Chapter Five

Flowers surrounded Kurt looking solemnly at him, until a scream of agony ripped through the air. Their faces turned vicious and sadistic and their stems parted, revealing a cage, with the beaten and bloodied Hatter inside it. Their petals dripped blood onto his skin as they looked over him blood dripping into the cage. As the thick red liquid hit him, his skin burned. He writhed in pain and screamed for them to stop. Blood dripped into his eyes and they burned too. The black rose looked down on Nick sadly and said to Kurt, "You could have stopped it." Then Jeff was there, rushing to Nick's side. Nick stumbled out his cage and looked up at Kurt, with eyes that would never see again, and whispered one word, "Why?"

Kurt awoke, sweating and panting. The images he had dreamt up swam around in his mind and he was vaguely aware of somebody stroking his hand. He looked up to see Jeff, looking down at him, worriedly. "You looked like you were having a nightmare." Jeff said, looking at him kindly. It was odd to see Jeff void of him nervous and suspecting demeanour. They sat, side by side, staring into the coals of the extinguished fire for a while before Jeff finally got up. When he lifted his face Kurt saw that he had been crying, silently, Jeff brushed of Kurt's attempts at comforting him, saying that he just wanted to get home. Kurt offered to accompany him, but this was a journey that he had to make alone. Jeff looked weary, his face worn out, and his eyes red from crying. "Good luck on your journey." He had called from the distance. The Tweedles were still snoring and Kurt needed something to occupy himself, so he restarted the fire and pulled some bread and a ham-like meat from the bag of provisions. In half an hour the fire was hot enough to cook on, so Kurt grabbed a long stick, and stuck one of the pieces of meat on it. It was slow work, cooking meat over a fire, and Kurt worried about the small amount that had already been cooked getting cold, but the smell seemed to wake the Tweedles from their slumber, and soon enough they were gathering around him hungrily. Kurt looked up at the two boys, who he could swear were salivating. He was getting fond of the twins, who always seemed to be happy and smiling.
"You draw me from sleep with the smell of cooking perna!" Jayce said, his eyes still slightly droopy from sleep, but sounding alert all the same.
"Perna?" asked Kurt.
"That's the meat you're cooking." Said Jem, settling beside Kurt. Meanwhile Jayce was looking around excitedly for more food.
"Do you want us to go find berries?" Jayce asked brightly.
"Sure." Kurt said. "Might be nice." Jayce went off to find berries and Jem sat down beside Kurt, grabbed a stick and began to toast the bread.
"So where to now?" asked Jem.
"The castle, I guess. We have to help the queen." A shiver worked its way down Kurt's spine as he said this. Going back to the castle could mean seeing the King.
"Kurt?" Jem started. "While we're at the palace we should grab the White Rabbit. The King doesn't play fair, and if he loses he might just kill Blaine anyway."
"Of course." Kurt replied. They continued cooking in silence, Jem, trying to plan their way into the castle, Kurt, simply enjoying the silence. He looked down on his soiled clothes, his new designer shirt, torn and stained. He groaned in frustration, attracting Jem's attention.
"I think we should get you some new clothes." he said, smiling and fingering the collar of Kurt's shirt. "We could probably grab some in the castle." Kurt smiled gratefully, as Jayce came bursting into the clearing.
"You guys look about four seconds away from kissing!" Jayce proclaimed as he sat down. Jem looked at him disparagingly while Kurt blushed crimson.
"Don't take what he says to seriously." Said Jem, grabbing a handful of berries.
Jayce grabbed some bacon as he began talking. "So I'm thinking the best way to the Queen is when she goes for those walks in her private garden. You know, when the King doesn't want her around? Well if we give her the key she should instinctively know how to work it. The hardest part will be getting out, and grabbing the Rabbit."
"If we use that tactic we used to get into the Queen of Spades' room then it will be almost fool proof." Said Jem thoughtfully.
Kurt was confused, "What tactic was that?"
"We released a nest of Dragonflies into the palace and then we took somecrescereparvato get in without being noticed." Said Jem nonchalantly.
Kurt's jaw dropped.

-O-

"I cannot believe we are doing this." whispered Kurt. They were all the size of mice after drinking a clear liquid from a small glass bottle labelled 'Drink Me.' And were standing by with a whole crate full of dragon flies. Jem was holding a string that, when pulled, would let the dragonflies out. As he did that they were to run into the small hole inbbetween the bricks and make their way through the castle inside the walls. "Will we ever get big again?" he tacked on, worriedly.
"Newbie." Said Jayce. "I have somecresceremagnuson me. We'll get bigger."
"Concentrate, you two." hissed Jem. "Releasing the dragonflies in... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1." He gave the string a short tug, and dragonflies flew everywhere, light glinting off their scales. Once the dragonflies were all in the castle, Jayce grabbed them and made a beeline for the walls of the castle. For the next hour they did nothing but scramble through walls and occasionally trip over woodchips. Inside the walls of the castle was dark, musty. It smelled of dust, and there were massive support beams everywhere. Eventually a beam of light shone through from ahead, and the dust began to clear. Loud voices were having a yelled conversation in the room across from the intruding party.
-O-

Hunter paced the room furiously, as Rachel cowered in the corner, fear grappling at her heart. "What is wrong with you?" he said in a voice so quiet and monotone, she would have liked it better if he had yelled. "Do you like humiliating me in front of the whole palace?" he cast her a dirty glance. Her heart began to accelerate and her breathing became erratic. A voice sounded from the door. "Rach... come and help with the dishes." Rachel's maid had appeared in the doorway. She always came on time. She always saved her. If Hunter wasn't cut off... Well, Rachel's bruises only just healed. "No." Said Hunter. "Do them yourself." His voice was icy, his glare unnerving. "I would like to have a chat with my wife." He grabbed the struggling Rachel by the colar of her dress and pulled her over to the back wall. Rachel was frozen. She could see the rage on his face and she crawled into a corner, trying to make herself as small as possible. Her heart was beating so loud she was afraid he would hear it. Rachel tried to make herself invisible. Her husband started towards her "So, I take care of you, and your kingdom and you this is how you repay me?" The first strike hit. She felt the slap before she saw his hand. Her cheek stung. A tear leaked out of Rachel's eye. Her husband laughed. His fist made contact with her eye. Then her nose. Then her mouth. She screamed. Her nose was bleeding. It felt like she was on fire. All Rachel could do was cower and crush herself into the corner, making herself as small as possible. He grabbed a vase brounght that down on her arm. She could feel glass in her skin. There was a massive gash down her forearm. It felt like someone was pulling barbed wire through it. "No maid to help you now." said Hunter. "Just you and me." Her eye was starting to swell. "H-H-Hunter..." she stammered. She had only screamed and wailed so far. She felt like every inch of her body ws being burnt. "P-please... stop....." she cried. A kick hit her stomach. She couldn't breathe. He slapped her around the neck. More tears leaked out of her eyes. He strolled over to the door. "Let that serve as a reminder to you. Donotcross me."

-O-

Kurt was shocked. His jaw dropped, and he barely registered the twins pulling him into the large circular room, that served as the antechamber to the Queen's garden. A crumb of cake was shoved into his hands and the twins were already growing back to their regular size. Kurt shoved the cake into his mouth and began growing, until he was back to normal.
"Please... leave. You will be killed." Whispered the Queen of Hearts.
"Shhh... let us help." Said Jem, a look of pain flooding his face. Kurt had always thought Jem was more compassionate, had more empathy, then his brother, but it looked like he was physically feeling Rachel's pain.

Jem picked Rachel up and settled her on the small loveseat by the west wall. He pulled a pair of tweezers from his pocket and started picking out the glass, wincing slighly whenever he had to pick out a particuarly big bit. Kurt looked around for some bandages and settled for a length of linen, hung by the door to the garden, meant for cleaning your hands off as you left. He brought it back to Jem and his face fell as he saw Rachel's face. On his arival she had looked pretty, but now her face was beaten black and blue. Her hair had fallen off her face, revealing blood red heart over her eye. "It's a birthmark." Said Jayce, when he saw Kurt staring. "She and her sisters all have it. It shows what suit they are. The Hearts can manipulate peoples feelings, especially ones of love so that they can get what they want. The Spades never forget, and have a thirst for knowledge. The Clubs are excellent fighters, and are agile and strong. The Diamonds have the gift of cruel reality. They can cut themselves off from emotion to find what is best for their kingdom. " Jayce looked at Rachel, and then at Jem.
"Is that all?" he asked his twin.
"I think so." Jem replied. "I don't feel anything."
Without speaking Jayce reached into his pocket and pulled out the small bag, which held the key. He gave it to the Queen and her eyes went wide. Her fumbling fingers grabbed the key and pressed it to her lips, breathing heavil, as if trying to inhale it. A slivery smoke started to leak from the heart at the top of the key, and it decended Rachel's throat, her eyes becoming more and more joyful than ever. When she was done she dropped the key and more smoke fled out of it, forming words in mid air;
The next think you have to seek,

In a dark place lies,

This thing, small and meek,

Is watched with slitted eyes,

She will never let him go,

So covertly you must,

Take him from her hidden home,

And earn his trust.

"The next riddle." Rachel croaked. "I can't believe that bastard is doing this."

Jem's face split into a smile and said, "Welcome back your Majesty."
She mimicked his smile. "Of course you were planning on taking Blaine back with you, boys." She said, in a tone that said that she would get her way, no matter what.
"Of course, Your Maj." Said Jayce, grinning. "Can you call him to 'tend to your wounds'?"
"Ok, take the crescere parva and hide in the wall." They all took a sip from the small bottle and felt themselves shrink down. They ran to the crack in the wall, while Rachel rang a bell, and a voice filled the room. "What is it?" It was the King. "I need the White Rabbit. He is best at tending wounds." Replied Rachel, sounding scared and meek. A drawn out sigh swept through the room. "He is on his way." In fifteen seconds the White Rabbit was knocking on the door. He looked different. Thinner, and he was aready thin to begin with. There was a long, thin cut across his hairline and his jaw was bruised. His ears had spots of blood on them, and his waistcoat was stained red. "My Queen." Blaine bowed respectivly. "Sit down, please." Rachel sat, and as he started to clean the blood from her arm she whispered in his ear, "We're getting out of here." She slipped him the bottle that they had all drunk from. "Its crescre parva. Take a sip then go into that crack in the wall." Without hesitating he took a sip and handed the bottle back to Rachel, who drank the last drops, and bolted for the crack.

-O-

The Knave of Hearts, who had been in the garden through this whole ordeal had not even tried to stop them. His heart ached as he saw Blaine's bloodied, bruised face. He was the cause of that. He had tried to sneak Blaine some food and one of the servants told Hunter who, on listening Sebastian confessing that he gave Blaine the food, said that Blaine shouldn't have accepted the food, and made Sebastian beat was going to get punished for this, for letting them go. Maybe if he messed up the room and knocked himself out then he could say that he was overpowered. No. Hunter was already here, to find out why Blaine had taken so long. Anger flooded his features and Sebastian pretended to sleep as he stormed into the garden.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Hunter yelled furiosly.
"Wha-?" said Sebastian, trying his best to sound groggy.
"RACHEL AND THAT STUPID RABBIT HAVE ESCAPED AND YOU DID NOTHING TO STOP THEM!"
"I swear my eyes were closed for a second an-"
"I know you are lying, Knave. You watched them go. I saw you wondering about here not five minues ago." Sebastian's fists shook slightly, and he looked up in fear. "I had such hopes." Hunter said quietly, then a sharp pain hit his head and the world went black.

Later Sebastian woke in the dungeon. Sylvester was standing over him. 'The Executioner'he thought bitterly. Sue was looking down at him with a slight smile playing on the edge of her lips. She held up a whip and he braced himself for the first blow. It stung more than he expected, and sliced the skin easily. The whip had shards of metal inside it. Desperate for a distraction he started counting the blows. Each slicing, stinging blow set his back on fire. He started begging her to stop somewhere around twenty, and the blows got harder, cutting deeper. A voice was talking at the back of his mind, whispering. "You want it to stop. You wont do it again."