A/N: It's a long one this time, my friends…kinda got carried away and forgot I had to split this story in to chapters HAHA…but in order to let this one finish the way I wanted it to, it kinda had to drag on a bit :/

Bear with me! D:

I also want to take this moment to thank my reviewers and readers for sticking with me. You guys are my inspiration :)

(8)

(no lyrics here)

Nausea…that's what woke him from his sleep…he felt sick to his stomach and it wasn't pleasant at all. With a groan, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Moving didn't help it at all. He blinked a few times, unable to understand why everything was so blurry, and why the room was swaying back and forth. Sweat dripped down from his forehead, trickling down his neck and onto the exposed skin of his chest. He was very overheated…

Cool off…he needed to cool off…

Bracing himself with the stairway beside him, he pulled himself onto his feet, stumbling a few times on his way up.

The sound of shifting forced his eyes down to the ground. He could see the shape of Alice, still bundled up and sleeping soundly. He would have loved to stay there beside her until she woke and reminisce on the previous nights events, but right now, he needed some fresh air…

Careful not to wake her, he maneuvered his way out from their corner and, with a hand on the wall to guide him, walked towards the blurry image of light with heavy, dragging feet. With each step, his breathing came much heavier and raspier than before, until he had to stop to cough into his hand…it wasn't until he got into the light where he saw his hand was stained with blood.

He grimaced and wiped it away on his black pants. As he did so, he began to cough again but this time, it was hard enough to send him to his hands and knees. Blood, bile, and last nights dinner spewed from his mouth with every hack and spasm, and the unpleasant taste only made him hack more until he had nothing left to throw up but his own bile…accompanied by some more red stains.

"Oh god…"He gasped, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, "not now…please, not now…not this soon…" He had managed to fight it off for three days…but he knew eventually it would have to come, although he wished he had the strength to fight it off further.

That's how it was, and that's how it had to be…

He had already come to accept that he would most likely die from resisting it…he didn't fear death.

He never has, and he doesn't plan to start. What he did fear, though, was hurting those he loved…he cant bear the thought of seeing Alices horrified expression at the sight of him the night before last, and that was barely a full change…

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Hatter tried to stand, but stumbled again. He decided it would be best to just lean against the cold marble and take a breather, calm his nerves before they got the best of him again…

Unfortunately, relaxing wasn't going to be an option…

He could feel the presence of another rapidly approaching. His heightened senses were able to pick up the sound of footsteps and horses heading their way. Great…just what they needed…trouble from the locals.

With a grunt, he stood and made his way back into the temple. His vision was much less blurry now, but he was still quite disoriented and needed to use the wall for support as he trudged back.

He knelt beside Alice and gently shook her awake, "Alice…Alice, love, Wake up, please."

Alice groaned but diddnt stir. He shook her again, this time, a little rougher, "You need to get up, Love. Someones coming, and we need to hide." At this, she opened her eyes and looked up into his pale, sweaty face. Her eyes widened and she sat up rapidly, "Hatter whats wrong! You look terrible! Are you okay?!" A hand reached for his face, but he took a hold of it before it touched him, "I'll be fine…but we need to go quick, please."

"And where are you going exactly?" A strange voice spoke. Alice and Hatter looked toward the entrance at the strange hooded figure in the doorway. They both stood up slowly, Hatter reflexively placing himself infront of her, but Alice maneuvered herself away from behind him to show she wasn't afraid. "Who are you and what do you want?" She asked, her voice stern.

"That's none of your concern. The real question is, who are YOU, and what are you doing here. Outsiders are not welcome here!" the figure responded with a growl. From his sleeve, Alice saw a dark, clawed hand emerge, flexing itself as if preparing for a fight.

Behind her, Hatter growled low in his throat as he placed himself infront of her again, despite her defiance. Anything with long black claws was not to be trusted in his opinion. "We are no outsiders," He said, pulling up his right sleeve to reveal the tree branch stained into his skin. Even in the dim light, the creature at the doorway could see the image as plain as day on his wrist.

The hooded creature hissed out a curse in some strange tongue and flipped back his hood, revealing the face of a black feline creature, its eyes a gleaming emerald color which seemed to glow in contrast with its raven black fur. The long hair on top of its head was wrapped in random places with colored strings and beads.

'Great,' Hatter thought, 'Just what we need…'

The Sivak were an Elite fighting force and chosen guardians of Makatok, resembling humanoid felines. They lived up to their Feline heritage by being swift and agile, skilled fighters and ruthless killers. Very few have gotten into a fight with a Sivak and lived to tell the tale.

Hatter knew all too well that these feline creatures weren't to be messed with…

The Sivak's emerald green eyes scanned them as he approached, his stride as elegant as his appearance, his long black tail trailing behind him. He stood about a head taller than Hatter.

"So, youre who weve been waiting for, hmm?" The Sivak growled, looking down at the mark on Hatters white flesh, before looking back into his eyes with a fierce stare, "And where is the Leafed one?"

"I'm right here," Alice finally spoke up, stepping out from behind Hatter, catching the Felines intense gaze with one of her own. Clearly, she was not intimidated.

"I trust, then, that you are Alice?" The felines voice was gentler now. He seemed impressed with the girls courage.

"How do you know that?" Alice was slightly weirded by the fact that yet another strange character knew her name. "The Stag spoke of you…He said that some day Alice would return," The brownie said as he took the liberty to pull down Alice's collar to reveal her marking. He chuckled, "He spoke true. Come then! I'm sure you have questions that need answering."

"Where are you taking us?" Alice said, taking one step forward. "somewhere safe," The Sivak said plainly before walking away, exiting the temple.

"Cocky little git," Hatter said before releasing the cough that had been building up in his chest. He had to bend over from the force of it. Instinctively, Alice put her hands on his back. "Are you alright? Breathe slowly." She said to him, but by then, his coughing fit had ended. Small splatters of blood stained his hand, but he wiped it away quickly on his black jacket before Alice could see, and he licked away whatever bit was on his lips. "I'm fine," he said as he stood straight again, breathing deep through his nose and exhaling through his mouth, "Been a hard trip, me body is finally catching up to me it seems."

"Should we follow him?" Alice asked, wary of the strange feline creature that had just left.

"Course! Aint no place safer than with a Sivak!"

"Sivak??"

"What do they teach you people on the other side of the glass?" There was a laughter in his voice as he spoke, "Come on, I'll tell you all about it when we get there." He started to gather up their things from the previous night. "But where is 'there'? I'm confu-" but before she could finish speaking, Hatters hands were on either side of her face, his dark eyes staring intently into hers. "Don't be," He said gently as his hands ran down her face, neck, and over her shoulders before coming to rest on her arms, "I'll explain everything on the way over, and when we get there, all our questions will be answered. Trust me, ok?" Alice pressed her forehead to his, "I do trust you…I'm just a little scared it all. I have been this whole time…this is all happening so fast…"

"Then that just means we'll be home faster, ya?" He kissed her forehead, then released her and finished up what he was doing, swinging the bag of equipment over his shoulder.

Alice watched him incredulously, a half smile on her lips, "We?"

Hatter winked at her and smiled.

The Town was nestled in the ruins of yet another ancient culture, just nearby the temple itself. From where the town stood at the base of a hill, they could see the gleaming marble of the temple and the golden antlers of the massive statue ontop of it.

Hatter's mood jumped skyward at the sight of the town, so much so that he was practically bouncing on his horse. "Oh gosh I never thought I'd live to see this place! I'd almost forgotten it was here!" He said, pulling the horse to a quick stop just to jump off of it. With all his energy, there was no way he was going to stay seated. Alice looked down at him curiously. She had never seen him this bubbly before. He was a quirky man by nature, yes, but this quirky?

"Whats so great about it?" Alice asked. Hatter's smiling eyes gazed up at her, "Boy do I have some stories to tell you tonight."

"Come on, now, move quickly. We don't want to draw too much attention." Their escort called back to them, the same Sivak as before who had identified himself as Remus. He proved to be a very kind character, but a tough one to keep up with as fast as his kind were.

Alice noticed there were several other Feline people that roamed the area. She assumed this was their stronghold and also a place for refugees.

The people of the town cast odd glances at them as they walked by. Alice felt awkward sitting on top of the horse by herself with all those eyes on her. "Why are they staring at us?" She mumbled to Hatter walking closely beside her. He looked up at her with one dark brown eye, "Just keep your eyes forward." Remus gestured for them to pick up the pace, and the happily obliged, desperate to rid themselves from the awkward glances of the people around them. Remus led them to the other side of the town, and they were happy to know that their lodgings were well out of sight. There were many many empty homes here, 'and theyre all probably waiting for more refugees to arrive…' Alice mused. She was grateful that Remus brought them to a more private area. He knew publicity was not something they wanted at the moment.

Their home was small…a little hut with a single bed, a desk, and lit by several candles. It was small, but they didn't mind. It was much better than sleeping on the floor.

"I know its not what youre used to," Remus said as he stepped in with them, closing the door behind them, "But its all weve got that's private." "Its fine, Remus, thanks." Alice said with a smile. The Felines whiskers twitched with his smile, "Clean yourselves up and rest. My master will want to meet with you this evening. There are hot springs underground scattered all over the town. You'll find doors to lead you there. You'll find clean clothes waiting for you when you get back."

Alice sighed at the thought of a hot shower and was the first to remove her shoes once the Remus exited the hut. "I guess I know where youre going then?" Hatter said with a chuckle. "You don't even know how badly I need this," Alice said as she stood. Hatter reached up and touched his shock of greasy hair, "trust me, love, I do."

Alice couldn't remember the last time she felt so refreshed, and comfortable at that. The clothes she wore kept her pleasantly warm and she felt unnaturally free. The last time she was able to move this freely without restriction, she was naked in a hot spring.

The pants were a thick yet light cotton. In her world, they would have been considered 'Pajama pants', but they seemed much too thick to be labeled as such in her opinion. She didn't much care for the heavy cotton shirt, so she resorted to wearing another of Hatter's comfy silk shirts while hers dried after being washed in the spring…not that he minded of course. He had pleanty to spare.

The weather was warmer here. It was chilly, but it wasn't as unbearable as it was when they were further out. She could walk in the sunlight without her jacket, but it was when the sun began to set when the cold started to really nip at her. Hatter spent most of the day sleeping, the daytime fatigue becoming heavier and heavier as the days went on. When he was awake, he was as energetic as ever, but he was still quite pale, and no matter how hard Alice pushed for an explanation, he shoved her worries away with a simple "I'm okay," or a "probably just a cold, love."

As the evening drew near, the air got colder, and Alice had to bundle up in her jacket again. It was almost Sundown, and she knew Remus would be coming for them soon. She looked over her shoulder at the sleeping lump on the bed, his arm stretched over his eyes, his mouth slightly agape, his chest rising and falling with each breath. He was dressed in the same outfit as when she first met him; his dark pants and red button up shirt . The golden brown leather jacket was folded neatly under his head like a pillow and his matching hat rested on his abdomen.

Alice shook her head at the picture with a soft smile and approached him. She sat beside him and placed a hand on his chest, "Hey. Hatter...come on, time to wake up." She shook him gently as she spoke, chuckling as he grunted with disapproval and flipped onto his side to face away from her. He mumbled some words that she couldn't understand.

"Oh come on, Hatter you've been asleep for hours. Get up." She said, shaking him a little harder now. He grunted again, mumbling as he did so. Annoyed this time, she pushed on his shoulder, forcing him to roll on to his back once more, "Hatter enough games." He cracked one eye open and stared at her long and hard before finally yawning and sitting up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. As he stood, he threw his hat on Alices head, the words "hold this" slipping out of his mouth as he stumbled over to a bowl of fresh water on their desk with which he proceeded to wash his face. "Remus should be coming for us soon," Alice said as she approached him, removing the brown hat from her head and returning it to its rightful place ontop of his wild shock of hair. He took a moment to smile at her but his smile quickly faded as an uneasiness began to arise in his stomach…followed by pain. He gripped his midriff and groaned as he started to sway. "Hatter?! Hatter!" Alice grabbed hold of him before he could fall, and led him back to the bed, upon which he collapsed on his side and started to shiver. Alice knelt beside him, stroking his hair. Despite the cold, he was unnaturally sweaty, but the way he was shaking now, if she took off his shirt, he would freeze to death. "Hatter, shhh, relax. Try to relax please." She said, trying to hide her panic as best she could. Hatters eyes fixed on hers. She could see small threads of red starting to creep into his Iris'.

"oh god…" She whispered to herself as fear began to eat at her chest. Was he turning again? Was he going to hurt her? Hatter's shaky hand reached out to grab her arm. Pain was coursing through every nerve in his body. He didn't even have the strength to scream.

The more Alice tried to pull away from his grip, the worse he got. She was afraid, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't call for help, because if they saw him like this, they would kill him. She could easily overpower him and break away from him, but hurting him more was something she could not find in her heart to do. Instead, she returned to gently stroking his hair and whispering soft words. Her voice shook with fear but she tried to remain calm for him.

"Shh, Hatter, Its ok. I'm here, I wont leave you again," She whispered, pressing kisses against his hot, sweaty forehead. His shivers ceased but she could still see the extreme pain etched in his face. He flipped onto his back, an inhuman growl vibrating low in his chest as he worked to undo his shirt, desperate to let air cool him off but the pain of moving prevented him from doing so. Alice quickly stepped in, unbuttoning his sweat-soaked shirt and slipping it off, revealing dark colored patches staining his abdomen and chest. They looked like bruises, but she knew too well that they weren't.

Hatters chest was heaving with breaths as though all of a sudden the air had become too thin. Alice began to panic. Tears streamed down her face and she gripped her head in desperation. 'no,' she thought, 'no no no no! This cant happen…not to him! Not now! Oh god please let him be ok! I don't know what to do!'

"What is the matter?" A voice came from the doorway.

'oh no…'

Alice turned to see the black feline standing at the doorway, ears twitching with curiosity. "He's sick. Please, give us a moment," She said, trying to sound as calm as she could. The Sivak's green eyes focused on Hatters sweaty, pale form making an attempt to hide his agonizing pain without avail. He noticed several dark areas across his chest that were slowly creeping up his neck. With a loud hiss, the Sivak threw himself forward, taking Hatter by the throat and lifting him clean off the bed. "NO!" Alice roared and took the creatures arm under her own, crushing it against her with all her strength and attempting to twist it at the same time. Remus cried out in pain and released his hold on Hatter, giving Alice the chance to flip him and throw him hard against the ground. While the beast was down, she quickly wrapped Hatter up in his coat as best she could and tried to get him to stand, "come on, Hatter, we have to go. Please."

Hatter, despite his extreme pain, forced himself to stand on shaky legs. Remus, by this time, was already back on his feet. "Traitor! You dare defend this creature!!" He roared at Alice as she stepped infront of Hatter. "Its not his fault he's this way! He can be helped!" She roared back.

"HE'S ONE OF THEM!" Remus launched himself forward, fangs and claws bared, but before Alice could react, a blur shot past her and into the snarling feline. In less than a second, Remus was on his back with Hatters hand against his throat in a violent hold, his ruby red eyes aflame, his face close to the Sivak's with silver teeth bared.

A/N: My promises for the next few chapters, as I already have them planned

~We get to meet the leader of the "dark side" for lack of a better word

~We get to learn how the destruction in Alices world is connected to Wonderlands problem

~We learn how it can all be fixed

These are my promises to you! A few things had to happen before I revealed all that stuff…Had to get our darling couple in the dangerous position theyre in :/

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Things are going to speed up from here.