Alice woke up just as they approached huge black gates, behind which the surroundings were shrouded in fog. The gates towered over them and as Nirvana slid off her mount, the huge gates swung open, welcoming them. "This isn't good," Nirvana remarked, helping Alice down.
"No," Taylor agreed, serious for the first time since Alice had met him. "They're expecting us."
"It's a trap." Alice said suddenly.
"I know." Nirvana said, striding forward through the gates, leaving the horse behind. "I do so love traps, don't you?"
"Definitely," Taylor agreed, and gave an encouraging smile to Alice. "Just stay beside me, okay? We'll be in and out, that's it."
Alice nodded, and together they followed Nirvana into the darkness that the gates opened onto. Nirvana was ahead, in a place where the fog cleared, leaving a fair sized amount of space. Two large thrones was placed at the door to a huge midnight colored castle. The Red Queen was seated in one, Stayne in the other, and standing beside the Queen, head bowed, was the Hatter.
Alice made to run forward, but Taylor held her back. "Wait," he mouthed, and they joined Nirvana, who was standing opposite the thrones, about a yard away.
"I guess you were right, Stayne," the Queen said, as Taylor stood on his siter's right hand side. "I didn't think they'd be stupid enough to fall for it." She leaned forward. "Ah, it's our dear little champion. The Tailor. And darling Nirvana. How have you been?"
"Dead."
"Oh, yes, my Jabberwocky killed you didn't he? Oh, well, can't be helped." The Queen leant back in her chair. "Now, no doubt you thought you were rushing to little Hatter here's rescue, no?"
"Pretty much," Taylor agreed.
"Well, that's a shame, because I like my little pet here." the Queen said. "He does whatever I tell him. And he's just bait. Alice is the reason behind all this. And I'd like to take her now."
Nirvana smiled. "Come and get her then."
"Is that a challenge?" Stayne asked. "You always were one for brash decisions, Nirvana."
"I bore of this," the Queen said. She clapped her hands. "Tarrant, dear, go kill your brother and sister, would you?"
Tarrant nodded, and attacked Nirvana suddenly with a blade that appeared out of nowhere. Nirvana got her sword up in time, and Alice watched, shocked, as the siblings fought, their blades clashing together again and again. Nirvana was smaller and lighter, but her brother was obviously more experienced, and soon it was more Nirvana blocking his attacks rather then returning them.
Alice was shocked. What had happened to the Hatter to make him attack his sister?
Beside Alice, Taylor pulled out two short swords, and joined Nirvana, as the swords whirled around, blurs of silver, as Tarrant managed to block, parry and stab Taylor's attacks, all the while blocking Nirvana as well. Alice felt helpless, standing there while the Hightopps fought around her.
Finally, Tarrant disarmed Nirvana, and kicked her in the side. Alice heard a crack, a broken rib maybe, and Nirvana cried out, dropping to her knees, and Tarrant turned on Taylor. Taylor was distracted, looking at his sister, and didn't see the attack until it was too late. He fell to the ground, his nose bleeding, and the Queen jumped up from her seat. "Now kill them!"
The Hatter stayed still. "Kill them!' The Queen insisted, and when he still did nothing. "Oh, fine then, go get Alice, then!"
"Why do you want me?" Alice yelled, as Tarrant came closer.
The Queen smiled. "We are going to infuse you," she said. "With dark Power. You'll be our heir, Stayne's and mine heir, and you'll be greater then any other King or Queen ever!"
"Why me?"
"Because," Stayne drawled, as, unknown to them, Nirvana got to her feet. "You're a Champion. The best candidate for the job, I'd say."
Nirvana made her move, grabbing Tarrant's hair, and pulling it back, so that his head connected with her knee, making a crack. He slumped, and Nirvana dragged him to the side. "Kill them," Stayne said, bored, and madness erupted.
Black Knights flowed out of the darkness, and Taylor, from the ground, threw Alice one of his swords, as he struggled to his feet. Nirvana and Tarrant were nowhere in sight, and all around Alice, the Knights attacked her from every side. She cut the arm of one, trying to remember how she had fought the Jabberwocky, as she cut off the head of a second knight who attacked.
There were the sounds of horses all around her, and suddenly the courtyard erupted with light, as the White Queen's forces arrived. The white and black armies collided, and Alice was caught in the middle, as around her there was only the sound of shouting and murder.
Alice was yanked unexpectedly into the air, and landed on a brown horse, sitting behind a orange haired man, who steered the stallion through the fighting, and out the gates, where a second black horse waited, with Nirvana and Taylor on it. "Ready?" Nirvana shouted.
"As I'll ever be," Alice's rescuer replied.
Alice wrapped her arms tightly around Tarrant as their horses gained speed, and sped away from the sounds of warfare between White and Black.