Alice found herself sitting at a table, one full of toys and teapots with nothing inside of them. Everything was plastic the very same a child would play pretend with. The room around was packed to the brim with teddy bears, most of which had serval parts of its body ripped apart. No windows were showing the outside world just a single metal door chained by dozens of locks. As Alice was about to move from her chair, she felt heavy breathing on the back of her neck. She, for some reason, found herself paralysed with fear. The breathing turned into child-like giggles as a little girl ran around Alice. The girl was almost an exact copy of herself with pure yellow eyes instead, and a much more lifeful look to her not to mention small purple marks over her face. She stopped sitting in the chair opposite getting too excited. "I've been looking forwards to this. Would you like some tea Alice?"

"The Alice is confused. Where is she?"

"You're at my tea party, silly!" The girl exclaimed giggling again. "I haven't had someone come by for oh, about 400 years. Would you like some tea?"

Alice was left even more dumbfounded, knowing she was at the ball the matter of seconds ago. She, alongside Iris, had been captured by Syndicate. "The Alice demands to know who you are."

"I am you, and you are me."

"That doesn't make any sense. You cannot be Alice."

"No, no. You're me, and I'm you. My name is Eve Hawthorne, one of the legendary heroes the Gatekeeper. A Child to the Garden."

"Impossible. That's not possible, you would be over 400 years old."

"No. I'm actually 13. You are me, and I am you."

"The Alice demands you stop with the riddles. Where am I?"

Eve tilted her head, looking confused, but this soon turned into laughter. "We're in your head dumbo."

"Excuse me?"

"Like I said, silly." Eve taunted. "I am you, and you are me. We share the same body. I've just taken the wheel for a spin this time. You are welcome by the way."

"Why would the Alice let you take over her body."

"Our body." Eve persisted. "Because you asked me to. So, I could save your friends, no? Your dear sister is in trouble send in the hero to save her. I've played hero before remember? Fighting Paradox."

"I don't remember that?"

Pretending to sip her tea Eve squeezed a teddy bear tightly nodding. "Why, of course. We couldn't talk last time I wasn't nearly as possible. But as the Garden slowly returns so does our powers. The other Child of the Garden too."

"Alton. You mean Alton Brantley… Give me back control. I don't want or need your help."

Eve frowned tearing the head of the bear off throwing it aside. "I'm doing this for you. For us. You won't need to worry about silly things like anxiety or weakness. Let me at the wheel, and we can be the best version of ourself."

"I refuse."

Eve's eyebrow began twitching. Refuse? You refuse me? No. No! No!" The table flew across the room as Eve stood up, tearing at her hair. "That's not fair! That's not fair! I want to play. Why do you get all the fun while I sit in the naughty corner?! My brother did the same too."

"The Alice demands you let her out! Now!"

Eve plopped to the floor sulking. "Fine. Eve will be a good girl because it's Christmas. But don't forget as long as the Garden keeps growing in power, so do will I. So, learn this, Alice. Sooner or later, I will take that body, and there is nothing you can do about it." 

"We'll see about that." She whispered as the chains to the door broke, and the door to her mind opened.

****

A large majority of Syndicate had fled. The remaining high council member Emi was one such who lost all will to fight with the emergence of another Child of the Garden. Riley, however, refused to abandon her mission. Watching on as the streamers battled their own.

Zinnia was tossed back crashing into a stall dazed by Alice's attack with sharp electrical jolts flooding through her. Scarlett raised her hand, losing patience ready to end it all with a single attack. Iris held her hand down with a look of desperation. "Please don't hurt her! She doesn't have control over her body right now!"

Scarlett pulled her arm away, looking conflicted. "Tch, she's trying to kill me how is that fair… What am I supposed to do?"

Iris stared at her sister with fear. "Wear her out. She may be powerful. More powerful than all of us here. But she cannot use these powers for long. If we tire her out, I can draw Alice back out."

"Fine, we'll go with that plan," Scarlett grunted not happy with this wanting to deal with Riley now. Scarlett picked up the stalls throwing it at Alice. Portals opened up sucking in each stall, throwing it back at Scarlett. She destroyed each one with a large ray of explosions. This went far enough to knock Alice back, dazing her.

Zinnia ploughed through the snow zipping past, shocking her making Alice land on the ground. As she fell to the ground, dozens of portals opened up blowing the area apart as everyone was knocked back. Iris held a barrier up blocking off the blast, protecting the people still trapped. This cube broke as her other one wrapped around Alice crushing on her ensnaring her in prison. The cube began to shatter and break throwing Iris off as she struggled to keep Alice at bay. This failed as Alice broke free, knocking Iris to the ground down for the count.

Full of rage Alice held her hand out as a black scythe was summoned from thin air. Gripping it tightly, she swung at her sister as a shockwave emitted from it with the intent to cut her down. Scarlett stopped the attack sending into the sky matched this with serval blasts of electricity stunning her, but like the rest, this did little to work. A portal opened up behind Zinnia as her electricity was shot back frying her, causing Zinnia to collapse. A sinister grin crawled over Alice as she began giggling like a schoolgirl. "Again. Again. Again. Let me play with you again!" Holding her arms out, dozens of portals opened as a bright light began to emit from each one. Scarlett stared at each in horror, knowing she couldn't stop this. That was until nothing happened. Alice was frozen on the spot, unable to move. "What's the big idea?"

Alton stood panting, holding his hand out as one of his eyes was glowing yellow. "That's enough, Alice."

Alice cranked her head around frozen still. "Don't interrupt Eve when she's playing with her friends!"

The portals shifted to Alton as the energy waves blew the area away. Alton dropped his arm down by his side as an ice sword rippled into existence. Swinging it with one swoop, the attack blew up in front of him, saving him and everyone else. As the attack subsided, Alton vanished standing beside Alice striking at her. Using her scythe, she blocked the attack as the two began returning blows after blows each getting a hit or two in. The winner of this conflict would be Alice who cut Alton down, forcing him to retreat. Standing a distance away, no blood from his wounds fell as the blood froze in mid-air trapped at that moment. Alton stabbed the sword into the ground as a giant iceberg was summoned. Holding his hand, trying to close his grip, the iceberg reacted shaking and vibrating. As Alton crushed his grip, the iceberg broke into an avalanche of power toppling towards Alice at an incredible rate. Opening one large portal, she sent the attack back with more power than before. Alton threw his sword aside arms wide out awaiting the full counter. Inches away from him, Alton absorbed the attack into one small condensed ball. Holding this amount of power was showing to be a struggle for Alton as his whole body was freezing over keeping it in. But in a blink of an eye, he launched the attack back. Alice couldn't keep up as the ball of power ripped through her shoulder, making her fall to the ground defeated. Like before no blood was spilt as her hole was frozen over which slowly began taking the rest of her body. Alton crumbled through the snow over to her with ill intent. Standing over her, he gripped the sword in his hand with the goal to finish her, stabbing down he was knocked back by Iris' cube. "Don't Please don't take my sister!"

Alton's gaze of malice stared at her as his other eye was sparkling yellow. A gust of icy wind knocked her back as Alton jumped over, staring down, finishing what he started. "There can only be one. Your salvation lies with me!"

Alice's eyes shot open. The dangerous monstrous yellow returned to her different red and green colour. This threw off Alton as he stumbled over her, falling to the ground as his attack was cancelled. The two Children of the Garden lay on the floor, exhausted. "What did I do?" Alice whispered with remorse and guilt.

"Sister!" Iris screamed sliding across the snow, holding her close. "Are you alright?"

"The Alice will require… A bubble bath after this." She joked poorly. "I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Alton remained on the floor, staring up as Iris held Alice away from him. "Why?! Why did you try and kill her?!"

Alton frowned, shaking his head. "I don't know? I just felt something inside of me telling me to do so."

"Alton…" Alice whimpered. "You need to know."

Before anything was said, Alton was ripped from his spot into Riley's arms. Scarlett stood up wincing. "Riley! Give it a break. Your allies have fled. You have nothing left."

Riley held Alton in her arms, screaming. "No! I cannot give up when I've come so far. Even if I die, I will take you with me sister!"

Scarlett stood her ground, staring on with determination. "Fine. Sister, you want me? Here I am. Let's finish what we started."

Riley carefully placed Alton down standing on the stage, staring down Scarlett. "May the best sister win and reach her dream." Explosions began crackling in her hand as she screamed in pain. "Die!"