Chapter 18

The Sacking of the White Rabbit, Alice!

"Alright stand back this door swings back fast." White Rabbit said as he unlocked the cell door and kicked it open causing the rusty hinges to break and the gate to collapse loudly on the concrete floor. He motioned Alice to follow him as they ran down the long row of cells, the palace guards making a racket upstairs as they tried unbolting the dungeon doors. "We have to hurry and get you out of here! Sebastian knows you're here and made a last minute escape route."

"You have to come with us, White Rabbit!" Alice replied tripping on the uneven floor, her dress ripping from behind as her shoe caught the hole in the inside of her dress. "Damn!" Alice pulled the hanging material off and caught up with the rabbit as he was busy unlocking a metal door.

"I won't be able to leave with you, not with Ragnarok using my family as a pawn in his game. You don't understand, Alice, if I put one toe out of line and he finds out he'll use my family as sacrifices for his horse. That thing will eat them alive and I have children!" The Rabbit said unlocking the door and with the help of Alice pushed it open to reveal the outside edge of the Red Queen's garden. "I'll take you this far but you're on your own. Keep following the black roses and you'll reach Sebastian." Alice looked back at him, his eyes full of pure terror as he looked behind him.

"Please…" Alice held out her hand to him. "We'll even rescue your family, just come with us."

He looked behind him once again and quickly slammed the door behind him and started hopping down the path of black roses with Alice, the figures of Sebastian and the dragons getting closer.

"Did you grab the book?" White Rabbit replied as Sebastian quickly got ahold of Alice and hugged her tightly.

"That and I as well." A women with unusual long dark hair said smiling at her. "The name is Sara."

"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Sara." Alice said shaking her hand, her skin was the same color as Nicolas's, gray and sickly.

"You're Alice… I heard all about you from the villagers. They say you can stop Ragnarok and break the Princes' curse."

"Something like that." Alice replied as she turned around and noticed the roses were slowly dying. Above them the skies grew darker, lightning struck the tree nearest them.

"Time to go!" White Rabbit said and rushed everyone to the dragons. The secret door burst open and guards charged towards them as Sara was helped onto Aaron's dragon.

"White Rabbit come on!" Alice shouted holding out her hand to him. He looked behind him and turned to look at them.

"Save my family, they live in Flower Village. Stop Ragnarok and bring light back to Wonderland, I believe in you." White Rabbit said before he hopped away from them as the dragons flew upwards just as the guards got ahold of White Rabbit.

"WHITE RABBIT!" Alice screamed. Sebastian flicked the rings and directed them to a village only a few miles outside of the Red Queen's Palace.

"It's Alice!" One of the children said, his face shaped like a flower as his leave hand shook hers.

"Where is White Rabbit's family?" Alice asked him looking around nervously.

"The cottage over there, what's going on?"

"Everyone needs to leave right now! War is about to spring up in Wonderland." Sara shouted as the other flower villagers looked over at them.

"War? With who?"

"Ragnarok and the Red Queen. Please everyone make your way to the White Queen's palace or Fairy Hallow quickly."

Confusion erupted the villagers until the familiar grey clouds rolled in and lightning lit up the sky. The cottage White Rabbit's family stayed in was small and hide perfectly under large lily like flowers, blocking the house from the sun and rain. Alice knocked twice before a white bunny opened the door. She looked at Alice up and down and then quickly gasped.

"Children gather your things! Oh thank goodness you're here Alice! He told us that if anything happened you would take us back to the Queen. Where is he?"

"They captured him. He stayed behind to let us escape." Alice said sadly. His wife's lips trembled and she shook her head. "I knew this was going to happen. Do not say anything about what happened to him in front of the children. I'll explain it to them later." She turned away and helped four younger bunnies out the door and closed it.

"Where are we going, mama?"

"The White Queen's palace sweetie. It isn't safe here anymore." She smiled at Sara and hugged her before she was helped onto Aaron's dragon. Sebastian looked around his face showing pain.

"They'll make it, Sebastian. The flower villagers are very smart and they know where to go." Sara told him. She grabbed ahold of the rings and directed the ice dragon off the ground. Sebastian followed, Alice holding onto him and Absolem tightly. The air around them seemed dead and hot as they flew towards the White palace. Sebastian grew tense and cursed under his breath.

"What's wrong?" Alice shouted.

"This doesn't seem right… He knows we would save his family so why isn't he attacking?"

Just then a red bird flew past them almost knocking Alice off. The thing screamed at them and flew towards Sara, scratching the side of her face and pulling a chunk of her blond hair out.

"It's a Jubjub! Keep going, the archers will take care of him." Sebastian shouted as he guided his pet lower, the clouds slowly turning into the puffy white as normal. The Jubjub screamed again and aimed his beak at Sara once again, this time shooting at her at light speed. The White Rabbit's wife grabbed his neck and bit into it, his cry of pain vibrating the sky around them. Purple blood gushed from his wound and he was losing speed. The mother hopped onto his back and started pulling the feathers off of his back. Around them the skies were growing darker again and the bird slumped and fell to his death, taking the White Rabbit's wife with him.

"NO!" Alice screamed. "SEBASTIAN SAVE HER!"

"I can't we'll never be able to find her in this!" Sebastian shouted back as he tried moving the dragon down and away from the dark skies. Sara and the children were lost in the clouds above them, Alice's heart beat faster, she promised White Rabbit that she would save his family, not kill them. She looked around shouting Sara's name, the wind carrying her voice.

"Send out a fire signal." Sebastian told his dragon. The dragon roared and blew rings of fire in the skies above them, the clouds bursting into flames.

"We couldn't find them anywhere." Sara shouted the bunny children clutched to her back crying. "The palace is just below us I think. We need to hurry before they attack again." Sara directed the dragon down along with Sebastian as the White Queen's palace came into view. Alice held onto Sebastian tightly. War was finally springing into action and Ragnarok woulf stop at nothing to rule over Wonderland. Nothing.

White Rabbit stood in the Red Queen's courtyard, his legs and arms chained to the podium as his killer, Ragnarok, sword before him; his sword sparkling clean.

"White Rabbit… Your crimes against this kingdom are most severe and bring dishonor to your family." The Red Queen shouted as she stood on the balcony overlooking the garden. Her friends stood around her snickering at him, Ragnarok smirking at him.

"It doesn't matter what I do, you'll be killed by Sebastian and Aaron and you Red Queen will be squashed by White Queen." White Rabbit spoke.

"ENOUGH!" The Queen screamed. "White Rabbit I command you to death for helping my sister steal the Alchemy book!"

"I helped your own son too, he wants you both to fall into the fire, didn't you know that?" The Red Queen stood aback, her jaw dropping. Ragnarok pointed his sword at the rabbit.

"You dare tell my fiancé about her son betraying her?" He hissed, the blade touching the rabbit's neck.

"Kill me then, at least she knows about her son."

Ragnarok glared at the rabbit as he looked up at the Red Queen. Her hand clutched her heart as she gasped. "What… What has become of my son!"

"He's working alongside Aaron to defeat this oaf here." White Rabbit replied nodding his head towards Ragnarok.

"My Queen…-"

"What about Alice?" She broke off Raganrok.

"She's with him. They're planning on getting married after the curse breaks." Rabbit smiled. The Red Queen stood there, her face showing no emotion. "I… My son…"

"Darling don't listen to him! He can't be working alongside them!" Ragnarok assured her.

"NO! I won't hear your lies! If he isn't working alongside them then why would he be hiding from us?!" She shouted at him.

"He's hiding from the truth! He doesn't realize how strong we are and he's hiding because the curse will be broken tomorrow night! Your son will never turn against you my Queen." Ragnarok bowed. "Can I kill the little vermin now?"

"Wait." She said raising her hand. "I want to know the prophet, Alice's prophecy." White Rabbit gulped and looked over at Ragnarok, his eyes glittering like the sword.

"I know nothing about that."

"LIES! Your friend is that caterpillar. I KNOW DAMN WELL THAT HE TOLD YOU, THAT'S WHY YOU HELPED HER ESCAPE! TELL ME OR I'LL KILL HER TOMORROW, DON'T TEST ME RABBIT!"

He hesitated for a few moments before praying silently. "She will return back to her original home. Something will happen to us though. I… I don't know what, he didn't say. All he said was… we were going to be… free." The Queen smiled. "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

"I wonder… how long have long have you been here, Ragnarok?" White Rabbit whispered.

"You know damn well." He raised his sword above his head.

"I don't exactly, I lost count of time after she left the second time. Well it won't matter anyway. I'm late, I'm late, I'm very very late. No time to say hello… or goodbye… I'm late, I'm late, I'm late." He closed his eyes and the blade came crashing down.