Disclaimer: Don't own anything except original characters. All material (c) to respective owners. I write these for fun and make no profit. They're just random plot bunnies that live within my strange mind.

A/N:

Chapter 8: Bittersweet World

She was not sure of the Hatter's reaction to Miranna telling to go find him and was grateful for the Bandersnatch's company. She felt safe with the large beast and found his odor no longer offended her. She tripped partway down a path before hearing the Hatter and halting. He was arguing to her amusement with a large familiar butterfly.

"Why couldn't you have told me!" he yelled, she winced at the anguish in the Hatter's voice and made an abrupt turnaround.

She knew it was private, gathered it had to do with Alice and did not need him any more upset with her than he was. They had a sort of peace, she wanted to keep it and in doing so, she fled back to the fountain.

The Bandersnatch ignored her exit only to watch on as his friend argued with Absolum; he snorted his opinion before curling at the entrance and watching on.

Alysia stared into the fountain for a very long time; she failed to notice the entrance of the white rabbit until he cleared his throat. "Evening Mctwisp," She saw the smallest of smiles before he hopped over beside her and waited. "The Bandersnatch stayed with him. I left when I gathered he was arguing with the blue butterfly."

"Absolum, he brought you to Underland." She shrugged not wanting to talk about it. "He also brought some troubling news to Queen Miranna's attention," he did not finish clearly growing anxious when her eyes found his.

"What is that Mctwisp?" she hoped the war had not started already; she was not ready for the fight yet.

Both glanced up when the Bandersnatch come bounding into the area and settled around behind them. Hatter joined looking torn between grief and fury, the mixed emotions left him muttering and more upset than she had seen him since the night she told him off.

"Hatter!"

He stopped regarding her before shifting uncomfortably. "I'm fine."

She knew he was not; she had grown to know when he was in better moods what his usual responses were. "What were you saying Mctwisp?" she inquired letting the Hatter be to refocus himself.

"Absolum told Queen Miranna that-

"Mctwisp, let me." Hatter did not like it, he had no idea why he was allowing himself to be the one and loathed the fact Absolum had not broken the news to him a long time ago.

Apparently, he had known Alice was gone for a long time, he had argued with the all-knowing butterfly for what he realized was probably hours. Now this had to happen and he would just have to get used to it, there was far too much going on for him to just wallow in his rage and time was cruel but it did its job well.

Alysia didn't prompt Hatter, she waited seeing Mctwisp offer her a pleasant 'good evening' before noting the Bandersnatch make that odd sad sound and curl closer to his friends. She shrugged uncertain of why she felt a tightening in her stomach, naturally, she assumed it was due to Hatter but the Bandersnatch being close left her safe. She could only guess it was because of the unknown news lingering over her head like a sharp guillotine or something.

"Absolum made an error when he brought you to Underland."

"Please don't start with I'm not her again, it's easier to keep this peace than want to use you as the card person dummy." Alysia warned more focused on her aching body than his emotional instabilities.

To her surprise, his clothing brightened and his eyes turned a faint green color, she could see a slight smile to his lips and wondered what happened. He sighed rubbing his neck before trying to bat away his varying issues and seeing the Bandersnatch watch him with soulful eyes.

"There isn't a way for you to go home, because you aren't…none of the methods will work apparently Absolum didn't know this until now." His words hovered on dead air for a long time before Alysia glanced up seeing he was waiting for her to melt down instead of vice versa.

"Not enough Alice in me to get me back, why does that not surprise me?"

Her slightly entertained tone oddly enough made him curious; she noted his clothing brightens ever so slightly before his eyes softened to a pale yellow color. She found his eyes and clothing being the one thing to read him oddly fascinating and disconcerting at the same time. She did not know what he wanted her to say, she really did not have any idea what to say. The day before she found this place she had left her mother to plan her life, now she had her life in her own hands and was not bothered by the fact she could not get back.

"So Underland is my home now?"

"It seems that way." Mallymunkin had joined the friends in her concern for the constantly feuding pair and Miranna's ill at ease expression before she left.

Alysia allowed that to settle before she shrugged. "I can live with it, it just means I can have time to train and will have more reason to find whatever I need to save it." Mallymunkin felt her mouth hang open while noting Hatter's eyes lighten more and his clothing look less wilted, angry and begin to look like his old self.

"We're all mad here." Warned the Hatter stretching his body realizing he was sore from teaching the girl, it had been a while since he had to train anyone.

"According to Alice, the best people are. At least that's what my grandmother told me." She did not see the pained look it brought to Hatter's face before Mallymunkin began to lead her back to the palace.

It would seem he would always have a place for Alice, even if Alysia were now a permanent part he could not wrap his mind around her being anything like Alice. Sighing he again walked the gardens hearing the Bandersnatch following his lead.