AN: Cheshire's POV.

Our Little Tea Party

Drabble 1:

Caged Bird

I remember all those days you spent, locked in that cold cage. I, who was an outsider, who was free could do nothing to set you free. I had no key, no way of breaking the lock. That lock, the only thing that separated you from the world, you from me. Everyday I sat by your cage, me looking in and you looking out. Do you remember that first day we met?

It was bright and warm. The ones who locked you up, clipped your wings, left me like a stone guardian with you. It was my job to keep you in that cage, keep you hidden from the world. But you wanted so desperately to see that world, a world that beckoned and called you. A world that neither you or I could ever be a part of. Here, oh how I wish I could tell you, you are safe. If only I could tell you how cold the world really is, how much better it is to be inside the cage and safe. I knew that world, and I didn't want to return. My punishment became my salvation.

I could never forget your soft voice, so haunting and sweet. The only sound that could ever be more pleasing to the ear was when you would sing. You would forget that I was here, ever silent and ever watchful, as you sang a song you had heard from your childhood. I couldn't remember any songs, couldn't praise you on your voice. Then you would notice me, snapped out of your trance by the last note of the song. Embarrassed, you would turn your face away. You never wanted an audience, you weren't use to having anyone listen. I couldn't stop myself from listening, and always would I silently beg you for more.

Then you became more bold, pressing your hands through the opening in the bars. Your fingers would touch lightly on my back, smooth my fur. I would rub up against the cage, begging more of your touch. You learned that I loved to be scratched behind my ears and under my chin. You would say something in your tongue, something that I wish I could understand. I could only ever purr in response, hoping that you could understand that I was enjoying myself in your company. You weren't afraid of me anymore, knew that I wasn't there to torment you like you had originally suspected. Slowly, I had earned your trust.

Another day. I woke up to find that they had brought you a new guardian, one that made my skin crawl. A stuffed black rabbit was in your cage, it's red eyes looking at me with loathing. You weren't afraid of it, you wanted all of us to be friends. The rabbit smirked at me, daring me to try something in front of you. I growled, which angered you. Ears back, I stayed away from the rabbit as best as I could. Every time I looked back at you, I saw that black rabbit with that evil smirk staring back at me. You couldn't see what went on between me and it, you didn't see the evil that I saw.

A week since it came passed. You were taking a nap, and I was dozing in a patch of sunlight. A shadow fell on my face, waking me up. The rabbit was in front of me, smirking. "Want to play a game?" It growled. I hissed, the fur along my spine spiking up in fear. It walked closer to me, grabbing me before I could escape. Claws out, I raked my claws at its face in vain. It laughed as stuffing fell like clouds between us. Again I hissed threateningly, never did I want to play any game with it.

"Cheshire!" My name was yelled. It was the only word that I knew in your tongue, a word that you had attached to me. Never had you used my name in such a way, never had you yelled at me before. I didn't do anything bad, it was all that thing's fault. Memories flashed before my eyes, the time that I spent in the outside came flooding back in the front of my mind. The children that chased me, that one evil boy that always tried to cut my eyes out with a pair of scissors.

"How could you hurt Oz!?" You named it? It wasn't meant to be here, disrupting our peace. Don't ever think that I didn't know what was going on. It was whispering lies about the outside, spinning fable after fable about how beautiful it was out there. Oh, if only I could speak to you as well. I would tell you the truth, keep you here with me in the safety of this prison. Could you not see that we are all prisoned here for a reason?

It, that thing you had named Oz, was a menace out there. They put him here to keep the world safe. He would lead you to your ruin. I was the one that was sent here to protect you, but you never saw me as such have you? You see me as the one that is keeping you caged, the one that was harming you. I'm sorry if you feel that way. I never meant it to turn out like this.

Then that day happened. Oz had opened your cage. You didn't come out, even though Oz beckoned for you to join him. I could see your fear, your fear of actually being able to enter into the unknown world that you always fantasized about. "Stop listening to that liar!" I finally burst out, breaking my silence for the first time in years. You looked at me, shock evident on your face. Never before had you heard me speak, only have I ever purred in your presence. Oz's smirk turned into a frown, he wasn't expecting me to fight back.

"Stay out of this, cat," Oz said, turning around to face me. He was trying to intimidate me, to force me into submission. No longer would I run or back away from his obvious challenges. "No," I hissed, my claws sliding out. "I won't let you harm Alyss." Anger surged through my veins as he charged me. I wasn't a match for the brute strength that Oz held, no I could never out wrestle him. I caught sight of the window, my old perch from before Oz came. An idea came to mind. Letting Oz back me towards the window, I leapt up to perch on the edge.

Oz leapt up after me, smirking. "End of the line, cat," He sneered. I just smirked right back at him in response. He gave one last charge at me, trying to topple me over and off into space. I made his plan backfire by sidestepping, which caused him to tumble out of the window instead. However, I felt his arms grab hold of my tail. He was trying to take me down with him. My claws scrambled to stay imbedded in the rough stone of the ledge, his weight slowly dragging me down. It was over. I was going to fall and die and I would never get to see you again.

Suddenly I felt hands grabbing onto me, and I looked up to see you. Were you there to save me or him? You pulled us both up, surprising us both. "Who do you choose, Alyss?" Oz said. "You may only pick one of us." I didn't even try to plead with you. I know you already knew who you wanted to keep around, and I accepted the fact that it wasn't me. It would be fine if you were the one to kill me. Nobody had ever wanted me, and nobody ever will. I was useless. I couldn't save the one person I had loved before I was doomed to guard you. I selfishly kept you in your cage, hidden from the world as if you were mine to keep.

"What about you, Cheshire? Do you have something to say?" You asked me. I shook my head slowly. No, I didn't have anything to say in my defense. "I know you have already chosen. I wouldn't be able to change your mind, nor would I want to," I said truthfully, bowing my head. You smiled then, why did you smile? Oh, cruel irony and fate! Here would be my last glimpse of you, smiling before you send me to my death. I closed my eyes, ready for the end. It never came.

I opened my eyes to see that you had pushed Oz off of the ledge yourself. "I choose you, Cheshire, my best friend," You said, smiling as you held out your arms to me. Still surprised, I leapt into your arms. There, I snuggled while purring. You brought me to your cage, closing the door behind us. I could not believe that I was your special friend, my song bird. Never will I leave your side, always will I guard and protect you. My precious person. My little, caged bird.

Oh. My. God. That took me only an hour to write, but I'm not confident on how it turned out. :/ This will be a collection of drabble ideas for Alyss and Cheshire that I'll update whenever I get an idea. First time ever writing something in first person, and oh man was it weird. I'm a sporadic updater, sometimes I never update a story. Depends if I can stay interested long enough to finish something, so these drabbles are a good way to blow off some steam. R&R if you want to people, they brighten my day.

~Midnight-Snow-Serenade