Told you I wouldn't ditch out on you again! (Serious déjà vu right there.) And whether you like this or not, this chapter is a bit of a longer one. The next one should be shorter, for the sake of your possibly weary eyes.
Disclaimer: I own absolutely N-O-T-H-I-N-G of Alice in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll, Disney, and Tim Burton do.
Inspirational Song: "Fix You" - Coldplay
. . . . .
"Erm, excuse me? Your-Your Majesty?" a voice stammered. Alice turned to see McTwisp in the doorway, fiddling with his golden pocket watch. Mirana nodded, not looking back.
McTwisp gulped. Surely, he had heard the commotion when coming up the stairs. Alice readied herself to catch the rabbit; she knew well of his squeamish trait. But he was able to remain upright and deliver his message to the White Queen successfully. "Your Majesty, it- it's Absolem. He is awake. He needs to speak with you."
Mirana sighed, finally turning around. "I believe I can successfully guess the choice of topic."
The five of them trudged down the Silver Staircase silently, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Alice wasn't pondering what had just happened (although she really should have been), but was rather verbally punishing herself inside her head.
Why, she asked herself, would she not always have a weapon on her person? She was the Champion of Wonderland and it was about time she acted like it. She'd been unable to prevent the coming-on of these threatening events, so logically, she'd have to do the best she could now to fight and deal with whatever was coming their way.
Of course, that was much easier said than done.
She'd act immediately if she only had a bit more information. She hoped that Absolem had learned something, or anything, really, before his accident had occurred. (Although, she doubted that whatever had happened to him would be classified under 'accident.')
They walked back through the doorway to the hospital room, McTwisp scurrying away. Absolem was now awake, but looked a bit frail. Uilleam was gone, probably fetching something that could aid the butterfly. Alice admired his kindliness.
"Absolem." Mirana daintily rushed to his side. "How are you feeling?"
Alice sat down where she previously had, but Hatter did not join her. He stood in the center of the aisle between the two nearest beds, near Sir Lawrence. Sir Lawrence was glaring at Absolem, as if simply doing that would clear the world's confusion.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," he said gruffly. Alice smiled. Back to his old self, of course.
"But there is something I must inform you of immediately," he continued. "I was studying the Oraculum when I noticed something I hadn't before. I attempted to see Uilleam for discussion, but. . . " he trailed off, suddenly noticing everyone's morbid expressions. Alice knew she was pale; her skin was cold.
Absolem's tone changed to a more defeated one. "I fear I am too late. What has happened?"
Sir Lawrence stepped forward and informed the butterfly of the (very) recent events that had taken upstairs. The lines on Absolem's face seemed to deepen with each of his words. He exhaled slowly when he had finished.
"And. . ." Hatter put in, "we found this. Under the mess of glass." His eyes glinted red as he stared down at the blade in his hand. Alice desperately wished for someone to wipe the crusted blood off.
Absolem nodded gravely. "I know. I came to warn you of that and about the message, as well. I'd overheard Stayne's plan and had hoped to share the information, but that didn't exactly go to plan." He winced. "But I believe the message makes things obvious enough."
"The message?" Alice asked, visioning Stayne cornering Absolem. She shook her head.
"The glowing symbols," Mirana told her.
"Are we. . . Are we quite sure there hasn't been some kind of mistake?" Alice questioned. "Perhaps the symbols began to glow only because the mirror had been broken."
Sir Lawrence looked at her as if she were sane. "Are you suggesting that the White Queen has misread the message that the Underlanian Looking Glass itself has bestowed to us?"
Alice shook her head fiercely. "No, no, I was just. .thinking that maybe there was a way we misinterpreted the meaning of the. . ." Alice shut her mouth at Sir Lawrence's cool look. Her shoulders fell.
Hatter glared at Sir Lawrence. "If yae so smart, why don' yae tell us exac'ly wha' happened, then?"
"Fine," he said smugly. "It appears that Ilosovic Stayne has traveled through the Looking Glass. He was able to fly through the window in the room concealing it. Stayne then killed our Guards that were defending the Glass. He left us to deal with the JubJub Bird, for this way, he would have plenty of time to break the gateway from the other side, preventing us from following him. I believe he wants us to know it is him. He left us the blade, knowing we were familiar with the blasted thing. He wants us to know that he is finally taking action on his word for revenge." He nodded with a professional finality.
A stunned silence met this accurately descriptive explanation. Hatter crossed his arms, disappointed in Sir Lawrence's logic. He'd probably been looking forward to Sir Lawrence saying, "I don't know." Alice doubted he'd ever said those words, in that exact order.
Alice looked back and forth between Mirana and Absolem. They both nodded their consent. Absolem met her gaze. "It's the only explanation, Alice. The Looking Glass does not lie."
"But, why?" Alice asked wearily. "What could be waiting for Stayne in the Otherworld?"
Mirana shook her head. "I couldn't even guess at that."
"He couldn't possibly want to stay there?" Hatter asked in disbelief.
"No," Absolem said defiantly. "The Knave of Hearts would never wish to walk among Otherworlders by choice. Like many others, he views them as pathetic, colorless, dull creatures." He looked at Alice. "Excluding you."
"Of course," she replied calmly.
"So," Hatter said. "He is planning on coming back. Afterwards."
"He has a specific purpose to be up there. A job," Sir Lawrence added.
Mirana sighed. "The question is. . . what."
Alice looked around herself. Absolem curled himself up tight in his wicker basket. She could still see the healing balm's residue sticking to the edge of his newly healed wing. The White Queen was looking straight ahead, seemingly staring at nothing. Alice suspected she was currently caught up in her own thoughts, as was Hatter. He looked down at his fiddling fingers. He kept rotating a single piece of green cloth he'd retracted from his pocket. Sir Lawrence's arms were crossed and his nostrils flared in concentration. Alice realized that Sir Lawrence was practically equal to her status as Champion. The pressure, or guilt, in Alice's case, might've been eating away at him, as well.
Alice stood up and walked past the three beds to the foggy, tiled window at the end of the room. The moon wasn't out tonight and the stars shone only dimly. She rested her forehead against the cold glass.
"This can't be happening," she whispered.
Sir Lawrence must've heard her. His arms dropped. "Well, it is, Miss Alice. Instead of simply worrying your pretty, little head, you should be doing something productive. You are a person of power now. Do with that what you will."
Alice bit her lip. He had voiced her fears. She hadn't done anything productive or helpful lately.
She felt Hatter's eyes on her, then saw them move onto Sir Lawrence. "She jus' doesnae wan' to believe tha' Stayne is up in 'er world!" he snapped.
A chill slithered down Alice's back as the realization struck. Stayne was up in her former world. No one knew what he was up to.
She pictured the greasy-haired Stayne in full armor, walking among the people she had known all her life. She imagined the Chataway sisters shrieking in terror at the very sight of him. She could practically see her mother faint as Stayne drew his sword. Lowell and his companions might've tried to fight him off, but they'd only be hurting themselves. They'd all become scared. Confused. Who knew what lengths Stayne would go to in order to achieve whatever he was up there for. What if- Tears came to Alice's eyes. What if he'd truly gone for her family as revenge?
She strode back to the small group. "I have to go up there. I will find him."
Hatter grinned at her muchness, but Mirana frowned. "Alice, I'm not sure. . . "
"Please," she said, her voice strong. "I need to do this. I'm your Champion, after all." She glanced at Sir Lawrence and stood straighter before locking eyes with Mirana again. "He won't harm that world, nor the people who live there."
"I admire your courage, truly, but do we have enough information? Could you ever locate him?" she asked with widened eyes.
"I'll get that information once I've found Stayne," she pushed. At Mirana's unsure expression, she softened her tone. "Trust me. I know my old home perfectly well, down to the finest detail. It wasn't exactly a complex place," she added. "I can do this."
Mirana's brow creased and she turned to Absolem, who was currently examining Alice. After what felt like a full inspection plus more, a small smile formed on his face. "She knows what she's doing," he said to Mirana. "She may be a horribly stupid and stubborn girl, but she's roving the right path."
Alice ignored the stab and mouthed 'Thank You' to him. He nodded back.
"Fine," Mirana said with a wave of her hands. "But you will not go alone."
Hatter stepped up. "I will accompany Alice. To keep her safe, and to make sure she doesn't fall down any odd-looking holes." He smiled at her, to which Alice reciprocated.
"But surely, the milliner cannot go with her," Sir Lawrence scoffed.
Alice looked at him strangely. "And why not?" she asked slowly.
"He will undoubtedly get distracted. He is also moody and unpredictable."
Hatter opened his mouth to argue, but was interrupted by Absolem. "Consequentially, the man has a point." At Hatter's frown, he continued. "Tarrant, you could never look anything like an Otherworlder. If one person were to even look in your eyes, panic would ensue. If anything were to upset you, you could go into a clamoring frenzy." He frowned. "I'm afraid you cannot go with Alice."
Hatter gaped first at Absolem, then Mirana, and finally at Alice. She made to grab for his hand, but he immediately turned on his heels and left the room. Alice longed for him to come with her, but she knew that Absolem had made a clever point. She couldn't be detected and Hatter was sure to bring attention if he was the one to come with her.
"I believe the Cheshire Cat could escort you, Alice," Mirana said softly.
Alice nodded, looking down. "He could change into an Otherworlder's form," she replied.
"You two can leave in the morning, straight away. I'll inform him myself," she said to her, before turning to Sir Lawrence. "We have no clue of Stayne's schedule, so he could be returning to us at any moment. We are also unsure as to how Time is currently running things up there."
"I was here for several days before I'd last left," Alice put in. "But when I had returned to the Otherworld, only mere minutes had passed."
Mirana nodded. "Yes, but Time is constantly switching things up. He can be quite the trickster," she added in a low tone. "But because of this, Lawrence, I'd like you to take a fair amount of the soldiers to guard the gateway between the Rabbit Hole and the land's main garden."
"Actually," Absolem drawled, "the Door has moved."
"Of course," Mirana sighed tiredly. "Where has it gone to now?"
"The Mushroom Forest," Alice piped up. "It's simply hovering there, above everything. Suspended in mid-air." She recalled falling through the doorway and landing roughly on top of a mushroom. Luckily, Absolem had been there to take her to a place far more friendly and familiar.
"Alright. Lawrence, please take some soldiers and guard the area directly below that door, please."
The man bowed his head. "Of course."
"I believe that covers it all." Mirana raised a hand to wipe her brow and Alice saw that it was shaking. Come to think of it, Mirana wasn't looking very well at all. A decent amount of sweat had collected around her collarbone and her hair seemed to hang, not lay.
Absolem noticed the same thing. "Mirana," he said. "It's gotten late. I believe your potion is wearing off."
"Oh, I. . . " Mirana held her hands out in front her and stared at her jittery fingers. "Yes, yes, I suppose. . ." She looked around at them, but the task to settle her eyes on one specific target seemed to prove difficult for her.
Her hands clenched into fists, her arms falling to her sides with thumping sounds. Alice stifled a gasp and saw Sir Lawrence flinch. "It's time to get to bed," Mirana said briskly. "Off to bed now."
She sped off between Sir Lawrence and her, leaving the two to look confusedly at one another.
"Don't mind her," Absolem said reassuringly, drawing their attention. "She'll be fine with a complete night's rest and a newly brewed medicine. The pressure is simply starting to get to her."
Alice looked over her shoulder at the door through which both Hatter and Mirana had fled through in haste. She suddenly wanted to do the same. "Yes," she said in a low tone. "I'm sure that must feel unnerving."
. . . . .
Rachel: The pressure is ON!
Insanity: It's getting hot in here-
Rachel: -so leave me a Review?