Chessa Out of Wonderland
Her blue eyes were focused on something, her pink lips pressed into a straight line. Blue hair fell in waves to her small shoulders blowing slightly in the light breeze as was the simple white sundress she wore to cover her frail frame. She could see them coming- Chess and Hatter. Her brother and suitor. She was nowhere near excited for this meeting, as she was not eager to marry. This was of her mother's request; her dear, dead mother who wanted her to marry from her homeland.
Chess saw his sister glaring in her human form as he floated along in his natural one- a cat of purple tint. He stared at his sister, transforming as he neared with his friend. Chess was handsome as a human, but to himself it was just odd; he did not know why his sister preferred it. His purple hair was straight and tickled his ear annoyingly, and his vision became slighter as his eyes shrank from their normal magnificent size. Worst of all was the annoying clothing, a purple suit with a pink pin-striped suit. All the same, it was how his sister preferred to see him, and it would be much easier to control her as a human than a cat.
"Chessa," Chess called out to his sister, stopping across a field from her. He watched as her form vanished. For a moment, she did not reappear and Chess was worried she had run off. But then she was right in front of himself.
"Brother," she breathed, reeking with fury. She did not wish him to be there, and she did not wish to be married. Chess knew this. Truthfully, neither did the Hatter, the silent gingery haired man who looked on. His heart was with a woman who had set off from Wonderland around a year previous. Alice. But, the Hatter knew Alice would not be returning to him and that, by marrying Chessa, he would be doing his friend a great favor.
"Good afternoon, sister," Chess said coolly, "I'm glad you showed up, else I would have to bring you here myself."
"If I disappeared you would never find me," Chessa hissed, her mouth pulling into an angry grin as her teeth bared. Chess narrowed his eyes as the Hatter just raised a thin carroty eyebrow.
"Behave yourself," Chess growled. Chessa's blue eyes slanted to resemble that of a cat's for a moment, but then her face returned to a human like form. It held a completely blank expression. Chess gave a small nod in approval. His sister may not have been jumping with joy, but at least she was being good. "Now, Chessa, I believe you have heard of my friend here, the Mad Hatter, and you are aware of your impending engagement."
"I do not want to marry him," Chessa announced bluntly, acting as if the Hatter was not even there, "I do not love him Chess; I want to marry someone who I choose and I love."
"The Hatter is the only man in the land mother approved of for you, and more over he is the only one who will have you. You will not keep youth forever, Chessa, and you have made no attempt to meet eligible men and socialize. Perhaps if you had before mother had died, she would have left your life to you," Chess scolded his hot tempered sister, who's eyes were once again slanting and lips stretching, "Control yourself!" Chessa opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off.
"If I may, my lady, Chessa," the Hatter spoke up, clearing his throat. Chessa's eyes darted to the tall, lanky, pale faced man dressed in mismatched garb. His wild, curly hair was held down by a velvety top hat and his accented eyes were staring at her expectantly. "Now, if you will end your complaining, that would be pleasant. I am not very happy about this arrangement, either, but I am aiding your brother, and doing a favor for your deceased mother- may God bless her soul. I understand you may be upset, but you will just have to find your way through it as I am to be your husband."
"You do not know me, Hatter," Chessa spat, "I am not upset; I am furious. I refuse to marry-"
"You think I do not understand you, Chessa?" the Hatter asked, his voice becoming thick and angry, "You are the one who does not understand. You will learn to accept this easily because you have never loved! But I will have to deal with a nagging in my memory until I can find a way to love you, which I am beginning to think is impossible!" Chessa shied away from the Hatter, crouching slightly and ready to fight. She could sense the repressed rage coming out of him. The Hatter began towards Chessa, the slight girl quickly recoiling.
"Hatter," Chess said nervously, seeing his friend going into an episode.
"You are lucky to have anyone take you Chessa! You make yourself impossible to love! If Alice had not left Wonderland, you would be alone forever! Forever!" the Hatter boomed, and on his last word the blue haired Chessa evaporated into the air.
"Hatter!" Chess barked. The Hatter's body shuddered, and he dropped to his knees.
"Forever," he nearly squeaked, his voice cracking. Chess sighed at the mad man. He was angry at him for scaring his sister off- as he was unsure how he would find her- but he knew the proud girl deserved it. Only the truth had been stated, after all; if Alice had stuck around instead of returning to her world, Chessa would be left without a suitor... Chess watched the Hatter, waiting for him to stand, but he did not. He instead started to shake, and Chess could hear his breathing grow uneven.
"Mad Hatter?" he asked softly, approaching his friend, "Hatter are you...?"
"I miss her, Chess," Hatter whispered, tears streaking his painted face, "I miss my Alice so very much... Why did she leave me?" Chess frowned at the poor Hatter. Truthfully, he was not sure why Alice had left the Hatter... Why she had left Wonderland...
"She had a life to return to, Hatter," he breathed, crouching down to wrap a consoling arm around his friend, "She did not belong in our mad world..."
"She belonged with me, Chess," the Hatter sobbed, "She belonged with me..."
Though the two were unaware, from the trees of the forest in the distance, Chessa observed the scene, straining to hear each word. Alice... she had heard of the girl from her brother. He had told her that she had to sleigh some sort of beast, and that they were sending the White Rabbit to find her.
Chessa's eyes widened as an idea formed in her mind. It was a lovely idea... She was going to find Alice and bring her back to Wonderland! Then, the Hatter would marry her instead of Chessa! A cheshire grin formed onto Chessa's stretched lips. There was only one problem- Chessa did not know how to exit Wonderland. Of course, that would be easily handled... She just needed a rabbit. And with that thought, Chessa vanished, her eyes and wide grin remaining a second before also disappearing.
"I am terribly late," the White Rabbit grumbled as he hopped quickly along the beaten path to the palace, a pocket watch clutched in his furry hand, "Oh dear! Oh dear, oh dear, oh- Ah!" He was cut off from his worrying as a lean, blue tinted cat with large blue eyes and a wide smile materialized in his path.
"Hello, Rabbit," it purred. The White Rabbit blinked, narrowing his beady eyes at the cat. He knew it from somewhere, he just needed to place it...
"Oh!" the White Rabbit choked, surprised, "Why, Chessa, is that you? Oh I haven't seen you in ages! But I am afraid I have no time for a proper sit down, as I am-"
"Late," Chessa finished as she grew to her preferred form, "But, Mister White Rabbit, I desperately need your help!"
"Child, just call me Rabbit," the White Rabbit corrected, before continuing, "Now why is my help required, young cat?"
"Why, I must find Alice!" Chessa informed him in a whisper, as if her agenda was to be kept secret, "I must, I must! And I have heard you are an expert in finding her!" The White Rabbit blinked rapidly, surprised at the request. She wanted... she wanted to get Alice?
"Alice?" he asked dumbly, "You want me... you want me to go and find her? Again?"
"No, Mister Rabbit," Chessa responded, shaking her head so her blue hair tossed back and forth, "Not if you do not want to! I just need a way out of Wonderland so I may go find her."
"Oh, well, child," the White Rabbit spluttered, "I could not just let you go alone... Your brother would have my head, I dare say... I... I suppose I could escort you if you so wish." The rabbit had offered it without even questioning Chessa's intentions which made her smile widen. She had thought she would have to threaten him...
"Oh, thank you, Mister Rabbit!" Chessa said politely, so out of her normal character, though the White Rabbit would not know that. Chessa crouched down and hugged the creature, "We must leave immediatly."
"Oh, no, I must hurry! I will be late, we can leave later," the White Rabbit explained. He had a meeting with the White Queen! He pushed out of Chessa's embrace, to find- to his horror- he was in his quaint little rabbit hole. "Oh no!" he squeaked, "Oh no! I will never make the meeting! Chessa, you must transport us back!"
"But, Mister Rabbit, I am all out of energy now," Chessa pouted, lying easily, "I am very sorry about your meeting..." The White Rabbit eyed her irritably for a moment, but then sighed. He supposed there was nothing to be done.
"It is alright, dear child," he sighed, "I suppose, since there is no possible way for me to reach my meeting in time, that we may begin our journey... This way." The rabbit hopped along, and Chessa followed obediently, keeping up her act of innocence until she was out of Wonderland.
The White Rabbit led Chessa down a long, long tunnel that was litter with random objects. A piano here, a bottle there, and in the distance she could see a bed. The procession was slow, and Chessa felt herself wanting to run.. What if her brother came to see the White Rabbit and found her? The Rabbit had indeed spoken of a meeting, and she could only guess her brother was to attend the same one...
It seemed it had been an hour by time the pair had reached the end of the tunnel. It probably had been... The White Rabbit pulled out his pocket watch.
"Meeting would have just ended," he muttered. Chessa stole a glance at the watch just in time to see two hours had passed. They had been walking for two hours. Chessa took a deep breath, then looked around, frowning as she saw no door.
"Mister Rabbit, how are we to get out of this place?" Chessa asked, slightly distressed as she looked about.
"The rabbit hole, child," the White Rabbit told Chessa, "See right there. I will go-"
"Rabbit?" the voice of Chess suddenly called. Chessa went rigid, her eyes wide..
"Ah, it seems your brother has arrived!" the White Rabbit said happily, "Would you like to wish him farewell before we depart? Chessa? Chessa!" Chessa had no time to respond. She had looked around and seen the purple eyes of her brother, still in his human form surprisingly. She quickly transformed to her slim cat body as to better fit into the rabbit hole, and had then leaped in, quickly crawling through the confined space.
Soon, it felt as if she was being turned upside down, and then right side up. And then she was under a tree with plain green leaves and a plain brown trunk. Chessa shook herself off quickly, and then once again transformed to become a human. Blinking to adjust her bright eyes to the light, Chessa looked around, amazed. She stood in a garden, surrounded by small rose bushes, and far off she could see a large body of water- larger than she had ever seen. A smile- a normal one this time- came over her lips. She had reached the other world. Alice's world. And she was going to find Alice.