Almost Alice

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing,Just prayed to a god that I don't believe in,'Coz I got time while she got freedom,'Coz when a heart breaks no it don't break best days will be some of my worst,She finally met a man that's gonna put her first,While I'm wide awake, she's no trouble sleeping,'Coz when a heart breaks no it don't break even, even am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always youWhat am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okI'm falling to piecesI'm falling to piecesThey say bad things happen for a reasonBut no wise words gonna stop the bleeding'Coz she's moved on while I'm still grievingAnd when a heart breaks no it don't break even, even am I gonna do when the best part of me was always youWhat am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okI'm falling to pieces, yeahI'm falling to pieces, yeahI'm falling to pieces (One still in love while the other one's leaving)I'm falling to pieces, (Cuz when a heart breaks no it don't break even)You got his heart and my heart and none of the pain,You took your suitcase, I took the I'm tryna make sense of what little remains, oh.'Coz you left me with no love, with no love to my name.I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing,Just prayed to a god that I don't believe in,'Coz I got time while she got freedom,'Coz when a heart breaks no it don't break, no it don't break, no it don't break even am I gonna do when the best part of me was always youWhat am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okI'm falling to pieces, yeahI'm falling to pieces, yeahI'm falling to pieces, (One still in love while the other one's leaving)I'm falling to pieces, (Cuz when a heart breaks no it don't break even)Oh, it don't break even, noOh, it don't break even, noOh, It don't break even, no

Breakeven - The Script

Alice practiced every day with the dead Hightopp. His skill still very much present. After several days, Espelth deemed her good enough. She handed a violet vial to Alice, "Drink this."

"What is it?" Alice asked,

"A potion for forgetfulness. Temporary of course." she replied, "Far too easy to slip up Alice, and that must not happen if we are to have any hope at all."

This was the price then, or part of it.

Alice bit back tears and drank it down. "Forgive me Tarrant."

Tarrant tossed the Oraculum onto the table making everyone jump. His eyes a deadly orange.

"Where is Alice?" Mally asked.

He slammed his hands onto the table and leaned close. "I lost tha wee lil boy in the woodlands." And then he sank to his knees and smacked his forehead on the edge of the table. "Mah Alice!"

He was inconsolable, filled with wrath and rage and fury. Soon the denizens of the white court left him alone. Nothing to be done until his madness calmed.

Tarrant lost himself in his heartbreak and grief. Where was Alice? How could he have been so stupid as to not protect her? He was enraged with himself.

Hurting and alone, he slunk through the halls of the white palace.

"Espelth" Stayne drawled, "Where have you been?"

He watched the wily witch wend her way through the dark hall towards his black throne. She drew close enough to brush her nose against his rather large one.

She patted his cheek and smiled, "Only procuring something you have very much wanted."

He lifted a brow, "And that would be?"

She lifted the golden chain and the tiny cage. Inside a tiny Alice looked up at Stayne.

"Alice?" he asked, hardly believing.

"Who are you?" she asked him in turn.

And Stayne smiled a terrible smile, "Your king and you are my champion dear heart. One day to be my own queen."

Alice smiled warmly at him through the bars. He undid the tiny latch and let her step into his palm. The feeling of power rising within him. He could crush her here and now. Or…..

"Upelkuchen!" he shouted, "Someone bring it quickly."

"You must not cloud her concentration before she faces the hatter" Espelth warned as Stayne broke off a tiny bit of cake.

"Eat this my Alice."

Once she was her normal size, Stayne circled her hungrily. His long fingers tapping against her creamy cheek. "Oh yes, now you are mine only."

Espelth stepped between them, despite his dark scowl. "Her training is not yet complete Stayne. Take her now and she might not be ready to face him."

He dropped his hand and nodded, "Quite right. One kiss though."

He pressed his mouth to Alice's and mashed their lips together. Alice stood very still, and somewhere deep inside she felt ill. This. This was not right.

Chess appeared in the throne room where all his friends sat on the floor looking quite sad. "I have found Alice!"

Tarrant leapt to his feet, "Where is he?"

"With Stayne." he replied.

The room erupted in shouts.

"Impossible." Tarrant growled.

"She is his champion Tarrant" the cat snapped, "She doesn't seem to remember anything. I appeared before her and she asked my name. She doesn't remember anything. And the knave fancies her his future queen."

They all looked from one to another. What could this mean.

"She marches this way." Chess went on, "To challenge you Tarrant. She is under the control of the midwidgen witches, there can be no other explanation."

"How do we get her back?" Mally asked.

McTwisp shook his head, "We can't. Alice is lost to us. Tarrant you will have to slay her!"

The hatter stiffened, "Nay I'll no do it."

"You may not have a choice." Chess told him and vanished.

Stayne watched Alice move like a wooden doll through the dark halls of his castle. She didn't seem to know who she really was. Which was fine with him, she smiled at him in the warmest of ways, though her eyes remained empty.

She obeyed his every whim and though he wanted so badly to touch her, tame her, break her, he knew he could not.

He watched her spar with the dead man again and again, her moves fluid and fast. Killing intent in her heart, which seemed to have grown as dark as his.

He dressed her in the black dresses and touched her hair, crooned mad words of hateful devotion to her. His twisted fantasy becoming more the reality everyday.

And he didn't care that she rarely spoke. So long as she was here.

Alice felt slow and sluggish, something was hammering at the back of her mind but she couldn't seem to place it. It was a feeling she hated. But where had she encountered it before?

Stayne was lord and master here, she his champion. Why then, did her stomach sour and her lips clamp tightly when he touched her, when he kissed her?

Why did the thought of elegant fingers and tea scented breath come to mind for no reason at all? Why did her chest hurt?

That night Tarrant dreamt of his Alice. With her vorpal sword, fighting a man who looked very much like himself, but not. For the man had cold eyes, dead eyes. And lacked a lovely hat.

He woke in a cold sweat, tears on his cheeks. "Alice" he panted, "Terrible dream!' His hand smoothing over the linens where once his Alice had slept beside him.

"Its not a dream." came voice from the bedside. Tarrant rolled from the bed, sword in hand and faced the newcomer.

"Yer a witch" he spat, lunging at her, "Ye've taken mah Alice!" But his blade passed through her like smoke.

"Listen to me if you want to save her!" she insisted and his orange eyes, much like hers, locked on her.

"Speak then." he growled.

Espelth told him everything. "The potion was powerful. I cannot make her recall you, she will fight you as though you are her enemy hatter. You must make her remember."

"She….didn't betray us?"

Espelth shook her head, "Do you believe she could?"

He shook his head in turn, "But…"

"She has sacrificed much, she was ready to lose your love and her life if it meant saving your life and your world Tarrant."

Tarrant slowly lowered his sword, "This is not the final battle then?"

"No its not. And I warn you now, she's learned her skills from a Hightopp."

"I'm the last one" he told her sadly.

She cupped his cheek, her eyes sad, "The last living, yes."

He eyed her, "You are the cursed grandmum aren't you?"

She nodded, "Forgive me for this Tarrant, there is no other way to set things right. Remember nothing is ever as it seems." Then she was gone.

And Tarrant was up, dressing for battle.

"Tarrant?" Chess called from the railing of the balcony mere minutes later, his friend's eyes were that terrible shade of fiery orange.

"Leave off cat" he groused, "I'll hae her or her bonnie head tiday."

Stayne watched as Alice was readied for battle, her armor was black, save for that golden breastplate. She wore his color well. He blew her a kiss and she smiled at him as she sheathed the vorpal sword. After tonight the hatter would no longer be a threat to his rule and he would have all of her.

How fitting that the hatter would die at the blade of his own heart. Stayne laughed madly atop his horse.

Espelth and her cadaver husband were moving around Alice now. He thought it disgusting that she kept her dead lover with her, but the results were undeniable. Alice was a vicious fighter now. Perfect for him. He watched as she mounted a dark horse and rode ahead of him down the path which led to the great chessboard by the sea.

"Why can't this be the final battle?" he demanded of the witches.

"This is the battle for the crown, but dominion over Underland is yet to come." They replied and he sighed.

Tarrant looked at Absalom. Trying very hard not to reach over and pluck his lovely blue wings off.

"Have you consulted the compendium over this day?" Absalom asked then.

"Nay."

"Perhaps you should Tarrant."

"I doona wish tae see."

"Stop this! Open the scroll and look!"

Tarrant stiffened and then unrolled the parchment, his eyes slowly moving to the moving ink there. And lifted green eyes to the butterfly.

"Better hurry. Remember your own brand of magic hmm?"

Tarrant rushed off to leap atop the bandersnatch and Absalom rolled the Oraculum away once more.

Tarrant, Mally, Chess and McTwisp met on the edge of the field. In the distance they saw Stayne and the witches drawing closer. And there, atop a tall black mount, garbed in sinister looking armor was Alice. She moved stiffly as though she were being pulled by invisible strings. That was until a man stepped forward to help her dismount and she unsheathed her sword.

Alice moved like a fighter and Tarrant felt worry quiver in his stomach. This would not be an easy fight then. For Alice would fight to win and so would he. He only hoped his plan would work.

"Are you prepared hatter?" Stayne called from across the field, he strode to stand beside Alice. "She isn't yours anymore you know?"

And with that, he kissed Alice and Tarrant saw red.

"Ye murderous fiend, I'll tear ye limb from limb and leave ye tae the mome raths. I'll scatter yer bits neath the trees in the Tulgey wood!"

He leapt at Stayne to lock swords with a vacant eyed but rather determined Alice.

"Back down lass" he warned over the singing of steel, "I've no wish to harm you, but if I must thenI must."

She swung viciously at him.

"Can't you remember me Alice?" he asked her as they locked once more.

"I do not know you" she replied and managed to slice his arm as she jumped backwards. Tarrant felt his heart shatter and his anger coalesce.

"Ye hae to lass."