The carriage pulled to a stop outside a train station and the three people told me to wait for the Red Heart Express. I disembarked from the carriage and watched it go, wondering why seeing them leave made me anxious. I wrapped my arms around myself and headed into the station.
There were four people there already, and two of them looked like cards. One of the cards, a nine of diamonds, turned at my approach and moved towards me. He had a red head with bright red eyes.
"I'm looking for the Red Heart Express," I said and he nodded before pulling a ticket free.
"The train will be here in two minutes," he said as I took the ticket, "the first trip is free."
I nodded and walked out onto the platform, my heart racing as a soft breeze circled me. I lifted my hand to put my hair right and I realised I wasn't alone. To my right was Lady Mouse dressed in black and near her was the Mock Turtle, a handkerchief ready to catch tears. I wanted to ask them what was wrong but something told me I would find out soon enough.
A beautiful train pulled up on the platform, pale red with darker red hearts drawn on. The doors opened and I stepped on where a man held out his hand for my ticket. I showed it to him and he pointed me towards the top of the train. I walked on, not sure where the others were going before I took my seat in a compartment all by myself. It reminded me of how alone I was here. Maybe Ciel would be at the next station and I could tell him the truth. I fixed my skirts and settled in for a very long trip, one with no one to talk to.
"You shouldn't look so glum," a woman said softly to my right, "you're going to the palace."
"Am I?" I asked her, "no one told me that was where I was going."
"Oh my," she said, her blonde hair falling free around her shoulders and her bright cerulean blue eyes glowed, "well, can I get you something for the trip?"
"What is there?" I asked her.
"Anything you want," she said with a smile.
"A piece of…lemon meringue pie and a glass or Mr Roberts' famous scotch," I said as I looked out the window.
"Be back in a moment," she said as the door to the compartment closed.
"Why must I be alone?" I asked my reflection.
The woman returned and had a plate of pie and a tall glass of the scotch for me. She left me to that as I sipped the drink, remembering the days I had wanted to taste it. Mr Roberts had a skill, one that should have been known in Houndsworth. I wanted to share this drink with others…but there was no one here but me.
The train crept on, following the tracks laid down to direct it. I wanted to believe that…that I hadn't died for nothing. There had been a lot of things I had wanted to do, but now I couldn't. Did Ciel know that? That I had wanted more than he could ever give me but I had given it all up to save him. No, I wouldn't want him to know. I wouldn't want him to regret anything. He had more important things to do.
The train left the tracks to fly through the sky, but not even that could bring my mood up. Instead, I pictured a different world, a different time. Jonathon Rawlings and how we had met. How we had gotten to know each other without him killing me. Our son, our beautiful boy named Ciel. The carriage door opened and someone sat across from me, staying very quiet until I looked away from the window at them.
Jonathon Rawlings looked even nicer than what I had imagined. His dark brown hair was cropped short and his skin was ashen. But the light outside the train gave it an almost pink glow. His eyes were a beautiful ivy green with hints of red in their depths. His smile seemed pure and genuine, his clothes fit him perfectly. He dressed like Vincent Phantomhive had, and looked as curious. His eyes looked me over before putting one leg over the other. I spotted a signet ring on his right hand, a small horse with the letter R engraved underneath.
"My darling," he said softly, his voice was like silk.
"Jonathon," I whispered as tears dropped down my cheeks.
He got up and moved to sit beside me, holding me close to his chest as I cried. His hand ran down carefully through my hair, soothing me as if he had done so before. He held me until my sobs reverted to hiccups and then he pulled back to put my hair behind my ears. His eyes were soft and warm, suggesting that I was the only person who could make this demon feel.
"Jonathon," I whispered and he nodded, "how did we meet?"
"You were a maid," he answered truthfully, "working for a household in Low Row. On the days you had off, you looked after your uncle as he was ill. One morning, you left your home to go to your job, for a house known as Rawlings. You had worked for the wife, a woman named Denise and her husband, Fredrick. I was to be their son. You had spoken with me in passing on many occasions, telling me tales of a life you could have lived. I found you oddly amusing. I was in a contract with Denise Rawlings, and she wanted her husband killed. He had upset her far too many times, and you knew that. Finally, she gave me my order and I killed her husband…and subsequently, I killed her.
"I returned to Low Row to settle debts when I saw you. You were outside the house, and saw it was for sale. No one had given you warning, it was assumed you would be working that day. I had put out the sign and it was then it began to rain. I brought over an umbrella for you and you shivered before looking up at me. It was then I knew I loved you. Your eyes were clear with small drops of rain on your eyelashes. Your black hair was loose around your shoulders and you were wearing a thin pink dress.
"I asked you if you were alright. And you said it all. You told me you knew I was a demon, that you had hoped to get a little extra work done before the contract was concluded. I was astonished that you took it so easily, so well. I offered to bring you back to your uncle and you agreed. We spoke most of the way back and I built up the courage to ask you to accompany me to the funeral for form's sake. You agreed, and we never spent a moment apart after that.
"We married a year to the day we first met and shortly later you had Ciel. You were well, a happy mother, when the call came that said your uncle had passed away. That call informed you that you were the new heir to your uncle's trading company. He had never married, never had a child to hand his business to. So it all went to you in the will. We moved then to London, so you could be close to the company and spend more time with your son.
"Ciel grew up, and at age two, you were contacted by Ciel Phantomhive to discuss business. You stayed in contact through the phone or with the butler who I recognised as a demon. When Ciel was four, you decided to show him the business and inform him that all of this could be his. He wanted it, and you brought him to meetings with the Guard Dog to show him how to behave with high class people. Though you were of the same class now because of your uncle, you wanted your son to understand what it was like to be someone lower.
"You helped the Earl with many things, and helped the Queen in the process. We had another child, a daughter, which you named Andrea after your mother. Ciel was eight when she was born. When you turned forty, you suffered the same illness as your uncle had. You couldn't get out of bed, you were too weak. You sent Ciel to mind the business as he was twenty one then. Andrea was at home learning as she was thirteen. I watched over our children while taking care of you. I passed messages to the Earl when he asked for reports. I also made sure he was aware that he would be talking to either myself or Ciel Rawlings as you were unable to attend him.
"On your forty-second birthday, you passed away. The disease had lowered your immune system past critical and you couldn't stay awake for very long. Ciel shared the business with Andrea and I stayed nearby. Ciel married a young girl named Rose and Andrea married a demon named Markus. They survived into their hundreds, the disease counteracted by my genes. But I stayed in London, stayed near your grave before I walked away. I signed more contracts, but every year on your anniversary and ours, I would put a rose on your grave. I wasn't the only one. A white sterling rose was put on your grave every week by the one and only Ciel Phantomhive, or by his butler. That's what your life would have been like, had you spent it with me."
I sat back to think about that, and found I liked it. I had two children, a boy and a girl. They had married and done their own thing. They had long lives, longer than I could have imagined. The train returned to the tracks and I looked up to see Jonathon was gone. I sat back in my chair, lifting the glass of scotch once more to my lips before I toasted.
"To Ciel and Andrea," I said before taking a drink, "to Ciel Phantomhive."
I put the glass down and waited for the train to come to a stop. Once it did, I stepped out of my compartment and out into the hall where a familiar man was unpacking luggage. I stepped out and saw a palace. It was a brilliant white with red heart monuments decorating it. No one else was disembarking from the train so as I stepped down, I noticed why the man had been so familiar. Sebastian Michaelis was walking around, no shirt on. His suit trousers were black as were his shoes. He had a bow tie around his neck with a number and a symbol. But they weren't the Sebastian Michaelis I knew. These were copies of the original, and I could tell when they looked at me. Their eyes looked like watered down brown, not dark red.
"Can one of you tell me where to go?" I asked a group of the clones.
"On towards the castle," one replied.
"Follow me," another said and I followed him.
No bunny additions and he looked pale even in this light. He was muscled, but with half of the things I had seen Sebastian do, was that really a surprise? The clone brought me down a long line of other Sebastians before opening a door for me. I walked in and he closed it behind us, enveloping me in darkness. I wrapped my arms around myself as he brought me into another room, a beautiful red room.
The floor was red carpet and the walls were a deeper red. Sebastians stood near portraits of a woman…or a man in red. Two stood near me as the one I had been following brought me to a booth.
"Wait here," he said and I nodded before he left the room.
Lady Mouse appeared and walked over to a small bench to sit down. Her maid sat near her before the Wonderland glow faded. They were Elizabeth and Paula, no longer the mouse or dodo maid. Bard, MeyRin and Finny walked in as well. Claude Faustus took a seat on the other side of the hall with Alois Trancy clinging to him as Hannah Anfeloz sighed. The triplets took their seats behind them. Fred Abberline sat in the middle of their bench with my mother and father. Daddy took a seat near Bard. Tanaka settled for the floor while Berrymore and Angela leaned against the wall. Ash and the Queen stood near them as with Soma and Agni. There were so many people here, and no clear reason why.
"Presenting her Majesty, the Queen Of Hearts. Leader of all creatures great and small, most beautiful and deadly efficient woman in all of Wonderland. Administrator of justice and management material…"
"Are you reading out her job resume?" March Hare asked, looking overworked.
"I present to you today, The Queen!" Sebastian Clone called out.
A door opened and the person who came out confused me. Was it a man or a woman? Their red hair was long and spiky. Their eyes were a yellow and green combination as with the March Hare and the Dormouse. Her dress was long and made of beautiful red that had no back. In her hands was a bright red chainsaw and she put it near the throne before sitting down. It was then that I realised it was Greil Sutcliff, also known as the Reaper in love with Sebastian. But that name faded like all the others when the horns blew and red streamers came down around him.
"I will now call this trial of Alice into session!" the Queen called out in a masculine voice, "the accused Alice is sentenced to death!"
Everyone started talking at once, no one being heard.
"We will have order in the court," Sebastian clone said in his English accent, "please quiet down everyone."
"Off with her head!" the Queen called out, "off with it immediately!"
"What?" I asked as two Sebastians moved to hold my arms, "hold on! You didn't charge me with anything or ask for evidence!"
"Must we?" the Queen asked, "that is rather a lot of paperwork."
"Not that you've done any," March Hare muttered, receiving a dirty look from the Queen.
"You can't charge me like that!" I said, my voice cracking a little, I don't want to die
"Read the charges," the Queen sighed as one clone picked up a pile of paper.
"The accused Alice was born on the 14th November 1871," a clone said as he scanned the pages, "and died the 26th August 1889 aged seventeen."
"I object!" I snapped, "what does my birthday and my…my death have anything to do with this?!"
"Everything," the Queen replied, "now be silent."
"Witness, you are requested to take the stand," the clone called out.
Lady Elizabeth walked forward, her dress a beautiful black affair. Tears dripped down her face as she sighed heavily. She lifted her head to look at me, brushing some of her hair away from her face, showing the court how young she really was.
"Miss, you were wronged by the accused. Please tell the court your story," Sebastian's clone said simply.
"I'll try," she replied before looking up to the Queen, "Alice was my closest friend, a girl who treated me like someone who mattered. Then she left me, she protected my fiancé from dying, but she left me, and now he has left me as well. And it is all because of Alice!"
"I did that…" I whispered.
Paula stepped up to collect Lady Elizabeth and bring her to her chair. The next witness stood and walked up to the stand.
"I lost all my days that could have been," Igor called out, the man from the Tower, "because of her and that butler."
He took his seat as Soma ran up to put his hands on the stand before anyone could call up differently.
"I lost a good friend and a girl I loved," he said as he looked up at me, "she was the only other person who could make me see reason. I've lost that and it's all because of Alice!"
"I lost my sanity," Angela Blanc said as she glared at me, "forcing me to act against what I wanted. And that is because of Alice!"
"I did no such thing!" I snapped at her, "you were mad before I arrived at Berrymore Castle!"
"I lost my maid to another shit," Alois Trancy said as he flicked his hair back, "and she refused to come back and work for me! That's because of her!"
"She was incapable of the most mediocre task, that it forced me to work far more. That's because of her!" Claude said in a loud monotone.
"I was being beaten!" I snapped at the pair.
"She conspired against the master," Canterbury said.
"She had nice boobs," Timber said.
"I liked her hair," Thompson commented.
"She may not have been my daughter, but I loved her none the less. I will not blame her for my death, as I had a life I would not trade for anything," Father said as he blew me a kiss and went to his seat.
"She became everything I had wanted, when I could have no more children. I, like my husband, will not blame her for my murder. She made it easy to get out of bed in the mornings," Mother said as she smiled at me and went to Father.
"She was mischievous, beautiful and purely a demon's daughter. Yet, she was never selfish. My daughter may have been the best of me. She was a reason for me to give up contracts, so I could be there for her to grow up," Daddy said simply before walking over to Mother.
"I lost all the days that could have been," Jonathon said softly, "I lost the woman I would do anything for. I lost my chance to have a family. But I will not blame my darling Alice."
"I lost the girl I loved," James said softly, "but I know now that she loved me."
"She upset my master on many occasions but her soul was pure. She said she cared for both of them in the end," Hannah said softly, "which pleased my master greatly."
"She became our friend," Bard, Finny, MeyRin and Tanaka said, "and we wish we had more time with her."
"Finally, the Queen," a clone called out.
"I lost my love," he replied, "Sebastian was distracted by that half demon most of the time that he didn't spare a moment for me."
"I didn't…" I said as I looked at them all, "I'm sorry!"
"I forgive you, Alice!" Soma called out.
"Quiet!" the Queen snapped, "now Alice, you have heard all the evidence. Your crime is loss of memory, don't you see? You are a truly horrid person, and my judgement still stands. Off with her head!"
"We seem to have one more witness…"
"Quickly! Before I die of boredom!" the Queen snapped.
"Don't you remember what I told you?" a voice asked and I turned to see the Undertaker, "memories are such femoral things. Fading quickly and replaced by others. You've entered a dreamland, Alice, a place before you move onto the afterlife. A place where past and future meet and form something that has not yet existed."
"I don't remember," I said as I held my head.
"To come here to Wonderland, you had to travel light. Your memories are with your body while your soul stays here. You're only a shell of the original you, poor sweet Alice."
"Alice doesn't seem right," I said as I looked up, "it never seemed right."
"Kill him!" a voice snapped and I looked up to see Alois holding a dagger over Ciel.
"No!" I screamed before throwing myself over the stand to drop and run at Alois.
I tackled him to the ground and got up to stand in front of Ciel, looking at Alois as a threat. He stood and wiped his shorts before glaring at me.
"You tart!" he snapped as he went for me.
I charged at him as Claude came after me, and threw me towards one of the paintings. I sat up and blinked, finding myself somewhere new. A library I had frequented as a young girl, but now Alois was there with Claude and Ciel. Alois was going for Ciel once more and Claude looked every inch the demon he was. Something felt heavy in my hands and I looked down to see Laevateinn. I lifted it up, and it felt light to me as I swung it at Claude. The demon took the blow and fell to his knees.
"You can chose a different end," a voice called out as I lifted the sword over my head, "you can chose to forgo this and live on."
The voice was Sebastian's, the true Sebastian, and I felt part of me want that. Want everything I couldn't have when my hands steadied. I had made my choice many times, stayed where I was and protected the one person I could never afford to lose. The one person I was destined to lose. I brought the sword down on Claude and walked away as he died. I tackled Alois once more and removed the dagger in his hands before kneeling and looking down at his sad face.
"Please don't kill me," he begged, "you're meant to love me!"
"I never loved you," I snapped, feeling every moment of anger and hatred escape, "you made me hate waking up in the morning. You made me want to contract a demon so I could escape you. What type of idiot makes a girl feel that way?!"
"You can't do this!" he snapped, the fear obvious in his eyes.
"I can do as I please," I replied before pushing the dagger into his heart.
I stood and looked to Ciel and saw he was being helped up by Sebastian. My heart was racing and I wanted to know what had just happened.
"What's your name?" Ciel asked and I shook my head.
"I can't remember!" I said as I looked around me.
"Once you remember your name," Sebastian said, "you are free."
I held my head in my hands, trying to think. I had been named after Mother's friend, and that name had meant I was a Child of Light. Daddy had said it suited me often, that I was the best of both worlds. I had a demonic nature, but it was supressed by my humanity. That was why I never craved souls, and why I felt protective of Ciel. A human would have died many times over, but the demon part sustained me. That was why…that was why I was me.
"Elena," I said, "my name is Elena Hamilton. I was seventeen when I died. I died protecting my master, Ciel Phantomhive!"
The memories came back in a flood, reminding me of everything I had ever done, everything that made me the girl who could protect Ciel with ease. The reason why Sebastian had added me as a contractual obligation. It was all to keep me alive as me. Alois had tried to supress me, make me a silent girl but that didn't last long. I was Martin and Andrea Hamilton's daughter. I was also Richard Cummins' daughter.
"You wanted to find me," Ciel said as I stood and brushed my hair away from my face.
"To tell you I may have had many opportunities, ones with a family or simply existing. I could have died when I was younger or from some unknown disease. I could have married and had my family," I said before putting my hands on Ciel's shoulders, "but no matter what could have happened, I would never regret my time spent with you. That is why I want you to be happy for the rest of eternity and don't forget what you were."
The world shimmered as I placed a kiss to Ciel's forward and the same for Sebastian. They faded like fireflies and I was left in a beautiful snowy field. It then shifted…
"Off with her head," the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody moved.
"Who cares for you?" said Alice, (she had grown to her full size by this time), "You're nothing but a pack of cards."
"At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her: she gave a little scream, half of fright and half of anger, and tried to beat them off, and found herself lying on the bank, with her head in the lap of her sister, who was gently brushing away some dead leaves that had fluttered down from the trees upon her face…it ends there," I said as I closed over the book and looked at the girl in the coffin.
Her hair was an odd blonde shade with black forming at her roots. She was wearing a formal white dress and her hair was allowed to flow free around her. The Undertaker walked over to add another rose to her coffin.
"Her soul would have heard every word," he said to me, "it is just after eight, if you wish to wake your master."
"Thank you," I said as I put the book down.
I stood and looked at the girl carefully. The maid turned bodyguard. You could never tell how she had died, not with how the Undertaker had dressed her. It looked almost as if she was sleeping. But all you had to see was her deathly pale skin and her blue lips to know she wasn't. I sighed before taking the necklace out to view it. A silver crescent moon, a symbol she had given me before I had went to fight Claude. To tell me to come back to her and Ciel. I raised it to my lips and kissed it before putting it back under my shirt. I would wear it as a reminder of what Elena had been like.
"I wish you pleasant dreams, Elena," I said softly to her before I picked up my coat, "a world like Wonderland where only the bad die…"
Anyone who was with Ciel as he buried Elena would say they saw a shimmer of a girl, wearing a beautiful blue dress and her hair was blowing light in the breeze. Her eyes would remain trained on Ciel, though he never looked at her. Some would think she was seeing the end of a hard day's work, others would say she wanted to make sure the demon was safe…even though it was no longer required. The butler noticed her, a smile on his lips but the boy never did.
But everyone knew it was her, the one person that had given up everything to protect the boy. But she was there to tell him something she had failed to say before her life faded from this world.
"Goodbye Ciel," she whispered before fading on the next breeze, and moving on to the next dream, her adventure in Wonderland starting anew…
So what did you all think? I thought I'd leave Sebastian to narrate so now that it has concluded, it's back to me. This was one of my favourite OVAs, and I hope you enjoyed the story. Please review and let me know what you all thought or if you want to PM me, I'll get back to you as soon as I can :) Thanks for reading :)