In Obscurum (8/9), an Alice in Wonderland fic
Chess didn’t know how much longer he could stay in this dreadful position. Hightopp was not more than a meter from him, making the most uncivilized sounds while slurping on his tea. “And you believe there is no way to convince Iracebeth to surrender?”
“No,” Sluggard said from behind Chess. “She seems quite adamant about remaining queen until the very end.”
Hightopp laughed manically. “It is always more fun when they fight. Makes it much more exciting. I suppose our next course of action is to--”
The table shook slightly as something ran towards them. “Master Hightopp, the castle has been breached.”
Hightopp stood up suddenly, causing the table to flip over. Chess’ Alice-shaped head rolled across the floor, banging against the ground. “What do you mean it’s been breached? By whom?”
“We aren’t sure, but we have already released the hellhounds. They will find the intruders.”
The voices were far enough away that Chess ventured a peek. There, standing next to Hightopp was some kind of large griffin. “Whoever it is will have to leave through the front gate.” He pointed to those who he had traveled with. “Come! It is time to test your dedication to the Cause!”
Chess closed his eyes as they ran across the room, coming close to where he landed. Moments later, the room was empty. Once he was absolutely sure no one was going to enter the room, he morphed into his normal, preferred cat shape. As he finished the metamorphosis, a familiar voice spoke in his ear.
“You’re welcome.”
Chess frowned. His brother did always have a rocky relationship with manners. “You know, it is customary for someone to give thanks first.”
“Tsk, tsk, I would have thought you’d be at least a bit more kind to me. I did do your part in this plan,” Checkers chided.
“What did you do to that vile rat anyway?”
“You don’t have to worry about her, brother,” Checkers replied, licking his lips.
“Your repugnancy is once again appalling,” Chess frowned. “While you were having a snack, did you happen to see which way Alice was headed?”
“You don’t need to worry. She was already approaching the main gate--”
“That’s where Hightopp is headed!” Chess scolded. Instantly, he evaporated from the room and reappeared outside the main gate. Alice, with a rather pathetic looking Tarrant, was walking sluggishly out of the gates of Marmoreal.
“You must hurry,” Chess called. “The plan has been compromised.”
“I’ll stall Hightopp. Get him to the Bandersnatch,” Alice replied.
Tarrant weakly took several steps forward before nearly falling forward and crushing Chess. “This is just like that one night when you overindulged on ginger slapdash trying to forget the Alice,” he said as he reappeared above Tarrant’s head. “Come along, fool, before Hightopp finds you.”
That was incentive enough for the wounded man. He stumbled forward, moaning softly with each foot he moved.
Nobility was extremely overrated, Chess thought as they began their escape.
*********************
Tarrant was safe.
Tarrant was safe.
Alice kept repeating her mantra as she reentered the castle. She knew they needed Time to reach the Bandersnatch and make their escape. She could do this. She could fight long enough to stall Hightopp from leaving Marmoreal. Then Tarrant would be safe and Iracebeth would have time to finish adding the purifying agent to the river.
Then everything would be alright.
As she entered the courtyard, an unpleasantly mad laugh filled the air. “Do you mean to tell me that the hatter left you here so he could make his escape?”
She said nothing, refusing to rise to the bait.
“No matter. It will give me such pleasure when I deliver your head to Salazen Grum, despite how…striking it looked on the tea table,” Hightopp continued as he approached her.
She raised her sword.
“Do you really think you can fight me? The sword you hold in your hand is not like the blade you used in Underland,” he sneered. “The Vorpal Sword was the one who slew the Jabberwocky. Not you.”
Alice’s hold slightly faltered. He was right; her swordsmanship was weak. However, her Muchness was quick to remind her, she was Alice, Champion of Underland. She would not give up so easily.
She swung her sword, the movement awkward and clumsy. When it made contact with Hightopp’s blade, it barely moved.
“It seems as though the Champion isn’t skilled at sword fighting,” Hightopp snickered. With a half-hearted swing, he nearly knocked Alice’s blade out of her hand.
She gripped the sword, knowing there was no way she would be able to out duel the man who stood in front of her.
“Are you frightened?” he asked tauntingly.
“No.”
“You’re lying. But,” he said as he moved dangerously close to her, “I do admire your Muchness.” He swung his sword, hitting her below her neckline. Alice felt as blood began to seep from the wound. “I’ll ask you again: are you frightened?”
“No.”
“Wrong answer!”
Before she realized what he was doing, he maneuvered his sword around hers, causing it to fall on the ground several feet away from her.
Alice looked around for something, or someone, to help her. She’d had to insist that Chess take Tarrant to Salazen Grum, hadn’t she? She was certainly paying the price now!
He walked around her, his blade perilously close to her. “If you would have just listened to me and joined the Resistance, this wouldn’t be happening.” He narrowed his yellow eyes. “It’s a shame, really, we could have used your Muchness.”
Alice pulled back slightly as he raised his blade. She said her silent goodbyes to her loved ones--her mother and sister…Tarrant--as the moonlight glistened off his sword. She refused to cry; she had saved Tarrant, and he, in turn, would save the Red Queen. Her mission would prevail.
As he thrust forward, Alice closed her eyes. But, the fatal blow did not come as she expected. Instead, she heard the sound of medal crashing together. She opened her eyes and, to her surprise, Tarrant stood to the side of her.
His left arm was bandaged; his forehead had a bandage haphazardly placed on it. Blood trickled down his temple, along his cheek.
“Ye will nae b’layin’ a hand on her.”
*****************
“Again, hatter, you surprise me! Are you truly attempting to save Alice? You are nothing more than a milliner posing as a Knight,” Hightopp scoffed. “You don’t think you can really defeat me, do you?”
Tarrant watched as Alice, now momentarily forgotten by the lunatic in front of them, scooted away from the danger.
The madman lunged at him, giggling madly as Tarrant nearly tripped over his foot. “Our spies in Underland told of your cowardice, of how you couldn’t strike down the Knave of Hearts, despite what he had done to your clan on behalf of the Red Queen.”
Tarrant felt his anger building. How dare this…beast…call him a coward?
“Tell me, hatter,” Hightopp taunted as he stabbed at him, “which of us is truly the villain? The one who hid behind the tea table for years waiting for a Champion to come or the one who took matters into his own hands?”
Tarrant’s eyes turned a deadly red color. He thrust his sword forward, crashing into Hightopp’s blade. “At least I do nae hae anyone’s blood on ma hands.”
“Just one more sign of weakness,” Hightopp spat. Hightopp swung his sword, the blade slicing at Tarrant’s arm.
Tarrant’s grip on the hilt loosened, but it wasn’t enough for him to drop the sword. He pushed away the pain he felt and focused on the man in front of him. With a lightning fast thrust, Tarrant stuck Hightopp with his sword, slashing him across the stomach.
Hightopp stumbled backwards, gasping. He looked down at his wound, as if he was unable to believe Tarrant had managed to strike him.
Tarrant pressed forward as the blood gushed from the wound on his arm. The blood running down his arm caused him to nearly loose his hold on his sword. He swung high, attempting to allow the blood to fall away from his hand, but his awkward swing missed its mark.
Hightopp took advantage of his blunder and charged towards him, his blade raised, arching it high above his head.
“Tarrant, watch out!” Alice cried from behind him.
Quickly, he spun out of the way as Hightopp thrust forward. He stuck out his blade, blocking the force of his blow. He swiftly shifted his sword, gaining an advantage against Hightopp. With a quick flick of the wrist, he disarmed Hightopp.
He held the tip of his blade against Hightopp’s throat. “Do you surrender?”
“Never.”
As he saw Hightopp smugly grinning at him, despite being unarmed, a Rage took over him.
“Do you have what it takes, hatter? Can you deliver the fatal blow?”
“Tarrant! No!” Alice shouted, cutting through the dense haze of hatred running through Tarrant.
His chest heaved as he stopped the trajectory of the blade. He turned his wild-eyed look at Alice.
She carefully placed her hands over his own on the hilt. “No more blood needs to be shed for this revolution,” she said softly.
Tarrant drew a long breath, desperately trying to calm himself. His hands trembled as the adrenaline coursed through him. Slowly, he nodded. “You’re right, Alice.”
Hightopp snickered. “Like a dog obeying its master.”
Tarrant could hardly believe what he saw: Alice snarled at the fallen man. “A condition that I‘m sure you‘ll become well acquainted with. The revolution is over and you are finished. No one will ever be calling you Master Hightopp ever again!”
Checkers circled to the back of Hightopp and bound him in iron handcuffs. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that.”
Suddenly, a bright light burned through the dark haze in the sky.
Alice relaxed. “It would seem that the red queen has done her part to bring peace to Underland.”
Tarrant never though he would see the day when he would be glad to know that the Red Queen had gained control of anything. But he was glad. Very glad. He lifted his face toward the sunlight even as he groped for Alice’s hand. The night was over.
Finally, day had come.
*****
Two weeks later:
“My father knew what had been done by the dark prince. He tried to reach out to the king of Otherland, but it was too late--the waters of bitterness had already started to corrupt the land,” Mirana explained as she stirred the pot in front of her.
“There was no convincing the royal house to use the purifying potion,” she continued. “My father refused to go to war with Otherland, assuming that when the time was right, they would seek our help. But now,” Mirana said as she pasted a smile on her face, “the land has been restored. Though the cost was quite high.”
Alice thought of the victims of the Revolution. “Yes, quite high indeed.”
“I have a convoy headed by Absolem going to Otherland to help Iracebeth through this transitional period. The fact that she accepted my help is the first gleam of light that Otherland has seen in a long time,” Mirana said, smiling sincerely.
Alice knew that it would take a long time for the land and its people to heal; so much had happened over the decades of Darkness. However, if her impression of Iracebeth had been correct, if she was, in fact, pure in heart, then she had no doubts that Otherland would soon thrive.
“You will be glad to know that she has released you from your title as Champion,” Mirana said. “Sluggard has volunteered to take that post.”
Alice smiled, remembering how he had bravely offered his help when they had been making their plans to infiltrate Marmoreal. “He will make for a good Champion.”
She watched as Mirana worked in the kitchen for several minutes before her curiosity started nagging her. There was still one factor that hadn’t been addressed. One thing she had to know. “What happened to Hightopp?”
Mirana’s smile faltered. “Some things, Alice, are best left unknown.”
“Tell me.”
**************
Alice found Tarrant standing on a balcony--their balcony!--looking at the courtyard. She stepped next to him, following his gaze. Together, they stood in silence, appreciating the simple pleasure of each other’s company.
She turned to him, noticing that the dark bruises on his face were already beginning to fade courtesy of one of Mirana’s remedies. “I spoke with Mirana.”
He faced her. “And?”
“Things are starting to improve. Iracebeth has been in contact with Mirana, trying to restore peace to her land. Now that the harm that the dark prince is slowly receding, Otherland’s brighter days are ahead of it,” Alice said, smiling.
“And what of Hightopp?”
There was no way to mistake the bitterness in his voice.
“Iracebeth has banished him to the dungeons of Salazen Grum where he will never get to experience the beauty of Otherland, but will be forced to live out the rest of his life away from the land he tried to claim as his own,” Alice explained.
She watched as he appeared to struggle with his words. “Tarrant?” she asked, placing her hand on top of one his own. “What’s wrong?”
“I was wondering---That is I was thinking--I mean, when I was with Hightopp he told me that we were alike. Do you think--what I mean to say is--”
She reached up and cupped his face, looking intently at him. “You are nothing like him, Tarrant.”
He closed his eyes for several seconds. When he reopened them, Alice was relieved to see the warm green color she associated with him. “Thank you, Alice.”
“I thought you should know that Mirana has accepted my requested to remain in Marmoreal as her Champion,” she said with a broad smile.
A hopeful smile stretched his lips. “Does this mean that your Unfinished Business is now Finished?”
“No.” She watched as his face fell. Briefly, she felt guilty for teasing him. She reached up and cupped his cheek. “There is one more thing I Need to do.”
She leaned forward and kissed him, her lips softly caressing his. After their lips had been properly reintroduced, Alice pulled away slightly, smiling. “I never did properly thank you for risking your life in coming to Otherland.”
He reached towards her and grabbed her hand. Never breaking his gaze with her, he raised her hand to his lips, placing a hand on it. “T’was my pleasure, my Alice.”
Author's Notes: If you are like how I am normally and like a happy ending, tied up in a little bow, then stop now. Read no further. If you don't mind a little open-endedness, then by all means, read the epilogue. But don't say I didn't warn you. :D :D
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