In Wonderland, the role holders of the clover tower were hosting a meeting in their territory. Nothing out of the ordinary for them to be honest. As a rule, the head of the country must gather all the domain leaders together. Here it was the assembly with no theme.
Yet the ruler here was the one known as Nightmare Gottschalk, the lord of this country and the role of the caterpillar. He had short, smooth silver hair that reached just past his chin and one grey eye. Nightmare wore a black and gold eyepatch, as it is a rule that he must always keep his right eye closed. He was dressed in a dark grey suit with a frilled white shirt underneath. A purple silk handkerchief peeked from his chest pocket. His pale, perfect skin shining due to the nervous sweat he let out of his pores. His trembling lips so pale they're almost purple; this is because of his bad health.
"Th-thiz azembly vill mainly focus on..." Started Nightmare nervously.
"Lord Nightmare, you have already said that!" mumbled Gray beside him. This man was his subordinate. An ex-assassin of dark hair and dressed similarly to Lord Nightmare. His hair shorter, a tattoo on his neck and no eye patch in sight.
"You seem amused," Said a woman of average height, with dark violet eyes and purple-black hair in beautiful waves. Her lips painted a pink shade of maroon and a beauty mark on the lower left side of her chin. Vivaldi, the queen of hearts had caused Alice Liddell to jump.
"Ah!? Vivaldi!? When did you!? This isn't your territory!" Alice said. On contrary to the queen she was a teen with long, blond hair that ended at her back. Her light blue eyes filled with fire and determination, or at least usually. A bit distracted when bored, thus why Vivaldi was able to surprise her.
"It has been a while," said the queen brushing off the questions. "You look as good as ever. SO heartless for you to arrive at our castle before the change and not even giving us a greeting. What is the problem?"
"O-oh...well I didn't say hello because Peter said you weren't there."
"That wretched White! We shall have his head for that!"
"Wow prime minister, you managed to tick off the queen" laughed Ace, the brunet knight of hearts.
"Who cares" answered the albino eared man.
"I...I only have the feeling something important will happen" Said Alice a bit worried.
In an instant, all those who had animal ears and the Lord of the land were on their guard, stiff. Alice was confused, wondering if it was her feeling or that they did detect something. She got her answer soon enough.
"Theghe iz an intghudegh" mumbled Nightmare glaring at the door.
This statement caused the rest of the role-holders to stand up, taking out their weapons and pointing them towards the door. Alice Liddell, the only outside, the only human there, trembled in fear. The role holders slowly made a circle around their precious outsider. She despised bloodshed. Yet, she was defenseless for refusing to have a weapon of her own.
"But, how is that possible?" murmured the blonde foreigner fearfully.
"I do not know" answered Gray seriously "but we must keep you safe."
Steps were getting closer, all of the role holders prepared for the worst. Not letting out any sound, it was so quiet the breathing of each echoed the room. The door flung open revealing a tall man with white hair and piercing amethyst eyes.
His pale complexion could only rival that of Nightmare and Peter. Dressed in a white suit with a plum-purple waistcoat, a white cravat, and black gloves. A rapier in its hilt secured on his waist. The intruder looked at the role holders calmly and letting a quiet sigh escape.
"Greetings to all of you. Role-holders, majesties, lords and outsider, I apologize for interrupting your reunion. But, my dearest queen asked me to deliver a letter for all of you" Said the man. "I am Asher Landers, butler and protector of the immortal queen. I wish no harm."
Alice noticed that nobody had lowered their weapons. It seemed that nobody trusted this man. But her heart seemed to tell her he meant no harm. Ash seemed a bit similar to Peter, white and loyal. Bravely, the outsider walked towards him, ignoring the role holders' taking out the safety form their fire-arms. Once the dirty blonde was in front of him, she offered a friendly smile extending her hand.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Landers. My name is Alice Liddell, the outsider of Wonderland." She presented herself with a curtsy.
"An honor to meet Lady Liddell. You have been missed by the family, yet, you seem quite happy in your current life." he gave the girl the letter with a bow. "Would you be so kind as to tell your acquaintances to lower their weapons?"
Nightmare silently lowered his weapon, telepathically ordering the others to do the same. This was reluctantly obeyed by the ones in the room.
"Thank you! Ignore these other lunatics, they will not do anything for now," said Alice waving her hand and ignoring the protests. "They can be a bit...what was the word?"
"Violent, sadistic, crazed, gory, terrifying, trigger happy..." suggested Asher causing the girl to laugh and the white rabbit to grit his teeth.
"We wish for you, Asher Landers to replace our prime minister. He's such a useless man!" Interrupted the queen of hearts. "You must be tired and hungry, so please join all of us into this boring event!"
"I apologize, but I am only loyal to my queen. And If I do not return soon, her majesty will be worried sick" explained Ash with a small close-eyed smile.
"A shame" answered the disappointed queen of hearts, flipping her wavy violet hair.
"You said you have a queen, what kingdom are you from?" Asked Blood Dupree as he drank his tea.
"That's not important. None of you aware of its existence, for it resides in the surface. Yet, she ruled over the country where Miss Liddell was from" answered Ash with a smile, one that could only rival the mafioso's, causing this one to frown. "Please, do try to answer them soon." He gave Alice a small white bell. "Do ring it when the answer is ready, and I shall come and pick it up. For we all know how troubling it can be for the residents in wonderland to open the gate"
Before Nightmare could ask anything about that situation, Asher had left out the door. It closed behind him, and when Julius Monrey, the master of time in wonderland opened it, there was no sign of the stranger. He only could frown. Who was the stranger? did his queen have powers? Did he have powers? The unnerving questions echoed in everyone's mind's driving Nightmare insane.
"Alice, sweet pea, would you read the letter?" asked Gowland taking Alice's shoulder like a father to his daughter and guiding her to her place. He had effectively interrupted those thoughts, replacing them with genuine curiosity. The foreigner gingerly opened the envelope. The air tense, suspense eating all of them alive as Alice cleared her throat and started to read.
"Dear Role holders:
If you ever get this letter it means the mission was a success and you just entered my life and cured my loneliness and I'm thankful for that..."
"Loneliness? Is being a queen lonely?" wondered Alice out-loud.
"It is. We do get lonely at times, not when Alice comes to visit of course. But there is no sense in the men and faceless invading this place" Answered Vivaldi. "Keep on reading Alice"
"R-right"
"But...I really want to know the meaning of a certain feeling...I want to feel it... I want to know what it is... to have a close family. People I can depend on and will not leave me alone. My room filled with toys as my only companions. Only a teen and living a life with no meaning. Hurt by those I trusted. Funny how they leave and stab me."
"What is so bad about stabbing?" Asked Dee, the blue-eyed tweedle twin.
"Yea! That's fun!" added Dum, the red-eyed twin.
"It's a figurative phrase, you bugs," said Peter annoyed due to them interrupting his dear Alice. "It means betrayed"
"Ohhhhh! Ok! C'mon big sis! Read more!"
"It's irritating! People around me don't seem to understand a thing! Ever since I was little I hated to be alone. Many think that brothers and sisters are irritating, but hell, they're wrong! Being an only child is BORING! B-O-R-I-N-G, not to mention annoying. "
"I do relate with such a thing, boredom is the worst curse given to anyone," said Blood stirring his tea.
"Thanks for the new information," said Julius sarcastically.
"You are very welcome Clockmaker"
"There only have 3 ways of making friends:
1- Adults: but that isn't reliable, they still end up ignoring you or sending you to your room.
2- School: but let's say that ain't an option 'cause everybody is a hypocrite, and you are given a label.
3- Your family, well...that depends on what you think about them. "
"The mafia is a family! Our little family!" said Elliot hugging Pierce, Blood and the twins. "Right boss?!"
"We are called the hatter family, I suppose she means blood-related"
"In my case, my family is divided into two:
-my dad's family: most of my cousins are boring crybabies and everyone uses foul language. Ok, there isn't anything wrong with using that as long as those present are above ten, but hey! They speak like that to the newborns!"
"Wow! Never thought your world was that way Alice!" exclaimed Ace fascinated.
"It isn't! Honestly, that's only the vulgar ones!" answered the blonde.
"I see young lady, it all makes sense..." said Blood sipping his tea.
"Shut it, Hatter! We want to hear what Alice is reading" scolded Gowland.
"-my mom's family: They live in the in another country, thank you very much, not an option.
Now that I explained part of my life I'll proceed with the story...Well, this is one I believe is a pretty one from Mexico. I'd like to share this epic and beautiful legend, so sweet and romantic, being the country of hearts, I do believe you will like it! It is really romantic! For those of us who do not know love or experienced it as is, this may seem quite breathtaking!"
"Well, that's a change of tone," said Boris, "Kinda illogical"
"Why would you talk about logic? Wonderland itself makes no sense!" defended Alice.
"To us, it does make perfect sense," said Nightmare, only for Alice to get even angrier.
"H-hey...Aleez? U-uh...c-cood wee seet? Eet l-looks like a long ztory~chu" interrupted the shy Pierce, the dormouse.
"That is a magnificent idea! Gray! Bring the stuff! Bring all the servants! And no food!"
Soon enough, with impossible speed, everything was set up. As if for a pajama party, with a pair of claps all dress in their night clothes, sitting in a circle with cozy and soft things. Alice, once sitting in one of the edges of the circle while all the role-holders listened attentively, she started her narration.
"Thousands of years ago, when the Aztec Empire was in its heyday and dominated the Valley of Mexico, it was common practice to subject neighboring towns, and to require a mandatory tax. It was then that the chief of the Tlaxcaltecas, bitter enemies of the Aztecs, weary of this terrible oppression, decided to fight for his people's freedom.
The chief had a daughter named Iztaccihuatl: the most beautiful of all the princesses, who had professed her love for young Popocatepetl, one of her father's people and the most handsome warrior. Both professed a deep love for each other, so before leaving for war, Popocatepetl asked the chief for the hand of Princess Iztaccihuatl.
The father gladly agreed and promised to welcome him back with a big celebration to give him his daughter's hand if he returned victorious from the battle. The brave warrior accepted, prepared everything and departed keeping in his heart the promise that the princess would be waiting for him to consummate their love.
Soon afterward, a love rival of Popocatepetl, jealous of the love they professed to each other, told Princess Iztaccihuatl that her beloved had died in combat. Crushed by such tragedy and overwhelmed by sadness the princess died, without even imagining it could be a lie.
Popocatepetl returned victorious to his people, hoping to find his beloved princess. Upon arrival, he received the terrible news of the death of Iztaccihuatl. Devastated by the news, he wandered about the streets for several days and nights, until he decided he had to do something to honor her love and to assure that the princess would not ever be forgotten.
He ordered a great tomb built under the sun, piling up ten hills together to form a huge mountain. He carried the dead Princess in his arms, took her to the summit and laid her on the great mountain. The young warrior lovingly kissed her cold lips, took a smoking torch and knelt in front of his beloved to watch over her eternal sleep. From then on, they continue together, facing each other. Eventually, the snow covered their bodies, forming two majestic volcanoes that would remain joined until the end of time.
The legend goes on to say that when the warrior Popocatepetl remembers his beloved, his heart – that preserves the fire of eternal passion – shakes and his torch smokes. That's why, even today; the Popocatepetl volcano continues spewing fumaroles.
As for the coward, Tlaxcala, who lied to Iztaccihuatl, overcome with repentance for the tragedy that ensued, he went off to die very near his land. He also became a mountain, Pico de Orizaba, another of the region's volcanoes and now, from afar, watches the eternal dream of the two lovers, never again to be separated.
This legend has been passed on from generation to generation since the time of the Aztec Empire, in the XIV century, and the importance given to them is clear, for the names that they have today were given to them since that time. Popocatepetl derives its name from the Nahuatl word popoa , which means smoke and the noun tepetl , meaning hill ; so its name literally means, the hill that smokes because, from that time, its characteristic fumaroles already emanated from it. Popularly, it's known as El Popo , although the populations living on its slopes know it by the affectionate nickname of Don Goyo .
Iztaccihuatl, the other volcano, derives its name from the Nahuatl word iztac which means white and ciahuatl which is interpreted as "woman" so that its name translates as White , it is best known as the Sleeping Woman because of its distinctive profile, resembling a woman lying with her face turned skyward. You could say, like sleeping beauty.
Currently, both volcanoes are still a source of great artistic and literary creations, which will, no doubt, go down in posterity as will this great legend. It was nice writing to you, but I must stop right now before I get to carried away! Please tell me if you liked it, and send me the title of a book or your favorite story when you write back! I feel so light now. The problems and dreams I have been having are done. Perhaps I will tell you later.
Queen Clarisse."
The outsider stared at everyone letting a smile adorn her pink lips. She sighed pleasantly, the story beating the serious books here in wonderland. It was so romantic, reminding her of Romeo and Juliet. Role-holders meanwhile took mental notes of the things Alice had seemed excited about. Searching for a pen and a piece of paper the blonde wrote their response as it was dictated. All falling asleep curled up in one big pile of people. For the first time, no fights of any kind occurred.