Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Vampire Knight characters that would be appearing in this fanfiction. This story is only done for fun and entertainment. =)

Summary: AU. Wonderland's peace has started to collapse and the rulers of each faction fight for ultimate power, viciously changing everyone's lives as a result. Years after the war had begun, Kaname is dragged forcibly to Wonderland and he becomes caught in a whirlwind of betrayals, murders, secret alliances, and even unexpected love.

Full Summary: Kaname Kuran had been living a rather monotonous life and though he seems content, a part of him wished to relieve himself of this boring existence. His wish is then granted when he is approached by a blonde-haired stranger in a white suit who tells him that he is needed. That encounter starts his journey into the unknown world of Wonderland as the man drags him to a gaping hole. Upon waking up in some forest, he encounters a silver-haired man wearing a top hat named Zero Kiryuu. He learns through Zero that Wonderland in at war due to each ruler trying to gain control of ultimate power and that Zero himself is one of those rulers. Zero also informs him that though Kaname may not believe it, he might be the catalyst to ending this bloody battle once and for all.

Wonderland Chronicles: Return to Innocence

00

For What One Holds Dearest

"Fight with everything you've got even if you know that it is pointless. That is the mark of a person with true strength."

Zero Kiryuu

A tall, imposing man clad in blood red armor similar to a medieval knight stood overlooking the war torn battlefield before him. Scattered around the hellish landscape were the bodies of those who dared defy his ironclad rule and who had fought for their own meager beliefs. The very grounds he stood on were scorched in every direction by the still burning pyres and sending pitch black smoke twisting up into the dark sky. There were also uprooted trees, shattered debris, and various weaponries scattered upon the bleak landscape.

Such utter foolishness, he thought with disgust. I am the strongest ruler in this land. Their one and true King. Every one of these fools should've bowed down before my might instead of fighting a losing battle against me. This world is mine. It has been and always will be.

The Crimson King could never understand why these people chose to risk their lives going against him when they could've just surrendered with their lives fully intact. He had promised everyone to create a new world – a world without hatred, without malice, without sorrow, without anger, without love. Yes, a world without those foolish and useless emotions would create everlasting peace. After all, if there was no emotion, there would be no cause for war. All there would be left would be an eternal paradise.

A peaceful Wonderland.

Yet he wondered why do they keep on resisting that promising future?

'Who the hell do you think you are kidding, you damned bastard? As if I'll just stand back and let everyone become your puppet! My will is my own and I won't allow you to take that away from me!'

Kaito Takamiya.

The loyal right hand man of the Mad Hatter.

The man was strong and fast with excellent marksmanship. However, he was no match for the Crimson King who was leagues better than him in those skill set. It was a waste to kill such a fine warrior but his loyalty would always belong to that man. The Crimson King knew right from the very beginning that no matter what he offered, Kaito Takamiya would never accept and be swayed to his side. Kaito would never betray the one person he swore to follow for eternity. The Crimson King had seen from countless encounters that Kaito was willing to sacrifice his very life for his leader. Of course, he shouldn't have been surprised. After all, the Mad Hatter had always been far too charismatic for his own good. He shouldn't have been taken aback by the knowledge that the man would win the hearts of these complete fools.

'I have already accepted my own fate even if that is death. But I could never be at peace with it if you would continue to threaten those I want to protect!'

Kaien Cross.

The most eccentric man in all of Wonderland and also one of its legendary warriors. The sole resident of the Clock Tower and the one who knows most of the happenings on this world.

The Crimson King had been caught off-guard when he had learned that Kaien Cross had joined this fateful battle and against his side no less. He had always been under the impression that Kaien always refused to place himself in situations like these. The eccentric man had always been a pacifist and usually the neutral party in any form of conflict between rulers. Imagine his surprise when said man engaged him on combat. Out of all the rulers, he expected Kaien to understand the beauty of the peaceful world he would create. But alas, it was not meant to be. He gazed at Kaien's still body, covered in a puddle of blood, and remembered the man telling him that the world he wanted to build would only create an illusion of peace.

He took a deep breath of air and removed his blood red helmet, the symbol of his power, for the first time in many years. His bright crimson colored eyes scanned the surroundings and he scowled deeply as his eyes landed on the broken body of a blonde haired woman.

'I apologize but I do not think I can live in the world you are trying to create. I seem to quite like Wonderland as it is now despite its imperfections. You see I am also a royalty and my pride would never allow me to just surrender myself to a madman like yourself.'

Sara Shirabuki.

The Queen of Hearts and the most beautiful woman in Wonderland.

Her eyes were lifeless but regardless of her condition, even in her passing she held a serene smile that seemed out of place on a queen who built her kingdom on cruelty and fear. He had known Sara to be a strong-willed and pitiless woman who was not afraid to take what she wanted regardless of whether she hurt others in return or not. He had thought that she was loyal to his cause but halfway there, she had decided to betray him. Of course, he should've known that Sara was never his to begin with. Under all that malice and selfishness, she truly loved the Mad Hatter more than anything else in this world. That silver-haired royalty who despised him and made it his lifelong goal to destroy all of the Crimson King's carefully laid plans. Her feelings for that man were pure and genuine despite the fact that the Mad Hatter had never loved her the way she had loved him. The Queen of Hearts had gone into hiding for a while after that blatant betrayal and he reckoned she only came to fight in his battle because she decided to protect the one person whose life she valued above all others even her own.

The Crimson King growled in anger and his eyes flashed to a darker crimson as he thought about the Mad Hatter. That man had always been a thorn on his side. He clenched his fists, nails biting on his palms. Not only did he have to deal with the silver-haired annoyance, there was also that so called Hero of Wonderland.

He refused to accept the fact that the foolish child would ever be able to match him in strength!

The Crimson King had heard from those dim-witted villagers that the Hero was someone of his caliber and it angered him that they dared thought that way. Such a child could never compete with him in terms of power but then again, the Hero had also been ruining his plans since he came into this world. The events at those ruins should've been the end of the Hero's live but the child had survived and accepted his role in Wonderland. That child had steadily gained allies from across the land and fought against so many enemies along the way. The Hero's growth was exceptional since he had gone from a clueless stranger to a fierce warrior in a short span of time.

He should've suspected that something like this would happen…

…ever since the events at that castle.

The Crimson King sought to hold someone responsible, and if anyone that used to defy him were still alive, he was sure they would have had fun guessing whose fault it was.

Perhaps it was the sweet brown-haired young girl, whom always cheered up the Hero in his moments of sadness. Her actions had perhaps made the Hero stronger by teaching him that innocence like hers should always be protected. Maybe she had unconsciously taught him that by protecting someone else a person could become stronger.

No…it wasn't her.

Perhaps it was the silver-haired noblewoman who was known as the White Queen. The woman who had helped the Hero countless of times. The woman who had taught the Hero the value of believing in others. The woman who showed the Hero was it meant to trust someone else wholeheartedly. The woman who had guided the Hero to be someone who would become the beloved of others.

No…it wasn't her either.

Perhaps it was that annoying white clad man who was known for the moniker White Rabbit. The advisor of Sara Shirabuki and the one who safeguarded the Heart Castle against enemies despite the absence of its queen. The man who hid his strength amidst the façade of cheerfulness and cluelessness. The man who had brought the Hero to this war torn world and shared his knowledge of the mysteries of Wonderland. The man who had taught the Hero how to live. Not for the sake of others, but for himself. That being selfish once in a while isn't that bad.

Yet…despite all that…it still wasn't him…

Perhaps it was that strawberry-blonde haired woman. The first person to ever admit her love for the Hero. The one who was willing to jump headlong into danger for the sake of protecting the Hero who had stolen her heart. The woman who had always trusted the Hero's decisions and had always been there to offer her hand. The woman who was willing to sacrifice everything for the Hero's sake.

No…it wasn't her as well.

All of those individuals were the obvious choices for the Hero's rise in strength…

…but there was still one other person, someone he had almost forgotten, in his anger to lay the blame.

The Crimson King had almost taken no notice of the one person who had openly defied him even before meeting the so called Hero of Wonderland. Had he known from the very start that this man would become the biggest thorn on his path, he would have dealt with the man earlier. For once in a long time, his omnipotent knowledge – his knowledge that was far superior to anyone else in Wonderland and could predict the outcome of battles…was misled by a single factor.

'Your world is a place where you alone decide a person's fate. Where someone's life is dictated by your own whims. Stability at the expense of hope and joy. A world where people do not live, only merely to exist. I would mock anyone who would choose that path. Living like that does not appeal to me. You are not a god! That is why I swear to you and the blood of my ancestors that I will crush your delusions of genocide and tyrannical rule!'

Zero Kiryuu.

The Mad Hatter of Wonderland.

The king of the snow-covered land far north.

The man who always stood on his way.

Who would have thought that this man would start a chain of events leading to his current problems? This man had turned a confused and unknowledgeable stranger into something that the world had never seen in so many years. Ever since that fateful day those two had crossed paths, had he known that the moment would turn the stranger into his almost rival in power…That Zero Kiryuu would turn into the sole factor in the stranger's life that would forever make him a threat to his goals…

He would've destroyed the Mad Hatter sooner.

This man had gained both Kaito Takamiya and Sara Shirabuki's loyalty without much problem. That should've been a warning to the Crimson King. Someone so charismatic and so suited to leadership should've been dealt with as soon as possible before he even became a huge threat to his plans.

How could this event happen?

How could the Mad Hatter's mere presence alone change the course of everything?

What had this man done to give his accursed nemesis this power?

Of course the Crimson King knew. His knowledge gave him the answer. It had always been there all along.

Zero Kiryuu gave the Hero of Wonderland…

…Love.

That was why the Crimson King could only look down with distaste and anger at the Mad Hatter's fallen form. A complete waste. The man should've just joined his side instead of against him. He had to admit to himself that the man would've made the perfect ally.

His expression then showed no mercy and total fury as he finally laid his eyes on his accursed enemy. The Hero had finally come into the battlefield and the first thing the Hero did was ignore him and crouch over to the Mad Hatter's prone form. It never had to come to this moment. The child should've just surrendered peacefully instead of instigating this revolution. A new era would have begun if only the child had stepped aside.

"Kaname Kuran…The Hero of Wonderland…The child who shares the same blood as mine…" The Crimson King stated in a condescending manner as he saw that he now had the Hero's attention. Though it seemed that the child still refused to grant him any form of eye contact. "Have you finally come to die by my hand just like these fools before you? Are you ready to finally meet your end?" he asked with arrogance coloring his tone.

Kaname gently ran his hand against Zero's face before standing up to face the monster that had caused this chaos and called upon terror across Wonderland. Out of all his enemies, this man was someone he would never allow himself to forgive. The Crimson King would die on this battlefield one way or another. He placed a hand on his side and drew his sacred weapon. The Vorpal Blade. This particular action caused his mortal enemy to narrow his eyes in anger and quickly launched black flames in his direction.

The Crimson King's crimson eyes widened in surprise before he gritted his teeth as a thick wall of water appeared out of thin air. It blocked the fire with ease and it fizzled out against the large mass of water. That form of elemental magic could only belong to one person…

"I had the impression that I had killed you already…" The Crimson King's voice was low and hard. "Zero Kiryuu."

He turned his gaze on the silver-haired man who now knelt on the ground and was in obvious pain judging from his harsh pants of breath but still the Mad Hatter's silver colored eyes had a determined light in them. They challenged him despite the futility of the situation. He had to admire this man's courage.

"I would not die that easily. I swore that I would stop you and I am someone who always keeps my promises…" Zero said between his heavy breaths.

The Crimson King's expression darkened. "I see. But it matters not, I'll remedy my mistake soon enough. You have been standing in my way for far too long. You have ruined so many of my plans. It's finally time for you to meet your end, Mad Hatter."

Kaname moved to stand in front of the silver-haired man. Shielding him from the Bloody King's view.

"Why do you continue to live, Kaname Kuran? Why do you continue to fight this worthless battle?" the Crimson King asked the two questions that had been forever plaguing his mind. The Hero didn't belong in this world after all. Why should this child bother himself to fight for a place he didn't truly call his home? He could've gone back to his home and forgotten all about Wonderland. He didn't have to fight and suffer for these fools. This was not his battle after all.

Kaname momentarily gazed at Zero before turning his attention once more to his enemy. For the first time since he arrived on the battlefield, he thought about all of the friends and the bonds he had created in this world, he knew then what his answer would be.

It was so obvious.

"Because I have something worth to live my life for…Because I have someone worth fighting for…"

There was a split second of silence before both the Hero of Wonderland and the Crimson King moved, there was a loud clash of steel against steel.

The final and fated battle had finally begun…

-chapter 00 end-

Silvermaiden's Notes

Yay! Finally finished the first chapter of the new and improved Return to Innocence! I hope you guys liked this version more. As I was writing this, I realized that the story now headed to a more fantasy-oriented storyline with epic wars, kings and magic, and of course the hero from another world! So very different from my other stories with the fantasy-ish setting and complete lack of vampires. As you guys can see from the prologue, this story is loosely based on Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Albeit a darker and more action-packed filled version of the children's story.

The next chapters would feature the remodeled version of the old Return to Innocence chapters. The main reason for the rewrite would probably be the plot. I had no idea what I would do with the next few chapters and there were so many details that I thought were useless in the overall storyline. So in the end, after a long time of procrastinating, I wrote this new version.

Feedbacks and comments are always appreciated. It would really help me in developing this story and possibly inspiring me to keep on continuing writing this project of mine. =)