"Is she dead?"

"Of course not, how could she be?"

"She may be Alice, but she is not invincible."

"She slayed the Jabberwocky!"

Something pricked her in the foot, and Alice's eyes shot open. She found herself staring into the eyes of the great beast known as the Bandersnatch, his drool falling over her like rain. She grinned despite the sting in her foot, and reached up to rub his fury, soft face, comforted by the realness of it. The beast was overjoyed, pushing into her palms like a loyal dog greeting their master. She could have sobbed with relief in that moment, wrapping her arms around the beast's neck and allowing him to hoist her into a sitting position through her embrace. His long tongue slid across her face, and she found herself bubbling with happiness and laughter.

She was home.

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you all!" she cried. Before her were Mallymkun, Bayard and his family, Nivins McTwisp, the Bandersnatch, or "Bandy" as she liked to call him, and of course, Chessur the floating, mysterious cat. She felt as if her grin matched his, which was positively impossible.

Chessur grinned even wider at her when Bayard's pups came launching at her, much bigger than they were before. She fell onto her bag in a fit of giggles as Chessur spoke. "Please, do not take offense to this, my dear, but I must ask why you are here."

"Chess!" Mally scolded from upon Bernard's head, her eyes furious. Alice sat up once more, taking in her friends she had missed so dearly, and yet she couldn't help but notice someone was missing. "That's terribly rude."

"Rude, yes, but even more curious." Chessur floated towards Alice, who reached towards him with her palms. He purred into her hands, his grin growing soft. His body came to rest around her shoulders, warm and familiar against her skin, and he gently nuzzled her. "I am pleased to see you, of course, yet I can't help but wonder what brings you here."

"He's right," Bayard said, tugging one of his growing pups away from her with his teeth. His wife had control of her remaining three, gently licking them as she beamed at Alice. "Underland is well, there is no need for you to be here. Nobody summoned you."

"Is everything alright, Alice?" McTwisp murmured, gently touching her knee.

It all came rushing back to her in that moment: the nightmares, the sounds of her father's cry, his reflection in her mirror, and the voice niggling in the back of her mind. Something wasn't right and she knew it, yet she could not fathom why it would bring her back to Underland.

"The air has felt restless for a few days now," Mally said, jumping gracefully onto her shoulder. "And then all of a sudden, McTwisp finds you lying here. He panicked and raced to find help."

"Oh," she murmured. She rubbed her head, for suddenly it began to pain her, and when she pulled her palm away, her skin was smeared lightly in red.

"Oh, oh!" McTwisp cried, blinked, and fell fainted. In the same moment, the Bandersnatch lowered himself onto his belly as Bayard ushered her onto his back, Mally ordering everyone to move quickly. "Someone sort that daft rabbit out! Bayard, you must find the Hatter. Everyone else, we need to take Alice to the Queen. Quickly now!"

Alice's world began to fade around her once more, the pain slowly engulfing her into nothingness. "Hatter…" she whispered, before the darkness claimed her.

Alice knew she was dreaming again. She was in a room of mirrors, seeing all angles of no one but herself. She was spinning, hoping to find someone who was not her, and yet she found no one. She called out, hoping for a reply, but her voice carried on endlessly. In the mirrors, she was wearing a white dress, whiter than she had ever seen, and it kissed the marble floor at her feet. They were bare, her toes frozen against the cool surface. She did not look like herself; she did not look ill like she did before, or normal like she should have, but radiant. She looked like someone she had only ever read about, her hair more golden in perfect ringlets, her brown eyes glinting back at her, her skin fairer than she had ever seen.

She looked wrong.

And then she was not alone. Her father stood before her, reaching out to her in her reflection once more. His hair was disheveled, his hands bloody, his eyes distraught. She turned, seeing him everywhere and nowhere all at once. Her heart began to pound, hurting her chest as her eyes began to burn. Her father was saying words she could not hear, and he looked awfully sad. She wanted to find the real him and sprint into his arms, hoping she could comfort him, but the more she span and searched, the more the hope in his eyes began to fade.

"Help me!" she screamed. "Help me find you!"

Glass shattered all around her, making her scream and curl into a ball to protect her face. She felt it splinter everywhere, nipping at her skin, glittering her hair. When she felt it safe to look up, she was once again alone in a dark room, the only sound being that of her heavy breathing and her racing heart.

"Help me, Alice." It was her father whispering to her, and she choked on a sob.

"Where are you?" she sobbed, warily getting to her feet and searching the darkness. "Help me find you. I can help you, but you have to help me first."

"Alice," he was begging now, the sound of tears in his voice breaking her heart. "I need you. Please help me. Please!"

"Father!"

"ALICE!"

Before anything else could be done, the ground vanished beneath her. Falling, falling, falling, forever falling, her screams going unheard. She felt herself spinning, falling, and hurtling towards nothing, and her cries began to burn her throat and water her eyes.

"Wake up," something said to her, and for a moment she thought it was the voice that haunted her. But it was soft, soothing, familiar… "Come back to me, Alice."

She closed her eyes, and when she hit the ground at last, the world erupted with colour.

The scream that escaped Alice was Earth shattering, and she found herself thrashing against something wrapped around her. Her legs flailed and her hair blinded her, and in the madness she hit the floor with a painful thud. She couldn't breathe, continuing to kick and yell at nothing, fighting nothing, until suddenly firm hands gripped her shoulders and held her in place, and a familiar sharp pain hit her in her leg.

Her eyes focused on something green, and then orange, and then a blinding white. As her vision cleared, the vivid green formed into a pair of eyes, followed by messy, frizzy, monstrous orange hair, before finishing with the concerned expression of someone dear. She didn't speak, only cried silently, before she rushed forward and wrapped her eyes around the Hatter's neck, sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder. She felt his arms envelope her, his fingers in her hair as he shushed and cooed her.

She did not know how much time had passed, but at last she pulled herself back. She sniffled as Tarrant tucked a stray lock of tear-soaked hair behind her ear, exposing her flushing, wet face. Embarrassment overcame her in that moment, for she realised it was not just the two of them as she had first thought.

Mally was there on the Hatter's shoulder, aiming her needle at her as if ready for another outburst. Her expression was worrisome, like she had just witnessed a monster go wild. Behind the two friends, Mirana lingered in a grand doorway, her hand to her lips whilst her eyes swam with worry. Bayard was by her side, as was Thackery the March Hare, who for the first time was bizarrely still. It frightened Alice, seeing them like this, and it was made even worse when she realised the thing she had been fighting were simply bed sheets.

She scurried away from the Hatter, who reached out to her gently, murmuring unintelligible words to her. She did not hear him, and instead clambered to her feet, unsteady where she stood. The Hatter rose with her, keeping his hand outstretched as if ready to catch her.

She rubbed her temples, willing her senses back to her. She was back in Underland, her Wonderland, and yet there was no reason for her to be here. Her dreams tormented her, riddling her mind with questions she wasn't sure needed answering. Why was she dreaming of her father? Why was she hearing voices? Was she going insane?

Perhaps.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to frighten anyone."

"My darling," Mirana murmured, gliding closer with her arms outstretched. "You could not frighten us even if you tried." Before she knew it Alice found herself in her arms, wrapped warm and close, Mirana's embrace filled with the love of a mother. Alice deflated against her, sighing heavily, and suddenly she was overcome with exhaustion once more. Mirana rubbed her back before gently taking Alice's face in her hands, her violet eyes soft, drinking in the pain in Alice's dark gaze.

"You must rest." she told Alice. "You must be hungry. I ask that you eat and rest with us, and the morning will bring a brighter day."

Alice could do nothing but nod. She allowed herself to be guided out of the room, acutely aware of the Hatter right behind her, his fingers inches from her own. All she wanted was for him to take her hand in his, to feel the comfort of his fingers between hers, yet he never reached for her.

Before she could dwell on it, she felt Bayard rub his head into her palm and she smiled, feeling at peace if only for a moment. She was home, with her friends, who were going to take care of her. She needed food and sleep, and then she would figure out what was wrong with her. Something wasn't right, and for the first time she was the one who needed help. Whatever was happening to her, it had brought her back to her Wonderland, and if she was to find any answers at all, it was here.

Best of all, she wasn't going to be doing it alone.