Hey everyone! After a long wait it is the last chapter of Charmy in Wonderland. I would like to thank all those who have read this story and I hope that you guys have enjoyed reading it as much as I had writting it.
Without further ado, I give you the
Chapter 10 of Charmy in wonderland: Queens and Dreams
Rika and the gryphon's discussion were interrupted by a voice in the distance, “The trial is beginning. Come quickly if you want good seats.”
“Oh my, is it already that time for the trial to begin? Let us hurry back,” The gryphon suggested, while grabbing Rika's hand.
“OH! EW! GROSS! CHICKEN HANDS!” Rika shrieked.
The gryphon released Rika's hand and bonked her on the head,
“How many times do I have to tell you, that I am not a chiwen or whatever you keep calling me? Gr...y...phon! I am a gryphon, get it right.
Rika rubbed the top of her head, “Sorry Mr. Gryphon.”
“It's okay. Anyways, we should get going. Something is going to happen at that trial, something important. And I don’t think we can afford for you to miss it,” the gryphon explained.
“Okay, let’s get going. Kamei, do you want to join us?” Rika asked looking back at the sad girl sitting behind her.
“Join you? Why would I do that? I am sad, not suicidal. If I go with you, mock turtle soup would be tonight’s main course. So, no thank you!” Mock Kamei huffed.
Before Rika could apologize for her callous comment, she was snatched by the gryphon as he dashed back towards the Queen's garden. As the grassy knoll disappeared from sight, Rika could hear the feint sobs of Mock Kamei singing “Turtle Soup,” to herself.
Rika winced and flinched at every branch that whipped her as she scurried through the forest. The gryphon ran ahead of Rika and blocked her from as many branches as he could. A small grin crept to Rika’s lips as she realized what the gryphon was doing.
In the distance Rika notices a small circle of light that filtered through the thick forest. As they neared the light, the gryphon quickened its pace, ramming into the wall of thorn bushes. Rika stopped momentarily hearing a screech echo throughout the forest. Deciding that she rather not meet the owner of that blood churning screech, she continues to run the path that the gryphon had made for her. The gryphon found himself tangled in the thorn bushes, every slight movement causing the thorns to dig deeper into its pelt. It took a deep breath and with a final push, the gryphon bore through the wall, immediately falling down as it stepped into the garden. Rika was a bit annoyed at the gryphon leaving her alone, but was glad to see that the tiny ray of light in the distance had grown larger.
Rika was a bit confused by the large hole that she found at the end of the path.
“Was this the reason for the beam of light?”
Rika poked her head through the large hole and surveyed the familiar garden scenery.
“I guess the chicken did have a sense of direction,” Rika chuckled to herself.
Rika stepped into the garden, her ears perking at the soft pitter of rippling liquid. She looked down and hopped back, looking down at the pool of red colored liquid on the garden floor...
“One of the gardeners must of dropped some paint here…anyways, where is that oversized chicken?”
Rika began to walk towards the center of the garden in search of her feathered friend. In a near by bush the gryphon, who lay bruised and battered, began to chuckle to himself.
“Silly girl, how many times do I have to tell you? It is gryphon, not chicken.”
Another soft chuckle rumbled from the gryphon, inciting a fit of coughs. “I guess I pushed myself a little hard. I’ll just rest here for now.”
Rika wandered around the garden grounds before coming upon a courtroom scene. At the front of the courtroom, Rika saw King Aya and Queen Miki seated in their thrones, holding hands. Rika became increasingly concerned as she noticed Miki's devilish grin. Rika's attention was focused towards the center of the court room where the knave of hearts lay on the ground, chained and noticeably beaten.
The courtroom came to a dead silence as Rika let out a horrified shriek. The jurors and the judges turned and watched as Rika ran to the side of the knave.
“What did you do to her Miki?” Rika screamed.
Before Rika could approach the bench, she collided with a wall of armored soldiers. The girls that resembled T&C Bomber and Coconuts held her arms and legs firmly, while the faux Ayumi and the other melon's held their swords dangerously close to her throat.
“Please do address my queen with the proper respect Rika. If you don't, it might become increasingly difficult to keep you out of harms way,” King Aya explained, shooting a quick glare at the insolent girl.
Rika's body shuttered at Aya's subtle threat. The king could see the effect of her words and waved her hand lazily. The soldier's released Rika and pushed her towards the downed knave. She knelt down beside the knave and tucked her fingers behind the girl's head, cradling it onto her lap. A soft groan escaped the knave as her head rested in Rika's lap. Rika reached down and brushed a few strands of hair from the battered girl's face, running her thumb across the girl's cheek wiping away some of the dirt and blood that stained the knave's cheek.
“Fine. May I ask the Queen of hearts what this girl did to deserve this kind of punishment?”
Queen Miki snickered at the request and snapped her fingers. Bunny Yaguchi hopped forward and unraveled the scroll that she held in her hand.
Bunny Yaguchi narrowed her eyes and ran her eyes down the scroll trying to read the blurry script. The frustrated bunny threw down the scroll and fished through her pockets. She pulled out a rather large pair of bifocals and slipped them on. She pinched the frames of the right lens and kept them from falling off of her face as she reached down to pick up the scroll.
Bunny Yaguchi cleared her throat, “Ahem. Here we are today. Why we are here, even we can't say. The knave lays still all bloodied and bruised, but to most of us this is new news. What vile act did she do, to cause her to be all black and blue? To commit an act against the Queen's heart, why would you even think about stealing the queen's tart?”
Rika looked over at the bunny who returned her inquisitive look with nothing more than a mere smile.
“What sense does that make?” Rika asked.
A shark crack echoed throughout the garden as King Aya rapped her gavel against the bench.
“Jurors, come to a verdict.”
Rika looked around and noticed that there were no jurors in sight. Suddenly, the ground rattled and a rectangular path of grass began to separate. From the giant hole a bench of 12 jurors rose from beneath the ground and began to discuss the case.
Bunny Yaguchi stomped her foot, “HEY! There is a lot more of the trial to go through before you come to a verdict. Stupid jurors. Anyways, let’s bring on the first witness. MAD HATTER, COME ON!”
The jurors watched in wonder as Mad Hatter Tanaka went to the stand, pulling behind her a table with tea and assorted breads, followed closely by the March Hare dragging the still sleeping dormouse.
“Enough with that incessant rattling!” Queen Miki screamed.
Mad Hatter Tanaka rested her cup on the table, “I apologize my Queen, but I was summoned in the middle of tea time and as you know, it’s always tea time for me, so I can't really go anywhere without my tea.”
“When did it start being always tea time for you?” King Aya probed.
The mad hatter turned to her two companions and suddenly a squabble broke out between the hare and the hatter while the dormouse continued to sleep. Queen Miki chuckled watching as her king's temper ware thin of this bickering. Aya stood up and slammed the bench once more with the gavel.
“ALRIGHT! I have had enough with this needless bickering. It doesn't matter anymore. Oh, and hatter, remove that hat from your head, before I remove your head from your body.”
The bickering came to an immediate stop. Reina's hands began to tremble, as she looked up at the fuming king.
“Well you see my king, this isn't really my hat, so I can't really take off MY hat,” The hatter replied.
“If it is not your hat, then it must be stolen,” King Aya concluded.
“It isn't my hat, because the hat like all my other ones is for sale,” Reina added.
“Where is your evidence missing hatter, oh and by the way, if you don't stop looking so nervous, I will sentence you to death...here and now,” The Queen interjected.
Amazed at how chaotic and unorganized this trial was going, Rika suddenly noticed that she growing little by little.
I should leave before I make a mess of things, but I want to see how how this turns out. Maybe I will stay for as long as I will fit in the garden courtroom. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.Aya and Miki look down at the trembling hatter while tapping their fingers on the bench.
“As exciting as that story was, the King and I grow tired of your story that still seems to lack evidence of your innocence. It does not look good for you Miss Hatter,” the queen explained as a small grin crept to her lips.
“That is true, provide us evidence of your innocence or be sentenced to death, take your pick,” King Aya demanded.
Mad Hatter Tanaka tries to explain the events of her last visit with the queen for tea. As the story unfolds, the Sayumi Hare begins to deny any involvement with the hatter. As the two squabbled, the hatter tries to gets the attention of dormouse Saki but alas, she is still asleep.
“I grow tired of your presence, you may stand down. If you can't stand any lower, sit down.” King Aya instructed.
Before she knew it, Mad Hatter Tanaka and her crew ran away from the courtroom before they can be executed.
“Are you just going to let them get away darling?” King Aya asked planting a kiss on the back of her queen's hand.
Miki's face became slightly flushed, “We can get rid of those buffoons anytime my dear. All good things come in time,” she answered, returning a suggestive wink to her king.
The flustered king somehow rips her attention away from the queen and reads over the documents that sit in front of her.
“Okay, the next witness...Cook to the Duchess, COME ON! What evidence do you have for us Cook?”
Chef Mika looked up at the king and queen, “Nothing.”
“Really? That was a bust. Okay, next witness,” Aya shouted.
At the king's sudden announcement, Bunny Yaguchi scampered to the bench. She raised her hands and waved them frantically. The King and Queen looked as a few fingers wiggled just above the edge of the bench. The two leaned forward and peered over the edge of the bench.
“Hey! This thing is to damn tall,” Bunny Yaguchi protested.
“What is it?” The King asked.
“Usually, when there is someone on the witness stand, it’s traditional to get at least some information from them,” Bunny Yaguchi disclosed.
“Is that so? Hm. Cook give us some evidence or off with your head,” Queen Miki forewarned.
Chef Mika cupped her chin and momentarily slipped into thought. After a few silent moments, the Chef came to her needed revelation and threw her hands into the air.
“Okay, here is my evidence. The tarts were made mostly of pepper. That’s it.”
King Aya's eyes shined as she nodded her head furiously, “I see. I see. It all makes sense now.”
The king turned to the side and began to shake her queen, “It’s made of pepper, and it’s so simple."
Chef Mika took the king's reveling as an opportunity to escape before any threats can be made on her life. Bunny Yaguchi watched as the chef made her hasty retreat into the forest. The discontented bunny hopped her way to the side of the king and gave the king a firm pinch.
“WHO DARES TO ASSAULT THE KING? YOUR HEAD WILL BE ON MY MANTLE BEFORE THE DAY IS OUT, HEED MY WORDS!”
“It is I who did it my lord, but you keep on letting your witnesses run away!” Bunny Yaguchi exclaimed.
“That does not give you the right to assault my king, miss bunny. OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” Queen Miki screeched.
Being the clever bunny that she was, Bunny Yaguchi knew what she had to do to escape her grim fate. She quickly fished through her pockets and pulled out another set of bunny ears, ones that had the ears bent down. She slipped on the ears and faced the king and queen. The King and Queen melted at the mere sight of the quivering lipped bunny.
“Never Mind. Annoying bunny...you have escaped your fate this time. Just call on the next witness,” The king and queen murmured.
Bunny Yaguchi giggled as she put on her original set of ears. She scampered over to the thrones and gave the king and queen a quick hug before unraveling the scroll once more. Bunny Yaguchi hopped on top of the bench and screamed at the top of her lungs,
“Next witness, Mary Ann aka Rika. COME ON!”
Rika was aghast from the sudden summon to the witness stand. She gently moved the knave's head from her lap to the ground. Before standing up. In the rush to get to the witness stand, she did not notice that she has grown quite large, and clumsy. Before reaching the miniature witness stand, Rika managed to trip over the juror box, sending it toppling through the air.
“I'm so sorry about that. I will fix that,” Rika said apologetically, as she reorganized the juror box and the jurors.
After clearing the mess of jurors, Rika looked down at the witness stand, and concluded that there is no way she would be able to fit in it. She shrugs and decides to kneel beside the witness stand.
“Miss Rika is it? So what do you know about the matter at hand?” King Aya questioned.
“I don't know anything about the situation at hand, because it was to confusing and difficult to follow,” Rika answered.
“Difficult to follow? Are you dense girl? Either way, I grow tired of your presence. I am hereby enforcing rule forty-two, which states that anyone a mile tall must leave the courtroom,” King Aya affirmed.
“Rule forty-two? You just made that up to get rid of me. And for the record I am not a mile tall, so I don't think I will be going anywhere,” Rika huffed.
The king slammed her gavel once more on the bench and stood up, pointing at the giant Rika, “Listen hear girly, rule forty-two is the oldest rule in the book.”
“Oldest rule in the book? What book? Even if there was some book, wouldn't the oldest rule be rule number one?” Rika snarled.
The king sits down and looks over to the juror box, “Considered your verdict.”
Bunny Yaguchi clears her throat,” Ahem. My king, there is still some evidence to consider, namely this poem that I found on the knave. It isn't addressed to anyone, and it is not in her hand writing, but since I found it on her person, it must be hers.”
The king snatches the letter away from the bunny and begins to read it to herself.
At the mere mention of the letter, the knave quickly sat up. A soft groan escaped her lips, as she is reminded of the bruises and scratches that she had accumulated on her body. The knave took a deep breath and crawled her way to the witness stand. She managed to get a firm grip around the top of the stand and pulled herself up, leaning against the stand to keep from falling back down.
“I did not...write that letter. Since there is no signature, you can't conclude that it was me. Therefore, I can't be the author of that letter.” The knave protested.
“I have concluded that only a dishonest person would not sign their name on a letter, and since you are a dishonest person, you wrote this letter,” King Aya deduced.
Rika stood up and looked down on King Aya, “How does that make sense? No one knows who wrote that letter and moreover no one even knows what that poem means.”
“It doesn't matter what the poem means, all the jurors need to know is that the knave wrote it, end of story. Now jurors, come to a verdict.”
“Enough with coming to verdicts, this god forsaken trial is to long. Sentences first, verdicts later,” The queen bellowed as she hurled her throne into the center of the courtroom.
By this time Rika has grown so large that not even Queen Miki could threaten her.
“Enough of this Queen. You are being totally unreasonable and I won't stand for it anymore!” Rika exclaimed as she towered over the courtroom.
“You insolent giant nuisance, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!” Queen Miki shrieked.
“I'm not afraid of you anymore Miss Queen of Hearts, your nothing more than a bunch of bullies and I won't stand idly by and allow you to do as you wish,” Rika affirmed.
Rika's blazon statement left the Queen speechless and, more importantly, furious. The queen calls for an all out attack on the giant, and in an instant, Rika is covered from head to toe with soldiers. Rika twists and turns feverishly in an attempt to shake off her attackers. In her struggle, Rika fails to realize that she is no longer being attacked, but in fact she has been plunged into darkness. In the distance she can hear someone calling her name “Rika...” The voice is familiar, warm and inviting.
“Mmm...That voice, I know that voice.”
“Rika!” The voice called out.
“I can hear it as clear as crystal. I don't know if I will be ever able to tell you this again, but I love you.”
“I love you too Rika. Now open your eyes.”
The dazed girl slowly opened her eyes, and realized that her head was in Yossi's lap. She quickly sits up and looks around the room.
“This is where that entire thing started...with that bunny Yaguchi.” Rika recalled to herself.
“Bunny Yaguchi? Are you okay Rika?” The voice asked.
Rika quickly turned and pounced the girl who was sitting beside her. Rika buried her head into the girl's shirt and begin to sob uncontrollably. Rika wrapped her arms around the girl and nestled her head closer to the girl as Rika le tout muffled cries of delight.
“Yossi, it’s really you. I thought I was never going to see you again!” Rika cried.
“What do you mean? I was only gone for like three minutes after the script thing before I felt bad and ran back here. Then I found you on the floor, you didn't look hurt so I just let you rest. You looked like you were having a good dream,” Yossi explained.
“Good dream? Hardly. Let me tell you...”
Rika went on to describe her strange adventure through that wonderland to Yossi. About how the H!P girls were so strange but at the same time very true to who they were.
“By the way, when did Miki and Aya start going out?”
The color drained from Yossi's face. Yossi laughed nervously, in an attempt to avoid the conversation, “Wh...What do you mean by that Rika? Miki and Aya going out? That’s crazy.”
“Don't worry about it Yossi, I know,” Rika confirmed.
“But how? I didn't tell you, and I know for a fact she didn't tell you.”
“I can't explain it, but I just know,” Rika added.
“About Miki...I have decided that if you really want me to, I will talk to her and explain that” Yossi began to say before Rika pressed a finger to her lips, silencing the taller girl.
“Don't worry about it Yossi. I am over it, I trust you and more importantly I love you and I know you love me. You can go hang out with her if you want. All I want is that you visit me after wards,” Rika purred suggestively.
“What has gotten into you Rika? I like it... still a little weird though,” Yossi concluded.
“You have no idea...” Rika whispered as she crawled on top of Yossi and starred into her eyes.
Yossi lay still as Rika pinned her to the ground. A smirk curled onto her lips, “You want it? Come and take it.”
Rika gladly took the invitation and leaned forward pressing her lips roughly against Yossi's. Yossie tilted her head back feeling Rika's full lips. Rika suddenly broke the kiss and hopped to her feet. Even though still a bit stunned and dazed by Rika's passionate kiss, Yossi pouted.
“Why did you stop?” Yossi asked playfully.
“Well I have to call Fujimoto and tell her that you'll be there in a few minutes, since your just lazing about.”
“That no fair, you pinned me to the ground!” Yossi exclaimed.
“Right, like anyone would believe Charmy could restrain THE mister moonlight.” Rika rebutted.
“But...you win this round,” Yossi admitted.
Rika giggled and ran out of the room to get her cell phone. Yossi chuckled as she watched Rika hop out of the room. In her mind, she replayed Rika's story and she couldn't help but smile.
“That girl might be hanging out with Nono to much, but still...Wonderland...sounds like a fun place.”