I am so so so sorry this took so long :( My feeble excuses are that school has been hell lately, writing block returned in full force, and I was under a lot of stress... all of which you've probably heard before, but its true :( Its only fair to warn you guys that the next update probably won't be soon either, I will NOT be giving up on this story, but I recently learned about National Novel Writing Month & I really want to give it a go next month! I wont be giving up on fanfiction, & I wish I could use this story for NaNoWriMo, but its been started, so I cant :-/

All of you who stuck around, and gave me over 30 reviews, thank you so much & Im really sorry :(

Disclaimer: I dont own Alice in Wonderland or any of the characters, only the plot, OCs & Otherland belong to me :)

Chapter 14 - Silences, Sides and Stubbornness

Sitting on the brim of his Hat, Mallymkun could already see the difference in Hatter since he'd woken from his dream with Alice. Consumed and saddened as she was with envy and jealousy, she had to admit that Hatter had been a lot happier since the dream. The bad Madness that had haunted him since Frabjous Day had gone, and he was genuinely happy.

They had all been astonished at the change in him when he'd woken with a start, his green eyes shining and glowing as they hadn't done in far too long. She dearly wished to know – and yet didn't at the same time – all that had happened in the dream, but not even Chessur had managed to coax it out of him yet.

Of course, one thing had not changed – his determination to rescue Alice. If anything, it had increased, and that was the reason for the meeting.

'Why don't we take more potions from the Hag's cottage?' the Hatter suggested. This was his eleventh suggestion. 'There has to be one which will help us.'

'Don't be stupid, we can't go back there,' Absolem said with a snort.

'Why ever not?'

'The King is aware that it is useful to us, and so it will be heavily guarded in case we do decide to return.'

'One step outside, and we're done for,' Mallymkun added, drawing her paw across her throat for effect.

'We know where she is in the castle,' one of the Trees said decisively. 'The cells Mr Hightopp described are two floors below ground level, and directly under the torture chambers. The only exit for them is the exit Alice glimpsed, and it's guarded at both ends.'

'By Trolls?' Thackery asked, eyes popping slightly.

'Yes; there'll be at least one troll guard and perhaps an All-Seeing Hound too. An ally of ours who stands beside the castle wall sent word to us that archers line the walls of the castle and Kiarkaris and Granesmrars patrol the night sky. Climbing over would be impossible.'

'Nothing's impossible,' the Hatter replied stubbornly.

'As you wish; it's not impossible but highly impractical. There will be better ways of entering.'

'What about Absolem and me?' Mallymkun proposed boldly. 'We could enter unseen; like Alice did. And if we get into any danger, I'll hold them off while Absolem gets to Alice.'

'Splendid idea, dear Mally!' Tarrant exclaimed, grinning widely.

'It might work,' the Trees mused.

'Nay!' Thackery cried, pulling at his ears fretfully. 'Tae dangerous!'

'We could do it,' she said resolutely, turning to Absolem. 'Couldn't we?'

His wise blue eyes bored steadily into hers, a grave expression on his face. 'No.'

They gaped at the finality in that one word. 'Why not, Absolem?' Tarrant finally broke the silence, with a nervous giggle.

He transferred his gaze to Tarrant. 'No. It would not work.'

'Absolem, just tell us!' Mallymkun cried crossly, glaring at him.

'It would not work,' he repeated flatly. And there really wasn't anything left for them to say.

Mallymkun ground her teeth and scowled as she thought. The Hatter knitted his brows together and put his head in his hands, causing her to slip a bit. Thackery, for once recognizing the gravity of the situation, laid his spoon aside and thought also. The Trees were silent.

'You've forgotten something, all of you,' a voice said dryly, materializing a second later to form the Cheshire Cat. He hadn't spoken for so long that they'd almost forgotten about him.

'Pray what is it?' a Tree asked, sounding faintly annoyed.

Chessur smirked.

'This is no time for your petty games, Chessur!' Tarrant snarled, suddenly leaping to his feet. Mally clung on desperately, cursing his unpredictable rages.

'Calm down, Tarrant,' was the smooth reply. Both the Mad Hatter and Chessur sat down, the former still eyeing the latter suspiciously. Chessur cleared his throat and smiled his infuriating smile once again. 'As I was saying, you've all forgotten one very important asset.' He paused dramatically. 'Me.'

'You're our asset?' Mally cried in disbelief, and began to laugh. A hurt expression crossed the feline's face, before his cool, composed façade covered it.

'No, he's right!' Tarrant cried, jumping to his feet again excitedly. Mally growled, but he paid no attention. 'Chessur is an asset! He can become invisible without the help of potions, and he can go places we cannot, including inside locks! And he can talk his way out of anything!'

'I am proud of that last skill,' Chessur purred, grinning.

'He can sneak past guards where we can't,' Tarrant continued, his eyes lighting up as they often did when he got inspiration for a new hat or outfit. 'He can evaporate anywhere he chooses –'

'That's not strictly speaking true,' Chessur interrupted. 'I can only evaporate to places that I have already been. But I can make my way to other places; invisible and untouchable.'

'That's good enough,' Absolem concurred.

'Chessur could sneak in easily enough and unlock doors and bolts and take care of the guards for us or just distract them while we take care of them if he prefers then Absolem could guide us to Alice's cell and Chessur could unlock that and then…' Uncertainty returned to his features as Tarrant contemplated how Alice – and themselves – could escape from that point.

'How do we get in or out?' Mallymkun wondered aloud.

'We don't need to get out,' Chessur sighed, rolling his eyes. 'We can just give Alice her potion, and then vanish back to Underland. We don't even need to open her cell.'

'Excellent plan, Chessur!' Tarrant cried merrily. 'Almost-but-not-quite foolproof!'

'If you weren't such a guddler's scut, I might even give you a hug!' Mallymkun laughed, poking him with her hatpin.

She regretted her words instantly as he grabbed her from Tarrant's hat and hugged her tightly. 'Dear Mally, if I pull this off you shall all be forever in my debt, and you will never call me that loathsome name again.'

'O-ok,' she squeaked, as he let her go, setting her gently back on Tarrant's Hat.

'You still haven't solved the problem of how to get in,' an old fir Tree pointed out.

The Underlandians looked at one another in dismay. 'Tha's a bad one,' Thackery finally said, putting on his "thinking face" which was so comical the other members of the Tea Party couldn't help but burst out laughing.

'Any ideas?' Absolem eventually asked when the laughter had subsided.

There was silence in the clearing.

'I have a suggestion,' Chessur offered cautiously. 'But you won't like it.'

'I don't think we have a choice,' Mally said glumly. 'Spit it out, Cat.'

'Courtesy costs nothing, you know.'

'The same goes for courage, and honour.'

He growled, surprising them with his sudden vehemence. 'When we're not in a perilous, deadly World, hiding from a dangerous dictator, fearing for our lives and on the brink of a life-changing decision, I'll get you back for that. As it is, we are, so I'll ignore you and your pettiness for now, Dormouse. Anyway, what if I go alone into the castle and give Alice her potion?'

First shock, then confusion and finally uncertainty appeared on his friends' faces. 'I don't like it,' Tarrant finally said, somewhat hesitantly. 'But it seems like it might be the only viable option left.'

Chessur nodded triumphantly. 'I think so too.'

'How will we know that Alice has returned safely?' Mally asked suspiciously.

'I'll watch her drink it, watch her disappear, make sure she's gone, then evaporate back to this place and tell you of my success, so we can all drink our potions and return to Underland. Good enough?'

'It would work,' the Dormouse admitted reluctantly.

'Spoon,' Thackery agreed.

'Absolem?' Tarrant asked, and all eyes turned expectantly to him.

He seemed indifferent to the many eyes – visible or not – resting on him, as he gazed back from his perch on a tree branch. 'It is not a good idea to separate.'

'Perhaps not, but at times it is necessary,' Tarrant replied solemnly.

'It is still not a good idea.'

'It will work,' Chessur said confidently. 'Do stop your worrying, Absolem.'

'I still don't think we should separate,' the butterfly said obstinately.

'Oh, stop being so stubborn!' Mally suddenly growled, finally losing her patience. 'If you're gonna refuse a plan, then at least give us a proper legitimate reason! As much as it pains me to say, Chessur is right, in this situation anyway, and I agree with him that you're being unreasonable.'

'Thank you Mally,' the Cat purred, eyes gleaming.

'If you think that I am unreasonable, I wonder that you do not go on with your plan without my consent,' Absolem replied evenly, turning away from them.

Another uneasy silence fell in the clearing. Tarrant and Chessur exchanged an uncomfortable look. Although no one would admit it, no one liked the idea of going ahead with Chessur's plan, without their wise, unofficial Leader's approval. Even Mallymkun fidgeted and said nothing.

And in his tree, Absolem smirked to himself.

They were saved from their decision by sunset. As the last rays of the weak sun faded away, Tarrant spoke. 'I should take the potion now. Perhaps Alice will have an idea. If not…well we'll think about it overnight. Agreed?' He looked to his friends for confirmation, and they nodded. Chessur handed Tarrant the potion, and he sat down his back against a tree, removing Mallymkun carefully from his Hat and placing her on his shoulder. She smiled gratefully up at him.

'Goodnight, Hatta'.'

'Sweet dreams, and Fairfarren, Mally.' The Hatter took a quick drink, before recapping the potion and slipping it into his pocket. Pulling his Hat over his eyes, he folded his arms over his chest and fell rapidly into a deep sleep.

Alice glared angrily at the guards as they pushed her roughly into the middle of the throne room. At her arrival, the King separated himself from the group of simpering ladies, and stepped forward to the foot of the stairs leading to his throne. He noted briefly that a few strands of her hair hung damp and limp around the front of her face, while the rest cascaded into its usual untidy mass of curls, before bowing his head to her. Seeing his guards bare their teeth threateningly at her, she reluctantly curtseyed in return.

'Welcome, Miss Kingsleigh. I trust you've had a pleasant stay so far?'

The ladies tittered, and Alice shot them a look of contempt. 'No sir, I haven't.'

He feigned surprise. 'How terrible! It is truly a shame that you have not been able to see Karzaron in all its glory. Perhaps if you prove to be trustworthy, you'll have the chance.'

'What did you want me for?' she snapped, ignoring his civility.

His wicked grin returned. 'I wished to see how you were faring. Tell me; from what you have seen of Otherland so far, what is your opinion of it? I am always curious as to what strangers think of my realm.'

'I think it's an evil, treacherous, unfriendly, mad world, without one ounce of goodness in it,' she stated candidly. The Otherlandians in the room all showed expressions of shock and fear, but the King laughed, and they relaxed. He hadn't expected anything different. But he missed the way Alice's eyes flickered towards his Kiarkaris standing on the other side of his throne at the end of her sentence, and the almost apologetic look in them.

'I thought you liked madness?' he asked mockingly.

She shook her head and frowned. 'Not this kind.'

'Ah. So it's safe to say that you prefer Underland to here?'

'Of course.'

Growing bored of his audience, the King motioned for them to leave. The guards frowned, but did as they were told. Likewise, the lords were evidently displeased but after hesitating a moment, they bowed to him and escorted the ladies out, some of whom were shooting jealous looks at Alice as they departed. Kiar made to leave also, but Sagredver called him back. Kwogedonn closed the main doors with a grunt and stood in front of them, at the ready.

Alice stood her ground, looking at him almost challengingly. The King found himself admiring her courage in the face of adversity; she was truly a worthwhile Champion for Underland. But unfortunately for her, Champions had no place in Otherland. Especially human ones.

Stopping his musings, he spoke first. 'I find it strange that you are so attached to Underland, and yet despise the very sound of Otherland.'

Contempt was clear in her voice as she spoke. 'I don't. They are opposite in almost every way, and stand for completely different things. Any Underlandian is worth ten of you.'

'I would not be so sure if I were you, Miss Kingsleigh. Were we not all Underlandians, once?'

'What does that matter?' she retorted angrily. 'You chose to be different from them, did you not?'

An almost imperceptible shadow passed over his face, and he murmured, so softly that he doubted Alice heard; 'Not all of us.' A moment later, it lifted and his savage grin returned as he turned to face her once again. His voice was harsher, and bitterer, than before. 'Underland is not as perfect as it would have you believe, Alice. As you yourself wish to believe. You would be wise to remember that it was that very place that led to the Creation of this one. If people change once, they can do so again.'

'I am aware of that,' she replied icily, but he could see her confidence wavering slightly.

'In Upperland, you say that "all is not what it seems" do you not?' he asked. She nodded and he went on. 'An excellent phrase and one that applies to Underland as well. A prime example is that of the late Red Queen. Who would have thought that such a cruel, merciless tyrant could have been born to such kind, wise Monarchs that were her parents? No one would have believed it, and yet it was true.'

'Stop it,' she said through clenched teeth. 'The Red Queen… the Red Queen was an exception.'

He shrugged. 'Keep believing that if you wish, Miss Kingsleigh. But if you think it to be so impossible that darkness lurks in the hearts of your dearest friends, and in the heart of your Wonderland, then why not add it to your list of six impossible things to believe before breakfast?'

She stared in shock at him, and opened her mouth to attempt an answer, before deciding against it and staying silent. Satisfied, he climbed up the thirteen steps and settled into his throne. 'You may go now.'

'Is that all you wanted me for?' she asked in disbelief.

'Yes, that's all. I do hope you enjoyed our little chat as much as I did. Kwogedonn, see to it that she's escorted safely back to the dungeons – blindfolded of course.'

'As you wish my King,' his loyal servant bowed, and grasped Alice's wrist in his dirty, pudgy hands.

'Hopefully I shall see you again soon, Miss Kingsleigh,' Sagredver called, smiling charmingly at her. 'It has been a pleasure. Kwogedonn, summon Lord Rothgram and Lord Hygar to my study, as soon as Miss Kingsleigh is taken care of. Kiar, you are excused.' He could feel Alice's eyes on his back as he rose abruptly from his chair and strode across his throne room, exiting swiftly through one of the lesser used side doors. He had received news that morning of a long-awaited development in his plan, and now he felt it was time to reveal his plans to his most faithful and trusted advisers, just in time for the crescendo.

Alice

I took no note of the food that had just been left in my cell. Despite not having eaten since the day before, I wasn't hungry. It wasn't until I heard the goblin muttering glumly to himself that I roused myself and quickly passed him his share before the guard returned. Then I went back to brooding on my hard bed.

The King's words had deeply unsettled me. Hours later, I was still thinking about them. Could it be true? Could my friends succumb to the dark madness too? Was it possible? I had already discovered that Underland was not as perfect as it had seemed to be when I was a child; was I still seeing an illusion? I had not known of Otherland, after all. What else was I ignorant of? What else had the citizens of Underland not told me?

My heart lurched as I thought of one of my friends who most definitely had been touched by the bad kind of madness. I had seen the fiery rage in Tarrant's orange eyes, and heard the pure, uncontrolled anger in his voice. I knew he wasn't to blame for it, as he'd been through so much in his life, but nevertheless that madness was a part of him. Though I could calm him down, I doubted that I or anyone else could ever completely exorcize the demons from his past.

My dark thoughts were interrupted by an urgent 'Alice!' I looked up to see Kiar at the bars of my cell. Despite our argument and his harsh words, I was too glad to see his eyes purple once more to be angry with him.

'Kiar!' I exclaimed happily, rising from the bed.

'No visitors,' the guard grunted. I waited restlessly as Kiar made it clear to him that he was to remain out of the Kiarkaris' business and not say anything to the King, if he wished to stay in one piece.

'I'm sorry,' I said quietly, as soon as the guard was silent. 'I know I shouldn't have pried last night. It was very rude, and improper of me, and I won't do it again if –'

'I'm not angry with you anymore, Alice,' he said firmly, cutting through my apology. 'I overreacted and I am the one should be sorry, for snapping at you. Let's not waste any more time on past fights and focus on the matter at hand.'

'Agreed,' I nodded, relieved.

'There's something I must tell you,' he continued urgently. 'Last night, I was told by the King that some of your friends from Underland have been discovered here, in Otherland!'

'Yes, I know.'

I almost laughed at the surprise on his face. 'You know?' he asked in disbelief. 'How? Did a guard tell you?'

'No... You see, my friend the Mad Hatter – or Tarrant, rather – was there, in my dream last night, and he told me.'

I waited for the blatant disbelief, the declaration of my insanity, the odd look. 'Oh, that explains it,' he nodded.

I stared at him, stunned. 'Kiar, I mean the real Hatter, not just someone I dreamed up. He was really there!'

Now he was looking at me oddly. 'Yes, I understood the first time, Alice. Did he know they're being watched?'

'Y-yes. They're hiding in the forest...' I trailed off; still astonished at his complete acceptance of the fact that one of my friends entered my dream. 'Is it – normal, in Otherland, to go into each other's dreams?'

'Not normal exactly; it's quite a complicated potion to make,' he said thoughtfully. 'They must have gotten it from the Hag's cottage. Have they a plan to rescue you yet?'

'They're working on it, I think. The Trees are helping them.'

'Yes, I heard. It's very lucky indeed that you befriended the Trees; I've not heard of them being so active for a very long time.'

'I only wish there was something we could do for them in return,' I said sadly.

'We can protect the Champion, and citizens of their true home,' Kiar said steadfastly. 'That is our duty now.'

I nodded, and gave him a faint smile in return. 'Perhaps they will have found a way, by tonight.'

'Perhaps. I have a suggestion, though.'

'What is it?'

He lowered his voice so the guard couldn't hear, and leaned closer to the bars. 'No one suspects me of anything. I could meet them in the woods, and from there, fly them into the castle at nightfall. I could land on a deserted battlement, and guide them down to the dungeons. It might be more difficult to get out, but it's a start.'

'That would be wonderful, Kiar!' I whispered gladly. 'I'll tell Tarrant tonight, I'm sure it would work! They have a potion to get me back to Underland, so I can take it as soon as they arrive here.'

'Excellent, so by tomorrow night, you could be back in Underland,' he said in relief. 'If everything runs smoothly.'

'I'm sure it will,' I said confidently.

'Now we've got that sorted, eat something,' he ordered, looking pointedly at my tray of food.

'I'm not hungry,' I insisted.

'You will be,' he replied adamantly. 'You'll be too hungry to fall asleep tonight, and then you won't be rescued. You don't want that, do you?'

I rolled my eyes and sat down next to my tray, beaten. He smirked as I grudgingly began to eat. 'I'm glad your eyes aren't Red anymore,' I commented, as I finished the last meagre scraps of food.

He surprised me by starting violently. 'My-my eyes were Red?'

I nodded. 'Last night, just before you left – they flashed Red for about a second.' I shuddered at the memory. He stared at me, open-mouthed, a growing look of horror on his face. Then he too, shuddered deeply. 'Kiar, what's wrong?' I finally ventured to ask, worried that I would be crossing another line.

He struggled with himself for a moment, before turning back to me. 'You remember when you asked about choosing sides last night, Alice?' I nodded again. 'I did not want to talk about it then, because I felt a duty to my family, and also it is a sore topic for me. But by refusing to talk of it, and by giving into my anger – I inadvertently came a little closer to choosing my side.'

I tried to gather my thoughts. 'Do you mean that all Kiarkaris have a choice? And their eye colour...it indicates this choice?'

'Yes,' he said sharply, suddenly urgent. 'This is one of our great secrets, and not one we give out readily, Alice. You must promise not to tell anyone, unless it is essential. The King knows of course, and so do a few other trusted humans, but not many. To begin with, all Kiarkaris are born with purple eyes, like mine. As they grow and mature, the majority turn to Red, as they choose the side they are encouraged to from the day they are born. Only a very few choose to turn to Blue. And those that do... well frankly, they don't last long.'

'That's unfair!' I burst out indignantly.

'Yes, it is,' he agreed resignedly. 'But this is Otherland, and there is no place for good deeds here. A Blue Kiarkaris would only sully our reputation.'

'Once you change, can you go back?' I asked in trepidation, already fearful of the answer.

His deep purple eyes were sober. 'No, you can't. If my eyes turn permanently Red, I won't go back. I will have committed myself, heart and soul, to serving the King and his dark kingdom. Nothing that ever spurred me on to reject the bad kind of madness, will affect me again.'

'And if you choose the good, the Blue?' I couldn't help asking.

'I will be killed by my own people,' was the blunt, straightforward reply.

I shook my head, lost for words. 'That – that's not right.'

'Of course it isn't, but there's nothing I can do about it.'

'Kiar, do you think helping me will have an effect on your choice?' I suddenly asked, as that awful thought occurred to me.

'I'm almost completely positive it will.' His voice was strong, and carefully void of emotion, but the fear showed in his eyes.

'You don't have to help me,' I found myself saying, stupidly.

'Yes, I do,' he said with a smile, which soon became serious. 'I can't go back now and pretend nothing ever happened. If I can help you escape without my eyes changing permanently to Blue, then I will be lucky. If not, at least I will have achieved something bigger than I ever imagined. Think of it; outwitting the King himself!'

I couldn't help but smile at his shining eyes. In my opinion, nothing was worse than the evil those Otherlandians had committed all those uncountable years again when they had sentenced so many others to a life of Badness. With a start, I realised that was the answer to Tarrant's riddle. 'Kiar,' I began, 'what is greater than God and more evil than the Devil? The poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it you will die.'

He frowned. 'I'm not quite sure who God is, but judging on the others, I would say...nothing.'

The next few hours passed quickly and happily. By tacit agreement, sides were not mentioned again. Instead, I talked about my friends, mostly the ones who'd come to Otherland to rescue me, and of them, mostly the Hatter. Near the end, I noticed that even the goblin was listening. Kiar left when the guard's watch reached six, telling me to get another riddle from Tarrant. But as I closed my eyes and struggled to switch off, I couldn't erase the sudden worry and fear that perhaps, my Mad Hatter had been nothing but a dream...

The White Queen stood at her favourite balcony, but that night she couldn't concentrate on the beautiful sights and sounds before her. All she could think of was the fact that it had been eleven days since her friends left Underland. Eleven days, in which she'd heard nothing and seen nothing. Even her beloved potions could no longer distract her from the multitude of possibilities, the majority disastrous, running through her head.

The only good thing to come of this, Mirana mused, was the discovery of her dependence on the Oraculum. She was not used to not knowing exactly what was going to happen, and the lack of knowledge had left her...flustered, to say the least. Because of this, she'd refrained from looking at the Oraculum during the past few days, confident that anything at all important was happening in another world entirely. Poor McTwisp had been against it, but the stubborn side of Mirana had prevailed.

Was that yet another bad habit she must cure? Mirana sighed and rested her head in her hands. Something else to change, if she was ever to become the Queen Underland deserved. For not the first time – and probably not the last – Mirana wondered if she would ever, could ever, make up for her past mistakes and regain her status as the Good White Queen of Underland.

A sudden click jolted Mirana from her thoughts. She straightened up and whirled around, to see that the door to her balcony she'd purposefully left open was now closed, and locked. Her brown eyes widened as two figures stepped forward from the shadows, their black clothing showing up clearly against the white marble of the balcony. One raised a fist threateningly, and with a sick feeling in her stomach, all Mirana could do was hold her hands out and her head high. A silent tear ran down her white cheek as she realised she had failed to heed Absolem's words after all – she had put her friends before her duties, despite the warning. So Mirana of Marmoreal wept to herself, as through her own folly, she left her peaceful, oblivious kingdom far behind her.

A/N: There's a song quote in here; can anyone find it? : ) Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

xxx