Author's note: My laptop has a virus, so I haven't been able to post as quickly as I wanted to :

Disclaimer: still not the owner of Alice in Wonderland

Blink your eyes and Im gone

Mirana peered through the looking glass, hoping in vain to spot Alice. Maybe today, would be the day that she would run-away from the kingdom and find Alice herself. Unfortunately, Mirana tried numerous occasions to do so in all the different forms of Alice in the past that her guards/councilmen/ and people of the court would spot signs before she could leg it.

A soft ping in the air, reminded her that a frog footman was approaching her spot in the veranda.

"Queen Mirana, the White Witch Galinda from the Land of Oz is on Mirror Number 4."

"Ah yes, the waking dust is now finished. Please, inform her that I will be there in a few minutes." Sighing Mirana looked back behind her.

Alice was lost. Chess's instructions were simple enough: go through the town and follow the signs, but -

"You, freakishly tall girl! I bet you can reach The Red Queen's second floor windows, how'd you like to be fed every other day and live longer than these lily-livered good for nothing towns folk?" A red card bellowed on top of a makeshift stage.

Alice looked around to see if anyone else was the same height, only to find rooftops. The people around her shoes avoided her like a plague, but offered sympathetic glances.

"Poor girl, won't even last a week in that bloody castle." A porcupine mused.

"WHO SAID THAT! SPEAK UP!" The Card spun around trying to catch the speaker "We went to this backwater town to get the best, only to find leeches on the Good Queen's graces!" Alice watched the spit fly. "We will have someone to serve the Queen or else we burn your useless town to the ground!"

The villagers gasped looking up at Alice, pleading for her to save their village. She's only been there for a few hours and already offered up as sacrifice from a town filled with strangers.

Seriously, where is the hero of the story when you need one? Alice thought noticing the Red Cards prepare the dousing liquid and torches; her hand reflexively rose up.

"Ah yes, the freakishly tall one saved your town. Be grateful. Boys hold your torches –" the men stopped, but there was a sense of humor in their eyes, knowing they've played this game multiple times.

"Wait, how do I know you won't torch the place down if I go with you guys?" Looking briefly up at the tall one, the men eyes roamed around claiming which houses to torch.

"Lady, what makes you think we don't live up to the deal? We're the Red Queen's Knights. We have a duty to uphold" He sneered.

"With this height and the few men you brought, I can fold you guys up and deal with you."

"HOW DARE YOU MAKE THREATS TO US!" His hand signaled for a spear thrower only to be met with a whisper, "Sir, we don't have a big enough spear to do much damage to her"

"Fine woman, state your deal."

"Your men and you can have the glory of finding a freakishly tall servant that can entertain the Queen by whistling, play the piano, read backwards, cook, and clean windows for the work of 10 people. The catch is to let your entire men walk ahead of us with no one from this town being harmed in the process by you or your men"

"How bout we just take you by force, we can be crea-"

Alice kicked the nearest card down.

"WE HAVE TAKEN A WILLING SERVANT OF QUEEN, MEN AT FORMATION! GO!"

The people, afraid to let out a cheer, cried instead for the stranger that helped them. Some of them pressed their babies and best produce against the hem of her dressed when she knelt down to reassure them.

Alice counted the men infront of her to make sure all has been accounted for, as they begun to march. One of the Cards lagged behind waiting a good distance from the troops, dropping a torch on kerosene path that led to the town and hustling back.

"QUEEN MIRANA, a fire has started near Wimbleringle!"

"Get the water horses, we're going"

Wimbleringle wasn't that far away, usually when a fire starts – the closest water brigade of Queen Mirana would there to put it out.

Arriving there, Mirana immediately distributed her Knights and volunteers into three groups. The groups were split into alpha: to isolate the fire, beta: to help evacuate the ones affected and lastly delta: scouters to find items to rebuild/any other Cards within the area.

Setting, her foot down on the ground to meet the people – she felt Alice's presence here. Pushing it aside, she helped an old man up from the ground. Keeping her eyes to her hands

Meanwhile at the mouth of the Red Queen's Kingdom, the Cards spit in the moat.

"Its for luck." A young red Card said wiping his spit from his chin.

Looking down, Alice saw disembodied heads.

"You must be from the outlands, our Queen is quite known for taking heads for those insubordinate. We grew up to this; there is no stench since they treat the water with some kind of chemical. Get use to it."

Alice face was still in shock, she glanced up at the young red Card. He seemed a bit flustered for trying to comfort the girl from the outlands, he was green to all this. He was still new to Red Knights and hasn't been initiated. He knew after the initiation, he won't remember this nor will he remember being compassionate, it happened to his father.

A page hopped up to them, it was much faster for him to reach them that way. Stopping, he adjusted his pocketwatch.

"Youre late," He said without looking up.

"We had a bit of a run in with this one, but we settled that town." The captain crookedly smiled, he hated this white rabbit. Who was he to act above a Captain, when white rabbit came from the dungeons…

Looking up, the White rabbit gasped. It was Alice; luckily none of the Zeta Red Knights had been briefed to look for an Abovelander.

"I-I-I'll take her."

"And let ye, get all the recognition? This one here can wash windows and read backwards!"

"Fine, the Queen is at Recess Garden." Dawdled behind on the pretense of checking his watch again, and then walked towards Alice as the men swaggered ahead in good spirits to have brought a new servant.

"White rabbit, I'm so glad to see you" whispered Alice barely moving her lips.

"Alice, no one should know your real name here and here drink this." He picked up a vial, inspected it and threw it onto her hand. Alice used her forefinger and thumb to hold it up to her lips.

Drinking it, Alice's nose turned bulbous and her hair turned gray. Feeling her face, Alice asked if the Knights would notice the change.

"They won't, they're too caught up for the reward if the queen's pleased with you"

The young Red Card, who saw the whole ordeal…decided to keep his mouth shut. She saved a village willingly, if only someone did that for them.