Alice: Inside the Looking Glass
Lady Moon-Chan
AN: Two updates in one night is a good sign...means I'm into the story and won't leave it to languish, unlike some of my other stories... coughTwiningMagicscoughcough, but anyway, read, review, and remember that I don't own Alice in Wonderland, but I do own the plot details of this story(the basic idea was a challenge, remember)
Chapter 3: In Which Alice Carries the Torch
"But what good will that do?" Alice asked. "If I go back, she'll just do to me what she did to those women she found in the found in the sweep. The only way to keep anyone safe is to take down the Queen of Hearts." Alice said strongly, pounding her fist against the table.
The Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter looked at her wide eyes. "Alice, turn around and pull the back of your shirt up." the cat ordered.
"What? Why?" Alice asked, blushing.
"It's just a theory I have. I won't try anything, I promise."
Even though she'd the only met the cat a short time ago, something about him made Alice trust the creature with her life. So, taking him at his word, she turned her back to him and lifted the back of her shirt. She heard both the Cat and the Hatter gasp.
"Alice," the cat said slowly, "the mark on your back- the cross with the 'x' through it at the crossbar- how did you get it?"
"It's a birthmark." Alice answered. "Why?"
"That's the same mark the 'golden star of hope' is supposed to have, in the exact spot it's supposed to be." the Cat told her.
"So you think I'm this 'golden star of hope', then?" Alice asked.
"That would appear to be the case." the Hatter replied. "I suppose the 'golden' part must be on account of your hair." he mused.
"So, now what?" Alice asked, sitting down.
"Now we come up with a way for you to fulfill the terms of the prophecy." said the Cheshire Cat. "But I have to warn you, it'll be dangerous. There's a very high chance that you could die in the process." his tail twitched.
"That's fine." Alice said. "I have nothing to go back to anyway." She thought about the fire. The four funerals at once- how all but one of the caskets had to be closed. Mom's sweet face, charred beyond all recognition, Dad, burned down to almost bones, beauty queen Eleanor charred and blackened like the remnants of their house. Only Rosemary's casket could be open. Rosemary, who had sheltered herself and Alice in a closet so they might have a chance of survival. Who had held onto Alice and suffered severe burns all down the back of her body because of it. Who had died of smoke inhalation to save Alice's life. Rosemary's face and hands and strawberry blonde hair hadn't been burned, so she was buried in her favorite dress(pale green satin, empire waist, long, tapered sleeves) with her hair spread out around her face like a pale fire.
It wasn't right, Alice reflected, for someone as lively and active as Rosemary to be so unnaturally still.
"Alice? Alice?" the Cheshire Cat asked in concern, waving a paw in front of her face.
"I'm alright, just...bad memories attached to the word 'home' is all." she murmured, putting a hand to her head.
"If you don't mind my asking, what happened?" the Mad Hatter asked.
"There was a terrible fire. I was the only one who lived. My parents and eldest sister burned to death, and my other sister died of smoke inhalation to save my life." Alice said softly.
"I'm terribly sorry." the Mad Hatter said, sweeping his top hat off and bowing his head. "I understand how you must be feeling. My Dinah let the rebels fighting against the Queen of Hearts take shelter here, and a few days later she contracted the Mineral Disease and died after about six months."
He moved to his bookshelf and took down a small, framed portrait of a very pretty girl with pale skin, blue-green eyes framed by thick, dark eyelashes, coffee-colored angel curls, and a sweet smile. She wore an old-fashioned burgundy dress with an equally old-fashioned black velvet hat. If Alice didn't know better, she'd have thought the picture was that of an antique porcelain doll.
'She looks just like Nurse Monroe,' Alice thought. But what came out of her mouth was, "Oh, she was beautiful."
The Hatter nodded. "She was one of the most beautiful women in Wonderland. She was never vain about it, but the Mineral Disease was a crushing blow all the same." He looked up at Alice, a glow of determination coming to his eyes. "That is why I will help you in any way I possibly can."
AN: Whoo, let's hope for Alice's sake that she succeeds, else the Hatter might just whoop her! Oh, but then the Cheshire Cat would have to beat him to a bloody, bloody pulp for hurting his girl...AlicexCheshire all the way! w00t!