(An: Sorry this was so late but I've been having problems with my computer. And then my 'rents restricted my internet time. Blegh. A note on Remy's and Rogue's accents: Remy is Cajun and Rogue is from Mississippi. In the comics, this is how they codify the accents.. and that's naturally become how they codify them in the fics. It's a habit thing.)

(Cheshire's POV. Does everyone understand that he is HUMAN in this fic? Thank you.)

The boy- Remy- blinks at us, looking extremely confused. "Dis jus' keeps gettin' stranger and stranger.."

"Curiouser and curiouser is the preferred phrase here," says Alice. The boy doesn't respond, just looks more confused than ever. "Who's your friend?"

Remy glances down at the prone girl. "Dis is Rogue.." he says in a strange voice.

Alice nods. "How did you two get here?"

"I doan know," replied Remy with a shrug. "Dere was dis sound like de wind and den I was here. Where is 'here', anyway?"

"Wonderland, obviously," I say.

Remy blinks again. "Dis is insane.." he murmers.

"You get used to it after a while," replies Alice with a shrug.

"Indeed," I agree.

The girl begins to stir.

(Remy's POV)

"You get used to it after a while," says the girl who calls herself Alice.

"Indeed," agrees her companion. The boy is tall and emanciated. He has a grin that never seems to leave his face, intricate tatoos all over his body, and a large gold hoop hanging from one ear. (Submitted for your approval, one Cheshire Cat-turned-man.)

I vaugely remember a book mentioning Wonderland and a girl named Alice, but all thoughts of this are pushed from my head as Rogue stirs by my feet. I fall to her side. "Rogue.. Rogue?"

She opens her large green eyes.. and screams.

(Rogue's POV)

I scream when I see the swamp rat bending over me, but that's not the reason. The reason is the gigantic ladybug heading for us, holding the biggest rock I've ever seen.

There is a yell from behind me and suddenly both me and Remy are tumbling over a small cliff into a trench. (Once again, if I remember rightly, once you fall into the Vale of Tears, there is a section by the waterfall where you're not really falling off into space but it's really hard to get back up again. If I'm wrong.. call it fanfic continuity.)

Standing there is a boy and a girl, both looking not scared but resigned and grave. "How much time do you think that bought us?" asks the boy. He is grinning, but it's a nasty kind, full of anger.

"Enough," replies the girl, running her hands over the smooth stone sides of the trench. "Mechanical ladybugs aren't that smart. By the time it finds us- if it even finds us at all- we'll have the toys."

Toys? I think, confused about that. Well, I'm confused about everything due to hitting my head so hard, but that in particular.

The girl smiles suddenly. Like the boy's smile, it's not a nice one. She is running a finger over a carving of a key. She taps it, and a shelf of the stone falls into her hands. I'm shocked to see that it reshapes itself into a wooden box.

"What's that?" asks Remy from behind me. Thankfully he has the sense to stay a good bit away.

"It's a toy chest, of course. Where else would we keep them?" asks the boy.

"Quiet Cheshire," says the girl. She sets the box down and taps the keyhole.

(Alice's POV)

The force of will required to find and open the toy chest takes more out of me than I had thought. I stumble back as the chest opens into Cheshire's arms. I tilt back my head and give him a grateful smile before returning to the matter at hand.

"If you've been sent here and you don't know why, then you must be here to help," I say. "Choose a toy, whichever feels right."

"What?" ask Remy and Rogue in unison.

"Choose a toy," I repeat.

Remy shrugs and reaches for the card deck. Rogue snorts as though this was an idiotic choice. She hesitates for a moment, then grabs the ice wand. Remy raises an eyebrow and she ignores him. Cheshire picks up the Jabberwock's eye staff. I smile and grab the Vorpal Blade. I run my finger along its edge, smiling all the wider. "Ah, old friend, how I've missed you." I pocket the rest of the toys.

There is a loud crash as a boulder is dropped to our right. I see a mechanical ladybug hovering above us. I throw the blade at it's wing. The ladybug shudders, belches black smoke, and collapses. There is a crunching sound as it joins us in the trench, and then a faint hum as it releases meta essence.

For the time, I ignore it and grab the ledge of the trench. I'm weaker than I expected and nearly lose my grip, but once again Cheshire steadies me. I pull myself up and then help Cheshire, Remy, and Rogue.

"All right," asks Rogue, looking very angry, "What the hell is going on here?!"

"I'll explain as soon as we get to the Wood," I say, walking toward said Wood. "We have places we can hide and talk there."

Rogue seems unhappy with this but follows anyway. I notice that she always stays at least five feet away from Remy, never looking at him or acknowledging his presence in any way.

We walk for a bit until we come to a particularly large tree. I pull a branch on it and a door opens. The tree is wide and hollow. I walk in and beckon for the rest to follow.

I shut the door and Rogue speaks again. "Ok, now will you tell us what's going on? And who are you, anyway?"

"My name is Alice," I say, "and this is Cheshire. As for what's going on, we don't know either. Wonderland seems to be changing for a third time."

"Wonderland?" echoes Rogue.

"What do you mean, 'a third time'?" asks Remy.

"Sorry, I forgot you don't know all this, do you. Wonderland is controlled by my state of mind. When I was seven (An: the age Alice was in the original book) it was just odd and made little sense. When I was fourteen (An: I believe that was her age in the game) and insane, it was twisted and horrible. Everything was an enemy. I cleansed it and left. But when Cheshire and I returned, the enemies were gone. We thought it was over. But now they seem to be returning, in full force."

I stop there, letting Remy and Rogue digest this.

"Wait, wait, wait," says Rogue. "You do realize how ridiculous this all sounds, right?"

Cheshire and I shrug.

"In my world, Wonderland is a book! Alice in Wonderland! It was written in the Victorian era and makes no sense!"

Cheshire and I look at each other. "That sounds about right," we say in unison.

"But.."

"But what?" asks Cheshire.

"But none of this makes any sense!" Remy and Rogue shout in unison. Rogue looks horrified and scoots farther away from Remy than ever.

Cheshire shrugs. "It rarely does," he replies calmly. He opens the door a crack. Outside, the sky darkens. "Considering the current state of affairs, it would be a good idea to spend the night here." He shuts the door. "I suggest you sleep." He moves nearer to me and leans against the wall.

To my surprise, when I go to do the same, he snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me to his chest. I gasp softly.

"Shh love," he whispers into my ear. "Sleep, Kitten." His grip tightens and I know he's not going to let go.

I hide a smile in his chest as I fall asleep, safe and warm. For the moment, at least.

(Cheshire's POV)

In my dreams, I am standing at a crossroads in the Tulgey Wood.

I hear the faint sound of humming that steadily gets louder. As it does, I am able to make out words. "All mimsy were the borogroves, and the momeraths outgrabe..." purrs a familar voice. It is my own.

Sitting in the tree is my cat self. He is neither the fat stripy cat of my youth, or the anorexic stray that I'd become due to Alice's negligence. No, like all of Wonderland, he is a curious mix of both. His grin, however, is the cruel one.

He leaps from the tree and approaches me.

I back away. For some reason I am unwilling to come near him.

"Scared, are we?" he asks. "Not much of a change, is it, being human?"

I blink.

Cat-me continues. "Alice still flinches when you come close, when you brush against her, doesn't she." That last was not a question.

Suddenly he is the emanciated me, all bones and skin and evil evil grin. "This..." he whispers, "oh yes this is how Alice will always see you, won't she?" His grin widens and begins to drip blood.

I gasp and awake with a start.

I am surprised to find Alice still leaning against me. She is asleep, but stirs when I wake. "Shh, dear," I whisper, stroking her hair gently, "sleep."

"Mmm.." she murmers and leans further into me. Apparently summoning up that much will tired her very much, more than she would admit.

I look over at Remy and Rogue. They are as far apart as space permits, although that seems to be Rogue's choice and not Remy's. I wonder what makes them appear to despise each other so.

I dismiss it for a later time and fall back asleep.

(Well, that's that. Please READ AND REVIEW! It makes me feel special, and when I feel special I write more. Thankee for the two I recieved. They made me feel adequate, at least.)