The Second Alice

[TheHufflepuffRabbit]

"Princess Diamond," Thomas White gasped, bowing before a small child who was calmly sitting upon a crumbling throne. "You must get out of the palace while you still can."


Princess Diamond shook her head. "No, Thomas, my duty lies here. You need to go elsewhere."


"Your Highness, I don't understand."


"Thomas...." Princess Diamond bent low so they were face-to-face. Thomas felt her deep-set eyes looking into his soul and tried not to shiver. "Who was that girl from the Other World that caused so much trouble for Grandma Hearts?"


"You mean Alice?" Thomas shook his head. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but she is long dead. She died with one heir, who married another, who had another, who married another, and so on."


"Then find a new Alice," Princess Diamond said. "For Wonderland. She'll set things right."


"Yes, Your Majesty."


Denver, Colorado. 4:00 PM mountain time. A local pet shop called Paws and Claws.


Alice Little finished shelving the cat food and wiped her brow. "That took longer than expected."


"Indeed it did," the owner, a chubby woman named Lauren, agreed. "Alice, could you help me with this cat? It's the oddest little thing I've ever encountered." Alice nodded and took a look at the cat.


"Wow. Are cats supposed to be purple?"


"Maybe in Alice in Wonderland," Lauren chuckled. "I bet it's some poor little escaped science experiment," she clucked. "What do you think?"


"I think it's smirking at me." Alice wrinkled her nose. The cat stuck out its tongue. "Ah! There it goes again!"


"That one is definitely a troublemaker," Lauren chuckled. "I think he likes you."


"Thanks, but I'll pass. I don't think that Dahlia would appreciate the presence of a smiling cat." Alice leaned to look at it. "Did it come with any identification?"


"Just this." Lauren handed a slip of paper to Alice. On it was inscribed the following:


ℓ◎ґ∂ ﹩℮℘†ʝмʊ﹩ ¢ℌ℮﹩ℌʝґ℮ †ℌ℮ †ℌʝґ∂, Ѧ† ¥◎ʊґ ﹩℮ґṽʝ¢℮. ẘℌѦ† мѦ¥ ʝ ∂◎ ḟ◎ґ ¥◎ʊ?


"I can't even read that!" Alice complained.


"I think it says, 'Lord Septimus Cheshire the Third at your service," Lauren mumbled. "'What may I do for you?"


"Stop smirking at me," Alice muttered. Lord Septimus Cheshire the Third batted his eyelashes. "Yeah, you."


"Well, I think that Lord Cheshire needs a home. How about for just one night?"


"Fine. But I'm bringing him back tomorrow."


"If you say so." Lauren's eyes twinkled as she put Lord Cheshire in Alice's arms. "Have a good evening."


"Yeah, I will." Alice grinned and stepped outside, still holding the purple cat. She set him in her bike basket and began pedaling. "So, Lord Cheshire, why the hell do you have such a dopey grin on your face?"


"That's a good question," the cat replied. Alice stopped her bike.


"Did you just–never mind, it's probably just my imagination."


The cat didn't say anything else for the rest of the ride home. He just kept grinning at her, and Alice just kept pedaling. She arrived at the apartment that she lived in, unlocked the door, and called out, "I'M HOME!"


"Good for you." Jacob, Alice's older brother, smirked. The smirk faded when he saw Lord Cheshire. "What is that?"


"My cat," Alice said defensively. "He needed a home."


Oh, now you call me your cat, a soft voice entered Alice's head; Alice jumped.


"Hey, Al," Jacob said. "What's with the jumpiness?"


"I saw a spider," Alice said immediately. "Where's Dahlia?"


"Where else would she be? In bed."


"Thanks."


Dahlia, Alice's older sister, was a twenty-two year old with the same blonde hair as Alice and Jacob's brown eyes, not to mention skin as white as the walls. She turned her head slowly when she heard the sound of the door opening. "Alice, how nice to see you."


"Hello, Dahlia," Alice said. "How was your doctor's appointment?"


"They diagnosed my skin problem," Dahlia said sadly.


"That's...good..." Alice muttered. "What are the results?"


"I will get my medication in a week." Dahlia didn't sound as though that was a good thing. Her hands shook as she touched her long hair. Alice looked confused, but then she understood.


"Oh, Dahlia...that's terrible...."


Lord Cheshire did nothing; he just started curiously at Dahlia before hopping out of Alice's arms. Alice said there, still in shock, before turning around.


"Alice."


"Yes?" Alice turned around.


"Something tells me that you will soon find yourself saving thousands, no, millions of lives. I don't know how, but all I can say is good luck."


Alice stared at Dahlia for a while, then said, "Um...thanks." She then walked out of Dahlia's room so she could enter her own.


Alice's room was a safe haven. It had a small bed, a large bookshelf, and dolls. Lots and lots of dolls. There was a corner for her old-fashioned computer, dogeared television, and '50s era telephone, but other than that, there wasn't really any other technology. Lord Cheshire was snoozing on her bed, and next to him was a rabbit wearing a waistcoat and holding an iPhone-sized watch, tapping its feet impatiently. It looked up once it heard her enter, then practically lunged at her.


"Ah! There you are, Chosen One! Thank the Queen!"


"Told you she'd be here in five minutes," Lord Cheshire muttered.


"Aha!" Alice exclaimed, jabbing her finger at the purple cat. "I knew it! I knew that you were talking to me!"


"Of course I spoke to you," Cheshire said lazily. "I may be a criminal, but I certainly am not rude."


The white rabbit rolled his eyes. "Ignore him. He's not important."


"What on earth are two....two storybook creatures doing here?" Alice screeched.


"That's a first," Lord Cheshire said. "Usually I hear more offensive things just because I'm purple. Honestly," he snorted. "The cats from the Other World are the most racist things I've met. 'Escaped science experiment', my tail."


"Really? Most of the creatures I've encountered think I'm adorable," the rabbit said.


"That's because you're a normal color," Cheshire said resentfully. "Whatever that means."


"Hello? You haven't answered my question," Alice said coolly.


"Sorry," the rabbit said. "My name is Thomas White, and that is Lord Septimus Cheshire. I am here to tell you that my–" Lord Cheshire shot Thomas a look. "Fine, our kingdom, Wonderland, is in peril. You may know about your great-grandmother, Alice Liddel–"


"Yeah. She fell down a hole and reappeared a week later."


"Yes, she did. Anyways, that hole led to Wonderland. Now Wonderland needs you, Alice the Second."


"Me?!" Alice blinked. "But what is endangering Wonderland?"


"Have you ever heard of Realists?"


"Yeah. Realists are people who see things realistically, right?"


"You are just as clever as the last Alice. Yes, that is one definition for a Realist. But the Realists threatening our land dislike the peculiar, the magical, the....the...."


"The mad," Lord Cheshire prompted.


"Yes, the....mad. What we need is for you to save us all. It's in your blood."


Alice sat there, dumbfounded. They needed her? She thought about it for a moment. She would finally have the chance to have a real adventure. But something stopped her. "No."


"What?!" Thomas squeaked.


"No. I have a family. I have to go to school. My sister needs me. My brother won't do anything. I could go on forever."


"Yes, Alice, but we need you, too," Thomas said hastily. "If our world collapses, this one will be next."


"Starting with you," Cheshire picked up the slack, his smooth voice surprisingly piercing Alice's ears. "Do you wish to know why?"


"No, Septimus," Thomas warned him. Cheshire's ears drooped. "It's too early for that. But, Alice, if you don't want to, I cannot make you. I'm just saying that you'd be making a grave mis–"


"Shut up," Alice said. She didn't need this right now. Two stupid animals had shown up and told her that she had to save an entire world in order to save her own. Thomas's ears were also drooping now. She suddenly felt guilty. "And show me where the stupid bunny hole is."

 

[TheHufflepuffRabbit]

(Part Two is added now.)


Thomas and Cheshire looked up, hopeful expressions on their furry faces. Then Thomas hopped out of Alice's room. Alice stared after him, then put on her glasses, deciding that her contacts were bugging her, then a sweatshirt and a pair of sneakers. She looked wildly around the apartment. Jacob was smoking a cigarette.


"Hey, Al, there's a rabbit in the bathroom." Jacob jabbed his finger in the direction of the bathroom. Alice nodded mutely and opened the bathroom door.


Thomas was sitting in the sink. Cheshire appeared, first his annoying smirk then the rest of him. Then Thomas looked at the mirror.


"You have to jump into it."


Alice walked in front of the mirror. There was a small child, her bulbous blue eyes staring up at her. She had the same blonde hair as Alice, but not much resembled her besides that. Alice wondered why the mirror was doing this. She kept looking at the small child, but then the image was wrecked by Thomas hopping into the mirror, muttering something about not having all day. Cheshire rolled his eyes and disappeared.


Once again Alice was alone. She hesitated slightly, then took a deep breath and jumped into the mirror.


The time Alice spent between the worlds was not pleasant. She felt herself get twisted horribly, spun round and round, upside-down and inside-out. Occasionally, she would see a white ear or the glinting gold of Thomas's watch, but every time she reached for him, he would disappear.


It took what seemed like forever for Alice to reach the ground. She felt tired. But she had to stay awake. She didn't want to wake up with a concussion. But, within a few minutes, her eyes closed and she dreamed of being on solid ground.


"Alice! Alice!"


Alice's eyes snapped open. She saw Thomas, right in her face, and Cheshire, who was lounging on a tree.


"Good, you're awake." Thomas sighed in relief. "I thought you'd be asleep for the whole day."


"Where are we?" Alice mumbled, taking her glasses off and wiping them on her sweatshirt.


"We are in the Kingdom of Spades," Thomas said. "Home of the Duchess Opal."


"Opal? Who's she?"


"She's...well..." Thomas buried his face in his snow-white paws. Cheshire groaned through his teeth. "A migraine."


"Ah. Are we going to...."


"Unfortunately, we are stopping at her house," Thomas said briskly. "But only because you cannot pass through the Kingdom of Spades without facing her."


"Luckily for me, I can just disappear and reappear," Cheshire said smugly. "And so can–"


"Cheshire," Thomas warned him. "The time is not right."


"Look, can you please explain what big secret is being kept from me?" Alice said coldly. "I can handle it."


"Actually, no, you can't," Thomas said irritably. "You need to prove your worth."


"Fine," Alice said. "I just hate being left out of secrets."


"Come on," Thomas muttered, hopping ahead of Alice. Cheshire shrugged and floated after him. Alice opened her mouth, then reconsidered it. She put her glasses back on, zipped up her sweatshirt, dug her hands in the pockets, and followed the two animals.


"So, how long will this take?" Alice asked Thomas.


"It will be a six days' journey on foot," Thomas said. "I cannot say how long it will take to get past the....ahem....obstacles, but we are lucky enough to be allied with Cheshire, who knows Wonderland like the back of his paw."


"I don't know what you're talking about," Cheshire said. "My only ally is myself. I'm only here because...." His expression changed. "I....never mind."


"What was that?" Alice whispered to Thomas.


"Well, that, Alice, is...." Cheshire glared at Thomas. "Nothing whatsoever," Thomas said hastily.


Alice nodded, then squinted. "Right. Where is this house anyways?"


"It's about an hour away," Thomas said casually.


"But why did you say that the journey takes six days if the border to...to...whatever isn't that far away?"


"You'll find out soon enough," Thomas said.


Duchess Opal's house was a circular home painted blue. Alice thought it looked a bit like a giant chocolate box meant for one's true love. The only thing that wrecked the image were the oddly-shaped windows, placed randomly about the front part of the house, and the gigantic door. Even the door had windows in it.


"Is she psychotic?" Alice asked Thomas.


"Well....yes," Thomas mumbled.


"Almost everyone here is mad," Cheshire said lazily. "Get used to it."


Alice hesitated, but eventually decided to knock on the door. It opened almost immediately, and Alice was greeted by a frizzy-haired woman with large glasses. Alice could tell that there was some sort of problem was going on in there.


Then the woman laughed. Alice raised one eyebrow. The woman laughed harder, jabbing a pointy, warty finger at Alice.


Alice looked, skeptical, at Thomas and Cheshire. They only gave her looks that said that Duchess Opal was worse. Alice took a deep breath and entered the threshold.