Alice gently landed on the floor of the Rabbit Hole, following Mulan and Belle as they prodded Alistair quickly through the hall to the end, then opening the door, the door behind it, and on until the last door revealed the panel that led to the exit chamber. Mulan crouched to crawl in, pausing as she caught sight of something beside them. With a gasp, she bound to her feet, covering her eyes with her hands, yelling for them to look away.
The Cheshire Cat, in his humanoid form, was kneeling on the floor. His androgynous face was marred by jagged cracks, exposing bones through charred edges. The bottomless eyes were hollow and smoking steadily. The grin was a tattered rip on the ravaged face, revealing a broken mixture of fangs and round, humanoid teeth. The robe was swirling with darkness, occasionally flashing patches of fire and devastation, like still views of the land during a lightning storm.
Alice's mind swayed back and forth, battered by an invisible wind. A small voice screamed in the back of her mind, never ceasing for a moment. Alice staggered slowly to the Cat as he stared forward, unmoving and terrifying. She stumbled as her mind warped, gibbering and cackling with insanity. The room began to move in her mind, chairs skittering away and tables rising to spin in the air. Books flapped away like bats from the shelves as she got closer. A low giggle started in the back of her throat. The screaming continued.
She focused on the face of the Cat, pulling her thoughts into a narrow thread. She knew that she was breaking, spiraling into madness, but she had to get to the Cheshire Cat. A purple squirrel crawled over her shoulder, pointing in his direction and tugging at her sleeve. She watched the Cat move closer, or was she moving? She reached out a pale hand and touched the shreds of his face, running her fingers down a ravaged cheek.
The screaming changed to a roar of rage. The room snapped back into place, picking up her mind and throwing it back into her head, angrily re-mooring the lines of her sanity to the dock. The Cheshire Cat rose, great and terrible, robes reflecting the void. The jagged tears on his face were gone, replaced by fading chalk lines and his eyes had returned, vertical-slitted cat pupils thin with rage. The power that rolled off him began to crush them.
"Cheshire Cat!" Alice cried over the screaming of her friends. "Please!"
The crushing ceased and the roar stopped. Alice opened her eyes slowly and looked up at Wonderland incarnate. His half-moon grin hovered inches from her face.
"Oh, my dear Alice!" He said, voice full of wonder and delighted surprise. "You have finally arrived."
Alice felt something shift back into place inside her head. "I apologize for keeping you waiting." She replied.
Belle whimpered, holding her head. Mulan still held her hands over her eyes. And Alistair…
"Hmm…." The Cheshire Cat purred. "Alistair…"
The young man gibbered, struggling against the bindings and backing away.
"You've made quite a mess, my little friend." The Cat scolded lightly. "Your scheming and planning have caused a great world of hurt. Indeed, they did."
Alistair squealed a wordless protest as Mulan snatched him by the collar, pulling him back and preventing him from running. He tripped over his feet and fell to his knees with a squeak of pain.
"Look away, girls." The Cheshire Cat said calmly, leaning forward over the chattering man.
Alice squeezed her eyes shut and turned away as the young man screamed in agony.
The screaming faded. Alistair still stood where he was, eyes vacant and staring. A rictus grin stretched his face painfully and drool ran down his chin. Inside, Alistair was gone.
Alice's stomach rolled.
The Cat hovered above them, misty and tumbling, his bubbling laughter bouncing off the walls.
"Let's go," Belle whispered, her voice shaking. "We have to get back."
"I have prepared the way." The Cat grinned. "Leave him to me. Go."
Mulan all but dove into the panel hole, followed by Belle. Alice paused, looking at the mist.
"Good to have you back, Cheshire." She smiled, a hint of madness in her eyes.
The Cat laughed and faded into the ceiling, howling with mirth.
Outside in the garden, three horses waited. As the sun broke above the horizon, they raced into Tulgey Wood, heading home.
….
The repairs were well underway when the bells rang again, sending the town into a panic. For the second time, they were under attack, and the sun had not even risen.
Shang rode into the square, calling out orders as women and children scrambled back into cellars and the soldiers rushed to the town's defense. As the smell of burning wood rolled through the streets, he knew that this time they wouldn't be so lucky. The men had not had time to recover since yesterday's attack and the loss of the Hatter was a huge hit on morale.
Lumiere rode up, reporting that there was an army advancing from the East. It seemed that yesterday's skirmish was intended to test the town's defenses and find it's weaknesses. This time, they were splitting the attack, cleaving the town's defenses and making them easier to pick off. Shang had to think fast if they were going to survive this day.
A roar sounded from the west as the enemy attacked. The fiery soldiers were relentless as they cut through the front lines. Lumiere rode to the East, leading a band of grim soldiers and civilians to certain death, while Shang rushed to the west, calling the reserve to follow him. As he rode, he whispered a prayer to his ancestors, asking them to protect his Mulan, wishing that he could have seen her one more time. He knew that he would not make it, but at least he would die an honorable death.
The sky flashed for a moment, blinding him and causing his horse to slide to a halt, screaming in fear. The long, jagged cracks that had nearly covered the sky suddenly retracted and closed, leaving the pre-dawn sky pristine. From where he stopped, he could see the fighting slowing down as the enemy hesitated for a moment.
This was all the distraction they needed.
Shang roared a battle cry and rallied his solders, resuming the attack with a renewed vigor. The enemy, reeling from the counter-attack, was suddenly hard pressed to fight back.
A woman's laughter rang through the air. A Victorian woman with an elaborate sun bonnet landed into the fray with an explosion that knocked both fire soldiers and militiamen backwards. Her laughter filled the battlefield, shaking the ground with volume, slowly transitioning to an angry howl of fury as she drew her sword and swept a wide swath of carnage in the enemy's ranks.
The enemy could not retreat fast enough.
With the Cheshire Cat Lady scattering the enemy, the remainder of the militia followed Shang to the East, where the battle was just getting fierce.
….
Alice heard the sounds of battle before the town came into view. Mulan urged her horse to run faster as they neared, fear and determination in her eyes.
Were they too late after all?
Alice's home came into view. She called for them to stop and slid off her horse, running to the porch.
Ears sat on her steps, head in his hands and ears nearly touching the dirt in his mourning. One ear twitched as he thought he heard Alice's cry.
"EARS!" She cried, scooping the small Hare in her arms and holding him close.
"Alice? Alice!" He cried as she spun, dizzying him. "But how?"
"I'm home, Ears!" She exclaimed, "Belle and Mulan brought me back! Where's Reginald?"
At the mention of his lost friend, his face contracted with anguish. Alice froze, eyes catching sight of the crushed hat on her porch swing.
Time slowed down.
Gently setting the Hare on the steps, Alice ascended, approaching the hat and lifting it, hands steady.
"Oh no," Belle moaned, sagging.
Alice stood quiet, her back to her friends, giving no sign of emotion. The sounds of the fighting seemed to fade into the background.
"He's gone?" She asked, her voice flat and unsettling.
Ears walked over, one paw extended to touch her sleeve.
"He fought Mary Anne just inside your gate. He had come here to protect your home." He whispered. "We didn't find his body."
Alice's eyes snapped down to his, causing him to step back.
"Then there's hope." She said, her voice ringing with certainty. She reached into the hat and pressed against the inside, popping out the crushed felt and smoothing the wrinkles. Ears watched, stunned, as she ran a hand over the inner band, tenderness in the touch.
Alice opened the door, entering her house and pausing to relish the warm feeling of coming home. She walked up the stairs and opened her bedroom door, laying the hat lightly on the bed. She turned to face her friends, waiting in the doorway.
"Ears," she said, her face neutral. "I'm going into battle."
Before the dazed Hare could respond, a purple mist dropped a set of armor on her bed, fading away instantly. Alice turned and lifted the same chain skirt that she had worn in her dream. The set gleamed in the dawning sunlight through the open window.
"Wait…" The Hare finally spoke. "Will someone tell me what the devil is going on?" His eyes shifted back and forth with a mixture of awe and confusion.
"Soon, Ears." Alice said, gathering her armor. "The fight is getting closer."
"Yes," Mulan said, dropping the pack she retrieved from the horse, "Its arriving as we speak." She pulled out her own armor and tossed her sword on the bed, smiling malevolently at the thought of finally seeing battle after all this time.
….
Shang vaulted off his horse and cut down an enemy soldier as he bore down on a stunned, blood-spattered Lumiere. The roar of the defenders rose in pitch as the additional soldiers ran in to join their brothers and sisters in battle. Lumiere rose from the ground and saluted Shang, smiling with relief at the captain. Deftly dispatching two spearmen with his rapier, he rejoined the fray.
Shang rushed after him, protecting his flank and driving back an oncoming charge. The arrival of the Lady and the turn in the course of the battle brought back the morale, but the fight wasn't over yet.
A familiar battle cry distracted him for a moment, nearly costing his life as a hulking juggernaut swung at his head. Two arrows thunked into the enemy's chest, then neck, causing him to fall to his knees and hit the ground, lifeless. Shang turned to the archer and felt his heart squeeze with joy as Mulan grinned at him, her rearing horse pawing the air, screaming shrilly.
The fight was over before they knew it, the enemy retreating into the woods. The defenders chased them, making certain of their retreat this time, scattering the army.
Mulan leapt from her horse into her husband's open arms, knocking them both into the dirt and causing the nearby soldiers to laugh and exchange knowing looks. Alice's horse trotted up to a rousing cheer as the militia men openly admired the girl, slapping her on the back and exclaiming their surprise. Alice caught Shang's eye and the captain sobered immediately.
"Alice," He said, eyes full of regret. "The Hatter, he—"
"I know, Captain Shang." She said calmly. "He has been captured. I need to get to him."
"But…" He hesitated, "How do you know?"
She lifted her chin, once again the stern, determined Victorian lady. "I just know."
Shang held on to the hope that she was right.
"Alright. I'll get you there. If what my scouts say is true, she should be about a day's ride from here." He said, holding his wife close.
A shout from nearby was answered by murmurs of confusion and surprise.
"Captain!" Lumiere called, emerging from the trees, leading a fire blackened horse with a bound, struggling rider. "We captured their general!"
Mulan nocked an arrow and pulled the bowstring, holding it at the ready. Shang stepped forward and removed the snarling officer's sooty helmet.
"The Queen!" The nearby men said, the sound catching like wildfire as they each exclaimed and fell to a knee.
Alice stifled a gasp of horror at the small, ravaged woman. Her eyes were burning coals in her ash grey face, her mouth set in a savage growl. She hissed at the soldiers, feral and furious.
Shang grimly assessed the possessed monarch. The enemy that they had been fighting thus far consisted of mostly fire constructs, but some of them were villagers and townspeople that were captured and turned. The men kept those captive and avoided killing them, if possible. However, at this time they were unable to find any way to restore them.
Seeing the Queen like this was a harsh blow to the soldiers. The Queen might be out of their reach forever.
Alice's heart felt the profound sadness that rolled off of the men, echoing her own. She felt as if a piece of paradise was defiled and dirtied. The wild, yowling Queen fixed her burning eyes on Alice, unrecognizing and hateful.
Calling her.
Alice felt the whispers of madness in the back of her mind. She made a mental sidestep into a room in her head where the world looked and felt different, more beautiful and terrifying. A giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it.
"Alice?" Shang whispered, sensing the change.
The woman walked forward, seeing the Queen's mind clearly. The smaller woman was trapped in a barbed cage, crying piteously out to her. She was begging and pleading to be killed, her hands bloodied and torn. Alice reached up and gripped a razor-sharp bar in her hands, hissing in pain as it cut the skin, and pulled with all her might. The bar bent, groaning loudly in protest. She grabbed another one, ignoring the burning in her hands as she pulled, throwing her entire body's weight into it.
The bar gave with a loud screech, the cage dissolved with the hiss of hot iron in the water, the Queen tumbled back into her mind with a gasp of surprise.
Alice shook her head and looked around, disoriented. She was still standing in place, but her companions were staring at her, wide-eyed and fascinated.
"Alice… are you back with us?" Mulan asked dryly.
Alice had stood there for nearly two minutes, grinning like the Cheshire, eyes locked on the Queen with unshakable focus.
The Queen's low moan startled the nearby soldiers. The petite woman blinked her dark eyes and had to be steadied on the horse as she began to list to the side. The men beside her stared in wonder, hardly able to believe it.
Their Queen had been restored.
Mulan's head quickly turned to the fair-haired woman in wonder. What did she do?
"Alice…" The Queen swayed. Alice approached the woman, pausing to curtsy.
"I'm here, Your Highness." She said, respectfully.
"The Hatter…" She took a steadying breath, strengthening her words. "He needs you…"
Alice's heart lurched with hope. "You Grace, do you mean that…"
"He's alive." The Queen replied, a growing anger at her ordeal coloring her voice. "But not for long. I will take you to him."
….
Reginald woke to the smell of sulfur and blood. He was laying on his side at the bottom of a pit. He pulled his arm underneath him to prop himself up.
His surprised hiss of pain echoed as the sound bounced off the walls.
He struggled to lift himself into a sitting position, feeling like he was thrown down every set of stairs in Wonderland. His orange coat, armor and sword had been removed, leaving him dressed in a blood-stained white shirt, and black slacks. He ran a hand through his hair, wincing as a cut opened and his hand returned wet and red with fresh blood.
"You've done it now, Reginald old boy." He whispered to himself.
In all his years, he had never been in a more tough situation. He looked about at his prison and carefully pulled himself to his feet. The walls were glass smooth, offering no ledges to climb, and all he could see above him was a lime green glow in the darkness.
"Better and better…" He whispered.
A whip crack split the air. He jumped out of the way, but it was too late. His foot was snared by a long tail and he face-planted as the cord tightened around his ankle, pulling him. Before he could catch the breath that escaped him, he was being pulled, upside-down, up and out of the pit, only to be dropped next to the opening with a bone-jarring thud.
A low moan of pain slipped past his lips as he found himself lying in a heap in front of a pair of dainty high-heeled boots, attached to a pair of curvy black leggings that disappeared into an orange overdress.
Mary Anne smiled down at him sweetly, her short, platinum hair and miniature top-hat surrounded by a lime-green halo.
"Hello Reggie," She cooed. "Did you sleep well?"
"You know," he chuckled dryly. "I've had better nights. And better bedmates to wake up to."
He almost rolled out of the way of her kick, catching it square in the shoulder.
"You disgust me!" She hissed. "You filthy letch!" Mary Anne panted to regain her composure. She lifted her chin primly and sniffed. "No matter though," She said. "You'll be out of the way soon."
The Hatter shifted and slowly rose into a crouch, holding his shoulder. He watched her as she walked away from him, her hips swinging provocatively.
He wished she knew how much she revolted him.
"You should know, it's a real shame you won't be around for much longer." She said conversationally. "I think I would have liked to watch you pine for your lost love for a bit. I hear the pain gets worse the longer you go without."
He looked around at the ruins of the Looking-glass parlor. The frame of the looking-glass still hung on the wall, a few shards of mirror still attached to the edges like a few teeth in a monstrous jaw. The hearth still contained a lime-green fire, the soot from the explosion painting the walls black. The similarities ended there. That wall was the only one still standing, the others blasted away. The room was surrounded by a surface of jagged grey stone, as if the parlor was dropped into the bottom of a deep canyon.
Reginald spotted his coat and sword, folded neatly next to an outcropping of stone. He watched her walk, her back towards him. Maybe he could…
Before he could finish the thought, a great set of claws flexed only a few meters where he stood. What he thought was a pile of rocks opened a giant, vertically-slitted eye, the pupil widening and narrowing as it focused on him. The Jabberwocky lifted its head and snarled, smoke pouring out of its nostrils.
He fell backwards and scooted away, eyes wide with terror.
Mary Anne tittered into her hand and regarded him with gleeful amusement. "I hope you didn't get any fantastic ideas about leaving, my dearest." Her indulgent smile slowly pulled down into a hateful frown. "No, not until I've had my fun."
He hit the wall so hard that stars filled his vision. The whip-like tail was sliding back, then lancing towards him, slamming into his stomach and doubling him over in pain. Over and over, his body was slammed by the tail of the jabberwocky, until he collapsed to the floor where he remained, unable to stand. His vision was fading in and out as he lay there, too weak to move his head, when Mary Anne lifted his cheek off the floor with the tip of her boot.
"Oh, Reggie," She purred. "look at you, in the perfect position to lick my boots."
His arm twitched.
She shrieked as he pulled her down by the leg, dropping her to the floor. He rolled, using her body to shield himself from the whipping tail, feeling her go rigid in pain as the tail snapped across her stomach, winding her. With all the reserve strength he could muster, he staggered to his feet, holding the pain-stunned woman between him and the jabberwocky, dragging her along as he made his way to the raised platform. He threw her onto the floor and grabbed the sword, dropping the sheath and swinging it forward to rest at the base of her throat.
Her delighted, malicious grin made him hesitate.
"Oh, you're good. I'd forgotten all about that." She whispered, her voice low and husky.
Reginald recoiled. She sat up and pressed her neck against the sword.
"You don't have the guts." She hissed, her stormy eyes locking onto his.
He saw the glitter in her eyes and vaulted away, mere seconds before a great claw came whistling down where he stood. He turned to the jabberwocky, keeping his back against the wall as he faced it, sword in front. Her delighted laugh echoed as she watched, clapping her hands excitedly.
The tail whipped out, cracking against the rock at his side as he dodged it. At the next pass, his sword connected, and a long section of tail thrashed wildly on the ground.
The jabberwocky screamed, the ground trembling with the sound.
Before his ears could stop ringing, Reginald found himself slammed into the wall, pinned by the jabberwocky's claws.
He struggled ineffectively. He was trapped.
He could only watch, eyes wide with terror, as the jabberwocky inhaled, preparing to breath fire upon him.
Alice…I'm sorry
The breath was released with the high-pitched scream of a monstrous tea kettle. The heat wave rolled over him, making his eyes water and his skin pull in response.
But he was still alive.
The Jabberwocky had missed. No, the Jabberwocky had aimed the blast elsewhere. Reginald followed the trail of molten stone on the ground where it was rapidly cooling from red hot to black. His eyes tracked in slow motion.
An angel stood, roaring in defiance at the jabberwocky, her sword blazing with the same periwinkle blue fire that blazed in her eyes. His breath caught as she lunged forward, sword carving a white-hot line across the draconian beast's once impenetrable hide. The beast reared its head and struck, jaws closing on empty air as the woman bounded away, dodging the thrashing tail and slashing deep furrows all along the monster's flank. The screams of the agonized beast rose to a deafening pitch. Frantically inhaling, the jabberwocky called forth his fiery breath too soon, only producing a puff of hot vapor over his muzzle.
The angel slammed into the wall beside Reginald, her face an unearthly mask of righteous fury as she pushed off, using the stone as a springboard to lance towards the beast, a ribbon of her golden hair coming undone from its bindings to stream behind like a banner as she flew.
Reginald felt the claw pinning him to the wall slacken, then press him into the wall. He felt his bones creak with the sudden pressure. His vision began to explode with stars as the pain increased.
The pressure and pain suddenly disappeared with a high-pitched whistle. He started to slip down the wall as the claw fell, severed at the wrist. His eyes caught the final moment when the screaming, beautifully blazing Valkyrie arced her sword, snickety-snack, across the howling beast's sinuous neck, severing its head, before his vision was obscured by the claw he collapsed behind.
A flurry of armored boots filled his vision from the floor where he lay. Soldiers poured in, searching for Mary Anne, who had vanished. Shang and Mulan, weapons still at ready, eyed the steaming body of the jabberwocky, almost expecting it to lunge forward in death.
He watched as the dainty, armored boots stopped near his head. Alice crouched down, her face a delightful mix of dismay and worry, as she extended a hand to lift him up.
"Oh! Hello Cricket." He chirped cheerfully. "You just missed the most beautiful angel. She saved my life, you know." He said conversationally, as if he was passing her in the street. "By the way, Poppet, have you seen my hat?
His dear, wonderful Alice's face bloomed into laughter, tears streaming from her eyes in relief. His heart constricted with the loveliness of the vision. Taking her offered hand, he allowed her to help him to his feet. Withdrawing her hand, she took her customary step back to create the proper distance between them.
Not today.
With a deft tug, he pulled Alice off balance and caught her in his arms. He held her tightly, his face buried in her shining golden hair. She stiffened for a moment, then relaxed, reaching her own arms around him, her gentle pressure holding him close. He breathed in her scent: sweet, delicate, and slightly musky, like jasmine tea. The entire world melted away until only the two of them remained.
Alice pushed out of his arms, head turned towards the agonized scream. He angrily looked towards the distraction, face slowly slackening in horror.
The soldiers were shaking, bodies contorted in pain as the smoke began to pour out of their eyes. Mulan's hands covered her eyes, body taut with agony, as Shang reached out slowly for her, weakening as the possessing fire overtook him.
"No, MULAN!" Alice cried, closing her eyes and frantically making that half-step in her mind.
Mulan staggered towards her, nocking an arrow and raising the bow, string pulled back.
"Alice!" Reginald cried, pulling her away as an arrow whistled past. He shook her, breaking her from the trance.
"Reginald, I have to free them!" Alice begged. She closed her eyes in another attempt.
Shang's sword swung, inches from where Alice's face was, as the Hatter twisted her away. Reginald knocked him away with an ice burst.
"Alice, love, there's no time!" He cried. "There are too many of them!"
Alice bit back a cry, tears filling her eyes as the Hatter held the possessed soldiers at bay with his ice blasts and flurries.
Mary Anne's laughter rang across the canyon. She stood, glowing in the lime-green fire, on a raised platform of rock.
"Oh, it's so GOOD to finally meet you, Alice!" She sang, arms wide open, the Hatter's sword in her hand. "I had thought I would never get the chance. You are a resourceful little homewrecker, aren't you?"
Alice almost shoved the Hatter aside in her furious attempt to face the laughing woman.
"Oops!" Mary Anne chuckled. "I think she's not as happy to see me, Reggie…"
The soldiers pressed forward, forcing the Hatter to pull her back and increase his defensive strikes. They were backed in a corner, unwilling to strike at their friends to free themselves.
A purple puff of smoke, barely perceptible, crossed Reginald's vision.
"I can only stop them from moving, Hatter." The Cat whispered. "Unfortunately, Mary Anne's magic captures minds, which I'm incapable of countering."
"It will be enough." Reginald replied.
Mary Anne's face became ugly as her soldiers froze, minds clouded and unable to follow her commands.
"What have you done?" She snarled and leapt down from her perch, shoving aside the stationary soldiers in her way.
Alice flew forward before he could stop her, the periwinkle fire in her eyes blazing. She met the woman with a downward swing of her sword, screaming her battle cry.
Mary Anne roared, countering the attack with Reginald's sword bathed in green fire, the impact of the two blades staggering the soldiers around them. Alice was forced to fight defensively as Mary Anne matched her skill with a grace that marked her as more than equal. The clashing and pinging of their swords echoed loudly in the canyon.
An icy blast stunned the platinum blonde woman and she backpedaled, screeching with fury.
Reginald stood by Alice, hands raised and snow flurry gathered. At Alice's cue, he moved alongside her, moving with a dancer's precision to combine with her attack, covering any weakness in her strike.
It was Mary Anne's turn to defend herself as the pair moved, as if they shared one mind, sword and ice blast choreographed seamlessly with their dance, taking turns striking, shielding and advancing against her. Together they were unstoppable.
"ENOUGH!" Mary Anne exploded, detonating a lime-green fireball between them, sending the Hatter careening into a wall and Alice to her knees.
Alice gasped at the Hatter's unmoving body, trembling as she struggled to rise from the floor. She raised her sword to the advancing woman. Mary Anne swung her sword, slapping the blade from Alice's hands, sending it flying, end over end to embed itself in the ground, yards away.
Alice rocked back into a crouch, trying feebly to escape as a boot flew out, kicking her in the chest, ripping the wind from her lungs and dropping her to the floor.
Mary Anne didn't let her catch her breath, kicking her in the stomach and side repeatedly until she lay still, moaning. She paused, planting a boot on the defeated girl's wrist, gazing upon the golden glow there that signified a permanence tether.
Alice blinked the sweat out of her eyes as she lay there, helpless as Mary Anne bent to retrieve her father's sword, holding the blade up to her face as she inspected the magically honed edge.
"You achieved permanence." She said flatly, her voice low. "You took my home, my love, and my only dream."
Alice frantically willed herself to move, but her body refused to respond.
"SO BE IT!" Mary Anne yelled, turning to glare hatefully at her. In a few short steps she towered over Alice, a twisted grin rending her face. She pointed the glowing sword at Alice's throat.
"There are only a few ways to attain permanence, my dear." She leered, giggling insanely. "One is to marry a Wonderlander, and the other is to KILL one!" She raised the glowing, blue-edged sword high into the air, raspberry lips split into a maniacal grin, eyes glowing with green fire, tinting her blonde hair and miniature top hat an unnatural neon.
A short sound, like the scuffing of a shoe on the floor, gently tapped Alice's eardrum. Mary Anne's face slacked from maddening glee to rapturous wonder, her stormy eyes softening. Her hair tumbled down from where it was gathered, followed by the delicate lace-covered hat, which fell, gently bouncing off her shoulder, past the Hatter's arm where he held her. One hand was on each side of her, as if holding her upright. In his clenched fist, just below her ribs, was the pearl-tipped hatpin that he had pulled from her hair. A blossom of red grew steadily on her orange dress and the sword fell from her nerveless fingers, landing safely away.
Her breath exhaled for a few quiet heartbeats. Her lips moved wordlessly.
"I…." She finally whispered, her voice trembling, "I just wanted a home."
"Oh, Mary Anne, all you had to do was ask." Reginald whispered sadly, his gentle breath warm against her rapidly cooling cheek. "Alice obtained her permanence through a bond you never thought to ask for: friendship."
A silver tear escaped from her eyes. A soft sigh breezed past her parted lips as she died, her face settling into a pale mask of regret as her eyes fixed on his face one last time.
Reginald set her down slowly, brushing her eyes shut with his fingers. Alice's hand, warm and trembling, rested on his shoulder. He reached up and held it tightly, accepting the comfort she offered. Shang and Mulan knelt beside him, heads bowed in a prayer for the dead. The spell over the soldiers had broken quietly with her death.
A sudden boom, like a fist though a drumhead, knocked them backwards. Shining shards of mirror were shooting though the air, streaking like stars into the looking-glass frame, tinkling and clicking against each other. The stones trembled, rattling in place, then floated up, hovering in the air. The ground buckled, heaving as the room rebuilt itself, sending debris and people swirling in a vortex. Mary Anne's body rose and faded into the mirror. Alice and Reginald, alone in the epicenter of the cyclone, reached for each other as the wind from the void came crashing down. Their fingertips touched for a moment.
Then came the darkness.