Alice opened her curious eyes once again. It was night time and little bright stars decorated the dark black sky. She looked around. What was hidden by the night? Curious and curiouser.

But that's when she caught a glimpse of something. Something green. A large brilliantly green eye stared at her from inside the tea cup. Alice shrieked and jumped out of the overstuffed chair. Cautiously, she stared down into the cup once again. She saw Hatter's pain stricken face, he looked as though he was a mere reflection in age old tea.

"Alice…," whispered the Hatter in the teacup.

"Hatter, what are you doing in the teacup?" asked an alarmed Alice, not daring to trust her own eyes.

"Oh Alice, dear Alice! You'll be so ashamed of me. So very ashamed. I did something very bad. Very naughty. Naughtier than when you weren't on time, so naughty that you perhaps shouldn't even look at me as I speak these words. Speak this terrible, awful, atrocious-" began the Hatter

"Hatter! Just tell me what you did. I promise, I won't be ashamed of you," assured Alice, waiting for the news.

"I made a deal with The Malignant Enchantress," began the Hatter, looking very ashamed. "She said that- that if I gave her something, you would return to Underland"

"What did you give her?" asked Alice, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"My life," said the Hatter, barely audible.

"Your life? Hatter! Without a life, you can never be with me now!" cried Alice, a mixture of pity and grief welling in her chest.

"Yes, I can. There's just one thing you have to do to get me back," sighed the Hatter, knowing that this way was quite impossible. OR he believed it to be.

"What can I do?" asked Alice, willing to do anything to get her Hatter back.

But just then, the first light touched the sky. The once black sky had begun to show the ever-so-slight peak of the sun barely visible, but Alice knew it was too late. Sure enough, when she looked back at the teacup, the Hatter had disappeared out of the murky liquid and into the unknown.

Alice waited all day, just staring at the teacup, hoping he'd return. After hours, she began to reflect. She had done the same thing to Hatter. Left him to wait at a table for her to return, unsure of when he'd get to see her face again. Could he possibly love her after what she had done? Yes, she thought he did. But of course, Alice had thought many things in her life. Not all of them quite possible.

As night dawned back into Underland Alice waited patiently, staring intently at the teacup, messy golden locks wildly in her eyes, pale face covered in anxiety.

This night, the Hatter did not appear in the cup, but a single message did. In the tea cup, another scrap of paper floated to the surface of the tea. Alice quickly grabbed it out of the liquid and read it apprehensively. It read;

He will not return. His reflection is fading. Find the Enchantress.

Alice could feel the tears welling up again. How could she possibly find this Enchantress she had never even heard of? If Hatter's reflection was fading, could he be gone forever? The questions swirled around her head faster than the tea she was swirling absentmindedly with her finger. She had to find the Enchantress. Had to.

"You called?" came Chess's voice from behind Alice's head.

"I did nothing of the sort," said Alice, confusedly. She had just been thinking Chess could lead her to this Enchantress.

"Ah, I know when I am needed. I will lead you to the Enchantress, but no further," offered Chess, floating away from the table, grin stretching across his face.

Alice wasn't hesitant. Anything for Tarrant. She got up from the seat she head so desperately waited by for many hours. Chess floated breezily down many paths, not even bothering to see that Alice was panting to keep up with him. He led her down Queast and many of other various roads Alice couldn't recognize.

When Chess stopped, Alice gasped at what she saw. A giant glass orb sat in an odd spot in the road, full of white gas, spurting out in every which direction, as if trying to escape the globe. The circular odyssey was about the size of 50 average houses molded into a globe.

"This…is the Enchantress's castle," whispered Chess, appearing beside the gaping Alice.

"How do I enter?" asked Alice, eyeing the building unsurely.

"To enter…You must give whatever the guard asks you to give," said Chess, disappearing and not coming back this time.

Alice gulped and trudged slowly up to the door. A guard stood by the door. He…was the guard a he? It had no face. Just a blank pure black head and stubby body. But somehow, the guard looked quite menacing.

"What must I give you to enter?" gulped Alice, staring down at the guard.

"Just a few memories," spoke the little guard in a dark, raspy voice. That didn't seem so bad. Alice nodded and closed her eyes. The little guard waved its hand.

When Alice opened her eyes, she couldn't even remember why she was here in the first place.