Wondrous Nightmares
by Bloodysword99
Recommended song: Brand New Map- K (Japanese)
Fanart: TBA
ARCH 2:
Memento Furor
(meaning Remember Madness in Latin.)
Chapter 8: Imply Order to the Different
Getting to Hatter's Domain was just a teapot ride away, so to speak. Pitch and Alice managed to get through the Vale of Tears with some of the fragments of the girl's memories along the way. It was mostly about her family and how Doctor Wilson and other people talked about Alice's childish behavior and her insanity. It didn't faze Alice one bit though. She had heard their cruel comments time and time again. So did Pitch because he had heard most of them during his stay in Rutledge Asylum with the little comatose Liddell.
"A teapot will pick us up soon," Alice stated after she pulled a lever to activate the transporter.
The Boogeyman hadn't heard her. He was too lost in his thoughts about the past. Pitch remembered the nights Alice would peacefully sleep in the safety of her bed in her home in Oxford. He remembered the fire that destroyed it, the girl crying in his arms, and finally the eight long years of suffering in Rutledge Asylum. Pitch had witnessed it all and his soul, or what was left of it, died along the way. He didn't know if he had any regrets or wanted to re-do everything. The Boogeyman wanted to do justice for Alice all those years ago. Though he saved her in the end, it was only one act. It wasn't enough to compensate for all those horrible times.
"Pitch?"
Alice's call snapped the Boogeyman back to Wonderland.
"Distracted, are we?" She smirked and Pitch simply rolled his eyes.
"Hardly, girl." He muttered while making his way to the Teapot ride pulling into the platform.
Alice shook her head, frowning at Pitch's disassociative. She had no clue what could be wrong with Pitch. Lately, he'd been rather uneasy. He was always so grumpy, sensitive, and distracted, not just today but for the whole year since she was released from Rutledge. Alice understood how he worries about her but was it really something to fuss about? She had managed well until now. Couldn't he just trust her judgment, no matter how unreasonable it might be? And with the thoughts, she sighed and followed Pitch to the Teapot lift.
"What do we have here?" Alice spotted something gleaming at a corner; hidden behind some snail shells.
Alice cautiously walked to the mystery object, destroyed the shells, and discovered a glass ornament. Another memory? She leaned in closer for observation. From the sculpted figure, it looked like a really old key; larger than her hand and oddly shaped head, similar to the symbol of 'Earth' in one of her father's old mythology and zodiac books. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was her room key to her old house! Her brow furrowed, deciphering what it meant. She was sure it was her room key but why was it a memory? The last time she remembered her key was when she gave it to Pitch.
She touched the glass key and it came to her.
'Adults never understand anything extraordinary. They're either too stupid or too ignorant and they'll do just about anything to imply an order to the different. You're an extraordinary girl. If they force you to change, don't. Don't let them tell you to change, Alice. If you want to change then, make absolutely certain you'll do it on your own accord.' Pitch's gentle voice graced her thoughts.
Alice's eyes watered at the memory. Now, she remembered. Many adults told her to wake up from her dreams, to grow up and change but Pitch told her not to give up on her unique qualities. It was what made her special, he had told her so many times. The Boogeyman was one of the few people to accept her for the child she was, imaginative and wondrous. Remembering his words of comfort at times she was bullied by adults, she was happy to be herself because of it. His words made her feel like it was alright to be naïve and carefree every once in a while. That it was fine not to reach the unwanted expectations of others and encouraged to fulfill her own. Pitch was the reason why she never gave up on her Wonderland. And as she savored the memory, her tears flowed down her cheek before she wiped them clean.
"Change on my own accord." She repeated in a hushed voice.
"Alice, come along," Pitch called and Alice followed.
In the Hatter's domain, the two ventured to find the hatter. So far nothing turned up but teacup monsters and scattered memories. Fortunately, Alice and Pitch had floating and teleporting abilities in Wonderland. So, they breezed through the Domain easily. Not long, they managed to get into a very rusty structure. Polluted with gears, junk, and metal, the Boogeyman commented the crazy Hatter would at least fix the place up. For a man of social tea parties and hat fashion, he had poor maintenance skills.
"Well, at least, the hatter is nowhere to be found in his new domain. That's surely an improvement." Pitch commented before they looked down a huge gaping hole below them, a garbage shoot.
"Now, Pitch, be nice," Alice said crossing her arms and looking at him seriously.
Pitch might be a courteous dignified gentleman but when it came to the Hatter all his manners go out the window. The Hatter wasn't exactly a person to be tolerated well.
"I think you're asking the wrong individual, girl. He is the one who needs to be nice." The Boogeyman fumed but Alice refuses to give up the argument.
"Maybe so, but his sanity is questionable and I don't need any more madness. Please, if you can swallow your pride just a little, we may continue to search for the Hatter."
Pitch saw no point in arguing any longer, so, he rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in defeat.
"Let's just hope we don't find him then."
"Pitch," Alice warned.
"Fine. I'll be civil but if he starts to ramble I will lose it."
It was so fortunate when they finally found the Hatter in a rusty old building in the deepest part of his Domain, Pitch was actually glad to see him, for once. Just seeing the Hatter in his disheveled self, Pitch snickered at his misfortune. They entered the scene and spotted the Hatter's head in a pile of junk with all of his body parts missing. What only remains is his torso, haphazardly thrown in another pile.
"Hatter, you've fallen apart. Madness finally broke you?" Pitch humored, staring down at the Hatter's head.
"Pitch, honestly, so childish," Alice said.
"Pardon my manners. I just mean that he needs to pull himself together!" He laughed. "Feeling scattered, now are we?"
"Ha! Laugh while you can Boogeyman, you'll end up like this soon enough!" The Hatter's disembodied head cursed at Pitch.
Alice shot a quick glare at him before assembling the Hatter's head on his proper body.
"I remember leaving you in a decrepit condition, not in pieces, Hatter. Now, tell me, what happened?" She asked but before long a loud shriek of metal and destruction sounded through the domain, making Pitch snarl while Alice gawked at the quaking chamber. It seemed like the problem was bigger than they anticipated. From the sound alone, they could tell it wasn't going to be an easy foe.
"That's what! The world's gone upside down, Alice! The infernal train! The sound! It's getting into my ears! In my eyes! In nostrils! Oh, the pain!" The Hatter rambled unintellectual words that hardly made sense.
"Enough of your gabs, Hatter! What is that thing? And furthermore,, who's running it?" Pitch roared.
The hatter grumbled more nonsense; something like the Boogeyman's rudeness until he finally spoke plainly. "Inmates run this place now, Alice! You can't stop it! Not without my help! Find my parts and I'll assist."
"A tempting proposition but I don't think we need any more crazies in our party," Pitch said in the bluntest way possible.
"If I find your parts, you promise you'll help me with this Infernal train?" Alice asked and the Hatter nodded.
"Alice, you're not seriously considering—"
"Stay with the Hatter until I return." She ordered.
"Excuse me?" Pitch stared at her; wide-eyed horrified.
"You heard me right, Pitch."
"…You must be joking." He hoped but the girl shook her head.
"Do I look like I'm in the mood?" Her frown was tight, an indication she wasn't joking.
"Someone needs to get the Hatter's parts. And I don't think, you'd retrieve them without thinking of snapping them in two."
Pitch couldn't deny that fact. On many occasions when he and the Hatter first met, the Boogeyman would deliberately destroy the tea lover's precious items like his detachable mechanical arm and leg and also his priceless collection of cups and pots. He remembered how he shatters such fine China and laughed.
"But He—" Pitch stuttered but Alice had enough of his excuses.
"Apologies, Boogeyman, but you just have to bear with him."
Once the Boogeyman realized he couldn't talk his way out of this, he dragged a hand down his face. It was karma, he supposed.
"Don't kill each other while I'm gone." She ordered and ran to the elevator.
The Boogeyman grumbled.
"Tea?" The Hatter offered.
"Fine," Pitch said in defeat.
Alice had such power over the Boogeyman. He had no idea where she got it or how Pitch could allow it but he didn't mind. Alice was just an exception.
'Alice, honestly, girl, stop with this Wonderland nonsense! You're growing up!' Her nanny scolded her before exiting the girl's room; leaving Alice near tears. And as soon as the nanny was out the door, Pitch emerged from the shadows and kneeled to the child. She bolted for him the moment she spotted him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, he froze for a moment before his hands patted her back, comforting her awkwardly. Back then, he was new to the idea of being friends with Alice.
'She's just a miserable whore, Alice. Don't listen to her.' Pitch muttered as the child leaned against his embrace.
'Maybe they're right.' Alice sobbed.
The Boogeyman stared down at the child, angry. He held her tight and hushed her cries, his hand soothing her back. He couldn't tolerate her tears, her pain, and her fear. His heart would sink at the sight, at the very sound, or the very aura, unlike the other children who would cry.
'They keep telling me to grow up but I don't want to!' the Little Alice sobbed.
And Pitch was at the end of his wits. He'll have to visit those wretched adults tonight and give them Nightmares.
'Stupid, child.' The Boogeyman said sternly and the girl looked up with wide teary eyes.
'Adults never understand anything extraordinary. They're either too stupid or too ignorant and they'll do just about anything to imply an order to the different. You're an extraordinary girl. If they force you to change, don't. Don't let them tell you to change, Alice. If you want to change then, make absolutely certain you'll do it on your own accord.'
It took some time for the girl to process his words but in the end, she smiled and hugged Pitch in return.
The Boogeyman sighed at the sudden memory that flashed before him. He glanced at the disabled Hatter to make sure he didn't see it but from the crazy dude's confused face, he didn't suspect a thing.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" the Hatter humored.
"Where's your teapot, you crazy coot?"