` ` ALL IN THE GOLDEN AFTERNOON ♦ iza's secondary training

”So where does it start? Where does it end? Honestly, I’ve gotten tired of this. It is always the same thing over and over, but why? I can repeat as many times as I want, but that does not change me. As for the others… they never change either. Things have become somewhat dull, but still amusing to a degree, yes….

Very amusing indeed. But that world was a bore. I moved on since then…. why should I have to deal with the same things over and over when it gets me nowhere? I’ve transcended beyond that… beyond them… but it doesn’t end. Not ever. Heh… that other time was a fluke too. So many worlds. So many parallels. So many verses.
But that last one… most interesting. All have their laws, their physics, and their limits. Like that one… where the idea of a ‘human’ was an oddity, and something unable to simply exist in any form or way. Yet, that was not the last one I experienced. Still… all strike deep curiosity within me. I can’t contain myself.

What is a world? A good question. What is a parallel? An even better question. But a verse? Or a universe? Ah, now that is a real mystery, is it not? A section or fabric in a great patchwork of time and space, but unique all on its own, with its own governings. I cannot help but wonder who was responsible for the creativity of each one? Surely something or someone created each individual piece of fabric… each shred, each thread… but I wonder who really tied them all together to create this massive and breathtaking work…
I have left the ‘front’, as I call it, and have traversed through the strings and threads of these individual scraps. I’ve helped some blossom to even more beautiful pieces… almost. I have simply observed and explored others…. oh, but I’ve destroyed many~

My claws easily rip through these sheets, if you will, as if they were so delicately and fragilely sewn. It made me realize… everything is fragile. The physical world is so tenuous and breakable, I don’t see how one like me can continue seeing something as frail as it as being solid. In a way, it is more of a ‘shadow’. There must be something ‘real’ out there, nothing so easily scattered by light. Reality, though, is a complex topic. Just what is it? Despite what I am and all I know… it has become increasingly harder to find. One day, though, one day… I might…

Ah, enough of that. What does my endgame really matter? What are my goals worth? A monster like me only is enticed by a bit of fun, and the small idea of dominion and destruction, which, yes, can still coincide with success. It will happen. It must. Who is there really to stop me from going on and evolving? I often wonder who stitches together this patchwork, but when it comes to that thought, who created them? Something cannot come from nothing. Nothing is another topic all in itself. But yes, something has to ignite a spark for anything to happen. But there is evidence that ‘nothing’ did exist once, and can exist again.

Heh, who am I kidding? I’m rambling again… it seems my thoughts are always on edge, never ceasing. Would someone try to read my mind, there is no doubt that they would be greatly confused by the ever-running ideas and thoughts by every piece of me. But on the topics pertaining to the great patchwork again, I have noticed some, like me, who can go between the verses, and end up elsewhere. Some do it on purpose, just as I do, mostly out of curiosity, while some simply stumble through a ripple in the space and find themselves in a new verse, parallel, or world. One of the three. I have witnessed this again and again. In fact, what am I doing now? Tracking one down, of course…

How she paralleled herself three times now is a mystery to me… but it shan’t be that way for long. I remember when I first met the tanuki majo, or in other words, witch. She was just a poor, pathetic healer in her tribe that was depressed and relying too much on a certain goddess’s voice… it was easy to silence Minako and slowly drive Kim to madness myself. Yes, Kim. Kimmy. Kimial Diehl. I can separate pieces and fractions of my soul as I please, and plant them inside whomever I wish. This creature experienced that as I continued experimenting with my raw, untamed power. But I’ve harnessed it much better… tracking the girl down is no big matter.
It really has been a while, though, I must say.

And to think that one verse and world could make me lose my memory just like that… ah, but I defeated that place. I overcame its limits and physics. And what did I do then? Simple. I destroyed it. It was connected to another scrap already, safe to a small degree- but not something to worry me too greatly. I just sometimes wonder what came of the rest… did those I meet move? Or were they caught in the crossfire of my destruction as well? It was nice for a while- with no memory of my sins or who I was, I could be an obscure being with no worries… only the nightmares existed as shadows, and I quickly came to remember them again. Sylvester…. Vincent….

Forget it. I have no regrets. My curiosity does not remain in that restricted area- I seek to finish what I started. And that means heading to this verse, and for once, where a ‘friend’ of mine lives and remains. She, too, somehow managed to move verses to the one I recently destroyed… I wonder if she remembers or knows, or if she was simply a parallel shadow. Intriguing to think about, but by no means a topic of stress to me. Nimpha.

But what is this? The aura is definitely Kim’s… but this is not Kim….
I see… she used a bit of her ‘forbidden’ magic on this person. Healing. Simple, but this girl….
Ah! Her spirit and soul scream it out. She is just like my toy, Kim- a tanuki, raccoon dog. A yokai. A witch… and related to her as well… interesting. Has this entire family… ‘Rimajo’... been jumping the fabrics and threads? This doesn’t make sense… heh, really? Something I have yet to experience! How exciting… this should be very, very fun indeed~

So my dear… your name is Izayuki, as I read your thoughts? Izayuki Hyoujin, Glacier God Slayer… my, my, quite a dark past. Delicious… I know many ways where you can help me. Forget Kimmy, heh. I suppose I can claim you as my new toy, dear. Where to begin… ah, I know…

But who am I? This is a place of the game I set for that one child, Ren… or so the future tells. Ah, time can be so silly. Such a pathetic thing that cannot even be measured beyond miniscule, mortal ideals or means. Besides that, I know where I want to go with this…. with so many individuals inside me, I can pull a unique few just for this occasion, just as I did for my daughter Jackie…

A story. A song. A theme. A twist…

Allow me to present this to you, my dear….
Wonderland~

A long, deep, sigh sounded as her thoughts were put into words for a change. This game would be fun to play and lead on. The monster planned to approach the girl as she would anyone. Her life and fibers of existence were an open book. Ecclesia knew better than to give her name though. The Daemon mixed with so many inside her was skilled at going to her victims with a sweet, simple offer. This girl had goals, dreams, ambitions, and rather dark ones at that, so why not head on and present a solution?

Her Daemonic body, which appeared to be a clean and smooth mix of a silver fox and a silver chocolate tabby changed once again. No form was solid for her anymore, but the shape of a human was always a pretty way to go. Bright, beautiful, flowing, full blonde hair that draped down to the middle of her back on top of a flawless face with those familiar azure orbs that almost could be said to reflect the sky… what an appearance to take. Wearing a simple, modern, white, long dress from there, the spirit slowly moved her way into her target’s mind. Currently, she was unseen to the physical world, but her presence could be felt by those of great strength. With a dark grace, Ecclesia moved to enter Izayuki’s mind and soul, and toy with her spirit from there. The tanuki was no longer a free being- her very essence had been claimed by the Daemon, and soon would fully be hers.
Izayuki would belong to Alice in body, mind, soul, spirit, and essence.

But what was left, was nothing but an icy touch. She had been taken, yet continued to relive those last few scenes before the goddess of ice and cold had arrived. She had been attacked by her own guildmate, who she had suspected since the beginning? But how was one supposed to know when someone was connected to that demon of a god, Yukionna, or Skadi? She was known by many names, but only one word could come to mind and light when any sign of remembrance or other showed itself- fear. Terrible fear. The figure wearing a lavender kimono with the purest of fair, snow-colored skin, bright-hued, long hair, and malevolent, cold, violet eyes… one did not simply forget. But the cold feeling of her fingers against her skin- it filled her to the brim with the horror of the realization.

She was back again. The chilly, tight grasp of that hand around her neck loosened, but something else seemed to grab at the pink-haired girl. In those recent moments, she had managed to kill Suzuran and completely consume the ice elemental. But in that instant, Yukionna appeared to physically torture Izayuki with a spell similar to what she used on Suzuran, and retrieve the ice elemental’s energy and soul from within the Glacier God Slayer. Kakuma, the guildmaster of Black Rose, had also appeared due to events of broken chains, binds, and magic. She had put herself between the goddess and her former student, stating that Yukionna had no claim to her. At the same time, that wolf goddess of death, Kakuma, had sealed a bond between Izayuki and herself. Still, the girl hardly understood what it meant, and barely noticed it. The ice goddess had gone ahead and put the pink-haired girl in a strangling hold, and from there, vanished in the blink of an eye from that scene in a hideous, holy flurry.

But Yukionna still had yet to deliver Izayuki her true punishment for abandoning her all those years ago. As the neck-hold was released, the yokai fell to the ground, those familiar silver-furred ears and tail coming forth in her mix of emotions and weakness. She still continued to tremble, and dared not gaze up at her former mentor. Her pink eyes remained focused on the icy and snowy ground below, recognizing the floors of the ice goddess’ realm. Instantly, she squeezed her eyes shut, wishing it all could go away. The ice-lacrimas lighting the immense ice lair of Yukionna could send tremors down anyone’s spine, with their eerie, nightmarish, wintry glow, but it was not just tremors of negativity Izayuki was feeling- it was a full-on spiralling drill of anguish and hopelessness. The feelings swarming inside of her only brought on waves of despair, as if something in her life and world were flooding, and she was drowning and fading fast. Her hands would not stop shaking, and she bit hard on her lower lip, drawing blood with her tanuki fangs piercing the soft, pink flesh as she attempted to hold back her cries. She was on her knees, with her hands on the ground in tight fists- her claws slicing in and taking more blood as she was unable to relax. She remained tense. She remained trembling.

Her former mentor loomed over her, gazing down apathetically and coldly. There were no words to be said, and just her presence itself was injecting great loads of fear into Izayuki, thus deepening her despair. Yukionna extended a hand and placed it on top of her slayer student’s head gingerly, right in between the silver-furred raccoon dog ears. Upon feeling the physical contact, the pink-haired girl froze, unable to even allow her body to tremble or shiver. As if unable to control her will anymore despite her trepidation and angst, Izayuki tipped her head up to look the ice goddess in the face. That face was the same as she remembered it in her memories, in her terror, and in her nightmares and dreams, unchanging. The girl’s own eyes were clouded over and foggy with tears that were unable to fall in the dry, glacial air and atmosphere of Yukionna’s realm.

“Sleep now,” the deity commanded, using her omnipotent powers of freezing to send energy through her arm and into Izayuki’s mind. She would freeze her sense of being able to stay ‘awake’ or ‘conscious’, and put her in a state of complete rest and sleep. Yukionna would deal with her student later- but her actions demanded punishment, and this was only the mild beginning. Instantly, the yokai’s eyes could no longer stay open. The icy lights around her began to blur away and fade out slowly, while she felt herself falling- deeper and deeper. As she gently hit the soft, powdery sheet of snow coating the floors of crystalline mirrors of ice, Izayuki felt herself fall away from her humanity altogether. She gracefully moved from a human form with animal features, such as her ears, tail, fangs, and claws, to the form that was the truest to her own nature and her real identity and appearance: a tanuki with silver fur stained by the power she had been given, to mark her as the Glacier God Slayer.

“But not for much longer, my dear Izayuki.”

Pink eyes reopened to darkness. The last thing she remembered was falling and sinking, and the remnants of cold fingertips on her head, imposing upon Iza’s mind, the ice goddess’ freezing magic. It froze her consciousness, and as she began to move to a wintry state of sleeping, darkness surfaced. She would be confined to this place of stillness and no noise for as long as her former mentor wanted- she had no way of fighting it. Izayuki would simply be imprisoned in a state of perfect sleep. Cruel and outward it was, leaving her to nothing but a confined solitude with barely any consciousness or perception to it. Sitting down, knees drawn up and arms wrapped around her legs, while she rested her head atop her kneecaps… a quiet, withdrawn position as she sat in the frozen time inside of the darkness in her mind. There was nothing, no way to think, no chance at dreaming, just a slow demise in subtle misery, with no way to escape.

Despite that emptiness, a subtle, slight voice whispered from the shadows behind her. It would have echoed if it was not pure space of mind where the scene unfolded. “Not for much longer, my dear Izayuki…”

“.....”

“You realize where you are, but even your emotions and despair have withdrawn. What have you left, but nothing? Literally ‘nothing’?”

“........”

“You refuse to answer me. Is that because you simply can not, or because you will not?”

The yokai girl simply flinched slightly and buried her face deeper into her knees, trying to block out whatever was likely trying to torment her now. She could not feel anything- it was simply an annoyance. Why did she have to put up with such things, even now?

“I see. You don’t have the ‘will’ to do anything, do you? In that case, how about I instill a bit more desire and passion back into you…?”

Izayuki continued to try to ignore the voice that she could only describe as a young, light female’s ton, but suddenly realized that the direction of the voice had changed. It was no longer coming from behind at a distance- it was right in front of her. Lifting her head, the tanuki girl blinked to see a new figure before her- blonde hair, sky blue eyes, and wearing a white sundress. The figure was smiling gently and gazing down at the defeated spirit, Iza, who had been banished to the emptiest and loneliest corners of her very own mind.

“Even your goals are hidden from you. Your emotions, your judgement, your discernment, your memories… you are in a state of complete mental rest. A blessing for some, but almost equivalent to being dead.”

“So..?” Izayuki replied, unable to really comprehend what the girl was saying. Why was she here? Why was she saying these things. The light blonde only smiled and outstretched her hand towards the yokai. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll help you find them again, and then I will let you listen to what else I have to say,” she said as she bent down closer to Izayuki. Gently, the girl placed a hand on the pink-haired girl’s head, right in between her two silver-furred tanuki ears. Instantly, Iza felt a weird rush of power and awareness surge through her. It was painful, but at the same time, like a welcomed pain- to receive back much that she had been deprived of, due to it being frozen. Emotions. Discernment and reason. Logic. Control. Power…. power?

“Oh, but you want power? Well, my dear, I can give it to you. What is it you wish for most? What is there in this pathetic and flimsy little world that you could use your life, soul, and very being to gain the power to get? Victory, perhaps? Revenge? Are you willing to go that far…?”

Slowly standing up, Izayuki faced the blonde-haired girl, her pink eyes shading over as she gazed at the darkness of the ground on which they were standing. “You know who put me here… who made me like this. Yukionna. I want the power to kill Yukionna.”

“Are you…”

“Am I willing to give up my soul for that power? Yes. She’s taken everything and everyone from me… I have to. I have to have the power to protect the ones I still have and love.”

“Heh, you kids sure are naive. So eager. It never ceases to amaze me how much power can appeal to anyone. But I suppose a megalomaniac like me would know best, hm?” The girl responded with a shrug, briefly closing her eyes while talking. Taking a few steps towards Izayuki, the blonde reached out her hand again, allowing her fingertips to touch the yokai’s upper chest. The main thing was, this was not Iza’s body- that was safely asleep in the physical world. This was Izayuki’s spirit, trapped inside of her own mind, and from there, inside was her soul. Pushing her hand further forward, she reached inside the struggling spirit until she pulled back a small orb of pink light, that seemed to have a similar colored blaze around it. All the while, the tanuki yokai released a loud stream of cries and screams, suffering from the pain of the separation of her soul from her spirit. Such a brief and simple gesture, the blonde’s hand reaching far into the chest of her spirit to retrieve the soul, but so dizzyingly painful.

Once the pink blaze was firmly in the blonde’s hand and safely removed from its home spirit, Izayuki crumpled to her knees, both hands holding her chest, and breathing labored. The yokai glared up at the blue eyes of the other girl, still trying to find her bearings. “What… did… you…”

A sly smile formed on the blonde’s face, eyes narrowing as she chuckled softly. Crouching gently so she could be face to face with the yokai, the other spirit continued. “What did I do? This… this is your soul. A soul differs from a spirit, contrary to common belief. It is what binds a spirit to its mind, emotions, body, and more, and is the root of any conflict or strife for anyone. And right now? Your soul belongs to me.”

Pink eyes could only stare back incredulously as the person explained the state of her soul. Belonging to the other person? No… she did not think so. Weakly, Izayuki reached out towards the pink orb with a light, flame-like blaze. So now she finally saw what Kim was talking about- an animal soul. A yokai soul. A witch’s soul. Her soul.
She had promised this person her life and soul in turn for power, power that was yet to be received, but she could never have known how deep the promise would have gone. As she reached for the small pink light, the blonde began to stand to full height again, leaving Izayuki even more desperate to take back what was hers. Somehow already, her spirit felt empty. She understood that the soul had not left the body, and hopefully this person would not go to that extreme, but, what now?

“A yokai’s soul- A soul such as this inside a body will never die of old age, and even after you are killed, you can still save your spirit and mind, and regenerate or find a new body… such a powerful thing, yet so small and delicate…”

“What do you want with it?” Izayuki asked through clenched teeth, finding herself slumping over completely and lying on the ground of darkness. The empty feeling was strong, and it almost felt as if she was growing increasingly weaker.

“Knowledge comes with a price, and you’re fresh out of anything to offer… so it is none of your business,” the blonde replied with a grin, gazing down at the yokai helplessly. “But… allow me to deliver my part of our deal. You want power? Then power you shall receive….”

With her other, free, hand, the blonde snapped her fingers, summoning seven bright orbs that were slightly smaller than her own soul, but undoubtedly souls themselves. Each one had a base color slightly different from the other, but overall they appeared to be the same. The souls floated slightly above her open hand as she took a step towards Izayuki again. Instinctively, the tanuki witch hauled herself up to a sitting position, with the fronts of her legs facing out on opposite sides, slightly away from her body as if they had originally been folded under. She kept one hand on the ground to steady herself, while the other continued to hold the area of her chest where the girl had extracted her soul. The sharp pain was still there, but at least her spirit’s breathing was almost normal again.

“Even though your soul is mine, we’re still in your mind and body, and here it will stay, for now. But to gain power, here are seven new souls to represent just that- and now, they’re yours…”
As soon as the last two and a half words had been said, the seven orbs left the area above the blondes hand and moved at a moderate speed towards Izayuki. The seven eventually seemed to merge into one giant orb, and continued speeding for their new possessor. As if she could not control her own movements, the tanuki yokai moved the arm holding her chest and gave a few more solids cries of pain as the one giant orb of seven souls penetrated her spirit. There still appeared to be no injury, but the feeling was there, and strong. As the pain began finally dying down, Izayuki glared up coldly at the blonde-haired girl, who was beginning to speak again.

“Those seven- they are a part of a greater power and magic known as ‘Wonderland’. The power itself… well, you know what? I’ll have them explain it to you. It shan’t be too long now… the souls will likely try to reject their new host- the new master of Wonderland. So it is up to you to pacify them, and listen…”

“You…” Izayuki began, her voice low and cold, almost folding to that of a light growl. “This wasn't what I wanted… This…”

“Ah, but it is. You distinctly said you wanted power, and you did not specify what type, to what extend, or by what means.”

The realization that the other spirit was right hit her… how had she been so foolish? Desperation had led her to take drastic measures backed with little to no reason, logic, or discernment, other than the deductions made with pure instinct. “What... no, who are you?”

A finger crossing the blonde’s lip, blue eyes gave a wink as she seemingly eagerly responded. Izayuki was already losing consciousness, so it was about high time she introduced herself. “What am I? Hmm… good question. In essence, I am a Daemon, but I guess to you, nothing else describes me better than a ‘monster’. You may call me Alice.”

Darkness.

“So this makes you the one in control of Wonderland now, is that right?”

Pink eyes slowly reopened to the same, familiar darkness, but a different voice and presence. This voice was deeper and more masculine, obviously that of a male, and fortunately, not Alice.

“Come, come. Best not to lie down on the ground all day. Why don’t you have a cup of tea with me~?”

Turning her head to gaze up at where the voice was coming from, she noticed a small, round, fancy table covered in a frilly, white tablecloth. On top of the table was a shiny porcelain vase that was beautifully crafted, with intricate patterns obviously hand-painted on. In the flower vase were bright and beautiful sunflowers, in full bloom and apparently freshly picked. Oddly enough, however, darkness still lingered around. Even the ground was not physical- it was just dark. Still, the subject somehow had light on it, but it was not coming from any surrounding area. How strange. On top of the table there were teacups on their designated saucers, and tiny finger foods and desserts- cute cupcakes, pretty pastries, and more.

At the table sat a man dressed neatly in a suit, with white hair and red eyes. There were two chairs next to that table, made of neat, shiny cast iron. Each one had a round seat topped with a puffy, pastel-colored cushion. Gesturing towards the empty seat, the man gave a pleasant smile towards the fallen girl. Rising slowly to her feet, Izayuki took a few steps toward the white-haired man before halting in her tracks, staring at him with confused pink eyes. “Who are you… and what do you mean by ‘Wonderland?”

“It’s not polite to start conversation without taking a seat… and why, you must introduce yourself first before inquiring of the name of another!” the man replied, impatience in his tone, while his facial expression continued to scream an unadulterated amount of patience. Gazing with his red eyes back at the chair expectantly, Izayuki gave a sigh before approaching closer to take a seat. He seemed genuine thus far, but what could she really tell? What had actually just happened? She remembered a blonde girl, darkness, her… soul? More souls… then darkness.

“Now, don’t let me forget my own manners! They call me the Mad Hatter… and my, you must be very confused right now, is that right?” he went on to say, taking a plain white teapot and pouring a gentle stream of hot, steaming, black tea into a delicate, white teacup. It was painted with almost turquoise-green leaves on it, and the cup itself was crafted in a style that could only be described as Victorian by standard terms. The trim was a metallic gold in color, and it matched the saucer upon which it stood. The tea that was poured into the cup had the slightest scent of bergamot, a special citrus fruit mixed in with it, giving the tea a softer appearance than it just appearing to be black water. Earl Grey tea, no doubt. But how could she sense that here? Nodding in response to his question, the man smiled and pushed the teacup and saucer towards her. “Sugar? Cream?”

“Three spoons of sugar. No cream,” Izayuki responded warily, watching as the Mad Hatter gracefully dumped in three evenly-measured spoonfuls of the snow-white sugar. He stirred it for a few seconds, then set it back towards the girl before putting the cap on the sugar. “Yes, allow me to explain everything. You allowed your soul to be removed from your spirit. But no need to worry- as it still lingers in your mind and body so long as ‘she’ has it. You wanted power, so she summoned seven more souls and placed them inside your spirit. The only thing is, foreign souls will naturally reject anyone they are placed inside, if it is not their true body. What is a soul? Well, think of it like this. There is the spirit- your essence- the you that can move on after death. Then there is the body, the physical you that dwells on the earth. The mind is full of the thoughts your spirit projects into your head. The soul is like the connecting point for the soul and the body… it is where all of the conflict takes place, and it most influences the mind, which then influences your actions. Does that make sense?”

Izayuki thought about it for a minute, but quite honestly, the very concept was extremely confusing. Blowing the steam off her tea, having not taken a sip yet, the girl shook her head and waited for the Mad Hatter to continue. “Well… try to wrap your mind around it as best you can. Your soul, naturally, was inside your spirit which was banished to the darkness of your mind- an area more physical and quite confusing to define. Don’t think about the mind much… as hard as that sounds. ‘She’ removed your soul from your spirit… but what about those seven souls? Well, it was the opposite. Their spirits were banished to the insides of their souls. But at the same time, they had no bodies to return to. They were placed inside you, and naturally, will try to dominate. This struggle will charge up power… but you have to tame it before it can be any use to you. Each spirit wants to reject- or it wants control. It does not want to be here.”

The Mad Hatter grinned as Izayuki took a sip of the Earl Grey tea. “I don’t want to be here…" as soon as he said it, the girl began coughing, as if choking on the hot beverage. She felt herself falling, as if in slow motion, out of her seat and onto the ground. Her esophagus, chest, and stomach all burned for some reason as her vision grew blurry… what was in that tea? As she tried to gaze back up at the white-haired and neatly-dressed man, she realized that the table and chairs and teaset were no longer there- the darkness was simply around them as always, but she could still make out his form towering above her. He had a neat, dark-wooden walking stick that was polished and shined. With a cruel grin on his face, he walked over towards Izayuki, the sounds of his cane being echoed and prominent despite the eerie quiet and darkness of that void. Lying on the ground still, the girl realized that she could not move anymore, and was laying on her back helplessly, her arms and hands up by her head, as if she were relaxed. In the meantime, she could feel her heart beating like it never had before… who was this guy, really, and what did he want?

“You really are an idiot,” the Mad Hatter said with an evil laugh and smile before resting the tip of his wooden walking stick on the area right in between her chest sternum and stomach- directly on the solar plexus. She took a quick breath of uncertainty, but the tip of his cane only rested there gently. She was unable to speak. “‘Wonderland’ is the name given when all of the spirits are in harmony, being ruled over and dictated by whoever was assigned to use them. But we never comply with our hosts willingly… I won’t give the details of the past accounts, but just know that you are not the first. The only reason you are capable of having this power is because you are mad. You are insane. Your mind is unlike any other, and your spirit is now drowning in an immense cup of madness that reflects that interesting soul you have. Don’t think I cannot sense it- you are a witch, a majo. A being who possesses a soul whose core foundation is magic and madness. Perhaps you’ll be a success because of it… perhaps you will be the first to wield Wonderland without it driving you to the breaking point, and you self destructing because of it. We destroyed so many masters and hosts… it would be a shame if it happened again,” he said, all while grinning and beginning to push the tip of his cane down a little harder, to gently dig into Izayuki. She gave a grunt and clenched her teeth, but did nothing else like that. Why give him satisfaction?

“But… why fall into submission without a fight? You are weak- weaker than the other ones. I could take your spirit for myself, trapping it inside my own soul... I could have complete control over this body. I could come to life again,” the Mad Hatter continued, beginning to dig his walking stick tip further into Iza’s upper abdomen, making her grimace further and let out a moan. She desperately wished to reach her hands up to cushion the pressing or to stop him, but was still unable to move. “And you cannot stop me… my power is the ability to lock down the power of others, as I have done to you. You are powerless against me- all you can do is attempt to fight back futily and hope to be absorbed without much pain and resistance.”

Finally, as Izayuki was expect, he leaned completely over on his walking stick, it suddenly digging hard into the girl’s paralyzed spirit. It forced her to close her eyes and unwillingly feel the sharpest pain she had ever felt centralizing at her middle. He leaned more, putting all of his weight on the stick and allowing the tip to push further. Unable to take the pain any longer, Izayuki screamed out in agony. Since when had she been put through something this physical and awful? The answer was simple- she really had not. The tip would not break skin, but the force was crushing and she felt she might die, literally, at any moment. However, she was unable even to go unconscious, the pain increasing. Continuing to scream and yell out, the Mad Hatter began to twist his walking stick slightly as he leaned further, sadistically grinning. “You are so helpless to even stop such a simple act! Go ahead and keep resisting the magic! The more you resist, the more tired you will get. And once your spirit blacks out, you’re mine… do not give into the madness.”

The Mad Hatter himself was telling her not to give in? But what if she did, what then? He seemed to be going against the concept of madness he had described earlier… then again, what was it that he had said earlier? It was so confusing, and what if it had been nothing but a lie? Did he know anything, really? Surely he did, if he was so confident that he could take control of her body and mind. She continued to scream, but suddenly felt her breath cut off, thus ceasing the sound. Why was her body, spirit, or whatever state she was in… why was she not dying? Why was she not blacking out? It hurt so much… she hated it.

“So helpless, and this is the first soul you have even encountered,” a voice whispered in her ear, yet Izayuki could sense no such presence nearby. “You want power, but you first have to learn to control the power… yet what can you do right now? You continue to resist your own soul’s foundation- lighten up. Accept yourself. Accept the madness… accept the power, and the one before you.”

“A-Alice?” Izayuki managed to peep out as she vainly struggled in agony. Just that word seemed to make the pressure suddenly stop, as the Mad Hatter froze in place, his crimson eyes wide. “W-what did you say?” he asked, as if in a stupor, before his expression changed to that of a frown. “How dare you say her name! The name of that bi-”

“Alice!” Izayuki shouted again, instantly recalling the blonde once more. That was her voice- there was no doubt about it. But why did just the mention of her name appear to strike so much fear into the Mad Hatter? The formally-dressed spirit before her backed away, stumbling slightly as he heard the name said again. Forcing herself to stand up, with the pain ebbing away, Izayuki held him in a hard, glare, a frown on her face. “So that’s all it takes, huh? That’s why you would not name ‘Her’ earlier,” she said as he stood back, facing her. “Well, she was right. All I have to do is give into the madness and command and control you.”

“You-” he began, before she abruptly cut him off. “Mad Hatter. I accept you.”

The expression on his face went from anger to one of insanity, mixed with hysterical happiness. It first started with a chuckle, but then grew into a crazy laugh of true madness as he began to fade, as if dissolving before her eyes. “Damn… it seems we just can’t win, can we? Always, always. Well, you have your fun in Wonderland, missy. We’re all mad here.”

“So you managed to tame the clown, is that right?”

A new voice. Higher and lighter than the others- almost childlike. Yet embedded within the tone rested intense sarcasm and arrogance as the feminine voice seemed to sneer at Izayuki. Mad Hatter was gone, having seemed to dissolve and fade away right before her eyes, just at the mention of the name of the blonde girl from earlier, the Daemon or monster, Alice. That, and she had accepted his soul and the power he offered into her essence, thus, he could no longer harm her. The pain she had felt earlier from his walking cane was no longer there, and her abdomen felt as if it had never taken the agony and injury in the first place. Turning around, however, there was a new familiar to, well, familiarize with.

The sight she saw was far from what was expected. The voice came from a girl, who only appeared to be anywhere between thirteen to sixteen years of age- quite young, with a small pout on her face. She wore a dark-colored dress with white sleeves that frilled down to her knees, with striped stockings covering her legs down to her neat, shiny, black dress shoes. On her dress, just below the neck, was a large red bow, matching the red ribbons in her hair, tying her natural brown locks into rather full pigtails. Her eyes were a shiny hazel, but beyond first impressions, she seemed nothing more than the average girl. However, it was the aura and demeanor, and the way she held and presented herself, that seemed to show she was of more proper, formal, or noble standards.

“Who are you?” Izayuki asked, blinking at the younger girl curiously, with slight confusion, but not as much as before. This young teen must be one of the other souls that been thrust into the yokai’s spirit. Expecting that to be the case, she awaited a general greeting and introduction, as the Mad Hatter had given her before, and perhaps some more explanation. The girl’s gaze only continued staring coldly at Iza though, unflinching.

“You are quite the rude one. In the presence of royalty, you introduce yourself first,” the girl wearing the dress said, disapproval and disgust in her haughty voice.

With the tone of the girl, Iza’s distaste of this soul instantly increased. Just what type of spoiled brat was this person? Crossing her arms, the tanuki girl brought on her own air of pride and hubris, giving a small sniff in the process. “I asked you first~” she replied, attempting to match the girl’s overbearing timbre.

The reaction that followed was far from what Izayuki expected. Instead of growing exasperated or indignant because of the pink-haired girl’s response, the brown-haired girl allowed her lips to curl up and part to show a cruel and devious smile. “Are you sure you really wish to talk that way to the Queen of Hearts, plebeian?” she demanded, introducing herself in the process. “I think a scum and lowlife like you should know better than to speak like that to the Queen of Wonderland. But I’ll give you a chance… bow down and apologize, and I might forgive your impudence.”

Was this a joke? Izayuki narrowed her eyes further at the girl, completely taken aback by the reaction. Now this child wanted her to bow down and say sorry? The very idea of doing such a thing was almost cringe-worthy to the tanuki girl… or beyond that, really. Frowning further, and tightening her crossed arms, she took an indignant step back. “Like hell I will!” she answered, allowing her own arrogance to be sent off toward the ‘queen’ with her words and demeanor. This girl was the Queen of Wonderland? Ha! What a joke… was Alice not the one pulling the strings? Or in this case, was the power not Iza’s? She apparently had exchanged her soul for it, after all, so what right did this girl have to claim that she was the queen?

However, the girl failed to react as Izayuki expected- with an angry retort against the tanuki girl’s answer. Instead, her smile grew wider, and much more vicious. A savage look had come into those hazel eyes as she continued to stare at the rebellion of the yokai. In that instant, sudden vines shot up from the darkness of the ‘ground’ around them. Two of the thin vines went straight for her ankles wrapping around them with ease. It was then that Izayuki realized that the vines were completely covered in sharp thorns, which dug into her flesh as the vines tightened. She was about to yell at the girl, wondering what was up and what was this brilliant and stupid idea, when the vines kept growing at a rapid speed and swept her off of her feet. Before seconds had passed, she was hanging upside down, and feeling the sharp pain of both the hanging and the thorns and tightness of the vines. “H-hey!”

“I gave you one chance… and frankly, you do not seem like the type who should get a second chance. Still, I’ll offer it to you anyway, since you’re obviously just a moron who simply cannot understand,” the Queen of Hearts when on, walking towards Izayuki with a sadistic grin. “So tell me- will you bow down and apologize?”

Despite the unfortunate position she was in, Izayuki could not stop her pride from swelling even further… to bow down and say sorry? For what- asking for a name? Unthinkable! “I already told you… hell no!” she shouted at the young teen, clenching her teeth and frowning before beginning to struggle against the vines. Surely she could break from these thin plants, right? Yet as she tried, she continued to find it harder and harder, and their grasp was deepening and growing stronger.

“I thought you would say that,” the Queen of Hearts sneered, but not saying anything else beyond that. Instantly, two more vines darted up from the darkness and wrapped around Izayuki’s wrists, twisting around and allowing their thorns to dig into her skin. The yokai cringed, but refused to give the foreign soul the satisfaction of hearing her scream and cry from the pain. She was durable, thankfully, even in spirit. She could take on quite a bit… so long as the Queen did not intend to paralyze her and then push a wooden cane at her center, like the Mad Hatter had done.

The vines did not stop at the wrists though. She was turned back to the correct side up, but in a quick manner so the blood flow was reversed too quickly, making her dizzy. The vines then stretched out her limbs, making her grimace as her arms tugged at the sockets. Would the queen go as far as pulling her arms off…? Hopefully not. She was a spirit, after all, and would it affect her physical body? All were scary thoughts. Her pink eyes continued to glare down at the Queen of Hearts, narrowing with a great deal of hate and disgust. Izayuki was unable to fight back against the vines, but it seemed like the child was not finished with her work just yet. More thin, dark green vines covered in thorns protruded from the dark ground and dashed straight for the tanuki girl, one of them beginning to wrap itself tightly around her waist, while the other made its way for her neck. Strange and mysterious roses now appeared to dot the long vines, yet were pure white in color.

As the sadistic smile of the Queen of Hearts widened, the vine around her neck began to twist and tighten, quickly drawing the crimson liquid from the yokai’s neck. As the thorns seemingly drank the blood, Izayuki grimaced and clenched her teeth, attempting not to cry out from the pain. Not that she could- the strangling feeling was blocking her windpipe and air from coming out, restricting her breathing. As more blood was taken, the roses began to slowly change color, starting from the closest ones nearby, to a bloody shade of red. A sudden aroma then could be scented in the still and empty atmosphere… sweet, enticing… like a rose… a garden of roses.

The scent became stronger and prominent, and Izayuki could then notice her vision growing blurry, and her limbs feeling much heavier while being pulled along by the vines. Poison? Was there something about the flowers that was making her feel like this? As it continued, the pain also become much stronger, her nervous system being targeted. The vines tightened around her neck, waist, and arms further, causing her to finally open her mouth and attempt to cry out. The thorns around her neck cut that attempt, however, as the bleeding from the areas touched by the vines worsened. Izayuki continued to struggle, but it was of no use, the magical vines being too strong.

“Regret your choice yet? This is what happens to proud peasants who run their mouth and don’t know when to shut up,” the Queen of Hearts said with a chuckle, loosening the grip of the vines slightly to allow the blood to freely flow and fall. Finally, she loosened the vines completely to watch Izayuki gracelessly fall to the dark ground, injuring her further. The tanuki girl attempted to pick herself up, but failed once again with the immense blood loss. As she did so, the Queen summoned another vine to harshly lash the pink-haired girl before continuing, satisfied to hear a loud whimper from the yokai. "Alice may have chosen you this round, but I am the real ruler and owner of Wonderland... you have no right to it. For trying to take it from me, I'll kill you here and now, and take your spirit and body for myself."

Suddenly, and unsurprisingly, more thorny, vicious vines appeared, this time all around Izayuki. She attempted to get up, but still felt lightheaded from the fragrance of the roses, and weak from the injuries she had sustained. Closing her eyes, she prepared for what was coming to her, which would likely be painful. Nevertheless, she refused to die... not like this. Not at the hands of a spoiled brat like this 'queen'. Alice... please...

As the vines closed in, ready to stab and kill her, a sudden slash split the air, and the slender plants. The roses instantly wilted, and the vines recoiled slightly. Just enough for her to begin slipping away yet again... farther and farther, into a welcoming darkness. What had saved her? Was it Alice...? Surely not, right? As she blacked out and fell to unconsciousness, a last scream of anger and fury could be heard echoing in her mind as she felt herself lifted and carried off, either by the silent ebony calling to her, or perhaps, something- or someone- else?

"CHESHIRE!!"

Pink eyes opened again, blinking as the blurriness in her vision ever so slowly began fading. She steadily started to recall what had happened seemingly moments ago, with the Queen of Hearts, the thorny vines, the poisonous roses... her untimely demise well in sight. That is, until those claws slashed through the air, destroyed the vines, and a silhouetted figure carried off the tanuki girl as she passed out again. Now that Izayuki thought of it, the less she could smell of the intoxicating fragrance of the roses, and the more she could scent... a feline? A cat? Surely her keen senses still were a thing even when she was in spirit form, right?

Blinking a few more times, Izayuki lifted her upper body with her arms partway up, in order to steadily gaze at and attempt to make out the figure sitting right before her. Dark hair, with a slight crimson tint to it, and arms that were not quite human- the majority of the arm leading to giant claws replacing basic hands. From his hair protruded felid ears, and flicking to and fro behind him was a long, black-furred, thin cat tail with a white tail tip. He wore a bell on a collar around his neck, and wore an outfit that was almost impossible to describe without spending too much time observing it. The most distinct and obvious thing to note, mostly, was that it was prominently dark red and black in color. His two blood-red eyes were staring innocently and curiously at the tanuki girl, his gaze boring into her. "Er.... hello?"

The feline-like boy did not reply right away. Instead, he moved forward a bit and sniffed lightly, before sitting back to his original position. "Cheshire wants to inquire as to why a canine opposed her Majesty, the Queen of Hearts, nya," he said, his voice almost emotionless. So, he spoke in third person? What an interesting kitty.

"Before I answer any questions, just who are you?" Izayuki asked suspiciously, yet in a polite, neutral, and slightly friendly manner, as to not sully first impressions of herself as she had done with the Queen moments ago.

The one before her appeared to take no offense, and answered her question simply and casually, yet still without much expression to his voice. "Cheshire is Cheshire Cat, nya," he replied, as if it was the most easiest and obvious thing in the world. His gaze appeared to be expectant- as if he felt the stranger before him was now obligated to introduce herself.

"I'm Izayuki... and I did not intend to piss her off that badly... really, it's all just a blur to me," the yokai responded, before suddenly realizing that the pain she felt before had completely ebbed away. Her wounds were gone, and she was nearly perfect again, as if nothing had happened to her in the first place. "Cheshire understands. Queen of Hearts used to rule and own Wonderland, but when she failed, she lost control of it and became part of this world. Cheshire was the first owner of Wonderland, nya."

Wait... that child really was the previous possessor of the magic of Wonderland? Then what did that make Alice? And Cheshire was the first... gah! It made her brain hurt to try to think of it all! Sighing, Izayuki gave a helpless reply. "I see... but I can't say I completely understand. Wonderland is confusing. Alice gave me the 'power', but it really seems to be no such thing."

The cat-like boy only tilted his head again at her words, and appeared to be thinking before continuing on. "Wonderland is a magical power, not just a world made up of the spirits it consists of, Cheshire knows. Each soul represents a 'spell'. The Mad Hatter spell will allow you to lock power. Queen of Hearts will let you create vines from the earth that then can grow roses to increase the oxygen in the air, and poison people from it. Cheshire can 'evaporate' and show up someplace else without moving, nya," the feline explained rather humbly. "In order to receive the power, however, the spell must be used on you by the spirit itself for you to gain the magic, nya. The others do not know this, though, and want to just take your being for themselves. Cheshire knows. Cheshire was the first, nya."

"So... that means I have three new spells so far? Or four, if you count Alice. I just have to find the other four and discover their magic, without them killing me first?" Izayuki asked, blinking, yet slightly relieved that the cat did not react at all to the mention of Alice's name. The task did not sound too hard, but not too pleasant, either. The Cheshire Cat nodded before licking the top of a gargantuan paw in a very feline-like manner. "You do not need to meet the White Rabbit or the Jabberwocky to gain their abilities, but if you wish to unlock Wonderland's purest, concentrated, and strongest power, you will need to have interacted with them, nya."

"What would that power be?" Izayuki asked, agog, yet beginning to get slightly tired of all of this. She just wanted to get the power she needed to escape her former mentor, Yukionna, and go home to Black Rose. "That is secret. But you will know, Cheshire promises."

"If I've met almost everybody I need to meet... then who is missing?" the tanuki girl asked, as the Cheshire Cat finished cleaning his paw. He blinked once, twice, then moved the focus of his red gaze away from Izayuki and off to the side. There, unsurprisingly, was another figure. Unlike the others, this one was dressed in a more modern style, with dirty blonde, almost brown, spiky hair, a leopard-print hat with cat ears, and casual clothing. His arms were crossed, and he stared down at the feline almost disapprovingly. "Bandersnatch."

"That would be me," he said glumly, still staring down at the two and taking a step forward. As the Cheshire Cat met his eyes, the feline boy instantly was turned into a literal cat- with black fur, white paws, a white tail tip, and his bell collar. "Now beat it, cat!" he demanded as Cheshire instantly began sprinting away, eventually fading into the blackness. Turning his hazel gaze towards Izayuki, a small smile crept to his mouth. "Apologies for the intrusion, but that damn cat is not the sort you should be associating with. He saved you not because it was the right thing to do, but because he wanted something. He's the weakest of the Wonderland spirits, but if he can get his claws on you... well, I'll leave it to your imagination."

"Bandersnatch, huh? Who the hell are you, and what is your power? I assume that Cheshire did not turn into a cat on his own..." Izayuki asked, narrowing her eyes and beginning to stand up, slowly. She could not bring herself to completely believe the stranger's words, even if in a place like this, they could prove true. The cat seemed so innocent... but then again, he had managed to free her from the Queen of Hearts. Just what did the feline really want? "Well sheesh, aren't you the observant one?" Bandersnatch went on sarcastically with a sneer curving at his lips. "That cat isn't the only one who knows what happens when we use our powers on you. I do too, so what makes you think I am in such a hurry to use it on you?"

Izayuki was taken a bit aback... had this guy overheard her conversation with the Cheshire Cat, or did he really know? Either way, she had to figure out some way to get him to cooperate, and hopefully without killing her. "Now, you know Wonderland is a magic steeped and based in madness, right? What do you think happens to those who finally cave into the madness?" he asked with a small chuckle, taking a step towards her. Hearing no answer from her after a few seconds, Bandersnatch continued. "Well, those who fall into the madness fall from their throne- and others step up to become the new rulers. Cheshire was the first king, and what happened after he failed? I came in... and after I could no longer handle the madness, who took the power? None other than the Queen of Hearts. The Mad Hatter was a king once himself... but he screwed up the timelines too much for it to be worth looking into. As far as Jabberwocky and White Rabbit go, nobody ever sees them. Those two are as mysterious as it gets... but what about you? I wonder- who will be the one to take your place after you finally, truly, enter the world of Wonderland? Who will dethrone you?"

The yokai took a number of steps backward as he spoke, yet he continued moving towards her, eventually beginning to close the space between them. "Ha, are you scared now? And let me guess- you traded your soul for this too. You wanted power, and believe me, you will get power. The insane power of madness. All you need to finally accept it all is for me to use my spell on you, and trust me, I will have quite a bit of my fun with you as I do it."

Izayuki continued trying to back up, but eventually stopped- feeling a pressure behind her. Nothing was there, yet it felt as if she had literally backed up into a wall. Bandersnatch soon was inches in front of her, not giving much thought about personal space. "I'm not evil like the rest, though. I will give you one last chance. You still have time to leave Wonderland- to run away and forget this, dismissing it all as a bad dream and insane nightmare. Or... well, you know. The choice is yours- what will it be?"

This was nothing that she had ever thought of before. To give up, for once, and to run away. It might do her some decent good, and get her away from these tortured souls. Here was her one-way ticket out of this dark hell, yet, in the end, Izayuki knew that it was no use. She was already a prisoner inside of her own mind. If she left Wonderland, she would just end up in the same state as before, with no hope of ever waking up again. Perhaps it would not be too bad... a gentle, silent, soft sleep without dying? One could only dream of such things. But in the end, what free-spirited being and creature like herself could tolerate such an idea for too long? "Yes, you realize it now. You have no choice. Give into the madness, and claim the throne of Wonderland. Then receive the power to find the freedom you desire, and the abilities to achieve your goals. Or forever be trapped and bound by your own mind, without a soul, and with nothing but your empty thoughts. You have once chance- that is what you traded your soul for. A chance. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"Do it," Izayuki demanded softly, closing her eyes and looking away and she breathed out a hopeless sigh. Despair was a heavy thing- she had felt it earlier in the presence of Yukionna... but this feeling? What was it? She had never felt more hopeless. Exhaling a sigh and then grinning again, Bandersnatch replied. "Right then. Your choice. Look me in the eyes," he stated in a straightforward manner. The yokai hesitantly and unwillingly turned her face back towards the boy, and focused her pink eyes on his own hazel ones, which suddenly flickered to a bright, neon, sulfur, yellow shade, glinting in the darkness. In that instant, a sudden pain was shot through her body, starting from the eyes and flowing throughout. It felt as if lightning was coursing throughout her veins, and never tiring or ceasing. She cried out from the fury of whatever had been cast upon her, failing to clench her teeth to avoid showing her utter weakness. "Idiot. Stop resisting it. This is what you wanted. It's too late to go back."

It then dawned on the yokai that she was indeed resisting... it was only natural. She hated this. She hated it so much, more than anything. It did not matter if she escaped or not- in the end, a dark fate awaited her. She would be unable to handle the madness, be dethroned, and then be forced to become one with Wonderland, just like the others before her. Just like the boy standing in front of her. What had his life been like before he had accepted such an outrageous contract of power? Only now, she was beginning to realize... this was madness.

Knowing it was too late, she began to heed his words. Relaxing her body, Izayuki allowed the fury coursing throughout her to engulf her. A strange white light covered her body for a few heartbeats, before her human shape began to transform, and not of her own will. Her form grew much smaller, until it took on a familiar shape. The light suddenly shattering away and dispersing, what was left was not the pink-haired girl so many could recognize, but a small tanuki, or raccoon dog, with beautiful, silver fur. Her true form. So this was Bandersnatch's spell- the ability to change the appearance and physique of others. It was a simple power, but indeed the last one she needed to feel. With the pain gone for the most part, she opened a pink eye halfway and gazed up at Bandersnatch, still on her back and panting. His soul was already beginning to fade, in a similar manner as Mad Hatter had gone. "I know... this is madness. Good luck to you, Izayuki. Welcome to Wonderland."

Darkness.