I don't own it...

A/N: Finally, chapter 11! Sure did take me long enough, huh? Writer's block and the real world are cruel, believe me. Anyway, sorry for the long wait. Enjoy!

After their meal, Hatter led Cheshire to a spare guest room he had. Upon reaching the room, Cheshire noticed Hatter was starring at him. Cheshire raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? Is something wrong?" Cheshire asked.

"Nothing really. You just look exshausted, that's all. So tell me, how does it feel to be human now, Cheshire?" Hatter asked.

"It feels weird. I can't explain it." Cheshire said.

Cheshire raised his arms to look at his hands and sighed.

"To be honest, I never thought that old legend was true. I even forgot about it. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would become human and be the chosen one. It seems saving Wonderland has now become my responsibility. No longer a guide, but the savior. It's a strange and overwhelming feeling." Cheshire said.

"Well, don't worry about it, Cheshire. You'll eventually get used to it." Hatter said.

Cheshire nodded and ran a shaky hand through his silky raven hair.

"Well, I'd better get to sleep. The post sign so conveniently changed all the signs again, so now I'm gonna have to pass through the Pale Realm tomorrow in order to get to Dementia, and you know how those chess pieces are." Cheshire said.

Hatter shook his head.

"That post sign is gonna seriously piss someone off to the point that they're just gonna rip it right out of the ground one of these days if it doesn't make up his mind. To be honest, I'm surprised no has yet. When Alice was here, I thought for sure she'd do it or something worse. Seems she knows how to control her temper a lot better then I thought." Hatter said.

Cheshire chuckled.

~Heh, that's only because I was there to calm her down. I should have let her rip that thing out, though. It would have made for a good laugh. I wonder why I didn't. Oh well, it doesn't matter now. ~

"Speaking of the chess pieces, I heard some commotion coming from the Pale Realm a few days ago. I went over to investigate, but, by the time I got there, it had died down. I've also heard rumors that a few of white pieces have suddenly gone missing." Hatter said.

"Are you serious? The white chess pieces are missing?" Cheshire asked.

"It's only a rumor. I'm not sure if it's true. You see, when I went to see what all the commotion was about, everything seemed to be back in order." Hatter said.

~Hmm... That does sound weird. I'll have to do a bit of investigating myself and see what's up with the chess pieces. Lord help us, if any of the white pieces really are missing, then we're screwed. ~

Cheshire was taken out of his thoughts when Hatter placed a hand on his shoulder. Cheshire looked up and saw the concerned look on Hatter's face.

"You look like you're about to collapse. Get some rest, Cheshire. You're going to need your strength for the journey ahead of you, my friend." Hatter said.

Cheshire groaned.

"Now I know how Alice felt. Running around Wonderland killing cardguards, Boojums, and god knows what else is not exactly my idea of a good time either." Cheshire said.

Hatter's eyes widened.

"You've already fought against cardguards?" Hatter asked.

"Only one. It was an Ace of Spade. Why?" Cheshire said.

"Oh, damn. You better be very careful tomorrow my friend. The king could send the cardguards to try to stop you, but, it seems he's done so already. Plus, you'll also have the Boojums to contend with." Hatter said.

Cheshire bit his lower lip.

"I know." Cheshire whispered.

"Well, it is getting late. Goodnight, Cheshire. Sleep well." Hatter said.

"You too, Hatter." Cheshire said.

Hatter turned to leave. He walked a few steps and turned back around.

"Oh, and by the way, whenever you get a chance, take a real good look at yourself in a mirror. What you see may just surprise you." Hatter said.

Cheshire tilted his head in confusion.

"What are you talking about, Hatter? I've already seen what I look like." Cheshire said.

Hatter just smirked and turned to leave. Cheshire raised an eyebrow and once again tilted his head at Hatter's retreating form.

~Yeah, Okay. That was interesting. What does he mean? ~

Cheshire sighed and entered his room. He closed the door and began to undress himself. He changed into a pair of Pajamas that were on the bed. When Cheshire put on the shirt, he felt a sudden warmth on his chest. He reached into the shirt and pulled out Alice's charm, which had begun to glow again. Cheshire closed his hand around it and sighed. He didn't know how or why, but somehow he knew that Alice was feeling troubled by something.

~Alice, something's troubling you. I can feel your unease. Don't worry sweeting, I'll find out what's going on and I'll put a stop to all this. I promise. ~

Cheshire opened his hand just in time to see the glow fade. He tucked the charm under his shirt. He let his eyes trail to the tall looking glass that was in the room. He walked to the mirror and felt that same warmth he felt earlier. He took out the charm, which glowed brighter than before. He took a few more steps to the mirror and saw that the charm's glow grew even brighter. His eyes widen in confusion. He approached the mirror and felt the charm become unbearably hot. He cried out and dropped it next to his feet.

"What the hell? Okay, that was odd." Cheshire said.

He bent over to pick up the charm, but a bright light from the mirror caught his attention. He looked up and raised an eyebrow.

~What was that? ~

When the light faded an image of a little girl with a blue dress similar to Alice's appeared. Her face was fogged out, so Cheshire couldn't determine who it was.

~Who is this girl? It can't be Alice. That's her dress, but I don't think that's really her. ~

Cheshire saw a lock of the girl's dark colored hair before the image faded and switched to Alice asleep in her bed. Cheshire smiled sadly and felt the charm grow warm again.

~What's wrong Alice? What is it that has you so worried? ~

Cheshire watched as Alice tossed and turned, moaning and muttering incoherent things in her restless sleep. He put his hand on the glass and gasped in surprie at how warm it felt.

~First the charm, now the mirror? I don't understand this at all. ~

Alice's image faded and all Cheshire could see now was his own tired reflection. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

~Hatter was right. What I saw surprised me alright, but what does it mean? Who was that little girl? Why does Alice's charm glow and become hot whenever her mood shifts? And why is it that I can somehow sense what she's feeling when she's feeling it? Man, maybe I really do need to get some sleep. I sure hope Caterpillar can help me out. I hate not knowing what's going on and not knowing what to do about it. ~

Cheshire sighed and got into bed. His thoughts drifted back to the little girl he saw in the mirror.

~Hmm... That little girl does have a strong resemblence to Alice, but, her was darker, almost like mine. I'll have to ask Caterpillar about that as well when I see him.~

That was Cheshire's last thought as he closed his tired eyes and drifted into a heavy and troubled sleep.

A/N: Poor Cheshire. Being in Alice's shoes isn't quite so easy, huh? Hope everyone's enjoying this. Next chapter will be up soon. I Hope. R/R.