Disclaimers: Feather and Lewis are mine, Niar is...let's say no to be on the safe side...XD
This chapter is dedicated to GhostOfYoda, the cliffhanger fetishist :P
I'm not very happy with this chapter, but I just HAD to end it with that line.
--- --- ---
Chapter 4: The Second Fallen
Alice watched Lewis from a discreet distance. He'd just been sitting in the same spot he'd fallen for the last three days, and she began to worry that he would end up like the other children. At the end of the third day she couldn't stand it any longer, he was the only sane person she'd met since arriving in wonderland. She needed him, she couldn't face this alone or she was sure she'd lose her mind too.
"Lewis! Come on! We're not going to get your sister back by just sitting here!"
He looked up at her slowly, his eyes clouded, a spark flickered somewhere deep inside them, the beginnings of madness, seeking to claim him, poison him.
She looked at him sadly, if they didn't leave here soon, it'd be too late.
"Lewis! Please?! Don't....don't leave me here by myself!"
"..Alllice?"
Alice nodded, placing a meta-essence crystal in his hand.
"I can't save you..." Alice said quietly, "You have to save yourself."
Lewis slowly pressed the meta-essence to his heart.
He blinked and looked up at Alice, dragging himself slowly to his feet.
"Lewis...are you okay?"
"No."
"I don't want to remember...losing her....It hurts."
Alice moved to slap him for a second, then stopped.
"I...I know how it feels, but we have to keep going....I spent too long trying to escape the pain, and wonderland suffered. If you stay here and try to forget she'll suffer too. You don't really want to forget her do you?"
Lewis turned his back on her, she wasn't going to see him cry.
"Of course not...but...it hurts so much....I can't..."
"Don't worry, like I said, I know how it feels. And I promised we'd get her back. Remember?"
Lewis nodded silently.
"Then lets go and get her back. Okay?"
"O-Okay...."
Niar stood before the gates of the Mad Hatter's domain. He wasn't easily intimidated but this definitly qualified as a disturbing sight. He looked aound at the blasted landscape, the earth blackened with soot, gears and strange machinery rising from angry red gashes in the ground. Strange mechanical figure's roamed freely.
One bid him enter the Hatter's house, he followed it in, the nightmare spider following, carrying Feather with it as the machine, a mockery of humanity, led him to the Hatter.
Lewis looked around, where-ever they were it was vastly different from anything he had seen before, looking up he noticed that the sky here was a haze of greyish mist, quite unlike the swiring madness that had hung above the skool.
Alice seemed to have some idea where they were, she was kneeling down by a pool of water, dipped her finger in and tasted it, then mumbled something to herself and nodded.
"I've been here before." She said, "A long, long time ago. I was here and I grew to a giant size and...I...started to cry..."
Lewis couldn't imagine Alice crying, he tasted the water, and spat it out again quickly.
"It's salty."
"It's my tears..."
Lewis looked around at the drab, dreary landscape, the ground and sky a dull grey, pools and streams of water all over the place.
"Welcome to the Vale of Tears Alice." The Cheshire Cat appeared before them, "We'll be waiting for you Alice." The cat began to fade again, but Alice took a couple of steps forward and called for him to stop.
"Wait! What am I supposed to do in this place?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
The cat disappeared from view again.
Alice walked over to the edge of one of the pools and sat, looking at herself reflected in the unbroken waters. She was about to get up again, her appearence was causing her some distress, when she noiced something behind her reflection, she turned around and looked up.
"What is that?!"
Lewis pointed his spear at the creature and fired. His aim was off, and he hit the large object the creature was holding. It exploded, the creature's shattered carcass hitting the ground, still burning.
"Well....it, was, a ladybird...."
She glanced at Lewis, he wasn't listning to her. He was staring at the ladybird's corpse, burning. She turned away, refusing to look at it. She didn't need reminding, she was reminded every night in her dreams for the past ten years.
She walked up to lewis and shook him slightly, he jumped.
"Eh...what is it?" He looked around, "Are we being attacked again?"
"Calm down Lewis." Alice shook her head, "What were you doing?"
"Nothing, just, thinking...."
Alice left it at that, she knew that she wouldnt want to talk about, whatever it was, if she were in his place.
"Do you hear....A buzzing sound?"
"Probably more ladybirds." Alice pulled the pack of cards out of her dress pocket again.
"These should do the trick."
They split up as the ladybirds drew near, the first few insects were unsure of which person to attack, and payed for their indecision with their lives.
The ladybirds had proven to be slow and cumbersome fliers with their explosive cargo slowing them down.
Just as the two children were about to leave, the aeriel menace disposed of, they saw three strangly shaped figures coming towards them.
"Now what?" Lewis sighed and raised his spear once more.
Alice strained to see throgh the mist.
"Ah, now we have giant ants....Great. Just great. What next?"
Alice put the cards away and pulled the knife from out of her other pocket.
The three ants rushed forwards, swinging at Alice with their Bayonets, she dodged them easily, stabbing the blade into the side of teh closest ant right up to the hilt, then hurriedly yanking it away as acidic green blood gushed out of the wound, drenching the second ant, neatly disposing of two of them at once. Lewis rushed forwards and shot the last ant in the head, the creature taking a couple of faltering steps forwards before collapsing.
"Now what?" Lewis said, looking around, We're in the middle of a huge grey marsh and everything looks the same. Which way do we go?"
Alice stood and thought for a moment.
"This way." She pointed to her left and set off.
"What makes you say that?"
"It's just a....feeling..."
--- --- ---
Niar stood before the Hatter, one of the two most powerful people in Wonderland. The room was adorned with thousands of clocks, all ticking in perfect unison. After a minute or so it began to cause him some irritation. Niar ignored it as best he could, not wishing to offend the unpredictable hatter.
"A gift you say? From the Queen of Hearts, no less?"
Niar nodded.
"That is correct."
He looked at the hatter, his face mis-shapen, his body was more machine than man now, cogs and gears whirring as he moved.
The hatter walked over to Feather's bound form and, tilting her head upwards, stared at her face for a moment.
"Just like Alice...yes....She is quite perfect...."
The Hatter motioned for Niar to follow him.
"I have something to show you guard."
The Hatter led Niar up a spiralling staircase, the steps appeared from the walls as they walked up, slotting into place in perfect time with the Hatter's footsteps.
They reached the top, in some sort of tower.
"Just look at that guard, look down. What do you see?"
Niar looked down and gasped. He was looking down at a giant clock carved into the landscape, the fiery numbers were the seemingly random scars in the landscape he'd seen before. He should have known that everything the Hatter did was perfectly planned out, nothing within the Hatter's domain happened by chance, he would always be there pulling the strings from the shadows.
"Perfection, guard, perfection. you can rely on machines, yes."
Niar hastily nodded in affirmation.
"Most impressive sir."
Niar paused for a moment, he knew he was forgetting something, oh yes....
"Sir Hatter...the queen has also instructed me to give you this letter." Niar held out a red envelope, adorned with the intricate seal of the Queen of Hearts.
The hatter took the envelope and carefully placed it in his pocket.
"Thank you guard, you may leave now."
Niar bowed.
"Of course sir."
The Hatter turned back to Feather and snapped his fingers, the walls opened up, revealing rows upon rows of surgical impliments and even more arcane instruments.
"Now my dear, let's see what makes you tick."
This chapter is dedicated to GhostOfYoda, the cliffhanger fetishist :P
I'm not very happy with this chapter, but I just HAD to end it with that line.
--- --- ---
Chapter 4: The Second Fallen
Alice watched Lewis from a discreet distance. He'd just been sitting in the same spot he'd fallen for the last three days, and she began to worry that he would end up like the other children. At the end of the third day she couldn't stand it any longer, he was the only sane person she'd met since arriving in wonderland. She needed him, she couldn't face this alone or she was sure she'd lose her mind too.
"Lewis! Come on! We're not going to get your sister back by just sitting here!"
He looked up at her slowly, his eyes clouded, a spark flickered somewhere deep inside them, the beginnings of madness, seeking to claim him, poison him.
She looked at him sadly, if they didn't leave here soon, it'd be too late.
"Lewis! Please?! Don't....don't leave me here by myself!"
"..Alllice?"
Alice nodded, placing a meta-essence crystal in his hand.
"I can't save you..." Alice said quietly, "You have to save yourself."
Lewis slowly pressed the meta-essence to his heart.
He blinked and looked up at Alice, dragging himself slowly to his feet.
"Lewis...are you okay?"
"No."
"I don't want to remember...losing her....It hurts."
Alice moved to slap him for a second, then stopped.
"I...I know how it feels, but we have to keep going....I spent too long trying to escape the pain, and wonderland suffered. If you stay here and try to forget she'll suffer too. You don't really want to forget her do you?"
Lewis turned his back on her, she wasn't going to see him cry.
"Of course not...but...it hurts so much....I can't..."
"Don't worry, like I said, I know how it feels. And I promised we'd get her back. Remember?"
Lewis nodded silently.
"Then lets go and get her back. Okay?"
"O-Okay...."
Niar stood before the gates of the Mad Hatter's domain. He wasn't easily intimidated but this definitly qualified as a disturbing sight. He looked aound at the blasted landscape, the earth blackened with soot, gears and strange machinery rising from angry red gashes in the ground. Strange mechanical figure's roamed freely.
One bid him enter the Hatter's house, he followed it in, the nightmare spider following, carrying Feather with it as the machine, a mockery of humanity, led him to the Hatter.
Lewis looked around, where-ever they were it was vastly different from anything he had seen before, looking up he noticed that the sky here was a haze of greyish mist, quite unlike the swiring madness that had hung above the skool.
Alice seemed to have some idea where they were, she was kneeling down by a pool of water, dipped her finger in and tasted it, then mumbled something to herself and nodded.
"I've been here before." She said, "A long, long time ago. I was here and I grew to a giant size and...I...started to cry..."
Lewis couldn't imagine Alice crying, he tasted the water, and spat it out again quickly.
"It's salty."
"It's my tears..."
Lewis looked around at the drab, dreary landscape, the ground and sky a dull grey, pools and streams of water all over the place.
"Welcome to the Vale of Tears Alice." The Cheshire Cat appeared before them, "We'll be waiting for you Alice." The cat began to fade again, but Alice took a couple of steps forward and called for him to stop.
"Wait! What am I supposed to do in this place?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
The cat disappeared from view again.
Alice walked over to the edge of one of the pools and sat, looking at herself reflected in the unbroken waters. She was about to get up again, her appearence was causing her some distress, when she noiced something behind her reflection, she turned around and looked up.
"What is that?!"
Lewis pointed his spear at the creature and fired. His aim was off, and he hit the large object the creature was holding. It exploded, the creature's shattered carcass hitting the ground, still burning.
"Well....it, was, a ladybird...."
She glanced at Lewis, he wasn't listning to her. He was staring at the ladybird's corpse, burning. She turned away, refusing to look at it. She didn't need reminding, she was reminded every night in her dreams for the past ten years.
She walked up to lewis and shook him slightly, he jumped.
"Eh...what is it?" He looked around, "Are we being attacked again?"
"Calm down Lewis." Alice shook her head, "What were you doing?"
"Nothing, just, thinking...."
Alice left it at that, she knew that she wouldnt want to talk about, whatever it was, if she were in his place.
"Do you hear....A buzzing sound?"
"Probably more ladybirds." Alice pulled the pack of cards out of her dress pocket again.
"These should do the trick."
They split up as the ladybirds drew near, the first few insects were unsure of which person to attack, and payed for their indecision with their lives.
The ladybirds had proven to be slow and cumbersome fliers with their explosive cargo slowing them down.
Just as the two children were about to leave, the aeriel menace disposed of, they saw three strangly shaped figures coming towards them.
"Now what?" Lewis sighed and raised his spear once more.
Alice strained to see throgh the mist.
"Ah, now we have giant ants....Great. Just great. What next?"
Alice put the cards away and pulled the knife from out of her other pocket.
The three ants rushed forwards, swinging at Alice with their Bayonets, she dodged them easily, stabbing the blade into the side of teh closest ant right up to the hilt, then hurriedly yanking it away as acidic green blood gushed out of the wound, drenching the second ant, neatly disposing of two of them at once. Lewis rushed forwards and shot the last ant in the head, the creature taking a couple of faltering steps forwards before collapsing.
"Now what?" Lewis said, looking around, We're in the middle of a huge grey marsh and everything looks the same. Which way do we go?"
Alice stood and thought for a moment.
"This way." She pointed to her left and set off.
"What makes you say that?"
"It's just a....feeling..."
--- --- ---
Niar stood before the Hatter, one of the two most powerful people in Wonderland. The room was adorned with thousands of clocks, all ticking in perfect unison. After a minute or so it began to cause him some irritation. Niar ignored it as best he could, not wishing to offend the unpredictable hatter.
"A gift you say? From the Queen of Hearts, no less?"
Niar nodded.
"That is correct."
He looked at the hatter, his face mis-shapen, his body was more machine than man now, cogs and gears whirring as he moved.
The hatter walked over to Feather's bound form and, tilting her head upwards, stared at her face for a moment.
"Just like Alice...yes....She is quite perfect...."
The Hatter motioned for Niar to follow him.
"I have something to show you guard."
The Hatter led Niar up a spiralling staircase, the steps appeared from the walls as they walked up, slotting into place in perfect time with the Hatter's footsteps.
They reached the top, in some sort of tower.
"Just look at that guard, look down. What do you see?"
Niar looked down and gasped. He was looking down at a giant clock carved into the landscape, the fiery numbers were the seemingly random scars in the landscape he'd seen before. He should have known that everything the Hatter did was perfectly planned out, nothing within the Hatter's domain happened by chance, he would always be there pulling the strings from the shadows.
"Perfection, guard, perfection. you can rely on machines, yes."
Niar hastily nodded in affirmation.
"Most impressive sir."
Niar paused for a moment, he knew he was forgetting something, oh yes....
"Sir Hatter...the queen has also instructed me to give you this letter." Niar held out a red envelope, adorned with the intricate seal of the Queen of Hearts.
The hatter took the envelope and carefully placed it in his pocket.
"Thank you guard, you may leave now."
Niar bowed.
"Of course sir."
The Hatter turned back to Feather and snapped his fingers, the walls opened up, revealing rows upon rows of surgical impliments and even more arcane instruments.
"Now my dear, let's see what makes you tick."