Alice in Wonderland II: Underland's Champion

by StarLightMaker17

Alice returns to Underland four years later. Mirana summons a ball in honor of her return and Hatter is debating on his feelings for Alice. Alice must make a choice to save Wonderland from an old threat or lose everything she holds dear...

18. Chapter 18: The Battle Part Three

Welp, here's the final battle scene. The choice of saving Alice from her fate is revealed. But be prepared; this chapter is LONG...

Enjoy!

Alice in Wonderland II: Underland's Champion

Chapter 18: The Battle Part Three

Alice held back the urge to scream as she felt Absolem plummet through the portal. She could feel her stomach rising up to her throat at the falling sensation but forced herself to calm down. She feels Tarrant's arms tighten around her before Absolem abruptly opens his wings and flaps them with powerful movements. Alice relaxes when she feels the speed slowing down and opens her eyes. However, she forces herself to close her eyes again when the colors are too bright for her to handle.

"You all right back there?" Absolem manages to shout loudly enough for them to hear him. He doesn't seem fazed from the blinding colors.

"Somewhat…" Tarrant mutters as he boldly looked around. He had to squint his eyes from the speed they were going but was enchanted by the various colors zooming past by them. There were so many pigments that he couldn't even think of their names as even more flashed around them.

Suddenly they were going at an even faster speed than before. Alice and Tarrant's voices rose higher as they hold onto the butterfly tighter and shield their eyes. Tarrant notices a large hole a distance away and realizes that they were almost at their destination. He narrows his eyes and holds Alice protectively as Absolem flies even faster.

Reaching through the end of the portal and into the other side nearly made the duo lose their grip on Absolem when he stops abruptly to avoid crashing into something. He breathes heavily as he flaps his wings and slows down. Alice could hear several objects flying around and slowly opens her eyes. She looks around in confusion as Absolem lands in what appears to be an office.

There is silence as the duo slowly get off Absolem's back and look around cautiously. While Tarrant looks fascinated and skeptical, Alice sensed something was completely off. The low red carpet and classic walls reminded her greatly of a government office while she studied the furniture. She noted that one part of the wall was made entirely of glass while it held what looks like to be the remains of a large burgundy desk over it. Various chairs, small tables, books and other furniture were completely out of place.

Alice took the moment to look back at the large ancient mirror, which was the only thing that wasn't out of place. Her face fell when she looks at the simple silver frame tainted with some rust. She has seen it before and it was then she realizes exactly where she is. It was impossible…

"Oh, my God! Alice?" An aged voice shouts. Tarrant and Absolem look behind them to see a man in an officer suit with two much younger sailors coming out from behind the damaged desk. Their faces were etched with disbelief and surprise.

Alice didn't even stop herself from running straight into the elder man's arms for a tight hug. "Captain Daniels! I'm so glad to see you again!"

While Absolem looks unimpressed, Tarrant looks suspicious. "A friend of yours, Alice?"

The captain pulls away from the blonde to stare at the large butterfly and milliner while the sailors raise their swords at them warningly. "Who are you?" He demands in an authorative tone.

"Captain Daniels," Alice removes herself from his arms to place herself between the weapons and her lover. "These are Absolem the Wise Butterfly and Tarrant Hightopp, two of my dearest friends. They mean no harm." Despite the disbelieving looks from the sailors and captain, they lower their weapons while Alice turns to Tarrant and holds his hand with a large smile on her face. "Tarrant and Absolem, this is Captain Michael Daniels. He and I have sailed together for years during my business trip in China and America with Lord Ascot."

Tarrant raises a brow as he studied the captain. The captain did the same and they both relax somewhat. "I suppose that if you are friends with Alice, then you are friends of mine as well." The captain murmurs as he rubs his temples tiredly. "Even though you are both a bit odd… I've had enough surprises for one night…"

"Captain, have you seen other people jump out of this mirror?" Alice asks urgently. She looks at him intently and didn't think of how odd her statement sounded.

"You mean Stayne? Aye, lass… I've seen him." The captain looks thoughtful and was completely unaware of the baffled looks thrown at him. "He was riding onto a creature that must have been Iracebeth. I wouldn't have recognized her had she not urgently asked to fly out of the window." He points at the glass window behind him. "No doubt she used her magic to disguise herself again. They seemed to be in a bit of a hurry. Are they also friends of-"

"Wait a moment…" Absolem cuts him off and looks incredulous. "How do you know of their names? You knew them from before?"

At this point, the captain and even the sailors look a bit alarmed and confused. "… Yes?"

"How?" Alice felt her heart quiver from anxiety and terror from what she was about to hear. She knew that it wasn't good.

"Well… Shortly after I received this mirror from China as a gift," The captain gestures to the Looking Glass. "… I've noticed that Iracebeth was speaking to me through my reflection. I thought I was hallucinating until she literally jumped out and greeted me. Of course, I thought that she may have been a demon and was about to arrest her. But then she began to perform spells upon this ship."

"… What kind of spells?" Alice asks suspiciously and narrows her eyes.

"… Have you noticed that all of our supplies have always never grown short even during our longest voyages? Or how most of our repairs have never grown too serious and were taken care of so easy? Or how not many sailors even grew sick when we traveled back to England?"

As he said these things, Alice began to ponder on his statements. She then realizes that despite all the hardships that the merchant ship suffered, everyone somehow miraculously pulled through without so much of a hassle. She believed that the sailors may have put more effort into their work but didn't think much about it at the time.

"Iracebeth and I have made a deal." The captain says suddenly. "Despite what world she comes from, she promised that she would nurture and care for us during all our voyages. In return, I would allow her to come through this Looking Glass- as she called it- and explore Earth as much as she pleased. I was fascinated by her talent and thought that it was more than a fair deal if she shared a bit of her stories with me. It was then I met Stayne when he came out and inquired on how our military branches work so I gave him books to study over our history. After their various quests, they would come here to rest before jumping into the mirror to return to their world. I allowed them to take the mirror off this ship only once upon their request when we disembarked on England for a short amount of time."

Alice could feel something inside her begin to tear at her very soul. She could barely hide back the tears of betrayal and disbelief. "How long ago was this?" Alice had to ask.

"About three days ago." The captain answers honestly. "Iracebeth said that all her work was done and brought the mirror back here. She kept her word and said that she would frequently visit and replenish our stock and repairs as often as we-"

"YOU FOOL!" Tarrant lost control and screamed at the captain with such ferocity that it startled everyone, even Absolem. The milliner storms up to grab the captain by the shirt and slams him against the wall. His eyes were blazing red and his teeth grind against each other almost painfully. "Do ye realize what you have done?" He shrieks in a roguish accent.

Alarmed, the sailors point their swords at the milliner. Tarrant pays no heed as he stares at the frightened captain's eyes while Absolem chuckles and shakes his head in disbelief. Alice releases her tears. She turns away while the milliner begins to roughly shake the officer. "You have supported our worst enemy! You put your allegiance with murderers!"

The captain blinks. "What?"

"Captain…" Alice held back the urge to shout at her supposed friend. How was he really supposed to know what Iracebeth was capable of or what she had done? "… Didn't it strike you as suspicious why Iracebeth and Stayne wanted to know how Earth works? Or why she didn't specify on where she came from?"

The captain falls silent as he stares at Alice's shaking figure. He grows concerned and realizes that he must have done something terribly wrong. "Well… Only a little bit, dear. But what had she done to make your friend label her as a murderer?"

"THEY KILLED MY WHOLE CLAN!" Tarrant screams, enraged. "THE BLOODY BIGHEAD AND STAYNE HAVE WIPED OUT MY ENTIRE FAMILY; EVEN MY SISTER WHEN SHE WAS WITH CHILD! IRACEBETH TRIED TO KILL ALICE WITH POISON AND STAYNE ATTEMPTED TO MOLEST HER! NOW YOU TELLING US THAT DURING ALICE'S TRAVELs WITH YOU, HER TWO WORST ENEMIES HAVE BEEN HIDING IN YOUR OFFICE? THAT THEY WERE BARELY A MILE AWAY FROM HER ALL THIS TIME?!"

There was a heavy silence as the captain stares at the milliner as if he was a lunatic before he glances at Alice with wary eyes. She sniffles as she wipes her eyes. "And the day she asked for you to let her take the mirror… Was the day that she captured my family to get to me… And you let her get away with my baby nephew in her clutches… Oh, Captain, how could you…?"

There was an even longer silence as the sailors stare at their captain with disbelieving realization and lower their weapons. Still enraged, Tarrant gives the captain a look of disgust and resentment before promptly dropping him. The captain was too enthralled with his horrified thoughts to even consider taking offense to the milliner's actions. Really, who could blame the man?

His body trembles as he slowly glances at Alice as she stares at the Looking Glass with newfound interest. The blonde found it ironic; the legendary mirror that was the door to her beloved Wonderland had been the very mirror that she and the captain found in a merchant sale for a simple trade. Had the owners known about what it truly was, they would not have given it up so easily...

And everything explained why the captain specified that no one was allowed in the Captain's Quarters, particularly at night…

… Or even how Alice felt a dark aura at certain nights…

"Alice-" The captain began. However, he was cut off when a roar erupts from outside. Tarrant and Alice look at the door with wide eyes. They glance at each other briefly before bolting out to the main deck. Absolem and the captain follow behind slowly.

There was chaos as soon as they open the door. Alice and Tarrant notice that it was raining heavily and thunder struck dangerously close to the ship. They nearly lose balance from the ship's movements and slip when the waves pour over the deck. Sailors were shouting orders as everyone tries to prepare for the worst. However, they are cut off when a large ball of fire shoots at the mast. Several sailors scream from the impact and some fall overboard while others desperately try to get away from the falling mast. The massive pillar falls to the starboard side and leaves significant damage to the deck. Several sailors begin to work on putting out the fire while others desperately try to repair some of the damage or keep the water out of the slowly flooding deck.

A roar echoes through the storm and makes everyone's heart stop in dread. They slowly look upon the source and are horrified to see a dark monster hovering over the bridge with glowing gold eyes. On her back, Stayne bore a smirk as he holds his sword high. Iracebeth lowers her head to stare specifically at Alice and Tarrant.

"How lovely for the Champion to join us," She sneers. "And what a perfect weather to deliver our final combat, is it not?"

"Where are they, Iracebeth?" Alice demands, unsheathing her sword and holding her shield tightly. She stares intently at the dragon, unmoved by the crashing waves and thunders.

Iracebeth says nothing but stares smugly at the sinking mast. Alice glances at the broken mast and is horrified when she sees a glint from a basket that hangs from the bottom branch holding together the burning cloak. She could hear distant infant screams…

Without warning, Iracebeth blows fire around the deck and her demon minions emerge from the ashes. While the sailors look horrified and afraid, Stayne jumps off the dragon and disappears over the bridge while Iracebeth lets out another roar and jumps into the sky to fly to a random direction.

Alice glances between the retreating dragon and at her nephew, panicking. She feels a hand on her shoulder.

"Alice, don't let Iracebeth get away! Get on Absolem and fly after her!" Tarrant shouts as he dodges a strike from a fiery demon after unsheathing his own sword.

"But Stefan will-"

"I'll get the lad, don't worry!" Tarrant grunts as he kicks the soldier overboard. Relieved, he jumps onto the toppled mast and gives Alice an insisting look. "GO! NOW!"

Alice stares at Tarrant as he fights his way towards the basket with little effort. She sighs in defeat. "Be careful, Tarrant…" She murmurs before she turns to Absolem. The butterfly hid in the office until Alice calls out for him. He uses some of his strength to break down the door, much to the chagrin of the captain. The ship was damaged enough as it is, but no one said anything when they glare at the butterfly suspiciously. When Alice jumps onto his back, Absolem wastes no time to fly after the dragon. He carefully dodged any lightning strikes as he sped after the witch.

Meanwhile, Tarrant carefully slides sideways on the sinking pillar to get to the infant. On the way, he unintentionally inhales some smoke and coughs. He hastily pulls off his hat to shield his mouth and hesitates when a burning branch falls mere inches before him. He stares at the burning flames with a blank look as memories flash through his mind.

These fires took away his family... Just as it almost took away his own life after he attempted suicide...

The very element that was a part of life itself was also a killer...

The distraction makes the milliner nearly slip from the wet pillar. He holds his sword up high to maintain his balance. The cries coming from the infant snaps the Mad Hatter out of his haunted musing. He shakes his head and growls to himself. "Focus, Hightopp..." he grumbles as he carefully steps over the burning branch to move closer to the infant.

He squints to see the basket just inches away from a burning cloak and hears the weak coughs coming from the infant. He puts his hat back on and uses his free hand to reach for the child. He shouts out when a burning chunk of wood hits his hand and he recoils. He hisses at the slight burn on his thumb but forces himself to remain calm as he reaches for the basket.

He grabs the helms of the basket and hastily pulls it up before carrying it in a football hold. He looks down at the slightly ashen face of a crying Stefan. Stefan's face is scrunched up in discomfort and fear until he took notice of Tarrant with fire in the background. He sniffles a bit and stops crying as he stares at the new source of comfort. Tarrant smiles toothily at the child.

"Yer all right now, lad..." The milliner murmurs as he rocks the infant comfortingly, careful not to let the White Queen's crown move around and accidentally cut the child. "Let's get you out of here..."

Without another word, Tarrant quickly turns around to slide back over to the ship. Despite the infant's whimpers, he quickly manages to step over the burning branches now falling around him. He manages to get onto the deck just as the flames make the entire mast collapse into the sea. He stares back at the mast before hissing in pain from his burning thumb. He ignores it as he gives Stefan a gentle smile.

"Never thought you had such a soft spot for children..." A deep voice says smoothly. Tarrant pauses before his eyes glow red and he growls. "We could have used that knowledge for one of our curses."

Tarrant says nothing as he slowly looks up at the relaxing form of Stayne. The Knave was sitting on the edge of the edge of the deck and looked amused. He looks around at the sailors and demons as they fought with everything they had in them. He clicks his tongue and shakes his head before he jumps down to face the tense milliner. He gives him a crooked sneer. "Then again, the death of your unborn niece still gets a reaction out of you even after all this time."

"Stayne..." Tarrant hisses warningly as he points his sword at the man. The wind blows harshly through the men and Stefan whines in discomfort. "... How could you?"

"Really?" The one-eyed man raises a brow. "After all this time, that's the first question you ask of me?"

"We could have been brothers, you and I..." Tarrant muttered, his voice low. "We were best friends after my mother took you in... I never thought that my sister would have grown feelings for you and I never would have approved of it had I known what you truly were on the inside..."

Stayne scoffs. "Hightopp, you fail to remember that your clan was a bunch of ignorant fools believing that there was good in everything, even in the Red Queen. Your mother and father took me in only out of pity and I served as their main housekeeper until Lilia had shown interest in me." His eyes twinkle mischievously. "In fact, she reminds me quite a lot of Alice. They both are so innocent as they are kind and brave. Is that why, perhaps, that you have grown feelings for the Champion yourself?"

"Do not change the subject!" Tarrant growls, baring his teeth at the unfazed man. "How could you have joined forces with the Red Queen behind our backs? How could you have betrayed us like that after everything we provided for you? And slaughter the woman who carried your unborn child?"

Suddenly Stayne's expression turns dark. He points his own sword at the milliner, just where the tips slightly grazed against each other. "That abomination... Will never be mine... Just as that slut of a sister of yours was too foolish to understand that I only needed a night to release my stress. I swear that she didn't know the difference between real love and infatuation. I could never love her for what she was- a dirty peasant Hightopp that will never be worth anything."

"YOU BASTARD!" Tarrant shrieks as he strikes at the man. Stayne quickly dodges the blow and sneers at the milliner. "Such a temper, Mad Hatter. I wonder, does Alice know how tender this subject is to you? Just how much does she know about your past?"

"Enough!" The milliner growls as he steps back and holds a crying Stefan with his free arm. His grip on his sword was almost painful. "Stayne, this is it! I will not allow ye to destroy any more lives as it is! I will personally see to it that I will not hold back from striking you down where you stand! I will not show mercy just as I have done last time!"

Stayne sneers as he flings a long bang of his black hair away from his face. "We'll see about that." Then he launches forward with a strike that Tarrant counters with his sword. Soon the men engage in a deadly combat, never having feeling so much rage or excitement in their lives.

:)(:

"Faster, Absolem!" Alice shouts over the thunder. "We're losing her!"

"Stupid girl, I'm flying as fast as I can!" The butterfly huffs as he coughs from the overexertion. "I'm not as young as I used to be so I'm not as fast..."

Alice says nothing as she holds onto the butterfly and stares at the retreating form of Iracebeth. She was quite a ways away and the blonde would have easily lost sight of her had she not been so focused on the dragon. The chill of the storm drenched her uniform but she paid no heed to this. She held her shield over her shoulder while her sword remains sheathed in her belt. She struggled to balance her bow and arrow (which Tarrant left with the butterfly when they inspected the captain's office) as she tries to aim at the dragon. Her shots were pathetically off and mediocre at range.

Alice grumbles as her next shot misses its target. Her blue eyes grow weary from anxiety and hopelessness as she tries to think of a way to catch up to the dragon.

To her surprise, Iracebeth abruptly stops. Alice blinks in confusion as Iracebeth focuses below her and says something in a foreign language before lighting strikes just under her. Absolem and Alice pause to watch.

They look at what appears to be an empty beach that has a small village nearby. Alice's face turns pale in horror when she sees a rather huge wave emerge from quite a distance and heads straight to the said village. At that moment, Iracebeth cackles from her stunt and flies away.

"She's created a tsunami!" Alice cries. "We have to do something!"

"Foolish child, what can we do?" Absolem demands, looking at her from over his shoulder. "I'm a mere butterfly and you're a Jabberwocky slayer! Neither of us hold any potential to stop a natural disaster!"

Alice is silent as she stares at the slowly approaching tsunami. Suddenly an idea hits her and she reaches inside Absolem's bag to grab Iracebeth's forgotten spell book. She uses her shield to cover the pages from getting wet and hastily looks for a source. "Alice, what are you doing?" Absolem demands irritably, not knowing what she was reading. "We have to go after Iracebeth or she will-"

"Here it is! The Fatal Tsunami Wave!" Alice ignores the butterfly and quickly skims through the description. "Says here that the only way to stop it is to call black magic by perfectly reciting the ancient language of..." She trails off, looking troubled.

"Stupid girl, black magic is forbidden!" Absolem hisses. "Using it without experience is potentially dangerous! The side effects could permanently damage your soul!"

Alice is silent as she glances between the retreating figure of Iracebeth to the tsunami and the village. Her eyes narrow before she sighs and closes her eyes. "Those people's lives are at stake. That's a risk I'll have to take."

Absolem was about to deliver a witty comeback before he realizes what she had just said. For the first time since she has met him, he froze from shock and disbelief. Alice took that as an advantage to continue.

"Antiquioribus,

Meas audite invocabis,

Neglegunt inparis aestimationis,"

"Alice, don't-"

But it was too late. Alice's form was convulsed by dark matter and wind violently blew through her form as she chanted the spell.

Uti meae essentiae,

Retro,

Ista malediction quoderat tam temerarie miserunt!

The black matter swarms around Alice's chest and disappears just as her eyes snap open. She gasps for air and collapses onto her shield that protected the book from the storm. She breathes heavily as extreme weariness overwhelmed her entire body. Her eyes turn slightly pale but brighten slightly when she sees the tsunami collapsing into the sea. The waves brush just past the shoreline but otherwise didn't touch the village.

"... Alice, what have you done...?" Absolem's voice was unusually soft and quiet.

Suddenly Alice cries out when she feels extreme pain in her chest. She curls down and recoils when she realizes that the pain was threatening down to the very bowel of her soul. The pain was indescribable; the best description was that it felt like knives was slowly carving into her body and cutting its way into her very soul. She felt very weak and didn't have the strength to move at all. Absolem didn't move or say anything else and waits a few moments until Alice seems to pull herself together. The pain went away just as it had come quickly and she found the energy to sit up. She pushes some hair out of her slightly pale face and looks at Absolem. "What... Just happened?"

"Alice, you have just used the forbidden black magic created by the first Underlandians." Absolem's voice was low and filled with indescribable rage and disbelief. "Do you realize what you have done? By using the black magic, you have tainted your soul with darkness! You have broken a taboo in our world! That darkness will never leave you and will weaken you for the rest of your life!"

"... What?" Alice found it a bit hard to breathe or think properly. Absolem groans and shakes his head. "Did I stutter, girl? Or do I need to elaborate more? Alice, you may have very well sealed your own fate, as it was said in the Oraculum!"

THAT got Alice's attention and she pauses to think. 'The prophecy... Was THIS the fate I was destined to? The path that I was predicted to follow? The fate that leads... To my death?'

"But..." Alice groans as she rubs her slightly burning face. "... Didn't Mallymkun say that you found a way to counter my fate?"

"At this point, I honestly don't know if our Ancestors will even consider granting it!" Absolem growls before he flies forward to chase after the dragon.

"What? What do you mean?" Alice asks, feeling somewhat nauseated as she used most of her strength to hold onto the butterfly tightly. Absolem says nothing but zooms through the storm with newfound determination and speed.

"... Just do not use black magic ever again, do you understand me?" He growls.

Alice snaps her eyes open to glare at the butterfly's neck. "Absolem, Iracebeth will use more black magic to curse any city that she sees fit to suffer. I will not allow her to take advantage of that when I have the ability to withstand the darkness."

"Listen to yourself! Just moments ago you were crying out from pain and writhed around like a dying animal! Do you really think I will just sit back and allow you to let darkness consume you even more? I said that overusing it at such a vulnerable state would kill you!"

"And I said that if lives are at stake, then that's a risk I'll have to take!" Alice snaps angrily. "It is my duty to protect all my people, both in Wonderland and Earth! If it means using the most darkest of forces to protect them in expense for my own life, then so be it!"

"Alice-"

"Absolem, that IS an order! You offered to help, but while we are here I am in charge of this mission! I will hear no more on this matter!" Alice's voice changes into an authorative tone that she barely ever used against anyone unless her patience was getting close to thin. She didn't like to be seen as bossy or even mean, but her patience can only go so far.

Her change of attitude startles Absolem into silence. His aged eyes express surprise, rage, disbelief, and even sadness as he continues flying. Alice's grip on his back tightens as she focuses ahead and sees a black dot flying towards an area filled with endless green fields. She points at the dragon. "She's heading down that way! Hurry!"

Absolem hesitates before he sighs and shakes his head before complying with her order. During the chase, his heart twists unpleasantly as he realizes what is about to come. He just hopes that for Alice's sake that they catch up to the dragon quickly and do away with her before she could conjure up any more curses.

:)(:

Tarrant grunts from a blow that Stayne delivers. He hastily jumps over a burning branch of the broken mast and moves towards the steps leading to the bridge. He glances warily at Stefan when the child whimpers and squirms in his uncomfortable spot inside the basket. He glances back at Stayne and crudely kicks the man on the face before turning to rush towards the wheel.

He stands on one side of the wheel while Stayne stands on the other side. They both test each other from moving at different directions until Tarrant boldly steers the wheel. The movement makes Stayne's chin snap his jaw shut and he growls. Tarrant snickers a bit foolishly before turning and running towards the last upper level overlooking the entire ship. Stayne follows.

Tarrant looks around and realizes that the only way back down was where he came from but Stayne blocked the stairs. He was trapped between the edge of the ship and a chuckling Stayne. He spins around to stare at the Knave.

"Nowhere else to run, milliner..." He sneers. He strikes again at the man and Tarrant yelps by the sheer force. It made him stumble back and he looks behind him to notice a plank lying just inches away from Stayne. When Stayne got close enough, Tarrant hops onto the slightly bent edge of the plank. As a side effect, the straight edge flew up and hit the Knave full force on the face. He shouts and stumbles back while Tarrant chuckles.

"Enough childish games, Hightopp!" The Knave shouts, furiously advancing towards the milliner after he recovers. "This ends right now!"

Another blow makes Tarrant nearly topple over the edge. He flings the hand holding the sword to keep his balance. "Careful, Stayne! I have a child with me!" He cries.

"Do you really think Iracebeth still wants that little brat?" Stayne growls. "She only used him as a leverage to get to Alice; I think that it should have been obvious from the start. That boy would never grow up to be like his aunt!"

Tarrant avoids another strike and slides over to a more comfortable position to where he was leaning against the railing of the deck. Stayne launches forward with a strike that made Tarrant use both of his hands. He carefully puts down the basket and holds his sword up with both his hands as Stayne puts pressure down onto the milliner with his blade. The men are using all of their strength to push the other off as they dominated for victory. Tarrant could feel himself grow weary from exhaustion and considered irking the man by pricking his eye with one of his trademark needles until his head falls back and his eyes see the water far below them. His eyes look thoughtful as he glances back at Stayne while the man puts even more pressure onto him.

Tarrant makes the rash decision to use his foot to trip the man above him. With Stayne distracted, Tarrant holds him close as he leans backwards to fall over the railing straight into the black ocean. However, Tarrant thought ahead and snatches Stayne's dagger. As they fall, Tarrant holds onto the dagger tightly as he impales it against the ship to keep himself up while Stayne plummets to his doom. His screams are silenced when his body collides into the waves.

Tarrant breathes heavily as he stares at the spot that Stayne disappeared in. His grip on the dagger begins to loosen and he groans as he climbs back onto the deck. He pants as he kneels down to catch a breath and contemplates on what he had just did. However, his concern is pushed aside when he hears the cries of Stefan. He drops his sword and crawls over to the basket. His eyes glow green when he notices that Stefan and the crown are still intact and unharmed. The infant continues to cry and Tarrant frowns when he notices that the child was slightly pale. He would grow sick from this storm and had to get to shelter quickly.

Just as he was about to pick up the basket, a desperate cry reaches his ears. "HELP!"

He pauses for a moment before turning to the source and looks over the railing. His eyes widen in surprise when he sees Stayne struggling to keep his head above the water as he cries out. "SOMEBODY, PLEASE! HELP ME!"

As the drowning man continues to shout his pleas, Tarrant stares at him as the ship drifts further and further away. Stayne's body begins to drift even further due to the heavy waves reacting to the storm. Tarrant silently debates on what he should do as he stares at the man's helpless form.

"Mr. Hightopp! What has happened?" The captain stumbles up to the deck and observes the milliner's silent position. Then he hears the cries of an infant and his eyes widen when he sees Stefan in a basket. He quickly kneels down to scoop the basket and uses his coat to shield the infant from the rain. He gives the milliner a steely glare. "What do you think you're doing, leaving a baby out here in a hurricane? The lad could get sick from this catastrophe! Why aren't you-"

"Do you have a rope?" Tarrant asks suddenly. He turns to the startled officer with cold blue eyes. The man stops his scorn to blink in surprise. He is silent before he points at the frame to show a life ring. "That's the only thing we have close available. All the other lines are either too short or have burnt into ashes."

"It'll have to do..." Tarrant sighs as he moves over to grab the ring and the long rope attached to it. The captain watches as the milliner hastily ties one end of the string onto the railing before yanking it back for inspection. The captain hears pleas for help and looks over the ship to see Stayne drowning. He raises a brow but doesn't question the milliner's actions. Three sailors rush up to the upper level to find their captain. "Captain! The fiery demons have all been defeated and went overboard! Their main weakness was water so it seems that the storm was in our favor this time!"

When the captain says nothing, the men turn to look at the strange milliner. The leader raises a brow. "Sir, what are you doing?"

Tarrant sighs as he takes off the life ring and attaches the other end of the rope around his waist. He pulls at it as well for inspection. "Being as mad as a hatter..." He muttered.

He seems satisfied by the rope's condition before he began to take off all his outer garments. He hands his coat, sword, random accessories, outdated shoes, and treasured hat into the startled sailor's arms. "Do not lose these, especially mae hat." He gives them a meaningful glare before he jumps onto the railing. The captain's eyes widen and he steps forward. "No, don't-"

But it was too late. Tarrant jumps over the railing and plummets straight into the stormy sea. The sailors rush over to stare at the milliner emerging from the water and swim straight to Stayne. One of them shakes his head. "Idiot... What could he possibly be thinking...?"

Despite what the other sailors say, the captain believed that there was a reason why the milliner was doing what he was doing. He couldn't help but smile in admiration for the nobility the man possessed. Not even he or his own sailors had such honor, courage, and compassion. He has no doubt that is why Alice trusts the man...

:)(:

"Absolem, slow down!" Alice shouts as she clutches almost desperately onto the butterfly. "I can barely see where we're going!"

"Don't worry so much, child," Absolem grumbles. "Besides, we need to catch the witch before she does anymore damage."

Alice couldn't find a retort with that argument. She wholeheartedly agrees with him but the speed he was now going in was at the point where she could barely handle it. The turns and spins he performed almost nauseated the blonde; she was certainly not used to flying. The storm wasn't helping her situation in any matter.

"Look, there she is!" Absolem shouts. Alice squints up and was surprised by how close they were to the dragon. She was barely half a mile away and the blonde could easily make a clear shot at her if she needed to. However, Absolem descends abruptly when the dragon shoots a ball of fire at their direction as she tries to fly faster.

"Shoot her now, Alice!" Absolem's voice sounds oddly relieved yet exhausted as he caught up to the witch. "Now is your chance!"

Alice is silent as she grabs her bow and arrow and shakily aims the weapon at the dragon. As she pulls the arrow back, she carefully aims it directly at where the dragon's heart would rest. Her eyes glance at the dragon's neck and she froze as she remembered the last time she had slain a creature, and quite crudely at that.

"Stupid girl, what are you waiting for! Shoot her!" Absolem shouts.

However, Alice is lost in her thoughts as she stares at the dragon with her bow and arrow still aimed. Flashing memories of confronting the Jabberwocky for the first time cloud her vision and she suddenly felt déjà vu all over again.

The blood red eyes and the poisonous breath of the monster before her...

The demonic voice that haunted her even in her nightmares...

... The skull she had discovered that was still stenched with his poison...

A massive streak of light struck before her eyes. She screams as thunder booms right over her ears and she drops the bow and arrow. The extremity of the sound made her ears ring and she lost focus as she tries to blink away the spots in her eyes. She was vaguely aware that she was falling. She screams as she shuts her eyes and clings onto Absolem tightly. Her pounding heart was the only thing she could hear as they continue to plummet to the Earth.

The abrupt jolt she feels made her aware that Absolem finally crashed. However, the force makes her fly off his back and land on surprisingly soft grass. She rolls several feet away before she finally came to a stop. She groans as she shakily sits up and holds her spinning head. She shivers from the chilling wind and stumbles a bit as she stands up. Her dizziness fades away and she manages to look around. They crashed in an empty grassland and Iracebeth was nowhere to be seen. When Alice sees Absolem, her eyes widen in horror. "No..."

Absolem's entire backside is scorched from where the lighting struck him. His wings are bent at a painful angle and the butterfly was curled into a fetal position as he groans heavily. Alice hastily rushes over to the butterfly and gently holds his face as he looks up at her with dull blue eyes. "Alice..."

"Don't say anything." Alice murmurs as she gently pets his head. "You'll be all right. Just let me grab the-" She pauses when she realizes that his small bag was also burnt into ashes. Her eyes widen in horror and panic; the book of spells was in it. It was gone...

"Alice... Listen to me very carefully..." Absolem says quietly.

"Yes?" Alice's eyes begin to tear as she realizes that it was hopeless. However, she somehow senses that what the butterfly says will help the situation.

"After my entire body turns into dust, take my wings." Absolem hisses at the burning sensation on his back before he continues. "Use them to fly back to the Looking Mirror after you take care of Iracebeth."

"Use your-" Alice blinks before her face changes immediately. She shakes her head. "No, Absolem! You cannot die! Not like this!"

"Alice," The butterfly smiles a bit sadly at her. "I knew of the consequences that we would face after we jumped out of the Looking Glass. I knew that this wasn't a battle that I would emerge alive; I expected this day for a long time. It's time for me to move on."

"But-"

"Alice, just promise me that no matter how extreme the situation is... Never resort to using black magic again." Absolem gives the blonde a firm stare as he waits for an answer.

Alice hesitates. "Alice?" He presses impatiently.

Alice debated on his request for the longest time. She brushes her wet hair away from her face as she stares at the life fading away from her friend's eyes and found it hard to disobey him. "I... I promise..."

Absolem smiles slowly. "Good girl..." The insect hisses again before he glances at Alice one last time. "Thank you, Alice... For everything..." He closes his eyes as the color fades from his entire body. "... And good luck..."

Alice's eyes flash in horror as she watches the butterfly's entire body shrinking until it turns into a pile of dust. The dust is blown at random directions and Alice splutters when some of it hits her on the face. When she opens her eyes, she sees only the monocle and the large wings remaining. She slowly kneels down to pick up the monocle and holds it close to her before staring at the wings thoughtfully.

'What do I do now...? Iracebeth is long gone by now...' She thinks to herself. She sighs before she picks up the wings with her free hand and moves across the field to reach for her Vopal Sword and shield. She was surprised by how light the appendages were and grimaces at the thought of carrying the remaining limbs of her deceased friend. She continues walking through the field until she finds a small cave that would be suitable for shelter until she can figure out her next course of action.

She sighs as she drops her weapons and sits down to catch a moment to rest. She breathes heavily as she stares at the very few objects she has. A sword, a shield, a monocle, and two fragile butterfly wings. Although they would surely protect her, how long would they last before Alice falls to her doom? How would she catch up to Iracebeth at this point? Should she just return to the ship to check on Tarrant?

The image of the milliner brought some comfort to her heart. She smiles softly before she reaches up to her neck to fondle with his gift. However, she pauses when she realizes that her necklace isn't there. She looks down and is horrified when she realizes that her second most valuable possession was missing. Her eyes flash in anguish and irritation. Without it, she was even more prone to danger. How could she have not noticed it was gone?

"Just wonderful..." She grumbles. She sighs before deciding that sitting around wasn't going to help her situation at any rate. She stands up and holds her shield and sword tightly as she walks back into the storm. At this point, her only choice is to go back to the ship and find Tarrant.

As she walks out, she tries to recall where exactly she is and how far away the ocean was. She tries to remember the direction that they crashed from but she couldn't pinpoint the exact way due to having her eyes shut during the fall. She groans irritably until an electric beam is shot just centimeters beside her.

"There you are..." A familiar voice says. Alice flinches when she feels the ground quiver and turns around to see Iracebeth crawling towards her with glowing gold eyes. She looks somewhat amused. "I was wondering where you crashed after the lighting struck your butterfly down..." She looks around before sneering at the blonde almost knowingly. "I'm just glad that the lighting didn't hurt you at least; that would ruin my fun with finishing you off myself."

Alice growls as she glares at the dragon and holds her sword up. "Iracebeth, I've had about enough of this! For once, please reconsider your actions and back down before I take you out!"

"Foolish child, you do not have the guts to kill me. Don't think I didn't notice that you backed down from shooting that arrow at me. Face it, you are nothing more than a naïve little girl; slaying isn't in your nature..."

Alice's eyes glisten in tears as she tries to keep herself in check. "... My hesitation cost Absolem's life..." She glares up at the dragon. "I will go by what I have promised to the White Queen; I cannot allow either of us to risk anymore lives. If it means that the only resort is to kill you, then so be it. I was willing to make a bargain to a certain extent, but now I have no other choice. It's either you, or I, or both, who will die tonight."

Iracebeth throws her head back to deliver a dark cackle. "We'll see about that, Champion..." With that said, Iracebeth opens her mouth to shoot out another electric spark at the Champion. However, Alice dodges it with her sword before jumping back after Iracebeth attempts to smack her with her tail. She runs on the opposite direction and Iracebeth uses her wings to jump into the air to fly after her.

'Eleven impossible things, Alice...' The blonde breathes deeply as she runs through the storm. During her most recent quest, she has found five other impossible tasks that she has managed to encounter and decided to expand her list as she focuses on her final battle. 'Count them...'

Alice shouts as the dragon slams her to the ground with her claw. The dragon roars and leans her face close to the blonde. Alice recoils from the horrible stench of her breath.

'One: There is a potion that can make you shrink.'

Alice shields her eyes as she uses her sword to swipe at the dragon's face. Iracebeth shrieks when the blade slashes one of her eyes and she steps back to recoil in pain. Alice hastily jumps up to her feet before she continues to run around the field.

'Two: A cake that can make you grow.'

"You imprudent brat!" Iracebeth howls as she storms after the blonde on all four legs.

'Three: Animals can talk.'

Alice shouts when various blasts of electricity hit at random directions around her. She assumes that Iracebeth's slightly altered sight is the main reason why she had terrible aim. But before she could get far, Iracebeth says something in Latin before the Earth shakes. Alice screams as the ground moves in tidal motions, just as unstable as the sea is. She impales her sword onto the ground to avoid flying in random directions and holds on tightly as she waits for it to end.

'Four: Cats can disappear.'

Soon the ground stops moving and Alice breathes deeply as she opens her eyes and looks around. Her eyes widen when she sees Iracebeth racing up to her and she pulls out her sword to point it at the dragon. Unfazed, Iracebeth pins Alice down and tries to bite her. However, the young woman uses her sword to avoid the fangs and slams her shield against the dragon's skull. Iracebeth stumbles back from the force and growls before smacking Alice's body with her tail. The force makes something pop on Alice's side and she winces when she feels a swell on her waist. She looks down and notices that there was a small cut through her tunic and groans before glancing at Iracebeth.

'Five: There's a place called Wonderland.'

She swipes her sword at the dragon and avoids her strikes. She shrieks when Iracebeth grabs a hold of her boot and swings her around in different directions. However, the force makes the boot slip and she lands on the dragon's back. Startled, Iracebeth uses her wings to claw at Alice.

'Six: I have slain the Jabberwocky.'

Alice cries out from the attack and uses her shield to avoid their scratches. She slides onto the dragon's neck and Iracebeth moves her head around frantically to throw the blonde off. However, Alice remains firm until one of her blades accidentally cuts off one of Iracebeth's wings. The dragon screams in agony.

'Seven: A castle made of pure crystals.'

Iracebeth stumbles back from the excruciating pain and Alice took this opportunity to risk slicing off her other wing. Without either, she would be useless in flying. Iracebeth begins to howl in pain and stumbles around as she suffers from severe trauma.

'Eight: A storm that can make you release all your emotions.'

Having enough, the dragon uses her tail to throw the blonde several feet away. Alice yelps at the impact and hisses when she lands on her swelling waist. She notices a cut on her arm but ignores it as she stares at the shaking form of Iracebeth. She dodges a blast aimed at her and runs even harder at a different direction after she quickly puts on her missing boot. Infuriated and blinded by pain, Iracebeth crawls after her.

'Nine: Bugs that make you fall in love.'

Alice continued to run through the grassland. She occasionally made sure that Iracebeth was close behind before weariness overwhelmed her and she slows down. She walks backwards as she carefully watches the dragon approaching her. She nearly trips back when her foot reaches an edge. She looks behind her and notices a massive cliff overlooking the ocean. Just under the cliff was a shore filled with sharp rocks that are surrounded by heavy fog. Alice stares at it before Iracebeth's screeches alert her. She looks back to see the dragon hovering over her with rage and hatred in her unharmed eye.

'Ten: I have fallen in love with the Mad Hatter.'

The dragon strikes at the girl but Alice hastily runs under the dragon to stand on the other side. Iracebeth hastily turns around to growl at the blonde and smashes her head against the blonde. Alice flies back from the force and groans when she feels something in her ribcage snap. She has no doubts that one of her ribs may have been broken. She shakily stands up before using all of her strength to smash her shield against Iracebeth and impale the sword onto her side. Iracebeth screeches in pain while Alice hastily steps back. Iracebeth nearly falls over the cliff and glances warily down at it before she growls threateningly at the suddenly terrified woman. Could nothing bring this witch down?

'Eleven: I am Underland's Champion.'

Alice hears some rumbling and snaps her head down to notice that the ground around Iracebeth was crumbling. Her eyes widen in alarm and she steps back just as the cliff crumbles underneath the dragon. Iracebeth stumbles from the unexpected fall and bites at Alice as a last resort to avoid falling. However, Alice holds her shield up to avoid the attack and Iracebeth's fangs impale the metal surface. She was unable to release the shield impaled in her fangs as she plummets down to the ocean. She flails around and screeches as she disappears into the fog. Her roars echo until they fade into silence.

Alice was still and silent as she stares at the collapsing edge before boldly moving forward to look over the cliff. She didn't see any signs or hear any noise and her heart stops from incredulous disbelief. Is Iracebeth...

She waits for several more moments before reaching to the conclusion that she has indeed beaten the witch. An unusual sense of overwhelming relief washed through her as much as guilt and disbelief hit her. She couldn't believe it... She had defeated Iracebeth...

Wonderland and Earth are safe once again...

Alice smiles a bit before frowning again. She stares at the spot Iracebeth had fallen into before closing her eyes and sighing. "I pray that you find your peace someday, Iracebeth... Maybe in another lifetime..."

Alice shakes her head before she turns away and walks back to her cave. She picks up the monocle and puts it into one of her pockets before sheathing her sword and holding onto Absolem's wings. As she walks outside, she ponders on what she should do with them. "How in the world can I...?"

Suddenly she hears a loud sound over the distance. She pauses before rushing towards the cliff and squinting to look at the ocean. Her eyes widen when she notices that the Dream was just yards away from the shoreline and couldn't believe her luck. She couldn't call out to the sailors since they wouldn't hear her anyway. Then she glances at the wings in her hands. She stares at them for a long time before she sighs. "Absolem, I hope you're right about this..."

She inhales deeply before she breaks out into a full sprint towards the cliff. Her heart beats frantically in her chest as she spreads her arms and holds the wings high. She felt foolish for doing this, but she had a suspicion that Absolem knew what he was doing when he gave her the wings.

She jumps off the cliff and could feel her heart stop as she expects to plummet into the massive waves. However, she was absolutely surprised to see the wings flapping on their own accord and attaching themselves firmly to her arms as they guide her through the air. The experience of flying by herself was... Exhilarating, to put it bluntly. Frightening, but exhilarating... Absolem's spirit must be guiding the wings to lead Alice to safety. That was probably why the butterfly was so intent on her taking them.

"Curiouser and curiouser..." Alice murmurs as she watches the wings do their work. She rashly makes the choice to look down. Seeing her height, she decided that it was better to look ahead as the wings lead her straight towards the ship as it made its way to the shore.

:)(:

"Hightopp, what are you doing?" Stayne yells as he struggles to get out of the milliner's grasp. Huffing, Tarrant does not loosen his arm around the Knave as he begins to swim back to the ship. "What does it look like?"

"You're saving me?" He spat incredulously. "Why in the world would you do that? I thought you hated me! You're mad!"

"Ye and I both already know that," Tarrant mutters as he crudely made his way to the ship with his free arm. He splutters when the waves pull them down but they managed to resurface for air. "Now shut yer trap and start swimming. Do ye want to live or not?"

Stayne says nothing and stares at the milliner before he sighs and complies. They hold onto each other tightly as they use their free arms to swim for the safety of the ship. Once they reach to the wall, Tarrant allowed Stayne to climb up the rope first before he shortly follows after. Stayne had a bit of difficulty reaching the deck and hesitates when he sees the suspicious glares that the sailors and captain throw at him. He looks down to see Tarrant nearly reaching to the top when his eyes fall onto the dagger still implanted onto the ship. His eyes darken before he smiles crookedly and holds his and out to the milliner. Somewhat surprised, Tarrant takes the offer but frowns when Stayne doesn't pull him inside. "What're ye doing?" He demands.

Without warning, Stayne hastily snatches the dagger off the deck and holds it up high. Alarmed, the sailors move forward while Tarrant stares with frightened eyes.

But before the Knave could strike, a small form tackles against him and makes him drop the dagger and milliner. Tarrant manages to cling onto the rail for support and hoists himself up. He sighs in relief as he looks up at the form crouching over the Knave. "Thanks so much, Absolem. Would have been quite a mass had ye-" He pauses when he notices that the person was certainly not the aforementioned butterfly. "Alice?" He blinks while he removes the rope on his waist.

The blonde groans as she sits up and rubs her head from the impact. She opens her eyes and is surprised to see that she landed on the slightly dazed Knave. "Stayne?" She mutters.

Stayne abruptly pushes the blonde off and picks up his dagger. However, three sailors hold him back and push him down roughly with his hands behind him. They force the dagger off his grip and struggle to keep him down while the captain puts iron cuffs onto his wrists. The officer glares coldly at the man. "Never have I seen a man with more cowardice and disgrace than what you have just displayed. Especially after Mr. Hightopp just saved your life..."

"Alice!" Tarrant completely ignores the men as he scoops the blonde into his arms. He holds her tightly to him and kisses her forehead softly. His eyes flash in worry when he notices the cuts on her face and the massive bruise on her waist. He frowns when he notices the wings firmly held under one of Alice's arms. "What happened? Where's Absolem?"

Alice's face falls and she lowers her head. "Absolem... Has fallen behind."

Tarrant has fallen silent as he stares at the woman and glances at her wings. He fingers them gently before he sighs quietly.

"He gave you his wings... To get us back, didn't he?"

Alice couldn't help but feel as if she should have known this. She meekly nods.

Tarrant frowns again as he looks around the sky warily. "But where's Iracebeth?"

"She's... Also fallen behind."

Tarrant paused and the silence that lingered was thick. Stayne stopped his struggling to stare at Alice in disbelief while the captain and sailors gape at her. Tarrant's eyes were wide. "You... Are you sure?"

"It is done." Alice didn't want to hear him continue the question nor did she want to talk about it anymore. She stops as she looks around before her eyes flash in worry. "But where's Stefan? And the White Queen's crown?"

"They're in the office, lass..." The captain says calmly after he snaps out of his shock. "The child would have grown sick if he lingered out here any longer..."

"Let me see him." Alice orders. Without an argument, the captain led the Champion and milliner to his quarters. During the walk, one of the sailors gives the milliner back all of his outer garments. He happily puts his hat back on with pride before he catches up with his beloved. The sailors roughly hold Stayne close as they follow after the trio. When they walk inside the warm room, Alice's eyes scan around the office. Sailors were attempting to fix up the room while one sailor was doing his best in keeping the baby calm while sitting on a chair. He looks up and smiles a bit at the woman before standing up.

"He's all right, ma'am..." The sailor kindly says as he hands the basket to the blonde. Alice's eyes glow in relief when she sees Stefan looking perfectly unharmed. A bit pale, but safe nonetheless. The infant had been whining from seeing so many strangers until his eyes fall on Tarrant and Alice. At once, the infant stops crying and smiles widely at them. Despite the various cuts and bruises on their faces, Stefan could recognize their loving eyes and instantly felt safe.

Alice cradles the basket in her arms and noted that the crown was a bit stained from ashes. However, it was something that could easily be polished off. Otherwise there wasn't a scratch on the accessory. Alice turns smiles brightly at Tarrant almost knowingly. Tarrant returns the smile.

"Our work is done..." Alice breathes as she glances around. She stares at the captain thoughtfully and sighs. "Captain, about earlier..."

"Think nothing of it, lass..." The captain shakes his head and smiles a bit sadly yet firmly. "I was foolish to think that Iracebeth was a kind woman that would keep her word. And as for Stayne..." He turns to the struggling man with a glare.

"We'll take him back with us." Tarrant says coolly. "He was born in Wonderland so his punishment will be determined by our High Council."

"That sounds fair enough," The captain nods in agreement before he mutters something to one of his sailors. After the man nods, he takes some sailors out to the deck before they come back with chains and wrap them around the protesting Knave. They cover his shouts with a cloth so he wouldn't create a disturbance. "I hope that man will never see the light of day again, especially after what he's done to you..." He gives the milliner a somewhat understanding look. Tarrant nods. "I couldn't agree more with you..."

"But will you be all right after we leave?" Alice's eyes flash in worry. "Your ship has quite a significant damage..."

"It'll be fine lass..." The captain places a hand on her shoulder and smiles reassuringly. "We're close to land and can take shelter until the storm lets up. We'll be fine..."

"... If you say so," Alice sighs before she nods. Then she glances at the mirror thoughtfully before turning to the captain. "Would you do a favor for me?"

"Anything." The captain smiles and nods.

"... After Tarrant, Stayne, and I jump back into the Looking Glass to return home, destroy the mirror immediately."

Everyone blinks in surprise at her request. "What?"

"I promised my queen that when the task of finishing Iracebeth was done, then I would destroy the Looking Glass. It is the second doorway that leads to Wonderland, but also the only way out of it. We agreed that the risk of our worlds colliding again would be too risky; the threat of Iracebeth was only the first. We believe that it is best that we destroy all the doors that link the two worlds."

"She is right," Tarrant nods in agreement. "We all have our own worlds to live in; some things are better off unseen between others. To keep peace between us all, we must not disrupt the balance between our worlds."

The captain is silent as he contemplates on their points. He gives Alice a sad look. "But... If you go through that portal and if I destroy the mirror... Then you would be stuck in Wonderland forever. No one would ever see you again..."

Alice smiles sadly. "I know, and I'm perfectly fine with that." She hesitates before she uses her free arm to hug the captain. "But I know I'll miss you... Take care, Captain Daniels. And good luck with your future..."

"... And to you, Miss Kingsleigh," The captain tips his hat before saluting the woman. On cue, the other sailors salute the woman as well. Alice nods before turning away to face the mirror with the basket and wings in her arms. The captain gives Tarrant a look of mutual understanding before he gives the milliner a chain connected to Stayne. The milliner understands the hint and wraps the chain around his waist so that the men would stay connected during the transwarp. He pulls the resisting Knave towards the mirror before Alice hands the basket to him. She gives him a small smile and nods one last time to the captain before she holds up her wings. Alice jumps into the portal and disappears through the flashing colors with the Mad Hatter clutching her foot with one hand and holding the basket in his other arm and the chain on his waist dragging the infuriated Knave behind them.

The mirror flashes different colors before the portal fades and the mirror shines once again. There is silence in the room before one sailor breaks it. "That Alice is never going have a normal life, will she?"

The captain surprisingly chuckles before he unsheathes his sword and stands before the mirror. "We may never know... Perhaps Wonderland is the world she belongs in..." He sighs deeply and closes his eyes. "Fairfarren, Alice Kingsleigh... And good luck."

With that said, he raises his sword high and strikes at the fragile mirror. The glass shatters into thousands of tiny pieces and spreads around the floor. The captain strikes at it again and again to ensure that there was no way to fix the door that leads to Wonderland... Ever.

However, he was very unaware that before he struck the mirror, a small substance of dark matter fades into the portal just before he struck it.

:)(:

Tarrant shouts merrily as he observes the flashing colors around them. Stefan coos and looks around in wonder while Alice focuses on keeping a steady pace towards their final destination. The wings glow in reaction to the colors and continue to glide on their accord. Stayne struggles against his binds and tightly closes his eyes to avoid being blinded by the bright colors.

Alice couldn't help but smile in pride as she envisions the reactions of her friends back at home. Soon she sees a bright light ahead and speeds up to get back home quicker. Her lover's happy laughter and cheers brighten her mood just as they jump out of the portal and land gracefully on the ground. Alice feels the wings fade once their purpose has been fulfilled and stumbles a bit on her feet. She looks around and is surprised by the new scenario. The mirror was now placed into the courtyard of Marmoreal.

A loud uproar of applause startled her and Tarrant. They turn from the mirror to stare at a large crowd of people and animals alike wildly cheering up at them from below a flight of stairs. Red and white knights merrily hold their weapons high while creatures of all sorts bellow and jump around in joy.

A roar silences everyone and the duo look up to see the Bandersnatch storming through the crowd and promptly jumps onto the lovers before giving them endless licks on their faces. Tarrant and Alice both laugh and grimace from the display of affection before the milliner finally manages to convince the beast to get off them. The beast unabashedly moves off while Tarrant helps Alice onto her feet. The blonde checks the basket and is relieved to see that neither her nephew nor the crown were squashed.

"ALICE! HATTER!" A small voice shouts. They turn to face the castle and their eyes brighten when they see Mallymkun, Bayard, his family, Thackery, McTwisp, and the Tweedles rush forward to envelop the duo in a group hug. The milliner happily reconciles with his best friends while Alice fondly pets Bayard and receives a handshake from McTwisp as congratulations. The twins took the time to mock the tied-up Stayne by kicking his legs and punching his arms.

Alice hears footsteps and looks up to see Mirana gracefully walking towards her with a huge smile on her face. Beside her are Chessur and the commanding officer.

While the commanding officer offers to take care of the Vopal Sword and orders several guards to take Stayne, Tarrant and Alice bow low to the White Queen. Alice meekly presents her the crown with her head low. "Your Majesty, the task is complete."

Chessur takes the crown and places it back onto Mirana's head. The White Queen inhales deeply and sighs in relief before she beckons both heroes up. Tarrant took the time to remove the chain around his waist before the White Queen places her hands on their shoulders. "Well done..." She pauses and looks around in confusion. Her smile fades a bit. "I see that Absolem has fulfilled his duty to the end..."

The duo say nothing before Alice's eyes catch a certain group walking out of the castle when they heard a commotion. Her eyes brighten in joy when she sees two specific women running towards her with tearful smiles.

"Mother! Margaret!" Alice steps forward before she was enveloped in the arms of her family. Helen hugs her tightly and Alice melts into the motherly embrace that she has always felt safe in. Margaret wraps her arms around both Helen and Alice. After a few moments of hugging, they pull away and Margaret's eyes glow when she sees Stefan in her sister's arms. She gingerly pulls him out of the basket and nuzzles her face against his own. Stefan coos happily upon seeing his mother once again.

Alice smiles as she places the basket down before she looks at her mother. Helen's eyes glow brightly as she looks at her daughter over. Her face falls a bit when she sees the wet clothes and wounds inflicted on her youngest child, particularly the nasty swelling just above her hip. "Are you all right, dear?" She asks worriedly.

Alice smiles as she pat her mother's hand. "I'm fine now. Everything is as it should be."

Alice feels a hand on her shoulder and turns to be scooped into the arms of Lady Ascot. Somewhat startled by the hug, Alice barely had the time to return it before the woman pulls away and looks her over. "Thank God that you're safe." She says happily when her husband and son join her and hug Alice as well. Lowell moves around to hold his son and smiles in relief. Lady Ascot turns to Tarrant and gives him a silent thank you through her eyes. He just smiles.

"Unhand me at once!" Stayne shouts. Everyone turns to see that the commanding officer has removed the cloth from his mouth and that the two knights are undoing the chains around him. Stayne put up a struggle when his two arms were free but the knights start to pull him away towards the dungeons.

"The High Council and I will announce his sentence later," Mirana says calmly. She smiles a bit as Tarrant wraps an arm around Alice and holds her close. She turns to face the massive group of citizens. "Good people of Wonderland, I am proud to announce that our Champion has fulfilled her task. Iracebeth is no longer a threat to our home; we can finally live our lives in peace!"

There was a huge cheer as everyone began chanting the blushing blonde's name or talk amongst each other. Mirana smiles again at Alice before her eyes fall onto Tarrant. He was staring intently at the blonde with such adoration in his eyes that made her smile wider. She backs away to give the duo some space and turns to talk with the Kingsleigh and Ascot about something.

Alice and Tarrant are silent as they watch everyone cheer and celebrate their new freedom. The blonde smiles slightly and notices that the sky has brightened slightly during the announcement. The moon was full and the evening was peaceful. There was no sign that there had ever been a storm.

Tarrant holds Alice close to him and leans over her ear. "Is this what you wanted?" he whispers.

Alice's eyes shine in happiness. "Yes, this is perfect. Everything is perfect, especially now that the prophecy is fulfilled..."

Tarrant was vaguely aware of what she was saying and his eyes glow from happiness and relief. "I couldn't agree more. Everyone is safe. Even you, my dear..." He turns her around to face him. He leans his forehead against hers as he wraps his arms around her waist. "I wish I could say how happy I am. I mean, of course I just said how happy I am but what I really mean is that if something happened to you then I wouldn't really be happy and then I would wonder what could happen that-"

"Hatter!" Alice interrupts him softly. The milliner blinks. "Would... Happy..." He shakes his head. "I'm fine."

Alice sighs contently as she rests her head against his chest. Tarrant rests his head on top of hers. They are quiet for a moment before Tarrant says, "So will your family be all right with staying here?"

Alice pauses. She hadn't thought about that. Then she shrugs. "It'll be a big change for them, no doubt, but I don't see why they wouldn't. Though they won't be happy when I tell them that the mirror is useless now..."

"I have a feeling that as long as you're here with them, then they'll be fine with anything." Tarrant smiles. "They're your family, as much as we all are... This is your home now, love. And I'm so glad that you'll be here with me for all eternity. I'm so glad that nothing catastrophic has happened during your fight with Iracebeth, save for Absolem's death..." The milliner's eyes pale a bit before he holds Alice tightly against him again.

Alice hesitates and debates on if she should tell him about her first use of black magic. Absolem's appalled reaction was bad enough; what would happen if she told the Mad Hatter?

... She decided that right now was not the time to worry about it. For now, she contented herself with just being in her milliner's arms.

"Let go of me, damn you!" Stayne continues to shout as he struggles against his captors. He refuses to be put down by beings lower than himself and proved to be quite a nuisance. "Filthy peasants! Release me this instant!"

No one was aware of a black aura slowly moving out of the mirror. The atmosphere darkens somehow and only Mirana took notice of this. She looks around with suspicion before she notices the black aura slowly heading towards Stayne before it fades close to his chest. Stayne grew still for a moment before he let out a demonic screech and effortlessly threw the knights off him with inhuman strength. The White Queen's eyes widen in fright and horror.

Suddenly Stayne reaches down to his boot to unsheathe a hidden weapon that the queen had never seen before. It was made of a strange metallic design that had a small barrel pointed directly at Alice and Tarrant. The weapon clicks before Stayne pulls back a small lever with his index finger...

Alice was facing the man during her hug with Tarrant and her eyes widen in frozen horror and fright when she sees the weapon. With his back to the Knave, Tarrant didn't know what was happening until the last minute when Alice hastily turns him around and pushes him roughly to the ground. At that precise moment, three loud booms explode in the once cheerful atmosphere...

The citizens scream as they run to random directions in a panic. The knights attempt to surround Stayne but he uses his weapon to shoot down each that dared to approach him. His eye was strangely glowing gold and he was breathing raggedly as he glares specifically at Alice.

"ALICE!" Helen screams as she witnesses her daughter stumble down from the shot wounds inflicted on her. Tarrant manages to catch her and kneels down as he cradles her in his arms. The Kingsleighs and Mirana quickly move closer to see Alice staring blankly up at them while she suffered from blood trauma. They see two gunshot wounds on her stomach and blood streaming down her already fragile waist.

"Alice?" Tarrant's voice was hoarse from panic, fear, confusion, and sheer horror. He was trembling as he holds Alice's jaw and forces her to look up at him. "Alice, love, please say something!"

"Consider this payback," A dark voice growls. Everyone looks up to see Stayne storming over to the huddled group with a sneer on his face. If anyone could hear close enough, they would notice that Stayne's voice was in sync with another more feminine voice. It sounded like a variety of voices was speaking at the same time when he moves his lips. "I used the last bit of my magic to keep a part of myself alive long enough to finish you off."

"Why have Stayne do it when you could have done it yourself?" Mallymkun challenges angrily.

"Fools, do you truly believe that I have really joined forces with Stayne?" She sneers. "Ever since he raised that dagger to me during our first few moments of exile, I knew that I could never trust him to never again turn his back against me. I have conjured up a spell that I knew would come handy should it ever be necessary. If my true form ever was destroyed, then I could use the last bit of my magic to spiritually possess someone to do my bidding. Stayne was the perfect tool since he had a decent knowledge of how the military works on Earth. He even had kept the pistol that one of the merchants had so generously given us."

"You... You..." Helen couldn't find the words to speak. Traumatized by the helpless form of her daughter, she could only glare angrily at the possessed man as he began to laugh maniacally.

"But now my task is finished. Alice is no more..." Stayne then laughs so hard that he walks back towards the mirror and was unaware that he was standing on the chains that once bonded him. Chessur notices this and points it to Lowell and Hamish. They blink in thought as they stare at the laughing man before grabbing the chain and pulling at it abruptly to trip the man.

Stayne stops laughing and stumbles back from the force. His eye widens when he sees the mirror and he tries to avoid stumbling into the portal but was unsuccessful. His and Iracebeth's screams echo as they plummet into the endless portal. The force of the stumble makes the mirror lean back before it falls. The fragile glass shatters into hundreds of pieces upon contact with the hard cement. Some black smoke emerges from the cracked pieces before they fade into nothing.

Several people stare incredulously at the mirror. The knights carefully inspect it while everyone else turn to look at Alice. Tarrant shakes his lover again urgently. "Alice, please look at me. " His eyes change into a mixture of blue and grey as tears threaten to fall from his eyes. Mirana did everything in her power to determine the extremity of her wounds.

Alice slowly blinks before gazing up at her family, Mirana, and Tarrant. Her eyes fall onto her lover and she squeezes a tear. Tarrant quickly wipes it away and he kisses her fingers after they caress his cheek. She opens her mouth to say something but her lips close when she snuggles closer to her milliner. The lull of his heartbeat made her feel at peace knowing that all of her loved ones would be safe. So this was the untimely fate that the Oraculum predicted... This was her destiny after all...

... And she doesn't regret a single thing. The lives of those dearest to her were more important than anything else... She wouldn't have it any other way...

She smiles softly as she exhales softly and relaxes in the milliner's arms. Feeling her go limp, Tarrant shakes her again. "Alice? Alice, please, open your eyes! Don't leave me!" His voice grows course when he realizes that the life was already fading from her. A tear slides down his cheek as he places a kiss on her forehead and rocks her slowly. He stops rocking when he notices something was missing. His eyes widen in horror when he saw that her necklace was gone. "The Flower of Elixir! It's gone!"

"Tarrant..." Mirana's voice was very quiet as she places a hand on his shoulder. She hesitates when she sees the slight hysteria in his eyes when he turns to look at Mallymkun. "Mally, didn't you say that there was a way to save her? Tell me what I need to do!"

Mallymkun had been sadly watching Alice this whole time until the milliner says her name. She blinks in surprise before she begins to stutter. She twiddles with her fingers nervously, unsure of how she should say it. "Um,,, Hatter... You see... It's not as easy as it sounds-"

"I don't bloody care!" The man shouts. The ferocity and desperation behind his roguish tone startled everyone. "If it means that I have to exchange my life for hers, then so be it! I promised that no matter what the cost is, Alice would survive the outcome!"

"... Do you really mean that, Tarrant?" Mirana speaks quietly, looking at him with an uncertainty in her eyes. "Are you sure that you're willing to take the alternative choice?"

"Just tell me what it is!" Tarrant growls at her, his eyes glowing red from rage and anguish. "What did Absolem tell you?"

Mirana hesitates before she clears her throat. "Well, someone with the highest rank has to call out to our Ancestors to exchange a bargain for her life, but it has a certain extent. That means that I would have to call to all our past kings, queens, and others who have bravely fought for the safety of our worlds. That would mean that I would also call out to your clan."

"... And?" Tarrant raises a brow. He didn't understand what the problem was. Granted, talking to the spirits of their ancestors sounded a bit too extreme, but he didn't see what could be so bad about it.

"And the issue is that the bargain for her life is permanent. She would have to-"

"... What? What would she have to do?" He demands, wanting knowing the answer.

"... She would have to leave Wonderland and cut all ties with the people in it..."

There was absolute silence as everyone stares at Mirana. Tarrant stared at her for the longest time, not quite believing what he was hearing. "... What?"

"Absolem said that just contacting with our ancestors was forbidden enough unless the situation calls for it..." McTwisp says meekly. "He said that it was a taboo to interrupt their resting in peace and an even greater taboo to bargain with them to cheat on death... And the punishment for breaking one taboo would result the revived person going into exile from Wonderland permanently..."

Tarrant could feel his eyes tearing up as he realizes what this means. Alice would never be allowed to step foot into Wonderland again. And that would mean... That he would never see her again. "But that-" He chokes on his tongue. "That is NOT fair! She is the Champion! She saved both Wonderland and Earth from Iracebeth's evil clutches! Surely she can be pardoned from such a fate! Why should she take the punishment?"

"That's just what Absolem has told us, Tarrant..." Mirana sighs quietly. She gazes at the weeping forms of Helen and Margaret as they stare intently at the duo. They looked like they were debating on if either death or exile was the better option but remain quiet as they wait for a solution. "I do not know how it works, but maybe we can bargain to a certain extent. But is this what you really want? Choose carefully."

Tarrant is silent as he contemplates on his choices. Let Alice's spirit pass on to the Otherland and watch over everyone or bring her back to continue living the rest of her life as an exile? Tarrant could feel his heart breaking at the thought of never seeing his love again, but he knew that Alice still had so much to live for. It was selfish of him to let this opportunity pass by when he could possibly give Alice back the life that she deserves.

But when Mirana mentioned about making a bargain with their ancestors, how far would they be willing to extent?

He glances down at the lifeless form of his beloved before he glances at the stricken forms of Helen and Margaret. The mother's eyes were dull and weak from grief while Margaret holds tightly onto Lowell for support while he tries to keep Stefan calm. Just seeing the family broken down wasn't right.

Tarrant looks back at Alice again before he leans down to kiss her softly on the lips. When he pulls away, he sighs before he faces Mirana. "I'll do it. However, I have my own terms that I'd like to say to our Ancestors..."

Mirana blinks, somewhat startled by the sheer boldness and confidence in his eyes as he stands up with the blonde in his arms. Mirana quickly stands up before she wordlessly nods and leads him inside the castle. Margaret and Helen also stand up and glance at each other with slight hope before they rush after the duo. Everyone else stays behind, deciding that the next course of action would require the family and queen to be alone so they can proceed with the negotiation.

:)(:

Alice slowly opens her eyes and was blinded by an area completely colored in white. She squints a bit before her eyes adjust to the color and she sits up to look around. She frowns a bit as she stands up and tries to figure out where exactly she was.

It looked almost like the garden from the Crystal Castle, but the main difference was that everything was white and lifeless. She could hear only her footsteps as she cautiously moves around the bushes and tries to look for some source of life. She stops when she notices that someone was standing at the top flight of the stairs in a white suit. His back was turned to her. She frowns as she cautiously steps up towards him. "Hello?"

The man doesn't acknowledge her at first. But when he finally turns to face her, Alice abruptly froze as she recognizes the face that she hasn't seen in over ten years. "Father?"

The kind blue eyes of Charles Kingsleigh twinkle as he opens his arms out for her. Alice's eyes brighten in joy before she pushes aside all propriety and runs straight into the man's embrace. She could feel tears threatening to pour out as the man gently sways her around. He brushes his fingers through her hair soothingly. "My dear Alice... It's been so long since I've seen you..."

He pulls away to hold her by the shoulders and looks her over. "You've grown up so much... And I am so proud of you..." He smiles widely at her.

"But... How are you here...?" Alice hesitates before reality suddenly hit her. She looks at her hands in confusion. "Am I dead too...?"

"Not exactly..." Another voice says calmly. Alice turns and is astonished to see Absolem sitting against a rail as he smokes through a hookah. Before she could ask, he adds, "This is more like the place all spirits go to when they either just perished or have unfinished business. It's somewhat of a... Doorway between life and the next doorway leading to the Otherland..."

Alice had no idea how that made any sense, but she only nods before she turns to her father. "Does this mean that... My time is done? That I'll be by your side now?"

Charles' face suddenly turns grim. "Alice, before we get into that, I must tell you something that I don't think you'll be happy to hear..."

Alice noted the firm tone in her father's voice. It was a tone that suggested that she was in trouble for doing something wrong. She swallows before nodding and urges him to continue.

"The Ancestors... Are fully aware that you have used black magic-"

Her eyes widen and she looks at Absolem accusingly. The butterfly snorts and shakes his head. "Stupid girl, don't you know that all of our ancestors see it all and know it all?"

"My child, you do understand that the use of black magic is forbidden for a reason?" Charles says firmly. "The darkness that comes from using the evil magic taints your soul and causes little bits of evil to grow inside you as the time flies by. Using the magic so much would have made you go criminally insane into killing for no particular reason." Alice's eyes flash in horror and fright while Charles gives her a sad look. "Now do you understand why your friend was so persistent that you never tried it again?"

Alice swallows again as she slowly nods. The black magic had taken away a huge portion of her innocence. Her soul was tainted.

"The Ancestors forbid anyone tainted by darkness to enter the Otherworld; the punishment is never finding peace within yourself. You would forever remain a lingering spirit."

Alice could feel herself trembling. "I... Understand, Father..." She lowers her head shamefully. "I have brought shame to you... I'm so sorry..."

"My dear, I do have a bit of good news," Charles tilts Alice's chin to make her look up at him. "I managed to convince the Ancient Ancestors to use an alternative method in redeeming yourself."

Hope flashes into Alice's eyes. "Really? What do I need to do?"

Charles' eyes suddenly fade and he looks a bit uncomfortable as he glances at Absolem for help. The butterfly snorts and gestures him to continue. "Well..." He looks around before he sighs. "... At the negotiation, a friend of yours has made another arrangement to bring you back to Earth in a stable condition..." His eyes flash somewhat in amusement. "I have never seen a man so devoted to you as I am."

Alice blushes a bit before her eyes soften. "Tarrant?" She pauses. "He's negotiated a way to save me? How?"

Charles hesitates again.

"Father?" Alice suddenly feels uneasy. "Please tell me what you and he negotiated with to the Ancient... Surely it isn't that bad..."

Charles clears his throat. "W-Well... I am not sure if anyone has told you about the choice alternate from what the Oraculum stated..." When Alice slowly shakes her head, he continues. "Well, the procedure is that the living and the spirits of the Ancient Ones have to make a bargain to an extent to bring back a specific person. However, there is a huge cost..."

"... Which is...?" Alice almost knew that she wasn't going to like the response she was going to hear.

"The deal is that if the victim comes back to life..." Charles hesitates again. "Then they and their families would be permanently banished from Wonderland and everything linked to it..."

Alice falls silent as she stares at her father. Her eyes furrow in confusion before she looks at Absolem. When he says nothing, she slowly looks at her father in disbelief. "Banished?" She mouths.

"The idea of bringing someone back to life is not a very light matter," Charles carefully considered his words before he continues. "As it strains the spirits' essences and goes against their ways of balancing life. The very idea was forbidden so they agreed that it was only fair that the revived person would live in the alternate world where they would never have to be seen again."

Alice is silent as she stares at her feet.

"... However, the discovery of you using black magic made things even more complicated." Charles continues slowly. "Your friend was quite insistent that you using the magic to save many lives should not be used against you, but the darkness that shrouded inside you still lingered. It would take years for it to fade as long as you never use black magic again. So I made another bargain with the Ancient Ancestors; I told them that if they were willing to help extinguish the darkness over the years, then your memories of Wonderland would fade in time."

"What?!" Alice cries out and gapes at her father incredulously. Had she heard right? Suddenly grief and anger overwhelmed her and she couldn't help but raise her voice at her father. "Why would you let them do that? Wonderland existed because of me; if I forget everything that happened, then it would disappear forever! Even all the people inside it!" She felt her tears leaking as her heart broke at the thought of all her friends disappearing from existence, especially Tarrant and Mirana.

Charles holds his hand up defensively. He was expecting that reaction out of her. "Alice, I managed to convince them to at least let you return to Wonderland on the year you die from natural causes. They agreed to the tradition of burying all of their Champions in a special spot overlooking Wonderland. Wonderland would never fade from existence; your mother and sister would be able to share stories about it to keep its existence alive. As long as someone believes in Wonderland, it will always live on."

"That doesn't make it better!" Alice angrily snaps. She falls to her knees and sobs. "I'll never be able to see the others again! I won't even remember Wonderland by the time I turn sixty! Father, how could you? Wonderland meant everything to me!"

When Charles says nothing, Alice looks up to see him and Absolem walking away. She wipes her eyes and stands up to catch up to them. "Wait, come back! I don't want this fate!"

Her father opens the castle's door that leads to a bright light. He turns his head to give his daughter a sad but firm stare. "I'm sorry, my child... But it is done..." He walks back to give her a gentle hug and a soft kiss on her forehead. "Just trust me; I promise that you won't be disappointed... Remember that I will always watch over you, Alice."

Alice says nothing as she watches her father and Absolem slowly walk into the bright light. There was a huge flash and Alice shields her eyes before she fell unconscious once more.

Goddamn, this has to be the second longest chapter I've ever made. Hell, the battle itself was outrageously long; I did NOT intend for it to get this long. Ah, well... At least it kept you all busy.

So what do you think? Leave comments. Oh, and the translation for the spell Alice performed is below.

Ancient Ones,

Hear my call,

Belay my last,

Use my essence,

To reverse this curse

That was so recklessly cast!

Two more chapters! I know that it seems sad now, but I promise that there is a happy ending. And no, it will not make a sequel. Don't think this story needs one. Just trust me on that. Until the next chapter, toodles!