Author's note:

All is well, right? Well, we'll just have to see about that…

15. Beautiful Mind

Tarrant had overdone himself, he even thought so himself. Smiling happily, he studied his creation with proud eyes. All was perfect for his Alice's unbirthday. He probably hadn't had to stay up all night to finish it, but what's done's done, right? Now all that was missing was Alice herself. Where was that boy -girl! - at? Why wouldn't she come? Sighing, Tarrant left his room, in order to find where his Alice had gone to. That sneaky girl -yes, he got it right! - could be sneaking around anywhere in the castle.

"Alice-sweetling!" he cooed. "Where are you?"

He looked around a corner, half expecting Alice to be standing there, giggling her pretty little lungs out. He wasn't sure that Alice's lungs were pretty, but they ought to be, everything about Alice was pretty. The way she stuck out her lower lip when she was pouting, the way her hair looked in the sunshine. The way it looked when it was cloudy. How there would be small silver streaks in her eyes when she laughed, and how there would be adorable dimples in her cheeks every time she smiled at him…

Lost in thought, Tarrant rounded a corner, only the gasp in horror.

"The- the- But-" he stammered, frightened beyond belief.

"Yes, I have returned." the red queen smirked. "Have you fools missed me?"

On the floor beside her lay something small and white, something Tarrant recognised as the still shape of Mallyumkun, in a puddle of her own blood. The crimson blood had seeped into some of her fur, turning it a soggy pinkish colour. Sprawled in the far most corner was the sad, broken body that was the only thing left of Tarrant's loyal, mad friend; Thackeray. Tarrant almost found himself tipping his hat in the memory of Thackeray Earwicket, and chuckled dryly at the morbidity of this.

"You enjoy death, Hat Man?" the red queen giggled wickedly. "I might spare your life, after all, I am in need of a new knave."

Tarrant took a shaky step backwards, in hope he could run away from this and find it to be just a dream. His shoe stuck onto something awful and sticky. In spite of what he feared it might be, he looked down on the severed feline he'd, just hours ago, been arguing with, staring up at him, a grin etched on his face even in death, like some kind of morbid joke.

"Where's Alice?" he whispered, frightened of what he might hear.

"Oh, her. She's down in the throne room." the red queen coolly said. "You can go there if you like, a last farewell and all." The tone of her voice indicated that she believed this to be an act of great kindness."

"Thank you." Tarrant muttered, stepping out of his shoes, they just wouldn't get unstuck from the blood.

Then he ran, as fast as he could. The red queen hadn't said Alice was dead, then there could still be hope! Skidding in the turns, he stormed into the throne room, looking more like a whirlwind than anything else. Just glancing swiftly at the Queen, she was dead, just like everyone else, he threw himself onto the floor beside Alice. Miraculously, she was still breathing, despite the gaping wound in the chest, and the blood she coughed.

"Tarrant…" she moaned, reaching for him with a pale, shivering hand.

"Shush, love. You're not well right now. Just… Get some rest, and you'll be better, just like you did before." Tarrant said in his most soothing voice. "Please?"

"No, Tarrant. Not this time." Alice coughed again, more blood pouring out over her already soaked lips. "Just promise me you won't forget."

"I would never forget you Alice, how could I?" Tarrant reassured her.

Despite the fact she was in obvious pain, a small laugh escaped Alice's lips. "Usually, I'm the one that forgets. I'm sorry I ever did." she winced as some more blood gushed up in the wound -how much blood could she possibly contain?

"Don't ever be sorry, dear. Never." Tarrant felt the first of many tears trickle down his cheek and into his mouth, unbearably salty. "I love you."

"I know." Alice breathed. Then she looked at him, her eyes filled with love. "Fairfarren Tarrant." Something left the beautiful pair of blue eyes, leaving them as empty and cold as the red queen's.

Tarrant bolted upwards. Someone was screaming, loudly. The scream just kept growing in the room until he realised he was the one screaming. The silence was almost more frightening than the scream, at least the scream had been proof that he was still alive. But this silence, it told him nothing else than the fact Alice was dead. She had died in his arms, and he had been unable to help her.

"Alice." he whimpered, tears once again rolling down his cheek.

"Don't be frightened darling." Alice cooed. "I'm here. It was only a nightmare."

Tarrant stared at her with blank eyes, whispering her name over and over again. He didn't seem able to see her at all, and his eyes was the duller green they always were when he had plunged into the madness.

"What's happened?" Alice cried, desperately trying to pull him out of it. "Please Tarrant, come back!" she turned to the Queen. "What's wrong with him? Help him!"

"I have no idea what to do, I'm afraid. There might not be anything we can do. All we can do right now is to wait." the Queen spoke slowly, every syllable full of concern.

"Gone." Tarrant suddenly whispered. "Dead."

"Who is?" Alice asked, grabbing onto his hand.

"You are, Alice, you are. But I won't forget you. I promised you that." Tarrant giggled, shrill and loud, the kind of giggle that made anyone shift uncomfortably.

Alice shook her head. "That's a lie. You've forgotten." the champion burst into tears.

Just don't kill me now! His madness caused him to have this weird dream. (Read: My twisted, beautiful mind forced me to write it.) But it's only a dream, nothing can hurt you…