Author's Situation: Okay, first of all, I have some news. And before you freak out, no, the news is not that I'm going on hiatus. The reason you're getting this chapter is because I'm done with one of my two jobs, and I did say that once I was done with my night job I'd be able to post again. So this is me keeping that promise.
However, I have to completely rewrite everything I had for Book Three of this trilogy [it's a very long story, but it boils down to me changing my mind and screwing up everything I had originally planned to do], so while I'm doing that, I'm not going to update [though it shouldn't take me long to fix; I'm not very far into Book Three yet]. Also, I need to find a new beta [due to computer problems, Jiffie isn't able to beta for me anymore]. So it might be a couple of weeks before the next update. But here's this chapter to tide you over!
Author's Note: Another short chapter, but I like this one. It did what I wanted it to- namely, to show how much Underland mourns the loss of their Azure Princess, and also to confuse the living crap out of y'all. By the end of this chapter, I'm sure you're going to be baying for my blood and threatening to take off my head if I don't explain and fix what I did. All I'm gonna say in my defense [other than that I did say I wouldn't apologize for any plot-caused character mangling] is that A, I love Tarrant as much as all of you and I would never do what I'm doing to him without good reason, and B, I promise to work it all out. Eventually. That being said, enjoy!
Naming Game Note: Helena and Hermia both come from Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Character Note: After doing a bit of research, I found that Chessur [as he's called in the Burton movie] isn't a changing of the Cat's name; it's simply the proper pronounciation of Cheshire. So if/when you ever see me write Cheshire, know that I mean Chessur. Was that confusing…? If it was, sorry.
Disclaimer: The character of Puck, and the line "Lord, what fools these mortals be," are lifted from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Don't sic Shakespeare's ghost on me, or I'll have to resurrect Marlowe to protect me.
Thank god for whoohoo. co. uk [minus the spaces of course]. That's where the base of Hatter's accent comes from- I would translate what he was saying into whoohoo, and then scale the translation back when the accent got too thick. Whoohoo is a brilliant cheat; as talented as I'd like to think I am at writing accents [Boondock Saints fanfic will do that for you], my Scottish brogue is shite.
Special Thanks: Thanks to Jiffie for all the work she did on this story before she had to resign! I really appreciate it. Warning, this chapter is unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine.
Jane's interest in Wonderland- after three times of Mally trying to get her to call it by its proper name, the Dormouse had given up in despair, muttering something about how she was "just like Alice,"- continued unabated. Every step brought something new and interesting to her eye, and she was itching to explore unabated. However, both Mally and Witzend continued to remind her that now was not the time for sightseeing. Wonderland had largely fallen wild again since the cursed Catahoribus Day, Mally said, and being outside at night wasn't safe. So they continued on determinedly, Jane clutching her precious book to her chest while Witzend graciously offered Mally a ride on her back despite the fact that their two species weren't exactly on the best of terms.
Jane trusted Mally's sense of direction- after all, the Dormouse had been living here since before The Alice had first arrived as a child- but it was getting very dark, and the twilight that settled over them was gloomy, moody and full of secrets. The woods they traveled through were close and twisted, and Jane shivered as her Imagination [strange that she was starting to think of things with capital letters] made the trees seem menacing and watchful; distrustful, even.
"And where might you be going at this time of night?"
Jane gasped, looking around for the velvety, perfectly enunciated voice. She heard soft whooshes of wind, but saw no one until a large disembodied Cat's head appeared directly in front of her.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, drawing back a step in surprise.
Mally glared. "Annoyin' Cat, always turnin' up where you're not wanted."
With a flick of his tail, the Cat suddenly appeared fully, easily floating in midair, resting his head on his folded paws as he observed them. Jane stared at him, fascinated as a sense of déjà vu swept over her. She knew him from Alice's stories, of course- this must be the Cheshire Cat, purveyor of pandemonium and avowed apathy. But the sense of knowing him went beyond simply recognizing him from a book. She felt as though she knew him in the same way she knew Absolem; that their paths had crossed before. She felt as though she knew exactly what the Cat's gray and blue fur would feel like, and how it felt to travel using his form of transportation.
The Cat's lazy gaze swept over all of them, his grin widening as he considered Witzend. For a moment the two felines considered each other, each sitting [or hovering] absolutely still except for the batting of an eye, the flick of a tail. They spoke silently, transmitting some strange form of cattish communication, before Witzend bowed her head.
"It's an honor to meet the Cheshire Cat," she mewed politely.
"A child of the Dinah Cat," Chessur purred. "I hardly thought I'd see the day that one of you finally made it Below. And who might you be, luv?" the Cat asked, turning his attention to Jane again.
"Jane," she replied, hugging her book close. "Though at present I feel much more like Helena and Hermia rolled into one. I don't suppose your name might be Puck?"
"Lord, what fools these mortals be," he easily quoted. "Jane, is it?" the Cat repeated thoughtfully, looking her over with an air of interest in his eyes.
"A Not At All Alice," Mally piped up. "We're 'eaded for the Tea Party, an' you're holdin' us up. The 'atta won't thank you for it."
"The Tea Party? Do you think that wise, Mallymkun?" Chessur asked mysteriously.
"I'm looking for the Azure Princess," Jane piped up.
For a disconcerting moment, the Cat merely looked at her, and Jane had the strong suspicion she was being judged. He floated closer, until he was nuzzling her neck. Jane jumped back, surprised, and swatted at him- or rather, at the mist that trailed in his wake after he laughingly translocated out of her way. Whatever he had smelled on her, he seemed pleased; she hadn't thought it possible, but his smugness had increased tenfold.
"Indeed?" he asked lazily, all nonchalance. "In that case, you'd best be on your way."
"We are going the right way, aren't we?" Jane asked. "I mean no offense to your guidance, Mally, but it's so dark in here I can hardly see five feet in front of me."
"I'll lead you there, then, but that's the end of it," Chessur said, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Jane looked around, frowning, until the Cat reappeared several yards away.
"Coming?" he asked, smiling.
Drawing a deep breath, she hurried after the Cat, Witzend and Mally close beside her.
"Mally?" she asked softly as they walked. "If you don't mind me asking… In all the stories about you, you never set much store by the humans you adventure with, especially not Aboveground girls. Why are you so willing to help me?"
For a long moment, Mally said nothing, and Jane was about to give up hope that she would ever answer the question. Then, very softly, the Dormouse began to speak, her paws tightening in Witzend's scruff as she stared straight ahead, tension quivering in her entire frame.
"Ye don't know 'ow 'appy everyone was, when the Azure Princess was born," she said. "Underland was just beginnin' ta thrive again, after we'd recovered from the Bloody Big Head's rule. The Princess' birth seemed like… like a promise, that the good times was 'ere ta stay." Mally sighed, bowing her head. "I swore ta protect 'er. We all did. I wasn' too fond 'a the Blue Royal Family then, but I still swore." The Dormouse's voice hardened, and she stared dead ahead. "I was th' one on guard when the Princess was taken. Tha's what happened on the Catahoribus Day; the Princess was stolen an' the entire Royal Family was ripped apart."
Jane's heart twisted with pity at Mallymkun's tale. She had known nothing about the disappearance of the Azure Princess, but clearly all of Underland mourned her loss.
"Why do we need the Hatter?" she asked, hoping to distract Mally.
Instead of being distracted, Mally's face more clearly revealed her sorrow. "No one protected th' Princess more than the 'atta. 'e loved that child. 'e wants ta find 'er more'n anyone, 'cept maybe the Blue Queen."
Jane sighed softly; it was clear that this princess had been absolutely beloved. She found herself somewhat jealous- so many people mourned the loss of this girl and wished to have her back. She would consider herself blessed if her parents missed her half as much as Wonderland missed its lost princess. Of course she would do her best to find the princess and restore her to the family that had loved her; it was the least she could do for this land that she had loved for as long as she could remember.
She heard the Tea Party before she saw it; Alice had written descriptions of the music that would be playing from the phonograph. The haunting, empty-sounding music floated through the still air, increasing the melancholy brooding of the Trees around her.
So, she was finally going to meet the famous Mad Hatter. Of all the adventures Alice had penned, Jane's favorites were the ones she shared with the Hatter. There was such a beautiful relationship between them; they shared what was possibly the deepest connection Jane had ever seen or read about. They were a perfect match in every way, complementing and completing each other. Everyone in Underland depended on Alice, and Alice depended on the Hatter. She should have felt intimidated, meeting the Champion's Protector… but she wasn't. She felt, oddly enough, that she was heading towards a friend. From everything she'd read of him, the Hatter- who was, after all, the former leader of the Underland Underground Resistance- would be a formidable ally.
Mally glanced up at Not At All Alice, who looked more and more excited with each step they took. She wasn't sure about the wisdom of leading this Aboveground girl to the Hatter- not that she feared that the girl would steal away the Hatter's affections. She had long ago given up any aspirations of anything but friendship with him, and had accepted that no one and nothing could replace that friendship in the Hatter's heart. But… Zounds, did Jane have to look so very familiar to that Other, that Lost One? That dreamy expression, the tangled mess of hair, even the style of dress… what if one glance at this Not At All Alice caused the Hatter to fall into a whole new kind of Madness? What if seeing Jane's red hair and green eyes only reminded him of everything he'd lost?
Jane stared at the tea table avidly. The description in her book was perfect, down to the last detail. Cracked tea sets, mismatched china, stained tablecloth littered with the remains of food. The March Hare sat sleeping in his seat, clutching a spoon in one paw, and Mallymkun agilely leapt to her seat and dove into a teapot, from which soft snores could be heard a moment later. And sitting in a tattered armchair at the end of the table was the famous Mad Hatter.
She bit her lip, fighting back a wave of disappointment. This utterly still, colorless man… this was the hero of Underland, the rebel champion who had begun the battle that Alice had finished? Why, he almost looked as if he'd been drawn in charcoals, so muted were the colors of his clothing; even his hair was limp and dark. Where was his Muchness? She'd thought he would be lively and full of energy, but he looked like a statue. Was his current state due to the princess' disappearance? Mally had said he had loved the child more than anyone… Perhaps this was how he mourned her loss?
A quiet ticking broke the quiet of the Tea Party. Jane frowned at the unexpected noise, before realizing that it was the ticking of a pocket watch. The noise seemed to rouse the trio, for the March Hare awoke with a start. His head swiveled to look at her, and then he pointed, his entire body twitching, head whipping back to the Hatter as incoherent splutterings fell out of his mouth. A second later, the Hatter stirred and glanced up.
"Who are you?" he asked, in a voice gone hoarse and creaky from disuse. "Are you here for tea? Or to help me find my thimbles? I've lost them again, you see. I was buttering them, and they just disappeared on me. Terribly naughty of them, to run away before tea was over."
Jane bit her lip and glanced down at Witzend. She had known that the Hatter was Mad, of course, but she'd thought she'd known what to expect of his Madness. He would ramble and rave and pepper her with riddles. But he wouldn't be lost in the incoherent ramblings of his mind. He would be charming and delightful, not… broken. This Hatter was broken, shattered perhaps beyond repair. Witzend blinked up at Jane, her strange blue-green eyes transmitting sympathy, a silent encouraging as she urged her mistress on.
"I would enjoy a cup of tea, thank you," Jane said carefully.
"Of course you would," the Hatter nodded, absently spinning a saucer on his finger. "Everyone who comes here loves tea. Especially Aboveground girls."
Jane looked up at him. "How did you know I was from the Aboveground?"
"Your scent, of course," the Hatter replied. "You smell of no magic and silence and grayness. And yet…" The Hatter paused, frowning, and sniffed the air delicately. "It's strange; I can smell something of Underland on you. You smell of honeysuckle and tea… like…"
The change was instantaneous. His eyes were suddenly a sickly topaz, the skin around his eye sockets a frightening, bruise-like black, the rest of his face paper white. His entire being crackled with fire and anger. He shot up suddenly, pushing his armchair back a few feet.
"Hoo dare ye?" he screamed in a thick Scottish-sounding brogue, advancing on Jane as his hands reached out, as if to choke her. "Hoo dare ye abscond wi' 'er scent? She needs 'at!"
Jane backed away slowly, eyes widening in fear. He'd never been violent towards others in his Madness; Alice had never been in any danger from him. But she wasn't Alice, she reminded herself. And she'd apparently committed some grave offense against the Hatter, though she had no idea what it could be. Her glance darted around the clearing, wondering how to get out of this mess.
The commotion caused the Dormouse to peek out from under the lid of her teapot. When she saw the furious Hatter advancing on Jane, she wasted no time. She leapt from her teapot and scurried down the table, past the March Hare who had dived beneath his chair, clutching a fork. She hurled herself off the table, just barely managing to grab the lace of the Hatter's lace cuff, and withdrew her hatpin, shoving it into the back of his hand.
"Hatta!" she screamed.
Mally clung to Hatter's cuff as he froze abruptly, his eyes suddenly green again. He blinked rapidly, as if confused about where he was and how he'd ended up here. Shaking his head, he glanced down at Mally.
"Thank you," he croaked. "I'm fine." Drawing a breath, he focused on Jane, frowning. "Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry," he lisped, looking mortified. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"Not at all," Jane said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "I'm sorry if I've offended you…"
"What?" he asked, frowning.
"That's not it," Mally said, sighing as she scampered up Tarrant's arm and settling on the brim of his Hat. "It's yer smell, ye see. Ye smell like… her."
"Oh," Jane said, trying to sound as if she understood when she didn't at all.
"What's your name, boy?" the Hatter asked, tilting his head.
"Jane," she said, wrinkling her nose.
"What? That cannot be it," the Hatter exclaimed. "Why, that Name doesn't fit you at all!"
"I've never thought so either," Jane said with a grin. "But until I find one that fits better, this is the one I'm stuck with."
"But what are you doing here, Jane Who Is Not A Jane?" the Hatter asked, puzzled.
"I've come to ask for your help," she said, hugging her book close. "You see, Absolem told me I'm to look for the Azure Princess-"
The change came again, the moment the title left Jane's lips. His irises grew more topaz than she had yet seen, his eyes ringed with black again. With a snarl he turned, grabbing one corner of the first table and overturning it, blind and deaf to the Hare and Dormouse's attempts to calm him as he overturned chairs and threw scones.
"Th' Azure Princess'll come reit here," he roared. "An' I'll be waitin' fur 'er, jist loch Ah trysted! Nae wee wisp ay an Abovegroond chit'll gang lookin' fur what's mine!"
She should have been terrified by these violent outbursts. After all, she knew he was called the Mad Hatter for a reason. And truth be told, she was rather nervous at how very brutally he was behaving. But Jane had read Alice's stories too carefully to be afraid. Alice had been quite adamant that besides the mercury poisoning, the Hatter's Madness was caused by something else- something that Jane saw clearly behind the anger in his eyes. Pain. Deep, searing, abiding Pain, such as Jane had never seen before. This was the Madness of a man who had lost everything he had ever held dear, who was desperately trying to hold onto his last shred of Hope that he could recover just a bit of Happiness. When faced with so wounded a man as this, how could Jane fear a little bout of Madness?
Boldly, she stepped forwards, ignoring the destroyed furniture as she clapped her hands to his white face.
"Tarrant," she said, softly but insistently.
He stopped dead in his tracks, human touch bringing him back to himself. For a Timeless moment they stood there, green eyes staring into green. And then Tarrant broke, collapsing to his knees as his shoulders shook with violent sobs. Jane fell with him, keeping her hands clapped on his face. She gazed into his eyes, the dull gray orbs that swam with tears, and the look he wore was so mournful that it brought answering tears to her own eyes. She felt a sense of kinship with him surpassing anything she had ever felt before, even greater than her admiration of The Alice. She understood his Pain; after all, she had lost everything, too. She knew how utterly alone he was, how lost in his mind. And she wanted to heal him, the only way she knew how.
"I'm going find her, Tarrant," she promised. "Please, help me."
Tarrant drew a deep, shuddering breath. "I have battled with Time for so very long, waiting for this day," he said softly. "I think it high time we got on to the rescuing and such."
Jane may have been ready to leave at that exact moment, but everyone else convinced her that there was no point in setting out when the sun was about to set. Besides, they didn't have any idea where to start looking for the Azure Princess. The best thing to do, it seemed, was to wait until the morning to take off, and spend tonight planning and drinking tea.
The fact that it was the supposedly mad creatures who proposed the plan, while the supposedly sane one wanted to go tearing off into the adventure, was an irony that Jane couldn't help but appreciate.
They'd all taken their seats, the Hatter seating Jane on his left. She was directly across from a chair stacked high with books, and as the Hatter sat he fondly caressed the back of the chair.
"Who sits there?" Jane asked, arranging her purple skirts around her.
"Why, My Alice At Last, of course!" Tarrant smiled. "This has always been her seat. Of course," his face fell, his colors darkening again, "she's not been here for a very long while. Time has been keeping us apart again, the slurvish guddler."
Jane's heart stirred with pity once again to see how upset the Hatter obviously was at being separated from Alice.
"How cruel of him," she said sympathetically. "And after she left London to come home, too."
"You knew she'd disappeared from Above?" he asked curiously.
Jane nodded. "I'm the ward of her business partner, Lord Ascot," she said. "And I'm friends of sorts with her niece, Alice Charlotte."
"So the wee babe was a lassie!" Tarrant grinned, his brogue very light. "That'll make herself happy."
"Yes," Jane said. "Lottie has three siblings now, James, Richard, and Helena."
"How marvelous," Tarrant smiled. "Alice hoped that Margaret would be happy. If she were here, she'd be happy to hear it."
"But I don't understand," Jane frowned. "If Alice returned to Wonderland, where is she now? Why isn't she here with you?"
The Hatter's eyes faded to a flat, emotionless gray as the rest of his person dulled, to nearly the same shades of charcoal that he had been when she first arrived. Jane could see the subject of Alice was just as touchy as that of the Azure Princess. Vaguely, Jane wondered why Alice- who was, after all, the Champion of Underland- hadn't rescued the princess herself.
"A great many things disappeared when the Azure Princess was stolen from us," the Hatter replied heavily. "The Princess herself… The entire Blue Royal Family, actually… Alice and her Muchness…"
Jane gasped. Alice, gone? It couldn't be! How could that most muchiest of muchness-filled Absolutely Alices have disappeared? She glanced at the Hatter again, then frowned. No, Alice couldn't be completely gone, she decided. If she had well and truly disappeared, the Hatter wouldn't be here, she knew it. He would have disappeared into the Outlands, or simply faded away into nonexistence. So Alice had to be somewhere, and Jane had to find her.
"We'll find them all!" she cried determinedly. "We'll bring them all back to Wonderland."