I don't own Alice in Wonderland.

The moment I entered the huge, decaying mansion, I was completely overwhelmed by the smell of tea, mercury and incense. I coughed, disgusted by the potent combination. At the very least, it wasn't as bad as Vincent's hookah smoke. I opened my watery eyes to gaze around at my surroundings.

The floral wallpaper was grayed and peeling beyond repair and the wooden floors were creaky and covered in dust and rugs that were also gray. In fact, the only color in the entire area I could see were dozens of bouquets of blue and white roses held by cracked jade teapots in place of vases. These sat atop cracked tables that looked like chess boards with monstrous clawed feet.

"Hurry up, girl!" came a very Vincent-like shout. I looked up from the table's feet. The group had turned down a narrow hall with only one door at the end. Charles trailed at the end of the group, scribbling away in his notebook. I walked over to stand beside him. Sven, standing at the head of the group, smirked at me and led us down the hall.

He stopped at the only door and knocked on it once sharply then whispered a phrase in a language I didn't recognize. The wall to the left of the door swung open like a door. Beyond it was a long stone tunnel with uneven rocky stairs leading downwards.

Naturally, my first instinct was to question the living hell out of the Hatter. However, Charles did that for me.

"Erm...so what's behind the other door...?"

"A brick wall." Tweedle Dum replied cheerily. Charles, still thoroughly confused, looked at the child as though he were out of his mind. Which he likely was. Tweedle Dee elaborated in a similar happy, childish voice, "This place is built like a labyrinth. If you had opened that door, you wouldn't be going much of anywhere, would you?" They broke into laughter as though they had just told some hilarious joke.

"Your lucky, Young sir, to have Hatter himself as a guide. If not, you'd run a great chance of being eaten by several things that have made their homes in these corridors." Etta said to Charles, teasingly. Unfortunately, Charles having the weak constitution that he did, the joke was not taken lightly. All the color drained from his face and he began to look woozy, as though he were about to faint. I stepped closer to him and took his hand in mine.

"It'll be alright, nothings going to eat you."

Etta lit a lantern that hung from one of the mossy stone walls that lined the narrow, dark passage.

As we began our decent into pitch darkness, the safe light of the lantern faded fast. Soon, I could no longer see where I was stepping. Theodore grabbed my hand and pulled me off of a step as soon as it crumbled. "Watch your step, Milady."

"Hmm...Yes, can't have you breaking your neck before your coronation." Sven called back in a supercilious tone.

Vincent growled in response. "Is there a point to this goddamn tunnel, Hatter?"

Sven spoke with a condescending dismissal. "Oh please, like the tree you live in is any less confusing. Or should I say lived? The cards have burned it to the ground by now, haven't they?"

"Oh, could you tell that just by the state of the Tulgey Wood? Your powers of perception are better than I thought."

"Well, perhaps, you shouldn't have been trusted with the heart in the first place." I could practically hear the smirk in Sven's voice.

I could feel Vincent clench his fists beside me. It seemed to take every bit of his will power not to grab Sven by the hair and smash his face into the stone. As we walked, things began to glow on the walls. They seemed to be mushrooms. Millions of glowing mushrooms.

Charles looked at them in awe. He whipped out his notebook, trying his best to write in the horribly dim lighting.

Quinn glanced over, grinning. "What? They're just mushrooms. It means we're getting close to the exit."

Sven raised an eyebrow. "And just how do you know that, Cat?"

Quinn laughed and held up one finger. "One. Common sense. You wouldn't want stairs leading up that no one could see. Two." He held up another finger. "You honestly think I haven't been down here my share of times? I'm everywhere and nowhere, Hattie."

We soon came to a set of stairs and the conversation ceased. Strangely, the assent didn't match the decline so, I figured we were on a lower floor. When the door at the top opened, my eyes were flooded by sunlight, a horrible contrast to the dark we had all just experienced. I winced and shielded my unadjusted eyes.

"Why did we have to go under the house for this?" Theodore snapped, covering his eyes as well.

"Because." said a quiet and rather timid voice from the corner. "There is only one way in. But multiple ways out."

"Ah, I thought you'd be here, Amory." Sven grinned. I glanced at the corner from where the voice had floated. The speaker was a small boy who looked around the same age as me. His hair was a soft sandy color, slightly curly and barely sweeping his shoulders. His bangs were so long that they completely covered his eyes. He wore many shades of turquoise and small brown shoes that looked like the flats I'd seen girls wear at my school.

Etta rolled her eyes and brushed the hair away from his face. "Wake up. Your future queen is here."

The boy seemed to nearly jump out of his skin. His eyes opened wide. They were large and emerald green. He looked at me frantically and his head twitched to the side in a neurotic mixture of concern and confusion. That's when I noticed he had two, light brown, mouse-like ears poking out of his head and a long fluffy tail swishing behind him. The twins got behind him and pushed him towards me. He gasped and stumbled a little. He bowed his head a little. "I-I'm Amory Vance, M-my lady..."

I frowned, completely sick to death of all the bowing and 'milady's. I held out my hand. "I'm Alice Laurel...please don't bow."

He seemed to be having an minor heart attack as he shook my hand almost so hard, I thought my arm would be yanked off. "P-pleased to meet you..." He looked away and caught sight of Quinn to my right. Not much could have prepared me for what happened.

Amory's green eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "GAAAAAH! CAAAAAT!" He wailed as he leaped back in horror and alarm. In the process of this he knocked a lamp to the floor with a crash. Every one's eyes widened simultaneously except Quinn's.

He simply laughed a little at the chaos he had caused without even trying, obviously pleased with himself. Dee and Dum grabbed Amory by the wrists, struggling to keep him down. They seemed exceedingly strong for children but the little mouse-boy thrashed with all his might. When he ended up kicking Dum in the jaw, all while screaming "CAT! CAT! IT'S A CAT!", Etta saw it time to step in. She pinned the frantic boy to the ground and uncorked a bottle, pouring the contents down his throat. Almost immediately a peaceful expression crossed his face. His eyes drooped and he was quickly asleep. Etta smiled triumphantly and put the bottle away.

"What was that you gave him?" I asked her.

She grinned at me and replied, "Tea."

I raised an eyebrow. "So...mice really like tea?"

Etta rolled her eyes. "Of course not. He's a dormouse."

I scowled. "Oh, yes, because that makes sense."

She frowned and gestured for me to sit down. I sighed and took a seat on the floor beside the sleeping dormouse. Charles sat on the other side of me, scribbling away once again into that notebook. That thing must be nearly filled by now, right?

Wrong. I doubted that he'd stop writing until every page was completely filled, front and back.

"Alright...So down to business, then?" Sven clapped his hands to get our attention. "Excellent..."

AN:

SVEN IS AN ENORMOUS DOUCHEBAG.

Much Love,

Evan