Not Your Fairy Tale: Prelude Ch8 *END*

*Chapter 8*

Alice opened her eyes she looked around seeing a wooden roof above her. She started to get a sense of her body; she had a dull ache in her leg. She frowned and remembered what had happened to it. Her hand gazed against something soft and warm though. She slowly looked down and saw Cheshire in his cat form curled up on her chest. She slowly stroked his fur taking in more things about the room. It was sparsely furnished there was a small vanity in the room, a closet she couldn’t see into, a nightstand with a small lamp and that seemed to be it. She glanced to the wall her bed was close to, a window hung above it. She saw the dim light outside, she couldn’t tell if it sunrise or sunset. She began to feel Cheshire purr against her. She continued to pet him. The door opened slowly, she glanced toward it and saw W.R. he gave a faint smile “Ah good, you’re awake.” He walked over and placed his hand on her head to check her temperature. Alice looked away from him “I just got hurt I’m not sick.” W.R. shook his head “Those thorns were poison; you’ve been out cold for at least 3 days now.” Alice tensed “What…”

He nodded and left the room but talked a little louder so she could hear him “I couldn’t be around you to take care of you so Cheshire has been watching over you and making sure to keep you alive and well until you woke on your own.” Alice looked back the Cheshire who was still resting on her “He did all that…” W.R. returned and nodded “He is your familiar so it’s part of his duties, but I think he has his own reasons as well.” W.R. helped Alice sit up. Cheshire woke and stood up stretching then walked off Alice and away seeming to be minding his own business. Alice gave a small frown; W.R. held the glass of water to her “Here drink this you need to start getting your strength back.” Alice sighed and took it drinking the water down. Cheshire changed to his human form “Is she going to be well enough to eat?” He questioned. W.R. replied “She’s awake now so yes.” Alice could hear Cheshire gathering pots and pans together. She looked to W.R. “Where am I?” W.R. smiled “The Queen of Hearts owed you a home since you beat her. This is it. It’s a bit far from the towns or any neighbors, I guess her way of trying to make things difficult.” He laughed “But as member of the White Rabbit Watch it will take more than that to bother you right?” Alice gave a faint smile and nodded. It was strange for her but the reality of her situation was setting in and she was actually finding herself quite happy.

W.R. looked to his watch “I should be going now. I will be back when I can to check up on you. Get well soon ok.” He started out “Take good care of her.” Cheshire just gave a nod. With that the last thing Alice could hear was the door closing as W.R. rushed out. She stared into the water in her glass. Her eyes slowly moved from the glass to her legs which had been hidden under the covers. She bit her lip a little and focused on wiggling her toes on the wounded leg. She winced the muscle movement hurt a good bit. She could feel her toes though which was a major relief to her. Alice sat the glass down on the night stand behind the head of her bed. She slowly reached for the covers when Cheshire’s long nailed hand pulled them back. Alice noticed her clothes were not the same, just a simple white dress instead of the blue and white one she had gotten a bit accustomed to since she first arrived. Her eyes fell on thick bandages covering her wounded leg. Cheshire looked to her “You might not want to look I need to clean and rebadged the wound. Alice shook her head “I want to see.” Cheshire sighed “Fine, suit yourself.” He left the room, she could hear him wash his hands then return with some bandages and things that looked like some kind of oils. Cheshire kneeled beside her and began to undo the bandages.

Alice watched a bit nervously. Finally the bandages were removed and she could see the unpleasant stitches that circled around her leg. She got a little pale but didn’t turn away. Cheshire glanced to her and gave a small grin “Aww poor little Alice trying to be tough.” He laughed a little. Alice glared at him “Just clean it.” He shook his head holding the small grin as he got to work cleaning the wound then bandaging it. Alice did her best to watch the whole time even though it made her stomach hurt a little. Cheshire finally spoke again “You took quite the nasty hit here you know. W.R. said your leg was just barely hanging on. Fortunately you shouldn’t have much of a limp due to some potion he got.” He shrugged and went to throw the old bandages away and clean his hands “You need to thank him next time you see him. He is our boss now after all. Well mostly yours.” Alice retorted “Yeah it sounds like I’m your boss now.” She smirked. He gave a small groan “We are more like partners. I choose to work with you.” Cheshire tried to be firm. Alice teased him now though seeing that she was in fact in charge “Oh really? Carry me to the table.” Cheshire stopped and slowly returned to the room. Alice looked up at him with her arms crossed she felt she had made her point. Cheshire though reached out his finger and tapped the end of her nose “No.” Alice grabbed his hand and stood up on her own but desperately needed him for stability with how weak she still was “I didn’t need your help anyways.” Cheshire moved his hand from her “Then I’ll see you in the kitchen” She nearly lost her balance. Cheshire quickly caught her and gave a small sigh picking her up and carrying her to the kitchen then placing her on a seat. “You’re hopeless” He went to check on the meal he was preparing. Alice leaned on the table some a bit worn out just from sitting up. “You still carried me” She smirked weakly. Cheshire got a bit red “Fine I guess you win.” He gave a small hiss “Just focus on getting better ok.”

Both of them fell silent for a bit. Alice took in the room some but her eyes kept returning to Cheshire. He finally poured a ladle of a strange stew he had cooked up into a bowl for Alice and got some for himself. He sat across from her and began to eat. Alice slowly began to manage to do the same herself. She didn’t want his help, but a question was still nagging her finally after a few bites, which were actually quite tasty, she spoke. “So……why have you been helping me?” Cheshire stopped eating, he stared into his bowl. Silence fell for both again. Cheshire finally started to speak “You remember before…when I mentioned that I remembered what happened to W.R.” Alice gave a small nod. He continued “Well…after the first Alice arrived the first Cheshire vanished when she returned to the world she came from. With each new Alice that arrived a new Cheshire would appear. By new I mean I’d look different. I…would remember everything that happened the last time I was around but…I was actually different to.” He sighed “It’s hard to explain this.” Alice frowned “I’m getting it just keep talking.”

Cheshire frowned “Ok. Well I have always been around but not really. All the things I remember don’t feel like they are really me. What I remember from waking a week ago that feels real to me like it’s actually my memories.” Alice spoke up now “So…you are sort of born when I showed up?” He shook his head “Not exactly, I woke before W.R. Went to meet you. He said to me before, to a different me that my existence was linked to Alices, something that must’ve happened with the first me.” He shrugged “I actually have the hardest time remembering the stuff from that long ago. Whatever happened back then linked me to the Alices, everyone here already felt I was something of a god myself, or a ghost or even a soul catcher of some sort. They tell ghost stories about me.” Alice nodded “That is why the Queen of Hearts called you a beast.” She smiled “She must be really scared of you. We’ll have to pay her lots of visits then.” Cheshire looked to Alice, her smile. He slowly smiled himself, it was strange somewhat comforting to hear she was not bothered by what he was telling her.

Slowly his smile faded though and he continued once more. “Anyways, if you failed I would have stopped existing until another Alice was ready. So…” He wondered how Alice would respond to this he shook his head and just let it out “I was afraid to see you fail, I wanted you to make it through this so I didn’t vanish. I didn’t want to stop existing.” Alice just stared at him she slowly gave a nod “I would hate for that to happen to me to. I understand.” She shrugged “Was I supposed to be upset?” Cheshire stared at her his eyes wide with surprise “Well, I figured you would be.” Alice shook her head “I have no reason to be. I’d do the same thing if that happened to me.” She crossed her arms though “Looks like you had nothing to worry about. I got through things pretty well.” She looked away though and sighed “But thanks for your help anyways, I would have gotten killed by poison twice I guess if it wasn’t for you.” Cheshire slowly smirked now “Glad you at least remembered that.” He slowly started to laugh “I guess with me as your familiar now I don’t have to worry about vanishing for a long time.” Alice looked back to him she smiled again “Hey It’s going to take a lot to get me to quit any of this be prepared to deal with being around for a long long time. More years then you can imagine.” She laughed now to.

After both of them managed to catch their breath from the small fit of laughter that broke out, Alice slowly held out her hand she closed her fingers except for her pinky “Cheshire.” Cheshire looked to her hand a bit confused “What are you doing?” Alice smiled and shook her head “Just shut up and listen.” Cheshire rose an eyebrow but gave a nod. Alice looked to her hand “Put your hand like mine” Cheshire did, Alice reached out and wrapped her pinky around his. “I promise to fight hard and not let anyone get the better of me.” Alice looked into Cheshire’s eyes “As long as you promise to have my back and be my friend.” She smiled a bit more “This is how people make promises where I come from.” Cheshire looked to their intertwined fingers, he took in the words he was told. He slowly smiled it felt like the most honest one he’s ever had. He gave a nod “I promise to have your back and…be your friend.” Alice moved her hand back and started to eat again “Great.” Cheshire slowly started to eat again as well. Both were satisfied with these words, this promise. Even though Cheshire knew that Alice had no way of keeping her end of the promise forever, it felt like something that could last an eternity. Whatever they would face in the future he felt he’d be ready for it. Alice’s mind was more focused on eating and getting well. She couldn’t wait to explore, to be a hero here. She didn’t think too far into the future it was all about what she could get done now, about having fun. As the sun slowly rose higher into the sky it seemed that a peace was starting to form in Wonderland, no longer was this a place of endless trials, a guardian was among the people.

*End*