Hatter hadn't talked since the incident in the night. He could barely even look at Alice now, ashamed as he was.

And Alice knew he was hiding something…

What had been this 'princess' Hatter had called her last night? Had he been dreaming of his lost sweetheart, the Princess of Clubs?

March fell back to stroll next to her, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed ahead at the forest trail the group now walked. Sighing softly, he glanced down at her gently, "I guess you want some answers?"

"Yes, please."

Making sure Hatter was far enough ahead and out of hearing range, March leaned forward towards her and started softly, "Hatter started sleepwalking after he saw Royal Executions. It traumatized him that much. So he started wandering at night, an dhe got frightened about it… So he stopped sleeping, or tried to. He'll go two or three weeks without a wink of sleep, and then he'll have one night's rest. Then it's off again for another few weeks. Of course, he'll try to sleep whenever he can."

Alice watched Hatter's slumped back, awed. Before they had started on this trek, he had put his armor back on, changing from handsome victim to grotesque killer. But now Alice knew!

She knew his broken past, its sadness and tortures.
March wasn't as concerned as Alice though. As a flock of birds flew by overhead, he jerked his head up to watch the brightly colored wings. He quickened his step, reached Hatter, and whispered something.

Hatter didn't say a word, just shaking his head solemnly.

Without warning, March broke into a spring, launching ahead quickly. As he gained speed, he leapt up high into the air, swinging himself up onto a branch. Using the metal tips of his gloves as claws, he scaled up the trunk of the huge tree higher.

Hubble paused, watching him distrustfully, "What is he doing?"

Quickening into a lope, Cheshire placed himself parallel to March's higher position. He regarded March with a grin, "What you doing, March?"

March crouched down in the shadows of a branch, ears perked in alertness, "I'm hungry. There's birds. Put one and one together." He stooped along the branch, crawling like a hunting cat.

Hubble smirked, "Ha! You can't catch a bird!"

As if on cue, a bright blue bird came winging though the trees, a bit close to the March Hare's vantage point.

It never knew what hit it.

Snapping his hand out, March grabbed it out of the air with a triumphant whoop. Instantly, he crammed it into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

Everybody but Hatter stared in disgusted horror as March smiled down at them, "What'd you say about not catching a bird?"

A card couldn't take it. Kneeling, he vomited up the scant breakfast of bread he had had that morning.

Alice could only gape, horrified. That reminded her so much like a snake! So… a forked tongue, swallowing prey whole… was March a type of rabbit and snake mix?

Lunging after another unfortunate bird and catching it, March paused and called down, "Hey! Hats! Want something?"

Hatter looked up and raised a hand, nodding.

Laughing, March broke the bird's wings with a quick snap and let it fall.

Hatter caught the writhing bird deftly and watched it whistle weakly in the palm of his hand silently, obviously thinking about eating it.

Acting on impulse, Alice scrambled up to Hatter, eyes furrowed in anger, "Don't you dare eat that bird!"

Hatter turned towards her, his lone eye without emotion, "Why?"

"It's-It's cruel!"

Bringing the bird up, Hatter growled, "It's food!" He started moving the bird to his mouth.

Alice grabbed his arm, "No!"

Hatter shook her off with a snarl as March catcalled from above, "Ooh! You've got a feisty one there, Hats!"

Tongue flickering out like a snake's, Hatter gave Alice one final glare before devouring the bird with a bite. He sneered as soon as his throat was clear, growling at a horror-stricken Alice, "Do not mess with me, Alice."

Shaking with anger, Alice reacted without a thought. She slapped him.

HARD.

March's laughter stopped above them, and there was complete and total silence. Hatter was awestruck, gasping for words as he brought a trembling hand up to delicately stroke his helmet where Alice's now aching hand had connected. His yellow eye stared at her in disbelief.

Alice felt terrible, "I'm sorry! I didn't-"

"No…" Eye glittering with tears, Hatter turned away sullenly, mood in a new record low, "It's my fault…" He whispered quiet and sad things to himself, staggering away from her.

Above them, March spat as he regarded a gold bird flying just out of reach, "Oh great! You've made Hats depressed!"

Glaring up at him, Alice crossed her arms, "I don't want you to eat any more birds either!"

March scowled, hands digging into the wood, and he leered down at her, "I don't have to listen to you!" Turning, he scrambled up higher, disappearing into the canopy of leaves overhead.

"Will we ever see him again?" Hubble frowned crossly, glancing at Cheshire.

"He'll come back. Don't worry."

"Look, Hatter! I'm sorry! I really, really am!" Alice whined, pleading at Hatter's side.

Hatter didn't answer, his head turned so he wouldn't have to look at her. Behind them, Hubble watched them carefully. Cheshire was padding behind the card captain, tail swishing in cheer.

"Please, say something!"
Hatter spat on the ground, acknowledging the fact that he was not going to speak of her.

"Come o-"

A black object fell from the leaves high above them, clanking loudly as it crashed a few feet from Hatter, who froze. Seconds later, a person followed the battered helmet to crash against the ground loudly.

Yelping, Alice leapt back as the leaves settled to reveal a black card soldier laying motionless on the ground.

March reappeared, Climbing down the branches with a satisfied grin, "Look what I found!"

Hurrying forward, Hubble bent to take the soldier's pulse. He grimly announced, "He's dead."

Waving a hand nonchalantly as he reached the ground, March cheerfully said, "Oh! I made sure of that up there! Spying on you guys, so I took care of it!"

"You didn't have to throw him down! You almost hit Alice!"

When March didn't respond but just stood there, Cheshire mumbled, "That's bad…"

"Oh." March shrugged and took a medium-sized bag off of his shoulder. Cheery, he set it on the ground and opened it, out of the view of Alice, "There was another one. I gutted him and left him up there for the birds."

Hubble stared at the bag, paling, "Please tell me you don't have some part of him in there."

Glaring at the card captain, March hissed, "You cards are disgusting to eat! Your blood's fine, but your flesh is horrid!"

Hubble narrowed his eyes, "And you know this from…?"

Eyes focused on whatever was in the bag, March rattled off, "45 cards. Twenty seven black cards. Eighteen rebel whites."

"And you keep a roll call of this in your head?"

"Yes. And a book." March grinned as he nudged something in the bag. Turning, he motioned to Alice excitedly, "Come here, Alice!"
Alice came over and peered into the bag as March held it open.

Instantly, her heart melted with sympathy.

Inside the bag was beautiful but poor array of birds, ranging from golds to blacks to fluorescent greens. From the way their wings dragged, March had evidently crushed their wings to prevent escapes. There were 15 in all. Smiling, Alice bent to touch one, "What are these for, March?"

"Later."

Alice froze, realizing what the Hare meant. She gazed at him in horror and, trembling, echoed, "Later?"

March scowled at her, "I'm not eating any of that trash bread of yours! So I've gone and gotten a few snacks for later."

Sneering, Hubble crossed his arms, "And how many did you eat up there?"

"Uh…" March counted rapidly on his fingers, "Twenty… two."

Eyes widening, Alice felt her lip tremble, "But, they're just birds!"

"Exactly. Birds are good to eat."

"Are you a snake?"

This question caught March by surprise and he stared at her, "What?"

"Are you snake? You swallow those poor birdies whole; you have a snake tongue-"

March broke into uproarious laughter, "Ha! No, no, no! The tongue is just something me and Hats did while we were bored in prison one time. The swallowing whole though? I guess it's because they're small enough…" He eyed the birds.

Hatter growled, speaking for the first time in hours, "I'm not eating any, March. I'm going to go hunt now." With that, he quickly disappeared into the trees.

March huffed, "Look what you've done, Alice! Hats loves birds, and you had to go and make him feel guilty!"

Hatter came back a few hours later, a lot happier than when he left. Humming discordantly, he rejoined the group, straying close to March in hope for some conversation.

Hubble glared at him, "What did you find?"

Pausing, Hatter turned to the ten of hearts, "Do you really want to know?"

Hubble stopped, eyeing the gloating smile pasted behind Hatter's metal visor, "I don't like your tone."

"One of your messenger girls. Crossed her on a road about 2 miles north." Smiling wickedly, Hatter added when he saw all the cards stop to stare at him, "Very good. Not like you cards."

Hubble drew his sword, eyes blazing furiously. He lunged at Hatter, screaming, "How dare you! She was just a messenger!"
Hatter dodged the sword and smirked as he leapt back, "And I must ask you something, Hubble. Why must the Imagineers use seven year olds as messengers?"

Now the others were shaking with rage and drawing their swords. Cheshire sensed he was losing control and bristled, snarling, "Put your swords away!"

Hubble sneered, eyes locked hatefully on Hatter, "I think we're all tired of this garbage! I say he dies!" Stepping forward, he leveled his sword in a challenge, "He may taunt Alice, or kill us, but by the name of God Almighty, we won't stand for him eating our young ones!"

The others yowled in agreement.

Cheshire's eyes narrowed, "If you attack him, I'll have all you tried for disobeying orders! Treason!"

This froze the angry rebels in their tracks, and they glanced uneasily at one another, finally sheathing their swords with angry growls. Hubble hatefully spat, "They truly deserve to die, Ches!"

Hatter's eye turned entirely black with hidden rage, "I'll gladly fight you! And then let's see who dies first!"

Cheshire lay morosely by Alice, washing himself as he talked, "So… we'll reach the Crystal Coast tomorrow and the HQ. Hatter's and March's trial will probably be the next day…" Sighing, he flexed his toes, "Hatter is sure to get death. What in the world possessed him to-"

A rock bounced against his head, and he jerked over to glare at Hatter, who stared back calmly and said, "Don't talk about it."

Cheshire grumbled and buried his nose in his paws.

Glancing about as she pulled off her black shoe aching foot, Alice saw March opening the bird bag and immediately scrambled up.

She was determined to save those birds!

When she stalked over, March was just lifting one out, tongue hissing out sporadically, ever so reminding her of a snake. March glanced up at her from his kneeling position, "Oh, hello, Alice! I though you didn't like watching me eat."

Alice snatched the bag away from him and held out her hand defiantly, "Give me the bird!"
Frowning, the March Hare clutched the feeble bird tightly, "No! This is mine!" He tried to stuff it into his mouth.

Alice quickly placed her hand in front of his metal teeth, painfully aware of the cards watching her, "You're not going to eat it!"

March's tongue brushed out, lisping against Alice's hand, rough and sharp. Alice jerked back in disgusted surprise, and March took the opportunity to cram the bird into his mouth.

Before he could swallow the still-live bird, though, Alice stuck her hand into his mouth, grabbed a bright wing, and stated yelling at the top of her lungs, "Cough it up! Cough it up!"

March grabbed her arm and tried ripping it away, his tongue curling round Alice's hand as it fought this obstruction. Choking, he tried a few last times to gulp his prey down, but Alice wouldn't let go, determinedly letting her arm slide down his throat to the elbow, and still she demanded, "Cough it up!" She refused to surrender.

March let his gag reflex take over. Convulsing, he spat Alice's arm out, along with a slime-covered fluttering bird and exotically colored vomit. Snarling, he hissed as soon as he could speak, "NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

Hubble stared in amazement, as did the other cards, "That was just… stupid, Alice."

Shaking her arm and looking with disgust as long strings of slime and saliva dripped down from it, Alice scowled, "I wasn't about to let him eat the bird!"

"Ahh…" March stared at the mess at his feet, "You also weren't about to let me keep down my lunch either, were you?"

"Serves you right!"

Alice had slept with the bird bag at her side, protecting it from a now very hungry March. Blinking awake, she smiled when she heard the sweet song of birds greeting each other. She opened the top of the bag to peer at the singing birds.

They all looked up at her, black eyes quivering in sudden fear. She closed the bag, leaving the birds in peace, and looped the strap over her shoulder. Stumbling up, she was handed a piece of bread from a silent card soldier, who motioned that she was to eat on the move.

March, a bit sullen and complaining of his hunger, glared at the bag with lusting eyes, "C'mon, Alice. They're birds."

"They're birds that you can't eat."

Hatter smirked, "I'll go hunting with you today, March. We're nearing the coast, so you know what that means."

"Huh?" Glancing at Hatter, March cocked his head quizzically, "What's at the coast?"

Hatter directed a cold glance at Hubble, "Rebels."

Jerking, Hubble stalked over, "Hater, you are not going anywhere! You stay here and March can bring it back for you!"

Hatter glared at him and sneered, "Fine. I don't need to eat many more of you."

Smiling at the sudden prospect of an adventure and a new chance to stop March's horrid feasting, Alice waved a hand excitedly, "I want to go!"

March regarded her darkly, "I'm not going to baby-sit."

Rolling his eyes, Hubble stepped for Alice's side, "I'll go with you."

"Fine."

The thick trees had given way to seaside plains of grain and rocky cliffs of chalk, the blue sky peering through occasional openings in a gray slate sky. From the side of a field, Alice and Hubble watched grimly as March crept, almost crawling, through the grass, searching for any hidden prey.

Hubble crossed his arms moodily, "Think he's ever going to catch anything?"

Biting her lip, Alice watched March pause, gray ears quivering, "I think he will, and I'm scared he'll eat it out there so I don't take it away from him."

March pounced, quick and agile, disappearing under the long stalks of grain. Seconds later, he stood up victoriously with a squirming long weasel in his hand.

Alice watched and murmured, "You think he's going to save that for Hatter?"

Her question was answer a moment later when March snapped the skinny animal's neck and, putting it in his mouth head-first, choked it down in one piece by swallowing several times.

Alice turned away, pale, trying to push the image of snakes from her mind.

Hubble grimaced, "I can't understand how they can eat things like that? Raw, alive… it's insane!"

Scenting the air, March trotted towards the cliffs, and Hubble sighed, "Guess we better go after him."

Alice and Hubble slowly walked to where March had run.

He sat on the beach, busy with ripping a seabird to bloody shreds. Seeing Alice, he grinned and nodded towards the ocean, "You like the sea?"

"No…" Alice clutched her bird bag closer, feeling a cold breeze start up.

Pausing, March swiveled his ears back towards her and Hubble, "There's only you two, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

March dropped the bird and slowly glanced back, ears twitching, "I hear four hearts." Leaping up, he tried to pinpoint the location of the two other hearts, ears acting as radar. Suddenly jerking towards a cave in the cliff side a few yards to his right, he ran over and dove in.

Screams from within before the March Hare returned, holding two small children upside down by their ankles triumphantly, "Look what I've got for dinner!"

Hubble drew his sword, snarling, "Let them go, March!"

Raising his arms so he could peer into the five year olds' frightened faces, March opened his mouth, where strings of saliva told of his hunger, and snorted, "Who says? I caught them. They're mine and Hat's."

Alice dropped the bird bag and stomped forward angrily, "Put them down!"

March dropped them, frowning.

Bending down, Alice gazed kindly into the little ones' stricken faces, "Are you okay?"

A meek nod from the boy.

"What are you doing out here?"

The little girl pouted out her lip, "Granddaddy asked for sea shells."

Alice patter their shoulders, smiling, "Then go find some shells for your grandpa."

Immediately, the two were sprinting away down the beach.

Alice turned back to Hubble, grinning, "They were so cute!"

Sheathing his sword with a sneer, Hubble hissed, "I'm glad we came, or March would have eaten those two to bones!"

Alice's smile wilted, but she pushed the thought away, looking for her bag with the birds, "You know where my birds are?"

"March ran off with it."

Horrified, Alice quickly strode down the beach, searching for the predatory hare. She heard a loud 'Ahem' above her and glanced up.

March sat about fifteen feet above, smirking down at her while he clutched a struggling bird in one hand, "Hello, Alice."

Alice stared up at him in fear, "Give the birds back!"

Obviously enjoying it, March wound his tongue around the bird and pushed it into his mouth. A moment later, it had disappeared down his gullet. He picked up two other birds.

Alice watched in disbelieving horror as March devoured all the remaining 14 birds in quick, grotesque succession.

Finishing decimating Alice's nerves and pets, March licked his metal lips and glanced about, still hungry.

Hubble and a dejected Alice had rejoined the rest of the group, unable to climb the cliff after March.

"I really, really hope there were no more people by that cliff."

Alice nodded, agreeing with Hubble, "Poor birds… that was so sad…"

"And disgusting."

"He did that on purpose, didn't he?"

Nod.

Grinning grimly, Cheshire nodded to a lone tree ahead, standing over the crossroads, "We're nearly there. Maybe an hour or two more."

There was a whoop from behind the group, and they turned to see March waving a hand for them to wait as he ran towards them. In his other hand were two dead long raccoons.

Hatter crossed his arms and growled, "About time!"

The group paused till March caught up, panting with his ears spread like gray wings. Gulping down air, he held out the two dead animals to Hatter, "Here you are, Hats."

Hatter snatched them away, smiling, and drew his knife, "Well, thank you! I was getting a bit hungry…" He cut down into one of them.

Alice blanched and turned away, grimacing. Padding up to her side, Cheshire grimaced, "Rather… disgusting, isn't it?"

She nodded.

Behind them, Hatter was ripping into the corpse ravenously, loud, wrenching sounds earning disgusted groans from the cards.

Hatter glanced up from his meal, grinning maw crimson, "You sissies! Can't even watch someone eat?"

A three groaned, "Not your way!"

Choking down a paw, Hatter threw the destroyed carcass down and inspected the other corpse with a grim eye, "You way is to cook it. I like it raw." His shadowlander eye turned to a jade, and he glanced at March, "This one's sick."

March shrugged, busy with trying to ride his gloves of spots of dried blood, "I don't know what's sick or not, Hats."

Hatter threw it down sullenly and wiped his visor free of blood, growling, "Curse it! I'm still hungry!" Seeing March grin at him in amusement, he snarled, "What did you find?"

"A weasel, 16 birds, and a raccoon." Mach paused, then leveled his gaze at Hatter and motioned at Alice with a clawed hand, "Could have brought you back a little girl or boy if Alice and Hubble hadn't been there."

The two joined together to glare at Alice's back, muttering darkly.

Alice turned and matched their look, crossing her arms, "With you guys, it's cheerful one moment and then it's let's-go-eat-the-world. What's with that?"

"We have mood changes." The two said in chorus.

Hubble dug two buttermallows from his pocket and tossed it to the assassins, who caught them deftly, "I want you two happy for the rest of the trip. Eat those."

Gulping his down quickly, March glanced at Hatter, who fingered his morosely, "Oh, c'mon! Eat it, Hats!"

Hatter threw his down and stomped on it, smirking, "I don't need that garbage candy!"

Sighing, March strode over to Hubble and held out a hand, "Can I see the bag?"

Hubble frowned, but drew out a small white bag anyways and handed it to March. Pouring half of the yellow gummies into his hand, March handed the container bag. He turned back and sprang over to Hatter.

Hatter narrowed his eye, "What are you doing, March?"

Licking his lips, March clenched the buttermallows, hiding them from sight, "Oh… nothing…"

Hatter turned with a huff.

Instantly, March grabbed him by the neck and, kicking at his knees, forced him down. He yanked Hatter's mouth open and stuffed the buttermallows deep into the comrade's throat. Hatter struggled, gauntleted claws scrabbling at March's arm as it forced those buttery fluffs down his esophagus, to no avail. Smiling, March twisted his hands and quickly slid it out, hand empty of buttermallows, "Now, now, Hats! How do you feel now?"

Hatter was on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. Glaring up at March, he rasped, "Curse you, Mar-" He trailed off, eye going through a rainbow of color changes before turning to such a bright yellow that it was painful to look at. Staggering up, his head lolled to the side and he cheerfully said, "Hello, Alice. You look really good in that dress!" He leapt over and fidgeted with energy as he shook a dumb-founded Alice's hand. Releasing her hand, he spun to March, "'Allo, March! Want to race?"

Hubble glowered, "You gave him a bit too much, March."

"Darn right I did!"

"Please! Can we race?"

March sighed, "Fine, fine."

Gazing at each other, the prisoners fell silent for a minute, still. Then, they burst off at exactly the same time, tearing down the long dust road.

Cheshire gazed after them, grinning, "I just hope they don't fight with Hartland's troops up there."

"See that cliff?" Hubble motioned to a dark mountain ahead.

It didn't look like a cliff… "Yes?"

"HQ's in there."

"Oh…"

Cheshire paused, ears twitching, and glanced about, "Hartland?"

Silence, and then a figure rose from the grass. Tall and muscular, Harland wore a suit of cloth and grass, and, when he stood still, he seemed to disappear into the grass stalks behind him. Stepping out onto the road, Hartland motioned with a hand. Several other disguised Imagineers rose silently. "Hello, Cheshire. Hubble." Hartland nodded to Alice, " Alice. Trust your journey had been… uneventful."

"Other than the two you captured, Hart." Cheshire smiled.

Nodding, Hartland raised a finger, and two cards hoisted up a thoroughly gagged and bound Hatter and March, "These two came running through here like thunder. We drew arrows on them, of course, but they said they were with you."

"Taking them to trial."

"Good."

Alice peered up as Hartland took his disguised helmet off, revealing a scarred painted face and muttered, "May I ask why they weren't tied up. With you?"

"They took an oath, and… I take them for their word."

Smirking, Hartland gave a bow, "Yes, sir. And I'll take yours." He straightened then smiled, "I'll give you two of my men as an escort, for I can't leave my post, though I'd love to go with you and catch up on what's happening." Turning, he motioned the two with Hatter and March to come forward and watched them with a demanding gray eye, "I expect you back by tonight, understood?"
Nods and salutes from the men.

Cheshire bowed his head respectfully, "Thank you, Hart."

The officer gave a brief nod and, with a slight motion, he and his card soldiers vanished back into the grass except for the two designated to escort the group.

Alice gazed at the grass stalks, trying to locate the troops, but to no avail. Sighing, she glanced at the bound and gagged assassins and paused.

They were before the cliff, a towering behemoth of stone that screamed thousands of feet before cutting off at the gray sky. Alice gasped in awe, staring at the black rock, "Woah."

Behind her, Hartland's two soldiers traded March and Hatter, sullen and grumbling, off to Hubble and a three card. Silently, they turned and slipped away.

They hadn't said a word.

Cheshire came forward and nudged Alice towards a dark pass between the cavorting mountains, "We're nearly there, Alice. Practically at the gates."

"Wow. You're telling me there's an army in there?"

"And a city. A really big city."

Big was an understatement. The Imagineer's headquarters was huge, a fortified archaic city built entirely into the cliff's rocky core and spanning out over the ocean. The city was decorated with colorful ribbons and flowers, and the four symbols of the Wonderland army was emblazoned everywhere, on walls, on signs, on woodwork. The group stood before a heavy iron gate, in front which four guards lazed in full uniform, giving the picture of ease but alert.

One saluted Cheshire, but his eyes were switching between Alice and the bound Hatter and March, "Hello, sir. You be requesting access or just leaving a message?"

"We'll be entering, thank you."

Before the card could open the gate though, it swung open and two tall figures strode out from beneath the arch. One, a lengthy lion with mane brushed back to a professional looking ponytail, watched them with kind golden eyes. Her tawny fur peeked out from a light livery of a white shirt and beige pant. She wore earrings that dangled beaded strings. Surveying the group, she nodded to Cheshire, "Welcome back, Cheshire. Greetings, Alice. I hope you enjoy your stay."

Besides the upright lion, another standing beast stood, and this was the one that Alice couldn't help but stare at. Majestically white and dressed in a heavy general's uniform, the Unicorn narrowed the blue cold eyes under an ivory horn. A black mane slipped down her neck to disappear beneath the gray of the uniform. Gruffly, she glared at the March Hare and Mad Hatter, "Those won't though. You've brought them for trial, as White said?" At Cheshire's nod, she whickered, "Fine! Tomorrow then. Guards, could you take over…" She paused, and then snarled, "'guests' to the cells?"

The guards snatched the assassins from the group and hurried away with them in tow. Alice watched them solemnly, and the last thing she saw before they turned was Hatter's brilliant monstrous eye staring back at her.

And she felt guilty.