The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Heart no Kuni no Alice and Doctor Who. Some of the elements in the story have been incorporated belong to chaos-dark-lord but I have received permission to use them from Wonderful Wonderful Science and its sequel Wonderful Wonderful Science: Diamond Dust. There are also references from the M-rated one shots she has published, and are canon in this story. But before we get this show on the road, here a few words from chaos-dark-lord! :)
Chaos-dark-lord : Hello everyone! I'm back from my vacation in Europe (food really is terrible XD) and as you can see we immediately got to work on this chapter. Enjoy!
Gallifrey Stands!
Erin panted heavily as she placed a hand over her thumping heart, struggling simultaneously to catch her breath and scattered thoughts. How could I have been so blind? How did I not realize just how dangerous these Role Holders are? Even when Elliot snuck books or sweets to me when I was imprisoned, gave me those smiles after I thanked him...I should have known. It was part of a facade! The fourth Outsider gritted her teeth in frustration. What a fool I've been. A stupid, stupid little fool!
But even when such memories would not leave her mind at this very second, Erin decided to not dwell on them further. Nothing good came from remembering them except sadness and anger, especially against herself because she had started trust the March Hare. But more importantly, she needed to figure out where she had run off to after escaping the Amusement Park.
Inhaling a deep breath, the young woman looked up from the ground and saw that she was standing in an alley near a busy outdoor market. It was not anywhere near the Hatters' turf, yet definitely in someone else's territory; deep in her bones, she knew this particular area, however insignificant it was but she needed to know where here was. In her current situation, any information would do. And the best place to start were the street signs.
Erin's brow furrowed in confusion as she blinked at a street sign. Silver Nectar Bayou? That's an unusual name to an avenue. But why...does it sound so familiar? The foreigner flinched when a small wave of pain washed over her mind, as if a new memory was about to come back. It was not as intense prior to the incident at the Amusement Park, but enough to give her a small migraine. The young woman sighed heavily, and then walked out into the street and around a hidden corner. As much as she would to gain more insight on this recent fragmented memory, it was not worth the pain; for now, at least.
Just when her exhausted little grey cells were about to overwork themselves again, an obnoxious and male voice cheerfully called out to Erin.
"Well, there's a face I haven't seen in a long time~!"
The foreigner turned around and felt her blood run cold at the sight of a brown-haired man wearing a blood-red coat, standing less than twenty feet away from her. It was the damned knave that attacked Elliot in the forest. Ace. Or at least that was what the March Hare referred to him before he opened fire.
Thankfully, at the moment the man in question did not seem too interested in unsheathing the broadsword at his side. Instead, the bloke's attention was solely on a navy-blue haired stranger wiggling in his grasp with a stoned, bright-red face. Less than a second later the knave was on the ground face-first and laughing merrily.
"Oh, you know you loved it, Julius~! You always do~!"
"Silence, you damned fool!"
Erin stared at their interaction in disbelief, remembering to close her gaping mouth while the man - Julius - rearranged his clothing back to propriety yet still kept the wrench within sight. Are...these Role Holders romantically involved with each other? I did not think that would be possible, but it seems that I have underestimated the amount of loopholes in this world.
"Oh~? Did you enjoy the show~?" A voice purred in her ear. The fourth Outsider jumped and turned to see that the garnet-eyed Role Holder was impossibly standing right next to her. H-How did he-?! "Y-You're that man from before! In the forest!" Erin exclaimed, trying not to blush from embarrassment and the realization that she possibly interrupted an intimate moment.
"Correct~!" The knave then bowed, in an eccentric and knightly manner. "My name is Sir Ace of Heart Castle. And the man you have just met is my best friend and dearest beloved, the Clockmaker Julius Monrey~! My future... "
WHACK.
"Ow~! Julius, why must you hurt me so? Doesn't this count as domestic violence~?" Ace whined, rubbing his sore head from the wrath of Julius' wrench.
The recently introduced Role Holder scoffed. "Hardly. It's sexual assault in the first degree."
"But there's the old saying 'love hurts', darling~! Nonetheless, I'll take it under consideration when you want to be on top and get rough me~!" Ace responded with a hearty laugh.
Julius slapped a hand over his forehead before turning around to discover that the foreigner was staring at them with wide, bright green orbs. He politely inclined his head to Erin. "I sincerely apologize for this man's idiotic behavior."
Without warning another memory returned to the befuddled young woman. This was the second time that she had met this particular Role Holder. The first had been at the Hatters' disastrous Halloween party during April Season. The two of them accidentally bumped shoulders at the refreshment table, falling to a light conversation on science until Erin excused herself to use the restroom. During that particular time, however, the Clockmaster had suspected that she was involved with the bizarre spree of suicides that occurred in town; while murder had become commonplace in this dimension, the disappearance of the denizen's clocks as soon as they met their demise rattled Julius, who was also known by for being the residential mortician. And due to his association with Julius, Ace too had gotten involved in the issue.
"...Thank you?" Erin replied dumbly.
Ace looked at the two of them and smiled charmingly, putting both of his arms around their shoulders. "As an apology for my uncouth behavior, why don't you come with us to the concert hall Erin? Julius and I were going there to see a show, but it turns that I have an extra ticket~."
"Um, it's all right I'll just take my leave-"
"Your request has been denied~! Let's follow the yellow brick road to the wonderful wonders of horrid acting and cheesy scripts~!" The garnet-eyed knave sang, dragging them down the road before the fourth Outsider could say another word. Erin glanced at the grumpy gentleman who was resignedly walking alongside her.
"Is he always like this?"
"You have no idea. "
xRVx
When they arrived at the Golden Jubilee Hall, their tickets admitted them to a private box on the second floor. Julius sat in the middle while Erin sat on his left, and Ace on his right. The Clockmaker tried to pay attention to the stage when the play started but the knave's wandering hands made it very difficult to do so. As soon as the first intermission was announced, the navy-blue haired gentleman scurried out as quickly as he could with a dark red hue on his cheeks.
But when Julius' tall frame was out of sight and hearing range, Ace immediately pulled the college graduate to an unsettlingly conversation about her current situation.
"I can't imagine what it'd be like to lose your memories, Erin~! That must be awful~." The corners of his mouth then curled to a smirk. "If I were you, I would pick up the pace and get them back as soon you can~. There's a cute little doggie who's been waiting a long time to play with you, and his owner has a leash on me too~!"
When Erin was about to ask what the knave meant, Ace's attention immediately averted back to the stage as Julius came back, the knave immediately tried to pull the Clockmaker into his lap, but was thwarted by a wrench while the play resumed.
Realizing that Ace was not going to answer her questions anytime soon - or possibly ever since he is more focused on ravishing his partner in a public area - , Erin focused on the play.
Surprisingly, The Woman From Another World turned all right in Erin's opinion, save for its ending. The story was about, as implied by the title, an Outsider named Elise; she yearned for love after following a white rabbit to Wonderland, and struck a courtship with Claude, a Role Holder who was mocked by the others for dancing the Lobster Quadrille from morning until tea-time. However, on the night of a grand ball at his estate, the Role Holder planned to ask Elise to marry him. Instead of receiving an answer, his beloved lady died in his arms after she drank from a poisoned cup, an object that was meant for Claude by his long-time enemy, a fellow Role Holder.
Desiring vengeance for Elise, he tracked down the culprit and killed him, along with anyone else within the vicinity. Once he had committed this transgression against the Game, the grief-stricken baron walked to the tree that Elise loved dearly and hung himself from one of its branches.
Definitely a stale ending. More so because the script was supposed to be based on real life events that occurred in Wonderland. But as she looked around the concert hall to see and hear the audience fervently praise The Woman From Another World, Erin raised an eyebrow. Whoever constructed the script knew what drew the denizens of Wonderland to the box office, a stark contrast to the half-hearted screenwriting back in her old world.
When the velvet curtains fell upon stage and everyone began to leave, Ace went ahead of Julius and Erin to get some drinks. As they pushed their way to the exit, the college graduate ended up being separated from the Clockmaker. Erin used it as an opportunity to weave through the faceless and permanently leave their company.
Despite the fact that neither of them had hurt her in any manner through the entire performance, the fourth Outsider could not bring herself to trust the Role Holders as she had almost did with the Cheshire Cat. For all Erin knew, Julius and Ace could be aware that she has lost her memories and twist the truth for their own personal gain. And she would not allow herself to be taken advantage of like that. Erin needed to know what really happened after April Season had arrived in the wonderful wonder world; to do so, she had to continue collecting fragments that seem to be obtained after she had met someone or visited a place.
Just when her left palm pushed the glass French door open to depart from the theater, a faceless woman dressed in an usher's red uniform appeared on her right side and placed two items in her other hand. A piece of paper with an address written down, and a small golden key stamped with the insignia of a roaring lion.
"Courtesy of your benefactor, ma'am. Have a wonderful day!" The usher quickly departed as she appeared, leaving Erin a little shocked. When she averted her gaze to the key, a name in her subconscious suddenly left her lips before the Outsider could stop herself.
"...Leo?"
B-BMP.
Her heart raced for some reason. What did it mean? Just as she was about ponder this new clue further, another memory emerged. They were just words, her own, yet for some reason they were familiar, in an annoying manner.
"Welcome to the Black Forest Bookstore, how may I help you today?"
xRVx
Following the address in the note, it turned out that the key led Erin to a high class apartment complex with a security system equivalent to a fortress, and for some reason, the young woman's feet guided her automatically to the entrance. When she saw two armed blokes standing on either side of an iron gate, she thought they would turn her away. Instead, they heartily welcomed the Outsider.
"Welcome back, Miss Oswald! Do you still have your key? Good, good! Go right on in!" One faceless guard exclaimed with a beaming smile.
"You've been gone a long while, ma'am. Don't worry, the housekeepers have made sure to keep the place nice and clean for your return." The other included, pointing to the snow-white building. "Your room's on the fifth floor, number 513 if you forgot. Have a good night!"
Stunned at their courtesy, Erin wished them a pleasant evening then went inside to follow their instructions, oblivious that they somehow knew she did not remember which was her own apartment. When she unlocked the last door on the left, a sudden sense of welcoming relief flooded her weary bones once the young woman turned a few lights on.
The flat looked around to be over two-thousand square feet, its interior design combined modern minimalist designs with rustic elements from the Colonial Spanish architecture of South and Central America. The fluorescent beams bounced off brightly painted Talavera tile flooring and the burnished cherry electric fireplace, adding a warm feeling to the place. Yet when she found a four poster bedroom that boasted an impressive shelf of books, Erin fell onto the satin comforter and passed out without taking off her shoes with the cozy sensation of finally being home.
After sleeping for almost ten time changes, Erin finally left the apartment complex, determined to continue her exploration of the town in search for more memories to piece back her own past. The last fragment she had received dictated an establishment called The Black Forest Bookstore. If she found this place, then she might fill out more of the missing blanks in her mind.
Erin's feet almost seemed to be on auto-pilot, taking her along the streets and around a corner at the intersection of Cloud Stead and Main Street. Despite the fact that she did not remember walking this way, her body did and within fifteen minutes the Outsider arrived at the destination. The Black Forest Bookstore.
Upon pulling the wooden door open and stepping inside the air-conditioned facility, Erin was immediately greeted by a perky young girl with short green hair.
"Hello, and welcome to The Black Forest Bookstore, how may I help you today? E-Erin? Is that you?! HEY EVERYONE, ERIN IS BACK!"
As if on cue, a myriad of faceless workers that seemed be too large for a bookstore regardless on how large it was, assembled to the front entrance and wholeheartedly welcomed the stunned Outsider with either bone-crushing hugs or wet kisses on the cheek. This charade last five almost five minutes until a stout man in a three-piece black suit interfered with an amused smirk.
"All right, all right, that's enough. I know we're very happy to see that one of our best workers has returned, but we can't neglect our customers. Duccio, finish up the shipping log and greet on the floor. Mario, have Luigi take over the register and come with me to the office. Oh, and bring Lucrezia too. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Mr. Amadore~!"
"You got it, boss~!"
"Good, back to your stations! If anyone needs help or has questions, go to Rodrigo." The brown-haired faceless then turned to Erin. "Now that things have settled down, why don't the two of us do a little catching up in my office, okay?" Seeing the anxious expression on her pale face he added. Don't worry, little moon, you're not in any trouble whatsoever. Relax."
Confused, and a little embarrassed, Erin followed Mr. Amadore to the back of store with three other associates to a dimly-lit office. A large tapestry portraying an armored woman stood behind Mr. Amadore's wooden desk with an impassive expression. After the owner settled into his chair and had an adjacent one pulled up for the foreigner by a young man with ginger colored hair, Mario, Mr. Amadore asked a buxom blonde to close the door.
"Thank you, Lucrezia." Mr. Amadore said, and then turned his attention to Erin, a warm smile stretched across his mouth. "It's good to see you again, Erin. I'm sorry if the staff startled you with their...enthusiasm. We've all missed you quite terribly since your unexpected absence fifty time changes ago. Much more so after the unfortunate events that occurred at the Spring Festival. No one could even get close to contacting you."
Erin fidgeted in her seat slightly as she recalled why exactly she had been gone from the bookstore for such a long period of time. From little she could recall from her fragmented memories, there had been a festival where death was celebrated as a part of life. The next thing she remembered after that, was waking up in a cell beneath the Hatter Mansion.
"Well, thanks for seeing me on such notice sir. I did not realize that I haven't been here for a while. If I may ask, why did that girl know my name? And why was everyone so happy to see me?"
Mr. Amadore looked surprise at her answer before he frowned sadly "You truly don't know? I guess the rumors about your memory loss are true." He scratched his head.
"Erin, you're one of my best workers! You've been working at this shop for almost a hundred time changes, and at the recommendation of the Berceuse nonetheless! Thankfully she had the kindness to inform me about your accident, so I was at least able to let the others know why such a punctual, hard-working employee has not been showing up to her shifts all of a sudden!"
The college graduate looked even more confused. "The who?"
An uncomfortable silence settled in the room for a few seconds, as if some blasphemy had been said, till Lucrezia spoke up with a reassuring smile and placing her hand on the foreigner's shoulder, squeezing it softly."Don't worry, Erin. All of your memories will come back very soon."
Mr. Amadore changed the subject fast. "Erin, have you gone to your apartment yet?"
The Outsider nodded. "I did, and the place looks good as new, as if I had never left. But why do I still have it after being gone for so long, especially when the landlord could have easily found a new tenant?"
Mr. Amadore smiled. "That's because the apartment and its rent are paid by your services to the Lullaby. You must have had put in more than enough money to cover the utilities till now. But if I were you, I would get a job right away to pay off any debt you might have also due to your absence."
Erin frowned in contemplation. "If I do have debt, then perhaps it would be easier to be paid off with a job that has a higher salary."
Mr. Amadore nodded in agreement, crossing his arms. "I would love to have you here at the bookstore or at the printing press for Zarathustra editions again, but there are more high paying jobs offered by other companies supported by the Lullaby. Places where your talents and knowledge could be put to a better use."
"Then I suppose I will have to do that. May I ask if you know any establishments that are currenting hiring, Mr. Amadore?" Erin asked a bit nervously.
The stout faceless tapped his fingers on the desk thoughtfully for a less than a few seconds, but the person who came up with a solution was none other than Rodrigo.
"Sir, I heard that the museum and art gallery in this country have expanded greatly in the last twenty time changes. There will be an increase for funding sales. Giovanni has been a little-short handed recently when it comes to finding workers. He is in dire need of curators that are well versed in the art from the Berceuse's world, and people who can professionally handle the gallery's pieces and talk about them to guests without being too forward."
Mr. Amadore smiled approvingly at his employee. "Capital idea!" He pulled out a pen and paper, quickly writing down a letter of recommendation before he handed it to Erin. The owner made a small noise till he dug in his desk and gave the college graduate a pink booklet titled Beauty And The Bandersnatch.
"Here you go, Erin. There's an address inside this book that'll guide you to the Looking Glass Gallery. You are more than welcome to work here again if you'd like, or until you find a new job that you like. But at least go see the manager, Giovanni Bianchi, when you can okay?"
"I will probably go see him right away, sir. I have time." Erin replied as she stood up with the items in her hand. "Thank you very much for seeing me."
Mr. Amadore rose from her desk and jovially shook her hand. "My pleasure, Erin. I'll go ahead and give Giovanni a call to have him expect you at his doorstep in the next time change. Mario, show Erin the way out will you? She might not remember it."
"Yes, sir~!"
Mario led Erin out of the office and directly to a dead end wall where a painting of the same woman that Erin had seen in the background of Mr. Amadore's office covered the entire wall. The faceless started at it with a longing expression before placing a hand under the bottom of the portrait to press a hidden button. The wall shook once, then twice till a tunnel appeared before them. Mario then turned to the astonished Outsider with a smile. "Now follow my steps, Erin. We updated the traps, so please move where I do."
The college graduate nodded and followed Mario through the tunnel with glowing strings of fluorescent bulbs as their only source of light. The tunnel extended into various branches, going up and down and to areas that...were questionable. But as this journey continued, Erin felt a small sting of pain in the back of her mind. Another memory she had forgotten was being restored. This was not the first time she had traveled through a tunnel system like this one.
A long time ago and her better judgement, Erin had accepted a lunch invitation from Elliot at his favorite vegetarian pub when a bomb decided to go off somewhere nearby. She didn't know where it exactly detonated, but it was enough to shatter a few windows and have the March Hare leave her the establishment with a gun in his hand. When things began to get dicey, a faceless waiter gave the young woman a torn piece of paper before pushing her under a secret passageway beneath the bar to send Erin to safety.
"We're here, Erin~!"
Mario's voice brought Erin back from her shambled thoughts and onto a wall in front of them. The faceless then searched around the adjacent area until his hand was coiled a stone wedged between cracks. Pushing it in further, the wall suddenly rumbled and opened, revealing the exit of an alleyway.
"Alright, this is the closest we can get to the Looking Glass Gallery without raising too much suspicion. Once you leave the alleyway, make a right and keep going straight. Okay~?"
Erin nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Mario. Be safe on the way back."
The bloke responded with a sunny grin. "I will. Take care of yourself, little moon. We are happy to have you back~!" Once Erin had safely vacated the tunnel, Mario disappeared from her sight with no trace of a secret entrance being there whatsoever. She marched out of the alleyway and down the street with a quiet determination in her bright green eyes.
After being imprisoned in a cage for so long, it was time for Erin to start life in Wonderland anew, without the constant interference of Role Holders.
I would like to thank Momochan77, Guest, Allora22701 and snm1 for taking the time out of their busy schedule to read and provide feedback! I hope everyone has so far had a smooth start to the new school year and wish wholeheartedly on their studies. I hope everyone has enjoyed this chapter and have a great weekend! :)