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 6: War What is it Good For?

They stood there in silence, watching the sky and listening to the sounds of the wildlife of Underland. Alysia turned to talk to Mirana before noting three figures enter behind the queen and lift a brow inquiringly at their presence. Seeing her reaction, she smiled turning to greet her friends and to introduce her.

"These are Bayard and the Tweedles."

"Tweedle Dee and he's Tweedle Dum." Answered one of the strangely round figures before she noted they wore identical striped outfits and both seemed confused by her presence.

"Actually it's vice versa, he often gets confused." Alysia did not even try to understand she just smiled feeling lightened by their odd antics before she politely curtsied to Bayard.

"Wishes to your family, how are they Bayard?"

"Very well Mirana, they send their well wishes and thanks for the sanctuary you have offered us since the darkness returned." She forced a smile then, Alysia could see the pain in her dark eyes and already guessed that this land was suffering more than she suspected.

"Excuse us Alysia, please enjoy the evening." Mirana left with her companions clearly discussing the dismal aspects of the Red Queens return.

The silence left Alysia feeling worse than she had before; not being Alice was horrible for her new friends and she wasn't blind to the fact that her lack of talents was hurting the progress of whatever they planned. Hissing painfully she rubbed her shoulders before leaning on the edge of the balcony and staring off into the world below.

She remained like that contemplating all the reasons she was about to fail her ancestors mission to keep Underland safe. She wondered what Alice had been like, what her it factor had been and why she had fallen, so far from whatever talents she might have had.

Grumbling to herself she realized 'not Alice' was permanently engraved in her head now and that she was very sure it was not going to leave her thoughts anytime soon. The arrival of a small mouse moving swiftly up beside her started her briefly before she smiled wanly seeing MallyMkun watching her closely.

"Do you feel any different?" unsure of the small ones inquiry she shrugged.

"I hurt, does that mean any difference?" Alysia saw her sniff indignantly at her sarcasm before she shook her head. "MallyMkun, why can't I find…whatever Alice had? She was part of my family." She felt defeated before she even had gotten started.

"Perhaps because you're so many generations from her muchness factor." Offered the small mouse seeing Alysia's brow lift again in bewilderment, it felt so strange to her to be talking to the mouse regardless of her being her tutor in fighting.

"Muchness?"

MallyMkun attempted to explain before the one man interrupted them she did not wish to see now. "It was something Alice carried deep inside, the spark that gave her to ability to fight for what she cared about." Slowly she turned seeing his eyes were hard and that ever-mocking smirk still lingered.

She did not see the kind Hatter the journals had described or Mirana's view. All she could see was a hurt spiteful man that had yet to understand his precious Alice was gone. She bit her tongue, she was not the type to hurt people and pointing out her opinions could very well do so or hurt her. She did not have the Bandersnatch to save her at present from his wrath, which she set off.

"You act like I didn't try or care about Underland." Alysia stated with disdain.

"Oh you tried; I don't believe you do care of Underland as much as you may think though. If you did you may have tried harder." He offered spitefully.

Alysia felt fury well in her and despite her judgment gave in. "I'm not Alice, I got that and I also got the fact you loath me for being her descendent and that she didn't come back. I get it very clearly; it does not mean I do not care for this place. The stories of this place are the only thing that let me be free. My mother hated this world and very nearly burned the journals to this place. I saved them from her spiteful wrath,"

"Regardless of all of that, Alice is gone for a long time now and I am all that you can count on. So teach me instead of pretending I am something on your shoe. Make me become that thing you miss most about Alice! Let me help!" she finally spat out seeing MallyMkun's expression turn frightened at the man now present level with Alysia, bent over his eyes fully red and clearly raging.

"Oops." Alysia had the sudden urge to flee, she had nowhere to go and with a sinking feeling had no idea what might happen since all she had was MallyMkun at her side.

"Hatter!" MallyMkun tried, she noted with alarm it only got her a dark look and shut her up immediately.

Inside he was raging her words hitting every irritating thing he had been thinking since she arrived, he had never felt so much fury before and yet she made sense somewhere. Snapping his attention to MallyMkun he become aware of her fear, the crazy mouse that shared the maddest of tea parties with him, the March Hare and Alice for all those times. The adventures and how MallyMkun had refused to believe the real Alice had returned to Underland to save them. She had been teaching this descendant only using faith in Mirana and Absolem.

"Mally?"

"Yes Hatter?" she managed meekly.

That was something he had never heard out of his friend before. "Let's start her training earlier, maybe we can have her ready." He turned on his heel leaving them both staring at his back, both breathed softly at his exit.

Alysia sank to the floor curling in a small ball and watching the small mouse jump down to her feet, slowly her eyes met Alysia's and she could see the fire in that green gaze. She may not have been Alice, but at least there was a part of Alice in her. She smiled slightly before scampering off without a word leaving Alysia wondering if she had cracked and her sanity went with the war raging between her and the Hatter.

Waking to the light bounce on her Chessurt Alysia glanced up seeing MallyMkun standing on her and waiting expectantly. Sitting up watching the small mouse easily flip down landing on her feet, she rubbed her eyes and waited for some sort of explanation.

"You got yourself into it; now get a move on Alysia." Slowly she comprehended that it was not even daylight and already gathered her speech only got her more training time.

Groaning she flopped backwards hearing the maddening cackle of the mouse before she left her to dress.