Chapter 15
After the meeting, Ombric led Jack, Alice, and Nightlight up to the tower in the center of the village.
"This tower," Ombric explained to the two spirits, and Nightlight, "-was built to be a beacon of hope for the world. It can send out multicolored lights to end messages across the globe, and it's position here on the top of the world allows the tower to see anywhere on Earth. It is our best chance at finding the Dollmaker."
"I did not see this when I visited for the summer party," said Alice to Jack as they climbed the stairs. She was still shivering, but she hid it well.
Jack nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure something happened to it at some point, and North switched to using the Globe instead to keep track of the children of the world. Still, at least now we know where this place got the name the North Pole."
Nightlight who had been listening with interest, and chuckled in amusement when he heard the future name for the village.
When they reached the top of the tower, Ombric led them to a telescope and gestured for them to look through it.
Alice stepped up and peered though the scope, and began turning the telescope to search for the Dollmaker. She already had a good idea where to look.
She swung the telescope towards Europe and focused it on England. She soon found her evidence of the Dollmaker right where she thought he would be.
"Look," she said, stepping away so that Jack could peer through.
He looked through the scope and saw a vaguely familiar city. "London?" he asked looking up from the telescope. He could recognize it from the way it was during his early days as a spirit. But this time the city had one thing he never saw while flying over it to bring snow. Unseen by several of the city dwellers was puddles of Ruin ooze splattered around various parts of the city. What was most concerning was the fact that the splatters appeared to be deliberate.
Alice nodded. "The Dollmaker is most likely trying to lure me out. So he went to my old home and made it obvious he was there."
Nightlight and Ombric had both peered though the telescope while Alice and Jack talked, and saw the ooze as well.
"Oh dear," said Ombric when he saw the Ruin. While the citizens of London were unaware of the ooze and did not seem outwardly harmed by it, it was clearly malevolent. Wherever the Ruin lay the animals kept their distance, people's moods turned sour, and the surrounding plants withered and died.
Ombric straitened up and began to rush back down the stairs. "I will inform the others of your destination!" he called as he went. "Meet with them in the stables when you are ready to leave."
The three immortal youths shared a glance, and Alice looked though the telescope one last time to see if she could spot her enemy.
Finding nothing they headed back down the stairs. As they went Alice began fingering the handle of her Vorpal Blade in anticipation. The Dollmaker would not escape from her again.
*A*A*A*
When they reached the stables they saw Yetis, elves, and children bustling around to prepare supplies for the journey ahead.
St. North hadn't been happy about the Guardians splitting up, especially since they had just gotten Katherine back from being kidnapped by Pitch. But once it was explained to him he relented, understanding both the villages needed protection, and it would likely be better to keep Katherine away from this new monster.
As the Guardians explained this to him, Alice and Jack were more intrested in the machine standing next to St. North. It was a tall robotic man made of clockwork parts. It stood stiff, and emotionless as everyone bustled around the stable, readying St. North's reindeer, and gathering supplies.
Once the reindeer were strapped in their harnesses and the supplies were gathered, St. North turned to the mechanical man and said, "Djinni, turn into a sleigh."
"As you command," The robot intoned. Its body then shifted and changed until it turned into a sleigh not unlike the one North used in the future. St. North wasted no time hooking the reindeer to the sleigh, and tossing their supplies in the back.
"Wow," said Jack appreciatively.
"He could have said please," said Alice disapprovingly. She felt wary, as the djinni reminded her of some of the Hatter's monstrosities.
Bunnymund was also disapproving of their mode of transportation. "There is no need to take that mechanical toy," he said in the same serious tone he had been using the entire time. "It would be much simpler to use my eggomotive for transportation."
"Da," said St. Norh with a teasing gleam in his eye, "but the eggomotive cannot fly, and as ve are not knowing vhere this Dollmaker is, it vould be better to have transport vere ve can look for it. You are not afraid of flying, are you, rabbit man?"
Bunnymund's ear twitched in annoyance, but said nothing further. He then climbed into the sleigh and made sure to sit in the center where he would be least likely to fall out, and would not see much of the ground below as they flew. Jack was starting to find it hilarious just how serious the Pooka was taking everything. He could see why North had said that the Bunny he knew was more laidback than his earlier counterpart. He could also see that, even now, Bunnymund still had his fear of heights and St. North's flying.
As the Guardians and Alice began climbing onto the sleigh a voice called out, "Wait!"
They turned to see Katherine running towards them carrying a large handheld mirror. She held it out to Sanderson when she reached them. "Here, take this so the spirits can talk without going through Sanderson."
Sanderson smiled and accepted the mirror. When he did, Jack frosted it and wrote 'Thank you, and good luck.'
Katherine nodded once she read it. "The same to you." She then turned to the rest of the Guardians and held up her book, which had an insect's face along the spine. "I expect to hear the whole story once you return."
St. North laughed. "Of course, of course. You vill have new story to write into Mr. Qwerty when we get back," he proclaimed. He then cracked his reigns and cried, "Yah!"
The reindeer took off at a trot and soon were rising into the air taking the sleigh along with them.
They began flying towards London at great speed, but Jack had to wonder why they weren't using a snow globe to get there instantly.
When he wrote his question on the mirror, North looked puzzled. "Snow globe that goes places instantly? I have nothing like that." He then looked contemplative. "But is good idea. I vill start vork on making them vhen ve return."
Bunnymund shot a stern glare at where he believed Jack was sitting, but all he was really looking at was an empty spot on the sleigh. "Stop that this instant," he demanded, prodding the area with his egg staff. "You are meddling with the course of history, and it is imperative that you stop this revealing of future events."
Jack was actually sitting on the edge of the sleigh behind Bunnymund, and watching him in amusement. When the Pooka had begun his lecture, he had straitened up, and began mimicking his movements comically behind Bunnymund's back, much to the amusement of Sanderson, and to a lesser extent, Alice. Alice rolled her eyes at his actions, but couldn't help the twitch of her lip. She knew him well enough to know that even when about to confront a monster, Jack would still try to bring fun and smiles as best he could.
Bunnymund saw the amusement on Sanderson's face and he cocked his head in confusion. "What is it you find to amusing?" he asked.
Sanderson just shook his head, and said nothing.
*A*A*A*
They made good time getting to London, and were soon flying over the area of the city were the most Ruin was spread around. It seemed likely that were there was more Ruin the Dollmaker had to be nearby. There was just one problem.
'You know this is probably a trap, right?' Jack wrote on the mirror as they disembarked the sleigh.
Toothiana nodded in agreement once she'd read the message aloud. "He's right. My human side is telling me to beware. My other side is saying the same, but louder," she said, and readied her swords.
'Even if this is a trap,' wrote Alice with seriousness. 'I still have to confront him. This monster must be stopped at all costs.'
Jack placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "And we're here to help. You're not alone Alice."
Alice refused to look at him, and his heart sank. He wanted to help her, but he didn't know how.
He then noticed that Alice was shivering under her pea coat. He quickly pulled his hand away guiltily. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you cold," he said.
Alice shook her head. "It's not you. I've had a persistent chill since the North Pole."
"Are you alright?" Jack asked as he looked at her more closely, checking for any sign of illness.
Alice pushed him away, and stalked towards where the splatters were leading them. "I'll be fine. We have to focus on stopping the Dollmaker. It is just a chill."
Jack followed after her, his concern still adamant. He knew the quality the yetis put into their work. If Alice as still cold despite wearing a yeti made coat, then something was wrong, and the coat wasn't to blame.
Sanderson noticed them going ahead, and he waved at the other Guardians to follow him as he lead the way.
The splatters led them into Hyde Park. It was night in London and the lights of the city did not reach into the area.
Everywhere the plants were dying from the Ruin spread upon the ground and in the trees.
Bunnymund was outraged by the death of the plant life. "Unacceptable," he said, examining a dying flower bush. "A complete waste. What is it about this mess that causes all that is around it such pain."
Alice paused in her steps until Sanderson caught up to her and held out the mirror. She fogged it up with her breath and wrote, 'It is Ruin. Do not touch it or you will burn.'
She continued on after that ominous message, and the Guardians followed, taking care to avoid the Ruin puddles.
The trail led them into an old sewer system, where the dark pressed upon them from all angles. Sanderson's Dream Sand lit their way as they continued to follow the path.
Then from up ahead they heard a noise. It was not one they were expecting, and it filled them with dread.
"Momma," came the terrified voice of a young girl. "I want my momma!"
Her sobs and cries pushed the Guardians to rush forward to save the child, but Alice hung back.
Seeing this Jack screeched to a stop and looked over at her. "What is it?" he asked.
"This is no doubt the trap," she said, hurrying forward, but keeping her eyes out. "If we go rushing in we will play right into his hands."
Jack nodded and stuck next to Alice. She knew this monster best, so he trusted her judgment.
Sanderson had also heard her explanation, and had proceeded with caution. Toothiana was hesitant to fly ahead as well, as her instincts were screaming at her to be wary.
However St. North and Bunnymund had rushed forward at the first sound of a child in danger, and ran strait into the Dollmaker's trap.
The sewer opened up to a large open area filled with draining water mixed with Ruin. On the other side of the room was a little girl with long dark hair, frightened green eyes, and a ripped nightdress. She was hanging like a marionette from the pipes in the ceiling by steel wires. The more she struggled the more the wires dug into her skin, making her cry out and struggle harder.
St. North and Bunnymund rushed towards her to save her, but wires shot out at them. St. North was caught instantly, and was strung up like the girl, struggling and yelling in Russian.
Bunnymund was more agile than the Cossack, but a wire did manage to snag his furry ankle, and left him hanging upside-down.
The Dollmaker than rose up out of the water, and examined his catch with his empty eyes.
The girl screamed in fear, but Bunnymund and St. North glared up at him with as much dignity and anger as they could muster.
"The wrong catch," said the Dollmaker in an oily voice. "But they will make fine dolls just the same."
A burst of boiling tea hit the monster on his head. He turned to see Alice holding her Teapot Cannon, and standing on a cloud of Dream Sand next to Sanderson. Jack and Toothiana flew next to them ready for battle.
"It seems you've regained the ability to talk," said Alice acidly. "Pity, I enjoyed the silence."
The Dollmaker smirked with his nutcracker mouth. "Oh, you shall find I've regained a lot more than just my voice," he said smugly.
His hand lashed out at them and they all darted away to avoid it. But as she dodged, Alice realized in horror that the Dollmaker's arms and hands were no longer the hodge-podge of scraps that it had been in Wonderland. They were fully repaired, and far more lethal than before. A glance downward saw that his legs were fully repaired as well, showing no sign of the damaged she and Jack had done to it prior to falling through the mirror.
Alice saw red at that realization. In a flurry of butterflies she landed on the back of the giant hand and stabbed her Vorpal Blade into the monster's flesh.
The Dollmaker laughed at her attempt and shook her off. Sanderson caught her with his sand whip and pulled her up towards his cloud.
As she was being pulled, Alice threw Cards at the Dollmaker's face to stop him laughing. Jack was flying around blasting every inch with ice. Toothiana had split into several mini fairies and they were jabbing the Dollmaker with their swords.
The Dollmaker's skin was breaking open from their attacks, and Ruin flowed out of his injuries like blood, but the monster did not seem to mind.
"Do what you want, it matters not," said the Dollmaker. Then with a lightning quick hand he snatched Alice away from her Dream Sand tether.
The Guardians stopped in alarm (Toothiana seeing that something had been pulled away from Sanderson's tether). They stopped their attacks for fear of hurting Alice, but they remained at the ready for any chance to snatch her back. Below them, St. North and Bunnymund had gotten free, and had freed the hostage girl. They watched on helpless as the Dollmaker clutched one of their new comrades in his hand.
But the Dollmaker did nothing to harm Alice. Instead he cradled her in the palms of his two larger hands, using his thumbs to pin her wrists down so she couldn't fight.
She glared up at him fiercely, wondering what he was doing? Why hadn't he killed her yet?
As if reading her mind, the Dollmaker chuckled. "I'm not going to kill you, my little doll. Just watch."
Then before all of their eyes, the wounds inflicted upon the Dollmaker mended themselves until it was as though they were never inflicted. While this happened Alice felt a wave of fatigue and cold run through her, making the world spin.
"You feel it, don't you?" the Dollmaker said smugly. "All your power sapping away. It feeds my, little doll. It gives me strength. While you wither away like a flower in your friend's winter."
As this registered in Alice's mind what he meant by this, the Dollmaker grinned down at her. "You see, I no longer need to kill you, drawing power from your connection to your precious world will sustain me, and give me the freedom to do whatever I wish to this world. While you will soon be left as nothing more than a comatose husk to feed me forever."
The Dollmaker opened his hands and let Alice fall from them towards the water below, and then he vanished in a sea of Ruin down one of the pipes.
"No!" yelled Jack, and he dove after her. There was a burst of cold white light, and all the water in the room froze to solid ice.
Once they blinked the spots from their eyes, the Guardians saw a large pile of snow in the middle of the ice where Alice and Jack would have fallen. They picked their way across the ice towards the snow pile. All except Sanderson expected to see nothing but dents in the snow where the spirits would be sitting.
They were all very shocked to see a pale teenaged girl with dark hair laying in the snow pile, wearing the royal blue pea coat the yeti had given away.
*A*A*A*
A/N Wonderland is a part of Alice, but it doesn't exist before she was born. Because of that, she and the Dollmaker are the only thing Wonderland that exist at the moment in the past. And since Alice draws strength from Wonderland and Wonderland draws strength from her, the Dollmaker has tapped into that power and is draining it out of Alice to give him more strength.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.