I'm a horrible person because it took me a month and a half to get this chapter out. Please don't throw things at me. But wow, 100 follows in total and 12 reviews for the last chapter? I love you guys. You're the best and I love reading your reviews. They make me all warm and fuzzy inside.

This chapter is a longer one. I had to actually break off a few hundred words because if I didn't the chapter would have just been way too long. But good news is that means some of chapter sixteen is already written haha. Hope you enjoy! :)

As a side note, it's starting to get hot outside where I live and I'm not a fan. Picture me lurking underneath a black umbrella hissing at the sun because I only thrive in cloudy, rainy weather.


Warnings: Currently rated T for language, though liable to change in future chapters for dark imagery and mature content.

Disclaimer: I claim no copyright ownership to Rise of the Guardians or any recognizable characters depicted by DreamWorks, William Joyce, or other miscellaneous fairy tale creatures. However, the plot and original characters are my own.


Chapter Fifteen


"First thing you must know about Rumpelstiltskin is that his story is legend. As your 'fairy tales' have been twisted over time, so have ours," North informed Alice knowingly.

As a group they sat amongst themselves at a rectangular table in the dining hall. The surface of the table was dusty and the room smelled stale. It was likely that the room was scarcely used. North stood at the head of the table, his large forearms on display as he supported his weight against it.

"I have never met Rumpelstiltskin before or know someone who has. But there are whispers of someone with that name."

"They're a little more than whispers, mate," said Bunny across from Alice. "Screams are more like it."

"Regardless," North waved a bejeweled hand. He shed his wool coat earlier, flashing his intricately inked arms about and Alice had a hard time not staring at them. "There's been no new word on the man for decades."

Alice felt Jack shift beside her. The cold that radiated off his body made the room feel slightly less stuffy. She was anxious to hear the backstory of the man who'd taken her son. Well, the man they were fairly certain took her son. Part of her felt like she truly didn't want to know. If the man was as evil as the fairy tales in her world made him out to be, the fear she had for Max's safety would only increase tenfold. She wasn't sure how much her mind could take.

North took a deep breath and schooled his features. "He belonged to Moon people, a calm and relatively human folk who thrived under Tsar Lunar's rule," he started.

Alice's fingers twitched in her lap and Jack reached a hand across to clasp one of her hands in his. Whether it was for his peace of mind because he loathed the nasty habit of her wringing her fingers or to help quell her nervousness, she wasn't sure. Either way, she held his hand back and the tension in both their shoulders seemed to ease.

"There was a time when his father was cursed with incredible dark magic. This darkness consumed him, making him greedy and harsh. For years this child had to endure his father's wrath and watch him transform into madman—a creature of the night who became horribly disfigured," Alice squirmed in her seat, remembering the man who came to her in a dream. "Then a shadow, hooded and cloaked, came forth one night and offered his father repentance to take back his misgivings if he passed his dark magic onto another. In return, he would be sent to salvation. Still consumed with greed, he accepted offer by damning his son to take his place," the hand holding Alice's squeezed. "His family's surname was Rumpelstilzchen but the Moonfolk always hissed, 'Rumpelstiltskin,' whenever they saw him because his skin had withered and stretched like leather.

"When son's soul was overtaken by dark magic, he chose to keep name Rumpelstiltskin to live up to the mockery his father left behind. Not long after, he was cast down to Earth because he posed threat to Tsar Lunar's people," he paused for a moment and Alice found she didn't know how to swallow the information. North's sparkling blue eyes met hers. "Even we fairy tales, as you call us, have our own legends and stories. I have heard nothing more of him besides this which has been passed down for centuries. I don't know why he hides behind name of 'Tom'. As our legends tell us, he was quite proud of claiming the ridiculed name."

"It sounds like the guy who offered his father repentance wanted the dark magic for himself," Jack stated with a frown. "I mean, why else would he come to him in the first place, you know? So why would he give the magic to his son instead?"

"There are a lot of unanswered questions," North said. "Alas, we don't have those answers. Manny might," North tilted his head in consideration of the idea. Alice looked on in confusion.

"Who's Manny?" she asked.

"He's the Man in the Moon," Tooth told her with an easy smile. "He's our guide and sort of like a superior to us. He chooses the Guardians."

"Why would he know?" Alice's forehead was wrinkled. She was mostly just genuinely curious.

North looked at her solemnly. "He is Tsar Lunar's son," Alice made a noise in the back of her throat in understanding. "If anyone knows whole story, it is Manny."

Jack seemed troubled at this new information. Alice gave him a concerned look, watching the flash of emotions contort his face as he seemed to consider something. Alice squeezed his hand to garner his attention and when his head snapped towards her, her brows furrowed, silently asking a question. He shook his head, more to shake the thoughts out of his head than anything else, and gave her an unconvincing smile before sliding down in his seat.

Alice's eyes lingered on his face until she was forced to blink. "This still doesn't explain the connection to Max," she finally tore her eyes away from the winter spirit. "It doesn't sound like this Rumpelstiltskin is anything like the one our world talks about. What reason would he have for taking Max? Unless we still think Pitch made a deal with him, but that still doesn't explain why he would want Max in particular."

"There is something else about him that's floated around," North started slowly. "I only cautiously mention it because none of us know if it is true. But if it is, it makes sense. See, Rumpelstiltskin did not ask to be cursed. Though he supposedly has reputation for deals, there are tales that he is trying to rid himself of dark magic. How? I don't know. But if our theory about souls is correct," North gave Jack a meaningful look to which Alice did not understand. "Max might be able to help him achieve that. That is only if our theory is correct and this rumor is indeed true."

"What theory about souls?" Alice felt the need to ask. North opened his mouth, only to have Jack's voice intercept him.

"It's nothing. As far as we know it's not true and it has nothing to do with Max so we're not worrying about it right now," Jack said with finality.

Alice didn't miss the way North's bushy brows twitched at Jack's words. Jack exchanged an unreadable look with the jolly man before giving Alice another smile, this one more convincing than the last.

Though she was hesitant to do so, she let her curiosity on the matter go for now. She didn't have the energy to try and convince Jack to divulge in something he didn't want to tell. If what he said was true about it having nothing to do with Max, then she didn't need to know. She was functioning on a strictly Need To Know basis at this point. Anything else was baggage she couldn't afford to carry. She put her faith in Jack and so far he hasn't let her down. That faith was like the oil that kept the machine running.

In this case, she was the machine.

"How about we focus less on the 'what' and more on the 'how do we hunt him down'," Bunny suggested, clenching his paws on the table.

"Out of all this, what bothers me most is how this book," North pushed The Brothers Grimm into the middle of the table with the Guardians' eyes following it closely, "got into possession of Alice in first place. You said you found this the night I left presents, yes?" North raised a speculative eyebrow.

Alice nodded, shrinking a bit under the extra pair of eyes that flashed in her direction. "Right. It was sitting under the tree with the rest of them. It was the only one addressed to me."

"It had your name on it and nothing else?"

"Correct," she bit her lip. Jack's thumb caressed the top of her hand to soothe her.

"Tom obviously had something to do with that," Bunny exclaimed immediately. "When you think about it, it's almost too easy for Alice to have figured out who he was by looking in the book. If y'ask me, that's the whole reason he put it there. He wanted her to find out."

"But why make it easier for us?" Tooth frowned.

"Hell if I know," Bunny shrugged as if the logic of a villain went over his head. "But it all makes sense. However twisted it is."

"Would he have maybe had time to hide the present under your tree after North left?" Tooth directed her question at Alice.

Alice shook her head. "No, it didn't take me more than five minutes to realize it was there and we never left the room. Come to think of it, we were facing the tree the entire time. If something were to have happened, I would've noticed."

"So the only logical explanation is that it was in your sack to begin with," Bunny pointed at North who looked deeply troubled by his words. "He must've put it there somehow. Probably around the same time he messed with the Globe."

"When would he have been able to do that?" Jack glanced around the table uncertainly. "You're always in the workshop. He would've had to have been in two places at once, if he was even able to get in. I tried breaking into the workshop a few times," he lamented dryly. "I think I'd know how hard it is. Meaning practically impossible."

Sandy thrust his tiny arms up and waved them about, a sparkling ball of sand glowing above his head in the shape of a sleigh being pulled by reindeer.

"Sandy's right," said Bunny. "The only time the workshop was vulnerable was when you were out delivering presents on Christmas Eve."

"But he would've had to have slipped past yetis," North's moustache fluttered as his lips twitched downward. "That is no easy feat."

"Pitch did it," Bunny reminded him. "Why can't he?"

Alice continued to lean back in her chair, turning her head every which way as if following an erratic tennis match. Considering she knew very little about North's workshop or personal items, she didn't bother trying to intervene. Instead, she allowed herself to focus on the pad of Jack's thumb tracing invisible lines into the skin between her thumb and pointer finger. Every so often a tiny, glittering trail of blue frost would follow in his thumb's wake, briefly numbing the surface of her skin.

"Something does not add up," North waggled a finger, brows pulled taut. "I don't think he did all of this on his own. Like Jack said, he would have been in two places at once. Sack is always with me and I check it before every delivery. Only time it would have not been in my sight was during flight. And only time Globe was vulnerable was when I wasn't there."

Bunny reclined in his chair. "We have proof he was at the kid's house."

"But the sack I keep presents in is sealed by magic different from that of Globe," North shook a fist furiously. "It cannot easily be broken, not even by Pitch. Even if he wanted book to go to Alice, he would have needed help to do it."

"So he's suckered another poor sap into a deal," Bunny tossed his furry arms behind his head, shrugging again. "Do his dirty and in return… what? He gets to keep his soul?" Bunny uttered sarcastically.

Alice watched as Tooth's face slackened into the realization that North was on to something. "He was somehow able to get Pitch's powers back," she stated. Her wings fluttered anxiously behind her, blocked by the arms of the chair she was sitting in like they were unable to breathe. "Who's able to find and tether dark magic like that? It's so unstable without a host."

"I stand by what I said earlier: he had help," said North.

"What about Alice?" Jack perked up a bit in his seat. Alice eyed him in confusion, as did the rest of the Guardians. "If this Tom guy wanted Alice to find the book and he took her son, who's to say this isn't just a game that's being played on her?"

That did not sit well with Alice. She hadn't even considered the possibility that Tom was after her. Even more evidence to support the theory: she still had a dream about him and she still hasn't told anyone about it. She idly wondered if she should. But she couldn't be certain that what she saw in her dream was really him getting inside her head or if it was just a figment of her imagination due to stress. Plus the fact of what he said to her in the dream, about none of the Guardians being real and her being trapped inside her own head.

Though for the most part she was able to reel in those concerns, she still had moments where she found herself questioning the reality around her. And that scared her more than she cared to admit.

The Guardians didn't realize it, but whether Tom was after her or not, the joke was already on her.

"We will need more protection. As a back-up," North announced, seemingly agreeing with Jack's hypothesis. The jolly man studied the tabletop with precision before he suddenly lifted his head, eyes bright. "I say we rekindle our alliance with the Fae."

Alice needed to push the subject away from her. "No, guys, I have all the protection I need right here," she denied, leaning forward to emphasis her point. "We need to focus on finding Max. Forget about me."

North dismissed her with a rueful shrug. "The Fae may know how to track him," his eyes danced around the other Guardians. "I say we seek out the Seelie Court."

"No!" Bunny howled in outrage, spastically jerking forward. "Not the faeries, North! I hate faeries."

"Hey!" Tooth yelped in offense, glaring fiercely at the Pooka. Bunny gave her a semi-apologetic look. Alice was just confused again; a rather common occurrence, she was beginning to realize.

"What's the Seelie Court?"


Alice curled her feet underneath her as she snacked on the brownies and milk the elves brought to her. She was resting against the window, looking out into the snowy plateau that littered the Pole in sparkling white. The velvet cushion was soft underneath her, making for a nice sitting area amidst the grand window pane in the hallway outside the library.

Jack was sitting cross-legged in front of her, using the tip of his staff to draw shapes into the glass with light frost. She watched the intricate patterns he decorated silently, chewing the warm brownie slowly to savor the taste. In the back of her mind, Alice wondered how she was managing to live solely off of the sweets North's elves baked in the kitchen. How did they have enough sustenance to keep her from feeling hungry? She figured it must've been something beyond the average meal back home that she would never fully understand. She found she didn't need to understand most magical things to accept that they were there.

Towards the end of their earlier conversation, North briefly explained the Seelie Court. From what Alice took from it, they were light faeries who seemed to get along with most other beings, including humans. As light faeries, they didn't accept lies or deceit. In the verbally spoken word, they only uttered the truth which North said may work in their favor.

Their counterparts, the Unseelie Court, consisted of dark faeries that apparently weren't so friendly.

Both Courts had an age-old alliance with the Guardians; a fact that North didn't go into detail on, though Alice knew there was more to the story than he was letting on. Regardless of that, he truly seemed to believe that meeting with the Seelie Court would help their situation.

Or, at least, it certainly wouldn't hurt it. Alice hoped.

North explained that the Seelie Court thrived at twilight and advised that they would make for their dwelling at sunset which was only about an hour's time away. In the meantime, he advised that Alice get some food in her stomach because it was bound to be a long night. Apparently the Seelie Court's waking hours didn't correlate with the rest of the world's. Their morning was everyone else's night.

Simply put, they were nocturnal.

Though to be honest, Alice wasn't quite sure if they actually slept at all.

Blinking out of her trance, Alice took another bite of her brownie as Jack finished his window design. He pulled his staff back with a sigh and Alice watched as the frost slowly faded from the glass until it disappeared out of sight. She shifted a bit until their knees touched and extended the plate of brownies in offering.

Jack glanced at the plate and with a tired smile he accepted one.

Alice rested the plate back in her lap, suddenly feeling sheepish. "I guess technically you don't need to eat, do you?"

Jack shrugged, leaning his staff on the wall behind him as he picked at the brownie. "No, not really. The cravings never really went away though," he gave her a lighthearted smirk, popping a piece of the brownie in his mouth.

Alice smiled back, equally tired. It was hard to imagine that their day was only just half over. "Sometimes I forget that you're this mystical being," she shook her head. "You just seem so… normal."

"As opposed to being abnormal?" he continued to smirk easily at her and she rolled her eyes. He ate some more of his brownie, looking at her closely. Alice took a sip of her milk to avoid fidgeting underneath his gaze. "How are you doing?" he asked after another minute of quietness.

Alice shrugged, huffing out a laugh. "I don't even know," she played with the brownie she picked up, pulling it into pieces and sprinkling crumbs in her lap. "I thought…" she paused, pursing her lips. "I thought knowing who took Max would make things easier," she glanced up at Jack and met his stare. "I thought by finally knowing, I'd feel… I don't know, hopeful? Like we were actually getting somewhere? But," she laughed again and disconnected their gaze, "honestly? I think I feel worse."

Jack hummed in sympathy. "I wish we knew more about this Tom guy. Or Rumpelstiltskin—whatever his name is. But I guess for now we just hope that the Seelie Court will be able to help. Hey," he nudged her knee with his, pulling her eyes back up. "If they're able to track him like North said then that's one thing we wouldn't be able to do ourselves, right?"

"I guess so," Alice had reduced the brownie to pure crumbs and clumps on the plate. "I just miss him. I keep wondering if he's okay or not and hoping that he is but I think I'd know if he wasn't?" she winced. "I don't know how but I think I'd just know. So… I think he is okay right now. But I just miss him. And I hope he isn't too scared or doesn't think we're not trying to find him."

"He knows," Jack nodded, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "He knows that you love him and that you'll do everything in your power to make sure he gets home safe."

Alice laughed a little, wiping her hands off. "Sometimes I feel like you have more faith in me than I do."

"Well," Jack grinned, eyes twinkling in the dimming afternoon light. "You believe in me. The least I could do is believe in you, too. Even if you don't believe in yourself."

A lump was forming in Alice's throat. Part of it was because she was talking about Max and whenever she talked or thought about him for too long, her eyes started to burn. But another part of it was because of Jack. Not necessarily what he said to her, but just the mere thought of Jack himself.

"You know," she said carefully, sounding a bit nasally but not letting any tears fall. "I don't think I ever properly thanked you. For all that you've done… for Max, for me… I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been there," her eyes bore into his with a seriousness she didn't know she was capable of. She half-expected Jack to squirm under the gaze but instead he just stared right back, listening. Like he always did. "I probably would've gone into panic mode. You… you kept me grounded," Jack's eyes wandered from hers for a split second like he was bashful. "You knew what to do. And you haven't stopped trying to find Max. I can't thank you enough for that. These kids," Alice shook her head slowly. "They're really lucky to have you."

Jack's lips curved upward and though it may look like a smirk to others, Alice could tell that it was a genuine smile underneath.

"Well," he repeated, bowing his head before looking back up at her. "You know you have me, too. Right? You have me just as much as they do."

"Yeah," said Alice quietly. "Yeah, I know."

"I think I still kind of owe you one, though," Jack said and Alice tilted her head in question. "I mean, first you believed in me," Jack listed off. "And then you went and made my life—or existence, rather—better. I've only helped you out with Max. See, two to one," he grinned at her. "So I owe you."

Alice laughed lightly. "You underestimate yourself. You helping with Max is worth way more than just one point. Technically I still owe you."

Jack stubbornly shook his head. "Nope. Not true."

Alice rolled her eyes, unable to keep the smile off her lips. "Fine. You've made my life better too so that means we're tied. We don't owe each other anything," she quirked an eyebrow, blowing a pesky curl out of her eyes. "Fair?"

Jack's eyes danced across her face, mapping out all her features as the sky began to dim.

"Yeah I guess that's fair," he murmured. In a quick second, he reached across to brush the curly strand of hair away from her face. His cold fingers lingered on her cheek for a moment and Alice watched him calmly, appreciating the coolness even though she felt rather cold sitting near the window in her sweater.

Jack's lips twitched as his eyes searched hers. His silvery white hair was nearly glowing in the soft light spilling in from the snow outside and it made him look ethereal again. Otherworldly. Alice had to wonder how he was real. And this time, it had nothing to do with her dream.

"How are you real?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

Jack's eyes sparked to life in a glittering blue the way his fingers did when they danced across her skin. It was like his magic reached his eyes. "I could ask you the same thing."

Alice's gaze at the winter spirit was nearly magnetic and she couldn't bring herself to look away. She could see the Arctic in his eyes; the little flecks of gold towards the top of his irises reminded her of a sun setting beneath the water's horizon. The white-blue flecks towards the bottom of his irises were ice caps floating along the surface of the water. And the way his eyes shimmered glossy and bright was the reflection of the sky in the water. His eyes were practically works of art and she found herself wanting to gaze into them for ages at a time in the hopes that one day she'd see a glacier.

Jack pursed his lips before finally pulling his hand away, leaving an emptiness on her cheek that felt stronger without his touch. He smiled at her again and she smiled back without having to think about it. It took a while for her eyes to focus once she blinked.

"We should probably head back," he tilted his head towards the end of the hallway. "The sun's setting which means they'll probably be looking for us soon."

Alice nodded. "Right, yeah."

Neither of them moved.

Jack chuckled lowly before swinging his legs over the edge of the window pane, sitting on the edge and inevitably bringing them closer. Alice uncrossed her legs, mirroring his position and the sides of their thighs touched.

She gave him a small smile, eliciting a similar one out of him before she finally pushed herself away from the window. She stretched, allowing her spine to crack, before she began making her way down the hall.

When she didn't hear Jack immediately following her, she paused a few feet away and turned to see him sitting in the same position, eyes holding steady on her.

She reached a hand out—not too far, but just enough to where he understood the offering—and something in his eyes flashed before he stood. He grabbed his staff and then approached her swiftly, accepting her outstretched hand.

She felt something flutter in her stomach, like the implications behind what just happened were deeper than just face value. It represented their relationship in a way. Whenever Alice asked for Jack, he always came running.

And as such, when she began walking down the hall, Jack followed close behind her because that's what he always did. He followed her.

The tray of brownies was left forgotten on the windowsill beneath the setting sun, crumbs and all.


The first thing Alice saw when she passed through the atrium was Bunny clipping wrist guards over his forearms. He had his boomerangs strapped to his furry back and as Alice approached him with Jack trailing behind her, she saw the tension in his stiff brow line.

"Are you okay?" she frowned. She'd never seen Bunny so on edge.

"I don't trust faeries," he grumbled, tightening one of the wrist guards as he glared at the floorboards. Alice's eyes wandered over to where Tooth was fluttering near Sandy and North as they conversed quietly. She had to remind herself that Tooth didn't apply to these faeries.

"Why not?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She had to tilt her head up to see his face, straining the muscles in her neck. She realized that up until this point they've never stood side-by-side and she found his height a bit alarming. Part of her was still getting used to seeing a human-sized bunny standing on its hind legs walking around like everyone else. "Didn't North say they didn't have the ability to lie?"

Bunny looked like he tasted something sour. "Lies are the least of your worries when dealing with the Fae. They have other means of persuasion," he grimaced. "Enchantments and illusions—they deceive with the mind," North gestured everyone forward with a shout and Bunny adjusted the straps that held his boomerangs. "Don't let 'em get inside your head," he muttered before brushing past her.

Alice felt nervous. "How do I keep them from doing that?" she murmured to herself.

Jack nudged her forward with his shoulder and she joined the Guardians who formed a circle near the grand fireplace. One of North's hands disappeared inside his red wool coat before emerging with an unpleasantly familiar object. The snow trickled delicately inside the sphere and Alice had to stop herself from wondering how an inanimate object could transport a person from one place to another in fear of giving herself a migraine.

"No sleigh?" Jack asked, sounding disappointed.

"Dryads do not like loud noise," said North, deflating a bit himself at the thought of abandoning his beloved sleigh. "I made that mistake once. I don't intend to do it again."

Alice's stomach churned in anticipation. "Where is the Seelie Court exactly?"

"Northern Woods," North said and Alice's brows furrowed.

"It's the realm of the Fair Folk," Tooth supplied. "Nymphs, Dryads, Elves, Faeries, Pixies..."

Bunny leaned in close. "The soft faces," he added as if the term would mean something to her.

Alice shifted her weight from one foot to the other as North concentrated on the globe before pulling his elbow back like he was preparing to throw a hardball.

"Northern Woods!" he bellowed before tossing the globe. It exploded over the wooden panels and the air shifted, causing Alice's stomach to churn and coil with unease.

She watched as the portal glowed bright and colorful before them, rippling in midair like the surface of a lake or pond might on a windy day. Alice watched the swirling vortex, feeling a tugging sensation in her belly button as she watched the portal's center as if it was beckoning her forward. The longer she stared into it, the more it felt like she was balancing on a cliff's edge.

"You can hold my hand if you want," Jack murmured from her left. She turned to look at him and he gave her a teasing grin. He offered her his palm, blue eyes sparkling, and when she felt—literally felt—North jump through the portal she took his cold hand without hesitation. Like hell she was going to jump in alone. What if it took her to the wrong place because she wasn't thinking clearly? She didn't know how that worked. Did it only take you to the place the person who created the portal wanted it to go? Or could you change its course on your own? She wasn't willing to risk the repercussions and find out.

Jack looked momentarily surprised that she accepted his hand but his fingers entwined with hers and she felt a little more comfortable knowing he was there.

"See ya on the other side," Bunny saluted before pouncing in. Sandy and Tooth followed suit and before Alice was ready (she would never be ready) it was their turn.

"It'll be fine," Jack assured her and his hand squeezed hers before he dove in. Alice squeezed her eyes shut and let herself be pulled in behind him.

She felt herself being stretched every which way. Her stomach jolted and tightened and her ears rang before the electricity on her skin ceased and she was being slammed into the grass with a loud thud! She groaned, knowing the ground was coming but also not expecting it at all and her forearms protested because she'd landed on them. There'd be bruises in the morning.

There was a dull buzzing in her skull as she rolled onto her back, waiting for the earth to stop spinning long enough to where she could see straight. She blinked a few times, clenching her fists and realizing that in the midst of being pulled taut in the portal she'd let go of Jack's hand. She licked her lips as her eyes finally adjusted and she was met with a purple sky bleeding through a high canopy of brilliant green trees.

It took her a good minute before she was properly on her feet. She was teetering back and forth a bit and she sort of felt like a toddler that was learning how to walk. Her mouth felt dry and she swallowed thickly, watching as North brushed his wool cloak off. Bunny's large ears twitched as his eyes scanned the area, back hunched in offense like he was ready for an attack.

Alice let herself spin in place as she admired the Northern Woods. The air smelled of lavender and freshly cut grass and she found herself relaxing. The vegetation and trees were thriving, vivid and healthy as they swayed in the breeze and their leaves almost twinkled every time one of the sun's rays hit them just right. Alice could almost taste the magic in the air, could practically feel the soil humming with it beneath her feet. She'd never felt anything like it. For a moment, she wondered why Bunny disliked the place so much.

"Seelie Court is just this way," North gestured ahead with a beefy hand.

He led the way, weaving through the tree trunks and Bunny motioned her forward so he could take up the rear of the group. Jack returned to her side, a place she found he often was, and they walked side by side behind Tooth. Alice's eyes continuously swept over the area, watching with a serene smile as birds chirped in their nests and a few squirrels darted up a tree.

"Are there any dryads here?" Alice whispered to Jack. He shrugged because he was just as new to the area as she was but Tooth glanced over her shoulder.

"They usually don't linger too close to the Seelie Court's entrance. For respect," she told them quietly.

"Are we really that close to them?" Alice asked.

Tooth pointed a tiny, luminescent finger. "It's right there."

Alice followed her line of sight and blinked at the vast willow tree painted with pale green leaves that hung over the earth like an elegant canopy. A few pink flowers decorated the grass around the tree—flowers that didn't seem to grow anywhere else that Alice could see—and the grass seemed to soften as they approached the ancient willow.

The lighting began to grow dim as the sun finished its descent. Alice watched with awe as a few glowing lights twinkled in the ground, seemingly out of nowhere, to help light their path in the ebbing darkness. Off in the distance she caught sight of a few green lights floating calmly in the air and was stunned to realize that they were some sort of firefly.

They reached a wall of dangling branches. 'Wall' was a literal term because Alice couldn't see anything beyond the branches and leaves, not even a glimpse of the tree trunk that was tucked away somewhere within the canopy. North steeled his expression and straightened his spine.

"They're expecting us," he announced. Not necessarily in an ominous sort of way but nevertheless Alice felt uncomfortable with the fact that they already knew they were there. "The way it works when visiting Fae is that they only grant clemency to pass into Court if one's intentions are pure," he cleared his throat before turning to face the rest of the group who was glancing between him and the wall of branches anxiously. "I'm sure we'll be fine but we won't know until we try to pass through branches."

"You first," Bunny retorted from behind Alice.

North gave the warrior bunny a scowl as he pulled his wool coat tighter around himself. He turned back to face the looming branches hanging before him and with a deep breath, he stepped through the branches. Tooth and Sandy who were standing immediately behind him trailed in after. The branches appeared to swallow them whole and Alice was fairly certain she was beginning to sweat.

A hand enclosed around hers tightly and she didn't have to look to know who the cold hand belonged to. Bunny nudged her back with his large paw and she stepped forth with Jack at her side, feeling the leaves tickle her face and brush against her hair as she walked through the branches. She felt Bunny's presence at her back as the world momentarily darkened around them and the air cooled before they were standing within a long, winding tunnel.

Alice blinked at the sudden change in scenery, feeling the soil beneath her shoes and catching glimpses of buried roots and tree bark embedded into the tunnel walls around them. Were they underground?

"Well that wasn't so bad," Tooth's voice rang melodically, echoing into the eerie silence.

North spun around and hunkered forward towards Alice. "Alice, I must warn you before we continue," he uttered in a hushed whisper. "If they offer you anything to eat or drink, whatever you do, do not take it. I'm sure you've heard stories in your world of faeries taking human free will by offering them food or drink of their homeland? Well, in this case, stories are true," Alice nodded, her knees feeling weak. North glanced up at everyone else. "It does not work on us Guardians but I'd suggest none of you accept anything either. Just… politely decline."

With that, he had his back to them again. It was then that Alice noticed a figure standing off to their right at the entrance of another tunnel. She attempted to nudge whoever was closest to her to get their attention which happened to be Bunny, who was standing to her right and a bit behind her. She gestured towards the still figure and Bunny narrowed his eyes, ears falling back against his head in offense.

As if the figure was waiting to be spotted, they elegantly stepped forward into the light and Alice's eyes widened. It was obvious to her that this was a Seelie faery. She couldn't quite tell if this Fae was a male or female with its chest plate of intricate gold armor covering its torso, but its cheekbones were high and sharp with a prominent hairline underneath an intricate wooden headdress molded into the shape of a crown. The skin was a delicately smooth shade of pale purple along the Fae's face that could almost pass for a cream-white.

The eyes were what startled Alice, though. They were a solid shade of lavender that seemed to glow in the darkness of the tunnels with the dim lighting reflecting white spots in the purple irises. It made her uncomfortable because she couldn't tell who the faery was looking at without a pupil to guide her.

Bunny noticeably stiffened at the faery's appearance, fur rising along his back. If the faery noticed his discomfort, it didn't comment on it.

"Welcome to the Seelie Court," the faery greeted in a deep voice that flowed like liquid honey. "Our Queen is currently incapacitated at the moment but you may speak to our Queen Regent. If you will follow me."

Alice stiffly followed along behind Tooth, feeling a bit claustrophobic as the tunnel enclosed around them the further they walked. Jack had removed his hand the minute they started walking and instead held it steady on the small of her back. She focused on that as she peeked around Tooth's fluttering wings. It was too dark to see the faery clearly a few steps ahead. She attempted to find their wings but they must've been hidden underneath the long golden cloak that billowed behind them.

All the relaxation that Alice felt in the Northern Woods had completely diminished at this point as a light reached their sight at the end of the tunnel. She found she didn't feel comfortable here. Whether it was because the faery's eyes frightened her or the knowledge that they were surrounded by powerful beings made her feel caged in, she wasn't sure. Either way, she had to swallow down the urge to run as far away from this Fae in front of them as fast as she could.

This was for Max. They were there for Max.

"Easy, princess," Jack's lips tickled her ear as he leaned in. Alice jumped, startled at the sudden close proximity, and Jack moved his hand from the small of her back to her hip where he squeezed. "You're shaking like a leaf," he murmured.

She felt her hands trembling at her sides and she licked her lips, attempting to force the tremors away as they reached the end of the tunnel. And it was like an explosion of light and color as they entered a grand room that extended high above their heads; so high in fact that Alice was unable to see the top.

The walls were made of polished wood in all different shades of browns and light reds. It was like they were within the hollow of a massive tree. The floor was decorated with mosaic tiles in flowing patterns of color and she could hear the clicking of the Fae's boots in front of them as it walked.

Alice's mouth hung open as her eyes followed the set of winding staircases that circled the exterior of the room. They extended beyond her sight and far out of reach, twinkling lights similar to the ones they'd seen outside dotting the staircases' rails for lighting. From down below where Alice continued to walk, those lights look like stars twinkling in the night sky above their heads.

The room was bustling with other faeries. They were all donned in different colored cloaks with their own unique headdresses. Not all of them were wearing armor, she noticed. A few were dressed in gowns and others in breeches with knee-high boots. Some were quite tall and others remained around Alice's height. She noticed that most of the tall ones were clad in armor. She didn't know the specific terms, especially in a world of faeries, but she could only assume those faeries belonged to some sort of royal guard. Their headdresses were similar to that of the Fae guiding them; a gaunt, wooden crown.

Each faery had the same soft complexion and those eerie, lavender-colored eyes. And they were all watching Alice and the Guardians closely as they passed by. Alice felt like her mind was being peeled open and examined and she forced her eyes away from them, afraid that if she made eye contact they'd weasel their way inside her head like Bunny had warned.

They ascended a few steps and filed down one of the rounded corridors that were carved out of the wooden walls. Alice released a breath once they were out of sight of the rest of the population. She allowed herself to freely look about the area around them, noticing a few doorways leading into other rooms or down different hallways. Each threshold was outlined in a golden finish to border the doorway as if to reinforce their elegance.

The hallway curved to the right and they were met with two other Seelie faeries standing guard over a closed door. One of them had long mahogany hair cascading over their shoulder and falling down to the top of their waist. The other had their hair concealed within their crown. Their glowing purple eyes met the Fae who led Alice and the Guardians and with a nod, the one with the mahogany hair turned back to open the door.

"Queen Regent, you have guests," the faery announced, voice much higher-pitched than the faery who guided them. Alice leaned forward in curiosity but never heard a response. Regardless, the faery bowed their head before granting their group entrance to the Queen's chambers.

Alice took a deep breath and attempted to school her features as she stepped through the grand doorway into the lush chamber. Jack stepped close to her, turning his body to where his back faced the Fae who allowed them in to block Alice from its sights as they passed by. Though the Fae was much taller than Jack and could easily scrutinize Alice from head to toe if it so desired, she appreciated the gesture.

Jack remained at her side the second the door closed behind them and she was thankful for the familiarity he gave her in such a strange domain.

I'm here for Max, she reminded herself again. I'm here to get my son.

That was all the resolve she needed.


A/N: As a side-side note, I've been listening to "The Last Goodbye" by Billy Boyd on repeat for the last week (I listened to it while writing this. It's a wonder the whole chapter didn't turn into a tragedy) and even though The Hobbit ended like a year and a half ago I'm still not okay. But good news is Civil War comes out in sixteen days so that might pull me out of my funk. That's all.