Stayne: If you think that RabidOrochimaruOtaku owns anyone but Eileen and her rescuer, then I'll report you to the Red Queen.
Red Queen: What now?
Stayne: Um…. On with the story!
Eileen stared at the shack the bandersnatch was in. She felt bad for it having its eye gouged out, and had taken it back from Mallymkun before coming here. She drew in a deep breath to steel her nerves before looking around her and flitting towards it quickly and silently. She quickly took note of what it looked like, and stared before it growled at her angrily.
"I know you hate me," she said quickly, "But I just felt so bad that your eye was gouged out. I just wanted to return it to you."
She held it out, and it took the eye in its paw before putting it back in its empty socket. It licked the newly-filled socket, and blinked a few times, as though resizing her up. It looked at her bandaged injury, and stared before blinking as she winced in pain and removed the bandages. She gaped in horror at her injury, which was now swollen, a very angry red, and feeling as though her arm was on fire. The bandersnatch held its tongue aloft before licking her wound a few times, healing it.
"Thank you," she whispered as she retrieved the key from its neck, "I guess that makes us even."
She raced up to the hatter, excited, and quickly explained how she'd gotten the sword, and he clapped with glee. Mally listened quietly, and the white rabbit handed her the Oraculum.
"Thank you, Nivens," Eileen said kindly as she took it and hid it in the least likely of places to be searched should she be captured. "When I get out of here, cause a riot, but don't get anyone feared-er, dead."
"Arrest that girl for unlawful seduction!" Stayne yelled, having seen her leaving the bandersnatch's hideaway.
"Run, Eileen!" Mally yelled before covering her mouth in horror at what she'd done.
Both Eileen and Stayne beamed evilly before she removed his chain and shackles with the Vorpal Sword, and then moving so hatter could properly fight Stayne. As hatter dueled, Eileen charged down the hall, bounded down the steps three at a time, and raced outside to find that she was being surrounded by the card soldiers.
"Well," Stayne admitted, "It's not very often the queen is fooled."
The cards were soon being sent flying – literally – by the bandersnatch, who was barreling towards Eileen without a second thought. He stopped and snarled at Stayne, who stood slack-jawed at the sight of Eileen now mounting what she'd been terrified of the night before.
"You're an idiot," Eileen beamed before turning the bandersnatch around and guiding it out of the castle.
Stayne paled before going straight to the queen obediently, but like a lost puppy who'd been kicked where it hurt.
"Eileen has escaped," he reported, and the Red Queen jerked her head towards him and slapped him harshly across the face. "With the Vorpal sword." She slaps him again. "On the bandersnatch."
She slapped him a third time and was about to yell out for him to lose his head.
"But," he said quickly, "We found her conspirators! The Hatter and a dormouse!"
"We've been hoodwinked," she scowled, "Off with her head! Off with their heads!"
The bandersnatch in question charged straight to Mamareal and Eileen and the White Queen both beamed as they saw who the other one was. Eileen dismounted, and the bandersnatch sniffed the White Queen. Mirana took the sword that Eileen was holding out, and held it up, breathing its scent deeply with her nose.
"At last the Vorpal sword is home," she breathed, "Now all we need is our champion. You're a bit young to be fighting…"
"Blame it on going back above," she shrugged, and Mirana smiled before leading her to the kitchens, where Thackery was making soup.
"Now, let's see," she said thoughtfully, "Aging potion… ah, here we are."
"I wonder what the Hatter's doing now," Eileen contemplated. "I hope he's alright…"
"Cheshire will know," she smiled softly. "He loves you, you know. Tarrant."
Eileen could do nothing more than stare at the White Queen.
And Cheshire did, indeed, know Tarrant's location.
"I've always admired that hat," Cheshire said as he appeared before Tarrant's cell.
"Hello, Chessur," hatter said dejectedly.
"Since you won't be needing it anymore," the cat said vanishing before reappearing in the cell a few seconds later, sitting on the rim of the hat and beginning to knead it with his front paws, "Would you consider bequeathing it to me?"
"How dare you," the hatter said offended as he took his hat back. "It is a formal execution, I would like to look my best you know."
"It was a pity about all this," Chessur said. "I was looking forward to seeing you Fudderwacken."
"I was rather good at it, was I not?" hatter reminisced.
"I really do love that hat," the cat said leaning in with a mad gleam in his eyes and smile, "I would wear it to all the finest occasions."
I'm fairly sure you know how the execution scene goes, so we're going to skip to where they're back in Mamareal with Mirana. Anyhow, Eileen finds that the things they know of aren't always as they seem.
Review to see what I mean!
