Alice: I inhaled deeply as I looked over the small area-the battlefield where I sleighed the Jabberwocky. The black and white tiles of the chess board was still the same as before while the ruins that surround the area are covered with green moss, flowers poking up from the now green grassy slopes. The wind picked up and blew sea spray into my face but I paid no heed to it as I looked at the forsaken battlefield and shiver at the memory of the last time I stood on this exact spot-at the top of the spiralling stairs. I could clearly remember the horrendous red eyes that seem to stare deep into my soul. I tighten my hold on the sword when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn my head to see the Hatter giving me an encouraging smile. I smile back weakly, I look down to the crashing waves below me, "is everything alright Alice?" he joined me in my position, staring down into the dark, endless chasm, "can you remember what I did the last time I was here?" I ask absentmindedly and he reached down to squeeze my hand "of course, you saved us all from a terrible beast, you became our true Champion, dear sweet Alice." We didn't look away from the rough waves below, until I lifted my head to look at the bones of the Jabberwocky sprawled on the staircase, it's skull tiny from this vantage point, we were silent for a while-I felt as if I was alone, I forgot that Tarrant was standing next to me, "Strange, isn't it?" I murmur softly "How something so terrifying and beastly can be just as magnificent and powerful and yet it still falls…" I shook my head, and jumped as hatter's voice sounded next to me, "I suppose all the most powerful and magnificent fall at some point…" and I look at him, still staring out to sea. "I'm sorry Hatter," I place a hand on his shoulder, he continues to stare at the horizon, "I come here to think, sometimes…do you remember that these are your tear's?" I shake my head, "you see: you have shaped the very fabric of Underland, Alice. If it wasn't for you, we'd all cease to exist. Your tears gave us an ocean, dividing our people from those wishing to destroy us, there are other, more fierce threats out there than a disgraced queen and her quivering henchman; Underland will always need her Champion," he let a silence fall, to help the information sink in, but I wasn't worried, not really, as long as I had Hatter, I could get through anything.
"Come on, Hatter," I smile "let's go," I pulled my coat tighter, my hair whipping in the cold breeze. We walked together, and helped each other navigate the stairs-bonus a skeleton. At the bottom of the stairs, I looked upon the skull of the great beast once more; everything from the jaw down was dislocated due to the violent force that went behind beheaded the creature. Its large fangs were slightly stained with the purple colour that I knew was from the poison that took me home years ago. Its mouth was slightly open and I could still smell the unpleasant corpselike scent radiating from its exterior, the bones of the body smelt the same, it made me wretch a little looking at the very being that I killed for the first time-hopefully the last time I would kill. I still couldn't believe that I had done the impossible: I had taken someone else's life for the benefit of others. "Hatter… How many people have died waiting for my return? How many have waited for the Frabjulous Day?" I ask "W-What?" He stammers. "Can you do the impossible yet regret it at the same time?" I ask a different question "I'm not sure I understand what yer saying lass… Does this have anything to do with killing the Jabberwocky?" he asks. "Hatter, " I sighed "yes, it does. Can you imagine what I went through: I was forced to kill something to save many other lives; I have done one of the very few things I never thought I'd be capable of doing. I think that ever since that day… It changed me." he nodded "… Do you regret it?" hatter asks "because I'd understand if you did," I shrugged "… I honestly do not regret it. Not one bit. It made me become a better person. I wouldn't have been able to stand up to fulfil my dreams if I didn't come back to Underland." I smiled softly at the Hatter and he returns the smile. I feel my smile fade a bit before I look at the skull again. "But… I do not think I can kill again hatter," he placed a hand on my back…
Hatter: I get what she is saying and understands all too well. I myself almost killed Stayne in the battlefield had I not witnessed how Alice beheaded the Jabberwocky. The sudden realization of taking another's life was almost too overwhelming. I didn't want to become like Stayne and kill out of revenge. I wouldn't be no better off for it, no doubt. "… Do you regret it?" I asks "because I'd understand if you did," she shrugged "… I honestly do not regret it. Not one bit. It made me become a better person. I wouldn't have been able to stand up to fulfil my dreams if I didn't come back to Underland." She smiled softly at me, and I could not help but smile back at her. Alice's smile fades a bit before she looked at the skull again. "But… I do not think I can kill again hatter," I placed a hand on Alice's back, meant to comfort. After all I understood her intent; she meant that if the time would come when she had to kill Irasebeth or Stayne, then she would hesitate at the last second. But at the same time, she doesn't want anyone else to be put in the line. I could understand the dilemma. "Laddie, please try not to worry too much about this. Otherwise you will go insane; just like me-ye wouldn't want that ey?" I chuckle heartily. Alice couldn't help but smile too. "Come on, lest ye want to rest a while longer?" I ask the wee boy, shivering in the cold, she shakes her head, "no, we go on," she said, gathering her wits to journey on. "That's my boy," I grin, and she grins back, I look over her in appraisal when she was not looking, she was adorned in the clothing I made again, this time in a blue frock coat, blue tight trousers fitted into her boots. She had put on this morning the silk shirt with the little golden buttons, and her little blue waist coat, she'd stolen one of my bowties-a blue spotted one, which suited her-I'd given it as a present as soon as I saw her in it. She looked like what I'd picture a Champion-like this.
"What are you looking at?" she smiled turning back at me, I blush "nothing-everything-I mean-I-I…." I stammered and she giggled "it's not funny, Alice," I scowl, and she only laughed harder, which made me join in-our voices a mixture of hard and soft. I liked Alice's laugh-it tinkled like a little brook, angelic. We grinned like fool's in love…I snapped out of my joyous state and stopped abruptly "hatter! What's wrong?" she stopped too, looking confused and worried for me. "I'm tired of all this tis all, we need to get this all over with," I try to make the lies sound the truth-but I could see I hadn't fooled Alice, she is smart for her age-always has been. She nods and we walk on in silence, for a long while she kept flickering her eyes at me-making sure I was alright, she shouldn't be worrying about me-but for herself.
Alice: I felt the happiest I'd ever been, here, now with hatter. I couldn't imagine a live without him now, he was all I wanted. I was worried about him, he looked so sad all the time, I know what it's like to lose someone-my father died when I was a child. A heart attack they called it. His job put him under too much stress and now he was gone. But I learned a long while ago to live every moment for him, to live through all he has taught me. "Hatter, how many died waiting for me? Please I need to know," I looked up into his sad face, "my whole clan, all 500 of them, an entire village, gone the beat of a borogove's wing," I gasped at the initial amount of them, he is entirely alone out here. "if it helps I understand a bit of what you are going through," I thought of father, "I don't think leaving you family is the same thing-they are alive Alice," he smiled sadly it hurt me, like a pang of pain in my chest, "my father died too," I snapped and turned my back, I miss my family madly, I'll never see them again, but this was home, I'd lost all my family now too. He sighed "oh Alice, I'm sorry, I did not know, about your father; Alice? Alice, I, I didn't mean those hurtful words…Alice?!" he placed both hands on my shoulders, "of course it's the same, you love all your family, you miss them. Alice," I sighed and turned to face him, "you can't keep going round in you little bubble of grief, it will eat you up inside, it'll kill you…I should know, my mother almost died too, she just needed someone to reach out to her. I'll tell you what I told her all those years ago…All those people you lost, well they won't want you to be sad all your life would they? They aren't really gone, they are always with us in here," I pointed to my chest "you have to live for them, that's why I always think of 6 impossible things before breakfast. It's in remembrance for my father." He smiled "that's beautiful, Alice, really beautiful; but that's not why I'm sad," he was absentmindedly playing with my fingers, not looking at me but my hands, "then why are you sad?" I asked, looking up into his face. "I'll tell you another time," and he wouldn't have any more of it.