Disclaimer: I wish I had the money to own but unfortunately I don't.
Hello all I'm trying to make it up to you all and give you another chapter this month even if I'm up all night writing it. I love my reviewers all too dearly to disappoint you all. I'm sorry about last month I have been rather busy with school and the holidays, but I promise you I will not stop writing this until the story has reached its climax and the Red Queen is finished. Any I have recently been listening the American McGee's Alice soundtrack and have been reading a book on schizophrenia, so I had a flash of inspiration. This chapter is kind of focused around Hatter and his mental problems. Also my mind has been using the Cheshire Cat's voice from the game as Hatter's voice. By the way Hatter is Hatta. No lie. Look at the pictures in the books and say I'm lying. I'm so happy too; I'm getting American McGee's Alice for Christmas! Hooray!
"Where is he?" Alice mumbled as she awoke early the next morning, to an empty bed. She was amazed that Hatter was even awake after the night before. She had awoken quite a few times the night before to him screaming in his sleep. Stepping on the cool tile floor she approached the door but before she could turned the knob she was greeted by a wave of furious voices.
Oh please don't say it is the White Knight she silently prayed, pressing her eye against the wood. The wave of fear disappeared quickly when she heard the voice of the White King
"Hatter, I am not going to allow you to take Alice to that horrid place, the Fortress of Mirrors is no place for her, even if it helps you and is the shortest way to Red King's Kingdom," Alice heard him say his calm voice barely masking his anger, " this is about all of Wonderland, not just your petty problems! We need direct action, not a detour "
"Petty problems?" Hatter snapped, " I'm losing my mind, and the Queen knows it. I'm the one that can be fixed now, not Wonderland. I'm not saying we will not help you, but right now I could destroy this whole plan."
"Then stay here." The King hissed, " I'll send my son with her, then when they return with the Red King's head, you can be 'fix'."
"You know as well as I that need her help to do this, I can not go through that mirror my self!"
"Oh yes that dreadful case of insanity that seems to lord over you like the Queen lords over all of Wonderland! Do you think I would have let you in here if you weren't with her?"
"This is why I hate royalty. You thank those lower then self for a moment but as soon as they ask for a return favor, you turn on them."
" I'm only trying to do what is best for my people!" the King shouted, his normal calm suddenly shattered by his out burst.
"Go ask Alice then find out what she wants to do." Hatter said, backing down a bit, " you're right, my problems are smaller then what is going on. I'm sorry old friend."
" I understand my faithful messenger. You were in that jail for such a long time I have forgotten how it has affected you." King said, his normal attitude reappearing, as he knocked on the door to Alice's room.
"Come in," she called softly, a little shocked at the earlier verbal battle between her two allies, but please they had seemed to agree on something, but to her surprise the White King seemed to have aged over night, his face haggard from what looked like a lack of sleep, Hatter on the other hand looked rested despite his fitful sleep.
"Alice, my dear I have a request of you," the King said, " I need you to travel to the Kingdom of the Red Pieces. It is a hellish place filled with great dangers but you must go there to prevent another attack on our weak defenses."
"I have met the Red King your Highness, and right now I don't believe I could defeat him." Alice said, hanging her head in embarrassment, " and Hatter, my love, I know you need to be fixed as you put it, but I need to help the White Pieces."
Both stared at her stunned and confused, not really knowing what she had ment. " Your such a good girl Alice," the King said, " even when given the choice you still desire to help both and can not pick one over the other. Then go to the fortress of mirrors first then to the Kingdom of the Red Pieces. You can reach there through the fortress."
"Thank you, your Majesty," Alice said, clasping his hand gently, "I will do my best to help both of you."
The King smiled at her, then suddenly turned seriously, " I will give some help with this," he said holding out to her what looked like a crystal wand, " my bishops forged this after the battle to reward both of you. This ice wand should help you."
Alice took the fragile thing in her hands, and was impressed by the smooth workings of the crystal, and the cool, almost serene power that seemed to hidden with in it.
"Don't be fooled by its looks Alice, this is the only way you can destroy the Red King." The White King said, then he bowed his head, "Our hopes lie with you."
Alice bowed back, and smiled sweetly at the ruler, "Thank you." she said, as Hatter squeezed her hand, " Now we must leave."
"Yes of course. Now go and good luck."
Soon Alice and Hatter were once again out in the chessboard lands the ground still stained with the blood of the soldiers that had fallen in the battle before. Some the tiles of the board had been rearranged as well, were the body of a Red Soldier had fallen the ground was scorched by his remains while those with fallen White Piece laid the ground had become slick with ice.
"Tragic, really." A familiar voice said, causing Alice to look behind her. On one of the bodies the Cheshire Cat stood, still grinning.
"So good to see your both alright." He purred twining around the pair's legs before leaping up to his usual post. Cheshire rubbed against Alice's cheek purring happily, " I trust the battle wasn't to difficult."
"Depends on which one you're talking about." Hatter hissed, only to receive a sly grin from the cat but no answer.
"So Cheshire where did you disappear?" Alice asked, trying her best to change the subject.
"No where." He said, still keeping his sly grin, " after all, I'm everywhere and no where."
Alice shook her head not wanting to ponder the beast's strange words. She gotten use to things making some sense, but that quickly disintegrated as soon and Cat and the Hatter came together. Their very presence seemed to change the landscape as it became more wooded and take the shape of the once lush Wonderland forest.
Unlike the woods of Wonderland, a large moldy brick wall ran through it make a surprisingly neat path through the dark forest. This forest seemed a little friendlier, but it still had an air of menace blowing through it. It was also oddly quiet, causing Alice to become tense. Signs of warning hung hopelessly from the trees, with the words "beware of the Jabberwocky" written in a red paint that looked more like blood then paint. Alice kept looking over her shoulder expecting to see the beast that seemed to hold as much power as the in this world turned upside down.
"Don't worry." The Cheshire Cat said, "the Jabberwocky has moved its nest long ago. Not even Jabberspawn roam this abandoned place"
Alice nodded quietly, but still reached for Hatter's hand for comfort. When she touched him, he looked at her with a confused look as if he didn't recognize her or where he was. "Hatter." She said softly trying bring him back out of what seemed a waking dream but failed. She withdrew her hand knowing that there was no use trying to reach him now. Soon she turned her attention back to the forest path, looking around for any hope of exit, until the group was suddenly hit by a horrible smell.
" What is that smell!" Alice gasped cover her nose with her hand, trying her best to block it out.
"Rotten egg," the Cheshire Cat said, " no surprise since a rotten egg lives here."
" I'm guessing I don't have to ask who that is." Alice said, still gagging on the horrible smell. Suddenly she heard Hatter giggle, she turned to ask him what was so funny, but when she looked at him, his eyes were dead.
"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall," Hatter said, his voice monotone as he spoke, "all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again."
The last line was followed by a dead sound laugh that caused Alice to shudder. Something in this forest had caused Hatter to lapse back in his madness, and he seemed to be getting worse as they traveled. Maybe it's the smell Alice thought, still covering her nose and mouth after it's strong enough to make even the sanest man go mad.
"Oh that's such a terrible thing to say about me!" a high voice shouted cutting in to the girl's inner dialogue. She turned to see a rather elegant looking women sitting in a rotten looking eggshell which was balanced rather precariously on the wall. Her skin and hair was the same colored as sand and her cloths were all colored white and yellow, given her the appearance of the eggs yoke. Humpty Dumpty was fanning her self as if to keep her self from fainting.
"Such a cruel young man!" she gasped, " not even apologizing for offending me."
Alice was rather taking back by this development, once again expecting a man and getting a women instead. The Cheshire Cat seeing the strange look on her face batted her softly with his paw, " Don't say anything about the poem, she still is getting over the fact that they are claiming she is a he."
Hatter just stared blankly at Humpty Dumpty, his head tilted to one side as if studying the strange creature in front of him. " I thought you fell." he asked, giggling. The women eyes grew wide with shock, as she started to fan herself again.
"Such a scandal, such a scandal!" she cried, covering her face with her hands, " such a cruel, cruel boy! See what mercury does to a brilliant mind!"
" Oh calm down you foolish thing!" Alice snapped, causing tears now to appear in Humpty Dumpty's eyes.
"Oh now this beastly girl lashes out at me!" she wailed, " all because the Queen made me sit here forever to guard this retched path!"
"The Queen made you sit here?" Alice asked, realizing that the only way to reach her was to be polite. The women looked at Alice, as if stunned the sudden change in attitude .
"Oh yes, that hateful old hag!" Humpty Dumpty hissed, jumping down from her spot on the wall " but that's it I'm leaving this post of mine!"
As she began to walk away from the group, she turned back and handed Alice a key. "That should open all the doors here in the Looking Glass world." Humpty Dumpty said, glaring at the object like it had bitten her, " Now good one, and please don't tell the queen I left or she'll make me into scrambled eggs."
"Thank you, I guess." Alice said looking at the strange key. It looked like is was made from bone and she could feel the intricate engravings on the small piece of ivory.
"Keys and locks are like hens and cocks, you usual don't find one without the other." The Cheshire Cat said, staring intently at the key, " we just have to find the lock now."
"Where every that maybe." Alice said, slipping the key into her apron pocket, "and where is this Fortress of Mirrors anyway?"
Cheshire shrugged his bony shoulders, or gave the best shrug a cat could give, " Lost some where in the cross roads of life," he said, " of course once we get there you may have face more demons then your own."
Alice cast a sympathetic glance and Hatter, who had now slipped back in to his silence, " you mean his don't you?" she asked softly.
"His demon indeed," Cheshire purred, "Personally I rather like him like this, he's quiet and not ranting and raving like he usual does."
"That's a terrible thing to say cat." Alice said, but she did agree with him. Hatter had become more docilely since his lapse back into madness, and seemed like less of a danger to her and himself.
As they traveled through the wooded path, the trees started to thin out, allowing more of the sun to streak through the darkness. Then in a distance a strange noise pierced the silence. It was the sound of metal scrapping against glass, and when Alice looked in the direction of the sound she could she a building with high Gothic style towers and large door. Strange winged creatures flew over head cawing mournfully as they circled.
"I guessing that's the Fortress of Mirrors." Alice said, as they approached.
"Of course it is." Hatter said rather dead panned. His eyes were finally showing a glimmer of life as the approached the building.
"What is inside?" Alice asked craning her neck so she could see the full height of the building.
Hatter just stared blankly a head as he said, "Mirrors of course. They are also portals. Most of them anyway. Well truly they are all portals. Where depends on a number of things."
"Portals?" Alice repeated, hoping to get a straighter answer then the one he had just given.
" Yes portals, to minds and lands. Souls and seas." Hatter said, then added, " souls and seas, ha, both start with s."
Alice stared at him for a moment rather surprised at this strange remark. She was use to saying bizarre things but the way he was acting was truly strange. Deciding it was best to ignore him, Alice tugged at the large door. After a few seconds of hopelessly pulling at the handle it didn't budge. She glared at the large door, hoping that one of her friend would help her.
"Its locked you know." The Cheshire Cat said, " use the key."
Alice nodded and pulled the key out of her apron, and inserted it the lock. Inside she could here tumblers falling in to place and the door suddenly swung open. Inside it was misty, filled with mirrors set on revolving walls that changed when she stepped inside. The mist swirled harmlessly around her feet, but she knew that something terrible lay hidden within this deserted place.
"What are we searching for in this place?" Alice asked, as Hatter faded in and out of the mist.
"My mirror." He said, " I can't go in it, but Alice you can. Please go in there and fix me."
"Hatter I can not fix you like clockwork," Alice said, wondering how much of his reason was lost in the battle with the Red Pieces, " your human, not a machine."
"Sometimes I wish I was." He answered softly and Alice could hear the desperation in his voice.
Alice just looked helplessly down at her feet, as if Hatter's sudden despair was affect her to, but she looked up, there was a mirror in front of her that showed her and the Cheshire Cat, but not Hatter. With out hesitating or warning her beloved, she stepped in to the glass. Once again she was taken over by the same sensation that she felt when she feel in to the Looking Glass World. Only this time when she looked around it was different. A table Identical to the one at the Mad Hatter's house stood in front of her, with a pendulum swinging dangerously low over it. The room was also filled with clockwork that seemed to move at a sluggish pace. Seeing no one at the table, Alice sat down hoping to gather her thoughts, that was until a familiar voice shouted
"No room!"