The battle against the Red Queen was quite pathetic, really. Once she saw that Mirwana had escaped and that Jareth was with her, she only resisted for a small time. It was very anti-climactic, the soldiers hadn't been well-trained and scattered as the noble knights loyal to the White Queen came forth onto the battlefield.

Needless to say, the White Knights won.

It was with a heavy heart that Mirwana was once again forced to sentance her sister to a life of banishment. However, Stayne would not be there to accompany her this time with his oil-slick tongue. He was instead employed as a servant, he was in charge of cleaning the dungeons and was made to live in one of the cells. He would be given food and water and all the basic necessities for life, but no luxuries.

The castle was being rebuilt with stone from the quarrys and it was going splendidly. Most of the outter walls had been repaired by the week following their destruction. The damage done to the lawn of Mamoreal was taken care of by the most attentive and skilled of the gardeners.

At the moment, though, no one was doing their jobs. They had all come to the 8th Square to see their Champion and her companions off. The Great Glass Elevator stood in the middle of the crowd, the sun glaring off of its spotless sides. Willy gulped back the lump in his throat and smiled at the crowd. Scrub and Sarah did the same.

Mirwana came forward to the three of them. "This time around, I'm afraid I have no Jabberywocky blood to give as compensation for all of the help you've given us." She smiled sadly at them all. "However, I do have a few tokens of our appreciation.." She snapped her fingers and three knights came forward, each baring a long, elaboratly decorated sword.

"First, I shall award each of you Knighthood." She borrowed the sword of one of the Knights, who then stepped back. She rested the blade on the shoulder of Willy first. " , your innovative candies have helped to save our world." She quirked a grin. "And they tasted wonderful." Willy blushed, but he nodded. "I knight you now, for your service to Underland and the Underground." Then she gave him the sword. "This is yours now." She explained as she took the next Knight's sword.

She approached Sarah. "Our Champion." She said kindly. "You've shown bravery and loyalty beyond any measure to your friends and to me. For this, I knight you." She brushed Sarah's shoulder with the sword and then handed it to her.

Last, but not least, was Scrub. She stood tall (well, as tall as a short person can stand, anyway). "And you." Mirwana grinned widely. "You, my dear, have been a light fro us all, you never waivered in your enthusiasm. You've been the best of sports." She chuckled. "You've been turned into a minus, kidnapped, and beaten. Yet, not once did you lose hope nor did it sour your attitude. You came up against every challange with a wiling spirit." She touched her shoulders with the sword. "For this, I knight you." After handing Scrub her sword, she stepped to the side. "Let Underland applaude our heros!"

And Underland did. They gave the thee Abovegrounders the greatest round of applause since Alice herself had visited Underland and saved it from the clutches of the Red Queen. When the fanfare had died down, Mirwana smiled and embraced each of them. "Are you sure that you desire to leave us?" She asked with tears in her eyes.

Willy nodded. "I've made Dawn wait for me to come home." He giggled."She'll be mad as a hornet, but she'll forgive me when she hears what I've been up to." He stepped into the Elevator, and the doors slid shut behind him.

Sarah hesitated, unsure. She glanced at Jareth, but his expression was unreadable. Scrub was smiling wistfully at her, however, she'd given up on trying to make Sarah stay in Underland a while ago. "I'm sure.." She told them as she joined Willy in the Elevator. Willy welcomed her and pressed the launch button. The rockets fired up, forcing people to back up to a safe distance.

It rose slowly, almost reluctantly. It was only few inches off the ground when Sarah called out to them. "I'll visit..I promise! I'll be back before you know it!" She vowed just before the doors closed.

Scrub scooted closer to her paramour. "I don' think she'll be back once she leaves." She whispered fearfully to him.

He wrapped his arms around her in a steadying hug. "They hardly ever do." He replied, remembering a time long ago. A time that a beautiful, idealistic girl had said the same words Sarah had. She'd been a Champion, too...and she had never returned.

The Elevator was about fifty feet above Underland, now. Sarah slid to the bottom of it with a sad expression. Willy glanced down. "Why?"

"Why what?" She asked irritably.

"Why didn't you stay?" He asked objectively, as if he didn't care for her reason.

"There are things...stuff I need to take care of in the Aboveground. Decisions that need to be made and emotions that need to be worked out. I would think that's enough of a reason."

Willy sighed. "Where does fancy lie, in the heart or in the head?"

"You never make any sense." She grumbled.

"You know how I feel about mumbling." He scolded. "When I asked you what your reasons were for leaving, I was asking you for an answer from your heart, not your head."

"And what does that have anything to do with anything?" She didn't care that she was mumbling, let the man strain his ears to hear her.

"Ahhh." Willy nodded. "I get it now. You're afraid." He said with a smirk.

"Am not."

Willy stuck out his tongue. "Are so, Scaredy Cat!"

"Don't call me that!" Sarah warned.

"Scaredy cat."

Sarah glared at him, but when she looked into his violet eyes, she didn't see the teasing she heard in his voice. She saw caring and pity. He pitied her..but why? Was it because she was leaving behind all of her new-found friends, a possible life with the man she just might. "Love?" She asked aloud.

She stared down at the solumn faces below her, they were steadily growing smaller..perhaps.."I've got to go!" She slammed her hand against the open button and the doors slid open. The wind whipped at her clothes and hair.

"Where are you going, Scaredy Cat?" Willy inquired, though he knew very well what she was doing.

"I'm not going to be afraid anymore." She vowed to herself. Then she saluted Willy. "Willy, it's been a fun, somewhat psychotic time. I'll miss you." And then she jumped back down to the waiting crowd.

She jumped and landed straight in Jareth's arms, where she took him by surprise with a kiss.

Willy smiled and shut the doors. He pulled his hat down lower to hide his face in it's shadow. "Parting is such sweet sorrow." He said to himself.