Once and Always Champion (4/7), an Alice in Wonderland fic
Alice woke up with more than a kernel of anticipation in her stomach. Much of the previous night had been spent planning their traveling route. The Rules of Underland--never speak to a flower unless spoken to first, be aware of the fire from the dragonflies, and never, ever touch a Squimberry bush--were taught to her, traveling bags were packed and a plan to save Mirana after Alice became queen was in place.
After Absolem’s proclamation that she was not a threat to Underland, just as she had said herself, she found herself with the trust of the others, including, most importantly to her, Tarrant. Now, despite the peril Mirana was in, she felt more at ease than she had since she had stepped through the looking glass.
Though, she had to admit as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror in front of her, she didn’t know what to think about the idea of her becoming queen. She shrugged off her feelings of awkwardness. It wouldn’t matter after everything was over. When Mirana returned to Mamoreal, Alice would relinquish the crown back to her.
Just as Alice was about to leave the room, Chess appeared. “I’d take the hat if I were you.”
She looked back at the table where she had purposely left the stunning hat. “I didn’t want it to get ruined,” she explained.
“It is worth what little dust might get on it for the protection you will receive. Despite their madness, the Hightopp clan in one of the most respected clans in all of Underland,” Chess offered.
Alice considered his words. There was so much about Tarrant’s background she didn’t know but she would trust the Cat who did. Alice walked to the table and placed the hat on her head. Finally ready, she made her way to the front gate with Chess where the Hatter, Mally and the Tweedles, her traveling companions, were waiting for her. Taking a long breath, she joined the three of them. “Let’s go,” she said determinedly.
Hours passed, along with countless trees, talking flowers and mushrooms the size of Alice’s home in London. Most of the day was filled with one of her companions, usually Tarrant, explaining to her different landmarks throughout Underland.
“That is Brawlin’,” supplied the Hatter as the first, large village came into view. “They have the most quarrelsome people there.”
Alice frowned. She didn’t want to waste her time fighting with the locals; she needed to get to the Queen’s Position. But, she noted, there was no way to bypass the large village. They had no choice but to walk through it.
When they reached the outskirts, she noticed Tarrant frowning.
“What is it?” she asked worriedly.
He shook his head, whether to clear his head or as some kind of answer, Alice didn’t know. “Usually there is the sound of fighting or drumming,” he said as way of explanation.
Mally, seated on Tarrant’s shoulder, nodded her agreement. “The Hatter’s right! Somethin’s goin’ on here,” she said, scrambling off Tarrant.
“Mally!” he called, but it was no use. She had already scurried into the village.
“We shouldn’t go in there,” chimed in Tweedledum.
“We have to! Alice needs to become Champion,” Tweedledee reminded his brother with a shove.
“But she can’t become queen if the Red Queen has her guard in there waiting to kill Alice,” argued Tweedledum.
Alice watched the fury grow on Tarrant’s face. “No one is going to kill me,” she said firmly.
“Yer right, nae one is gonnae kill ye,” Tarrant agreed. “I promise ye that.”
“It’s a shame you can’t disappear,” Chess said. “I think now is a good time to check on the White Queen.”
“That Guddler's scuttish, pilgar-lickering, shukm-juggling slurking--” Tarrant started as the Cat disappeared.
“Tarrant,” Alice called. “It will be fine.”
He turned to her, an apology on his lips, when he noticed Mally running back to them. “You’re not gonna believe this!” she cried.
Without waiting for them, she started back into the village. They weaved through the houses and shops until she led them to where a lion and a unicorn were sitting in silence.
Once Alice got past the fact that there were truly a lion and a unicorn in front of her, she wondered why their actions concerned Mally so much. “What’s wrong?”
“They should be fighting for the crown,” Tarrant explained.
“Which crown?” she wondered.
He shrugged. “I don’t think it really matters. They fight for the crown, then they get served quite the selection from the local bakery before they get drummed out of town. Then the next day, it happens again.”
“All that fighting sounds dreadful,” she commented.
She watched as Mally poked the lion in the arm. “Get up, you lump! Ya are supposed to be fightin’.”
The unicorn dragged his gaze to the little mouse. “The Red Queen said she would cut off our heads if we fought for the crown.”
Alice saw Tarrant stiffen slightly at the mention of the hated monarch.
“And ye thought t’would be best if you just sit around an‘ let her ruin Underland,” replied the Hatter, his eyes turning orange. “Yer just gonnae sit there until she sends that slurvish buddlelaken Styane tae your home an’ take it fer herself.”
“What can we do? She’s already taken the White Queen,” the lion said, defeated. “There is no Champion to save her or Resistance to fight the Red Queen.”
“I’m the Champion,” Alice proclaimed.
“You?” the Unicorn huffed in disbelief.
“Yes,” she replied, wishing she had the Vorpal Sword with her. Perhaps, if she could show it to them, they would believe her. “And soon the White Queen will rule over all of Underland,” Alice said.
The two creatures studied her for a second before turning away from her, not swayed by her words. “Why should we bother?” the unicorn asked, sighing.
“What’s the point of fighting if you know you can’t win?” the lion added.
“The two of you fought everyday for the crown. Neither of you ever won, but you had to try to win because it was worth fighting for,” argued Alice. “Don’t let the Red Queen take away your fighting spirit.”
Several long seconds passed as the two combatants considered her words. Finally, the unicorn stood up. “She’s right. When I win the crown, then I shall go and fight the Red Queen.”
“I believe you mean when I win the crown then I shall fight the red queen,” the lion replied, getting to his feet.
The unicorn rubbed his back hoof against the ground, getting ready to charge the lion. “I shall have the crown!”
“No, it will be mine!” the lion roared.
Alice watched in surprise as the rest of the townspeople came out to watch the creatures circling each other with a smile on their face.
“I’ll start making the bread,” said a portly man with a smile on his face.
The unicorn looked up at Alice. “Thank you. You have given us back our Much--.” The rest of his words were cut off by the lion pummeling into him. He straightened and looked at her as the lion was preparing to charge again. “Of course I should have expected as much from a Hightopp.”
Alice stiffened.
Did they think she and the Hatter were a couple?
And, more importantly, why didn’t that bother her as much as it should have?
Alice felt a hand on her back. “The hat,” Tarrant quietly reminded her.
They watched for several minutes as the lion and the unicorn circled each other, attacking at every available opportunity. Tweedledee and Tweedledum, each rooting for the opposite creature, cheered. Mally, now back on Tarrant’s shoulder, yelled at both of them. Tarrant spent most of his time watching Alice out of the corner of his eye. Alice, for her part, stood by Tarrant, wondering how long the two of them would fight.
It wasn’t until the baker came out with several loaves of bread and a large cake that Tarrant moved away from the fighting. “We should probably leave before the drumming starts. It can be quite…earsplitting at times,” explained Tarrant.
Nodding, Alice led them away and left the villagers to their preferred form of entertainment.
“Pink is an absolutely dreadful color on you, your Majesty,” Chess drawled as Mirana entered the room.
She spun around, flashing him a relieved, yet strained, smile. “Chess!” she greeted, touching her once-white hair. “I am afraid Iracebeth’s presence is beginning to have an affect on me.”
“Apparently,” he agreed.
Mirana opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it quickly.
“Cat got your tongue?” purred Chess.
“I am frightened,” she admitted softly. “Iracebeth is doing her best to…corrupt me. She is stirring up feelings inside of me that I thought I had managed to control.” Mirana looked at him. “I am starting to go mad.”
“Aren’t we all?”
She sat on the edge of her bed, worried. “What if I cannot fight her influence? It is quite strong.” Glancing at her pink hair in the looking glass caused a frown to spread across her face.
“Your Champion wants you not to worry,” Chess replied, appearing next to her.
Mirana sighed. “But Alice hasn’t become my Champion yet.”
“According to Absolem, the Champion’s oath is not bound by time constraints,” he explained. “It is rather trying to understand all the rites of a Champion.”
She relaxed slightly, knowing there was someone fighting for her.
“You should be in Mamoreal by the week’s end if Alice has anything to say about it,” he said, floating in front of her.
Suddenly, Mirana grabbed him with a firm grasp, her eyebrows twitching. “I don’t know if I have that much time,” she gritted out as she began pulling his fur.
He fizzled out of her hands and appeared on the other side of the room, away from the threat. “Then you better talk to Time and ask him to give you some more. I’d hate for Alice to have to confront two mad queens,” he replied dryly, his anger barely in check.
And with that, he was gone.
Tarrant and the others, sans Chess, made camp just as the sun was slipping behind Mole Hill. The dormouse had promptly fallen asleep as soon as she had rolled out her pallet while the Tweedles seemed content to sleep against the closest tree.
Tarrant watched Alice move about the camp, noticing how completely exhausted she appeared. It was clear to him she was not used to the vigorous walking that was required of them.
She flashed him a smile as she rolled out her bedding, causing a federation of Emotions to start running through his mind. He grinned as he set the broadsword he had taken to carrying on the tree next to him. He leaned against it, settling in for the night. He wouldn’t--couldn’t--sleep, but there was no reason for him to be uncomfortable.
Alice looked at him, frowning. “You can trust me, Tarrant. I’m not going to run to the Red Queen,” she said softly, not wanting to disturb Mally or the boys.
He was shocked, stunned, stupefied by her statement! How could she think he still didn’t trust her? Wasn’t his admiration of her Muchness obvious?
“That’s not why I am not sleeping, Alice,” he finally managed to reply.
She cocked her head slightly, her Curiosity piqued. “Then why aren’t you?”
He looked pointedly at the top hat which still rested on her head. “I take my duties to the Hightopp clan very seriously.”
Tarrant watched as she carefully reached up and took the hat off her head. Yes, it was quite one of the best First Hats he had ever seen--and, Humility told himself, he didn’t think that only because Hannahlyn was his apprentice.
As she placed it to the side of her, she looked at him. “When’s the last time you slept?” she asked.
He thought about it for a moment. “Horunvendush Eve,” he answered.
“But, Tarrant! That’s been three days,” she replied, astonished.
“And it’s been even longer since I’ve had a good cup of tea. That is a much worse thing,” he said seriously. Yes, he thought, a good cup of tea would clear up his Confusion concerning his feelings towards Alice.
He was so deep in conversation with his Thoughts, that he didn’t notice Alice approaching him. She placed her hand gently on his chest. “Rest,” she insisted.
His heart raced at the contact. No one--no woman!--had ever touched him in such a way before. He lowered his gaze to where her hand was on his chest before looking up in Alice’s eyes. Tarrant noticed the Concern and Care in them.
“I can’t,” he said, as his Confidence encouraged him to reach up and cover her hand. “It’s only a matter of time before th‘ Bluddy Behg Hid hears about what we’re doing, I’ve got to keep a lookout for her guards.”
He swallowed his Fear. “I cannae let anythin’ happen to ye, Alice.”
“You’re forgetting,” she said with a small smile, “that I’m the White Queen’s Champion. I can keep watch for a while so you can rest.”
“But you’re--” he started, looking away slightly.
“Tarrant,” she interrupted. “Let me do this for you.”
His eyes met hers. Brown spoke to green. Finally he nodded. “Aw reit, I’ll lie down fer a while, but when ye git tired, wake me.”
“I will,” she smiled.
Before he realized what she was doing, she pulled her hand away from him and grabbed the hat from on top of his head and set it carefully next to her own. Not even his Madness could explain why seeing the two top hats side by side pleased him as much as it did.
“If you see anything strange…” he began.
“I’ll tell you,” she finished.
Despite the swirl of Thoughts in his mind, his Exhaustion silenced them and Tarrant found himself asleep within seconds.
Tarrant opened his eyes slowly, surprised to see the sun rising over the hill. Had Alice stayed awake all night just so he could sleep? He turned around and saw Alice sleeping against one of the trees, slightly slumped over, her short hair barely spilling over her shoulder.
He frowned. Why hadn’t she woken him up when she was tired?
She did say she would do that!
She'd promised!
He was about to wake her up and demand answers when they came to him in the form of an annoyed voice from the ground.
“I told her to sleep, Hatter,” Mally said, her hand on her hip. “Ya can’t expect her to get to the Queen’s Position when she hasn't had any rest, can ya?”
“I told her tae wake ma when she was tired,” he replied, feeling defensive.
“Hmph! Only a Bandersnatch could compete with her Stubbornness!”
Tarrant couldn’t argue with the mouse there. It seemed as though Alice’s Muchness was directly tied into her fortitude.
He looked back and noticed the Tweedles were still contently snoring. “We’ll need to leave soon, but they can sleep for a bit longer,” he said, walking away from the camp so their talking wouldn’t disturb their sleeping companions.
Though he tried to focus on his conversation with Mally, he found himself looking back on Alice quite often.
“You are better company when you’re Mad than when you are Enchanted,” complained Mally.
Enchanted? Who exactly was she talking about? Certainly not him. Tarrant admired Alice for her seemingly never-ending supply of Muchness, but--
His often quiet voice of Reason interrupted his thoughts--perhaps he was enchanted by Alice.
He shook off his thoughts of Alice and turned back to his friend. “I’m sorry, Mally, what were you saying?”
“Never mind, you lump! You’ll just go back to starin’ at her anyways,” the dormouse grumbled. “What does she have that’s got you so smitten anyway?”
“I’m not sure,” his Confusion said. “But I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about anyone else before.”
Mally’s shoulders slumped. “I know you haven’t.”
Tarrant was Baffled by his friend’s reaction. Why it almost seemed like she was disappointed in him somehow! But he hadn’t done anything to grieve her…had he?
“Am I interrupting something Important?” purred Chess as he appeared in mid-air next to Tarrant.
“Did you see the Queen?” Tarrant asked, not bothering with a greeting.
“Again, you do the manners of Outlanders proud,” commented Chess sarcastically, seemingly put out.
“The Queen is trapped in Salazen Grum and you want a Good morning, you slurvish Cat,” returned Tarrant, feeling his anger building.
Chess let out a long sigh. “Good morning to you too, Tarrant.” He frowned. “It is as Absolem feared. Iracebeth is doing her best to use her influence to make Mirana turn to the Darkness.”
“Is it working?” asked Mally.
“Yes,” he answered. “And don’t ask me to go back there, because I won’t do it.” He frowned. “She nearly pulled out my precious fur.”
Tarrant frowned. Harming any living creature went against her vows. What could the Bluddy Behg Hid being doing to her? They were running out of time, he knew.
“Come on,” he said to his companions, “it’s time to wake up Alice.”
They hadn’t walked far when Alice heard the most peculiar sound coming from behind the large wall lining the path. She held her hand out, stopping everyone.
“What is that?”
“Nothing to worry about,” Chess assured her. “Just the local fool who can’t sit still and is always getting into trouble.”
Tweedledee and Tweedledum looked at each other. “Cousin Humpty!” They started to climb over the short wall.
“As in Humpty Dumpty?” Alice asked incredulously.
“You know him?” Tarrant asked, intrigued. “I didn’t think you had been to this side of Underland before.”
“I haven’t,” Alice answered. “But in London we have a nursery rhyme about him.”
“A rhyme?” There was no mistaking the fascination in his voice.
“Yes, it goes, Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, All the king’s horse and all the king’s men, couldn’t put Humpty together again ,” she recited.
Tarrant clapped his hands and giggled. “Yes yes! That is his story.” A confused look passed his face. “Though I wonder how someone from Overland knew about him.”
“Well, I am sure I am hardly the first person who has fallen through the rabbit’s hole to Underland,” Alice replied.
He shook his head. “Underland has never been particularly kind to Outsiders.”
How strange, Alice thought. She had never seemed to have any problems with coming to Underland. not that she'd visited a great many times, though…Suddenly, her mother's words came back to her, how she had tried to touch the front of the looking glass, but nothing had ever happened.
“And yet, Alice has managed to return,” Chess casually noted.
“Well, that’s because she’s the Queen’s Champion,” Mally offered.
“Perhaps,” the Cat replied half-heartedly.
One of the Tweedles, Alice couldn’t tell which one, stuck his head over the wall. “Cousin Humpty needs help.”
Quickly, they made their way over the fence and saw the broken shell of Humpty Dumpty. Several large pieces of his body were scattered around. The shell with his face on it was facing upside down in the dirt.
Tarrant quickly turned the piece over.
“Thank you, my good sir,” the egg man said. He looked him over. “You’re not the King’s Man, are you?”
He shook his head. “I’m afraid I am the Queen’s Hatter.”
Humpty sighed. “I’m afraid I’m stuck here, boys,” he said to the Tweedles. “Without the King’s Men, I am doomed to remain broken.”
“We can help you,” Alice offered, unable to think of leaving this poor creature alone in his current state.
“You are a woman!” he laughed. “You can be no help to me.”
They were words Alice had heard spoken to her throughout her two years at sea. She stiffened slightly and noticed that Tarrant did the same.
“A woman can do anything a man can,” Alice proclaimed with a good dose of Muchness.
“Except fix a broken egg man,” Humpty argued. “It has been written that way, so it shall be.”
“Then it’s time to write you a new story,” she said determinedly. She turned back to Tarrant. “I need the Squimberry jelly.”
As he was busy getting the make-shift glue, she instructed the Tweedles to collect the biggest pieces and Mally to find any shards of the shell that might have fallen. When everything had been brought together, she and the others began to painstaking process of putting Humpty back together.
Finally, after nearly an hour, Chess floated up to the top of Humpty’s head, placing the last piece. Alice took a step back and looked at their work. There was a little Squimberry jelly oozing out of the seams, but overall, Humpty Dumpty looked quite himself again.
“Why, Alice, I do believe we managed to put Humpty Dumpty back together again,” Tarrant said, admiration in his voice.
“Thank you,” the egg said sincerely. “Boys?”
She looked at the Tweedles who had begun fighting.
“You tell her!”
“No, t’was you who said we’d do it!”
“But, you agreed with me!”
“Tweedles?” she asked, forcing herself to be patient.
“I knows we said we’d go with you to the Queen’s Position and all,” started Tweedledee. “But, seein’ as there’s no one to watch Cousin Humpty--”
“We think we should stay with him to make sure he won’t be fallin’ again,” Tweedledum finished in a rush.
Alice looked at the boys and nodded. She'd never wanted any of them to feel obligated to follow her. “Of course, Tweedles,” she said, reassuringly.
“Now that the family bonding is over with, do you think we could continue to the Queen’s Position? It is getting frightfully late in the day,” Chess commented.
Quickly, they bid their goodbyes and started making their way down the road again.
The journey to the Queen’s Position was getting increasingly more difficult as the day progressed, Tarrant noted as they once again hid behind a gathering of trees as the Red Queen’s guards passed. Most of the day they had alternated between ducking behind hedges and trees to slipping behind large mushrooms, trying to not get caught.
Once they passed another group of card soldiers, they continued making their way. Mally, seated upon Chess’ back, kept a look out for any more of the Red Queen’s army . “You never did explain why you’re followin’ along anyway, Chess. I thought you don’t pay no attention to politics,” she said.
“I don’t,” he agreed. “But, the idea of an Overlander becoming a Queen in Underland is quite intriguing.”
“I don’t see why,” Mally replied. “She ain’t gonna be a queen over any land anyway!”
“If Mirana has already fallen to the Darkness, then Alice may have no other choice,” the Cat said, smiling bitterly. “Queen Alice of Mamoreal.”
“No.”
Alice’s firm declaration stopped the conversation immediately. “This plan will work--I know it will.”
“This plan is nearly impossible!” complained Mally. “You don’t expect th’ Bluddy Behg Hid to leave the Queen’s position unguarded, do you?”
Panic settled over Tarrant.
Mally was right!
Surely she wouldn’t send only a handful of foot soldiers to keep Alice from reaching her goal. What if that cursed Knave was there waiting for them?
“Sometimes,” Alice said, cutting into Tarrant’s thoughts, “I think of as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
Tarrant let out a strangled squeak before collecting himself.
Six Impossible things? And before breakfast no less?
Just when he thought he understood the magnitude of Alice’s Muchness, she surprised him again. “That sounds like an excellent practice,” he commented, delighted.
“Tarrant,” she said in a confiding whisper.
An Unfamiliar feeling spread through him at the sound of her voice weaving his name in honeyed tones. It was an odd combination of Anticipation, Desperation and Elation.
“Yes, Alice?” he lisped quietly.
“Your eyes are purple,” she whispered, stepping close to him.
Mally huffed, but said nothing about the observation.
Tarrant swallowed. “Are they?” he asked a bit shakily.
She nodded as she slowed, taking her time to look into his eyes. “I’ve never seen that particular color before.”
Oh how he wished they were alone! Then he could share with her all the conflicting emotions running through his mind. But, there was no way he was about the share his inner secrets in front of that slurvish Cat and he doubted Mally would want to stand around for their conversation either.
“I’ve never felt this way before,” he said huskily.
He faintly registered Mally groaning, but most of his attention was on Alice. “Which is?” she pressed.
Certainly her Muchness was going to be the end of him, he decided. He drew in an unsteady breath. “When I can find a word to adequately describe it, I’ll tell you,” he said, not turning away from her unwavering gaze.
“I believe I can be helpful in suggesting a word,” offered Chess, shattering the delicious Tension that surrounded the two of them.
The Unfamiliar feeling was replaced with the more recognizable sensation of Anger along with a good dose of Annoyance. “Yer help is nae needed,” he muttered.
Alice smiled at the exchange, making Tarrant wonder what was so funny.
As they continued down the path, Tarrant felt his Dread growing.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, picking up on his change of mood.
“Something’s not right,” he said with a soft lisp, shaking his head. “I know we’ve seen the Queen’s guard, but, Mally’s correct, th’ Bluddy Behg Hid isn’t going to let someone walk onto the Queen’s Position without a fight.”
“We’ll be ready,” Alice said confidently. She reached over and gently put her hand on Tarrant’s cheek, causing a myriad of reactions--an indignant huff, a Canary-eating grin, and a shaky smile--from her companions.
“If I can slay a Jabberwocky, then everything else should be easy.”
Tarrant was willing to believe anything she said while she was gently touching him. “Of course, Alice,” he answered with a lisp and more than a little Hope. “Let’s go make you a queen.”
Part 5