The halls of the asylum were drowned in the sounds of Alice's relentless pacing. The mirror remained close to her face but no matter how hard she looked beyond the image of the man, she couldn't place a location. Where was she? Didn't he know that she had stuff to do? Like save an entire other world for instance?

Quick and clean. Quick and clean.

That is how she wanted to finish him off. It would also help to bury him somewhere in Wonderland. That way the police would find no evidence of a body. But as long as things went according to plan, that little detail would be able to pass by without a worry.

However, Alice did feel a certain degree of regret. Here she was, making a huge plan on how to kill a man, when she didn't even know him in the first place. It all sounded a bit harsh. There would have to be some kind of a reason, so that when the knife was posed above his head, he wouldn't be thinking "Why is this girl trying to kill me? What did I do?"

Finally, when she got sick and tired of the young children peeking their heads out of their rooms to stare at her, Alice headed back to her room.

"Ugh! Why can't you just tell me where he is?" she shouted, throwing the mirror so that it landed on her bed. It didn't respond. Just glinted from the moonlight hitting it. Just sitting on the bed.

Alice fell backwards onto the hard matress so that the mirror and her were sitting in the same position. Maybe it would help change perspective. It didn't.

Twas brilig, and the slithy toves / Did gyre and gimble in the wabe/ All mimsy were the borogroves/ And the mome raths outgrabe.

Now she knew she was going crazy. Did she just hear a familar rhyme? By a familar cat?

"Cheshire?"

And just like he had always belonged in her room, out he stepped.

"Some of those words are hard on the tongue. I spent all my time on them when you were gone. Did I do good?"

Alice didn't flinch when he came up to her. It was almost as if it was expected. However she did flinch when she set eyes on what he looked like.

It was like looking at the cat's evil twin. His purple coat was now matted and brown, as if he had been playing around in garbage. His eyes glowed such a fire red one might compare them to rubies. But that grin. That grin was the only thing that Alice found comfort inside.

"You look quite mangy, but your grin is a comfort."

"Thank you Miss, Liddell. I hope you know why I am here."

Alice sat up in bed.

"It's the mirror, I know. White Rabbit was telling me that I have to kill the man I see inside."

"But do you know why Alice?" Cheshire whispered. Alice glanced around the room, making sure nothing else was around, not even Maggie, to hear her response.

"Why?"

"It's the only way The Queen can destroy you. Through love."

"Love?"

"Yes. You see..." and the cat gracefully jumped onto the bed beside her. "The queen knows of your strengths. She knows that where Wonderland is concerned, you will be there to stop the danger. You being next in the throne to rule and she second, The Queen sees fit to destroy you in the most foul way. And because of your power she knows that love is the only way for you to clear from her path of obstruction towards the crown."

When Alice didn't respond The Cheshire Cat continued.

"Love, unfortunately, can sneak up on you when you least want it to happen. It's the way of life among humans."

"But love won't stop me. I'm not interested in falling in love. With any man." Alice said.

"Ah, but Alice. I know your game. Would you actually resort to killing an innocent victim for the sake of saving even your most precious land?"

"I...would actually." Alice said. Why did she have to falter? The cat was right. She would never kill an innocent person even if it was for Wonderland.

"Well, isn't there another way."

"Exploring your options dear Alice? You find that there is only one path to ultimately choose. Sure, you may be hindered by the vast amount of choices life will throw at you, but you can only be good or evil. You can't have both."

"I know that but is there a way to handle this mirror problem without killing him?"

"Yes, but it requires the mirror to be destroyed and the ultimate sacrifice."

"Which is?" Alice asked.

The cat's grin grew wider.

"Death. Someone who would risk anything to save Wonderland must put themself on the table."

"But...Who would choose a decision like that?"

"I have already told you the answer to that question."

"Now if you don't mind, I have to be heading back." The Cheshire Cat said, hopping off the bed.

"No!" Alice screamed, jumping off as well. She got on her knees. It felt odd to beg to a cat.

"Please, take me with you."

"They won't have you until you come with the man."

"But I'll never find him. Don't you get it. I'm hopelessly lost."

"You'll find Alice, that your arrival in Wonderland will come soon when you see what lies beyond the window."

And in the fraction of a second when Alice looked away, the cat was gone.

"Cheshire?"

Silence.

Alice got back up and turned toward the window. There coming up the path with a little boy, was the man. Alice looked into the mirror then back at the window. The images matched.

I made a little spelling mistake in the previous version of this chapter but it's fixed now.