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: Almost done, know its been a while but I guess I can only write when I have time to do so. Inspiration is few and far between lately. Real life is a whirlwind of chaos so I hope to get my stories finished and others up. For now this is what I managed, hope it at least satisfied you for now. ^_^

Chapter 12: Heartbreak Warfare

"He is preoccupied I see." She started finding the source of the voice belonged to Absolum, his blue wings lazily moved from his perch on a large white flower.

Alysia guided Hatter down on a stone bench before directing her attention to Absolum, the reason she was there and knelt down to get a better look at him. She studied him for the longest of time before sitting Indian style and gathering her wits.

"Someone of the red queen's court was within the gardens; it would seem it was the Knave of hearts. At least that's what I can gather from his continuous words." Alysia frowned turning concerned eyes toward Hatter. "How did you know I was Alice's predecessor or any relation to her?" her one question that never left her mind just made it in the discussion without her thinking about it first.

Absolum seemed to hesitate, and then he shifted on the flower. "You have Alice's determination; I followed Alice and know much about her family history." Alysia lifted a brow at that before finally getting why Hatter disliked the butterfly so much.

"You could have eased his suffering and reminded Alice."

Her sharp reply shook Hatter out of his mad induced rant with himself, slowly he turned at the last part of that discussion eyes shifting to an off green yellow color. The colors of his clothing became slightly muted before Absolum met his gaze.

"I tried, she didn't know who I was…when she did remember, she asked me what to do and I told her she would have to decide."

Neither noticed Hatter's eyes redden and darken to an almost black tone. Alysia saw the briefest tint of ebony colors out of the corner of her eye before she reacted and wrapped her arms around the Hatter forcing him to stop short of squishing Absolum in his rage. Absolum wisely got out of range before the pair went toppling to the garden floor.

She held on unsure of what else to do, she did not get a single word of Hatter's verbal rage but she knew enough to just hang on and hope he come out of it. Absolum remained well out of reach while the Bandersnatch made that odd sad tone staring at the two people, one struggling desperately to keep the easier to deal with Hatter in control.

"HATTER!" the shout so close to his ear forced him to snap back to reality, slowly he realize Alysia was holding onto him for dear life and trying to stop him from doing something he would later regret.

Much later but at least he would regret it.

"I'm not fine." He breathed glaring up at the out of reach Absolum his eyes still red regardless of his calmed state.

"I know." Alysia manage trying to catch her breath refusing to let go of the man pinned under her and hoping he somehow gained his senses, at least as much as he could in his current state. "Absolum is stupid for giving her the decision, he should have tried harder but killing him isn't bringing her back. I wish I could, but I can't…all I could do was ask." She added wishing she knew what he was thinking.

The back of his orange haired head was not the best way to read him; his clothing was still tinted dark, which she knew meant he was angry. She reached out taking his hat gently in her hand and held it out before she released him and rolled to the side. She steadied herself on her feet watching him slowly get to his own.

He stood still engrossed in his fury with Absolum; in the meantime, Alysia hesitantly put his hat back on and dusted off the leaves clinging to his clothes. Taking a step back she waited to pounce in case she let him free to soon, luckily for her the butterfly was wise enough to remain out of his reach.

"I'm truly sorry Tarrant." Absolum left knowing it would be easier on the girl watching on warily for signs of another attack.

Hatter deflated at the apology, slowly he sank to the stone bench he had moved from during his attack and covered his face. Alysia caught his hat in her hands before gently placing it beside him; she settled on the ground leaning back against the Bandersnatch and remained silently watching over the Hatter much as he did the night she found him guarding her.

Stayne was searching the Outland's again leaving no cave unchecked; he was not in the mood for Erazabeth's childish sweet talk or the flirting she still attempted. He loathed her and had his own plans for a slow painful death for her, although her living at present was useful to him and he was again looking for what she was sure existed.

Four days and more caves than he could count, he had seen nothing of the hidden object she was sure the Jabberwocky had left behind, for that matter he had no idea on how the thing could exist.

"Sir!" turning to one of the red card soldiers calls, he rode off to find out if it was good news or useless yet again.

"What is it?"

"One of the gorillas found it…we think." He added seeing the one good eye of the man narrow angrily.

"I hate him." Hatter despised Absolum with all of his being, he felt even worse knowing that the butterfly and all wise one could have done him one courtesy and let Alice decide if it was wise or not. He saw no point in anything, at the very least Absolum could have brought him some sort of message from her, anything was better than the black hole feeling he had in his heart.

"You deserved at least a simple goodbye Hatter." Slowly his eyes found Alysia, she was watching over him like the Bandersnatch making that awful sad sound he had heard too often as of late.

"I did…maybe." He sighed glancing up into the darkening sky, he heard rustling off to their side and noted the Bandersnatch tilt his head with a light happy sound. "Mally?"

"You two are hard to find, Miranna was worried and so I volunteered to find you both." She come rushing out of some leaves and hopped up beside Hatter.

"Just dealing with a very long day Mallmunkin, I'll go let Miranna know we're fine." She felt Hatter wished to speak with the mouse and stood leaving with the Bandersnatch following after.

Clearly the animal wanted to protect her, she wondered if it was because of Hatter and decided to just wonder. He was in enough pain, she wanted to relax and make her way back to the castle. Walking silently in the growing darkness now had her ill at ease, the sanctuary she had been in was invaded and now it seemed somehow sinister.

She was safe, that was clear by the Bandersnatch at her side but she worried for her friends that were not so lucky. The rebels that Miranna watched over were also something she thought of, often she wondered if it was time to stop training and fight. She was terrified of what would happen if she went to war, her once turn tail and hope for the best was no longer part of her character and that was what scared her most.

Lost in her troubled thoughts she did not notice Miranna at her side until she reached the doors of the palace. The delicate porcelain colored hand gently touching her arm forced her to start in mild alarm.

"I am pleased to see you are well, is Tarrant well?"

"He's alive, well would be a stretch." She saw the dark eyes watch her closely. "I asked a question to Absolum, I think the butterfly offered more than he intended and it took all I had to keep him from being a splat in Hatter's hands." Miranna winced at the imagery before her lips turned down slightly.

"He knows the truth?" Alysia nodded seeing her sigh before gently wrapping her arm with Alysia's. "It is best; I just wish it hadn't been so hard on Tarrant."

"I think I bruised him keeping him down until Absolum fled." Alysia offered wincing at the bruise across her own stomach and ribs.

"I see." Miranna smiled warmly before taking her to her room and to heal her again.

"Are you alright Hatter?" he had returned to the palace hours later, settling against the rooftop balcony and staring into the sky.

"No." he stated sourly before turning his attention to Miranna and scowling darkly at her knowing look. "Don't please Miranna, I don't want to-

"Alysia is pacing her room; she is very concerned for you." Hatter lost his voice eyeing Miranna distrusting of her motives for this topic. "I know you're feeling, but at least she has found a friend in you over time. It is better than the loathing you two shared." He sighed glancing back up at the sky.

"It hurts Miranna, more than I thought." She walked silently to his side, there was Hatter's, the kind one and the one on the verge of violence at all times.

She could see they would always be at odds with each other. "I understand. You do need your friends though, the best of people are always mad…Alysia has to be to keep training and fight for us. This could destroy her." She added seeing his eyes shift sharply to an almost gray color. "Since she has never fought, how do you think this whole thing will affect her? Alice was much stronger, Alysia is not Alice, as we all well know. She may need your help more than you realize." Miranna slowly turned to leave him to think over her words.

Alysia glanced out at the moon before her eyes fell to her weapons; Miranna had talked with her much about her history with Alice and what was possibly going to happen. Alysia hated the unknown, she felt obsolete in her skills and still had not learned Hatter's hat trick he had tried to teach her countless times. She felt like she was drowning and at the same time failing Underland.

"Alysia?" She scowled at the butterfly landing beside her hand as she rested on the railing of the balcony watching the sky.

"I don't want to talk to you any more than Hatter."

Absolum huffed indignantly before fluttering up to meet her hard gaze. "You have to listen, Alice never told me anymore…she may have left something in your world."

"So you expect me to go home and find it? I'm here for good and I don't mind that fact." She ignored the butterfly that hovered in front of her face.

"There may be a way-"

"Absolum!" at the mention of his name by the dark tone he flew off fleeing into the darkness.

Alysia turned surprised by Hatters' warning tone before seeing his eyes shift rapidly in color again. She sighed ignoring Absolum, even if there was a way, she found she did not care and did not want to go back. She realized with a start she was happy, she loved her new world and felt quite content regardless of the impending doom in her future.

"Ignore him, I do." Hatter came into the light of the moon, his lips lifting into a soft smile. "How are you?"

"Exactly how you think." Alysia offered a sour face toward the way Absolum left.

"Homicidal." She stated before resting against the pillar behind her and glancing back up to the sky. "I'm glad you made it back safely."

Hatter shrugged before he turned seeing her green eyes were studying him hard, even in his state he could see the conflict in her gaze and understood Miranna quite well. Alysia would have to fight, she would have to rage a war and it may very well break her. She was trained well but like everyone had her own weak points, he had to get her to learn his hat trick and he needed her to use it for her own safety if it came down to it.

"Any progress?" She sighed knowing exactly what he was referring to.

"No, Mallymunkin managed to prick me again." He smiled slightly; at least Mallymunkin had learned to accept her presence. "I don't think I'm ever going to get the hat trick." He tilt his head at her tone, he did not like surrender as much as she seemed to favor it.

"Get your sword and come with me."

"Huh?"

Hatter started out of her room before she could get an answer, she quickly followed with her weapon in tow. She found herself being led back to her training grounds and groaned, it was too late for swordplay and she was exhausted from the long day as it was.

In the darkness for some reason she felt more at ease, she kept up with him much better than usual and even managed to turn his own sword on him as he had taught her. After much debate and coaching she finally managed the hat trick, he eyed her seeing her step back stunned at how easily she finally got it.

"Very good," Alysia gently handed over his weapon seeing his half smile greet her in approval.

"Thanks." She still did not get how she managed to do it.

"With no one watching you, you finally got to understand your training in your own way. It made this a lot less complicated." Slowly she noted they were the only ones present. "Now that you know how to do it, an audience won't be a problem." She smiled at that before bowing slightly.

Stayne after much debate with his spies finally gave into their stories of the girl becoming a great fighter and how Hatter seemed to put aside his issues to help. He found it ridiculous after what he had witness that one time, but if it was true, Hatter could teach her a great deal. He also disregarded other rumors of more assassination attempts on the girl; he had stopped every one of them.

The faithful to the red queen usually ending up on the receiving end of his sword, he had returned to the gardens noting the tree he had attacked had been healed. He wondered if he had been found out, but risked another chance at spying on the group.

Hearing things at night proved to be interesting enough, ignoring the tree that moved in his grasp he climb and saw the pair fighting. She was good, if he wanted to admit it, excellent now and she had obviously learned a lot.

He observed both Mallymunkin and Hatter's styles in the girl, he watched on his mouth parted in surprise when she turned his own hat trick on him. He never saw that move performed by anyone but Hatter and Alice; this girl seemed to acknowledge the move in surprise before being appraised by Hatter.

"I think you will be very ready for the fight Alysia, you have found what you need in yourself to help us." She felt odd, she could not help but wonder if Hatter had stopped Absolum out of fear, his eyes had shifted so much then she was unsure of what he had been feeling.

She gave into her inner demons arguing with her. "Why did you cut Absolum off?"

Hatter's pleasure faded, his eyes shifting so quickly she again could not decipher what he was feeling. He grimaced, it had been a secret between them all and Alysia had not been told for reasons that he was sure, that Miranna indicated would break her.

"He didn't need to make things worse." Hatter dodged an exact answer noting it did not seem to affect her.

Alysia saw the shift in his eyes again and cursed the darkness for hiding the only way she could read the Hatter. He went to speak again before both were aware of the change in the garden; slowly they both lifted their weapons eyeing each other before both looking toward the healed tree.