Time for chapter three! And… the March Hare! (and the Mad Hatter, oh joy!)

Who guessed who it was? ;D

I'm updating the first three chapters... all within the same hour? *faints* I know. silly me. but I'm too excited... *fidgets*


This time, being fully prepared for the landing, Maka landed on her feet and came quickly to a stop. Glancing around, she took in the tea table not so different from the one she'd just left. But there was no-one sitting there. Let's see… last time, Tsubaki appeared when I sat down. Guess I'll try it. Surveying the area, the meister shrugged and seated herself in a random chair at the head of the table. As she suspected, there was a rustle in the bushes – yes, bushes, she realized she was in a clearing in the middle of a forest – and none other than BlackStar leaped out. Complete with a suit, tall brown rabbit ears, a stubby ball of a tail, and the odd way he was jumping around, Maka burst into laughter.

"Ah, so it is Alice!" he exclaimed. "I am the mighty March Hare!"

So, not much changed there, Maka mused. Then there was another rustle, and a familiar (and irritated) voice rang out.

"Damn Hare… can never stay put… wish I could cut him up on the spot."

Maka nearly slammed her head against the table. Why, of all people, did it have to be… him.

Stepping out of the bushes was Stein, clad in a dark suit and a funny tophat, his glasses obscuring his eyes and his usual cigarette hanging out between his lips. BlackStar/the March Hare pouted.

"Give it up, Hatter. You'll never be able to catch me!"

"Oh really?" Stein – Of course, he's the Mad Hatter, Maka grumbled in her head – cranked his still-present screw, hidden at first by his large hat. "Let's test that, shall we?" The March Hare gulped, but an exasperated 'Alice' stood up.

"Look, you two," she snapped. "I have no idea why I'm here, less of an idea what's happened to all of you, and absolutely no clue as to how to get back to my perfectly normal life. According to several people – that is to say, Soul and Tsubaki- no wait, as you know them the White Rabbit and the Dormouse – I have to pass a test every time I get dumped down a new hole/tunnel/thingy. So shut up and tell me what to do so I can get this over with."

Stein raised an eyebrow, while BlackStar backed away slowly. Breaking the silence, Mr. 'Oh-so-crazy-Hatter' let out a rather scary cackle that would have made most sane people wet their pants. Not Maka. She heard it every damn day during class.

"Of course, my dear!" Stein answered with his signature insane grin. "To have gotten to my table, you needed something obvious. To leave my table, you need something of a more subtle, sinister matter." He gestured for BlackStar to sit down, which he did, still sulking. Taking his seat, the Mad Hatter withdrew a pot of tea, bowl of sugar cubes, and several cups out of thin air. He poured some for all of them, then grinned again and threw a sugar cube in Maka's cup. She almost jumped as the tea began to froth and bubble, before… settling down.

"And… what was that supposed to accomplish?" she asked incredulously.

The Mad Hatter shrugged. "That is up to you, Alice. If you truly believe that tea was intended for nothing… nothing will be accomplished. But if you accept that even a cup of insignificant tea can be so much more, than this test will be what you have accomplished, and you can move onto the next one."

Eyeing her tea warily, Maka composed herself. Truly believe… uh, great. But I have to get out of here… and from what I've seen so far… there are a lot of extraordinary things in this place. Shifting uncomfortably, her thoughts moved to her teammates. When I first met Soul, he was just another random weapon with just enough potential to be noticed, but not enough to be selected. I gave him a chance… and he gave me one. He's certainly not insignificant. She glanced at the March Hare, better known to her as BlackStar, and reflected on him and his partner. Well, he's always saying he's significant anyways, and I've come to learn there's more behind his arrogance. And as for Tsubaki, she's just as amazing, in her own way. Finally she thought of Kid and the Thompsons. I barely knew who he was, the first time we met. All I knew he had that weird obsession and was incredibly powerful despite it. Liz and Patty compliment him well… they're all insignificant at first glance, it's what's inside that matters most.

Taking a deep breath, Maka made eye contact with the Mad Hatter and squared her shoulders. "Everyone comes in insignificant packages, but it's like a Christmas present. You never truly know what's inside until the package opens up. Nobody is significant, and nobody is insignificant. Just like this tea."

She waited, nervously, for a moment, as BlackStar stared at her openly. For what seemed like a lifetime, utter and complete silence overtook the table, before Stein simply clapped once and smiled.

"Congratulations, Alice. You've accepted others… and therefore yourself. This test is accomplished, now go meet the others…"

And for once, instead of being dumped down a hole, she was lifted into the sky superhumanly fast, the ground disappearing below her in a flash to reveal nothing but white clouds. For a moment, she hung, then… she dropped.


Ehehe… I couldn't pass up the temptation… anybody seen the Black Butler special, Ciel in Wonderland? I kind of modeled this chapter off of that. Remember, review and you'll get to see the special surprise next time even sooner… ;)

Alice~ Maka
The White Rabbit~ Soul
Dormouse~ Tsubaki
The March Hare~ BlackStar
The Mad Hatter~ Stein

~DeaththeKidKat