Prologue - Pandora's Box

Pandora's Box (Pandora No Hako) is the unofficial first chapter in the manga Alice of Wonderland. It is the first chapter of the first part, Return, and introduces us to Alice Ledell, the female protagonist of the series, and her past. It was released after Alice's past was revealed near the end of the manga, and retells (in order) the events of Alice before she entered Wonderland and lost her memories. I'''t is the first chapter in chronological order, but was not released first. '''

Part 1
The story opens with a beautiful scene. It is snowing, and in the distance, a large and elegant house can be spotted. Two little girls, with matching bows on their heads, walk into the woods hand in hand. They are identical, save for their bows. One has a black bow, and the other a crimson colored one. They both are wearing blue dresses with aprons. As they approach the forest, the one with the black bow runs furward, grinning. She is revealed to be Alice Ledell, at age six. The other girl is Anna Ledell, her identical twin sister. She insistently takes her twin and pulls her forward, running deeper and deeper into the woods. As they play, they seem to go in further and further. The sun is beginning to lower, and Anna calls back to Alice that they should get back, looking worried. Alice laughs it off and says that they never get the chance to play in the woods, so they should enjoy it. It is their birthday, and while their parents set up their birthday party, the twins were sent off to play outside. Anna looks uncomfortable, saying they might get lost and worry their par



ents. Alice replies that because there was freshly fallen snow, their footsteps will guide them back. They continue to play. Alice suggests hide and seek, and Anna reluctantly agrees. Alice decides to play a joke on Anna and goes far into the woods, climbing a tree and hiding. Once Anna passes, Alice turns around and bolts back home, where her parents greet her. They ask where Anna is, and Alice reveals her joke- to scare her by leaving her behind then going back to get her. Anna realizes Alice is completely gone, and  In panic she stands up and runs around, searching for Alice. Alice's parents chatise her and tell her to get her sister back this instant. She heads back only to hear a scream. Panicking, she fearfully runs through the forest searching for her sister and ends up back home. It has started to heavily snow, blurring her vision. When she nears the house she realizes that is in engulfed in fire. Crying, she runs towards the fire, and sees her parents lying unconscious in a puddle of blood. Alice screams and rushes forward, burning herself in the process. She sees their eyes have been cut and they have deep knife gashes all over their bodies, hands cut off. She hears a scream and rushes upstairs to find her sister, Anna, being grabed by a man who is completely black with glowing red eyes. He has chains all over him and a necklace that is blurred. Alice's visions starts to blur, and the light flickers repeatedly. Anna cries out for Alice, reaching for her, as a black vortex begins to open up. Through the vortex, mutilated bodies, blood, checkerboards, and other horrifying images can be seen. Out of fear of the balck figure and the vortex, Alice is paralyzed, begins to cry and starts to turn away. Anna desperately cries out for her help, but before Alice can do anything, her vision goes black.

Part 2
When Alice awakens she is breathing and sweating heavily. She sits up and thinks to herself that she keeps having these nightmares. She is in a run down, colorless room with a broken bed with rusting headboards and a half broken mattress. She is wearing servant's rags, a very pale and washed out blue dress with an apron and patches where holes were made. She ties a ribbon on her hair and is yelled at by the other servants, who put her to work. Alice spends the day cleaning over and over, cooking, and being berated and treated cruelly by the older children at the mansion where she was "adopted". When Alice goes to serve the Mistess of the House tea, it is revealed that Alice is living at the Riddleridge mansion, and the Mistress is her Aunt Olivia. Olivia asks Alice what sort of tea was served, and when she replies Earl Gray, Olivia angrily demands African milk tea instead. Alice apologizes, but Olivia berates her, stating that she should consider herself lucky. After Alice's parents and twin sister perished, Alice was put in foster care, and passed down from family to family until they finally abandoned her at the orphanage because she was "too odd" and had "delusional ideas". Finally, Olivia owned up to being Alice's relative after being told that Alice was to inherit a large fortune upon her eighteenth birthday. She adopted Alice, being her Aunt, but instead treated her like a servant and put her to work in order to "earn her keep". Alice apologizes again and goes to fetch new tea. While in the kitchen, Janneth, the head butler of the house, tells Alice to accompany Emily and fetch firewood. He has matters to discuss with Olivia (which are later revealed to be about killing Alice in order to immideately inherit her wealth as opposed to waiting for her birthday and robbing her from it) and will give her the tea in Alice's place. Alice agrees and goes to the woods with Emily. As they walk, she keeps seeing flashes of creatures - a cat with glowing eyes - running around. She begins to think about the recurring nightmare she's been having every night for the past few weeks, and is seized with a crushing headache. She falls down, dropping the axe and cart she'd been lugging. Emily looks at her with fear and shock, repeatedly asking what's goig on. Meanwhile, Alice has flashing visions of a dark figure stabbing her parents and her sister being sucked into a vortex, and of a bright colored place with large flowers, mushrooms and blue caterpillars. She glances down and sees her hands covered in blood, and she screams, shutting her eyes again until the visions fade. She opens her eyes and her headache fades. She has tears in her eyes and wonders why she has visions of her parents and sister being murdered, when evidence showed they were burnt to death. She apologizes and picks up the supplies, walking again. Emily glares at her and calls her a complete freak, saying she's always been delusional. Alice simply smiles and walks. Once they arrive at the forest, Emily suggests they split up to get the work done faster and meet back by the large red oak tree when the sun sets. Alice protests but Emily leaves. Alice sighs and reluctantly goes into the forest. She gets freaked out at continuously seeing flashes of color and hearing rustling of trees and bushes, but sees nobody around. She chops wood and goes deeper into the forest to cut more when it starts to snow. She decides to head back to the tree and find Emily when she suddenly spots a white, glowing box with a golden A inscripted on it. Alice, curious as ever, reaches for the box and attempts to open it. However it is locked. Alice then picks up the box and is cut by sharp diamond edges hidden. She holds up her finger and blood oozes out, landing on the box. Suddenly the box shakes and  slams open, revealing a golden pocket watch with intricate designs on it. As she picks it up, she realizes it is frozen- but as soon as she puts it around her neck, the clock begins to tick again.

Suddenly, a voice from behind Alice calls out, "Alice." She turns around and he asks her to please follow him. Being in his rabbit form, Alice wonders at a talking rabbit but easily accepts it. She asks where he wants her to go, and he tells her, "The place where you belong. I shall take you to your destiny." However, Alice is hesitant. She does not trust the rabbit, but his gentle manner of speaking makes her take his hand. He opens his mouth to speak but suddenly the watch Alice has around her neck begins spinning rapidly, rushing time forward. A black hole appears and swallows Alice. The rabbit grabs unto her as they pass through an odd tunnel full of dolls, cards, tea pots and hats. "Where are we going now? What's happening?"

"We are going to Wonderland, Alice. Don't be afraid. You've already been here."

Suddenly, the rabbit hands Alice a potion. She wonders whether or not to drink it, and thinks back on the life she has. Deciding that she has nothing to loose, Alice drinks the potion.. Alice blacks out to the rabbit apologizing, her vision darkening and blurring.