HERE'S ANOTHER ONE! SORRY IF THE SHORTNESS BUGS ANYBODY. AT LEAST I CAN WHIP THEM OUT FAST! SO, PLEASE VOTE AND REVIEW! OH AND, WHERE WOULD YOU ALL LIKE MIA AND ALICE TO VISIT FIRST? IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER THE ORDER, THE PLOT WILL GO ALONG AS PLANNED.

Ch.7: Dusk Falls

Later that night….

Alice started awake in her bed, her nightmare lingering. Thunder crashed and crackled outside her window, reflection off the snow in a rare winter thunderstorm. Alice shivered, the dream coming back. So real….

Alice remembered being in a cold, desolate place. The ground below her feet was made of white sand, not warm. Not cold. Just…there. As far as she could see, the sand continued in small islands, broken and fragmented. Water as red as blood and deep as the sea surrounded the islands and a black and blank sky stretched over head. She remembered…a voice. Singing. A light, innocent voice singing a song she didn't recognize. Now, Alice couldn't remember the song.

She had stumbled along from island to the next, trying to follow the voice. She knew she had to get to it. Something important waited for her…but what?

Red…so much red had stained her bare feet from the bloody waters….

CRASH! Alice jumped as icy wind and water hit her! She stumbled across the room to the window, closing them. Alice sighed as she grabbed a blanket form the floor and tried to get the water off her skin.

The door creaked open behind her. Alice spun around to see Mia poking her head into the door. "I heard a noise, so…." Alice sighed in relief and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Mia, what are you doing up?" "The lightning woke me up…I don't like storms." Alice smiled and beckoned the child closer.

Mia, in her nightdress, ran to Alice and hoped up on the bed. "…Why are you awake?" Alice smiled, "I had a bad dream is all." Mia blinked, "You mean, grownups have bad dreams to?" "Hahaha! Of course we do! Everyone gets scared." Mia nodded thoughtfully. "…Can I sleep here tonight?" Alice smiled, "I don't see anything wrong with that."

So, Alice tucked the girl in next to her and Mia curled up tight. Alice lay down, trying to sleep, but couldn't. The dream she had kept coming back to her. She hadn't had any nightmares since coming to Wonderland. She had been told that Nightmare took care of them. It seemed important…I'll ask Nightmare about it tomorrow.

"…Alice, are you awake?" "Hm? Yes." "Alice…do you want to have kids someday?" "Umm…yes, someday. Once I've fallen in love and gotten married…why?" Mia curled tighter, "My mommy never wanted kids. She always said I was bad and never let me leave the village." Alice frowned and turned to the girl, "Why would your mom say that?" "She said it was cause I had a face that I was bad. One time, she saw me playing with my dolls and started screaming at me. She took my dolls away, and locked me in my room. …She said she hated me…she said I wasn't supposed to exist…." Mia started sobbing.

Startled, Alice put her arm around the small girl, "Mia, it's alright. Your mom was wrong. She was wrong to do that to you." Mia looked up, "So…you don't think I'm bad?" Alice smiled, "No. I think you've just been mistreated. Don't worry. Things will get better."

Mia stared into Alice's eyes, her expression unreadable. Then she smiled, "I think you're right." Mia snuggled down and started to drift off, "*yawn* Things… are going to get…better…for me…." Soon, Mia was fast asleep. Alice smiled and she also drifted into nothing. This time, she was undisturbed by the night and her mind.

THERE YOU HAVE IT! PLEASE STAY TUNED, AND LET ME HEAR YOUR OPINIONS! AND VOTE! I'M TERRIBLE AT PICKING PAIRINGS FOR ALICE!