Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice 1. The Spectator in Spotlight

**A/N:** Greetings! I'll be slowly reposting this old fanfic that used to be here. I hope to be able to finish the newer chaper soon.

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**The Spectator in Spotlight**

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_Their first 'meeting' was not a special one. In fact, he didn't think anything in particular when he became aware of the intrusion, just a small dust grain that got lost in the gears of the clocks. Such a small existence simply wasn't enough to catch his attention. Accidents happen. It would come and go, he believed, as he went on with his life and she with hers._

_There was nothing peculiar about it at all._

_._

For Joker, the first performance after another move to a new country was always a special occasion.

The happy chatting of the big audience gradually died down as the darkness enveloped the large circus tent, almost magically silencing every single visitor. The curtain that shielded the backstage from the prying eyes moved slightly, indicating that the show was about to begin.

Joker let out a happy hum as he observed the filled stand. Having such a large crowd waiting outside improved his mood greatly, just like it always did.

If there was something Joker never knew of and never felt, then it must have been stage fright. A tent full of loud, cheery people whose attention was focused on him and him alone was an exhilarating experience; all this was pure elixir of life for the circus master.

Of course, this time would be even more special than usual, and Joker couldn't help but grin widely and lick his lips in excitement as if he thought of all the interesting things that could, no, _would_ happen in near future.

_'Finally…'_

With a large grin upon his lips, the circus master eagerly made his move and gracefully entered the stage as the bright lights embraced his figure, welcoming him back to his favourite spot.

_'… It's my turn!'_

The redhead's face basked in the shine of invisible projectors that illuminated the stage. Joker could feel with his every fibre how it became alive with the touch of warm rays of light and the burning eyes of the always curious audience. Intoxicating excitement filled his body from head to toe, till the last cell of his being was singing with joy. It was in the special moments like these that Joker was able to truly feel _alive._

After what seemed like ages, but only a few moments in reality, the redhead sucked in a breath of the undeniably sweet air_ – so full of tension and wonderful promises – _and let the magical phrase announce the beginning of a new game.

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Wonderful Wonder World!"_

The words rolled off his tongue with ease and not even Joker himself could remember how many times he spoke them out loud on that brightly lit stage. They were glued to his identity, and every now and then the redhead questioned himself: Since when? And how?

But the memories of the past were unimportant, and even he who could not die was not able to tell anything about the beginnings of this world. Or at least not much.

For how long will this game, he wondered briefly, the never ending journey through the land of wonders last? How many times will the evening replace the night, how many days might follow in a row and will there ever be an end? In a cyclic world, where everything goes round and everything is racing in a circle, where is there the beginning, where the end?

It was actually funny how this invisible force of time seemed to rule their world, their hearts, yet it flew past its inhabitants like a river – ever present but still out of their grasp. Surely they could take a handful of it, use it like the Hatter, for example. Joker had indeed come to admire the Hatter's forever blooming, _secret _rose garden – nothing could possibly escape Joker's ever curious eye - but nevertheless it was not in his interest to possess anything of that sort. It was, after all, pleasing to the eye but too fancy and boring for his personal tastes.

But luckily, boredom was currently resting in the deepest corners of the redhead's soul. There was no time to indulge into philosophical thoughts; those were reserved for particularly dreary days.

After all, today was a special day, and even the usual announcement seemed to have more eagerness to it than normal. And Joker could feel it, his counterpart was experiencing the same joy as him, similar to a child, overwhelmed with the start of a new, thrilling game. _This other Joker_ could barely conceal his slight excitement behind the thin layer of indifference as he watched the stage behind the curtain, in the safety of shadows and darkness.

The redhead's curious eye scanned the large crowd, looking for his _special guest_ while re-encountering familiar (though not exactly welcomed) faces. Naturally, his gaze first fell upon the _Hatters_ who conveniently occupied the seats in the middle. Two overly excited children, no, twins, momentarily caught his eye_._

_'__Causing trouble, as always,'_ Joker noted with a twisted smile as they could barely sit still on their designated seats, much to the annoyance of a certain fuming hare. Upon seeing this, the redhead narrowed his eye while glaring at the carrot-man and silently promising to break the Rabbit-Dog's neck if he dared to go on a rampage and damage the seats _again_. Joker snorted with disgust as he recalled the rascal's incredibly inconsiderate behaviour during their last show.

No, the Hatter Family was not Joker's favourite group of role holders. The love for breaking rules seemed to flow through their veins, and there were definitely too many rule breakers in this family, at least for his taste. Quickly getting bored, his lonely eye moved across the room, searching for another group of role holders.

His gaze finally fell upon the bright mass of strikingly colourful clad employees of a certain Mary Gowland.

Well_,_ Joker did not miss the copycats from the Amusement Park, _most certainly not, _he figured as he noted the all too eager and concentrated look upon the said park owner's face.

'_I bet he's hiding a notebook somewhere to steal our ideas, that ungrateful dog.'_

The redhead was, however, greatly amused as he found the Mafia's Rat sitting beside the Stray Cat. The sneaky coward has finally had enough of the Bloody Twins, he presumed.

The unusual pair of animals quickly lost Joker's interest as he moved on, scanning through the Mad Queen's mass of servants and soldiers without much success. He found the Knight of Hearts in his usual disgustingly cheerful mood, teasing the White Rabbit who was sitting beside and openly shooting amorous glances towards the opposite direction of their group.

_'__How unusual__,'_ the redhead noted, letting his eye follow the direction in order to find the object of the Prime Minister's affections, until he was forced stop and simply _stare_.

There she was sitting.

And Joker could not help but break into a large grin, feeling self-satisfied with his discovery.

"I found you, _Alice Liddell_."

.

The young foreigner stiffened. Did someone just call her name?

After taking a quick glance at the residents of the Tower of Clover that were accompanying her, she found them looking straight at the stage. '_No, that's out of the question,' _Alice shook her head, quickly dismissing the thought, but being unable to let go of the feeling of _being watched_. She shifted in her seat, feeling rather exposed all of a sudden.

Luckily, nobody seemed to notice her unusual behaviour. Apparently the huge crowd was making it difficult for Nightmare to read her heart, much to the brunette's relief.

Alice turned back to watch the performance begin. After all, it was not often that she was invited to go to a real circus, although the girl still had a hard time accepting yet another change in the ever moving Wonderland. However, this time it was a pleasant surprise_._

_A circus is surely a relatively harmless place_, although Nightmare did snort as she voiced her opinion on the new territory and thanks to the change she was able to reunite with a certain clockmaker whom she has dearly missed in the Country of Clover.

So far, the circus has left a positive impression on the young foreigner. It was her first time visiting the new place after the beginning of the April Season, if only because of the terrible snow storm that plagued the territory of the Tower of Clover and refused to let its inhabitants out of their houses. Upon first examining the circus before the first show, Alice noted that it was not much different from the ones she was used to as a child. Perhaps it was a bit bigger and brighter, but all in all quite _normal_ indeed.

And yet, Alice couldn't help but look out for flaws, anything that would indicate that this magical place truly belonged into this mad Wonderland. Maybe it was her friends' strange behaviour that made her slightly reluctant, or the silent glances when the name 'Joker' fell during their conversation. However, a show was meant for enjoyment and Alice was decent enough to be thankful for the chance to have a break from every day's life.

And so, as a brightly clad man walked out to announce the beginning of the show, Alice's thoughts were pushed aside as her curious eyes focused on the stage. Without a doubt, the man on the stage possessed a very strong aura, very suitable for the role of a circus master, she thought.

Alice leaned forward to look closer at him, just before a sudden realization caused her to draw back and let out a silent gasp of surprise.

The circus master_, Joker_, as Nightmare has reluctantly informed her before their departure, was looking straight at the girl. Truth to be told, there was a certain distance between her and the man on the stage and she could not be certain of her revelation. And yet, the young foreigner could swear that that single dark eye - she could not quite tell which colour it had - was looking in her direction.

_His_ gaze was focused on her, Alice could tell, and solely her, concentrating all the attention upon her figure. And even though the darkness seemed to hide her being in the mass of faceless and role holders, she involuntarily felt herself standing out of the anonymous audience.

This gaze alone made her want to cover and shrink into the crimson plush of her seat.

Joker's lips were sealed as he paused in between his announcement, yet his lonely eye seemed to speak to her, and strangely enough, she was able to understand the message without much effort, as if it was sent straight to her heart.

'_Welcome,' _the intent, burning look in this role holder's eye told her, _'Alice, welcome to my Wonderful Wonder World!'_

Despite the unpleasantness, she felt a chill run down her spine. A chill of excitement and she was forced to look back, unable to break the magic spell that held her gaze fixed on _his_ face that she would not be able to forget, and take in every single word, as if it was meant solely for her…

…and nobody else.

'_Now watch me, Alice Liddell, and enjoy the show!'_

Just as Joker had thought, this first performance will probably be one of his best.


	2. A Valuable Visitor

A/N: enjoy : )

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**A Valuable Visitor**

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With each step the young foreigner took, the sounds of busy performers and practicing jester children grew louder and louder until reaching their peak as she left the circus forest behind.  
A simple wooden fence came into view, and for a moment Alice hesitated. Warily, she eyed the sun above her, before setting her foot on the circus grounds.  
_'Maybe I should have stayed at the Castle of Hearts,'_ she mulled over her choice to come back before heading home._ 'Who knows how long this day will last. And I'm sure that I'm bothering Joker too much with my constant comings and goings.'_

Alice contemplated the idea of just returning to her place but finally shook her doubts off. It was too late to go back anyway. To occupy herself, she mentally went over all the impressions of the different seasons and the changes they brought to this country's territories.

After all, change was not something Alice fancied. Unpredictable like the sum of a pair of dice thrown by fate's hands, one could never be too sure where the next step would lead her. It was a silly, irrational thought, but since fate decided to bring back her old friends, then maybe, just maybe, this particular move she will come to like.  
The positive thoughts didn't suit her but for once Alice found herself wondering what else this season had in store for her.  
With mind deeply in thought, the young foreigner barely had any time to react as her mind seemed to be blown by a foreign force.  
She stumbled and met the ground with a loud thud.

"Ow!" Alice winced holding her pounding head as her eyes searched for the source her misfortune. What she found was a red ball laying innocently by her feet._ 'Just my luck! And it hurts, too…'_ She sat up and rubbed her ankles, checking the state of her knees and overall appearance. At least she didn't hurt herself... much.  
Now, Alice was usually a rather collected young woman, at least she tried to be one, but in her current state it was impossible to think of good behavior.

_'Stupid ball!'_

Her head still hurt and it didn't help that the owner of the offending toy was nowhere to be found. Alice cursed, flinching when a cold shadow crept up her skin.

_"You really have terrible manners, 'young lady'. Bursting into this place and using such inappropriate language just like that… what a terrible woman you are! Not cute at all!"_

Startled, the young woman looked up, only to find an amused looking ringmaster with an outstretched hand, ready to help her up. The distorted, smug voice was not his, of course, and she stole a quick glance at the mask on his belt, before gratefully accepting Joker's help.

He cast her an apologetic smile."Please forgive him, Alice. I sincerely hope that you didn't injure yourself, otherwise it would be indeed quite a disaster!" Without further ado, the redhead pulled Alice up, making sure that she stood properly before brushing the dust off her apron and dress.

A perfect gentlemanly gesture, the thought vaguely crossed her mind, before disappearing into temporary oblivion. While still too flustered to say anything, Alice could only nod in thanks as she tried to reduce the damage on her clothes.

"_You've got to work on your sense of balance, missy, Joker won't fall for such cheap tricks!"_

"It's not like that!" Alice replied quickly, the irritation helping her to regain her voice. Just as quick as the girl could get flustered, she could start boiling with an angry flush on her cheeks, further fuelling the teasing of the insolent mask.

Why would Joker say something nasty but still look so friendly at her? She felt embarrassed enough because of her display of clumsiness, there was no need to rub it in and accuse her of such things. Truth to be told, she couldn't even blame the smiling ringmaster in front of her.  
Looking back and forth between the still friendly smiling ringmaster and the grinning mask, she finally came to the conclusion that there was no conclusion at all. It could only be a trick, or was it possibly something else? There is no sense in arguing with a mask… but still she felt like addressing it like a different person.

Alice shook her head. Whether it was ventriloquism or not, it was just so incredibly irritating!  
As if sensing her growing confusion, the redhead quickly silenced the talkative mask with a flick. "Joker, can't you be silent when we have a lovely lady visiting us? Your teasing is going too far."

_"Hn. I can talk whenever I want."_ After a small pause and contemplation, the mask's wicked grin seemed to spread further apart. _"Hey, Joker, you better check if she has any dangerous diseases from other territories. The girl runs around like a stray cat and we can't afford a walking bacteria factory at the circus!"_

The mask only cackled as she unconsciously increased the safe distance between herself and her possible assaulter.

_"You see it, Joker? She's already imagining it!"_

"Now, now, Joker, don't say such nonsense!" The ringmaster scolded the mask before turning his attention back to his guest in an attempt to pacify her. "Don't worry, Alice, he doesn't mean what he says."

The said girl chose to ignore the inappropriate proposal from the perverted mask (but only as long as Joker didn't truly decide to play doctor and patient with her, of course). After all, this strange entertainment did distract her from the pain in her knees.

"But you do look pale, miss. Are you feeling sick, perhaps?" Joker's concern seemed almost too motherly as he pressed his hand against her cool forehead while looking her up and down. Her eyes widened as her mind got distracted with the feeling of his large hand invading her personal space.

"_Going through all the four seasons in such a short amount of time, you must be crazy! You can't try and digest so much fun all at once -"_ the distorted voice was now scolding her, before concluding in an uncharacteristically knowledgeable tone, _"You might choke and ruin that childish face of yours."_

Alice scoffed at its last remark but sighed inwardly. She couldn't deny that the mask spoke the truth. Finally, the redhead released her and she let out a relieved sigh as she regained her composure.

"Well, it is not my fault that I couldn't visit them earlier because of the snow storm," she said in defense.

The young foreigner couldn't help but be worried about her friends. The restrictions that came along with the joyful aspects of April Season made her feel uneasy about their well being. And so, she has taken the opportunity to explore the effects of that strange new season as much as she could. Luck seemed to be on her side as the day lasted longer than usual, thus, Alice ended up visiting the circus master three times in order to change the season.

"You look troubled," the ringmaster murmured, before innocently adding, "did you, perhaps, miss someone who is important to you?"

Alice blinked. The question caused her to look up and she instantly wondered why it bothered her so much. She searched for any signs of a double meaning on the redhead's face, just anything. His face showed innocent curiosity and concern, and by any means she could not detect anything that could be out of place. And Joker couldn't possibly know, or could he? About her most important-

_"This is fxxxxxx ridiculous, the season has just started and you're already stressed out. Stop that immediately."_

She flinched, her difficult thoughts flying apart as she became distracted with the mask's demanding voice.

_ "And what's with that ugly look? Stop staring holes into Joker!"_

The ringmaster could only shake his head at the mask's comment. "That's some awfully inappropriate language you use, Joker, I really wish you could stop that."

But the mask was right, as strange as it sounded at first. Despite its harshness, everything made sense. Running around would not do her any good and her friends were safe and sound, after all. It was time to stop being so childish.

Alice smiled at the redhead, immediately winning his attention. "I actually came to thank you for changing the seasons for me since I've been able to see all my friends." Grinning, she offered him the best smile she could. "I'm very grateful for your service."

For a second, it seemed like Joker was at a loss for words. But it must have been a mistake of her mind, for only a moment later he flashed her a wide smile in return.  
"You're very welcome, dear Alice. And please ignore his rude behavior, he is merely trying to cheer you up." With that, the ringmaster carelessly gestured at the mask, before focusing his red eye on the brunette. "Now all is left is to relax, you won't have any fun if you exhaust your body, after all."

As soon as he finished, he reached out his hand, only to vaguely brush across the shell of her ear. It tickled slightly but before her mind could even register what happened, he pulled away, showing the blue eyed girl his discovery. She blinked, and then stared in wonder at the dainty and soft flower petal resting in Joker's hand. Apparently, the little thing got lost in her hair in spring - a small reminder of the lukewarm air and gorgeous blooming trees at Vivaldi's place.

"At least stay for a little and calm down, the seasons won't run away from you."

And as strange as it sounded, just listening to him made her want to follow his advice. Again, it was her mind that made her hesitate.

"I thought I was not supposed to peek at the practice." She tried to snatch away the tiny petal but the ringmaster's hand quickly turned into a fist, denying her any access.

"Oh, don't worry, Alice. I will simply distract you." With a swift movement, almost invisible to the eye, the flower petal bloomed into a rose which found its place back in Alice's hair. "And if you keep your eyes from the backstage, then you might as well stay as long as you wish. You are always welcome here." Besides the reassuring smile that seemingly never left his face, she noticed a mischievous twinkle in Joker's ruby red eye, as if warning her to follow his advice.

Afterwards, she allowed herself to be swept away, passing the closed stands and few practicing performers here and there. They all seemed to have fun and it was hard not to take a peek. But she did her best, of course (and Alice always stayed true to her word, at least as much as she could).

After a while, Alice noted how the ringmaster deliberately chose the round-about ways and smaller paths, navigating her through the labyrinth of tents and temporarily closed stands with ease. The grounds were littered with toys and props of all kinds, making it hard not to step on them. Noting how her companion seemed to avoid them him with ease, she felt almost envious that she couldn't quite do the same. Or perhaps, it was less of a skill but more of a certain indifference that filled his steps?

If she didn't know any better Alice might have thought that he was leading her astray so as to confuse her already puzzled mind. Then again, it was probably exactly what he had in mind.  
While contemplating the questionable circus master and the worth of this endeavor, Alice almost missed it when they finally left the shouts and cries behind, ending up in a small, green field at the border of the circus forest.

The neighboring trees created wonderful shadows and seemed to invite tired souls to rest under their canopies, while the grass was almost begging to be sit upon. Only the tops of bright tents and scattered wooden boxes here and there reminded her that her feet still stood on the circus territory.

"Sit down, Alice."

She thanked him curtly and plopped under a nearby tree while the redhead chose to lean against a storage box that was conveniently placed beside them. Silence filled the air as Alice closed her eyes tiredly. A fresh breeze caressed her face as she quietly relished in the warm and calming atmosphere. The sounds of the nearby forest mixed with giggles of small children and practicing performers entered her ears.

_'What a lovely place. Who could have guessed that the circus has such a... calm side, as well.'_

Her calm demeanor seemed to evaporate, however, as soon as realization entered her mind.

"Joker, am I not keeping you from your work?"

He chuckled, already guessing where the conversation might be heading. "Not at all, cheering you up is also a part of my role, is it not?"

The girl narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You... are not slacking off, are you?"

Her suggestion was met with merry laughter and she immediately regretted it.  
Alice sighed at her own foolishness. She wasn't dealing with a certain bagworm, after all! "I'm sorry. You were nothing but helpful to me, and yet I said such a thing. I hope I didn't bother you."

In response Joker's face softened as he carelessly shook his hand in a dismissive manner. "Not at all. If anything, I am really happy about your visits."  
Still, the ringmaster's reassuring smile did not seem to satisfy the doubtful young foreigner. She briefly studied the redhead, however, without any success. "Are you sure? I did visit you a lot today."

"Well, you can't help it, right? As long as you feel honest about your wish to see the different seasons, I will be at your service." To emphasize his point, he made a theatrical bow. Obviously, the gesture looked a little strange due to his sitting position and Alice couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Her reaction seemed to further stretch his already broad grin.

"There is a time for everything, Alice," he reasoned, "and now it the time to forget your worries and enjoy yourself."

She couldn't find a reason to object his wise words and briefly marveled at his talent of putting her mind at peace so easily. But then again, it was most likely in Joker's nature to be able to achieve such amazing results.

With that, she leaned back against the tree, feeling relief wash over her whole being.

While her azure eyes half closed in bliss and her mind went into a soft slumber, her fingers started playing with a blade of grass.  
Her worries seemed to evaporate as she smelled the fresh air and the calming rustling of the trees above.  
In contrast to the extreme weather conditions in all the other territories, this place seemed to be perfect with its luke-warm temperature and pleasant atmosphere. The sun seemed to stroke her skin lovingly, unlike the blinding hot rays of light at the Amusement Park, where midsummer had a tight grip of the local weather conditions.  
To keep herself entertained, the young foreigner chose to mull over the exact season of the circus territory; it was perhaps something between spring and summer. Joker was lucky to have such well-balanced weather at his place.

The girl let out a content sigh and stole a quick glaze at her suspiciously silent companion.

Joker's single eye was closed, the chest going up and down in an even and steady rhythm. The faint breeze played with his reddish locks and she briefly admired the twinkling light reflexes on the golden chain that loosely hung around his neck.

Apparently, Joker was dozing off, without a care in the world.

_'Well, there goes my quick return.'_

For a moment, she contemplated whether to leave or stay but chose to wait anyway. Joker did tell her that time flowed differently in this place. She failed to believe that this was indeed the case but what choice did she have? And, most importantly, it would be inappropriate of her to disappear without saying goodbye.

_'But still, to fall asleep just like that…'_

She furrowed her eyebrows at the question that suddenly entered her mind: Was Joker sleeping? Or was he just pretending to be asleep?  
Joker was an excellent performer, from what she had seen, so feigning sleep would be nothing compared to his other abilities. For a second she contemplated whether to pinch his nose and make sure that he was not deceiving her, but quickly dismissed the silly thought. Eventually she gave up on her doubtful thoughts and stretched thoroughly, before leaning back and relaxing once more.

It wasn't so important anyway.  
What mattered was that, at the moment, she felt at to ease in his company.

.

At last, it was time to say goodbye, as Alice did not fail to emphasize after fretting over the green stains on her backside and sighing when Joker laughed it off, promising that they will soon vanish without a trace.

The jester children bid her farewell, some of them refusing to let the 'interesting young miss' leave their place. But all good things must end, as Joker reminded them with a lifted finger, and so eventually the young foreigner was left standing alone with the jovial territory's owner.

"You have so many people to take care of and so much to manage, I really respect you because of that," she confessed with honest admiration.

His lonely ruby red eye widened slightly, before a large, gleeful grin spread across his face. "You are indeed a very kind hearted young lady," with that, he lifted his hat and bowed humbly, the small bells emitting a soft jingling sound that lightened the atmosphere, "thank you very much for the praise."

"Well, it's the truth, after all," Alice reasoned while he straightened himself. "Anyway… I apologize if I seem too tired to enjoy anything. I promise to be more grateful next time!"  
Finally, she took a last look at the bright circus tents, illuminated with the warm lights of the setting and yet unmoving sun. "It must be really nice to live here, though," Alice murmured silently while admiring the solemn evening atmosphere. "It is a very happy place."

"Yes, a happy place indeed."

The tone in which her companion spoke caused her to stir and divert her eyes from the picturesque scenery.  
A sudden gush of wind blew his red locks apart, toying with them and as she turned her attention back to Joker. A distant, hazy look seemed to find its place upon his face as a soft smile rested on his lips. In this single moment, every trace of childish laughter and joyful sounds of a large crowd disappeared, seemingly eaten away and turned into a big nothingness. And in the midst of all this, his lonely crimson eye was looking back at her.

Unable to trust her vision, the brunette closed her eyes and opened them immediately afterwards.  
The air was still, all traces of tension blown away, the restored sounds complimenting the happy circus setting.

"Is something wrong, Alice?" Joker inquired in an easy-going manner, apparently noticing that the girl had been staring far longer than appropriate.

The brunette shook her head in response. "Oh… it's nothing, really," she said before casting a last glance at the circus. After a moment of thought she finally announced her leave before stepping onto the road that would lead her back to the Tower of Clover.  
However, she was stopped by a hand catching her arm and holding it tightly. Thoroughly surprised, she stared in wonder at her arm before looking back at the circus master with a silent question in her azure orbs.

"Young miss, although you probably should know by now that you are always welcome here," his red eye looked intently into her blue ones as he continued, "I figured that I should remind you, just in case."

.

She couldn't understand what it was that made her feel strange, perhaps it was just a trick of her tired mind? And yet Alice was unable to forget what she witnessed just minutes ago as she walked back on the path out of the circus forest. The young foreigner felt almost compelled to look back, just to check if she was being followed, but chose not to.  
Alice let out a silent sigh. She couldn't help but feel like her life will turn into an emotional rollercoaster. Not that it wasn't unusual, considering her past experiences in this mad country. She was left figuring whether it was a good or bad sign, a single thought crossing her confused mind.

_'We barely know each other and yet I feel like I will come again very soon.'_

In between all the confusion and puzzlement, one thing Alice knew for sure: there was still much to learn about her new acquaintance.

.

.

.

"You are in a better mood today, Joker," the jester clad role holder commented while intently observing his counterpart.

Exactly_ thirty time_ turns after their first show and _three time turns_ after her last visit, the ringmaster found Joker occupying a sunny place behind the circus tent while going through a variety of circus props. The darker Joker barely used them, that is, if the jester was able to persuade his counterpart to take care of the circus show. It was not like Joker despised the circus acts, in fact he liked them, as long as they were according with his taste.  
And letting the jester children run around in panic wouldn't do, after all, he knew that his counterpart's patience was rather thin.

And so it was quite a surprise when he found Joker in such a place, casually sitting with legs crossed upon one of the large wooden boxes. It was good that these things were usually scattered in a remote area, far from the public's eyes, for the prison warden's uniform was slightly unsettling compared to the bright scenery around him. The backstage area was unusually quiet, but it was nothing new for both redheads. For a few minutes, the jester clad Joker simply watched as his counterpart busied himself, noting the heavy silence that hung in the air. Finally, he decided to speak again.

"Polishing the throwing knives so thoroughly…" he murmured quietly, "it's not often that I see you so eager and motivated to do these kinds of chores. I wonder… should I be worried?"

"Shut up."

The conversation was cut short as the grumpier redhead continued to concentrate on his task until he slammed the nearby box with brightly coloured targets, obviously sick of his activity.

"Impatience is a sin, did you know that, Joker?" the jester commented, to which his counterpart huffed in annoyance.

"I have no need for your crappy advice."

Seemingly unfazed, the happier Joker continued, "I am glad that you are looking forward to our next performance. Why don't you join us, since you seem so eager?"

"Too troublesome," the prison warden retorted in a noticeably deeper voice, his eyebrows furrowed in slight irritation. "You know as well as I do that we have some business to attend to, Joker."

"Ah, indeed, we have." The redhead sighed almost too exaggeratedly as he pondered on his counterpart's suggestion. "It is a pity, really, but there is nothing we can do about it, I presume. Another time, then."

His mind seemed to be in the clouds as he casually lifted a stray plush cat from the grass and examined it without paying much attention. "It would be nice if she came back soon, don't you think so?"

Now, this caused his counterpart to look up for a second. "You mean that brat? Damn, she better bring something good next time she decides to come. You should let her pay or something, she's a freeloader!"

"My, my, are you still angry because you never got to taste those gingerbread cookies they sell in the winter season?"

"So what if I am?!"

The jester clad Joker let out an exasperated sigh. Joker might as well overcome his laziness… but no, he would only do that if the reward was good enough.  
And yet Joker always watched from afar, listening to every word that was spoken between him and Alice. The jester knew that he also became gradually accustomed to the girl's regular visits.

Day and nights passed, but Alice always came back, if not for a card game, then just to visit him and talk. Sometimes her figure appeared at the circus without any special or meaningful reason.

Alice was just that kind of a girl and Joker happened to like that a lot. It was only natural that the other Joker felt so, too. And it was not like he counted the days they spent together, most certainly not.

'_Hm, it would be really amusing if Joker…'_ The redhead hummed, his mind concocting ideas that made his grin even wider. "Why don't join us next time Alice drops by, Joker? After all, you seemed to have fun as much as I di-"

The sharp knife, swishing past the redhead's ear with an astonishing speed, miraculously missed the ringmaster by a mere inch, getting stuck in the tree behind him. The ringmaster's smile didn't falter during the whole ordeal.

_'Joker wouldn't miss anyway.'_

"Hn, maybe," the warden clad Joker snorted in response. "Would be unfair if you got all the fun while I slave away at that damn place."

His happier counterpart chuckled lightly. "Don't be like that, Joker, actually I am very hard-working, if you haven't noticed it yet."

"Whatever." The warden clad Joker leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head, looking like he was counting the clouds in the sky.  
The ringmaster mustered the darker Joker while going through his own thoughts.  
Finally, he sat the almost forgotten toy down before taking a good look at the wildly scattered boxes and props.

"Well, I might as well work on the new acts for the meantime," the jester clad redhead nodded his head, approving his own idea. "After all, we've got to keep the public entertained."

"I suggest that we do something super spectacular like a sword fight on a tightrope," his counterpart grinned almost maniacally, thinking of how much fun it would be.

"I think we better avoid that," the jester clad Joker interrupted his planning. "Knowing you, I fear it would be too harsh for the young ladies and we don't want to frighten our audience too much."

"Damn it! You're way too boring, Joker."

He chuckled lightly. "If you say so."

.

.

.


	3. Generous Gifts

A/N: I'd like to thank you for the lovely reviews! I finally lived through my colloquium. So hopefully I'll be able to edit the next chapter much quicker and start writing the new one soon.

* * *

**Generous Gifts**

.

Upon entering the kitchen the young foreigner was horrified as she saw _that dish_ again, innocently stewing and giving off an incredible odour.

Honestly speaking, the violet mass in the cooking pot smelled absolutely nightmarish. Well, it was meant for a certain Nightmare, so, in some way, it made sense. Still, upon witnessing what the overly devoted assistant was about to brew for his boss, Alice decided to be a good subordinate and dispose of the exotic looking dish before Gray came back.

A slight feeling of guilt nagged at her soul as she watched how the violet jelly-like substance disappeared down the sink, but it was for the better.

With the terribly looking mass gone, the kitchen seemed to smell much better than moments ago. She took a deep breath, feeling glad that spending time in the Tower's kitchen could finally turn into a more enjoyable experience.

_'Nightmare better be thankful for that favour.'_

After the successful eradication of the dangerous threat, the young woman could finally bake in peace. She hummed softly as she mixed the various ingredients in a bowl, glad that she could make herself useful, even in her free time. Her hands worked fast as she spread more flour on the kitchen worktop and began to knead the dough thoroughly, hoping that her whimsical boss will appreciate her efforts.

During the winter season, the Tower's kitchen quickly became Alice's favorite place. A grand fireplace provided the large room with a cozy atmosphere, the feeling of warmth and safety creating a delightful experience when chilly winds howled lonely just outside the frozen windows.

Strangely enough, not many of the employees seemed to spend their lunch time at the Tower and there were no cooks to be seen despite the generously furnished kitchen room. Then again, the only true residents were Nightmare, Gray and Julius; the latter ones were not particularly picky anyway.

Perhaps that was the reason behind the lack of kitchen personnel, not that Alice had any complains. But some company would definitely not hurt.

And so, as the cold winter air swished past the high windows of the enormous room, the young foreigner seized the place for herself only, imagining what it would be like if this part of the Tower were slightly livelier, perhaps similar to the Castle of Hearts.

For a barely used kitchen, the place was nicely equipped and Alice took her time as she marveled at the cookie cutter collection that she managed to free from layers of dust. There were lovely star shapes, hearts and clovers… and even ones that reminded Alice of her animal-eared friends. She looked through the rest, before coming upon a particular shape that made her smile as she thought of all the ways she could decorate it.

.

It was only two hours later that the foreigner found herself in another place, much different from the snow-covered territory of the Tower of Clover. Below the cerulean sky, the trees appeared to sing a peaceful melody composed of chanting of all kinds of birds and buzzing of exotic insects. The delightful performance was, however, soon interrupted by the upset female's voice, causing the tiny musicians to halt for a moment and curiously look below, as if listening to what she had to say.

"…and then he dared to say that he wanted a _Montblanc_ cake instead! Well, if my cooking is not good enough then he can eat Gray's poisonous food and smoke himself into oblivion for all I care!"

The furious recital of recent events at the Tower was answered with a jovial laughter which only grew stronger as the girl continued her tale. Finally, Alice calmed down and let out a silent chuckle, glad that she could let her anger out.

"Your story was indeed highly entertaining, dear Alice." Her companion, who happened to be Joker himself, smiled gleefully and sighed. "Your presence in itself is always amusing me. But wait…" he paused, tapping his chin in thought, "...shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Alice chuckled silently as she watched the redhead contemplating his question in all seriousness. "Anyway, I ought to thank you for listening to me, Joker." Truth to be told, she felt slightly bad for using the circus master for venting out her anger like this, but the need for someone to listen to her was stronger than her common sense. Usually, her first place to let out frustrations would be the grumpy clockmaker, a miraculously patient man when it came to handling her personal problems.

_'Still, he wasn't my first choice this time around,'_ Alice thought while absentmindedly swinging her legs back and forth as she leaned on the table. No, Alice was in need of someone who would understand and actively side with her. The image of a certain redhead had flashed in her searching mind, thus, the young foreigner ended up sitting in Joker's company, vividly reciting the rejection of her supposedly great cooking skills.

In the meanwhile, the said redhead watched in amusement as his guest remained deep in thought.

_"Hey, you brat, pay attention!"_ The mask's harsh comment jerked her out of her thoughts. Immediately, she looked up, only to see the jester half-heartedly shake his head as he merrily shuffled the cards to occupy his hands.

"It seems like Joker is rather impatient today," the redhead commented with a knowing look. "But either way, we would love to taste anything that was made by you."

_"That worm is an ungrateful xxxxxxx! But try to poison us and you'll regret it!"_the mask seemed to pause to think, before slyly adding, _"By the way, you didn't come just to chatter, right?"_

The circus master, for once, nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it seems like you have to run a few errands today, Alice." The jester motioned at the basket that waited patiently at her side.

_"Don't let her leave, Joker! Maybe she has something precious that she doesn't want to share with us! Come on, out with it!"_

_'So noisy,'_ Alice thought. As it turned out to be, the mask was rather perceptive whenever the prospect of filling one's stomach with food was involved. _'But that reminds me…'_

"Oh, right, I almost forgot!" the brunette cried, startling the ringmaster and catching the mask's attention.

_"See, Joker, I told you she was hiding something!"_ Simultaneously, the redhead's eye curiously followed her every motion as she rummaged through her basket.

"Got it!" she exclaimed happily as she opened a box and placed it solemnly on the table.

Silence filled the air as Joker studied the undoubtedly delicious looking pastries, carefully taking one out. Two small, x-shaped eyes looked back at the jester, a red nose gracing the sweet round face, coated with white icing. "That's-"

_"Don't tell me… this sorry excuse of a cookie is supposed to be a clown!"_

Her eye twitched in annoyance at the mask's comment. 'Is he making fun of my masterpiece?'

"Well, if you dislike them that much-" The girl was about to stand up for herself and safe the last bits of pride she had left, but luckily, the growing argument was prevented by the ever smiling ringmaster.

"No, no, no, that won't do, Joker," he scolded the mask, before turning back to Alice. "Don't worry, Alice, he is merely teasing you. They look lovely, by the way, it's almost too bad that we have to eat them." The last part was spoken softly, convincing Alice that her humble offering was finally appreciated.

Naturally, her face brightened at the long awaited compliment. "...I figured, since we're friends, that I should bring you some, too," she blurted out without a second thought.

_"Friends? Well if that's what you think...-"_ the distorted voice seemed to mumble something incoherent afterwards, making it almost impossible to understand the last words.

"Oh dear, now you've silenced Joker. That's quite an accomplishment, dear Alice." The redhead laughed heartily, the look in his red eye somehow warmer, which didn't go unnoticed by the girl; there was indeed a difference in how he smiled. "Of course, we gratefully accept them."

Perhaps it was just her confused mind, or maybe the corners of his lips were indeed more relaxed but a second later Joker returned to his usual self. It was almost too bad, really, after having witnessed an expression that was, admittedly, barely any different and yet somehow not the same.

Despite everything, Alice couldn't help but wonder if she had said something strange. Then again, perhaps it was too soon to assume that they were related in that way...

_'That's right'_, Alice scolded herself, _'we barely even know each other. How foolish of me to assume such a thing!'_

But then again, when could one speak of being friends? Was there a border of some sort that one had to cross first? She could not tell.

Friendship always came naturally, and sooner or later all role holders fell into that category in her mind. There was never a need to say it out loud. Was it, however, the role holder's attraction to the foreigner that catalyzed the friendship, or perhaps just her lonely heart's wish? And yet, she automatically assumed that they were friends, since she has gotten used to their casual conversations and frequent meetings.

"What is it, Alice? Did something upset you?"

The redhead's questioning glance was quickly answered with a shake of her head. There was no need to think of it right now, she still had a place that she wanted to go to, after all. And thanks to Joker's foresight, a deck of cards was already placed in between them, waiting to be played.

.

After a surprisingly quick victory the girl excused herself; the sun was still high but one could never be too sure. Wonderland was a whimsical place, after all, and she was hoping to reach the Heart Castle before another time turn occurred. However, it seemed as if the circus master would not let her go with empty hands. It was, as Alice noticed not too long ago, an habit of his that caused her slight embarrassment at first, especially when considering that she was not used to this kind of generous treatment.

With a mysterious smile, the jester asked her to reach out her hands. Albeit reluctantly at first, she did so, and watched in astonishment as brightly wrapped candies fell like a rainbow waterfall into her cupped hands.

"Joker?" The brunette eyed him with a questioning glance.

"Oh, I need to repay you for your kindness, right? Consider it to be a token of our gratitude." Softly, he patted her head before letting out a chuckle.

Alice pouted, feeling like being treated like a small child, but accepted the gift anyway. After all, she could give them out to her friends since she could not possibly eat all of them alone.

Smiling at the idea, the brunette was about to take her leave, before she felt a cloth descend around her shoulders. Curiously, she felt the soft material, identifying it as a knitted shawl. _'And a very soft one, too.'_As she looked back she became aware of the arm which wrapped around her shoulders in a friendly gesture. Her gaze was answered with the usual smile dancing on Joker's lips as he briefly adjusted the warm garment.

"The spring's air is fresh, despite the mild weather, and I've noticed that you never change your clothes," the circus master commented. "That won't do, of course, so take this before you go."

"Another gift? I can't possibly-" However, she was stopped by Joker himself, mirth dancing in his eye as he put a silencing finger on her lips.

"You must accept it, after all, we ought to commemorate our friendship, right?" he winked, as if sharing a secret between the two of them. Alice could only nod, suddenly forgetting why she objected in the first place.

The rest of her small journey was rather uneventful and did not leave an impression on the young foreigner, if one disregards the Prime Minister's fit upon seeing her enter the Castle of Hearts… Very soon, the brunette saw the familiar grand staircase that led her inside the Tower of Clover.

.

With a puff of sickeningly sweet smoke, Nightmare voiced a question that bothered him noticeably, ever since he found _that_ resting upon his table, teasing him with bright colors that could only belong to _one specific role holder' s territory_.

"Alice. What is that supposed to be?" The incubus motioned at a small pile of multicolored sweets upon his table.

"Candies." The said foreigner answered curtly. _'It's quite obvious, don't you think so, Nightmare?'_

"Ugh! That's not what I mean!" he protested vigorously. "I mean, what are his sweets doing on my table?"

"Well, I figured that they would do you some good." Alice stated, feigning innocence while inwardly adding, 'At least it would be better than poisoning oneself with that smoke, you sick incubus!'

The loud thought did its job quite well, and the sickly role holder drew back, almost choking while wildly gesturing with his pipe. "B-but-…! Aside from that… who knows what these bonbons might contain? Trust me, Alice, Joker is always up to something!"

She snorted before eyeing her boss suspiciously._'Your ways of changing the topic are way too predictable.'_

"T-that's not true at all!" This time, he almost squealed, face getting paler with each second. "After all, I am a really great boss so I need to take care of my subordinates first, and make sure that they're all healthy and in good shape!" The long string of denial and self-praise continued, accompanied with a smug laugh that sounded almost desperate.

The brunette rubbed her temples in exasperation, deciding that she had enough for the day.

Upon closing the door with a click, Alice let out a tired sigh. The sounds of her unsuspecting boss kept getting quieter with each step she took. _'I wonder when he will notice that I am not listening to him anymore?'_

If only Nightmare could listen to her advice and at least stop smoking in his poor state. But, apparently, it was too much to ask for.

.

The constant ticking of clocks and occasional sounds of screwing and polishing were, as usual, the only things that filled the air in the deadly silent workshop. It was the atmosphere of daily routine that created an illusion of steadiness and safety which Alice came to appreciate over time. Sometimes, it was a little bit eerie, how the time never seemed to touch the solitary clockmaker as he bent over his work for hours and days. But it was easy to let one's mind wander around in this place. It was different, somehow, from the circus, where she thought herself into oblivion. But neither one was good nor bad, or was it? As the brunette pondered on this question, she absentmindedly inhaled the bitter scent of coffee that was growing cold in the forgotten cup while its owner proceeded to concentrate on the fine mechanics of a demolished clock. Still deep in thought, she shoved yet another candy in her mouth, savoring its sweet taste.

"So, Alice, did you have some fun during your time off?" The silent clockmaker didn't look up as he questioned the girl. His deep voice seemed to fit the place quite perfectly indeed, never disrupting the special atmosphere of his workshop. Her face brightened and she smiled, happy that he decided to start a conversation.

"Oh, yes, actually-"

But the young woman was interrupted by a shrill, desperate cry that shook the massive walls of the Tower of Clover. Within mere seconds the brunette stood on her feet, noting that even Julius looked up, wondering what the commotion was all about.

Both nodded silently before storming off to search for the source of the frightening sounds.

On their way, they bumped into Nightmare's ever diligent personal assistant with a concerned, almost desperate expression on his face.

"Clockmaker, Alice, it's terrible!"

Eventually, it was Gray who led them to the scene of horror that was once Nightmare's study.

At first, all Alice saw were bloodstains, all over the floor, like a bloodbath that looked similar to the Bloody Twins' playground after a merry round of their favorite game. The faint smell of Nightmare's sickeningly sweet smoke was still there, spread like a fine layer of mist and mixed with another stench that she dared not name. Her heart sped up and, thinking of the worst outcome, her azure eyes frantically searched for any dead bodies or possible signs of a fierce battle.

However, Alice found none.

_Drop._

Something wet and suspiciously red landed on her dress. She stared in wonder at the blood stain, so unmistakably sticky and dark.

"Alice, over here! _Hrrghh…_!"

Only after another desperate cry did she think of looking above.

To say that she or any other human being present in the office was surprised would be an understatement.

The Tower's ceilings were particularly high, its creator surely did not think of making use of the room, instead opting for installing huge halls and generous chambers. And so, even in Nightmare's office, the ceiling was rather high, forcing the girl to throw her head back in order to spot the figure of her boss that, apparently, was stuck on the ceiling. The fact that dream demons could fly, of course, was nothing new and could not possibly shock the experienced foreigner. On the other hand, Nightmare's body state was indeed alarming.

Similar in shape and mass to a feather light balloon, the blown up incubus floated high above, just below the ceiling, wailing like a small child and, unfortunately, staining the expensive carpets with things that should not be mentioned in any written document.

Alice stood, mouth agape, as she stared at the dream demon, the feared role holder who was currently blown up to an incredulous extent, offering a rather (dare she think of it like that?) comical sight.

"It's the candy, Alice, that damn candy! _Ugh-…_!"

At that moment, Alice understood a lot. She also wondered, briefly, if she should laugh or cry. 'Perhaps the first one would be more appropriate, after all.' And so, the blue eyed foreigner watched in slight amusement and worry as her boss floated around, whining and cursing as his helpless subordinates searched for a way to help. But they all ate the sweets, or did they not? So why was Nightmare (who, apparently, could not resist them in her absence) the only one who suffered afterwards?

_'Either way, it serves him right, somehow.'_ It did not mean, of course, that she wouldn't question a certain redhead afterwards.

In response, the blown-up incubus above squealed in a high-pitched tone, vigorously waggling with his arms that seemed so tiny compared to his round body.

"This is not funny, Alice! Put me doooown!"

.

_Joker_ stared curiously as his counterpart whose single eye was glued to a large mirror which they usually kept backstage for various purposes. Only a second later the jester snickered, obviously enjoying himself as he watched things unknown to others unfold before his eye.

Now, this piqued the warden's curiosity indeed as he strolled forward, and took a look at the reflecting surface. A large grin spread across his face as he let out an amused chuckle shortly afterwards.

"Damn it, Joker, you totally gave her those candies, didn't you?"

"Haha, I knew it would be a sight to behold!" the jester clad redhead happily exclaimed, not even once looking away from the scene behind the glass. The whole thing was even more fun than he imagined it to be!

"Well, played, Joker," the warden admitted, before chuckling darkly. "I was wondering why the heck we had those, anyway." At least, those weird things were finally put to a good use…

For a moment, another reflection caught his attention, making him divert his gaze from the scene. His ruby eye strolled away from the mirror's surface, taking note of the cookie clowns that rested on the table at his right.

"Hn, that worm totally deserves it," the redhead commented, in the meanwhile reaching out and casually snatching a single cookie from the plate.

With that, he bit into the sweet pastry, swiftly separating the smiling clown's head from its body, and eagerly munching on the sweet treat while he took a look at the other messily scattered items on the table. There, laying innocently on the edge, was a single brightly wrapped candy, on which it said:

_B&amp;B – Blows braggers and bigheads up to their true size. For additional information please read the enclosed leaflet._

Curiously, the warden clad Joker searched for the said sheet of paper, wondering how long the effect would last. Upon finding it he quickly scanned the information with his ruby eye, before turning back to his counterpart.

"Hey, Joker, did you take a look at the leaflet?" To which the jester retorted with a satisfied smile: "Oh, of course not! It's more fun to watch the consequences in real life, don't you think so?"

.

That day, Alice learned an essential lesson: You ought to be careful around Joker, his actions are, unfortunately, not always as innocent as they seem to be. However, this new revelation did not seem to stop her from seeking out the jester clad man.

As she laid back and tried to organize her thoughts, she could not help but notice that Joker did fit into this mad world.

And strangely enough, it did not seem to bother her. Or perhaps she had gone mad a long time ago, without even noticing it herself. One could never be too sure, after all.

She turned around, thinking of how the minister of the Castle of Hearts brought her into this world, how she met Julius, the clockmaker, and how their paths parted, only to meet again in the cold winter snow at the Tower of Clover.

Once again, the foreigner felt restless. Her hands grabbed the sheets and yet, she knew that not even clinging to the soft fabric of her bed could stop her from probably having to part with this place one day. Alice hated that insecure feeling more than anything else. But that was how it was supposed to be. And the more she thought about it, the more she felt like a stranger, a simple guest in this cold territory.

Was this what she truly was afraid of the most? The constant torment...

_'If only... No, I must not think about such things.'_

Finally, she was able to force the troublesome thoughts away, just like she always did, and tried to fall asleep. Maybe visiting Julius tomorrow will make her feel better again. And if it all failed there was still Joker.

After all, he would always be at the circus, no matter when she decided to come.

.

.

.


	4. Curiouser and Curiouser

_A/N: I guess I can finally work on the new chapter. Though I have parts of it written out, I'm still slightly excited. It's been over a year and I hope I'm not too rusty. At least the next one is going to have a lighter atmosphere._

* * *

**Curiouser and Curiouser**

.

The soft blanket of white powder crunched deliciously under the foreigner's boots as she made her way through the town's streets. Alice breathed heavily, the icy air cooling her reddened cheeks as she hastily tried to catch up with her companion's frantic pace. Truth to be told, she would have settled on a more relaxed walk, if not for a sullen looking clockmaker by her side who happened to grumble incoherent curses under his breath while mostly, if not intentionally, ignoring her small predicament.

But it was fine.

Although initially, their merry group consisted of themselves and the lovely Knight of Hearts, the latter successfully disappeared and undoubtedly got lost, leaving the pair wandering alone on the cold streets. Naturally, such a simple event was nothing to worry about nor was it anything new; regrettably however, Ace happened to be the carrier of their groceries, for once insisting that he had to act according to his role. As a result, their freshly bought coffee beans and important tools were lost for an indefinite amount of time together with the absentminded knight and neither good promises nor angered cries could lure him out of his hiding. The circumstances certainly did not improve her grumpy companion's mood, whose sole purpose of presence was to supervise the shopping process from a safe distance.

Against all odds, the more or less silent stroll with Julius proved to be a rather nice experience, considering the fact that the snow-covered city around the Tower was a sight to behold. Alice appreciated its simple beauty, admiring the soft touch of sunset below the evening sky.

"Don't drag your feet, Alice," her distressed companion urged her on, still looking left and right for any signs of the missing knight.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," she apologized without the lightest touch of regret. _'At least he will get some fresh air in his lungs.' _A satisfied grin spread across the brunette's face as she took a brief look at her friend, before finally averting her eyes. For once, the stray knight proved to be useful.

At long last the crowded streets were left behind. With a soft touch, a delicate snowflake landed on her nose, instantly melting and disappearing on the reddened skin. Almost absentmindedly, the girl reached her gloved hand out, catching more and more crystals of snow. She noted how more of the white flakes flew by, gently covering the streets with a neat layer of freshly fallen snow. It was almost as if they shined with an expensive glow of millions of fake diamonds, generously scattered along the road by a nameless benefactor. The lonely pair completed the scenery with a double trail of footprints, hers obviously much smaller than her companion's generous imprints.

Alice smiled. It was a lovely image, showing that the two of them walked alongside each other on this cold city road. While still looking behind, she briefly admired the brightly shining lanterns and lovely decorated houses they passed by, unintentionally ignoring the clockmaker's request to hurry up. The streets were almost empty, save for a few warmly dressed passersby here and there. The brilliant glance of the virgin snow provided the city with a truly magical atmosphere, it was almost too bad that their feet dared to ruin that perfect, frail image with their touch. The girl was about to avert her gaze, when suddenly the flash of a moving figure with familiarly looking red hair caught her eye.

A small frown appeared on her face as she mulled over the identity of the mysterious person… or perhaps she simply mistook a random stranger for the circus master? Red hair was not that uncommon, after all.

_'But still…'_

Little by little, Alice's feet began to take her back on their previous trails. The snow kept falling, gradually getting thicker and hiding the girl's imprints under an innocent, purely white cover of oblivion.

Julius halted, finally realizing that he missed the sound of a second pair of moving feet beside his own.

"Alice?"

But the girl was nowhere in sight.

.

The short chase led the brunette further into the darkness of narrow streets and dimly lit passageways, until finally she halted, contemplating whether to stay or go on. In front of her was a narrow staircase, its spirals leading down towards a fancily decorated door. The leaking sounds and voices indicated a lively gathering, so what trouble could she possibly find if she took a small peek?

_'Surely it would be all right,'_ Alice reassured herself while pushing the door and taking a breath of resolution while peeking inside.

However, as sudden as it came, her determination vanished, replaced by a sudden shyness as she looked around. Up until now, the young foreigner was drawn by the power of curiosity, but what she saw made her quickly doubt the worth of her idea.

Behind the door was a whole other world, soaked with perfumes, ashy smoke and faint chatter, the still, hazy air intoxicating to reason and mind.

The insides were shockingly warm, instantly making her want to discard her thick, grey coat. Her entrance was barely noted, the hesitant steps muffled by sounds of moving coins and shuffling of cards, as well as whispers of anonymous gamblers with unreadable masks. The obvious signs made her realize just what kind of a place she had stumbled into.

The dimply lit casino was packed with finely clad people who mainly gathered around the tables in the centre of the room, a few single individuals occupied the bar while the rest dwelled in the lounge, lazily chatting with their partners or preferring the joys of solitude.

Surprisingly enough, it did not take her long to find Joker sitting in one of crimson coloured booths. Many guests lacked company, but unlike the rest, it was as if he purposefully created a clear barrier around himself, or perhaps it was the other way around.

The first thing to catch her eye were the redhead's unusual garments, she was surprised at how different of a person Joker appeared to be. The normal ringmaster's attire was completely replaced by a new outfit and it was safe to say that not a single original article remained: the man who sat before her wore a formal black dress shirt and equally dark trousers; a white waistcoat completed the top, connected with a golden chain to the neck tie in a crimson colour which perfectly matched his deeply red locks. The mischievous twinkle of the gold was similar to that on his usual clothes but it seemed to possess a completely different, colder tone.

Alice had to admit, the lack of his usual jester hat made a serious difference. It made him look less playful, the harmless atmosphere exchanged for a classy and almost dangerous one. His crimson eye lazily strolled across the room as his gloved hands smoothly worked on a card house, appearing as if they had a mind of their own.

If not for a strange feeling that something was indeed amiss, she would have thought that he fit perfectly into his surroundings. Seconds passed, and her feet still refused to enter this strange place. But it was now or never, and finally, Alice made up her mind, daring to approach the fancily clad circus master.

"What are you doing here, Joker?"

Her sudden interference caused the redhead to jerk his head in her direction, the abrupt movement causing the card he was holding to accidentally brush the paper building in the wrong place. Only a fraction of a second later the highest pair slipped, yet luckily managed to avoid the dangerous fall. But Joker paid them no attention, instead focusing his single red eye on the young foreigner in front of him.

Joker was surprised to see her, that much was obvious….

…and he looked incredibly _annoyed_.

"Damn it, is snooping around and getting lost your hobby or something?"

The cold, snarky answer was certainly not what Alice was expecting. _Not at all._ She gulped and shivered slightly under his stare, the crimson eye holding a certain sharpness that had not been there before. Even the way of speaking seemed so exceedingly rude, it was undeniably hard to believe her ears.

Something was off.

And yet, there was a certain intimate tone in his way of speaking. It was a faint feeling of familiarity that came seemingly out of nowhere, perplexing her even further as she stared at the foreign yet familiar person in front of her.

In the meanwhile, Joker did not waste any time, dismissively waving towards the exit door. "Come on, get the hell out of here, the playtime is over."

The utterly confused brunette was too taken aback to be truly offended by the rude gesture. Finally, about to reply with a fitting comment, Alice was shocked as two foreign hands lightly pushed her into the seat across from the frowning redhead.

"Oh, what a lovely surprise we have here! But honestly, Alice, you never fail to amaze me."

Her head whipped around in astonishment, only to meet the ruby gaze of a gleefully smiling Joker. Lost for words, the brunette could only move as the doppelganger smoothly plopped beside her, casually crossing his legs and grinning back at the astonished girl.

She looked at Joker, then back at_… Joker_?

"W-what's this? I think I see double…" Alice muttered as she rubbed her tired eyes and blinked a few times, but the stubborn, seemingly split image refused to fall back into one. Her struggles did not go unnoticed by the freshly materialized circus master.

"Oh dear, _Joker_ didn't give you anything weird, or did he?" He cast her a worried glance, before closely eyeing his lookalike.

"The hell I would! Now shut the fxxx up, I didn't feed her anything strange."

Feeling a sudden faintness and a growing headache, Alice slumped back, completely lost. The perfumes and smoke must have gotten into her head, for here sat two identical men, with identical names and same clothes, _arguing_ with each other, and more importantly, completely disregarding the oddness of this whole scene.

As if completely missing the source of her distress, they continued to argue until all she could do was to slam her fists onto the table and accept that she has gotten herself into yet another undesirable situation. One Joker looked at her, bemused, whereas the other one just shook his head.

"Great, now she's gone mad. See, it's all your fxxxxxx fault, Joker."

"Eh, how so?"

.

It took Alice a while to compose herself, not forgetting Joker's thoughtfulness as he fanned the young lady, providing her with a somewhat fresh breeze.

After an explanation, or actually the lack thereof, Alice felt ready to accept that she was, after all, not insane. Not yet, at least.

Following the overdue introductions, Alice she came to realize that both Jokers liked to avoid any kinds of troublesome topics, which apparently included matters concerning their strange identity.

But Alice would not be herself if she did not manage to find a way to take care of the matter. The merciless girl was quick to give both individuals a matching nickname, feeling like at least some kind of help in distinction was in order. The following protests of the freshly named _Black_ and _White_ were conveniently ignored, soon fading away as both victims of Alice's creativity came to accept their fate.

Eventually, both sides calmed down. Black's strained*features gradually relaxed, and with obvious indifference he returned to his previous activity. The card house flourished and grew with each new section added to the previous ones. Now that Alice had enough time to study him, she noted that Black certainly did not look like he would enjoy this kind of occupation. It seemed to contradict his snappy and certainly impatient attitude. Thus, Alice was not surprised as another pair of cards swiftly slipped down, consequently angering the unfortunate architect.

"You don't look like you would like this kind of thing," she could not help but comment, "building card houses, I mean."

"A _house_?" he blurted out incredulously. "Have you no eyes, brat? It's a _castle_. Can't you see?"

"_Joker_ is admittedly not that skilled in this area," his counterpart happily chimed in, completely disregarding Black's scowl at his commentary. "As for me, I certainly like this kind of pastime. Anything related to cards is my speciality, as you might have already noticed."

Alice tapped her chin in thought while contemplating his answer. "In that case, why aren't you participating in the games? Surely you did not come just to sit around."

Black's sudden chuckle seemed to indicate that the answer was something that she would not like. "Curious, aren't you? Why should we answer questions of a-"

"Let's just say, we have an _appointment_ of a sort," the gentler redhead answered with a crooked grin, before pointing a finger towards the azure eyed girl. "By the way, Alice, what brings _you_ to a place like this? I didn't know you were _that kind_ of a lady!"

"Oh… it's not that I like gambling or anything…" The brunette stumbled over her own words, trying to find an answer that would not make her look like a certain _White Rabbit_. "Well, I just saw you but I was not quite sure, so I decided to check if it was really you. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you." She looked over both White and Black, suddenly realizing that she was most certainly in the wrong place, perhaps even at the wrong time.

"Since you are awaiting someone… I guess that I should better leave." *Feeling herself sink deeper than she desired, she arose in a swift motion, only to be held down by White.

"No, _stay_," the redhead insisted with an almost urgent tone in his gentle voice, as he pushed her back into the soft seat. The sudden movement left her almost speechless, and she obliged, if only for lack of a coherent answer. The pressure on her hand eased as the redhead smiled at her, completely oblivious to her previous discomfort. "It would be such a waste if you left right away. We certainly don't mind. After all, being in company of such a lovely young lady is a nice change." The soft kindness in his voice seemed to poison her reason, the last bit of doubt swept away as her body relaxed into the cushions.

Black scowled as he watched the scene unfold, but refrained from commenting. A loud yawn escaped his throat as uncrossed his legs and sluggishly pressed his back against the crimson leather. "Well, since you're staying you should at least have a presentable look."

And with a flicker of his fingers, her blue apron dress vanished, an inky-black and surprisingly tight dress taking its place against her skin. Coming from Joker, the sudden change of clothing startled the young woman, if only because she conveniently forgot that even he could meddle effortlessly with such minor details. Warily she inspected it with a critical eye, searching for possible indecent exposal or any other possible sings of bad taste.

However, Alice was happy to find that her new outfit was decent enough to cover what needed to be covered. It was certainly not a dress that she would like to wear_,_ but it was suitable for the occasion anyway. If it would make her stand out less then she was ready to bear with it for a while.

"A good choice, _Joker_," White complimented as he observed the change take place.

"Indeed, it was difficult enough to find something that would make that brat look at least somewhat appropriate,"his counterpart's lips curved upward in amusement while blatantly examining his achievement with a shameless crimson eye. A silent growl threatened to escape her throat as she glared back at the smugly grinning Joker.

Luckily, his counterpart chose to intervene in the right moment.

"Now, now, that's a bit too much, _Joker_. She is a splendid young lady."

Finally, the brunette settled back with a huff, considering the nasty comment as payback for her earlier creativity. "That's not what I asked for, anyway."

"Oh, are you certain? Because I only did what you wished for."

"And that would be?"

"_To fit in_," _Joker_ replied, his narrow eye mocking her, as if stating something so obvious. "Isn't that what you desired?"

"What I... desire?" Alice sat back. If so, it was a sick and strange wish, to wear these kinds of clothes and visit such a blasphemous place. Her loss at words was interpreted as a sign of resignation and as if nothing has happened, the Joker called Black resumed his lazy posture.

"That's how I like it. Now sit back like a good little girl and enjoy yourself."

.

How much time has passed, she couldn't tell. Was is still evening, or did the time change? Alice's gaze ended on White whom she was challenging for a re-match after her previous defeat. Satisfied with her choice of cards, she briefly refocused her attention on Black. The redhead must have been incredibly bored, the card _castle _all forgotten, as he lazily watched the gambling players. The way his single narrowed eye observed the crowded place reminded Alice of a lurking cat: seemingly uninterested and yet ready to seize the unsuspecting prey at any given moment. Perhaps it was a strange comparison, however, she could not help but find it to be somewhat fitting.

Despite Black's snide remarks here and there, the company was anything but unpleasant, and yet... Was there not something... anything she was forgetting?

Her fruitless struggle caused her nothing but a small headache, a small frown betraying her wandering mind. She looked back at White, sensing that her hesitance has caught his attention.

He looked slightly amused and she realized that she missed her turn. "So, Alice, what do you think of the April Season?"

She fiddled with her cards. "It's not bad."

After a second thought, Alice's eyes turned to the man in front of her, the whole implication of her half-hearted answer coming to light as she realized how ungrateful it must have sounded.

There was only one way to make up for her careless mistake.

"I wasn't exactly thrilled, at first," she began, glad that she successfully caught Joker's attention. "But thinking back, it was much better than I thought it would be. I... came to like many aspects of this season."

"That I am truly happy to hear." White gave her a smile, continuing their almost forgotten round. He paused, as if contemplating his next move, before smoothly planting his card on hers. "Say, Alice, wouldn't you like to stay, to be a part of this place?" he asked in a casual tone.

"I... " she paused. There they were again. Unpleasant thoughts swirling around her wrists, suffocating her and trying to chain her down. Alice struggled to remain conscious, pressing the words against the unknown force.

Finally, Alice reached out, slipping through the only backdoor that she new. "I don't know."

"You never seem to know anything at all. You're such an airhead, it's almost disgusting!"_ Black Joker_ spat out, as if finally taking interest in their conversation. Like a freedom spell, the words had dispersed the pressure and she felt almost thankful for his intervention.

However, all words died in her throat as she met his piercing glare. It might have been just a silly thought, but she could have sworn that she saw a silent warning in his intent gaze. Alice took a breath, forcing herself to look elsewhere. It must have been her imagination.

She shifted uncomfortably, noticing with slight embarrassment that she still had a sweaty grip on the cards. White Joker had his way with words that could appear completely harmless, and yet sting her with double strength when she was least prepared. How unpleasant. "What about you, Joker, isn't moving around quite troublesome? You never stay for too long in the same place," she said and after a small pause, added, "What I mean is, it must be tiring, right?"

Her attempt at lifting the awkward atmosphere was successful as Black looked up, an incredulous look all over his face.

"Stupid girl, moving around is exciting!"

"Indeed it is." his counterpart was quick to agree. "Alice, try to imagine: you can only appreciate each and every place, each show, because you know that you will leave it all behind," he finished solemnly and chuckled at the girl's intent expression.

"I see. The country, even the show itself is never the same, right?" the brunette reasoned as she thought about the circus acts. "The smallest change in acting makes each performance unique."

Seemingly out of nowhere a bitter feeling crept inside her heart. She paused, before once again facing White.

"But it's sad, isn't it? To know that you will never experience it again."

The redhead's smile seemed to widen as he approved of her smart deduction. "Well said, Alice. The moment will never be the same, and _regret_ comes inevitably, _but it is not a bad feeling_. It's something that belongs to sincere enjoyment. Also, you can enjoy each and every show because you never know what might happen, despite your best planning."

"That's right, it's the thrill of the unknown," his counterpart chimed in.

"In a repetitive world in which our very existence is going round and round in a clock's way, something like moving can be rather entertaining, don't you think so?"

Alice nodded silently, her eyes still glued to the single red one of the circus master, taking every single word that smoothly flowed into her head.

"Of course, eventually some might not want to play by the rules. In that case, _there is a price they will have to pay."_

Without any warning, he reached out and swiftly swiped a single card from the bottom of the castle, thus irrevocably damaging the frail building.

The castle collapsed, turning into nothing but a wild pile of simple paper cards.

Similar to a spell suddenly broken, the girl's eyes stared at the mass of cards as they lay innocently on the table, almost disbelieving that something so big and seemingly stable could disappear so quickly.

White's voice shook her out of her daze.

"Alice, could you, perhaps, do me a small favour?" She turned back, noticing that he was reaching out a card.

"Bring this to the man over there?" The circus master pointed at the back of the room. There was only one single figure sitting at the bar, thereby making it easy to spot him.

Alice took the card, _somehow feeling like she had no other choice_, and studied it briefly. "Um, sure why not."

An imprinted, inky black face stared back at her with a malicious grin.

'_A joker?_ _How peculiar.'_

Her eyes darted back at White whose carefree smile was less than helpful, much to her disappointment. Then, in the tiniest of moments, her insecure gaze involuntarily wandered towards Black, as if looking for the smallest support. The crimson gaze seemed to follow her, fuelling the girl with a strange feeling of reassurance.

The velvety flats (also courtesy of Black) made a dull noise, her reassurance slipping away with each step she took on the impeccably polished marble floor. The sound was unfamiliar, her dress suddenly all too tight and she could not wait to reach her destination and get it over with. Luckily, nobody seemed to mind her as made her way across the dimly lit room, as if completely oblivious to her presence. And all it took was just a simple change of clothes. Quite soon, the azure eyed foreigner halted, fidgeting slightly while she searched for ways to start the conversation.

The man had yet to notice her presence as he sat slumped down on a bar stool and slowly sipped on a glass of some foreign liquor. After a quick breath, the brunette managed to put on the nicest smile, before trying to get his attention.

"Um, excuse me, sir?" Well, that definitely came out better than she thought it would.

Soon after he turned around and she was faced with a middle-aged man. He was a 'faceless', as expected, though Alice would object if someone dared to describe him as plain and indistinguishable. Similar to other residents of Wonderland, even this individual held certain features that made him truly unique. Sadly, as Alice soon discovered, the man's character was not as fine as his neat appearance.

"What is it? Damn it, this better be important…" he hissed, however, soon came to a halt upon taking in her appearance.

The brunette frowned at his wandering gaze. _'I guess I'd better get this over with, and quickly.'_ A silent, barely audible sigh escaped her lips before she hastily reached out to present the man with the strange gift.

"This is for you… please take it."

What a surprise it was as he let out a gasp a second later, almost falling from the bar stool as he took in the card's picture. Then, all too sudden, he slapped her hand, the innocent card sent flying to the cold marble floor.

"This must be a joke!"

Despite the accusation, Alice noted how his voice shook as he grabbed his hat while forcibly showing the brunette aside.

"H-huh?" Before she could do anything, even understand the man's reaction, he was on his feet, stumbling hurriedly towards the exit and not even once bothering to look back at the stunned girl.

As if by magic, both redheads appeared behind her, successfully catching the brunette off guard.

"Just great. Now look what you've done, Joker."

"Well, I think it was fun, though."

She was about to voice her humble opinion before another deep voice interrupted their small discussion.

"_Joker, don't involve Alice into your business."_

Only a moment later her vision was blocked by a large figure and Alice gasped, recognising him as the Tower's most reclusive resident.

"Julius!"

Not wasting any time on formal greetings or even an acknowledgement of a sort, the clockmaker swiftly took her arm while proceeding to drag the completely bewildered Alice towards the exit.

"Come on, Alice, this is not a place you should be in."

"You're really no fun, clockmaker! Well then, Alice, see you soon!" The circus master's, _White's_ voice called her attention from behind, making her turn around her head and take a last glance at both Jokers.

It was Black, she figured, who stood on the left side, arms crossed and with an almost impassive gaze, if not for a frown that betrayed his identity. The redhead on the right, apparently White, was waving her goodbye, and as he did so in his ever so carefree manner, she could not help but catch a glimpse of certain iciness in the gentle, crimson eye.

.

Before she could even realize it, Alice found herself back on the cold streets. A time turn must have occurred during her small adventure, for the dark sky was lit with thousands of shining stars. Almost thirstily, she breathed in the fresh air, not minding the freezing temperature that cleared her lungs and mind.

She noted how her old clothes were back, and while she was glad, there was a bit of regret. The staircase that led into another world, one that she had been a part of for a short time, now disappeared and she was sure that she would never be able to find it again. There was another Joker there, one that she would never see at the circus. It was not about Black and White, it was something different and it was probably a mistake to be drawn to it. It was almost as if she was about to play a dangerous game with unknown rules and stakes and she didn't know whether she wanted to pay the prince for finding them out.

But now it all was gone and felt almost like a silly dream, nothing that truly happened to begin with. A grinning knight stepped into her vision, shining in all his youthful glory.

"Hey, Alice! Looks like both of us got lost today!" He laughed heartily at her bewildered expression.

Apparently, even the forever-lost Knight of Hearts was back, shining in all his youthful glory. But the young foreigner's eyes were locked on Julius who simply stood there, too quiet even for his own standards. Worried, she reached out her hand, vaguely brushing against the man's arm.

"Julius… are you angry?"

He sighed, finally turning his gaze towards the source of his recent headaches. "Of course I am. You disappeared just like that, how do you think am I supposed to react?"

A small, warm smile spread across her face. The clockmaker was worried about her.

"Julius?" The brunette received a small grunt in response. "Thank you."

"Just what am I going to do with you two…"

Luckily, the answer was nearby, and Ace laughed heartily as he squished himself in between the two, tightly embracing them from behind.

"I'd say that we all go back and Alice treats us to a round of homemade bread and roasted rabbit!"

The ever smiling knight beamed with joy, apparently liking his own suggestion.

"Now come on, I'm practically starving here!"

And without further ado, he pushed his friends forward towards directions unknown even to the knight himself.

.

A pair of red eyes intently watched the scene unfold until the three figures disappeared in the distance behind the white curtain of gently falling snow, the show being over seemingly before it just began.

"The clock maker and the knight, who would have guessed... Well, looks like they get along quite well." The redhead called White turned around, finally averting his eye from the snowy streets.

_Joker_ studied his counterpart, taking note of the small flicker of _envy_ on his look-alike's face.

"So, what do you think, _Joker_?"

He snorted.

"The brat is as blind as a bat, but also way too curious for a stray child."

The redhead laughed, apparently amused by _Joker's_ response.

"Well anyway, it seems like it's time for us to get our hands dirty. _Since our executioner is taking a break._"

"Tsk! That lazy ass!"


	5. Butcher and the Beasts - part 1

_A/N: A big thank you goes to the wonderful __Orange Eye'd Wanderer (beta reading). Your help is greatly appreciated. __:-)_

* * *

**Butcher and the Beasts - part 1 **

.

Alice pressed her lips together in concentration, wanting nothing more than to wipe that annoying grin, the smug smile that irritated her more than anything else from _Joker's_ face. But oh, she would definitely win this round! _'Which one, which is it? Curse this jester and his stupid face!'_

The last three cards in Alice's hand looked equally promising. The brunette gulped, she was running low on time, the single, urging crimson eye of her opponent daring her to make her move. After all, _Joker_ was waiting, an unknown card held ready and waiting to be revealed.

It was a duel to the death, the ultimate choice of a glorious winner, and _Joker_ was definitely not ready to give up without a decent fight. A single shiver ran down her spine, the whole tension between them growing thicker with each second that passed. Her hand briefly hovered over the card with the smallest value, her azure eyes still glued to the chequered backside of her opponent's choice.

Which one could it be?

"You should choose the twelve, Alice."

Startled, she almost lost the grip on the cards before turning her head, only to find White looking over her shoulder with an amused smile.

"Hey, Joker! You're not supposed to help her! It's against the rules!" his counterpart quickly raised his voice, before shooting a death glare towards the mischievously grinning ringmaster.

"In that case, consider us to be partners," the redhead winked at her, "right, Alice?"

"Tsk, that's utter bullshit!" The injured party seized both criminals with an accusing glare, cursing them for spoiling his fun.

"It's not like I asked for it!" Alice answered and revealed her card - the one White recommended her.

Black scowled, staring her down as if trying to burn her cards with his fiery eye. Finally, he threw his choice on the table, grumbling curses under his breath. "Not only does she use underhanded methods, the brat has the nerve to deny that she cheats!"

"Oh, it looks like we have a winner," her partner in crime happily exclaimed, "congratulations, Alice!"

"Well, it was only a simple game, anyway," she commented dryly, inwardly noting that it was their _fifteenth_ round. It was not like she did a bad job, on the contrary, the grumpier Joker proved to be quite a bad loser, forcing more and more rounds upon his lucky opponent. She might have liked him better when he was simply an annoying, bodiless voice, but there was no going back now.

"Don't even try to fool me!" Black's crimson eye was on fire, an accusing finger pointing towards the young foreigner. "Show me your hands! Or perhaps you are hiding something under that apron of yours…"

"As if, you pervert!" the girl spat out, quickly embracing herself, as if trying to keep her clothes on at all costs.

"You're way too suspicious!"

Her stubborn resistance only ensued further pushing and pulling, the poor table in between shaking and squeaking as the battle continued on uneven grounds. The third party watched amused at the priceless show, clearly enjoying the lively atmosphere. "_Joker_, you cannot use force on the young lady! Don't you know, the best way to reveal the truth is to tickle her!"

The said foreigner gasped, incredulously staring at the redhead behind her. "White! Weren't you on my side just now? You liar!"

"Oh, that's quite harsh, Alice!" Despite his words, the traitor's smile only widened, fake innocence leaking through his widely spread grin as two wandering hands managed to sneak around her unsuspecting waist.

"Wha-…!" she squeaked, struggling against the tight grip with all her might. Against all odds she managed to land a surprisingly firm elbow strike against White's stomach, successfully pushing him back. However, the freedom came with a price, and with the back support gone, the girl lost her balance, hitting the green grass and turning into a mess of tangled locks, wrinkled fabric and lace.

The brunette blinked, her azure eyes adjusting to the brightness of the heavens above. _'I must be quite a pretty sight right now...'_ Her head span and she inwardly cursed, promising herself to never accept White's help while having Black as her opponent.

Blood rushed to her face as she took her breaths, trying to come down from her adrenaline rush. How unusual for her to be so carried away! And yet it was as if the redheads' company left her no other choice. _'It might be too late to reconsider my life choices now...' _And yet, she noted, her mind was free of regrets.

For a moment, everything was silent, and all Alice could see was the blue, cloudless sky, just before the face of a worried looking redhead entered her field of vision, while an all-too suspicious lopsided grin spread across his lookalike's face. She sighed, finally getting over her initial shock. Her attempts at getting back on her feet turned into quite an endeavour, one that did not fail to amuse her shameless spectators. After a set of apologies, mostly coming from the more serene circus master, Alice found herself sitting on the bench, still frowning a little over her disarrayed state.

As per usual, White skillfully revived their conversation, soon proceeding to inquire about the _young lady's_ further plans. Her job was calling, and there was much to do at the ever-busy Tower of Clover. The small break unintentionally turned into a lengthy trip and she was looking forward to the return to Nightmare's territory with its white housetops and equally radiant streets.

Black wrinkled his nose at her answer. "Winter? To think that you'd fancy such a wretched season! You could break your leg, get the flu - the possibilities are endless!"

"I wasn't hoping to meet you outside again, just so you know," Alice huffed. "I bet the day you come out on your own will be the day when pigs learn how to fly."

Her choice of words earned her a chuckle from White, Black on the other hand was less than happy with her accusations. "What did you just say, missy?"

The brunette was about to stick out her tongue, before catching herself just in time. Such childish behaviour was out of the question. She silently scolded herself for her carelessness. Unfortunately for Alice, the small drawback only fuelled her opponent's blazing fire.

All over again, a single, tiny spark leapt over, igniting the storm in both crimson and azure eyes.

"Don't make me get rough!"

"As if you ever could!"

"Says a brat that wears white panties!"

"Wait, what?!"

With all resolves long forgotten, they somehow indulged into another _discussion, _barely even remembering how it started in the first place. Meanwhile, a certain redhead watched from the sidelines, a silent laugh in his crimson eye as he tapped his chin in thought.

.

The retreating girl's figure gradually disappeared behind the trees, leaving a certain ringmaster alone with his thoughts. With Alice gone, the cards rested - long forgotten - on the table; even his counterpart vanished within mere seconds, grumbling how he still has _this_ and _that_ to do.

_Silence._

Joker leaned back. Admittedly, resting leisurely was, perhaps, not his favourite pastime. The wait before another show, the almost heavy calmness before the rush and hectic preparations were filling the circus territory with a certain tension; now that his guest was gone, it all rushed back, numbing his senses just a bit.

"A liar, huh?"

His single red eye caught sight of a butterfly. He paused, as if listening to the soundless movements of the almost ethereal creature, so magnificent and yet incredibly frail. It wouldn't take much to reach out and catch it with ease, but...

Almost lost in the silence, he let his eyelid fall down. In an instant, the familiar darkness spread its black colour and swallowed the light-hearted sounds of nature; a second later, a cold breeze touched his face and when his crimson eye opened, the almost surreal place entered his vision in its full eeriness and glory. He faced the empty cell.

_"So?" _the distorted voice urged on._ "What do we do now?"_

"Hm, I wonder..." His finger slid across the smooth metallic surface of the bars. But as soon as it came, the brief thought was dismissed.

_'There is still enough time, after all.'_

With lips seemingly frozen into a wide smile, Joker dismissed the thoughts of duty, his mind returning to more entertaining matters.

_._

_._

_._

"Achoo!"

Alice sniffed. Perhaps the whole changing of seasons finally started to affect her health? She uttered a silent curse before shutting yet another empty cabinet. Naturally, the Tower's vast supplies of medicine were scarce during the winter season, if only because of a certain dream demon's sickly state and his assistant's love for _spiked_ food.

Quickly storming into the clockmaker's workshop and informing its resident of her departure, she snatched her cloak before checking on his caffeine supplies. The cupboards were full, all right. The said man hummed in reply, causing Alice to chuckle lightly, for she was absolutely sure that he barely took notice of what she said. Julius was just that kind of a man. With a small smile on her lips, the brunette shook her head, before slipping into her warm coat as she passed various corridors, heading straight for the grand staircase that would lead her out of the Tower.

Despite the chilly weather, there were plenty of people on the streets, lured out by the mouth watering scents of ginger and cinnamon, the air smelling deliciously sweet and welcoming the residents to take a walk. The brunette strolled along the mall, eyeing the shop windows and listening to the salesman's shouts and praise.

For a moment, she indulged into her mind's illusion of the Tower's residents sitting around a table and enjoying their meal in full harmony and cosiness of a winter's late evening. Naturally, her perfect picture of a warm family was nothing but wishful thinking and the image of three full-grown men barely suited the requirements, most certainly not with their strained faces in each other's presence.

But perhaps a good meal would lift their sullen faces? She chatted with the saleslady and bargained for a good price before leaving the market stands in good spirits, knowing well that the residents would not deny her simple request.

As per usual, all was well, until a fateful coincidence managed to overthrow her peaceful plans.

"You call this piece of junk a knife? This is a fxxxxxx toothpick!"

A startled choke threatened to cut off her air supply, her head swiftly turning around and catching sight of the all too familiar figure._ 'No way, out of all people...'_

In a hurry, she squeezed herself past onlookers and various passersby until she had a good view of the jester clad redhead. Carefully, she observed Joker_, undoubtedly the black half of the two_, partly covered in snow and with a running nose, angrily pestering a cowering salesman of a nearby shop. Her mouth hung open, trying to make sense of the scene.

"Did I stutter or are you stupid? I need a fxxxxxx butcher's knife! And a big one. Not this sxxx."

"Please, sir, if only you would-"

"Just look at this thing, there's no way in hell-" in that same moment, Joker sniffed, the scene almost a little comical if not for his apparently enraged state. On a whim, _a stupid one, for sure, _Alice let her presence be known, if only to save a poor soul from the redhead's wrath. Quickly approaching the unsuspecting role holder, she could barely believe her own words when she spoke, more confident than she truly felt. "If you are looking for a knife, I can recommend a better place than that."

Said redhead turned around, naturally no less surprised than herself.

Well, at least the shopkeeper was safe.

.

Their lonely figures stamped back through the snow, the lively parts of the market long left behind, exchanged for a serene scenery of small buildings and occasional trees here and there.

"So..." she started, "would you care to explain the exact circumstances?"

"You'll have to see for yourself, of course," _Joker _paused, glancing back and forth between his new shiny _toy_ and the foreigner girl, seemingly making up his mind. "...A favour for a favour, I suppose. Sounds fair enough."

Alice nodded curtly, ready to listen to whatever he had to say, mentally sending a thank-you to Boris for his weapon shopping lessons. Her conscience and sanity could wait.

"Well, apparently a certain someone thought it would be a great idea to add flying bacon to the next show! I can't believe it!" Black spat out, disdain clearly written all over his face.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's just exactly as I said, now don't make me repeat myself."

The brunette frowned at his vague response.

"That stupid bastard though! But now I will make some nice mincemeat out of them!" A self-satisfied grin spread across _Joker's_ lips, the thought apparently giving him rather pleasant feelings.

"That doesn't make any sense at all..." Alice shook her head. _'Well, not that I'd care. I've had enough trouble lately, anyway.' _Whatever the redhead was speaking of was probably not of her concern.

She toyed with her locks for a bit, staring at the road ahead. They would part their ways soon, the young foreigner thought, she could already see the snowed in sign with the golden letters. _Tower of Clover_ to the left and _Circus Forest_ to the right - by now she knew the carved words by heart.

The brunette glanced back at her companion. "So, _Black_, I was wondering when the next show is going to take place?"

For a moment, the redhead stared at her intently, as if suspicious and trying to decipher her ulterior motives. Alice expected a snotty remark, anything but the slightly awkward pause. However, before she could question him, he answered in his usual, non-explanatory way.

"Soon."

"When, soon?"

"I already told you, didn't I? Or did you finally lose the last bits of your brain? Just as I thought!" He sniffed again, cursing under his breath.

As if on purpose, the redhead evaded any further questions, not giving the girl even a single glance. From the side, his left eye was covered by the dark cloth of his eye-patch, denying her any possible conclusions. His lips were straightened in a line and she could only guess that he considered the conversation to be over.

Despite it all, Alice noted, Black was easier to read than White, but still he had his own mask that only confused her furthermore whenever she tried to decipher his words' meaning. It was as if everything he said was painfully obvious, and she felt helpless and angry for not understanding the apparently simple matters.

She meant to ask more, but in that same moment, her shoes sank deep into the snow and she felt herself stagger, then sink into a small hole in the ground.

"See, that's what I mean! At least look where you walk, or was that another stupid damsel-in-distress-act?" Despite the harsh words, he grabbed her coat by the neck, easily lifting the girl like a light doll. With the chivalrous act done, the redhead walked around the stunned girl, stomping along the way towards the Circus Forest.

The brunette was left standing in indecision, watching Joker's gradually retreating back. After a few steps, Black turned around and captured her gaze with his single crimson eye. "Are you coming or would you rather freeze your butt off?"

_Tower of Clover_ or _Circus Forest_.

One day her curiosity would be the end of her. But still, there was no way she'd let him ask her twice.

.

_Perhaps, in the end, it was a mistake on both sides. Joker was careless enough to reach out his hand, and she was too blind and took it. __Or maybe it was the other way around._


	6. Butcher and the Beasts - part 2

_A/N: First things first, __Orange Eye'd Wanderer helped a lot with correction of mistakes and better phrasing, so here comes a big thank-you!_

_ Secondly I want to greet all the readers, especially the silent ones, out there. Thank you for bearing with me and coming this far~_

* * *

**Butcher and the Beasts - part 2 **

_._

Black looked back and forth, as if expecting the devil himself to appear before their very eyes, but alas, their path was clear. Perhaps too clear for her taste. The brunette frowned when her feet stumbled across various broken toys and cringed when something fragile crunched under her feet_. 'For a circus with so many employees, these guys are surprisingly lacking in matters of discipline...'_ She looked around, missing the usual circus laughter, or any sign of life aside from _Joker's_ solitary figure. They bypassed the closed entrance area and went around the big top, entering its cool shadow that shielded the western side from the sun. Never before had they taken this particular route and she suspected it to be off-limits to regular guests - another reason why Alice could not help her rising curiosity.

After what seemed like forever, her companion halted before a small entrance, so inconspicuous, it could be easily overlooked amongst the colorful folds and decorations. Alice gasped, realizing that they were heading inside. It was usually taboo to enter the sacred place outside the official shows. Following another impatient nod towards the modest opening, she was ushered into the shadows beyond the small curtains, stumbling clumsily into a foreign world.

The darkness smelled surprisingly sweet, with a faint touch of dust and leather. Captivated by the welcoming scents, the brunette let her guard fall and inspected her new surroundings. Her pupils readjusted, allowing her a look at stored props, big and small cages, presumably for rabbits or birds, and a large costume set with a half-covered old mirror beside. Considering the place, there was truly nothing remarkable or worth mentioning, and she sighed in relief. The lights were still off, the darkness denying her any further insights into the deeper parts of the tent.

In between the plethora of small impressions, her nose caught a faint whiff of iron, one that the girl failed to place. Intrigued, she took a deeper breath - but the smell was gone.

"Don't snoop around too much, the main show's over there." Catching her wandering eyes, Black motioned towards a large crimson velvety curtain.

"Isn't that...?"

With a practiced gesture, Joker pushed the heavy cloth aside, revealing a small view of the main stage. She gasped, belatedly covering her gaping mouth.

The big top, Alice noted with pure astonishment, was a pure mess. It took her all but one look to fully comprehend the situation.

"So... this is supposed to be a bad joke, right?" she whispered nervously.

"Just as I said, _flying bacon_ all over the place." the redhead hissed back, eye narrowing at the sight.

The animals could be easily confused with common pigs, pink and curvy as they come, if not for a single, feathery detail attached to their voluptuous bodies. Like a small tornado, they swept away whatever happened to block their unpredictable path, be it on earth or above the ground. The stage equipment was tangled into messy balls of ropes, nets and smaller items that belonged to various acts. And in the midst of the untamable storm stood none other than White Joker, eyeing the sight with a curious crimson eye. Unfazed by the overall state of affairs, he nodded to himself, scribbling down notes and demonstratively scratching through a line or two.

They observed the chaos from a safe distance, hiding behind the curtain before a certain circus master noticed their presence. White shook his hand, casually slipping the clipboard inside his jacket and inviting the pair on the stage. For a moment, Alice admired his unusually firm steps as he walked towards them with an impeccable, self-assured smile. By force of habit, perhaps, the circus master held himself straight, emitting an air of pure confidence even at times when his audience was limited to a single girl.

"An unexpected visitor, but not an unwelcome one, I see." he commented amiably before exchanging a brief look with his lookalike.

Careful not to trip, the girl climbed down the stairs and greeted the circus master with a reserved smile. "If I may ask, what is the meaning of all this?" She gestured towards the half-destroyed stage and looked expectantly at White.

"I admit... I did not quite expect for things to end_this way._" The redhead laughed lightly, making the brunette wonder how it was possible to find amusement in his current situation. Despite having lost his hat and perhaps being slightly out of breath, White smiled optimistically at his handiwork, unexpectedly full of vigour and joy. "However, how kind of you to drop by and offer your help!"

He winked at the brunette and let out a laugh at her incredulous expression.

"I never mentioned such a thing!" Alice retorted quickly, looking back and forth between the mischievously grinning redheads, the feeling of being fooled creeping at the back of her mind.

"Well then, pray tell me, dear Alice, _why else would you be here_?"

She turned back to White, catching the red eye examining her with obvious interest. For reasons unknown, she flinched under the seemingly innocent gaze, growing smaller as he continued to wait for an answer.

"I..." she stumbled, looking anywhere but at the searching eye of the merciless circus master. "I suppose, considering the circumstances, a bit of help wouldn't hurt."

As soon as the words were spoken, the tension dissolved, and she could almost hear a voice whispering, congratulating her on voicing the correct answer. But Jokers' mouths were sealed in an approving smile, both counterparts grinning satisfied at their innocent prey. It was then that she realized her mistake, cursing herself for getting into yet another unpleasant mess.

But it was too late to turn back, now that she fell so deep.

"Either way," she began, hoping to dissolve the sudden feeling of uneasiness, "this whole idea... hmm... how do I put it?"

"...Is very stupid," Black helpfully added.

"Exactly."

Both looked accusingly at White.

"My, aren't you two strict with me today?" The redhead bent down, skillfully avoiding just another flying missile, yet never losing his smile. "To receive so much attention at once, I feel truly honoured."

"More importantly," Alice noted, "shouldn't you think of a way to get rid of... this?"

"Damn right, I think we all should follow my advice!"

And while she sympathized with Black to a certain extent, a bloodshed was not a solution Alice favoured.

_'But this is strange...'_ The brunette tapped her chin in thought. Wasn't there something they all overlooked?

Much to her chagrin, Black and White were suddenly engrossed in a heated discussion, weighing the pros and cons, and completely forgetting the girl's presence. She let out a sigh before taking another look at the terrible mess. Unfortunately for the young foreigner, her peace was suddenly disrupted, fate being not as kind to her as she would like it to be.

A loud grunt, dangerously close, ripped Alice out of her thoughts, and next thing she knew, she was knocked off her feet, landing on something warm and... smelly?

"Whaaa-...!" Gasping for air, she could see the ground growing smaller, barely comprehending how she had the misfortune to land on the back of the grunting winged animal. Desperately and with the force of a madwoman, Alice held onto her humble grocery bags, praying that everything would stay inside.

Alice blamed Black, cursed White, and thought of at least ten colourful names for both Jokers before she felt the dangerous touch of panic tapping at the door of her mind. By now, White and Black shrank into small shapes and there was no telling who was who.

The winged creature snorted as they flew in circles above the stage.

_'My hands are shaking... if I don't get off soon, I might-...!'_

Hope almost left the girl and Alice was about to let herself be carried as the animal pleased - _surely it would tire out after a while -_until for a small moment, her eyes caught a peculiar sight.

Through a thin veil of salty water, her eyes met with a wild, desperately squealing bundle of ropes, white feathers and pink flesh bound beneath the surface. The sounds - _cries for help_ \- could be barely heard from the stage, but at her current height they were enough to send desperate pleas to the animal's brothers and sisters. It all made sense and finally, she recognized the panic-fuelled movement pattern. _'So that's how it is... now I see.' _

All too soon, Alice lost sight of the entangled animal, her unlikely ride sweeping her towards lower heights. They were at the same level as the top rows of seats now when she noticed Joker, either Black or White, gesturing wildly and mouthing words that she failed to decipher.

The flapping was ear-deafening and she could barely hear the ringmaster and his lookalike over the loud grunting noises. Collecting all her patience, the girl waited until they were low enough to catch small bits of White's and Black's unhelpful instructions, the latter one looking more like he was about to fall on the ground and die from a fit of laughter.

_'The nerve he has!'_ Alice bit her lip, promising to repay the last bits of humiliation she had to endure. Despite the complaining stomach and a growing headache, she remembered that she still had one last card to play. She sighed dejectedly, apologizing to her scarce belongings before reaching out and, using the last strength her body possessed, tossing them towards their certain death.

A small grocery bag hit its target with remarkable accuracy, almost succeeding in knocking out the recipient after landing with a smack on Blacks unfortunate head. Soon after, the winged creature let out an approving grunt, one that sounded almost like joyful laughter.

Her second target proceeded to gesture around, not even once sparing his lookalike a second glance. Her eyes widened, understanding finally dawning on her when she saw a loosely hanging safety net below the ground.

Without giving it much thought, or trying not to, the girl sprang down, ignoring the ruffled underskirts and her stomach's complaints when all air left her lungs, thanking all the gods of Wonderland when her body finally landed on the plaited cloth.

After the circus master managed to disentangle her skirts and limbs, the girl freed herself and walked shakily towards the second Joker.

Lowering herself beside the redhead, she asked nonchalantly, "Say, where is that knife of yours, Black? I hope you don't mind showing us your excellent climbing skills." And before _Joker_ could react, the self-proclaimed chief of law and order turned back to the redhead's look-alike. "That involves you as well, _White_."

Both redheads sighed and rolled up their sleeves, knowing not to question Alice's authority. _Or else there would be hell to pay._

.

Her body fell, half-alive and half-dead, she was sure, bones creaking and muscles humming softly after their unusually heavy labour. With seemingly enormous effort, she squeezed herself out of the needlessly tight fabric, her apron promptly joining the pile of soiled scarves and sweaty circus jackets on the floor.

The silent stage felt so unnatural, all the more after the ruckus the temporary additions had caused. For a short moment, the brunette listened to their laboured breaths, each party too tired to mutter even a single coherent sentence.

"I'm so dead..." A painful moan escaped her throat, joined by consenting grunts from both redheads beside.

"We should have just killed those damn things, I'm telling you..."

Black's complaint seemed too half-hearted and Alice was sure that even he was too tired to care.

"No way in hell." She frowned. "You see, all it took was to get that poor thing out of the ropes. I doubt that they would benefit the show, anyway. They are too unpredictable."

"Well, if you aren't quite talkative today."

"I'm just telling the truth."

In spite of his usually combative mood, Black didn't press any further, opting for silence instead. Finally, White's body stirred, and with a small tired laugh, he raised himself from the ground. "You _are_ a miracle, young lady. The talent is there for sure, now if only I could make you join our humble-"

"I refuse." Promptly, the girl cut him off, dissolving any illusions the redhead might have had. When no comment followed, she sighed contently and stretched her limbs. Her eyes wandered lazily to the top, the yellow and red colours blending into a hypnotizing pattern and dazzling her mind.

Alice felt tired but at the same time..._exhilarated_. She was _alive _and _content_. And for the love of everything holy in this mad world, the girl couldn't even tell how much time has passed ever since she entered that cursed stage, involving herself even further into affairs that weren't hers, or were they?

It felt so short, and yet almost like an eternity. Who cared?

_'It wouldn't be too-...'_

A distant crash and arguing shook her out of her thoughts. The girl sat up, almost laughing out loud when she found a stray feathered mammal nibbling dreamily on Black's chequered cloth, the redhead trying to shake it off and failing miserably in the process.

She felt a soft tap on her shoulder and turned around, her vision suddenly blocked by soft sugary clouds. Slightly startled by the unexpected sight, Alice looked up, only to find a mischievously smiling redhead behind the colourful mass of saccharine.

"Nothing is better than a nice portion of our trade mark cotton candy!" White winked playfully, pushing the delicacy towards the brunette.

His counterpart, finally free of the sudden assault, nudged her forward, helping himself to a large portion of the sugary cotton. "Don't think too much, Alice. Just take it, you won't regret it."

Almost as if in a trance, she allowed herself to take a tentative bite. The rainbow colours melted on her tongue, leaving a delightfully sweet yet slightly fresh aftertaste.

"So, what do you think?"

Undoubtedly, Black expected a positive answer, grinning almost too confident for her taste. She took a few more bites, thinking of the best way to describe her experience. Eventually, she gave in and confessed. "I... like it."

The next thing he did surprised her more than Alice would have liked to admit and she would remember it for a long time, perhaps due to her initial shock, or maybe because of that one expression that she found difficult to forget.

Gently, _Joker_ patted her head, before willfully ruffling her hair until it resembled a bird's nest. The unexpected gesture caught her by surprise, words stuck in her throat as she could not find a reason to complain. _'See, was that so hard to admit? '_ she read in his eye.

At first she thought that Black despised her very presence in his circus, and yet, this superficial impression turned out to be quite wrong, as the azure eyed girl soon came to realize, for there was never even a single drop of true maliciousness behind his words.

A light cough broke through the air, the all too simple gesture earning White a chuckle from the young foreigner and finally winning her attention.

"Well then, we should present our lovely helper with a prize!" Pausing, White tapped his chin in thought. "We have excellent horses and elephants, I could offer you a free ride on whichever you want."

"Please don't," she murmured, voice strained, "I've had enough rides for now."

"How about a free lesson in knife-throwing," the other redhead chimed in, "Safety guaranteed!"

She grimaced at the idea, shaking her head.

"I believe I've got it, then!" And, with an almost impossibly deep bow, White retrieved a rather small beautifully decorated paper sheet from inside his jacket. As if it just happened to be there, she thought later on, in the right place, at the right time.

"An entrance ticket?" Her azure eyes quickly scanned over the golden letters underneath. "_A special seat_?" she read out loud, before turning a questioning gaze towards White. _'He didn't prepare this one beforehand, or did he?'_

"That's right, a very _special seat_ for an equally _special guest_," the ringmaster grinned, before gently placing the ticket in her hand. "And an _unforgettable experience_."

"But I'm fine with my usual seat beside the Tower's residents," the brunette protested. And sitting together with complete strangers didn't sound too great, either.

"Oh, really? That's quite a shame…" White titled his head, voice filled with obvious disappointment at her rejection.

"Come on, accept it already." The grumpier redhead nudged, before grabbing her cheeks and stretching them in an attempt to form a wide grin. "At least smile when you get special treatment."

Without much success, Alice tried to mumble another excuse, but was forced to give in when her cheeks were pulled even further apart. A soft hiss escaped her throat when finally, he released his grip. Almost grudgingly, she rubbed her sore face and nodded as she accepted the gift. Her decision quickly brought back a smile on the ringmaster's lips, as if it had never left his face to begin with.

Looking back at Black and White, she smiled a genuine smile, one that she truly meant.

.

.

.

"Where have you been, Alice?"

Startled, she looked up, only to see a lonely figure at the end of the emerald corridor. For a short while, he lingered under the dark covers of the shadows until finally stepping outside.

_'Nightmare.'_

She stared at the silver eye, unreadable and penetrating her very soul. Remembering the question, she answered curtly, "I was just visiting friends."

_'Visiting Joker,' _a distant voice corrected her, her mind quickly suppressing the thought.

Nightmare's eye narrowed just a small fraction, and yet, she felt uncomfortable under his searching gaze.

"Just be careful," he finally breathed out, stepping back peacefully and waiting for her next move.

Too quick for her own liking but unable to help herself, she walked past the dream demon, aware of his watchful eye until her figure disappeared inside her private room. The door closed with a loud clicking sound, shaking her out of her stupor.

After making a few shaky steps in the dark, Alice was met by a familiar mirror image in the polished glass. She clutched her chest. Her reflection copied the gesture.

_'All of a sudden, why do I feel like a liar?'_

She blinked.

Confused pools of azure eyes stared back at her own self.

Gradually, the shallow waters grew murky, ripples marring the even surface.

_Do you feel guilty?_

The foreign voice resonated in the darkest depths, infiltrating the smallest corners and creeping inside the tiniest cracks of her mind. She studied the mirror image, squinted her eyes - all in vain. _'Answering complete strangers goes against my rules.'_

_But I could help you._

_'Nightmare? No...'_

_I know much better ways to end your suffering._

The mirror image reached out, fingers enclosing a single lock of hair, then slowly travelling up and gently resting on top of her head.

A shiver ran down her spine.

The mirror girl smiled a smile that was not hers, and yet familiar, sending her a feeling of déjà vu that she failed to interpret.

_Why don't you have fun as long as it lasts?_

_Don't think._

_Fall deep._

_Or else..._

_...else..._

_...el-..._

She tore her gaze off the mirror image. Almost afraid to look back, Alice turned her head, sighing in relief when she saw nothing but a replica of her own self. The tension was gone, as if it was never there to begin with.

While studying the reflection, her gaze fell upon a slightly crumpled paper beside her feet. She bent down, fetching the dropped item and holding it against the moonlight.

"A special seat..." she read out loud.

Her fingers traced the golden lines.

_'Am I making a mistake?'_

The territory masters were always badmouthing, barking at each other in subtle or more obvious ways. But Nightmare's warning had a certain touch to it that was new to her.

Alice sighed.

It was perhaps already too late to reconsider her life choices.

She played with the glossy paper, swirling it around her fingers before a small detail caught her eye.

Curious, she inspected the ticket, spotting a hastily scribbled sentence at the bottom of the smooth paper:

_Come to play__ again__._


End file.
