Illuminate

The Caterpillar smiled, blowing out a crown shaped billow of colorful smoke. I regarded the image for a moment before glancing at him in confusion. All knowing and wise as he was, he smiled in response and beckoned me forward. I moved slowly and knelt once more at his feet. He touched my tear-streaked cheeks tenderly.

"Part of your 'role', Alice is to meet the Red Queen as you saw in your childhood. Unfortunately we can only steer you in the right direction, but cannot tell you what is to happen directly. We can only provide subtle clues that do not break the rules," he said seriously, his eyes glowing in the setting sunlight.

I gave a nod of understanding. The rules could not be broken for them, but they could bend for me because it was no longer the same 'game'. He stroked my hair lovingly, his eyes gentle and warm.

"I have watched you for many, many years, my dear Alice," he murmured affectionately, tucking the blond locks behind my ear. "I have watched you grow up from an innocent, playful child into a fetching young woman.' His smile slowly faded into a expression of sadness. "I'm not sure if any of us could bear to watch you die again."

I felt my heart go out to him, his sadness becoming a part of my own. Cheshire had lowered his head out of the corner of my eye, his tail growing limp beside him. The hurt and loss that I caused to each person I met in Wonderland weighed heavy on my soul as I rose to my feet.

"This time will make all the more difference, Caterpillar," I said firmly, standing tall with pride. "I am a woman now with a sharper intellect and more wisdom then before. I will win this round, and I will make sure that no one in Wonderland will have to suffer at the hands of Peter White ever again."

Both men stared back at me with such pride, it illuminated their eyes in the shadows that pulled over Wonderland as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. They exchanged a glance and smiled before Cheshire came to stand beside me while caterpillar blew out another image made of smoke.

"To begin, you must encounter each person here in Wonderland," he said firmly, gesturing to the different images that had popped up. "You've already met the Hatter and his gang," he said as he swiped away the image of the Hatter's Mansion. He gestured to the circus tent. "Here you will meet Boris and his gang. You have already met Cheshire," he said with a grin.

The next image billowed forward on a gentle breeze in the shape of a giant tower. His eyes turned hard at the image, his jaw twitching. "This is the Clock Tower where you will find Julius, the Clock Maker. You will find that not much happens in this area," he said cryptically, his eyes boring into my own with meaning.

At once, I realized he was giving me a clue. He looked as though he wanted to elaborate, but was psychically unable. Even Cheshire looked as though he was struggling, his sharp pointed teeth bared in a snarl of anguish. Whatever it was they wanted to tell me, it was very important. I stored that tidbit of information away and focused on the next image that made my heart beat fiercely. Heart Palace.

He sighed heavily as the image grew larger. "You must meet the Red Queen. In order for the game to progress, you need to go to Heart Palace. Be very wary of the Queen, Alice," he warned darkly as he gripped my shoulders tight, "She is cunning and manipulative. During your visit there, look to Peter White for guidance and protection. Even though he is a twisted character, he will never allow any harm to come to you."

I blanched at his words. Rely on Peter White? Cheshire looked green in the face at the idea, his eyes large saucers and fearful although resolved. This was a part of the game, and they all needed to follow their roles. I trailed off in thought as I wondered what the punishment was for straying from assigned roles and regulations.

Caterpillar's eyes were hard as stone and unyielding. "Punishment for rule breakers, is death by the Clock Maker's assassin."

My stomach rolled at the new information. A brief flare up on pain caused me to flinch back as the small vision appeared before me of a young man with snow white hair, pale skin and hard stormy grey eyes the color of diamonds. His name rolled off my tongue like a heavy oil.

"Ace," I murmured and Caterpillar nodded in agreement.

Feeling overwhelmed, I rubbed my eyes tiredly. A headache was starting to come forth from the memories trying to burst out, and Cheshire gently touched the nape of my neck.

"Let's continue on Alice," he said softly, his gaze turned off into the distance where I could make out the tall pointed tip of a tower, the black flag billowing in the wind. "The next stop is the Clock Tower."

I frowned and turned my gaze toward the palace in the opposite direction. "I don't understand. I thought you were taking me to see Peter White?"

He looked pained, his tail twitching fretfully behind him though he clamped his mouth closed. I looked to Caterpillar and he simply shook his head. It dawned on me that this was part of his role, and he was unable to come right out and tell me.

"There is a set path through the game, correct?" I asked curiously and was relieved when he nodded, and seemed to relax from his tense posture.

"Rules and regulations, Alice," Caterpillar said, tapping gently at his temple. "Please keep them in mind."

With a nod, I turned and allowed Cheshire to lift me as if I were weightless into his arms. I looked back to the Caterpillar once more and returned a knowing smile, blowing out a perfectly shaped heart.

"Good luck, Alice," he murmured with a wink, returning to his former self, "I can't wait to see what you have in store for Wonderland this round."

The wind rushed all around us as we fell down from the mushroom cap and landed softly. In a swirl of color, Cheshire transformed into the beast and curled his long tail around me as if to beckon me forward. Placing a hand on his strong spine, I followed him deeper into the forest. Stars popped up one by one as the sky darkened, turning to night. Orbs of shimmering golden light floated through the trees, while the small star-shaped flowers bloomed and began to glow. They illuminated the path we were to walk down.

A soft tinkling captured my attention as we walked on, and I gazed above me to find small fairy type creatures soaring around. They reminded me of the soft gentle sound of wind chimes back home, and I couldn't help but smile. Each sparkled colorfully in different colors of the rainbow and lowered down to follow us curiously.

A pretty sparkling fairy the color of a pink sunset floated over and perched on my shoulder, regarding me cheerfully. Up close I could make out her beautiful elfin features and the tiny wings that helped her fly, sending a glittery dust as they moved. I smiled down at her as she blew me a kiss and floated off to join the others.

Cheshire's tail wrapped around my middle, halting my movements and I turned to see a small family of creatures crossing the path. They were small with beaks that resembled golden trumpets and fluffy bodies of cotton like a sheep. The taller ones honked quietly to the smaller ones that trailed behind and I giggled quietly.

"Everything is so unique and wonderful," I said, watching the family of creatures disappear back into the forest. Cheshire rumbled in approval.

Soon we came to a dead end and the intimidating shadow of the Clock Tower loomed above us against the night sky. Cheshire ghosted to his human form and gazed at the door carefully.

"Welcome to the Clock Tower," he said softly, casting me his trademark grin. He stepped forward and knocked precisely three times in a strange pattern before the door swung on it's own. He flashed me a wink before stepping inside.

As I imagined, the Clock Tower was made entirely of stone with swirling staircases that led up the tower. Portraits hung on the wall of vast landscapes of the Wonderland along with many different styled and shaped clocks, all ticking in rhythm with each other. The sound was almost maddening as we began the climb of the spiral stone staircase. We came to another door with a shiny golden knob.

"We're here to see Julius," Cheshire said, his eyes focused on the knob.

I stared in surprise as the knob came to life, small beady eyes opening to regard us carefully. When he spoke, the keyhole of his mouth moved as if they were lips.

"See Julius, eh?" he murmured dryly, those beady eyes fixating on me in surprise. "You don't plan on drowning me this time, I hope."

I blinked in confusion before I recalled the memory of the Ocean of Tears and how he had been my savior to release me before I drowned in my own sadness. I blushed with embarrassment and shook my head.

"No," I said quietly, "No tears this time, I promise."

He seemed to hesitate as though he didn't believe me, before the door creaked and swung open to reveal a haven of books. Entranced, I stepped inside in awe as I traced over the endless bookshelves filled with books new and old. The room made me feel like I was at home in my father's study and I breathed in the comforting scent of leather binding and worn pages.

"I suppose it is that time, isn't it?" a passive voice said from across the room and I gave a startled jump and turned to see a young man sitting behind a desk wearing moon-shaped spectacles with glistening gold frames and chain holding them in place. Long locks of ebony hair curled over his shoulder, tied with a navy blue ribbon with wisps framing his delicate features. He was dressed in a coat that much resembled the captains from home aboard their ships. In his grasp was a tiny pocket watch that he was assembling.

When he finally looked up, I was struck by the blueness of his eyes. They were like glittering sapphires, an endless deep sea blue. He was a handsome man, slightly older then Cheshire I deduced by the strength and sharpness of his jaw.

Those sapphire eyes widened slightly in surprise and the small tool he held fell from his grasp. His eyes flickered to Cheshire before gesturing to myself.

"Who is she?" he asked in confusion, his perfectly shaped black brows pulled together in bewilderment.

I stepped forward, catching his attention and curtsied gracefully with the bow of my head. "I am Alice."

His mouth opened in shock before he rose to his feet and crossed over to Cheshire, pulling him aside. They spoke in hushed tones rapidly, the Clock Maker seeming flustered and slightly afraid. They both paused to glance at me, and I tilted my head in response. The man named Julius sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose before he stepped toward me hesitantly.

"It would seem that you are indeed Alice," he said dryly, his eyes passing over me so thoroughly, I felt as though he was examining my soul. It brought heat to my cheeks and I swallowed nervously as his eyes met mine once more. "Hmm."

Stunned, I watched as he turned away without saying anything further and returned to his desk. I looked to Cheshire in confusion and he just smiled with a light shrug. I stepped forward to gaze down at his desktop to watch him tinker with a clock.

"Is this your 'role', Julius?" I asked curiously, watching as he tweaked something that made the small gears begin to move once more and a soft ticking filled the air.

He seemed momentarily surprised that I knew his name, but disregarded it with the shake of his head and set the fixed clock to the site.

"Yes," he said strongly. I got the impression that he did not like to talk to others very much. "I am the Clock Maker of Wonderland, Julius as you already know. My role in this game is to repair the broken clocks."

I frowned at his words, wondering why he would have such a strange role. I was very curious to know why, but I had come to learn that most things would have to be discovered in time during different events. I turned to the bookcases and traced a finger gently down a particularly old spine and smiled when it shivered before settling in quietly.

"You have a lovely library, Julius," I said honestly with a smile. I turned to observe him and paused when I saw that he already been observing me carefully, sipping from a teacup. In the corner, Cheshire lounged like the feline he was, tail curling around the chairs of the antique sofa.

"Thank you," he said quietly, his eyes intense as they focused on my own and my heart skipped a beat. Why was everyone in Wonderland so blindingly handsome?

His eyes heated a fraction at my reaction before returning to their passive state. He sipped his tea and set his cup down gently before rising to his feet.

"I suppose you both will need some place to stay for the night," he said as he began to arrange his desk, turning in after a day's work.

Cheshire suddenly appeared out of thin air beside me with that grin of his, his hands tucked into his pockets. "I'll be heading back to the Circus, but Alice will need a place to stay."

I felt a moment of panic at the thought of having him leave my side, but he smiled at me assuredly with a wink. "Don't worry, love. I'll be back first thing in the morning."

Without further ado, he faded out leaving me standing there with a slightly annoyed Clock Maker. On a sigh, he brushed past me towards the door. Holding it open, he lifted a brow back at me.

"Well, are you coming or do you plan to sleep in the study?"

Feeling embarrassed, I hurried out after him into the hall and waited as he locked up the room with the clocks inside. He turned without a word, heading down the spiral hall towards the opposite end of the tower. It led to an open area filled with herbs and pottery. In the center sat a wooden table lined with place mats and a bowl of fresh fruit sat in the center.

"Have you eaten?" he questioned, busing himself with making a pot of tea and I smiled.

Moving to stand beside him, I reached for the teapot. "The least I can do is make tea and something to eat for allowing me to stay here."

I gently brushed his fingers, feeling how chilled they were and yet he pulled away as though I had burned him. His expression was twisted painfully for a moment before he turned away and busied himself with something else instead. Confused, but unwilling to question it I focused on filling the pot with water. While waiting for it to boil, Julius had busied himself with chopping up some strange looking vegetables.

"I remember a bit of my past visits to Wonderland," I murmured softly, gazing out the window to my left towards the glittering stars.

His movements stopped, but he did not turn around. After a silent moment, he returned to chopping on his wooden cutting board. "What do you remember?"

I smiled at his question. He seemed like a tough person to engage in conversation, but friendly nonetheless.

"I had met with the Caterpillar earlier," I began softly, recalling the feelings that I had felt when pieces of my memories came back to me. "He showed me an image of a time when I came as a child."

He remained silent, so I continued while I prepared tea. "He showed me myself in the Red Queen's palace and Peter White when he was younger," I said, my throat suddenly feeling thick. I swallowed before continuing.

"I know that everything started with Peter White. I know that somehow, the Red Queen meant something to me as a child. I also know that she is the cause of my death."

I could feel his eyes on me at this point, but I refused to look at him. I felt too lost in the splinters of my memories. I poured tea for us both and finally turned to face him, setting them down onto the table. He observed me for a moment before moving forward to take a seat gracefully, his eyes never leaving my form. I followed suit and lifted the tea to my lips, enjoying the calming burst of the floral taste.

"There is a flaw in the game," he noted, his sapphire eyes once more roving over my adult-like appearance. "You have never come to Wonderland any older then ten years of age, nor have you ever recalled your memories of your previous experience."

I nodded solemnly. "Caterpillar believes that because of this, there is a fighting chance for me to win once and for all."

He gazed off thoughtfully as the pot crackled and boiled just behind him. "I believe that he would be correct," he said honestly, his eyes flickering to my own, "However, how do you plan on winning this round, Alice?"

The question made me pause. I did not have a concrete plan in mind and he seemed to take note of that, rising to attend the stove.

"Usually people have a plan before they set out into a war zone," he remarked dryly.

I could not help but smile in response. "Yes, that would be norm I suppose. However, there has never been an Alice like me."

I watched in awe as the corner of his lips ticked upwards into a brief smile, before he glanced over his shoulder, eyebrow raised. "You sure are gutsy this round. It may just help you advance further then ever before."

I felt empowered by his words and sipped happily on my tea, allowing the calming effects wash over me. I had a long journey ahead of me, with more dangers then I would ever come to realize. I had to win this round, I knew. I had to win and release myself from this never ending curse forced on me by Peter White.

Maybe, I thought as I turned to gaze out at the starry night sky, maybe that just meant taking over the kingdom as the new Red Queen.