Chapter 09 "Who Are You?"

The Lost One in Alice's Garden

ARC 2 Clover Forest

Chapter 09 "Who Are You?"

The Alice, after recovering, has continued her quest towards her destination. While quietly striding along the forest path, she's wondering about something and doesn't know whether to question it out loud or not, but—its really bothering her.

Frowning in bother, she turns to the source of the tormenting question, her eyes narrowing as she watches them quarrelling. After letting out a sigh, she halts her steps and turns her heels, looking at them with a questioning look. Two pairs of feet also halt as they notice her eyes on them. "What are you doing?" As stupid as its sounds, the girl without a name decides to use those words instead.

Cheshire has a wide, toothy grin, while Hatter has a scowl on his face.

The taller one blinks several times with a wide smile on, "Following you?" Such a straightforward answer.

"And why are you guys following me?"

"It'll be fun." a bold response from Cheshire.

"Curiosity wins."

Okay... no comment.

Once again she turns her heels and resumes her or now "their" quest.

Currently, the pair is in truce and walking side by side, quiet; which is a surprise for the girl.

Seconds, minutes, hours—none of the three could tell how long they have been walking. The scenery never changes, which could be a sign that they arrive at—maybe someone's territory.

The two never talk about the path she chose or what they will see along the way.

"Ohhh~" Cheshire chimes which makes the two shorties halt in their steps.

"What?" Hatter scowls.

"Such a big mushroom! I wonder if it will bring me to paradise~"

"Huh?! What the fuck you talking about?!" Hatter's mouth gapes open when he sees the enormous mushroom. "What the fuck—?!"

The girl without name turns her head to see what the two have seen, making her eyes widen in shock upon the sight; a little moment of recovering, she takes a few steps back to view it more clearly.

A pink smoke coming from atop the mushroom has enters the trio's sights, she takes steps backward even more, not stopping even she already passes the pair, and only halts after getting a good view what's on the top.

A person is on the top of the enormous mushroom, has pipe out a pink smoke before he lay his black pupils on the three.

"Such stupid faces you all have." he arrogantly comments before he putting his mouth on the pipe's again, and blow out another smoke.

Only Hatter reacted on his insult, he scowl and seems like ready to kill the person.

"Who?" The nameless girl absentmindedly asks, feeling something strange towards the man.

"Huge mushroom, smoke piper bigger than the head of owner, super long braided hair. Long time no see Caterpillar."

"Caterpillar? The famous all know Caterpillar?"

"Not really all-know." The trio question how did he hear them when he is far from them. It wasn't like they are loud.

"But why Caterpillar?" the short girl question. The man doesn't look like a catterpil—lar...

The man atop the mushroom bring up his legs—tail that same with a regular Caterpillar.

'Half human, half caterpillar... I see...' she thought, but her mouth is in "o" shape.

"So what about the three of you?" The trio got puzzle on his question, all wondering by what he meant. "Who are you?"

Cheshire grins and answers first, hands on his chest, "I'm Cheshire Cat, an info broker!"

"Not so reliable at all..." nameless girl commented, almost quiet, which cause for Hatter to snickers.

"We've already met several times!" Cheshire continues, ignoring the comment.

"I am a hatter, so I'm called Hatter."

"But you never make a hat before!" Cheshire pouts.

Hatter scowls and gave heavy step towards the cat man, "Got a problem you dumb cat!" Cheshire rise his hands in surrender hiding behind the girl.

"Ah~ there he is again being all violent! Scary!" he doesn't look scare at all.

That triggers the hatter, "You damn bastard!"

Caterpillar pops another smoke and looks at the only girl in the group, "Shockingly, you've bare being with them."

"I don't know for how long though." She simply said.

"So? What about you, missy?" She turns her head on him and clearly sees how nonchalant he is towards her companions.

"I... don't know who I am." Her lashes lowers, before heaving a sigh, "But I know my name is not Alice."

Caterpillar's eyes narrow, "Is that so?" Eyebrow raises, "Who are you three?"

Cheshire tilts his head in puzzlement, Hatter groans, and the Nameless blinks.

"I just said I am Hatter!"

"I'm Cheshire!"

"I'm not Alice." she bluntly answer.

"Who are you three?"

"I am HATTER!" now angry, a nerve mark on his forehead.

"I'm Cheshire!" he whines, pouting like a kid.

"I'm not Alice." she still bluntly answer.

"Who are you three?"

"I've been telling you! I am—" Hatter suddenly halt, "Eh? I... Hatter?" he fell on his knees, suddenly feeling weak.

"Why?"

"Because I am a... hat maker."

Is he? Since meeting him, the nameless Alice has been also curious about how he is being identify. Hatter means is Hat Maker, yet she first met him as a member of Muds, then someone who enjoys tea parties, but hat maker? He is the one that made his own hat?

"But you never make a hat before!" Cheshire clears earlier that Hatter never make a hat before. So why? How come he is named Hatter?

"Hmm? But you never make a hat." after hearing those words, Hatter bring his hand to his face.

Caterpillar then lay his eyes to Cheshire. "Who are you?"

Cheshire felt that his question is directed to him, he smirk and confidently answers, "I am info broker Cheshire."

"Oh are you?" he nodded proudly "Are you sure?"

"Of course!"

"Who are you? Are you really Cheshire?"

"Of course I... am?"

The nameless sees how Cheshire began stuttering into his own words, held his chest tightly, shakes his head to gets away whatever bothering thoughts that just enters his head.

The girl watches them struggles, "What are you doing to them?" She asks, her face hold nothing such a care for the two but her questioning Caterpillar making her feelings way more obvious.

Directing his narrow sight on her, "What about you, lil miss, who are you?"

"I'm not Alice." Her answer, and the way she declares it doesn't change, although her eyebrow twitches when he ignored her earlier question.

"Then who are you lil miss?"

She takes in a deep breath, Cheshire and Hatter who are still struggling watches her struggle of her own.

"I'm someone who would never take on the name Alice!"

Caterpillar hums before he start again.

"Why you say that? You said it yourself, you don't know who you are. Why don't you just accept it? It will make your life much easier."

"How it will make my life easier?" She tilts her head, frowns.

"For example, this people have something to use to identify you."

"Then I can be call anything. There's no need to call me 'Alice' at all. Just like Cheshire, he calls me 'Kitten'. With name or none, it doesn't matter as I the one that leaving footsteps."

"Everyone wanted a name, wants something to use to identify them, to know them."

"No matter what my name is, I am still me."

He smirks, "So, that's your answer."

Cheshire and Hatter looks at her in surprise, yet both smirks. "You're right." Cheshire agrees, straightening himself.

"Guhhh! What I am doing?!" Hatter stands up and stretches his body. "That's so uncool!"

"You never been cool!"

"Huh?!"

And they started again, while the nameless smiles at them.

Catepillar witnessed how this Alice has influence the other two creatures.

'The ability to influence others...' the black hair half human, half caterpillar inhales the nicotine on his pipe and blow it out. "Its normal to doubt yourself, to waver because it is life." he able to regain the trio's attention that they all look up at him. "Whichever world you'll live in, there's always doubt, there's always time to waver, but we continue our lives, as it is the only thing we can do." he sighs, and directly stare at the shorter girl "What's not normal is you, lil miss."

"Me?" she blinks in confusion.

"Yes. You did not doubt your decision, nor waver when you claimed that you will never be Alice. For what reason? You don't know. You just basically deject the name without knowing why, even though you don't own one." Caterpillar blows another smoke, before she changes the subject.

"Hey! Can I ask you?"

"Bout what lil miss?"

"Various things, specifically about Alices."

"Oh~ okay shoot!" the shorter girl blinks in surprise, didn't expect the way Caterpillar's response, quite nonchalant.

She sighs out her surprise before starting, "Do you know who are the Alices?"

"No." He quickly answers, "I'm sure that cat already told you about their effects on us when they lost their title as Alice the Creator."

"Well I got that information from you." Cheshire admitted with sly smile.

"So he is your source?" Hatter groans, shoving his hands on his pants pocket.

"Yeah, but not all the time."

"You making business out from free?!" Hatter meant about exchanging information business Cheshire runs.

"Excuse me! I said not all the time!"

"Don't start now please." the shortest girl plead, hoping they would listen to her, at least for once.

They didn't disappoint her, which also dumfounded her. They knew how important this whole conversation to let her continue this quest.

The girl without name sighs in relief, thank goodness they've listened.

She returns her attention to one atop the mushroom, "Any ideas how we could tell if someone is an Alice?"

"Ask Elise."

Okay... she starting to get disappointed to the man, and not just her.

"He is really not all-knowing." Hatter commented, which didn't bother the man.

Cheshire narrows her eyes to him, he stays quiet and did not make any comments like he used to.

"Then how I could talk to Elise?"

"Elise only talks and show up in front of her Alice. We're already consider lucky if she appears in front of us, which only happens if we're together with an Alice."

"What about how to kick them out here?"

"Ask Elise." nameless girl narrows her eyes, she have feelings that he is hiding something.

She sighs rather heavy, this important conversation is turning into useless one.

"Cheshire once told me that the Alices has lost their memories, do you know how it will bring back?"

"Their names."

'Ughh! Finally an answer!' the nameless maiden refrain herself from saying this out loud.

"Call them to their real names, not the one they uses here."

"How I will know their names?"

"Elise. She's the only one who knows each of the Alices are."

Another useless bullet.

"How many Alices are there?"

"Ten. You are the Eleventh."

"Obviously." Yeah, because the girl without name is the last person Elise have called.

The man sucks nicotine from his piper then blew it at the air once again.

"You may go to your chosen destination now, lil miss, but allow me to give you a warning; the Alices might not want to be kick out from their worlds."

Silence conquers them, Cheshire and Hatter stays quiet to see what would be her reaction and thoughts of the truth. They all wanna know how will she response to an almost impossible job from the brat.

A small smile appears in her face, looking back at the man, "I already thought of that." she reveals, unbothered nor her eyes are clouded.

"You thought and yet you still continue?"

"I knew that it will be a problem. I don't even know how I will kick them out, but for now I wanna see how are they been doing here."

"You are more complicated thanever."

This confuses not just the shortest girl but also her two companions, but before they could speak up their thoughts another group of smoke left the caterpillar's mouth.

"Be careful, not everyone will be happy to meet you; or better to say no one actually wants you."

"Alright, I drill that in my head. Take care of your health Catepillar." He blinks in confusion. "Don't smoke so much." By that last words, the trio walk pass the huge mushroom, leaving Caterpillar alone.

"You have to be careful of your health Caterpillar, don't smoke so much!" a female voice rings at his head, the owner's image is shadowed and the only thing that can be see is her hoodie jacket over a blouse.

"Don't remind me of the past... will you." he mutter under his breath.

"Take care of your health, don't smoke so much. Why did you say that?" Cheshire question after some time.

"Aren't smoking too much is bad for health?"

The two companions blinks in bewilderment before they laugh out loud which brings confusion to the girl.

"Not here! In this world, illness and diseases were never existing. But... that surprise me!" The girl looks at the taller man. "Didn't think you can be a caring person."

"Hmm? I never said that I'm cold-hearted though."

Again her two companions blinks and snicker.

Indeed, she never says it, in fact they didn't know anything about her.

They didn't know why she's always on guard.

What is her reason to reject the name 'Alice'.

How her brain works.

Or what are things that makes her smile or sad.

They knew nothing but they do know one thing; if they keep sticking with her, then they'll eventually find out all the answers.