A/N: Finally! I did see the movie again and I feel that I can get the characters again. I hope you like it. Please review, as always. I love you all!
Also, the fluffy chapter I promised you all is actually posted as a one shot. If you would like to read it, it's called Silence.
Aras
Things were not going well in Underland.
It wasn't just the fact that Alice's sister was messing up all the Hatter's plans to propose to Alice. It also wasn't just the fact that the Hatter and the March Hare had had an argument about which went better with tea, biscuits or sandwiches (the Hatter still stood firmly on the side of sandwiches). It had to do with the fact that every day, people were starting to disappear.
Yet another knight had turned up dead, just the previous day. Now, one of the Queen's court members was gone, no one was quite sure if she had gone to the other side or been kidnapped. In nearby villages, which had finally began to come alive again, people were leaving, going into hiding.
The revolt was really putting a damper on the Hatter's previously wonderful life.
The guards around the castle had increased and most of the time, the Hatter was on watch. This meant less and less time with Alice, and the box with the ring still weighed quite heavily in his pocket.
The time the Hatter did spend with Alice, sometimes also meant spending time with Margaret, which was how it was one slightly cloudy day when the Hatter was engaging in two of his favorite activities and one of his least favorite activities. His two favorite were having tea, and conversing with Alice. His least was conversing with the Sister.
Margaret was a stuffy, unimaginative creature. The Hatter hadn't disliked her the moment he saw her, but it certainly didn't take long. When she had looked at his top hat in dismay and muttered something about "completely insane," he had realized they weren't going to be the best of chums. Since then, he'd been completely polite, trying to please Alice, however, Margaret hadn't exactly tried to please Alice. He'd even given her a hat that he made specially for her, just to try and welcome her to Underland. He didn't think he'd seen her wear it once. He wasn't exactly impressed with her.
So, on that slightly cloudy day, his opinion hadn't changed one bit, and it was obvious to everyone sitting at the tea table.
"Tarrant," said Margaret, her voice tight. She insisted on calling him this, even though Alice always referred to him as "Hatter". "Won't you have some sugar?"
The Hatter thanked her politely, then, just because he could, he dumped the entire sugar bowl in his tea cup.
"Oh good lord," sighed Margaret, tossing her hands up. Alice tried to hide her smile.
"Alice, you can't be happy here," said Margaret, standing quickly. Anger bubbled up in the Hatter and he stood as well.
"Margaret, sit down," warned Alice quickly. "Hatter, please."
The two stared each other down and sat down stiffly.
"I am happy here Margaret, and I will not be convinced to go back to England," said Alice calmly, as though nothing had really happened. The Hatter's anger faded away, and Alice looked slightly relieved when she looked at him. Perhaps his eyes had changed for a moment.
"Alice, please," said Margaret. "You have surrounded yourself with mad people."
She spoke as though the Hatter weren't even there! He felt the anger bubbling up again.
"Well, a' leas' she feels welcome somewhere," he muttered, his thick Scottish accent coming out.
Margaret looked stunned. "Hatter!" said Alice in surprise.
The Hatter shook his head, immediately feeling terrible for his loss of temper. "I'm terribly sorry," he said softly.
"Perhaps you should give us a moment, Hatter," said Alice, reaching out a touching his hand. This surprised him a bit. Alice had said that they weren't to show their affection in front of her sister.
"Yes," was all the Hatter said, before he stood up to walk alone with his thoughts.
"I haven't been entirely honest with you, Margaret," said Alice after the Hatter had gone and she'd sipped some tea in silence.
"What do you want to tell me Alice?" asked Margaret in exasperation.
"The Hatter and I," replied Alice thoughtfully. "Well… it's hard to explain…"
"Oh, I should have known," snapped Margaret. "You fancy each other, don't you?" Alice didn't say anything. "You wouldn't marry a Lord but you will be perfectly happy with a Hatter."
Alice looked up and nodded. "Yes."
Margaret's eyes seemed to soften. "Alice, please," she whispered. "I need you in England with me. Perhaps it is selfish, but I need you. You can't stay here."
Alice shook her head. "I can stay here. I have to stay here." She looked her sister dead in the eyes. This was important. "You could stay too."
"Alice," sighed Margaret, standing and walking to the rail of the gazebo. "This is not my world. It never was."
Alice looked at her, confused. "Well, why can't it be?"
"Alice," said Margaret again. Alice didn't like the way she said it. It made her feel like Margaret thought her slow. "You were the one who first fell down the hole, weren't you? You came back and even though you thought it was just a dream, you talked about it all the time. I think somewhere inside you always believed it was real. And a few years ago, it was you that the rabbit came looking for. You were the one to slay the Jabberwocky. You were the one who never stopped believing, despite how terrible everyone was toward you. This world belongs to you, and I cannot be a part of it."
Before Alice could even respond, there was a sudden crash that made the earth shake.
"What was that?" muttered Alice.
A sudden shout rang out. "Alice!"
McTwisp was dashing toward her. Alice stood and ran toward him. "What is it?" she asked, worried by the panic in his yell.
"It's- it's a-" his took in deep, anxious breaths, then passed out cold.
"Jabberwocky!" finished Mallymkun, running up behind him.
Alice didn't even think, she just ran toward the castle. She could hear Margaret yelling her name behind her, but she didn't stop. She reached the castle and ran straight to her room, where she kept the Vorpal sword locked up tight, and pulled it out.
"What's going on?" said Margaret's voice behind her. She sounded out of breath. Alice turned around to see her leaning against the doorway, breathing heavily.
"You wouldn't be so out of breath if you didn't wear a corset," Alice said, but she didn't pause to laugh at her own joke. "Come on, we must hurry."
Alice ran through the castle with Margaret close on her heels. The two dashed out the front door.
Sure enough, at the very end of the path leading to the castle stood the Jabberwocky that Alice had seen a few weeks before. Around it, the path was cracked from where it had landed rather roughly. Six red knights stood around him, their spears poised and ready.
"What is that?" asked Margaret. Alice could hear the horror in her voice.
"Jabberwocky," muttered Alice darkly. "Get inside, I don't want anything to happen to you."
Margaret seemed to have no objections. She turned and ran back into the castle.
There were people everywhere, courtiers and knights and others that were staying in the castle. Alice saw the Hatter watching her from beside the White Queen. He had his sword out and looked as though he was just on the edged of his eyes turning orange. However, no fight had broken out yet, so he seemed alright. She rushed to his side.
"What's going on?" she asked his softly. "Why has it not attacked."
"It says that it comes peacefully," muttered the Hatter. Sure enough, she could hear his Scottish brogue thick and strong. "Wanted to speak with the castle."
"Yet, it has not answered why it is here," said the Queen loudly. "And we do not have much patience, Jabberwock."
"Yes," said the Jabberwocky in a deep voice. "I have come to explain something." He looked straight at the Queen. "You will fall."
There was a gasp through the crowd. "Stayne will soon have the throne. You may give it to him willingly or you, and all your followers will be destroyed."
The Jabberwocky looked around at the crowd. "To all the followers of the White Queen. Swear your allegiance to Illosovic Stayne now, and you will be spared. If not, then you will be destroyed, one by one."
Everyone in the crowd seemed to be having second thoughts about their allegiances. There were whispers throughout the crowd and people were throwing the White Queen nervous glances.
"It is just a Stayne said," whispered the White Queen. "He is trying to tear Underland apart, brick by brick."
Alice looked around at the people. They needed something to look towards. They need a champion.
"Give me your sword," whispered Alice, having a sudden inspiration. The Hatter looked at her in confusion.
"But, the Vorpal sword-"
"Give it to me quickly, Hatter," urged Alice. He gave her his sword without another word and Alice gave him hers.
"People of Underland," she said loudly. "Don't listen to this monster! Remember how the Red Queen treated you! Why do you think Stayne will be any different?" She turned to the Jabberwocky. "Be gone creature!" She ran and tossed the Hatter's sword as hard as she could. She was slightly amazed as it flew gracefully through the air and imbedded itself in the Jabberwocky's shoulder.
The Jabberwocky cried out in anguish. Then pulled the blade from it's shoulder and tossed it back on the ground at Alice's feet.
Alice had half expected the Red Knights to charge, but they all looked scared and turned and ran. The Jabberwocky roared angrily at Alice, then flew away.
There was a loud cheer throughout the crowd and everyone cheered Alice. The White Queen glowed and the Hatter gave her his gap-toothed smile. But she realized, as she was sure everyone else did, that the war was not yet over.
