The tiny vials contained a gross colored green liquid, but that was not what was frightening to Alice. Her head would not stop spinning. "My dear Friend," Mirana whispered to her, a hand on the younger girl's shoulder, "Are you alright?"
Alice gave a strong nod. "I am perfectly capable of fighting this battle." She announced, exhaling softly and then glaring determinedly at Century. She didn't know what was going on with her recently, but she was certain she could blame Century and use that anger to defeat him in this fight. He looked back at her, regret laced in his eyes. Mirana nodded to her champion and watched her sister whisper something to Century. "I'm ready." Alice said confidently to her queen. She handed Alice and Century each a small vial and Century lifted his, as if giving a small toast before they drank the contents. The feeling of the putrid mixture slipping down her throat made her gag a little before she groaned and her body forced her down to her knees for stability.
She looked at Century who clutched the Vorpal blade with his hand that was pressed against the stone floors. He coughed violently. Alice could faintly hear Mctwisp telling the sisters that they had to leave as she closed her eyes and felt herself falling.
The small white rabbit ushered the sisters out of the room. "When I win," Said the Bloody big Head in an arrogant tone, "I will destroy this castle and have your head brought back to my mote. Then I shall put the severed heads of that insufferable madman and Alice on steal rods that shall be on display at the charred gates of this horrible place. It shall serve as a reminder of what betrayal leads to. Won't that be lovely?"
Mirana sighed, "Racie, it doesn't have to be like this... I can give you a potion to shrink your head back to normal size if that's what it takes to cure this madness that has taken over you." She looked at her sibling with sorrow-filled eyes and offered her hand.
Mirana suddenly felt her face was siring in pain. Her head was turned to the side as Iracibeth's hand came back to her side, "I am not MAD! I am fighting for my birth-right! You wouldn't know of anything like that... Mummy and Daddy simply granted you my crown without even asking me."
The White Queen rubbed her cheek and felt the tears swelling in her eyes, "You didn't need to behead them to get the crown, sister. You simply could have asked."
Iracibeth crossed her arms and turned her back on her sister. Mirana took this as a sign that she was not going to respond. "If I win, Iracibeth, you will agree to leave this kingdom and never return. No one will ever show you a kindness and your jabberwocky will remain here. If you are caught back in Underland, I will be forced to put you in the dungeon."
She turned back angrily, "And what if I should find Illosovic Stayne? He was to join me in banishment."
"Stayne is dead. You will never have a friend in the world and you will be all alone -just as you have tried to make me."
Iracibeth nodded, "Then we are agreed sister."
~~~**Tarrant X Alice**~~~
When Alice opened her eyes again, the small room was gone and the battle field of their minds surrounded her. It was a very strange place indeed. The chess board tiling held, but the strange colors that splashed across it made her wonder what exactly was in Century's mind. Suddenly a black mass of nothing swooped down by her head. Alice ducked in the nick of time. Her brows drew together in confusion as she suddenly heard another voice. "Hello? Century?" She called.
She heard a noise almost like a groan and went to investigate like all curious little girls do. She crept up behind the stem of a large mushroom that was taller than she. From her hiding spot she spied a couple. She recognized one as Century, but the other was a mystery to her. The girl's hair was pulled high into a ponytail and it cascaded gently down her shoulders. The dress she was wearing was long, red and black, and looked as if it were made of velvet. The sleeves hung off her shoulders and extended down to her middle finger. Alice watched as the girl took Century around the neck and began to kiss him. She blushed when she saw Century leaned down to her neck, but she nearly groaned when she suddenly felt as if someone were dragging their tongue sensually up the side of her neck.
She felt a light weight on her hips as if someone had embraced her around the waist. She looked back at Century to see he had encircled the blond in his arms. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, then her jaw, and her neck and licked and kissed his way to the top her dress -all the while Alice feeling it. The blonde leaned her head back, pulling Century closer. Alice gasped and hid at the sight of herself in Century's arms. The blonde girl she'd just been spying on had her exact face! That was impossible. She looked at her hands. That couldn't be her, could it? No! Of course not, she was here and that girl that looked like her was over there.
She turned back to get another look at the blonde's face, but turned to discover that she was alone once more. She leaned against the mushroom stem and sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fears," Iracibeth had said, "Can drive a person mad, Alice. Remember that."
Alice retreated to the place she had awoken in this mysterious playing field. Alice sat down as she felt her foot becoming sore once again. The pain gradually began to flare up her leg and into her stomach. She cried out at how hard it was to move. She fell to her side as her body began to tremble. "Alice?" She heard Century's voice but could not see him anywhere. "Al-ice?" He called again.
She gritted her teeth, "Here!" She managed. "I'm over here!"
"Alice?" This time the voice wasn't Century, nor was it as far away as he had sounded. She peaked open one eye to see a mop of bright orange. She closed them again and clutched her stomach through the armor.
"Tarrant- ah!- But I thought-" She could manage no more as she cried out in her agony. "Help m-me!" She screamed at him.
She watched through her lashes as he began to smile. His smile darkened considerably as she felt her body contract and rolled into the fetal position. She looked up just in time to see the long blade of his sword coming down at her. She rolled away, but on enough. The blade did not pierce the armor, but the force he had used crushed her arm into the stone. She cried out again, louder this time, tears swelling in her soft brown eyes. "Tarrant?" She cried.
She looked up into the madman's eyes as he lifted his weapon again. His eyes held no white or green, simply black. She gasped and pushed her head down beneath her arms as he brought the blade down again. "Please don't!" She whispered softly, awaiting the blow that would probably kill her...
But it never came. She mustered all of her courage and looked up against her body's clear dislike for the action. She watched as he grinned wide at her and she felt something on the back of her neck. She suddenly felt the bite and knew exactly what it was. She grabbed the cave crawler and flung it at the imposter of her nightmares, but it was no good. It was not just one parasite, but hundreds that surrounded her.
She buried her face beneath her arms, trying to shield herself from the many evils of this world. "Alice," She heard Century say. She sensed he was close and gathered her strength. She looked up and realized that the crawlers and imposter were gone. She felt Century grab the back of the armor and jerk her to her feet. "If you're done playing Ms. Kingsleigh." He hissed at her.
She cradled her arm and whimpered as she tried to bend it. "C-cave crawlers... everywhere..." She mumbled, feeling her head begin to spin once more. Century face palmed himself and rolled his eyes. "You would have to be afraid of something dangerous, wouldn't you?"
"W-what do you mean?" She asked, her eyes rolling slightly as if she were fighting off sleep.
"Listen to me, Alice. This place plays off your worst fears. If you're afraid of it, you'll see it." He growled. She looked around groggily and nodded.
"That's horrible," She muttered. She went to step forward, to steady herself, but fire seized her leg once more and our fair champion was down on the ground. "Ah!" She cried out. Century was next to her on the ground in a second, clutching her arm. "Alice, what's wrong?"
She winced at his grip on her. He looked down at the large dent in the armor and his eyes widened. He suddenly was stripping her of the breast plate and arm coverings. She held her other arm to her chest, which was covered only by a thin white shift. She was getting dizzier by the second. She barely felt Century moving her injured arm. She felt her body ushering her to lie down. "Alice, stay still." Century hissed. She felt her throat getting tight as she suddenly felt her body begin to twitch and tremble. "Alice!" He barked, looking up at her this time.
"C-can't," She choked out as she leaned down against to stone, feeling her chest convulse. "What's h-happening?"
Century looked down scaredly. Her eyes rolled and began to close as realization hit Century. He began searching his person for something and cursed under his breath as he could not find it. He grabbed her arm harshly and yanked her back into a sitting position, "Alice, look at me. You've got to stay with me." He tapped her cheek as if trying to wake her. Her eyes shot open for a split second, but then began to droop. "You've become dependant on the pills I was giving you. I knew I shouldn't have let you take so many!" He cursed himself.
Her patted himself down again, looking for something, and came up with a small glass bottle that was half full with a familiar purple liquid. He pressed it to her lips and watched her drink it. Almost instantly her body ceased all movements. She became so still that for a moment Century thought her to be dead. Her chest gave a violent lurch forward as she tasted the jabberwocky blood on her tongue. She flexed her arm to find that curing her of her addiction had not healed her, much to her disappointment. Jabberwocky blood was powerful, but all things powerful have their limits.
She looked up, half dazed, "So what fears were we supposed together?"
He shook his head, "We won't be facing it. I'll just be up against my fears now and then this will all be over."
She watched as he went over and picked up the vorpal blade. He held it at arms length and turned towards her. "I'm afraid this is good-bye, dear champion Alice." Her eyes widened as he raised the sword high and closed them hard as she felt the killing blow was soon to be delivered. She heard the puncture of skin by the blade...
And Century fell to the ground, the Vorpal sword protruding from his chest, stained with his crimson blood. Alice crawled over to him the best the could and ripped the sword from him. "Century- why? I don't-" She stopped at the feeling of his hand on her cheek. His thumb rubbed against her soft skin.
"I told you I'd protect you, Alice. It just-" He paused and sucked in a painful breath through clenched teeth, "had to be this way. I fooled myself into thinking I could keep you."
She took his hand in her own, "Thank you, for all you've done. I know you didn't have to save me and just now you didn't have to sacrifice yourself for me, but you did. Thank you, Century." She whispered. "But why?"
His hand reached to the back of her neck and pulled her down so that his lips could taste hers. "People do crazy things when they are in love." He murmured, releasing her. He fell back to the stone squares. "Farewell, Alice."
And with that the world turned to smoke around Alice.
She shuddered. Slaying the Jabberwocky had been physically much harder. Emotionally, Alice was confused. She looked around the small room to find herself alone with a bloodstained sword, her sword. She wondered over Century's last words. Had he meant them? She felt plain rotten if he had. There she did nothing but berate him and cry over Tarrant when he was falling in love with her. She sighed and wiped her hand over her face. She looked down at herself. Large purple and black bruises had formed on the elbow joint where she assumed her arm was broken. The pain was intense, but she had faced worse in her life. She leaned back against the wall of the small stone room. "I will never forget you, friend." She whispered and closed her eyes.
And you would think these people would learn to live happily ever after...
(I'm not going to be mean and lead you to believe that this is the last chapter. The next chapter is going to be THE LASt chapter to Tricks of the Mind. How did you like this twist? Well, you'll have to wait a little while for more :) Don't forget to leave lots and lots of reviews. They make me happy and a happy writer writes faster when in a good mood. Until next time -which will be soon- see ya!)
