I'm back! It did take a little while for me to get back to you, didn't it? Hmm... I wish to make up for that now in this chapter :) Well, school is back in, which means my writings will be much more focused because I typically write in class and then type it when I get home, so I hope this will be a good chapter for you all! Happy reading!
~~~**Tarrant X Alice**~~~
Mirana was forced to her knees by two card soldiers, their ironclad gloves digging into her arms. "Bow before her majesty," One of them muffled out from behind his mask. Mirana held her head high in a regal fashion. "Hello, Iracibeth." Was all Mirana said.
"Ah, Mirana. It has been far too long, hasn't it?" The bloody big head smirked evilly and motioned forth the cloaked man behind her. Century came forward and took the crown from Mirana's pretty little head. As he knelt and extended it to Iracibeth, it began to shift in color until it was gold with a red gem in the middle. "But I'm afraid our petty quarrels will have to wait, as I have a kingdom to run."
Iracibeth reached out to the crown, touching it as the throne-room doors were thrust open. The Jabberwock-beast curled its tail around her master and let out a low growl. Century hid the crown away in his cloak somewhere.
The horse stopped and Underland's champion slid down with her hatter beside her. She took his claymore and advanced, limping very noticeably. The small troop of chess pieces followed on foot behind the pair. A red card attempted to stop her in her quest to reach the royal family. She slung her arm down with the sword in it. She truly had grown much stronger since her previous battle with the Jabberwocky. The head of the card soldier was popped off and rolled across the floor.
The line of words that cursed her from the headless card were too foul to even be repeated in the fair land of Underland. Alice shoved past all the other soldiers, none wishing to end up like the first. Tarrant was behind her all the way, watching everyone with the eyes of a hawk.
No more harm would come to his Alice... Ever.
As she reached the front of the crowd she heard the very surprised gasps of, "Alice!?" She looked at her majesty, Mirana, and then to Century. His eyes looked so sad as she approached her queen. He approached her as she lifted her sword to take off the limbs of the villains who dared hold her queen in such a fashion, but her arm was grabbed. "What are you doing?!" Century hissed.
Tarrant didn't fancy this motion one bit. He grabbed the man by his arm and jerked it down, nearly making Alice drop the sword with such ferocity. "You would be wise not to touch her again." Tarrant growled so dangerously low that no one could hear the accent bleeding through his venom spiked words.
Century ripped his arm away as Alice glared to the soldiers. They released their hostage and took a step back. "Are you alright?" She asked Mirana. The queen nodded, rubbing her arm where small purple bruises were already beginning to form.
"Alice, I said I would protect you, but you can't just march in here and expect to go unpunished!" Century said, his eyes pleading with the champion to leave.
She scoffed, "Why would I listen to you? You kidnapped me and had me attacked by some cave-thing! Not to mention the potion you tried to kill me with." She extended the sword to his throat, "I think its you who need protection."
A loud shriek sounded and electric fire seized the long drapes of the throne room. Alice's vision began to blur and her head slowly began to spin. She felt her breath catch in her throat. She toughed through it though, and steadied her hand. Century was no fool; he could see in her eyes that she was slowly loosing a battle within herself.
"Put down your sword, Alice." The red queen called, pushing the tail of her pet aside and rushing to the small group.
Alice looked warily at him before slowly withdrawing her weapon. She held her hand up to the side of her face. The heat from her hands was causing her to sweat. "Tarrant, here." She handed him back his sword. She steadied herself.
Tarrant leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Are you alright, Alice?" She gave a sluggish nod. Tarrant could easily see through her façade, but chose not to confront her.
"I'm done with this game," The bloody big head announced, yawning. "and I'm not willing to risk the life of my darling jabber-baby-wocky to that yellow haired vixen again. Off with their heads!"
Tarrant pushed Alice to his back, stepping in front of her with a hand on her hip to ensure she was not being attacked from behind. He lifted his claymore and readied himself for a fight. Century tensed and turned his back on them, raising the vorpal sword as well to protect Alice. "Wait!" Mirana suddenly piped up.
Iracibeth raised a brow, looking at her little sister. "What?"
Mirana straitened her dress, "Sister, you can not just over throw me without a clash of champions, you know that. I will let you choose the fashion in which the battle is conducted, but as far as just beheading us all, what would mother and father think?" Mirana tsked. She knew Iracibeth craved their parent's attention and praise as a child, but what they gave her was never enough to satisfy her. She played the one card that Dear Racie could not back down from.
The queen of hearts thought for a moment before giving a smile. "Cablisferous." She announced, looking around.
The young champion's limbs began to twitch uncontrollably. She tried to hide them, but it was getting more and more difficult.
Alice heard the strange word and felt her hatter's body tense before her. "Hatter? What does that mean?"
Tarrant turned his head, "It means that the champions will be sent into an imaginary battlefield that is fielded with their worst fears. The winner awakens, the loser…" He turned back to face the queens, "Doesn't."
Mirana held her tongue, merely saying, "Choose your Champion."
Alice pushed by Tarrant groggily, "I'll do it, your highness."
Tarrant grabbed her arm, "No! You already aren't completely here! I can't bare to see what she will put you against, Alice… I won't lose you." He whispered, holding her hand lovingly. She smiled gently, "I'll be alright, hatter."
"Very well then. Oracle, you will be the champion." Iracibeth announced happily.
Century looked back at Alice and nodded to his queen. His face displayed no emotion save for the sadness of knowing what he must do now. He gulped. He had hoped that it would not come down to this… He'd have to make it memorable as he knew…One of them would not live through this…
~~~**Tarrant X Alice**~~~
Mirana mixed the potions with close watch from her sister. She would be allowed to make no slip ups with that kind of watch. All soldiers readied themselves for battle incase someone interfered with the two bodies that would be locked in a room until one chose to emerge. Mirana was rather shocked that her sister would choose such a "boring" way to finish off their silly little squabble. Mirana knew that if she won this that she would be keeping Racie in her dungeons until someone could fix her. It was sad that Mirana could see her sister needed help and could not get it. As a result, she turned into a blood thirsty monster.
Tarrant, on the other hand, was far more frantic than Mirana ever could be. He paced the length of the room, waiting for Alice to finish slipping into the armor. She emerged looking quite as she had the day she slain the Jabberwocky. Tarrant watched her was she entered the room. She smiled to him tiredly. "What troubles you, my hatter?"
He held her hands in his own, "Alice," He whispered worriedly, noticing the dark circles that were encasing her eyes, "There's something wrong with you! You are not quite yourself. Please, let me take this responsibility!" He pleaded.
"No, Tarrant. I am the champion, it is my responsibility. I will be fine, I promise." She squeezed his hands. "I won't leave you like that again."
He pulled her close and hugged her around her waist, loving the closure he got from her words. He inhaled her scent and sighed contently. "Ahlice," He murmured in his Scottish brogue. He pulled back so she could see the beautiful shade of pink his eyes had turned. "I don't want to ever be without you again."
She smiled, "I promised to be victorious through this fight, hatter. What more could you want? You should never have to worry of losing me."
He pulled on her ring finger gently and leaned down to kiss her forehead, "So much more." He mumbled. She felt his gentle tugging and realized that she had never verbally given him an answer.
"Tarrant?" She asked, looking up at him as he pulled his lips from her soft skin. His brow rose in a question to indicate that she had been heard. She blushed a little and felt silly, "You asked if you could court me…"
"I remember." He said, his loving look fading to worry. Had she changed her mind? Was she now going to push him away? She looked down a little. "I was just- I don't think…"
His eyes reflected the hurt that he felt inside. A crystalline blue over took the soft pink, "Alice…"
"I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into." She said, looking back up.
Relief flooded through the elder and he smiled, stroking the end of her nose, "Of course I know! That curiosity of yours was one of the many things that made me want you… That innocence you posses that makes me wish to shield you from the world… Your soft lips," He leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss. "Yes, I know exactly what I'm getting into… And I can't wait."
She smiled up at him and brushed the back of her fingers against his smooth pale cheeks. She suddenly giggled to herself. His brow rose again, "Is there something laughable here, Alice?"
She brushed her palm against his cheek, "Tarrant, do you have to shave? I don't think I can quite imagine you with any form of facial hair!" She giggled again.
"What? No! Of course not. Haven't you wondered why I haven't changed a day since we first met way back?" He asked, his magenta lips upturning.
She thought, "You said it was because you had to kill Time and that Time was angry so it stopped."
"Yes, my dear, but Time does not control age. People who come to Underland from other places do not grow old." He smiled and kissed her cheek.
"But, weren't you born in Underland?" She asked, brows furrowing in confusion.
The hatter laughed loudly, "My clan was employed in Underland court, but that's only those of us with the trade of hat making! Most are born in the Outlands. Perhaps I'll show them to you one day." His smile remained as he looked off into space at the thought of showing Alice his home. His thoughts strayed to the cemetery known as Fairfarren… and to his dream. He shook his head.
"I'd like that very much, Tarrant." She stood on her toes and kissed his lips. "A promise that I will win."
She felt him slipping something onto her finger as he mumbled against her lips, "A promise that I'll be here awaiting your return." She looked down at the silver band with small stones and many indentions that created swirlish patterns and grinned.
"Champion?" A voice asked from the door after a few raps on the hard wood. "Are you ready?"
Tarrant hugged her waist tight and gave her another hard kiss, pouring all his worry and hopes and support into her with it. She hugged him around the neck until he released her so they could breathe. She looked up into his eyes, the dark circles beginning to fade a little. "I'm ready." She called to the door as Tarrant released her, never breaking their gaze. "Be careful."
She nodded and stepped over to the door, opening it. "Fairfarren, Alice." He whispered as she exited. He slipped down to the floor and crossed his legs. He was not allowed to go with her to the room in which she would take the potion and the two would fight within their minds. The queens were to wait outside that room and the guards and soldiers –and Jabberwocky- had to stay in the throne room. He knew how this would work. The two would take the potions and their bodies would become unconscious. They would be transported into the battlegrounds of their minds and would have to fight a something that the twisted bloody big head conjured and if neither died facing that, they would be forced to face each other until one was killed. He dreaded the thought that and injuries Alice sustained in her mind would be inflicted upon her body…
And if Century took his Alice, Hell would be too kind a place for the madman for what he would do to that damned oracle.
Alice came to the room where Century and the queens were waiting. Nivens Mctwisp was waiting with their majesties. "Now that we've all arrived, what is it that our champions will face other than each other?"
Iracibeth grinned, "Their personal worse fears."
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