Disclaimer: Don't own anything except original characters. All material (c) to respective owners. I write these for fun and make no profit. They're just random plot bunnies that live within my strange mind.

A/N:

Chapter 5: Push

They had been plotting since the banishment due to Alice; Iracebeth was in a blind fury over learning of the attempt her sister Mirana had taken to bring Alice back to Underland and again save them.

Stayne the loyal Knave of hearts, at least until he found a way to betray the red queen and slay her without the risk of his own life in balance silently watched her rant. He had the opportunity to do so once, he failed because of the Hatter and that infernal blond child Alice.

He would not fail again, it was just at present he needed the queen of hearts for the moment and it would prove useless to end her life too soon. He was distracted by her very large head and noticed how her voice was still so sweet it hurt his teeth, being out in the Outlands for so long he had a feeling she had buried her rage against him.

"Foolish, she will kill me if I am not on my guard. That kind of betrayal is not quite a convenient thing to forget." She silenced her rage, her pale face still red with fury and dark eyes hard like flint. Furiously her out of control hair and tattered dress gave the impression she was in a wild dogfight. He found it amusing and stifled any sort of comment that may get him his head detached.

"She can't come back!" yelled Iracebeth wrathfully, her tiny heart shaped lips pursed tightly after her outburst.

Stayne saw the few thousand or so banished beings they had gathered as their army, it was by no means like the endless they had before. They at least had a fighting chance to overthrow the kingdom again and that was all they needed. He felt Mirana's vow was foolish, it gave them the opportunity to again control Underland, yet if she had accepted his plea to be killed and not banished with Iracebeth, he would not be there to see the chance to win.

"She won't, it has been too long for her to come back. They failed; our spies have told me of their failure." She settled down her dark eyes moving over him suspiciously.

Iracebeth remembered his treachery well, she was not foolish enough to believe he loved her and yet she still fluttered her lashes at him and tried to gain his true faith back in her favor. All of it hopeless, but the idea that she could lose so easily to anyone had always been her down fall.

The next morning Alysia awoke staring slowly around the room she had been acquainted with the previous night. She had changed in this very room and had learned of her descendants' history and now she would be training to fight a possible war with a mouse. She would be fighting for a world she had thought a story, one where some were ok with her help and others would rather her never have been born. Silently she pondered the night before, realizing her mother would probably be furious assuming she had run off on her own terms again.

Her mother could wait, if she tried hard enough maybe she could hope, her mother thought she had fled back to the field where she had worked in another country, digging for old books and forgetting she was supposed to be high society. Shaking her thoughts aside, she climbs from the bed finding fresh clothing and being curious to a new aspect of her room.

She found a door that led to a bathing room and took the opportunity to use it. A few minutes later, she returned to her room to find Mirana waiting staring out the large windows and setting comfortably among a cushioned window seat.

"Hello Mirana, good day." Alysia saw her smile before bowing kindly at the greeting.

"I should guess you think that now, Mally has a lot to teach you and I am afraid to say you will find it a very hard lesson. I am sorry to have to put you in the middle of Alice's battle Alysia; this is very hard on-

"How is the Hatter Mirana?" She stopped startled by Alysia's concern for the one person that seemed to loath her most of all.

"I do not know." Her sad tone told Alysia enough to know she did not have to guess to hard.

Sighing Alysia walked slowly to the window blinking at the array of soft pallets surrounding the garden mixed among the varying white flowers and leaves. It was a pastel colorful rainbow and she found herself easing closer to the window taking in the real beauty of the strange Underland. It did not bother her to know it existed, oddly enough, she was glad this place did. It felt more like home than any place she had been since her grandparents were alive.

"You are impressed?"

"Very, it is truly amazing." She smiled at the spark in Mirana's eyes, regardless of her delicate appearance there was a hint of madness in her dark eyes. "Good morning Mallym-

Mirana turned slowly seeing Alysia pale slightly before her gaze found her issue. "Good day Tarrant." She bowed softly seeing him return the gesture. "How are you?"

Hatter allowed a wry look at the question, he was miserable and it had everything to do with the girl standing near Mirana. He missed feeling as he did when Alice was there; he would never find it again and wished they never needed to go looking. Time was an ugly creature and he wished with all his heart he had control over it and what it had done to him and his Alice.

"You wished for her to learn." Hatter saw to his amusement Alysia's eyes fade from the bright greeting to a worried look.

"Mally is tutoring her Hatter, unless you have come to help?" Mirana unsure of him now felt the distress from Alysia beside her, this could get very complicated and quickly.

"I was going to see how Mally made out, she looks to be a very hard one to teach." He saw the anxiety fade in her face, Alysia glared at his condescending tone and did take high offense to the fact he was implying she was stupid.

MallyMkun walked in during the glare off and glanced around at the three in the room. Her nose twitched briefly before seeing Mirana bow offering her the go ahead to take Alysia to the fields to train. Taking the gentle touch to her hand as a sign to join the small mouse Alysia ignored the Hatter's heated gaze following her exit and nearly ran after MallyMkun.

It was not long before she found herself in the middle of a large field, Mctwisp, Cheshire and the Bandersnatch were in various places watching her progress. MallyMkun was fast with her hat pin sword and to Alysia's surprise none of her blows faded the small mouse, the thin silver sword in her hand moved with feminine ease but she didn't have the grace of a fighter and it wasn't long before she was panting glancing down at the disapproving look MallyMkun had on her face.

"You move into my sword when I strike like so, otherwise I can run you through!" she cried seeing Alysia wince at her tone, like she had tried to explain her knowledge went as far as movies and half attempts at showing off.

Being clueless would not keep her alive.

"Ok, I'm trying MallyMkun…I just never have had any kind of combat training, not just swords. I would probably break myself before I managed to hit someone." She saw the mouse roll her eyes before she dropped her weapon and charged Alysia.

She tried to defend from the tiny blows the mouse managed; surprisingly something so small could hurt and it did a lot. She noticed with distaste the Hatter had been watching the show and was stifling amusement.

"I can't fight you MallyMkun, you're a mouse, and I am surely going to end up on the end of someone's sword." She sighed sitting lightly on the grass at her feet and pushing her sword aside.

MallyMkun agreed, she had seen Alice do much better during her first battle with the Jabberwocky. She was also very sure that Stayne would make short work of her if he found out she had anything to do with Alice, she was the reason they had been banished to the Outerlands.

"She's failing, this will never do." Hatter tried to sort through his various issues, an image of Alice telling him he was absolutely mad but the best people usually were. Her words made an ache appear in his heart, she would be worried by his actions as her ancestor was. He had lost sight of the real him and now he was watching this girl, the descendent of the woman he cared for make a failure at trying to save herself and Underland.

Alice loved this world; he liked to think she did love him and tried to spare him pain. He did not like it or this Alysia but he had to do something. Letting MallyMkun teach her was failing, it was not MallyMkuns' fault either, and this girl truly had no notion on how to fight.

"Mally start with basic tactics."

The mouse's ears perked at Hatter's direction seeing Alysia slowly glance up at his offer of advice; her gaze met his seeing conflicting emotions showing all around, except for his voice. A strange sound of determination echoed in the usual dislike toward her.

"But it will take her forever to learn basics Hatter." Protested MallyMkun before her finger indicated the surrendered form beside her. "She can't even throw a good punch." She grumbled her ears pinning back in disgust.

"True, show her." Hatter silently walked from his path near the tree and saw Cheshire join him, his gaze focused on his ever hunger for the hat he wore. "No Chessur," He saw the cat offer a shrug before he vanished leaving the curious pair to stand off on how to teach Alysia to fight.

"Mctwisp, we need something for her to…hit." MallyMkun gave in finally after much protest, she saw Alysia eye Hatter with a clear idea on what she could hit. "Up." She commanded noting Alysia scowl before climbing to her feet.

Doing as requested, she watched a stuffed thing being lifted and heard the Bandersnatch growl before it curled up glaring at what appeared to be a giant card. Finding the figure ridiculous she glanced between the Hatter and MallyMkun, she could not decide if regardless of insanity within Underland if they were serious or not.

"That would be one of the many possible minions of the Red Queen and Knave." Indicated MallyMkun in a smug tone that only aggravated Alysia.

"So?"

Hatter rolled his eyes and pointed at the thing. "Hit it, that will give us ideas on how bad off you are."

"Us?" Hatter snorted deciding this assist was stupid, she was hopeless and he had no idea why he even opened his mouth.

"Because Alice would want you to," He flinched at the thought before watching MallyMkun direct Alysia on where exactly to hit. The girl balled up her fist awkwardly and took a shot. Not only did the thing barely move she yelled out in pain gripping her hand and glared at the fake thing.

"You aren't supposed to clasp your thumb and never bend your elbow; it will hurt you more than that which you hit." Hatter could not help it when he smiled seeing her glare his way, at least he could feel useful and amused at the same time. "Alice hit fairly well."

"I'm not Alice." She snarled ignoring the red tint showing in his gaze before she hit the thing hard taking his advice and straw flew out of the stuffed fake card person. "Oh!"

She was relieved her hand did not get hurt that time, MallyMkun and Mctwisp just stared lost for words. The Bandersnatch snorted in approval before Cheshire just vanished leaving the training session. It went on like that, both Hatter and MallyMkun directing Alysia move for move until she gave into her exhaustion and sat on the ground panting hard.

She winced realizing she ached everywhere and had bruises appearing on her body. Her hands hurt horribly and the bruises on her legs hurt worse. She had failed several moves before finally giving into the irritating Hatter that had oddly enough helped, he kept jabbing the fact she was not Alice her way though and all it did was hurt more each time.

Hearing of a woman returning to Underland had worried Stayne, he had given the queen his word Alice was not back and his spies telling him of a woman, an outsider coming to their world had him personally going to investigate the rumors.

Taking the opportunity of his many skills including ones he had acquired among the Outland's of Underland he had climb a tree, his sharp sword silencing the tree in its one attempt at warning the others of his presence. The tree wilted slightly at the wound it had received, cruelty was not in Mirana's heart or those that she cared for.

Seeing the Hatter and mouse attempting to teach the strange dark haired woman, he had to chuckle silently at her actions and the clear dislike for the man teaching her. He could see the loathing and the changes in Hatter were delightful to his eyes. It was clear their beloved Alice had not returned, this girl they attempted to bring in her steed was of no threat.

Seeing her lack of abilities, he found himself wondering if she could be persuaded to join their side, or if he would have to kill the young beauty. In time he would decide on a course of action, he needed to return to the queen and report the news of the failure of Mirana and friends.

She was in her room later that evening staring out into the gardens; Mirana had taken one look at her condition and come to her aid hours later with a potion to ease her pain. She wore a silky dress that flowed freely around her ankles, she had spent the evening walking the gardens with the company of the Bandersnatch and a still coaching MallyMkun. Now she remained on the roof top place the white Queen had taken her too.

Feeling the breeze blow through her hair she ignored the mass of tangles floating in her eyes, all she could feel was pain and frustration. 'Not Alice' ringing in her ears in Hatter's strangely soft voice, it was not as if she was not hurting to. She was giving up going home to help them, she had very little grasp on half of the mess she was in and he made it so horrible she was near tears.

"Alysia?" Mirana's singsong like tone caught her attention from her exasperating thoughts. "How are you feeling?"

Alysia chewed her lip before meeting the worried dark eyes aimed for her. "Sore, hurt and very wrathful…a trait my mother said is a bad thing for a lady to have." She snorted in frustration before rubbing her aching arms and finding another bruise slowly appearing.

Mirana paused tilting her head gracefully to the side, she was not sure how to reply to that and had to think over what she originally wanted to discuss. Finally, she worked out that Hatter's help had only succeeded in making her disliking him more and she had considered violence on him.

"He means well, I was stunned to learn of his assist in your training."

"I wasn't." Alysia grumbled before her eyes found the unfamiliar constellations in the sky. "I'm not Alice; he just wants to remind me of that." Mirana offered a soft breath before her delicate shoulders lifted in surrender.