Chapter One-Plans
Review please…I need the feed back…I'm insecure…^^
"Alice is going to make her decision regardless Peter." The dream demon said simply, confronting the White Rabbit yet again. This was the umpteenth time he had approached Peter in the Dream Realm and had to listen to him complaining about his failure in Alice's Game of the Heart.
"But she should love me!" Peter protested in his persistent drabble. "I'm must make her see my heart is true. None of those suitors could the devotion for her that I do!"
"Yet they hold devotion none the less. " Nightmare stated. 'This is what you wanted Peter. You wanted her here. But the twists and turns did not play out to your favor. And in my opinion," A devilish smirk escaped his face. "I believe you're running out of time."
Peter let out a frustrated cry and started beating the ground with his fist like a child. Nightmare merely watched in silent amusement.
"Damn it all!" Peter cried, hand to his head as if suffering a great headache. "I try and I try but my attempts are in vain! And Alice cares not for my heart she has slain! There must be a way for her to love me equally! But everyone else is in the way repeatedly!"
"Well what to do?" Nightmare shrugged carelessly, pleasure dripping from his voice. "It's not like you can 'eliminate the competition.' Alice would despise you eternally for sure after that."
Peter sighed. Alice's value for life was an adoring quality in her, yet at the same time, it was quite troublesome. How could he win her heart if he couldn't win her favor in this game against everyone else she held dear? It was truly vexing. He could change his strategy, but it was so hard when he knew of the inevitable degree at which her affections SHOULD lie for him. If only he didn't have to fight for her against everyone else. He was sure so many suitors falling for her was clouding her poor good-natured judgement.
"Damn it!" he cursed again, tormented by his own inner thoughts. "The others are shameful in their affections! It must only be because she is an outsider that they lust for her! No one knows her as I truly do!"
"Oh Alice!" A dramatic sob escaped the rabbit's throat.
Nightmare tried hard to hold in his laughter, but only ended up inducing a bloody coughing fit from the restraint. Peter glared and continued his griping.
"Oh my poor Alice!" he said. "Your heart is so cheaply sought for! Can't they just find some one else to adore?" He huffed and sat back, crossing his arms, trying to think.
"It's not like any of us can help it." Nightmare hacked, wiping away the remainder of the blood form his mouth. "I love her too. The Outsiders that travel here are born and bred with qualities that make them irresistible to Role holders like us. I'm sure if it was any other foreigner, the reaction would be the same."
Peter's anger flared and he jumped up in fury. Hearing his Alice being described in such terms enraged him.
"How dare you talk about her like that!" the rabbit threatened, itching to use his weapon. "Alice is NOT just any Outsider! She is special and unique and has the differentiating qualities that make her so enchanting as to-"
He stopped his rambling as his mind had suddenly processed Nightmare's last statement.
"Wait!" Peter shouted mid-sentence with surprising realization. The shocked Nightmare, as he was put into another bloody fit from surprise. As he hacked away, Peter pondered his stroke of brilliance.
"The reaction would be the same…Any other foreigner…" he repeated, toying with his glasses. He was sure he right when he said the others loved Alice cheaply, but if he could use that to his advantage, he could have her in his arms in no time!
He contemplated and came across a possible solution. If the role holders were to come across another foreigner, they would no doubt fall equally for her as they had for Alice. If their hearts became distracted, he would have more chances to prove to Alice that it was HE who should be her heart's holder. It was a brilliant plan indeed. He gloated to himself; he WAS the Queen's Prime Minister after all. Such deviations were not beneath his brilliant mind. He was just surprised he hadn't thought of something like this sooner.
Now the question remained how to lure another foreigner into the current game? Alice was rare enough and he would need help again from Nightmare to accomplish this feat. He doubted there were any existing outsiders at the time that would stumble upon Wonderland willingly, knowing full well the rules of this world. Another would have to be drawn in. His thoughts immediately went to how he head brought his sweet Alice into Wonderland.
"I could start another game!" he let out triumphantly at last, very proud of himself.
"Are you insane?" Nightmare questioned, looking at him as if he were crazy. "How can you possibly bring another foreigner into this world? And even if you did, another game would seriously upset the balance more than the first one has! Honestly Peter, have you no sense?"
"Another game of the Heart should be simple enough to start," Peter continued, seeming to pay no attention the Incubus' reason.
Peter tapped his chin thoughtfully. "But the problem is which foreigner to bring. Of course no one could be as remarkable as my Alice could, but then again they still need be to be interesting enough to draw the attention of the others. Hey Nightmare," He turned to the dream controller completely serious and asked blankly, "You watch a lot of possible Outsiders, is there anyone you could recommend?"
Nightmare glared harshly at the White Rabbit as he dabbed the remaining blood from his mouth with a handkerchief.
"What makes you think I'll help you again." He replied icily, "I've been through enough trouble with your first little game as it is."
Peter's eyes turned desperate and he broke down back on his knees, begging the dream demon for assistance.
"You have to help me!" he pled. "This is my only chance to win Alice's heart, and if the others will play dirty then so must I on my part! I beg of you!"
Nightmare just stared him down silently, not giving him an answer. Another thought crossed Peter's mind and his ears perked in realization at the idea.
"You could bring anyone here you wanted!" Peter added, hoping his reasoning would spark Nightmare's interest. Nightmare merely raised on eyebrow, still saying nothing.
"You're playing Alice's game too" Peter continued. "And you said yourself I'm running out of time. Well what about yourself? You can't think she would fall for you either, can you?"
Nightmare took great offense to this, and turned away and huffed, not wanting to make eye contact with the vexing rabbit. Bu still he persisted.
"You might loose at Alice's, but with another foreigner the competition will be cut in half and you could capture them all to your liking!" Peter encouraged. He hoped his sueding argument on Nightmare's behalf was getting through, then he could activate his plan.
At this Nightmare turned against face the rabbit and expressed almost, interest in his face.
"Anyone I choose huh?"
His thoughts wandered to the dreams of a certain individual whom he had inspected some time ago.
Even though individuals may linger in different worlds, Nightmare was able to connect to all people's dreams with his power. It didn't matter whether they were in a different countries or different time paradoxes. All they had to do was sleep and he was connected to each and every one of them. This enabled him to search subconscious minds for hints of possible Outsiders who may come about. The qualities that made an Outsider were unique, and they could be found mainly in the individual's dreams. An Outsider would have to be special and have an open mind that connected to places like Wonderland and other strange worlds. Their dreams would create the image of the world and transport them there, as if they had seen it themselves. These usually hinted at the characteristics of creativity and daring, which were ideal in being an affective Outsider.
The individual whom he had watched had been the embodiment of just that. In this girl's dreams, he had never seen some one with a brighter connection to the world of the strange. They would show her everything. And Wonderland was a familiar sight. He had grown fond of her personality through her dreams, and her connection made her very special. So special he tried several times to inhabit her dreams and give her more in depth visions of Wonderland, as a hint for her to visit. Most of these attempts were unsuccessful because of the boundaries of his world, but sometimes a message would slip through, and that had delighted the both of them.
Unfortunately, the individual he had in mind had been disconnected some time ago, and her inaccessibility had him quite sullen. However, there was a replacement that could substitute for her quite perfectly. It was another, less special individual.
"Very well," Nightmare finally said after torturing the rabbit with much of his silence. "I shall assist you in your new game. However, in this game, the player is mine to choose and all the rules are mine to dictate. Understand?"
Peter nodded his head pathetically, great hope and excitement springing in his face. Nightmare rolled his eyes and merely gestured to an image that was appearing in the swirling clouds around them. He showed this to Peter so the rabbit could see the inner workings of his own plan at hand.
It was of a girl, who looked about 17 or 18. She had dark caramel skin and jet black hair that went past her shoulders in restless curls. Her eyes were a startling silver color, but they looked cold and mournful as she gazed emptily at a piece of paper in her hands. Her eyes studied what on the sheet hungrily, and soon hot tears began pouring down her face. This continued and the girl was now reduced to a weeping fit, clutching the piece of paper to her chest and sobbing pitifully. Apparently, whatever she had read, was nothing she had ever wanted to realize in this world.
"This is your choice?" Peter White asked curiously, wondering how such a depressing looking girl could possibly be material for an Outsider.
Nightmare tsk-ed him with a smile, waving his finger in mock lecture.
"Now-Now Peter, you of all people should know not to judge based on mere first impressions."
Peter scowled in the opposite direction and Nightmare continued explaining.
"You see this girl?" he gestured rhetorically to the girl in the image who seemed easily reduced by the page's contents. "This girl is going to the method of acting my plan out. She hold the traits for opening another door to Wonderland."
"She hardly seems special." Peter said skeptically. "Her aura seems more reserved than typical Outsiders, aside from this dramatic fit you're showing me. I can see it in her eyes. And I don't sense the dreamlike connection many Outsiders posses either. Why her Nightmare?"
"Because she is still a link to some one who WAS connected. Besides, she possesses a very important quality to manifest herself in Wonderland." Nightmare said. "Think Peter, how was Alice able to be brought to Wonderland?"
"By my love of course!" the rabbit answered without hesitation.
Nightmare sighed deeply, shaking his head. "What else enabled her? As if that was a legitimate reason in the first place."
Peter only sulked at the rejection of his beliefs, so Nightmare answered for him.
"It was her desire. She desired a place such as Wonderland to exist deep within her heart. A place where she could be loved and wanted. She holds many connections, but that was the main reason she was able to come here."
This was the loophole other individuals who weren't as special as those born for the life of Wonderland to be a potential candidate for the Game of Heart. You had to have a wish for Wonderland to exist. Only those with a strong enough desire for that could create the connection between the two worlds to enter. This was how Alice had managed to create a place for herself and appear here. She had wished for a reality in which she was wanted.
But Alice was already here, and Nightmare had to pick a new piece to play with.
"The very same principles apply for this girl." Nightmare enthused. He pulled up another swirling imaged, a close up on the young woman's sad looking face.
"She may only hold within her second hand connections, but her want for the existence of Wonderland is incredibly powerful. Her otherworldly heart beats with this wish so deeply, that I do believe it's time we grant it to her."
He gazed at her and smiled slightly, remembering another wish he had taken his sweet time in finding a remedy to cure.
"She may just help me fulfill another desire I had taken interest in granting."
Peter looked confused, but before he could inquire Nightmare turned and hurried to wake up the rabbit so this whole plan could be put in motion.
"Now stop wasting time dreaming." He said annoyed. "Don't expect me to do everything just because I'm helping you. YOU'RE going to go out there and get that girl. Now will be just the right time."
Peter nodded and the dream world around them faded, a new hope glittering in Peter's eyes.
Meanwhile, Nightmare thought about the next phase of his plan.
"I believe seeing Julius will be in order now. The first state is to bring the girl here, but after that, I'm going to have to dig up that Looking Glass. Maybe Gray can do it for me…"
As both beings from Wonderland faded back to the real world, the Outsider in question faded into her own state for dreams.
Dreams that were heavy with sense and imagery and nostalgia she knew should not belong to her. These were not supposed to be her dreams. They belonged to some one else. But since she was the only one left, they had to go somewhere.
With a tear-streaked face, she curled up in the darkness of her room with the newly resurfaced letter cradled against her chest. She felt so alone, but also couldn't help the strange feeling that somewhere…somehow…she was being discussed…
A/N-Welcome one and all to my first attempt at a HnKnA Story! I am incredibly obsessed with Alice in Wonderland, so of course something like this couldn't evade me. Be warned. I enjoy creating characters that aren't supposed to be there, but don't worry! I make them fit…also…there are quite a few of them. If you ever get confused, please message me and I'll be happy to clear things up. I'm not sure how this will turn out…but let's just see shall we! I hope you all enjoy it. I tried incredibly hard to create something unique here. I can honestly say you won't see anything like it in the HnKnA section. My mind goes places most others don't…