Skylight

Coughcoughcoughcough…The only thing I could breathe or taste was dust and ash. My ears were ringing, my lungs felt like they'd' been socked, and my vision was shaky at best. Slowly the dust was settling and that's when I saw Charles lying face down on the floor.

Cough. "Charles!"

Scrambling across the floor towards my friend my heart was beginning to sink at the thought of him being gone! When I reached him I gave his body a hard shake and he stirred quickly from his stunned state.

"Charles! Charles!" I coughed at him.

His dizzy looking eyes zeroed in on me, "Wh-What was-"

"WHO'S BLOWING HOLES IN MY TOWER?!"

At the sound of Nightmares, unusual angry bark, the girls shoulders shirked. Slowly she twisted around, while her hands tended to the Faceless lying on the floor bleeding, and sized them all up. Nightmare had stormed from the assembly, with The Lizard in tow of course, and everyone else had followed including the Queen, Gowland, Peter and Julius. Blood stood still far behind everyone else and watched the Outsider.

"Hello Nightmare!" I smiled and cheered as I finished tying off Charles arm, "That should stop the bleeding." I reassured him.

"Don't you 'Hello Nightmare' me!" he burst out and pointed aside, "WHAT IS THAT?!"

I leaned foreword and peered around the shaking caterpillar. Apparently my RPG had made quite a mess of things. The doorway, which was door-less, was charred black, blood had been splattered everywhere and beyond that, across the hall, there was a massive hole in the side of the tower. Beyond it I could see the sky and the forest in the distance.

"I put in a skylight." I replied getting to my feet, "You're welcome!"

"A-"Nightmare gaped like a beached fish as strange noises came out of his mouth, "skylight…..I don't think so! H-How did you even do that?! Wh-W-Why?!"

"People were shooting at us." I motioned towards Charles who was getting to his feet slowly with the help of others, "A couple of your people, Nightmare."

"That-"

"Nightmare."

The voice that cut through the tension in the air caught everyone's attention. Nightmare turned aside and that's when I saw Blood standing there looking as strange as ever in top hat and all. Next to him was Elliot who I couldn't help but give a tiny wave to.

"I dearly hope that you are not attempting to knock off my little lady." Blood spoke calmly.

I frowned at the title.

Nightmare looked between me and then Blood several times before, "Your little lady?"

Blood smirked.

I snorted, "Were not an item Nightmare and Blood don't confuse him anymore than necessary." I warned.

Blood gave me an arched brow but nothing else.

"Ari arrived in Hatter Mansion-"Elliot put in defiantly, "that makes her a special guest of The Hatters!"

"Yea!" Dee and Dum suddenly chimed in.

I hadn't seen them hiding behind Vivaldi who was being escorted by Ace it would seem. Further down the hall I could see Peter slyly loping away and disappeared around a corner. Nightmare turned back to me fully facing me.

"Y-You have a lot of-"

A shimmer coming from behind Nightmare in the distant forest caught my eye-

Gray yelled as he charged towards his boss, "Nightmare!"

I grabbed Nightmare and twisted him inwards as the sound of a gun echoed off. Something sharp and hot bit into my shoulder as I tumbled to the ground with Nightmare beneath me. We hit the floor and another round zipped by my ear clipping the edge. Everyone scrambled, Gray took chase out the broken wall of the tower, and Ace quickly took a stance in front of us prepared to knock away any additional shots.

A heavy, shallow sigh escaped me as I rolled off of Nightmare onto my back and held my arm to still my shoulder. I'd been in a lot of fights but I'd never been shot. I forced down the tears wanting to spill out at the molten pain radiating up and down my arm and side.

"Ari!" Elliot called as he rushed over to me.

I opened my eyes, finding my vision slightly teary, to see Elliot hovering over me. His corn yellow hair was brighter than I remembered and his long ears were sticking up straight.

"Ar-"he began.

I shoved him aside, "EVERYONE GET DOWN!"

RAT-TAT-TAT! Bullets riddled across the hall. Everyone scattered, Elliot threw himself over me, as wood and dust filled the air again….Then just as quick as it had started it ended. The tower went still and everyone seemed to take a collective sigh.

Nightmare sat up, "Gray got em'." He called.

I inhaled taking in the scent of gun grease and carrot cake from Elliot. He pushed himself off of me and moved aside as I forced myself to sit up. Warmth oozed from my shoulder and I found myself a little breathless. Looking down I quickly realized the bullet had NOT gone all the way through which explained the nasty burn I was still feeling this late into the injury. I lifted my head and swallowed a yowl.

"Now, now young lady." Blood sauntered over to me and kneeled, "You'll get fixed up quickly enough."

I grit my teeth, "I don't need you to fix me up. I can do it myself."

"Ari you were shot in the back!" Elliot gaped, "Unless you can twist your head around you won't be able to pull the bullet out!"

Nightmare got to his feet and dusted himself off, "Ari I'm so-"

"I don't want to be indebted to a mobster." I replied to Elliot then looked to Blood, "No offense."

Blood smirked making his blue eyes simmer, "None taken and you will not owe me anything. Remember you're not playing the game, are you."

"How'd you-"

"Elliot take the young lady to the infirmary." Blood ordered, "I'm sure you won't mind our use of it, Nightmare, seeing as an Outsider was injured during your assembly?"

Nightmare opened his mouth as if to say something but nothing came out.

"Come on Ari." Elliot cooed as he gently scooped me off the floor into his arms.

This sucks! This sucks! This sucks so much! It was the only thing I could repeat through my head as Elliot carried me down the stairs. I could see that he was trying not to jostle me but he could only help not doing it so much. Biting my lip I stared down the stairs wondering how far the infirmary was from here.

"Ari….."I looked up at Elliot, his long ears drooping.

Despite the pain in my shoulder and the dizziness in my skull I couldn't help but laugh, "Elliot don't droop your ears!" I reached up with my good hand and gave the tip of one a gentle flick, "They look best when they're happy."

Suddenly the place began to spin, "Uhhhhhh…." I closed my eyes and rested my head against Elliot's chest.

Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock….The steady, unchanging grinding of Elliot's 'heart' filled my ear.

"Don't worry young lady-"

I was starting to feel clammy and sweaty, "Call me Ari, Blood. Just Ari." And I wanted to barf.

"Don't worry Ari we'll have you fixed up."

The girl weighed nothing in his arms. Still Elliot held tight to her and as her breathing went ragged, her head dipped foreword, and she passed out against him. Many times before he had held Alice like this but somehow this was…..different. Ari seemed to be effecting him, not as an Outsider, but as herself. This was, indeed, a strange power he'd never felt before. Elliot lifted his gaze and looked over at Blood who gave him a knowing look then placed his finger against his lips in a silent hush.

The air was acrid and smelled like burning flesh. It made me want to vomit. I opened my eyes to a destroyed landscape. The earth was barren, charred to a crisp, remnants of buildings and trees and people were scattered about by the chaos that had passed through. I coughed and pushed myself up off the ground my gear weighed down upon my back. The AR in my hands felt heavy like lead-Something charged out of the shadows….something monstrous! I lifted my gun, pulled the trigger, shells tinked and sung as they hit the ground around my boots-

"NIGHTMARE!"

The world that had swallowed me was abruptly washed away along with the stink, along with the weight, to be replaced by a sparkling void somewhere in space. I lifted my gaze to see Nightmare, holding gently to my wrist, watching me with wide, horrified eyes.

I breathed out with a shake, "N-Nightmare…." And threw myself at him.

His hesitation only lasted a few seconds before he wrapped his arms around me tightly.

"It's okay Ari. I'm here now." He spoke into my ear softly.

I forced back the tears as I shook off the cold stank of fear, "D-Did you get hurt?"

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"Back in Wonderland. You didn't get hurt did you?"

Nightmare balked a laugh, "Goodness Ari! Really?"

I nodded but refused to let go of him.

"No. I didn't get hurt at all thanks to you-"he held me out at arm's length, "don't ever do that again!"

I smirked, "No promises but okay."

"Stubborn just like Alice." He sighed.

I smirked.

The world around me was beginning to lighten and fade.

"Nightmare…..?"

"It's okay. Your waking up. Remember just call for me when you need me. I'll always come."

Nightmare watched as Ari slowly faded out of her dream state back into the world of Wonderland leaving him in the darkness alone. But he was a nightmare so he wouldn't be alone very long.

"You still want to do this?"

Nightmare glanced over his shoulder and far below to find Peter standing there looking disgruntled. Julius joined him.

"Would you rather not?" Nightmare replied.

The two remained silent for a long moment.

"I think you're under estimating her." Julius put in.

Nightmare kept staring at that spot, "Maybe. But something needs to be done….."he looked down at them from the corner of his eye, "do what you can."

Julius shifted obviously uncomfortable with it all but it was Peter who adjusted his glasses then asked-

"Ari obviously wants to be part of Wonderland, she found us without the Game Master or the Medicine of Heart, what else could there be to do?"

Nightmare sighed, "Protect her at all costs. Wonderland is attempting to reject her because the Game Master has sensed the threat-"Julius and Peter exchanged glances, "however he hasn't figured out who brought the threat. So for now protect her at all costs otherwise were all done for."