𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐔!
• inspired by Damnation Au by shiny-jr and BWAHA by Animeuss in Ao3 !
— CHAPTER ONE —
→ PROLOGUE CHAPTER TWO ←
WARNINGS: violence, death, horror, blood, yandere, obsessive behavior, deception, manipulation, murder, poisoning, suicide, distorted canon, distorted passion: does the reader see love in a distorted way? Love and sex, Disney tales, Reader is Yuu, Twisted Wonderland disney au, all fiction! Please do not try this in the real world, it's wrong!
◇ This is heavily inspired by Damnation AU and BWAHA fanfics, but in my own unique way! I give full credit to the authors of these wonderful fanfics and encourage my readers to read them!
When you woke up, you were somewhere else.
A place full of flowers with faces and checkered plants, things flying around, and you felt like you weren't in your city anymore. You looked down only to find yourself in a white outfit different from the one you were wearing, with card symbols and designs that resembled strange things, looking very noble.
At first, you could only stare at it all and think, "What the hell is this?"
That is, until the cat that stole from you appeared. You became furious and chased after it! Demanding your bag back, mentally wishing to finish off that order before you lost the mirror you came from.
It was an intense chase, with you trying to catch it a few times (it scratched your arm doing so) until you caught it. Only then did you notice its fiery ears and trident tail.
"Give me back, you cheeky cat! This bag is mine! Couldn't you find someone else to steal from?!"
"HOW DARE YOU, HUMAN, I'm not a cat! I am the mighty Grim!"
After a few insults, "Grim"—or whatever that thing is—says he only stole from you because he smelled food in your bag. You're still angry at the little creature, but knowing the reason was hunger moved you.
So you forgave him and tried to go back into the woods to find the blessed mirror and return home to your bed.
But the mirror was no longer there.
Grim tries to act brave, but the truth is you don't know how to get back. So you walk through the woods, observing birds made of soap bubbles and weeds made of glass.
You observe the place with fascination, knowing you recognize it from your memories, until you remember.
"Wait, are we in Wonderland?"
"Wonderland? What's that?
Seeing the little monster's confusion – which you found a more fitting term than calling it a "thing" – you explain that it's a story from your world, but you don't go into details.
You don't even realize you're entering a denser, darker part of the forest; you cautiously observe, regaining your usual calm, as Grim hides between your legs.
That is, until a new voice emerges.
You observe a bright smile in the darkness, until the rest of the head appears with the body stretched out in the tree.
"What strange company we have~, it's been a long time since I've had cat friends to play with~"
"I'M NOT A CAT, YOU SCOUNDREL, I'M THE GREAT GRIM!"
"Oh~ it seems he hurt you~"
Cheshire appears at your To the side, wrapping a bandage around your arm with surprising care. "So, what's your name?"
"Yuu? Meow~ I could swear you're Alice."
"What? No, no, I'm not Alice, I'm Yuu."
"Hmm, is that your real name or is that what you think is real~?"
"What do you mean, Cheshire?"
"Ah, why the formality?~ My name is Che'nya, call me by it~"
You didn't know the answer, so you ask another question. You ask Cheshire how you and Grim can get back to your world.
"I have no idea, but it seems the Hatter knows~the narrator says to him~"
"Narrator, what narrator-"
"But I advise you to be careful, Alice. The queen is furious about the disappearance of his jewel~" and then he vanishes, leaving the path you assume leads to the Mad Hatter's house.
You walk and walk more and more, and at some point in your journey you allow Grim to fall asleep on your neck. There's a moment of silence until voices appear.
"YOUR MAJESTY, YOUR MAJESTY!"
Grim is startled by the noise and hides under the skirt/cloak he was wearing. You look in that direction and see two soldiers stop in front of you, breathless and surprised. "Your Majesty, we finally found you! Where were you? The queen is furious!"
"Are you hurt? We know you want to leave, but you can't just disappear like that!" "So, you're the King of Hearts after all!"
Now this is confusing. Che'nya called you Alice, and now you're the King of Hearts?
The soldiers drag you away, complaining affectionately about how the queen was furious and cutting off several heads because no one could find you. You felt a wave of nausea rising with this information, even more so as you moved further away from the Hatter's house.
Upon arriving at the Palace, Deuce and Ace (whose names you quickly learned from how they always bickered) led you to the throne room and flung the door open. You entered the throne room, seeing a Queen – a boy? Although not fitting the title, he looked very much like the queen – very red-faced and angry, radiating magic everywhere.
He looked at you, and the red of anger on his face vanished.
She descended from the throne with elegance and haste, wearing a suit/dress in the style of the Queen of Hearts herself, until she reached you, taking your face in her hands with tenderness and seriousness. "My King, where have you been! Do you know how long we've searched for you?!"
"If you had taken any longer, I would have cut off the heads of those who remained in this palace!" You shuddered at his words; he wasn't killing the servants, was he?
"My queen, please calm down, the king is back, isn't he?" A red-haired man with a diamond painted on his cheek appeared beside the queen with another man with green hair. He pulled a gold watch from his pocket and smiled, "And as you can see, he arrived in time for afternoon tea! As expected of our king!"
In truth, you wanted to see the Mad Hatter, but you didn't dare comment.
The "tea party," as the redhead you discovered was called Cater called it, was an afternoon event where everyone sat at a huge table with sweets and other treats.
Cater said he would take you to the room where the Queen of Hearts – whom you discovered is called Riddle – had given permission. You panicked and felt your cheeks flush intensely when Riddle approached you and kissed your cheek, saying, "Don't be too late, my King."
Cater led you to a luxurious room – you were careful to have Grim hide before entering – worthy of a king. He told you to take a bath (fringing at the wound on your arm). When you came out, Cater gave you an extremely beautiful outfit, in typical Wonderland design, and styled your hair in an elaborate updo.
"Now you really look like a king!"
You stumbled a bit walking in the outfit, passing through the hallway and silently telling Grim to hide inside your clothes. Luckily, you at least arrived safely.
You sat beside the Queen, with Ace and Deuse sitting to your right, and Cater and Trey – the green-haired man who seemed to be the Queen's handyman – to her left. When the Queen finished eating, everyone began to help themselves.
You ate in silence, giving Grim small snacks to quiet him down, while you watched the others chatting. You were in your own little world until a hand was placed on yours.
"My King, I worried so much about you today," he whispered, and you realized he did it just for the two of you to talk. "I thought you had left."
You couldn't understand. Of course, the Queen of Hearts was mad, a bloodthirsty tyrant, but although Riddle was supposed to be her, he was totally different. Riddle was less fierce than you remembered the Queen of Hearts, and he was so kind to you. He could have had the famous "Off with their heads!" But Riddle seemed to truly love the King of Hearts and care about him.
Riddle stared at you in surprise, looking at you until a soft, genuine smile appeared on his face. He took your hand and brought it to his lips, leaving a gentle kiss—damn it, why is he looking at you with such a vibrant gaze!—making you blush.
He cleared his throat before announcing to everyone, "It's time for my king and I to retire. As a gift to my spouse upon his return, I permit you to remain at the table for up to twenty minutes."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
You gently patted Grim's head, telling him not to get lost and to go to his room. You almost felt a little anxious leaving him there, since the Queen of Hearts hates cats, but the look on Grim's face convinced you. And then Riddle stood up and took you with him, a calm spreading through the moment until they reached the room.
You thought he was just going to leave you in a room, but you blushed even more when you discovered that it was his and your room. You were going to the bathroom to take off your clothes when Riddle offered to undress you, only making you blush even more.
"What's the problem? There's no problem in seeing what's mine, my king."
Then Riddle went behind you, delicately removing your corset, leaving you mortified. His breath was on your neck, and you shuddered when he gave it a little kiss, laughing at your reaction.
And then Riddle changed, and you lay down on the bed, hiding under the sheet, embarrassed by the situation itself, but you relaxed when Riddle's arms gently embraced your waist. As the night went on, you and he intertwined, as if your own body craved his warmth.
Before falling asleep, you heard only one sentence, but you were too sleepy to really pay attention to it.
When you woke up, Riddle had already left. You stretched in bed, a little dazed as you remembered everything that happened yesterday. How somehow it all felt real.
You got up and heard a soft snore. Looking under the bed, you found Grim, and an immense relief washed over you. After all, you had left him yesterday and were worried about him.
You slowly woke up when a knock on the door echoed through the room. Making sure Grim was hiding, you answered to let him in.
Trey entered with the most beautiful breakfast tray you had ever seen in your life. He smiled at you with a gentle smile. "Good morning, my King."
"Riddle had to leave early to resolve some issues at the council. I apologize for him." He placed the tray beside you, preparing a cup of tea for you.
"It's no problem, but shouldn't you be with him? Since you're his right-hand man."
Trey turns to you with a vague look you can't quite make out. "We're short on servants, so…"
Silence follows, only the sound of tea, until he finishes and finally speaks to you. "Thank you."
"For coming back," confused, you stare at him, and the realization that this has become a pattern hits you. First it was Ace and Deuce, worried you were gone, then Riddle thinking you'd left, and now Trey thinking the same thing.
You had a bad feeling in your stomach, a very bad premonition.
Trey, observing your confusion, replies, "I know Riddle can be…difficult sometimes, but he really loves you." His gaze drifts to the void, to a memory. "I think Your Majesty doesn't know yet, but Riddle's mother, the former queen, followed the rules very seriously. She had a strong will for possession and order, and it only worsened when the former king, whom she loved, died."
"She taught Riddle everything, teaching him never to allow anything outside the law and to protect what was his, what he possessed. Riddle followed the rules, but he didn't mind having a mate, seeing it as a problem, but he still accepted the marriage with you, even out of obligation. I know neither you nor he liked this union, and I know you had the desire to leave at the first opportunity. But Riddle fell in love with you little by little, and you chose to stay here even though you wanted to leave, so I speak on behalf of everyone in this castle: thank you."
He handed you the cup, your eyes meeting his as he continued, "Riddle is a childhood friend along with another cat, so seeing him happy like this makes me satisfied." He slowly kneels, taking your hand. "So, thank you again."
"Trey, please stand up. Please don't thank me."
Trey smiles subtly as he stands. "Of course, Your Majesty, forgive me, I think I should let you have your coffee. See you later." And then he leaves the room, leaving a bitter taste on your tongue.
Not when you were still planning to leave.
"Argh, finally, he never leaves."
"OH MY GOD, GRIM, YOU WERE GOING TO SCARE ME TO DEATH?!"
The little monster had only woken up because of the smell of breakfast, which was quite typical of him.
"Hey human, something's bothering me." He climbs onto the bed while you take a piece of the food given to you. "When we met, you said we were in Wonderland, and since we've been wandering around, you seem to know how things work in this place, something that I, the Great Grim, don't know. So spill it and tell me how you know about this place!"
You stare at Grim, dumbfounded, telling him not to shout there. Giving in, you tell him about the story of Alice in Wonderland, the Queen of Hearts, and how you were both Alice and the King of Hearts.
"Wait… SO YOU'RE NOT THE REAL KING?—"
"Shh, speak softly!…but yes, I'm not the real king, nor do I know how we got here."
You explained that Alice had to fulfill her duty in this world and then return home.
"So, tell me! What does Alice need to do for you and me to go back?"
"I—" you were interrupted by a loud ticking of a clock, you sighed and said you'd talk later.
Going to the bathroom, you freshened up and took a quick shower, and then went to choose an outfit yourself, not that you weren't interested in the suits/dresses in the closet. But because you needed something less heavy.
After all, you're going to see the Mad Hatter.
Although you believe the King of Hearts lived a truly kind life, both for the queen and his subjects, you are not him, and you want to go home.
But the fact that you were deceiving both Riddle and Trey left a bitter taste in your mouth.
Leaving the room, you don't see anyone in the hallway, the perfect moment for you to leave unnoticed!
Grim was once again hidden in his robes, but now he was clinging to your back. He wisely remained silent – since you had said you were going to find someone who could help them escape – occasionally peeking out to look ahead, clutching your waist.
You were silent, but as you crossed the corridor leading to the throne room, you heard screams, and you approached, fearing something had happened.
And you regretted it; something had indeed happened.
"P-please, my queen, I have been loyal and useful all these years! Please don't—"
"Cater, execute the sentence."
A clang of metal was heard, dragged, resisted, a thud sounded from the other side, a noise that reminded you of flesh. But much, much louder.
The female voice screamed; you heard her writhing and struggling, begging for forgiveness and mercy. You peered through a crack in the wall; the corridor you were in was behind the throne, giving you a view of everything but the queen.
You gasped in terror at the sight of a pile of decapitated bodies in the same place the woman was going. You had time to cover your mouth and Grim's—who also stared in terror at the scene—to prevent any noise from escaping.
The woman cried as she was dragged by Cater—two Caters?!—and stopped at a huge guillotine that glowed red, with blood and something that seemed like magic. Cater placed her head on the device, and in the woman's despair, she looked at you.
You saw her, she saw you.
She was afraid, you were too.
But she didn't call you, she didn't denounce you.
She protected you, so you could get out of that place.
"YOUR MAJESTY, PLEASE, I BEG YOU." You saw Riddle lift the center, the Caters stepped back, and the woman cried. The blade gleamed red.
You turned just in time to avoid seeing the poor woman's death, the disgusting sound of the cut and the gurgling of blood falling into your ears as tears streamed from your eyes.
"Excellent! The last employee has been executed!" Carter's sickly sweet voice rang out, and you swear you heard Trey laugh.
"Very well, now… Clean up this mess, the next execution is the Hatter's." Your blood runs cold, and you don't have time to be impressed when Riddle's footsteps sound, "Take the bodies to Jabberwocky, the Hatter's execution is in an hour, come with me, Trey."
"Geez, the hard work always falls to us, doesn't it?"
You look at Grim, and the little monster is already looking at you, having the same idea as you.
You have to go out and find the Hatter now.
Fortunately (unfortunately), since there are no more servants in the palace, you manage to reach the prison quickly, and there you find the Mad Hatter.
He was a tall boy with curly hair a mix of wine, cyan, and white, blue and green eyes, and clothes so crazy and messy that he seemed the personification of chaos, and of course, his iconic hat.
"By the cats and rats! You finally found me!"
You try to break the lock to free him, but he quickly stops you, "Oh no, no, no, no! The Rabbit's job is to find the hat, not drop the cheese!!"
"In other words, you can't let him go~"
"Hello Alice~" the cat-man appears behind the Hatter, who stares at him with a sullen look.
Che'nya quickly explains that the Hatter allowed himself to be captured with Che'nya's help to create a distraction so you could escape. "You… knew all this time that I wasn't from here?!"
"Of course, why do you think I sent you to RiddleNya~"
"My dear Alice, you have a mission to fulfill! Our dear Narrator told me a riddle that will help you on this journey! But to leave this world, you must fulfill your duty in your role!"
"The riddle I will now tell you"
The Hatter approaches the gate, and everyone gathers close, sharing a great secret.
"Listen well, little Alice, for you will need it,
Seven tales await you, ready to mold you.
Help the heroes, but do not deny the villains,
Heal their broken hearts with your actions.
Time is a trick, it will not wait for you,
The hourglass turns, and the end will come.
The mirror watches, and exacts its price,
Freedom is fragile—it can be taken away in a kiss.
The rabbit hole calls to you, but it won't last. If they love catches up with you… you won't escape anymore."
"That should help you on your journey~"
"Precisely—DON'T TOUCH MY HAT!"
You're in shock, what the hell is this?! It even sounds like a prophecy, for crying out loud. You shouldn't even be here, how the hell do you now have a mission to fulfill?
What does he mean by seven tales?
"Okay, I'll remember that, but I still don't understand what you mean by a mission to fulfill."
"Oh my dear Alice, think~ what did your Alice do to get out of Wonderland?"
You looked at the cat, and he looked at you, smiling. You could also see the Hatter looking at you with pity and Grim looking confused when you realized what you had to do.
You had to kill Jabberwocky.
Right now, the Hatter's "execution" must be taking place. Apparently, Che'nya and Heldor – the Mad Hatter – were going to switch roles, preventing the Hatter's death and buying you time to go kill the beast.
You went to your room earlier, bumping into Deuce (who was a pain to get rid of), managing to be alone and going to the Dragon Tower while everyone gathered in the throne room.
The most sensible plan would be to ask the White Queen for help, but Heldor said there was no time and that Riddle might already be suspicious, so you needed to act.
The sun was beginning to set as you climbed the stairs; the view would have been beautiful if it weren't for what awaited you at the top.
"There's no need to be afraid, human, the Great Grim will help you defeat this beast!" Grim was now walking beside you, but even though he spoke confidently, his ears and tail were drooping in fear. And rightfully so.
"Thank you, Grim, we're going to get out of here."
You grabbed Alice's sword, your sword, as you stood before the gate of death. It was now or never.
You took off your long cloak/skirt, leaving you in trousers and your royal blouse, rolling up your sleeves and tying your hair back. You gripped the sword in the hilt and touched the gate, you were going to push—
You were startled and almost dropped the sword when Riddle's voice rang out, but you couldn't move, whether out of fear or determination, you don't know.
But now standing at the top of the stairs were Riddle and Trey, and in front of the gate were you and Grim.
"Please, my King, don't you dare do this to me. Don't be as scoundrel as your old self." This made you look at him in surprise, and he was relieved that your eyes met his.
"I… I suspected it since yesterday. You were never calm when Ace and Deuce brought you back home, and you asked yesterday why you were leaving me. I thought I'd finally won your heart, but Trey told me what he overheard from your conversation with this… strange feline." You heard Grim complain, but not loudly enough to catch Riddle's attention. "And now… you want to leave."
"I'm not your King of Hearts, my place isn't here, you don't love me—"
"On the contrary! I love you more than that scoundrel!" His voice held a bitterness and pain not directed at you. "He never managed to love me, and he always tried to escape with the help of the other guards and servants, he even cheated me before and after our wedding! But you… you really cared about me, even if only a little, didn't you?"
His words caught you off guard; the realization of both things made you falter. "Wait… Is that why? Is that why you killed all the servants in the palace?! Not all of them helped the king escape or plotted against you!"
"They would have done it sooner or later."
"BUT THEY WERE STILL INNOCENT!"
"INNOCENT?! THEY WILL TRY TO TAKE YOU AWAY FROM ME!"
"I'M ALREADY DOING IT FOR MYSELF, AND MAYBE THE FORMER KING OF HEARTS DID IT FOR THE SAME REASON!"
His face turned red, and Trey grabbed his arm to calm the queen down. He looked back at you with those same eyes full of love and sadness.
"Please, I don't want to fight with you, my King. We can start all over again! It will be… as if it starts just with the two of us, without a past or anything, a new beginning." He approached you and you backed away, he stopped. "Just please… come back to me, my love."
He took another step and this time, you didn't retreat.
"Maybe… I really did love you, Riddle." The queen's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. "Maybe I loved you both, even if only a little." Both Riddle and Trey were excited by this.
"…but you're a bloodthirsty tyrant who will imprison me, and I hate not having freedom."
You entered Jabberwocky's cage.
Riddle couldn't reach you when a bolt of electricity shot in his direction.
Trey pulled him out of the way, and the two watched as the great beastly Dragon pursued its new prey.
Grim unleashed a jet of fire in the monster's face, and you almost wondered when he'd been doing that—because he'd at least never done it to you—until you saw two piles of bodies leaning against the back of the cage, the blood on the walls beside them making you realize there were at least two more piles there that had vanished.
You didn't have time to think when Jabberwocky lunged at you, dodging as he slammed his head against the wall. You climbed onto his neck.
"YUU." Riddle and Trey's voices rang out in your ear as Jabberwocky slammed into the ceiling, shattering it and freeing you both from the tower.
The force of the impact against the concrete made your head bleed on your forehead; you used the time it took the beast to climb up to survey the area.
It's the same place where Alice kills Jabberwocky.
As you climb more stairs, now without walls or a roof, the Dragon follows you, hungry for your blood. As you climb, you glimpse Ace, Deuce, and Cater, frightened, while Heldor smiles at you and whispers words of encouragement, which, although you didn't hear him say, you understood nonetheless.
You reach the ruined top room, but because of your dizzy and bleeding head, you don't notice Jabberwocky approaching behind you. He bites your shoulder, deep and hard, and you scream in pain, a pain you've never felt and didn't know you could feel.
With adrenaline pumping, you swing your sword in any direction to make him release you, but the abrupt movements end up cutting his leg, severing the limb from its body.
The beast screams and its blood splatters on you, the agonizing Dragon throws you aside, making you hit a pillar. You clutch your wounded shoulder, the cut on your forehead bleeding as you look at the beast, it approaches, ready to finish you off…
A jet of blue flames hits its face.
You mentally thank Grim for this and, with a courage you have no idea where you got it from, you run towards the Dragon again.
This time, you plunge your sword into its right eye, Jabberwocky tries to get rid of you by shaking its head until it throws you into the air.
You can see everyone around you. Riddle and Trey are below, looking at you; across the field you see the boys and Cater along with Heldor, looking at you; you see Grim and Jabberwocky below you, looking at you.
But you are above, with your sword raised.
You fall at speed, your sword pointed at Jabberwocky's neck.
And the Dragon loses its head, cut off by you.
You barely have time to celebrate when the ruined room where you, Grim, and the dead beast are collapses, causing you to fall. Jabberwocky's corpse falls before you, hitting the ground hard as you still fall. Grim reaches you, but you can't hear what he says to you.
In fact, you hear nothing; everything is silent.
Until you hear the sound of galloping horses.
You look to the side, still in freefall, and see a carriage with black horses coming towards you. They're speeding towards you and Grim; you can only hear them.
When they're a step away, all the sounds around you return, and you only hear one thing before the carriage reaches you.
It's Riddle's voice, sounding with the desperate tone he had when you first met him.
And then everything is darkness.
I PASSED MY FINAL EXAMS, I'm so happy! So chapter 1 for everyone!
THIS CHAPTER HAS NOT BEEN REVISED! And please, as you know, English is not my first language, so let me know if there are any errors.
Thank you, see you at Savanaclaw!
