Disclaimer: I do not own Xenosaga so dont' sue me.
Authoress notes: Thanks Ally, I had a bit of trouble deciding who I should cast as the Mad hatter at first (I had two choices...) But eventually I finally decided on Albedo.
Thanks to you too Wends. Yes I love this game, I loved it since it first came out but only recently found a copy. (one lone Copy...sitting on the self of my local Wal-mart I just about died.) But I think I've cast the parts rather appropriately...I just can't give names at the moment, but I'm going to have a chapter that brings up the first two characters names, and I've also decided to extend a certain scene in the last half of the forest area (After Pool of Tears and the duchess fight.)
Also since I haven't named anyone yet let's see if anyone can guess who is who. (Who is playing what role in Alice from the Xenosaga cast.)
Chapter 1:Dementia
The area surrounding her was most unplesant to look at as she stared up at the sky for a moment noting she was surrounded by a a circular cliff she rose to see what around her. Nothing but Dirt and several rather large mushrooms. She was in Wonderland again it seemed, but it wasn't the kind thought slightly excentric wonderland from her childhood but instead the sky and the earth both looked rather unplesant as she looked around. Before noticing a boy, with short black hair in place of ears were once again a pair of white Rabbit ears, he was dressed in a black dress outfit he took his watch out of his petticoat and looked at it frantically. It was then that she noticed he did not look like she had remembered him, but instead was rather unplesantly thin and his blue eyes surveyed the landscape around him rather suspisously as he spoke "Please Try not to Dawdle Shion." He said rather matter-o-factly "We're Very late indeed!" He proclaimed before running off before Shion even had time to protest to the man.
Soon after another familiar face appeared out of nowhere wearing a rather self satisfied Smirk on his pale face was a man with White hair the bangs slightly longer than the rest curling on the ends, wethered but intelligent and all to insane orange colored eyes watched her in amusement, and, a pair of Grey cat ears protruding in place of normal ones. He however was even thinner than the Rabbit it seemed as the black suit he wore dangled rather unplesantly and he looked quite Ragged compared to the man from her memories. He looked at her his smirk never leaving his pale face as he waved casually.
"You've grown quite mangy cat." She stated with a frown as he walked towards her. "But your Grins a Comfort." She added shortly after wondering if perhaps the first comment had somehow hurt the mans Pride.
"And you've picked upa bit of an attitude." He stated as well frowning slightly as he leaned to look into her eyes being only slightly taller than she was. His ears twitched slightly in annoyance, "Still curious, and willing to learn I hope?"
Shion nodded absently playing with the braid in her brown hair she shook her head once again wondering just what had happened to this place as she picked at her dress slightly "Wonderland has become quite strange." She stated looking around with a frown slightly curious as to where the rabbit had managed to go. "How am I to find my way?" She asked curiously as she looked to see that the young man was walking away from her down the tunnel, as he reached an area where the dirt turned to wood he turned still smirking. Shion highly doubted that the smirk ever managed to leave the young mans face.
"As knowing where you are going is preferable to being lost, Rabbit knows a thing or two and I myself don't need a weathervane to tell which way the Wind blows." He replied to which Shion merely frowned quizzically, she never really understood anything the cat said though so it wasn't an issue as when he spotted the dumbstruck expression on her face he frowned shaking his head.
"Let your need Guide your behavior, supress your instinct to lead," He said with a frown as he took note that poor child was still not following it. "Pursue Rabbit." He stated simply with a frown and she nodded in agreement and the smirk on his face quickly returned as he vanished the last traces of him being the Red eyes and self Satisfied smirk.
Alice Ran rather quickly after this not really wishing to stop and admire the scenery for it seemed a great deal more depressing than even the Asylum could ever hope to be. She entered what appeared to be a small village and frowned as the place seemed rather unhappy already as she saw one of the villagers she decided against what anyone else would have called her better judgement to speak to the small humaniod creature. A gnome perhaps? It was truly no one special but she felt the need to talk to it anyway. She approached it and spoke politely.
"Why does everyone here seem Hostile?" She asked with a frown "Or demented?" The small gnome looked up at her with eyes that were completely hopeless and sighed.
"Our land is destroyed," He said sadly "our Spirits are curshed." he finished his shoulders slouching hopelessly
"Souns like the Asylum." She replied just as Sadly, though partially in thought. "Is there no Joy here?" She asked to which the creature slouched even more as it spoke in the same miserable tone "Slavery and Happiness do not dwell in the same house."
Shion frowned at this crossing her arms and deciding that before this pitiful creature had a chance to depress her anymore than he had already managed to.
She walked past him quickly before coming to what at one point might have been a bridge. But unfortunately it was broken and below her was some rather unplesant looking water and appeared to be a Gyser, shooting hot air out of it.
"Every adventure requires a first step, even here, trite but true." Said a familiar voice as the emactiated young Cheshire cat appeared Sitting on a rock near the ledge. "When the path is problimatical, consider a leap of faith," He said just as ominously as he looked to Shion with the same self satisfied smirk "Ride the Wind." He gestured to the gyser as he once again faded in the same way that he usually did.
"Ride the wind?" Shion repeated herself with a frown as she walked back down and then turned around. Her hair flew behind her as she took a running go over the bridge, the gusts of air from below her sending her the rest of the way over and she fell with a rather ungraceful thud in front of Yet another Gnome like creature. This one was slouched but did not seem to be nearly as depressing as the first as she looked at him, pulling her dress down at the same time before finally standing up.
"Stir up no trouble here stranger." It warned with a frown "The Queens Agents are ruthless."
Shion laughed slightly at this "I'm not afraid of her or her creatures" She replied "Never was really, You should stand up to them."
She said in a reassuring tone but the Gnome shook his head.
"Defiance is useless." He said in retort "While the queen reigns, Only Death will Set us free." He said sadly seeming almost as depressing as the first. Shion frowned "Or her Death, I supose." She said with a frown as she adjusted her glasses and continued on her way. Coming to another bridge where she found something shining in the cracks. It was a Knife and as she picked it up an all to familar face once again appeared.
"Your Knife is necessary, but no sufficent." He stated with the same smirk "Always collect what is useful," He said circling Shion slowly "reject only your ignorance and you May Surive." He stated brushing back as lock of his White hair in a rather cocky gesture before vanishing again.
"Such a Strange creature that Cat." Shion mused to herself as she continued to walk over the bridge to the next part of the town. "I do wish that he would stop just appearing and disappearing like that." She said silently to herself as she rouned the corner to find herself crossing the path of yet another of the small villages populace. This one looked slightly more authorative and was probably at one point the Villages chief, or mayor or whatever these gnomes called their leader. But someone else caught her attention as well as she watched the Thin young Boy with Dark hair and white Rabbit ears shrink down only to enter a small hole and she frowned. She had hoped to avoid more conversation with the citizens of this village for they all seemed terribly depressing, but it seemed that she wasn't going to be able to avoid it. So she approached the Gnome with a frown and spoke.
"Everyone here seems completely Dejected, is it really that bad?" She asked softly her face frowning knowing that the answer would not be one to give her any hope.
"The Truth," He began "Would reduce you to a Blubbering Baby." He stated with a frown as he removed his hat in a sign of mourning for the old ways when he suddenly looked to the young woman rather hopefully "Are you the savior Rabbit has been telling us about all this time?" He asked hopefully. Shion shook her head at this unsure of how to truly answer. It seems that a great weight had suddenly been placed on her shoulders from the moment she returned,
"I shouldn't think so, I am a person...and just now I wish to get very Small." She said putting out her fingers to demonstrate the size "...About this big."
He frowned in thought, "The requires Serious twisting." He stated with a frown "You'll need to Go Sideways not foreward for that, If I knew how to I'd Go Sideways myself." Shion frowned crossing her arms and tapping her foot against the pathment as she correct him "Not Twisted, I wish to become Small, About this big." She said using her fingers once again to demonstrate the size she needed to be to chase after her young friend.
"Oh," Nodded the Gnome in sudden relization "The Fortress of Doors holds such secrets." He finished and frowned "But it'll take more than a Wish to get you in there." He added as Shion turned and walked back out into the center square and the Cat appeared, Sitting on a nearby post.
"Doors have Locks, Locks have keys, Which we don't have." He said his smirk leaving for what might have been a mere second before it returned "Let's hope the doors are open." he stated leaning back casually and crossing and uncrossing his leg casually before resting his Chin on the back of his hand and looking at Shion expectantly but still his smirk never left.
"And if not," She replied "There's more than one way to Skin a cat." she stated before suddenly smirking slightly to herself. "If you pardon the expression."
The Young boy's expression remained the same self satisfied smirk as he stood up and walked past Shion sticking his hands in his pockets as she noted he was beginning to fade out again "Most unplesant metaphor," He replied "Please avoid using it in the near future." He said as he once again vanished from her sight and she honestly wondered why she bothered with putting up with him. She walked around again this time past several shops into what appeared to be a mine of some sort before a slightly younger and more hopeful Gnome approached her this time he was the one to start the conversation.
"Rabbit told us a champion would come, Are you that champion?" Asked the young gnome hopefully.
"Perhaps," Said Shion crossing her arms and looking down at the Young Gnome "Can you get me into the Fortress of Doors?" She asked hopefully to which the young creature started shaking his head frantically.
"Oh no!" He proclaimed still shaking his head in denial "Wouldn't dare, Since the upheaval we've all become gutless half-wits." He said almost sadly "I can barely risk crossing the road...But," He motioned for Shion to bend over so that he could whisper to the taller young woman "Make your way to the mines, The deepest Pit, There's one wiser and braver than myself who might help." He said softly "And She still lives free."
Shion nodded at this and began to walk away discretely like nothing had been said at all, quickly exiting that area of the village.