Rarely told, there were twin peasant girls that were adopted by a rich noble woman, after their mother, a servant, died. Though both had the same looks, one was kind and modest, while the other was vain and selfish. They grew up with the nicknames of White and Red, associated with the colors they were often seen wearing. Both were beautiful and many men flocked towards them, pining for their attention and affection, but one was gentle and welcoming, while the other sneered at anyone below her.

Through a faithful encounter, White was engaged to be married to a soon to be King of a kingdom, while Red was arranged to marry a swine of a noble man. One lived on happily, while the other was miserable and full of envy. Then the day came, when Red's husband died from an accident, leaving the woman a widow with two daughters. Her twin offered help and her condolence, but Red refused and turned away angrily.

Not long after, White finally gave birth to a beautiful child, and she died. The King grieved, and turned to Red to share their sorrow. But love sparked between, and the King remarried, giving a mother to his mother-less child. Then Red lived the life she was always envious of from her dead twin sister.

When the King died of a sickness, Red took over as ruler of the whole kingdom, and became the most happy with all the power. Showered with gifts after the coronation, Red received a unique music box. When she privately opened it, it was on that day when an unfortunate encounter occurred. Darkness awakened, and granted the woman powers unimaginable. The whole Kingdom quaked with fear, but one 'pawn', once forgotten, was quickly moving across, threatening to take Red's crown she viciously and selfishly was clutching tightly to.

Final Tale of All Time

Chapter Five: Across the Chessboard

By: Kat Lee V

The tension in the room was very thick, that even the little dwarfs noticed, but never commented about. Makoto was silently tending to the wounds Rin received from his sword fight with the Knave of Hearts. Since they got back from the rocky area where the mine entrance was, both the red head and his blond companion, Nagisa, were silent, both holding their own emotions in their expressions. But one thing in common was that they were angry, and most of all worried. They just watched their friend get captured, and taken away right in front of their eyes. Makoto and Haruka had to drag both of them back to the cabin, so that they can heal their wounds. But both knew that the two wouldn't just sit around, as time ticked by. The brunette princess was especially aware of it, with the tenseness on the bare shoulders and back muscles of the red head in front of him.

Makoto pulled back, and gave a weak smile. "There, all done." He said softly, while cleaning up the little mess he made while giving first aid. He looked at his work, and saw the bandages wrapped all around the torso and left shoulder of the red head.

There was a tiny grumble of gratitude, before Rin quickly draped his red cloak over his half naked state. He had to be forced out of his shirt and skirt, and was given a spare pair of shorts to wear for the mean time. The dwarfs happily and forcefully took Rin's clothes to mend and wash. They admitted to loving sewing, hence the beautiful fancy handmade white gown they put on Makoto when they thought he was dead.

The brunette dared to glance over at the blond, who acted unlike the usually cheerful state, staring blankly ahead of him, still not over the shock of what just happened moments before. The blond was also forced out of his cute pink dress with a white frilly apron. He was given a spare over sized yellow night shirt, after being hand bathed by the eager dwarfs. The blond didn't seem to mind, or more like, he wasn't that much aware of his surroundings.

Makoto was pulled out of his recollection, and turned his head when the red head got up from his spot. "Rin..." He gently called out.

The red head gritted his teeth. "I can't stay here." He hissed.

Concern clouded emerald green eyes. "But you're injured. You need to rest." Makoto protested.

Rin sharply turned his head at the brunette, with glaring ruby eyes that glistened with another unknown emotion. "Every minute I waste staying here and not going after Rei, is every minute that he'll be in danger of a fast execution from that damn Red Queen." The red head loudly exhaled in frustration, clenching a hand on to the fringes over his forehead. "You don't understand, Rei could be scared, or worse tortured. He just freakin woke up from a stupid year long sleeping curse! And we made a promise-"

Makoto quickly got up, and placed calming hands on to the red head's shoulders. The red head flinched, and jerked his head up at the brunette, with glaring eyes. "You can't go after him with the state you're in. I know you're worried, and I am too. But, Rin, you're injured, and you can't do anything in that kind of state. You'll only put yourself and Rei more in danger." The brunette spoke a bit more sternly, his eyes glistening with understanding, and hope that the red head also understood.

For a short while, the two stood there, staring into each other's eyes, not backing down. Then the silence was broken, as the blond male spoke up. "Rei... Rei has until sundown tomorrow." Nagisa's voice was small.

Rin blinked, and tore his eyes away from those smoldering emerald greens. He turned to the short blond, whose head was kept bowed down. The red head frowned, and slipped away from the big brunette's hands. "And you know this...?"

Slowly, Nagisa raised his head, and looked up at the red head. The red head saw the guilt and sorrow on the blond's usually bright and joyful expression. Nagisa rubbed his nose with the back of his forearm, then looked back up at the red head. "The Red Queen... it's too late for her to do anything. She has these set schedules. In the morning, she'll most likely see Rei. Then she'll announce for a public execution. Then messages would be sent out around lunch time to all the residents of the Heart Kingdom. By sundown... she always has these kind of public events starting by sundown." He said, with confidence and certainty in his tone.

The red head closed his eyes, and turned away from the blond, his back to him and the tall brunette. "I'm leaving by the break of dawn." Then he headed towards the makeshift bed in the alcove. He laid curled up to his good side, his back to the others, while facing the window. He pulled up the given blanket, and threw it over his shoulder. Both Makoto and Nagisa watched the red head, as he stopped moving around.

The brunette sighed softly, and turned to the blond. He gave a gentle smile, offering out his hand to the younger boy. "We have a long day tomorrow, and we need to wake up very early. Let's head to bed too, Nagisa." He whispered.

Magenta eyes blinked in surprise, looking up at the towering brunette princess. "You're coming too, Mako-chan?" Nagisa whispered, with a hint of surprise in his tone.

Makoto's expression show determination and conviction. "It's only fair, since you've helped my friends, I want to help you save yours." Then he smiled, causing the blond to feel a calmness.

The blond took the hand, and allowed the bigger male to pull him up. "You're a dear friend too, Mako-chan." Nagisa murmured, before heading up the stairs to his bed her was offered to sleep in.

Makoto bowed his head, after the blond disappeared from sight. He silently walked around, turning off lights, and then grabbed a candle in a holder. Emerald eyes glanced over at the figure sleeping at the alcove. Concern washed over Makoto, worried that the tall red head may not be comfortable sleeping in an almost tight space, but the red head assured he was fine, when he first stayed over the night in the cabin. For a while, his gaze lingered at the back, and curves of his shoulder, bathed in the moonlight shining through the window. The brunette shook his head, and forced himself to tear his gaze away.

When he began making his way up the stairs, he saw his silent dark haired friend, sitting at the top of the stairs, leaning his shoulder against the wall. Makoto carefully climbed the stairs, then stopped a few steps from the top floor. He reached out his hand, and gently nudged the raven haired boy. Crystal blue eyes slowly fluttered open, and looked directly into the brunette princess's eyes. Makoto smiled softly. "You were waiting for me?" He questioned in a whisper.

Those blue eye bore into the brunette's. Haruka reached out his hand, and firmly grabbed the bigger male's wrist, squeezing it slightly. Makoto blinked, and then bowed his head, smiling a bit bashfully. "I... I feel guilty for Rei's capture... even though Nagisa says it's all his fault... but... I want to go..." He looked up at the raven haired boy. "I can't sit around doing nothing, hiding all the time... like a coward..." He turned his hand, and held Haruka's hand in his own larger one. "I want to go with them, Haru, with Rin, Nagisa and Rei."

Makoto released the raven's hand, and leaned his shoulder against the same wall as Haruka's, facing the other boy. "If... if Rin and Rei can face her, even after all the horrible things she has done to them... then I should too... after all, she's my step-mother. I hope you understand." The brunette pushed off the wall, then walked around the raven haired teen. Makoto paused, not looking behind to check if Haruka moved or not. "I'll be leaving early with Rin and Nagisa. So we might not be able to see each other in the morning... so Haru... thank you for everything, and also I hope you somehow tell the dwarfs my thanks too." Then the brunette walked into his own given room, that he was temporarily sharing with Nagisa as well.

Deep blue eyes slowly opened, and looked up at the stain glass window, with the moonlight filtering through.

It was apparent that drowsiness was present on the pink wearing blonde, but Nagisa was battling the sleepiness away, as he led Rin and Makoto towards the boarders of Wonderland. The blond remembered that there was a hidden passageway through the ravine, that divided the Wonderlands from the Land of Butterflies.

Not much conversation went through the three as they were walking away from the cabin. Nagisa was barely waking up from his sleepiness. Rin was just silent, too focused in his personal mission, and Makoto was left in his own thoughts, feeling guilty for not saying anything to the occupants of the cabin that took him in since he ran away from his own kingdom. There were a few words that was spoken between them, but the rest of the way was mostly in silence, listening to the early birds singing in the trees.

Nagisa rubbed his left eye, as he stared a head, from the edge of the ravine. It was the same spot that they last saw of a certain blue haired princess. Across the big gap was the edge of the Wonderlands. As Nagisa mentioned earlier, they were staring at the dead lands of the Wonderlands. He explained to them last night that the dead lands were about an hour away from the castle of the Kingdom of Hearts. The blond yawned, and peered down the deep ravine, that looked very dark at the bottom. "We'll need to cross over to the other side somehow..." He muttered. "The secret entrance is on the other side of the trench wall."

Emerald green eyes tore away from the barren stretch of land ahead of them, and looked around the rocky area where they stood. "I... remember the dwarfs mentioned a bridge, one time, and to never cross it over to those lands of the north..." Makoto told.

Rin slowly released his breath through his nose, and then turned to the tall brunette. "Lead the way, then." He waved a hand, nonchalantly.

The three suddenly tensed when they heard a sound behind them. They all quickly turned around, and saw a familiar silent raven haired boy, standing with an indifferent expression. Makoto sighed out loud with relief, a hand on his chest. "Haru! What are you doing here?" Concern came to his eyes, as he came up to the raven haired boy.

Irritation bubbled within the red head, and he frowned deeply, watching the mute boy. Nagisa yawned loudly, and stretched his arms above his head. Makoto came in front of Haruka, looking straight into his deep blue eyes. "Haru, you followed us?"

The shorter male raised his chin, with his eyes glistening with a hidden emotion. The brunette blinked, and then slowly his emerald green eyes widened. "Wait... you want to come with us?" Makoto carefully asked. Haruka nodded.

Nagisa dropped his arms down, and turned to the pair. "Eh? Are you sure, Haru-chan? It'll be very dangerous. I'm still trying to convince Mako-chan to change his mind too."

The brunette sharply turned his head to the blond. "What? But I said I was going with you guys, and I already made up my mind." Makoto turned back to the raven haired boy. "But, Haru, you don't need to come with us. And like Nagisa said, it will be dangerous. Dealing with someone with magic is not easy, and you'll get badly hurt or worse."

Blue eyes glanced over at the red head, who had his arms crossed and staring off to the side. Haruka looked back up at his tall friend, and nodded his head, his eyes shining with conviction. Makoto bit his lower lip, hesitant in allowing his dear friend in joining in such a dangerous mission. There was a loud sigh, and the brunette turned around, looking at the red head.

"Just let him come with us." Rin grumbled, annoyed and impatient. He glared at the raven haired teen. "If he wants to come, then let him. He knows already what lies ahead, if he joins us. And everyone knows to not do anything unnecessary and stupid to put themselves in dangerous situations they know they can't handle." The last statement was especially directed to all three of them. Makoto bowed his head, and Haruka's eyes narrowed at the red head. Nagisa rubbed the back of his neck, and then looked off to the side.

"So, that bridge..." The blond spoke up, breaking the tense silence.

After the group found the hidden entrance at the walls of the ravine on the Wonderlands side, they walked through a strange tunnel, with floating furniture, that some were also embedded to the dirt walls. They ended up in front of a brightly colored door, and came out into the strange forest of the Wonderlands, that Rin remembered being in days before. Makoto and Haruka, haven't been in the strange yet ethereal environment, were entranced by the new lands they entered in. As they wandered deeper, Nagisa, now fully awake and full of energy, was telling about the Wonderlands.

It was before lunch time that Rin recognized that they stepped through the broken rusted gates of the crooked and colorful house. The red head turned to the blond, frowning. "And why are we here at your friend's house?" He still had that irritated edge in his tone. The whole time they were traveling, Rin was silent the whole time, with a brooding and dark aura around him, that everyone tried to avoid bringing up.

Nagisa ran around the table towards the crooked door entrance to the house. "There is something important I wanted to get, before we head to the castle. Also, I need some supplies and useful tools to bring when we infiltrate the castle." Then the blonde disappeared into the house.

Makoto looked around, with his mouth slightly gaping, as he looked around the area. Haruka approached the long and messy table with empty tea sets. Rin pulled down his hood, and raked his fingers through his hair, sighing out in frustration. Both the brunette princess and the raven haired boy turned their attention to the red head. Makoto lightly bit his lower lip, hesitating in approaching the red head.

Suddenly, ruby eyes widened, and the boy froze. Upon his cheeks were two warm and pale hands at each side of his face. To the side, Makoto choked on his breath at the sudden action from his silent raven haired friend. He was internally panicking, unsure what will happen, while worried at the outcome of the sudden action Haruka instigated. He just invaded the personal bubble of the already irritated and in a bad mood red head. Ruby eyes slowly narrowed, and glared icily. "What the hell are you doing?" Rin slowly hissed coldly.

Makoto took a step forward, towards the two, throwing his hands out to stop the two from harming one another. "Ah! Haru! Rin!"

Strong hands took hold of the gloved hands of the red head, before they could forcibly push aside the hands that was once on his face. Blue eyes stared deeply into the intense ruby eyes. Rin scowled, and opened his mouth. But the firm hold and light squeeze on his wrists stopped any harsh words the red head was going to spit out. There was a small glisten in those deep blue eyes, and for some reason, the irritation swirling in his chest was slowly dying down. That was when Rin caught himself holding his breath, and it was confusing him in not knowing why.

Makoto blinked and glanced between the two, staring intensely into each other's eyes. Neither made a move nor sound, easing the tension on the tallest male. He glanced over at the pale raven, and then a small smile formed. He closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. Emerald eyes opened and looked at the still red head. "Rin." The kind voice of the brunette princess voiced out. Ruby eyes tore away from deep oceanic blue ones, and dared to look into the soft and kind green ones. The red head felt like he was cornered, looking into those pairs of eyes staring intently at him. He shakily exhaled.

"Rin, we understand your frustration and impatience, but this mood won't get you anywhere, and closer to helping Rei. You need to calm down, so that you can focus and have a clear mind." Makoto spoke in a soothing tone that seemed to affect the red head, along with the warm closeness of the silent raven haired teen.

"I know." Rin tugged his wrists free from Haruka's hold, and he stepped back. "I know that." He sighed, and pulled out the closest chair. Then he dropped down, slumping back in the chair. He raked his finger through his hair, suddenly feeling his muscles relaxing and becoming tired all of a sudden. "Rei became my responsibility, since I helped break his curse. We made a promise together that we would go after the Dark Fairy, the same one that destroyed both our lives... I won't go back on my promise, and I need to save him." The red head replied.

Makoto's eyes fell to the floor. Suddenly there was a loud noise, porcelain clashing and then shattering. Both the brunette and red head looked up, and saw Haruka, whose hip was against the table. They stared at the frozen boy, who stared back with his dull eyes, even though they saw him fidgeting. They saw a clear space on the table next to him. Soon smiles formed upon the two taller boys, and they chuckled when they glanced at one another.

The brunette shook his head. "Haru, you need to be more careful. How will you explain that to Nagisa?" He placed his hands on his hips, looking like a mother scolding her own child.

Rin lightly waved a hand. "Apparently it doesn't matter, since Nagisa also just throws china to the ground, and that it's alright with the owners of this place." He replied.

Makoto sighed, and looked up at the nearly dilapidated house. "Are the owners in the house?" He wondered, questioning why they haven't seen anyone come out from the house yet, since they arrived.

The red head shook his head. "The last time we were here, no one was in. It seems like Nagisa is currently living here alone." He turned his head, and narrowed his eyes. "That reminds me, he still has a lot of explaining to do, like, why is he convicted as a criminal, and why the Queen wants his head." Makoto hummed, also wanting to know too. Haruka glanced over at the two taller males.

The door to the house burst open, and out came the blond they were talking about. Nagisa ran out with a giant velvet top hat, carried in his arms. He stopped beside where the red head was seated. "Sorry everyone for taking so long. I was grabbing all the things I can to help in our infiltration, and mission to bust Rei out of the castle."

Rin's eye twitched, staring at the big top hat, that looked askew, just like the house the blond just came from. There was a bright orange sash around the dark green hat, a big bright blue colored feather to the side, and a big card sticking out from the sash, with the numbers 10 / 6 written on it. "And... what are you going to do with that? Put it on top of the Queen's head?" He questioned, with a bit of sarcasm in his tone.

"Even better!" The blond's expression grew excited. He slammed the big hat on to the table, causing the table to rattle, and some of the tea sets sitting on the edge of the table to crash to the ground. Makoto cringed. "This baby is going to get us in, and fight against the soldiers of the castle. It's the best weapon ever!"

The brunette blinked his eyes, and became nervous, carefully eyeing the seemingly harmless top hat. "And... what is it you're planning to do... in this infiltration, with that hat, Nagisa?" He cautiously asked.

The huge beam of a smile shot warning signals to all three older males. "Why, it's going to be a secret! But I can only give you a sneak preview!" Nagisa dug his arms in the opening of the hat, rummaging around. Makoto nearly choked when the blond's arms easily went straight down past his elbow. The hat wasn't even that deep looking from the inside and out, nor did it look like there was anything in it. Then the blond struggled with something, as he was pulling it out the hat. He had to move the hat from the table, the object hanging off his arms, pointed to the ground. Then the hat slipped off, and Rin and Makoto's eyes nearly bugged out at the sight of the big and colorful explosive.

"Ta-da!" Nagisa dumped it on the table, causing more chinaware to fall off and crash to the floor. "It's going to be a big bang!" Ruby and emerald eyes twitched at the maniacal laughter coming from the blond.

Nagisa then picked up the big explosive with both hands, and easily dropped it back into the hat. Haruka was crouched down and poking at rim of the hat, while staring at the dark hole of the hat. The blond smiled proudly, with his arms to his hips. "It's a magical hat that belonged to a very dear friend of mine! You can put anything in it, and it can do all sorts of things, if you know how to use it. It's very convenient, but also a very rare magical item." He nodded to himself, then picked it up, carrying it in one arm.

Then he plunged his arm again in the hat, then pulled out some tasty bread rolls. He tossed them to the taller boys. Makoto nearly dropped his, and Haruka was closely inspecting the bread. Rin stared at it, hoping it wasn't going to be very sweet, like all the other food that Nagisa offered from the house. "For the road. We'll need it for energy. Let's go, we have no time to waste." Then the blond quickly walked out the gates, with the other three following closely behind.

The group of cross-dressers were walking through a thick forest, directional signs littering the place. Though they were going through a certain path led by the said resident of the lands, the useless signs were still bothering the red head. Ruby eyes glanced over at the back of the wavy blond head. "Are we trying to find your caterpillar friend?" He suddenly questioned.

Nagisa shook his head. "Nope, I'm trying to get the help of someone else." He replied.

As they walked deeper and further into the forest, the older boys didn't miss the wanted signs for 'Alice'. Rin slightly frowned, and intensely stared at the small back of the shortest boy. "You going to finally explain why the Queen wants your head?" He asked.

The pace suddenly slowed down, and the three older boys carefully watched the small blond. Nagisa continued his searching and walking through the forest, not turning to look at his companions. "Since... since the Red Queen took over, things haven't been going well for the lands. There's unfairness, inequality and unjustifiable punishment. The Queen gets rid of all she doesn't like, either by appearance, or accusations for not being loyal to her. Then, there's the case of high taxes, and the Queen being too greedy..."

The blond abruptly stopped in his trek, but didn't turn around to face the older males. Haruka tilted his head slightly, curious. Makoto got a little worried, and also felt sympathy towards the blond. Rin seemed like to be boring holes on to the blond's back with his heated gaze. "So... I took on the job to help out the ones who were helpless and scared. I suddenly became a leader of a rebel group that were against the Queen. We all fought back to bring back equality to the lands, raiding the treasure vaults, bringing food to the unfortunate, you know, the whole take from the rich and give to the poor."

"But, the Queen suddenly became more powerful, gaining powers she never had before... magic... really strong and somehow dark magic." Nagisa's head bowed down, and his hands curled tightly into fists. "We were all thrown off guard, and became powerless... then one by one, all my trusted friends and allies were taken out easily by that woman... they all protected me, even though the Queen wanted me most of all..." His voice dropped to a shaky whisper.

"Nagisa..." Makoto murmured, hesitating to reach out his hand towards the blond. There was a tint of sadness and unsure of how to comfort the younger boy.

Ruby eyes closed. "And you're willing to risk your life to head to the heart of the kingdom where your number one enemy is, just to save someone you literally ran into just days ago." The red head murmured.

The blond quickly turned around, with tiny beads of tears threatening to fall from the corner of his dark rosy eyes. He pushed through Makoto and Haruka, grabbing the red head's cloak, looking up at the tall male. "But Rei-chan isn't just someone I just met! He's my friend! You all are my friends! And I care enough for all of you to want to lay down my life against the one who has been hunting me for years. She's my enemy! I can't allow her to take more of my friends. I won't let anyone else protect me from her! If you and Rei-chan, and now Mako-chan, are willing to fight back to get back your own life from the one who destroyed it, then I can too! I'll stop her! I'll take back my father's home!" He shouted, with tears now streaming down his cheeks.

After a few tense seconds, the red head's expression relaxed, and he reached out a hand, affectionately rubbing the blond boy's head. There was a tiny smile on the corner of the red head's lips. "That's all I wanted to hear." He murmured softly. "It's okay now. Just let it all out, Nagisa." The blond blinked, and then opened his mouth to argue. But all that came out was a loud cry. It seemed that all the troubles and tension, all the years of fighting and loneliness were rushing out as he cried out. Rin smiled gently, and pulled the blonde's head to his chest, allowing him to cry more.

"H-how... how did you-" The blond sobbed between words. The red head started to pat the boy's head, listening to the blonde's cries echo in the forest. Ruby eyes slowly closed.

'I knew there was more to you, than that happy-go-lucky front you always put out. You're good at hiding it, but I recognized it. You've taken too much responsibility on your shoulders, that you hide away your loneliness and fears.' Rin's mind whispered. 'You've became too overwhelmed with it, but you fought hard to ignore it, only thinking of protecting what it right, selflessly.' He glanced up at Makoto and Haruka, silently watching them. The brunette seemed to have teary eyes, while the raven's expression was the usual unchanging indifference. But Rin recognized a small spark in those deep blue eyes. "Hey now, you don't have to take all the responsibility... We're here, Nagisa, so rely on us. We can fight together." He spoke.

The blond pulled his head back, and looked up at the red head, sniffing loudly. "And you, Rin-chan?" He hiccuped, while rubbing his eyes with the back of his forearm. "You'll rely on us too, like how we all have as well?" Nagisa innocently whispered softly, only for the red head to hear. Rin blinked, thrown back a bit at the question. 'This boy...'

"My, my, such touching scene." A voice suddenly echoed around them. Makoto flinched, and inched his way behind the silent raven haired boy's back. The boys started to look around, becoming tentative to their surroundings, and figuring out where the source of the voice was coming from.

Then a shape of a crescent appeared behind the brunette. Makoto turned around, and squeaked in surprise, jumping away and maneuvering Haruka to face whatever it was that was floating in the air. The raven had a deadpanned expression, as he was being used as a human shield. Rin narrowed his eyes, and slowly pushed the blond behind him. It looked like the floating object was a mouth, with jagged teeth, and it was smiling. It confirmed their suspicions when it started to move like a mouth, when words spoke from it. "So rare to see brave Alice in such a state."

Nagisa vigorously rubbed his eyes, and then moved past the red head. "Cheshire Cat!" He gasped.

Then a head of a brightly colored purple cat appeared, causing Makoto to squeak louder in surprise, and dive his head behind the shorter raven haired boy. The cat started laughed, and its head was floating around. "My, Alice, such interesting new friends you have here." The cat head said.

Rin raised a brow, watching the cat head. "A cat... that smiles..."

Then a fat body of the cat appeared, as it waved its bottom around, as if it was dancing in air. "What? Never saw one before?" It smiled widely, and came near the red head. "I must be very special!" Rin glared, and was about to snap at the cat, but Nagisa pulled him back, face thrusted close to the purple cat.

"Cheshire! I need your help! You're the only one left!" Nagisa exclaimed, his hands clasped together, in a begging pose. Haruka slowly eased Makoto out of hiding, while Rin kept glaring at the floating cat.

The plump stripped cat tilted its head, still grinning. "I don't know, Alice." He spoke in an amused, sing-song tone. "The Red Queen has been more and more dangerous lately, you know." The stripped tale was waving around behind the cat. Then it spun to its back, as if lying in the air, relaxing. "Especially since that friend of hers has been coming to the castle a lot frequently since last year, you know."

Rin's brow rose. Nagisa bit his lip, but still pressed forward. "I know that, but-"

"And, how many of your friends has been caught and executed because of your little rebellion, dear Alice?" The cat questioned, floating over around the blonde's head.

Magenta eyes glistened with tears, a pain reflected within. "... but-"

One of Rin's gloved hand came upon the small blond's shoulder. The red head pulled Nagisa back, and Rin narrowed his eyes at the cat, his nose inches away from the still grinning cat. "Tell me, Cat, this friend of the Red Queen that just started appearing since last year, who is it?" He had a demanding tone.

The Cheshire Cat seemed to grin wider, and floated back a few inches from the red head. "Oh, that pretty dark thing? Heard around that this friend claimed to be a Queen from a neighboring Kingdom." The striped cat replied. It spun in the air, and floated higher above the four boys' heads. "She has lots and lots of dark magic, you know. I might have heard around that this friend gave the Red Queen that dark magic." Rin gritted his teeth, and Makoto frowned.

The coy cat was suddenly pulled down, Rin roughly grabbing some of the animal's fur by its collar. "Tell us now, Cat, the way to the castle." He hissed.

In a blink of an eye, the cat was gone from the red head's grasp, sitting on a high branch of a tree. "Do tell me, what I get in return." Rin was seething with annoyance, and Makoto had to pull the red head back.

Nagisa raised the magical top hat in his possession, showing it to the plump cat. "This!" The blonde nearly shouted. "I'll give this to you. I know you would want this."

The Cheshire Cat's eyes widened, and its grin widened, with its tail swaying in delight. The blond boy then pulled it back, hugging it close to his chest. "However, you'll get it, after we stop the Red Queen. I promise you, and you know I never go back on my promises." Magenta eyes stared intensely into the wide eyes of the talking magical creature. Silence blanketed over them. The three older males were looking between their shortest companion and the cat in the tree.

A defeated and long sigh escaped from the mouth of the cat. "Very well, Alice." It sat up on its two hind legs. "Since I know you very well, and you're my favorite Royal of Wonderland." The cat disappeared from the trees, and suddenly appeared, perched on the shoulder of the blond boy. "Onward we go, so the sooner I can finally have that delightful hat." It raised its paw, and pointed towards a direction.

Before their eyes, the three older boys saw the trees parted, and a new pathway appeared. Nagisa didn't question it, and followed the pathway, with the three older males following closely. Makoto slightly clung behind his silent raven haired friend, with Rin covering the rear of their group. The red head frowned, silently watching the blond boy in the pink dress. 'Royal... huh?'

The scenery changed, as they escaped from the thick forest, entering into an almost barren desert, with ranges of red and gold tall hills. From a distance, the four boys could see the top of colorful building structures peaking over the hill tops. Nagisa grinned widely, and pointed at the direction of the castle, the center of the Wonderlands. "There it is guys." He raised his hand over his eyes, and craned his neck, looking up at the sky. "Judging by the sun's position, we'll definitely make it before the afternoon tea! Then we'll save Rei-chan!" He exclaimed, his usual cheer returned, much to the three older boys' relief.

"Oh, but Alice, out in the open, the sky has eyes." The Cheshire Cat mused, looking up at the sky. The four boys looked up and spotted a small dark figure circling the skies of the open desert terrain.

Makoto's expression fell, with slight fear. He recalled the horrible moment with that flying animal in the sky, that took the bespectacled princess away. "What will we do now?" He murmured.

Nagisa turned around, beaming widely. "I've spent years sneaking into the kingdom undetected. There's no problem at all, just trust me!" He nudged the tall brunette. Then he turned to the cat, perched on his shoulder. "This is where we have to part, Cheshire."

"I know the drill." The cat floated away from the blond, hovering over the four boys. "I await when the Red Queen is forced to step down, my dear Alice."

The blond nodded. "And as I promised, you will get this hat when it's all over." He spoke softly. The cat grinned, and then disappeared, with an after image of its sharp teeth. After a few silent moments, Nagisa took a deep breath, and turned to face the three older boys. "Alright, here's the plan." His expression molded into seriousness. The three older males looked at their companion with attentiveness.

"The stretch of land between the forest and the kingdom are known to have secret tunnels that the animals of the Wonderlands love to use... especially my dear friends. We've gone through them many times, and none of the Red Queen's soldiers were able to find them, luckily." Nagisa turned around, and placed a hand over his eyes, as he looked up at the sky with the fly figure circling high above. "We can dodge the Jubjub bird easily."

"We can call this stretch of land the safe zone, where it has not been enchanted like these crazy forests." He looked over his shoulder and grinned. "No one will get forced back to the entrance of the Wonderlands, nor will you go insane. However, the tunnels are like mazes for those who do no know their way through." Nagisa reach into the hat and produced white marble chess pieces, with strings tied around it, to make it like necklaces. "Take these."

The three older boys took one, and looked at them. Haruka took the rook. Makoto saw that he got the bishop, while Rin found the knight in his hand. The red head looked up at Nagisa. "Chess pieces?" He carefully asked.

The blond smiled and nodded. He pulled out what looked like the white queen piece, and then hung the string around his neck, with the chess piece hanging against his chest. "They're enchanted, an item a good friend left." His eyes glazed in nostalgia. Nagisa looked up at the three taller males. "They will lead you through the tunnels, if ever we do get separated. You just need to point the base of the piece to the ceiling, and you'll know you're going the right way." Nagisa stood up straight, closing his eyes. "There is a song that the animals here sing: 'Follow White, to the center of the Heart, at the Royals' seat. Avoid the Red, or you'll meet your defeat. Look up above, move the pieces to reach the end.'." He recited with a nod, and looked up at the older males.

Rin narrowed his eyes, furrowing his brows. "That's it?"

The blond tilted his head a bit to the side, blinking his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Where is the word that rhymes with 'end'? There has to be another verse." He stared hard at the shortest male. "Are you hiding something from us again?"

Makoto stepped up between the two, with his hands raised. "No need to argue." He defended. Nagisa ducked behind the brunette, innocently blinking towards the red head. Rin felt a bit irritated, and gritted his teeth. "We just follow the path to the center of the Heart Kingdom, right?" He looked over his shoulder to the small blond behind him. "Using these chess pieces?" He raised the white bishop he had.

Nagisa nodded. "Yup! And take these too!" The shortest male reached his hand into the hat, and then pulled out a few cookies and little vials unknown liquid inside it. There was small tags on the vials that said 'Drink Me', while on the cookies were written with frosting 'Eat Me'. He handed a each person a cookie and a vial. "They are things to use when things get a bit sticky." He told them.

"Sticky?" Makoto gulped, becoming a bit nervous, as he took two cookies and two vials. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we might end up separated somehow, and these are tools to help you out." He lifted the vial. "Drink this, and you'll shrink to the size of a mouse!" He emphasized the size, using his fingers. Haruka, who opened the vial and was sniffing it, slowly pulled it away from his face and closed the vial. "Then this cookie will make you as big as the Heart Kingdom castle!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms out as emphasize. "So do be careful on how much you eat and drink those. I never got the right proportions to be ideal sizes. But it will wear off by midnight, for some reason." The three males nodded, and put away the things in their hidden pockets.

Nagisa came up to a small cliff side, with an old tree stump right next to it. The blond knocked on the rotting looking wood, then a hole opened at the base of the big tree stump. Makoto and Haruka watched with awe. "So here is the real part of the plan. We run through the tunnels, and get to the center of the kingdom. We'll be at the castle throne room. Don't stop, okay? Just keep going." He carefully eyed them, seeing that they all understood. "Once we reach the castle, we'll split into two groups, the distraction and the one that will free Rei-chan. Use the chess pieces there too. It will lead you to important places in the castle, and it will eventually lead you to the dungeons."

Rin raised his hand. "I'll be part of the distraction team." He looked at Makoto and Haruka. "I think you two are better suited as the ones to rescue Rei from the dungeons." Nagisa beamed, having no complaints of not being on the distraction team.

Makoto blinked, and then widened his eyes. "Huh? But..."

The red head stared hard into the brunette's eyes, and then glanced over at the silent raven haired boy. "Let's admit that I am more skillful in fighting off those soldiers. Nagisa knows the castle, I will assume, on the back of his hand, and he has that top hat, whatever it does." Rin raked his fingers through his hair, pushing back his hood. "I'm not saying you guys are useless, but I think you are the ones that can get Rei out." Then his eyes darkened, and he pounded his fist into his other hand. "Plus, I know we'll run into that guy, and I need to repay him for what he has done." He muttered darkly.

The blond clapped his hands. "Then it's settled!" Nagisa hefted the top hat into his arms, securing it. "Like I said, we might get separated in the tunnels, but don't worry. Just don't stop and keep going. Use the pieces to guide you. We will all eventually make it to the throne room, and we will wait there for each other, before we commence the second part."

Rin pulled his hood back up. "Got it. I'll go first." The red head dropped into the dark hole without question or resistance.

Makoto bit his lower lip, carefully heading to the opening. But then Haruka stepped up, and dropped down. "Haru!"

Nagisa reach up his hand, and placed it on the brunette's shoulder. Makoto looked back. "Still regretting coming with us to this dangerous mission?" He carefully asked.

The brunette shook his head. "No." His expression changed into determination. "I'm... just worried that someone will get hurt... that's all."

The blond smiled reassuringly. "As long as we all come out of this together, that's all that matters, Mako-chan. Just have faith in everyone, okay?" Then he grinned widely and pushed the brunette into the hole. There was a small shriek from the big boy, before disappearing into the darkness. Nagisa patted his skirt, and raised his left foot into the hole.

"Good luck, Alice." A voice sounded from behind. Nagisa looked over his shoulder, and smiled, before falling into the hole after his friends. With a wave of its tail, the stripped cat disappeared from sight.

End Chapter V

AN: I was going to make this chapter and the next be just one very long chapter, but it would end up more than 10,000+ words for just one chapter. So I separated this part, focusing in the world of Nagisa's story. There is more to Nagisa than meets the eye, and you'll have to read the conclusion next chapter.

Ah, but what about Rei...?