Chapter 19

A Deal, Alice?

"Sara!" The White Queen shouted as they landed in front of the palace doors. White Rabbit's family sat behind Alice, shaking after the dreadful incident.

"What happened? Who are these guys?" Aaron asked as he helped the family down, the little ones holding onto his neck in fear.

"Their White Rabbit's family, he asked us to keep them safe." Sebastian said as he pet Auburn. "We lost White Rabbit."

"What?!" White Queen exclaimed as she picked up the bunny children and held them.

"The White Rabbit stayed behind and his wife was killed by Ragnarok as we tried escaping. I'm pretty sure he'll be dead before the sun sets." Sebastian said. "My mother may be dead too."

"No he'll keep your mother alive until he gets Wonderland in his hands. Remember he needs to keep his profile low or the other kingdoms will find him." Aaron reassured him.

"It doesn't matter! That horse thing is feeding off my mother because she believes I'm being held hostage and torture. She's slowly dying because of that bastard and even if we kill him she'll die because that thing will drink her dry."

"We need to calm down. Until we figure out a plan let's eat something and get these children to calm down." The Queen said as she ushered the children into the castle. Alice grabbed Sebastian's hand before she hugged him.

"No matter what happens we'll still be together."

"I want to rip to pieces for what he did to you, Alice." Sebastian hissed as he let the dragon fly off into the back of the palace with his friend. "I'll die before he even touches you."

Alice looked out at the sunset, only a few hours until Wonderland would be split to fight in one of the largest wars they faced since the battle that resulted both kings' lives taken. She noticed something extremely strange happening to the two princes. She looked at Sebastian and pulled his hair aside.

"Your eyes are turning a prettier red, did you notice that?"

"I feel different. I feel stronger, braver then I ever was."

"Your roots on the bottom are pure white now, not a touch of gray in sight like I saw before." Alice replied, he touched the back part of his head and chuckled. "I think I should get this dyed now while I have the chance."

"I like it, it suits you. It may look crazy but then again you live in a crazy place so why not keep the crazy going?"

"Do you think this is all just a dream?" Sebastian said suddenly. Alice looked away from him.

"If it was… I never want to wake up. I feel accepted here and if I go back I'll just be thrown into a marriage I don't want to be in and live a life I don't want to be a part of."

"I keep thinking I'm just a dream of yours and once you wake up, I'll never see you again, you'll never be able to return to Wonderland and we'll just vanish like other dreams did. They're tossed into the back of your memory and you won't see us until life flashes before your eyes just before you die…"

"Don't think like that, Sebastian. I'll never want to leave and if I have to die in the real world to stay here then I will. That's what happened to my dad…"

"Your dad was here too?"

"It started with nightmares when I was little then soon he wouldn't wake up for a few days or he would leave and won't come back for weeks. Suddenly he got sick and he said… Beyond this life lives a world where you will never want to leave, a place full of wonder, a place called Wonderland. He never woke up after that. My mother had the doctors drown him so he could sleep peacefully forever."

"Alice… I'm so sorry."

"No it's alright; I learned to move on from death. Death is just another door to open to start a new life, you have to leave behind people you love but one day you'll be able to see them again."

"It's funny though… I never saw your dad here…"

"Me either, he would tell me that you don't have to see something to believe it. Maybe his Wonderland is different from mine." Alice grabbed his hand and the two of them walked inside into the place.

Dinner was louder than usual as Sebastian and Aaron bickered about who would stand where on the battlefield tomorrow while Hatter started adding tiny shots of Vodka in his tea and began talking louder than usual. After dinner the group danced in the ballroom and drunk special wine from the white grapes the Queen was growing. The bunny children were finally settling in with the group and hung around Mary Beth and the Queen, letting them spin them around and dance.

"I'll miss that damn rabbit." Nicolas said hoisting his cup to Hatter.

"Aye, we'll miss him and mouse. Godfred said she died trying to help a few of his friends escape who were rebels against Ragnarok." Hatter raised his cup as well and drunk the whole liquid down in one gulp.

"Iiiiii heard sssssshe put up a nasssssty fight agaiiiinssssst him. He killed her himsssself." Absolem replied as he took a puff of smoke and blew smoke rings towards the open window.

"Less our rebellion against him be stronger than his damn fear tactic."

The room went dark as Nicolas poured himself another glass of wine. The fireplace blew up in flames as Ragnarok's face took shape in the fire.

"Get away you blessed fool!" Hatter shouted.

"I'm here to make another deal that could save thousands of lives, Hatter." Raganrok announced. "This deal is to Alice, the little brat who managed to escape from me yet again." Alice stood up from her chair and walked over to stand in front of the fireplace. "Ah there she is, I'll make this short. You never belonged in Wonderland since you first fell down that rabbit hole and never will even if I fail to win. I'm here to give you a choice of two fates. One, you can stay here forever but you'll die in reality and just like your father you'll meet the undying fate you never wished you had or two, I'll let you go without a scratch back to the real world… and I'll make Sebastian real."

The room stood silent as they stared at Alice.

"What do you mean real?" Alice asked him. Ragnarok chuckled. "I mean exactly what I say, Alice. This place is only just a mere dream to you that won't let you wake up because you're afraid. Sebastian, Hatter, everyone is just a mere figment of your imagination, I however can changed that by letting Sebastian come to life on the other side, in your world. You only have to leave Wonderland and never return to it again. I'll let little Sebastian go with you and you have your happily ever after but the world of Wonderland will be sealed away forever. It seems fair doesn't it since you're only staying for him."

Alice looked at Hatter who was staring at her coldly. "No, I'm not here for just Sebastian, I'm here for everyone who is fighting against you, Ragnarok. This place is my home away from home, I can't leave it behind."

"Well then let's look at the first option-"

"I'm not making a deal with you. You kill anyone who gets in your path, I'm someone in your path. I know how deals work. You'll find a loophole in this agreement and use it against me and kill me to get what you want." Alice walked over to the fireplace and tossed the water in her glass on the blazing fire.

"Foolish girl! You'll pay for what you did to Wonderland. I'll kill you; I'll kill all of you!" Ragnarok screamed before the fires burned out and only smoke was left. The bells struck midnight as everyone caught their breath and sighed reliefs as they pat Alice on the back and made their way out of the room into bed.

"I suggest we rise early for tomorrow, Ragnarok must be defeated in any way possible." The White Queen said to the four teenagers before she walked out with the bunny children.

"We have all the pieces of the spell?" Mary Beth asked them. Aaron and Sebastian nodded. "He'll be stronger than ever tomorrow because the moon will be full and all evil spirits are stronger during these nights. My advice… let's all work together, even if we don't possess a magical talent." Mary Beth looked over at Alice and smiled sweetly. "Let's be reminded that good conquers evil." She left with Aaron alongside her, leaving behind Sebastian and Alice. They were silent as they walked up the stairs into their room where a few maids cleaned the room and tossed away Sebastian's rejected plots that were on the ground. Sebastian pulled off his shirt and pants and flopped on the bed.

"You… you rejected his offer."

Alice looked over at him and frowned. "You would too if you were in my shoes."

"No… if I had the choice to bring you to life I would've taken it."

"Sebastian… He doesn't have the power to do that. He can't physically make you what I am."

"He's got enough power to uplift a thousand year old demon! Why the hell can't he make me real?"

"Because you can't physically create someone when they were never born!" Alice shouted.

"You had the chance to leave all of this behind and still have me."

"I don't want to leave anyone behind! My father left us behind to live in his little fantasy and I don't want to make the same mistake he did. We're going to end this together."

"After all of this is over with you're going back home and we'll end up back where we started; forgotten and dead to you." Sebastian snarled before he laid on his side away from her. She was silent for what seemed like hours as she looked at Sebastian; the feeling inside her chest was upsetting her with each moment of silence.

"I don't trust him, Sebastian. I don't want to risk losing you after all of this."

"You'll be losing me either way." He whispered. Alice laid down next to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you too much to let you go. I wish I could never leave this place and everything here was real."

"Then stay, Alice… Don't leave me."

The two of them laid there holding each other for the rest of the night hoping tomorrow will never come and everything around them froze in time so they could be together forever.

"Is everything all ready for tomorrow?" Ragnarok asked his newest assistance, Claudia, a woman with unusual green sparkly skin, her hands made of vines and eyes black as night. Her hair was made of green leaves that wrapped around her shoulders and back; in all she was a walking, talking vine plant.

"Preparation is complete, your Highness." She smiled as she handed him a glass of wine.

"You know… I like you. You're much better than that idiot rabbit."

"Thank you, sir."

"Shame we had to kill him though, he would've made great bait for my idiot soon to be stepson." Ragnarok said before taking a gulp of wine, draining the glass completely. "This war won't last long, our forces are much too strong."

"The only allies they have are the fairies and the flower people."

"Exactly, Claudia. That and I have darkness on my side." He said petting his horse that stood beside him. Claudia looked at the creature uneasy, her eyes avoiding any contact with his. "Careful he loves fear for dinner." He stroke the horse's neck and chuckled. "Actually, he hasn't eaten yet, what's the best thing for darkness to eat before a very important battle?"

"Um… blood?"

"Very good, Claudia. Go fetch us some blood, kill one of the prisoners down in the cellar." Ragnarok said waving out Claudia. She moved quickly to avoid being dinner and shut the door behind her. "They killed the Jubjub and denied my request to grant her most valuable wish… interesting. She is indeed very smart and brave to deny something like this, I wonder if you put someone's life on the line will she do as I say." Ragnarok pondered out loud, his smile glittering on the wine glass. The horse snorted in response and tugged on the ribbon falling from his hat. "Yes I know we can't do that, but what if really make Sebastian alive on the other side? Make her see I really mean business?" Ragnarok got up from his chair and strolled over to a large black cauldron. "Quick fetch me something of Sebastian's and I need a bone of a human, specifically a rib, some blood, a dash of Sebastian's memories and… silver." The horse chortled and left him only to return within seconds with all the ingredients.

"Make one live while he can't breathe. Make one see when he is blind. Make one hear while he is deaf. Make the world colorful while he lives in black. Make the body walk and talk when he cannot." He dropped a piece of Sebastian's hair in the cauldron as he added other ingredients. The liquid inside turned to a beautiful red. Ragnarok spoke in tongue as he added the blood, and Sebastian's memories, the liquid turning white. "Lest thou see beauty while he thinks in black. Lest her dream of this while death stands near. Lest Sebastian be alive but broken inside." He cut his own hand and let his blood drip into the liquid before he tossed a silver ring in. The liquid glowed and the two of them shut their eyes as light exploded around them. The windows shattered and the candles blew out as one soft tiny little glowing ball escaped from the cauldron and fluttered out the window. Ragnarok smiled and took the potion from the cauldron and safely stored it in small containers before locking the viles away in a cabinet labeled: New Life. For Ragnarok… the tables were about to turn to his favor now.