Hello, all! Here is the epilogue I had mentioned last chapter. There will be a longer message after the epilogue that I hope you will stick around to see.

DISCLAIMER: 'Alice: Madness Returns', and the 'American McGee's Alice' series are owned by Spicy Horse and EA Games, including any beta content not used in the final game. The author owns their OC, and any custom elements they choose to add into the story.

Onward to the Chapter!


In a moment, everything changes.

Sunlight breaks through darkness. I shut my eyes tighter, but that doesn't help. My arms twitch as I try to lift them up. My body feels so heavy that I don't want to spend the effort. So, I just lie there. The sunlight also slowly warms my body, which feels nice.

I open my eyes once I start to sweat. I first see a blue sky with white clouds. I then see a bright yellow sun. I look at the sky, my mind lost as to how I got here. The last thing I remember was falling into the Infernal Train's storm, and being crushed to bits. What caused me to wake up in a place like this? Also, how am I alive to begin with?

My mind answers with a shift in the air around me as I stand up. Alice stands nearby when the shift completes itself. I reach out to touch her shoulder, but my hand phases right through her body. That hand, and arm, are now white mist. I try to make it solid, and nothing happens. I try to summon a weapon, and nothing happens. I look over my body; it's all turned into mist. I open my mouth, and no sound comes out.

What's going on?


Alice stands in a grayed-out London street, in her London clothing. She is the only bit of real color in the scene. Other men, women, and children float around, all of them made of the same mist as me. Alice walks past them, and through them, without slowing down. I follow her while floating in the air, and right through these mist-people. Some of these people are folks I've met in London.

Dr. Fixxler rubs her hands on Huginn and Nanna's heads as she sits on a staircase. The group of boys I saw arguing over a poster by the docks run by her, and through me, without a sound. On the far corner, Jack Splatter leers at a woman in a large dress. A few blocks later, the drunken sailor from the docks stumbles by with a hand on his head. Two thick-bodied police officers walk right through a wall.

Alice doesn't notice any of them, or she doesn't care they're here. I follow her down several more streets, and many more mist-people, until she reaches a train station entrance that's near Houndsditch. The blare of a train whistle sounds as Alice reaches a descending staircase. She looks around for a moment before she proceeds. She still doesn't see me, or notice me at all.

Steam floats around every lamp we pass by as Alice walks down. Her footsteps echo in the tunnel, the only sound I can hear. When we reach the lower level. more lamps fill every corner of the area with light. Alice squints her eyes as she moves with a purpose. She doesn't turn to the side, or slow down. There's not much to look at here, anyway. She walks down another set of stairs, and stops at a platform that leads to a curved tunnel. I raise my head to peek over the platform's edge, and see railroad tracks laid horizontal to where Alice stands.

There's someone else down here, standing on the platform in front of the tracks: a man in a dark brown coat, brown pants, black shoes, and muddy-brown top hat. His back is to us, but he turns around as we arrive. It's Dr. Angus Bumby. The tormentor of Alice's mind, and the purger of her memories. He doesn't look surprised that Alice is here. He doesn't notice me, either.

Dim sunlight shines through a glass ceiling, and lights up the area. Bumby's monocle glints over his right eye as he smiles at Alice. The smile looks calm, but I know now that is far from the case. I float to a space between Wonderland's creator, and its corrupter. I hear Alice's heavy breaths as Bumby adjusts his monocole once again.

"You oozing sore of depravity," Alice suddenly shouts at the man. "Children wearing their names around their necks, as if breeding livestock!"

"A declaration of their pedigree," Bumby answers with strong bravado. "You could use one, they're proud to display their provenance!" He then lets out a brash laugh, and I see Alice clench her teeth. I watch these two converse back and forth, point to counterpoint.

"You brute," Alice continues. "They can't remember who they are or where they're from. How many minds have you twisted into forgetfulness?"

"Not enough," Bumby angrily answers. "Yours would have been a triumph! Still," he declares with a dark grin, "you're an insane wreck. My work is done."

"You used me, and abused me," Alice admits without losing her cool, "but you will not destroy me!"

"No? The damage is done." Bumby waves his hand as he states his accomplishments: "The old Alice, and her Wonderland, are demolished. You can't even recognize what's happened, and you're powerless to change it or move against me. I've made certain of that."

Alice places her hands on her hips. A gust of wind blows some paper across the station floor. She looks like she has more to say, and Bumby doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Did he come down here just to hear this? Did he know Alice was going to figure things out, and confront him?

"You corrupted my memories," Alice soon says, "but you failed to make me forget!"

"I could have made you into a tasty bit," the doctor insists. "Clients out the door waiting for a piece from a raving delusional beauty with no memory of the past, or no sense of the future." He then frowns as he says, "But, you failed to forget; you insisted on holding onto your fantasies. You're mad! Like your sister, and your silly little boyfriend!"

"Don't you speak of them!" Alice shakes a clenched fist at Bumby as she says this. "You didn't know them…!"

"Oh, really? Your lover was a piece of your chaotic pie, a stepping stone to your conquest. He could have joined you in serving the greater good, but he blindly followed your delusions. You were his obsession, his drug. I had to show him the real world, pull him away from your silly games."

"Then, you failed," Alice chastises with a huff. "Kyle Zuclair isn't your puppet, nor am I!"

"Then he's mad as you, and your sister! She was a tease, pretending to despise me. She got what she wanted, in the end…"

At this, I see Bumby draw out a key; the metal key from Alice's memories. The key to Lizzie Liddel's room. This proves Bumby was obsessed with the young woman. I dash forward and try to punch his head in, but my fists go through him with no effect. I give a few punches and kicks, but he doesn't react at all.

"I'll see you charged," Alice growls as I float away again. "In prison, some half-wit bruiser will make you his sweetheart… and then you'll hang!"

"Indeed?" Bumby chuckles at this threat. "A hysterical woman, former lunatic, roaring outrageous accusations against a respectable social architect and scientist. My God, Alice, who would believe you? I scarcely believe it myself!"

"You monstrous creature," Alice spits out, her tone sounding desperate. "Such evil will be punished!"

"By who? By what?" The doctor actually looks around the station, like someone will pop out of the stones to state they will, in fact, help Alice. He ends his search with the words, "Psychotic, silly bitch! Your madness will be punished. Now, leave! I'm expecting your replacement."

Bumby then takes out a golden pocketwatch from inside his coat pocket, and flips it open. He holds the key in the same hand, the small object tied to a thin chain of beads. Alice looks at Bumby, and then the key. A grim expression settles on her face as she steps forward. I float up as close as I dare, my heart in my mouth as to what will happen next.

Alice gets within inches of Bumby, and then swipes the key out of his hands. Bumby stutters out something as Alice whirls around, and takes three steps back to the stairs. Then, she slowly turns back to face him.

Before my eyes, Alice's clothing and appearance change into her Vale of Tears state. Her hair flows back in a breeze I don't feel, her eyes shimmering with anger. I look to Bumby; his mouth hangs open in shock. Alice strides up to him, and he fearfully steps back to the platform's edge. He then flails his arms to stay balanced, and a loud rumble turns my attention to the darkness of the tunnel's right end. A set of lights grows brighter with each second, along with the clack-clack of wheels on rails.

With a quick step, Alice shoves Bumby over the edge. He cries out as he falls onto the tracks. Before he hits the ground, a metal train slams into his body with a loud crunch. A few bits of blood fly onto Alice's face as the train barrels over his corpse. Her hair flies to one side as the train brings its own breeze.

As the train slows down, Alice turns away from the murder she's caused. A smile flickers onto her lips for a single moment as she walks up the stairs. I don't blame her for it. The man that killed her parents, violated her sister, and betrayed her trust, is finally gone.

Then, everything goes white.


I sit upright as I see colors again. The same sun and sky from before are above me. I'm on top of a two-story stone building, which is next to a gigantic orange mushroom. The mushroom looks right out of the Vale of Tears. But, that place had changed to the Vale of Doom the last time I-

No. That's not true. It was true, but isn't any longer. Things have changed.

I look at myself; I'm in my Vale of Tears clothing, clean of any tears or stains. I stand up as I slowly take in all the strange sights around me. A water tower has grass growing along the sides, but the metal looks fresh and clean. The cobblestone streets have small snails crawling alongside alley cats. A statue of the Mock Turtle rests by a fancy parasol umbrella. A series of smaller mushrooms grow in the midst of the stones, and along the wall of a nearby building. The air I breathe is a mix of London's smok, and the Vale's humidity. It smells... quite pleasant, actually.

A familiar whoosh of air comes from my left. I turn to see the Cheshire Cat sitting on a nearby mushroom. He looks at me, his eyes the brightest I've ever seen them. I stare at them, into them, and then I understand.

The pieces snap together in my head. Things have changed. Wonderland and London have fused together. We, and the rest of Alice's creations, now live in a 'Londerland' that is unique and special. It is the best of both worlds, a paradise for someone as 'mad' as Alice.

But, Alice's madness isn't important. She won, and saved us all. That is what matters.

I nod to the Cat, and he twitches his ears. His grin, like always, never fades. He turns his eyes to the streets, and I join suit. I can see the tran station at the far right end of the path. A lump grows in my throat as I imagine Alice coming out, and seeing what she's made.

A moment later, Alice actually walks up the train station's stairs. Her eyes go wide, and her mouth drops, as she sees Londerland's beauty. She slowly steps out into the streets, and begins to look around. I want to go to her, embrace her, but I hold back. My conscience, and common sense, tell me she may still be traumatized from the battle she fought.

Still, I can offer a few words of comfort. She may not hear them, but I want to say them because they are that important.

"You've won, Alice," I state. "It may not look like it, but you've won. You've also helped solve my problems. Now, my soul is found. Now, my mind is fixed. Now, I know who I'm supposed to be. I am a piece of the unique tapestry that is your wonderful, and dangerous imagination. Thank you."

I brush away a tear with my hand as the Cheshire Cat gives a long, slow sigh. He then speaks his own monologue as Alice walks beneath us, exploring her new creation, and all it has to offer her.

"Ah, Alice, we can't go home again. No surprise, really. Only a very few find the way, and some don't recognize it when they do. Delusions, too, die hard. Only the savage regard the endurance of pain as a measure of worth. Forgetting pain is convenient. Remembering it, agonizing. But recovering the truth is worth the suffering. And our Wonderland, though damaged, is safe in memory… for now."


Alright, that's it. The story has ended.

For the people who have read this from when I started this story, thank you for your continued interest over all these weeks and months. For those who read this later on, I hope this story has been entertaining for you. It was a challenge to write at times, but I have your continued views, and comments, to thank for motivation.

As usual, any reviews, comments, constructive criticism, and feedback are appreciated. What did you all think about this story? What parts did you like/dislike? What could have been added/removed?

Whatever the case, thank you for reading my work. Draconos is taking off!