Chapter 10

-Jaberwock's promise-

"Alice..." A voice she knew good called out for her while she was sleeping. It was the voice of a little boy but it was familiar. She tried to look there where the voice was but everything around her was deep black.

"Alice. Where are you." The boy said. "Stop hiding from me and come out!"

Alice tried to respond him and tell him she's not hiding but instead she woke up and stared out of the window, directly into the sun. She narrowed her eyes and then turned around, only to find Blood next to her.

Remembering what happened last night her face flushed again and she bite down on her bottom lip in embarrassment. She reached out her hand to him but stopped when he turned around.

With a deep sigh she stood up and then grabbed her clothes and changed into them. As she then finally took on her boots and looked around to Blood once again who was sleeping peacefully. Before she would decide to stay she stood up and went out. Her head was spinning as she walked out of the Mansion to get some fresh air.

"What was this dream...?" She muttered as she walked out of the gate, not finding the Bloody twins. It was probably too early in the morning for them to guard the gate and the Mansion.

Alice went towards the forest to take a little walk to clear her head. Although it was a normal dream her head was spinning like she had remembered something she already had forgot. Shaking her head she stretched while feeling a slight pain in her abdomen but ignored it, again trying not to remember what happened last night.

While walking Alice felt being watched.

The next thing she heard was a loud screech and Alice froze on the spot. She turned around in shock but instead of founding the one to who that loud screech belonged she saw dark clouds approaching, just like it was about to rain. Feeling insecure Alice headed off, away from the forest that became creepier and ended up being close to the Castle of Diamonds.

She heard the faceless servants of Crysta talking and overheard them.

"Was it him?"

"Yes, it was."

"He looks as terrible as he is told to be."

Alice wondered about whom they were talking about as she went into the castle, having a bad feeling.

And just as she thought she heard the voice from Jaberwock in the throne room.

"How pitiful. A disowned bunny and a queen who wants to be a child." He said and Alice glanced over the corner, seeing Jaberwock stand with one foot on Sidney while pointing with a Shotgun at Crysta who was knewling in her child form not too far awy from him. Some of the soldiers laid dead in the whole room, changing to clocks.

"To add you all are weak compared to me. Even these two foreigners have got more skill. Although both had five years time to get this much experience." Jaberwock said and his gun made a clicking sound as he prepared to shoot.

"Don't even try to touch her Majesty." Sidney hissed underneath Jaberwock's foot but then he gasped as the man kicked him before placing his foot on him again.

"You don't have the right to say anything, you're just a mere animal." Jaberwock said with a cold voice. Then he pointed once again at Crysta.

"Now, give it over or I'll kill you and get it by myself."

"I will be replaced if you do so." Crysta replied but her voice was shaking.

With her sharpened instincts Alice could feel her being scared and felt bad for doing nothing but somehow she didn't knew what to do.

"So?"

Then the Jaberwock shot and Alice body moved automatically. She pounced at her high speed forward, around the Jaberwock and between him and Crysta. A pain occurred in her left abdomen and she took a deep breath as she remembered that she had already had more painful injuries in the past. Actually the pain of the shoot felt for her like someone stung her with a hot needle. Alice put her left hand on it to prevent herself from dying of loss of blood. After all she learned that such a wound can be fatal when not stopping the blood from flowing.

Somehow Alice then reacted back to the Jaberwock hurting her, an trait she got used to. Alice raised her right leg and with a speed usual people have problems to see she kicked him in his face, hauling him away from Sidney.

Jaberwock turned around in midair and landed safety on his own feet.

"Not bad." He said, spitting out blood while holding his jaw. The wayhe looked like Alice broke his jaw. "You managed to hurt me."

Alice stopped glaring coldly at him as she realized what he was saying.

"You mean it serious?" She asked and Jaberwock tried to grin although it looked weird.

"Of course. I'm a man who holds his promises." He replied and looked at Crysta behind Alice. "I'll come back for it. So don't think you're safe because she saved you."

Then he disappeared from one second to another, letting the two role-holders and the foreigner behind. Alice looked around to Crysta who lean over Sidney, looking worried.

"Are you all right?" She asked but instead Crysta went over to her and grabbed the hand she was holding on her injury.

"We should better call a doctor! You're hurt."

"It's not that bad." Alice said but Crysta didn't looked confident. Instead suddenly the servants appeared, looking who had been shot.

"Call a doctor!" Crysta shouted as some of her servants went towards her. Immediately some of them went away again, to call a doctor. Alice looked down on her left abdomen and noticed blood flowing down her leg. Her hand was already full with her own blood and Alice sighed.

Crysta looked up to her, grabbing Alice's bloody hand.

"You've saved me. Thank you." She said but Alice only smiled while she heard loud steps and the doctor appeared.

He treated first Sidney since Alice insisted him to be treated first but after the doctor checked and treated her wound he was looking at the bandage around her right lower arm.

"May I take a look?" He asked and Alice nodded hestitantly. She hadn't looked at the wound for several weeks by now and wondered how it looked. He pulled the bandage away and Alice noticed that it had grew together and it looked somehow gross.

"It was a quite deep wound, right?" The doctor said, pressing the wound together. Alice winced as she felt it and bite down on her bottom lip.

"Yes it was. It was a knife with acid." Alice said and the doctor put some salve on it before bandaged it around her right lower arm.

"This should help." The doctor said and then looked at Crysta "Are you all right, Your Majesty?"

Slowly Crysta nodded. She was sitting next to an unconscious Sidney and was still trembling.

"Crysta..." Alice went over to her and the Queen of Diamonds nuzzled to her, trembling more than before.

"I was so scared. I know I would have been replaced, but still... And he nearly killed Sidney...!"

Alice felt bad for her and sighed as she put her hand on her shoulder.

"What did he wanted from you?" Alice asked and Crysta let go of her, looking up to Alice's toal-colored eyes.

"He wanted the crone of the Country of Diamonds, just like always. When I refuse to give it he threaten to kill me although my role would be replaced if he do." Crysta said. "This guy doesn't keep his role, he wants everyone to obey him."

Alice listened to it, feeling a weird emotion in her chest.

"I see." She said and looked around when she heard a pair of steps she knew very good. Her sister appeared in the door, looking quite worried. As she saw that everything was all right she sighed and looked less stiff.

"You idiot." She said to Alice and gave her a knock on the head.

"Ow! What was this for?!" Alice said and put her hands on the spot Josie hit her.

"For worrying me, you moron! I saw you going towards the castle and then I heard a shoot. I already thought someone had killed you." Josie said and crossed her arms before her chest. Alice only frowned while rubbing her head and Josie looked at the blood-stained dress.

"You had this dress only for two time loops and you already stained it." She said and Alice smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry. But I had to do it!" Alice said.

"No, you didn't had to do it. You could avoid or dodge it!"

"How? I don't carry around the protection or the bulleproof vest." Alice said as they then left the castle.

"Right, right. I've forgotten that you can't summon it." She said and grabbed Alice' arm. She pulled her towards the train station. Alice remembered Jaberwock's promise to return the memories of the role-holders they already knew and stopped.

"Wait, I have to tell you something!" She said and Josie also stopped, looking confused at her.

"What is it?" She asked and listened to the story Alice told her about the Jaberwock's promise.

"Return the memories? What does he wanted with their memories?" Josie wondered and titled her head while cupping her chin with her hand.

"I have no idea." Alice replied when Josie suddenly smirked.

"Then let's find it out. Maybe they really can remember again." She said. "It's interesting to find it out!"

With this Josie pulled her forward, seeming like a little girl who was looking forward to something. Seeing a brand new side of her sister Alice smiled as she followed her.