"Ah, did you call for me, my lovely Francine?" Arthur Kirkland flirted as he bowed in front of Francine. She rolled her eyes, but beamed at the magician as she extended her hand for Arthur to kiss it. He knelt and kissed Francine's pale hand gently and walked over to Roderich who was sitting on the little throne next to Francine and wearing the hat that Arthur made years ago. He rubbed Roderich's head and grinned at the annoyed feline. "And hello to you too, Roderich."

Roderich hissed at Arthur and trailed off to his playroom. He hated magicians, especially Arthur aka the Mad Hatter.

"I actually didn't wish to see you serving me again, Arthur." Francine said. "But I've no choice but to call on you."

"For what reason must you see me so urgently, Francine?"

"Arthur, please. It's 'Your Majesty' to you. Remember that you're no longer a hatter in the white palace." Francine gave Arthur a serious look which Arthur followed as his flirtatious and crazy expression melted from his face. "Your playmate who saved your butt ten years ago is back."

"I know. I brought her back."

"I'm surprised. I thought you would have learnt your lesson."

"Of course I did."

"I'm not interested to know how or why you brought her back, but I know it's a grave mistake. She's currently lost in the red district."

"I brought her back for your sake."

"For my sake?" Francine blurted. "Why…how?"

"You're in war with that wretch sister of yours. Rio was, and is, the White Witch aka the Hero of Wonderland. You need somebody to lead your troops."

"Arthur, she doesn't have a clue where she is or why she's here!" Francine said in disbelief. "She was banished and all her memories, including those of her own human life, were taken away! We do not have the time or resources to train her all over again to become the White Witch. Do you have any idea how near battle is? If I lose, Anna will become queen and all of Wonderland will lose its Wonder!"

"Francine, just give me a chance. I can train Rio with the help of-"

"No, Arthur." Francine scolded. "You got your chance to take things into your own mad hands. You wiped out half of my Axis cats, you made Rio lose her memories and powers, you destroyed the red and white alliance and caused this never-ending war! It is your fault that Wonderland is living in fear up until now! Innocent people and creatures panicking about whose boundaries they're on, you caused all this!"

Arthur was silent.

"You should be glad that I've asked for your assistance again. I'm doing it because I know how much you want to see Rio again, but you do your job the way I ask you to do it. All I want you to do is save Rio, maybe have a little teatime with her and then send her home immediately."

"But-"

Francine raised a hand. "No. You will do as I say and if you take this into your own hands again, I will not hesitate to execute you and neither will I save you if the red queen wishes to take you."

XXX

"Okay, done. Finally, a hairstyle that suits you and is Feliks style!" Feliks chirped as he finished the last touch of Rio's hair. He swung Rio's chair for her to see her oak-brown hair that has turned into some puff of hair sticking out of her scalp.

"I look like some duchess." Rio said as she extended her arms to reach for her hair.

Feliks slapped her hands. "No! Don't ruin Feliks' masterpiece!"

As Feliks admired his masterpiece which was actually Rio's hair, the door to his mansion or palace or house was knocked, or rather banged on. It seemed like the police of Wonderland were looking for him with a warrant to arrest him. Feliks nodded at Toris and Toris immediately trailed off to answer the door.

"Don't worry, Torisa, I will settle this. You stay here." Feliks said as he followed Toris. On the way down, he grabbed Toris' shoulder and dragged him to the back to make it look like Feliks is more superior. Feliks skipped downstairs to the door, where he was surprised none of the maids went to answer the door. They were all hiding in the kitchen or anywhere they were working that was nowhere near the door.

"This is the Red Police Force! We are here personally with Her Majesty and her husband, Mr Arthur Clarkland! Answer this door!" Feliks heard a deep and flat voice from outside. No wonder the maids were too afraid to open the door. They would risk getting their heads sliced off.

Feliks hurriedly sauntered towards the door, took a deep breath and opened it. Toris didn't understand how Feliks could be so relaxed. He immediately sought refuge in the kitchen with the maids when Feliks was oblivious to it. Feliks looked at the two police officers, keeping his eyes off the red queen and her obnoxious pirate husband. "Good afternoon, Your Majesty and Mr Clarkland. What I can do for you?"

"I know you're hiding a fugitive in your house, Feliks." The red queen said.

"Oh~ and who could this fugitive be? My assistant Toris?" Feliks said sarcastically as he turned, but Toris was not there. He cursed Toris under his breath for embarrassing him but continued to keep his eyes off the red queen.

"Her name is Rio Juarez Carriedo. The White Witch, exiled ten years ago and is suspected to have illegally entered Wonderland again."

"I don't know her. Why would she come here?"

"Someone like you kidnaps everyone, especially young girls like her, and bring them home for grooming."

"I've never seen her before. You need to give me some descriptions, Your Majesty."

"We'd like to search your home for her first."

Meanwhile, upstairs, Rio was sitting on the dressing table chair as the maids eavesdropped on Feliks' conversation with the red queen. The three of them no longer payed any attention to Rio. Her stomach growled and they didn't even jolt up to bring her food. They were paid to groom her, not feed her.

"Shhh!" They shushed in unison when they heard Rio's stomach growl again.

Rio sighed and saw a small box which looked like a music box on the dressing table. She knew people, especially somebody like Feliks, didn't like others peeking at their stuff, but she was curious. She pressed the small keyhole on the box and the box opened immediately, causing Rio to jump in shock. The sound of Rio's shock just made the maids shush without turning. The box was packed with small heart-shaped sweets that had the words, "Eat Me" imprinted on them. How cute.

Rio's stomach growled again and she immediately took one of the sweets and swallowed it.

Nothing happened for a while until Rio realized she was getting taller.

And taller.

And taller.

Her body was also becoming bigger.

Her growth was noticeable and soon her head was out of the roof, her arms and legs shot of the windows. Her dress, for some reason, did not follow her growth and she was unclothed, naked with a small house covering her vitals. She gulped as she felt the red queen staring at her. Feliks' mouth was wide open and he looked like he was about to cry about his house. "Feliks. What is this?" The red queen asked rudely, scanning Rio from head to toe.

"Um, I don't really know." Feliks said as his eyebrows wriggled at Rio for thanking him by destroying his lovely home and his beautiful dress.

"What is your name?" The red queen demanded.

"Uh…I'm…"

"That is Torisa, Your Majesty!" Toris blurted as he ran out of the broken house. He was still trembling, but he hated the red queen so much, he wouldn't even let his worst enemy die in her hands.

"Torisa? And where does she come from, Mr Toris?"

"We found her in the woods just today. The horrible white queen kidnapped and kept her locked in that dreadful palace for years. Fortunately, she found a way to escape. When I found her, she was of normal size but I think the effects of Francine's pastries have come into action." Toris said as his sight wandered at Rio.

"Oh, dear! Poor girl!" The red queen exaggerated. "Look at what that witch has done to you!"

"Indeed." Arthur Clarkland said as he continued to stare at Rio, unable to take his eyes off her.

"Officers! Give her something to shrink this enormous girl and escort her back to my palace. Anyone who shares my hatred for the white queen will be suitable to enter my court." The red queen said as she turned around to return home. Rio sighed, relieved and blinked her gigantic eyes to thank Toris. Feliks crossed his arms and returned to his broken home, indignant that the red queen wouldn't even offer to compensate for his losses.

XXX

Arthur Kirkland made his way gingerly towards the blood pond of heads upon reaching the red palace. He was disgusted at how the grass can be so finely cut and polished with dew while right next to it was a contrasting pond of bloody heads. He sighed at himself. Why couldn't he just took the main entrance and waltz in normally. After all, the red soldiers were morons without their leader Arthur Clarkland, Kirkland's doppelganger. He wondered how he could be anywhere near a pirate, or even the opposite of a pirate. Clarkland was just as mad as him for working for the red queen.

"Ugh. Heads." Kirkland said as his nose wriggled at the putrid smell of rotting heads.

"You need help, da?" Kirkland rolled his eyes at this familiar voice. He turned to the large tree next to him, where the stupid grey-furred cat showed itself and its smile. It was enormous and the biggest cat in Wonderland. Kirkland immediately recognized it as part of the Allies clan, the clan of cats living and being ill-treated by the red queen.

"Oh, get lost, you irksome little feline." Kirkland said as he shook his fingers in a manner to shoo the cat away.

"Little is not a word to describe me." The cat laughed as he saw Kirkland's squeamish expression at the floating heads. "You don't want to fall!"

"I won't fall." Kirkland snapped. He looked down at the heads. They had faces too, some tired, some sad, some angry and some were even happy or as mad as he was. Those were their last expressions before their heads were sliced off with a heart-shaped axe. "Please forgive me, my friends."

Kirkland took one step on a head and quickly lost his balance and fell into the blood pond. He shot out of the water, shivering at the thought of swallowing the blood. He turned and saw the cat appear again, raising its paw and laughing. "What are you doing here, Ivan? I thought you treated the white queen's people as traitors."

"Well, you're not part of her people. In fact, you betrayed her."

"I did not. And even I weren't, I'm certainly not part of your group."

"I wonder. How does that hat of yours stay on that polluted head even when it's supposed to follow the direction of gravitational force?"

"Have you forgotten? I'm the Hatter. And this is my favorite hat. I was born with it, and I will die with it."

"Really, Hatter? How do you know you will ever die? You're, after all, an expert at demon magic. Speaking of which, why not use your powers to cross the pond?"

"This near the red queen's palace? I'd rather not."

"Then you will need my help to evaporate."

"That's the stupidest power I've ever heard of."

"No, it's the worst power you've ever tried to learn. It's neither demonic, nor art or normal. It's the special kind of magic that only I possess the best, and I can easily get you past the pond or even in the palace without the red queen noticing."

"Fine. But for your information, I've never tried to learn it."