Story 1 in my Shuffle series

FIREFLIES

'It's been three years' Alice thought as she walked through the forest. It's been three years since she's last been to Underland. Since she'd last seen him. "I wonder how he's doing." She murmured quietly to herself. "You know they say talking to yourself is the first sign that you're going mad." She turned around quickly and smiled brightly at the grinning feline. "Hello Cheshire." "Hello Alice, it's good to have you back," "it's good to be back" she said "how the Hatter?" The cat's grin faulted slightly and Alice frowned. "What is it? What's wrong?" Cheshire sighed "Hatter's not been the same since you left I'm afraid." "Not himself?" "He's earned himself a new nickname you know. The Madder Hatter."

Alice looked up at the cat confusion showing on her face. "Madder Hatter?" The ever grinning cat floated up of the tree branch he'd been laying on and began to disappear. "Wait! Tell me what's wrong with Hatter!" Alice spoke quickly "See for yourself, you'll know what i mean. He never leaves that tea party these days." with that said, the cat disappeared completely from her sight. She turned away from the tree and began walking down the path once more worry filling her with every step.

When Alice arrived at the place where the never-ending tea party was held she was shocked to find that the ever present Hare and Dormouse were actually nowhere to be seen. As a matter of fact Alice was sure that everyone was gone, Hatter included until she was standing directly opposite of the head of the table. There she saw the one person she'd been missing most since she left. Her heart began to race. "Hatter?" she whispered quietly.

He was just as he had been when she first saw him three years ago. Sank back in his chair, head down, clothes droopy and colorless. He didn't respond to her called so she tried again a little louder. "Hatter" he looked up this time. Slowly, drowsily, almost as if he had been sleeping and just woke up. His eyes brightened to the familiar gold that she loved so much, his clothes perked up and were once more colorful and a smile so bright it but the sun to shame on his face. But then just as quickly and faded and disappeared, his eyes darkened, and his clothes once more sagged and lost color.

"No, no, no!" he whispered harshly to himself. "Hatter? What's wrong?" she asked him concerned. "He's not here! He's not real! A dream, it's all a dream. Alice isn't coming back!" Sadness swelled up inside of Alice. She knew this was all her fault. She'd broken the Hatter. Broken his heart and now her heart was breaking as she continued to watch him convince himself that she wasn't real.

"I am real Hatter." She spoke firmly as she walked over to stand next to him. She reached out to touch him speaking as she did. "I've come back Hatter, Just like I promised I would." The hatter's eyes turned a frightening bright red. Harsh and cold, nothing like the bright golden eyes she was so used to seeing. "No!" he shouted standing up so fast the chair he was sitting it fell backward. "It's not real! It's not real!" The Hatter grabbed Alice in a bruising grip causing her to cry out in fear as tears started to fall down her face. But they were not tears caused by pain she was feeling. These tears were for the Hatter and the pain he was feeling. She hated seeing him like this. Hated knowing that she was the cause of his pain. "Tarrant! Tarrant please!" she said using his real name "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" "Liar! Trickster! Not Alice! Not Alice!" The expression of pure fury and insanity on his face and in his eyes frightened Alice even more than fighting the Jabberwocky did. "Tarrant" she whispered brokenly.

It was then that she did the only thing she could do. The thing that she had been wanting to do ever since that night in the red queens castle when she had been watching him make hats. She leaned forward and captured the Hatters lips in a kiss. She poured all of her love, hope, and desperation into this single kiss. The Hatter froze. His eyes changed back to their normal bright gold and his grip on Alice's arms loosened. Alice pulled back slowly and opened her eyes to look into his. Mixed emotions fought for dominance on his face. Confusion, pain, sadness, happiness, and hope all played across his face.

Pain and Sadness being the two most prominent emotions, "Alice" he whispered brokenly. Her heart gave a painful thud in her chest. She wanted to erase the pain. Erase the sadness. Things she knew she caused him. "Alice" he whispered more hopeful this time. He wiped way the tears he saw falling down her face and pulled her in for another kiss. This one was just as desperate as hers. He kissed her hard and demanding. Needing to know she was real. Needed to prove that she wasn't going to disappear the way she had done before. He poured everything he was feeling into this kiss. All of his love, his fear, his sadness, and his hope. Alice kissed back just as hard. Proving she was here, she was real, and she wasn't leaving.

When the two pulled apart they were both breathless and panting. "Alice" he said again as he pulled her into a hug so tight that it hurt. Alice didn't complain though and hugged him back just as tightly. "I'm Here, I'm here" she said. Hatter leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Don't leave. Don't leave."

"Never again." She said "Never again."

970 words

This was inspired by the song FireFlies by owl city.
It's a new thing ive been inspired to do. Listen to songs on my phone in shuffle mode and whatever song comes up write a oneshot for it. Considering the kind of up beat nature of the song this story is surprisingly depressing. Not all of the stories im going to write will be for Alice in wonderland. There will be different stories for different songs for all of the movies, games, and etc that im into. This song inspired me to write a story for the Alice and Tarrant/Hatter as their a pairing I really enjoy. Don't know what'll come out next though. I'll have to wait and see as that is another story for another day.

Song 1/108