Alyss's Mirror

Dormouse was in trouble now, he thought that he had rightfully disguised himself as any ordinary mouse, but they saw through that deception. There was a high pitched sigh as both him and Alyss were being guided out the side door, the door that would lead to what most rebels feared, the Work Camps. It was known that some were established for free labor for the Crystal Mines. Others were made for tedious construction work and were simply there to put rebels in line. There was no point in Dormouse using up his energy on his imagination form any longer. As they went through the door he hopped off of Alyss and transformed back into his silver decorated boy form. “I’m really sorry, I did not mean to bite you too hard. I just needed some place to hide while I find help for-“ He stopped mid sentence realizing what he was supposed to be doing. ”That’s right, I need to help Miss Hare.” Dormouse exclaimed. Looking around they were short on guards, two spades were walking down the hall to meet up with them. ”It is dangerous, but would you help me? We need to help her.”

”We come all this way to speak with the Queen.”
”And she tosses us out, this is just obscene.” Tweedle Dum and Dee said as they heard the news.
”So be it, we’ll go for the time being.”
”Besides it is a nice time for sight seeing.” The two brothers left the throne room and continued on outside. There, the fighting was starting to calm but did not subside.
”You think we should clean up and get rid of this fuss?”
”Sure, it has been awhile since the last of Carpenter and Walrus.” They both started to focus their energy and both transformed into older looking people. One turned into an extremely muscular hammer wielding enemy while the other dressed up in a suit and his head changed into that of a walrus.
”Let the fun begin.” The Carpenter had a deep voice low and powerful.
”Well said my twin.” The less deep voiced Walrus said as they prepared for battle.


As she exited the brush The Hare’s wounds were multiplied as the final spades were tossed. Several were shot into her back and the group outside in the clear noticed this. Luckily they were rebel soldiers from the initial strike. “Hare your alive! Where is the rest?”
”Dormouse, he went to get help I have no idea where he is but we need to find him.”
“What about Charlotte? She went in there too.”
”That cat…she has…always been one…to forget.” The pain she felt started to grip her now. She sunk to the ground on her knees cringing.
“We need a doctor NOW!” The captain of the team yelled as they picked her up. She signaled to them to stop as they past the captain.
”Find…find…them please…captain.” A quick nod allowed her to rest as the medical officers took her off down the path. With Dormouse having no offensive powers, it was up to Charlotte to rescue him.
 
The Queen stood and looked down at herself in disgust. On the floor again?! She let out a breath and dusted her gown off. Why did she always end cowering on the floor like this?! She picked up the croquet stick leaning against the wall behind the throne and walked around to sit on it. "Status report on everyone," she replied.
 
Alyss's eyes widened at the dormouse's transfornation. Some how, she was not quite as suprised as she thought she would be. Maybe she was getting used to this crazy place.
"So where are we? I'm not exactly from around here..." She asked the boy.
"Wonderland Palace..." The boy said, a little shocked that she didn't know. "Currently in power is the Queen of Hearts."
"Oh..." She directed her attention to the man leading them. "Excuse me, uh...Monsior? Where are we going?"
 
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Jester smiled, female form today with thick black ringlets falling around her shoulders with red candy lips and bright crimson attire.

"Your maaaaajesty," Jester crooned, ignoring for now the opportunity to mock the woman. Jester's eyes were bright with almost childlike glee, the golden bells on her cap jingling.

"I just arrived, from upstairs you see, I was occupied. There is killing to be done?"
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Thrrt Thrrt Thrrt Thrrt! Her feet stuck with each step, the syrup was extra thick! Like super glue, only with a non-drying sticky vengeance. “Apple tart and pudding toooo, gleepy glop and gloopy geep!” Charlotte was at a good pace, yes, but if only she had the sense to stop and clean her feet. She’d be moving along so much faster! But alas that would not get us to the note…The note on her tail? Why no, you silly people! I’m referring to the note that she stepped on as she was chattering away about gloopy geep and geepy goop….or was it gleepy goop and gloopy gleep. Ah, who cares back to the note!

Well charlotte now had a new note tossed into the picture, one that had been dropped before it could be delived. Only thing was, it was stuck to the bottom of one of her paws. She hissed and spazed, shaking her sticky paws about, losing her balance in the end. Poor cat was stuck up against a wall now, trying to pry herself off with little luck. Her furry face set with a kind of determination and she gave a good push with her one free paw. THWUUUUCK-CURK! Freedom!…almost. “MRRRRRRRRRROWR!” She glared angrily at the fact that her tail was still stuck to the wall. “My splendiferous tail!” This is when she noticed the old note that was still attached to her tail. Well then! Time to see what’s in this little gem everyone!

Charlotte untied the note with her teeth, her tongue being held out in a ‘yuck’ face when she tasted dirt and dust in the mixture. Her front paws maneuvered the note with a little bit of sticky trouble and she hunched down to read. If you get lost, use the door. The bright swirly letters sprawled across the page, leading to a small penciled drawing of a door at the bottom. Charlotte knew that door! It was the door that she had dreamed about, the one that if a person went through it..it would take them to where they were most needed!

Oh, this is cheap segue you say? Who cares, we need a way to get our young cat to Doormouse. So please continue to read! She tilted her head and blinked, the small door fading into existence beside her tail. Sticky paws were used to jiggle the door open, revealing a purple swirly mist beyond. “preeeeeety color…!” Charlotte walked forward into the mist, in a trance almost from the deep swirling color. The cats tail came unstuck with a few hairs being left on the wall, she was falling through the air…her paws flailing with the other note still stuck on a back paw. Laughing madly by the time she popped out the other side of the door, she fell atop a female. Charlotte sat atop the new persons shoulders, her back paw still waving about in annoyance from the note. Wonderlands version of a sticky note, I'd assume. “HI HI HI!” She waved a paw in the girls face as the door on the ceiling faded out of existence.
 
"No need to call me Monsior...." he stopped. "Oh you think... non.. my muzzer was ... my fazzer non.. but my muzzer speak speak speak so we all talk like her." his hands gestured for emphasis. "Talked my poor fazzer to death.... thats why he haz to work for the queen, and so do I. My name iz El Jakonine.... Now if you pleaze... We should keep moving" Suddenly he jumped back two pistols seemed to apear in his hands as the cat fell from the ceiling "YOU!" he said pointing at the cat... "Don't you know itz not good to surprize people.... the queen's people. he holstered the pistols. Now please say explain what you're doing in MY secret passage.
 
"What the?!" Alyss cried as a cat fell on her. Once it climbed off, she took a moment to reorient herself and tried to figure out where the cat came from. There were no doors or windows in the present vicinity...
"Message for you!...I think..." The cat said, saluting El Jakonine. It turned quickly to Alyss. "Maybe it was you..." It cocked it's head and looked rather confused.
 
El Jackoline grabbed the note and opened it his eyes darting over the contents several times as Carlotte looked at him and put a paw over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. "Waaat?" he said looking at her one eyebrow raised. "Nothing.... weeeeeeeee." she said rolling upside down on Alyss' shoulder looking at El Jacoline. "You Mizz cat are strange, ziz girl iz strange, thiz note iz strange. What Ze hell iz a Zzylaaaaaaaaa-a-a-a?" He turned and sighed. "Come on all of you, out of ze castle." He pointed further down the passage and gestured them forward.
 
Now things were in their favor, they had three against one as well as a few guards but they were small fry. It was time to get the heck out of here. In a last ditch effort, hoping that his cat friend would clean up the rest, Dormouse shoved forward against Jackonine with all of the force he could muster. With it being just enough to push him down Dormouse made a break for it. ”Come on this way!” He yelled taking off down another hallway that lead to the front gate once again.
 
"Mizter Doormouse..." he sighed and ran after and tripping him. Then stood over the doormouse and opened his coat showing i small red diamond, but it was hidden again in a second. "It iz a very bad idea to run, this cazstel is full of guards and if you are zeen wizout me thins would go very bad for you." he stood. "You do want to get out of here right?"
 
Alyss was rather confused at this point. Some cat fell through the floor, Dormouse obviously did not trust Jak, but apparently, that little patch meant that they were supposed to. She knelt on the floor, having fallen like a domino after Dormouse. She noticed that Jak had dropped the piece of paper that the cat had given him. Alyss picked it up and read it. Ssyla...Wait a moment...
"Uh...This is my name spelled backward," She said, holding up the piece of paper.
"What?" Jak asked, having been a little preoccupied.
"Sslya. It's Alyss spelled backward. The note reads 'Alyss is the key for the bush who whispers to it's shadow all day long'." She looked up at everyone. "What is it supposed to mean? I'm supposed to be a key to something?"
 
The Queen smiled. Ah, the Jester! Always a marvelous sight, no matter whether male or female form. The Rabbit went quiet as the Queen's attention was suddenly diverted elsewhere. "There is always killing to be done, my sweet. I need you to kill someone for me. There is a human girl who just came through here. Perhaps you can make this her first and last day in Wonderland. El Jack was supposed to take her down to the work camp but there's been a change of plans for her. The Rabbit will describe her for you."
 
Dormouse felt embarrassment for rejecting the help of a comrade. His naïve and somewhat shy nature never allowed him to go around the rebel camps and meet people. He always stuck close to Hare wh- “The Hare! Please, you got to help her she is out in the woods with a broken ankle. If we do not do something quick she’ll…she’ll…” Dormouse trailed off trying hard not to think of what would happen to her. His eyes teared up so much he could barely see Alyss or El Jackonine anymore. A swift wipe from his sleeves and he recovered. ”No she’s alright. She is alright, right?”
 
Sitting atop alyss’s shoulders as all the commotion was taking place was no easy task! When everyone was caught up together her half stick/half balance act was finally broken. Charlotte began to stickily slide down Alyss’s back, a sharp errrt noise (like running a finger across a balloon) seemingly coming from out of nowhere. Upon further inspection the group would find it was Charlotte that was making the noise as she slid, off in her own world as usual. As people stared at her in a dumbfounded way she snapped back to attention, pouncing at doormouse to lick concerned like at his
face. “Hare?…want ...hair?” Poor doormouse was engulfed in a shower of hair as Charlotte picked a cousin it type wig from out of her dreams and dropped it on him.
 
The rabbit looked at Jester, that one always made him nervous, "Blue Hair.... about this high* he held out a paw, She 's pretty much all blue, can't miss her." he took a step back. "Now if you'll excuse me I have urgent re-allocations at attend to." He hopped off in the direction of his office taking out his watch and disappearing out the door.



El Jakoline Grabbed Alyss' arm "Don't tell anyone you saw that, even zeze onez should know I'm undercover here." He shut up as the rabbit came hopping by "Oh Jalcoline there you are... you can leave the girl here, Jester is on his way so just take the other riffraff. Queen's orders." he then moved off and was soon lost to sight. "You! Cat... Give me zat!" He grabbed the wig and gave it to Alyss, "Put Ziz on and follow me." He picked up the cat and pulled the doormouse to his feet. "Ok fist stop ze hair... then he try ti figure out what ze note means."
 
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Jester smiled, a slow frin spreading across her face. Change, change, you'll look so pretty. You're lovely, even those scars you hide. Really Jester, beautiful. The voice in Jester's head was crooning, as usual, but Jester eased, enjoying the praise. A flash of white smog clouded Jester's presence.

All the better to lure in a pretty young girl, Jester thought, examining himself in the mirror. Purple spikes of hair over dark purple eyes, a muscular body bared by his tight suit in yellow and purple... Jester cartwheeled out the door, following the grandiose exit with a few backflips. Slinking though the halls, Jester spotted a flash of blue.

"Miss?"
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A young, brown haired girl turned around with a bright blue ribbon in her hair, clutching a teddy bear. She smiled. "Oh! Hello, Jester!" she said, sweetly.

Alyss frowned at the wig. It smelled funny. She put it on reluctantly and started following Jak into the woods.
"Where are we going?" She asked. Jak shushed her and she kept her mouth quiet the rest of the way. At first, she tried to keep track of where they were going, in case she needed to find a way out of this madhouse.
Left.
Left.
Right.
Straight.
Wait...What was the first turn? She eventually gave up and decided to endure whatever they had in store for her.
They eventually came to a tree that looked like it had some kind of plant covering one side. Dormouse stepped forward and uncovered a mirror. "I know the way from here," he said.
"Uh...Alyzz...you vill have to hang on to moi' while in ze conteeuem," Jak said, turning to her.
"Why?" She asked.
"The continuum is made up of mirror that want to reflect out. If you don't go fast enough, You may be reflected out of a different looking glass than the one you wanted," Dormouse replied.
"Uh...I'll just go with it," Alyss replied, jumping onto Jak's back. They jumped into the mirror and started practically skating in what seemed like a sparkly tunnel with several tunnels going off of the main one. Alyss started getting drowsy and soon she fell asleep as they traveled...
 
The Hatter stood over a plush bed, a grand, over extravagant four poster bed, looking at what lays under the covers. The shock of blue on the red gave quite a sight to whomever was bringing in the food on trays, looking with one eye on the food, and the other on the sleeping girl with such electric blue hair, one almost tripping and face planting into a bowl of hot soup. The Hatter gave this individual a small glare, then a perplexedly happy smile, contradicting the gaze shot at the cooking aide prior. Of course, the Hatter went back to watching the dozing damsel in his bed, her eyes closed, and her breath deep and soft, but audible nonetheless.

Thankfully, his bed was probably one to rival, if not pass, the queen's own bed, in terms of comfort and calm. He didn't exactly know how to describe it, but the bed gave off such a calming vibe, allowing even a loon like himself to sleep as calm as a baby, not stirring for naught but a bombshell alarm clock, which has happened before, unfortunately. But, it seemed to him, to take an even greater affect upon Alyss. She seemed so... peaceful. He knew that most who come to Wonderland on their first visit couldn't sleep a wink, too paranoid that the sheets might wish them a good sleep, or the pillows start a surprise pillow fight by themselves. But this bed, and maybe even the girl herself, quelled all the questions, problems and worries inside her skull the second she drifted off into her slumber.

It never occurred for a second to disturb and awaken Alyss. He stood there and watched, seeing the extravagant meal set before her, on silver trays at the foot of her bed. The steam from the soup slowly rised into the air, dissolving as the vapor cooled, and the steaming meat and assorted food simmered under a silver dome.

So calm...
he thought to himself, and maybe aloud, but it was only his ears that listened, and he never trusted his own senses. He sat down, a chair gliding silently from aways behind him and allowing him to plant his tuckus in a comfy chair. He looked closer at the girl, and was rather entranced. His hand slowly moved to her head, gingerly touching the almost glowing blue hair. It felt soft, almost unnaturally so for a foreigner to Wonderland. He wasn't thinking much from then on, and stroked her hair gently, barely touching her head. He didn't stop, his mind a blank as he naturally did what he was doing.

 
Alyss drifted through a land of over-sized mushrooms, some tall and thin, others short and wide, and every other size inbetween. Their colors varied from every color of the rainbow, to colors that she had never seen before. She floated and weaved in and out of between the mushrooms. Her blue hair floated alongside her head as she decided to relax in thin air. Why was her hair blue? That part confused her the most about this place. What was this place anyway?
"You're in Wonderland," A little voice said. She looked around and saw that the voice came from a little girl with brown hair. She had on a yellow dress, a bright blue ribbon in her hair, and she was holding on to a teddy bear. The girl seemed to be floating, just like Alyss was.
"Who are you?" Alyss asked, trying to figure out if she knew the girl from somewhere.
"You ask too many questions," The girl replied, flipping in the air and giggling. "Just have fun."
"Fun? I don't even know where 'Wonderland' is," Alyss replied. The girl started floating off and Alyss followed. "
Hey! Where are you going?"
"To make sure you live," The girl flashed a smile and then disappeared.
"What??" Alyss asked, trying to go after her. Make sure she lived? Was she going to die?
"What did I say about questions?" The girls voice echoed. "You might want to wake up, too." Alyss started to question, when she started to black out...


The smell of food filled Alyss's senses as she started to come out of sleep. Her eyes fluttered open and she noticed someone sitting by her bed, back turned. The figure had on a green tophat and an odd looking black coat. Weird...he didn't seem real, but he seemed to be drinking tea...mmm...Tea. She reached a hand out to grasp him and see if he was real. The man turned around and revealed a relatively kind face, with a hint of insanity, framed by spiky purple hair. Alyss smiled at the man and he returned it with a grin.
"Sleep well, Miss Alyss?" The man asked, pouring a cup of tea for her. She stretched and sat up, rubbing her eyes. He handed her the tea, and she sipped a little.
"So, Who are you, and where am I?" She asked.
 
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Jester smiled, his entrancing face smooth, porcelain. "I mistook you for my younger sister," Jester spoke slowly, his voice melodic. His mouth was curved, not an expressive smile and none of the warmth moved to his eyes.

"I apologize for my mistake. Have you seen another little girl around here? I'm ever so worried about her. Jester inhaled deeply. Fool, fool, you thought it would be so easy, so easy... Jester tried to hear the girl, pushing away his own voices.

She's. Not. Here. The singsong voice permeated his barriers. Walking absently away from the girl, Jester seemed to discard her presence entirely. "She's not? Where did she go?" Jester asked aloud to himself, closing his eyes.

Another flash of blue caught Jester's eye and he darted to the window. A simple blue butterfly floating by the window. Jester scowled at his repeated mistake, reaching out to crush the butterfly between his fingers.

She must have left. With that, Jester floated to the doors leading out.
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