Chapter 37: The Price of Magic

"You made my son into a cat!" Amara yelled at Jafar, who walked right into the living room and was holding Cyrus in a cat carrier. Amara stood up from Rafi's body and held the Sorcerer's hat in her hands, with the base of the hat pointed at Jafar.

"For now yes, but not forever." Jafar said. "I've come for Rafi."

"Well you're too late." Amara said. "The Jabberwocky killed him."

"And where is she now?" He asked.

"I trapped her in this hat." Amara said.

"Good." Jafar said.

"Good?" Alice said. "You're both partners."

"Not anymore." Jafar said. "I didn't come here to kill Rafi."

"Give Cyrus back to us!" Alice yelled. "You have no use for him anymore!"

"That's where you're wrong." Jafar said as he pulled out a large white wand. "Do you know what this is? It's a special wand with the power to recreate any magic that has ever been done. Cyrus and Rafi were once genies. I want to make them genies again. With their genie status restored, I will receive ultimate powers again."

"Never." Amara said.

"Let me finish." Jafar said. "I can use this wand to undo your son's death. If I do, he's mine. Do we have a deal?"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Amara asked. "You're not an honest man and you've caused my family enough suffering. It's time you suffered."

"Think carefully Amara." Jafar said. "Do you want your third son to die? You know I'll kill him if you deny me what I want."

"Yes I do." Amara said. "That's why I'm doing this."

Amara then activated the hat, causing an orange vortex to appear, which sucked Jafar into the hat. Jafar fortunately dropped the cat carrier and the white wand on the floor before becoming trapped within the Sorcerer's Hat, which then reverted to its box form. She placed the hat on the coffee table and went over to pick up the wand. Then, Amara opened the carrier and let the orange cat out. Then, Amara used the wand to undo Jafar's spell and return Cyrus to his human form. Cyrus then gave his mother a long hug before turning his attention to Alice, who was holding their daughter and smiling with tears in her eyes. He immediately went over and hugged his family before sharing a passionate kiss with Alice.

"I've missed you." Cyrus said. "Both of you."

Cyrus then turned and saw his brother Rafi's corpse on the ground. Cyrus' happy mood soon turned to one of darkness and sorrow.

"Jafar was right." Amara said. "We can use this wand to bring him back."

"So do it, mother." Cyrus said.

"What kind of mother would I be if I saved one of my children instead of both of them?" Amara asked. "I'm going to bring Taj back as well."

"That's fantastic!" Cyrus said.

"No." Amara said. "You don't understand. It's against the laws of magic to bring the dead back to life. It is possible with this wand, but it comes at a price. If I sacrifice myself, then the magic from the wand and the magic that I leave this world will bring your brothers back to life."

"Mother..." Cyrus began to say.

"It's not open for discussion Cyrus." Amara said. "You'll understand soon. There will come a day when you'll be willing to sacrifice everything for your daughter. It's what parents do. I will always love you and I will always love Taj and Rafi. I've lived a long life. I've crossed worlds to bring my family together. I need to keep it that way."

Amara and Cyrus engaged in one final hug goodbye.

"I'll miss you." Cyrus said.

"I'll always be with you." Amara said.

Amara then walked over to her granddaughter Sophia, still in her mother's arms, and gave her a kiss on the head.

"Please..." Alice said before Amara cut her off.

"Be sure to tell Sophia that she's special. She's the product of true love. Her magic will one day be a force to be reckoned with." Amara said. "Let her grow up with confidence and with her parents and uncles to guide her."

Amara then stood by the entrance to the room while Cyrus stood next to Alice. Amara then waved her arm and the wand began to glow a bright white light. It became so bright that Alice and Cyrus had to look away. Alice put her hand over Sophia's eyes as well. After a few moments the light went away. When Alice and Cyrus opened their eyes, Amara was gone, but Taj and Rafi stood in her place. They looked alive and healthy. Cyrus ran to hug his brothers.

"Cyrus." Taj said. "What happened?"

"Where's mother?" Rafi asked.

While Cyrus, still with tears in his eyes, proceeded to tell his now living brothers about their mother's sacrifice, Alice put Sophia down on the sofa and picked up the box that contained the Sorcerer's Hat. Now, it also contained the Jabberwocky and Jafar. Alice, still holding the box, went outside to sit alone on her front steps and look at the stars. Amara was the closest thing Alice had to a mother since her own mother died all those years ago. It would be important for Alice to help Cyrus and his brothers through this. Alice's twin sister Victoria helped her when their mother died. Of course that was before Victoria went missing not long after Alice returned from her first trip to Wonderland as a little girl. Suddenly, a swirling, blue vortex opened up on the ground in front of her house. Then, the White Rabbit emerged as the hole closed behind him.

"I hope I'm not too late." The White Rabbit said. "I escaped Zelena back in Neverland and then I went to go see my family in Wonderland. I have to warn you about the villains."

"It's too late. They already came. Jafar and the Jabberwocky are in here." Alice said as she showed the box to the rabbit. "Amara is dead, but she was able to resurrect Taj and Rafi."

"I'm sorry to hear that." The White Rabbit said. "She was a wonderful woman."

"Yes." Alice said. "She was."