They were crossing the fields of Papier on the way to Time's castle when the creatures struck. Seeming to appear as if out of nowhere, the things, Paper Airplanes of all things, grew from miniscule specks above the sheets of grass, until each were the size of ravens, and dove at Alice and Mirana, the Queen gracefully shoving her champion out of the way before they came down on her.
Scrambling back to her feet Alice quickly turned back towards Mirana, concern on her face as she saw the Paper Airplanes swarming around the queen just like the flock of angry birds they seemed to be.
"Mirana!" Alice shouted, moving to run back towards the queen, surprised as she did so as to how far she'd been thrown, only to stop feet away at the sight of Mirana's hand up, signifying for Alice to stop.
"Don't Alice! You mustn't risk it! Tarrant needs you now!" Mirana shouted, her voice still regal through it all. Alice though could hear the pain in her voice as the Airplanes continued their attack on her.
"Can't you stop them? I've seen you do as such before!" Alice begged, as she saw the queen shake her head amid the cloud of creatures.
"I could, in time. . oh what a poor choice of words considering." The queen ramented, strangely unperturbed by the attack for a moment, "But his tampering with time to birth these makes it difficult. But either way it doesn't matter! If you don't save Tarrant from my sister and Time, then everything we have accomplished here will be for nought. You must go Alice! I am not important, certainly not now!"
Quickly looking between Mirana and the direction of Time's castle, Alice glances upon a row of what looked like giant matches among the tall paper grass. It was ridiculous considering, but then this was Wonderland, so breaking one off, Alice begins to sprint forward, swiping the thing across the ground as she goes, the match tip bursting into flame as she reaches Mirana and begins to swing the match at the Paper Airplanes, lighting many on fire and effectively scaring off those that remained.
After what felt like ages, but had in truth only been a few seconds, Alice swung once more as the last of the airplanes that weren't smoldering ash scattered away into the skies above.
Pressing the match into the ground as quickly as she could to quelch the flames Alice kneels down to where Mirana sat, one leg under her, the other splayed out to the side. Her dress was dotted with pinprick like tears and her hair was in shambles, but Alice was both releaved, and amazed that there was not a single scratch on Mirana herself.
"Not that I don't appreciate it," Mirana begins, her eyes still facing the ground though Alice could tell she was uncomfortable at the moment, and also probably uncomfortable for being uncomfortable, something she knew the Queen was not used to.
"But why would you risk that? I told you I'm not important now, not with all that's at stake. Saving me is not important if we are unable to save Tarrant."
Alice is silent for a moment then before saying something that surprises both Mirana, and in truth herself, "That's not true. . You're important to me. . Saving you is important to me."
Mirana quickly looks up into Alice's eyes then, surprise clear on her face and unable to think of a response, before Alice surprises her yet again when she leans in and presses her lips to her own.
The moment they connect all thoughts suddenly disappear from the queens mind as her head begins to feel light and she finds herself wrapping an arm up behind Alice's neck pulling her closer and deepening the kiss that she never wanted to end.
But it did end. Sooner then either of them wanted, but they had people who depended on them, and no matter what they may want, they couldn't let any of them down. And in truth, Mirana was to confused at the moment to be completely sure of what it was she wanted.
Standing up first Alice reached down and took Mirana's hand, helping her up off the ground, the queen brushing off her dress before attempting to regain her totally shot composure, "Well, I, We have to go then. Come along." She repeats those final words twice, seemingly unaware before she begins back on the course they had been on before all this had happened, her expression recomposed, save for the normally snow white skin of her cheeks which now burned red.
Looking after her for a moment Alice reaches up and presses two fingers to her lips, in truth just as taken aback by what she had done as Mirana.
Quickly catching up to the queen, Alice glances over at Mirana and notes her still burning cheeks, causing a small smile to cross Alice's face as she realizes that no matter the outcome of all this, whether good or not, there was no way she was leaving Wonderland this time.