The White Rabbit watched the whole scene unfold from the far opposite side of the Queen's Court. His nose wouldn't stop twitching, and his feet were shuffling every few seconds. He kept muttering to himself under his breath, fear clutching his heart. "Oh… oh… this is bad. Can't get much worse than this!" His eyes shifted back and forth between Rapunzel and the Hatter. They stood before the Queen, who was livid with rage.
The White Rabbit watched in horror as she stood and screamed at them. The whole atmosphere of the room had changed once the Hatter and the Girl came out from the set. The White Rabbit raised a quivering paw to straighten his spectacles. He tried to block out the Queen's screams but it was impossible.
He squeezed his eyes shut, grappling with the overwhelming sense of guilt filling him. Here he stood cowering in the corner like the scared rabbit he was, letting yet another human fall victim to the Queen's wrath.
He grit his teeth, trying to talk himself out of what was coming. "I can't do anything for them. Not a thing. I won't risk my head for a silly girl who wants to lose hers!" A memory from almost a year ago came rushing back to mind.
"Please! There has to be something you can do to get me out! You're my last hope! I can't stay here! I can't stay here with HER!" Hatter's desperate plea was pitiful to behold. The Hatter was on his knees at the White Rabbit's door. Begging for his help.
"I can't help you. Go away."
"No! I won't! I can't! I read the 8th Volume! I KNOW you are the one who can get me out!" Hatter's voice lowered to a hoarse whisper, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. "Please, help me."
The White Rabbit's nose twitched, and he cast a nervous glance around then bent over close to Hatter. "I'm sorry… I can't." He swallowed hard, glanced about again then whispered. "What the Queen has done to you, I can't control or fix… I'm afraid- no one can."
Hatter's gaze turned to sheer hopelessness, and he fell on his hands weeping. "No…" He moaned. "I can't stay like this… I can't."
The White Rabbit leaned over and handed him his handkerchief. "I'm sorry. There is nothing I can do."
It had been true… all of it. There was nothing he could do… but that hadn't been the full truth. The White Rabbit felt his heart sink as he faced the truth himself.
The Queen of Hearts had saved their world. She helped keep it from the doom it would have met otherwise… but at a price. She used the 9th volume that was the true cause of all the dimension's destruction in the first place.
"White Rabbit, this Pocket Watch is no ordinary pocket watch. It will keep time frozen back by hundreds of years here, and prolong our lives and the lives of our world. You must always reset it at Midnight of each day…"
The White Rabbit took the large pocket watch, and a strange sensation shook his body. He glanced up at the Queen in alarm. "My Queen! This is…"
"Just use it." She stared hard into his eyes. She turned and walked away, and that's when he saw it- the evil book, the book of taboos, the 9th volume.
The 9th volume was not a normal book to be had by anyone. It was a book that could be found in almost every dimension that hadn't destroyed it immediately. Some saw it as a vast treasure of knowledge, others destroyed it and banished it from their worlds and kingdoms. Others, such as the previous royals of Wonderland, had kept it under lock and key except for emergencies. It was an evil book full of dark magic that should never have been used by anyone… yet here it had saved their lives.
The White Rabbit sighed, feeling his age. He remembered when he'd first seen the book, under the rule of the previous King. He was visiting the King's former house, the house that now belonged to the Hatter, and had entered the King's Library. There it had been right among the other books. The King said he could keep a good eye on it that way.
The White Rabbit had given it a good look over at the time, the King wanting his thoughts on book. His conclusion: it was a powerful book that could easily destroy whoever owned it, and their very world. It wasn't evil in an obvious way, but as he read, the meaning behind some of the curses and spells showed a deeper, seductive darkness that could turn even the strongest of people to chose an easier path than they should have. When he gave his two cents worth to the King, the monarch left the room, telling the White Rabbit to let himself out. A few days later, the King was found dead in his study. Wonderland feared for their existence, and a small group of village young people who refused to give up on their world came and took over the land- and the Queen of Hearts was crowned.
The White Rabbit opened his eyes and gave a long stare at the Queen, watched as she stalked closer to the two young people cowering before her. She hadn't always been the Queen the people saw today. She was kind at the beginning, always ambitious and with a heart for her people- but now… He gazed about the Castle, at the people waiting with baited breath for the Queen's final cry, at broken scaffolding, at the insanely elaborate sets for Hatter's show, at all of the ugly mixed-up mess which had once been a beautiful world. Now she was a crazy tyrant, running things her way and hers alone.
The White Rabbit started to choke as he realized- finally seeing clearly what had truly destroyed the Queen and their world. The 9th volume. The book of ill-gotten evils, the book that could destroy not only a world but the person who kept it. The book which she had used once, then twice, and was slowly but surely poisoning the Queen with the madness she was known for.
"OFF WITH HER HEAD!" The Queen's boney finger pointed straight toward Rapunzel. The cry echoed through the cavernous hall.
The White Rabbit watched in horror as the men and women took up the cry, "Off with her head! Off with her head!" It was happening again, and this time it was an young innocent girl. Tears filled his eyes as he realized he could no longer sit back and follow his Queen's orders. He, the nervous, fidgety, do-as-he-was-told, old white rabbit was the only one who could possibly put a stop to the Queen's murderous plan.
He remembered back to the Hatter's plea for help, to the Girl's confusing entrance into their world. He couldn't fix all of the mess Wonderland was in, but he could help the two of them, give them a second chance. His gazed focused on the Girl. She was their only hope.
The White Rabbit shook himself and began to plan as he pushed through the mob of people shouting for Rapunzel's death. He had to get to them first before the guards took her away. Had to get her out of the castle.
He was too late. The guards were well on their way to the front. However, they hesitated upon reaching it.
The Queen was no longer on her platform before the court, she had strode from her throne to stand in front of Rapunzel. She had caught Rapunzel by the wrist and shook her, yelling at her, then throwing her to the ground. The Queen raised her hand again, her eyes gleaming with the anticipation of her victim's death, kicking at the poor girl, when a shout rang out.
"NO!" Hatter stood protectively beside Rapunzel, eyes blazing as he stared defiantly at the Queen. "No! I won't let you touch her! She hasn't done anything to you."
For once the Queen was at a loss as she met Hatter's hard gaze. The anger in his eyes sent a chill down her spine. She saw what seemed to be the spitting image of the first "Hatter" in her life, come back from her past to set her in her place once again. The Queen felt her knees go weak underneath her and stepped aside as Hatter reached down and helped Rapunzel to her feet. Then he turned and faced the Queen, still holding the girl's hand.
"Don't you ever go near her again!" He ground out, his eyes still burning through her.
The Queen swallowed hard, fear beginning to engulf her as she no longer saw the Hatter she had made this boy be, but the Hatter she had loved, feared, and admired as a young girl many years ago. Laurence Ler… The Hat peddler who had also fallen into their world, the man who had broken her heart, the man who had left her to be destroyed along with her precious world. She no longer heard what this Hatter was saying, she couldn't even see him, all she saw was the spitting image of Laurence… from his striking confidence down to his cold hard eyes. This towering boy was no longer the fearful cowering servant he'd been just days before, he was an angry young man, ready to go to war with her, all because of that girl. The Queen's gaze flicked towards Rapunzel, standing behind Hatter's left shoulder and still gripping his hand.
Her gaze snapped back to Hatter. His sharp tone pierced through her drifting thoughts. "Let her go and return her to her home. Now." His resolute gaze shot straight through the Queen's heart, and that's when she felt her carefully controlled world shatter.
The Queen closed her eyes fighting with her own soul. She remembered herself, how she had waited for Laurence to come and take her to his world with him, to save her from her dying world- and how he never came. Her heart hardened again within her, turning as hard as stone. She wouldn't let this boy control her just because he was finally showing a little backbone. No.
The Queen opened her eyes, and gave him an icy stare. "Kill them. Kill them both."
Hatter took a step back, his firm gaze wavering as panic overtook him.
The Queen smiled. No. He is still the frightened boy he always was, and this moment of heroics is over.
Author's Notes:
After a long...wait, the next chapter is finally here! **Cackles** I hope it was worth the wait.
I would like to dedicate this chapter to a few people.
To Rosy Bear, thank you for your encouraging messages about Oncie & Punzie! You greatly sparked my motivation for this story again! I hope you enjoy this update! :D
To Rohans Daughter, AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! This edit is so wonderful! Thank you so much for critiquing and editing my story! I really appreciate it! If it weren't for you this wouldn't have been posted as soon. You've helped me so much with this story, the MEP, and everything! Thank you for always being such an encouragement, and for not letting me give up on my MEP. 333
To Moonshadow, Thank you SO much for the amazing piece of fanart for my Birthday! 3333 You helped spark my creativity again! Thank you so much! I LOVE this art! **Hugs**
To My Mom, who puts up with all my nerdy-ness, and even gave me Oncie Punzie inspired cupcakes for my birthday! Thank you! Love you, Momma!
To God, Dear God, thank you so much for always guiding me with this story and giving me the ideas and inspirations I need to help keep this story going! Thank you for bringing this chapter and ideas back to my remembrance! I pray that these characters and this story will always bring the Glory back to You and that it will shine Your light to others! 3
Thank you to all who have read this story thus far! Please, please, please, review! I love to read each and every one of them! (I also want to know what you think of this chapter in particular! Any surprises that you didn't see coming!?)
Until next time! Good night & God Bless! 3
~Vi~
