Somewhere Out There
The Power
"Alex," I felt someone shake me awake, "Alex, we need to get going."
"Hmm?" I opened my eyes thinking for reason I'd be in my own bed but wasn't, "Oh."
"Are you ok?"
"I thought for a second I was home," I stretched a bit as I looked at him, "I mean other world home."
"Disppointed?" Jack asked as he helped me up as I thought for a second.
"Not really, I just miss being in an actual bed."
"That'll change," He smiled lightly as we went to get on the horses again.
As we were riding to find Catepillar again, Jack decided to bring up some conversation. Almost like trying to understand more about me that he lost all those years ago.
"So what did you do in your world?" Jack asked as he spoke softer now.
"I thought you'd know," I let out a scouff, "Following me and all."
"I-"
"It's ok, I get it," I smiled lightly, "I was a bartender, not too much excitement in that. Just dealing with your average everday drunk guy trying to hit on me, get me to go home with him, then the bouncer kicking him out. It always seemed so routine, just ordinary. I always knew that it wasn't what I was meant to do."
"So then do you accept that this is where your supposed to be."
"I do."
"Then what's wrong?"
"What happens when I do stop her?" I shot him a quick look, "I mean once mom's been defeated, what'll happen to me? Will I go back to being a bartender? Will I ever see you again? What?"
"You don't have to leave."
"I don't want to be a Queen either," I looked at him as he took a deep breath as he looked back at me.
"You've really fallen for him haven't you?"
"I can't help it," I mentioned as I looked forward to the direction we were going in, "I think I might love him, Jack."
Jack gave me a small smile which I don't think he thought I caught, "You're happy."
"I am."
"I haven't seen that smile on your face in a long time."
"What smile?"
"That you're making the right choice," Jack smiled as I looked at him.
"Does that mean what I think it does?"
"What?"
"You're finally warming up to the idea of me being with Hatter," I smiled wider at him.
"No," He shrugged and tried not to look at me.
"Yes, you are," I laughed, "Stop being all big brother like."
As we continued on our journey in silence, we finally approached his old looking building in which I got off my horse as I walked up to Jack.
"What is this place?"
"This is where you'll find out what you need to know," Jack looked ahead then started walking as he motioned for me to follow him in.
At the front desk, a lady told us which way to go in which I followed Jack up some stairs to a deserted pool, except for a man who was floating in the middle of it.
"Jack," The man spoke as I watched him, "You brought her."
"Yes," Jack nodded.
"Ask her if she knows why she's here?"
"To stop the Queen," I jumped in before Jack could answer, "I don't need my brother to translate for me. I can understand you, thank you very much."
"You came for answers," He mentioned as I looked at him.
"Yeah, this tattoo-"
"The tattoo," He nodded as I watched him, "Not here, too many ears around."
He finally got out of the pool as I waited for him with Jack in which he took us outside to a garden in which I finally noticed the sun shining.
"Your parents took you to your world when you were younger," He started.
"I already knew that," I rolled my eyes, "And it was my dad if I'm told correctly. My mother didn't seem like one for being very parental."
"She was at one point in time."
"Hard to believe that," I mumbled.
"That tattoo, the heart, you had it since as long as you could remember."
"My adoptive parents weren't very helpful on what it was, just a birthmark but I always got in trouble for drawing on myself."
"There's a reason it's there."
"Which is?" I waited for him to continue.
"You're special Alexandria."
"Wow, that's all I keep hearing," I let out a frustrated sigh, "Except no one is telling me how!"
"See," Catepillar looked at my arm as I seen it glowing, "You posses great power."
"What do you mean?"
"In your family, in every generation, a child was born with extraordinary power. Power that could stop anyone in their tracks."
"You mean like a witch?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow as it had Jack's attention.
"Supernatural to be exact," He nodded, "It never worked outside our world because the power would be useless there."
"Power?"
"You can do amazing things," He smiled at me, "You became the child that the legend always spoke of. The one who could stop the reign of the Queen."
"Wait. I'm confused, if there's one of us in every generatio, then why me?"
"You're the one all the legends talk about," He looked at me, "The child who possessed more power than anyone before previous generations."
"Huh?"
"You know the story of the girl, Alice right?"
"Yeah."
"She was from your world and saved us only because you weren't born yet."
"This is all very interesting," I was getting aggrivated, "But none of this is helping me. It's still not telling me about what I can do. What this tattoo is for? Anything!"
"Your tattoo marks you," Catepillar looked down, "It is the mark of the power you hold."
"Wait, that gypsy lady I heard about?"
"What no one told you is, is when you were born, she came to see you. You fell ill the day after you were born and your mother brought her in. She was skilled in the art of magic, a white witch."
"And?"
"She knew you were the one that the stories told of. The one she had to give all her power to in order to live."
"Wait, you mean I almost died?" I questioned as Jack looked shocked.
"You did die," He nodded, "It's the Phoenix syndrome. Your mother never knew you died but once the gypsy was finished with you, she left your mother with the warning of what would happen in the future."
"So you're saying that I have abilites that no one else does?" I questioned as he nodded.
"Beyond what you could imagine."
"And why can no one tell me exactly what I'm capable of?"
"Your power is finally manifesting," He looked at me, "No one ever knew the full extent of what you can do."
"Oh," I nodded as I tried to think, "So, there's no telling what could happen?"
"There is something," Catepillar looked at me.
"What?"
"You were only allowed this power if it was kept in the lines of royalty."
"Which explains why a bartender was never seen as anything special," I mumbled when the thought hit me, "Wait, that's why Jack doesn't want me to-"
"If you fell for someone who wasn't of royal blood, then the power doesn't work. It all disappears."
"You knew," I looked at Jack as he looked away from me, "You knew that if I fell for Hatter that I wouldn't be able to possess that power to stop the Queen."
"It's why you must marry someone within our bloodline."
"So this was never about me?" I questioned as I looked at Jack, "This was always about you. You just wanted me here to take down our mother because you couldn't do it yourself?"
"No, it's-"
"Liar!" I hissed as a wind picked up and I felt the tattoo glow, "Tell me the truth."
"We needed you and the ring," Jack mentioned as I watched him, "It's your role."
"And what happened after I took down the Queen? You send me back home so you can rule?"
"You can stay," He looked at me.
"No," I shook my head, "Not under your rule."
"Alex-" Jack started but I threw him into the side of the building telekenticly.
"No, you listen to me. I will defeat the Queen and when it's said and done, I will find Hatter again, there is no changing my mind. Then I'll figure out what do with you."
"Wait," Catepillar stopped me as I looked at him, "Hatter, have you been with him?"
"What difference does it make?" I glared as I went back to Jack who was still pinned against the wall.
"Everything changes," He mumbled as I got confused again.
"What?"
"Come with me," Catepillar started walking as I let Jack down to follow me, "There's something you need to see."
Just as Catepillar was about to lead me into a room in the building again, followed my Jack, the Queen's suits along with one that was called Number 10 as well as Mad March appeared in front of us.
"Going somewhere?" Mad March asked as I glared at him.
"Hmm?" I opened my eyes thinking for reason I'd be in my own bed but wasn't, "Oh."
"Are you ok?"
"I thought for a second I was home," I stretched a bit as I looked at him, "I mean other world home."
"Disppointed?" Jack asked as he helped me up as I thought for a second.
"Not really, I just miss being in an actual bed."
"That'll change," He smiled lightly as we went to get on the horses again.
As we were riding to find Catepillar again, Jack decided to bring up some conversation. Almost like trying to understand more about me that he lost all those years ago.
"So what did you do in your world?" Jack asked as he spoke softer now.
"I thought you'd know," I let out a scouff, "Following me and all."
"I-"
"It's ok, I get it," I smiled lightly, "I was a bartender, not too much excitement in that. Just dealing with your average everday drunk guy trying to hit on me, get me to go home with him, then the bouncer kicking him out. It always seemed so routine, just ordinary. I always knew that it wasn't what I was meant to do."
"So then do you accept that this is where your supposed to be."
"I do."
"Then what's wrong?"
"What happens when I do stop her?" I shot him a quick look, "I mean once mom's been defeated, what'll happen to me? Will I go back to being a bartender? Will I ever see you again? What?"
"You don't have to leave."
"I don't want to be a Queen either," I looked at him as he took a deep breath as he looked back at me.
"You've really fallen for him haven't you?"
"I can't help it," I mentioned as I looked forward to the direction we were going in, "I think I might love him, Jack."
Jack gave me a small smile which I don't think he thought I caught, "You're happy."
"I am."
"I haven't seen that smile on your face in a long time."
"What smile?"
"That you're making the right choice," Jack smiled as I looked at him.
"Does that mean what I think it does?"
"What?"
"You're finally warming up to the idea of me being with Hatter," I smiled wider at him.
"No," He shrugged and tried not to look at me.
"Yes, you are," I laughed, "Stop being all big brother like."
As we continued on our journey in silence, we finally approached his old looking building in which I got off my horse as I walked up to Jack.
"What is this place?"
"This is where you'll find out what you need to know," Jack looked ahead then started walking as he motioned for me to follow him in.
At the front desk, a lady told us which way to go in which I followed Jack up some stairs to a deserted pool, except for a man who was floating in the middle of it.
"Jack," The man spoke as I watched him, "You brought her."
"Yes," Jack nodded.
"Ask her if she knows why she's here?"
"To stop the Queen," I jumped in before Jack could answer, "I don't need my brother to translate for me. I can understand you, thank you very much."
"You came for answers," He mentioned as I looked at him.
"Yeah, this tattoo-"
"The tattoo," He nodded as I watched him, "Not here, too many ears around."
He finally got out of the pool as I waited for him with Jack in which he took us outside to a garden in which I finally noticed the sun shining.
"Your parents took you to your world when you were younger," He started.
"I already knew that," I rolled my eyes, "And it was my dad if I'm told correctly. My mother didn't seem like one for being very parental."
"She was at one point in time."
"Hard to believe that," I mumbled.
"That tattoo, the heart, you had it since as long as you could remember."
"My adoptive parents weren't very helpful on what it was, just a birthmark but I always got in trouble for drawing on myself."
"There's a reason it's there."
"Which is?" I waited for him to continue.
"You're special Alexandria."
"Wow, that's all I keep hearing," I let out a frustrated sigh, "Except no one is telling me how!"
"See," Catepillar looked at my arm as I seen it glowing, "You posses great power."
"What do you mean?"
"In your family, in every generation, a child was born with extraordinary power. Power that could stop anyone in their tracks."
"You mean like a witch?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow as it had Jack's attention.
"Supernatural to be exact," He nodded, "It never worked outside our world because the power would be useless there."
"Power?"
"You can do amazing things," He smiled at me, "You became the child that the legend always spoke of. The one who could stop the reign of the Queen."
"Wait. I'm confused, if there's one of us in every generatio, then why me?"
"You're the one all the legends talk about," He looked at me, "The child who possessed more power than anyone before previous generations."
"Huh?"
"You know the story of the girl, Alice right?"
"Yeah."
"She was from your world and saved us only because you weren't born yet."
"This is all very interesting," I was getting aggrivated, "But none of this is helping me. It's still not telling me about what I can do. What this tattoo is for? Anything!"
"Your tattoo marks you," Catepillar looked down, "It is the mark of the power you hold."
"Wait, that gypsy lady I heard about?"
"What no one told you is, is when you were born, she came to see you. You fell ill the day after you were born and your mother brought her in. She was skilled in the art of magic, a white witch."
"And?"
"She knew you were the one that the stories told of. The one she had to give all her power to in order to live."
"Wait, you mean I almost died?" I questioned as Jack looked shocked.
"You did die," He nodded, "It's the Phoenix syndrome. Your mother never knew you died but once the gypsy was finished with you, she left your mother with the warning of what would happen in the future."
"So you're saying that I have abilites that no one else does?" I questioned as he nodded.
"Beyond what you could imagine."
"And why can no one tell me exactly what I'm capable of?"
"Your power is finally manifesting," He looked at me, "No one ever knew the full extent of what you can do."
"Oh," I nodded as I tried to think, "So, there's no telling what could happen?"
"There is something," Catepillar looked at me.
"What?"
"You were only allowed this power if it was kept in the lines of royalty."
"Which explains why a bartender was never seen as anything special," I mumbled when the thought hit me, "Wait, that's why Jack doesn't want me to-"
"If you fell for someone who wasn't of royal blood, then the power doesn't work. It all disappears."
"You knew," I looked at Jack as he looked away from me, "You knew that if I fell for Hatter that I wouldn't be able to possess that power to stop the Queen."
"It's why you must marry someone within our bloodline."
"So this was never about me?" I questioned as I looked at Jack, "This was always about you. You just wanted me here to take down our mother because you couldn't do it yourself?"
"No, it's-"
"Liar!" I hissed as a wind picked up and I felt the tattoo glow, "Tell me the truth."
"We needed you and the ring," Jack mentioned as I watched him, "It's your role."
"And what happened after I took down the Queen? You send me back home so you can rule?"
"You can stay," He looked at me.
"No," I shook my head, "Not under your rule."
"Alex-" Jack started but I threw him into the side of the building telekenticly.
"No, you listen to me. I will defeat the Queen and when it's said and done, I will find Hatter again, there is no changing my mind. Then I'll figure out what do with you."
"Wait," Catepillar stopped me as I looked at him, "Hatter, have you been with him?"
"What difference does it make?" I glared as I went back to Jack who was still pinned against the wall.
"Everything changes," He mumbled as I got confused again.
"What?"
"Come with me," Catepillar started walking as I let Jack down to follow me, "There's something you need to see."
Just as Catepillar was about to lead me into a room in the building again, followed my Jack, the Queen's suits along with one that was called Number 10 as well as Mad March appeared in front of us.
"Going somewhere?" Mad March asked as I glared at him.