The rain began as a slow drizzle as Alice and Alexander followed the Cheshire Cat through the undergrowth by the pool of tears, but built up quickly into a downpour; the trio hurried on towards the waterfall, and the dilapidated shack that had once belonged to the Duchess. As they rushed onward, there came the loud whup-whup-whup of wings overhead. The Cheshire Cat looked up and scampered yowling towards a tree for shelter, as a loud explosion shook the ground, knocking Alice and Alexander to the floor.
"What on Earth is that thing?" Cried Alexander, gaping at the huge ladybug, hovering malevolently above them.
Alice grasped Alexander's hand and tried to pull him to his feet, but another acorn collided with the earth, sending fragments of its shell hurtling towards them, and Alice was thrown away from him. Instinctively she reached for her knife, but found nothing in its place, then frantically searched the landscape for the Cheshire Cat, hoping he could point her in the direction of her weapon, but he was nowhere to be seen. Alice reached for a large rock to hurl at the creature, but the rock sprouted legs and hobbled away, leaving her with no weapon. She cursed under her breath, then called out to Alexander.
"Alex! Look out!"
He looked up in horror as another ladybug circled above his head, and dived out of the way as the shell came crashing down next o him, splintering into a thousand pieces and sprayed his face with sharp fragments. Alice stood and ran to Alexander, grabbed him by his shirt collar and heaved him beneath a large outcrop of rock just in time to avoid another burst of fire from the territorial ladybugs.
"Alice?" Alexander gasped as their shelter was bombarded by yet more shells. "What the hell are those things? Where the hell am I? Why the hell is that Cat talking to us? And what the hell is going on?"
Alice dusted down her dress, shaking the earthy shrapnel from her hair.
"No thank you then? They're ladybugs. You're in Wonderland. The Cat has a name; Cheshire, and why shouldn't he talk? And as for what's going on, well," She turned to face the Cheshire Cat, who was just fading into view, "Perhaps you can explain that?"
The Cat licked his paws, and nursed the burn on his leg.
"Not entirely. I'm here to escort you to Rabbit and Caterpillar, they will explain. Now follow me."
Cheshire padded quickly towards a small opening in the rock face, and gestured for Alice to follow. She took Alexander's hand, and led him through the opening. As they both ducked through, Alexander gasped. The cave was covered floor to ceiling in fungi, fading from one brilliant colour to another, red to yellow, yellow to green, green to blue. There were vines hanging from the roof of the cave, where sweet smelling flowers bloomed, swaying gently in the breeze, dropping petals over their heads like silken confetti. Alice smiled.
"Whatever you do, don't touch those flowers. Compliment them by all means, pick up a fallen petal, but don't touch the actual plants. They don't take kindly to strangers."
Alexander looked puzzled. "What does that mean?"
"Listen." She whispered, and began to gracefully climb up a vine, towards a large pink flower.
"Alice!" The Cheshire at snarled, "We don't have time to play with those arrogant weeds now."
Instantly, the air was filled with a harsh whispering, a subdued roar of protest to what the Cheshire Cat had said.
"Oh, he doesn't mean that." Cooed Alice to one of the flowers, "He's in a foul temper because he doesn't have me to himself. You're certainly a most beautiful flower, much prettier than the ones in my own garden." She reached out and stroked the unfurling petals of the flower, and it began to murmur softly, its lilting voice founding a chorus of gentle voices which filled the air like the resplendent scent of their petals, swirling around the cave like mellifluent smoke.
Alice began to climb back down the vine, but the Flower uncurled its leaves, wrapping Alice in a leafy embrace, and gently lowered her back to the ground.
She took Alexander's hand. "Come now, Cheshire is right, we have to hurry."
Alexander stood still, mouth agape in awe. "What are they? I've never seen anything so beautiful!"
Alice smiled. "Wonderland can be beautiful, but don't be taken in. It hides its dangers."
They hurried after Cheshire Cat, stooping beneath low boughs of trees, climbing over mushrooms, and even as they ran through the maze of tunnels, they could still hear snatches of the Flower's delicate song carried on the breeze.
Cheshire rushed forward, past another huge cave filled with fungi and out into a clearing in a forest, surrounded by hundreds of giant mushrooms.