A/N: Forgive my delay on this latest chapter. Hopefully, you guys haven't forgotten about this story after all this time!
A super, super big thanks to my new beta, Amaranthea (wanderamaranth on LifeJournal)! Thank her for the spelling and grammar not being nearly as atrocious this time around…and blame me for any other mistakes!
EDIT: Sorry for reuploading this, but something must've messed up when I uploaded the document, with so many words randomly placed together. (Or maybe I just shouldn't upload documents in the middle of the night.) Anyway, the majority of the errors should be fixed now~
Please, review and enjoy!
"Tarrant Hightopp!"
After she yelled his name at the top of her lungs, with memories flooding and jumbling her mind, everything that she did was just an impulse. She dashed out of the Great Hall in an absolute frenzy, half-unsure of where her feet were taking her, and yet unsurprised when she found herself at the stable doors. Her actions were just mimicking her thoughts, a response to the overwhelming truth that whispered deadly in her mind.
Tarrant has gone after Stayne.
She knew it was true. And she knew that he was after him because of her. She didn't know why, but after all this time of trying to find sense in everything around her, Alice finally remembered that Underland runs on nonsense. You don't think, you act. And right now, that was all Alice was allowing herself to do.
"Bandy!" Alice yelled as she swung open the stable doors. The Bandersnatch's eyes instantly lit up at her the affectionate nickname for him, and he knew that the Alice he knew was finally back. He panted happily as he leaped for his friend, and Alice was unable to keep from laughing at the feel of his wet tongue attacking her skin. Pushing him away to get his attention, she looked into his beady eyes, all business once again. "I need your help."
With a gruff yelp, the Bandersnatch pressed his forehead against Alice's arm in a sign of loyalty, and then leaned down to allow the girl to get onto his back.
Everyone was gathered outside the main entrance to the palace when she returned, all eyes wide. Alice, however, didn't bat an eyelash as she approached riding the Bandersnatch. She then said to Mirana: "Do you still have the Vorpal Sword?"
Mirana, for once in her life, was so shocked that even she couldn't find the proper words to say. She kept opening her mouth, expecting words to come out, but only stood there in silence, blinking and uttering half-syllables in response.
"Majesty?" Alice prodded, a little less urgently. Mirana closed her eyes and turned her head at an angle, coming back to her senses (though that shell-shocked look was still plastered on her face).
"I…I keep it in the royal armory. Why –"
"I need it," said Alice, hopping off the Bandersnatch. "And I need Tarrant's hat. Would you be so kind as to retrieve the Sword for me?"
Mirana could only nod, leaving Alice to go back inside herself while the White Queen pointed to silently order some soldiers to get the Vorpal Sword. Tarrant's hat was right where she left it on the marble staircase. Picking it up, it felt like she was finally seeing and greeting the hat – and its owner – as her old friend.
Which brought her back to the matter at hand. She ran back outside with the hat in her hands, finding Mirana already prepared with the legendary Vorpal Sword in hand. But when Alice reached for it, Mirana pulled away.
"Alice," she started, looking at her like a mother who must lecture her ignorant child, "You do realize that the Vorpal Sword's legend is complete? It no longer has a will of its own, and will no longer fight for you – you must wield it completely."
The young blonde, however, was completely unmoved. "I realize that," she said firmly, "But I still need it. If you would be so kind, Mirana?"
The White Queen stared in silence at the Alice who stood before her. This young woman had nothing but determination and strength in her eyes as she stared straight back into the queen's, waiting for a response. Such a look hadn't been seen on Alice's face since she had left Underland the second time. This was not the confused and frustrated Alice who had stood on her staircase just minutes earlier – this was the Alice. The Alice who had faced the dreaded Jabberwocky and not only survived, but won. The Alice who saved her entire kingdom – no, this entire world – from ruin. Their Alice - the Alice - had finally returned.
Mirana hadn't noticed a crystalline tear sliding down her cheek until Alice suddenly took her in her arms. Those arms that had been powerful enough to destroy a mortal enemy, and yet to Mirana, they seemed so tender and frail.
"I'm glad to be back, Mirana," whispered Alice with a loving smile. They continued to look into each other's eyes, tears threatening to bubble over into both. For a second, Alice felt like breaking down her wall of will completely, surrounding herself with all her old friends, laughing and having tea as they reminisced. It was a perfect picture, a picture that Alice all but yearned to fall into. But a moment later, they both regained their air of formality and seriousness – they both knew what they had to do first.
Besides, that perfect picture couldn't be complete without her Mad Hatter in it.
"My Champion," said Mirana with a curtsy, her hands outstretched with the Vorpal Sword in them. With a tight grasp on the handle, Alice took her old companion and fellow soldier, and lifted it to eye's length. Well, it definitely heavier then any of my fencing blades Alice admitted to herself, struggling a bit to keep her hand from shaking. But its weight and density were familiar to her, and she knew that she could wield it again if need be.
Wrapping a scabbard around her waist that another White Soldier had brought for her to hold the Vorpal Sword, Alice turned to face the crowd of her old friends. That pang of weakness threatened to take over again – how she wanted to take up every one of them in arms and hug them and kiss their cheeks! – but she straightened her back and hardened her eyes with resolve instead.
"I need a Tracker," Alice called out into the crowd, raising Tarrant's Hat high. "Someone who can follow the Hatter's scent." (For it was common knowledge to Underlandians that the Bandersnatch, as great a Hunter as he is in nature, has not the nose for being a decent Tracker.) She looked over to the family of Bloodhounds. "Bayard, will you or any of your family be willing to help me?"
A black Bloodhound with golden rings around its eyes stepped up from behind Bayard. Alice recognized that it was one of the Bloodhound's pups, now fully grown. For a second, Alice contemplated how it was that anything grew in Underland, since Time doesn't exist in the place. But that was a question for another time.
"Brodler, at your service, m'lady," said the Bloodhound, raising his head high. Bielle, Bayard's mate, also stepped forward.
"I will go as well," she said, "I am familiar with Hatter's scent." As if predicting what Bayard had to say about his son and his mate chasing after the highest criminal of the law, the bitch growled meaningfully at him before he even had the chance to protest. Bayard visibly backed down, but lovingly licked Bielle on the nose and whined ever so slightly. Be careful, he seemed to be saying in that language that can only be spoken without speaking a word. Bielle nudged his muzzle in return with reassurance. I will.
Alice's smile grew bittersweet at the sight of the Bloodhound family. She hadn't had a family in such a long time. She missed being able to speak without saying a word, the slightest touch meaning more to her than could ever be explained. She lost that when her father died.
But now, she had a new family. And she wouldn't be willing to lose it as easily as she did the first time.
Alice lowered the hat to the two Bloodhounds, who started sniffing it rapidly and then the air around them. With a commanding bark, Bielle made it clear that she had caught Tarrant's scent. Alice lept onto the Bandersnatch and, without even time to say goodbye to her friends, took after the two Bloodhounds who were already hot on the trail.
They were soon galumphing out of Marmoreal's green borders and into the Red Desert. None of the creatures tired for even a second in their chase as the minutes (it couldn't've been hours or days, for the sun hadn't set…could it?) flew by. The wind and sand stung Alice's eyes something terrible, but she didn't once stop. After a Time, the mountains next to the Witzend, the border that separated Underland from the Outlands, became visible.
Running through the rocky terrain was a bit of another challenge in itself, but their pace only lagged slightly. They made it to a higher plane of jagged rocks when Bielle halted to a stop. She grabbed her child by the back of its neck, causing Brodler to whine, but a deep growl from Bielle quickly silenced him.
Alice slid off the Bandersnatch as quietly as she could, and walked up behind Bielle, careful not to disturb the earth and create noise. "What is it?" she whispered, and Bielle nodded to a large bolder, baring her teeth aggressively. "He's very close."
Alice climbed onto the boulder swiftly, careful not to give away her position. She peeked over its edge and looked downhill. Below her was a small field, a dip in the mountain range. And no more than twenty feet ahead of her was Tarrant – clashing blades with Stayne.
She slid down the rock, her pulse rocketing. She had forgotten what that hateful man looked like after all this time. The fire burning in Stayne's eyes was not something that could be recreated in her memories – nor anything she would want to remember. A part of her – that girlish, submissive, un-muchy part of her that she couldn't be completely rid of – wanted to run away. She didn't want to face that man again. She would gladly live out the rest of her life without him laying his evil eye on her, that single eye that roamed her skin with possessiveness and lust (she wasn't a complete fool – she knew even back then what unmentionable things Stayne was implying when he cornered her in the Red Queen's castle).
But Tarrant was there. And he needed her help. The two could only clash blades for so long – eventually, one of them would have to give in. And as great a fighter Tarrant was, Stayne had the obvious advantage in size. She couldn't leave with the possibility that Tarrant might lose their duel. There was no doubt in her mind of what Stayne would do then.
"Bielle, Brodler," she whispered, indicating for them to come forward. "Go as quickly as you can to Marmoreal. Tell them where Stayne is; bring White Soldiers to capture him. I'll stay here and make sure Tarrant doesn't get hurt. Go as fast as your paws will take you."
Without a second thought, Brodler was off. But Bielle was not as mindlessly obedient as her son. She stared hard Alice, clearly not liking her idea at all.
"I'm not leaving you here to face Stayne alone," the she-Hound growled quietly. "You don't know what he's capable of."
"I won't be alone, I'll have Bandy," Alice said as confidently as she could. "And he's a good measure bigger and fiercer than Stayne." (Although Alice herself wasn't sure if the latter was true.) "And I need both of you of carry the message, in case anything was to happen to one of you."
"Alice, I couldn't let you –"
"Go," Alice hissed, with the power and commandment in her voice that only a Champion could possess.
Bielle growled (more protectively than irritably), but obeyed nevertheless, and took off after her son.
Alice looked back to the Bandersnatch and motioned for him to stay where he was, and put a finger to her lips. Something close to a nod conveyed the creature's comprehension. Sliding down the hill as silently as she could, she went from the previous boulder to one that was just up ahead. She could hear the two of them more clearly now. Tarrant's screeching Outlandish was slightly more comprehensible now, but it was the ex-Knave's voice that made her body shake - even more vigorously when she listened to what he was saying.
"Of course she doesn't remember you!" she could hear him cackle over the clangs of metals meeting. "That's what she said last time – and you saw how true to her word she was that time, didn't you?"
Alice felt her heart squeeze at Stayne's pointed words, hurting her more so at the knowledge that they were true. I remember now, Tarrant! she wanted to call to him. And I promise I'll never forget again...
"Alice isn't nae kimmer tae break a promise," Tarrant yelled, his brogue heavy in his fury. "The lass's got more honor in 'er littl' finger than yae'v got in yaer whole muckle o' a bein'!"
Alice climbed to the top of the boulder, allowing no more than the top of her head and her eyes to be visible. The two were caught in a violent match; sweat was pouring down both of their foreheads, and both already bore a few scrapes from the ends of the other's swords. Not to Alice's surprise, Tarrant's eyes matched the ferocity in his voice to a tee – they were blazing orange, darker than even his fiery hair.
"Oh, of course it's not a question of honor!" yelled said Stayne, not resting his sword for a moment. "It's a question of you. Do you really think you're worth remembering, Hightopp? Some low-down, penniless milliner that's worth less than the dirt under my boot?" He laughed manically. "It's no surprise that she left you to go to her own world! Why would she want to stay and remember you?"
That stopped him. Only for a fraction of a moment, but that was more than enough time for Stayne. With one twist of his sword, Tarrant was on his knees, his own sword knocked from his hands. But before he could retrieve it, Stayne attacked. He sliced at Tarrant's chest, causing the man to involuntarily cry out in pain. He panted, obviously struggling to get back on his feet, but Stayne kicked him to the ground. It was all done in a matter of seconds. And in one second more, right before her eyes, Stayne was going to kill him.
But something happened to Alice in that split-moment as well. Something inside of her that stirred at Tarrant's desperate cry. It churned at a rapid pace, over and over in her chest, until she felt as though she was on fire. She had never felt such terrifying power coursing through her veins in all her life.
It was pure, unrestrainable rage. The sight of Tarrant's blood made her shake furiously, made her want to lash out, spill someone's blood with her own hands. And in the smallest corner of her mind, she found herself thinking – So this is how it feels to be Mad. But the majority of it had not the patience for contemplation. All of that fury was desperate for some sort of release, and all of it was directed at one target – Stayne.
As she grabbed the hilt of the Vorpal Sword, the Alice of scruples and hesitations was long gone. This was all she knew – she had to save Tarrant.
In less time than it took for Stayne to even process lowering his blade down on Tarrant, Alice was dashing down the hill towards him, her Vorpal Sword raised high. And then she was there, right behind the bloody Red Knave, her blade lingering dangerously close to his throat.
"Drop. Your. Sword."
Alice was seething as she spoke, every muscle in her body tightened in rage. If anyone she knew from her own world had seen her then, they would've been absolutely terrified. Her words were hard and cold, but there was nothing but passion in those brown eyes. Yet she was controlled and calculating in her gaze, which made her all the more frightful.
With a clank, Stayne's blade dropped to the desert floor. Alice used her right foot to kick it behind her as far as possible. Then, her blade still at his throat, she slowly circled the man until she was finally facing him.
Stayne's eye grew wide in recognition, but his expression then transformed into one of sardonic pleasure. He chuckled darkly, as Alice looked into that one pitiless eye of his. She didn't even flinch when he began to speak.
"Alice…I should've known that you would be back." His voice was like hot lava spurring from his lips, and Alice resisted the urge to shiver at the sound of it. "You lost your long locks in the process, I see."
"What are you doing here?" she snarled, lifting her blade only a tad higher to just graze his chin. "You are supposed to be in exile. Where's Iracebeth?"
Stayne tisked. "So many questions, Alice dear. You always were overly-curious, weren't you?"
But as Alice ever so slightly pressed the sword against the skin of his neck, she made it clear that she wasn't playing games. Stayne knew it too, for she could see his entire body tense in fear as her blade came closer, but he refused to let a hint of alarm enter his eyes.
"As to the latter question," said Stayne with a smirk, "she has long since been dead. I couldn't have that waste of life connected to my wrist forever, could I?
Despite herself, Alice felt a bit sick to her stomach. True, she had no love for the woman, but she was Mirana's sister. And has horrendous as she might have been, Alice could almost feel sorry for the ex-Red Queen – she wouldn't have wished Stayne's wrath upon anyone.
"And as for what I'm doing here," he continued, "what do you think, child? Raising a rebellion, of course. Taking what I begged, slobbered and killed for in Iracebeth's court – Underland's crown."
Alice's brows furrowed with anger and confusion. "How could you possibly start a rebellion, Stayne? Life has been better under Mirana's rule than ever before. No one but you would have a problem with her."
"And how would you know, having been away for so long?" he spat with a surprising amount of spite, his visible eye burning like a black coal. But the fire was quickly extinguished, deflated; he chuckled and shook his head. "And you would be surprised by what a little twisting of words can do to an unsettled mind, dear Alice. Even to those who wouldn't lift a blade in any other circumstances." The wicked man eyed her, and she wished more than ever that she could slap that cocky grin off his face. "You would know that better than anyone, wouldn't you, Alice?"
Though she remained firm in her stance, Alice hesitated in her mind. Was she doing exactly what Stayne wanted her to? Even now, was she playing pawn to this man's wishes?
"I'm afraid that rebellion isn't going to happen, Stayne" whispered Alice maliciously, her eyes narrowing with grit. "The White Soldiers are on their way right now. And then you'll never again cause trouble in Underland."
Stayne smiled, his teeth protruding like daggers has he whispered back to her:
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, the Alice."
Suddenly, Alice felt something pounce on her. It weighed twice as much as the young woman, and it pinned her to the ground in an instant. It snarled like a giant vicious cat, and it was bathed entirely in black. Its claws dug into her shoulder, and Alice, struggling as best she could to get the creature off of her, let out a pain-stricken scream. The Vorpal Sword had been knocked out of her hand at the creature's attack, and she was defenseless against the animal's fury.
"Alice!" - she could hear an Outlandish cry, but it was only barely comprehensible to Alice, who was sure that she was finally going to die at the wrath of something she didn't even know.
But then, Alice heard a ferocious roar, and the weight was suddenly lifted off of her. A massive white paw had knocked the animal off Alice, sending it smashing onto a nearby boulder.
It was the Bandersnatch. It growled protectively, standing in front of the young woman, its rows of shark teeth exposed. The attacking creature - which Alice could finally see was a black panther - snarled and hissed with fury at the both of them. Its legs were positioned to pounce, yet it held back at the sight of the massive creature that crouched before it. There was nothing but bloodlust in its amber eyes, and Alice could tell that it would love nothing more than to take a bite out of her neck.
"Krayl, not now," ordered Stayne, coming to stand beside the ferocious black panther. "The time will come. But we must leave now – we cannot risk our entire operation on this girl."
The panther growled and spat, but visibly backed down. The ex-Knave then leaped onto Krayl's back, and before Alice could even call out, they were gone. Back over the hills, and soon, back into the Outlands, where Mirana's power was rendered useless.
Stayne was back, and he was loose. And Alice knew that he'd be back again.
Using the Bandersnatch for support, Alice tried to get back on her feet. She bit back a cry at the wound in her shoulder, but as bad as it looked, she could tell that it wasn't very deep. She had gotten lucky – this time."Thank you, Bandy," she whispered into the creature's ear, rubbing it on its forehead. It closed its eyes in satisfaction, and then slumped to the ground.
She then turned towards the man who was still kneeling on the desert floor, a blade still in his hand, but his body frozen and his technicolor eyes wide. Alice could feel the adrenaline and anger seep out of her body as they were replaced with a softer emotion. Tarrant. We're okay. I remember him. And he's alive.
Tears pricked the back of her eyes, and completely forgetting the wound on shoulder, she kneeled down in front of him and positively threw herself at him. Tarrant remained frozen at the feel of her embrace. She leaned back, worried, and looked into his yellow eyes.
"…Alice?..." he whispered, like a man lost in a dream. "My Alice?''
Alice smiled, and wrapped her arms around him again. "Yes," she whispered tenderly, "Your Alice."
Tarrant finally embraced her back, and uncontrollable tears spilt from Alice's eyes. And as they held each other tight, she could feel a wet tear running down his cheek as well.
"I'm back, Tarrant."