she didn't mind speaking to it all the same.

The rabbit's aqua colored eyes shifted about the room, as if looking for something. Its white ears could catch the sounds going on outside. With the news of people not being inside of the building yet, he hopped out of Holly's hands and got to the floor to skitter over towards the door to stand before it.

Holly watched as the creature did such a thing. What shocked her the most was the fact the door seemed to close slowly on its own. Bringing her knees in, she witnessed the rabbit shifting its focus upon her. She could have sworn she saw a grin hook its face.

“Now that we're alone,” spoke the rabbit, as he looked over his shoulder.

Her body going numb for a moment at what she was witnessing, Holly could hardly find her words to even speak. “You-You're the White Rabbit I saw, aren't you?”

The rabbit hopped upon her lap with its whiskers twitching. “Of course I am. Jin wishes to see you again. He says it is tea time.” The smile upon his mouth was unnatural to Holly, and she couldn't help but find herself freezing at the mere sight of it. “He waits for you at his house.”

“But—I got there by sleeping,” Holly felt need to point out, as she watched the rabbit hop out of her lap again and upon the covers of her bed. “How else can I get to Wonderland?”

“Very simple—.” The White Rabbit jumped off of the bed yet again, but as soon as his feet hit the ground, he suddenly transformed into a man with blond hair, white rabbit ears and a tail. He was wearing a white tuxedo with a black tie. “—You follow the White Rabbit,” he concluded, straightening his tie.

Managing to find her words, Holly shook her head and inquired, “What should I call you besides White Rabbit?”

The rabbit pulled out a very large pocket watch—it almost seemed he was looking more at his reflection than what time it was before he showed the surface of it to Holly to let her see the eight o'clock time. “You can call me Suzuka if that makes you feel better.” Pulling a monocle out of his left pocket, Suzuka put it over his left eye to better examine the time to be sure his clock wasn't fooling him.

Sliding off of her bed, Holly grabbed one of her nearby stuffed animals. It was a brown, stuffed horse that she would hold close to her nightgown she still had on. “How are we going to get there? I just woke up. I cannot bother going back to sleep now.”

Suzuka turned back to the closet door to close it before checking the sides of it. It was as if he were looking for an entrance to Wonderland that way. Holly couldn't help but chuckle to herself at having him think her closet was probably a way. “Well, like I said, you'll just have to—.” Suzuka opened the closet door again to show that the clothes and everything previously there was now replaced by the hatter's house. “—Follow the White Rabbit.”

“Wow,” Holly gasped, as she walked towards her closet to find another world there within her room.

Pocketing his large pocket watch, Suzuka outstretched his hand to the world waiting for her. His aqua eyes remained on her, as Holly slowly stepped into Wonderland. With the young girl soon in the fantasy world, he followed behind her. Closing the closet doors behind him, they seemed to vanish within the world about them. “Right this way,” Suzuka said, as he took Holly's dainty hand within his own.

Holly accepted his hand within her own, as she was guided beyond the white fence once more and back to the very large tea table. She could hear a flute being played. It was a very magical melody. Making it beyond the table, Holly looked up at the roof of the hatter and hare's house to find Jin sitting Indian style upon the blue bricks playing a flute of some kind.

Suzuka cupped his hand near his mouth to help his voice travel as he shouted up to the redhead. “Hatter!”

Jin was obviously too fixated with his melody to even hear the White Rabbit.

Grumbling at the mad hatter, Suzuka yelled his name again. “JIN!”

The flute playing screeched to a halt at that moment. Jin removed his lips from the mouthpiece to gaze down at Holly and Suzuka with a slight raise of his brow. “So,” he called down in return, “you both made it!”

Suzuka watched as Jin jumped off of the roof of the building to land perfectly upon his brown shoes. “We are only late by a minute, which isn't too much to fret over.”

“While tea time is anytime, I guess it would be better to arrive late than early,” said Jin, as he squatted down to meet Holly at her level. “If one arrives early, it might imply something.”

Holly closed her eyes momentarily when she felt Jin's hand touch the top of her head. “The same can be said about arriving late, though,” she felt need to point out.

Jin threw his head back, as he was overwhelmed with laugher. “Quick one, you are—just like your mother.”

“She never did figure out why a raven is like a writing desk, though,” spoke Kurama. He had apparently been resting at the table, sipping on the tea while the others were conversing.

“Why not join us for some tea, Suzuka?” Jin suggested, waving Holly and the White Rabbit towards the tea table.

Suzuka rolled his shoulders, pocketing his hands within his white pants. “I suppose. I don't quite see the harm in such a thing.” He walked over towards the table to find a seat between the hatter and hare.

Holly sat upon the empty seat next to the hatter on the other side of the table. Considering what happened last time, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about accepting any tea this round. “I am not going to shrink again…am I?”

“You will never know unless you take a chance,” said Jin, as he leaned back in his chair with his feet crossed upon the table. He twirled his teacup in his hand idly, making tea splash a bit here and there.

Putting the teacup down, Holly turned to the cupcakes on the table. “Maybe food might be best.”

“It might—it might not,” said Kurama, as he took another sip of his tea. As he did so, his left, floppy ear perked up slightly and moved towards the east. He could pick up the sound of horses and armor, prompting him to turn from his tea and look in that direction. “Jin, something is coming.”

The hatter's elfin ears moved slightly to the sound as well. His normal smile turned to a serious frown before converting into a mischievous smirk. He remained relaxed upon his chair. “I think the Red Queen is bringing in her deck of cards.”

“R-Red Queen…?” Holly stammered, remembering the crazy woman who would often turn red in the face whenever she was angered. “She is coming here?”

“Oh dear,” said Suzuka, as he found himself slinking down into his own chair. He didn't want to be bothered by the Red Queen's guards.

The woods parted soon enough to allow way for the armored guards on their horses decked in red and white saddle and reins. Their armor was the same matching color, as the leader of them jumped down off of the back of is steed to come towards the table. He kept his hand upon his sword on his hip. Holly couldn't see his face, given that the headpiece covered a majority of it.

“I have come on behalf of the Red Queen to retrieve the young child,” spoke the leader, as he held out a piece of parchment to read from. “She has been charged with defiling the Queen's rosebush garden and must be beheaded immediately.”

Holly remembered walking into the Red Queen's territory and accidentally plucking a few roses only to be yelled at by the woman and ordered to have her head removed. It was the grinning cat that would help her escape such a fate.

Jin looked over at the frightened Holly before eyeing the guard once more. “Now, gentlemen, you're just in time for tea. What is the big rush in all of this?”

“Don't try to sidetrack us, mad hatter!” Growled the guard, pointing his soon unsheathed sword at Jin. “We've come for the girl, and we're not leaving without her!”

Kurama opened his eyes and looked with annoyance over at the intruders.

When they took one more step towards the table, the vines underneath them soon came alive and began to wrap about their armored bodies tightly. The guards weren't aware of what was going on about them, as they struggled against the moving, thorny vines.

A satisfied smirk crept across Kurama's face, as he raised the cup back to his lips. “Now, now,” he said after his drink, “you wouldn't want to go messing with mad people, would you?”

The guard growled angrily at Kurama's antics to keep them from getting to Holly. Taking his spaded blade, he thrust downwards to rid himself of the plant thorns, which were beginning to try and prick through his steel armor. “Hare! Hatter!” He yelled in a furious tone. “Don't think this is over!” His cold eyes, which could be seen shrouded in the darkness of his helm, gazed over at Holly. “I will return for the girl, even if I have to send the Jabberwocky after you all!”

Holly was expecting them to tremble or surrender her, but instead, she turned to the hatter to see a crazy smile upon his lips—his teeth could be clearly seen. “Maybe he would like some tea as well,” Jin said in an eerie tone.

Not pleased, the guard brushed off the weakened spell Kurama had put over his plants and turned to head back to his horse. “You all better watch your back,” he hissed angrily before riding away from the hatter and hare's house.

“You could have gotten yourself beheaded for that,” Holly felt need to point out to the hatter and hare.

“They aren't considered crazy without a reason,” Suzuka felt need to point out. It was as if he was insulting their brave act. “All this trouble for one girl. You both are madder than Wonderland gives you credit for.” With that said, he put the tea to his lips.

“One cannot be mad without reason,” Kurama expressed, resting his cheek upon his knuckles. “And within every reason is madness at times.”

Suzuka cocked his brow at Kurama, pulling away from one of the roots, which was still acting alive under the hare's influence. “Very…logical of you…” The White Rabbit seemed to grumble, as he pulled his teacup away from the awakened plant.

Jin leaned towards Holly with a brief chuckle. “Don't worry about them. The Red Queen cannot lay a finger on you, my dear—at least not with us here and insane.”

“I do suppose that's kind of you,” said Holly, as she tried to relax back within her cushioned chair. She paused, thinking about the White Queen. “What about the White Queen? Why does she not remove the Red Queen if she rules Wonderland?”

“Because the Red Queen is the sister to the White Queen,” Suzuka answered, as he had served the White Queen loyally for so many years. He seemed to know a fair bit of her secrets. “While the fair Queen could be rid of the evil one, she chooses to try and reason with her to this day.” The blond haired rabbit turned to Holly with a roll of his shoulders, putting his teacup down upon the tablecloth. “Why she does such a thing is a mystery she hasn't even told me about.” Suzuka departed from the table at that moment. “If it is all the same with you, I am going to head that way for when the Queen returns.”

“If you insist,” said Jin, as he poured himself another cup of tea.

“I think I might join in walking a bit around Wonderland,” said Holly, as she parted from the tea party table. “While tea is always nice, I find I want to walk about Wonderland a bit more…if this place is real.”

Jin's cup met with the table with a rather loud clatter. The other dishes shook upon the tabletop. “Of course Wonderland is real!” He exclaimed, baring his fangs.

Holly jumped back, seeing the look of insanity in his blue eyes.

“It is as real as the hearth within your chest,” Jin grumbled, trying to calm himself when Kurama had grabbed onto his nearest shoulder to try and settle him.

The young girl stood there, unsure of what to say to the enraged hatter. She had never seen him angry before, and, to be honest, it startled her a bit. “Well, if you'll excuse me,” she said with a slight curtsy, “I am going to be on my way.”

“It wouldn't be wise to go out there when the Red Queen is looking for you,” Kurama advised—it was probably the smartest thing he had ever said since Holly had met him.

“I will take my chances,” Holly insisted, hurrying out of the white fenced area to be on her way towards the forest.

Her bare feet hurried through the dirt and wet grass to make it deeper into Wonderland. As she continued through the woods, she could swear that her name was being called upon the wind. Holly ignored it, not wishing to return to the hatter and hare for the moment. She was worried she may very well upset them to the point they might be the ones to behead her.

Turning quickly, Holly was met with an upraised root belonging to a very large tree. Tripping upon it, she fell to the dirt, getting her nightgown a good bit dirty. She found her feet eventually and hurried through the multicolored forest to find a hollowed out tree to curl up within.

“Come on,” Holly whispered to herself, as she placed her fingers upon her forehead. “Wake up; wake up! I want to go home!”

A big, toothy grin began to materialize behind Holly, though she was unaware of this at the time, followed by a pair of blue eyes. “Just like your mother before you, you are so eager to leave Wonderland,” spoke Touya from the darkness of the tree.

Holly jumped at the sound of someone right behind her. “While nonsense is always a valued thought at my house, Wonderland has too much of it!”

The rest of Touya's body began to come into view slowly. His arms were wrapped behind his head, where he was resting against the inside of the tree's trunk. The fluffy, light blue and aqua striped tail moved from side to side, as if to express him thinking. “Wonderland is full of impossibilities and nonsense—it is practically what it runs on.” The tip of his tail teased Holly's nose. “It is what you run on.”

“Don't be silly, Cheshire cat,” Holly insisted, waving away his tail before she sneezed.

“Your mother made the impossible, possible,” Touya continued, as he leaned forwards to get a better look into the young girl's eyes. “Have you tried speaking to her about her time in Wonderland.”

Holly never really did find the time to think much on Wonderland and the stories surrounding it. She always thought it was just some bedtime story her mother would tell her. “All I remember was something about her beheading a Jabberwocky.”

Touya's ears seemed to lay flat upon his head, as he hissed angrily at the mere mention of such a creature. “That evil thing of the Red Queen's! She has managed to conjure up the soul within one of her deadliest warriors…and it still lives!”

Bringing her knees to her chest, Holly tried to think about happier things. “I just want to go home, is all. I want to return to where things made sense.”

The Cheshire cat opened his arms and allowed her to find comfort against his chest. His tail wrapped about her body to add more warmth to her body. “Every world indulges in a little chaos and insanity,” he whispered, placing his hand upon her head.

“I know,” sighed Holly, as she closed her eyes for a moment. “I just want to close my eyes and find my way back into my world for once.”

As soon as she said such a thing, she felt herself falling asleep. Breathing steadily, she felt as though the Cheshire cat was becoming soft—just like her bed's covers. Realizing that she was against covers again, Holly began to open her eyes to find herself back within her home.

“I am home again?” She wondered, sitting upright on the bed. Hearing the door open behind her, Holly looked over her shoulder to find the nanny walking into her bedroom.

“Of course you're home,” Julia said, as she had apparently heard what Holly was muttering. “You've been lying there for a good while. I thought you were up.” She looked down at Holly and her nightgown, disapprovingly. “What happened to your nightgown? Have you been rolling around in the mud outside!”

Holly could tell that Julia didn't approve of the stains. “It wasn't my fault. I was running away from a tea party that the hatter and hare had set up, and I tripped and fell.”

“Tea party?” Julia questioned, as she looked about the room. “Hatter? Hare?” Her eyes soon came across a tea party table with a brown rabbit toy and a doll at the chairs. “Stop letting your imagination run away with you.”

“It wasn't my imagination,” Holly said in her defense, as she touched the dirtied nightgown. “It was…real…” Her voice trailed off, thinking about the fact she had told the hatter that Wonderland wasn't anything more than a dream.

“Just get changed so that I can wash that nightgown of yours,” Julia insisted, as she continued to gather up the dirty clothes about the room.

Holly looked from her nightgown to the closet she remembered going through to reach Wonderland. Without another word on the subject, she headed out of the room to get changed and dressed for the day.