This is my first published story... (Other than the horrible one I deleted) Feel free to tell me if you don't like it, tell me where I can improve and don't hold back if you don't like it. This story is random and was written for my own amusement. If you like it, Enjoy!

Oh, one more thing... I use a plural form of Alice/Alyss occasionally, because I can't be bothered writing Alice and Alyss. Instead I write Alyce. So just be aware that it is not Alice, or Alyss alone, but both of them doing the same thing, or being spoken to at the same time.

"ALICE!" he called through the dark and gloomy fog, "ALYSS!"

"Alice, Alyss, you MUST find your muchness but don't try to hard to find it or you may lose your muchness altogether."

"Yes Hatter, I do understand, we both do. We know we must find our muchness, we have always known." Alyss dutifully replied as she and Alice turned and walking, faded into the whispering fog, but before they vanished entirely from view the Hatter shouted one last piece of advice through the shadows "Don't forget to FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT!"

That was the lingering advice he gave to Alice and Alyss, whether they would heed his final words or not, they both knew their duty. Seeing as it was a starting place to finding their muchness, twas as good as any so they decided to heed dear Hatty's advice and seek the white rabbit that they might follow him.

As Alyce faded into whispers the Hatter turned and slowly, ever so slowly stuck his hand into his pocket, from which he pulled; first a tail, then two back legs and a tiny body, followed finally by a twitching nose, which screwed itself up and let out the oddest sound that some may have called sneeze, but was far to small to be classified as anything other than a breath. The Hatter then raised his hand to eye level and said in a very quiet voice, "How nice to see you again Dormouse" to which there was an even quieter reply of,

"Shhhh, you are speaking far too loud", at that the Hatter snorted in disgust,

"You have been in to the tea again haven't you Dormouse. Well I won't talk any quieter for the sake of your head. You bring it upon your self you know, you don't need to drink the tea, just sleep in the teapot."

"Alice, pay more attention to where you are going," Alyss shrieked, as Alice had almost walked straight into a tree. "Sorry, I was thinking about my muchness again, wondering who or what it actually is… I mean they tell us all our lives that we are the ones who will go out and find our muchness, but they never tell us what our muchness is. It's not fair!" Alice moaned

"Alice you know as well as I do that that is why we have to find our muchness," Alyss scolded. "Why can't you accept that our muchness is the thing that defines us and leave it at that?"

"Because I wan't to have some idea of what to expect. Is it a challenge? Or is it a prince? Or is it a terrible monster we have to fight? Or could it be nothing at all? Or could it be something we already have? Or…"

"Alice!"

"Sorry Alyss, It's just I don't know anymore? What have we actually come out here to find?" Alice sighed.

"Alice, you know I have as many questions as you, but why do we need to know the answers now? Currently we just need to find the white rabbit and follow it, then we will work out the other things we need to do, if there are other things we need to do, to find our muchness." Alyss replied calmly.

"But…" Started Alice, "we don't know where to find the white rabbit"

"Shh Alice, the white rabbit will make itself known when it is time for us to follow it, till then let us wander." Alyss, ever level headed responded.

"Hatter," Whined the dormouse, "You know I can't stop drinking tea! I'm addicted!"

"Dormouse," Scolded the Hatter, "You must, Alyce's muchness may depend on it!"

"Why would Alyce's muchness depend on me not drinking tea? You just wan't me to stop!" Dormouse accused. "It has nothing to do with Alyce's muchness at all!"

"Dormouse…" Hatter was now holding the dormouse upside down by the tail.

"Ouch! Head ache! Put me the right way up please!" Dormouse shrieked

"Not until you swear never to touch tea again," said Hatter quietly

"Never!" The dormouse shrieked vehemently "I will never renounce my tea!"

"NEVER?" Boomed the Hatter "NEVER EVER?"

"I will, I will, if you swear never to yell again!" The dormouse whined covering it's ears with it's paws "Please!" It squeaked

"Deal!" The Hatter said a lot quieter this time, "Deal!"

"Alyss, don't walk so fast!" Alice said

"Alice, don't whinge!" Alyss replied

"Are we there yet?" Alice said

Alyss ignored her

"Alyss, are we there yet?" Alice said again

Again, Alyss ignored her

"Alllyssssss, aaarreee weee there yet?" Alyce was getting increasingly frustrated

"No Alice we are not, though if you go on like this for much longer you will be as far there as you will ever be." Alyss replied sharply

"Oh, no need to get all catty about it, it was just a question." Alice replied feeling a little bit silly.

"Shh, Alice. What was that?" Alyss said quietly

"What was what?" Alice whispered back

"That sound." Alyss replied

"What sound?" Alice said

"Shh, just listen, then maybe you will hear it." Alyss hissed

"Clunk" "Shick"

"Alyss, What is it?" Alice asked intrigued yet slightly terrified

"I think, but know that I am not sure, I think it is chess pieces, and cards being played" Alyss whispered back.

"Okay, so now we have agreed that you will not talk loudly, and I will touch no more tea, don't you think we should have a celebratory drink?" The dormouse asked hopefully

"Great idea!" said Hatter sarcastically "I'll have tea and you can break your side of the bargain now!"

The dormouse had the grace to look sheepish at being caught trying such a transparent venture, but nevertheless responded with a hopeful "Really?"

"No!" The Hatter replied disgusted. "Unless you wish me to break my side of the deal also?"

"No no no, thats all right, it was only a foolish desire anyway. What need have I got for tea? I don't need tea. It is unnecessary." The dormouse was muttering almost to himself by the end of his little apology

"Hush you foolish thing" The Hatter replied "Can you hear that?"

"What? Oh yes I can hear that. It is the sweet sound of pure droplets of tea being poured from the heavenly vessel of a teapot." The dormouse said

"No it's not," Replied the Hatter, "It is the sound of the screaming falls. You are obviously suffering from some sort of tea withdrawal if you think that that sound is tea coming from, now how did you put it? 'the heavenly vessel of a teapot' hmm?"

"Maybe, I am. Maybe the tea withdrawal will kill me. Maybe the only solution is to give me tea. Yes, place you finger here,my heart grows faint" With that the dormouse reached over and grabbed the end of the Hatter's finger holding it to his heart.

"Enough theatrics!" The Hatter growled. "Shh"

"Oh no, you don't mean to say there is a game going on in the woods right now?" Alice said with growing trepidation.

"Sorry Alice but that is exactly what I think we can expect," Alyss said, rightfully a little frightened herself.

"Maybe this is all part of finding our muchness" Alice squeaked

"And maybe it isn't." Alyss hissed back "But whether it is part of finding our muchness or not doesn't matter, it is happening, and we must help."

"Alyss, which side do we help? The cards or the chessmen? The winners or the losers?" Alice asked

"Which ever side it feels right to help" Alyss replied.