Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

  A lone bird calls out, its song getting cut off by a gun shot. I hear it fall, shaking my head and moving on. Something sounds from behind me, and I lash out with Solver. The bright red blast pushes my stalker back, and I grit my teeth. My eyes land on her, and I straighten up. 

  “Woah, hey, Dolly. It’s just me.” Lizzy glares at me, adjusting her pink dress. “I saw you come here and thought I should follow you.”

  “Почему?” I ask. “Я не делаю ничего веселого.”

  Footsteps ring out, and I flash red light. A silhouette greets me, and I force the figure closer. A girl with silver hair and twitching bunny ears pouts, and I throw her back. Her hat flies off, and I make she she gets it. Her pained yelp makes me roll my eyes. 

  “Who was that?” Lizzy asks, sounding like she doesn’t care. 

  “Мусорный кролик,” is all I can say. I shrug and turn on my heel, and Lizzy chases after me. Once at my side, she stays in a casual stroll while I try to rid myself of her. “Если останешься со мной, ты не увидишь красивого зрелища.”

  “That’s never why I’m here,” she replies. “I’m just here for you.” 

  “Просто оставить.” I wave my hand. “Это для твоего же блага, Элизабет.”

  “Ни в коем случае, Долли. Я очень сильно люблю тебя!” Lizzy exclaims. “Come on now, show me whatever you do out here.”

  “Please, leave,” I murmur. “It’s for your own safety.”

  She grabs my arm, and I flick my fingers. A ring of Solver encircles her wrist, and I move to push her away. 

  Lizzy kisses my cheek, and the ring disappears. I stare at her, sighing. She smirks, knowing she’s won. She links her arm with mine, and I resign myself to having a witness. With a light giggle, she gently strokes the spade marking on my cheek. 

  The first person we come across is clearly ready to rob someone. He winks at Lizzy, ignoring me entirely, and flicks her hair. I grin, rage filling me, his hands roam over her body, and she squirms. 


  
  “H-hey, I’m actually with h-“

  He collapses into a mass of red, and she screams, stumbling backwards and tripping. Bands of Solver wrap around his crushed limbs, and I pin him against a tree. His eyes roll with each movement, and I reach up to lick blood off his cheek. 

  “Wha…..what did you……” Lizzy’s terrified eyes lock with mine, but she flinched and pulls away. 

  I use the Solver to keep her in place, and she shrieks again. Tears stream down her face, and we continue on.

  A girl looking for her brother, dead. 

  A boy wanting to find his pet, dead. 

  A couple hoping for a way out, dead. 

  A group trying to escape a Bandersnatch, dead. 

  A boy looking for his sister, dead. 

  All of them, and more, their bodies getting left in my wake. 

  Lizzy’s crying gets quieter by the time the moon has completely risen, but when I look back, she still has tears staining her face. I wipe one away, and she flinches backwards. 

  “W-who….are…….you?” she chokes out. 

  I shrug, and she makes a run for it. I raise my hand……

  She vanishes from my sight, and I shake my head. I continue on the darkened path, uncaring of where I go. She can truly leave for all I care. 

  As I walk, my ears strain to pick up the faint sounds of something. I turn, but nothing other than black vines are behind me. I choose to ignore it, knowing I can take care of myself. 

  I come across another person, this one a girl in an elegant dress, and I don’t even wait for her to look at me. Her life is gone in an instant. 

  The rustling grows louder, and I prepare the Solver. When I look back……

  My jaw drops, and I slash at the vines. They cloud around me…..

Chapter Text

  People gather round me as I sing, their eyes bright. One of them, a rabbit girl with a bouquet of roses, curls in on herself and shudders so violently that she stumbles back and drops them. My voice rises high, and a young girl suddenly shoves her older brother. He turns on her and shakes his head, and as I continue singing, I can see her hands twitching. I finish the song a few minutes later, and the pair leaves. Right as they pass the gate, I see her kick at his leg. He hits the ground, a crack akin to a gunshot ringing out. 

  I tuck my hair behind my ear and bite my lip deeply to keep from smiling. 

  “Zi! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” 

  I turn to see Thad as he runs up to me, and he scoops me up into a tight hug. He lifts me off the ground and spins me around, and I can’t even grumble. 

  “How’ve ya been? Did you hear the big news? It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, we need to hang out more, right? Did you hear about the disappearance?” he asks as quickly as humanly possible. 

  “I’ve been fine, don’t know what news you’re talking about, we definitely need to hang more, what disappearance?” I reply much slower. 

  “C’mon, I’ll tell you all about it as we walk.” He tugs my hand, and we begin heading down the cobbled path. A stand with roses catch my eyes, but I keep going. “You remember that witch, the one with the purple hair, right? Yeah, she was reported missing a couple days ago by her girlfriend, the princess. Apparently, they were out in the forest, and she was never seen again.”

  My fingers brush against my skirt, and I tilt my head, avoiding a large hole in the ground. Flowers burst from the hole, how strange. We arrive at a clock shop right as the rabbit girl from earlier steps out. Her golden eyes watch my every move as I pass her, and she’s suddenly grabbing me. 

  “Watch out for the madness,” she whispers, white ears lowering. “Watch out for the madness, Alice. Oh! I’m late, late, late for a very important date!” Just like that, she bounds off to Elsewhere. 

  “What…..was that about?” I ask, squeezing Thad’s hand tighter. “She was at my performance, too.”

  “Did she say anything then?” he asks. 

  “No, but…..” I bite my lip and continue on. “Sorry, what news did you want to tell me about?” 

  “Actually, there’s rumors of twins, a guy and a girl, wandering around Wonderland. Rumors say that the girl’s an Alice.” His tone becomes dark. “Wasn’t that witch one, too?”

  I try not to shiver, knowing what resides in my blood. He doesn’t know, but what he won’t know shouldn’t kill him. 

  “The guy, is he one?” I ask in a low voice. If he is……I’ll try and get him to a performance. 

  “No reports on that, but if she’s one, then he might be.” 

  We sit in silence, the day ruined by the news. I have another show tonight, but I can’t bring myself to invite him to it. Not him, not Thad. As we go our separate ways, I kiss him on the nose before running off. 
  
|•|

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I sing quickly.

“Please don’t ever leave me again. 
I’m sorry, I’m sorry. 
Please go back to loving me again.
I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” 

  The people gather ‘round, and I see one unsheathe a knife. 

“If you ever leave me again
I might as well take your life.”

  I pretend to gasp and cover my mouth, eyes wide. Then I smirk and sway my hips, moving my hands to the melody. My purple diamond tattoo shines in the light, so beautiful. 

“Please just tell me you love me
Please just tell me you love me
Please, please, please, please
I need to know you love me.”

  The man with the knife prepares it, hands shaking. 

“If I ever leave you again
You can simply cut out my heart
And eat it, too
I hope you’ll enjoy it
You can even drink my fluids
I hope you’ll enjoy it.”

  He plunges it into the man in front of him, and someone screams. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry
Please don’t ever leave me again. 
I’m sorry, I’m sorry. 
Please go back to loving me again.
I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

  He pulls it out, licks the blade, and stabs another person deep in the back. Somebody shoves another, and she shrieks as the stones shred the skin off her palms. She stands, turns, and bites a young girl’s neck. Someone punches someone else, a gun goes off, and people scatter. 

  I keep singing, my voice getting louder and louder, a lazy smile taking over. The scent of blood, fear, everything hits me all at once, and I want more. 

  A chill rushes down my spine, and my song falters. I pause and glance around, and once more, I see that cursed rabbit. 

  She’s smiling. 

  She waves. 

  She throws something. 

  I catch it, and my breath stops. 

  It’s a revolver, small and shining silver. Roses are engraved in the black grip, and I run my fingers along them. It’s beautiful. I lift it, bringing it to my temple, then I hear laughter. My blood freezes, I know that voice. 
  

  It’s mine. 

  I turn and run as the chaos continues, unsure of what’s going on. 

|•|

  I tap the flower, and it begins to play music. I close my eyes and smile as the sounds wash over me. People start to gather, I tap my fingers against my thigh, and when I look at the crowd, I note the several shadow figures creeping in. 

“Will you please save a little prayer
For those that don’t mind?
Tell all the blind folks
If they search, they will find
I hope you do
I hope you do.”

  They swallow the crowd, darkening eyes and hearts. I stay calm despite the panic rising in my veins. A brief glance down reveals purple sparks emitting from my finger tips, and I stifle a scream. 

“It’s not becouse I’m foolish
Or naive
It’s just feels good lying
And trick and treat.”

  BANG! 

  A woman falls dead, bullet hole in her forehead. Knives flash, shots ring out, screams rise. Blood splatters, organs get thrown, bones snap. 

  Their blood stains the purple roses, dying them bright red. 

“It surely does
It surely does
I sing this la, lala, lalala.”

  My heart pounds faster than it ever has, and purple steals my attention away. I can’t control it, can’t control it, can’t control it. 

“Knock knock, please let us in
It’s cold out here, too cold to sin
And I think I must go now
But soon you will follow
In my la, lala, lala.”

  The rabbit. 

  Smiling. 

  A purple band of Solver surrounds the handle of the revolver, and it raises up to my temple. I hear the hammer get pulled back. 

  BANG!

Chapter Text

  My coronation was in two hours, and Doll still hasn’t been found. It’s been six months, and no one’s ever seen her since. That day in the forest, what had happened? Why had she disappeared?

  “Your Highness,” my maid says as she brushes my hair. “Did you hear about the Alice pair?”

  I glare at her, and she shrinks back. “I thought I said to never talk about Alice’s again.”

  “I know, Your Highness, but there’s a rumor of them coming closer to the palace. What would be done?”

  “I’ll have no more talk about any Alice!” I snap. “Get out!”

  “Princess Lizzy!” she exclaims. “I-“

  “Maybe I’ll have you executed,” I say. “Would you like that?”

  She pales and flees the room, and I sigh and pick up the hairbrush to resume the incomplete job. Once I tie it, I weave a pink ribbon through the braid and pin it up. I inhale and take a long glance in the reflection, exhaling heavily. 

  Blonde hair arranged beautifully, delicate pink dress, a pink Club marking on my cheek, and terrified pink eyes brimming with tears. 

  Stay quiet, Lizzy. Just stay quiet. 

|•|

  The moon’s reflection over the lake gives off a deep sense of sadness, and I bite my tongue. There’s a rustle from behind me, and I have to stop myself from flicking my hand. I turn, finding a rabbit girl with a elegant top hat and short, puffy, black skirt. She sits beside me and tilts her head. 

  “Is everything all right, Your Majesty?” she asks softly, nose twitching. “I noticed you were…….off……earlier…….”

  “Might I ask why you’re here?” I ask. “I know I didn’t invite…..you.”

  She chuckles and brings her knees to her ample chest. “No, I suppose you didn’t. That’s what life is, isn’t it? Unexpected events that can ruin or help someone?”

  “You’re mad,” I say. “Completely and utterly mad.”

  “Most everyone’s mad here,” she replies. “Look, Your Majesty, I know more about most. I know about Alice and what happened to her, what happened to-“

  “Leave,” I whisper. “Don’t ever come back.”

  “They’re coming,” she says. “It’s been decided by forces greater than you, bigger than us a-“

  “I am the queen! There is no other force!” I hear myself say. “There are no others!” 

  The girl gets up but stops, saying, “Treat them well. Something has happened to the girl, something worse than what we could imagine-“

  “GET OUT!” 

  She turns into a white rabbit, and I scream again at her fleeing form. 

|•|

  Rebecca giggles about something as she swings her flamingo, but I find myself unable to listen. Her chatter is grating, but I don’t exactly have many other people I can invite over. As the queen…..they’re all below me. 

  Except for Doll. She never was. 

  What happened to her?

  I hit the hedgehog harshly, and she gasps in amazement. “Wow, that was, like, such a great hit, Your Majesty!” she says. I hide my rolling eyes and watch as she takes her turn. It’s a much better hit than mine, and I grit my teeth. 

  I do worse, but she congratulates me as if I’ve won the whole game. She’s so annoying, and I keep my mouth firmly shut. I glance out and see two girls watching me. One of the white rabbit from the other day, and the other has a pair of striped ears that poke out of her black hair and eerie blue eyes. 

  I march over to a card soldier and say, “Do you see that cat? Bring her to me.” 

  He does his best, but she vanishes with a swish of her tail. The rabbit hops off, and I try to not scream in frustration. My grip on the flamingo tightens, and the poor bird caws out and begins struggling. I throw it, and it breaks into flight. 

  I turn and head inside the palace, leaving Rebecca on the field. Her suitor, whatever his name is, will hopefully pick her up and take her back. 

|•|

  “When I see Lord Atlas again, I will rip his head off!” I shriek, slamming the door shut. “He cannot get away with saying those wretched things to me!”

  I sit at my vanity and rip the limp ribbons out of my hair. There are several little snaps, and I feel burning tears bubbling up. Her face flashes in the mirror, and I shriek and scramble backwards. 

  It appears again, lingering just a bit longer. Dark blood smears across her cheek, her hair is matted, and her open eye has the Solver marking. 

  I pick up my brush and throw it at the mirror, shattering the glass. The pink band fizzles out, and all I can hear is my heavy breathing. 

  No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. 

  My hand is suddenly raised, and I watch in horror as the mirror shards gather up and are put back together. Pink lines the cracks, and I scream again. 

|•|

  It’s dark. 

  No one has come in or out of this room.

  Not ever. 

  Her face is all I see. 

  It’s always here. 

  I feel my breath rattle in my throat, and I close  my eyes.