It only happens in our minds

Carius Hatter stared darkly at the cup which sat upon its respective plate. His eyes had once been a shining blue, but now they were a stormy, forboding gray. It had been years since Alice had been in this world. He would never forget the young girl who would forever change Wonderland. As she became older, and older, her heart had become tainted, different and so did Wonderland. Raising a pale, waxy hand to his head, he curled his fingers around the rim of his black short-lidded tophat, taking it off his head. A heavy sigh left the man's lips, the thin corners rising in a crooked smile as he raised his head.

The black, greasy hair defied gravity as much as possible, curling in every which way. Worry-lines warped his face, but the smile eased them slightly. "Alice.. Alice is coming.." His voice seemed contemplative.

When Alice left, the Queen of Spades took power, creating a more diabolical reign. She needed to be removed from the throne, but how would this tall, lanky, and insane man even begin to attempt to bring down the reign of the dreaded Queen. He had thought the Queen of Hearts was bad, but, this.. this was just ridiculous.

His eyes, almost black, looked to the large entry-way to the garden, almost hidden by ivy. "Alice."


Alice tiptoed through the vines as the ivy attempted to curl around her dark shoes. She could feel the chill of something queer in Wonderland, and not the normal insanity that took place. Something was...Different. More foreboding.

Alice had, indeed, aged since the last time she had been in Wonderland. She exchanged her pale blue and white for dark Victorian garb. Wonderland had changed who she was, how she thought. In return, her appearance changed. She was no longer the frightened girl, but she paid the price of innocence.

Her dark hair was neat and straight, a smooth, even increase from the nape of her neck to her chin. It moved gently as the dying ivy attempted for one last struggle to hold onto something real, feeding on her exhalations.

She wondered if the people and creatures she had known in Wonderland were dead and gone, just as the air felt. Her eyes blinked slowly, her pupils dilating on what she believed her answer to be.

A small grin curved on the Hatter's lips as he stood. With a cat-like, alluring gait, he approached Alice. Taking a deep breath, he licked at a canine, tenderly. "Welcome back, Alice." He drawled, his voice dark, cold, almost. A smirk took his lips as the smile faded, then he raised a hand, cautiously, to brush a small collection of bangs away from her face. "Wonderland has needed your reign, desperately. The Queen of Spades, the Queen of Hearts manic sister now reigns, and you see what has become of her reign. Now that the serious matter is aside," Carius turned to the table, clearing his throat.

"Have a seat, my dear. Would you like some tea?" When he returned to the table, he poured a cup of tea, knowing full well she would take the tea.

Alice smiled. My, how time had taken a toll on her Hatter. Everything in Wonderland seemed to be looked at through a clouded window. The colour all had but drained from the scenery. The flowers that once sang had sorrowful faces, looking down. Most were dead, but did not wilt. Their suffering simply lingered.

Her eyes gazed back into the Hatter's as he spoke,

"Wonderland needs me to reign? Perhaps these years have left you more mad than before... she smirked.

The tea was incredibly inviting. If the Hatter knew how to do anything right: it was tea.

"I suppose I would like a cup of tea...As long as there are no rodents residing in the glasses."


Hatter looked at her incredulously. "Needless to say.. Dormouse, the March Hare, even the famed Cheshire, all have passed." He looked mournful, briefly, then looked at her. Taking a deep, aggravated breath, he wrinkled his nose. The severity of the situation was getting darker, the clouds seemed to darken with each passing minute. Taking a small sip of his tea, he closed his eyes. "Wonderland needs you, Alice. We need a caring, loving Queen. We can't have any more of these false rulers who try desperately hard to ruin everything Wonderland once was.

His eyes remained at his cup, the cup that he made for Alice was sat at a spot directly next to him.

It took a lot of strength for Alice to keep her face from showing the telltale signs of mourning. As bizarre as those creatures had been, Alice had fondly thought of them. She had hoped if only the cat, fat in its age, had lived.

"What a shame..." Alice spoke, softly. Her tone of voice giving away her emotion.

She sat down close to the Hatter, as if an attempt to cling to things as they were, a slight smirk crossing her lips.

"And who says I'll be a benevolent queen?"

But her attempt to lighten the mood failed and shriveled, just as Wonderland had done in her absence.She took a small sip of her tea. Alice could almost taste tears.


Carius cleared his throat, tapping his fingers on the table, deciding to avoid her contradiction. "The new Queen.. Her name is Ammaline. The worst part is, the magic of the Cheshire Cat, she is his daughter.. and the Queen of Hearts half sister, making her a half-breed. I escaped from her madhouse, Wit's End, but not before I could learn more about her, and her ancestors. The worst part is, she doesn't know her heritage." Swallowing hard, he ran the pale nimble fingers over his face. "Wit's End asylum is where a good portion of the other creatures live, the Cheshire's only other offspring, the dear dormouse' daughter, and March Hare's halfwit brother, as well." A small laugh came from his lips and he sighed.

"Since we were on the topic of the magic of the Cheshire Cat, he wasn't always a cat, you know. He was once a man, and before the Queen of Hearts turned him into a Cat, her mother committed adultery with him, resulting, 9 months later, there was Ammaline, and 21 years later, now, she is a dreadful Queen. Her methods are much worse than that of the Queen of Hearts."

Alice's brow furrowed in contemplation, trying to get everything straight. The Cat was not a cat, and had a daughter, who is the new queen. Dormouse had a daughter, March Hare had a brother and Cheshire had another child.

She let out a small breathe as she tried to file all the information away inside her mind.

"How did you escape? If a mouse could not... Assuming Dormouse was actually a rodent. Which apparently might be considered silly to think at this point."
Alice sighed, frustrated. It was true in Wonderland things were not as they seemed, but it had never occurred to her that there were mysteries still left about the ones she was familiar with.

“Well, dear Alice..” He started, the nimble fingers tracing the cup as he contemplated how to explain it. “Simply. When you are as mad as a hatter..” Clearing his throat, he dropped his hand from the cup and it lingered in the air briefly before dropping to the table, slowly, landing in the middle of the chipped china. “Anything is possible.” He wouldn’t describe his venture yet. There were more things that were important at this time, like, for instance: How to get Ammaline out of power and commission and bring the famed Alice into power. His eyes narrowed as he concentrated on this topic, running his tongue along a canine before across dry lips. This was a very difficult subject, indeed.


Alice nodded slightly. She wouldn't press the topic any further. Her gaze left the teacup and rested on the Hatter's dark eyes, trying to search for approval.

"What must we do?...Go to Wit's End, rescue all who do not belong, then recruit them to overthrow Ammaline's reign?"

She brushed her hair behind her ears before taking a sip of her tea, her eyes never leaving the Hatter's. He was eerily different, yet she could still see-no. That wasn't right. She could still feel who he was trapped inside of him. He wasn't one to be serious, and she could tell he wanted to go back to being the mad, carefree Hatter he once was.


Carius sighed, he knew what she was thinking. "Alice. Wonderland is not as you left it, as I said before. Getting into Wit's End will be much more difficult than simply getting out of it." His eyes met hers again, and he swallowed hard. "Even after, if we succeed, no one in Wonderland will be the same. The Hatter you knew.. the Hatter who was so carefree. . Since you left, since you became who you are, it, in turn, effected all of us." He laughed softly, taking another drink of his tea. It was going to be hard, maneuvering through this.

"I need you to keep the faith, no matter how down I seem about this, that we, and all of Wonderland, will be able to get through this.


Alice laughed softly, looking down into her dark tea, hoping her tears were not visible.

"That's just like you...To say it's all my fault."

The false-smile faded from her lips feeling not only the burden of having to save Wonderland, but having destroyed it in the first place. Had she never left, perhaps things would have been different. She would have not been exposed to the things she had, such brutality and cruelty. She would not have been faced with such tragedies that changed her.

Wonderland would always be this way, even if she saved them all.

Alice fiddled with the hem of her skirt, trying to stay strong in front of the only one left. She had to be strong, she just had to.


"I can't lie to you, Alice. It is your fault. Had you not left, I'm sure this world would be under the reign of a .. honest.." He paused, the black eyes scanning her form briefly, almost sadly. He stood and rested a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder, his fingers curling around it, his other hand coming up to her jaw, lifting her head so she could look at him. A small laugh escaped his lips as he brushed the tears away with his thumbs. "Beautiful.." He muttered to her, and her alone, "Queen." He cleared his throat and his hands dropped and he looked at his place, then up at the clock. Always 6 o' clock, but never at tea. He sighed and released a heavy breath again right after.


Alice swallowed hard, choking back emotions she had so long tried to repress. She hated it being her fault, and a swell of self-loathing burned in the pit of her stomach, blaming her for what had been done to everyone. But she wasn't ready to be queen, then. As a mere child. Hell, she wasn't ready now.

Her eyes gazed into the Hatter's for that brief period, yet it seemed like an eternity.

She exhaled slowly, turning over in her mind how terrible it must have been for him; for everyone. What Alice had faced was nothing compared to the total suffering of Wonderland. And it was all her fault.

Alice gathered her strength and stood up, her eyes averting Carius' guiltily.

"I will do what must be done."

The words came out soft, but the meaning behind them was strong. She would not run from her fears anymore. If she would not be doing this for all of wonderland; she'd be doing it for her mad Hatter.

Carius lifted his hands to his hair and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked at Alice. "Wonderland is depending on you, and on the aide of the family of the friends you once knew." He smiled, although it was weak. He took a deep breath. "Wit's End is really.. really hard to get into and out of. Underground sewage systems are the best way into their." He licked at his lips, moistening them.

Alice groaned a bit. A sewer? Perfect. The to-be Queen of Wonderland, mucking around in unsanitary, and quite smelly waste. Couldn't it have been a meadow, or a garden or something pleasant?

She sighed. Nothing was pleasant in Wonderland anymore. And as much as she detested smelling like a dead rat, it was probably the only way to save everyone.

Alice looked at Carius, pleadingly.

"Are you positive a sewer is the only way?"

She hoped there was another way, but she knew there was not.

"Yes. I am sure there is no other way. It's how I got out of there to begin with." Clearing his throat, he sat on the edge of the table, a scowl on his lips. "Sorry, your Highness." He said, quietly, his tone a smooth silk. His eyes raised to her again before he swallowed, hard.


Alice smiled softly.

"Oh, come now. I am not your Queen yet, dear Hatter."

She began looking around as if for a sign for the sewers. She dreaded the idea of trudging around in the muck, but she might as well get it over with.

"Where do these sewers begin, Carius? Or end, depending on how you look at it." Alice tried to seem perky, trying not to feel how utterly hopeless the situation seemed.


Carius looked at her skeptically for a moment. "Since you came back, my Queen, you are the Queen." His eyes turned from her and he looked at the tea cup and swallowed. "Well, that is the bad part of this. There is only one opening to our sewer systems. . . and it is far from here." He looked up at her and ran his fingers over the side of his cup. "It's deeper within the forest where you met old Cheshire. It is close to the dwelling of the now-sober Caterpillar, and the skinnier bumblehead twins Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum." Biting at his lip briefly he looked across his table, his nose twitching a bit.

"But how can I be queen without having the throne?" she asked, puzzled.

It didn't seem to make any sense. If she was queen as it was, could she not just dethrone the "queen" as it was, and make the situation a whole lot easier?


Alice listened to the Hatter shuddered a bit. She never liked those twins, and could only imagine their ominous and creepy aura only amplified by the way Wonderland is now. But she was quite curious to see how the Caterpillar would act without his hookah-addiction.

"Well, we best get a move on, then, yes?"

She sighed a bit and looked around, trying to remember which way would be the best to go. This adventure would be far from happy. The sooner she could save Wonderland and the offspring of her friends, the better.


Hatter took a breath and exhaled, avoiding her quizzical question-- it'd be difficult for him to explain. "Definitely, because those two bumbling idiots will let us cross a damn bridge without a toll. Got anything of value on you?" Running his hands through his hair, he put his hat back on his head, running his fingertip over the lid. He folded his hands in front of his lips, pressing the knuckle of his fingers against his lip. Black eyes watched Alice intently, narrowed to slits to block out all peripheral sights.

Alice sneered slightly at her unanswered questions.


"Well, if I AM Queen, as you say, can I not, under my royal decree, force them to allow us to pass?" she huffed as she crossed her arms, clearly agitated.

The truth was, she had nothing of value on her. No little trinkets or shiny precious things. She did not care to carry such things around. It is best not to get attached to anything.


"Because. You are not Queen in everyone's eyes yet." He snarled at her, his eyes opening. He stood. "You don't have anything do you. I hate giving up this watch.." He looked at the pocketwatch set at 6 forever. He sighed and looked at her his brow furrowing.


Alice pondered a moment.

"I could flash them...." she smirked a bit "I've seen it work."

Alice didn't know whether the dunderheads actually appreciated breasts, but she certainly had them. And if it could keep Carius from losing one of his possessions, she would sacrifice a bit of her dignity. After all, she would be sloshing around in a sewer afterward. Her dignity would surly be gone then.


A small growl escaped his lips. "You don't want to know my opinion of that. Come on. We're leaving." He didn't face her. That upset him. Badly. He took a deep breath, releasing it heavily. It took a lot to keep himself from explaining to her what he hoped for, what he was longing for. His eyes had flashed red. 'Those dunderheads.. they would destroy her should they be flashed by her. They unrelentless.. I've seen them do worse for a flash of leg. . .' His eyes moved up to the trees, looking at the scratched off trunks of the dead trees, then moving down to the base and root, watching as flower after wilted flower passed by. He frowned a bit more, were it possible, looking ahead of him again.


Alice pouted slightly. She had obviously bothered him with the statement. In her mind she tossed furiously around the idea that he should not be so ungrateful to her help, and she was merely trying to keep his watch in his possession.

"Well... Once or if I become queen...The first thing I'll do is get your watch back, how is that?" she tried to reason with him, her eyes averting his figure, seemingly fluid in motion.

There was still so much she did not understand about the Hatter. The girl paused slightly, her eyes gazing. What if this was all some trap? Carius could turn on a dime...This could all be some nefarious plan to do in the only other who could rule Wonderland.

Alice sighed. She could hardly muster any emotion much less enough to give a visible damn.


Carius looked at her quietly then scowled again, leading her onward. "You should really keep your mouth shut." He said, shortly, as if warning her. Black eyes focused on tree to tree, his ears perking a bit, listening. He raised a pale hand, urging her to stop. A loud screech and a stomp was heard in a not so far distance. "Jabberwock.." He growled quietly, his eyes moving to her. "Walk. Slow." He began walking slowly again, careful of his step.

Amber eyes were watching the two from the top of a tall tree, then narrowed briefly. His hands wrapped around the branches of the tree, then he looked ahead of them, watching the Jabberwock. A small smirk took the feline-esque male's lips. He would join their escapade, after all. . their conversation wasn't going unheard, and Alice had gotten very pretty in reference to the pictures he had seen of her. Judas Cheshire watched the two move and he sighed. But, he would have to get that dreadful Hatter away from her.

Her lip curled in annoyance. Alice felt pretty unappreciated at the moment. She was simply trying to make him feel better...

She watched the ground carefully, moving her delicate feet around the rotting leaves and twisted branches that lay in her path. She would ask what a Jabberwock was, but she figured there was no point. Carius wanted her quiet, and quiet he'd get.

Alice tried to keep her mind focused on not making noise, but it kept drifting back to the dark figure ahead of her, and how nothing she could do would ever possibly please him.


And there it was. The damned, foul Jabberwock, just in front of them.

"Twas brillig and the slithy goves
did gyre and gimble in the wabe
All mimsy were the borogoves
And the mome raths outgrabe."


A voice half-sung from above the two. From the trees a figure flying, or so it seemed, through the air to land atop the miserable beast's head, much to its dismay. Grabbing one of its antennae to maintain his balance, his eyes went down to the Hatter. "Oh, you dismal man. Walking slow to avoid this beast. . Piece of cake, if you are skilled like the Cheshire." Judas' free hand went to his side-pack, a vorpal blade coming from within.

Using this vorpal blade, he stuck it between his teeth and as he swung himself over the Jabberwock's head, he dug it into the creature's neck and spiraling down it, the Jabberwock's neck slicing close to into. At the base of the creature's shoulders, he sliced the creatures head and neck off, looking up at Alice and Hatter as the beast fell behind him. He was kneeling, his head dipped, blonde hair falling over his eyes. "Good evensong, my Lady." He dismissed Hatter, forgetting he existed.

Hatter watched disdainfully. He had been prissy footing to protect Alice, mangy cur. He had always hated the cocky son, which is why he hadn't gone on about him to Alice. A sigh escaped his lips as he tilted his head, cracking his neck.


Alice watched with a grotesque fascination as the strange being beheaded the beast.

She almost was caught off guard as he spoke to her, her dark eyes more interested in the blood that spilled out of the body-cavity of the monster.

"And you, Sir." Alice smiled politely, giving a formal curtsy.

He had said Cheshire, did he not? Was he the one they were looking for? Had he escaped Wit's End as well?

"Excuse me...But did you happen to come from Wit's End?" she inquired before realizing how rude that sounded.

Hatter groaned as Cheshire began to tell his tale. "Well, Alice." He smiled his catty smile. "Yes. I followed your suitor out as he escaped. I'm much easier to escape, mind you, seeing as.." His form disintegrated before them and reappeared by Hatter's a moment later. "I can disappear into thin air."

"So you were the cat I smelled behind me." Hatter growled, eyes narrowed. As much as he hated the cat, he knew he needed him and the others in order to overthrow the hated queen.

Carius watched Alice's reaction to the cur. Black eyes focused in on Cheshire. A thread to him becoming Alice's. . and her, his. He opened his mouth slightly, his tongue running over a canine. He stared down his nose at the man, the upperlip of his mouth curling into a sneer. "We're going. Come on. Follow if you want, roadkill." Crossing his arms, he began to walk ahead of Alice and Judas.

Judas watched him and his head tilted, his bangs falling into his eyes. "He is interesting. Much different than the Hatter I saw in Wit's End. Mm. My daddy didn't do you justice, Alice." His eyes scanned her form and he watched as Carius looked back at him. "Oh. I miss his brooding." He sighed melodramatically, a smile on his lips.

Cheshire nodded, "Before he died. He said you were rather pretty, of course, it was rather curious the way he had said it.." Judas walked with a cat-like gait, obviously. His father had left him with some rather obnoxious qualities. Raising a hand to his hair he brushed his bangs out of his face, the amber eyes jumping from tree to tree and finally back to Alice as he listened to their surroundings.

Hatter groaned and looked back at Cheshire. "Listen, I know your prepubescent mind doesn't think this, but, you don't need a rut. We gotta get her to Wit's End so we can free our cell mates." The man was getting angrier and angrier, listening to the man's smooth tenor, it was almost erotic, but Hatter knew he had no competition, truly. Cheshire was skinnier and almost frail, although his recent display didn't show it, and Hatter, well. Hatter was somewhat muscular, and possibly moreso than Cheshire.

"Nah, Marchy and Penny were too frightened to follow us out. Then again, Marchy didn't want to come anyway, considering too many insults were thrown about before Hatter left to count. I think Marchy'll come hunting for Hatter here sometime soon." Cheshire replied, walking alongside her. Humming a tune familiar to him, and well, Hatter, Cheshire slapped his hand on Hatter's shoulder. "Just because you're too scared to tell her you love her, doesn't mean I am." He breathed into the man's ear before saddling back beside Alice.

Hatter's eyes narrowed and he growled. "That's it." He turned and grabbed Cheshire by the throat, slamming him into the nearest tree. "You do not know what it is to desire. You do not know what it is to love. You fucking kitten. I hope 'Marchy' comes after me, then you can have your beloved Alice, if she'll take you. I doubt she will. You're not man enough to know the difference between an inchworm and that thing you have in your pants, let alone know love from lust." Sinking his fingertips into Cheshire's throat, he yelped as he was thrown back by a rather hard blow to the jaw. Now on his back glaring up at Cheshire, his upper lip curled into a sneer.

"Yeah, well. You're nothing more than a man drowning in stale tea, forever trapped at 6 o' clock." Cheshire breathed as he stepped forward, the goofy smile no longer on his lips. The ball of his heel landed against Hatter's chest as he stepped on the man to walk over him, his eyes narrowed as he looked ahead.

"Stop it!" Alice yelled, panic-stricken when she saw the fight ensue.

At first she feared for Cheshire. Well, more so aggravation against Hatter for pinning the fool to the tree. But she saw the blow to Carius, and felt at a loss when she saw him on the ground, as if she had simply...Missed something.

She dropped to her knees beside the Hatter, tracing her fingers lightly at the sight of the punch. Alice sighed, weakly.

"Now why did you have to start up with him, Carius? It will do us no good if you two are fighting," she tried explaining.

She did not wish to take sides in this matter, what ever it had been. She had not been paying attention to what was going on, and only turned to see Cheshire strike Hatter.

A fresh rose sat in her lapel. The small sign of light and beauty spoke to her, she had been absorbed in the ruby petals, and just had to keep it safe from what ever in Wonderland would destroy its innocence. She wanted to keep it close to her heart.

Carius growled and looked at Cheshire who had, in this time, leaned against a tree. Within a matter of moments Alice was beneath Carius who straddled her hips. His hands rested against her wrist. "You wanna know why I'm so against you flashing those miscreants? Here's why. You're. mine" He growled and stood, shoving her hands away from his own and began to stalk towards the Sewer's entrance.

Cheshire watched him, a glimpse of fire visible in his eye. If he was wanting to start a fight that badly, he would have this fight, and since the House of Cards was technically, at one point, the house of Cheshire, then it, and of itself, belonged to him. He would fight for both Alice and his true inheritance.

Alice lay amongst the decayed leaves and dirt for a moment. Her eyes were wide with fear and her body trembled. At this very moment she considered death to be more welcoming.

The girl sat up, slowly, trying to keep the tears from forming. She curled her legs into her body, resting her head sideways, upon her knees.

She had never seen Carius so...Wild. It frightened her. This whole thing did. She didn't want to do this any longer. She didn't want to be queen, or deal with these lunatics. She simply did not care any longer. Even if all of Wonderland dies, why must her sanity be the price of rescue?

Alice stood up, shaking her head at the racing thoughts in her head, at everything that just happened.

And begin to walk in the opposite direction.

Cheshire watched Carius quietly then sighed. "Don't go, Alice. We literally need you." He watched her sadly and bit at his lip. "Carius has been.. struggling.. since you left. He's fought off many addictions and for you. He wants to be perfect for you." The Cheshire tried to explain the situation. Carius turned to look at him and scowled.

"What would she want with a bipolar man as her King? Let her go. Perhaps Wonderland .. Perhaps Alice would be better off without Wonderland." Black eyes lowered to the ground then up to the sky as the skies pulled taut and rain began to fall. It was a good thing, too, or else, they would be able to see the normally serious and emotionally strong man ... cry. His head bowed again and he cleared his throat, the tears slowly rolling down his cheeks.

She stopped in her tracks, although did not look back.

"Addictions...?" she questioned aloud, weakly.

She never thought The Hatter could be addicted to anything, well, besides tea... Her eyes closed tightly at the thought of him shooting himself up with god knows what. And because of her?

Alice clenched her fists tightly, trying to not let the Cheshire's words get to her.

Everything that happened here, everything they all went through, was because of her. They kept telling her that, and she absolutely loathed it. A hot lump in her throat burned as she turned around, her face red as she tried to keep herself from crying.

"I didn't ask for any of this!" she choked, frustrated.

The first time she went to Wonderland was an accident. She only tried to help them. And this is how they repaid her? By using guilt to make her do more? She was only one person. How much could one girl possibly do...

Carius groaned and crossed his arms. He turned and walked towards her. "It is your fault. You didn't ask for it. Shit happens. But you are the only one who can save us." He meant what he said, but he growled. "Heroin, some kind of drug from the Caterpillar, some sort of drugs to put in my tea to make them even more potent." He continued, listing a few of his addictions. "The only reason why they let me stay in that damned Asylum was because I needed to, and if I didn't have the drugs, I would have been out of there sooner." He sighed and took off his jacket, showing the bruises where his veins were still somewhat collapsed from the overuse of Heroin. He pulled the jacket back on and then turned, beginning to lean against a tree, his head hung.

Cheshire remained silent. He couldn't say anything.

Alice whimpered softly. She felt terrible for what had happen to him. Absolutely awful. Carius had destroyed himself, and it was because of her.

She walked slowly over to him. The girl was still fearful, but she touched his arm compassionately.

"I'm sorry, Carius," she spoke softly, gazing up at him and hoping he would not hurt her again.

She sighed and bit her ruby lip gently.

"I want to make things right."

"You're forgiven, but there are so many things that I need to change.. we need to change." Carius said quietly, to her. "There's another part of our tale that I need to tell you. Cheshire there.. The House of Cards was once the House of Cheshire. You're going to be Queen of what was once that mangy cat's realm." He laughed and shook his head. "We should.. probably keep going." Hatter said, simply, continuing to walk ahead of the two. He wondered how awkward this was going to get now.

Cheshire watched Hatter quietly, his eyes somewhat narrowed. 'He's getting to be quite annoying. I just saved his hide and now he's spreading my name around in this and dismantling my inheritance. Wait. Did he say that Alice would be the Queen?

Alice's looked at the Hatter, cocking her eyebrow.

"Wait, so... It's the Cheshire's throne?" she asked, rather confused. If it was the House of Cheshire, why would she barge in with a living heir?

"Then why need me?" she pointed to Judas, "you've got an actual heir."

Alice pouted a bit, feeling lied to and ashamed. She did not want to take something from a person it did not belong, and for her to gain the throne, well, she was no one compared to those who lived in Wonderland. Her arms crossed stubbornly and planted her feet firmly down. She refused to go further without answers.

"Because the Cheshire family can't have any power to rule after they had been shamed by my father's adultery. Elektra, my mother who is no longer living, had decreed that until me or any of her other children had brought a good name to the Cheshire family, we would be unable to rule because of this. My half-sister is a Cheshire, and right now, it is a defiled Queen of Wonderland, Ammaline Cheshire is the Queen of Spades, self-proclaimed." Judas said, darkly, his amber eyes roaming the ground, watching little bugs move from beneath the soil and onto the earth above. Taking a deep breath, he released it, then turned towards her. "That is why you are fit to be our Queen. I won't lie, I want the power, but I am also a defiled Cheshire. . unfit for the throne."

Carius looked over at Judas. Wow. He was such a storyteller. He wanted that throne. He fit his name just perfectly- Judas. Fucking. Cheshire. "What he says is the truth. . but be forewarned. His mother didn't name him Judas for no reason." He breathed into Alice's ear as he had stopped walking to listen to Judas speak. "He'll try to backstab you, most Cheshires, or defiled ones do. I'll be here to prevent that."

Alice sighed,

"Then why keep him with us? I'm failing to see the point of any of this effort..." she trailed off. But it was Wonderland, and apparently nothing needed a point. As long as Alice was miserable, uncomfortable and could be killed at any moment, that was the point.

She laughed, morbidly.

"He can do as he will, I really couldn't care less," she scoffed.

There was just way too much in her way, in this path to, what? Reign would not be easy, not to mention with the Cheshire wanting the throne. She saw the movies, there were always threats against the kings and queens.

"The reason why you're keeping me with us is because I'm the one who made the map for Hatter's grand escape. I have the maps still. That, and I know the layout of the House of Cards better than anyone, I grew up there." Cheshire replied, and sighed. He bit at his lip and then groaned as he heard the demented singing of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.

"Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall.." Tweedle-Dum started, the thin man was almost emaciated.

"Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall.." Tweedle-Dee continued, and both danced in stupid circles around a small fire they had started.

"All the kings horses, and all the kings men.. Couldn't put Humpty Together again.." Both finished as they began roasting a rib of a borogove on the spit.

Carius looked at their ridiculous display with annoyance. This would be a long day for him, losing his watch, losing the interest in reign of Alice, this wouldn't be a very good day, that's for certain.

The hair on Alice' neck stood up with hearing their voices again. She loathed those brothers more than anything.

"Can't we find another path?" she hissed through her teeth, softly. Hoping to keep attention away.

What Judas may do, and the point of doing any of this to "save Wonderland" was eradicated from her mind, and in it's place was "how the hell do we get away from these fuckers?".

Alice looked around, hoping as if a sign would appear to point her in the right direction.

"I just have to give them the only valuable thing we have." Carius replied, solemnly, his hand going to the pocket in his jacket and he pulled the gold trinket from it carefully. He walked ahead of them and started to pass them and before he could pass them entirely, the brothers stopped him.

"You can't pass. Riddles are a thing of the past." Tweedle-Dum stated plainly.

"You must give us something that will last." Tweedle Dee finished, his eyes focused on the trinket in Judas' palm.

Cheshire followed hoping Alice was close in toe, else they wouldn't be able to get through.

The girl's eyes widened, an idea clinking around in her head, before she took out a small silver box with a lock on it. She held it out in her palm.

"If you are able to open this, you may keep what is inside. If you cannot, you must let us pass, and keep the box anyways," she choked out, fearful of her plan.

In truth, the box contained nothing. It was a simple altoid's tin, welded shut with a lock. She had created it during her Jewelry making class, as practice. She failed, but the time she had spent on it made it worth keeping, even as a trinket.

But other than that, it had no real value. She hoped they would not catch on to that, based on the glittering silver appearance it had.

All she knew is that she did not want Carius' pocket watch to be lost to these barbaric heathens.

Carius eyes went from the pocketwatch to the trinket box. His head tilted and the two brothers surveyed it.

"We shall accept." Tweedle Dee exclaimed, taking the small box, and as he tried to unlock it with several things- a hair, his nail, and the pointed part of his canine, he found he could not open it. He passed it to Tweedle Dum who tried to open it by force, and found he could not open it either.

"You may pass, as to our agreement, but when you return, and if you come this way again, you must let us have the shiny gold pocketwatch. The pocketwatch of Wonderland." The second brother hissed, wagging his finger and then tossed the tin into the air, catching it.

Carius wrinkled his nose and scanned them. He knew they wouldn't be coming back this way for a very long time. Cheshire grimaced a little as the group walked past them and further into the forest. Both Hatter and Cheshire tensed as they heard a sing-song voice from a distance.