Chapter 10
Somewhere in the Queen's castle, in the farthest, darkest, most secure corner there lies a young man chained to a mushroom. This young man could break the chains if he really wanted to but he sees no point in doing so. Usually he is constantly puffing away on a cigarette. Breathing in the smoke that makes his life bearable and suppresses his powers.
But somewhere in a world that isn't his own there is a mother reading a story to her child. In this world it would be ludicrous to see someone chained to a mushroom, in the farthest, darkest most secure corner of a Queen's castle, smoking a cigarette that contained a random assortment of ingredients to suppress ones supernatural abilities.
But because of these supernatural abilities the young man is able to witness these going ons which he usually ignores, because life becomes very bleak when you know everything that has, will, or is happening. Besides it's very hard to focus on one thing that is occurring when he is also witnessing a million other things going on in his head.
But this story that this woman is telling to her less than bright child is intriguing, and is eerily similar to his own story.
A god who loved mortals so much he went against all he knew and gave them the one thing that would save them. And for that he was punished and was chained up for all eternity. Only to be tortured everyday. The names and details didn't matter, when did they ever?
But the details were bitterly similar to to young man chained to the mushroom.
He chuckled and rattled his shackles,putting his cigarette to his lips again and breathing the smoke into his lungs were it seeped into his very being. The tip of the stick smouldered in the dark room. The only source of heat and light. He held the smoke in for as long as his body would allow it and then he released it from his mouth slowly.
He took another drag but this time released the pink tinged smoke right away, his mouth made a quick series of odd shapes while he was releasing the smoke. The smoke formed a series of moving images.
If there had been light in the room then one would have seen two bodies made of smoke, one smallish and slim and the other much taller and bulkier, the indistinguishable cat ears and tail set the taller of the two apart while there was no distinguishing features on the smaller smoke figure, all you could tell was that it was male.
But suddenly what appeared to be knife shaped object appeared in the smallers hands and was immediately stabbed into the chest of the taller, which dissolved. As did the slimmer smoke figure when it's job was done.
The young man chained to the mushroom grimaced when he felt the thoughts of a Card Soldier coming towards his little dungeon. And then the heavy oak door was flung open and light was thrown into the once dark and peaceful room.
Heavy breathing and a gruff voice, "Her Majesty wishes to have her advisor's company!"
The chained young man scoffed at this idiots comment, "You mean Her Majesty wishes to have her slaves company?"
The Card Soldier growled and stomped into the room.
"You always anger our Queen and she doesn't like hurting her toys so she instead takes her anger out on us! I've lost many a friend to your ever changing attitude to her Majesty!"
The young man raised an eyebrow and also a shackled hand. He didn't very much like having his peace disturbed, and this insignificant Card was doing it far to rudely for his liking.
He made a flicking motion as if he was discarding something off his clothes, the Card Soldiers mouth turned into a horrified O before he flew back out the opened door and a sickening crunch could be heard.
The young man's cigarette was now transferred from his hand to his mouth as he breathed in deeply and ripped free of his shackles. He strolled out of the room, the metal cuffs looking like bracelets encircling his wrists, he stepped over the bloodied body of the Card Soldier and spoke to his crumpled form.
"My attitude towards her never changes, I loathe her yet have to lie next to her each night and stand beside her each day." He shook his shaggy hair out of his eyes and made his way down a long flight of stairs that would eventually lead to the Queen of Hearts bedroom.
When he saw the door in the distance he flicked his cigarette over his shoulder and shoved his hands into the pockets of his low riding, slightly sagging jeans. He stopped outside the door for a moment.
He wasn't doing this for himself, he was doing it for the person he hated most in the world, and yet loved the most. This was his punishment for falling in love. This was his punishment for being foolish enough to trust.
Nights spent in a monsters bed, days spent by her side, helping her carry out all her wicked deeds. Constant voices in his head, from people in this world and the real world. Constant bombardment of images, memories.
All the pain, sorrow, regret, love loss, triumph, failure, happiness, anger, and laughter of two worlds thrust on him because of what he was born. And none of these emotions were his.
A God, they called him. What a joke. He was sick of being a God. He was sick of feeling everything yet nothing.
He was sick of saving everyone but himself.
And yet he still pushed open the door and saved everyone except himself.
No one heard the thief in the night. Because he didn't want them too, he had a very important job to do, and even he didn't feel like extra killing tonight.
Since Alice had gained her memories back he felt a major shift in her. She was stronger, more secure in herself, but yet, colder. She hadn't had her memories back long enough for him to really know how much she had changed but the few days she did have them back was enough. She did understand what Rabbit had told her better now but she still need more.
So Cheshire decided the best thing to do would be to gather all the info the Queen had on the Six Families. The only thing they knew about the Queen was that once she was dead Alice would be able to get back to the real world. She was the "chain" on Alice's subconscious that was keeping her tied to this place.
But Cheshire was currently slipping back out of the "impenetrable" fortress that the Queen of Hearts called home,documents in hand. She would be in a blind rage when she realized her precious documents had been stolen, but what the hell?
He had nothing left to lose anymore. She had seen to that.
He knew Alice would be waiting up for him, so he could show the documents to her right away.
He didn't have to climb over high walls or back-flip through windows.
Cheshire's the Tricksters of Pathways.
The purple haired male could only teleport if he knew exactly where it was he was going, but if he didn't it was no big deal, as long as there was a door nearby he could get where he needed to go, all he had to do was connect the two doors together. Restitch the space between the door so that it opened where he wanted to go.
Cheshire glided up the marble steps to the Manor, files in hand.
He hated this place. With it's huge windows and colourful surrounding gardens. He hated the way it looked so peaceful and calm. He hated the huge archways and winding staircases inside, and he hated the way the interior was never the same, to confuse trespassers.
He hated that the Manor's appearance gave no clues to the horrors that had happened here. The front door he was now pushing open was no longer splintered, the greeting room he was now walking through was no longer a mess, the huge staircase he was now climbing was no longer splattered with the blood of his people, of his family. These hallways no longer echoed with the screams of his loved ones. Although sometimes if he listened close enough he could still hear them. But that could just be his imagination.
This place was so big, so full of memories, and nightmares. And until Alice it was such a lonely place. But that was probably for the best, he couldn't hurt anyone if no one was around. But that changed when she came, that all changed that day she opened her eyes in the clearing and he was able to see what she would do. What she would change him into.
He was getting soft. He wasn't as cold as he used to be. Even though he tried to put up a brick wall around his heart she knocked it down with those eyes.
Ches had hated eyes for a very long time. They really were doorways into the soul. But now he loved them, or rather just Alice's. But of course he would never say that. He had a soft spot for her sure, there was no point in denying it. But he still had a strong dislike if not hate for her.
He wasn't exactly sure what room she was in so he called Hikari to him, he was far too tired to cast out his senses or to even restitch a door. The small ball of light was with him in seconds buzzing around him, happy that he was back.
For a long time it had been just him and Hikari. He trusted the little ball of light to protect his home and also to light his way at night. Plus the little ball of light kept close eye on Alice when Cheshire could not and for that he was grateful.
Although Hikari's company was the only one Ches actually enjoyed he knew little about the ball of light. After Ches's family had been killed and Ches had come back from the castle battered, broken, and raging, he found the little ball of light in the Manor he had once called home.
Hikari had obviously cleaned up all the blood and the the broken furniture, but Cheshire couldn't fathom how. The only conclusion he had come to was that Hikari could transform, but into what Ches still didn't know. He was weary of the creature at first, he had not reason for being in his house, but soon he became fond of the warm sphere.
"What kind of form is she in?" Ches spoke aloud, and his voice pierced the otherwise quiet air of the manor.
"She's restless, she senses something is coming." Hikari's voice seeped into Ches's mind, it was quiet,warm and surprisingly childlike. The purple haired cat was the only one Hikari actually spoke to. Even Alice thought he was incapable of speech.
"Yes, I fear we'll be having some unwanted visitors tomorrow before we depart."
"I didn't want to say anything before, but since she got her memories back...she's changed..her soul is darker." Hikari sounded worried for her.
"Remembering what she had been through, it would be wrong if it didn't change her. This is the Alice that should have been. This is the Alice that her world decided to fashion her into."
Hikari obviously didn't like this answer and said nothing as he lead Cheshire to the Manor's library. Once Cheshire stood outside the door to the library Hikari flew away content that his job was done.
Cheshire sighed and pushed open the door and a blast of hot air it him. There was a fire blazing in the overly massive and intricately designed fireplace which was located on the farthest wall. Books lined the walls and gave the room a cosy and comforting feel. The room was massive and the ceiling was high to accommodate the large amount of books.
But Alice looked right at home snuggled up on an arm chair to the right of the fire. Her legs were draped over the arm of the chair and she was playing with a dagger.
Her long inky ringlets were pulled into a ponytail and tied with a white ribbon. There was a small amount of milky skin on her thigh peeking out through the space between were her stripped stocking ended and her cupcake shaped skirt began, and Ches quickly averted his eyes. But then he caught sight of her black corset that cinched in her waist and almost made her breast spill out.
"She's grown up so much since that day in the clearing."
Her eyes narrowed when she caught sight of Ches, and the dagger she was playing with was thrown harshly at the ground where it stuck hilt up.
"You took long enough." Her tone was harsh and her eyes were blazing, she seemed to get angry at the smallest things now.
"It's not the easiest thing breaking into the Queen's castle." She scoffed at his answer.
"And yet you pretend you're invincible." Cheshire ignored her snottiness and covered the space between them, only to throw the thick files on her lap.
He turned to go but she grabbed his wrist just as she had that day on the roof, but this time it was her who pulled away, she jerked her hand away as if the contact burned her. He lingered in the room but kept his back to her.
"That night when you lost your sanity. Those tallys on the walls, what were they for?" Cheshire was glad his back was to her now.
"All the people I've killed, or rather, those worth remembering." He was grinning now, his signature grin. Malicious and yet enticing. Something to attract prey before he killed them.
"Everyone in Wonderland...are they all killers, is that what I'm destined for?" She sounded desperate, and yet still angry, still bitter at the whole world.
"Your insanity is our own. We love killing, fighting, death. It gives us a moment of relief from the burning. A long time ago, I stole some of the caterpillars powers. They're the only ones who don't need to kill, so I have longer periods of sanity, I can control myself, but once in a while it all overwhelms me and I turn into that thing.
That room was made to keep everyone else safe. Even I don't know what you're destined for. But meanwhile, you should brush up on the families. I'll see you tomorrow."
And with that he was gone. Alice was left alone in the library. She wasn't a huge reader but this room was the most comfortable in Cheshire Manor in her opinion. She took a deep breathe and opened the files to read about the families she had created, the people she had created...:
By the decree of her majesty The Queen of Hearts and benevolent ruler of Wonderland, these documents are to not see the light of day or the darkness of night, for they are most sensitive in information regarding the great families and creeds of this twisted and beautiful land. If you are to be found with these sensitive documents, then by her majesty's rule, off with your head!
Document name: Hare family dossier; the following information and persons are to be associated and/or connected to the Hare family for ties such as associates, enemies, members, etc. The current leader of the Hare family is March Hare, the rather enthusiastic, energetic yet childish third child of the biological Hare family, one of the twelve original siblings. (Note: Many of the original children are named after the months in a year; however this information is redundant and has been expunged from the initial document.)
Despite having a childish and almost absent minded personality, March has been recorded showing extremely short yet deadly bursts of intelligence, showing a vast array of tactics and ruthless killing methods. Other then these initial details, March has been recorded to aimlessly wander the grounds of the Hare manor at given intervals along with disappearing from the ground entirely, agents of her Majesty, the Great Queen Of Hearts, have not been able to follow nor find where March disappears to, ending in their immediate beheading.
Despite March Hare being the essential patriarch, March is backed by a large family of goons and thugs, varying in skill and efficiency, yet not in loyalty. One of the most effective and deadly foot solider, is by far the Hare family member Alexander Hare, essentially the right and left hand to March Hare, being his un-official second in command. The official second being the unsociable and rather angry January Hare.
The polar opposite to March, Alexander has been observed to exhibit a personality of cynicism, sarcasm, and calculatingly trying to find the most effective way of killing someone. However, despite their differences mentality wise, Alexander is oddly similar in physical attributes to March Hare besides their colouring.
The Hare family's signature weapon is that of the firearm, yet this does not give them an upper-hand in combat, as they tend to have lower knowledge and skill referring to the maintenance and usage of firearms, the only personnel that effectively use the firearms are the twelve Hare siblings, March's second in command Alexander and a select few run of the mill foot soldiers, our scouts being able to confirm these reports.
The Hare family have also been recorded to collect the clocks (or hearts) of fallen enemies which are then delivered to their enemies the White Family for repairs.
The Hare family also have been recorded selling and buying masses of firearms essentially gearing up various thugs whom are fallen under their banner, yet this has backfired on several occasions, as many of the dealings are handled by the vast number of foot soldiers, yet scouts have commented saying there has been reported cases of Alexander Hare stepping in on deals. Scouts of the great army of the Queen of Hearts have no further intel on this matter.
Document name: White family dossier; the following information and persons are to be associated and/or connected to the White family for ties such as associates, enemies, members, etc. The current leader and matriarch of the White family is Rabbit White, the cold, calm, ruthless and calculating master mind behind the success of the White family.
Rabbit has been seen on several occasions by our loyal scouts to be a more then adequate fighter, easily hitting and killing ten targets at once, having been versed in the use of throwing weapons and the application of neurotoxins and other lethal concoctions.
Apart from Rabbit White, there is also one other person in higher command with almost a larger amount of tactical genius, our sources say she is the rightful Head but decided to step down, Jinx White, code named "Jinxie" from close acquaintances and also the given name by the scouts, is essentially the second in command of the White family, being a energetic, yet highly volatile in terms of emotions changing at a moments notice, Jinx has been recorded to have a battle prowess more advanced then Rabbit White, and has also been shown to have extreme tactical skills, having been able to kill various members of opposing families.
She has particular hatred towards the Hare family Reports have indicated that Jinx however met her match against one of the Hare's, the details being rather vague, thus leaving the floor open for suggestions on which member it was. However, that does not draw away from the fact that Jinx is special within the White family.
First of all, intel has shown that she indeed uses a melee weapon (The vines of the Forgive Me Not tree have been proven to be incredibly strong and deadly, the application of copious amounts of toxins making this even more life threatening.), while secondly, many of the scouts have question as to why this obvious person of power has not taken the position of leader of the White family, yet this has been deemed redundant by her Majesty, The Queen Of Hearts, therefore all naysayers will instantly be beheaded.
The White's primarily specialise in the production and distribution of narcotics, fuelling the sadistic going ons of many of the families. There is, also, another business in which the White's par take in, the repairing and restoring of clocks given to them by the Hare family, the two parties being forced to work together. Any further intel will be added under the consent of her Majesty the Queen Of Hearts.
Document name: Hatter family dossier; the following information and persons are to be associated and/or connected to the Hatter family for ties such as associates, enemies, members, etc. The current leader presiding over the Hatter family is the rather sociable and self naming Hatter. This rather coy and sly male has been referred to as the person the Queen of Hearts despises the most. Another alias in which Hatter has been able to acquire is his code name in which the department and scouts have dubbed him as "The Mad Hatter" for his ever constant changing personality, scouts and embedded agents finding that his eye colour changes to the appropriate personality in which he is currently exhibiting.
These personalities differ in emotions and general reactions, however, his over all approach is one of using the art form of sword fighting, easily dispatching rowdy customers along with enemies whom tend to cause annoyances for him and his business. The Hatter family deal in information and not a movement or crime is commited in Wonderland without their go ahead.
The Hatter family is currently the lead creator and owner of the many pleasure houses dotted across Wonderland, Hatter generally sampling new stock, young and old, new and used, all of whom are female, a special team testing out the males.
Our scouts have been able to confirm that the pleasure houses are most excellent and have by far the highest quality meat; however, by decree of her Majesty The Queen Of Hearts we are forbidden to further speak of these pleasure houses in anyway, shape or form, while all scouts or personnel whom attend them shall be immediately dealt with.
It is also know that hatter has aquired strange powers after searching for Branch of Sin for many years and finally consuming it. He is the only know person alive who was able to find and consume the forbidden fruit, therefore he is a formidable appointment.
Document name: Cheshire family dossier; the following information and persons are to be associated and/or connected to the Cheshire family for ties such as associates, enemies, members, etc. From general knowledge and intel provided from (Surviving.) scouts, it is not fair to refer to the Cheshire family as…well, a family. The entire Cheshire family, except for one, was murdered without a moment's hesitation by the Queen. She felt they threatened her power so she saw to their annihilation. The current head of the Cheshire "family" is Cheshire Cat.
It is known that all family Heads take that title, while Cats of lower positions used fake names or codenames when they were alive. To know a Cat's true name is to have power over it. Not much has been gathered apart from two crucial pieces of information regarding Cheshire himself. There have apparently been rumours that have been confirmed, but also not confirmed by the various scouts under our employment that Cheshire is to have known affiliations in terms of business with White Rabbit.
This has yet to be entirely confirmed, but is open for discussion amongst staff whom are entitled to these documents. The second crucial piece of information regards the combat capability of Cheshire. Many scouts whom have seen their brothers die under the glorious rule of our Majesty The Queen Of Hearts; have seen that Cheshire is essentially an assassin without a cause, being incredibly effective in his dispatching of enemies, easily besting some of the other heads, along with their lieutenants. However, further information regarding Cheshire has not been sourced or uncovered as he is both rather illusive and also hazardous to remaining forces.
Document name: Bloody Twins dossier; the following information and persons are to be associated and/or connected to The Bloody Twins for ties such as associates, enemies, members, etc. Tweedle Dum and Dee, codenamed "The Bloody Twins" by many of our associates and scouts, the Tweedle twins are in fact the chief manufacturer's of the soul weapons in which many of the high ranking officials and leaders of the families use.
They use the forbidden Blood Magic of Wonderland. Not much is know about their combat skills as they are protected by the Inu twins Kagura and Kiume. The Inu twin Lieutenants are vicious and trained well, ready to throw their lives away for their masters in a moments notice.
They are well liked by most of those in Wonderland and are on good terms with all of the six families. They also hold many social gatherings at their large castle like manor. It has been reported recently that many young beautiful women have been disappearing at these parties. But the Queen of Hearts refuses to look into these matters. Believing the Tweedle Twins able to deal with this matter themselves.
Other information however has been kept under lock and key by our magnificent Red Queen as she speaks of them being an important asset, thus we must not allow much information to be sent into these documents, for fear of the Twins being compromised.
By royal decree, these documents are to be kept within the royal palace at all times, while the file containing information on the Caterpillars is protected by her Majesty. And may not be seen by any but her. No scout nor any other staff member is allowed to take these documents without approval from our magnificent Queen Of Hearts, her almighty Majesty, for we are but her servants, thus we are un-worthy to obtain these documents, but out of her great gratitude and generosity, we are allowed to read these documents, let alone glimpse them! Praise be to the Queen Of Hearts!:
Alice stood suddenly and made her way to the fire, files in hand. She stood there for a moment. Processing everything. Her proof was in her hands. And finally she believed everything. Peace flowed through her. She was ready to fight. She was ready to die for this world that she had made. She would try to bring peace for this land, even if it drove her insane.
She threw the files into the flames, so that no one could ever read them again, and then she smirked to herself.
These Families, they sounded fun. Ches already told her she'd be meeting the Tweedles tomorrow, and they'd train her in Blood Magic. But she had a feeling they were going to send something to test her.
She fell to her knees in front of the fire, and covered the smile that felt like it was almost cracking her face. Yes Cheshire's story was sad and all but Alice found herself forgetting what she read about him. She found herself wondering where those young girls were wandering off to.
She found herself questioning if she'd have to sacrifice a life for her Blood Magic, and she found herself wishing she'd have to.