Chapter 6
The Red Queen and the Jabberwock materialized from the abyss that had once been their world into a part of Alyss' world – the Volcanic Plains to be precise. The ash dancing in the air, the flames spouting from the grounds like geysers and the seething rivers of lava reminded them almost of the Land of Fire and Brimstone from their own Wonderland, yet, though neither could put their finger on why, it seemed unique, Alyss' own. For the ordinary Wonderlander, the air and heat of this region would be insufferable, too hot to breathe even, yet neither of the 'visitors' were human, and had been around much larger extremes of heat.
"Beatiful."
The Jabberwock gasped. "Why…"
"Yes, Jabberwock, I have chosen not to come here as a monstrous tentacle beast. As tempting as the idea of destroying this Wonderland's metropolises, the crystal buildings reduced to rubble under the fury of my tentacles, I have a much better idea.
"When you murdered Alice, you gave me control over her body. Since both creatures of imagination and reality can enter this realm, I have entered here with her body. Since her counterpart in this universe has the most powerful imagination, I do too.
"For too long have I ruled by fear. I want to be loved, respected, to be thought of as a wonderful creature."
In the Queen's current form, the Jabberwock was able to grab her and bring her to his face level. "You're not Alyss!"
She grinned. "Destroy me and you destroy yourself. You are bound to me. As long as I remember you, you still exist." The Jabberwock slowly put her down. "And by the way, you're keeping those mechanical appendages."
"Why? Why? You're no better than that wretched little girl, you…"
The Queen didn't answer the Jabberwock's question; all she did was point at another beast, slowly emerging out of a cave. "Look, there's a playmate for you."
The Jabberwock turned away from the Queen, clenching his fists and attempting to suppress his anger.
"You stay here until I need you."
He turned around and saw her gone.
Traitor. Liar.
Traitor.
Liar.
The words kept repeating themselves in his head like a broken record. He had been waiting for Alice to meet her demise for so long, and yet everything he expected to come from it…his organic body, his new, beautiful home…
Traitor.
Liar.
The man. Traitor. Liar. You said that the Jabberwock would have a happy ending, he'd get the girl and be beloved by all. But Alyss is dead, her carcass is rotting in a bottomless pit, you never said that would happen.
Red Queen. You said you would save Wonderland. You said you would reward the Jabberwock for his undying loyalty. You gave him nothing he wanted, nothing he prayed for. Just another Jabberwock, one that isn't much for conversation.
Traitor.
Liar.
And Jabberwock, what can be said about you?
Me?
Yes. Perhaps you deserve to be a robotic monster for the rest of your life. Were it not for your meddling and lack of common sense, Alyss and Hatter Madigan would still be alive. They're dead because of you.
The Jabberwock clenched his face with his claw. This was just a joke, his entire existence, his toils, his ambition were all being mocked and torn to pieces. He fell to the ground face first and just sighed. He wanted this to end, he wanted to crawl into a hole and just die. He had a strong urge to follow the Red Queen and end her fierce tirade, but was prevented by her earlier words and the slander he constantly heard hammering in his brain.
The Red Queen…
She's still a great saviour. Perhaps she wanted to do something good. Perhaps…she destroyed that past Wonderland because…it was beyond salvation, that this Wonderland is in need of more help…
And she brought him here because he wanted to come.
Then why did she leave him this way? An unfeeling, artificial thing that could not taste the tarty tarts or the jollyjellies, or feel the smooth crystal?
No, no, she had her reasons, perhaps it was better this way, perhaps there was some reason he was kept this way, there must be, yes, and she killed Alyss because, because, perhaps, she was better than Alyss, she was wiser and a better ruler…
No, she wasn't, she couldn't be.
Alyss was dead. She was the great ruler and she was dead. Killed by none other than her greatest admirer.
Alyss…I'm sorry…
The Jabberwock's train of thought is interrupted by his 'playmate' sniffing at him. He clawed it in the face and threw it down to the ground. He slit it across the neck, and let the thick blood dribble onto his fingers. Then it suffers his optic lasers until it died.
"Jabberwock…"
Her voice was a whisper, the soft breeze of the wind…
"You still have a chance…"
She appeared, bathed in a spectral golden aura. She looked like a fairy.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't fool yourself. Your Red Queen has no good intentions."
Yes no yes no yes no
"You can stop her…you can be Wonderland's saviour…"
How?
"Just stay here."
Then she vanished.
The Jabberwock just stood there with his eyebrow raised. What he saw just left more questions than it answered.