Chapter 13

Just a Dream, Alice?

I was floating in a never ending ocean of black water, my body unable to move as the currents did the moving for me. I couldn't scream for help or the water will pull me down to shut me up. There wasn't a single bird in the sky or fish in the water, it was just me. The waves tossed me on shore and quickly I got up, ignoring the sand covering every inch of my skin. The skies turned a grayish black and ahead stood an estate where the house was painted black. I stepped inside for the door was open and looked around. Again I was alone but I knew I was being watched. The hallway's walls were filled with paintings of royal families, each proudly wearing the crowns both the Queens wear and the ones Sebastian and Aaron keep in their rooms. The final painting was the largest and stood at the very end of the hallway. In it was both the Queens, Aaron, Sebastian but on the Queen of Hearts' side stood a handsome man with long silver hair. Ragnarok. On Sebastian's side stood a girl with curly blond hair and in her hands was a white rabbit. Me?

"Of course dearie tis you of course!" The familiar voice cooed. He stepped out of the dark and flipped back his hat. His smile glittered and his eyes brought a shiver to me. I took a step back but he took a step forward.

"Why are you always invading my dreams? What do you want?" I asked him, my back pressing up against the wall.

"You see dearie… You are the real key to getting what I want. A few people are in my way and I'm gladly able to crush them down to get to you."

"What are you saying?"

"You are the type of girl I've always been looking for." His smile was brighter and his eyes grew a shade of springtime green. I couldn't believe it; I turned and ran down the hall. The paintings were getting smaller and the eyes of the past families were watching me fly past them. "You can't run, dearie! You're playing my game now and in my games I always win!" The rug from underneath me flew up and tripped me. Ragnarok grabbed me and pulled me up. "In Wonderland everyone's dreams is easy to get into. Why this is all a dream to you isn't it? Wonderland is all part of your imagination but you'll never be able to wake up because you're afraid of leaving behind your friends and Sebastian aren't you?"

"Stop just leave me alone?! Can't you see what you did is ruining Wonderland?"

"Ah but that is all part of the plan! I need this Wonderland to become nothing but a hopeless country that I can easily control." A black smoky cloud was appearing behind him. "With death to assist me I can destroy every bit of happiness and hope this little happy land has and I'll start with killing your little boyfriend and his new best friend."

He dropped me as the horse formed behind him. I took off in a run again only this time the paintings were bleeding and once again I was at the end of the hall. I looked at the painting and noticed both Sebastian and Aaron were missing, no, everyone but Ragnarok and I were missing and Ragnarok's horse was added standing a little behind Ragnarok. Turning around I saw the horse charging full speed at me. Quickly finding the doorknob behind me I turned it and fell onto the hard marble flooring, the door slamming in my face before the horse could even make a hoof in the room. The torches lit up and from behind I heard the clanging of chains. Standing up shakily I made my way into the room and saw Sebastian locked inside what looked like a birdcage, his body bruised and bloody everywhere and his foot chained to the floor of the cage.

"Sebastian!" I opened the door of the cage and quickly grabbed his face. His eyes… were pure black and cold.

"See, dearie? The little bit of what magic can do starts with turning a boy to pure evil. His soul was swallowed up by darkness and not even you can save him." Ragnarok said entering the cage.

"BRING HIM BACK!" I cried.

"Why? No one ever looked out for me, no one ever showed me real love. Why should he get the better treatment when he was once evil like I am today? He deserves every bit of it and not your love. I grew up with no love, no hope and no respect. The girl I fell in love with turned aside and married another man and I was left to wallow all by myself. Magic was the only friend I really had and look at me today! I'm stronger, smarter and more powerful than I ever was. People fear me and do whatever I want!"

"That isn't how you should want it to be. You can't use fear to make people do what you want. Why break what you can't have?"

"I can have anything I want and if it's already taken then I break the one who has it. What would you rather have the broken prince who had to poison you to make you fall in love with him or take me who won't use any magic or potion to win your heart over?"

"Sebastian. Sebastian may have lied to me and poison me but I didn't fall in love with him because of that. I fell in love with him because he's kindhearted and would do anything to take it all back. He wants to be good and work alongside Aaron and the others… to destroy you! So I choose Sebastian!"

Alice's eyes flew open and she jumped out of bed quickly and burst through Sebastian's bedroom door to see he was still fast asleep. She looked at the grandfather clock and noticed it wasn't even two in the morning yet. She sighed a breath of relief and turned around to leave him to sleep when the floor made a large creaking sound. Sebastian woke with small snore and rubbed his eyes.

"Alice? What the hell why are you in my room… The hell it isn't even two yet!" Sebastian hissed. Alice quickly noted to herself that Sebastian was extremely crabby if you woke him up to early.

"I had a nightmare. I had to see if you were alright or if it what I dreamt was true. I'll go back to bed." Alice said and turned around.

"No stay. What happened?" Sebastian yawned and leaned up. Alice hesitated for a brief moment before climbing into Sebastian's bed and sobbing. At first Sebastian was confused and awkwardly held her as she cried into his nightshirt before he really held her and waited patiently for her to stop crying.

"I dreamt of Ragnarok. His plan is to turn your soul pure black so I would never be able to heal you and Ragnarok could have me for himself." Alice cried. Sebastian stiffen and hugged Alice tightly.

"Never in a million years will I listen to that bastard. He's trying to find your weakness, Alice, and I think he just found out what breaks you. You have to stop letting him get into your head or he'll make you go insane and right now we need all the healing you're bringing we can get."

"I don't understand. Why is he only bothering me? Why isn't he bothering everyone else?"

"He already gave me a nightmare once, the night I got here, and now I use magic to block him from entering my dreams. He knows what ties Aaron and I together is you so he'll do everything he can to destroy the ties we share."

"He knows… He knows my weakness and now when you and Aaron battle him he'll try killing you."

"Alice he'll try to kill me even if he didn't know."

The two of them laid there in silence, Alice's thoughts and questions rolling in her brain. The question she never wanted to ask suddenly flew from her mouth before she could stop herself.

"Why hasn't Aaron died yet even though all of us know who I chose?" Alice asked.

"Because I haven't formally asked you to marry me yet. If I did and you said yes then he would die."

"So even if I tell you I love you he wouldn't die?"

"Nope, but from what I see I think Aaron already found someone worth loving."

"You mean Mary Beth?"

"Yep I can see it in his eyes how much he loves her." Sebastian said. Alice looked up at him and noticed his eyes were a bit brighter even if the moon was shining down on them. "Now either go to sleep right here next to me or go back to bed. Hatter doesn't like late sleepers and we still have to find the other two parts to the spell." He grumbled. Alice smiled and kissed him before letting sleep take over once again. Sebastian looked down at her and realized something. Alice really and truly loves him after all.