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Alice in Wonderland II: Underland's Champion

Chapter 5: Reunions

Alice holds back the urge to scream as she plummets down the small tunnel. Random large objects pass by her as she continues to fall until she crashes against a wall and lands on the concrete floor. She groans as she sits up. Then she notices candles sitting on an upside down chandelier and frowns. Before she realizes what's going on, she plummets down once more and falls on the actual floor. She groans in irritation and she sits up and removes a strand of hair from her face. When she looks around, she sees McTwisp's smirking face.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asks mockingly. The blonde glares at him before she slowly stands up. McTwisp shakes his head and hops over to a small door. He glances at Alice and points at the table behind her before he disappears through the bright light. Alice is about to protest but the door firmly shuts behind the rabbit.

Somewhat irritated again, Alice shakes her head before she turns to the table. She sees a small vile of strange liquid and a small piece of cake beside it. The cake has a small label saying 'Eat Me' on it while the glass of the vile is labeled 'Drink Me'. Alice soon remembers her second encounter in this room and pauses.

"Let's see if I have this right… The cake makes you grow and the potion makes you shrink…" She taps her chin thoughtfully as she glances at the small door. She uses common sense before she rips off a small chunk of the cake and puts it on the floor. Then she takes a small sip from the vile. Instantly a bitter and salty taste overwhelms her throat and she coughs as she shrinks down to the size of a mouse. Her dress remains large so she has to hold it up. She grabs the chunk of cake off the floor and remains holding up her dress as she walks towards the door. She takes a minute to rummage through her dress to find her pocket and pulls out the small key. Without any hesitation, she opens the door and shields her eyes as she walks into the bright light.

As soon as her vision clears, she smiles brightly as she sees various wondrous shapes and colors of her fantasy world. She is back in Underland.

Her smile grows as she steps forward and looks around in awe. "Curiouser and curiouser…" Compared to her last visit, it was much more like a mix between a wasteland and a land of random objects. But now it seems to have grown much more livelier. The skies are now blue instead of cloudy and grey. The trees have revived and there are more colorful plants everywhere. There are so many different colors around and the new aura makes Alice feel welcome and homely.

"Well? What do you think?" Alice blinks herself back into reality before she looks down. McTwisp smiles up at her expectantly. Alice smiles widely. "It is truly wonderful… I couldn't imagine a better place as Underland."

"Wonderland now." The rabbit's eyes seem to glisten in understanding as he readjusts Alice's basket in his arms. Then he points at the cake in her hand. "You might want to eat up and return to your size. We wouldn't want anyone to see you like that, would we?" He points at her attire and smiles as she flushes at how revealing the outfit looks on her. Alice nods before she takes a small bite out of the cake and quickly holds her dress as she begins to grow back up to her normal size. She looks at herself and smiles in relief when the dress fits her perfectly. McTwisp nods in approval.

"My word… Is that Alice?" A voice asks.

"The Alice?" Another voice asks. Alice looks ahead and sees a familiar group of large flowers talking amongst themselves. She smiles as she walks up to them with McTwisp right behind her. "Hello, my dear friends. It's been a while…" Alice greets the flowers.

The plants look somewhat hopeful yet suspicious. "So are you truly the Alice? You remember?"

"The same Alice. The Champion who has slain the Jabberwocky and has freed Underland from the Red Queen's reign." Alice responds confidentially. The flowers smile brightly and nod. "It is her! She has returned."

"We must spread the word!" A yellow flower insists. It smiles at Alice. "It is so good to have you back, dear Champion."

"And it is good to be back." Alice nods to the flowers. "But I'm afraid that I must get going."

"Of course!" A red flower nods in understanding. "Just be sure to stop by and chat!"

"Will do." Alice nods as she begins to walk away. McTwisp hops up to her side and remains silent as they continue to walk through the colorful plants. Suddenly they come across what looks like heavy fog. However, Alice coughs and realizes that it's smoke.

"So, Alice has finally returned…" A deep voice muses. The duo hesitate before they slowly walk towards the source of the voice. When the smoke clears, they see a large blue butterfly sitting on a mushroom with a large hookah in one of his six hands. The butterfly's small blue eyes seem indifferent as he gazes at Alice.

"Absolem?" Alice asks curiously.

"Of course it's me, stupid girl," The butterfly mutters. He blows smoke at Alice's face and makes the girl cough uncomfortably. "What other blue butterfly do you know has the name Absolem?"

Alice frowns as she waves the smoke from her face. She says nothing as Absolem takes the time to study her. "You have changed, and yet you haven't changed a bit."

"What on Earth does that mean?" Alice demands.

"What I mean, stupid girl, is that although you have changed on the outside, you haven't changed on the inside." Absolem says calmly. He takes another smoke before he speaks again. "Your behavior with Lady Ascot earlier has proven it. Just as the Mad Hatter would say; you haven't lost your munchness."

Alice flushes a bit at the memory. Suddenly McTwisp hops up and places a hand on her wrist. "Begging your pardon, Absolem. But Alice and I must get going. We need to get to Marmoreal at once."

Absolem takes another whiff of smoke. "Do you plan to go there on foot?" He asks almost carelessly.

"Well, her return was unexpected." McTwisp hesitates as he glances at Alice. "So what other choice do we have?"

"Why don't you just call the Bandersnatch?" Absolem asks casually. "All you need to do is whistle the correct tune and he will come."

McTwisp suddenly looks sheepish. He adjusts his coat uncomfortably. "Right… I almost forgot…" He clears his throat before he holds his hand up to his mouth and whistles a strange tune. When he is done, there is silence for a long time. Alice looks around uneasily until the sounds of crashes catches her ear. Alice and McTwisp turn around and see a large white figure running through various plants effortlessly towards them. It comes into a screeching halt before it let out a fierce roar. Alice flinches as the creature begins to sniff her. McTwisp grows a little uneasy while Absolem watches with bored eyes.

Then the Bandersnatch looks up at Alice with narrowed eyes. Alice swallows slightly and waits until the creature leans forward and licks her face. The blonde blinks before she smiles and wipes her face. Then she fondly scratches the Bandersnatch's ears, making the creature purr as it lowers its head for her. "It's nice to see you again too…" She murmurs.

"Well, now what do we have here?" A voice purrs softly. Alice blinks and looks over her shoulder while the face of a widely smiling cat appears beside her. Alice looks at her other side and jumps seeing the creature. But she relaxes and smiles widely. "Chessur!"

"Alice, it's so nice to see you again." The cat smiles widely as his smoky form takes the shape of a normal cat. He floats around her casually. "The Talking Flowers were spreading news about your return and I simply had to find out if they were true… And here you are." He holds his paws together as he floats before her. "Oh, won't the Hatter and the White Queen be surprised."

"We were on our way there right now." McTwisp cuts in politely. "We just needed a ride on the Bandersnatch…" Then he takes out his pocket watch and taps the glass impatiently. "Now if you don't mind, we need to get going or we will be terribly late!"

"Chessur, won't you go ahead and tell the Queen that we are on our way?" Alice asks politely. Chessur smiles widely and his eyes glow radiantly. "Of course, Champion." With that said, he disappears.

Alice smiles in confidence and excitement as she mounts onto the Bandersnatch. She helps McTwisp up onto her lap and makes herself comfortable before she glances at Absolem. "Absolem, it was nice to see you again. I hope to see more of you during my stay here."

Absolem says nothing but only nods as he resumes smoking. Alice shakes her head before she looks at the Bandersnatch's waiting form. "To Marmoreal!" She orders.

Without any hesitation, the creature stands up and begins to run through the foliage with incredible speed. McTwisp yelps from the random sharp turns while Alice simply holds on tightly and smiles during the ride.

Absolem watches them leave with a blank look on his face. But soon his look turns uncertain. "Farewell, Alice… Enjoy your time here while it lasts…"

He looks down at his hookah and stares directly at the long parchment beside it. The Oraculum shows a picture of a young woman riding a large creature that is running straight towards a large castle. But nothing is displayed after that picture.

:)(:

Mirana sighs as she sits on her throne and listens to one of her Council members making suggestions about how to rule her kingdom. Her eyes display slight weariness as she listens. This meeting has started over three hours ago and yet it is already past midnight. She had thought that it would have taken much less time to make an agreement on how to start her trade route with the other kingdoms of Underland.

Apparently not.

She is tempted to lean against her throne and close her eyes, but her proper side fights the urge. She is a queen and she is expected to behave as such. Although she could care less of what everyone thinks of her, she still has a sense of dignity and honor.

Stefan stands beside his queen with his hands behind him. His face is expressionless as he looks ahead. He occasionally glances at his queen and catches a brief look of distress on her face. Suddenly he clears his throat and steps forward. "Pardon me for interrupting, but I think that we should postpone this meeting. It is rather late and my Queen is in desperate need of sleep. I'm sure that everyone else here would like to get some rest before attending to tomorrow morning's meeting."

Several members look incredibly relieved while very few others look mutinous. Mirana stands up and holds her hands together. "My advisor is right; we can finish this meeting tomorrow morning. For now, everyone is dismissed."

The members bow to the queen before they leave the room rather hastily. As soon as they are gone, Mirana smiles widely at Stefan and places a hand on his arm. "Thank you, Stefan. I honestly thought that the meeting would be quick."

"You look tired, my Queen." The advisor gives her a crooked smile as he nods to her. "I am simply only concerned for your well-being. Go get some rest and I'll handle everything else tonight."

Mirana smiles again. "Thank you, Stefan. Good night." Then she turns and walks out of the throne room. She walks down the hallway in silence until a voice startles her. "Rather late for a young lady to be out, isn't it?"

Mirana turns around and sees Chessur appearing before her with a wide smile on his face. "Chessur, what are you doing here?" The queen looks a bit surprised and curious.

"I bring you a message. Alice has returned to Underland and is riding on the Bandersnatch towards here as we speak." Chessur's smile widens. Mirana's eyes widen in curiosity and hope. "You're sure?"

"Positive. She should be here by the next two minutes." Chessur says. Mirana's eyes widen again before she composes herself and nods. "Thank you, Chessur. I will go greet her." The cat nods before he disappears. Without a moment to waste, Mirana grabs the helm of her dress and begins to run through her castle. She passes by her bewildered red and white soldiers and doesn't stop until she reaches to the entrance door. She takes a moment to catch her breath, straightens up, and opens the door. She walks down the steps gracefully and smiles when she sees a white figure running down the path into the castle gates. The creature stops a few yards in front of the castle and Mirana sees two figures sliding down from the creature. The much smaller figure seems a big unnerved and trembles as it hops towards her. The other taller figure straightens out her dress before she walks towards the Queen. Mirana smiles widely when she recognizes them as Alice and McTwisp.

"Your Majesty, I have returned." Alice politely bows before the queen and lowers her head to avoid eye contact. McTwisp seems out of breath but manages to also bow before the queen.

"Rise." Mirana gestures the duo to stand up. She smiles brightly at Alice. "Alice, it is so good to see you again. We have all missed you." She places her hand on Alice's shoulder.

"And I have missed all of you as well." Alice smiles. Suddenly she looks apologetic. "I'm terribly sorry about the short noticed, Your Highness. I-"

Mirana holds up a hand. "Alice, dear. Please just call me Mirana. Any close friend of mine does not need to address me by my formal title. And it is no trouble at all, my dear. I already had a room ready for you in case you would return."

Alice smiles and nods gratefully. "Thank you, Mirana." Mirana smiles as she holds out a hand to Alice. When the blonde takes it, the queen gracefully leads her towards the castle. McTwisp follows them. Mirana asks her red guards to place the Bandersnatch in a comfortable stable as she leads Alice towards the kitchen.

"Can I grab you anything?" Mirana asks. Alice shakes her head and Mirana only nods before she enters the kitchen. She instinctively ducks when a glass cup is thrown against the door. Alice blinks when she hears shouts from a familiar rabbit.

"ALICE! YER LATE FOR TEA!" He shouts crazily before he begins to sprint around the room. His excitement seems to draw the attention of everyone and a few people enter the room. Bayard, Mallymkun, Tweedledee, and Tweedledum enter the room with tired looks on their faces.

"Thackery! What in the bloody Hell are you doing?" Mallymkun demands as she jumps off Bayard's head. She rubs her eyes tiredly. Alice notices that she is wearing a long-sleeved red and white nightgown. "We're all trying to sleep and you're making a racket about-" The Dormouse pauses and blinks when she sees Alice for the first time. "Alice?"

"Alice!" Bayard's eyes brighten as he rushes up to nuzzle against Alice's legs. Alice smiles and leans down to scratch his ears. "Hello, everyone. It is good to see you again."

"Is that who I think it is?" Tweedledee blinks as he points at Alice. His twin shrugs. "Probably. But then again it might not be who you think it is…"

"No, I'm certain that it's her!"

"Then maybe it is her."

"You just said that it wasn't her!"

"I said that it probably wasn't her. There's a difference."

"No, there ain't!"

"Is so!"

"Not so!"

"Is so!"

"Not so!"

The duo begin to push each other during their argument. Mirana and Alice couldn't help but giggle at their predictable differences. Suddenly louder shouts make the twins stop and listen. Everyone turns stiff when they hear a rough voice shouting.

"Ge' offa me, ya slurvish git!" A male voice snarls as loud stomps come from behind the door next to Mirana and Alice. The girls cautiously step back while another voice speaks calmly. Everyone realizes that the calm voice belongs to Chessur. "Now, now, Hatter. Don't be like that. I just want to show you a surprise. I promise that you'll like it…"

Alice's breath hitches when she hears Chessur mention the Hatter. Her heart begins to beat with excitement but she couldn't help but wonder why the Mad Hatter sounds angry. Then she realizes how late it is and believes that Chessur must have forced the milliner awake to greet her.

"This better be good, otherwise I'm gonnae have tae make a new furry hat tomorrow…" Suddenly the door slams open and Tarrant enters the room with a displeased frown on his face. His eyes are red and Chessur looks amused as he pushes the milliner inside the kitchen. The Hatter takes the moment to gather his surroundings and sees a bemused Mirana and a curious Alice. He is about to turn to snap at Chessur before his brain kicks in. He blinks as he stares at Alice cautiously. "Alice?" His eyes turn back to a normal bright shade of green.

Alice couldn't help it. She smiles widely as she rushes forward and gives the startled Hatter a tight hug. "Hatter, I'm so glad to see you again!"

The Hatter says nothing; he doesn't even return the hug because he is too shocked. Alice finally lets go of him and looks at him. Like all the other Underlandians, he hasn't changed a bit. When the Hatter makes no sound or movement, Alice grows concerned. "Hatter? Are you all right?"

"Alice…?" The Hatter now looks uncertain as he stares at Alice up and down. She looks fully-grown now. The only thing that hasn't changed are her sapphire eyes. The eyes that have the determination, boldness, and munchness that he has missed dearly.

"Hatter…?" Alice frowns up at him.

Finally the Hatter's brain begins to kick in. Without warning, he lets out an insane laugh and grabs Alice. He hugs her tightly and swings her around. "Alice, you are back! You're back!"

Although startled at first, Alice joins in on his laughter as he continues to swing her around. Mirana smiles at the touching reunion while the others join in the cheering. Mallymkun only stares at Alice suspiciously.

When Tarrant finally places Alice down, he smiles a toothy grin at her. "You came back… You're really here…"

"Of course I came back," Alice smiles up at him as she places her hands on his shoulders. "I said that I'd be back before you know it. I kept my promise…"

Tarrant only smiles wider as he places his hands on her arms. "Yes, you did…" He murmurs.

Happy reunion! Next chapter is where things become more interesting. And I must alert readers; yes, this is an AliceXTarrant story, but the romance won't start until a little later. You'll see why.

Read and review, please!