Heyyyy amazing people. :) This is the third installment of Alice's Choice! (Obviously.) So I finally outlined the whole plot and everything, and if this whole thing is written well enough, this could turn out to be a pretty decent story. So I'm hopin' for the best.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this... Lewis Carrol, Disney, and Tim Burton do... (I'm starting to get kind of tired of putting that in every single chapter. :/ )
Inspirational Song: "I'm the One" - Ke$ha (It's actually not another crazy, robotic version of her voice!)
"Why are we doing this again?"
Hatter, Mally, and Thackery were still traveling through the Gangly Forest and it was nearly nightfall. Or so Hatter guessed. One couldn't be too sure when every single tree (and there were quite a few considering they were in a forest) was so tall that he couldn't see the light anymore. If it was still there.
Hatter sighed. How many more times would she ask him that? "Because Alice needs us to find Hamish before something horunvendush happens to him. Or worse, if he causes something horunvendush," he pondered.
Thackery jumped to catch a hanging vine. He swung over a fallen tree and then plopped back down next to Hatter, with Mally on his hat. "Why can't the Champion do that herself?" he asked.
" Alice has to send word to the White Queen about Hamish being in Underland."
"Why can't Chess do that?" Mally squeaked. "All 'e'd 'ave to do is appear in 'Er Majesty's castle and tell 'er the news 'imself." Her little head, now upside-down, penetrated his line of vision, but he kept moving.
Hatter clenched his fists. "Because that slurvish cat has, once again, skittered off to wherever he goes when he's in need of a hiding place," he growled.
"Er, 'Atter?" Mally asked. His eyes were probably burning again. "It's actually fine, we don't need him. Alice is very brave and she'll travel to Marmoreal quick as a whip!" She threw her small fist in the air, trying to cheer him up. Normally he'd perk right back up, but his worries about Alice's safety wouldn't leave his mind.
It was so strange how everything seemed to be Alice Alice Alice with his wits. . . A simple, random thought would somehow link itself to Alice. He'd be making a hat for someone, and somehow the color or pattern he was working on would make Alice materialize inside his head. He'd be in the forest, collecting herbs with Thackery, and he would suddenly wonder if Alice would like the tea he was going to make.
Alice was always there, even when she wasn't.
And that confusing little event down at the beach! Yes, there was no question around the fact that Hatter had enjoyed their kiss very, very much! Yet right after it, Alice wanted to visit Mally and Thack? He'd thought that was very odd timing, indeed. . . But then again, Alice's timing never did agree with him.
"HATTER!"
He blinked and look down at Thackery, whose arm was pulled back with a large stone in paw. Hatter waved his hands franticly, indicating that he was back from his little moment of pondering. "I'm fine!" he gasped.
"Well, if you are, then let's keep moving!" Mally said. She sat back down on Hatter's hat again, gripping the ribbon tightly. "I 'onestly don't think we're going to find 'im any time soon. 'Ow do we even know if 'e didn't make a full circle the moment 'e left Thackery's? Besides, if we stay out 'ere too much longer, it'll be dark!"
Hatter looked around. The shadows did seem a bit sluggish. "Alright, we'll head orgal to Marmoreal. Alice should probably be there by now. . . " Alice. Alice. Alice.
What if she didn't make it safely? What if the Bandersnatch got injured by a beast even fouler and couldn't travel? What if Alice ran into a frumious batch of Toad Lilies and got trapped? What if-
She was completely safe and unscathed.
Alice is the Champion of Underland! The bearer of the Vorpal Sword! The slayer of the Jabberwocky! Why in Underland wouldn't she be able to get to Marmoreal securely?
A loud, "KLOTCHYN!" from a dormouse got him out this time.
"Thank you," he rasped. He shook his head, causing Mally to hold on even tighter. "So do we all agree? To Marmoreal?" Mally gave a positive squeak and Thack nodded. "Alright then. Let's get a move on."
xX-ALICE'S POV-Xx
Alice and the White Queen were sitting in the kitchen on stools near the counter. The large window let in the moonlight, making every white surface in the room glow. Needless to say, everything was glowing brilliantly. Including the Queen. A teapot was steaming on the stove, causing a rich scent to spread around the room.
Mirana had been silent throughout all of Alice's side of the story, which wasn't much. Hamish came, Hamish went. The end. She tried to remember every little detail for the Queen, but she left out the part about marriage. She didn't want her, or anyone else for that matter, to associate Alice with Hamish.
"And after he hit the tree, he ran off into the woods," she finished.
Mirana sat there for a moment, brow furrowed. "Hmm. . . This may not be good. . ." she mused. Again, she welcomed silence.
Alice couldn't take it any longer. "Your Majesty?"
The White Queen finally looked at her. "Alice, I remember you telling me that the animals cannot speak from the Otherworld. Correct?" Alice nodded. "What do you imagine would happen if an Underlanian creature, an animal, tried to live a life up in your lands?"
She imagined Ulieam the Dodo bird trying to live in England for the rest of his life. He was strict and orderly, which none of the Otherworld's animals were. Not to mention the clothing issue. "It would be horrible for the animal. They'd become very confused and wouldn't know where to go or what to do."
Mirana nodded and combed her dainty fingers through her hair. "Right. Now, Hamish doesn't sound like he'd adapt to Underland as well as you did. He might very well lose his mind, or become a threat to our land and its creatures. We can't let this happen."
"Right."
"Or, do you think Hamish would like to stay in Underland?"
Alice tried to picture a happy Hamish creating his own life in her Wonderland. She couldn't. She shook her head. "That's as probable as me sprouting a second head the next morning."
The queen raised her eyebrows. "I know a potion for that." She smiled, then turned serious. "So do you believe that it would be best if we sent Hamish back up to the Otherworld?"
"Yes. I sent a few friends of mine out to try to find him, although I haven't heard word from them yet." She worried. "When do you suppose they'll be back?"
She looked out the window. "Well, it's already dark, so-" The White Queen stopped abruptly. Her brow creased as she loudly called, "Nivens? Do you need something?"
McTwisp came crashing through the kitchen door with a letter in hand. His blue coat had been replaced with a white one, but he still kept his pocket watch in the front. "Your Majesty," he bowed. "Lady Alice," he nodded to her. With surprising agility (then again, he is a rabbit) he hopped up on the stool beside the White Queen. "A letter has come from your Knight, Your Highness."
The queen took the note from him and shook her head, laughing. "Nivens, after all this time, you'd think you'd start listening to me when I tell you to call me Mirana."
McTwisp smiled and smoothed his coat. "Maybe next time." He jumped off the stool and skittered over to the door, then stopped. "Oh, Alice?"
She looked back over at him. "Yes?"
"Welcome back." He nodded, and left the room.
The White Queen read the note quickly, then gracefully got off her stool. She indicated that Alice was to follow her out of the kitchen. Side by side, they strode down the many hallways before coming to the Meeting Hall. "It seems that we have some visitors," she said with a smile.
They turned the corner and Alice grinned. She saw Hatter standing there trying to get Mallymkun off of the March Hare. Whatever had made them quarrel she did not care for at that moment. She needed information.
And it was might've been possible that she was a bit overjoyed to see the Hatter again.
The Queen smiled at her. "I must leave you now, Alice. I'm afraid I have some business to attend to." With that said, she swiftly turned around and headed back the other way.
Turning her attention back to her friends, she waved in their direction. "Hatter!" she called. He looked up and saw Alice waving him over. She saw him sigh with a smile and his shoulders fell back, relaxed. Then he grinned and walked in between Mallymkun and the March Hare to get to her. He skipped the last few steps.
"Why, hello again!" he said with a gleam in his eye. "And how has your day been? Well, the rest of your day, since I know what you did for the first part of your day. Does that sound odd? It feels odd to say. But then again, I was with you, so it shouldn't truly matter. How would I know what's odd, anyhow? I am odd! But that's fine, you said so yourself, that the best people are-"
"Hatter!" she patted his arm lightly, laughed, then let go. She didn't want to risk another. . . more-than-friendly moment with him. Yes, the moments were very nice- Actually, extremely nice, but they were just friends. . . surely just friends. . .
"Alice?"
She blinked and looked at the Hatter, who was staring at her quizzically. "It's I who's the truly mad one over here." He grinned mischievously. "Not you."
She giggled, which just made him smile wider. He really does have a nice smile. . .
Alice cleared her throat. "So, err, did you find Hamish? Where is he?"
Hatter's grin fell to a frown. "We couldn't find him. I'm so very sorry, Alice. We searched for him for hours in the forests, just ask Mally and Thack! I did my best, you know I always try my hardest, and this case was no exception." His eyes dulled.
"Oh, it's alright. I'm sure he'll turn up at some point or another. It's only been one day, after all." But inside, Alice was worrying anxiously. Where could he be? He doesn't know anything about Wonderland, where could he have gone all by himself? . . . What if he's not alone! What if someone hurt him? What if he hurt someone? It was all too much!
"Champion?"
She turned to the owner of the voice next to her. It was the White Queen's Knight again, the serious one with the pink hair.
"Yes, Sir. . . "
"Call me Sir Lawrence."
"Well, Sir Lawrence, I don't believe we've officially met."
She had run into several times now, other than the carriage instance. That was the only time he had seemed a bit. . . rude. Whenever she ran into him in the hallway, she was alone, but he was friendly enough. She felt bad; she stilldidn't know his name.
Alice held out her hand and he took it. "I'm Alice Kingsleigh," she said. She only expected him to shake her hand, but he bent low and took it, grazing it with his lips. She knew she was blushing fiercely.
Quickly and with wide eyes, she glanced over at the Hatter. He was staring at Sir Lawrence with a red glare, tight fists held at his sides.
Sir Lawrence stood up, let go of her hand, and gave her a surprisingly sweet smile. "Well, Miss Alice, you have a visitor who wishes to speak with you outside, near the front gate."
"Oh, at this time?" She brushed her curly hair back casually. "Who?"
"That's the thing," he scratched his head, a focused look on his face. "He wouldn't give a name. I thought I'd inform you." He looked at her, hard. "I strongly suggest that you ignore him, Miss Alice. When someone wants to speak with someone higher-up and doesn't give a name, they're not there for small talk."
Why would they not give a name? And who could it be? Alice didn't know too many in Wonderland all that close, and the ones she did know closest were still in the castle. "I ought to at least see who it is. But thank you for your concerns, Sir Lawrence." She smiled at him.
"As you wish, Miss Alice," he said. He nodded at her one final time and Alice turned to leave out the front. The breezy chill hit her hard, but it felt good. It was refreshing. Outside, the pink trees hung lower, sleepy. The glorious moon was suspended high in the sky.
She walked a few steps forward, just starting to wonder where her visitor was when she was grabbed from behind. She took a deep breath, preparing to scream, when a hand covered her mouth. She still attempted to yell, but it was to no avail. The man (she could tell it was a man's arms) led her over to the bushes on the side of the castle.
Alice squeezed her eyes tight in concentration, using all her strength to break free. She kicked backward, hitting the brutal oaf in the groin. He groaned, but only held her tighter. He then turned her around and pressed her back up against the wall.
Alice then opened her eyes to finally see her captor and widened them in shock. If she could've screamed it, she would have. Because of the hand covering her mouth, she could only think it.
Hamish!
Author/OP in me: . . . I'm happy.
Rachel: Because it was such a brilliant chapter?
Author/OP in me: No, because bambamdramaqueen likes me! :D
Rachel: Thanks, bambamdramaqueen, you just made it even more slurvish. :)
You Review, I write. It's a process. :) Thank you for those so far!