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Memories of the Heart

Chapter 1

It was a lovely spring day in Wonderland, nice and warm, but not too warm. Alice Liddell made her way down the dirt road that would lead her back the tower. She had gone to town to pick up some parts for Julius. It was her way of helping him, along with fetching him coffee, without getting in the way of his work. Besides Alice didn't mind. Wonderland had been having its spring rains almost constantly the past week, and she was beginning to feel a little claustrophobic being cooped up in the tower. Any time Alice even thought of even going outside, it was a downpour. She was actually shocked to awaken this morning to a golden sun hanging in the clear blue sky above her.

When Julius had mentioned something about being low on parts, Alice had jumped at the chance to run the chore for him. She felt she had purpose at the moment carrying the two heavy paper sacks in her arms. The weight didn't bother her though. She was just enjoying every moment of sunshine she was getting. Alice closed her eyes and smiled to herself as a gush of cool breeze flowed around her, making her hair dance and sway lightly. It had been so peaceful; no disturbances all morning. Alice's smile widened, "Nothing could ruin this day!"

"My dear Alice, is that you!"

'I spoke too soon...' She didn't have to turn around to know whom the voice that sounded of nails against a chalk board and that caused the fine hairs on her arms to stand belonged to. Alice internally cursed herself for being so careless...

'Of course I couldn't have a peaceful day, especially not in Wonderland...' Alice continued brooding over the loss of her good morning, 'Why? Of all the people in this twisted world, why did he have to show up?'

Alice looked up just in time to see the smitten hare charging at her at full speed, calling her name, "ALICE!"

Predicting his next move, she side-stepped slightly just in time for the now projectile rabbit to crash and skid across the ground before rolling into a tree with a hard thud, causing it to shake and let loose a few of its apples onto Peter's head...

"Peter, are you alright!" Alice dropped the bags and rushed over to the tree. The sight before her was actually quite comical. Peter's was lying on his stomach with his legs entangled into a something that resembled a pretzel; his eyes were lolling about in their sockets. Alice was desperately trying to suppress the fit of laughter that threatened to erupt long enough to see if he was alright.

"Oh Alice, Alice love, is that you?" the rabbit's voice sounded light and dizzy as he spoke, only making it harder for Alice to contain her laughter.

"Yes Peter~ha~it's ~haha~ me." she choked out as she helped him to sit up right.

Peter's glasses sat cracked and crooked on his face while two angry looking red lumps began to form underneath his messy snow white hair.

"Oh, Alice, why are you laughing? Did I miss something funny?" He began to smooth out his jacket and adjust his bowtie.

"It's nothing, Peter," she said, bending down beside him and trying to hide a smile, "But are you okay? That was quite the nasty… incident you had there." She pulled a twig from his hair.

"Incident?" The look of confusion wiped away from Peter's face as a look of realization appeared onto his now apple red cheeks. "Oh! That wasn't an accident!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes! Why of course REALLY! I did all that just to make you laugh, Alice! Hahaha~haha~hahaha!" he said with a wide toothy grin as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Is that so?"

"Why yes, of course." His smile dimmed a little, but he continued to look at Alice with wide and "innocent" (it's so hard to put that word into a sentence that even hints to Peter White) eyes.

"Yeah right." She deadpanned as she got to her feet.

"Oh, but it's true!" Peter strapped his arms around Alice's leg, the rest of his body sprawled out on the ground. "HEY! What do you think your doing!" Alice began to furiously blush as he nuzzled his face against her shin.

Peter looked up into her flushed face and said, "Oh Alice, I'd never lie to you, darling! Everything I do is for you!" his ruby orbs widened and became starry-eyed.

Alice considered busting out laughing in his face, but then decided to at least consider his words before replying, "I know you're lying Peter, and quite frankly I don't care too much for liars. Besides, you shouldn't lie over something so~", Alice looked down to find Peter's eyes were not on her face, but up her skirt! He was practically drooling!

"EEKKKK! Get off of me, you pervert!" Alice struggled to extricate the perverted hare from her leg, but to no avail.

"Alice, what did I do!"

"You no good, dirty, rotten slime ball of a man! Let GO!" Alice's voice boomed. A chorus of loud smacks echoed throughout the forest, causing a small group of birds to fly off from the disturbance.

Peter now lay in a heap on the dirt with a bloody nose, a scarlet cheek, and a third lump now forming between the two previous ones. "Oh ugh~Alice, why do you have to be so cruel?"

"Ugh! The nerve of that scoundrel!" Alice was now walking back to the abandoned bags she had left on the path. She picked them back up and began to walk back to the tower. Julius had to be worried about her by now. She had stayed much longer than she intended... but that was hardly her fault now wasn't it?

"Alice! Oh Alice wait!" Peter yelled as ran after her retreating figure.

"Go away Peter! I don't want you within 1,000 yards of me right now."

"But Alice~"

"But nothing, Peter! Gah, you're unbelievable! I wish you would just disappear forever! I HATE YOU!" Alice turned to scowl at him, but instead found herself looking at...screws? Peter stood there holding out a handful of small screws.

"You dropped these," he said in a hushed tone. His eyes were full of sorrow and rejection, and his ears drooped down as well, casting a shadow across his face.

Alice looked down at the sacks in her arms, seeing one of them had a small rip at the bottom... a sudden rush of guilt and regret washed over Alice immediately as she looked up into his ruby eyes. She had never seen them so sad before. It was like watching his very heart break before her eyes. For some reason though, she couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the first time she had spoken those words to him...but this was the first time...right?

'He may be a pervert, but no one deserves to have that said to them... nobody...'

Alice wanted to apologize, but she felt as if she had swallowed her own tongue.

She finally managed to choke out, "I~I'm sorry...I~I didn't mean it. I was just so~" Peter placed his index finger on her lips and gave a small chuckle.

Peter looked up into her eyes, gave her a small sad smile, and said, "You know, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never harm me." His sad smile suddenly transformed into a wide grin. "All is forgiven, my love! Come now, I shall escort you back to the grim man's tower."

Alice sighed to herself and looked at the earth beneath her feet.

"Peter, it's alright. You don't have to~"

"Unuh! I insist! It would be rude of a gentleman of my standards to deny escort to such a lovely lady as your self."

Alice rolled her eyes. She was perfectly fine with walking home alone, but she was too tired so she didn't argue. 'Julius must be worried...I've been out all day...'
"Sigh...fine. I suppose it wouldn't hurt." It was getting dark, and she didn't feel like facing the dangers of Wonderland at night. Besides, it was dangerous enough during the day, and with that thought. Alice turned on her feel and began to walk away down the dirt road. Peter quickly fell into step with her.

"Yay! Oh, Alice, you have no clue to how much I have missed you! I've been meaning to hunt you down recently, but the queen just had me sooo busy. I've had no opportunities to even attempt to even try to come and find you, my love! She's been beheading after beheading! It's really quite~"

Alice was too tired to even and try and attempt to listen and began to tune out the rambling rabbit next to her. Besides, beheadings weren't exactly her cup of tea...

She looked up at the dimming blue sky before her. Different shades of purple and orange were trying to blend in with its pale features as streaks of greens and pinks stretched across the sky. It was beautiful and sad at the same time. It was like it had some sort of unspoken melancholy about it...memories began to flash through Alice's mind...memories of the days her and her sister would sit under the old tree in the garden, but one particular memory stood out from all the rest...

Alice...

x~x

"Alice...Alice? ...Oh, Alice, wake up."

"Hmm?" a young Alice Liddell was laying in the grass next to her older sister on another Sunday afternoon under the old oak tree just as they did every week...

"Oh, Alice, you fell asleep silly!" she chuckled to herself.

"Oh I'm sorry, onee-san," she said as she attempted to sit and rub her still heavy eyelids. "It was just such a nice day, and I couldn't resist." Alice sheepishly grinned next to the one person who she had left and held dear in this world...her older sister...Lorina Liddell.

"Oh it's alright. Oh but, Alice, what am I ever going to do with you? You're always dreaming..." The elder Liddell chuckled again.

Alice decided not to comment, but instead found herself looking up at the sky before her.

The sun was setting and was an odd shade of red. The sky was a beauty within itself as well. It was an odd shade of blue which Alice could not ever recall seeing such a shade before, and in the shade of blue was twists of purples, yellows, and greens through out it, while small streaks of pink painted itself across the sky like paint on a great canvas.

Somehow looking at it made Alice's heart feel like breaking...it was beautiful, but it looked as if it was somehow crying out...

"It's beautiful...but it's somehow sad isn't it?" Alice continued to watch the sunset as she spoke her thoughts.

"Ah yes. It is...a death of another day..." Lorina stared off in sight before them as well. Her eyes looked blank and far away as she drank in the twilight.

"Lorina?"

"Hmm? Oh I'm sorry I was just thinking." She gave Alice a reassuring smile, but Alice knew better...

"But there is no reason to be sad, little sister, it's only light. For you see, the colors of the sky are created because the atmosphere between the sun and the earth consists of many different particles. So, when the light hits these particles, it's broken up and the different wavelengths are scattered in different directions. Wavelengths of blue light are scattered more strongly than red light – that's why the sky's blue. At sunset in the direction of the sun, the blue is filtered out thus, and the remaining transmitted light has all this red and orange hues."

Alice turned to look at her sister with wide curious eyes. "Wow onee-san, how did you know that?"

Lorina blushed and chuckled. "Oh it's just something I read in a book once."

Alice looked at her older sister in awe. Lorina was the picture perfect woman: she's so smart, beautiful and elegant...

'Unlike myself...' she thought woefully to herself.

A pang of jealousy went through her...

Alice tried to shake off the darkness that dared to inter her thoughts and turned back to look at the fading sky in front of her, trying to imprint the scene into her brain so she would never forget it...

...

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Peter said pulling Alice out of her trance.

"Hmm? What was that?"

"Haha oh, Alice, what am I ever going to do with you? You're always dreaming..."

Alice looked at the rabbit in sense of nostalgia, but shrugged it off as a coincidence that he had just used her sister's own words towards her...

"Well I certainly know why this is the queen's favorite time of day. It is quite lovely. Did you know this was her favorite time of day? She just loves having~"

Alice decided to tune him back out and let her mind wonder off again. Besides, her head was starting to pound quite painfully and Peter's ramblings were not helping.

She became so wrapped up back into her thoughts that she didn't even realize the babbling hare had stopped his chatter and became suddenly tense...

x~x

In the world outside of Wonderland, a world Alice had known very well, the echo of ragged breaths sounded all throughout the placid, afternoon air; footsteps crunched against the grassy floor. The sun had only begun to descend, transitioning into a golden orange hue. This light still managed to illuminate over this lone figure, the source of such disruption.

"Alice, I'm back!" Lorina Liddell exclaimed, slowing her pace back to a walk. She took a steady breath in, trying to control the rapid beating of her heart. If Alice saw her elder sister running, she would be ever so upset. Lorina wasn't supposed to be so physically active and push herself to that extent.

But Lorina didn't want to miss anything. She wanted to spend every moment with her little sister.

She called out again, "Alice, I'm back with the cards!"
Only a breeze answered her. Lorina chuckled to herself. 'Alice probably fell asleep!' She knew it was fruitless to tell her of all people to try to stay awake. 'Silly girl...'

"Nee-chan, wake up please-" Then the young woman fell completely still. Drops of green blinked. "Alice?"

She was nowhere to be found.

Wasn't this the tree they sat under every afternoon? It was some unspoken tradition they had established every Sunday. No matter how large and spacious the Liddell residence was, they never sat anywhere else.

"Just where did she go?" Lorina casted her gaze around the current vicinity, searching for a certain girl dressed in blue.

What met her gaze instead was a large hole.

Lorina blinked several times, staring at such an unusual sight. How in the world did that get there? A sense of curiosity drew her closer to further examine it.

The hole was huge, bottomless, like a vast black hole. It was impossible to see a single thing.

Did Alice fall in? Is that what happened? Lorina knew her younger sister to be an overly curious child, but she wasn't foolish enough to fall in.

...was she?

Lorina gripped the deck of cards tightly in her hands as she knelt down and peeked over the edge. Still she saw absolutely nothing, only an all-consuming darkness.

Chills raced down her spine as she sat herself erect. 'Alice didn't fall into there…' she inwardly assured herself. 'She's probably back inside looking for me… yeah. That's it.'

Finding comfort in that single thread of thought, Lorina deliberated she would stand up and just walk away.

Lorina…

That simple enunciation of her name froze her in her place, melding her skirted knees to that very spot on the grass.

It was not possible, completely illogical. It was only the wind playing tricks on her hearing.

She just could not deny it, that sound, that voice…

Lorina found herself looking down into the hole once more. "A… Alice?"

This sensation was so strange. No matter how much she wanted to, she just could not tear herself away from it. It was as if some invisible force latched onto her, drawing her closer and closer… before finally pulling her down all together.

All she could do was watch. The light above her decreased in size, slowly growing smaller and smaller. The deck of cards escaped from her hands, floating over her like a cascade of feathers. Her eyes simply looked ahead – at the devouring shadows, the diminishing light, the decorum of blue flames on the cards' back.

Then the shadows finally descended over her vision and caused everything to fall completely blank.

x~x

After a long moment, her eyes flew open. She was suddenly in a world of shapelessness, a sensation of infinite floating. Lorina sat herself up, turning her brown head around.

But there seemed to be nothing. It was all the same formless space, the flickering rainbow of lights over an empty surface.

Just where in the world was she?

"Who are you?"
Something dark flew across from her, moving at a speed almost inhuman, far too fast for her mortal eyes to perceive.

The young woman swallowed and answered, "Lorina… Lorina Liddell."
There was only silence. It was as if the owner of the voice was processing it, considering something in his or her mind.
"Are you sure about that?"

A sense of indignation swelled into her heart as she replied evenly, "Of course I'm sure! I know my own name!"

Silence again.

"…even more interesting."

How was it interesting? It was not unheard of to know one's name no matter their confusing circumstances.

"Just where am I? What is this place?" She paused for a moment, waiting for that voice to speak again. "Do you know where my sister, Alice, is?"

"…Alice?" Lorina fervently nodded her head, despite not knowing if the voice could see her or not. "Everything seems to be getting more and more interesting… and it seems our time together is up."

"No, wait! What about my questions?" she cried.

"Don't worry, Miss Lorina Liddell. All your questions and more shall be explained in due time… now. Awaken."

Before Lorina could open her mouth, everything vanished into darkness. All air ceased reaching her lungs. It was like she was drowning, submerged deep in the watery depths. For a brief moment, she wondered if she really was drowning.

"Drink."

Lorina absently obeyed the command. Her senses slowly heightened. Something cold and hard pressed against her lips, releasing a steady stream of sweet liquids into her mouth.

Finally, the deluge ceased. The cold object retreated from her mouth.

She slowly opened her eyes.

"Hello there. It's nice to see you finally awakened."

The brunette scooted back, an anxiety surging through her very veins. She had never seen a person quite like him before with his dark, unusual attire, that striking red hair, his other eye hidden behind an intricately designed black eye patch…

"J… just… who are you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice firm and even… but failing.

The red-haired clown smiled amicably and replied, "Who am I? Joker at your service," Joker lowered his upper body to a slight bow. "Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

"L… Lorina. Lorina Liddell," she answered, swallowing a large lump in her throat.

The clown blinked a single orb. "Lorina… Liddell?" She answered with a cautious nod of her head. Fascination besieged his orb, along with another emotion she failed to identify. "Interesting…"

'Why is my name always found as interesting?'

The eldest Liddell held her tongue, lacking enough air to even speak. All she felt was an irrevocable sense of fear.

Why did she feel like that? There were no apparent reasons for such an emotion.

There was just something in that face. Even though there was a smile, Lorina couldn't help, but feel an undertone of something dark and malicious. Lorina turned her head away to dismiss such thoughts from her frazzled mind.

Green eyes blinked. Situated just beside her was a clear, blue bottle, its surface glinting underneath the streams of sunlight. Its top was a carefully carved heart.

A sense of clarity struck her, reminding her of the cold object pressed against her lips, the deluge of liquids rushing into her mouth.

Her heart clenched, the valves of her lungs tightening. "Just what was in that bottle?"

Joker's face was confused and curious as he followed her gaze down to the ground. "Oh. That thing?"

"Yes, that thing! Just what was it? What in the world did you make me drink? Just w-" Her questions were clipped by a low cough. Her hand grasped her pounding skull, trying to refocus herself and dismiss the sudden, disorienting dizziness.

"It seems you are unwell. Perhaps you would like to continue this conversation at a different venue?" Joker suggested.

Lorina groggily inquired, "W…where?"

"Why maybe my circus… or better yet, my prison." Her breath was caught in her throat. The clown's face brightened, his grin widening. "You'd be safe there, and I'll happily entertain any questions you have."

The brunette remained completely still, processing his words carefully in her mind. Her senses suddenly were on edge, gnawing her with such a sensation of fear.

She violently shook her head. "N…no. Thanks so much for the offer, but I'll be just fine. I think I should be taking my leave now…"

Lorina struggled to rise to her feet… but soon stopped when her wrist was caught.

"Now… where do you think you're going?" Joker drawled, his voice as smooth as silk.

"I want to leave. Let me go." Lorina tried shaking her wrist free, but his hold on her was too strong. His grip only tightened.

"My, my! You really do think you are in the position to refuse. Your petulance is rather quaint. Unlucky for you that I don't take well to refusals." A crack suddenly sounded in the air, actuating a deep, nervous swallow. Twirling the whip around his lithe fingers, Joker's grin suddenly twisted into something dangerous and dark. "If you are still adamant on leaving, perhaps I can persuade you to change your mind."

She swallowed hard; her body was immobilized by fear. All she could do was snap her eyes shut when she saw the whip rise up into the air…

Instead of feeling it crack down against her face, she heard a voice. "Oi, Joker, you dirty clown! I never would've thought you of all people would throw themselves on a poor, young lady."

She snapped her eyes open. Both Joker and she turned their heads towards the voice.

Lorina wasn't sure how to feel. She at first thought she should feel relieved at the appearance of another human being, saving her from the clown's assault.

…but why did her savior have to be covered in blood?

Joker released her wrist and stood up. "Ah, Ace! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you here?"

The young man released a light laughter. "Ha ha! Yeah, I was supposed to see Julius, but it seems I lost my way!"

"Yes… lost indeed." The corners of his lips twitched as a sign of annoyance. "Now, why don't you get lost now? You have no business lingering here any longer."

"I don't think you do either!" Ace said lightly. "Ha ha, Joker, I never pinned you as the type who forces themselves on a lady when she refuses you! Don't you get enough action at your circus? Well, I guess I could see why you'd be in discontent being surrounded by kids and animals and all…"

Joker's face darkened into an expression of pure malice, smiling wickedly at the bright faced young man. His whip cracked against his hand. "You still haven't learned to control that mouth of yours, have you? Maybe I should just go ahead and wipe it right off."

The brown-haired man released a loud, cheerful laugh. "That sounds like fun! I'd love to see you try." Appearing out from his bloody cloak was a shining saber, its long blade pointed towards the red-haired clown.

Lorina found her poor head turning anxiously between the two opposing figures. Of all the places she could have possibly landed in, why must it have been so violent? Deep in her tired heart, through her waning vision, she hoped, prayed for a wonderful miracle…

Soon, her prayer was answered.

"Ace, stop fooling around. I don't time nor the patience to deal with such tomfoolery."

Before either figure could move a single inch, a voice sliced through the tension, chilling the heated air before violence could arise.

With a wide smile on his face, Ace lowered his sword without a single protest. "Ah, okay, Julius. I guess we have to play another time, huh, Mr. Joker?"

"Hm… It seems so." Joker's whip lowered to his side. "Since you finally discovered the silly child, Julius, I guess I'll just take this girl back with me and be on my way."

The blue-haired man known as Julius raised a single brow and spoke up, "What? What girl?"

"Mr. Joker planned on taking a young lady to his prison and sexually harass her!"

"I was certainly not going to lay a single hand on the young miss," Joker refuted. "But I was planning on taking her back with me. The poor girl… it seems her condition was far worse than I thought."

Orbs of cobalt and crimson lowered down to the ground. Lorina Liddell lay on the grassy forest floor in a state of pure unconsciousness.

"Ah, Mr. Joker, you're so smart! Knock her out then take her to your circus and harass her. Genius!"

"I was not going to do such a thing, buffoon!"

"Both of you, silence. You're both behaving like a pair of bickering toddlers," Julius said sternly. Seeing both sides quieted down, he added, "Joker, your circus is too far from our current location. If she really is ill, it would make far more sense to take her to the tower. It's much closer, and it's simply more practical."

The red-haired clown processed the information carefully in his mind, eyes glancing over towards the bloody Ace and the clock master. He then released a sigh of defeat. "Fine, Julius Monrey. You are a man known for logic and practicality. I respect your decision to take her to your little tower… no matter how incorrect that course of action is. There's more to her than you and I know… for now at least."

Before Julius could raise a question, the ringmaster turned on his heels and waved an airy farewell, muttering something under his breath about circus preparations.

That had left only three figures to remain, one of them being completely out cold.

The clock master released a low sigh. "To think, I just went to look for you, and now I had to deal with this… come on, Ace. I have a lot of work to do, and I have a pounding headache."

"Oh, okay, Julius. I'll carry her! I guess all the blood on my clothes dried off, and I don't think she'd be too freaked when she wakes up," said the bloody knight, lips still curved to a smile.

"…on second thought, maybe I'll just carry her myself. It'll save me all sorts of inconveniences and headaches." Ace smiled contently at the suggestion. Julius scooped the unconsciousness Liddell up, supporting her head and legs against his arms, and brought her into the tower.

Huzzah! The first chapter completed! xD

This is a collaboration between bucketOFme and Seraphic Melody. Hope its okay!

So thanks for reading and any feedback would be highly appreciated. :]