Author's Note: This is a rewrite of my I Don't Wanna Be a Part of this Harem! story because I was not very happy at all with the first one. Actually, it's most likely going to be a completely different story, but I'm recycling the Alice theme. My thoughts were scattered, and I didn't have a clear idea of where I was going with the story. I tried to pull in too many elements, had too many conflicting ideas, which just made it a complete mess. Also, Alice's personality was freaking terrible because she had none except being a whiny, lazy, self-centered brat. I hated my own OC. I jumped the gun so to speak, publishing the story before I was sure of the story-line and content.
I have left the other one up simply because I don't have the nerve to delete it yet. I also wanted to give those who favorited and followed the other story a chance to read this one and decide what they think. However, this will be a far different story than that one. That's why I renamed it.
There will still be elements of Alice in Wonderland included, and it was never an actual crossover. The details might be obvious such as the White Rabbit and falling down a hole. Others might be more easily overlooked.
With that being said, please enjoy the redo!
~\..'../~ This symbol most often indicates a passage of time or a scene change.
\'..'/ This symbol indicates a shift in point of view during a continuous scene. I added this in hopes of cutting down on confusion.
Alice aimlessly strolled through the waist high grass. Here and there, white daisies with yellow centers poked their heads above the blanket of green. Looking up at the indigo blue sky, she shielded her eyes from the blinding white sun. What a glorious summer day!
"Alice! Alice!" her angry older sister shouted. "You better come back and wash the dishes! I'm gonna tell, Mama! You'll be in big trouble, fart face!"
Ugh!, she groaned inwardly. But it's the first day of summer vacation!
Alice dropped down to her knees to hide, disappearing in the meadow of emerald green grass swaying in the hot summer breeze. One day of doing nothing was all she asked for. She had just completed her senior year of high school for god's sake. A break was in order.
The verdant scent of the crushed stalks surrounded her as she settled down onto her belly to wait in case her sister came looking for her. She plucked a nearby daisy, picking off the thin white petals one by one.
Something rustled the grass to her left, making her freeze in fear. Surely her sister had not found her so quickly. She held her breath as the swishing sound grew louder, coming closer. When the fear of being caught threatened to overtake her, she covered her mouth with both hands to keep from screaming.
The lengthy blades of grass shifted then parted like a curtain. Alice yelped in surprise when a white rabbit hopped into view mere inches from her face. She lay her face flat on the cool ground inhaling the aroma of the fresh dirt she disturbed. Relief flooded her system making her feel temporarily weak.
Raising her head, she stared at the rabbit in front of her. Sitting up on his haunches, he stared back at her with his big red eyes, his little pink nose twitching like crazy.
Alice glowered at the adorable creature that had scared the hell out of her.
"How cute...you little shit," she grumbled.
Wanting to wring its cute little neck, she reached out to grab him. Naturally, he bolted, leaving her to clutch empty air where his long ears had been seconds before
"You're not going to get away that easily, fuzzy butt," she muttered, crawling on her hands and knees along the path he was cutting through the grass.
The jeans she wore offered little comfort against the sharp rocks that poked at her knees and shins. Dirt and grass stains coated her palms. Suddenly the path closed, the grass snapping back and hitting her in the face.
Alice sat up, leaning back on the heels of her boots to look around for signs of the white rabbit. Catching sight of a fluffy white tail, she got back onto all fours, pushing up onto her toes into a sloppy downward facing dog position. Gathering strength in her legs, rising onto the balls of her feet, she lunged forward like an awkward fox in her attempt to catch the bunny. She landed flat on her belly, catching only a face full of dirt.
"Damn rabbit," she muttered, punching the ground when she came up empty again.
Then he hopped right across in front of her face as if taunting her. His little cotton tail bounced up and down rhythmically with each hop. Staying low to the ground on all fours, she followed the bouncing bunny butt.
Keeping her eyes on the flashes of white fur through the green grass, she pursued her prey. She had no intention of hurting the little animal. She would take him to her father, and he would take care of it. Rabbit stew for dinner tonight!
Alice and her quarry were nearing the edge of the meadow where the rugged dirt road to the house cut through. She had to catch him before they reached the road or he would disappear in the cornfield on the other side. She was losing sight of him.
"Dammit," she growled through gritted teeth.
Putting her hand down, she plunged forward into nothingness thinking she had found a hole. Expecting another hard meeting of her face to the ground, she closed her eyes. Instead of smacking the ground, her entire body continued proceeding downward as if the earth had suddenly opened up underneath her and swallowed her up.
"What the hell..."
Had she fallen into an old well? Accidentally falling into an abandoned water well that had not been covered or filled properly was not an unheard of incident in the rural area in which she lived.
Alice screamed, but there was no echo. She could not sense anything around her that would hint she had nosedived into an old well. And she was still descending. It was more like she had taken a tumble into the void, suspended between universes where there was no light or sound, or even smell. Only the sensation of air rushing past her, reminding her that she was still plummeting to god knows where.
Smell was the first sensory perception that returned to Alice. Dirt, dampness, and the stench of mildew mixed with stagnant water in a dark enclosed space. Maybe it was a well and only her fear made the drop seem impossibly long. Either she had gone blind or there was no light whatsoever, not even a spot from the sun, as she looked up. She assumed she was looking up since she didn't feel like she had tumbled head over heels.
The air around her started to grow warm, then became hot and stifling like a humid Georgia afternoon in August. Light, an eerie blue-green glow, filtered into the darkness surrounding her. Then her stomach somersaulted, bringing with it an influx of queasiness. She was falling faster.
So this is how I die, she thought. How pathetic.
Closing her eyes, Alice relaxed her body so she might be able to absorb the impact better, spreading it throughout her body to disperse. Tense tendons and muscles could twist and break her bones. Perhaps all of this was wishful thinking on her part, but she might survive the fall.
The sound of dripping water like that of a leaky sink faucet met her ears seconds before her body jerked forward as if someone had put on the brakes in a speeding vehicle. She hit the ground comprised of damp, loose dirt which provided somewhat of a cushion. Inhaling a noisy wheezing breath, she waited for the pain. Apart from an aching back and chest after having the wind knocked out of her, there was no pain.
Alice cautiously opened one eye a crack. No more total darkness. A muted bluish white light like an LED nightlight allowed her to see what appeared to be a cave roof above her with stalactites pointed down at her. A luminescent, light blue fluid dripped from some of them.
Forcing herself to a sitting position, she looked around to see that stalagmites rising up from the cave floor had formed circles where the glowing blue liquid had collected into little pools. The scene reminded her of the way a swimming pool looks at night with the lights in it lit up.
"Hey! Are you okay?!" a voice shouted at her from behind.
Alice twisted her torso around to find the source, expecting to see a woman by the sound of the voice. Instead, she saw a young boy running toward her. He was dressed a little bit weird. His white shirt, brown jacket, black pants, and brown knee high boots appeared normal enough. The bizarre part of his outfit was the silver plate on his chest and the green thing on his arm that resembled some sort of armor.
"Are you okay?" he repeated breathlessly, dropping down onto his knees beside her.
"I-I th-think s-so," she stuttered, taking in more of his appearance since he was close to her.
She would guess his age to be around fourteen. He was a little older than her previous assumption of eleven or twelve. His hair was a shaggy, almost curly, and hopelessly messy. The snowy white color astounded her. It looked so soft and fuzzy. Like a rabbit's fur. Then her eyes met his which were an unusual ruby red color. His skin was extremely light in color, delicate and smooth. She wondered if he was an albino. He looked almost like a -
Alice gulped, staring at the shockingly cute young boy with white hair and red eyes.
"White rabbit?" she whispered.
"What?" he asked, his head tilting questioningly.
A buzzing started in her ears like a thousand cicadas. Black spots appeared in her vision, growing and blocking out more every time they appeared. For the first time in her life, she fainted.
~\..'../~
Alice heard the tweeting of birds and felt the sun on her back. She was laying on something firm and warm but not entirely uncomfortable. Whatever it was moved underneath her.
Forcing her eyes open, she quickly narrowed them to block out most of the brilliant yellow sunlight. When her bleary eyes focused, she could see trees. Lots of them, in a row like they were lining a road. Had she fallen asleep on a car trip? She didn't remember going anywhere.
Opening her eyes a little wider, she raised her head to look around. She wasn't in a car. She was riding piggyback on someone. But who? She stared at the back of the white head, a narrow pair of shoulders underneath covered in brown leather. The boy from the cave. CAVE! She had fallen into a cave?
Glancing around, trying not to panic, she saw they were traveling on a dirt road that looked like any of a hundred around her home town. But she wasn't at home. That fact was quite clear from her landing in a cave. How was all of this possible? Where exactly was she, and who was this guy carrying her? Her head began to hurt.
Rather than freaking out, kicking and screaming which might cause him to drop her or make him fall hurting them both, Alice tapped him on the shoulder. Fighting the urge to free herself and run away screaming, she chewed on her bottom lip. Just where the hell would she go?
"Excuse me," she said in a quivering voice that demonstrated her barely controlled terror.
"Oh, you're awake," he returned without stopping.
"Will you put me down?" she requested in the calmest tone possible, her voice a little high due to rising panic.
"Are you sure you can walk? I don't want you to fall and get hurt," he said, stopping in his tracks.
"I think I'll be fine," she assured him although she was less than sure about that herself.
He lowered his body, hunkering down slightly as he released one of her legs. After her foot was firmly planted on the ground, he let go of her other leg allowing her to stand on her own two feet.
Alice remained in place, afraid if she tried to step forward her trembling knees might buckle.
"Where am I?" she asked, pressing her hand to her chest over her rapidly beating heart as if to slow it down.
"You're in the city of Orario," he replied. "Are you sure you're all right? I can carry you."
"I'm fine. Who are you?"
"My name is Bell Cranel. And you?"
"Alice Leigh King." She held out her hand to shake his.
"Nice to meet you, Alicely," he said, running her names together into one.
She didn't bother to correct him. After a quick handshake, she took another look around.
"Where are you from?" Bell questioned her.
"Not from here. And by that I mean not from this world," she added without further explanation.
"I don't understand." He looked like a confused puppy again.
"Neither do I," she sighed. "Where were you taking me?"
The ivory colored skin on his cheeks flooded with a bright cherry red color. He twisted a lock of his white hair around his finger nervously.
"I was taking you to my house. I hope that's okay. I didn't have any ulterior motives. I just want to help you," he anxiously gushed, the blush spreading across his face and down his neck.
"It was never even a thought in my head, Bell Cranel," she said. "You should calm down before you faint. I could carry you, but I don't want to. And I don't know where to go."
"Follow me," he said, turning to continue down the road. "Why were you in the dungeon?"
"Dungeon?" she repeated, her brain getting more scrambled by the second.
Dungeon to her meant a stone basement under a castle where prisoners were kept. Obviously it meant something different here.
"What's a dungeon?" Alice asked.
"Hmmm, well, it's a labyrinth where people come to explore and fight monsters," he said.
But why?, she wanted ask yet held her tongue. No explanation would make sense to her regardless. Maybe that was one of the main sources of entertainment in this world, like a real live video game or LARPing to the extreme.
"I don't how I got into that...dungeon. I don't know where I am or why I'm here," she muttered irritably.
If this was a nightmare, she was ready to wake up. It felt all too real with the sun beating down on her back, the dirt and sweat crusting on her skin - the fear of not knowing what in the hell is going on.
The city reminded her of a medieval town. The roads on the outskirts were made of hard-packed dirt that was like cement. Houses comprised of river stones or wood planks with tile or thatched roofs lined the narrow roads. As they went further in, places of business in brick and wood buildings bordered the cobblestone streets and sidewalks.
People who stared at her became more numerous. They looked strange to her as well like she had gone back in time instead of skipping to another plane of existence entirely.
After passing the huge fountain in the city square, they kept on going until it seemed like they were heading back out of the city. At last he stopped in front a church that judging by the rundown appearance had been abandoned for quite a few years. Many of the ornate stained glass windows had panes broken out and ivy had grown over much of the faded and chipped white stone exterior. It was still pretty in a haunted, romantic sort of way.
"Is this your home?" Alice asked, staring at the smashed stone steps and permanently half open front door.
"This is it," he confirmed, walking toward the corridor on the side filled with rubble from the crumbling building beside it.
"Oh, dear," she murmured, following him around to the back.
They entered the door and went down a flight of stairs to the basement. There was a living room room, bedroom, and kitchen all crammed into an open space.
There was also a girl who appeared to be Bell's age in the kitchen placing food on two plates. She had glossy black hair pulled up into pigtails that trailed down to her behind which was encased in an impossibly tight and short white dress with blue trim.
"Welcome home, Bell!" she exclaimed excitedly, turning around to greet him with a big smile.
The smile fell from her face when she saw the unexpected guest. As she critically eyed the unwanted intruder with her cerulean blue eyes, her scowl deepened and her hands formed fists that planted themselves on her voluptuous hips.
"Bell, who is this and why is she in our house?" the girl asked, her voice strained as she tried to control her anger which painted her cheeks rosy red.
"Hestia, this is Alicely King," he said.
"Just Alice. Leigh is my middle name," she corrected him this time, stepping forward. She extended her hand, "How do you do? Hestia, was it?"
Hestia took a glimpse at the hand held out to her in greeting. Her nose wrinkled, and she visibly recoiled taking a step back.
Alice looked down at her hand that was stained with blotches of green from grass and coated with dirt that had filled the ridges in her palm. Then she became aware of what a horrible mess she must be. Looking down at her pants, dried mud was caked on her knees and blades of grass still clung to her boots, all of which was covered with a smattering of dust from the cave floor.
"Oh, no!" she gasped, withdrawing her hand and placing it behind her back. "I'm so sorry."
"I found her in the dungeon. She seems a bit confused about things," Bell said, grasping desperately for a way to explain.
"She's not the only one," Hestia snarkily returned. "Bell, I've about had it with you picking up strange women and bringing them home!"
"Is this a habit of yours?" Alice asked Bell, becoming suspicious of his innocent act.
"Well, I...uh...uhm...you see..." His words trailed off as he blushed violently and scratched the back of his head.
"Look, I don't want to be here anymore than you want me to be here," Alice said, addressing Hestia directly.
"Is that any way to address a goddess, you stupid heathen?" Hestia shot back acidly.
"Excuse me!" Alice shrilled, placing her hands on her hips and widening her stance to face the girl head on. "You're cute and all but damn! Seriously? I don't know who the hell you think you are - "
"Alice, she really is a goddess," Bell interrupted her.
"What?! Are you people crazy?!" Alice shrieked, her panic transforming into unbridled anger.
"No, but I think you might be," muttered Hestia, folding her arms under her unfairly generous breasts.
"How dare you!" Alice shouted indignantly.
Tears stung her eyes seconds before they streaked down her cheeks creating muddy lines. Alice didn't understand a damn thing about his insane place. Dungeons! Cobblestone streets! Big boobed teenaged girls who think their goddesses! Well, those existed where she came from too, but this girl was convinced and so was her little boyfriend.
"I don't know what's happening here. I don't understand any of this," she sobbed, running her dirty hands through her hair which she was sure was filthy anyway.
"Goddess Hestia, please," Bell begged, getting down on his knees in front of the furious girl who was obviously in charge. "Please, let her stay until we figure this out. She needs our help."
"Hmph!" Hestia snorted, raising her adorable button nose into the hair.
"Please!" he implored her shamelessly.
Alice was beginning to feel embarrassed for him despite her present emotional breakdown.
"Oh, all right," the goddess begrudgingly agreed. "But this won't be her permanent home."
God, I hope not, Alice thought keeping her lips clamped tightly together.
"Would it be asking too much to get a shower and a change of clothes?" Alice asked. Her tummy gurgled and rumbled. "I don't need food. I know you only have enough for two. But may I please clean up?"
Hestia's eyes softened as she gazed at Alice. At least the girl wasn't totally awful and cruel like Alice was beginning to think.
"Fine," she muttered, crossing the room to the small chest of drawers in the corner. Taking out a pile of black clothing, she shoved it at Alice as she passed by to return to the kitchen. Pointing behind her at the closed door on the opposite wall, she said, "The bathroom is in there. Knock yourself out. But don't use all of the hot water."
"Thank you," Alice said, pivoting on her heel.
"Bell, we need to talk," she heard Hestia state firmly as she entered the bathroom.
Well, someone's in trouble, she thought, setting the clothing on the edge of the free standing sink. There was a toilet and a shower; a tiled in area with a glass door, a shower head sticking out of the wall. At least they had modern conveniences. What a relief.
\'..'/
"Bell Cranel, you need to stop bringing stray girls home," Hestia admonished him, her hands on her hips. "This is getting out of hand."
"What's going on?" Lili asked, skipping into the room.
"Oh, great you're here! There's a prime example of why this needs to stop," Hestia exclaimed irritably, pointing at the diminutive girl who could be mistaken for a child. "You bring these girls home, and they never leave. What are you doing here, homewrecker?"
Lili ignored her, plopping down on the couch beside Bell.
"What's up, Bell?" she inquired, picking food from his plate.
"I found a girl in the dungeon today. She appeared lost and confused. Her name is Alice," he said.
"Where is she now?" Lili asked.
"Wasting our hot water by taking a shower. Ugh! She was filthy," Hestia muttered, inserting herself into the small space on the couch on the other side of Bell.
"Alice has had a hard day, Hestia. Give her a break. Please, for me."
"She's not the only one."
"Please..."
"Oh, all right." She slapped Lili's hand that tried to sneak a bite of food from her plate. "Just for you, Bell."
Alice emerged from the bathroom dressed in Bell's clothes, a loose black shirt and calf length sweatpants, the outfit he usually wore to bed.
"You gave her my clothes?" he inquired.
"You have another set. Besides, I couldn't give her one of my dresses. She's too big," she mumbled around her mouthful of food.
The girl's light blue, almost colorless, eyes looked sad and hurt by the comment. Her eyes were already red and bloodshot from crying, but she appeared ready to burst into tears again. She snatched the towel from her head, revealing clean yellow blond hair that hung in defined waves down to her breasts that were much smaller, at least half the size, of Hestia's. Her body was curvy and nicely proportioned rather than having an exaggerated hourglass shape.
"If you mean too big as in several inches taller than you, then yeah, you're right, Hestia," Lili said, after studying Alice. "Wow, you really have a thing for blondes, don'tcha, Bell?"
"Lili," he sighed after hearing Hestia growl.
Alice sat down in the straight backed chair positioned on the other side of the coffee table facing the couch where all three of them sat. She appeared uncomfortable, not sure what to do with herself as she sat there with the towel draped over her lap while she laced and unlaced her fingers together.
Bell realized he had not made introductions yet.
"Alice, this is Lili. Lili is my supporter. She goes into the dungeon with me to help me."
"Oh," Alice gasped, leaning forward to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you, Lili. You have such a pretty name. It makes me think of the flower."
"Oh, she's pretty and nice, Bell. I like her," Lili said directly to him before taking her hand to greet her. "It's nice to meet ya, Alice. Well, I gotta go!"
Lili made a hasty retreat for the door.
\'..'/
Alice envied the girl named Lili. She had been able to escape this incredibly awkward and disconcerting situation. She could not escape this situation or this place called Orario in whatever world she had landed in.
"Is there somewhere I can sleep?" Alice asked, weary from her ordeal.
"You can sleep on the couch. Bell, you are sleeping in the bed with me," Hestia declared, assigning the sleeping arrangements with resolve.
Alice could not help but notice that Bell offered no complaint. Why would he? Her eyes skimmed over the busty little gal who was cute as cute gets. The tiny Lili was precious as she could be as well with her ears and tail and big brown eyes. She wasn't even going to question the ears and tail.
"Here," Bell said, pushing the plate of food across the table toward Alice. "You should eat this. You need your strength."
"But, Bell, that's your food," Hestia immediately protested.
"I'm not hungry. I'm getting a shower and going to bed. I'm tired."
"Okay," murmured Hestia, gazing after him on his way to the bathroom.
Alice stared at the plate. The food looked familiar. It appeared to be rice and broccoli with beef. Stabbing a piece of the meat with her fork, she steeled her nerves and stuck it in her mouth. It tasted good. Forgetting about Hestia, she dug into the food, polishing it off in no time.
"Would you like for me to wash the dishes?" she asked when she was done.
"Sure. That would be great," Hestia returned, handing over her plate.
Alice wanted to do something to show her gratitude. Ironic that thing would be the chore she was trying to skip out on which started the chain of events that brought her here.
"Alice?" Bell called to her when she was elbow deep in bubbles.
"Yes?" she inquired, scrubbing the plate vigorously.
"Tomorrow we can go to the guild and talk to Miss Eina. I'm sure she can help us. She can tell us a way to get you home."
Alice didn't ask what's a guild and who's Miss Eina. She nodded, fighting back the tears that wanted to fall.
"Thank you, Bell," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for everything."
"Good night, Alice."
"Yeah," she sniffed, losing her battle with her tears
Alice doubted Bell or Miss Eina could help her, but she had to believe she could get back home somehow.
