It was a beautiful day as always when The Queen stepped out of her castle to have breakfast outside. The moment she took a seat at the table The White Rabbit rolled up with her breakfast in hand. "Your favorite your majesty."
"It smells wonderful Rabbit." The Queen licked her lips in anticipation as she smelled the food again.
"Oh my!" The White Rabbit nervously spoke.
Looking towards him. "What is it?" The Queen immediately stood. "Who are you?" She asked staring down a hooded figure in all black.
"Alice, where is Alice?"
The Rabbit increasingly became even more nervous. "She's obviously not here." The Queen defiantly spoke.
"Get her." The figure demanded.
"I will do no such thing."
The figured moved in a flash towards The Queen and The White Rabbit. Removing the two swords that sat on the figures back resting them both against their throats. "I need Alice."
"What do you want with her?" The Queen asked.
"That's my business. Get me Alice or I will kill you both where you stand." The figure threatened.
"She hasn't been here today. But she visits everyday." Confessed The White Rabbit.
The Queen's head shot to him. "Rabbit!"
Shaking from fear. "I'm sorry your majesty. I don't want to die."
Alice hummed as she made her way over to tea with The Mad Hatter and The Hare. The two were in a debate about what goes best with tea. Cake or crumpets. "Weren't you two discussing this last time?" Chuckled Alice.
"We didn't finish." The Hare answered.
"I don't think you two will ever agree."
The Mad Hatter moved next to Alice. "We may not. But it makes for good conversations." Him and the Hare began laughing.
"Well I think it's best to have both. That way guests can have options or even have both." Suggested Alice.
Leaning forward The Hare spoke. "Well if you aren't going to choose sides. You should take your tea to-go. Todays conversations is all about sides." He laughed, which he was soon joined with laughter by The Hatter and The Dormouse.
Rising from her seat. "I think I'll go see what The Queen is up to." Alice said.
"Wasn't The Queen suppose to join us today for tea and our discussion?" The Hare asked.
The Mad Hatter thought for a second. "You know you're right. She had invited herself saying that she wanted to add her input for this conversation."
Joining Alice in rising from there seats. "I think we need to investigate what happened to The Queen." The Hare pointed a finger forward when he spoke.
As the three made there way to see The Queen, they found that the others of Wonderland were missing too. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb were no where insight. Especially around their normal places. "I don't remember The Caterpillar leaving his home since I've been coming here." Concern filled Alice's voice.
"He does, it's far and few between though." The Mad Hatter was looking around as he talked to Alice.
"He likes his little space he made in Wonderland." Added The Hare.
Growing concerned came when they called for The Cheshire Cat and he never showed. The three began coming up with theories of what was going on.
As they were lost in there conversation while passing the hedges to the castle they quickly came to a halt. Alice had saw The Queen and others tied up in the thrown room. Rushing to there aid. "Behind you!" Yelled The Queen when her gag was off.
Alice, Hatter, and The Hare spun quickly around to see the hooded figure. Swords out, the figure charged them heading for Alice. Eyes squeezed shut, everyone yelled only to be drowned out by clanging of metal. When the residents of Wonderland opened their eyes they saw a women between them and the hooded figure.
With all the strength she could muster the female pushed up from her crouched position. Swords pressing against each other the female slowly pushed the figure away from the group. "You can't stop me. I will get what I want."
"I've stopped you everywhere else. It's going to finally end here."
Moving to the patio The Queen was having her breakfast earlier. "Yes, with my sword piercing your heart."
The sound of clashing metal from the swords echo'd as the two fought. "What is going on?" Tweedle Dee asked once he was untied.
"I have no clue. All the guy in black said was he was looking for Alice." The Queen answered.
All looking over at her. "What does that person want with you?" Tweedle Dumb asked.
"I dont know, but I'm frightened." Alice's stomach was in such knots she was feeling ill.
The girl got a few cuts in on the figure before she was kicked in the chest so hard she went flying backwards. Hitting the floor with a thud, she slid to the groups feet. "You can't protected her forever." The figure disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Hatter went to go help the female up as she groaned to move. "Who are you and what was all that about?"
"That was The Void. He's after Alice because if he kills her, he will unleash chaos on everything. Alice is what's tethering Wonderland from being a acid trip of lawlessness. Every fairy tale story has one key character keeping it's world from unleashing it's own thing on the other fairy tales…"
The group watched the female carefully as she paced the room. Inspecting everything she was coming in contact with. "Most of the fairy tale worlds aren't much of a threat. This one is by far one of the worst if it was to happen. It all depends on what you want. The Void wants to unleash this one because it's the only world that has the capacity to make everything a delusion. To make it so we may never know what is real and what is fake."
Everyone gulped. "Why does this Void want to do this?" The Caterpillar asked.
"He wants to control all the fairy tale worlds. When you kill the character of the place, unleashing its secret power. You have control to manipulate it any way you like. But you have to kill that character for that to happen."
"What about you? Who are you suppose to be?" The Chessire asked.
Finally sheathing both her swords. "I'm Dahlia. Im part of an elite group of protectors. We are to stop people from doing what The Void is trying to do."
"Just you?" The White Rabbit spoked.
Finally looking at the group. "I'm the only one standing from the group that went after him." Dahlia sighed brushing a strand of hair stuck to her forehead from sweat.
"That's not reassuring." Cheshire Cat said.
"You're telling me. This shouldn't have gone this far, we should have gotten him already." Dahlia exasperated spoke. "We should get out of this room. There are way to many windows. I need to get you guys somewhere safer."
The group looked at each other. "I have plenty of rooms we can stay in." The Queen suggested.
"Any with one way in and out?"
Shaking her head. "This is a castle, no."
"What about the rest of you? Any of you live with a one way in and out or very limited access in and out?" Dahlia asked the others.
The Hatter rose his hand. "There is my place. Two doors in and out and the windows are on the second floor."
"Not ideal but having a second floor with windows may work." Checking outside again. "How far is it from here?"
After being told exactly where the house was seemed to agitate her quite a bit. She didn't like the distance or the open space. But the more she thought about staying at the castle, the more she didn't want to stay. There were way to many rooms and way to many ways to get in. After making sure that everyone was armed and know that Alice was to be protected, they moved out. It was a quick cover of the basics Dahli had to give them. She didn't like it but there was no choice. Dahlia needed a safe place to protect Alice, so she could figure out what to do next and how she was going to stop The Void.
It wasn't till they reached The Mad Hatters home did it get bad, again. The Void showed up in full force. Able to hold him off, Dahlia had everyone in the house before The Void stabbed her. From the two window's upstairs Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb hurled stuff from the room at The Void. As Soon as he was distracted, The Hare and Mad Hatter quickly opened the door pulling Dahlia into the house. The White Rabbit quickly shut the door locking it, before Alice and The Queen pushed some big furniture infront of the door.
Dahlia was bleeding profusely from her wound. "I need some towels or something to stop the bleeding. Also a needle and some thread."
"What….What about The Void?" The Caterpillar asked during the chaos.
Wincing when she placed the towels on her wound. "Pacing out front thinking of his next move."
"She's correct." Tweedle Dee said when him and his brother came downstairs. "He is walking back and forth. Knocking chairs and stuff over."
Mad Hatter and The Hare both gasped. "Dormouse!"
"What?" Dahlia glared at them.
"Dormouse is the teapot on the table outside." The Hare looked at the blocked front door.
"We're going to have to hope he doesn't find your friend." Getting more towels. "Now I need 2 people upstairs keeping an out out. Stay away from the windows. Next I need someone to help me sew up my wound."
It was late when The Mad Hatter found Dahlia upstairs keeping watch. "Shouldn't you be resting?"
"When my job is done I will."
Taking a seat next to her. "You've been stabbed. I don't see how you can do anything."
"I'll be fine by morning. Providing The Void doesn't try to attack during the night."
"That doesn't sound comforting."
"Life has never been comforting for me."
The corners of his mouth went down. "That is so sad. Life should be happy and fun."
"My life has been anything but that. I've been brought up to protect the fairy tale worlds. Nothing else."
"Nothing else?"
Scanning out the window. "What else is there?"
"Tea parties, friends, tea parties with friends." Hatter was getting enthused over the thoughts.
Dahlia looked at him curiously. "I've never been to a tea party before."
The Mad Hatter gasped. "Never? The Hare and I throw the best ones."
"I'll take your word."
Silence fell on the two which The Mad Hatter broke ten minutes later. "Friends!"
"Hmm?"
"Friends? What about them?"
Dahlia's face became somber. "The Void has killed most of them."
"That is so sad, and lonely sounding. I couldn't imagine my life without The Hare. He's my best friend."
"The Void took my best friend from me. It's why he wont succeed here. I am going to make him pay for what he did. By killing him."
The Hatter gulped. "You can be scary sometimes you know that?"
"Part of my job." Dahlia's head shot to the window. "Stay here." Painfully getting up she positioned her self to get a better look out the window. Making sure to not give The Void a good shot incase he was watching. "Keep away from the window."
"Is it him?"
Holding out her hand to hus him up. "Possibly. He knows he injured me. He could have made many attempts to try and kill Alice as we'll as us if he wants to. Unless this is a play to get me off my game. Attack tomorrow after I haven't properly healed or gotten much rest."
"You think he'd actually kill all of us?"
Dahlia looked back at him. "I wont let him do that. I failed my best friend, I am not going to fail you guys."
Everyone was startled awake as dawn arrived. The Void was yelling for them to come out there right now. "Where is Dahlia?" Alice asked seeing The Hatter rushing downstairs.
"She went out the window."
The Hare stayed downstairs with Hatter as the others went up the steps to look out the windows. "Why didn't you stop her?"
"She was out before I could even register what she was doing. So I figured I come down here to find some weapons to help her." The two friends head looked at the door when they heard a thud against it.
It sounded rough from the Hatter's and Hare's point of view. They could hear a lot of banging around outside. And groans from upstairs of those who were watching. "How's Dahlia doing out there?" The Hare yelled up.
"She isn't doing well!" The White Rabbit yelled back.
"Let's check the attic. We may have a better chance of finding something to help Dahlia." Suggested The Hare.
"That's if the good stuff wasn't already used to aid us getting in this house in the first place." The Hatter ran up the steps with his friend close behind.
They looked outside to see how things were going themself once up there. The Void had Dahlia on her back on the table. A sword pressing inches from her throat. Struggling, Dahlia was able to break free. The Void rolled one way as she rolled the opposite of him. She had blocked an attack just in time, The Void had brought his sword down towards her head. That's how the next few moments were going, Dahlia narrowly blocking The Void's violent attacks. Fatigue was showing on her.
Everyone let out a loud gasp seeing The Void kicked Dahlia square in the chest. She felt back slamming on the steps leading up to the house. What happened next seemed to go in slow motion. The Void ran up positioning his weapon to bring down on Dahlia. When he thrusted the sword down everything froze.
The residents of Wonderland held there breath as they cautiously look out the window. The two outside had stopped making any noise and were now silent, not moving. Everyones breath caught in there throats when The Void fell on the steps next to Dahlia. Blood was seeping everywhere, they weren't sure who it was. Neither person was moving. When some time passed and no one seemed to move the group went downstairs and outside.
When they emerged from the house a group of armed men clad in all black protective gear arrived. As they rolled up they weren't speaking as they quickly retrieved the two bodies and cleaned up the scene. Not once answering anyones questions, no matter how hard The Queen pressed. The Hatter and Hare went to find there friend the Dormouse in all the chaos. They found their friend still in his teapot under the table. Frightened out his mind.
Everything was cleared in 30 minutes. As the group was heading out the leader stepped forward. "The threat to here is over. Dahlia completed her mission and you guys are now safe. The best thing you can do now is get back to your normal lives." Not waiting for questions he left with the rest of his team.
It took sometime for things to beging to feel the same. The days turned into weeks as weeks turned into months. Everyone else seemed to get back to themselves. Singing and dancing the days away. Having as much fun as possible each day that they could have. Hatter on the other hand would out of no where wonder about Dahlia. She had died so they could live. It put a lot into perspective.
His walk back from The Hare's house was one of those nights he was thinking of her. Hatter hadn't said anything to anyone about it, mainly because he knew that was her job. She told him that she was going to make sure they were safe, even if her life was taken. So when he passed the gate leading to his home he completely missed the person sitting at the tea table. It wasn't till Hatter reached his front door did it register what he actually saw coming home.
Dahlia was at the table smiling at him, The Dormouse peeping out of his teapot. " We were wondering when you were going to show up." The Dormouse squeezed.
"I…I thought you…."
Dahlia stood. "Died? I almost did. They said it was a miracle I even lived. I think what saved me in doing so was I wanted these tea parties with friends."
"Really?" Still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Dahlia was alive.
"Well once I healed, I was honorably discharged, The Void hit some nerves when stabbing me. I can't fight, so I am of no use in protecting. Now I dont know what to do with myself." Rubbing the back of her neck.
Hatter smiled. "Well why dont you come in for some tea."
THE END
A/N: This was a one shot story that came to me on my home from work. I hope you like. Reviews are most welcome.
