Chapter Two:My My...What Have We Here?
At the Palace Cheshire King grew restless. Tired of waiting for his pageboy, that troublesome Rabbit, to return. He drummed his fingers absentmindedly on his throne and staring forward into space. "Now what could he possibly be up to?" He wondered out loud, his lips twitching into a devious grin that made his current attending servant scurry right out of the room. "We'll just have to go find him wont we?" Cheshire chuckled low in his chest and stripe by stripe he began to disappear…..
"Marvelous!" Lucy clapped her hands together, smiling broadly as she watched the Caterpillar make figures come alive in the smoke. 'This place is wonderful! Fantastical!' She thought to herself. The shrinking had been fun all in itself and now her new Caterpillar friend was making it even more eventful.
The Caterpillar's lips pulled at the corners into what to him was a smile at the girl's amusement and his usual blue coloring tinged pink from her praise. "You really thiiink so? Oh Rabbit this child is much more appreciative than the last one." He said adding a little emphasis to the word 'think'. Rabbit chuckled at Lucy's childlike reactions. "She is quite a charming little thing." Lucy smiled at them both and sat back on her mushroom seat to watch more of the Caterpillar's colorful designs.
The Caterpillar blew out a cloud of smoke and began to recite as the cloud took on the shape of a crocodile. "How doth the little crocodile improoove his shining tale, and pour the waters of the Nile on every golden scale! How cheerfully he seems to grin how neatly spreads his claws, and welcomes little fishes in, with gently smiling jaws!" The smoke story faded and Lucy clapped her hands again. "I've never heard it like that before but I definitely prefer that version." The Caterpillar gave another semi-smile. "Yes I know, I have improooved it. Exacitically as it should be."
Lucy nodded. "I agree mister Caterpillar." She stood up and bowed. "It's been a pleasure, but I would like to see more of Wonderland. That is, if mister Rabbit is ready to leave?" The White Rabbit stood and nodded. "Yes of course. Thank you for reciting for us Caterpillar."
Blowing out smoke the Caterpillar gave a nod and a small wave. "Anytime Lucy dear." And with that the Rabbit and Lucy took their leave, biting into a piece of mushroom that restored them to their normal heights.
"What's next mister Rabbit?" Lucy asked enthusiastically with her hands clasped in front of her. The Rabbit smiled at her and started to hop down another trail. "Well, have you ever been to a tea party?" Lucy nodded her head. "Well come along then, I have two friends who are always having a tea party." She smiled and kept behind him. "Alright, sounds fun enough, lead the way!"
'Such an easy child to please.' The Rabbit thought to himself and hopped closer and closer to one of the few cheerful sounds remaining in Wonderland. The sounds of a distant tea party.
Cheshire was becoming impatient, it had been hours and he still had not come across the trail of the White Rabbit. He asked the Duchess, the White Knight, and even the old Goat! Nothing. He growled in annoyance and was about to go back to the palace when he heard something….
His cat ear's twitched and he caught the sound of the March Hare and Mad Hatter's never ending tea party. 'If anyone should know where he is it would be those two…' He thought and started in the direction of the whistling teapots.
The King had barely walked ten steps when he smelled something. It was the scent of White Rabbit that was for sure, but also something else. Something curious. He sniffed the air again, focusing on the new smell that had plagued his nostrils. "What is…what is this…?" He wondered aloud. The smell was sweet, earthy and oh so delectable too. It was unlike anything he ever smelled before. It made his mouth water and his eye's glaze over slightly.
He shook his head and hurried down the path, determined to find out exactly who or what, was the owner of this delicious smell.
"A very merry un-birthday to you Lucy." March Hare smiled slurping down some tea and then offering her a cup. Lucy giggled and bowed her head. "Thank you mister Hare."
'What funny creature's there are here...' She said looking at her other knew friends. The March Hare was very much like the Rabbit, both having long ears and bushy tales but of course the Hare was brown where the Rabbit was white. The Hare's hair was messy and mouse brown where the Rabbit's hair was neat and pale blonde almost to the point of being white, and the Rabbit's clothes of course were a big difference they gave the air of someone of high stature where the Hare simply was, well simple. He also had a height advantage over the Rabbit, which she noticed he very much liked to point out whenever given the opportunity. Then of course there was the Hatter. He dressed in a fancy, yet slightly disorganized, way. His top hat was almost too large for his head but sat neatly in place and never fell over his bright blue eyes. Lucy noticed that he never seemed to take it off and thought that his blonde hair must be a complete mess underneath from wearing it so long.
"You're very welcome Lucy." Hare said slurping down more tea. The Mad Hatter had his feet propped up on the table and was leaning back also guzzling down some tea. "Well Rabbie I do enjoy the company you brought us today!" He exclaimed and then examined his empty cup. "Clean cup, clean cup! Move down, move down, move down!"
Lucy had gotten accustomed to the frequent moving and hurried to her next spot. "What fun! I've never been to a tea party like this before!" She said clapping her hands again happily. Hatter smiled at the child. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." He said pouring another cup of tea.
The Rabbit was fidgeting again, his nose twitching and sniffing the air. Lucy noticed this and put her small hand on his shoulder. "Rabbit?" She asked forgetting formality. "Are you okay?"
Rabbit looked at her. "The King is coming…" He whispered, barely audible over the whistling teapots. The March Hare and the Mad Hatter froze in place. Until recently they had never been afraid of any ruler…not until Cheshire cat had gone…even more mad than original, and he was already the maddest of them all!
Lucy looked around at her friends. "What the matter? Is he a tyrant or something?" She crossed her arms over her chest, awaiting an answer. The Rabbit was the first to speak. "Our King, the Cheshire Cat, used to be a fun and mysterious man who liked to play tricks and laugh and have a grand old time." The Rabbit paused, nostalgia kicking in as he recollected. "But, now his once bright colored stripes are a black and white and his hair has become very black. Not at all the violet-black it used to be." He sighed. "And his temper is terrible. If he is mad he'll take it out on whoever happens to be around, which usually happens to be me."
Lucy placed her hands on her hips, "He sounds like a spoiled brat. He shouldn't take out his anger on you! You seem like a hard worker! Not to mention, you've been nothing but nice to me since I've been here! Furthermore…what?"
The March Hare, Mad Hatter, and the White Rabbit had all frozen in place during her little outburst and the Hatter was pointing over her shoulder. Lucy gave them a quizzical look. "What? Was it something I said?" She asked and froze as two striped sleeved arms wrapped around her and a rough voice spoke low in her ear, "My my…what have we here?"