Alice looked at the fairy, "being able to be sad once in a while, so you really know how great it is to feel good" Alice said.
"So you are going back to the mortal world?" The fairy asked. Alice began to sob. "I can't leave Mana here alone... I would suffer for ages to make sure he is smiling for moments" The fairy looked at Alice in awe. People there aren't supposed to think, and they aren't supposed to feel. "You ...are in love. You are allowing yourself to suffer. You aren't supposed to remember how to feel that way." The fairy continued, "you are supposed to be happy. Now, you are stuck here. You can't leave him, because in this world, if one can bring themself to fall in love, it is too strong for even worlds to separate." Alice thought about how much it would hurt to be away from Mana. "Wait here. If he loves you, he will take your place and you will be free. When he doesn't, you shall be sentenced to death." The fairy said. Alice began to sob. How could she even bare to leave him? She didn't want to die, but her love for him was too strong to let him die.
She couldn't do anything but sob. She thought of how Mana felt right now. She would absorb two times the amount of sadness for Mana to feel no pain at all.
She cried, awaiting her certian death. "Alice." She heard a familiar voice. She looked up, and saw Mana's stunning face. "I will die for you if you live for me" He said as he locked his hand in her's. "I will never let you die alone. I will be right here with you. And when they take you, they will take me as well." Alice looked at Mana. "Oh please, just let me die. While I am resting in peace, I won't feel so burdened by our forbidden love" Mana wiped her tears away. Stroking her chin, she said "But I will. I would rather die now than live without you" They held eachother closely as they sobbed.
"Love? In this world? This is blasphomy! These people can't love. These people thought reality is miserable, but wait until they understand what perfection is really like" The Madhatter explained to the fairy. "The point of this land is for people who think reality is bad to be tortured by the one thing they dream about - perfecton. They don't need to fall in love, and when they do, they can't survive"
Mana and Alice were still where they were supposed to be. They were too loyal to their fate to try and escape. Between their sobs, they heard people arguing.
"LOVE IS NOT SOMETHING WE NEED IN A PERFECT WORLD" The Madhatter's voice boomed. "LOOK! THIS LOVE IS IMPAIRING OUR PERFECTION ALREADY!"
He screamed. This argument was heard all the way down the hill, where Alice and Mana sobbed. "How so, sir? You opposing it has done more damage to perfection than anything else!"
Alice and Mana, holding eachother closely, inched towards the castle where this arguement took place. They stood in the bushes outside the castle, listening to the argument.
"A perfect world can not be made by an evil person. Love is not a force to go down without a fight." The fairy concluded.
"Well I am not using perfection to make people happy - I am using it against them. Those who dream of perfection don't appreciate life, and when they don't, they deserve to be miserable"
"Well sir, you are more miserable than even the most miserable human." The fairy said to The Madhatter.
He was outraged. "Fine, I will cut you a deal. If Mana and Alice are exactly where they are supposed to be, together, you can't let them chose their fate."
The fairy was shocked. "I will." She said.
"I know Mana has left, and Alice is doomed to die. No love is that strong." The Madhatter said.
Mana and Alice ran back to the log, her hand in his. They sat there, silent, for a few hours.
"Mana?" Alice asked.
"Yes?"
"What is a human?" She wondered.
"Nothing but a being of malice and misery." he replied, "but it is that malice and misery that makes their beauty mean so much more."
Alice rested her head on Mana's shoulder. "What made you wish to be in a perfect world anyway?" She asked.
"I have just always dreamed of something more than what I had. I have always wanted to be somebody. I always thought I never deserved to feel sad," He said, "but we all, even the best people deserve to feel sad, because we all deserve to feel happy. That's what's beautiful about the world." He ran his fingers through Alice's long blond hair and kissed her.
"Your love must be very strong! I am shocked! I never thought I would go down like this!" Alice and Mana turned to see The Madhatter, furious, standing behind them in disbelief.
"Not only have you guys fell in love, but your love is so strong that seperate worlds, and fear of death couldn't tear you apart!"
Alice held strongly onto Mana's hand. "But there is one problem" The Madhatter suggested, "here, you and Mana are ageless. But in the human world, Alice, you are 12" Alice was shocked. "I am not 12! I don't remember age being of any significance!" She opposed.
"Well, here, age is defined by intelligence. In reality, it is defined by how many years you have been alive" Mana said.
The Madhatter was shocked. "How do you know these things?" He asked Mana.
"I guess I cannot forget the sadness that is held in my heart. I am attached to it." He thought, "Even in Gardenia, I live as though I am in a normal world."
~to be continued~