AN: Short chapter, I know. Almost as short as the prologue. It took me a while to get this out, which is ridiculous. I feel bad there was such a long wait for such a short chapter, but I haven't been feeling too well lately.

I'm a little bummed that next chapter is going to be the end. Partially because I've been working on Winter Wonderland for so long, it's going to feel strange marking it down as a completed work, but also because I was seriously hoping I would hit a 1,000 reviews with this story. Got much closer than I thought we would though, gotta admit. I think we put up a pretty good fight for a small crossover story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians or Alice: Madness Returns.

When I wake up,
The dream isn't done.
I wanna see your face,
And know I made it home.
If nothing is true,
What more can I do?
I am still painting flowers for you,

Painting Flowers ~ All Time Low

It took about a week before Bunny was deemed fully recovered and allowed off bed rest, much to everybody's relief.

If it were up to him, he would've been up and walking around the day he opened his eyes, but Tooth would have none of it. She flocked around the pooka's bed like a mother hen, carefully tending to his healing wounds and goading him into getting more rest. At one point, she threatened to break several of his ribs all over again if he didn't lay down and shut up, which he eventually did, albeit begrudgingly.

It didn't stop him from loudly complaining about it, though. Bunnymund just wouldn't be Bunnymund if he didn't have something to bray about.

Once he was back on his feet, the group decided it was time to finally accept Alice into the guardian fold and make her an official member. Coincidentally, the ceremony fell on the fifth of November. The group's opinion was split on whether it was an ironic twist of fate, or just a random happening. North, Sandy, Tooth chose to be more whimsical about it, claiming it was destiny, while Bunny, Jack, Alice suspected it was really North's doing - if not completely, then on some small level of influence. He could never resist going for the theatrical.

However, despite the lively debate it incited in the group, no one suggested postponing the ceremony. Regardless of how it happened, it only seemed right that they continue as planned, be it of fate or design. It seemed right, to do it on that specific day.

So on the one hundredth, fifty-first anniversary of the night of the fire and the death of her family, Alice Liddell took the Oath of the Guardians.

She was spared the ceremonial trumpets and elf parade, much to North's disappointment, but heaven forbid that stop him from doing what he did best; showing off.

"Were you aware Santoff Claussen had a banquet hall?" Alice asked as her and her companion started their third lap around North's workshop.

The yetis bustled along the many walkways of the workshop, hauling toys and factory equipment while sidestepping the two spirits and acting as if they weren't even there. Their hairy faces were hard and determined as they worked admirably through the delays that were thrown at them this past week. A large grouping of elves followed closely behind the two spirits during their first few laps with various gifts and cookies in their tiny hands, but they eventually dispersed when Jack shooed them away with the crook of his staff. He doubted they left because of him, though. They stuck close, hoping to receive some attention from Alice, but when her focus remained solely at her own eye level, the little creatures lagged behind, losing the will to keep up and risk getting stepped on by a yeti.

"This is the first I'm hearing about it," Jack replied.

North had employed Jack to entertain Alice while the elder guardians labored away to make said banquet hall presentable for Alice's ceremony. They treated it like it was some big surprise for her, even though Alice was more than aware of what was going on a few halls inward of the workshop area where she and Jack were biding their time with a slow stroll until North sent Phil to collect them.

He wasn't lying. It really was his first time hearing about Santoff Claussen's banquet hall. It was a pretty fancy room, from what little Jack had seen of it. It was covered in a thick layer of ancient dust, tucked away somewhere a few halls down from the complex's library. That was territory Jack had yet to explore, so he was just as surprised as Alice to hear about it. Then again, though, how much of a surprise was it really? Santoff Claussen was a colossal structure, it probably held a whole cornucopia of interesting rooms he didn't know about yet.

"Nervous?" He asked her.

"Not particularly," She said with a sigh. Jack's eyes flickered briefly across her face, trying to gauge whether she was telling the truth or not, but her expression was as impassive as ever. Her eyebrows did curl a bit inward, though, showing that she was, at least, annoyed with the elder guardians' ambiguous ceremony planning. "Is this all really necessary? Cleaning out a dusty banquet hall covered with grime older than I am? Redirecting precious workshop time for workers just for one small ceremony that won't even last five minutes? Decorations?"

"To them, yeah," He replied, bringing his staff to rest behind his head and along his shoulders. "I had taken my oath in Burgess, at my pond after we defeated Pitch. It was done sort of "out in the field", so to speak. They didn't have the chance to make it over-the-top spectacular, the way North likes it, but believe me, they definitely tried. Apparently, this is going to be the first time North's gotten to use his hall since Bunny was sworn in, so the big guy is really excited about it."

"Lucky me," Alice said dryly while crossing her arms under her chest. Jack let out a small chuckle as the two came up towards the main fireplace of the workshop, where the control panel of the Globe of Belief was. The winter spirit smiled as he looked up towards the slowly rotating globe, just as he done every time they passed the panel. His azure eyes took in the little lights that glowed brightly across the globe's surface. They were all golden once again, signifying the balance that had once again been restored to both the children's, and the guardians', lives.

Jack remembered the panic he felt when he made the long trip to Burgess to see Jamie and his friends not long after the lights on the globe started changing back to normal. At the time, he had been too preoccupied with rescuing Bunny and fighting the Dollmaker's army to worry about how the Night Terrors might be affecting his misfit band of believers, but when things had settled enough for him to remember, dread hit him like a lead baseball bat. He feared that the Night Terrors had damaged their innocent minds, scarring them deeply and destroying their belief in him and the other guardians. He feared that they wouldn't see him. He feared being walked through like he wasn't even there.

There had been a complete lack of faith on his part, though. When Jack arrived to find Jamie and his friends sitting in his kitchen, trading pieces of Halloween candy while still wearing their costumes, they smiled and greeted him just as warmly as they always did. He felt guilty for doubting them, but he was glad to see that they were okay. They had been so wrapped up in their Halloween plans, it was hard to tell if any of the Night Terrors had even gotten to them.

Everything was as it should be, all thanks to Alice. The Dollmaker had been permanently defeated, Pitch had retreated back into the depths of his underground domain, supposedly to lick his wounds and sulk, Bunnymund was his usual crabby self again and the children of the world were safe from Night Terrors. Things were back to normal.

Jack glanced at the dark-haired woman walking next to him from the corner of his eye, making an effort to be covert about it before returning his gaze forward.

Well, on second thought...maybe not normal, per se.

With a new friend and family member coming into their lives and joining their journey as protectors of all things young and innocent, what was once normal for any of them was now going to change in definition.

Just as things had changed when Jack was chosen, the lives that he and his friends had led just a week or so earlier, before the moon reflected its glow on that crystal, announcing a new arrival who would unexpectedly cause a complete upheaval in balance that successfully blindsided them all - those lives were all different now. Maybe not completely different, but the guardians' hearts had undoubtedly grown larger in the wake of their latest adventure, ready to accept their newest addition, and their eyes have opened a little wider, accepting the long abused soul who was now opening her own heart to them, seeking the opportunity to be apart of a family again, which they were all more than willing to give her.

It might take a while for Alice to find her place in the real world again and fully settle into her role as the new guardian - the Guardian of Imagination, she had finally decided, but it wasn't an exaggeration when it was said that she had all the time in the world to do it. So until that happened, Jack suspected nothing was going to feel normal, certainly if he found himself hanging around Alice for any extended period of time, and it was most likely he would.

"Do I kneel?"

"I don't know. I didn't. It wasn't exactly a formal event."

It had been more of a "in the moment" event, just how Jack preferred it. On top of his pond, with the guardians standing before him and the children of Burgess coming up from behind, waiting to welcome him with open arms just as the dawning sun shined its pearly rays across the sky above them and the moon still hung visible, lingering to witness the event. He couldn't think of a better setting to be sworn in as a guardian even if he tried and he couldn't help but feel bad for Alice. Although it wouldn't make her oath any less honorable or valid than his, Alice would have to soldier through something a little more staged than Jack did. In that regard, he avoided going into detail with his own ceremony, only willing to if Alice asked for elaboration, which she didn't. No real surprise there.

Alice let out a long sigh, drawing another chuckle from her companion.

"Just humor them, okay? It'll make all our lives easier."

She shot him a crossed look. "I'll humor them all they want, that's not the problem. I just think the worker's time and energy could be better directed elsewhere, in the workshop, where they belong. Not orchestrating such an inane ceremony where only a simple oath and response on my part are required. I've been the cause of enough setbacks this year. The children need to have a good Christmas. I believe I owe them that much."

"We all owe them that, always, for the life and power they give us," Jack replied, trying not to sound sagely about it. "But don't start worrying about stuff like that just because you're becoming a guardian. This is Father Christmas' forte. It might not seem like North knows what he's doing, but the guy's got enough workshop fail-safes, it's not even a problem. The yetis got this stuff down to a science by now, so even if their boss completely flips his lid, they know how to pick up the slack."

"Is that what they're doing now?" She asked, her eyes sweeping over the diligently working creatures. They moved like well-oiled machines, working in skillful tandem with each other as they hammered and carved away at their stations. Not even within the mechanical dystopia that was the Hatter's Domain, had Alice ever seen such efficiency in employee morale. "Must they work so fast? Surely they'll run themselves ragged at this rate."

"Well, it's not just your ceremony that's preoccupying North at the moment. The yetis are upping their game because they know North is going to be busy orchestrating his Thanksgiving dinner after this."

"Thanksgiving dinner?" She echoed in disbelief. "But he's Russian."

"Alice, baby," Jack smirked, resisting the urge to swing his arm around her shoulders in a nonchalant manner. "You'll eventually come to learn that North will celebrate any holiday if it means he can throw a party. He once held a Cinco de Mayo festival a few years back because he was in the mood to eat chips and salsa."

The dark-haired let out a huff as one side of her mouth corked up. Silence fell between the pair as they mounted another staircase. The miscellaneous factory noises around them faded into the background. It was a comfortable silence, neither spirit feeling the need to fill it with conversation. The connection between them had grown considerably in their short time together. There was more acceptance towards their many differences now that they had found common ground with each other. They still bickered a lot, constantly pushing each others buttons, but that would never be something new, and shockingly enough, Jack and Alice found themselves okay with that.

They were just about to start another lap around the workshop when Phil emerged from a nearby hallway. He caught their eyes almost immediately and gestured with one of his big, furry arms to follow him, grumbling impatiently with his trademark scowl on his hairy face. Jack made a playful face at him before teasingly mouthing the words "love you" to the grumpy creature, which Phil responded with an annoyed wave that said "shut up". The winter spirit snickered at the yeti as he turned towards Alice.

"Come on," He reached out and wrapped his cool fingers around her wrist. "Into the fray we go."

Alice let out a scoff, but allowed him to guide her along. "Spare me the dramatics, please."

Overzealousness was hard to avoid when residing in the domain of Old Saint Nicholas. The big guy thrived on it, never passing up the chance to exercise his center and show off his big eyes of wonderment. He was like an unstoppable locomotive of joy and positive energy. It was either hop on as he chugged past you, or get the hell out of his way because once he set his mind to something, nothing could derail him. So when he came to the elder guardians with determination in his eyes, looking to recruit them to help clean out his neglected banquet hall for Alice's ceremony, he didn't give anybody the chance to say no.

The result wasn't altogether horrible. Quite the opposite, in fact. The hall looked fantastic. It was given a thorough spit-shine, from the stone floors to the oak wood rafters. From the blue, frosted windows mounting the back wall, to the intricately woven tapestries hanging above the fireplace. Every speck of dust was wiped cleaned from the room. It shined with an almost headache-inducing glow as a long, red and gold carpet was rolled out from the threshold of the hall by elves, upon Alice's arrival. The two spirits watched as it unraveled across the room in a dramatic fashion until it came to an end at the stone podium with the guardians' insignia craved into it.

Elves sat atop the antler chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, throwing down tiny handfuls of silver and gold confetti, making it rain slivers of light as the yetis in the room came to flank the long strip of carpet like soldiers falling into formation, with their heads held high and their round bellies sticking out. There was no elf parade and no blaring trumpets, but it was still quite a sight. It was enough to make any girl feel like a princess (Or rather, as Alice would probably say: "Empress, Frost. Far better title, more power. Princesses are pretty decorations and I have an aversion to queens").

Jack gave her a wink before letting go of her hand and using the wind to gently propel himself across the hall in a single leap where he joined the other guardians. They all stood at the base of a grand fireplace, atop four steps where the stone podium was set, with North standing behind it. He stood tall and dignified, with his chest puffed out and his tattooed arms holding each side of the podium. Gathered behind him were the others, all waiting for the ceremony to start. Tooth hovered in the air, placing herself higher than anyone else. Her iridescent feathers rolled and twitched with excitement as her amethyst eyes glowed and she gnawed on her bottom lip to fight back the smile that threatened to overwhelm her face. The Sandman hovered closer to the ground with a big smile of his own and a little cheerleader made of sand dancing above his head.

Jack took his place next to Bunnymund, who stood with his arms crossed and his brow knotted, looking much like he always did. However, he was unable to hide the blinding pride that shined in his forest green eyes as he watched Alice make her way across the hall. If one were to look closely enough, they might see how tightly he had his jaw set, iron-tight to keep it from trembling while his eyes glossed over with a small hint of tears, but any signs of weakness would be quickly wiped away when the pooka would hear the winter spirit next to him snicker and jostle him knowingly with his bony elbow. His scowl would increase tenfold as he'd flinch away and harden to protect his precious reputation. What did he care if his little girl was about to reach a huge milestone in her life and he was there to witness it? He didn't care. Nope. Not one bit. It was just another typical day in the workshop with North's annoying theatrics.

Alice's eyes trailed over each and every one of their faces, committing their expressions to memory for later, when she would reflect on everything that has changed and ponder what her life would like from then on. It wasn't until she looked behind them that she spotted the familiar being of mangy, grey fur and off-putting grins, looking in on her ceremony like the sneak he was. The Cheshire Cat lounged across the mantle of the fireplace, his tail flicking liquidly back and forth in the air. His yellow eyes sparkled with their usual mischievous light and his grin climbed higher as he watched her. He went unnoticed by the other occupants of the room, which Alice found herself grateful for. There would surely be an interesting uproar if he were to be seen. His place on the mantle was deliberate, knowing all eyes would be on Alice.

She shot him a pointed glare that clearly read 'Go away, Cat!', but he only continued to grin wickedly at her.

"Ready?" North asked her in a gentle tone as she approached the podium. Her eyes snapped back towards the Russian. The confetti stopped falling and the banquet hall fell silent.

When Alice nodded her head, he gave her a bright smile as he ran his large hand over the cover of the Book of the Guardians. His fingertips traced the silver "G" of the cover with a quiet fondness before he pulled back the front of the book and skimmed the ancient pages until he came to the page that read the Oath of the Guardians. He cleared his throat and began to read.

"Will you, Alice Liddell, vow to watch over the children of the world? To guard them with your life, their hopes, their wishes, and their dreams? For they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be."

"I will," Alice replied, cementing her fate.

North's smile grew dazzling as he let out a triumphant laugh. He slammed the thick tome shut with a solid thud and raised his arms in the air. "Then you are now, and forever will be, a guardian!"

The downpour of confetti blossomed anew as cheering filled the hall. The floor beneath Alice's boots almost rumbled with the sound of a dozen yetis calling out ceremoniously while the guardians joined in with shouts of joy and the elves rang their bell hats. Alice stood among the maelstrom of celebration with her arms still hanging by her sides and her face blank, but she was forced to break her collected disposition with a surprised "Oof!" when Tooth practically tackled her into a hug. The fairy let out a tearful laugh as her arms wrapped around the other spirit's shoulders and Alice brought up a hand to pat her feathered back in an awkward attempt at comfort. The other guardians moved forward to join them as they threw caution to the wind and invaded Alice's personal space. The dark-haired woman accepted their affection graciously as she risked a quick glance through the crowd and towards the fireplace mantle.

The Cheshire Cat gave her a mocking wink before disappearing from sight.

And then there were trumpets.

AN: Ha, North couldn't resist the trumpets.

It's official! Alice's center is imagination! I would love to hear what you guys think of that. This still isn't the last chapter, though. NEXT chapter will be the finale.

Sorry for any mistakes in the content. If you find one, just let me know in a review and I'll fix it.

Honorable Mentions (Part 2)

~ TheObsessor11294, halicandropss, xshattered-reflectionx, Zixinyu, Ayui Hanabara, nikitchi-tan, Love Psycho, Iced Tea Fan, Casamora, Reba G, Lisa, wynturkroh, Julchen M. Liddell, DragonGirl156, 2sisters34, violet404, wonderful shades, ZacKriel, IceTeaLover, Zylia16, XxXAmeliaXxX, MangoMilkshake, aliceAmnesia, BloodMoonWanes, Mango, xXToxicValentineXx, Ayako Liddell, Barely Meeting Expectations, Devilishdesires, Mei Fire, Moonlight Cosmic Angel, Veedramon. And of course all my anonymous and guest reviewers out there! Love ya all!

~Scorpiofreak~