Title: More than a Dream
Summary: Tim Buron movie spoilers. Three years later, Alice dreams again. This time, revenge and danger lurk in the corners. Alice x Hatter
Disclaimer: I do not own Alice in Wonderland or the Hunting of the Snark. It belongs to Lewis Carroll and the movie this is based on to Tim Burton. I make no money from this; it's just a good way to avoid homework.
Update: I added a scene change divider to make things easier to read.
A/N: This is technically a sequel to Waking from a Dream. You don't really have to read it, but it might help a little bit to understand Alice some. This story is fully plotted in my head, and I have a few chapters written, but I'll only publish every week or two weeks. I'm trying to get a good buffer between this and grad school to hopefully have semi-regular updates.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this!
Chapter One
"You won't leave me, I know you won't. You aren't like those other horrid people who love her more than me," The Red Queen whispered as she patted her token tenderly. She was curled up in the hollow of a tree, her giant head tilted at a painful angle to ensure she fit. Outside her nook the rain poured and lightning lit the sky for brief moments.
"You're the only one who understands me, no one else bothers. Not even mummy or daddy. They all loved her more than me." She continued, her fingers tracing each contour with the strictest tenderness and love. Her voice cooed, though it was rough and croaky.
A loud clap of thunder made her jump, dropping her precious token. The jangle of the chain reminded her that it wouldn't go far, and she soon settled back into her hole to curl up with it again. Her dress was torn and stained to no longer reflect its past glory, while her hair tumbled down in a knotted mess to her waist, the curls catching sticks and dirt from roaming for so long.
One strip of fabric had been tied around the heavy metal cuff on her wrist, giving it a splash of dirty red to the otherwise dirty dark gray it would have been. More strips had been twined through the chains, another attempt to brighten it up. At the end of the chain was the other cuff, tied into it a now skeletonized hand with some more fabric. This was what she was petting so tenderly and cooing at.
The idea to use the rocks to make tools out of had been almost ingenious, and it had almost made the Red Queen happy enough for her to forgive Stayn for what he had done to her. Their silence was always tense and full of screaming that would never happen. Learning how to create such tools had taken a long time, and a lot of experimenting with various tools. Still, their efforts weren't for nothing, and soon they were able to get food down and make different shelters for the night.
None of the outlanders had outright tried to kill either of them, but their lack of help had nearly caused it instead. Luckily, Stayn's extreme height allowed them to get certain foods from the trees easier, while making shelters harder to find as well. She had followed him and his wilderness experience for nearly a year, constantly thinking about how they could ever be split up. The cuffs refused to move at all, nor did any of their stone axes manage to get through the steel chain.
Then the idea came to her, and she acted almost immediately. While Stayn slept one evening, she took another rock and knocked him out, ensuring he wouldn't wake when she started her next part. If the chain would not break, then it would have to be someone's flesh and bone that broke. Using this thought, she took one of their sharpest axes and started to pound at Stayn's wrist to break it off from his arm, not even caring at the blood that was pouring out, coating her hands and the ground. Still, her plan worked and she was separated from him forever.
For two years she had wandered alone, sticking close to the seashore there, getting what she needed from there. Still, the lack of anyone else around her was the last thing her sanity could hold, so soon Stayn's hand was her closest friend and the last symbol of someone who loved her.
Another loud clap of thunder shook her from her thoughts. She glared up at the rain, brushing a few raindrops from her forehead. She would get back her throne, she just knew it. This wouldn't be the end of the Red Queen, not in some stupid hole in a tree.
The next morning she woke up to the bright sunlight streaming him from the canopy. Groaning a little bit she lifted herself up to start wandering to find some more food. If this area seemed good she might be able to stay here for a while. She was right next to the coast, and this tree only needed a little bit of expanding and it would be a perfect sleeping hole for a while. She hadn't been over to this part of the coast ever, so there was hope.
Stumbling out of the tree line, the Red Queen was shocked to find a boat docked on the sand and a number of men working around it.
Perhaps hope was possible.
The fall into Underland was better than Alice had remembered, at least when someone was holding her hand the whole way down. It was also easier getting in when she remembered to get the key before they drank the liquid.
No, the biggest surprise was Underland itself.
~*~*~
The whole landscape seemed to be celebrating, and the colors were more extreme than usual. All the flowers were talking among themselves, spreading the gossip of the land faster than a rabbit could hop. The horse flies and butter flies buzzed around all the flowers, getting in the way and being swatted away with a fond exasperation.
"It's so different," Alice said softly.
"It's the reign of the White Queen. All of Underland rejoices when she's on the throne." Hatter replied as he walked with her through the flowers.
For a while she stayed silent, walking and staring the whole time. Finally a daffodil snapped at her to stop staring and being rude. Laughing a little bit, Alice stopped staring at the flowers. "They're a bit sensitive you know."
"And I'm not a flower. Luckily this time they don't think I'm a weed." Alice replied as she looked up at the Hatter. "Where are we going? Is it tea time?"
This time the Hatter laughed, but not the hysterical laugh she had heard once in front of the Red Queen, but a carefree happy laugh. The sound of it made her laugh as well, till they were leaning against each other to keep themselves upright.
Their laughter was stopped by a slightly impatient cough, making them look up at the White Rabbit, looking dapper in his waistcoat. "The White Queen is waiting for you at her castle." He said while looking at his pocketwatch. "You're late, go go go, you mustn't be late for Her Majesty!"
Hatter straightened up, fixed his hat on his head, then looked at Alice. "Well, we mustn't be late. Come on, we'd better hurry." He turned in the fork on the road, leading them towards a shining white castle in the distance.
Alice looked up at the sky with a fond smile. It was good to dream again.