The passage was dark as it had been before. But not dark enough for Alice not to see and dodge the various pieces of furniture, books, and the grand piano.

This fall seemed to be slower than the last one. Perhaps it was because she had made the choice to fall? Or maybe it was because she knew she had no real reason to be fearful this time. Alice bounced off a chair cushion and caught sight of the fast approaching floor-ceiling. She shut her eyes tightly and landed with a soft thud.

Alice kept her eyes tightly squeezed shut, held her breath, and began to count. When she reached six, the ceiling tilted and she fell to the floor. This landing hurt a bit more.

"Best tell her Majesty to place some sort of cushioning here in the future." Alice muttered as she gingerly got up. Rubbing her aching derrière, Alice looked at the room around her. Circular, doors placed systematically on the walls, a curtain, and a side table upon which sat a small vial of clear liquid, a box with a square of cake, and key. Alice nodded to herself and went to the curtain. Pulling it aside, she immediately looked down and grinned in relief.

There was the doll sized door she had such a difficult time with last time! Still grinning, she turned back to the table. She arranged the items in the order she thought was correct. First she picked up the key and held it tightly in her left fist. Then she opened the box and broke off the tiniest piece of cake possible. This she slipped into her pocket. The small glass vial was all that was left. The "drink me" tag was still in place.

Taking a deep breath and praying her actions had gone in the correct order, Alice took two swigs of what the White Queen had once called pishsalver. She didn't have long to wait. In an instant she was the size of a china doll. Letting out her breath, Alice raced toward the now proper sized door. Hands trembling slightly, she forced the key into the lock and turned it. With a satisfying click, the door began to swing open.

Once it was completely open, Alice had to close her eyes again. It was so bright! Holding out her hands in front of her for some sort of protection, she walked into that blinding brightness. Slowly, so to let them adjust, Alice opened her eyes. They then widened into saucers.

Wonderland was even more colorful then last time! Everything here had the appearance of pure health. Even the air smelled pure! Quickly pulling the upelkuchen from her pocket and stuffing it down her throat, Alice grew to her proper size to take everything in. Oh what a difference from the smog of London! Alice walked forward and tuned in circles, marveling at the beauty around her.

"Oomph! Watch where you're going dear!" Alice gasped and looked down. Her booted feet had led her into the flower court. Bending carefully so that her gray skirts didn't rustle anyone's petals, she bowed her head and begged the flowers' pardons. The white rose spoke for them all and gave forgiveness. Alice stared momentarily at the pretty flower before speaking again.

"Madame Rose, were you perhaps above some time ago?" Alice asked tentatively. The rose smiled serenely at her.

"Why would it matter the Alice?" her voice was coy. Alice smiled.

"Because it would mean that I owe you all a very heartfelt thank you." The rose's smile widened and the flowers smoothed their petals. Clasping her hands over her heart, Alice whispered her thanks. The flowers smiled and gently shooed her away. Rising, Alice cautiously picked her way back to the path. Placing her hand on her hips, she looked back and forth, trying to remember her way to the Windmill House. She bent her head and contemplated her boots. Inspiration suddenly struck her. Looking up, Alice closed her eyes and waited. She trusted her instincts and wouldn't you know it! Her feet seemed to turn of their own accord and set off down the path.

Alice wasn't sure how long she walked. She was too distracted by the swaying trees and grass to think about distance. It wasn't until a drawling voice startled her that she noticed her aching feet.

"If you're looking for the place you're going, you won't be happy to find it." Alice began turning in circles.

"Now don't make yourself dizzy love. You wouldn't want to spoil the landscape with your already eaten lunch now would you?" Stopping mid turn, a pair of bright teal eyes misted into view. They were soon followed by grin that seemed to stretch into eternity.

"Chessur!" Alice cried happily.

The Cheshire Cat took full form and floated before her. Chess flicked his tail at Alice's nose, causing her to sneeze. Alice smiled though and resisted the temptation to seize him and scratch his belly as she had once done with Dinah.

"Honestly love, you'll not want to go that way if you're searching out our fellows." Chess purred. Alice frowned.

"Why not? It's nearly brillig and I thought –"Chess shook his head at her.

"Sorry but the tea party has been relocated to Marmoreal by orders of the White Queen." Alice's frown deepened.

"Whatever for?" She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head to get a better view of the currently upside down Chessur.

"I'm afraid that question can only be answered by sight. Seeing is believing, or so they say." Chessur grinned widely. Alice shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

"Well if that's the case, I suppose I'd best get moving. We wouldn't want to be late for tea." Alice closed her eyes and once again put her faith in her feet. They shuffled momentarily and then set off on another path. She hadn't gotten very far before Chessur's voice was in her ear again.

"I believe some sort of reward is in order for my helping you hmm?" Alice pried open her eyes to examine him swinging back and forth like the pendulum of a clock. She crossed her arms and eyed him warily.

"What did you happen to have in mind?" She asked. Chessur merely grinned and evaporated. Alice froze when she felt something tugging her arms free. Before she knew it, Chess's head was floating beneath her outstretched hand. He winked at her and smiled cheekily. Catching on, Alice returned the smile and scratched him behind the ears.

After receiving a few approving purrs, Chess winked again and evaporated. Alice laughed quietly and set off. Her feet unfailingly led her on the correct path. This time though, she took the time to think about how to explain her long absence to the Mad Tea Party and the White Queen.

Well you see, setting up trading posts in the Far East took much longer than I had expected.

No, she had known it would take several months to set up each post, on top of the travel time to get to each one …

My duties as an apprentice to the company increased drastically and I just couldn't get away…

Well, she had volunteered for every extra duty. It had been for the best though hadn't it?

The arguments and counter arguments fought back and forth in her head for the entire, hour long journey.

Eventually, Alice noticed the color of the landscape was beginning to change. Although it still felt very much alive, the colors began to fade. Her path turned and twisted until suddenly she was no longer beneath the trees.

The entire world around her was suddenly white. Just as white the marble wall she now faced. Looking up, Alice smiled at the castle just on the other side of the wall.

Looking like a sugar candy confection, the castle gleamed brightly in the sunlight. Alice swore she could hear the murmur of the cherry trees.

She had finally arrived at Marmoreal.