Author's note: This is a fic I wrote inspired an animation (which is where I got the title from) on YouTube ( .com/watch?v=ckBdOt37FCU ) and American McGee's Alice. I'm considering making this a series of fics, but I'm still indecisive about that. Read, review and enjoy ~ ^__^
Uninvited guest for tea
There was an awkward silence at Alice's tea party. It may have been at least a year since the inhabitants of Wonderland had turned on her and she'd had to fight for her sanity and the good of Wonderland, but that didn't remove her uneasiness at being back again. She'd specifically invited the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the March Hare and the Door Mouse, and made it quite clear that was all she was comfortable with. But there he was, peering down from the other end of the table and grinning nervously.
"What's the matter, Little Alice?" The Mad Hatter mopped his brow, not at all fond of the acid stare Alice was giving him.
"You should know full well what the matter is." Alice put her cup down without taking so much as a sip of her freshly poured tea, folding her arms like a child sulking, "Don't tell me you don't remember. Everyone else does."
"But Alice, you can't hold one little imprisoning and a couple of small attacks against me." He laughed, his laugh nowhere near as insane as it had seemed during her first visit, and with a hint more nerves, "You know I wasn't responsible for my actions. It was the Red Queen that drove me to it. Now she's gone, I'm all better now."
The March Hare leaned forward slightly, gazing at the Mad Hatter with what could've been anything from contempt and disgust to sorrow and pity. After a few moments of more heavy silence, the March Hare commented, "It has been a year since then. Surely everyone should be restored by now."
"Then again, some of us didn't change quite so much as others. Eh, Mad?" The Cheshire Cat grinned, but there was something more to it than his usual nonsense.
"Insanity may come in many forms, I digress, but surely you remember your first visit, Alice?" His eyes were glistening by now, possibly on the verge of tears that his sweet Alice was rejecting him, "Remember the riddle? 'Why is a raven like a writing desk?' "
"Yes." Alice admitted, sighing, shoulders sagging a little, "You said you didn't know. Why are you bringing that up now? Finally got the answer?"
"Don't be so bitter, little Alice." He pouted, then broke into a grin, "I still haven't the slightest idea. I was hoping you'd thought of a few suggestions since."
She paused for a minute, lips pursed in thought, and recited a thought which had occurred to her not long before, "Because the notes for which they are noted are not noted for being musical notes."
The table erupted with applause for this display of thinking, but the Mad Hatter merely folded his arms to mimic her and stuck his tongue out, "Of course not. That would be terribly ridiculously confusing. I shan't accept that answer." He stood up, arms still folded, "Now, are we going to move seats or not?"
"Mad Hatter, do sit down. Remember you're only a guest at this party, and you weren't supposed to be." Alice scowled, "I won't tolerate such nonsense."
"Oh, but don't you remember the time you were my guest, dear Alice?" He grinned, "Don't tell me you didn't find it the least bit fun."
Again, Alice paused for thought and sighed for the second time, "Alright, but just once."
"Wonderful! Everybody, move to your right!" He screeched, causing everyone, even the Door Mouse, to leap to their feet and move at least three seats in a second, not stopping at the Mad Hatter rallied them on, "Keep moving, keep moving!"
Alice couldn't help but smile, remembering Wonderland as it had been in the beginning, comparing it to now...not a thing was different. Not a thing but her. The Mad Hatter made no sense, the Cheshire Cat was cryptic as ever, the March Hare was on side with the Hatter, and the Door Mouse was still constantly tired. Where had she lost sight that it was her that changed this place?
At last, the Hatter cried out, "STOP!", and the procession halted, everyone instantly sitting down and carrying on as if nothing had happened. He smiled from the seat Alice had sat in, "Wasn't that fun?"
"I suppose so." Alice looked down at the tablecloth, the tiniest pang of guilt pulsing through her for having not trusted her old friend in the first place, "Perhaps you can stay a while longer."
"Excellent." He smiled. Note that this wasn't his trademark mad grin, but a genuine smile, "Now, may I propose a toast?" He stood, tea cup raised, "To old friends and new beginnings."
"To old friends and new beginnings." Alice repeated, smiling as she raised her cup.
"To old friends and new beginnings." The other guests chanted, raising their glasses and quickly draining the contents.
Moments later, the March Hare, the Door Mouse and the White Rabbit slumped forwards, not showing any signs they would be arising later. Alice peered down at her tea, noticing it looked somewhat unusual, "Cheshire Cat...I'd leave your tea if I were you..." She looked up to the Mad Hatter at the other end of the table, who was grinning madly, "It doesn't look right."
"Belladonna." The Mad Hatter stated, still grinning, "Such a pretty name, don't you think? And yet something named so nicely could've been the death of you."
Alice slammed her cup down, fists clenching, "Why have you done this?"
"Because you were taking the insanity out of this place, sucking it dry until it was sensible like you'd always wanted." He narrowed his eyes, "This place should be mad."
"But I don't want to be among mad people." She replied, keeping a facade of calm.
"Oh, but you can never escape yourself, dear." The Hatter smiled pleasantly, this smile being the maddest sight in all of Wonderland.