Instantly Alice bristles, her lip twitching at the woman's hungry appraisal of the man at her side and all too suddenly she understands jealousy and possession and just what it is to wish to inflict physical violence upon one who would dare dream of defiling what is rightfully hers before she's even given the chance.

"Easy, Lass."

Despite the consternation in his tone she catches the infinitesimal curl of his lip and the sliver of arousal that flitters through his mind as he flanks her.

"And just who might you be then?" Alice ventures, somehow managing not to convey her apparent and instant loathing for the creature stood before her.

"Oh come now Alice, let's not play coy," The interloper tuts in a tone that borders on condescension and sets Alice's teeth on edge, "It insults us both."

"Very well then, Keres," She concedes, fists clenching as she stares her down, "What do you want?"

"My my my, so forceful. No wonder he likes you more."

Alice resists the urge to roll her eyes at the knowing smirk that has no right in curling the other woman's lips as it does.

"Let's not waste Time pretending your designs on Tarrant had anything to do with affection, Keres," Alice replies blandly, "I rather doubt either appreciate being used in such a way."

"I can assure you had I succeeded in using your Hatter as planned, it would have indeed been most appreciated by both parties involved."

"Such a shame you'll not be afforded the privilege," Alice counters calmly, "Though if you wouldn't mind, is there a point to your incessant chatter and shall we be arriving at it any time soon?"

"Such a daring little thing isn't she, my love." Keres drawls lazily, her eyes slipping from Alice to Tarrant who sneers at her twitter of amusement.

"Make ye point woman an' be gone."

"Ah, and there he is," She cooes suddenly in excitement, "The rogue outlander, finally. Oh, how delightfully thrilling…"

"Enough!" Alice snaps, the familiar weight of the Vorpal suddenly appearing in her grasp as she stalks forward to hold it at the other woman's throat, "It's time for you to leave."

"Oh, I think not," The amusement suddenly drops from Keres face like a lead weight, "You see I've still a crown to claim, and you're in my way."

Alice gasps as the full weight of Keres magic suddenly forces her sideways across the clearing, a cry leaving her lips as she lands painfully against the unrelenting ground and the world shatters into a million little specs of blinding white light around her.

"Mirana, no!"

She makes to lunge towards the woman who stands like a shining beacon upon the bluff against the raging darkness that has become of the demon Keres. Her body unable to budge an inch from beneath the man that shields her until he rolls away and drags her to her feet.

"Alice, we must go!"

"We can't just leave Mirana-"

"The Queen has more than enough magic to hold her own for the moment, unlike us."

She hisses in pain as the Hatter hauls her toward the old castle ruins just as another explosion shakes the ground. Her legs protesting against his longer strides as they put as much distance between themselves and Keres as possible before Alice suddenly slides to a stop, her eyes boggling as they take in the dark miasma spilling forth from above Marmoreal's great spires.

"What the hell is that?"

"Shadows." Hatter supplies with a cringe, dragging her suddenly into a hedge row as the horde swoops low over their heads, "Creatures not of this world, but the next."

"Tell me how it is you know this?" She bids, ignoring the urge to cry or heave as a chorus of screams reaches her ears only to be suddenly silenced.

"You were acquainted with one also as you'll recall," He murmurs, ducking down another hedgerow, "A being distorted by the ill will of others. Though the Jabberwock was by far the greatest asset the Red Queen possessed, it was not the only being brought into existence by her cruelty."

"This is Iracebeth's work?" Alice shook her head, "No, surely not. I'd thought they'd settled their differences long ago?"

"And they have," He agreed, sighing in relief as the tall old oaks of the Tulgey Wood beyond the castle battlements swum into view, "Mirana reigns unopposed by her sister who chose a life of isolation with the only being save her own sister truly capable of loving her for who and what she is."

"Oh, so she finally realised it did she?" Alice chuckles quite suddenly in surprise, ignoring the roll of the Hatter's eyes as he glances back at her over his shoulder with a scoff.

"There is a saying in your world I believe," He mutters, "Something about people in glass houses…"

"Oh shush you," She scolds, reaching out to haul him behind her into the shadows as the horde make a another pass in their direction, "Besides, if you'd told me years ago how you'd felt we might never have been in this predicament to begin with."

"Indeed, if I had we might have found ourselves in an entirely different predicament altogether," He agrees against her ear, his palm skimming her side before coming to rest against her lower belly as he pulls her flush against him, "All of which I plan on rectifying at the soonest possible convenience if only you'd stop distracting me long enough to ensure we survive this."

"Best get to it then, Mister Hightopp," She agrees with ragged breath and an encouraging nod towards the woods not a few hundred yards from where they now stood, "We should make a run for it after their next pass."

"They're going to spot us either way," He muses, worrying his lip as he glances about, "What would come in handy right about now is a diver-"

The great thundering roar that splits the air makes Alice cackle with manic glee as she grabs hold of a clearly petrified Hatter, now an absurdly whiter shade of pale, and makes a sudden dash for the woods.

"Ask and ye shall receive my dear Milliner!"

"That's not at all what I had in mind!"

"Beggars can't be choosers I'm afraid," She shoots a glance over her shoulder at the horde held at bay by the great white beast, releasing her iron grip on the Hatter's palm as he keeps pace of his own volition now the shocks somewhat worn off, "Besides it's not what you think. Emrys is here to help."

"I can see that, though I can scarcely believe-!"

"Hatter look out!"

She dives across him and they tumble to the ground as a rogue shadow suddenly swoops in for the kill, the Jabberwock following not a moment later and snapping it up in his powerful jowls while the force of the creatures great wake sends them flying into the depths of the Tulgey Wood before they've even a chance to regain their footing. Alice quite unsure now if she should be grateful for his intervention or decidedly put out by the bruising force of the landing despite the trees great efforts in cushioning the impact as she groans and drags herself once more to her feet.

"Hatter? Hatter where are-?"

A groaning from a few yards away draws her attention and she suddenly can't help but laugh at the absurd image he presents stuck wrong side up against an elm whose branches likewise groan as he's settled to the soft moss below.

"Are you alright?"

"I am now," He grins, clearly a little concussed as he affectionately pats the bark of the tree he sits lent against, "Good catch ol' boy."

"We should go," Alice prompts, reaching out to help bring him to his feet, "We've a head start now but who knows how long until they'll come after-"

"Tulgey Wood is no place for shadows," He shakes his head to belay her concerns, cringing as he draws himself to his full height and delicately rubs out a clearly sore spot on his shoulder, "We are safe here for the time being."

"But what should we do?" She grabs him quite suddenly by the shirt front, the panic she'd pushed to the back of her mind for the sake of their escape now relentless in its assault upon her, "The Queen- Mirana- she's- she's and Tyva-!"

"I know, luv, I know." He agrees softly, pulling her into an embrace when it appears as though she might crumble to the ground under the weight of her realisation. His mind washing over her with such a sense of warmth and serenity it makes her almost bristle under the circumstances.

"I don't understand how you can be so bloody calm when that wretched monster has both Mirana and your mother-"

"Both of whom are alive and well if you might likewise calm yourself long enough to check."

"I- what?" She stills as her awareness of the clan line comes to the forefront of her mind. Tyva's bright warmth reverberating with concern to be sure but also reassurance and an unwavering faith she now knows can only be from Mirana herself, safe in the knowledge that her champions will once again right whatever wrongs Underland now faces.

"Better?"

"Yes, much," She holds him closer in gratitude, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." He beams as he pulls back to gaze upon her.

"Seems Underland is once again in need of our help, Hatter," She offers with a small smile and a weary sigh, "Only problem is I've no idea where we go from here. I'd say home but- your home- oh Hatter she destroyed it all."

"If home is as they say, my dearest Alice," He stops her, "Then fear not for my heart is here with me, therefore wherever we are together will always be home."

She can't quite help herself after such an overwhelmingly beautiful admission and quite thoroughly proceeds to kiss him both senseless and breathless until he pulls away with a chuckle.

"Not that I'm opposed to such things," He beams, their rapid breaths mingling in the space between them when he pulls away, "But we really should be going."

"Agreed," She nods, eyes heavy lidded in a pleasantly Hatter induced daze, "But to where now, that's the question."

"Why, Salazen Grum of course. To the only other being we know capable of conjuring such a plague upon our world."

"Iracebeth?" Her eyes go wide as she grimaces up at him, "Are you sure she'll even help us?"

"Aye, that she will," He snorts, "Unless you know of another more opposed to anyone except herself claiming Underland's throne?"

"No, you're quite right. I didn't think of it like that," Alice chortled ironically, "Though there's no need to go traipsing across the countryside."

"What do you mean?" His eyes followed her fingers to the pendant beneath her shirts and widened in understanding as she stepped into his chest.

"Hold on, Hatter."

"Oh my, Alice," He tutted, curling himself around her as the world once again went white, "What have you been up to?"

"It's high Time for a reunion, don't you think?"