Disclaimer: I do not own Alice, Lewis Carol and American McGee do so don't sue me..
' Catch me, as I fall,
Say your here and it's all over now' --Evanescence, Whisper
The wind howled against her ivory skin, rusty locks flew in the icy cold, and she said nothing, the snow blowing around her emaciated form A pair of black pants and a matching shirt which blew against her in the snowy breeze, a blue corset decorated with elaborate gold embrodary a pair of knee high boots the straps looking rather elaborate. She took a few steps foreward and stretched her arms foreward, transparent, revealing the veins in her arms. She looked around for a moment and frowned. A pale looking creature, it's furry skin a white color with several tattoo's on it and ear ring in it's ears a permanant grin on it's face. The woman shook her head her pale green eye's turning to the cat who said nothing but sat instead contently at her feet.
"It seems a terrible idea to bother her again." said the woman softly crossing and uncrossing her arms.
"Terrible?" The cat looked to her, it's grin never faltering, "Terrible indeed, that a single member of the council is left to keep order over wonderland." There was a mocking sound. "While the rest..."
"Remain indecive and violent correct?" The woman spoke smoothly as she surveyed the landscape.
"There are only four of us...Three now. Getting rid of the largest threat to our world...but also it was to help Alice." The cat chuckled.
"Help? Ironic...That this place exists in her mind and even then...when everything is back as normal.." The cat snickered "Normal." The woman frowned and glared towards the cat.
"Cheshire you know very well what I mean." She answered coldly.
"But of course your majesty." The cat answered smoothly to the woman and she continued. "Even when things are as normal as possible for wonderland...that it is still in peril. Like it or not Cheshire...We may have to call on Alice again." She muttered before turning and walking away.
Cheshire sighed to himself. She was right. Even if the red queen and her violent outbursts and tyrany were gone, there were still the other two member of the council to cause problems. The other suits in the card deck as Alice might have refered to them as. There were for grand elders in wonderland, none of which had ever been brave enough...except for the black queen... The queen of Spades. Even then the woman worked through secrets. Calling up Alice had been her idea, calling alice into a place which rested deep within her psyche. Now if things got worse...then she might request that the girl be called again. It had been almost two years.
Alice looked about quietly, the small house in which she was living remained dimly lit as she sat in her library reading by candle light she had learned to love the books that no longer held pictures, simply because, living in fantasy worlds would on lead to getting hurt again, or perhaps simply to pretend that wonderland wasn't real. Sometimes she swore that she saw the Cheshire cat, it's painfully thin form crouched carefully watching her. Suddenly something was knocked off it's shelf and a thin figure became visible in the darkness as it neared her chair. "Cat?" She asked and the creature nodded sitting at her feet.
"Indeed. Lovely to see you again Alice...I'm afraid that we need you in wonderland again." The creature said simply before everything went blank for the young woman.
The woman looked about, seeing the forested world about her, and forwned at the cat.
"So exactly what are we doing here now? " She crossed her arms. "I believe an explaination is in order."
The cat chuckled. "You still have that attitude about you don't you girl." He spoke his question being more of a statement.
"Perhaps." She chuckled looking at her dress. It hadn't changed at all. Nothing had since her last visit. Things still seemed as dreary as ever.
"So why am I here now? I certainly hope it isn't the queen if so then, how?"
The cat looked to her mockingly.
"You don't know about the council do you Alice?"
"Council? I should think not, this the first I've heard of any council."
"Then I'll tell you." He from tree stump to tree stump making a seat for the girl.
"Settle down: It's time for a history lesson."
Alice sat looking at the cat intently it's grin never leaving it's face.
"The council consists of the most powerful monarchs in wonderland. But instead of all four kings, and all four kings rulling, only two kings and two queens rule. The most powerful creatures in wonderland."
Alice interupted the cat. "And the Queen of Hearts was one of them?"
The creature nodded. "It seems that, at the loss of one of their own, the most manipulative of all of them they're in turmoil. All of them except one. The one that requested you be brought here again. This world is on the brink of a three sided war, if that happens...then you may have to be the one to 'Negotiate' with the rest."
The cat rose and waited for Alice to do the same.
"Negotiate as in..." She pondered briefly "With my blade?" She seemed almost happy at the prospect.
"Indeed. But for now I'd best take you to the queen."
"Queen?"
"Her Royal Majesty the Queen of Spades." The cat bowed at the saying of the womans name.
"So I take it she is one who can be trusted?" Alice asked quizically, finding herself dissappointed at the idea of no bloodshed. The cat nodded and walked off. Alice sighed, and followed.
