Down the Rabbit Hole

“I’m late, I’m late for a very important date. Oh, dear. Oh my. I’m late. I’m late. I’m late.” Those words were the words that peaked Hana curiosity. It wasn’t the urgency in which it was said that drew her attention, because living on Nova everyone was hustling from one place to another, but of who said it. She shouldn’t have been surprise to see a talking white rabbit, with a tattered red vest, spectacles and oversize pocket watch, but she was. Oh? And did Hana forget to mention, he was the one that spoke. It was enough for her to run after the pip squeak and see what he was up too. She ran passed a tea party for two and into the dense woods, but even her quick pace could not keep up with the hopes of the white rabbit. She saw glimpses of his white fur through the…lotus?

Hana had a nasty habit of tunnel vision, especially when she wanted something. It was her fatal flaw that got her into lots of trouble back on Nova. Everything around her blurred and only the fleeting figments of white, red and the fading “I’m late,” seemed only to matter to her, until she lost him in the lotus forest. Giant mushrooms the size of houses sprouted everywhere, not to mention the lotus leaves huge enough to eclipse the sky. Hana did not know wither it was day or night, making her surrounding all the more eerie. If she was scared or confused at the moment, being in unfamiliar territory, Hana did not show it. She marched in one direction and one direction only taking in everything. Her head did not stop moving from left to right, soaking in everything. Before Nova exploded, or whatever, not in her wildest dreams did she believe that other words like this one exist.

Just the thought of home being swallowed up, its very existence being erased brought a cold, dead chill down Hana’s spine, but she kept on walking. The only thing that kept her going was the thought of her friends making it out okay. Whatever she had to do, give up, take she would in order to find them and restore her world. She would be the hero of this story. Already, she walked down the desired path, shown to her by a powerful witch. Already, she was one step closer in making her dreams a reality.

Before long, she heard whispers; voices and a lot of them surrounding her. She turned around but saw nothing but a field of flowers stretched out in between two trees. “Who’s there?” Hana called out drawing her Katana from her sheath, the distinctive noise echoing even above the whispers, drawing them into a silence. “Oh look,” one said. Another said, “I’m so scared.” All the while Hana slowly turn about 360 degrees already in an attack stance. “HEARTLESS!” another voice screamed and out of nowhere black portals appear. Through those portals drew what the witch told her days prior as heartless. These Heartless where in fact called Neoshadows, and are quick and dangerous or so she was told.

With one quick flip of her wrist, her katana sliced one of the neoshadows into two, dissolving it back into the darkness. But with the preemptive strike, it only brought 2 more heartless to take its place. Everyone she took down, another appeared. First 3, than 6, finally she was surrounded by all sides with 12. She was losing this fight, not because her lack of skill, or swordsmanship but sheer numbers. Beads of sweat trickled down her back, and her arms felt heavy holding up her Katana. Molten lead with every swing of the blade but she would not give up. She would not die her. Fail before she even attempted to make her dreams into a reality.

Flying the gummi ship to a new world could've gone a lot smoother, had it been as easy as Ame's flight simulator game back home, but he and Miku still made it in one piece, despite the rough landing. The whole concept of these strange new places was bizarre- it was tough accepting that there was anything beyond Nova, after it had been all he'd known for so long. On top of that, he had to adjust to this strange new weapon that just appeared in his hand when he needed it most? It was all so crazy!

This new world- Wonderland- was very different from the last one. They were surrounded by giant trees and plants, and he was half afraid he would be running into an over-sized ant before long. Surely Hana couldn't be in this world! Ame stopped in front of a big flower and looked over his shoulder to see Miku, "Do you think we'll find her here?" Ame frowned and scratched the back of his head.

"Run away..." The flower in front of him whispered.

Ame jumped back a step in reaction, "Did you hear that?!" Not a moment after, a shadow darted passed them and around the corner of some tall blades of grass. "Look! Another one Miku!" When he heard a shout, Ame rushed after it, only to be met with a hoard of the dark beings, all swarming around... Hana?! She was so busy swinging her katana around, that she wouldn't be able to dodge the heartless behind her without help. He ran forward, yelling "Look out!" before he jumped behind her, getting between Hana and the big Neoshadow, and at the last second, the keyblade appeared in his grasp so he could block the creatures sharp claws.

The patch of flowers swayed in the wind, bending and flexing as if the hand of god was petting each and every one of them. Strands of Hana’s hair seemed to dance accordingly to the sway of wind as she scanned her surroundings. Neither neoshadow nor Hana moved a muscle, waiting for the other to make the next move. Her Katana was at the ready. Her blade gleamed in the daylight, soaking up the rays as if it thrived on the sun’s energy. Between two heart beats both she and the heartless instinctively moved and the danced continue.

Even though they were fewer in number, unlike the shadows who attack in swarms, these creatures worked together in tandem, keeping Hana always on the defensive. She split open a few of their skulls, fugitively speaking of course, because they just dissolve back into shadows, but she had to block, dodge and parley their attacks more frequently. When all seemed hopeless, and the thought of running seemed the best course of action out of nowhere helped appeared in the form of Ame. You would think having her wish granted would bring her untold amounts of joy. Well, you would be wrong. “What are you doing?” Hana said sternly. “I can handle these freaks by myself,” she said using her sword to block the sharp claws of the heartless, before he tore her flesh from bones.

If it was any other circumstance, she would have been over joyed to see Ame again, but in this instance, she was annoyed and more than a little bit ticked off. Once again, Ame the savior, Ame the protector, Ame the all-around good guy saves the day. Ame was beyond a nuisance. Hana was about to asked where Miku was when she got her answer. One of the neoshadows froze in midair, claws already outstretch ready to take off someone’s head. After her blade went through that neoshadow like butter, she yelled out to Miku “Thanks” in a kinder, more gentle manner, continuing to fight the heartless with a smile.

The Neoshadow's strength was difficult to match for someone of Ame's size, but when he finally managed to push the creature off, he swung his keyblade down and finished the heartless. Just as before, however, two more took its place. Ame couldn't help but wonder if they would ever stop coming. As Hana brushed off his attempt to help, he was slightly put off, but all the same, he was not surprised. He couldn't imagine Hana being afraid of these dark creatures- not like he was. Ame glanced down at his keyblade, feeling somehow inadequate, but then he remembered what Merlin told him. Ame looked back at the Heartless surrounding them. Though he was afraid of them, they too were afraid of him. The keyblade was their soul enemy, the only thing standing in their way.

"You're outnumbered Hana!" She'd always been stubborn, but in a situation like this, it seemed reckless. Another pureblood pounced, and with Hana right behind him there was nothing he could do but block the attack and force the heartless back. Once Ame regained his balance, he lunged forward, plunging his blade into the Neoshadow's chest, and it vanished in a puff of smoke. It left a stolen heart in its wake, which floated up into the sky, though Ame didn't know where it was headed.

He took the opportunity now to attack a dark ball a few arm lengths away so him and Hana had more space to defend themselves, and when he looked over his shoulder it seemed Hana was fairing better than he was. Ame looked out to spot Miku and make sure she was alright before he went in to attack another heartless. The little shadow was too quick for him though, as it sunk to the ground and came around to land a hit behind him. He hit a Neoshadow in front of him before swinging his key around to deal with the little Shadow, ignoring the pain in his backside.

Light reflected of Hana’s katana, which she dubbed “Heart Reaper.” It moved in a perfect ark, slicing through another neoshadow. It exploded into darkness, before being reabsorbed back into the earth, but there was still more of them; they out number Hana, Miku and Ame three to one. Hana might of like those odds, but Miku and Ame could not handle that many. Each one Miku froze was an easy death of another Heartless. She did not like easy kills, preferring the challenge of an uphill battle and coming out on top, than to use dirty tricks, but she worried about protecting Miku and of course Ame, who was utterly useless. And on another fact, Hana would not let Miku’s power go to waste.

The battle raged on and for a second, Hana thought it was going in their favor, until, after finally killing a horde of creepy shadows that had swarm on top of her, trying to claw at her bare flesh, she saw Miku too on the ground a dancing heartless, who hoped on one foot than the other standing over her. Hana’s heart stopped. She was too far away to reach her on time. If anything happen to Miku, Hana wouldn’t be able to live with her self. “Nooo!” Hana screamed. Fear and anger welded up inside her, consuming every other emotion in her. The heartless stopped jumping as if pondering Hana’s command before dissolving back into the shadows. In fact all the heartless sunk back into the deepest, darkest shadows, where they belong.

Ame lunged at another Neoshadow, putting distance between himself and Hana in the process. Though the Neoshadow was obviously the stronger of the two, it danced around Ame's attacks, as though taunting him. If he couldn't even land a hit on these things, there wouldn't be much hope of lasting through the fight. Ame swung once again, more recklessly than the last, and the heartless took hold of the tip of the blade. Ame's eyes widened as he could see the smoke sizzling from the Neoshadow's hand, clearly in pain due to the contact with Ame's Keyblade, but the heartless didn't seem to care. It knew the Keyblade wielder was a weak opponent, and now it had him right where it wanted him. The heartless was going for the finishing blow.

With a grimace, Ame turned his gaze in search of his friends. He saw Hana as he peered over his shoulder, fighting tooth and nail to keep the heartless at bay. Even without a Keyblade, Hana stood the better chance. He then sought out Miku, but a sense of dread filled him as he saw her, lying on the ground, with one of the heartless hovering over her. "Miku!" Ame turned back to the Neoshadow, and his hand slipped from the Keyblade as he turned and ran towards her. But at Hana's sudden shriek, Ame stopped abruptly, as did the heartless. The Keyblade landed on the ground with a clatter, as the Neoshadow retreated, just like the rest.

Ame ran forward to Miku, dropping to his knees once he reached her side. "Are you hurt?" He asked as he offered a hand to help her up. Once she confirmed that she was unharmed, Ame looked to Hana, "How did you do that?" Looking at his friend now, he wasn't sure he believed Merlin anymore. Today, it seemed the heartless feared Hana, not the Keyblade- or perhaps more accurately, not him. The Keyblade would have been put to better use in her hands, and yet it chose him all the same. He couldn't understand it.