Freedom: Barriers

Summary: Alice struggles on how to help Mirana, and Mirana struggles on how to keep her darkness at bay.

Authors Note: again writing in Italics are Mirana's thought process, I do not agree with what is written, but they are some of the poisonus thoughts that come along with abuse.

"Mirana, please look at me", Alice begged, she was at a loss, she didn't know what to say.

"Can I get you out of these clothes and clean you up?" Mirana didn't answer, so with trepidation Alice reached for the ties of Mirana's shirt, slowly she removed it, and took in Mirana's body, there were purple handprints on her wrists where Stayne had held her in position Alice mused.

She reached for the hem of Mirana's skirt, and slowly removed it. Alice suppressed a gasp , Mirana's thighs were covered in blood, what she could only imagine was semen as well as the beginnings of dark purple bruises. Alice left the room to find a wet cloth. When she returned Mirana had yet to show any recognition that Alice was even in the room with her. Alice pressed the damp cloth against Mirana's thigh , it was this that was to break the queen's revere,

No! don't touch me, i'm dirty, He's all over me, I need to get him off me, I need it to stop, I need it to stop. Mirana could feel the emotion's swell, feel the darkness rise inside of her.

Alice felt Mirana tense, she looked up and what she saw broke her heart. Eyes, eyes filled with grief, anguish, and terror, pure terror. "I'm not going to hurt you I promise." Alice whispered Mirana seemed to calm so Alice moved to clean Mirana's wounds once more.

"Make it stop, please make it stop" Mirana's whispered her eyes were begging Alice. Alice had found some of Mirana's clothes and placing them on the floor she took her hand.

"I'll make it stop, I promise" Alice squeezed her hand and started to dress her, when she was done she lay next to her on the bed, placed her arms around her and repeated "I'll make it stop, I promise" Mirana fell into an uneasy sleep and Alice kept a vigil beside her throughout the night.

Alice awoke with a start, she hadn't intended to fall asleep, the first thing se noticed was that Mirana was no where to be found. She was worried, no-one else knew what had transpired the previous evening, and the only words she had heard from Mirana were her pleas to make it stop, she wasn't even sure what it was. She heard and fan fare and made for the courtyard where it originated

"Who will step forward for the white queen?" McTwisp asked the gathered crowd.

Alice looked at Mirana, she looked as airy as she had when Alice had first met her. Unsure of what to say she took up a spot next to her and observed. If she hadn't found her covered in blood and seen the look in her eyes she wouldn't imagine anything had happened at all. Mirana gave her a small smile upon her arrival and turned back to the crowd.

"That would be I", Tarrant stepped out the crowd

"You have poor evaporating skills, I should be the one" Chess had appeared next to Tarrant

"I'll do it" Mallymkin beat her brow and for a moment seemed as tall as knight

"No me!" Tweedle Dee (or was it Tweedle Dum) stepped out of the crowd holding a small wooden sword.

"No me!" the other twin swiftly joined him

Mirana's mind however was not with the unfolding events but reeling from the arrival of Alice. You stupid girl, why couldn't you have moved when He left. Then she wouldn't have found you, and you wouldn't be in this situation! She wont let it go, she'll push you to talk to feel! She doesn't understand she doesn't know the darkness inside of you. She can't imagine what would happen were it to take hold of you.

She was broken out of her revere when McTwisp dropped his scroll down the steps .

"No other way or no how, if it aint Alice it aint dead" the twins chorused.

Mirana shook her head "Alice you cannot give your life to please others, the choice must be yours"

Alice could see the pleading in Mirana's eyes she knew that she was not only speaking of her choice to be champion.

"For when you step out to face that creature you will step out alone"

Alice turned, turned and ran, she couldn't bear to be around her white queen, she knew she couldn't understand how Mirana must be feeling, or how she could act as though nothing had happened. Did she really expect her to just forget what she had seen, what she knew had occurred between Mirana and Stayne. Alice knew she needed to talk to Mirana, but she couldn't do it with all those people around.

Mirana was once again roaming the city of Marmoreal, lost in her own thoughts, thought's of Alice, thought's of Stayne. No!. No she would not think of him it was to dangerous. Dangerous, no Alice finding you, Alice and her knowledge of just what Stayne did to you that is dangerous. You must convince her that nothing of consequence took place, that your fine, you've always been fine and the last thing you need to do is talk. Mirana sat for a moment her head spinning, it was then all those old feelings, old thoughts began to spring up.

It's all your own fault you know!

No!

Of course it is, if you'd spoken up when you were a child, if you hadn't let it go on for so long. Maybe then they would have believed you, they would have done something to stop Him.

No, No, I was just a child, I didn't know what was happening!

No, but you knew it was wrong, you should have said something, you didn't try to stop it, so you let it happen. You tore your family apart, its your fault Racie lost her mind. It's your fault she's a tyrant queen.

"Stop it, just stop it!" Mirana cried out, she could feel the darkness swell inside of her.

"Stop what my lady?", Tarrant's concerned voice filled the corridor

"Oh Tarrant , I'm just worried about this champion business, and my mind is plaguing me with all sorts of scenario's" Mirana answered him hoping he would accept it without question.

Tarrant nodded in understanding, he had been toying with the idea of telling Mirana of Stayne's attempt to steal the sword. He had decided against, for though she had never told him, he had always suspected the terror Stayne had caused her as a girl, he did not want to be the one to remind her of it. He loved her entirely to much for that.

Alice finally stopped running, she was in over her head and she knew it. she didn't think she could handle this, it was far to complicated to be a dream, but it must be a dream how could any off this be real. She was broken out of her revere by a loud coughing, she look up.

"Absolem , why are you upside down?" Alice had finally stopped running and returned to the catapillar

"I have come to the end of this life", he replied.

"Your going to die? Alice felt a great sadness

"Transform" he coughed again.

"Please don't go, I need your help, I don't know what to do?" she asked in earnest, she wanted to help Mirana in more ways than just be her champion.

"how can I help you when you don't even know who you are you stupid girl" the catapillar

"I'm not stupid, I'm Alice Kingsley, I have a mother called Helen, a sister called Margret, my father was Charles Kingsley and he had a vision that stretched halfway around the world." Alice replied anger evident in her voice.

"Finally you were this dim witted the first time you were here, you called it wonderland" Absolem responded

Alice remembered, she had been here before, she had been useful then, she could be useful now.

"Then it is real!, so are you and so is the hatter" Alice exclaimed

"and Mirana and the Jabberwocky, remember Alice the Vorpal sword knows what it wants, you just need to hold onto it, farewell Alice I may see you in another life."

She knew what she needed to do, she needed to slay the Jabberwocky then she could focus on helping Mirana.