The Melancholy of Wonderland

Promise to a Friend

Thirty minutes later, the pair was squished in the lower bunk of a large pirate-style ship called the Kraken. After some careful conversations, Anya had found out that the ship was transporting goods for the palace. Now that she and Raven were safely boarded on that very vessel, they were literally headed straight for the City of Aces.

"See? This is great! Now, all we gotta do is hide out until we get there," Anya whispered, giddy at their luck.

Raven stared out the small porthole window, mouth contorted into a firm line. In a soft voice, he said, "I am still unsure of how to feel about all this."

"What's on your mind?"

"This is against the law, not to mention a major disrespect to the captain. Are we not guilty of a crime?"

"Maybe to you we are," Anya said slowly. "But think about it from my point of view. I want to go home. You want an audience with the queen. How are we going to get there? Simple: figure out the quickest and most efficient way to do it and execute it. Like I said, in order to do this we have to be willing to break a couple of rules. This isn't something a pair of goody-two-shoes can pull off. To get what we want, we have to do anything and everything we can. Besides, it's kinda fun."

"Fun?"

"Yeah! Don't you get a little excitement from doing something bad? Not like, morally wrong but once in a while just following the rules gets a little stagnant. Going against the norm is like a thrill; a shot of adrenaline to your system." Anya smiled dreamily. "I used to break the rules all the time back at my high school. It was almost harmless, and there was always that sense of freedom and independence."

"Freedom... What does that word mean?"

"Uh..." Anya bit her lip. How was she to explain the definition of freedom without a dictionary? "Imagine you're floating on a cloud. Think about how weightless and empty that'd feel. That's sort of how freedom feels like."

"I suppose I can relate to that." Raven nodded. "Is this sense of freedom common where you are from?"

"Yes. The law states that we're a free country. We had to fight a war for our independence, but that was years and years ago."

"It sounds like a utopia. This 'freedom' and 'independence'. I wonder if Wonderland will ever be like that."

"Please. My country has a lot of problems, but it's a nice place for the most part. Tell you what. Let's make a promise."

"What sort of promise?"

"When all this is over, I'm going to give you your sense of self back and I'm going to take you to my world."

"My sense of self?" Anya nodded.

"As I said before, everyone in Wonderland is the same. There's no difference in personality and I want to give you one. A sense of self, the feeling of being unique, of being different."

"It is against the law to be different. The Code is absolute."

"Then that's another rule we're going to break. I intrigue you, remember? Don't you want to be like me?"

"Well... I suppose. Is being different really worth it?"

"Yes," Anya agreed wholeheartedly. "Being different from other people gives you a sense of worth. Being different gives you pride, confidence, and it makes you happy. I like being different. Honestly, I'd rather die than be like every other stinking person out there."

"Those are all very desirable traits," Raven said, "ones I thought only the Queen of Hearts had. But... I too, want to be happy."

"I know," Anya said, nodding her head. "That's why I want to give what I have to you. Because you're my friend... My first friend. Here, stick out your pinkie finger."

Raven obliged, wondering what Anya would do with such a small limb. Anya looped her own pinkie around Raven's, shaking the connected fingers.

"And, it's a pinkie promise!" Anya giggled. "Sike! I've always wanted to do one of those. Now it's settled. We'll both go see the Queen of Hearts, and then I'll give you your sense of self back, and I'll take you to my world! Let's go to Disneyland."

"What kind of place is Disneyland?"

"It's a place where dreams come true."

"It sounds wonderful."

"I'm sure it is," Anya said sleepily. Her eyes grew heavy as she snuggled against Raven's shoulder, falling into a content slumber.