"So…"

A loud voice hissed in what was probably an attempt to be quiet. "Who are you?"

"My name is Lucinda." I yelled to match his volume. "And I'm looking for someone."

"Who is it that you're looking for?" He asked. "I know this area well, and most of the people in it."

I took a deep breath. "A man called Tarrant." I yelled back.

There was an awkward silence. "But he probably doesn't exist." I added hastily.

"No." The man replied. "He exists. Actually I know him very well. You could even say that we were related."

"Quit teasing the poor lass." Piped up a voice that I presumed was the hare rabbit thing.

"Do you want to meet him?" The large man asked.

"Yes." I replied, as convincingly as i could.

"Alright." He replied after a short pause. I felt the fabric shifting above me, and then it was pushed out of my way by large white hands. "Oh." He paused, looking shocked and embarrassed after he realised that I had become miles too small for my clothes, so was no longer wearing any. "One moment." He said suddenly, taking a handful of my green dress material and cut it apart from the rest of the garment with a small pair of scissors that he seems to have produced from nowhere. I covered myself with what was left of the tattered dress, while I heard rapid snipping going on outside my field of vision. I looked around, and saw a large wall of brocade material surrounded me. I suddenly realised that I had been scooped up, dress and all, into the hat. I couldn't be sure where I was at the moment, but I had an inkling that I had been set down on the table.

"There!" The man exclaimed, sounding rather pleased with himself. "Try this on for size." He dropped a miniature dress into the hat. I picked it up, and proceeded to turn it around in my hands to get a proper look at it from all angels.

"Hatter…" The small mouse said quietly. "Don't you feel like you're repeating yourself?" she said it very gently, but the words seemed to have great meaning. He seemed suddenly angry.

"Fine!" He barked, grabbing the tiny dress from my grip. "Let her walk around naked, then!" He flung the dress away and stormed off, slamming some door that I couldn't see. I sat still, not quite sure what I had done wrong. I thought I heard the mouse sigh, but she wasn't in my limited field of sight, so I couldn't be sure if she had. About half a minute later, the mouse popped over the rim off the hat.

"Sorry about that." She apologised, throwing the dress down to me.

I looked at it properly this time and realised that it was actually really well made. The material seemed to have magically become ruffled and puffy. I loved it; it made all my other clothes look like dregs! I slid into it, and noticed that it fitted almost perfectly, it was just a bit tight around the waist, but that was no problem as I suppose it made my look thinner; synching in my midriff.

"I love it. You said he was a hatter?"

"Well, yes, but he generally works with all fabrics and materials."

"He's very talented." I murmured, turning this way and that to admire his handiwork.

She chuckled at this. "I know."

I stood up in the hat, looking up at her. "Can you get me out?"

"Yes." she replied, jumping down to meet me. "Grab on." I held uncertainly to the back of her coat thing that she wore. She crouched and leaped onto the rim. I screamed as we sailed through the air, I was certain that the garment that she was wearing would rip, but it held. We landed softly and she gave me a strange look, one that suggested she thought that I was making a fuss over nothing. "Is something wrong?" She asked seeming annoyed after me making that much noise.

"No." I panted "I've just never jumped that high before." I looked down at the table and decided that I wouldn't risk jumping down just yet. I changed the subject hastily. "Can you help me get to Tarrant?" The mouse sighed at this.

"Well, actually you've just met him. That was him."

"HE was Tarrant?" I gasped, amazed that this angry man was the one that my grandmother had gone on about for all these years. "Did I do something to upset him?"

"No" She sighed again. "No. It was me. I'm Mally, by the way." She smiled weakly, and sat down, suddenly seeming tired. "Something like this happened before, a long time ago. Actually, it's only been about five years, but it seems like forever. I was just stupid and pointed it out; it's a very delicate issue."

"Why?" I asked, sitting down too to join her.

She glanced at me, as if she was wondering whether or not it was something that I needed to know.

"He fell in love." She stated simply, and sighed again. "She was a beautiful maiden that thought all of this," She gestured vaguely with her paw, indicating the whole area, "was a dream. He still fell for her, and they kissed in the original script, but then Disney thought that they would annoy the crap out of everyone by cutting it out and leaving their romance to the viewer's imagination."

"What?"

"Nothing." Mally replied, shaking her head. "She had more important things going on. She was the champion of Underland, and had to go back to her world. She promised to visit, but she only ever came back once. After that, she forgot about him. It's quite sad really."

"Yes." I agreed. We were silent for a few moments, each lost in our own thoughts, before she asked,

"What did you want with him, anyway?"

"It was my Grandmothers dying wish that I give something to him."

"What was her name?"

"Alice." I replied, playing with a lock of hair that had fallen into my face. I twirled it around my finger until I realised that the mouse had fallen silent. I looked at her; her face was one of wonderment and amazement.

"What?"