Me: I'm bored...
Mewtwo: So what? Go see your wife or something.
Me: She's sleeping idiot.
Bahamut: It's the middle of the day, how can she- Oh... yeah...
Me: There's a reason why it's called Slumberland, Bahamut.
Poupoko: Chaoaocha chachachao aochachao?
Me: That's an excellent idea! Mewtwo, prepare the fungus! Bahamut, get the Feather of Doom! We gotta a Queen to annoy!
Bahamut & Mewtwo: Woo-hoo.
Me: Then it's an all-night binging on Camille's cookies and hot cider!
Bahamut & Mewtwo & Poupoko: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
DISCLAIMER: SEE FIRST CHAPTER.
"Twas Brillig"
By Corvus no Genmu the Prince of Slumberland
Fourteen year old Alicen Sierra, or Alice as her closest friends had come to call her, sighed for what could only be the thousandth time in the past two days. As she stroked her cat, Dinah, Alice thought back as to how she had somehow been barred from visiting her friends in Wonderland.
The day itself had been a rather ordinary one, if you could call any day in a place like Wonderland ordinary, with Alice dropping by to visit like she had been for three years now. At the time, she had been having tea with the Mad Hatter and March Hare, both of whom had been lately trying to make tea out of everything, when the White Rabbit came speeding along on his roller-skates even more in a panic then usual. He was so panicked that he ended up flat on his whiskery face several times before Alice, Hatter, and Hare could get him to calm down enough to tell them what was wrong. At first, Alicen had thought that the Rabbit had been exercising his 'foot-in-mouth' in front of the Queen again, causing her to lose her temper again.
However, from Alice could piece together, it seemed that a messenger had come and delivered a message to the White Rabbit to deliver to the Queen. It was a verbal message and quite a simple one. At least, that's what it sounded to her anyway… The White Rabbit had been talking so fast that even the comical duo had a hard time understanding him. Then Alicen got a real surprise when both the Mad Hatter and March Hare turned as pale as the Rabbit's pallid fur from just hearing a single word.
Jabberwocky.
All too quickly, everything became a huge hectic mess with Hatter and Hare joining the White Rabbit to go to the Queen, only stopping long enough to grab Mr. Dormouse. Alicen was left behind in a quite flabbergasted state. Her curiosity became piqued even further when the Cheshire Cat had appeared floating next to her asking where the finish line was. When she told him of how the three Wonderlanders had reacted to a single word, the ever grinning feline had broken into loud laughter and asked what this word was. When she told him, the Cheshire Cat lost his grin entirely and disappeared from view.
Alice decided then that she had, had enough and went off to see the Queen. When she had arrived at the Queen of Hearts' courtyard, Alicen was bombarded by her friends telling-no screaming at her to go home and not come into Wonderland for at least a week until the matter with the Jabberwocky was settled. Though she did not wish to, Alice left quite in a hurry when the Queen had actually come close to have to use her all-too-famous words on her. Now here she was sitting in her room silently counting the minutes as they went by. True there had been times when she hadn't been able to visit Wonderland everyday, but those times were normally out of her control.
"I wonder who this Jabberwocky character is…" Alice murmured as she scratched behind Dinah's ears, her child-like face set in a thoughtful expression. "He really must be something to have the Queen acting like Mr. Rabbit… But he can't be that bad…" Alice ceased her current activity and began to pace around her room, her eyes focused on the ground. "I mean, when Mr. Walrus was coming, everyone thought he would be this big bad monster. It's probably the same thing with this Jabberwocky."
Alice stopped her pacing and stopped in front of her large mirror, her 'front door' to Wonderland. She stared at her reflection in silent contemplation for quite a while, never once failing to notice the inviting ripples that emanated from the mirrors center. The mirror only acted in such a way when someone really focused upon its reflective surface. Alice had been worried lately that the mirror had been losing its magic to allow her into Wonderland for lately it seemed to shimmer less and less. It was this fear and the curiosity of the Jabberwocky that drove her to make her decision. Holding her right hand out, Alice slowly stepped through the mirror and fell into a world of utter Wonder.
And onto a rather tall person on a skateboard.
Hold on to your seat
Let's go for a ride
Now that we're here
On the other side!
Use your imagination
And you'll understand
It's an adventure in Wonderland!
Everyday is something new
With music, rhyme, and a dance or two
It's a curious place with a wonderful crew
And you're never quite sure what they will do!
Use your imagination
And you'll understand
It's an adventure in Wonderland!
Adventure in Wonderland!
Adventure in Wonderland…
"ACK!" Alice landed right on top of the skateboarder, causing them to make a rather graceless landing onto the ground. Alice's blue eyes met a pair of fiery red ones that blinked up at her in surprise.
"Uh… not that I'm complainin' but… could you get off?" Alice started in surprise and she quite quickly jumped to feet, apologizing hastily.
"I'm sorry! This never happened before and I…" Alicen trailed off as she stared openly at the young man before her. If she were to wager a guess, Alice were to guess that the boy was about her age. He had long dark hair tied into a ponytail and he was wearing a rather looking ensemble of clothes. His white silk dress shirt was covered by a leathery red vest with a strange scale-like design that matched his equally leathery black baggy pants. His combat boots were weighed down from the small array of chains that adorned them. All in all, he had a rather pirate-ish look to him with his other physical attributes only adding to it.
For you see, like the few other Wonderlanders that Alicen had met, this one was not entirely human. To start with, he had two long horns growing from the top of his head and curving back much like an antelope's. He had a pair of large scaly mammalian wings, the membrane of which was a myriad of colors. A sinuous reptilian tail wagged back and forth, its black scales, as well as the metallic claws on the boy's hands, shimmering in the noon day sun. The teenaged boy stood and brushed himself off, his tail twisting around the his large skateboard and setting it back on its wheels. The boy's skateboard could easily have been called a surfboard for it was easily the size of one though its design was like that of a skateboard. It was deep black to match the boy's scales and had a red Chinese dragon twisting and turning along its length.
"Quite alright," said the boy, totally oblivious to Alice's staring, "Though I must admit this is the first time that's ever happened. Almost makes me want to wear a helmet." The boy snickered at that for his head was more than hard enough to be as good, if not better, as any helmet. "Now, my dear, tell me: Who are you?" The question was enough to shake Alice out of her stunned stupor.
Blushing quite profusely, the blonde-haired teen stammered, "I-I'm sorry! My name is Alicen Sierra, but my friends call me Alice and…" Alice trailed off at the intense stare from the boy.
"Alice…" the boy hissed, " Alice…" Suddenly, the stare was gone and was replaced by a very warm smile, "Well done Alice, you may call me Ykcowrebbaj, or Baj for short." The boy, Baj, bowed slightly and took Alice's hand and gave the back of it a quick kiss, causing Alice to blush a deep crimson. Standing upright, Baj stepped upon his skateboard and asked, "Is there somewhere you're headin'? I can give ya a lift if ya like." Alicen stared at the skateboard silently thinking of whether or not it was a good thing to ride upon.
"I don't know…" Baj noticed how she was eyeing his skateboard and chuckled.
"Don't worry, my lady. It's quite safe though it does tend to act on its own from time to time." The dragon on the skateboard twisted and hissed silently at Baj though it did not protest to that fact.
"Well… if it's of no inconvenience…" said Alice hesitantly, unsurely.
"It really isn't," said Baj, a soft smile on his face.
"Then… could you perhaps drop me off at the Queen of Heart's Courtyard? I would like to speak to her about the Jabberwocky." Alice had expected Baj to react much like her friends had at the name, but she was pleasantly surprised to see that he merely arched an eyebrow in surprise.
"That's rather ironic for I too have to see the Queen of Hearts, though it does not concern someone like the Jabberwocky. Hop on," Baj stepped back and gestured for Alice to stand before him on the skateboard. Alice hesitantly did so and nervously looked back at Baj.
"Are you sure it's alright?"
"Quite," Baj replied, his smile even wider now with the barest hint of mischief. "Though I must warn you, you'll want to hold on." Baj's wings stretched to their maximum length slowly as his tail straightened out.
"Hold on? To whaAAAAAAAA!" With a strong flap of his mighty wings, Baj and Alice shot down the smooth pathway towards the Queen of Heart's courtyard, going much faster than Alice expected them to. They were going so fast that Alice had been forced to wrap her arms tightly around Baj's neck so that she wouldn't fall off, effectively startling the taller teen enough to have him wrap his own arms around her waist. Because she had her eyes tightly closed, Alice failed to see that Baj's face was as red as her own.
"So… um…" said Baj, trying rather futilely to get the blush off his face, "What do you know of the Jabberwocky?"
"Next to nothing really," answered Alice, her arms still wrapped tightly around Baj's neck with her eyes now opened to see the trees passing by in slow blur. "All I know is that he scares even the Queen and that he's coming to see her soon." Baj winced slightly at that and looked down at Alice quite nervously.
"I see…… … Do you… fear him as well…?" he asked, his voice slightly trembling with fear.
"Not really… I've never met him so I have no reason to fear him really…" Alice replied, a soft smile and a pink blush on her face when she realized she quite liked being held like this.
"Really? So… you may actually grow to like him…?" asked Baj, his voice filled with hope.
"I don't know. Maybe." Alice failed to see what only possibly be the biggest grin that any Wonderlander had ever seen since the Cheshire Cat's own. 'Maybe is a long shot, but it's better than nothing,' thought Baj to himself, 'I only hope she doesn't hate me later… when it happens…'
Five minutes ago, The Queen of Heart's Courtyard
Every one of Alice's Wonderlander friends were all gathered and quite fearfully waiting for the Jabberwocky's arrival. They knew why he was coming, but they didn't know how he was coming for none had seen him since the last Queen of Wonderland's short reign. Like everyone else, the Jabberwocky was likely to have a change in both heart and body. Though most of the Wonderlanders hadn't changed much, they had changed enough to be aware of the difference.
Anyway, such things will be explained later, now let's see how our wonderful crew is doing.
"So are we sure he's coming?" asked March Hare from his seat at one of the Queen's numerous tables.
"I've already told you, yes," replied the White Rabbit in his nasally voice, "That came with the message." The pale-furred Rabbit pointed at the single fang that lay glistening in the Queen's sweating hands.
"But are we sure it's his fang? Couldn't belong to the Bandersnatch or something?" asked Tweedle Dum, who was sitting on the Queen's right while his taller twin was sitting on her left.
"Or perhaps from the Gryphon."
"The Gryphon doesn't have any teeth," said the Caterpillar in his librarian voice, "And the Bandersnatch has herbivorous teeth."
"Herbiwhatsit?" asked Dormouse from his teapot.
"Herbivorous… Plant-eating…… Flat."
"Oh. Why didn't you just say so?" The Cheshire Cat, in what seemed like a strange miracle; bit back the sarcastic remark/joke that was just begging to be spoken. In fact, the grinning cat had refrained from talking ever since he had gained word of the Jabberwocky's visit. Of all the Wonderlanders present, he was the only one who had ever truly met and conversed with the Jabberwocky. Cheshire sighed to himself, making himself invisible so none of the others could see the worry in his eyes. He had a strong suspicion as to why the Jabberwocky was coming to visit the Hearts Island of the Wonderland Archipelago.
A suspicion that would, most likely, lead everyone to heartbreak.
"You know, what are we really worried about anyway huh?" asked Tweedle Dee.
"Yeah! After all, it's just the Jabberwocky! What is a Jabberwocky anyway?" asked Dee's smaller twin brother, Dum.
"I'll tell ya! Nothin' but a bunch of scales!" exclaimed Hatter, his fun-loving grin back on his face.
"That's right! He's just an overgrown pair of alligator boots!" agreed March Hare.
"I always thought he was nothing but a big bully!" stated the Dormouse.
"Quite right. Nothing but hot air and sulphur!" said the White Rabbit. However, no further statements were made about the Jabberwocky. "… He's right behind me isn't he?" The White Rabbit turned around slowly to see Alice and a boy around her age standing before him, with the boy openly glaring at him with eyes redder than blood.
Eyes like that of the Jabberwocky.
"Grrrrrrrrr… An overgrown pair of alligator boots? A big bully? Nothing but hot air and sulphur? RAAAAAAAAAAAAR!" roared the boy angrily, "How dare you talk about me in such a way! Prepare yourselves!" Jabberwocky, or Ykcowrebbaj as he told Alice, took a deep breath before letting out a large plume of fire that raked against the open air. The Wonderlanders all screamed and ran for the hills with Jabberwocky hot on their tails.
(A/N: Now, this show had at least one or three songs per episode, most original some not-so-original, since I can't even rhyme half the time you'll just have to bare with me and imagine the next scene or two or three!)
(Jabberwocky)
Everybody run!
Everybody hide!
Oh, how I love this game!
97, 98, 99, 100,
Everybody hide 'cause Jabberwocky's comin'!
Yeah we could play the game
And we don't play the same
You've got to find a place to hide!
But not just any place…
You've got to find a space…
That fits your color and your size!
Not over here (No!)
Not over there (No!)
(Everyone else)
I've gotta find a place and make me dissapear
Everybody run
Everybody hide
Oh, how I love this game
97, 98, 99, 100,
Everybody hide 'cause Jabberwocky's comin'!
(Tweedle Dum and Dee)
We're gonna climb the stairs,
We're gonna find somewhere
That no one's ever found before!
(Mad Hatter and March Hare)
You're gonna walk right past
(Jabberwocky)
Nobody can outlast
You know I've played this game before!
(Jabberwocky)
Not over here (No!)
Not over there (No!)
(Everyone else)
I've gotta find a place and make me disappear!
(Jabberwocky)
Everybody run!
Everybody hide!
Oh, how I love this game!
97, 98, 99, 100,
Everybody hide 'cause Jabberwocky's comin'! (Watch out!)
Everybody run!
Everybody hide!
Oh, how I love this game!
97, 98, 99, 100,
Everybody hide…
'Cause Jabberwocky's comin'!
None of them knew how they ended up back at the Queen's courtyard, but all the Wonderlanders were quite thankful for it seeing as they had lost the Jabberwocky sometime during their mad run.
"So… have a nice jog…?" asked Cheshire Cat from his resting place above their heads. The other Wonderlanders barely had the strength to glare angrily at the striped feline while they struggled to breathe at a normal pace.
"I don't understand… Why was Baj so angry with all of you?" asked Alice, looking at her friends confusedly.
"My dear… I don't know… who this… Baj is but… that was the JABBERWOCKY," panted the Queen of Hearts.
"What? But he said-"
"That my name is Ykcowrebbaj which is 'Jabberwocky' spelled backwards so, in a way, I did not lie." Everyone turned their heads upwards to see Jabberwocky resting quite peacefully atop one of the many pedestals that decorated the Queen's courtyard. Jabberwocky jumped down from his pedestal to land before Alice. "Sorry for white-lying to you, my lady but I had no idea whether or not my fellows here gave you the wrong impression of me." Jabberwocky looked over his shoulder to glare at his said fellows.
"But… why would they give the wrong impression of you?" asked Alice, ignoring the fact that Baj, or Jabberwocky as he really was called, was holding her hands quite nicely.
"Well…" Jabberwocky let go of Alicen's hands and turned away from her, wrapping his wings around his shoulder to make a crude looking cape. "That's kind part of the reason as to why I came…"
"Jabberwocky… Please no…" murmured Cheshire Cat quietly.
"… After tomorrow… you can never come back to Wonderland…"
"… After tomorrow… you can never come back to Wonderland…"
Such a simple sentence to cause such emotional outbursts… There were many a loud cry of shock, anger, and confusion from everyone except Jabberwocky and the Cheshire Cat, who became invisible once again this time to mask his tears from the others. He knew this day would come eventually and he had tried his best to remain just an acquaintance to her and nothing more than that but he failed miserably. Cheshire Cat had grown to care for her just as much as everyone else on the island that had become her friend.
And now he was paying for it.
"Please! Everyone just-!" Jabberwocky tried to get everyone to be quiet the peaceful, non-draconic way but it just wasn't working. "Oh well…" Jabberwocky took a deep lungful of air before letting loose a roar so loud, it shook the very pillars around the courtyard.
Not even the bread-and-butterflies made any noise.
"Now that everyone is calm and quiet, let me explain as to why Lady Alice here can't come back. Okay?" Nods came from the scared Wonderlanders. "Alright then." Jabberwocky turned to Alice gently extended a clawed hand to her. "You trusted me as Ykcowrebbaj, will you trust me as Jabberwocky?" Alice hesitated for the longest time before she slowly extended her hand out to take Jabberwocky's own. With a single flap of his mighty wings, Jabberwocky took off into the air and disappeared into the clouds with Alice held carefully in his strong arms.
Jabberwocky landed softly amongst the branches of a Tumtum tree, a tree that was colored various shades of red, before setting Alicen carefully down onto the ground. He gazed down at her, trying to read her body language and scents, but Jabberwocky was used to the insanse and often maddening movements of his kind not those of a normal being. Her scent was worse since she was wearing the one thing that most females always seemed to think they needed.
Perfume.
The scent was absolutely maddening to Jabberwocky. His nose was far too sensitive for its own good and Alice's strange perfume wasn't helping any. It was proving to be too much of a distraction and an irritation all at the same time. Sighing inwardly, Jabberwocky realized he'd have to try to ignore it if he were to do what he was born to do since the Beginning.
Protect Wonderland.
"Okay… I'm sure you have a lot of questions, so I'll try to answer them by explaining as to why you must never return," said Jabberwocky, "However, it is crucial, and more beneficil, if you wait until I am finished to ask me anything else that I hadn't answered for you. Okay?" Refusing to even look at the winged dragon-boy, Alice nodded silently, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
"… Sigh… I guess you can say that it all started at the Beginning. When mankind was born it had unlimited potential. To create, to protect, to give, and to destroy… Mankind could do virtually anything it wanted to.
"And it tried.
"Mankind tried to surpass their place in the world around them, they tried to become that which they were never meant to be. Gods. And in so doing, they lost not their potential, but the power behind it. Their dreams, hopes, imaginations, ideas, thoughts, everything that they had created with the powers they possessed were separated from them. Placed in separate realities to exist without direct interference from mankind.
"However, this proved to be even more dangerous than letting mankind manipulate that which it created…" Jabberwocky sighed tiredly before lying down on his stomach, his limbs dangling over the branch. "Without guidance from mankind, that which was taken from them began to run wild, berserk in its own world. Dreams became nightmares, thoughts turned dark, hopes were shattered, and knowledge became madness… So it was decided by the Powers that the worlds separate from mankind would have protectors from them; children to be specific.
"For a child's potential is virtually unlimitless. There is nothing a child cannot become if they set their mind to it. But for each world… a child had to have a specific nature to their heart, soul, and mind for them to truly protect the world chosen for them and by them. Such as the world of dreams and nightmares, the land that those precious few who know of it have come to call Nightopia, the chosen children are a pair with their hearts completely set on accomplishing their dreams………"
"And… for Wonderland…?"
"For Wonderland… a child must have a mind as maddening as this world. A mind so demented that such things as talking rabbits, grinning cats, and a draconic guardian would seem as normal as day and night." Jabberwocky looked down at Alicen calmly, though his eyes were filled with fire, "That child was you Alicen…"
"But… I haven't done anything!" exclaimed Alice.
"Of course. Did you think you had to?"
"I-well… yes."
"No. That is not why the worlds separated from mankind needed protectors. Protectors is the term that only the true guardians use. Guardians such as I. You see Alice, a human child is not needed to protect the world chosen for them, the child is needed to sculpt it. To change it according to the times and changes in mankind, to keep the world current with mankind's own. That is what a human child is needed for," said Jabberwocky.
"Then… what is the problem…?"
"Sigh… The 'problem' is that few human protectors have remained connected to their other world such as yourself. And every one that did ended in disaster," said Jabberwocky sadly, looking up at the clouds lazily passing by overhead.
"What happened?"
"… There aren't many to talk about and most did not occur in this world… but there was one… her name was Alice Liddel…"
"What happened to her…?"
"Something terrible, Alicen…" Jabberwocky looked immensely uncomfortable with the subject of the girl named Alice Liddel. "I don't wish to speak of what happened to her or us but I must if only to get you to truly understand the risks involved…" Jabberwocky jumped down from his perch and landed to stand before Alicen, "Look into my eyes, Alicen Sierra… Look and see what occurred before… Look and see the ultimate madness…"
Alicen did and what she saw frightened and appalled her all at the same time.
I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clock screaming
Monsters calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops
As they're falling tell a story
She saw a girl not much older than herself lose her parents and cat in a blazing inferno, saw how the same girl rotted away in a insane asylum just as Wonderland did the same.
In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
She saw the land twist and darken while its residents mutated and changed in daemonic versions of themselves.
Don't say I'm out of touch
With this rampant chaos- your reality
I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge
The nightmare I built my own world to escape
She saw what Alice Liddel had done to Wonderland and to herself.
Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming
Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights
Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming
The goddess of imaginary light
Sweet oblivion was a welcome diversion to the nightmare she had witnessed.
Alice groaned before her eyes slowly opened to see pale red ones looking into her own. Reacting on instinct alone, Alice did what any girl in her position would do if such a situation arised.
She slapped the person silly.
"OW! Darn it, Alice!" Jabberwocky rubbed his reddening cheek, glaring quite heatedly at the blonde-haired girl sitting before him. "That hurt!"
"Sorry." Though she sounded far from it.
"You alright? I didn't even get halfway through and you just fainted…" Jabberwocky actually looked concerned for her, but Alicen doubted it was herself that the draconic-boy was really worried about.
"I'm fine… What happened?"
"Are ya deaf now? Ya fainted!" Alice rolled her eyes while she slowly sat up to glare at Jabberwocky.
"Not that. … What happened to…" Alicen couldn't finish the sentence. Just to even think about the girl was enough to make Alice sick to her stomach.
"Liddel? Well, long story short, she came back, killed most of us, destroyed the Queen of Hearts, who had become the literal source of her insanity, and saved us all and got herself out of that asylum. Though, it was because of her that the Cheshire Cat lost his post as a guardian of Wonderland. I told him not to get involved with her but he wouldn't listen… Anyway, there is one other reason as to why you must never return to Wonderland."
"What?" asked Alice, quite fearful of this next reason. She feared that this next reason would be far more terrorifying than the last. Instead of speaking, Jabberwocky reached into one the hidden pockets in his vest and pulled out what looked to be…
Batteries. Plain, ordinary batteries.
"What the…? Is this it? A pair of batteries is why I can never see my best friends ever again!" she cried, tears flowing in torrents down her face.
"Yes. Look closely at the battery brand… What is the name…?"
Alice leaned forward, albeit unwillingly, and read aloud, "Energizer…"
" Alice… You and I both know that Energizer exists only in your world…"
"Maybe I brought these here with me and-"
"NO. These were in my cave, which you had never been in. These are just a few of the many small items that I have found scattered throughout the Wonderland archepelego. I don't doubt that there are a few Wonderland objects in your world as well…"
"But… why is this happening…? Because I keep coming back… or because I'm still connected to Wonderland…?"
"A little of both actually," said Jabberwocky, placing the batteries away into his vest. "Because Wonderland has altered its landscape to fit you, you were unable to fully explore it and become its 'queen' thus finalizing the alteration and separating yourself from it. And because you keep coming back, the power that separates Wonderland from your world is fading. If you don't finalize the alteration, I fear that Wonderland will fade back into your world, which will spell disaster for your world and the others still separated from your own, in less than five days."
"… I see…" said Alice sadly, her hair hiding her eyes away from Jabberwocky, though he did not doubt that she was crying. "Then… why can I…"
Jabberwocky snorted angrily and turned away from Alicen. "Don't think me so cruel as to let you never return without saying goodbye to your friends, Alicen Sierra! Go home for now and think of what you want to say or give to your friends. We'll be waiting at the Queen's Courtyard…" Jabberwocky took off into the open air, leaving a sobbing Alice behind. Little did the blonde-haired girl realize that her sobs echoed that of Jabberwocky.
Cheshire Cat sighed softly as he watched his friends wander sadly back towards their homes, their thoughts and feelings known only to themselves just like Cheshire's own. Uttering a soft and quiet sigh, the tiger-striped cat faded away into nothingness. Once hidden from the eyes of his friends, the Cheshire Cat slowly walked away, leaving a glowing trail of neon purple paw prints floating in the open air where he walked. Cheshire Cat walked for quite some time, not knowing, nor caring, where he ended up. Though he had lost his position long ago, he still retained many of the powers given to him to separate him from the other denizens of Wonderland.
Except for his ex-partner.
"Did you tell them?" Speak of the dragon…
"No hello Jabberwocky?" asked Cheshire, slowly fading back to tangibility in the open air next to the draconic boy who was, once again, sitting in the branches of his favorite tree.
"Did you tell them?" Jabberwocky repeated, ignoring the feline's sad attempt at humor.
"Sigh… Yes I did."
"Everything?" asked Jabberwocky, suspicion quite evident in his voice.
"Everything they needed to know," said the feline harshly, his grin shrinking the slightest bit.
"So only what you wanted them to know," stated Jabberwocky crossly. Sitting up from his reclining position against the Tum-Tum tree's trunk, Jabberwocky frowned at the amethyst-eyed Cheshire Cat. "You should have told them everything Cheshire."
"They didn't need to know about that," stated Cheshire Cat angrily, his square-shaped teeth turning into sharp triangles. "They're happy not remembering!"
"Would you be happy not remembering?" Cheshire's feral grin changed to a surprised one as Jabberwocky spoke, "Would you be happy not remembering Alice Liddel? What you two did together? What resulted from it?"
"SHUT UP!" Feral teeth returned with a vengeance as did the shadow of a form that Jabberwocky had not seen since what he and the Chronicler had come to call, "Descension Unto Hades". Purple shades darkened into dark gray and black tattoos drew themselves upon the cat's fatless body. A silver earing appeared on the yellow-eyed cat's right ear. All these things appeared like a dark shadow over the cat's true body.
"I see your punishment is still in effect…" said Jabberwocky sadly, noting the cat's ire at the shadowy form's appearance over his own. "I take it that this has happened a few times now?"
"Yes… four times now…"
"Four?" said Jabberwocky, surprised by the number. "I can gather to two of them but what of the other times?"
"… The third was when I learned of your coming here… to do your duty…"
Jabberwocky ignored the shot and asked, "And the second…?"
"…… When Wonderland and its denizens altered to fit Alicen…"
"I see… That would explain why time has been added to your sentence… You shouldn't have gone to see her Cheshire."
"How could I not Jabberwocky? You know what it means when Wonderland alters… and a new protector is chosen…"
"Aye. How could I not? Especially after what Liddel had done." Jabberwocky raised a eyebrow at the glowering Cheshire Cat's shadow, which had become more tangible than before.
"Do not speak of her in such a way, Jabberwocky. Guardian or not, I will not hesitate to-"
"To do what Cheshire? Your lucky to even be alive after what you did and now you want to make your situation worse by attempting to attack me? You should know better after the sin you commited!"
"Falling in love is not a sin!"
"It is when it's a human! You should have known better than to fall for Liddel, let alone tell her! Look what became of you! Nothing but a mere hairball of your former self!" exclaimed Jabberwocky, his red eyes glowing with a fire that caused the feline before him to wonder where such conviction came from.
"Jabberwocky… Why do you speak in such a way?"
"Because it's true, Cheshire! If you hadn't-"
"That is not what I meant." The shadowy daemonic form that overlapped him slowly disappeared as Cheshire Cat slowly began to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "Why do you speak with such anger and hatred? Sure my dismissal was a great tragedy felt amongst all the guardians," Here, Jabberwocky scoffed loudly, "but not enough to cause you to feel such resentment. You already said it was my fault for what happened, but you speak as though…… oh my…" Cheshire's ever present grin grew to match the size of the cresent moon.
"What are you grining about feline?" asked Jabberwocky, his red eyes narrowing into tiny slits.
"Nothing my friend. It just seems to me that the pot is the one calling the kettle black," said the Cheshire Cat in a sing-song voice. Jabberwocky's red eyes narrowed for a moment before they widened in shock.
"Oh heck no! I do not love her! I barely know her!"
"Really? I thought that knowing everything about a protector was a standard part of guardian protocol, and I know how much you love following protocol." The grin was back with a vengeance.
"Grrrrrrr. Shut up you mangy old cat." Large puffs of smoke were pouring out of Jabberwocky's nose while his crimson tail lashed wildly in the open air. Turning around, Jabberwocky irritably crossed his arms and wings, ignoring the faint blush that adorned his human face and Cheshire's scrutinizing gaze.
"This is hurting you too, isn't it Jabberwocky?" asked Cheshire gently.
"… No. No it's not. She's just another human, another protector amongst many. Her face will be lost amongst the hundreds that came before and the thousands that'll come after." Jabberwocky jumped down from his perch and landed without a sound. "I'll see you tomorrow, old friend." Jabberwocky walked away without a word into the shadows of the forest, not once daring to look back for, if he did, Cheshire Cat would surely have seen the guilty tears in his eyes.
Throughout it all he watched from the atop the many pillars that decorated the Queen's court, his heart growing heavier with guilt as the preceedings continued on. It was heartbreaking enough to see her friends in tears as they bade her their final farewells while passing to her gifts that they hoped she would be able to remember them by, but her own tears… Jabberwocky would rather go through the Corruption all over again than to see her tears.
It was confusing to Jabberwocky. These strange feelings he felt for Alicen Sierra. He had seen and known of all the protectors that preceeded Alicen and he never felt anything towards them except for Alice Liddel but there were reasons behind that. There didn't seem to be any reason behind these emotions, they were just… there. 'Then again…' thought Jabberwocky silently as the Caterpillar hugged Alicen with all three pairs of arms, 'she has not only been connected far longer than Liddel, but she's willingly come back. None of them have ever done that…'
Only once the farewells were over did Jabberwocky drop down from his perch, a large duffel bag in his hands. "It's time, Alice… Are you ready…?" A tiny nod was her answer. "Good… Here," Jabberwocky handed her the bag, "Use this to carry your gifts." Jabberwocky waited patiently for Alicen to finish packing her presents from her friends, all the while ignoring the glares he was receiving from them. Once Alice had packed away her present from the White Rabbit, she stepped up to Jabberwocky and looked at him expectantly.
"Well?"
Jabberwocky turned and whistled, his skateboard appearing within seconds. "Hop on…"
It was about half-an-hour's ride across the salty ocean to reach Jabberwocky's home island where the Wonder Palace resided exactly in the middle of. Alice remained silent throughout most of the ride, only eliciting a small gasp of surprise once they had hit the salty sea. Jabberwocky too remained silent and focused as he flapped and steered the skateboard-turned-surfboard towards the Isle of Wonder's.
Once they had reached the purple shores of the island's sandy beach, Jabberwocky hopped off his skateboard and slowly walked towards the Flipside Forest with Alicen following not far behind. As they walked past trees whose roots touched the sky and whose branches buried themselves into the earth, Alice began to gain little ground ahead of Jabberwocky. The draconic teen watched sadly as the girl walked stiffly, as though a great weight had been pressed down upon her shoulders. Sighing softly, Jabberwocky stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes. 'I can't do this. I can't…'
"Alice I-" Jabberwocky's eyes widened in fear and horror. Alicen, having ignored Jabberwocky from the beginning of their journey, had walked on ahead of him and the forest had already begun to shift in her wake. "Oh no… ALICEN! ALICEN, CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Jabberwocky dove through the trees, his sadness and guilt replaced by fear and trepidation. The Flipside Forest was a dangerous place for anyone but a guardian for only a guardian could walk safely through the wood…
And not be driven insane by its madness.
Alice did not know how long she had been walking but she knew that she wanted out. The forest was constantly shifting around her and nothing seemed to ever make sense. One moment, she'd been walking on red grass and the next, she was walking on a cloud with the forest above her head. It did not help any that strange creatures had started appearing and following her, singing a song that struck one too many nerves.
"Put your faith in what you most believe in
Two worlds, one family
Trust your heart
Let fate decide
To guide these lies we see
A paradise touched by man
Within this world blessed with love
A simple life, they live in peace
Softly tread the sand below your feet now
Two worlds, one family
Trust your heart
Let fate decide
To guide these lives we see
Beneath the shelter of the trees
Only love can enter here
A simple life, they live in peace
Raise your head up
Lift high the load
Take strength from those that need you
Build high the walls
Build strong the beams
A new life is waiting
But danger's no stranger here
No words describe a mother's tears
No words can heal a broken heart
A dream is gone, but where there's hope
Somewhere something is calling for you
Two worlds, one family
Trust your heart
Let fate decide
To guide these lives we see…"
Alice had already stopped in her tracks by the second-to-last stanza of the song and had yet to move any further. During most of the previous night and throughout the day, Alicen had seriously considered trying to convince Jabberwocky into letting her remain in onderland or, if the need should arise, somehow run away to one of the islands Jabberwocky had mentioned. But now… now she was unsure. She had forgotten all about her mother and her friends back home.
As Alice slowly fell to her knees, the beasts around her slowly drew nearer and nearer, all steadily increasing their haunting notes. It was not until a loud roar shook the forest floor did the creatures run back to their homes and Alice became aware of the forest's remaining in its current form and of the warm hands that were atop her shoulders.
"Alicen? Alice, are you okay? Alicen!" Jabberwocky's voice betrayed him by displaying to her the concern he felt for her.
"I'm fine… I'm fine… What were they?"
"They were the Truth-Speakers. I think. I didn't really get a good look at them, too busy making sure you were okay." Jabberwocky stood and helped Alicen to her feet. "C'mon, the sooner we get outta here, the better."
It did not take long for Jabberwocky and Alicen to arrive in the vacant palace, nor did it take them long to reach the throne room. Wonder Palace was the only thing in all of Wonderland that always remained untouched by its protector's. It was because of this that no-one outside the guardians and the chosen protector could enter it safely. Those that tried found themselves absent from Wonderland until the next protector arrived. Jabberwocky stopped before the golden throne and turned to face Alicen, whose eyes were more focused upon the throne than on him.
It was a tall throne made of pure gold with several apple-size sapphires decorating its entirety. Its fluffy cushions were deep sky blue and easily drew attention towards the gemstones decorating it. The ends of the armrests on the throne were made to resemble a roaring lion, while, on the headrest, there stood two proud-looking eagles, both with their large wings spread outwards and their eyes staring into her own.
"Wonderful, isn't it?"
"Huh?" Alice blinked and turned to face Jabberwocky, who was now gazing at the throne much like Alicen had.
"The throne. No one knows where they came from nor how they arrived. Not even the guardians. The thrones and palaces appeared throughout all the worlds, the sole variation being the coloring. For Wonderland, the color is the sky where many a person is often found looking up towards in thought." Jabberwocky sighed and wrapped his mammalian wings around him to form a crude cape.
" Alice… I want to say… I… I…… Sorry…"
"For what?"
"… For hurting you like this…" said Jabberwocky, his eyes downcast. "… I know not when it happened, but somewhere along the way I-"
"Jabberwocky," said Alice, "Don't. It's not your fault, it's mine. If I had tried to explore Wonderland more and become its queen I-"
"Don't Alice!" Jabberwocky whirled around and took Alice's hands in his own. "Don't you dare try to blame yourself! Never blame yourself… Sigh… I know that it hurts… I know of the pain that you feel for I feel a pain not far from it…" Jabberwocky dropped Alice's hands and turned to face the throne once more. "Please… let us just finish it." Alice stared confusedly at Jabberwocky before slowly moving towards the throne. However, before she reached the steps leading up to the throne, Alice turned to regard Jabberwocky. "What?"
"Is there anything I can do…? To relieve you of your pain?" Jabberwocky's eyes widened in surprise at that. A small smile grew on his face as he shook his head, his red hair remaining in place the entire time.
"No Alice… There's nothing you can do to relieve me of my pain… but there is something I can do to relieve you of yours." Jabberwocky quickly walked up the steps to stand beside Alice. "Come, take thine throne, Your Highness." Alice blushed slightly at that but did what Jabberwocky said. Jabberwocky kneeled down so that he was face-to-face with Alice. "Repeat the words on the scepter and the change to Wonderland will be finalized and it will be separated from the real world until the next protector arrives."
"What scepter?"
"The one in your hand, Your Highness." Alice looked and was surprised to see a golden scepter in her hand. "As for me… all I have left is to give you my gift." Alice looked up and was shocked to feel Jabberwocky's lips press gently against her own. What surprised her further was that not only did she find herself unwilling to pull away, she found a desire to return the kiss, which is exactly what she did.
"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe…"
"Alicen Carrol Sierra! Are you planning on getting up at all today?" Alice groaned tiredly before she opened her eyes to see the frowning face of her mother looking down at her.
"What time is it…?" moaned Alice sleepily.
"It's already nine forty-five!" Alice's eyes widened and she sat up quickly before jumping out of bed and into her closet.
"Nine forty-five! Oh no! I'm supposed to be at the hotel in fifteen minutes!" Alice's mother rolled her eyes but she had a small smile on her face at the sight of her daughter hurriedly getting dressed for 'work'. She would hardly call the hotel a place of work after all the stories that Alice told her and all the times Alice had spent there the last four years before she was old enough to work there.
"I'm sure Ms. Orta won't mind if you're a little late. She treats you like a daughter." Alice's mother suddenly gained a teasing grin. "Especially since you're dating her nephew."
"Mooooom…" moaned Alice from the closet.
"You're going to wear a hole in the carpet if you keep that up."
Baj was nervous-no he was beyond nervous. If did not seem impossible for him to soon have a anxiety attack. For most of the morning, Baj had been pacing around in the lobby of his aunt's hotel with the workers watching amusedly. Madd Hatt already had a small bet going on that Baj would collapse before Alicen showed.
"I can't help it, Chesh! This is too important and I can't mess it up!" Chesh Neko grinned from his seat behind the Check In/Out counter of the Wonderland Hotel. He knew how Baj felt considering that he too had done the same thing with a different Alice.
"Hmmm. It's rather odd that Alicen isn't here yet. I thought Weis was supposed to be the late one," drawled Phil R. Cater in his ever-monotonous voice. Weis Rabbet glared at his fellow butler indignantly.
"I cannot help it if my watch always slows down!"
"I'm telling you Weis, you should let me and Madd take a look at it," said Mark O'Hare, one of the two cooks/fixits of the hotel. Dorn Mose sighed as he sipped from his cup of Earl Gray tea, choosing to not comment about the credibility of Madd and Mark's fixing capabilities. The last time the two had tried to fix something, everyone in the hotel ended up hating pretzels for a year.
"Anyway," said Gwen Orta, owner/primary manager of the Wonderland Hotel and aunt of Baj Wokins. "Baj, you needn't be so concerned. I'm sure Alicen will readily agree."
"I hope so Aunt Gwen…" muttered Baj as he continued to circle the lobby, "I just hope this doesn't ruin our friendship…"
"Baj, you said the same thing when you thought of asking her out for the Starnight Festival," said Chesh, "If we have to, we'll ask her for you!" Baj stopped in his tracks and stared in wide-eyed horror at them. He could already imagine what Chesh would do, but he didn't dare to try imagine what Dan or Mark would do. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Alicen had finally appeared through the fine glass doors of the hotel.
"Sorry I'm late! My stupid alarm didn't turn on."
"AKA, I turned it off and fell back to sleep," teased Chesh, chuckling at Alicen's stern expression, which reminded him much of his own wife. Speaking of which… "I'll be heading out for a bit. Gotta pick up an anniversary gift for my wife." Chesh made sure to stress the word 'out' and was glad to see that the others were able to gather what he meant by it.
"Oh yeah! I forgot we gotta go help Dan and Dean with-uh… that thing! Let's go guys!" Madd and Mark all but ran out the door with Weis, Dorn, and Phil following close behind. Gwen and Chesh sighed before following after them, both muttering to themselves about teaching the duo the meaning of the word tack.
Alicen blinked confusedly, and cutely in Baj's opinion, "Um… did I miss something?"
Baj swallowed nervously, a thin sheen of sweat appearing on his brow. "Uh… Alicen…? I was wondering something…" Alicen turned her brilliant blue eyes to gaze into Baj's reddish brown ones.
"Hmmm? What is it?"
"… How long have we been friends now…?" Alicen smiled at Baj before she sat down on one of the many couches that decorated the lounge area.
"About four years now. It seems like a lifetime though." Baj didn't know whether to take that as a good thing, so he chose to sit across from Alicen.
"And… how long have we been going out?"
"About two. Our anniversay's already come and gone so you needn't be nervous about it," said Alicen, smiling playfully at Baj only to frown upon seeing his nervous smile. "Baj, what's wrong?"
"Alicen… I must ask that you not interrupt what I'm about to say. It's taking everything I've got to say what I'm about to say and I'm afraid that if I were to stop, I'd never get the words out." Alicen couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness. She had never seen Baj as nervous as he was now, even when he asked her out on their first date.
"Okay… I promise."
"Good. … Sigh… Alicen, when I first met you those years ago the first thing I thought you were quite cute, especially since you kept apologizing for my having collided with you. Now though, I see you as something so beautiful that I'm almost to afraid to touch lest you disappear. When we had our first conversation together, I thought you were too happy, too naïve about a lot of stuff. Now I try my best to make you happier than before and to keep your naivety for it's just one of the many things I love about you.
"Back when I first asked you out on a official date, I'll admit I was scared as heck and with good reason. On one hand, I could lose the best friend I've ever had. On the other, I could strengthen the bonds that tied us together. You have no idea how relieved I was that it was the latter that occurred instead of the former.
"Now though… I find myself thinking about our relationship and where it will lead. We're both growing up Alicen and things will change as we do. We'll grow apart and drift away from each other until, ultimately, we're nothing but good memories in each other's heart. However, if we change as well, we may be together for the rest of our lives. This change that I'm about to do is a big one Alicen and it affects both of us and everyone that we've come to care for. It is not solely up to me whether this change be good or bad for the question I have to ask can only be answered by you.
"I know that we're only fourteen and most kids our age don't think of such things that much, but we're not like them anyway and I'm really screwing up my lines here so I'll just come right out and say it. Alicen Sierra, when the time is right for the both of us… will you… marry me?" Baj pulled out a small jewelery box from his vest pocket and held it out to the shocked Alicen, whose eyes had begun to water.
"Oh Baj…" Alicen couldn't help but cry at the lovely silver promise ring that layed gently in the soft velvet of the box. Alicen either did not notice or did not care about the stunning blue sapphire that adorned the ring for her attention was focused more upon the giver of the ring than the ring itself. Alicen jumped forward and embraced Baj in a fierce hug, crying "Yes" over and over again into his shoulder.
Baj grinned a grin that would make Chesh madly insane with jealously as he hugged Alicen back for all he was worth. The two slowly backed away until their eyes met, both silently declaring their love for one another through them. Their lips were just the first of many things the joined together to become one, and the passionate kiss was just one of many that would be exchanged between the two.
And the money exchanged between their friends would continue to be exchanged for many years to come for not one of them could win against the ever grinning Chesh Neko.
The End of One Story
And the Beginning of Another