Destructive Memories

There's just so much fluff and anger in these chapters, it's unbelieveable. This chapter alone is psychotic and answers questions from past chapters. I need a climax thingy for their resolve. You guys should send me one after you read the chapter.

12. Questions, Answers, and Regrets

Alice wandered through the misty dream world, searching for the dream lord. "Nightmare, I need to talk to you. Get out here already!" I'm done hunting for answers alone. If anyone can get me the answers I want, it's you, Nightmare.

The dream demon appeared before her, his eyes somber. " You called?"
" Yeah, I did." Alice huffed out a sigh, getting ready to voice her speech. " I'm done, Nightmare. Done."
Nightmare stared down at her, puzzled. " Done with what?" Alice shook her head. " Nightmare, I'm begging you here and now. Please, give me some answers. I don't care anymore, I just want whatever you'll tell me."

Nightmare smiled. " I've been waiting for you to say that for a long time." Floating down to the ground, Nightmare sat crossed legged on the misty purple floor. Alice did the same, sitting beside him as to not miss a single word. " Well, what do you wish to know?" Nightmare asked.

Thinking for a minute, Alice snapped her fingers. " Well, I was really curious when you told me about..you know.. losing your special abilities to the Jabberwock. Did everyone lose them?" Nightmare nodded. " Indeed. I cannot read minds, and Julius can no longer fix clocks, it's taken a horrible toll on us."

Alice found another question, something that made her rack her brain to no ends. " When I was at the Hatter Mansion, I heard Elliot and Blood talking in totally different languages. Why were they doing that?"

Nightmare laughed out loud. " They learned those languages to prevent others from listening to their plans. As you well know, Blood is always one step ahead, and now he has to be to keep his head on his shoulders, especially after the accident."

Alice tilted her head." What accident?" Nightmare closed his eye." When you were there, did you notice anything different about Blood. Preferably his eyes, perhaps?" Alice nodded." Yeah, they were almost white instead of blue."

Nightmare nodded again." Well, you see, some henchmen of the Jabberwock attacked the estate and planted a strange mushroom that rapidly spread around venemous spore carrying fumes. These fumes have no scent, and when they enter the body, mostly likely through the eyes or nose, it only takes a small amount to relieve the host of it's senses. And from what I've heard, the mushroom was planted closer to his room than anyone else's. After a matter of time, Blood slowly lost his vision to the deadly fumes. Had his lackeys not removed that mushroom when they did, Blood may have very well lost his hearing, and if the fumes were serious enough, his voice."

Alice was at a loss for words. Damn that monster. He's ruined so many lives..killed so many people.

" So Blood is permantely blind?" Nodding once more, Nightmare sighed." Yes, and as I'm sure you've noticed, he clings to Elliot like a small child looking for his parents. Elliot is his only real connection to the world, seeing as he's getting worse by the minute." Alice tilted her head again." It's getting worse! But the mushroom is gone!"

" That may be, but the fumes still linger."

Alice's thoughts ran wild. Blood can't leave the mansion because he's blind, but the longer he stays in the mansion, the worse his blindness becomes. It's a never ending war all on it's own.

Alice squeezed her eyes shut, tears dripping from the corners of her eyes, leaving trails down her cheeks. Hunching over, she brought her hands to her face, trying to hide her teary face from Nightmare. As she hunched over, a cold finger touched her nose.

" Even in a world of fire, it isn't impossible to smile through hard times." Alice cried harder. " But you shouldn't have to! There's no reason for this, no reason for any of this! All this talk of war and fighting, killing and murder, it's so.. so.. pointless! What good comes from it! You haven't helped another territory or yourself for that matter, so why does..." tears took her over as Alice's shoulders bobbed up and down with her ragged breathing. A cold hand placed itself under her chin, slowly lifting her head up. She came face to face with Nightmare, his lone silver eye overwhelmed by sadness." Now I understand what Julius meant. You know, he also has a passionate hatred for tears, especially tears that belong to you."

Alice couldn't help but utter a small laugh through the tears. Slowly, Nightmare rose to his knees, carefully inching closer to the weeping girl. He pulled her into a hug, cradling her against his chest. " Nightmare," Alice mumbled. He touched her cheek with the back of his palm, his knuckles brushing against her cheek like feathers." Alice, there is something you need to know, something I think you've finally earned the right to know." Nightmare spoke softly." You want the war to stop, and I've heard that you've begged for a champion to step forth and fight that foul monster. When the time comes, you'll learn more about it. About the prophecy. But until then, all you can do is wait."

Alice tried to look at him, leaning upright." How will.. I know?" Nightmare pulled her back down, wiping the tears away from her cheeks. " You'll know. When you become more of yourself, we will help you. You are not hardly the Alice we need, or want, for that matter."

At this comment, Alice pushed him onto his back and jumped away." Then why haven't you killed me yet! In a war, when there's no use for something, death is the only resource, right? Why, all this time, why have you been there for me, telling me everything's going to be fine if I'm not even the person you want around?

I shouldn't have come back. When the portal opens again, I won't make that mistake. Not twice.

Nightmare stood up, blood spewing from his mouth." That's not what I meant. To fully become Alice, to fully become you, there are things you need to understand. You don't comprehend these things yet, nor do you understand them. But when you're ready, we will all help you."

How hard is it to make me understand!

" Here." Nightmare reached out, pressing his palm against her heart." In here, you've lost something. You aren't the same as you were before. All we want to do is change that. And if you knew how different you are, I'm sure you would too."

Different? How am I different!

" What makes me so damn different!" Alice stamped her foot against the smoky floor. " How dare you call me different when all I've done for the last three years was stay the same! And I did it trying to preserve memories of you!"

Alice barreled past Nightmare in a mad sprint, pushing the incubus out of her way and running through the endless dream world. I hate this place. I hate it here.

Alice, you can't get away from it. Or me, for that matter. Just face what you don't like. The sooner you do, the sooner it all goes away.

Snatching handfuls of hair into her fists, Alice threw back her head and fell to her knees. " GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU BASTARD!"

Amidst her crying and screaming, Nightmare floated above her, his prescence unknown. " I can see we aren't going to agree." He placed a hand on her head, stroking her a few times before pulling away.

"Just think about it. You'll understand soon enough." Nightmare faded into the misty colors of the world, his smile fading with him.

Alice glared up at him. Tears streaked her cheeks, dripping from her chin and neck. " I'm sorry, Nightmare. I'm so sorry."

A meaningless smile spread across his lips. " So am I. Goodbye"

Nightmare is right. I have lost something. My kindness...

... my mind.

Wonderland is so screwed. Like I said, if you have an idea for these two making up, I need some help.
All I can say is that it'll be a key part in an upcoming chapter.