Alice: Wonderland is My Home?

Part 20: This Is War!

Grey clouds descended upon the battlefield. Mist and fog engulfed the trees and nothing except the vast darkness could be seen in the distance.

"Nervous..." Jack came riding up beside me, stopping at my side. I took a breath, looked ahead and nodded in response. I watched as the fog began to clear and in the silence, you could hear an erratic drum beat. Marina was coming. As each drum beat grew louder, Marina got closer.

Across the battlefield, she sat confidently upon her tall black horse, wrapped in crimson armour. Her army was large and as more men came into view my heart began to beat quicker.

"Hey. You can do this..." Hatter stood beside me and looked as I tightened my grip around the reins of my horse, looking at me with faith he finished, "I believe in you."

I smiled and looked ahead, then to Jack and he smiled nodding in agreement with Hatter's words. They had faith in me and that's all I needed.

"Listen to me! All of you...LISTEN!" I cried turning to face my army of silver soldiers. "I cannot promise that you will all survive today, but you are fighting for your right to live in peace! If my father believed in you... then so do I! I believe that we will go on to do great things but first we must protect our families. Protect our home. PROTECT OUR WONDERLAND!" I grew more confident with each word I spoke. I raised my sword in the air as I finished and everyone behind me began to cheer.

"ARE YOU READY TO DIE DEAR SISTER!" Marina began to crow from across the field, sending her army to give out a large roar. As they did, their swords began to bang rhythmically against their shields. "DIE LIKE FATHER DID!" my face went red with anger, my hand tightening around my sword and reigns.

The rhythm of the drums grew louder and more intense. So much to the point where my sister and I both screamed together.

"CHARGE!"

The horses behind me flew past me like blurs. So quick. So in sync with the sound of hooves. It was like one loud heartbeat. They were off, all men and boys, colliding against each other with such a large CRASH making me jump in my saddle. CRUNCH! CRACK! TING!

Men began to fall, the swinging of swords and the look of each dying man's eyes began to rile me. She was winning and I couldn't stand by and just watch any longer.

"ALICE! What are you doing!" Hatter called from behind me as I dismounted my horse and ran into the battlefield. I had never run so fast, I couldn't even feel the heaviness of the sword I carried as I swung into each dark knight that stood in my way.

"Where do you think you're going?" The patchwork man stood before me, sword in hand and shield in the other. Hatter came beside me and smiled.

"You ready?" he grinned at me, and we both charged at him.

We swung our swords and deflected his movements with our bodies until we caught each other's eyes and pierced our swords into his chest together.

"Phew, that's one less scary thing to dream about?" Hatter said, smiling as we drew our swords out of his corpse. I smiled and ran back into the field.

I had been in the midst of battle for what felt like hours until I finally stood still after knocking a Knight to the ground and found Jack finishing with another. We looked at each other for a split second, when suddenly I heard a SLICE!

"TRAITOR!" Marina yelled, and as Jack began to fall, she turned to me.

"NOOOOO!" I cried as I watched Jack fall to his knees. My eyes lifted to find Marina standing there with knife in hand and sword in the other, both with blood dripping from their tips. She smiled as she enjoyed piercing Jack with her sword.

"You can either fight me or lose both of them." She began to laugh menacingly as she raised her arm and pointed to her general, who had a sword to Hatter's throat. "What will it be sister? Watch as each of your men fall and lose the men you love? OR you can fight me and die like the imposter you are."

I looked from Hatter to Jack and back to my sister.

"Why are you doing this Marina?" I said trying to bide my time and theirs.

"Because he loved you and your mother... everybody did. My mother died knowing you were still alive and yet she still left me. I chose to take back what is rightfully my mothers." She said in anger.

"Your mother lied to him. She used my mother's face and deceived him. You were born out of jealousy and revenge and that's not love and you know it isn't."

"MY MOTHER WAS WEAK! I AM STRONGER THAN ANYONE! NOW CHOOSE OR THEY BOTH DIE!"

I looked at Jack who was bleeding out in front of me, his shoulder oozing with red thick blood. Then I looked at Hatter, bruised and battered. He gave me a small smile and said

"It's okay. I would gladly give my life for the girl I love." I took a deep breath, as he finally said "I love you." I looked at Marina and gripped my sword tightly.

"I choose to fight for what's right." I looked deep into her eyes and said, "I'm ready."