There was a dead forest, burned and chopped down to its trunks. No animal lived here else than the vultures waiting for prey. A sole woman in armor walked through this area. It broke her heart to see what has become of Wonderland. The ruling red queen was supposed to be only a puppet controlled by the real red queen. But the puppet turned against its master. The woman in armor was Elizabeth Heart, the real and true red queen. But no one knew her as the red queen. To Wonderland, she was Elizabeth Heart, probably a lone wolf mercenary, a huntress or a hermit who knew how to fight. Her mission? To get back in control of Wonderland, restore order and execute those who cooperated in the coup. She wished her daughter was there so that Elizabeths daughter Alice can be prepared to become the next ruler of Wonderland.

"There she is!" A voice said. A couple of soldiers had followed Elizabeth. "Elizabeth Heart, you are wanted dead by order of the Red Queen." A soldier said. Elizabeth smirked and pulled her sword out. "The soul of the Jabberwocky is in this sword and it will help me defeat the corrupt and chaos." She said. The soldiers charged. Elizabeth dodged their attacks with ease and then slashed through them. Only two soldiers were left. Elizabeth licked the blood off her sword and said: "The blood of the ill-minded tastes superb. You work for the wrong person because I should be sitting on that throne right now. Now you will know where the "red" in Red Queen comes from." Elizabeth then moved with incredible speed towards the enemy and cut the first one down the middle. Her left hand then grabbed the face of the other and crushed his head. "You wont be able to defeat me. My strength is unmatched and criminal and wrongdoers will fall before me." Elizabeth said. She wiped off her sword and continued on.

Alice had landed softly, which had been the same as last time, which was odd when you fell down a rabbit hole. Surely if you fell down a hole, you should fall hard.
But there were other things in her mind waiting to be heard. She was back in Wonderland. How had she done it? She'd tried so many times after she had left to return, to prove to everyone that it was real, but all she had been though of was a foolish little girl. Time had wiped away what she had thought was truth and left only the memory of some childish fancy.
"Alice, are you alright?" said the White Rabbit, breaking into her thoughts.
She blinked and focussed on the Rabbit, taking it in once, and then having to look at it again. The rabbit was wrong, for when she had last been here it had been smart and fluffy, bright white and almost arrogant in itself. This rabbit looked frightened, and grubby, grey in places rather than white, and a little on the thinner side.
"Rabbit," she said, moving forward. "Are you alright?"
The White Rabbit looked startled and more frightened.
"I must go. The Queen will be wanting me. I'm late!"
"Rabbit!" she called, but the creature was gone, leaving Alice in a state that she hadn't felt for quite some time, confused and unsure what to do.
She picked herself up and examined the room. It wasn't the same room she'd been in last time, or maybe it was but different. There were more doors, big and small, all around the room.
"But which door?" she said, puzzling over them.
She looked around her, glad to see that her things had landed. She shouldn't need the knife really, but it was always good to have things around. Besides, if she had to walk through that stupid garden again, this could save time.
She also put on the trousers. They had been far too big, and still here, but she used string to tie them high enough to be able to conceal them. After all, pretty dresses were very nice, but Wonderland required some running and a dress would not be suitable.
Once satisfied she looked around. There was always something, and she was not disappointed to find a small bottle.
"Key first," she reminded herself, looking around for one.
She found it one she forth look around the room. It opened a rather small door into a place that was like a jungle, so she drank the drink, glad everything else shrank with her, and went off in search of her next adventure.

There was a series lurching, crashing sounds winding their way rhythmically through the jungle like the thump of clumsy foot steps. The ground rumbled slightly with every foot fall accompanying a deep voice that grumbled relentlessly about nothing particular. The Weeping Willow continued to stumble through vines and ridiculous jungle plants in the general direction of his old forest with a distinctly confused expression written across his wooden face, "But maybe I'm..." A few snippets of his mumbling could be made out, "No, I couldn't- Uh... Where was I?" He groaned as he passed a young woman in a simple dress to whom he paid little attention. He was perplexed enough as it was without pondering on why there was a girl in the jungle - The tree wasn't even entirely sure he remembered why he was in the jungle anymore or which way he was headed, "Couldn't be that, men just don't-" Suddenly the great being came to a lurching, stumbling halt. His foot had caught on something he speculated, though in fact the roots growing from his foot had actually buried themselves in the ground.

"Damn trees!" Will exclaimed angrily, many metres from Alice as he tried to pull his foot up with little luck. He, being particularly mixed up on the matter, was roughly half way between tree and man. His limbs and head were fairly human-like despite a thick, twisted bark that coated them but his feet were rapidly turning into masses of roots that protruded from his patched pants. Rather than hair he had what seemed to be thick tufts of moss hanging from his head and smattered randomly about his body. Moreover, there was a large branch growing from his increasingly twisted body that he seemed to be ignoring with considerable effort whilst he tugged as his feet violently, "Blasted vines..." He scratched his head and looked even more perplexed than previously, grumbling to himself.

Alice had always found that things in Wonderland were unusual, but this was something she had never seen before. She watched the creature with some fascination, as it passed without interest in her. Not that Alice believed herself all that interesting in comparison to Wonderland. She debated offering him her knife to cut things, but then, if he were partly tree, or maybe this was how some trees were here, he would be offended.
She stuck the knife away, moving so that she were behind it, but not too close. She didn't want him to turn and hit her with a branch.
"Excuse me?" she said, trying to attract it's attention. "Could I help?" To herself she added, in some small way since she was not really very big.

Elizabeth walked through the barren land which used to be a forest until she saw a jungle in the distance. After some time, she entered the jungle. The creatures in the jungle werent civilized and forgot to talk. A bit away, she saw a girl talking to a treeman. The girl reminded Elizabeth of her younger self. Could it maybe be? Could it be Alice? Elizabeth was excited on the inside hoping it was her daughter whom she hadnt seen in teen years. Back then Alice might have only gotten a glimpse of her while she met the puppet Red Queen.
Elizabeth went up to the two in the distance and said: "What are you two doing in a dangerous place like this? A girl and a creature of the forest. Hmm. I have the feeling that you need a guide to the nearest settlement. Do you need one?" Elizabeths facial expression was that of a friendly stranger just offering help.

"Excuse me?" A small voice sounded somewhere behind the gigantic hulk of a creature, causing him to jump in shock - or at least he would have, had he the ability. "Could I help?" The Weeping Willow answered without thinking, "No!" He boomed, evidently upset, "I don't want any more questions!" The treeman finally turned to see who a had addressed him, his mouth contorted into a deep scowl. It was a little girl, one very out of place in Wonderland it seemed, "I need answers so I can- So I can... Get rid of these damned roots wrapped around my feet!" He grumbled, turning back around and looking very worried. The roots burrowed deeper and the branch wrapped itself more tightly around his chest, he trying to tear at them somewhat half-heartedly. Suddenly, another woman came into view and, whilst he could not remember ever meeting her, she gave him misgivings, "What are you two doing in a dangerous place like this? A girl and a creature of the forest. Hmm. I have the feeling that you need a guide to the nearest settlement. Do you need one?" "Who are you calling a creature!?" He responded, evidently insulted as he became more tree-like. He spotted the axe by her side and flinched in fear he couldn't explain, "I have to go to- Somewhere!" He thundered, trying to find where the roots ended on his legs.

Alice seemed more surprised at the woman's appearance than the Tree-man. After all, most of the Humanoid creatures here were more dangerous than the others.
But she could see he was getting upset, and right now she didn't have enough space in her head to worry about herself
"It's alright, I'll help," she said, looking to the woman with a smile quickly. "Could you be ever so kind as to try and help me free him? He seems to be getting very upset."
Alice moved slowly forward.
"If you're looking for answers," she said soothingly, or at least she hoped was soothingly. "Maybe asking a question yourself could help. I'll help, if you like."
By now, Alice had reached the feet.
"I'm going to have to cut them. I'll be as careful as I can," she said. taking out the knife and putting it straight on the floor, so he could see it but it wasn't in her hand, at first. "Just try to hold still."
She hoped he would do as she asked, because now she got closer, she could see he was getting in a real mess. It was almost as if he were trying to stop himself from going forward or that something else was. Perhaps, when he got agitated, his feet called to trees to hold himself still.
Well that was a silly thing to think, chided a voice in her head. If he did that, he'd just get madder and madder and then would remain still!
Alice conceded that it probably was silly, but the last time she had been to Wonderland, it had been silly and mad.
She also found herself glancing at the woman, or at least woman shaped creature, that was with them. Alice felt she was familiar, but there was nothing she could recall to put her against.
"Where is that Cat when you need him?" said Alice out loud, though not in hopes that Cheshire would hear her. He only arrived when he wanted to, adding more puzzles to the confusion, but she knew him.

"I am not getting upset!" The tree-man boomed, it would have sounded quite juvenile had he not been an ancient giant. He tried to straighten his back and turn to see the young girl again, it creaking loudly in protest like a branch being bent slowly. Will let her move forward and every so often let his glowing eyes dart back to the older woman in anxiety, masking it as annoyance, "Maybe asking a question yourself could help. I'll help, if you like." He looked confused again, then angry despite her soothing tone, "I need to know... I can't remember!" He cried, at a loss, "What have I forgotten? It was about who I am, or... Someone." He mumbled and recoiled at the sight of Alice's knife, "What's that!? Little girls shouldn't playing with knives." He chided, "I'm going to have to cut them. I'll be as careful as I can, just try to hold still." He relaxed slightly, and let her pick it up again, "Oh." He said, still in his perpetual grump but largely obeying. The Weeping Willow looked at his 'feet' with a few misgivings niggling at the back of his mind and then to the axe again. Some of the roots retreated back to his legs noticeably.

Elizabeth noticed the treeman flinch after seeing her large axe. "What is the matter, tree man? Do not worry. I am a friend of the forest. It already broke my heart to see what the 'Red Queen' did to the other forest. Those poor trees and the other inhabitants of that forest. Treeman, do you have a name? Mine is Elizabeth Heart, queen of... mercenaries. And girl what is your name?" Elizabeth said. She had lied about her title to avoid any confusions or misunderstandings and not to awaken thought of the tyrannical queen from years ago who wanted order and more good than bad.

Meanwhile the Mad Hatter had been sitting at his tea table, enjoying questioning himself with riddles. He had been trying his best to ignore what was going on in the jungle that bordered with the forest his house was in. He had been succeeding until he stole a peek over there and saw Alice. "It's Alice! It has to be him!" he got up with a smile and strode over to the group, stopping when he saw the other female. "Who is this now? She seems oddly familiar..." he said to himself, a frown now on his face. He then looked to Alice, who seemed to be cutting a tree man's feet. "Alice! You're doing that quite wrong! You should use scissors not a knife. A knife is only good for spreading butter and jam after all."

Alice remained quiet as the Tree-man spoke, listening while working. It seemed to be working. She moved through the roots carefully and quickly, until one foot was free of its binds.
As she got to work on the second foot and got half way when a shout caught her attention. She had been about to answer the woman's question, but it seemed it was answered for her, and by a voice she had missed most.
Her eyes came up and spotted the Hatter, and though halfway through her work, she stopped to stare at him. He seemed the same, but maybe because she was so pleased to see him. She never thought she'd see him again.
The weight of what had happened began to press on her. She had gotten back because she had lost so much. Her parents.... her family....
She stood quickly, almost forgetting the task at hand and threw herself at the Hatter, not caring that he wouldn't understand and would probably try to release himself. Everything she had had was gone and he was a comfort, even if you wouldn't believe it.
She did not cry, she forced herself not to. It was hard, tears prickling her eyes, but she didn't.
When she could, she released him, glad that her moment of weakness had stopped. She could cry soon. She would, but right now, there were more pressing things.
"Hatter, can you help?" she said, walking back to the tree-man, releasing the final binds on his feet . "I have done his feet, but his chest is going to be more complicated."
She looked at Elizabeth Heart.
"Alice Liddell," she said. "This is my friend, The Hatter."

The Weeping Willow had to bite his lip hard as Alice began cutting away at his roots, trying hard to ignore the pain and its implications. Some of the leafy growths on his back began to recede and then suddenly regained their vigorous growth, "You've cut my foot, clumsy little girl!" He started as the Hatter appeared and then promptly ceased his complaints, even he could see she was upset and was not completely without sympathy. As she set to work on his other foot, ellicting more agony, Will began to listen to the older woman's assurances. Her chatter stirred some muddled memories, ones most disturbing and horrifying if his expression was any indicator. "Red Queen..." He muttered, stumbling back slightly as he regained the ability to move his feet, "The forests- My forests!" His tone became more outraged and his body rapidly transformed, roots and vines melting back into his legs and arms, "I have done his feet, but his chest is going to be more complicated." The tree-man, now quite plainly more man than tree, protested, "You've already ruined my roots, fool! I don't need to lose my branches, too!" He complained, though ironically the branch began to shrink away as he spoke, "I remember they called me 'The Weeping Willow', I think."

The Hatter had been unsure of what to do when Alice hugged him. So he had simply let her hold him, until she found it fit to release him. Once she let go, she asked for his help with the tree man. The Hatter inspected the man quickly, and saw that he was more man then tree...or was he more tree than man? He looked back to Alice "I am not sure that I could be of any help to one such as he." He reached up to his hat, and got a pair of scissors from within the ribbon there "You could perhaps try these? Though to me it seems that he is more man than tree at the moment."

As Alice said her name, a smile came upon Elizabeths face. "Alice eh? It is nice to meet you. Years ago, the residents of Wonderland loved to talk about an Alice. Are you this Alice?" Elizabeth said as she played dumb. It sort of got her excited to see her daughter after such a long time. But she didnt want to tell Alice yet about the circumstances. The treeman didnt seem so happy about Alice cutting his roots away though. "Willow or should I call you Will, you need to calm down a bit. You dont need to be cranky all the time." Elizabeth said to Will. When the Hatter came, she said: "Well Hatter. Havent seen you in a while. You might not remember me but I remember you well."

Alice put the knife away.
"I'm sorry," she said, taking a few steps back. "I guess I am making things worse. I don't seem to be much good for anything at the moment."
She turned her gaze upon Elizabeth.
"I hope there isn't another one," she said, trying a little smile. "After all, I think one Alice in Wonderland is enough for the residents. I seem to cause a lot of trouble. Perhaps that's why they speak of me so."
She looked back to the Willow guiltily and then to the Hatter.
"I know we're probably late, but do you have space for three for tea?"

"Space, space, I always have space! To much space, and no space at all!!" the Hatter looked to the other woman. A frown showed on his face, she had said she knew him, but how did she know him without him knowing her? He tilted his head slightly thinking, then shook his head and smiled again. "Tea time, tea time! Time for tea!!" he gestured towards his table, where everything was set up. His table looked a little worse for wear then it had in the old days, his makeshift house was crumbling. The Hatter may or may not look the same as he had, but his home showed what effect the worsening state of Wonderland had had on him.

"Come on. I will take you to the next town." Elziabeth said. Then a group of soldiers showed up: "There is the traitor. And look it is most probably Alice. The Red Queen would pay good for her head." The soldiers attacked. Elizabeth then chopped through the soldiers like some kind of demon. "I wont let you kill Alice! She is important to me." Elizabeth said. She then put her axe away and turned to Alice: "I hope you are okay. They have been after me for a long time and your head would bring a lot of money for those loyal to the Red Queen."

"Hatter!" Alice exclaimed, but her movement didn't take from Willow, picking up her knife as if to protect him, which was almost silly because the Weeping Willow was bigger than her and could probably protect himself. "Run!"
But Elizabeth seemed to dispatch them with some ease, too much almost.
She found her knife lowered and her eyes looking to the Hatter. He seemed okay, and now she looked at him, without the almost child like relief, she found that there were changes to him, subtle but there.
"I am fine," she said. "I'm sorry. I seem to be more trouble than I realised."
She couldn't endanger him. If she stayed for tea, and what Elizabeth said was true, he would be in great trouble. Sat there with him would only invite them.
"Sorry Hatter," she found herself saying, "but perhaps this is not the time for tea...."
She felt guilty for saying it, for it was one of his favourite pleasures. She had adored playing musical chairs the last time she had been there, but it seemed that this would not be the time.
"What has happened here?" she said, turning to look from face to face, waiting for an explanation.
Wonderland had once been just that, a land full of wonder. Bright colours and excitement, but so much more beneath. Now it seemed that something was in the air. Something was wrong.

"A lot has changed around here in the past 10 years. The red queen had grown more radical and started to kill all those who werent loyal to her. She destroyed many forests and killed their inhabitants. I have a story of my own about the time before 10 years ago. But those who hear the story look at me in disbelief or are to insane to understand. I guess the hatter had forgotten about those times. And my appearance hadnt changed in 10 years." Elizabeth said hoping the Hatter who remember the time before he went mad and when Alice was born, making him Alices godfather. She didnt want to tell Alice anything about being her mother yet nor about being the real red queen. But who knows, if the hatter remembered, it would just slip out of his mouth.

“Though to me it seems that he is more man than tree at the moment." The Hatter said to Alice, to which the treeman snarled, “I am not a puny man…” He wasn’t sure if he had met this tea obsessed lunatic before except maybe if he had passed by his forest, back when it still stood proud. Weeping Willow decided that he would have remembered such a bizarre creature if he had but this ‘Queen of Mercenaries’ was far more familiar, filling him with distrust. "Willow or should I call you Will, you need to calm down a bit. You don’t need to be cranky all the time." She told him, he crossing his thick arms and eyes flashing anger, “Maybe I’ll chop up your legs with that…” His lips seemed fearful of even speaking the word, “that axe of yours and see how you stay calm!” Will growled, noting how guilty Alice looked and feeling a stroke of guilt himself, frowning to that effect for a moment. He almost apologised. Only almost, mind you, as his disposition prevented him from admitting anything that suggested caring even as the little girl stood in between him and the attackers.

Although, that being said, he did raise his club-like arms in a fairly protective gesture until Elisabeth dispatched of them, dropping them down in a somewhat embarrassed fashion. Will stomped towards the woman, still tall as a tree if too human-like, and pointed a finger at her, “Your face… It reminds me of- of the burning.” He began.

The Hatter's whole face fell into a perfect picture of misery. "No time for tea...leave my home?" he looked to Elizabeth as she dispatched the soldiers. In a flash he remembered her and then looked to Alice. "Alice...the Alice....oh dear me." he looked back to Elizabeth he somehow sensed that she didn't want Alice to know the truth. He shook his head and his smile returned "Yes, tea can come later! Now we must hide, for the hatter hates jail, that he does!!"

Elizabeth then thought about it as Will mentioned the burning. "The burning? I only remember getting wind of the red queens plans to eradicate the forest and I came to the forest to warn your kin but they were stubborn and didnt believe me. I tried my best to help but it didnt work. If I were the red queen then I would make sure that the forest would be replanted and I would create justice in this chaotic Wonderland." Elizabeth said to Will with honesty. Burning down the forest wasnt her doing. It was the doing of the fake red queen. Elizabeth also recognized that the Hatter remembered but he had noticed that Elizabeth didnt want to let out the truth yet. She went to the Hatter and whispered to him: "You can tell Alice about her origin anytime. She would believe you more than me."

"Then why has no one done anything?" she said, looking from the willow to the Hatter. "Someone must stop her. Sure you, Elizabeth must know something. You dispatched her guards with ease."
Her eyes fell on Willow. He'd lost his home and his family, just like she had. Everything in a small amount of time.
But this was not time to dwell on such things. Later, when Wonderland was.... well Wonderland again, she could, but not now.
"You mentioned a safe place. We should go now. Mr Treeman, will you come? Hatter, we can have tea when we get there. And you can tell me what has transpired since my last time here."

Alice asked if Elizabeth knew anything about the Red Queen. "Hmmm. Alice if you remember the time ten years ago when you were in the red queens castle, you might have seen me. I used to be the guard captain and the best guard in the castle. But since I didnt agree with the Red Queen on many things, I decided to coup her. But my companions turned against me and I had to escape the castle probably massacring half of my former companions of the royal guard as well as a mountain of soldiers." Elizabeth lied.
The true story was she was that she was the real red queen but made her adopted daughter her marionette before Alice arrived for the first time. Years later, the plan backfired and the fake red queen ordered the death of Elizabeth. The only part that was true what she told Alice was that she had killed half of the castles personnel on the way out. That is originally where the term Red Queen came from. She had the blood of many on her hands but for good reasons.
Alice wanted to go. "Okay. The safe town is this way. It might take some time but we will get there by sundown. By the way Alice, what brings you here?" Elizabeth said as she started to walk. She actually knew the reason why Alice was there, because Elizabeth was the shadow who killed her parents. A minion of the Red Queen had gotten them to agree to kill Alice somehow, whether it was gold or by threat Elizabeth didnt know. She only knew about the agreement Alices stepmother and father had made with the red queens minion. Elizabeth had to dispose of them to protect Alice. Killing Alices halfsister was a mere accident when she saw Elizabeths face and attacked her. Elizabeth still has their heads in a sack in a hut of hers in the next town. But no one is supposed to find out.

Alice listened as Elizabeth talked about her escape. It sounded so violent. Alice had never had to be violent or hurt anything. She had a knife, but that was protection. There was nothing more to it, but the Captain of the Royal Guard would have removed more than one head under the orders of the Queen. Did you ever get so used to it you became desensitised or did you just pretend it was something else, like mowing weeds? Alice couldn't imagine it.
But Alice couldn't remember Elizabeth. All she remembered were fragments, the parts that were the most striking. Like the Hatter. And Cheshire. Where was that cat?
But Elizabeth's next question was almost expected. After all, Alice was all grown up, so why should she need to be in Wonderland.
But she felt the need to lie. She didn't want to talk about her parents or her sister. She wasn't ready and not with this lady whom she didn't know.
"I fell down a rabbit hole," she said, which was true and could be seen as such.
She looked to the Treeman, who had not yet moved.
"Are you coming?" she asked, moving to the side of the Hatter, almost putting him between her and the ex-Guard. "And has anyone seen Cheshire?"