4 Chapter 2: A Whole New Monde

"Now, Miss. Heartfear-" Loki began before being cut off by the young girl in front of him

"Please, Monsieur, just call me Alice. And if you insist on using a proper name, Miss Alice will suffice. I've never fancied people using my last name." Alice studied the carpet in the hall and adjusted her dress as she spoke, hoping that her nervousness would not be conveyed. When she looked back into Loki's eyes - one matching Lucy's and the other a beautiful yet unnatural pink - she saw a smile on his face.

"If you insist, Miss Alice, it would be an honor. You don't have to call me Monsieur either; though I am no doubt older than you, I would be honoured if you would just call me Loki." The two nodded in agreement and Loki resumed his statement

"Now, Miss Alice, you are probably wondering where you are. This hallway was made nearly seven billion years ago, it's older than the realm you know as home!" Loki ran his finger along the frame of one of the doors as he spoke. "Your ancestors from the realm I live in created in hopes of finding a way to travel to other places easier. However, once their magik had become sophisticated enough, the only ones who used this were the ones who had things to hide- everyone else used the portals between realms."

Alice smiled and nodded along as the cat-like boy spoke, willing to believe anything after meeting siblings with tails and ears. "The Diamond Don, also known as 'The Caterpillar Man' regularly sent his subjects through these portals to prevent their business from being tracked," At this, Loki began to walk towards the painting, signalling for Alice to follow him. "However, they were not the only ones to use it. Your mother and father used it to see each other too. I know you never met him, and I am truly sorry for that, but he was a good man. The best I have had the pleasure to meet, Miss Alice." Loki hesitated for a moment and looked at Alice.

"My father came here?" It was almost a whisper, but Loki's superior hearing allowed him to catch what had been said by the brunette. She was stroking the painting with one hand and grasping her broach with the other.

"Yes, he did. He ruled over the Hearts Kingdom, his frère has attempted to rule it now but the subjects are still very loyal to your father. He was from the realm we are about to go to." Alice looked at the seemingly bipolar boy, a few tears threatening to escape her eyes. "Miss. Alice!" Loki quickly pulled out a handkerchief and bent down to dab the corners of the girl's crystal coloured eyes. "I apologise, I had no idea I was upsetting you-"

"No," the girl shook her head and gently pushed her companion's hand away, "I am just happy to finally hear about my father." She smiled and turned back to the painting, allowing her tears to finally fall down her face. "Please continue, Loki."

The ginger boy smirked and pocketed his handkerchief and spoke in a hollow tone, "of course, Miss. Alice." He turned so that his back was facing the painting and spoke in a now formal voice.

"As I said, your father ruled over the Heart Kingdom. As the bearer of his family crest you will be protected by the subjects of the Heart Kingdom, Spade Sept, and Diamond Domain." Alice turned around and opened her mouth to ask the cat-like boy a question, but he continued before she could speak. "However I suggest you stick by either my side or the side of another ruler of Wonderland loyal to your father. We are going to be going to see the Diamond Don, he knows the safest routes one can use when trying to avoid the Club's Cultists."

At this the boy spun to face Alice and spoke in his overly cheery tone again. "But that's nothing to worry about, stick with my friends and I and you will surely be safe! Come along, Miss. Alice!" Loki began skipping down the hall, the girl took one last look at the painting before hurrying after him.

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The boy stopped in front of one of the doors Alice had tried to open, she was about to tell him that it was locked when he reached up and revealed a key hiding on top of the doorframe. Loki handed it to his female companion and stepped back, allowing her to open it on her own. When she did she was astonished to see such a vibrant and curious world on the other side- there were mushrooms the size of trees, flowers as tall as her, animals walking and talking with people, people with snouts and other animalistic features.

Thinking she was going mad, Alice reached up and rubbed her eyes. To her amazement, the creatures and people remained there. Loki merely looked at here with knowing eyes and a playful smirk before announcing her presence to the people there.

"Residence of the Diamond Domain, I would like to present to you Mademoiselle Alice Maria Heartfear." Loki paused and spread his arm in her direction before continuing. "The daughter of King Florence Whitefear." There was an audible gasp amongst the people and silence fell.

Alice stood next to the odd man, her cheeks burning from embarrassment. 'Well,' she thought to herself as she took a breath, 'mother did raise me to be a people pleaser, now is my time to put on a show.' The girl steadied herself with one more breath before speaking.

"Hello, citizens of the Diamond Domain," Alice curseyed as she said this. Before she could speak anymore the small girl was met with cheers from the people before her.

"What a sweet girl," Cooed a dodo. "She looks just like her mother," cried a man with nine tails and ears similar to Loki's. "Look at her broach! She has her father's crest," a plump yet tiny woman with blue skin and wings squealed.

Loki smiled as Alice clung to his sleeve, still wondering how she was transported to such a chaotic place. The brunette looked up to her feline companion and saw his smile, it somehow invoked fear in the very depths of her stomach.

Before Alice could address it or ask Loki any of the millions of questions circulating her mind he began to speak to one of the maidens in the crowd, he addressed them as an equal but his demeanor was that of a superior. "Amie, we need to speak with the Caterpillar. Please take us to him."

The blue-haired lass nodded, her pink fare turning to a deep shade of red in what Alice assumed to be a blush. The wondrous native nodded and turned to lead them on their way. The ginger boy followed without hesitation; Alice, however, looked around at the people surrounding her before deciding it better to follow Loki and the blue haired stranger.

"Um, Loki... Monsieur," Alice whispered to her cat-like companion so that the bone-thin girl could not hear, "if I may, I have quite a few questions."

The lanky man laughed his hollow, emotionless laugh and patted Alice's soft brown hair. He simply whispered "all will be answered in good time, my dear," thus furthering her curiosity and giving her more questions - and more fears.

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After what felt like an eternity of following the strange pink skinned girl who was making an obvious attempt at flirting with an oblivious or stubborn Loki, the cat-and-noble duo finally reached a tattered shack, lierre and other plants overgrown on the sides. The front window was shattered and there were glass bottles broken on the cobble walkway. The door looked like it had been torn off and reapplied several thousand times. There was a garden with normal sized plants, the likes of which Alice had never seen. Smoke was coming from a crumbling chimney and the sound of yelling coming from inside.

Alice unconsciously grabbed onto Loki's sleeve and took a step behind him. Something about the place felt familiar, yet it emitted an aura that let her know that not so good things happened inside.

"Thank you, mademoiselle, we can take it from here." Loki spoke in a formal tone, his eyes never wavering from the house - if it could even be called that. The boy abruptly shooed the, as Alice had mentally nicknamed her, 'cotton candy lady' before she could say another word.

"Now Miss. Alice," the odd-eyed man began in a cheery tone as he turned to face his short companion. "I advise that you tread lightly. Through that door is the most genius person you will have ever met, yet also th-"

Loki was interrupted by the sounds of glass shattering, wood splitting, and a humanoid creature being thrown out of the building and scurrying away. The moment she heard the sounds Alice clung to her companion's arm and tried her best to hide herself.

"You've stolen from me for the last goddamn time, Cherry, you got that!? You touch one more damn stash that doesn't belong to you and you'll be back on the fuckin' streets!!"

The male voice that sounded no older than Alice, screaming these expletives removed his shoe and threw it after the red fluff he called Cherry. "You can't run away forever, bitch! You signed a fucking contract you whore!!"

When she peeked around Loki's arm, Alice saw a boy that appeared to be the same age as her betrothed. He had mused black-purple hair with odd, mint highlights and unnaturally deep blue eyes that were underlined by dark circles. His skin was sickly pale to the point of almost grey, though he wore an extravagant suit and held himself like the other nobles Alice had met; though she was certain he was far from the likes of any of them.

"Oh!" The boy jumped a bit and his eyes faded to a more natural blue when his gaze landed upon the ginger, "hey, Loki, nice to see you. Sorry about what you just saw, one of my girls has been taking extra out of another's stash."

The young boy huffed and pulled out a lollipop, unwrapping it as he spoke. "Anyway, who the hell are you hiding? She's not doing a very good job of keeping that pretty little head of hers hidden." With this the boy looked Alice in the eye and winked, "I'm Absolu Menteur, but everyone who knows me just calls me The Caterpillar. I can get you whatever the fuck you want whenever the fuck you want, be it drugs, alcohol, men of any kind, women of any kind, some goddamn peace and fucking quiet, weapons, anything. You name it, sweetheart."

The boy - Absolu - winked at Alice again before his eyes darkened to their previously unnatural shade, he plopped his lollipop in his mouth and swirled it around. "I'm the Diamond fucking Don, ruler of the most badass quadrant of Wonderland, and you just so happen to be intruding on my domain."

Thank you for joining us for a bit of a shorter chapter! It just felt right to end it here, ya know? Thank you for sticking with it, you talented little treasures!

Translations: monde - world, Monsieur - sir, frère - brother, Mademoiselle - Miss,  Amie - friend (feminine), lierre - ivy