Impossible (A HEARTLESS Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Alice held the shop door open for Pierrot. "Why thank you, my lady," he said with a small bow.

With a grin, Alice followed him inside. She glanced about the dark shop, taking in the dresses and suits and boots and gloves. So much elegance and beauty surrounded her. Choosing only two dresses from such an array was not going to be a simple task.

"We'll have to be quick about it," Alice whispered as Pierrot shuffled through vests and trousers. "It would be a shame to get caught before we were able to wear these lovely outfits."

Pierrot chuckled. "You are quite fond of pretty dresses, aren't you?"

Alice sighed as she looked over an exquisite blue frock. "I am. I only wish it were more practical for me to wear them in my thieving."

"I think if anyone could pull it off, you could. You did steal the Queen's tart in a voluminous gown, did you not?"

"I'm not saying I don't have the talent. But the dress would likely become ruined after a while. And it would be a waste to have something so beautiful destroyed."

She stopped as she came upon the most magnificent dress she had ever laid eyes on. The satin material was a midnight blue. Dark, elegant ruffles swept down the front of the skirt, separating in a V and extending about the hem. The gathered sleeves were short but long enough to not require a jacket. And two dark ribbons crisscrossed over the neckline and wrapped into a choker. Alice could not resist running her hand over the fabric, imagining what it would feel like to wear something so beautiful.

"You would look absolutely stunning in that."

Alice smiled as she turned and found Pierrot peering over her shoulder. "Is it wrong that I'm excited to wear a pretty dress when I should be more concerned over the rebellion?"

"I don't think so."

Dropping the lovely skirt, Alice turned to Pierrot. "I don't know that I'm suited to something like this."

She walked to the other side of the shop, searching through some black and white gowns that she thought would look charming on Mary Ann.

"Suited to what?" Pierrot asked. "Pretty dresses? Because I beg to differ."

"No, to the rebellion. To fighting." She bit her lip before saying, "To being Queen."

Pierrot was by her side again. "You don't want to do it?"

Alice turned and leaned against a headless mannequin. "I don't know. I'm not sure what I want to do."

Setting aside the clothes he had gathered, Pierrot sat on the counter. "You don't have to do any of this, Alice."

"Don't I? I have the Vorpal Sword. I'm fated to become the next Queen of Hearts."

"Fate isn't as permanent as some people believe. There are ways of getting around it."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Do you know what happened to make Hatta mad?"

"No, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the Queen and that Jest fellow."

"Yes, they were involved. The Sisters—the ones at the well? They draw prophecies on stone. If you do not follow their instructions, the prophecies will come true."

"Hatta did not follow their instructions?"

"Correct. The Sisters predicted that he would go mad."

"And he did. See? Fate cannot be avoided."

"Yes, he went mad, but consider the hatter you know. Is he always mad?"

Alice thought for a moment. "No, I suppose not. I hate to admit it, but he's actually rather clever at times. His madness comes and goes."

"Can it really be said, then, that he succumbed to his supposed fate?"

"I guess not."

"He found a way around it. And he's not the only one who can do it. Anyone can decide not to let fate rule their future."

"It seems like quite the contradiction that fate exists and yet does not control your future."

Pierrot smiled. "This is Wonderland. Nothing is supposed to make sense."

Alice sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "Still, I don't know what to do. Maybe I should just do what everyone expects of me."

Two strong hands grasped her shoulders, and she found Pierrot standing before her. "Alice, do not allow others to dictate what you want. Nothing good will come of that. That's how we ended up with the current Queen of Hearts. You must choose what you want for your future."

"What if I don't know what I want?"

"That's no reason to allow others to control your future. Alice, you are a bright, loving, curious young woman. Your future is filled with possibilities. Don't give that up. For anyone or anything."

The earnestness in his eyes surprised Alice. She had never seen her good-natured friend so serious. Their intense eye contact was only interrupted when she felt a steady beating coming from her smol. Glancing down at it, she noticed a strange glow. Pierrot, too, was watching it with perplexity as thorny vines began to extend out of it.

As Alice reached for her purse, she let out a cry of surprise when a large, toothy grin appeared. A pair of eyes looked up at Alice, and as quickly as they had appeared, they vanished. Before Alice could even look about, a striped tail curled around her neck as a cat materialized on her shoulder. Tart, who had been exploring a basket of hair ribbons, let out a squeal and scurried into Alice's pocket.

"Looks as though I caught a cat thief," the feline said with that same large grin.

"Who are you?" Alice whispered.

"You don't know? How disappointing. Here I thought my fame had spread throughout the kingdom." The cat disappeared and reappeared on the headless mannequin that held the blue dress Alice had been admiring earlier. "The name is Cheshire. And you, I've heard, are the thief with aspirations to become our new queen."

"Something like that," Alice mumbled.

The cat's grin faltered as he caught sight of Pierrot. Vanishing, his head reappeared above Pierrot's shoulder. He sniffed at him a few times.

"You smell—" Cheshire's eyes grew wide. "Impossible."

Pierrot looked worried for a moment, and Alice wondered if he and the strange cat had met previously. However, before she could question him, Pierrot pulled off his hat and made a show of digging into it. Slowly, he revealed what looked like a tart, though it smelled very strongly of tuna.

"Sir Cheshire, if you would be so kind as to let us finish our business here and not rat us out to the owners, I would be more than happy to give you this lovely little treat," Pierrot said as he passed the dessert under the cat's nose.

Cheshire licked his chops, his whiskers quivering. He quickly disappeared, taking the tart with him. "As you were," said a disembodied voice. "And your secret is safe with me, impossible stranger. I do look forward to seeing how things play out. Until the ball, then."

Alice glanced about the room, wondering if the cat was still there with them. Finally, she looked back to Pierrot. "What was that all about?"

"He's quite the gossiper," Pierrot said as he picked up the clothes he had set aside. "The only way to keep him quiet is through bribery."

"And what are you trying to keep quiet?"

A soft smile played on Pierrot's lips as he placed a finger to them. "Spoilers." The smile faded, though, and his ever-sad eyes grew even sadder. "Alice, I want to let you know that whatever happens at the ball, I am so very happy that we met. You are an amazing friend, and it has been an honor to know you."

Something about the way he said those words sent panic through Alice's heart. There was such a finality to them. They were almost like a goodbye.

"And if I might say so," Pierrot walked over to the mannequin donning the blue dress, "this blue gown seems as though it were made for you." He flashed her another smile. "A certain captain of the guard would likely agree."