isclaimer: I own nothing; the real owners are Burton, Disney, and Carroll.

~Chapter 4~

"Now I have answered your questions now answer mine. Why have you left Underland?"

Tarrant put down his tea and stood before the Champion of Underland.

"We are in dire need of your help."

Alice's face drained of color.

"Is it the Red Queen?" Alice inquired.

"Yes."

"But how can it be?' Alice asked in disbelief ' She was banished, she and Stayne. The Jabberwocky is dead! She has no power left, no followers."

"Mirana believed that too. She also believed the bloody big head only studied domination and tyranny, but it seems that the Red Queen also learned a thing or two about potion making and spells". The Hatter's entire exterior started to change color right before Alice's eyes. He was going from a warm brown to a slightly off green". "She has resurrected the Jabberwocky, only now he is far more dangerous."

"But the White Queen has the Vorpal sword and the Oraculum. Does it say who destroys this new Jabberwocky?" Alice pondered aloud. Still very much puzzled by what she's heard so far.

"I don't know." Tarrant replied sadly.

"Did Mirana send you to get me?" Alice asked. She had begun to fear that that was why her friend was there. With so many things holding her in the real world she did not think she could ever leave to help.

"No she didn't send me; I fear she can't do much of anything these days." Great sorrow filled the Hatters face and he pulled out his handkerchief to blow his nose.

"Oh my word, Tarrant you mean she is?"

"That's right; she was turned into a sheep!"

"Oh Hatter! I…" Began Alice, then it registered what Tarrant has actually said. "A sheep? You mean she hasn't been killed."

"No. But she might as well have been. She can't assemble a resistance against her sister. Her followers have no one to turn to. Only you Alice, for you are her Champion."

Underland
Marmoreal

Iracebeth of Crims was now Queen over all of Underland. She sat upon her sister's throne and wore her tiny little crown. She only wished that she had a pig to rest her feet on, but alas, all the pigs that her men had rounded up had been sent to the kitchen already.

She hated the color of Marmoreal it was too white, too clean, too much like her sister. But that was easily fixed with some good crimson paint. She had once again brought her red playing card guards to her side through fear of the new and, in her mind, improved Jabberwocky. This time though she was alone in the throne room. No lying courtiers, or false lovers would surround her or take advantage of her self-consciousness any longer. Still she did find the quiet of the place rather boring.

"A few executions would fix that right up." She said to herself. She walked over to the large balcony that looked out over the crater marked courtyard. Her new slaves were filling them in. It was the one draw back of having such a new powerful Jabberwocky, she didn't know yet what it limits were. Only one creature below was idol, her sister, the white Sheep. She was grazing lazily on the nearby hill. She had one guard watching her. Iracebeth was sure that, her sister could not speak in this form but she was not taking any chances of her sister running away and starting a new resistance. Also Iracebeth had no idea where the Oraculum was located. She did not know if there was to be any resistance to her rule or if one day she would be once more overthrown. Only Mirana knew, but she wasn't telling. The Red Queen figured if she could not find it on her own then no one else would.

She looked over at the newest addition she was also adding to her Marmoreal, a new chopping block. She knew just whom she would try it out on first. The Lady Long Ears and the rest of her old courtiers, they had left her fast enough to go over to her sister's side. This time she would not give them the chance.

"Maybe I'll keep a few of their heads around the throne room for old time sake. A few pikes here and there to make the place homier." The Red Queen chortled.

"Majesty." Called a smooth and gentle voice from the shadows. The Red Queen strolled over to the clocked figure. He had been the traitor and had been the one to smuggle her and Stayne back into Underland.

"Coran, what news? Have you found the cat or the mouse?"

"Sadly no, but I have discovered that the Hatter reached the Other World before we could destroy the door."

"The Other World; that bothersome, meddling, toad. He has gone to get Alice." The Queen was red in the face with rage, but drained away when she contemplated the whole scenario.

"It does not matter, the door is gone and they are both trapped on the other side. It's only a matter of time until we have the cat and the mouse."

"Your majesty is right of course. Even if Alice were to return, the Vorpal Sword would not help her against your new Jabberwocky." The Red Queen smiled at that. Coran spoke the truth. For this was a foe that the Vorpal sword had never faced before.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed my story. My plot bunnies are getting fat hehehe

I know that this is a short chapter the but next one will be longer I swear.