Reflections Chap 16

You can always have more than nothing...

Alice quickly stuffed the tiny sized Hatter into her apron pocket, then started to walk away from the table. After a short while she looked down at him. The Queens may not have been able to tell them anything useful. But he knew where this thing took Simon. "I think you know much more then you’re telling me." She spoke to the mad man, as she headed up towards a mountain pass. There wasn’t an enemy in sight, but no place was safe in Wonderland anymore it seemed. "I thought we were better than just good friends." She sighed. "You shouldn't hide anything from me at this point." Alice spoke with a serious tone. After all... they shared a kiss and lots of other things so far. "Do you not trust me anymore? Are you afraid of me doing something silly like I did a few years ago?"

The Hatter sighed as his head poked out of her pocket once more. His long arms hung down over the edge. The green checkered grass under her feet soon gave way to gray rock and up ahead was a very familiar clear spring that coiled in a spiral near the center of a clearing. The path branched off into four other paths. The ones leading to the Queens monstrous castle and to the Jabberwocks lair lay in nothing but ruins. It would seem all that was evil was washed away for good when Alice recovered. Only now the black and white checkered path leading to the Pale Realm seemed strange. A dark aura hung in the sky above the once benevolent Chess Piece domain. They could see it even from this far away. Like a storm cloud that never brought forth any rain as the random flash of purple lightning rumbled overhead.

The Hatter could feel a sense of crushing guilt overtake him as he looked down at his hands. "It’s not you I don’t trust. It’s just..." He sighed as his voice trailed off.

Alice felt a little disappointed in her friend. He was hiding something, something terrible. She didn't know what it was and she was burning with curiosity. But there was no time to argue with the Hatter now. She wanted to find Simon and take him back to their reality. Poor Simon. How scared and confused he must have been when he found himself in this madness. Alice would need to explain a lot to him when they find him. Trying to be quick, she set her foot onto the checkered floors of the Pale Realm. She noticed the difference in the sky, but they couldn’t turn back now. She firstly needed to turn the Hatter to his normal size. He would be no help, if he stayed the way he is now.

The Hatter felt like his gears were rusting shut. He wanted to tell her. To let her know what he had done. But how could he? She would hate him... But that was what he deserved wasn’t it? While he chose to be that creatures slave, his friends tried to fight and look what happened to them. What if the same thing happens to Alice? He would never be able to live with himself if anything happened to her. As they walked the broken bodies of both sides of the chessboard were seen strune in piles along the path. A poor rooks head rolled to a stop as they passed. With heavy black boots, Alice stepped over the poor broken chess pieces to find her way. Soon they came to the gates of the Pale Realm as she shoved them open. The gates lead to the main square as Alice and the Hatter entered. But the same thing was happening here as well. Dead and dying game pieces lay on the steps and near the big clock tower. When she looked up she could see the torrent of dark swirling clouds even closer now. There were too many questions to ask and no one was there to answer them.

The Hatter ran a hand through the mess of blond hair and looked up at her.  "..Alice...I..." He was about to speak when the ground started to quake as he held onto her apron. Alice stopped and stood still until the rumbling passed. The Hatter looked down as the white square she was standing on started to crack. Then everything around them felt as if it were melting...changing into something else. The castle style buildings of the Pale Realm began to twist and distort upwards as the gates behind them slammed shut. The black and white now merged into a dull gray as it all continued to change. But into what? The air grew heavy and wavered with heat as huge marble pillars complete with rose trellises begun to emerge from the walls as the last semblance of the Chess Piece world vanished. It was then a huge set of white doors suddenly burst up from the ground just ahead of her making her stumble to one knee.

The dark haired girl looked up in complete shock. She knew this place. The Pale Realm had been transformed into some surreal image of her Aunt’s house. But why?

Alice looked up at the door of the very familiar estate. Her eyes were sparkled with madness and she knew this wasn't a good sign. "This... place..." She took a deep breath and walked with a hypnotized expression on her face. "Why is this place?" Suddenly everything became dead quiet. Was Aunt Anna here as well then?

The Hatter peeked up over the edge of her pocket. "Alice don’t go in there!" He looked up at her. "Please let’s just go back? This isn’t like the Queen...trust me."

Alice gave a small smile. "I know... It's not me this time." She whispered, and then patted the blond hair of the man in her pocket. "Not me." She pushed the giant doors open and stepped inside the darkness. The small mad man looked up at her and sighed. No going back now. But this time it wasn’t madness Alice was going to battle against. Or even her own guilt. The Naaxia, fed on one’s own insecurities. Draining the very life from everything around it. And like Wonderland, Alice would have to fight to keep her very essence or end up an empty dead shell.

Alice knew the way through the rooms. She was living in this estate for so long and she had an idea of where to find the right ingredients to turn the green man back to normal size. Silently she made her way to the kitchen, looking through the shelves. The jars were all filled with colorful herbs and liquids. But she wasn't sure which would be the right solution for their little problem. Her every movement made a loud noise in this deadness. "Which should I feed you with?" She sighed and poked a jar filled with red liquid.

The Hatter perked up when he saw some of the bottles and herbs. They all had a "Drink Me" or "Eat Me" tag. So at least he knew they were still in Wonderland. But for how long? The Naaxia seemed determined to make sure this world would cease to exist and in its place would be her stark dead image of perfection. Perfect..and void of life. Just then he heard a noise behind them. Like the rasp of a comb when someone runs a thumb down the teeth..or perhaps..scales on tile? "...A...A-lice...." He shook and ducked back down inside the pocket!

Alice was busy with examining another bottle, when the Hatter warned her. It was too late when she turned back and drew her Vorpal Blade. A giant claw caught her around the waist and picking her up. All she could do was take a deep breath and stare at the image that held her. The huge reptilian body of the creature was wrapped around the mockup building like it was a giant dollhouse as it peered down at them. Alice recognized its shape from books she had read as a child. Was it... a dragon? The Naaxia chuckled between her sharp teeth as she brought Alice up to her eye level.

"Wanted this moment to come for so long, little girl." She then moved towards another room, her coils making rasping sounds as she moved. Alice kicked the air, trying to stab the giant claw with her blade, but it didn't even leave a scratch.

"Let go!" She shouted, but the claw around her body tightened as she gasped for breath.

The Hatter squirmed in her pocket and popped his head up. He had to do something but what?! The Dragon was immense even if he were his right size. "Alice don’t give up!" He looked down as they were held above an empty drink me bottle, sitting on a dresser in a mirror image of Alice’s own room. What was the beast planning to do?

The dark haired girl gritted her teeth against the pressure and pain, still squirming in the creature's claw. She wasn't going to give up and she didn't even know who this beast was! A flash of something caught her eye as a droplet of red liquid shone just on the end of the creature’s finger. She tried to shout, but she was silenced by the sharp nail being stuffed into her mouth. Then... things started to grow... Or... Alice was getting small. The Hatter didn't fit her pocket anymore as the apron tore open. It was then the claw let her go and she found herself falling into an empty bottle along with the mad man who was her size now. Panting harshly Alice landed on her knees and hands. Emerald eyes looked at the creature, it was laughing madly. What was it? What did it want from her and from Wonderland?

The Hatter landed next to her having torn her pocket open as she shrunk. He sat up on one knee and rubbed his head. He then quickly looked at her taking her arm. "Alice? Are you alright?" The hat maker growled up at the dragon as a huge cork stopper was abruptly stuffed into the mouth of the jar.

When Alice finally regained her breath, she quickly yelled at the creature. Her first question was expected. "Where is Simon!?" She didn't even look at the Hatter. "What do you want from him?"

The Naaxia just laughed in a loud booming voice. "I don't want that pathetic creature. I was waiting for you..." The dragon huffed hot breath against the bottle, making them warm and sweat with the heat. "Since your friend couldn't do anything right, I had to take it upon myself to bait you here." The beast then looked at the Hatter. Why wasn't she surprised to see him here with Alice? "Now trying to play the hero?" It laughed madly. "How pathetic... and late... After all you had done."

The Hatter frowned and stood up as his hands clenched into fists. He felt hatred towards the Naaxia!  But it paled in comparison to the guilt he felt over what he had done to Alice and the loathing he felt for himself. He looked down at Alice. "Alice.” He sighed letting his arms fall to his sides. "I wanted to tell you...but..." He sneered and looked up at the dragon as her breath fogged up the glass. "But I no longer work for you!" He yelled up at the massive creature. "I didn’t do it then! And I won’t do it now! Turn me into a husk if you want. But Alice will stop you!"

Alice emerald eyes widened as she heard their conversation. Her mind resisted to accept that. The Mad Hatter had betrayed her once, but... Alice knew he had changed. And they would never fight again... And ,and... She looked back up at him with wet eyes, still trying to deny. But even he admitted such a thing. "You..." She suddenly sobbed. "You tricked me." She said with a broken tone as a tear drop rolled from her eye.

The Naaxia watched the scene with a proud face. So this was really the girl who claimed to save Wonderland? It was no surprise that this place was broken and so easily conquered. "You are useless, Mad Hatter. But now... it's no longer important." The Naaxia grinned and shifted her eyes on Alice. Her prey was looking quite delicious.

The Hatter looked down at Alice with a mournful look in his eyes. He glanced away and nodded. "I...had no choice." He then kneeled next to her. "Alice please, you must believe me. She was going to destroy me...but...But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go through with her plans and stayed with you in the real world. Just like you said." He took her hand in his. "Alice. Ever since you kissed me...I knew...I had to be with you. Even if it meant my own death..."

But Alice quickly took her hand away from his, not wanting any contact with this man in any way. A great sadness of betrayal was filling inside her, teardrops were rolling one after other down her cheeks, and her dark eye make-up was falling away as dark tears. "How could you do this to me?" That was all she could say... And a single sob as the floor of the bottle slowly started to get filled by her own tears. She should have known better. Mad people were never trustworthy. The Naaxia wanted Alice to suffer more before she destroyed her completely. And it seemed the Mad Hatter was finally useful in a way she never expected. Alice's death would be slow and sorrowful she deserved it after all. Naaxia snickered at the scene and disappeared from the sight to leave Alice alone with her misery... and her lovely Mad Hatter.

The Hatter stared down at her and sighed with a heavy heart. "..Forgive me..." He then looked down at the floor of the bottle when something splashed his shoes. "...Uh..." Her tears were filling the bottle! "Alice?" He then kneeled next to her. "Alice I’m sorry. I truly am! Please you must believe me! Because if you don’t and keep crying like this you’re going to drown!" Another sob and even more tears began to flow from her eyes until it was well past his ankles.

"I trusted you, I invited you to my house." She covered her face with both hands, her tears never stopped. They were even faster now; filling the bottle they were stuck in a great speed. "I thought we had a real bound like you said." With each teardrop, she was also losing her colors one by one. Colorful drops hit the ground, leaving her black and white. Like the rest of Wonderland, she too was getting the life drained right out of her. After a few moments, she lost all of her colors... like her hopes and will to fight. "You made me fall in love with you." She sobbed as she admitted the truth. If this never happened, she would never have said such a thing. But now everything seemed so far away and meaningless. She didn’t care anymore if she admitted her love. It felt so one-sided now. After all how could a clockwork madman feel anything? It was all a ruse! "You played with me like I'm a toy. And now..." The bottle was almost half full now. "You broke me....It was what you wanted from the beginning, wasn't it?"


The Hatter was shocked. She...loved him? A strange feeling overcame him as he sat next to her. Something stirred deep within his chest. If he had a stomach it would be filled with butterflies right about now. He knew what he did was wrong. He knew she might never forgive him.  But he also knew that they did have a bond.  A strong one. Even stronger then the Naaxia herself. Hell, stronger than a hundred Naaxias. As she grew pale and the water rose the Hatter pulled her to her feet. "....Keep behind me..." He leaned her against the glass as the tears splashed up against his chest.

Her hands never moved away from her face even as she was pulled up to her feet. No resistance... almost boneless. She couldn't find any more reason to go on fighting. Even her friends had turned their backs on her... What was she supposed to do? The water was at her chin level now. She couldn't stop her tears... she didn't want to. No words came from her. She had nothing to say to this man. In a moment she would be under the water and her tears still came. Opening her eyes and looking at him with frozen eyes and thought things would never be the same again. She felt vulnerable and cheated. But then something flashed in her memory.  

"..Forgive me..."

Why would he ask her to forgive him if he had truly betrayed her? Did it mean anything anymore?

The Hatter stared at the glass as the water rose even faster. Whether she wanted his help or not he was getting her out of there. The gear on his back began to click backwards suddenly. As if winding itself up for something. He then reared back a fist as the gear spun forward again and slammed his fist into the glass! The white glove on his hand split at the seams revealing a series of wire, gears and metal strips that were his fingers. The glass cracked just a little but it needed more as water spritzed from the cracks. The oversized clock gear wound in reverse again as he pulled his arm back once more, and released ramming the glass at the same point. The force buckled some of the joints in his hand as wayward gears went flying, his sleeve exploded into shreds of fabric. The glass cracked more as water started to spray from the breaks. He pulled back as the wire that controlled the joints in his fingers snapped from the force, curling up over his wrist leaving his hand useless. He could hear Alice gasping for air now and knew he had to get her out! “Raaahh!” He sneered and hit the glass one more time as it burst sending both occupants sailing out onto the floor!

The water was splashed away, leaving Alice wet and silent on the ground. Her make-up was even more messed up all over her cheeks; her hair was looking black now without any color whatsoever. She matched the emotionless state of Wonderland so perfectly. Looking up at the Hatter with pitch black eyes, she whispered with a familiar curiosity that never left her. "Why did you save me?" She wanted to believe he was still on her side, but how?

The Hatter sat up holding his arm with his back to her. The fist he used to break the glass hung at the wrist. An occasional gear or cotter pin fell at his feet. "Because.....I... I love you too..." He looked down at her over his shoulder. "I know it is hard to believe...But I do...I guess I always have." He stood up and turned to face her. What was left of his shirt slipped off exposing his upper chest. His broken arm was nothing more but rusted steam pipes that joined up with large gears at the shoulder. Half of his chest, like the poor Dormouse and March Hare was a combination of gears, pulleys and springs. All merged in with the natural anatomy of the rest of his chest, as green sickly flesh was pulled tight over the rusted metal. Every time he moved, the gears moved. Random puffs of steam jetted from the wounded arm at the pipe that would always protrude from his sleeve at the elbow. He looked more like broken watch then a man in this state. "You see...? This is why I didn’t want you to see...."

Curious eyes looked carefully at the clockwork man's chest. So that was what he was hiding from her. Was he human or a clock? Or both? Did that wounded arm even hurt? She wasn't sure. Alice knew it didn't matter anymore from this point. But as she stared at him...she was finally starting to feel something warm inside. She looked down at her hands and they looked a little more pink then white. Maybe he really did made a mistake, and now he was only trying to protect her? Or was this a just another part of his mad game? Wiping the last tears from her eyes, Alice took a deep breath and looked at his face. "You look beautiful." And she gave a broken smile, which suited her mood.

The Hatter stared down at her as his yellow eyes wavered. She was..smiling? But how? He thought he had lost her for good. But perhaps..perhaps she still had her will. He kneeled down next to her and lowered his head. "...You know. When I called myself "Atter" I felt as if I was becoming part of your world. Like you became part of mine. But I forgot to give myself a first name...." He looked up at her with hopeful eyes.

Alice closed her dark black eyes for a moment, still giving that broken smile. When she opened her eyes they sparkled with an emerald shine. She placed a hand on his cheek and stroked his skin softly. She was ready to forgive him, but was she ready to forgive herself? Leaning close to him, she whispered into his ear. "...Richard." Then she kissed his cheek with soft lips.

The Hatter closed his eyes and leaned in wrapping his still active arm around her. "..Richard...I like that name." He pulled her close and buried his head into her shoulder. "...Alice...." He was about to speak when something stopped his words. He seemed to be struggling as he pulled away from her grasping his neck. Something silver and gleaming and jagged was taught around his throat. A lash of what looked like...barbed wire...was wrapped tight around his neck. The line of silver lead to someone standing far behind them in the dark. It gave a sharp yank as he was pulled right out of her arms.

Alice was wondering if she could relax in his arms even in this awkward timing, but then... Her Richard was taken away from her suddenly. With wide open eyes, she tried to reach for him, but it was too late. "Richard!" She gasped, knowing it was time to stand up on her feet once more. She couldn't let anything bad happening to him. Alice would see to that..