 
### Alister in Wonderland

GENDERBENT FAIRYTALES COLLECTION

Book 3

By KuroKoneko Kamen

Copyright 2018 by KuroKoneko Kamen

Cover Design by Leah Keeler

Smashwords Edition, License notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or give away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. All characters are invented. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

### Chapter 1:

Alister Kingsley wished that he was anywhere but where he currently was - inside of a posh art gallery that was having an exposition featuring his latest work. He still wasn't quite sure how his manager Mr. Adam Bailey had convinced him to come to this bloody thing.

For once, Alister had set aside his paint-covered smock and was looking presentable. He'd showered for over an hour to get the oil paint off his skin, and dressed in an expensive designer suit Mr. Bailey had bought him. Alister still didn't really get why he had to make an appearance at this thing.

Sure, he was a famous artist now, but it's not like he was a singer or actor. Why the bloody hell did his clients need to meet him in the flesh? They could buy his work and spend thousands just as easily if he wasn't there. Besides, his being there was just too _risky_.

There were way too many _women_ at the gallery.

And Alister was afraid - er - allergic to women. Didn't his manager Mr. Bailey understand the tough spot he'd put Alister in?

From beneath shyly lowered lashes, Alister observed the crowd of clients and art lovers that were milling about the gallery while admiring his artwork. The men were handsomely dressed in slick suits, and Alister was envious of how put together they looked. He was sure he looked silly in _his_ penguin suit.

Alister self-consciously ran his hands down over his jacket to remove nonexistent wrinkles. He'd choose his comfortable, old T-shirts, jeans, smock, and sneakers over an uncomfortable designer suit and dress shoes any day.

The women were dressed in glamorous gowns, luxurious furs, sparkling jewelry, and doused heavily in expensive perfume.

Furs...diamonds...perfume...

Alister shuddered. He could feel the walls closing in around him. His palms were becoming sweaty, and sweat beaded on his brow. His arms felt itchy, and his heart rate began to speed up. _Shit._ Alister realized he was close to having _another_ panic attack.

A soft, tortured groan slipped past his lips. He wished he could go home, crawl into bed, and stay buried under the covers for a week.

What part about being an anti-social, eccentric, woman-fearing artist did Mr. Bailey _not_ understand? He shouldn't be there...

Among people.

Among _women_.

Another uncomfortable shudder traveled through his body and he rubbed his arms. He grabbed a glass of bubbling champagne from a passing server's tray and gulped it back. Maybe if he got drunk enough it would help to calm his nerves.

It was moments like this that made Alister regret that he'd become so famous for his fanciful paintings of a land that only existed inside of his imagination and his dreams: Wonderland.

The paintings depicted different surreal locations in Wonderland such as the Mushroom Grove with its over-sized, spotted mushrooms that came in a rainbow of colors, Hedge Maze that defied gravity and logic by swooping up towards the sky, and the Dark Forest that was only illuminated by bioluminescent plants and organisms.

Alister's paintings were also filled with fun, nonsensical things like: animals wearing Victorian-style and Steampunk clothes, and that stood on their hind legs, mythological creatures from fairytale stories, and flowers and trees that had faces since they could talk and sing.

Some of the paintings included Wonderland's eccentric _human_ denizens. One example was the King of Hearts a.k.a the Red King. In one of the paintings of the Red King an enormous white castle with turrets that had red roofs and heart-shaped decorations could be seen in the background.

And then, there were Alister's paintings of _her_.

The only woman he wasn't afraid of because she didn't exist.

_She_ wasn't real.

Madeline Hatter a.k.a the Mad Hatter.

Alister turned to face an enormous painting that he'd painted featuring a 'Mad Tea Party'. On the front lawn outside of a hat-shaped cottage a long dining table had been set up for tea. Even though there were only three beings seated at the table, each spot at the table had a place setting consisting of: a frilly placemat, porcelain teacup, saucer, and silver spoon.

There were multiple porcelain teapots available on the table that came in all shapes and sizes, and some teapots even had more than one spout. One of the teapots was floating in midair while pouring tea by itself into an empty cup. Bread-and-butterflies hovered around the table waiting for someone to reach out and grab them before dunking them into their tea.

Madeline was seated at the table along with her two closest female friends: the March Hare and the Dormouse. The March Hare had styled her purple hair into a punky mohawk, and was wearing a _Steampunk_ , purple vest with the pattern of gold pocket watches on it. The Dormouse had adorable, overly large ears, and pink fur covered with purple polka dots.

Alister's gaze focused on Madeline. She was beautiful. And of course she was. Alister had made her that way.

Madeline Hatter had long, curly hair - the color of tangerines. Her eyes glittered like two emeralds. She was wearing a purple, velvet, Victorian-style tailcoat with a green lining, a green, orange and black corset with the pattern of diamonds on it, a pair of tight, purple, leather pants, and a pair of lace-up, black, leather knee boots. A purple top hat sat on her head with a green ribbon tied around its base into a large bow. There was a sword strapped to her side that was partially obscured from view by the table.

Alister never painted Madeline in frilly, girlie dresses. He didn't imagine her to be that way. In his imagination, Madeline was a bit of a tomboy. She was strong, brave, and slightly mad. Her madness tended to make her fearless and reckless. Madeline was always very sure of herself.

_Brave_. So unlike his _cowardly_ self.

In Alister's daydreams, he pictured the Red King being in love with Madeline, and imagined that she rebuffed all of his advances. The thought made him smirk slightly. She was too good for the King of Hearts. She'd never submit to him, or anyone. She was a free spirit, and a fierce swordswoman.

Filled with longing, Alister unconsciously reached his hand out towards Madeline. It'd be nice if he could just pass right through the painting into Wonderland. His brave Madeline would protect him from his clingy female clients that were currently eyeing him like a piece of meat. He gulped and refocused his attention on Madeline.

And she winked at him.

_Wait...what?_ Alister rubbed his blue eyes, and then narrowed them at the tea party painting in a scrutinizing way. A hand on his shoulder had him jumping a foot in the air. "Ack!"

"Alister," a familiar, deep male voice said in a slightly chiding tone.

Alister spun to face his manager Mr. Bailey with a hand pressed over his frantically beating heart. "Mr. Bailey, what the bloody hell?"

Mr. Bailey's expression turned chagrined. "I'm sorry I startled you, Alister." An amused smirk curled Adam's lips next. "But, your best client, Miss Cameo Stone wishes to meet you. Desperately."

Alister frowned. "I thought I already made myself clear that I'm _not_ good around women." He folded his arms in front of his chest, and tried to stare down his manager, which was hard to do since Mr. Bailey was a couple inches taller than Alister at six-five.

"And I think you can make an exception this time since Miss Stone just paid forty thousand dollars for that tea party painting you can't seem to stop staring at," Mr. Bailey said with raised eyebrows.

Alister winced and let out a defeated sigh. Mr. Bailey nodded in Cameo's direction. Alister followed his line of sight to see what his best client looked like. He had to bite down on his lower lip to stop a despairing groan from slipping past his lips. _Great, just great._ She was the _worst_ type of middle-aged woman to deal with - one wearing clothes that didn't suit her age.

Cameo was wearing a black and white tube dress, a black mink shawl, black stilettos, and diamond jewelry.

Alister was eighteen-years-old, and Cameo was probably somewhere in her early forties. Alister's lips thinned into a grim line. She was a total cougar.

Fur...diamonds...perfume...

_Deep breathes, Alister. Deep breathes._ "Alright, fine. I'll give her five minutes," Alister grumbled in a reluctant manner.

Mr. Bailey whacked Alister amiably on the back. "That's the spirit, Kid!"

Alister stumbled forward a few steps and shot an irritated glare over his shoulder at his manager before heading over towards Miss Stone. Once he was a couple of feet away from her he cleared his throat and started to shyly introduce himself. "Hi, I'm-"

Cameo's attention immediately locked onto Alister and she interrupted him. "Oh, I know who you are, Darling. You're the famous artist Alister Kingsley, and the man who painted that absolutely lovely tea party painting that I just paid a pretty penny for."

Alister immediately felt guilty about how much Cameo had paid for the painting. It was his manager Mr. Bailey who always decided how much Alister's paintings would sell for though. Even though Alister always thought the prices were too high, Mr. Bailey had repeatedly explained to Alister that the prices were reasonable for someone as famous as he'd become. "I could ask my manager to give you a discount, if you'd like."

Cameo threw her head back and cackled loudly. A few people shot her questioning and slightly worried looks. "A discount?" Cameo arched an eyebrow at Alister. "Do I _look_ like I need a discount? Besides, your painting is worthy every penny. Your paintings are the perfect...how shall I put this? Escape from reality. And let's face it, Darling, reality sucks."

Alister offered her a crooked smile. Finally, something he could agree on. "Yeah."

Cameo smiled sharply at the artist. "Although, perhaps, with the right... _companionship_ reality could be more bearable. More... _fun_." She reached out and placed a hand on Alister's arm in a flirty manner.

Alister shuddered in disgust and revulsion at her touch. It took all of his self-control not to slap her hand away. "I'm not sure what you mean, Miss Stone." Alister gulped and glanced around nervously.

Cameo squeezed his bicep. "Surely, you know _exactly_ what I'm saying, Darling."

Out of the corner of his eye a flash of white caught Alister's attention. _What the hell? A rabbit?_ "Did you just see that?"

"See what, Darling?" Cameo drawled in her smoky voice.

"I think it was a rabbit," Alister started to explain in an airy tone. "I wonder how it got inside the gallery."

Cameo scowled in displeasure. "A rabbit? Nasty little pests. It must have wandered inside from the garden. I usually sic my dogs on any rodents I see in _my_ garden."

"I think it was wearing a dress..." Alister trailed off thoughtfully.

"A dress?" Cameo cackled in amusement. "You mean, like from one of your impossible paintings? You must have spotted a rabbit in clothes from one of your own paintings, Silly Boy."

Alister shrugged carelessly. "Maybe. I guess."

"Now, where were we? Ah, yes..." Cameo started to stroke his arm. "I was just inviting you out for a drink, and you were just about to say 'yes'."

"I...er..." Alister's eyes darted nervously around the gallery and then he spotted the White Rabbit again. His eyes widened when the rabbit held up a pocket watch, pointed at its face, and gave Alister a disgruntled look before running off.

"I...I'm sorry, Miss Stone, but I really need to go! My Muse is suddenly calling me!" Alister started off and made his way over to a closet where he'd stored some of his art supplies for just such an occasion. He grabbed a blank canvas, his portable paint set, and his favorite paintbrush before taking off in the direction he'd seen the rabbit go.

Once Alister entered the hallway outside of the gallery he spotted the rabbit again at the other end of the hall. As soon as the rabbit saw that Alister had followed her she took off around the corner.

"Hey! Wait!" Alister called after the White Rabbit as he took off, running after it down the hall. "Hold still so I can paint you!" He was soon exiting the gallery building and entered the garden beyond.

The rabbit sped through the garden, only pausing for a moment to check her pocket watch again. The rabbit tsked, and shook her head in a disapproving manner. "We're late. We might not make it in time. Oh dear, oh dear! She'll have to marry _him_ if we're too late!"

Alister took this opportunity to start his painting of the White Rabbit. She was dressed in a lacey, white and blue, Victorian-style dress with a bell skirt and puffed sleeves. Alister noticed that the rabbit was even wearing a pair of tiny, white, lace gloves, and smiled goofily. "How curious."

The rabbit didn't stand still for long, however, and took off running again through the garden until she ran into the nearby forest. Alister didn't hesitate to follow the rabbit into the pine trees, and that's when the rabbit suddenly disappeared from sight behind a tree. "Oh, no you don't! You won't get away that easily!" Alister called out.

When Alister rounded the tree a gigantic rabbit hole appeared from out of nowhere beneath his feet. Alister windmilled his arms desperately as he tried not to fall into the hole, but he'd been running so fast it was hard to halt his forward momentum. "What kind of rabbit hole is _that_ big?" Alister complained as he gawked down at the hole in shock.

Alister let out a very undignified squawk as he ended up falling forward and right into the hole. Alister screamed in terror as he plummeted down through the dirt tunnel. Abruptly, Alister's speed began to slow, and he stopped screaming. This whole bizarre experience suddenly seemed oddly familiar to Alister somehow, and that helped to calm his nerves.

Alister glanced around the dirt tunnel with great curiosity as he fell at the unnaturally slow speed. This was definitely no _ordinary_ rabbit hole. Framed paintings ( _was that a Van Gogh?!_ ), antique mantle clocks, cuckoo clocks, and mirrors with gilded frames decorated the dirt walls.

Alister also passed floating furniture on his way down, and narrowly missed knocking into a piano that was playing all by itself. He wasn't so lucky with avoiding a rocking chair, and landed right in it. But, the chair tipped back so much that Alister fell right out of the chair the next second.

Alister spotted a shelf lined with labeled glass jars, and unconsciously licked his lips when he spotted a jar of orange marmalade. His favorite. He reached out and miraculously managed to grab the jar. Sadly, the jar was empty, and Alister carefully set the jar down on a random shelf he passed as he continued falling.

Alister pouted and lamented his inability to stop his descent when he spotted a gray, stone fireplace with a blazing fire in its hearth that would have been a nice painting opportunity.

Alister's fall was abruptly halted when his feet ended up touching glass. He looked down at his feet, narrowed his eyes, and saw a room directly below him. He realized he was standing on top of a glass dome ceiling. Suddenly, cracks began to appear in the glass beneath Alister's feet.

"Oh shit!" Alister ran for the dirt wall, but he wasn't fast enough. The glass broke beneath his feet, and he fell down into the room.

The air was knocked out of Alister's lungs as he landed with a hard thud on a black and white checkered marble floor. "Oof!"

With trembling arms, Alister pushed himself up off the floor while being mindful not to cut his hands on the broken glass that was scattered around him. He looked up just in time to see the White Rabbit open a tiny door, exit into what appeared to be another garden, and shut the door behind her.

"Hey! Wait! I just want to paint a quick portrait of you, White Rabbit!" Alister ran over and crouched down in front of the 15-inch high door. He tried the tiny, golden doorknob, but the door was locked. "Shit."

Alister straightened, glanced around the room, and spotted a small, golden key sitting on a three-legged, glass table. Alister blinked and rubbed his eyes at the sight of it. He didn't remember that table being there before. Alister walked over to the table, picked up the key and inspected it. "Well, even if this key works to open the door there's no way I'll be able to fit through," Alister complained aloud to himself, and his shoulders slumped in disappointment. He really hated it when he let a good painting opportunity slip though his fingers.

"You'll fit _if_ you're the right size," a sultry female voice declared.

Alister spun around, and his eyes darted around the room fearfully. "W-Who said that?" He frowned when no one appeared to be inside the room with him.

"I did," said the same purring voice.

"And who is 'I'?" Alister questioned.

"I...am myself," the voice continued in an airy manner.

"But..." Alister let out a frustrated huff. "Oh, never mind."

"If you drink the magical potion that's on the table you'll be able to pass through the door," the female voice told Alister helpfully.

"What potion?" Alister glanced at the glass table again, and this time sitting on its surface was a tiny, blue glass bottle that definitely hadn't been there before. "The hell?" Alister walked over and picked up the bottle. A large tag had been tied around the bottle's neck that read: 'DRINK ME'. Alister's eyebrow twitched. "Well, it's not marked poison, but I'm still not stupid enough to drink from a bottle just because it says 'DRINK ME'. That's a good way to end up drugged, and in a bad porno film." Alister shuddered at the unsettling thought.

The sound of giddy laughter filled the air. "It's _not_ a drug. It's a shrinking potion. I promise it won't harm you."

"Oh, and I'm supposed to trust a _disembodied voice_?" Alister asked with a flippant wave of his hand.

"Would you trust a _non-disembodied_ one?" the female voice purred.

Alister thought about it for a moment and shrugged carelessly. "I suppose."

The first thing to appear out of thin air was a pair of lips painted with purple lipstick. The lips curled into a smile that widened until it was a toothy grin. The smiling lips hovered eerily in the air for a minute before the rest of the woman's body slowly started to appear.

The woman had stunning, golden eyes with slit pupils, long, silky, purple hair, and tanned, golden-hued skin. She was wearing a frilly, purple _Gothic Lolita_ style dress with the pattern of pink hearts on it, black and white striped stockings, and shiny, patent leather shoes. There was a thick, silver collar around the woman's neck engraved with runes. The mysterious woman was floating in midair in a lazy, reclined position as if she were relaxing on a French settee.

"A woman!" Alister instantly began to panic, and took a step back. That's when two furry, purple cat ears appeared on the top of the woman's head, followed by a purple and pink striped tail that started to swish back and forth behind her. "No. Wait. A cat? A cat-woman? What _are_ you?" Alister gave the cat-woman a wary look.

A dark shadow flickered over the cat-woman's face, but it was gone so fast that Alister was sure he'd imagined it. "My race is known as the Cheshire Cat People. We are half-human half-cat. Demi-humans. We're also known as being shifters. We can shift fully into cats. _Big_ cats." She smirked and there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"So...you're _not_ human," Alister questioned.

"Not entirely." The cat-woman shook her head. "No."

"Well, that's...good." Alister offered her a bright smile. "I might actually be able to trust you then. I happen to dislike humans."

The cat-woman's expression brightened considerably. "Is that so? Oh, dear, where are my manners. I haven't even introduced myself properly. My name is Katrina."

"I'm Alister Kingsley."

" _The_ Alister Kingsley?" A keen glint came to Katrina's glowing golden eyes. " _The_ Artist?"

Alister gave her a quizzical look and tilted his head slightly. "Yes. I _think_ so."

"You don't sound very sure," Katrina pointed out, looking amused. This young man was fun to tease. "Anyways, Alister, if you drink that potion you'll become the right size to be able to pass through the door."

"Okay," Alister said, popping the cork off the bottle and taking a swig.

"Wait! Don't forget the-" Katrina slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned. "Bugger..."

Alister rapidly began to shrink in size until he was the perfect size to fit through the door. Katrina had been right. He quickly ran over to the door, grabbed the doorknob, and tried to turn it. Alister flushed in embarrassment when he realized he'd forgotten the key. Oops. "Uh...Katrina." Alister looked up at the now enormous, floating cat-woman, and gave her a sheepish look. "Think you could do me a huge favor and bring me the key?"

"Sorry. No can do." Katrina shook her head sadly even though she was still smiling. "My orders were quite clear. I can't interfere with what you do. Only observe."

Alister frowned. "Orders?"

Katrina tapped her chin in thought. "Although, I _can_ advise you on how you can get the key. You see that cake sitting on the floor over there?"

"What cake?" Alister looked around and spotted a plate with a square-shaped piece of cake on it. He was pretty sure that cake hadn't been sitting there before. It was just like... _magic_.

Alister walked over to the cake and peered down at it. It was decorated with icing that read: 'EAT ME'. "Curiouser and curiouser..." Alister's eye twitched again. "What is up with this crazy place and strange food and drink?"

Katrina let out a thoughtful hum. "It would only be strange if you were in a realm where it didn't matter if you were the proper size as the occasion called for it."

"The proper size?" Alister shook his head in bewilderment. "I'm guessing if I eat this, I'll get big, right?"

"Well, yes, but be careful not to-" Katrina was saying.

Alister took a large bite and his body began to grow at a rapid rate. So rapid, in fact, that in seconds his head was pressing uncomfortably against the glass domed ceiling. "Ow."

"Eat too much," Katrina sighed, and shook her head. "You would think you would remember all this from all those other times," she muttered the last to herself.

Alister frowned as he caught a small part of what she'd said. "What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," Katrina said in a singsong voice. "Now, pick up the key and the potion this time. Then take a small sip of the potion to shrink yourself again."

"Got it." Alister grabbed the key, and carefully pocketed it. Then he picked up the potion bottle and took a sip. He started to shrink until he was only ten-inches-tall, and the perfect size to get through the fifteen-inch-high door.

Unable to contain his excitement, Alister ran over to the door, fished out the key, and quickly used it to open the door. Alister peered through the doorway into a lovely garden that was sure to provide him with lots of wonderful painting opportunities.

Alister was just about to step through the doorway when he remembered about Katrina, and he turned around. "Are you coming too?" He gave the cat-woman a hopeful look. The idea of being alone in such a strange place unnerved him.

A flash of surprise flickered across Katrina's face, but then her expression became unreadable. "I'm afraid I can't."

Alister's shoulders sagged in obvious disappointment. "Oh, well, thank you for all your help, Katrina. I really appreciate it." He offered her a tremulous smile.

Katrina's grin widened until Alister was able to see her pointed incisors. "You're very welcome, Alister."

Alister took a deep breath to steel his nerves before crossing the threshold and entering the garden. He jumped when he heard the door shut and lock behind him all on its own. "Curiouser and curiouser."

***

Once the door closed behind Alister, sadness and guilt swam in Katrina's golden eyes. She hoped Alister would be alright, but knew that it would be dangerous to let her treasonous emotions show on her face so quickly schooled her expression back into a more neutral one. Then Katrina floated over to peer into a six-foot-tall mirror with a golden frame. "King of Hearts. King of Hearts. King of Hearts."

The silvery surface of the mirror rippled for a moment before it stilled to reveal a spacious throne room. Seated upon a high-backed, gold and red throne was the King of Hearts a.k.a the Red King, Crimson.

As soon as Katrina's gaze landed on Crimson her eyes _literally_ turned into two pink hearts. The King of Hearts was _very_ handsome, or at least Katrina thought so. He had chiseled, regal facial features including a square chin and a Roman nose. His skin was so pale that it reminded Katrina of white marble. Sitting on top of his short black hair was a golden crown decorated with glittering rubies that had been carved into the shape of hearts.

Crim was wearing a black, Victorian-style suit with the pattern of red hearts on it along with a red cravat. Sitting on his broad shoulders was a floor-length, red, velvet cape with a black and white fur trim. There was a haughty, dangerous air about Crim as he reclined languidly on his throne.

He reminded Katrina of a panther waiting to pounce on its next target. A pleasurable shiver raced up her spine at the thought. "Your Majesty-" Katrina began.

Crim waved his hand impatiently through the air. "Report."

Katrina gulped. Crim's dark, brooding eyes always seemed to be able to see straight through her, so she didn't dare lie. "It is as you suspected, Your Majesty. Madeline sent the White Rabbit to bring Alister here to our realm. If he signs the magical contract before sunset he will become a contender in the tournament."

Crim's pale face slowly began to turn red out of fury. "So, Alister Kingsley is here in Wonderland, and he thinks he can challenge me?" Crim ground his back molars in irritation. "Well, we'll just have to make sure Alister is _eternally_ late for tea with Madeline." A cruel, twisted smile spread across the King of Heart's face. He gave Katrina an expectant look. "Which door did he pass through, Katrina?"

Katrina nibbled on her lower lip as she hesitated to respond.

A vein at Crim's temple throbbed in response. "I _order_ you to tell me where he went, Katrina!" the Red King growled impatiently.

Even though Crim had just given her a direct order Katrina _still_ hesitated. Consequently, the magical control collar that she wore around her neck sent thousands of volts of electricity coursing into her body as it punished her for her disobedience. Katrina cried out and fell to the marble floor where she writhed in pain.

Crim watched the Cheshire Cat slave twitching in pain on the floor with a dispassionate look on his face. His expression turned irritated after a few minutes, however, and he waved his hand through the air. "Enough."

The control collar immediately stopped shocking Katrina. She looked up at Crim, and her expression wasn't what one might expect from someone who'd just been tortured. Instead, Katrina's eyes were glazed and hooded with lust, she was panting for breath, and there was a wide smile on her face. "Oh, yes, please punish me more, my King!"

Crim rolled his eyes at her unseemly behavior and sighed. "You damned, masochistic cat. Tell me where Alister went or else..." Crim wracked his brain for an appropriate threat. Torturing Katrina never quite worked out the way he hoped. A sly smile curled his lips when an idea came to him. "I will _never_ punish you again."

Katrina pouted up at Crim. "Oh, alright, you win. Alister went through the fifteen-inch-high door into the garden of talking flowers."

Crim grimaced. "Ah, yes, the White King's garden. Unlike that idiot, I prefer my flowers and trees to be silent as the grave. The White King is even worse than _you_ , Katrina. He has these plants that tie him up with their vines. For _fun_." Crim sneered, his lip curling in disgust as he recalled the plants that protected the garden.

But then, a cunning glint came to the King of Heart's coal-black eyes. "Perhaps, it's not such a bad thing Alister chose to enter that particular garden. If I'm lucky those flesh-eating plants will finish him off for me." A dark chuckle slipped past Crim's lips at the savage thought, and he smiled sharply at Katrina. "Well done, Katrina."

Katrina blinked at Crim in surprise and blushed prettily. "Thank you, My Love."

Crim's dark eyes flashed red for a moment. "That's 'Your Majesty'! _Constrict!_ " The King of Hearts clenched his hand into a fist as he used one of the command spells on the magical collar around her neck to punish her audacious behavior.

The control collar began to constrict around Katrina's neck like a snake. "Ahhh..oooo!" The Cheshire Cat slave's cry of pain swiftly turned into a moan of pleasure.

The Red King rolled his eyes at her depraved display, and let out a heavy sigh. After a few minutes of torturing Katrina he grew bored, and waved his hand through the air to stop the command spell. "Enough!" He let out another sigh. "It's so hard to find good help these days. Tweedledee. Tweedledum!" Crim called out as a sudden wicked idea came to him.

From out of the shadows appeared two young human girls, who had nearly identical appearances. The girl standing to Crim's right had a short bob of black hair, and was wearing a black, _Gothic Lolita_ style dress with the pattern of red hearts on it. Her left eye had a red heart painted around it.

The girl standing to Crim's left had a short bob of red hair, and was wearing a red version of the other girl's dress with black hearts on it. The redhead had a black teardrop painted beneath her left eye shaped like a heart. Both girls were wearing mini top hats on the sides of their head, black and red striped stockings, and shiny, black, patent leather shoes.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee were both only twelve-years old, and resembled two adorable porcelain dolls. What ruined their innocent appearance, however, were the giant battleaxes they held in their hands. The girls curtsied before the King of Hearts simultaneously, and spoke at the exact same time: "Your Majesty, how may I serve you?"

A smile filled with malice spread across Crim's face at the sight of them. "Tweedledum, Tweedledee, I have a job for you, my beloved executioners."

Tweedledee and Tweedledum shared a pleased look before wide, maniac smiles spread across their faces. "Oh, do tell, Your Majesty."

"Alister Kingsley has returned to Wonderland," Crim announced in a scathing voice. "In the _flesh_."

Tweedledee and Tweedledum instantly grew excited. "Why has he come here?"

"He's here to prevent me from getting what is rightfully mine!" the Red King snapped hotly and then took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. "That's why I want you two to execute him for me. This is an order. Off with his head!"

The bloodthirsty smiles on the twins' faces only widened at the command. "We shall not fail you, Your Majesty," Tweedledee said. "You can count on us."

"We will-" Tweedledum began.

"Bring you his head on a silver platter," Tweedledee finished.

Crim steepled his fingers before him on his lap and drummed his fingertips together. "Excellent."

Katrina watched the proceedings while on the other side of the mirror with a worried look on her face. "Alister...no..." she murmured softly to herself.

***

Meanwhile, Alister was walking through the White King's garden with a slightly awed expression on his face. He couldn't decide what to keep his eyes on, or what he should paint first. He saw dragonflies zipping through the air, and did a double take when he realized they weren't _ordinary_ dragonflies at all, but instead resembled miniature fire-breathing dragons, only with translucent, insect-like wings. "Ooo."

Alister whipped out his paintbrush and started to add a dragonfly next to the White Rabbit's head. A minute later, Alister spotted a rocking-horsefly that resembled a miniature toy rocking horse with translucent, insect-like wings, and had to paint it next. "Ooo!"

"There are so many great painting opportunities in this place," Alister muttered to himself in a giddy manner as he painted. "So many incredible, impossible things." He took a mental pause when he realized that this place and these things all seemed oddly familiar to him somehow. When he couldn't figure out why, he shrugged carelessly, and continued to paint while humming happily to himself.

Once Alister was finished adding the dragonfly and rocking-horsefly to his portrait of the White Rabbit (although he didn't paint their eyes) he decided to continue his way down the cobbled path, which he figured the White Rabbit must have taken.

"Look who it is." "Who is it?" "Why, it's Alister, of course." "He doesn't _look_ like Alister." Several small voices reached Alister's ears.

Alister spun around and eyed his surroundings warily. "W-Who said that?" There was an obvious tremor of fear to his voice.

"We did," a large, red rose said in an imperious tone as it leaned in Alister's direction in such a way that it towered over him.

Alister gawked up at the rose that was bigger than he was at his current size of 10-inches tall. That's when he realized that the flowers currently surrounding him didn't have _normal_ appearances. Their flowery heads appeared to have faces on them, and they could apparently talk. "Talking flowers...how curious," Alister muttered to himself.

"Are you Alister?" a yellow daffodil asked intently with a toot.

"Uh, yeah...I'm Alister Kingsley," Alister said, rubbing the back of his neck in an awkward gesture.

" _The_ Artist?" a dandelion with a head that resembled a lion asked.

"Well, I am _an_ artist," Alister corrected.

"He sounds unsure," a violet declared in a snooty manner. "Maybe he's not the _real_ Alister."

"Salome would know," the daffodil said in a matter-of-fact tone with another toot.

Alister became distracted when he spotted a majestic, white gardenia. "Ooo, My Fair Lady, you must allow me to paint you!"

The gardenia blushed prettily. "If you wish, Sir."

Alister offered the gardenia a charming smile. "Thanks!" Alister quickly set up his canvas and began to paint the talking flowers next. A good portrait always needed a good background after all, or else it would be boring to the eye. Alister even painted the flowers' faces, but made sure not to finish their eyes.

Alister _never_ finished his paintings of living creatures because...

_Why was that again?_ Alister scratched his head in bewilderment. A chill of unease crawled up his spine when he tried harder to remember. He knew something _bad_ would happen if he actually _finished_ his paintings though. It was a gut feeling.

Alister shook his head of such morbid thoughts, and continued to happily paint the talking flowers, until-

A vine wrapped around his ankle and tugged backwards. "Ack!" Alister ended up flat on his face in the dirt. Then he was being dragged backwards through the grass. "What the hell? Hey! Let go of me! Bollocks!" Alister stuck his paintbrush inside his inner jacket pocket, and then tried to pry the vines off his legs in an attempt to free himself.

Alister was dragged back through the grass at top speed until he spotted the plant that had a hold of him, and his blue eyes flared in alarm. "Oh, shit."

The flower resembled a Venus flytrap, but had tentacle-like vines that helped to capture and pull prey towards its open mouth. The plant had a feminine face and licked her lips as she spoke, "Mmm, a tasty looking morsel has wandered into the White King's garden without his permission. That means I get to eat you! Yay!"

The blood drained out of Alister's face at the plant's ominous words. "Help! Somebody, help me!" he yelled out, his voice tinged with desperation.

As the tentacle vines continued to wrap around Alister's body and drag him towards the plant's mouth the vines started to touch places they had no right to be touching. "Hey! Watch where you're touching, you perverted plant!" Alister complained with flushed cheeks.

"Never fear...help is here!" a gallant male voice declared that was followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Footsteps that sounded like they were coming from a giant and that made the ground beneath Alister tremble. Alister gulped nervously. He _really_ didn't want to get stepped on since he was currently only 10-inches tall.

A six-foot tall man approached Alister and reached down to take a hold of the vines. "Unhand that poor boy this instant, you naughty plant!"

"But, he looks so tasty," the plant whined petulantly. The man flicked his index finger and thumb against the top of the plant's head. "Ow! Okay, geez, I'll let him go, Your Majesty," the plant reluctantly agreed.

The vines released Alister's body, and as soon as he was free he scrambled to his feet. Alister turned to face his savior and had to crane his neck up painfully in order to get a good look at the man.

Alister's rescuer was dressed in a white, Victorian-style suit with the pattern of green three-leaf clovers on it. Sitting on top of his short, snow-white hair was a silver crown decorated with sparkling emeralds that brought out the man's pale green eyes. It was the crown that made Alister realize that he was obviously in the presence of royalty. A sword was strapped to the man's side that had an ornate silver hilt.

Alister self-consciously dusted himself off. "Um, thank you, Your Majesty!" he said in his loudest voice.

The White King smirked cockily down at Alister. "Think nothing of it, Boy. It's all in a day's work for a heroic king!" He struck a dramatic pose.

Alister felt a trickle of sweat slide down the side of his face at the silly sight. "Uh, right." Alister squinted up at the King. "You know, you look strangely familiar. Have we met?"

The White King raised an eyebrow at the ten-inch-tall boy. "I don't think so. I've never met someone who looks like you." He crouched down and started to scrutinize Alister closely. A flash of recognition crossed his face a moment later. "Wait! Are you Alister?"

_Why does everyone act like they already know me in this place?_ Alister wondered to himself uneasily. "Yes. My name is Alister Kingsley."

"I see." The White King stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So, _The_ Artist has come to Wonderland." His happy-go-lucky expression turned serious. "My brother won't be too pleased about this. I suppose you're here to enter the tournament?"

"Tournament?" Alister asked in confusion.

The White King frowned down at Alister. "You're a little _slower_ than you used to be, aren't you? Really, I should kill you now and rid myself of a rival for _her_ hand. Right now I could simply pick you up and crush all the bones in your tiny body with my bare hand." He clenched his hand into a fist to stress his point.

Alister gulped, and started to tremble slightly.

The White King noticed Alister's distress, however, and decided to have mercy on the boy. "Fear not, Alister. That wouldn't be honorable. And I believe in a fair fight. I fight with honor! Lucky for you, I'm a _heroic_ king...unlike my _villainous_ brother. Now, _he_ would probably kill you on sight!" He chuckled lowly at the macabre thought.

There was a sinking feeling inside of Alister's chest and he rubbed it with his hand absentmindedly. "Yeah, lucky."

The White King gave Alister an expectant look. "Isn't there some place you should be going? You don't want to be late."

"Well, I was following the White Rabbit, but I lost sight of her-" Alister started to explain.

At that moment, the White Rabbit appeared in front of them, and held her pocket watch up at Alister. "You're late! You're _so_ very late! You _must_ hurry!" Then the rabbit took off running into the garden.

"Hey, wait!" Alister called after it. He gave the White King an apologetic look. "Sorry, but I gotta go!"

The White King smiled serenely. "The next time we meet, we'll both be contenders. May the best man win!"

Alister's brow furrowed in confusion. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but yeah, sure. Bye!" He waved at the White King before taking off after the White Rabbit.

The White King turned his attention to his plant. "Where were we, my lovely pet? Why don't we practice how to restrain trespassers properly?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," the plant eagerly purred before sending her vines whipping out in the White King's direction.

A masculine groan of erotic pleasure followed after Alister as he pursued the White Rabbit through the garden. Alister shook his head in wry amusement. "Do I even want to know?" Luckily, Alister stumbled upon his canvas and portable paint set, and was able to take his art supplies with him even as he continued to run after the rabbit. However-

The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps reached Alister's ears, and they sounded like they were coming from a giant again. The ground beneath Alister's feet trembled with such force that he stumbled forward and had trouble to remain standing. "What the hell?" Had the White King returned for some reason?

Emerging from the forest at the edge of the garden were two young girls that were both five-feet-tall. Unfortunately for Alister he was still ten-inches-tall, and so the two young girls towered over him in an intimidating fashion. At first, Alister thought he might not have anything to worry about since they were just kids.

But, normal kids...didn't have bloodthirsty grins spread across their faces or were holding wicked battleaxes in their hands.

The twins stepped into his path and blocked Alister's way to the White Rabbit.

Women were scary.

BIG women were absolutely terrifying!

Alister swallowed a lump of fear. _Oh, shit! I'm so dead._

"Hello Alister-" Tweedledee began in a singsong voice.

"Welcome back-" Tweedledum continued.

"To Wonderland." Tweedledee finished.

"Um, do I know you two?" Alister questioned in a tremulous voice.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum both frowned at each other before turning their attention back to Alister. "It appears as though-" Tweedledee started.

"He's forgotten us," Tweedledum continued.

"No matter," Tweedledee declared with a dismissive wave of her hand. "We're not here for old time's sake."

A wicked smile curled Tweedledum's lips. "We're here to decapitate you on the King's orders."

"No hard feelings," Tweedledee added with an apologetic look on her face.

"Decapitate?" Alister paled and rubbed his neck unconsciously with his hand. "But, _why_?" His voice cracked due to his frayed nerves. "I haven't done anything to this King of yours. I don't even know who the hell you're talking about!"

"You're here to get in the King's way-" Tweedledee accused hotly.

"And he won't have that," Tweedledum finished in a grim tone.

"I still don't know what you're talking about." Alister shook his head helplessly. "I'm _not_ here to get in anyone's way."

"You wouldn't be _here_ if that were true," Tweedledee argued with raised eyebrows.

"Hold still so I can chop off your head!" Tweedledum raised her axe and swung it at Alister without further ado.

"Eek!" Alister instinctively ducked down behind his canvas, using it as a makeshift shield, and the gleaming axe blade whished over him with such force that it caused his golden blonde hair to stir. The blade of the axe ended up slicing through the top of Alister's canvas. His eyes widened like saucers as he looked at his ruined canvas and stood up. "Bloody hell! You really just tried to kill me!" He decided to toss the ruined canvas and art supplies aside. He had the feeling he was about to make a run for it.

Tweedledum pouted at the lack of blood on her axe's blade. "I missed."

"My turn!" Tweeldedee declared in a voice laced with excitement. She placed both hands on the battleaxe's handle, leapt up into the air, and brought the axe down, ready to cleave Alister in two.

Alister jumped backwards, and Tweedledee's axe hit the ground in front of him, and with such force that clumps of dirt were sent flying up into the air and a small crater was left behind. Even though these girls appeared young they had incredible strength for some reason. "You two are crazy!" Alister complained breathlessly.

"No, we're not," Tweedledee started in a teasing tone and gave her twin an expectant look.

"We're mad!" Tweedledum finished with an insane giggle.

Alister took off running. _Shit, shit, shit!_ He was in a real pickle here. If all this was just a dream, now would be a really good time to wake up.

"Come back, Alister!" Tweedledee called after him.

"We promise to turn your head into a trophy," Tweedledum said.

"If that will make you feel better!" Tweedledee finished.

"It does _not_!" Alister snapped over his shoulder irritably, and continued to run for his life. The talking trees he was passing were enormous at his current height, and the forest seemed dark and foreboding to Alister. Tweedledee and Tweedledum were hot on his heels, and sadly didn't appear to want to give up pursuit any time soon.

Any time they got close enough they swung their axes at Alister and when they missed their axes sliced through talking flowers and trees without mercy. The flowers' and trees' cries of pain filled Alister's ears and he slapped his hands over his ears to block it out.

Alister swiftly ducked behind a tree in an effort to hide from the child assassins, and crouched down low. He was panting for breath and his heart was hammering inside of his chest a mile a minute. He felt close to a panic attack. Tears started to fill his eyes, making him feel even more pathetic. At this rate he was going to start hyperventilating. _I can't handle this nightmare._

Women were scary.

Women trying to decapitate him...were even worse!

Alister hugged his knees to his chest as his body started to tremble. His stomach clenched painfully due to his nerves, making him feel nauseous. "Someone, please, help me," Alister murmured softly as hot tears began to slide down his face.

"There he is!" Tweedledee declared gleefully. A second later an axe went flying into the tree's trunk and sliced the tree in half.

Alister stood up, wiped the tears from his eyes, and stared over the tree stump at Tweedledee and Tweedledum who were only a couple of feet away. Alister gulped and trembled as he awaited the next deadly swing from their axes. _I'm so dead._

"Use your paintbrush!" Katrina's sultry voice suddenly reached his ears.

"Katrina?" Alister looked around wildly. He was sure that he'd just heard Katrina's voice, but he didn't see her.

Katrina's mouth abruptly appeared, floating in front of him. "Hurry! Take out your brush!"

Alister reached into his inner jacket pocket, and pulled out his paintbrush. "Now what?"

"Use it!" Katrina snapped in an impatient manner. "Just paint something, Silly!"

Tweedledee charged forward with her axe raised. "Eek!" Alister waved his paintbrush wildly in her direction.

A rope that was tied around her ankles appeared from out of thin air, and Tweedledee tripped the moment she tried to take another step forward. "Ah!"

Tweedledum gawked at her fallen sister in disbelief. "Sister!" She shot a heated glare Alister's way. "Oh, you'll pay for that!" She charged forward with her axe raised high over her head.

"Quick! Draw a mud puddle on the ground!" Katrina instructed.

Alister did as he was told and drew a circle on the ground while envisioning it to be a mud puddle.

"Now, run!" Katrina snapped.

Alister turned around and ran. The circle Alister had drawn on the ground glowed with a golden light and turned into a real mud puddle.

Tweedledum's foot got stuck in the puddle, and she was unable to get it free. "Argh! What did you do? Get back here, Alister!"

Alister ran through the dark forest until his legs gave out and he collapsed to his knees.

"You need to keep going," Katrina chided. "Those traps won't keep them occupied forever."

"I...I can't..." Alister panted.

Katrina shifted into her cat form, and abruptly materialized in front of Alister. He took a moment to admire the otherworldly cat that had purple fur decorated with pink stripes. "Get on!" Katrina said with an air of impatience.

Alister used the last of his strength to climb up onto Katrina's back, gripped her fur with his hands as best he could, and then they were off, heading deeper into the forest.

To be continued in...Chapter 2:

### Chapter 2:

In the courtyard of the royal palace of the King of Hearts, the sound of a severed head dropping into a straw basket with a dull, wet thud could be heard.

The smile on Crim's face widened devilishly. Now he had a nice full basket of heads. "Well done, Executioner," Crim praised as he strolled over to the basket and picked it up by its handle. He glanced down at the basket full of heads thoughtfully. "Not a bad haul. There's nothing quite like a public execution to start your day on the right foot!"

The people whose heads he'd had chopped off that morning had committed various 'crimes' - one man had stolen one of the raspberry tarts Katrina had made especially for him. Another had made him lose his temper during a game of croquet by winning. Another happened to be the ex-royal gardener who'd thought it might be nice to add a little _color_ to his garden. _Color! Ha!_ Crim inwardly crowed.

Crim only wanted _one_ color of flower to be in his garden-

Red.

He certainly wasn't his fruity brother, the White King, Clover.

Crim let out a sigh. It really was so hard to find good help these days. Well, that still kept their 'free will' anyways. The next gardener he hired he should really just rip their heart out, and control the gardener's actions, just like how Crim controlled his loyal knights.

Then there were the Cheshire Cat slaves that had no choice but to be loyal and obedient because of the enchanted control collars around their necks. If they disobeyed a direct order from him, or any Royal in the Red Kingdom the collar would shock them and send thousands of volts of electricity coursing painfully through their veins.

Only Royals who possessed magic could use the extra command spells. One such spell was simply speaking the word ' _Constrict_ ', which would punish the slave by strangulation. Crim, of course, was able to use such command spells on his slaves because he possessed great magical power.

No...the Cheshire Cat People never defied him. It was his _human_ subjects that foolishly continued to try and defy him, and usually ended up with their head no longer attached to their shoulders.

This time, Crim hadn't had the executioner use an _enchanted_ axe, and so their heads would _remain_ off. Permanently. They were as dead as doornails. The thought made Crim's smile widen sadistically.

Crim strolled his way to the stables that housed his beloved monster pets - the Bandersnatch, the Jubjub bird, and the Jabberwocky. Crim entered the stables and made his way over to the Jabberwocky's stall, which was towards the back.

On his way, he passed the Bandersnatch's stall. Crim's Bandersnatch resembled a gigantic, wild boar with red fur that had black polka dots on it. Two glossy black horns curled out of the creature's head, giving it a slightly demonic appearance. The Bandersnatch's sharp, deadly tusks were more than a foot long.

The next stall Crim passed housed his Jubjub bird. The Jubjub bird resembled a vulture-like creature with its long neck. It was covered in beautiful red, orange and black feathers and had a black beak.

Finally, Crim reached the enormous and spacious stall that housed his beloved Jabberwocky. The Jabberwocky was a forty-foot-long, dragon-like creature with a long, serpentine neck. It had bat-like wings, sharp teeth, vicious claws, and was covered in glittering, ruby-red scales. The Jabberwocky had large, gold eyes with slit pupils. She was beautiful, and was Crim's favorite monster pet.

He'd had Katrina paint the Jabberwocky's black talons with red nail polish, and the nail job still looked great. Katrina may have been a lowly slave, but...she was pretty fearless when the occasion called for it. Not even the Tweedles had wanted to approach the Jabberwocky to paint her nails.

"There's my precious Jabberwocky," Crim cooed, using a 'baby voice'. "You're looking lovely and fearsome as usual. Have you grown?"

If someone overheard him talking like this...Crim would have to decapitate him or her. Crim only let his guard down and showed affection to his monster pets. Humans...were unworthy and undeserving of his affection.

"How are you doing, my precious? Are you hungry? I've brought you a real treat. Goodies. Yum-yums." Crim held up the basket full of heads so that the Jabberwocky could see it.

Jabberwocky's golden eyes glittered with interest, hunger, and appreciation. "Ooo those look yummy," Jabberwocky started in her deep, husky voice. "I'm absolutely famished, Your Majesty."

"Good. Here you go!" Crim tossed a head at Jabberwocky. She eagerly opened her maw, swallowed the head whole, and licked her lips. "Here have another!" Crim tossed her another head, which she quickly ate with a crunching sound.

Crim continued to feed the Jabberwocky until all the heads in the basket were gone. Afterwards, Crim pet his Jabberwocky in an affectionate manner, and scratched her under her chin, which caused her hind leg to start thumping against the ground. "Who's a good Jabberwocky? You are," Crim cooed happily.

"You're too kind, Your Majesty." Jabberwocky nuzzled her snout against Crim's hand in a loving manner.

Their 'bonding moment' was interrupted when Tweedledum and Tweedledee's images suddenly appeared in the tall, oval-shaped mirror Crim had hung in the stables for just such an occasion.

Crim spun to face their reflections. "Ah, Tweedledum, Tweedledee, I do hope you have good news to report."

Tweedledum and Tweedledee shared a nervous look before turning to face Crim once more. "I'm afraid not, Your Majesty," Tweedledum began tentatively.

"We failed to kill Alister," Tweedledee admitted.

A vein at Crim's temple throbbed in anger. "WHAT!" His face started to turn red. "How is that possible? When I sent you girls after him he should have been only 10-inches tall!"

Tweedledum gulped. "He...used his paintbrush."

The blood slowly began to drain out of Crim's face and he gawked at the two assassin girls. "He...what? Bloody hell." Crim started to pace and mutter darkly to himself. "This is not good. He's already discovered his power. He'll be much more difficult to kill now. And sunset approaches. He can't reach the Hatter before sunset. I should send my knights after him. Yes, my knights. But...they'd never reach him in time. Shit." Crim's expression turned grim and he started to absentmindedly chew on his thumbnail in worry. "Then that means...I've failed. Alister will get in the way of my happiness. Villains never win. Dammit!" Crim accidentally bit into his thumb causing it to bleed but he hardly noticed.

In the mirror, Tweedledum and Tweedledee fell to their hands and knees, and began to prostrate themselves before Crim as they begged for his forgiveness. "We're so sorry! Please, forgive us!"

Crim shot them an almost bored look and waved his hand dismissively at them. "You are forgiven." He saw Tweedledum and Tweedledee as 'adoptive daughters', and would never _actually_ harm them, even if he had turned them into living weapons to be used for his own personal agendas. But, they didn't need to know that. Their fear of him kept them nice and obedient.

The King of Hearts had discovered Tweedledum and Tweedledee in the dungeon of an evil sorcerer who'd done experiments on them, which had given them their monstrous strength. Crim had killed the sorcerer, and decided that the girls were too valuable to leave behind. They, of course, considered him to be their rescuer, and Crim allowed them to delude themselves.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee shared a surprised look. Both of them were rubbing their necks unconsciously, and probably wondering why Crim hadn't ordered them to be beheaded for their failure.

"Allow _me_ to go and kill Alister, Your Majesty," Jabberwocky piped up. "I can fly there. I _won't_ fail you."

Crim turned and shot Jabberwocky a shocked look. He hadn't _ordered_ her, and yet...here she was offering to help him of her own free will. A wide smile spread across his face. This is why he preferred animals to humans. "Thank you, my sweet Jabberwocky. If you kill Alister for me, you shall be greatly rewarded. Perhaps...one hundred heads!" A manic gleam shone in the Red King's eyes.

Jabberwocky shook her head from side to side. "No. I don't want that. I want something else."

Crim arched an eyebrow at her regally. "Oh? What is it, my dear?"

"I want you to be happy," Jabberwocky said simply.

"If you manage to kill Alister...that would make me very happy indeed," Crim assured her.

***

Alister clung to Katrina's fur while his body trembled violently. "What's wrong?" Katrina asked upon noticing. "You have no reason to be afraid. We've lost them. You're safe now."

"I...just...can't take this," Alister admitted brokenly. "I'm still only ten-inches-tall. Who knows what the hell might try to kill me next in this nightmarish place!"

"Nightmarish?" Katrina said, her voice laced with sadness. "You used to love it here."

"What?" Alister questioned.

"Nothing. Why don't I take you to someone who can help you with more than just your size problem," Katrina offered.

"To who?" Alister asked warily.

"Her name is Salome," Katrina revealed. "She's the greatest seer in all of Wonderland."

Alister's brow furrowed. "You mean she can see the future?"

"The future possibilities. Yes." Katrina agreed with a nod. "You know, I really shouldn't be helping you out like this. You don't realize it, but I'm sticking my neck out for you here."

"Well, I do appreciate all your help, Katrina," Alister said as he clenched his fingers more tightly around Katrina's fur. "You saved my life. Thank you." Alister's voice was low and rough with emotion.

Katrina blushed beneath her purple fur. She wasn't used to receiving praise. "Y-You're welcome."

Not long after, they entered a grove of spotted mushrooms that were all sizes and colors. Some of the mushrooms even towered over Katrina who was currently the size of a normal housecat. Others were smaller than Alister in his ten-inch-tall form.

Katrina approached a large red mushroom with white spots on it that was surrounded by a cloud of fragrant smoke that was partially obscuring it from view. Katrina and Alister passed through the smoke, and there seated on the mushroom cap was a large blue caterpillar.

Well, _large_ being a relative term since Alister was ten-inches-tall, and the caterpillar was about the same size. Salome was wearing a delicate, pink, silk veil over the bottom half of her face, and her eyes were lined in kohl, lending to her exotic appearance. The caterpillar had several feet and each foot was covered in a dainty, golden, silk shoe that had a curled toe. She was beautiful in an otherworldly way.

Salome was currently smoking a hooka and as she gazed at Alister she blew a cloud of fragrant smoke in his direction. "Who are you?"

Alister waved a hand in front of his face to get rid of the smoke, and coughed. "My name is Alister Kingsley, Madam."

A flash of surprise crossed Salome's face. "My, you're so polite. You have good manners, Alister." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Now, tell me, are you _The_ Artist?"

Alister frowned thoughtfully at the strangely worded question. "Well, I am _an_ artist."

Salome hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm, Madeline doesn't need _an_ artist's help. She needs _The_ Artist's help. Only _The_ Artist will be able to save her from her madness."

Alister frowned. "I'm sorry...who? Who is Madeline?"

"She is the woman you love, you foolish boy," Salome chided in a slightly exasperated tone. "Don't tell me you've forgotten...?" She blew another cloud of smoke in his face.

Alister waved his hand frantically in front of his face and coughed. "Woman...I...nope, sorry. That's...impossible. Women and I don't mix. I'm...allergic." Alister nodded to himself.

"You'll have to fix your 'condition' before it's too late," Salome said ominously.

"Yeah, not likely," Alister said with a self-deprecating smile. "At any rate, I'm not the type of guy that goes around rescuing damsels in distress. I'm too much of a coward. Perhaps, you should ask the White King for _his_ help. He seems very...gallant."

Salome arched an eyebrow at Alister. "The White King is your _rival_ for Madeline's affections."

"You see, that's perfect then," Alister declared enthusiastically. "Let the White King save her because I don't want her."

A sad look settled over Salome's face. "He cannot save her. Only _The_ Artist can. If you remembered your love for Madeline you would not be saying such heartless things. You would not let her go into the arms of another so easily."

"Yeah, well, there's only one woman I would travel into hell and back for..." Alister mused aloud.

"Who?" Salome asked.

"A woman who doesn't exist." Alister put his hands out before him in a helpless gesture. "She's not real. She only exists..." Alister tapped the side of his head. "In here."

"Then...she _is_ real," Salome argued.

"No, I just said-" Alister started to object, but Salome cut him off.

"What else can I help you with, boy?"

Alister let out a sigh. "I'd like to return a _normal_ size."

The caterpillar's eyes narrowed. "What is wrong with your _current_ size?"

Alister gave the caterpillar an incredulous look. "I'm way too small. I don't want to get squashed like a bug!" Alister sucked in a breath after he realized what he'd just said so callously, and gave Salome an apologetic look. "Sorry."

A dark scowl formed on Salome's face. "If you believe the occasion calls for having a larger size then all you have to do is eat a little bit from the mushroom. One side will make you grow and one side will make you shrink." Salome crawled down the mushroom and headed to a red wooden door on the mushroom's stalk.

"Wait, where are you going?" Alister called after her in a panicky voice as he watched her open the door.

"Underland," Salome glanced over her shoulder at Alister. "I have urgent business to attend to. Ta-Ta, _Hardly_ The Artist." Salome entered the mushroom stalk and shut the door behind her.

Alister looked at the mushroom and sighed. He tore a piece off from the bottom and another piece from the top. "Now, which is which, I wonder? Guess there's only one way to find out." Alister plopped a large chunk of mushroom into his mouth that had come from the mushroom's top.

Katrina's eyes widened like saucers when she saw what Alister had just done. "Wait! That's too much!" But it was too late.

Alister began to grow in size at an alarming rate. He grew taller and taller until his head burst out over the trees' canopies. "Bloody hell! I'm a giant! Where the hell are my hands...?" Alister tried to bring his hands up towards his face, but couldn't get them up past the trees' canopies. _Shit._ "Katrina! Help!" He looked down.

"I'm right here, silly," Katrina said from beside him.

Alister turned to see a floating cat head hovering in the air next to him. "Katrina, you _have_ to help me. Get me a piece of mushroom from the underside of the mushroom cap and feed it to me."

"Why? You don't like this size?" Katrina playfully tilted her head at Alister in a contemplative manner. "Being so big could come in handy. If you're this big what would you have to fear?"

"Just because my size has increased doesn't mean my bravery has too." Alister let out a depressed sigh. "I'm _still_ a coward. And I can't use my paintbrush when I'm this big."

"That's true," Katrina said as her head spun circles in the air. "You need your paintbrush. I'll go get- what's that!"

"What's what?" Alister followed Katrina's line of sight and saw something approaching them at top speed. "Is that a bird?"

Katrina's eyes widened with horrified realization. "That's no bird! That's the Jabberwocky!"

Alister's expression turned skeptical. "Jabberwocky? Like from the poem? It's not a _real_ creature..."

"Well, if it's _not_ real then you have nothing to worry about. Toodles!" Katrina suddenly turned completely invisible.

"Hey! Wait! You can't just leave me here _alone_ ," Alister complained indignantly. "Oh, crap..."

As the Jabberwocky drew closer Alister could tell it was _no_ bird, but some kind of dragon with glittering, ruby-red scales. It was beautiful, but also frightening.

Jabberwocky halted a few yards away to hover in front of Alister's face. "Little Alister...my, how you've grown. A lot." The dragon raked her gold eyes over Alister's form from head to toe.

"I'm sorry...do I _know_ you?" Alister asked with a frown playing on his face.

"You may not remember me, but I remember you," Jabberwocky said in a deep, sultry voice. "And as long as you live the King of Hearts will never have his happy ending! That's why I'm going to rip your throat out! And, just so you know, this _is_ personal."

Alister gulped, and shuddered. Rip his throat out? "W-Wait! What do you mean by that-"

"Rawr!" Jabberwocky let out a roar, and flew towards Alister's throat with her maw wide and sharp teeth visible.

"Eek! I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that!" Alister grabbed the Jabberwocky around its long torso with his hands and miraculously managed to hold the dragon back.

The Jabberwocky roared in outrage at being stopped, and flapped her wings as hard as she could while trying to get closer to Alister's neck. Alister continued to hold the dragon back even as she snapped her maw at his throat. For some reason it reminded Alister of holding a rambunctious, angry cat that wanted to claw your face for some reason.

Jabberwocky let out a frustrated huff, and then a sudden idea occurred to her and she smiled, showing off her wicked teeth. "Have it your way then. I'll just have to roast you instead!" The Jabberwocky puffed up her chest, opened her maw, and released a large fireball Alister's way.

"Ack!" Alister let go of Jabberwocky and dodged sideways to avoid getting a fireball in the face. Jabberwocky doggedly pursued Alister, however, and shot another fireball at him. Alister dodged this one as well, and started to run through the forest with the Jabberwocky right behind him.

Each time the Jabberwocky opened its mouth and loosed a fireball at Alister, he somehow managed to dodge it. The forest was starting to catch on fire, however. Alister could feel the temperature rising all around him as sweat beaded on his brow. He started to cough when smoke entered his lungs.

Belatedly, Alister realized what the Jabberwocky had done - she'd created a circle of fire around him using the trees of the forest. Dangerous orange and red flames surrounded him on all sides, entrapping him, and making escape from the Jabberwocky impossible.

Fire.

Alister was afraid of fire, and now it was all around him. "Mother...please...no..." Alister murmured as he stared dazedly into the flickering, red flames. "Please...don't hurt me..." Pale and trembling, Alister stumbled backwards, fell, and landed on his backside with a huge thud that made the ground quake.

Jabberwocky flew over to Alister and hovered in front of his face. But, Alister no longer saw her. Tears filled Alister's blue eyes, obscuring his vision, and he started to tremble even more violently.

Jabberwocky's lip curled back in a disdainful sneer. "You've become such a sniveling, coward Alister! How pathetic. I'll just put you out of your misery! Rawr!" Jabberwocky roared and flew towards Alister's throat once more.

"I don't think so, Jabberwocky!" a confident female voice called out.

Standing at the very top of one of the trees was a woman. Alister swiftly blinked his tears away so he could see her more clearly. She had long, curly hair the color of tangerines. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds. Her skin was pale and there was a cute smattering of freckles along the bridge of her nose. The woman was dressed in a Victorian-style, purple jacket with a dark green lining, a corset, leather pants, and lace-up knee boots.

The flashy top hat that was sitting on the top of her head caught Alister's attention next. It was purple and had a green bow tied around its base. There was a determined expression on the woman's face, and her long hair was whipping in the wind dramatically. The woman was gorgeous.

Alister's eyes widened when the woman seemed oddly familiar to him, but he was in such a distressed state he couldn't place her. _I know her._ He thought to himself, befuddled.

The Mad Hatter leapt up into the air and brought her double-edged sword down upon the Jabberwocky's neck, decapitating it instantly.

Alister felt bile rise up in his throat at the sight of the Jabberwocky's head being separated from its body and then falling down through the air.

The Hatter gracefully landed on Alister's knee, smiled up at him in a cheeky manner, and beamed. "Hey there, Alister! You were late for tea, so I decided to come and fetch you myself! I was worried that something might have happened to you, but instead I find you _playing_ with another woman! Tsk, tsk, tsk." She wagged her finger back and forth at Alister in a teasing manner.

Alister gaped down at her with an incredulous expression on his pale, sweaty face. "But you're...you can't be real. Unless..."

Madeline's smile dipped into a frown at the strange way Alister was acting. He wasn't quite...himself. "Alister, I have so much I need to tell you, but first we need to get the hell out of here. This forest is done for."

Alister glanced around at the flames in fear. "Y-Y-You killed the Jabberwocky."

"Oh, don't worry about her," Madeline assured in a flippant manner. "I used the Vorpal Sword on her. It has an enchanted blade, so Crim will be able to reattach her head when he comes here to fetch her later."

Alister's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Vorpal Sword? Crim?"

"Enchanted blades don't produce _normal_ injuries. And Crim is the King of Hearts, also known as the Red King." Madeline tilted her head and frowned at Alister. "Really, you should remember all this. Did you hit your head, or something?" She shrugged when Alister didn't respond. "Whatever. Come on, we need to go. Now. It's not safe. Let the water bugs handle putting the fire out."

"I...I can't move," Alister whimpered. "I'm afraid of fire. I'm terrified right now."

Madeline's frown deepened. She'd never encountered someone that was more than a hundred feet tall acting so cowardly. "Then, close your eyes. I'll tell you where you need to go."

Alister swallowed a lump of fear and nervousness. "Alright." He obediently closed his eyes.

"Wait one sec." Madeline hopped up onto Alister's shoulder. "Okay. Now, I'm ready. First, stand up. Slowly." Alister carefully stood up. "Turn left...stop. Continue straight. Lift your right leg. Good. Put it down. Lift your left leg. Good. Put it down. Continue walking forward." Madeline let out a sigh of relief once she'd successfully guided Alister so that he'd simply stepped right over the ring of fire.

Madeline placed a hand on the side of Alister's neck to steady herself as Alister continued to walk forward, leaving the blazing forest behind them. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that the water bugs had already arrived and were starting to put out the fire using the water they stored inside of their round, translucent, blue bodies. The Wonderland water bugs had long mouths that resembled a watering can's spout.

A few minutes later they were exiting the forest onto a grassy hill. At the very top of the hill sat a small, three-story cottage that resembled a gigantic purple top hat. The first floor acted as Madeline's hat shop, the second story had Madeline's workshop where she made her hats and a living room area, and the third floor contained all the bedrooms.

"Okay. Stop. Now, open your eyes," Madeline directed in a bossy tone.

Alister warily opened his eyes and looked down. The first thing he noticed was the cottage shaped like a top hat. Hanging over the front door was a sign, which read: _Hat Shoppe_. On the grassy lawn in front of the cottage a long dining table had been set up for tea. Alister frowned at the oddly familiar sight. "I...know this place..." His voice was tinged with disbelief.

"Of course, you do," Madeline crowed. "Though it _has_ been a while. My parents are no longer-" Madeline cut herself off. "Never mind. You probably don't remember them anyways. Let's get you a cup of tea. Everything always seems better after a nice, warm cup of tea."

Alister headed over to the table and sat on the ground since he was still much too large to sit at one of the chairs at the table. Madeline climbed down Alister's body, and he shuddered at the feeling of a woman touching him. Even if she was a very small one.

Madeline went to fill a giant teacup that was the size of a soup bowl for Alister, and held it up to him. "Here. Drink. You'll feel better. It will help calm your nerves."

"Thank you." Alister accepted the teacup and took a shaky sip of tea. He instantly began to shrink in size. In just a few seconds, Alister had returned to his normal six-foot-one height. He immediately felt more...himself.

"Feel better?" Madeline asked knowingly.

"Much," Alister agreed with a relieved look on his face.

Madeline took a seat at the table and poured herself a cup of tea from a different teapot, which had normal Earl Grey tea in it. "I know you probably have a _lot_ of questions, and I'm more than willing to answer them, but there's a pressing matter we _must_ discuss first. Please, have a seat." She waved her hand at the chair next to her.

Alister arched an eyebrow at the strange woman before sanding up and making his way to take a seat at the table. "What is it?" He asked as soon as he'd taken a seat.

Madeline began to twist her teacup on its saucer in a hesitant manner. "I...need you to ask me to marry you."

Alister blinked, and his jaw dropped open slightly. "W-What?"

Madeline looked up to meet Alister's confused stare. "And I need you to sign this contract before the sun sets." Madeline whipped out a roll of parchment and unrolled it to reveal a magical contract.

Alister frowned at the aged parchment. "Contract?" He shook his head. "I can't just ask you to marry me. I'm sorry, but I don't even _know_ you-"

Madeline's green eyes narrowed at him. "That's a lie. You _know_ who I am Alister Kingsley."

"No, I-" Alister objected.

"What's my name?" Madeline demanded hotly before stabbing a scone with her butter knife in a vicious manner.

Alister gulped. "Madeline Hatter."

A triumphant smile curled Madeline's lips. "And _how_ do you know me?"

The blood was starting to drain out of Alister's face and he became fidgety. "You...I created you...no, that's not right. I mean, I painted paintings of you. You're...my dream girl. But, you aren't supposed to be _real_. I thought you were just a figment of my imagination."

Madeline's expression turned smug. "And _how_ did you feel about the woman you painted so many paintings of?"

Alister flushed. "I loved her, but-"

"Aha!" Madeline pointed her finger at him. "You see! You _do_ love me. So, I don't see a problem here. Let's get married! Hurry up and ask me so I can say 'yes'. And sign the contract!"

At this point, Alister was inwardly panicking. "Even if I _did_ love you...I can't. Not now that you're _real_. I...I'm allergic to women! I can't stand the touch of a woman...it makes me break out into hives. You'll never be able to touch me, nor I you." Alister rubbed his arms as he remembered Madeline crawling down from his shoulder. His arms were already beginning to feel a bit itchy just thinking about it.

Madeline was looking at the sun that was about to hit the horizon. "Alister! We don't have time for this nonsense! If you don't ask me to marry you and sign the contract I..." She bit into her lower lip and looked stricken. "This is a matter of life or death!"

Alister frowned. "A matter of life or death?"

Madeline nodded vigorously with an urgent look in her eyes. "Yes!"

Alister let out a heavy, defeated sigh. "Alright, fine. Madeline Hatter, will you marry me?"

Madeline let out an ecstatic squeal. "Yes! Now, hurry up and sign on the dotted line! Hurry!"

Alister signed his name on the dotted line that was at the bottom of the contract using his paintbrush. The paint glowed for a moment with a golden light before returning to its normal black color.

Madeline let out a sigh of relief. "Phew." The sun hit the horizon and continued to set. "That was close. Thank you, Alister! You saved me, My Love!" Madeline threw her arms around Alister's neck and tried to pull him in close so that she could kiss him.

Alister instantly regretted that he'd chosen to take the seat next to Madeline. "Ack!" He scrambled out of his chair, and raised his hands up before him in a surrendering gesture out of sheer panic. "Don't! Don't touch me! I warned you! You need to stay at arm's length from me at all times! _No_ touching!"

Madeline's eyes were wide in surprise at Alister's extreme overreaction to her hug, and she dropped her arms with a pout. "Alright. I understand. Well, I don't _really_ understand...but I get that you don't want me touching you. I'll _try_ not to."

Alister folded his arms over his chest and let out an irritated huff. "When are you going to tell me what the hell all this is _really_ about? What's with that contract I just signed? Are we married now?"

A sheepish and slightly guilty expression settled over Madeline's face. "Ah, no, not _exactly_. You've just entered yourself into a tournament to win my hand in marriage."

"I entered a _what_?" A vein at Alister's temple began to throb in anger.

"You are now a contender," Madeline explained, picked a confetti popper up from the table and launched blue confetti at Alister's face. "Yay!"

A muscle beneath Alister's eye ticked in irritation and he grabbed a napkin to wipe the glitter off his face. "Let me see that bloody contract!" Alister grabbed it out of Madeline's hands and began to read:

I, Madeline Hatter, do commit to wed, love, and obey the suitor to accomplish the impossible task of retrieving a mermaid's tear from a giant's fishbowl in Overland before the Wonderland Eclipse ends.

My own personal help or interference will not be allowed in the completion of the task by punishment of forfeit. Contenders must provide proof of the completion of the task a.k.a the mermaid's tear and present it to myself.

If more than one contender should complete the impossible task within the allotted time a Wonderland Joust shall be held to determine the true victor and husband-to-be.

Crimson, the King of Hearts

Clover, the White King

Chesher

Alister Kingsley

The contract made very little sense to Alister, but what irritated him the most were the other names on the contract. "The King of Hearts, the White King, and Chesher? How the hell did you end up in this mess?" He shot Madeline an accusatory look.

Madeline began to twirl a lock of her orange hair around her index finger nervously. "Well, you see, I was at the Red King's castle...I'd been invited to Poker Night. We were playing poker, all four of us, and I got drunk. I barely remember what happened that night actually. It was the White King that told me about the contract I'd come up with the next day, and how he was looking forward to getting a chance to compete for my hand."

Alister bristled in irritation. "You were _drunk_." His tone was dry.

Madeline nodded sheepishly. " _Very_ drunk."

_And obviously bat-shit crazy._ Alister thought to himself. He could feel a headache coming on. "When's this Wonderland Eclipse supposed to happen?"

"The eclipse is tomorrow at twelve noon," Madeline said. "Unlike a normal eclipse that lasts only a few minutes the Wonderland Eclipse will last five hours."

"And how do we get to this Overland place?" Alister asked.

Madeline hesitated. "I think you mean how do _you_ get there. I'm not allowed to help you. Remember?"

A look of disbelief crossed Alister's face. "You can't be serious? Great, just great. Why am I helping you again?"

Madeline batted her eyelashes at Alister flirtatiously. "So that I'm not forced to marry the King of Hearts? He's an evil, sadistic bastard. If I marry him I'd have to submit and obey him, and I don't know if you can already tell but I'm not really the submitting type." She gave Alister her best puppy-dog eyes.

"Right..." Alister rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, and tried very hard not to think of what Madeline would look like submitting to anyone. "Well, what about the White King? He didn't seem so bad."

"The White King is a perverted masochist," Madeline revealed with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, I don't _love_ him. I love _you_."

Alister flushed. "You don't know what you're talking about. You can't love me. You don't even _know_ me." He grabbed the teapot Madeline had been using, and served himself a new cup of tea - a smaller cup this time, in order to give his hands something to do.

"You used to visit Wonderland in your dreams as a child all the time," Madeline said airily. "We used to have tea parties together...and sometimes we'd sneak into the Red Kingdom and cause mischief...like painting the white roses red in order to help the gardeners so that they didn't lose their heads. I _do_ know you."

"Wonderland..." Alister murmured to himself. The imaginary place that all of his paintings were set in. He'd dreamed of this place...and painted it. And now it turned out the place from his dreams was real. A real place. And Madeline was a _real_ person. It was a hard pill to swallow. "Who is Chesher?"

"He's my twin brother," Katrina's voice reached his ears.

Alister turned to see a pair of purple lips floating in midair. A feeling of relief swept over him at the sight. "Katrina..."

Katrina materialized in her human form, and casually took a seat at the table before beginning to pour herself a cup of tea.

Madeline shot the cat-girl an irritated look. "It's rude to sit down uninvited."

Katrina shrugged lackadaisically. "Then, invite me."

Madeline's lips thinned into a stern line. "I think not. There's no room."

"There's plenty of room," Katrina countered with a laugh as she waved her hand at the long table. "I like being a party crasher, anyways." She started to smile until a wide, mischievous smile had stretched across her face.

Alister grew thoughtful. "That's right. Chesher and Katrina are twins. Just like Tweedledee and Tweedledum. There are a lot of twins in Wonderland. I remember that for some reason." Alister shook his head to clear it of such thoughts and continued with his earlier line of thought. "You could marry Chesher."

Madeline's expression turned scandalized. "I can't marry an _animal_." She sniffed and raised her nose up into the air in a haughty fashion.

"My brother is no animal," Katrina snapped angrily. "He's a gentleman." Her tone was matter-of-fact.

"Oh, you know what I mean, Katrina," Madeline said in an impatient manner. That's when she suddenly narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the cat-girl. "Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be off baking raspberry tarts for your beloved Red King?"

"I'm here to help Alister," Katrina declared in her purring voice. "He's my friend."

"You expect us to believe that?" Madeline scoffed. "You're the Red King's slave. _And_ you're in love with him."

"Slave?" Alister frowned at the word, and shot the two girls a questioning look.

"Exactly. I'm in love with Crim, so I can't have _you_ marrying him!" Katrina pointed out.

The Mad Hatter looked skeptical. "Even if it costs him his happy ending?"

Katrina frowned. "I...I could be his happy ending."

"That will _never_ happen, Katrina," Madeline said with a pitying shake of her head. "Villains never win. And villains never get happy endings. Besides, Crim is evil. He has no heart. He'll never love you. He's incapable of love. He thinks love can be _forced_."

"You don't know him like I do!" Katrina exclaimed fiercely. "There is good in him."

Alister was muttering to himself. "He's heartless. Fearless." He shook his head of such thoughts. "I trust Katrina," he said abruptly. "She saved my life."

Katrina beamed and hugged Alister's arm to her chest. "You see, Alister trusts me. You should too."

Madeline watched Katrina hugging Alister's arm with an appalled look on her face. She waited for Alister to freak out and shove Katrina off of him, or break into hives, but neither happened. "I thought you couldn't stand the touch of a woman!" Madeline snapped hotly, her jealousy getting the better of her.

"Katrina is a cat," Alister pointed out dryly. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

Madeline's complexion was literally starting to turn green with envy.

Katrina glanced down at the contract that was sitting on the table. "Ah, you need to get to Overland? Well, there's only one way to do that. First, you'll need a magic bean."

"Magic bean?" asked Alister.

Katrina nodded. "They can create portals to other realms, and also create beanstalks. The beanstalk will take you to Overland."

Alister had a sinking feeling in his gut. Magic beans? Beanstalk? Why did all this sound strangely familiar somehow? "This story sounds familiar...wait, there are going to be flesh-eating giants up there, aren't there?" The blood started to drain out of Alister's face, and he gulped.

"Yep," Katrina agreed flippantly.

"I'm not going," Alister said.

"You'll need to steal a magic bean from the Dark Fairies that live in Underland," Katrina continued to explain.

"Underland?" Alister echoed. Even the name of the place sounded ominous and scary. "I'm _really_ not going."

"You have a magic paintbrush, Silly. You'll be fine," Katrina reminded. "You should get some sleep first though. Then, we'll set out. We don't need sunlight for where we're going anyways. The other contenders are probably going to get an early start on completing the impossible task too."

"Why doesn't anyone listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth?" Alister let out a defeated sigh, and resigned himself to his bizarre fate.

***

Alister was just turning down the bed in one of the guest rooms that Madeline was letting him stay in when there was a knock on the door. Ever curious, Alister walked over and opened it. There, standing in a lacey, magenta, silk negligee with a plunging v-neck that showed off her ample cleavage, was Madeline.

Alister's eyes became glued to her cleavage. "Uh, I thought I already told you I can't-"

"My face is up here, Alister." Madeline giggled. "And, no, you naughty boy. That's _not_ why I'm here. I came to give you a change of clothes...something you can sleep in, since your clothes are all covered in Jabberwocky blood and ashes." Madeline held out a pile of folded-up clothes towards Alister while giving him an expectant look.

Alister flushed, feeling like a lecherous idiot. How embarrassing. He couldn't stand a woman's touch, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the view. And what a view it was. "Oh, yeah, right, of course...thanks." Alister reached out and awkwardly took the sleepwear.

"They belonged to my father," Madeline said softly with a sad, wistful look in her green eyes.

Alister frowned. "Your father...is he...?"

"Yes. He's passed on," Madeline confirmed Alister's suspicions.

"I'm sorry," Alister said sincerely.

"Thank you." Madeline managed a small smile. "Sweet dreams, Alister. Dream of me." She tossed him a teasing wink.

Madeline closed the door in Alister's face before he could come up with a witty response to her flirting. Not that he wanted Madeline to be impressed by his wit or anything. _Fool._ He berated himself.

Alister changed into the old-fashioned, white and blue striped pj's, and got in bed. When he closed his eyes, a sudden and unsettling thought occurred to him. If this was a dream...what would happen if he were to dream within a dream? His eyes snapped open.

So much had happened to him in such a short amount of time, Alister could still hardly believe any of this.

Wonderland.

He was in Wonderland. A place he'd seen in his dreams. A place he painted as his own little escape from the harsh realities in his cursed life.

He was in another world, but he wouldn't be missed back home. So, it didn't really matter where he was, in the end. Alister didn't have any living family left. He was too eccentric to have friends. All he had were his canvases, paintbrushes, paint sets, and the world he painted. And...Madeline.

How many paintings had he painted of his 'dream girl' Madeline? Too many to count.

In the depths of his loneliness, he'd decided to create the perfect woman, and that was Madeline Hatter. Where he was weak and cowardly - she was strong, brave, and heroic. And she was just mad enough to love an eccentric artist like him.

She'd be able to understand his own inner madness. A madness that all people who _created_ had. He'd also envisioned her as being a little...naughty. Well, she was certainly living up to his daydreams. _Madeline._ His mind-voice was wistful.

Just thinking about how sexy she looked in that skimpy, silk negligee made him hot. His cock hardened slightly in his pants.

Alister slid a trembling hand down into his boxers and gripped his length. A groan slipped past his lips. He was just about to start stroking, when-

"Can't sleep?" a purring female voice asked.

"Ack!" Alister quickly removed his hand from his boxers and rolled over so that he was facing the other side of the bed where Katrina was lying on her side and facing him. Alister swallowed and tried to compose himself. It didn't appear as though Katrina had noticed that anything was amiss. "No. Not really. I'm afraid to find out what happens when a person dreams within a dream."

Katrina's playful expression turned thoughtful. "I can cast a spell on you if you want. You'd have a dreamless sleep."

Alister shrugged. "Sure. Do it."

Katrina waggled her fingers at Alister's face. They glowed with a purple light.

Moments later, Alister's eyelids felt heavy, drooped shut, and he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Katrina shifted into her cat form and curled up into a ball, snuggling up against Alister's side so she could get warm. She was soon fast asleep too.

To be continued in...Chapter 3:

### Chapter 3:

After Alister had gotten a few hours of much needed sleep Katrina was waking him up by licking the tip of his nose. Alister groaned as he started to stir and stretched his arms over his head. "Ngh. Five more minutes, Mom..."

Katrina giggled. "I'm not your mommy-"

Alister's eyes snapped open at that, and there was a purple and pink striped cat sitting on the bed with him. He noted that Katrina was in her cat form again.

"Hello, Katrina," Alister greeted sleepily. "Is it time to get up already?"

"Yes...if we want to get a head start on the other contenders," Katrina said simply.

"Alright, then let me just get dressed." Alister yanked the down comforter off his body and was just about to step out of the bed, when-

Madeline took that opportunity to open the door and casually waltz inside. "Alister, I made you some new clothes for your journey."

A sly smile spread across Katrina's furry face and just to be mischievous she transformed herself back into her 'human form'.

Madeline's jaw dropped at the sight before her - Katrina and Alister in bed _together_. She accidentally dropped the pile of clothes in her arms, and they fell to the floor. "You two are...but I thought...!"

Alister flushed at what Madeline was obviously implying, and swiftly leapt out of bed before approaching the Mad Hatter. "It's not what it looks like. She's a _cat_ , remember?"

Madeline folded her arms over her chest, and let out an irritated huff. "First cat I've ever seen with _breasts_." A slight green tinge was starting to appear on Madeline's cheeks.

Alister watched, intrigued as Madeline's face began to turn green with envy - literally. "Are you jealous?" Alister asked in a surprised tone.

"Me?" Madeline scoffed. "Jealous of an animal? I think not. Hmph!" She flipped her long, curly orange hair over her shoulder in a gesture of denial.

Katrina leapt off the bed with feline grace, and landed lightly on her feet. "Who are you calling an animal, you Mad Hat!" she hissed in Madeline's face.

_Uh oh...catfight._ Alister thought to himself with wry amusement. Alister moved to stand between them with his hands up before him in a placating manner. "Ladies, there's really no need to fight over me since I have _no_ interest in either of you."

Katrina blinked at Alister's harsh, blunt words, and burst out laughing at the pinched, unhappy look on Madeline's face. Katrina pointed her finger at Madeline. "Rejected!"

Madeline flinched.

"I can't be in a romantic relationship with anyone," Alister continued in an apologetic tone to Madeline. "But, I would like to be your friend, Madeline." He gave her a hopeful look.

Madeline pouted. "Well, of course, we can be friends, Alister."

"Good." Alister picked up the pile of fallen clothes. "Did you really make me these clothes? By hand?"

"Yes." A pink tinge rose to Madeline's pale cheeks. "I hope they fit alright. I just eyeballed your measurements after all."

Alister was impressed. The clothes appeared to be extremely high quality. "That's amazing."

Madeline preened from Alister's compliment, and started to grow excited. "There's a hat to match too!"

"Brilliant," Alister said with a lopsided smile on his face. "I'd better hurry up and get dressed then. If you'd ladies..." He gave them an expectant look. Katrina and Madeline gave Alister blank looks in return. Alister coughed. "I'd like a little privacy, please."

Madeline grabbed Katrina by the back of her frilly dress and started to drag her out of the room. "We'll be just outside if you need us for _anything_."

Alister chuckled softly as Madeline shut the door. He carried the pile of clothes over to the bed, set them down, and began to inspect them. Wow. Madeline had really outdone herself.

The Victorian-style, Steampunk outfit consisted of a sky-blue, long-sleeved, button-down shirt, a white vest with the pattern of black diamonds, spades, and clubs on it that reminded Alister of a pack of playing cards, a sky-blue and black striped trench coat, a pair of blue silk pants, and a pair of black dress shoes.

Completing the fashionable look was a black mini top hat with a sky-blue ribbon tied around its base that Alister decided to fasten to the side of his head like he'd seen other human denizens of Wonderland do fashion wise.

There was also a gold pocket watch among the pile of clothes. The vest had a pocket for the watch so that only the chain would be visible. There was also a special, long, rectangular-shaped pocket on the front of the vest that was perfect for storing his magic paintbrush, and that would allow him easier and faster access to his brush than an inside jacket pocket would have.

The outfit was flashier than anything Alister would normally wear, _but_ when in Rome...

He quickly finished dressing, and then checked out his reflection in the full-length mirror inside of the room. Alister lifted his shoulders in a shrug. Well, he definitely looked like a kooky denizen of Wonderland now that's for sure!

Feeling a little self-conscious and shy about his new look, Alister tentatively made his way down the stairs and into the hat shop that was on the first floor where Madeline and Katrina were still _literally_ hissing at each other.

Alister cleared his throat to get the girls' attention, and Madeline and Katrina instantly turned to face him. Katrina's jaw dropped open slightly while Madeline's green eyes _literally_ turned into two pink hearts.

"Well, ladies, how do I look?" Alister questioned with more confidence and bravado than he actually had.

Katrina smiled widely, showing off her pointed incisors. "Like you belong here."

"You look very handsome, Alister," Madeline complimented softly. "And I see you're even wearing the hat I made."

Alister arched a quizzical eyebrow at her. "You didn't think I'd wear it?"

Madeline started to nervously twirl a strand of orange hair around her index finger. "I just didn't know if you would like it. I mean, I _hoped_ you would. But, it _is_ a little flashy by Earth standards."

"We're not in my realm, now are we?" Alister pointed out. "I rather blend in than stand out."

"That might be hard with your handsome face." Madeline tossed him a playful wink.

"Enough flirting, you two," Katrina butt in. "We should get going, Alister. Eat a small piece of mushroom that came from the underside of the mushroom cap."

Alister groaned. "I have to get small _again_? So soon?"

"You'll never be able to get into Underland _that_ size," Katrina pointed out in a dry tone.

Alister let out a defeated sigh. "Alright, fine." He whipped out a piece of mushroom from his pants pocket and took a small, careful bite this time. Alister quickly began to shrink until he was ten-inches-tall.

Katrina took that as her cue and shifted into her cat form. "Get on."

Alister hopped up onto Katrina's back and gripped her fur tightly. He looked up at Madeline, who now towered over him at five-six. Alister swallowed. Madeline was scary when she was that big. "What will you be doing while we're gone, Madeline?" Alister asked curiously.

"Oh, I'll just be waiting _here_ for your valiant return, of course." Madeline crossed her fingers behind her back as she said this.

Alister noticed the nervous look that had flittered over Madeline's face, and knew that she was hiding something, but had no idea what it could be. He opened his mouth to say something, but realized he didn't even know what to say. He felt very out of his depth in this strange new realm. "Right...well, wish me luck."

"Good luck," Madeline said easily.

Katrina turned and headed for the front door, which opened of its own accord as they approached it.

"Try not to get eaten by a giant centipede!" Madeline called after them as they crossed the threshold.

"Hey, wait, what!" Alister called over his shoulder in alarm.

Despite Alister's obvious panicking and the increased strength of his grip on her fur, Katrina continued her way through the forest, heading to Salome's favorite smoking spot, which happened to also be the entrance to Underland.

When Salome's distinctive, large red and white spotted mushroom came into view Alister noted that the blue caterpillar was not in her usual spot perched on top of the mushroom cap. "There's the mushroom, but where's Salome?" Alister mused aloud.

At that moment, the sound of a raised voice reached their ears. Alister flinched in pain and was forced to cover his ears to try and block out the loud roar of the person's voice. "Ow. Bloody hell." Alister felt Katrina stiffen beneath him and then she suddenly went invisible. This was incredibly unnerving to Alister who could now see the ground beneath him. To onlookers he looked like he was floating now. "Katrina? What's wrong?"

"I demand to know where the entrance to Underland is, you pathetic little worm!" a male voice that was filled with malice snarled. "How do I get inside? You'd better tell me or else I'll squash you like a bug." A pause. "Oh, wait, you _are_ a bug!" An evil chuckle filled the air.

"Where the hell is that voice coming from?" Alister glanced around and spotted a tree. He blinked when he realized that what he'd originally thought were two black trees standing side by side were actually someone's legs. Alister craned his neck to look up past the mushroom caps and saw that there was a gigantic man in their midst. _A giant!_

Alister began to inwardly panic before he remembered that since he was only ten-inches-tall at the moment, a normal-sized man would appear to be a giant, which meant the man was probably an ordinary human. More importantly, Alister caught sight of what was currently clenched in the man's right hand - it was Salome!

Salome cried out in pain. "I already told you, you fool! The entrance is right _here_ -"

"Where?" Crim drawled. "I don't see anything, worm! How dare you lie to me."

The man may have been human, but he was definitely a jerk. Before Alister realized what he was doing, he slid off Katrina's back and stalked over towards one of the man's enormous feet. "Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size, you big bully!"

"W-Who said that?" Crim demanded as he glanced around his surroundings nervously.

Alister kicked the man's foot, but only managed to stub his own toe. "Ow. Dammit. I wish I had a needle to pick this jerk's foot with...oh, wait." A devious idea suddenly came to mind. Alister whipped out his paintbrush, and stared at it pensively. _Will this actually work?_ He took a deep breath, and began to paint on the ground. Alister had chosen to paint a medieval broadsword.

Once his painting of the sword was complete the image glowed with a golden light, and the sword materialized as it became _real_.

Alister sucked in an astonished breath. He quickly pocketed his paintbrush and reached out to pick up the sword, his hand wrapping around the sword's hilt. He picked the sword up and inspected it curiously. The sword was quite heavy, had a double-edged, steel blade, and was most definitely real. "Well, let's see how real this sword is!" Alister raised the sword in a two-handed grip and brought it down to prick the giant's toe.

"Ow! Fuck!" Crim shouted in pain and glared angrily at his surroundings. "W-Who did that? Show yourself, you coward!"

"Down here, idiot!" Alister called up in a snarky manner.

"Idiot?" Crim exclaimed in a tone of disbelief. "How dare you insult me? Do you have any idea who I _am_?"

"Besides an idiot and a bully? No." Alister shook his head even though the giant couldn't see what he was doing. He cupped his hands in front of his mouth and continued to speak to the man in his loudest voice. "The entrance to Underland is at your feet. You see that red and white spotted mushroom? Eat a piece from the underside of its cap and you'll be able to enter Underland."

"And why should I trust someone I can't even see?" the man scoffed.

"Suit yourself. I guess I'll be entering Underland first then. Bye!" Alister said loudly.

"Hey! Wait! Damnation!" The man let out a frustrated huff before setting Salome back down on her usual spot on the very top of the mushroom's cap. Then he reached down to rip off a small piece of mushroom from the underside of its cap. He plopped the piece of mushroom into his mouth and rapidly started to shrink until he was only 10-inches tall.

Alister watched curiously as the man who was now his size spotted him and approached casually. As he drew closer Alister was able to make out the design of red hearts on the man's black Victorian-style suit. _Red hearts?_ Alister had a bad feeling about this and his gaze zipped up to the top of the man's head. Sure enough, Alister's suspicions were confirmed when he saw the glittering, gold crown encrusted with rubies that was sitting on the man's head. The man's identity was quite clear. _Oh shit._ Alister had just accidentally helped out the King of Hearts!

The Red King approached Alister with a haughty air about him. "Thank you for your assistance, peasant," he said in a snide, condescending tone.

Alister's eye twitched in irritation. "You're welcome...Your Majesty."

Crim gave Alister a pensive look, and took in his short, silky, blonde hair and blue eyes. Then his sharp gaze caught sight of the paintbrush that was sticking out of his vest pocket. " _You!_ You're...!" Crim strode forward towards Alister with swift steps.

"Alister Kingsley." Alister confirmed Crim's suspicions and raised his chin defiantly, even though inwardly Alister was shaking in his metaphorical boots.

"Alister Kingsley," Crim echoed in a drawling tone, and a wide, malicious smile spread across his face as he looked around the surrounding mushroom grove. "And you're out here all alone? I would have thought Madeline would be here to protect you."

"She's at home," Alister said dryly. "And she's not allowed to interfere in the tournament, remember?"

"Indeed," Crim agreed with a curt nod. "I assume by your presence here that you too are a contender?"

"That's right," Alister admitted even though he was beginning to feel like a mouse in the presence of a snake waiting to strike.

"You think you have what it takes to complete this impossible task?" Crim arched an eyebrow at him.

Alister shrugged carelessly. "Maybe."

"Pity you won't get to find out." Crim raised his hand and started to reach out towards Alister's chest, prepared to rip Alister's heart out, and crush it to dust in his bare hand.

However, a pair of purple lips appeared next to Alister's head at that moment, and spoke: "Bad form, Crim, darling."

Crim snatched his hand back as if it'd been burned and watched as Katrina began to materialize next to Alister in her human form, and with her arms wrapped around Alister's neck protectively while she was floating a few feet above the ground. A vein at Crim's temple immediately began to throb in anger. "Katrina! What the hell are you doing here?"

A wide, mischievous smile spread across Katrina's face. "I'm here to help Alister navigate through Underland. I'm acting as his guide."

"You...you can't help _him_!" Crim sputtered indignantly. "You're _my_ slave!"

Katrina raised a purple eyebrow at the King of Hearts. "Oh, do you need my help then, Your Majesty?" The cat-woman gave Crim a hopeful look.

"Help?" Crim scoffed. "I don't need _anyone's_ help!"

"Then, you won't mind if I help Alister?" Katrina questioned in a candid manner.

Alister noticed uneasily that Crim's face was _literally_ starting to turn red with anger. "You would betray me to help him! You traitorous-"

"You forget, Your Majesty, that I love you," Katrina interrupted him in a purring tone. "That's why I can't just stand back and watch you win this tournament without doing anything to try and stop that from happening. I can't let you marry Madeline. Not when I want you all to myself."

The red began to leave Crim's face, as his anger seemed to leave him at Katrina's words. "Oh," he said in a petulant tone. "You're still disobeying my orders by helping him. I _should_ punish you."

"Oh, yes, please do," Katrina said in a husky voice, a lustful glint in her golden eyes.

Crim rolled his eyes at the needy expression on her face. "Crazy, masochistic cat...I think I won't. You'd just enjoy it."

Alister didn't like where this conversation was going. "If you hurt her...I'll paint a hole in your stomach so that your intestines will fall out," he found himself saying before his self-preservation instincts could kick in and remind him that threatening the Red King was probably _not_ a very good idea if he wanted to live very long.

"I would never-!" Crim caught himself and bit into his lower lip hard enough that a bead of red blood formed there. He coughed into his hand to hide his blunder. Katrina's depressed expression morphed into something more hopeful. "What I do or don't do with _my_ slave is really none of your business, peasant!" Crim snapped hotly.

Alister had caught Crim's slip, however, and gave the King of Hearts an assessing look. Maybe Crim wasn't so bad after all. At least, where Katrina was concerned. Perhaps, there was hope. "Well, if you two are done with your S & M play...shall we get going?" Alister motioned towards the red door located on the mushroom stalk.

A vein at Crim's temple throbbed in irritation. "We?" Crim raised his nose up into the air. " _We're_ not going anywhere together, peasant."

For some reason, Alister grew amused by Crim's overly haughty attitude. The King seemed to act with a lot of bluff and bluster. "Well, Katrina and I are going to Underland and if you're not coming _with_ us...I guess that means you're just following us."

"I follow no one!" Crim snapped before stalking towards the red door, opening it and entering. Alister and Katrina shared an amused look before following after Crim. The trio made their way down a narrow spiraling staircase until they reached the bottom.

The group entered what Alister could only describe as being a tavern that was filled with the most unsavory and suspicious looking characters he'd seen in Wonderland yet. All of the tavern's patrons were wearing masks on their faces. Some were wearing plain domino masks while others were wearing flashy masks decorated with feathers and jewels. Alister shuddered when he saw a man wearing what looked like a creepy plague mask. "What is this place?" Alister asked Katrina in a low voice.

"This establishment is known as Salome's Tavern," Katrina said softly.

"And who are all these people?" Alister asked with great curiosity.

"Most of the beings in this place are human outlaws, thieves, assassins, bandits, or dark mages that have used the mushroom to shrink themselves down to the appropriate size to interact and do business with the Dark Fairies that rule Underland," Katrina explained.

Alister nodded. Now their sinister appearances made more sense as did the vicious weapons strapped to everyone's sides.

"The other creatures are talking bugs," Katrina continued.

Alister's gaze went to the bugs that were the same size as the shrunken humans: ants, cockroaches, millipedes, roly polies, green June beetles, and stag beetles with huge, impressive antlers. The bugs were dressed in human clothing and talking to the shrunken humans seated at their tables as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

Alister caught sight of a female spider wearing a red, wide-brimmed hat on her head that was decorated with a curling, black plume. She was also wearing eight red high-heeled shoes on her feet.

_I really hope I don't see a dung beetle here._ Alister shuddered at the worrisome thought since most of the creatures in Wonderland seemed to literally take after their namesake. "How the hell are we supposed to find a magic bean here? Wait, are we going to buy one from one of these sketchy people?"

"Shhh!" Katrina slapped a hand over Alister's mouth, and gave him a reproachful look. "It's not that easy. The Dark Fairies hoard and carefully guard their precious magic beans. Only very rarely will they sell them to anyone that isn't a fairy, and when they do it's for a King's ransom."

Alister's brow furrowed in confusion. "Then how are we going to get one?"

"We're going to steal one from the Dark Fairies, of course," Katrina said slyly. "So there's really no sense in warning them of our nefarious plot before we've even managed to slip into the tunnels of Underland." Katrina inconspicuously nodded her head in the direction of two Dark Fairies that were seated at the bar.

Alister followed Katrina's line of sight and saw two Dark Fairies seated at the bar counter - one male and one female. Both of them had the same onyx-colored skin, elfish ears, white hair, and glowing red eyes.

The female was wearing a translucent, black gown of spider silk, had long hair, and there was a pair of black and blue butterfly wings on her back. The male fairy was wearing black steel armor, had a sword strapped to his side, and his wings resembled a dragonfly's.

The Dark Fairies had an intimidating, dangerous aura that caused Alister to gulp out of nervousness and fright. He could tell that they were more deadly than any of the other criminals inside of the tavern.

Alister gawked as Crim casually sauntered over to the two Dark Fairies and started to engage them in easy conversation. A scowl formed on Alister's face. "What's he doing? Is he going to make an offer for a bean? I suppose a King would have a King's ransom."

Then Crim turned, pointed right at Alister, and spoke in an overly loud voice, " _He_ plans to steal one of your precious magic beans!"

Suddenly, all eyes in the tavern were on him and Katrina. "Son of a bitch!" Alister swore. "He just sold us out!" He turned to Katrina for help, but she was quickly turning herself invisible in order to avoid danger. "Hey!" Alister snapped in an indignant tone.

"I thought you didn't want me to get hurt." A pair of purple lips reminded.

Alister returned his attention to the two Dark Fairies that at this point had slid off their barstools and had started to stalk towards him with graceful, predatory steps. He watched as Crim waggled his fingers in a mocking goodbye before managing to slip unnoticed into the cave tunnel next to the bar. "Yeah, well...I'm a coward, remember?" Alister muttered to the invisible cat-girl before backing away from the approaching Dark Fairies.

"You're The Artist," Katrina reminded, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Just paint something!"

"Easy for you to say!" Alister turned around and took off running through the bar. There was no way he could fight against those battle-hardened Dark Fairies. The fairies leapt up into the air and using their wings flew after Alister. As they flew over people's tables the female fairy tossed a handful of dark pixie dust towards Alister.

Alister barely managed to dodge out of the way in time. The dust ended up hitting a shrunken woman who'd been seated at a table, and Alister watched as she transformed into a ladybug. The ladybug continued to sip her tankard of mead as though nothing were amiss.

"Well, that explains most of the clientele in this crazy place," Alister remarked dryly. A few seconds later, Alister was forced to dodge a sword swing as the male Dark Fairy tried to cut Alister in two.

C _ome on, Alister, think! What can I paint to get myself out of this mess? I could paint a sword, but it's not like I'd know how to use it. I'm more likely to cut my own foot off!_ Unable to come up with a good idea, Alister had no choice but to continue running haphazardly through the tavern with the Dark Fairies in close pursuit.

He knocked a chair over to try and slow their progress but they just flew higher and were able to avoid it. The entrance tunnel to Underland now had another Dark Fairy standing guard in front of it. _Shit!_ All of a sudden getting into Underland had gotten a hell of a lot more complicated.

If only he could turn himself invisible like Katrina, Alister mused. There had to be another tunnel exit somewhere inside of the tavern, or a door-

_A door. That's it!_ Alister knocked over a table where a group of cockroaches had been seated and playing poker in order to cause some chaos that would slow the fairies' pursuit, and ran over to the far wall. He whipped out his paintbrush and quickly painted three lines and a doorknob. His drawing glowed with a gold light right before a real door appeared.

_Yes!_ Alister grabbed the doorknob, opened the door, and quickly crossed the threshold. A quick glance over his shoulder and he saw that the fairies were flying towards him with angry, murderous looks on their faces.

"You there! Don't you dare close that door! You're under arrest!" the male fairy shouted, red eyes flashing.

"Sorry!" Alister spun and slammed the door shut right in their faces. The door disappeared because Alister had willed it to. Immediately, Alister was plunged into total darkness. He gulped nervously and sweat formed on his brow. "Where the hell am I? I can't see a thing." Alister was just about to start hyperventilating when two large, glowing, golden cat eyes appeared in front of him, floating in mid air.

"Not bad, Alister," Katrina praised in a purring tone. "You seem to work well under pressure."

"Katrina," Alister let out a sigh of relief. Now he wasn't alone in this dark, creepy place. "Where are we?"

"These are the tunnels of Underland, of course. All the tunnels down here lead to the Dark Fairy Kingdom. It's on the outskirts of the Kingdom that the bean fields are located. That is where we're going."

"But I can't even see two steps in front of me," Alister complained petulantly. "How will I ever-"

"Paint a lantern, silly boy," Katrina chided.

"Oh, yeah, right." Alister whipped out his paintbrush and using the dim glow that was coming from Katrina's golden cat eyes to work by he painted a glass lantern on the stone floor. When his painting was finished it glowed and then the lamp materialized becoming real.

Alister reached out and picked it up off the floor. The lantern had a wrought-iron handle, glass panes, and inside stood one lit candle. The lantern produced ample light to see by. Alister held the lantern aloft and squinted into the darkness of the tunnel. "Which way do we go?"

Katrina materialized fully into her human form and Alister watched as the furry, purple and pink striped ears on the top of her head twitched. "That way." Katrina pointed off in one direction of the tunnel. "I hear footsteps."

"It's probably that backstabbing bastard Crim," Alister muttered glumly to himself. "Let's get going." The duo started off down the winding, narrow tunnel. After a few minutes of heavy silence had passed Alister decided to ask the cat-girl a question that had been plaguing him for quite a while now. "Katrina, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Go right ahead," Katrina said airily.

"Why do you love a sadistic asshole like the King of Hearts?" Alister questioned.

"He wasn't always cruel," Katrina said after a moment. "I knew him when he was just a boy. He used to be sweet and kind." A warm, far-off expression formed on Katrina's face as she took a little trip down memory lane inside of her head.

Alister let out a disbelieving snort. "You have got to be kidding me. What happened?"

"He lost someone very important to him and his heart was broken," Katrina explained, her voice laced with sadness. "And I don't know if it will ever be truly mended."

Alister was starting to grow more curious about Crim's past and wanted to ask Katrina more questions, but the tunnel ahead of them abruptly opened upon a large, spacious chamber. At the far end of the chamber were several tunnel openings to choose from to continue their journey. One of those openings appeared to be larger than the others, and also appeared to have been shaped by stone-carving tools to give it a perfect curve. Enormous, rectangular-shaped stone monoliths were scattered around the floor of the chamber.

The temperature had dropped drastically, and Alister rubbed his arms as goosebumps broke out over his flesh. Alister held up his lamp to see into the chamber better, and the monoliths cast long shadows upon the stone floor in response. "What _is_ this place? It's creepy." He gulped as a chill crawled up his spine.

"This place...feels dangerous," Katrina said, the hair on the back of her neck had risen in warning. "There's probably some kind of trap in there to prevent people from continuing their way and trespassing into the Fairy Kingdom. We must be getting close."

"Trap?" Alister squinted as he tried to make his eyes pierce deeper into the darkness beyond. "What kind of trap?"

"I suppose we'll find out when we try to cross the room and make it to the other side," Katrina said with a smirk.

"Well, Crim was able to do it," Alister mused aloud, and looked around the chamber. "And I don't see his corpse so...whatever the trap is it can't be that bad, right? Let's go."

Alister held the lamp up high and started his way forward into the chamber with Katrina almost glued to his side. A minute later, they were passing by one of the stone monoliths. A sudden movement caught Katrina's attention out of the corner of her eye. "Look out!" Katrina shoved Alister to the ground and ended up on top of him.

Alister blinked up at Katrina dazedly and for a moment didn't see _her_. The feeling of a female body pressing down on him like that had reminded Alister of something from his past. "Mother, please...no..."

Katrina frowned and quickly scrambled off of Alister. "Alister, it's me - Katrina."

Alister blinked again, and his vision focused. "Katrina?" He looked past her and saw the oddest thing - a shadow had risen up off the floor and had attacked him with its sword. "Is that...?"

Katrina's attention turned to the shadowy figure. "A shadow. Yes. Now, run!" The Cheshire Cat girl grabbed Alister's hand and they ran for the exit of the chamber. As they passed stone monoliths the light from Alister's lantern caused shadows, which allowed the shadowy figures to appear and attack Alister and Katrina.

The duo was forced to dodge and avoid deadly sword attacks as best they could. "I've heard of this. The Dark Fairies can apparently use magic to cut their shadows off and then use them to fight for them. These shadows must be their first line of defense for the Dark Kingdom."

Alister took a closer look at one of the shadows that was trying to kill him and sure enough it had the silhouette of a Dark Fairy, wings and all. "Bloody hell. What do we do now?" he asked breathlessly as he continued to run forward, and ducked another sword swing.

Katrina watched as the light from Alister's lamp caused a shadow to form next to a stone monolith and then seconds later a Dark Fairy shadow was rising up off the floor. "You have to extinguish your lamp!"

"What?" Alister squeaked. "You want me to get rid of our only source of light in this foul place? No way!"

"Without light there will be no shadows cast by the stone moonlights and the Dark Fairy shadows will be unable to appear and try to kill us," Katrina quickly explained.

Alister shook his head vigorously. "No way. I can't. I won't be able to see anything. Come on, we can make it to the other side. We're almost there."

"You're wrong. We won't make it. There are too many of them!" Katrina's eyes widened as she watched several Dark Fairy shadows rising up off the floor. "You must put out your lamp, Alister! It's the only way we're getting out of this place alive! Don't be such a coward!"

Alister was opening his mouth to respond when a black hand reached out from a shadow on the stone floor and grabbed Alister's ankle, tripping him up. The artist fell flat on his face. "Oof!"

"Alister!" Katrina cried out in alarm.

Alister rolled over just in time to see the shadow of a Dark Fairy slowly rising up off the floor next to him. The fairy was wielding what appeared to be a black, shadowy, double-edged broadsword.

"Put out the lantern!" Katrina shouted.

"I can't!" Alister shot back, and his body began to tremble violently out of fear. The Dark Fairy shadow raised its sword high, and a wide, maniac grin spread across its face. The smile was eerie and appeared to be completely hollow. The Dark Fairy swung his sword.

Katrina covered her eyes with her hands. "I can't watch!"

"Let there be light!" a booming, confident sounding voice called out. Abruptly, the entire chamber was flooded with a bright, blinding golden light. The light blinded Alister, who was forced to squeeze his eyes shut.

The Dark Fairy shadows cried out in pain as several of them disintegrated from having been exposed to direct light, while others retreated into the shadows that they'd emerged from in order to escape.

Once Alister's vision had adjusted to the bright light inside the chamber, he spotted the White King casually strolling towards them with his sword raised high like a torch. Alister noted that the light was coming from the White King's sword that was glowing with a silvery, golden light. "It's the White King," Alister breathed in relief.

"Greetings, Alister Kingsley," the White King said with a smile on his face. "I told you we would meet again soon, and we have as contenders for Madeline's fair hand!" He held his hand out to Alister to help him up. "Are you injured?"

Alister gratefully accepted the hand up. "I think I might have wet myself."

The White King turned his attention to Katrina. "My lady, are you alright?"

Katrina blinked at the White King and his overly gallant behavior. "I'm fine."

The White King took Katrina's hand and placed a kiss upon it. "It gladdens my heart to hear so." He then lowered his voice in a conspiratorial manner. "If you are ever in need of a scratching post, feel free to use my entire body."

Katrina raised an eyebrow at the masochistic White King. "I'll keep that in mind, Clover." She held up her hands and flexed her claws in his direction teasingly.

Alister gave them a strange look and cleared his throat to get their attention. "Ahem. Thank you for saving my life, Your Majesty."

The White King waved his hand dismissively through the air. "All in a day's work for a heroic King! And please, call me Clover. Now, shall we continue our journey to the Dark Kingdom? I believe the bean fields are just through that tunnel over there."

"Sure," Alister agreed. "Clover."

Clover flashed Alister a charming smile. "Onwards! To the bean fields!" The White King started to lead the way while Alister and Katrina followed right behind him.

As soon as they'd passed into the tunnel beyond Alister was able to breathe easier. "What was that back there? How did you defeat the shadows?" Alister questioned Clover curiously.

"That my boy was light magic," Clover obligingly started to explain. "Only the pure of heart are able to wield light magic."

Katrina snorted. "You're not _that_ pure." She coughed into her hand. "Masochist."

Clover flushed and Alister chuckled softly at Katrina's teasing. A few minutes passed when another question came to Alister's mind. "Clover, if you don't mind me asking...why do you want to marry Madeline anyways?"

"Why?" Clover asked in surprise and a twinkle came to his pale green eyes. "Madeline is amazing. She's beautiful. And she's also so domineering and bossy. I want her to tie me up and spank me-" Clover caught himself and coughed awkwardly into his hand. "Ahem. Well, you get the idea."

Alister's blue eyes were as wide as saucers, and he'd grown significantly paler. "I'm sorry I asked."

Katrina was laughing madly out of amusement, however.

Clover gave Alister a keen look. "Well, why do _you_ want to marry her?"

Alister took a moment to think about it. The easy response would be to simply say that he loved her. But there was more to it than that. "I want to marry Madeline because she's everything I'm not. She's everything I aspire to be. And I greatly admire her strength."

"Ooo so romantic," Katrina teased, and shoved at Alister's arm playfully. "You Romeo, you!"

The clanging sound of a sword clashing against something hard reached their ears along with the sound of someone swearing. "Damnation! Why won't you just die already! Die! Die! Die! Off with your head!"

A chagrined expression settled over Clover's face. "I do believe my dear brother is just up ahead."

"Oh, goodie," Alister said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Crim," Katrina murmured worriedly to herself.

Alister, Clover, and Katrina exited the tunnel and entered an enormous cavern that housed an entire city of Dark Fairies. At the far end of the cavern stood a castle made entirely of gleaming, black onyx. The castle had twisting spires and turrets, which leant to its foreboding appearance.

The fairies' houses were carved out of the natural stalactites and stalagmites that had sprung up from the floor and ceiling of the cavern. A huge, glowing, magical crystal that was stuck to the center of the domed ceiling of the cavern provided the only light within the city.

Directly in front of the group lay the bean fields - rows and rows of magic bean plants that were secured to tiny, wooden trellises to help their growth. "The bean fields. We made it." Alister's relief was short-lived, however. Blocking their way to the field was a black, eighty-foot-long centipede. "What the hell...?" Or at least at 10-inches tall, Alister realized that it appeared to be eighty-feet long, but was in reality probably only eighty _inches_ long.

Standing directly in front of the creature was none other than the King of Hearts who appeared to be battling the beast. Alister grew awed by how Crim fearlessly swung his double-edged broadsword at the centipede again and again. But, when Crim's sword clashed against the centipede's exoskeleton it appeared to have no effect.

The centipede's tail whipped out, rammed into Crim, and sent him flying back through the air. He landed not too far from Alister, Clover and Katrina.

"Hello, dear brother!" Clover greeted enthusiastically. "It's so good to see you again!"

Crim shot the White King a dismayed look and groaned. "Ugh. It's you. It's so _awful_ to see you, Clover." Crim stood up and dusted himself off. The King's sharp, dark gaze went to Alister next and a flash of surprise flitted across his features. "I'm surprised _you_ made it past the Dark Fairy shadows, peasant. I didn't think you'd be brave enough to put out whatever source of light you were using to navigate the tunnels."

Alister flushed in embarrassment since Crim was right - he _hadn't_ been brave enough to extinguish his lantern.

Oblivious to Alister's inner turmoil, Clover puffed up his chest with pride. "You're wrong brother. He didn't put out his lantern. I had to rescue him using my light magic!"

A vein at Crim's temple throbbed in irk at his brother's words. "You... _helped_ him!" His voice was laced with disbelief. "He's the competition, you fool! I thought you wanted to marry Madeline."

"I do," Clover instantly agreed. "But milady Madeline wouldn't want to wed a man who would turn his back on someone in need. To be worthy of Madeline I need to be a true hero!" The White King decided to strike a gallant and heroic pose to make his point.

Crim rolled his eyes at his brother's dramatic antics. "Oh, brother."

Clover's smile immediately widened at his brother's words, and his eyes became glassy with emotion. "You just called me 'brother', Brother! That makes me so happy."

"No, I didn't," Crim swiftly denied. "That was just an expression. Stop smiling at me like an idiot. Gah! I _hate_ you!" The King of Hearts pointed his finger at Clover. "You...just stay out of my way and-" A thoughtful look crossed Crim's face and he stroked his chin. "Wait a minute, you might as well make yourself useful and help me slay that bloody beast. I can't get anywhere near the magic beans because it keeps getting in my way."

"You want _my_ help?" Clover gawked at his brother in surprise before his expression brightened. "Of course, Brother! Let's slay the beast together...just like old times!"

"Alright then, follow my lead," Crim began as he returned his attention to the gigantic centipede. "And be careful with its pincers. They're coated in acid."

Clover's pale green eyes grew glassy at his brother's concern. "Are you worried about my safety, Brother?"

"Of course not," Crim snarled. "But a dead man doesn't make a very good decoy, now does he?"

Alister frowned at Crim's heartless words. "Decoy?"

"I assure you that I will be the _best_ decoy ever, Brother!" Clover readily assured.

"Will you shut up already? Just listening to you is giving me a headache." Crim snapped and pointed his sword at the centipede. "Let's do this!" He charged towards the centipede with Clover right behind him. Then the brothers fearlessly engaged the creature in battle.

"You should help out too, Alister," Katrina said as she watched Clover and Crim taking turns with swinging their swords at the centipede. Though her attention was mostly focused on Crim. She started to nibble on her lower lip out of worry when Crim barely dodged the centipede's pincers from closing around him and chopping him in two.

" _Me?_ " Alister shot the cat-girl an incredulous look. "What could _I_ possibly do against such a creature?" Alister returned his gaze to the King of Hearts and White King who were fighting side by side. Somehow, Alister knew that this was an unusual occurrence. Their blows appeared to be swift and powerful, but they still appeared to have no effect on the centipede's hard exoskeleton. Also, Crim and Clover were forced to dodge tail swipes and pincer attacks from the creature that had the blood draining from Alister's face when they had a couple of close calls. He shook his head vigorously. "Impossible. I'll be killed!"

"Just paint something, Silly!" Katrina snapped, beginning to lose her patience.

Alister pouted. "What should I paint?"

"I don't know. You're The Artist." Katrina let out a frustrated huff. "They won't be able to defeat that creature on their own. They need your help. _Please_. Hurry! You _must_ think of something."

Alister wracked his brain for an idea. "I'm trying." He watched as the centipede whipped its tail out in the White King's direction. Clover tried to dodge, but wasn't fast enough this time. The centipede's tail collided with his stomach and sent him flying.

Crim was suddenly left battling the centipede on his own again. Undaunted, Crim leapt up into the air, and with an overhead downwards slash he aimed his sword at the creature's neck. "Off with your head!" However-

The centipede closed its pincers around the blade of Crim's sword, and the blade shattered. The King of Heart's eyes flared in alarm. "Impossible." Crim landed on his feet, but the weapon in his hand was now useless. A grim smile curled Crim's lips as he tossed the now useless sword aside and got into a fighting stance. "Come and get me, you beastie!" If he was going to die - he was going to die with a smile on his face.

"No!" Katrina shouted. Abruptly, the cat-girl materialized in front of Crim, arms stretched out at her sides. The centipede swooped down and its pincers wrapped around Katrina's waist instead of around Crim. Katrina cried out in pain as the pincers began to constrict around her waist.

Crim's dark eyes flared in panic and he grew angry. "KATRINA! Let go of her, you monster!" The King of Hearts rushed forward and placed his hand on the centipede's exoskeleton.

Using his powerful dark magic, Crim's hand passed right through the exoskeleton and when he yanked his hand back Alister saw that he was clutching a glowing, red heart. "Die," Crim growled as he crushed the heart in his hand to dust.

The centipede's eyes rolled into the back of its head and its enormous body swayed and then collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud that made the ground beneath their feet tremble.

Alister shuddered at the unsettling way the centipede's tail continued to twitch long after it'd been killed.

Crim rushed over to Katrina, and with his gloved hands he pried the pincers away from her limp body. "Katrina."

"Get away from her, you heartless bastard!" a scratchy male voice shouted angrily.

Alister looked around to see where the voice had come from, but only saw a pair of lips hovering in midair. Slowly, a man began to materialize. He was tall, had tanned skin, short dark blue hair, and gold eyes with slit pupils. Two furry, blue and purple striped ears could be seen on the top of his head, and a matching tail was swishing behind him. Alister immediately knew who this must be - Katrina's twin brother. "Chesher," Alister murmured to himself.

Crim flinched guiltily and stepped back, away from Katrina.

Chesher approached Katrina with purposeful steps. He easily scooped her up into his arms, and turned to glare at Crim. "Don't you _dare_ touch her. Look at the state she's in because of you. Because she loves you, because she would do anything for you, because she would die for you - she's like this! But, you don't care. Do you? Katrina is just a meat shield to you. You think she's expendable!"

Crim was staring at the unconscious Katrina in Chesher's arms and his gaze lingered upon her wounds. He shook his head, looking lost. "No. You're wrong. I never meant for this to happen. Let me heal her..." He took a step towards Chesher and gave the cat-man an urgent look.

Chesher laughed coolly and skipped backwards a few steps to keep his distance from Crim. "You expect me to believe you want to _help_ her? Ha! You don't care about anyone but yourself, Crim. That's why you don't deserve to have a happy ending."

Crim winced at the cat-man's words.

Chesher tossed something up into the air and caught it. "I got my hands on this magic bean, so after I find a way to save Katrina I'll go to Overland and steal a mermaid's tear from the giants before you do. I _will_ win this tournament as long as it means that you won't. I _will_ stand in the way of your chance for happiness. You _will_ pay for stealing my sister's heart!"

"I never stole your sister's heart, Chesher," Crim scoffed.

"My sister's heart may still beat inside of her chest, but...it still belongs to you," Chesher said through gritted teeth.

"I never asked for her love!" Crim slashed a hand angrily through the air. "I don't want it. Nor do I need it. The fact that she's in love with me is _her_ problem - _not_ mine."

"You're a fool, Crim," Chesher said with a pitying shake of his head. "Not to see what is right in front of you."

"I love Madeline!" The King of Hearts reminded harshly.

"And why is that?" Chesher demanded.

A lost look flitted across Crim's face, but it was gone in a second to be replaced with an overly smug one. "I...just _do_!"

"I pity you," Chesher continued. "You have a chance to be truly happy, but you turn your back on it."

"I would _never_ give my heart to an _animal_ ," Crim declared. "If that nonsense is what you're implying. She is beneath me."

Chesher gave Crim a disgusted look. "You didn't always used to think that way. I seem to remember a certain nursemaid who-"

"Silence! Do not dare to speak her name or I will _end_ you!" The King of Hearts warned, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword in a threatening manner.

"Goodbye, Crim." Chesher and Katrina disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

To be continued in...Chapter 4:

### Chapter 4:

Crim stood clenching his fists in anger. He started to grind his back molars out of irritation. How dare Chesher just leave him like that?

Alister approached Crim and spoke in a tentative manner, "Crim, are you alright?"

Crim whirled around to face Alister and glared at the artist fiercely. "Why wouldn't I be? You think I actually care what happens to that cat-girl? Well, think again! It's just like Chesher said...she was just a means to an end." Crim walked over to the bean field, and removed a magic bean from a plant before holding it up. "Now, that I have this - there's no reason for me to stay among you peasants. Farewell." With a wave of his hand Crim disappeared dramatically in a cloud of red smoke.

"Hey, wait-" Alister called after him, but it was too late Crim had already used his magic to teleport away back to his Kingdom.

Crim materialized inside of his bedchamber that was located inside of his castle. Once he was safely inside of his room he let his cool mask of indifference fall from his face. His face turned bright red out of anger. "Argh!" Crim let out a frustrated yell. He threw the magic bean he'd gone through so much trouble to get across the room. It hit the far wall and then clattered to the floor.

Things weren't supposed to be this way! Katrina wasn't supposed to get mortally injured like that. Katrina still had her heart beating inside of her chest, and yet she cared for him sincerely. But...

The real issue here was that he _shouldn't_ care for her in return.

_Why am I feeling...this?_ Crim rubbed at his chest, and his eyes started to burn. For some reason he felt like someone had their hand wrapped around his heart and was clenching their hand into a fist. _I shouldn't be able to feel like this..._

Out of the corner of his eye, Crim noticed a stainless-steel dish cover sitting on the small round dining table that was inside of his bedchamber. Interest piqued, he walked over to the table and lifted the cover to reveal a freshly baked raspberry tart that was shaped like a heart. Crim's angry expression softened and warmed. Katrina had made him this tart. She knew that raspberry tarts were his favorite. "Argh!" With a frustrated wave of his hand he sent all of the dishes on the table flying. They shattered loudly as they hit the floor.

He _shouldn't_ care.

"I don't care...I don't," Crim told himself firmly. "I feel nothing for her! Nothing!" His face had gone red again and he was panting for breath.

Crim picked up an antique armchair and threw it at the full-length mirror that stood inside of his room. It shattered. _That's nine years bad luck. Cats have nine lives. Katrina._ The King of Hearts staggered over to his mahogany, four-poster bed that was covered by a red comforter with the pattern of black hearts on it, and collapsed onto it face-first. Crim fell into an uneasy sleep, and dreamt of his past.

FLASHBACK

Several years ago in Wonderland...

A beautiful, powerful and evil sorceress known as Cordeila, the Queen of Hearts ruled the Red Kingdom. She had the power to rip people's hearts right out of their chests using magic, put them into a box, and use their hearts to command their loyalty, and even their love if she so desired. The people Cordeila stole hearts from became her puppets, and were forced to obey her every whim.

But all magic comes with a price, and as the Red Queen grew older her magic began to weaken. Since she had made a lot of enemies during her bloody reign of terror she decided to forge an alliance through marriage with a dark sorcerer in order to protect herself.

Her plan was to give birth to powerful, magical sons that would love and protect her when no one else would. She would raise her sons herself, in order to ensure their absolute loyalty, and train them to become sorcerers that had no equal.

However, despite all of Cordelia's careful planning her first-born son was born without magic. She could hardly believe her failure. How could the spawn of the two most powerful sorcerers in their respective realms produce a baby with zero magical talent? It was inconceivable.

Cordelia was so consumed by her anger and disappointment in the child's lack of magic that she went a little insane. A black thought filled her mind - that she had to get rid of the child before anyone, especially her husband, found out about her failure.

That very night, she snuck her newborn baby out of the castle, and headed to the river that ran through the nearby forest. Cordelia planned to drown the child in the river, and pretend it - along with her failure and shame - had never existed. However-

Cordelia didn't realize it, but her handmaiden, a Cheshire Cat slave named Catara, was following her through the forest. Catara had helped the queen to give birth to the baby earlier that same evening, and had noticed the distraught look on her queen's face when she realized the baby boy possessed no magical talent.

Catara had decided to keep a close watch on the queen and her newborn son. As it turned out her worries were not unfounded when she caught the queen sneaking into the nursery, and sneaking her son out of the castle. Worried for both the queen and her son's safety, Catara had followed after them unnoticed by using her ability to turn herself invisible, as all Cheshire Cat People were able to do.

Just as Cordelia started to lower the bundled-up child into the river Catara willed herself to turn visible and called out to stop her, "No! Please, wait, Your Majesty!"

With the child in her arms, Cordelia spun around to face her handmaiden with a frantic, haggard look on her face. "Why? Why should I spare this child's life? He's ruined all my carefully laid plans! Don't you see? This baby has _no_ magic! He's completely _useless_! I promised my husband that I would give birth to _powerful_ children! If he finds out I gave birth to a child with _no_ magic...he'll leave me! Then, I won't have a man to father more sons for me. I must produce powerful sons that will grow up to protect their beloved mother - me! This child is proof of my failure and shame. He _needs_ to die!"

"If the child must die in order to protect your secret..." Catara began. "Then, so be it."

Cordelia narrowed her dark eyes suspiciously at the cat-woman. "What? I thought you wanted me to spare this child's life?"

A mischievous smile spread across Catara's face. "The child's death can be a lie. We can set fire to the nursery, make sure the cradle burns completely, and tell everyone in the castle that your poor child died in the fire."

"What good will that do?" Cordelia sneered. "Who will take care of this worthless child?"

"I will," Catara said simply, raising her chin. "I will be his mother."

A flash of surprise crossed Cordelia's face before her expression turned irritated. "And why should I allow you to? The time you'll spend caring for that useless child would be better spent brushing my hair."

"Don't be so shortsighted, Your Majesty," Catara chided gently. "That boy might not have magic _now_ , but there's no telling what may happen in the _future_."

Cordelia's irritation shifted to bewilderment. "You're saying there's a possibility he might gain magic in the future somehow?"

Catara nodded. "I have heard of it happening before in our land...in Wonderland where the impossible can become possible if one wills it strongly enough in their hearts. Everything will depend on the strength of his own will, of course. But, perhaps, his power is merely lying dormant, and waiting for the right time to manifest itself."

A sly smile curled Cordelia's red lips and she looked pleased. "An intriguing possibility...and one that deserves to be considered." The Queen of Hearts tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Alright, Catara, I'll take your gambit. You shall raise this child as your own."

Catara let out a sigh of relief and tried to hide her pleased expression by curtsying. "Thank you, Your Majesty." She looked up at the queen and a toothy smile formed on her face. "Oh, have you decided on the child's name?"

"His name?" Cordelia glanced over at the flowing river that she'd almost drowned her child in. The water appeared red because of the blood-red moon that was shinning in the night sky overhead. "A crimson moon. A rare occurrence, even in Wonderland. I think I'll name him 'Crimson'."

The smile on Catara's face widened at the name, and she nodded. "An excellent choice, Your Majesty. It is a good, strong name, and-"

Cordelia raised her hand to silence Catara in an imperious gesture. "Enough! You've already convinced me to let the boy live. He's your responsibility now. Here. Take him." The Queen of Hearts walked over and shoved the baby into Catara's waiting arms.

Catara carefully adjusted her hold on the baby boy and began to make cooing noises at him.

"Make sure you keep him out of my sight," Cordelia said coldly.

Catara looked up at the queen in surprise. "But, Your Majesty...you can't mean that you want to raise him among the slaves? We could tell everyone that he's a noble's son that you've decided to take in and let him have one of the guest rooms. Even if he possesses no magic, he's still a prince, and-"

Cordelia waved her hand dismissively. "No. Giving him any kind of special treatment would only be suspicious. He shall be raised as a servant. Though that won't be much better than a slave. And he will live with you in the servant's quarters. Perhaps, some adversity in his life will help to build character, or even help his dormant powers to awaken." There was a cruel glint in the Queen of Heart's eyes. "As the saying goes, Catara, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Catara opened her mouth to object but thought the better of it. It was already a miracle that she'd managed to convince the Queen of Hearts not to drown her own son. "Perhaps."

Cordelia waved her hand at Catara in an impatient manner. "Why are you still here? You are dismissed. Hurry up and get that useless baby out of my sight. His presence offends me."

"Yes, Queen Cordelia." Catara lowered her head to hide her disappointed expression, curtsied, and turned around to leave.

After that, Catara took care of baby Crim and raised him as her own. Because Catara had just given birth to her own child a week earlier - a baby girl who she named Katrina - Catara was able to nurse the two babies at the same time. Crim and Katrina were raised like siblings, and played together as they grew up.

Although, Catara treated Crim like her own son it was obvious to all of the other Cheshire Cat slaves that Crim was _not_ Catara's _real_ son due to his lack of cat ears, tail, tanned skin, or ability to shift into a cat. The other slaves that worked inside the castle were curious about Crim's origins, but were prudent enough to never actually bring it up.

Crim was a sweet, kind boy, and he quickly won all of the Cheshire Cat slaves over. The slaves came to dote upon Crim whenever they could escape their responsibilities. They only ever showed Crim kindness and love, and he considered them to be his family, even if they were from different races.

Crim's 'childhood memories' from his time living among the Cheshire Cat slaves would become the happiest memories of his life. During his time living as Catara's son, he'd felt truly loved, and he'd come to love his adopted mother as a true son would. Unfortunately, not all good things last forever.

When Crim turned ten-years-old, he was assigned to work in the royal stables as a stable boy. His responsibilities were taking care of the horses, and mucking out their stalls. In the beginning, Crim actually enjoyed the work, and grew fond of the horses since they were such gentle creatures. Things changed when Cordelia's three sons became old enough to ride, however, and Crim was forced to obey their every whim.

As it turned out, Queen Cordelia had three more sons after Crim, and each one of them was born with magic. Their names were: Diamond, Spade and Clover. Diamond was a natural at practicing dark magic, and outshone his two brothers in this field. Spade was more interested in intellectual pursuits such as potion making and the history behind rare magical items. Clover was the most athletic of the three brothers, and spent most of his time practicing swordplay or riding.

Diamond and Spade were both mean-spirited children, and had fun bullying the stable boy Crim, who they saw as being beneath them. Diamond would oftentimes shove Crim into a pile of manure when he was in the middle of mucking out the stalls. Also, in order to make more work for Crim, Diamond and Spade would purposefully ride their horses through mud puddles so that when they returned the horses to the stables later Crim would be forced to hose the horses down.

Clover didn't participate in the bullying of Crim, but he never tried to stop it either. This was something that Crim would hold against Clover in the future.

Crim was able to handle their bullying for the most part, but when Queen Cordelia's magic lessons began Diamond and Spade's bullying grew much worse, and much more dangerous.

One day, as Crim was busy mucking out the stalls as usual, Diamond, Spade and Clover entered the stables. That day Diamond was dressed in a slick, black, Victorian-style suit with the pattern of red diamonds on it, which complimented his short, spiky blood-red hair.

Spade tended to wear all black, and was wearing a wrinkled black suit with the faded pattern of silver spades on it. Spade's shoulder-length, shaggy, black hair was shadowing half of his face lending to his overall gloomy appearance. Usually, the only part of Spade's face that could be seen clearly was the creepy smile that seemed to be permanently plastered to his face. He always appeared to be inwardly laughing at some inside joke.

Clover looked out of place standing next to his two brothers in his bright, white suit with the pattern of green, three-leaf clovers on it. Clover had snow-white hair and pale green eyes while Diamond and Spade both had coal-black eyes like their mother.

Crim caught himself staring at the three royal brothers, and quickly looked away. He envied their fine clothes. Crim was currently dressed in hand-me-downs consisting of a simple, white cotton shirt, a pair of brown leather pants, and a pair of boots that were one size too small. "Your Highnesses, I wasn't expecting you today. I'm sorry, but I'll have your horses ready for you all immediately." Crim's voice was apologetic.

With a twisted sneer on his face that was the only way he smiled, Diamond stalked forward. "Oh, we're not here to go riding."

Crim looked up to meet Diamond's gaze and gave the other boy a questioning look. There was an odd glint in Diamond's dark eyes. He noticed that Spade was snickering evilly, and Clover was looking nervous. And that was _never_ a good sign.

Doing his best to appear unruffled, Crim dusted himself off, and raised his chin. "Then...why are you here?" He narrowed his eyes warily at the three brothers. He didn't really have time for their bullying. He had work to do.

"Our mother - the Queen - has finally started to teach us how to do magic," Diamond bragged in a haughty manner. "Recently, she taught us something rather interesting, but alas we don't have someone to practice with. That's where _you_ come in, Crim. Today is your lucky day! You're going to help us to improve our magic skills." Diamond's twisted smile widened.

"I am?" Crim questioned skeptically. "But, I can't do magic."

Diamond threw his head back and started to laugh loudly. A minute later, he lowered his head and glared at Crim condescendingly. "Of course you can't, peasant. All you need to do is just stand there...while I do _this_!" Diamond's hand shot out and passed right through Crim's chest.

Crim gaped down at the hand inside of his chest in mixture of awe and fear. When he felt Diamond's hand wrap around his heart, a chill crawled up his spine, and for the first time in his life he felt truly afraid.

Diamond's smile took on a cruel edge. "Now, if I do this properly you _won't_ die. However, if I screw up...well..." He shrugged carelessly. "I'm afraid you'll be as dead as a doornail!"

Spade snickered darkly. "As dead as a doornail!"

Crim's eyes widened in horror. "Wait! Don't!"

Diamond ignored Crim's plea and yanked his hand back. Clutched in Diamond's hand was a glowing, red heart that was beating. Crim gaped at his heart in shock. Diamond grew triumphant. "I did it! I'm amazing, aren't I?" He directed this question to his brothers with an expectant look on his face.

Spade was nodding vigorously. "Oh, yes, that was excellent, Brother."

Meanwhile, Clover was looking extremely uncomfortable with this turn of events. "Yes. You're very skilled, Diamond," Clover said in a dull, disinterested tone.

Diamond puffed up his chest with pride, suitably pleased with his brothers' compliments. He swiftly returned his attention back to his victim. "I wonder what will happen when I do _this_?" Diamond clenched his fingers around Crim's heart while watching Crim closely.

"Ugh!" Crim let out a grunt of pain and staggered forward a step. He put his hand over his chest that felt hollow and at the same time felt like it was burning. "No. _Please_." Crim gave Diamond a beseeching look.

Diamond chuckled in dark amusement at Crim's pain and suffering. "How pathetic. He's already begging." Diamond continued to squeeze Crim's heart. Crim dropped to his knees in pain and started to wheeze for breath.

Clover grew alarmed at the state Crim was in. "Stop! If you squeeze his heart any more it'll turn to dust, and there is no magic that can bring back the dead!"

Diamond tossed Clover an irritated look and reluctantly loosened his grip on Crim's heart. Crim gasped and panted for breath once he was able to properly breath again. A thoughtful expression settled over Diamond's face. "Mother did say something about that, didn't she? Although, I wonder if there's a way around that rule." Diamond's full attention suddenly shifted to Clover and Clover gulped nervously. "Clover, you sounded almost concerned for a mere stable boy, just now. Why is that?"

Clover flinched guiltily. "If he dies...we'll have to muck out these stalls ourselves."

Diamond barked out a laugh. "What an absurd idea! If Crim died...we'd just have the Cheshire Cat slaves do it, of course. Although, I do prefer having good ol' Crim around to do all of our work for us." A cruel smile spread across his face again. "And who would we have to practice our magic on?"

"I don't think we should-" Clover was saying tentatively.

Diamond's face started to turn red out of anger. "Are you contradicting me, Clover?" He demanded hotly. "Me! Your _older_ brother!"

Clover swallowed when he noticed that steam was starting to leave Diamond's ears, he was so angry. "No. Of course not, Brother. You are...right. As always." Clover's shoulders slumped in defeat.

Diamond's anger seemed to deflate at Clover's soothing words, and he nodded knowingly to himself. "Yes. Exactly so. I am _always_ right." Diamond crouched down in front of Crim and roughly shoved his heart back inside of his chest. Crim gasped in shock at having his heart back, and somehow it felt heavier than usual. Diamond stood up and dusted his hands off. "Now, why don't you have a go, Clover?" He gave his youngest brother an expectant look.

Clover's attention went to Crim and he could barely keep the concern out of his expression. "You want me to...?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you, Clover." Diamond let out an irritated huff. "Rip his heart out! Now. Or would you rather I practice on _you_ instead?"

Spade snickered in amusement as Clover started to pale. "Oh dear, whatever shall you do, Clover?"

Clover swallowed a lump of fear, and shook his head. "No...I...I'll do it." He walked over to Crim and crouched down in front of him.

Crim looked up at Clover with glassy, red-rimmed eyes. "Please, don't do this."

Clover gave Crim an apologetic look. "I'm sorry," he whispered, right before his hand shot out and passed through Crim's chest. Clover gripped Crim's heart and in one fluid move ripped it out of his chest. Then, Clover held the red, glowing and beating heart carefully in the palm of his hand.

Both of Diamond's eyebrows were raised in an impressed expression. "Well done, Clover. You see, you could do it. Nothing to worry about. You should have more faith in your own power!" Diamond slapped Clover amicably on the back, causing Clover to stumble forward a step. "After all, you are the son of Queen Cordelia - the most powerful sorceress in all of Wonderland! No one will _ever_ be more powerful than us!" Diamond raised his nose high in a haughty manner.

"Yes, Brother," Clover murmured and waited for further instructions. He knew that if he were foolish enough to try and return Crim's heart without Diamond's permission that Crim would be the one to suffer for it.

A minute later, Diamond waved his hand impatiently at Clover. "Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and put that back in so that Spade can have a go. He needs to practice his magic just as much as you do."

Clover merely nodded and returned Crim's heart to his chest in as gentle a way as possible. Crim gasped and shuddered, a cold sweat had broken out over his skin.

Rubbing his hands together gleefully, Spade approached next. "Oh, goodie, my turn." There was an eager, sadistic glint in his dark eyes. Spade crouched in front of Crim and reached into his chest to yank his heart out. As soon as Spade had Crim's heart in his hand he started to squeeze it.

Crim cried out in pain and agony, and toppled over onto his side. His body started to twitch and convulse, and Crim tried to curl himself up into a ball in a futile effort to protect himself.

Spade snickered at the sight. "Ohhh that looks painful! It sucks to be you, doesn't it? It's a shame you don't have magic, Crim. Then maybe you could defend yourself from us."

"M-Magic...?" Crim murmured through the blinding pain.

"Enough!" Diamond waved his hand to stop Spade's torture. Spade reluctantly stopped squeezing Crim's heart. "Return it. _I_ want to have another go," Diamond declared with a crooked smile.

Crim's eyes flared in panic and alarm. "No...not again...please..."

Clover had folded his arms in front of his chest and was digging his fingers into his upper arms as he struggled with looking unaffected by what was happening. "Again? Haven't you had enough?"

"Enough?" Diamond scoffed. "I could _never_ get enough of this! In fact, I could do this _all_ day. And perhaps, I shall!"

Crim whimpered at Diamond's declaration. Spade roughly shoved Crim's heart back inside of his chest and Crim gasped softly.

Diamond cracked his knuckles and approached Crim. "Let's continue our fun, shall we?"

Five hours later...

"I'm bored," Diamond announced after Crim had finally stopped screaming. "He's boring now. We'll have to let him rest up a bit before he'll become more _fun_ again."

Spade giggled evilly.

"Let's go, boys." Diamond started to head for the exit to the stables with Spade following close behind. It only took a minute for Diamond to notice that Clover wasn't following him and he shot a questioning look over his shoulder. "Coming, Clover?"

"I want to go for a ride," Clover said simply.

"You're going to put poor Crim to work so soon?" Diamond smiled delightedly. "Wonderful! See you at dinner, Brother." Diamond and Spade exited the stables together and shut the door behind them.

As soon as the door had closed behind his brothers, Clover rushed over to the fallen Crim's side. "Crim, are you alright?" he asked, concern now etched into his features.

Crim blinked up at Clover weakly. "How can you even ask me that...after what you did to me?" His voice was hoarse, and as rough as sandpaper.

Noticing his discomfort, Clover rushed off to fetch a canteen of water and brought it over to Crim. He unscrewed the cap and held the canteen to Crim's lips. "Here. Drink."

Crim tried to gather enough strength to turn his head away. "I don't want anything from you, you hypocrite! You think you're better than them...that you're some kind of noble hero. But, you're not. You may not participate willingly in their bullying, but you don't try to stop Diamond or Spade either. You just stand there and watch. When one has the power to help someone and yet does nothing...they're guilty of whatever befalls that person. You're just as guilty as they are, Clover!"

Clover nodded grimly. "You're right. I _am_ guilty. I'm sorry to admit this, but I'm afraid of Diamond and what he'll do to me if I disobey him. His skill with dark magic is unbelievable. I'm a coward, Crim."

"You're his brother. Do you really believe he'd hurt you?" Crim scoffed.

"Yes." Clover's expression was bleak. "I believe he's capable of killing me if the whim ever crosses his mind, and I make him lose his temper."

Crim's eyes were wide. "But, you have _magic_."

"My magic is nowhere near as powerful as Diamond's." Clover put his hands out before him in a helpless gesture and shook his head. "Besides, he wields dark magic, and I wield light magic. Diamond feeds the darkness inside of himself by performing dark deeds. And I...I'm trying to keep the darkness at bay because like you said I _want_ to be a hero."

"A hero? You?" Crim gave Clover an incredulous look. "Your mother is a villain!"

A sad, crooked smile formed on Clover's face. "I'm well aware. But, I don't intend to live in this Kingdom forever. I plan to leave this place and create my own Kingdom once I have the power to do so."

"You're going to _leave_?" Crim's voice cracked, betraying how worried he was about Clover's departure. Without Clover as a sort of buffer between him and his brothers things would only get worse for Crim. Morosely, Crim wondered if he'd be able to survive.

Clover's sad expression turned thoughtful and he offered Crim a warm, hopeful smile. "Crim, why don't you come with me? Leave this place!" Clover's voice began to rise in volume due to his excitement about his new idea. "Together, we could forge our own destinies!" He spread his arms wide at his sides.

Crim arched an eyebrow at the young prince. "Why would you want a lowly stable boy tagging along with you, Your Highness?"

"In _my_ Kingdom everyone will be treated as equals," Clover declared.

"Everyone?" Crim gave the prince a skeptical look. "Even the Cheshire Cat People?"

Clover opened his mouth and hesitated to respond. "Perhaps," he said softly.

"Then...you will become the Queen of Heart's direct enemy." Crim realized with mounting horror. "She enslaved their entire race. It's because of her that the Cheshire Cat People lost The Cheshire Cat Wars."

"Slavery is wrong," Clover said firmly.

"Give me that." Crim grabbed the canteen out of Clover's hands and drank deeply. "Ah!" He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You're crazy, but I wish I could go with you. Unfortunately, I can't leave my mother behind."

"You mean Catara? Your adopted mother?" Clover asked tentatively.

"To me she is my real mother," Crim growled angrily. "And I won't abandon her to the Red Queen's twisted whims."

"That's very noble of you," Clover praised, a twinkle in his pale green eyes. "You have the makings of a hero inside of you, Crim!"

Crim flushed. "Yeah, right." The two boys smiled at each other awkwardly and laughed.

***

Years passed, and Diamond and Spade continued to bully, tease, and torture Crim on a daily basis. Crim felt like Diamond and Spade treated him worse than even the Cheshire Cat slaves. Sometimes, he wondered why Diamond seemed to hate him so much.

Crim didn't think that the magical experiments they performed on him could get any worse than they already had, until one day...

Diamond and Spade forced Crim to accompany them to the croquet field. The entire way there Spade was snickering evilly, and Crim had a bad feeling about it. "Why have you brought me here?" Crim asked uneasily.

"I would have thought that'd be obvious given where we've taken you," Diamond drawled condescendingly. "We're going to play a nice little game of croquet."

Crim raised a wary eyebrow at Diamond. "We are?"

"Indeed," Diamond smiled sharply. "And you're going to be our ball."

Crim grew befuddled. "I'm going to be _what_?"

Using his magic, Diamond summoned an enchanted battle-axe from a pocket dimension, and it materialized in his hand. Without hesitation, Diamond swung the axe at Crim's neck and cut his head off.

"Ooo!" Spade giggled madly and clapped his hands together in a gleeful manner. "That was brilliant, Brother!"

Crim's head was severed from his shoulders and fell to the grassy ground. His body toppled over to the ground next. Crim was thoroughly surprised that...well, he wasn't dead.

Diamond casually strolled over, picked up Crim's head, and turned it so that Crim's gaze met his. "Yo, still alive?"

Crim glared at Diamond fiercely. "Yes...Your Highness," he said through gritted teeth.

Diamond was incredibly pleased with his handiwork. "It worked." His voice was slightly tinged with surprise. "Well, of course, it did. I'm amazing at everything I do. Mother will be so proud of me when I show her how good I am at decapitating people, and at reattaching their heads."

"I'm sure she'll be ecstatic," Crim said in a dry tone.

Diamond started to nonchalantly toss Crim's head up and down through the air one-handed. "Now, if you're an obedient little croquet ball I may just consider reattaching your head to your body. What do you say?" He stopped tossing Crim's head so he'd be able to respond.

Crim was forced to literally bite his tongue to stop himself from uttering the words he really wanted to say. Instead Crim had to be satisfied with cursing Diamond in his mind only: _Fuck you, you bastard!_ A trickle of blood trailed down Crim's chin and he remained silent.

Diamond's vicious smile widened at the sight of the blood. "That's what I thought, Coward. Now, let the game begin!" Diamond carelessly tossed Crim's head to the grassy ground and it rolled a few feet after it hit the ground.

A group of lords and ladies hurriedly went to fetch their live flamingos, which they would be using instead of _normal_ croquet mallets. The Wonderland nobility were dressed in their finery for the grand occasion of having been invited by the handsome and eligible princes to play a game of Wonderland croquet - a style of croquet where the rules were made as one went along.

The ladies were wearing dresses with puffed sleeves and bell skirts while the men were dressed in Victorian-style suits. All of the Wonderland nobility were wearing feathered or jeweled masks on their faces. Hats were another popular Wonderland fashion trend, and top hats, bowler hats, fascinators, and all kinds of other hats sat upon the heads of the lords and ladies.

Diamond grabbed a blue flamingo, forced it to straighten itself out, and holding it by its legs swung the flamingo towards Crim's head. The flamingo's head collided with Crim's head, and sent it flying across the lawn towards an arch.

Crim's head landed face-first on the ground, and he broke his nose, causing a whimper of pain to slip past his lips. He wondered morosely how long their rather macabre game of croquet was going to last, and if he'd still be conscious by the end of it.

"You're up next, Spade," Diamond said cheerily.

"Oh, goodie," Spade said impishly before grabbing a purple flamingo and skipping over towards Crim's head.

"Crim!" a panicked female voice called out.

A wave of fear washed over Crim as he recognized that voice as belonging to his mother Catara, and even though his head wasn't attached to his body he could feel his heart squeezing painfully inside of his chest out of worry. _No._ He thought. _What the hell is she doing here?_

For eighteen years, Crim had managed to keep it a secret from Catara that Diamond and Spade bullied and tortured him on a regular basis. This was something that Crim never wanted Catara to have to witness because he knew that it would hurt her to see him in pain like this.

Catara raced across the lawn towards Diamond, Spade and Crim's head, her long pink hair trailing behind her like a flag.

Diamond gave the Cheshire Cat slave an irritated look. "Who let that _animal_ out of her cage?"

Catara tried to get closer to Crim's head, but Diamond smoothly stepped in her path. "Prince Diamond, please, you can't do this," Catara said as she wrung her hands together. "He's my _son_." Her voice cracked on the word 'son'.

Diamond arched a skeptical eyebrow at her. "Your son?" He glanced down at Crim's head and then body pointedly. "I don't see cat ears or a tail, so really he _isn't_ your son. Crim is just some abandoned orphan who nobody wanted. A peasant. A nobody."

Catara's pink and purple striped tail started to swish back and forth behind her out of anger. "No. You're wrong. That's not who he is at all. And if you knew the truth about who he really is you wouldn't be treating him this way. In fact, you'd be appalled by your actions."

Diamond instantly grew curious. "Is that so? Then do tell me who Crim _really_ is." He gave the cat slave an expectant look.

Catara hesitated. "I...I can't tell you." Her ears flattened on the top of her head.

Diamond's dark eyes flashed in anger. "Can't? Or won't? No matter...I'll just _make_ you tell me the truth!" Diamond's hand shot out, and he reached into Catara's chest to rip out her heart.

It happened so fast that Catara was barely able to react.

Crim's eyes widened in horror as he watched what happened. "Mother! No!"

Diamond held Catara's glowing, red heart up to his lips and spoke to it. "Now, tell me Catara...who is Crim?"

Catara struggled not to answer, but was compelled to by the magical hold Diamond now had over her heart. "He...he's your brother."

"My...what?" Diamond gawked back at Catara in shock, but then a dark scowl formed on his face. "You lie!"

Catara raised her chin in a defiant manner. She knew that there was no use trying to lie anyways now that Diamond had her heart. "I'm not lying. Crimson was named after the blood moon that appeared in the sky over Wonderland eighteen years ago. Crimson is Queen Cordelia's firstborn son, and your _older_ brother. He's first in line to the throne of the Red Kingdom!"

Shock, anger and disbelief warred on Diamond's face. "But...that's impossible." Diamond glared down at Crim's head. "You expect me to believe that that pathetic, magic-less worm is my older brother? If what you're saying is true...he's the son of Mal and Cordelia. There's no way he can be magic-less! He must have _some_ magic. Or maybe he's been hiding it all this time?" Diamond shot Crim a suspicious and wary look. "Have you been hiding your true power from me all this time, Crim?"

"No. I swear..." Crim swiftly denied.

Diamond held up Catara's heart for Crim to have a better look at it. "I don't believe you." He started to squeeze her heart, and Catara gasped in pain and hunched over. "Now, if you want to save mommy dearest here...you're going to have to use magic to stop me!"

Crim's eyes widened in horror and he began to panic. "No! Wait! Please! Don't!"

Diamond clenched his fingers around Catara's heart slowly. Catara's legs gave out and she sank to her knees in pain. Tears filled her golden eyes and she looked around the lawn for Crim's head. Their gazes met and locked.

Diamond laughed cruelly. "You'd better stop me, _Crimson_." He used Crim's full name mockingly. "Before it's too late. Don't forget magic can't bring back the dead!" A sinister smile curled his lips.

"No! Don't do it! Please!" Crim begged pathetically. But there was nothing he could really do. Tears filled his eyes and his vision started to blur. "Mother...I'm sorry." A crunching sound filled the air as Diamond mercilessly crushed Catara's heart to dust. "Mother!"

Catara stared at Crim, and he watched as the light slowly left her beautiful golden eyes. "I lo-" Catara fell over onto the grassy ground, dead.

Crim's mouth opened abnormally wide as he screamed loudly in despair. Hot tears streamed down his face and his vision blurred completely.

Diamond and Spade snickered cruelly at Crim's distraught state, and the lords and ladies joined in.

Laughter.

Catara, his kind, sweet mother had been killed right before his eyes, and these people were _laughing_ at him.

Crim's despair quickly turned to anger. And this anger ignited something deep within him. Something that until that very moment had been lying dormant.

Crim's scream of despair changed into an outraged yell. A dark aura resembling black flames surrounded Crim's body, and then his severed head. Tendrils of black fire reached out across the lawn and connected his body to his head, and started to pull his body back together again. The laughter started to die down as everyone watched what was happening.

Once his body was whole once more, Crim pushed himself up off the ground in an eerie manner, and stood. With an aura of black flames still surrounding him, he locked gazes with a shocked looking Diamond.

Diamond's laughter had abruptly died in his throat at the sight of Crim miraculously managing to pull his body back together using magic. Diamond had never heard of a mage powerful enough to still be able to perform magic when his body was in pieces.

Crim cracked his neck from side to side, and approached Diamond with menacing, predatory steps.

"You...you used magic," Diamond stammered out in disbelief. "But, _how?_ "

"You killed my mother," Crim drawled coolly. "That was a mistake." Crim's hand shot out towards Diamond's chest, but instead of passing through Diamond's chest it hit some kind of magical shield that flared to life.

Diamond laughed triumphantly in response. "Did you just try to rip out my heart? Mother taught us how dangerous it is if your heart falls into the wrong hands. Did you really think I wouldn't take precautions to protect my own heart? I cast a protection spell on my heart ages ago. It's unbreakable!" Diamond's demeanor was oozing confidence.

Crim prodded at the magical shield thoughtfully, and then smiled sharply. "Unbreakable?" Crim summoned his new dark magical power and in seconds managed to shatter the protection shield.

As the golden-tinged energy shield shattered into flakes of light, Diamond's expression grew alarmed. "Impossible!"

With nothing left to stop him, Crimson reached inside of Diamond's chest and ripped his heart out. He inspected it curiously, turning it this way and that. Diamond's heart was mostly a glowing, red color, but parts of it were black. The sight made Crim smile crookedly. "As the saying goes: it's what's on the inside that counts. And you are definitely _lacking_ , Diamond."

Diamond's shoulders started to shake with rage and he clenched his hands into fists at his sides. "You would dare?" he snarled, spit flying out of his mouth. "I am to be _King_!"

Crim's blasé expression grew thoughtful. "I'm older than you, remember? Which means _I_ should be King." A smug smile curled his lips.

A vein at Diamond's temple throbbed in irritation. "Over my dead body!"

"That's the idea," Crim readily agreed. "But first, let's play a little game for old time's sake, shall we?" Crim held Diamond's heart up to his lips. "Summon your axe, Diamond," he ordered.

Diamond was forced to obey the command, and summoned his battle-axe from his pocket dimension. It materialized in his hand. Diamond glared heatedly at Crim the entire time.

"Good. Very good." Crim nodded, looking pleased. "Now, I want you to cut Spade's head off."

The blood started to drain out of Diamond's face. "You want me to _what?_ No way!"

"Oh, I almost forgot." Crim strolled over to Diamond, and waved his hand over the axe's blade so that the enchantment placed upon it was broken. This meant that if the axe was now used to decapitate Spade...Spade's head would not be able to be reattached with magic, instead Spade would die a bloody, painful death.

Out of shock, Spade let go of his flamingo, and it flew off with an indignant squawk. He raised his hands before him in a surrendering gesture. "Crim, w-wait. Please, don't kill me. I...I'm sorry. Have mercy...b-brother." Spade had paled and his body was trembling in fear.

"Mercy?" Crim scoffed. "Like how you had mercy when _I_ begged you to stop ripping my heart out, again and again. This is what bullies deserve - their just desserts. Off with his head!" Crim commanded imperiously, slashing his hand through the air.

"Damn you, Crim..." Diamond said through gritted teeth as he swung his axe at Spade's head, and decapitated him.

The lords and ladies screamed as blood splattered through the air. Spade's head hit the grassy ground and rolled towards the nobles who only screamed louder in response. Spade's body crumpled to the ground where a pool of blood started to form around it.

As Crim watched blood splatter onto the white roses in the garden Crim's smile widened maniacally. "You know, what? Red roses are much more beautiful than white. I should have the gardeners paint the roses red, post haste. But for that to happen...I need more blood." His predatory gaze turned upon the nobles. "You all found my despair and heartbreak over the loss of my mother to be quite entertaining, didn't you? Your laughter is still ringing in my ears."

"Please..." "Spare us." "We're sorry..." "Please, forgive us!" the lords and ladies begged pitifully.

"OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!" Crim yelled out to Diamond.

Diamond gulped and approached the nobles, who backed away from him in fear. Diamond swung his axe and decapitated a lady first. _What a waste._ Diamond thought to himself. _She was kind of cute._ The rest of the nobility immediately tried to make a run for it.

With a lazy wave of his hand Diamond was able to freeze them all in place using his dark magic power. Then, one by one he chopped off their heads while Crim watched the carnage with a wide, satisfied smile on his face. Who knew that revenge could be such fun?

After Diamond had decapitated all of the lords and ladies who'd laughed at his plight - Crim started to crush Diamond's heart. Diamond cried out in pain and sunk to his knees. Crim casually strolled over to regard his brother and former tormentor. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this."

"Fuck y-" Diamond snarled.

Crim crushed Diamond's heart to dust. "You were saying, Brother?" Crim mockingly cupped his ear with his hand. "Oh, well. I doubt you had anything very important to say anyways." A sinister smile curled Crim's lips. "I do believe it's time I paid a little visit to the Queen of Hearts."

***

With a wave of his hand, the double doors to the throne room opened, and Crim strolled inside. Queen Cordelia was currently seated upon her gilded throne in a relaxed pose. She arched a regal eyebrow at his approach. "Crim...?" That's when Cordelia noticed the powerful, dark, magical aura that was flaring around Crim. "Your powers have awoken...my son." She smiled happily. "It's about time."

Crim continued stalking forward until he was standing only two feet away from Cordelia. "I'm _not_ your son. You abandoned me because I was born without magic. My true mother was Catara."

"Was?" Cordelia feigned interest.

"Diamond..." Crim's shoulders shook with rage. "Crushed her heart."

"Well, she _was_ just a slave," Cordelia said dismissively. "An animal. If you miss her terribly I can always get you another-"

"She was my mother!" Crim snapped. "And I'll never forget how you treated her for all these years. You used to make her mop the floor until her fingers bled!" Lightning fast, Crim's hand shot out and passed through Cordelia's chest, breaking past her own protection spell with ease. Then, he gripped her heart.

With incredulity swirling in her dark eyes, Cordelia stared down at the hand inside of her chest. "You...! My shield. Impossible. How?"

Crim flashed her a cocky smirk. "It appears I'm simply more powerful than you, Queen of Hearts." He pulled Cordelia's heart out and inspected it. It was even blacker than Diamond's had been. Crim clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You have been a naughty girl, haven't you? And naughty girls should be punished." Crim started to squeeze Cordelia's heart without mercy.

Cordelia gasped in pain. "W-Wait..." She raised her hand towards Crim. "You can't...you _need_ me. Who is going to teach you magic? You must learn how to control your new powers."

Crim gave Cordelia an assessing look and stopped squeezing her heart. "I'm listening."

Cordelia gasped, and took several deep breaths. "As long as you possess my heart you have nothing to fear from me. You'll need a teacher if you want to become the most powerful sorcerer in Wonderland. With my guidance you can become even more powerful than your father."

Crim raised an eyebrow at Cordelia. The Queen of Heart's husband was shrouded in mystery. "My father?"

"King Maleficent." A slow smile spread across Cordelia's face.

To be continued in...Chapter 5:

### Chapter 5:

A few hours earlier...

As soon as Alister and Katrina left the hat shop, the smile dropped from Madeline's face and she stalked over to pick up her sheathed sword that was attached to a brown leather belt that she buckled around her waist.

Now that her contenders were busy trying to complete the 'impossible task' of stealing a magic bean from the Dark Fairies this meant that the King of Hearts was no longer in the Red Kingdom. Madeline tapped her lower lip in thought. The only danger she'd have to worry about would be the Red King's blindly loyal knights.

Madeline exited her house, hopped on her horse that had been tethered to a tree out front, and took off at a gallop into the nearby forest, heading for the Red Kingdom.

Madeline felt bad that she was lying to Alister. She really did _love_ him, but...the ends justified the means. She _had_ to do this. And she had to do this alone. No one could know about this top-secret mission of hers.

Madeline rode swiftly through the forest and in less than an hour had arrived at Crim's territory. She didn't need to infiltrate the Royal Palace to accomplish her mission, but only the hedge maze next to the royal garden. The hedge maze, which surrounded the outskirts of the kingdom, was protected by dark magic and dangerous spells.

Luckily, Madeline was currently in possession of the legendary Vorpal Sword that _He_ had given her in order to complete this deadly mission.

Madeline cautiously approached the ten-foot-tall hedge bush wall, and raised her Vorpal Sword in a two-handed grip in front of her before swinging it right at the hedge. A loud clanging sound filled the air when her sword hit an energy shield that flared to life with a golden light.

With just a little more force, however, Madeline was able to break past the energy shield and then slice through the leafy green hedge. Madeline continued to hack away at the hedge until she'd created a suitably sized entrance to the maze. She had to step through quickly though since the broken branches were already regenerating, and as she passed through the opening the branches reached out and tried to ensnare her.

Goosebumps broke out over Madeline's arms and she shuddered. The last thing she wanted was to end up trapped inside a bush. It would be incredibly embarrassing for Crim to find her that way.

After making it into the maze, Madeline sheathed her sword, reached into her pants pocket, and pulled out a silver, dragon-shaped pendant that had a large emerald clutched in the dragon's talons. The pendant had been enchanted with a locator spell, and the stone would glow brighter the closer Madeline got to the object she was looking for.

Madeline placed the pendant on the palm of her right hand and held it out in front of her. She held her hand out towards her right and nothing happened. When she held her hand out towards the left path the emerald started to glow dimly. She nodded to herself. "This way then."

Madeline used the pendant to navigate the maze in this manner, and ended up taking a left, then a right, another left, two rights and lastly another left. Without the pendant to guide her she surely would have become lost in this crazy maze.

A few minutes later, Madeline heard the distinctive clanking sound of heavily armored knights that were on patrol in the maze, and paused to listen carefully in order to pinpoint their general location in order to avoid them.

Finally, she'd somehow managed to make it to the center of the maze, which was a large square-shaped clearing. At the opposite end from where Madeline was currently standing stood a large, Gothic family vault.

Madeline looked down at the pendant sitting on the palm of her hand. Its brightness was almost blinding now. So 'it' was inside that tomb. _Alright, then._ Madeline pocketed the pendant, unsheathed the Vorpal Sword with her right hand, and then added her left hand to the hilt.

There were only two knights standing guard in front of the vault's door. The Red Knights were dressed in red steel armor with the pattern of black hearts on it. She could take them. Madeline wasn't known as being Wonderland's finest swordswoman for nothing after all!

Holding the Vorpal Sword out before her in a two-handed grip she whistled loudly to get the knights' attention. "Whoo-hoo. Hello, boys. I'm bored. Let's have some fun."

"It's the Mad Hatter!" the knight on the left exclaimed as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at her.

"You crazy bitch!" his comrade added, following suit, and unsheathing his own sword.

"It appears my reputation proceeds me." Madeline grinned widely. "Wonderful!" She fearlessly and somewhat recklessly charged forward, and the two knights ran forward to meet her. The knight on her right swung his sword first at her in a horizontal sideways slash. Madeline blocked the blow with her sword, and spun to block an attack coming at her from her left - an overhead downward slash.

Madeline appeared undaunted by having to face off against the two knights simultaneously. With deadly grace and wicked speed, Madeline spun and swung her sword at the knight on her right, and severed his head from his shoulders.

"You Mad Hat! You'll pay for that!" the other knight roared in outrage at his comrade's apparent demise.

Amusement glittered in Madeline's green eyes. "There's no need to get so angry with me, Knight." Madeline held up the Vorpal Sword and caressed the blade with her hand in an appreciative manner. "This is an enchanted blade, which means your friend there is still alive. His head can simply be reattached to his body later."

The knight whose severed head was now lying on the ground blinked his eyes open in astonishment. "She's right! I'm still alive!"

"Truce?" Madeline offered the remaining knight in an amicable manner.

The knight readjusted his grip on his sword's hilt. "Never! If I fail to protect the vault the Red King will crush my heart. Besides, I'm under orders to protect this place and I cannot disobey him."

"Pity," Madeline lamented before she attacked the remaining knight. Their swords clashed, and Madeline deftly snuck past the knight's defenses before cutting his head off next. The knight's head toppled off his shoulders, and his body crumpled to the ground in a clatter of armor.

"Now, then." Madeline sheathed her sword. "I can't have you boys calling for help, so I'm really sorry about this, but it's absolutely necessary." Madeline ripped off two pieces of material from the decorative bustle on the back of her jacket then walked over to the knights' heads before stuffing the rags into their mouths in order to gag them. Madeline nodded at her handiwork. "There. You boys stay quiet. I have a vault to rob. Toodles!"

The two knights glared fiercely at Madeline as they watched her approach the vault door. The door to the vault was locked, of course, and there was a protection spell on it too. Madeline took out the pendant _He_ had given her and touched the door with it.

The magical shield shattered instantly, and the door unlocked itself before swinging open. "Hmm. Magic can come in pretty handy. It's a shame I can't wield it." Madeline pouted as she stepped inside the vault. In the center sat two large, stone sarcophaguses. Madeline walked over to inspect them curiously. Carved on the stone lid of the coffin on her right was the name: DIAMOND. Below the name a small diamond-shaped symbol had been carved into the stone lid.

Madeline's attention turned to the coffin on her left. The name 'SPADE' had been carved onto the lid of this coffin, and right below the name a spade-shaped symbol had been carved into the lid.

Madeline touched the pendant to Spade's sarcophagus first, but nothing happened. Then she touched the pendant to Diamond's sarcophagus and the coffin slid sideways over the floor with a loud scraping sound to reveal a hidden stairway. "Bingo." Madeline made her way down the steep stone steps to the lower level of the vault.

The room she entered was empty except for the rows of small, square-shaped drawers on all of the surrounding walls. The little compartments resembled miniature tombs. On the surface of each drawer a letter and a number, or two letters had been engraved.

Madeline's eyes traveled along a row: 8H, 9H, 10H, JH, QH, KH, AH. She reached out and touched the engravings thoughtfully. "Ten of hearts? Jack of hearts? That must be it. If I remember correctly Crim has given his knights designations that correspond with the cards found in a deck of playing cards. And I have a feeling I know what's inside of these compartments."

Madeline reached out and opened up one of the drawers. Inside the drawer was a small box. Madeline grabbed the box and opened it. Inside was a glowing, red heart. "These are the hearts Crim has ripped out of his knights' chests in order to make them completely loyal to him." Madeline carefully returned the heart to the box and set the box back inside of its drawer. "But, I'm not looking for a knight's heart. What I'm looking for is...aha! This must be it." Engraved on one of the compartments was the symbol of a dragon.

When Madeline tried to open the drawer, a painful, stinging zap was sent into her finger. "Another protection spell." Madeline held the glowing dragon pendant against the drawer and the drawer slid open. Just like in the other drawer there was a small box inside.

Madeline pocketed the pendant before reaching into the drawer to pull out the box. This one was a little more elaborate than the other had been, and resembled a miniature treasure chest.

Madeline flipped the lid open and peered inside to see a glowing, red heart. A wide, triumphant smile curled her lips. "I did it. I'm one step closer to my goal now." Madeline reached into the box, pulled out the heart, and hid it inside of her inner jacket pocket.

After that, she replaced the box inside of the drawer, and shut it closed. She wanted it to appear as though nothing had been stolen from within the vault for the next time Crim came down here to give his knights orders. "Mission complete. I'd better get out of here before more knights come."

Madeline hurried up the stairs and used the magic from the pendant to cause the sarcophagus to slide back into place. She exited the vault just in time to see a group of five Red Knights entering the center of the maze. They immediately spotted her, unsheathed their swords, and pointed them at her. Like the other knights these were also dressed in red steel armor decorated with the pattern of black hearts.

"Look! It's the Mad Hatter!" "Get her!" "Halt! You're under arrest by order of the Red King!" The knights yelled at her.

"Bloody hell!" Madeline complained before she took off running into the maze with the five knights in hot pursuit. Because she could only use the pendant's power to find the center of the maze where the heart had been hidden, she had no way to navigate through the maze now, and had no idea where the hell she was going. _Crap!_

One knight got too close, and Madeline was forced to spin around and engage him in combat. Their swords clashed, and Madeline raised her foot and kicked him right in the gut, sending him flying into the hedge. The leafy bush reacted instantly, came alive, and wrapped its branches around the Red Knight, ensnaring him. The knight cried out in fear as he was pulled into the hedge, and in seconds had disappeared from sight.

Madeline didn't look back and kept running. She sensed that another knight was closing in on her from behind again and raised her sword before spinning around to face him. Madeline swung her sword at the knight's neck and decapitated him before he could properly react to her speed. As the knight's head fell down through the air, Madeline swung her sword like a baseball bat, and using the flat of her blade hit his head and sent it flying into the nearby hedge bush.

The hedge immediately started to wrap its branches around the head in order to drag it back into the bush. "Ah! Please! Help me!" the knight cried out in terror.

One of the knights stopped to help his comrade, and reached out to grab the head with both his hands. Unfortunately, he'd underestimated the strength of the hedge bushes, and ended up being pulled into the bush along with the head.

_Two knights left._ Madeline mentally made a note to herself before picking up the pace, and running even faster in order to put some distance between herself and the remaining knights. A minute later, Madeline spotted a nice flat expanse of hedge up ahead, and ran towards it purposefully with her sword raised before her. As soon as she'd reached the hedge she swung her sword and started to frantically hack away at the branches in order to create an exit.

She glanced over her shoulder to see that the guards were almost upon her. "Eek! Come on...almost there!" A small, round opening had been formed in the hedge and Madeline was able to slip through it.

"Stop right there, Mad Hatter!" a knight yelled as he tried to pursue her.

Madeline spun around, sword raised before her in a two-handed grip, and watched as the knight tried to slip through the opening she'd created with her sword by jumping through it, head-first.

But, it was too late.

The branches whipped out and ensnared the knight, quickly trapping him inside the hedge so that the upper half of his torso was on one side of the hedge while his legs were dangling pathetically behind him on the other side of the hedge. He glared at Madeline fiercely, and waved his sword at her in a futile manner.

Madeline smirked in amusement at his plight, and sheathed her sword before sauntering over to the trapped knight. "Green is a good look on you, Sir Knight. Maybe Crim should change the color of your armor from red to green."

The knight growled angrily at her. "Damn you, Madeline Hatter! You won't get away with this!"

Madeline's lips curled into a cocky smirk. "I already have." She stuck two fingers into her mouth and whistled loudly. The sound of a horse neighing in response to her call reached their ears. Then, Madeline's horse appeared, galloping towards her. Madeline grabbed the horse's reins and hopped up into the saddle in one smooth motion.

The knight started to chuckle darkly, and Madeline shot him an irritated glance. "What's so funny, Knight?"

"You may have bested us, but the Red King will have the last laugh. If you're _here_ then that means you've left Alister Kingsley alone and defenseless, and my sister the Knave has been sent to kill him during his journey into Underland! He's as good as dead."

"The Knave!" Madeline exclaimed, her voice laced with worry. Although female the Knave of Hearts was rumored to be a Master Swordswoman, and had the best swordsmanship out of all the knights in Crim's army. Even though Madeline had never faced off against her, she had the feeling the Knave's skill probably rivaled her own.

The knight smiled at the concern swirling in Madeline's eyes. "The next time you see Alister he won't have a head, and I'm afraid my sister doesn't use enchanted blades. Just _normal_ ones."

_Alister._ Madeline thought to herself with a pang inside of her chest, but then a determined expression settled over her face.

The knight noticed her look, and scowled at her. "You can't go to him. The rules of the tournament are that _you_ cannot interfere, or else you forfeit."

A reckless grin curled Madeline's lips. "You're absolutely right. But, that's why I, Madeline Hatter, won't be interfering. Ta-Ta! Hyah!" Madeline snapped her horse's reins and took off at a gallop, heading towards Salome's mushroom grove, and the entrance to Underland.

***

Alister stood listlessly staring at the place where just moments before Chesher, Katrina and the King of Hearts had been standing.

Clover walked over to Alister and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright, Alister?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but...Katrina...she was hurt because of me." Alister's shoulders slumped dejectedly. "Because I'm a coward."

Clover's expression grew solemn. "Katrina sacrificed herself for the man she loves. That was her choice."

"I still find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that she loves an asshole like Crim," Alister sighed.

A guilty look flashed across Clover's face before it was replaced by a wistful expression. "Crim wasn't always that way. He used to be a sweet, kind boy."

Alister shot Clover an incredulous look. "That's what Katrina said." A frown formed on his face. "What happened?"

Clover shook his head. "Sadly, I'm not sure. I had already left the Red Kingdom in order to form my own Kingdom when the news reached me that Crim had killed our brothers: Diamond and Spade, and had seized control of the throne from our mother, Queen Cordelia."

"So, he turned evil?" Alister questioned.

"I believe that evil is made, not born. I left the Red Kingdom because Diamond and Spade's hearts were filled with darkness and cruelty, and I didn't want to end up like them. Queen Cordelia is _not_ a good person, and she molded my brothers to be just like her. Diamond and Spade probably did something horrible and most likely deserved to die, but the action of taking their lives darkened Crim's heart." Clover hung his head in shame. "I should have been there for my brother Crim. If I had then maybe I could have done something to stop Crim from turning dark."

Alister immediately felt the urge to comfort Clover. "Whatever happened wasn't your fault though. Crim made his own decisions. And he chose darkness."

"Because he had no choice," Clover argued with a haggard look on his face.

"There's always a choice," Alister countered.

Clover's pale green eyes glittered. "Spoken like a true hero."

"I'm no hero." Alister let out a heavy, self-deprecating sigh. "I should have helped you guys back there. Then, maybe Katrina wouldn't have gotten hurt."

Crim put his hands out before him in a helpless gesture. "What's done is done. Sadly, the past cannot be undone. The only thing we really have control over is how we decide to react in the present. Our choices will determine our futures. If you regret having been a coward then try to be a little braver next time so that you won't have regrets again."

A crooked smile formed on Alister's face. "I'll sure as hell try." The duo made their way over to the bean field and each picked a magic bean before pocketing it.

"Let's get the hell out of here before the Dark Fairies come after us," Clover declared.

Alister nodded readily in agreement. "Sounds like a plan."

The duo entered the exit tunnel that would take them back to Salome's Tavern. Alister painted another lantern to help light their way, and he and Clover started off into the tunnel. They traveled for several minutes until they arrived at the halfway point - the chamber filled with stone monoliths and shadow monsters.

As he gazed into that creepy-ass chamber Alister gulped nervously. "I really hate this place."

"Not to worry, as long as we have my sword of light we'll be able to cross this room easily!" Clover exclaimed in an optimistic and cheerful manner.

"Good to know," a deep, husky female voice remarked. Abruptly, Clover was disarmed by a sword that appeared to come out of nowhere, and the Sword of Light went flying up into the air where it was caught by someone seconds later.

Alister and Clover turned to gawk at the newcomer in their midst. They both had to crane their necks up slightly since the person before them was taller than either of them, and almost seven-feet-tall. Well, in reality she was probably only twelve-inches-tall at their current shrunken height, but if they were their normal sizes Alister was sure she'd be at least a foot taller than him.

At first, they both thought they were looking at a man...but then they noticed the armored skirt, and realized their mistake. The knight standing before them was definitely a woman, although a very butch one with broad shoulders and muscular arms. She had short, wavy black hair, hard, dark-brown eyes, and wasn't wearing any make-up. The red steel armor she was wearing consisted of a breastplate, armored skirt, gauntlets, and armored boots. The armor was decorated with the pattern of black hearts.

Alister watched as the woman replaced her enormous sword in a leather sheath that was strapped to her back.

"You should really be more careful with something so important," the Knave chided Clover as she showed him his sword.

Having quickly recovered from his initial surprise that the knight before them was _indeed_ a woman, Clover turned on the charm, and flashed her a smile that showed off his dazzling, white teeth. "Greetings, Fair Maiden. I would greatly appreciate it if you'd give me my sword back. We need it in order to get past this infernal room, you see. But, if you want to punish me for trespassing into the Dark Fairy Kingdom by spanking me with the flat of my sword blade _first_ , I completely understand, and I submit to your punishment." Clover bent over and slapped his own behind for effect.

Alister's jaw dropped at Clover's depraved behavior, and he scrubbed a hand down his face before groaning. "Ugh."

A vein at the Knave of Heart's temple throbbed in irritation at Clover's antics. She didn't take teasing or flirting very well, and she pointed Clover's own sword at his throat so that the tip brushed against his Adam's apple. "Silence, you perverted fool."

"Who are you?" Alister asked curiously.

Cold brown eyes focused on Alister next. "I'm known as the Knave of Hearts, and I have been sent here to kill you, Alister Kingsley, by order of the Red King!"

"Boy, do I feel special," Alister remarked dryly. "Just how many times has Crim tried to kill me since I got to Wonderland, Clover? I've already lost track."

Clover tapped his chin as he thought about it. "Tweedledum and Tweedledee were sent first. Then, Crim sent the Jabberwocky after you. So, this would be the third time, wouldn't it?"

The Knave smiled sharply. "No one I've ever been sent to kill has survived. Your devil's luck has run out. It's time to die, Alister." She pointed the Sword of Light at Alister.

"No, don't-ack!" Clover started to object when a Dark Fairy shadow abruptly peeled up off the ground, and taking advantage of Clover's distraction, grabbed him by his waist, and pulled him flush against the stone monolith. Clover struggled against the shadow's grip. "Unhand me at once, you foul creature!" However-

As the shadow began to wrap around Clover's neck and constrict, a moan of pleasure slipped past Clover's lips. After that, the shadow wrapped around Clover's wrists and ankles, and started to pull, stretching his limbs. Clover's body was assaulted by conflicting feelings of pain and pleasure, and he bit down on his lower lip as he tried to stifle another erotic moan. This torture felt just like being stretched on a rack.

The Knave arched an eyebrow at Clover's odd behavior. "Fool."

Alister shot Clover a look of sheer disbelief. "Clover! Snap out of it! This is no time for games. That shadow is trying to _kill_ you!"

"And what a way to go," Clover murmured with a blissful look on his face.

The Knave grew darkly amused. "He may be feeling pleasure now, but wait until that shadow tears him limb from limb! Won't that be a pretty sight?"

"You mean _awful_ sight," Alister snapped angrily.

The Knave placed her other hand on the hilt of Clover's stolen sword and smiled viciously. "Now, you don't have a brave hero to hide behind, Alister. Your head is mine!" She started to slowly stalk towards Alister. Alister set down the lantern and ran for it. The Knave gawked after Alister's retreating form. "Get back here, you coward!" she growled before running after him.

"Ack!" Alister whipped out his paintbrush, spun around, and waved his paintbrush at the Knave in a haphazard manner. A rope appeared around the Knave's ankles out of thin air, and effectively tripped her up.

The Knave let out a roar of outrage, quickly flipped over, and began to saw at the rope around her ankles with the Sword of Light.

Alister ran over to a stone monolith and gazed at its nice flat surface. He nodded to himself. The rock made a nice canvas. But, what should he paint? He wracked his brain for an idea. _I wish I had some reinforcements right about now...that's it!_

Alister quickly began to paint a wolf on the stone monolith. Lastly, he painted its eyes and then added its pupils. As soon as he'd added the pupils the drawing glowed and peeled off the surface of the stone. Seconds later, the wolf materialized into existence - a real flesh and blood wolf with brown fur and very sharp teeth.

At this point, the Knave had managed to cut through her bonds, and was stalking towards Alister again with menacing, predatory steps. She didn't appear to be all that concerned with the sudden appearance of the wolf. "Two can play at being a predator."

"Wolf...go get her!" Alister commanded the wolf. With a loud bark the wolf obediently charged towards the Knave, baring its teeth in a snarl.

The Knave arched an eyebrow at the charging wolf. "Not bad, Artist. But even this won't be good enough to stop _me_!" With a two-handed grip on the sword, the Knave waited until the wolf leapt at her. She dodged, turned to face the wolf's side, and brought the sword down on the wolf's neck. "Off with your head!"

Alister watched in horror as the wolf's head was cut off, blood spewing through the air. Bile rose up in his throat at the gory sight, and he covered his mouth. That poor wolf was very dead.

"Ahhh...oooo," Clover moaned loudly.

Alister glanced over at Clover in concern. At this rate, the White King was going to get his arms and legs ripped off soon. _That damned masochistic King!_ He had to do something. He had to save Clover. But, how? What would Katrina say?

Just paint something, Silly Boy.

_That's it!_ The Knave was prowling towards him again. _Shit!_ Alister crouched down and began to draw a large circle on the floor. _That should stall her at least._ Then, Alister rushed over to one of the stone monoliths and began to paint something else.

The Knave continued her way forward until she was suddenly sinking down in a mud puddle that had appeared from out of nowhere beneath her feet. "Ack! What the hell _is_ this? Cowardly tricks! Argh!"

Alister determinedly continued to paint. "Insult me all you want. I don't care...as long as I can save Clover! There! Let there be light!" Alister's picture glowed, and only ended up glowing brighter and brighter.

Alister had painted a sun.

The sun's rays hit the monolith Clover was restrained to.

"Kyah!" the shadow fairy let out a pained shriek, let go of Clover, and sank back into the stone monolith from whence she came.

Clover stumbled forward a few steps and sank to his knees in pain. He coughed and wheezed for breath. Dark purple bruises were already forming around his throat. His arms and legs felt like jelly. "A-Alister..."

Alister gave Clover a thumbs-up. "Aha! I did it! I saved him."

"Well, whoop-dee-doo," the Knave said sarcastically in her deep, throaty voice. She'd gotten out of the mud puddle and was approaching Alister once more with dogged steps. "Someone give the boy a prize. But, the real question is...who's going to save _you_?"

Alister shrugged unconcernedly. "At least I won't die a coward, and I managed to save someone, in the end."

"What sentimental nonsense," the Knave scoffed right before she swung her sword at Alister. "Die, Alister! Off with your head!"

Alister shut his eyes, and prepared for the inevitable.

"I don't think so!" a sassy female voice declared. Alister's eyes snapped back open. He _knew_ that voice. It was Madeline!

From her position perched on top of one of the stone monoliths a woman leapt down through the air and her sword clashed against the Knave's with a mighty clang.

"Mad- er, who the hell are you?" Alister blinked.

The woman turned to Alister, raised an index finger to her lips, and winked. The woman appeared to be a Dark Fairy. She had onyx-colored skin, red eyes, long white hair, pointed ears, and a pair of dark blue butterfly wings was outstretched behind her. But, strangely enough she was wearing a top hat, and Alister recognized the Vorpal Sword in her hand.

It was Madeline in disguise.

"I am the brave fairy known as er..." Madeline trailed off as she tried to pick a good alias.

"Er?" the Knave asked, her lip curling back in a condescending sneer. "Never heard of you."

"I'm from Erland," Madeline said matter-of-factly.

"Well, Miss Er, you need to get out of my way. I need that man's head so that I can present it to my _beloved_ Crim on a silver platter!" In that moment, the Knave's dull brown eyes _literally_ turned into two pink hearts.

Alister let out a groan, and slapped a hand to his forehead. "Ugh. Please don't tell me you're in love with Crim _too_?"

The Knave shot Alister a questioning glance. " _You're_ in love with Crim?"

Alister flushed. "No! I was talking about _Katrina_! And how all the girls in Wonderland seem to be in love with the King of Hearts."

The Knave waved her hand dismissively through the air. "Oh, that annoying Cheshire Cat slave? She's just an _animal_. Crim would _never_ fall in love with someone as _lowly_ as her!"

Alister grew pissed. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. When Katrina got injured protecting Crim earlier he looked pretty devastated about it."

"Devastated? Crim?" The Knave nibbled on her thumbnail. "You lie! Off with your head!" The Knave tried to get past Madeline, but the Hatter smoothly stepped to the side to block her way, sword raised before her.

"If you want his head, you're going to have to take mine first," Madeline exclaimed.

The Knave smiled sharply. "So be it, Er. Let's see how good you are with that sword of yours! I should warn you though...Crim taught me himself. And there are only a handful of swordsmen in Wonderland who rival his skill with a sword!"

"Is that so? The man who taught me was also a Master Swordsman," Madeline said nonchalantly.

The Knave grew curious. "Who was he?"

"Now, that..." Madeline leaned forward and the Knave leaned forward slightly in an expectant manner so that she could hear Madeline's response better. "Is a secret!" Madeline gave the Knave an impish wink.

"Grrrr! Enough chitchat!" The Knave attacked Madeline with the Sword of Light. Madeline blocked the attack with her sword, and a clanging sound echoed through the chamber.

While Madeline was busy fighting the Knave, Alister took that opportunity to run over to Clover and see how the poor guy was doing. Alister crouched down at the man's side and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you okay, man?"

Clover gave Alister a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me...I'm a fast healer." Clover looked over at Madeline and the Knave fighting, and frowned. "I'm more concerned about your mysterious rescuer though. The Knave is rumored to be undefeated in mortal combat, despite being a woman."

Alister gawked at Clover. "You don't recognize who she is?"

Clover arched a quizzical eyebrow at Alister. "Should I?"

Alister opened his mouth to respond, but then closed it. Madeline wasn't allowed to help him complete these impossible tasks, or else she risked forfeiting her hand in marriage to Crim. "No. I just thought maybe you knew her."

Clover stroked his chin thoughtfully as he observed Madeline fight. "No, I don't know her, but...she's quite beautiful, isn't she? And, she's also very...fierce." Clover's green eyes _literally_ turned into two pink hearts.

Alister rolled his eyes. "Oh, brother."

It appeared as though Madeline had the upper hand, and that the Knave was being pushed back, until-

The Knave suddenly wrapped her left hand around the hilt of the enormous broadsword strapped to her back, and brought it down in front of her. The Knave's right hand wielded the Sword of Light while her right hand now wielded the huge broadsword. Wielding such large swords should have been next to impossible due to their combined weight, but the Knave started to fight Madeline using both swords easily, and spun like a deadly, spinning top.

That's when Madeline's confident smile slipped off her face, and it was her turn to be pushed back.

Alister watched Madeline retreating across the chamber, and knew that he had to help her. An image of the bleeding and injured Katrina cradled in Chesher's arms flashed through his mind. He couldn't let that happen again!

Alister ran over to one of the stone monoliths and started to paint a giant eagle. Lastly, he added pupils to the eagle's eyes, and as soon as his painting was finished it started to glow. The image of the eagle peeled itself off the stone and materialized into a real, flesh and blood eagle.

The eagle flew over and landed on Alister's outstretched arm, its talons digging into his arm painfully. But, he didn't mind the slight pain. Alister whispered into the eagle's ear: " _Get the Sword of Light._ "

Madeline was starting to struggle with blocking blow after heavy blow until her arms were trembling from the effort. The Knave was physically stronger than Madeline, and each blow she blocked was taking its toll. In a battle to see who had more stamina - Madeline knew she would surely lose.

With a savage twist of her wrist the Knave managed to disarm Madeline whose grip had gotten weaker. The Mad Hatter's sword clattered to the ground. The Knave was grinning savagely. "You lose, Er! Off with your head!" The Knave swung the Sword of Light towards Madeline, prepared to take her head. However-

The cry of an eagle echoed through the stone chamber. Then, an eagle swooped down with lightning speed, wrapped its talons around the Sword of Light's blade, and snatched the sword right out of the Knave's grip. "No!" The Knave shouted angrily. "Get back here you thief!"

The eagle flew across the chamber and returned the sword to the White King.

"You stole it from the White King first!" Alister reminded.

The Knave shot a disgusted look the White King's way. " _He's_ the White King? Crim's brother? But, they're _so_..."

"Different." Alister smirked.

Madeline ducked, rolled, and grabbed her fallen sword before leaping to her feet again, sword in hand. "Now, we can have a fair fight, Knave!"

The Knave frowned at the dark fairy woman. "That won't help you."

Madeline charged forward and tenaciously attacked the Knave with renewed vigor. Soon the Knave was being pushed back. Madeline was smiling again while the Knave was frowning.

Alister frowned at the Knave when he noticed something amiss. "Is it just me...or did the Knave get bigger?"

Clover stroked his chin thoughtfully as he looked at the Knave. "No. You're right...she _is_ bigger. She's at least eight-feet-tall now. Or should I say she's around fourteen-inches tall now?"

The Knave's face began to turn red out of embarrassment, and she shot a heated glare their way. "Did you just call me 'big'! I'm _not_ big. I'm just...big-boned! That's all!"

Madeline took advantage of the Knave's distracted state, spotted an opening in her defenses, and with a skillful twist of her wrist, Madeline finally disarmed the Knave.

The Knave sank to her knees in defeat and hung her head in shame. "I can't believe I let myself get defeated..."

Madeline swung her sword and stopped it at the Knave's throat. "I win."

The Knave nodded grimly. "Do it. Kill me."

Madeline raised her sword, and her smile widened. "That's not really my style." She used the hilt of her sword to knock the Knave unconscious.

Now that the immediate threat had passed, Alister ran over to Madeline with a huge grin plastered to his face. "You did it. You won!"

Madeline gracefully sheathed her sword and smiled. "It appears so. Are you alright?"

"Thanks to you, I-" Alister was saying when Clover cut in front of him and interrupted him.

"My fair lady, I thank you for your assistance!" Clover started in a flamboyant manner. "You showed such bravery, such courage, such valor! I _must_ know your name?" He took Madeline's hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it.

Madeline blinked at Clover, caught off-guard by his flirtations, and hesitated. "Er..."

"Ah, yes, I heard you say your name is Er. What an unusual name," Clover remarked with a twinkle in his green eyes.

"I'm from Erland," Madeline said nonchalantly.

Alister snickered behind his hand, and Madeline shot him a dirty look.

"Well, my Lady Er, it appears as though you have caught us red-handed trespassing in your tunnels." An apologetic expression settled over Clover's face. "I suppose, you'll have to take us prisoner."

"I will?" Madeline echoed in confusion.

"I only ask that you spare this young man," Clover said as he waved a hand in Alister's direction. "He has somewhere important he needs to be. I'll let you take me prisoner instead."

"You will?" Madeline said.

At that moment, Clover whipped out a pair of fuzzy, leopard-print handcuffs, and put them on his wrists. He then held his wrists out before him in a meek pose. "I am now your prisoner, Milady. Take me away to the Dark Fairy dungeon, and do your worse. Torture me. Spank me. Whip me. Whatever you deem is an appropriate punishment for my trespass, I will gladly submit and take it."

Alister slapped a hand to his forehead and groaned. "Oh my God." He should have seen _this_ coming.

Madeline was having a hard time keeping a straight face. "You know what? I'm feeling rather benevolent today. I've decided to let you both go with a warning."

Clover's hopeful expression fell and he pouted. "A warning?"

"Hurry up and leave here before I change my mind. Shoo." Madeline waved her hand at them in an imperious manner.

Clover's dejected demeanor turned hopeful. "You might change your mind, Milady?"

Alister grabbed Clover's arm and started to drag him towards the exit tunnel. "Come on, Romeo, don't lose sight of your goal. You want _Madeline_ to spank you, not some random Dark Fairy chick, remember?"

Clover grew aghast at his own actions. "You're absolutely right, Alister! Oh, how fickle is my heart! I hope Madeline can find it in her heart to forgive me. The temptation of being imprisoned and tortured by a beautiful woman was just too great to resist. Of course, you understand, don't you, Alister?" Clover gave Alister an expectant look.

"Nope. Not one bit, Romeo." Alister laughed jovially. "And thank God for that!" The artist watched as Clover sheathed his sword and then went over to pick up the Knave. Clover's arms strained with the effort it took to support her weight. "What are you doing?"

"I can't just leave her here...what if she continues to grow in size and gets stuck down here forever?" Clover asked grimly.

Alister arched an eyebrow at Clover. "Do you think she's some kind of giant in disguise?"

Clover nodded. "Perhaps. That would definitely explain her monstrous strength. It would be possible for a giant to conceal their true size by eating the shrinking mushroom regularly. But, as you can see...the effects of the mushroom do eventually wear off."

Alister gawked, as right before their eyes the Knave seemed to grow a few more inches. Clover grunted at the extra weight.

With their magic beans securely stored away in their pockets, Alister and Clover made their way through the winding tunnels of Underland until they reached a dead end. Alister painted a door, and they used it to enter Salome's Tavern. The duo stealthily snuck through the tavern before making their way up the spiral staircase that led to the mushroom grove.

Once they'd exited the mushroom stalk Alister turned to face Clover, who was setting the unconscious Knave down, and began to feel awkward. "So, I guess this is where we part ways, huh?"

Clover tilted his head and stared at Alister with a befuddled look on his face. "I thought you were going to Overland too?"

Alister blinked. "I am, but we're in competition with each other, so I thought...?"

Clover slapped the artist affectionately on the back. "Alister, you saved me back there. I owe you one. Now, if you would like we can head to Overland together?"

Alister immediately brightened at the gracious offer. "Really? That'd be great because I really have no clue about what the hell we're supposed to do with this bean we stole except maybe plant it."

Clover chuckled amiably. "Don't worry, Al, I know _exactly_ what we need to do. Just follow me. But first, we should really return to our normal sizes, or else we'll be the size of a flea in comparison to those giants!"

Alister gulped at the reminder that they would soon be facing actual giants. "Sure."

Alister and Clover both ripped off a piece of mushroom from the top of the mushroom's cap at the same time before plopping it into their mouths, chewing, and swallowing. The duo quickly began to increase in size until they were both six-feet-tall.

Alister patted himself down, and smoothed his hands over his clothes. "Phew," he let out a sigh of relief. "We're lucky our clothes grow with us." Alister looked down at the Knave who was now only fifteen-inches-tall in comparison, but who was also increasing in size rapidly. When the Knave finally returned to her normal size Alister figured she'd be seven-feet-tall. _Perhaps, she's only half-giant?_ Alister mused curiously. But he wasn't planning on sticking around to find out how big the Knave would actually get.

Clover barked out a laugh. "That's because of the mushroom's magic. Just think about what would happen if the food in Wonderland _weren't_ magical in a way that affected people's clothes too! There would be a bunch of naked people wandering around Wonderland! Wait...wouldn't that be paradise?" A wistful expression settled over Clover's face as he thought about forming a Wonderland nudist colony. He'd always thought clothes were a hassle.

Alister grew intrigued. "So, I take it shrinking oneself or making oneself increase in size is perfectly normal here?"

Clover nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes, perfectly normal. You have to be the right size for when the occasion calls for it, you know?"

Alister just smiled. "No. Not really."

"Alright, now, follow me," Clover started off, heading through the mushroom grove. "I know just the spot to plant our magic beans!"

The White King led Alister to a large open field of wild flowers. The duo made their way to the very center of the field. Then, Clover crouched down and began to dig a hole with his hands. He took out his magic bean and held his hand out towards Alister in an expectant manner. "Give me yours too. If we have them grow together our beanstalk will grow sturdier and be much safer to climb."

Alister obediently took out his magic bean and placed it in the palm of Clover's hand. "If you say so."

Clover placed both seeds into the hole and covered the beans with dirt. "We just need some water..." Clover looked around before giving Alister an apologetic look. "Forgive my crudeness." He spit on top of the small pile of dirt, and motioned for Alister to move back. "You're going to want to stand back for this."

All of a sudden a bean sprout emerged from the earth and rapidly began to grow and increase in size exponentially. Clover and Alister stepped back several feet to give the beanstalk room to grow.

"Whoa," Alister breathed as he watched the two beanstalks intertwine and become one, and then shoot up into the sky. Up and up and up the beanstalk grew until it passed through the clouds overhead and disappeared from sight.

"There." Clover nodded with a pleased glint in his green eyes. "Now, we climb."

Alister craned his neck to look up at how tall the beanstalk had gotten and the blood started to drain out of his face. He gulped. "Climb... _that_?"

Clover shot Alister a pensive look. "Yes. It's the only way to reach Overland."

Alister thought back to how he'd managed to help out in the battle against the Knave in the tunnels of Underland and wondered where the hell his courage had gone. He started to tremble slightly. "I don't know if I can. This would be easy if I were a cat..."

Clover placed his hands on hips and gave Alister a stern look. "Alister, you're _The_ Artist. Just paint something to help you climb up the beanstalk if you're afraid."

Alister blinked, nodded, and swallowed. "You're absolutely right, Clover." He whipped out his paintbrush. "Let's see what can I paint to help me with this crazy task."

To be continued in...Chapter 6:

### Chapter 6:

"Snazzy gloves, Alister," Clover remarked from his position a few feet above Alister on the beanstalk. "You have quite the imagination!" The White King was currently using a pickaxe, which Alister had created by painting said item on a rock, to climb the side of the beanstalk.

Meanwhile, Alister was clinging to the side of the beanstalk using a special pair of gloves he'd come up with. In order to make the gloves he'd traced his hands on the surface of a rock with his paintbrush, and then added razor-sharp, catlike claws to the gloves' fingertips.

The final result was a pair of black gloves that acted just like a cat's paws. They were _very_ good at clinging to slippery surfaces. Alister had also added two wicked spikes - one on the toe of each of his dress shoes. Alister smiled lopsided at Clover's compliment. "Katrina...inspired them," he admitted softly.

Clover's bright, carefree expression turned somber. "I'm sure her brother Chesher has found a way to save her. He's _very_ resourceful."

Sadness and worry swirled in Alister's blue eyes. "I hope you're right." The artist continued to climb up the beanstalk and was very careful _not_ to look down. He was afraid of heights, of course. Alister let out a heavy sigh at the glum thought. Why was he up there climbing a bloody beanstalk and risking certain death again?

Ah, yes...Madeline.

Men always seemed to get themselves into trouble over a woman.

Even if he couldn't stand to be touched by her, Alister still loved his dream girl come to life. He'd jerked off to the paintings he'd painted of her on _many_ lonely nights, and had several erotic dreams about her too.

Maybe that's why even though he was a bloody coward he'd do anything for her. And he couldn't let Madeline marry that sadistic, pompous ass Crim. A domineering man like him would only break her fiery spirit. He had to protect her from that. "What do you think is up there...waiting for us?" Alister asked in a tremulous voice.

"Well, besides the flesh-eating giants, you mean? Probably my brother Crim. He's most likely already trying to steal a pearl from the mermaids as we speak."

"Do you think he'll succeed?" Alister questioned.

"My brother...always gets what he wants. Unfortunately, it's usually at the expense of others. But, the giants are tricky and powerful." Clover's expression pinched in worry. "Even my brother with all his dark magic will have a hard time getting past them unscathed."

"Well, then we'd better hurry up and get up there so that we can help him," Alister said nonchalantly.

Clover shot Alister a bewildered look. "You'd be willing to help my brother? Even though he's tried to have you killed multiple times?"

Alister shrugged carelessly. "Katrina was able to see the _good_ in him. And you haven't given up on him yet either. Also, I know _why_ he's doing this. He wants his 'happy ending' and believes that his marrying Madeline will give him that. He believes Madeline is the key to his happiness. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Crim thinks what he's doing is the right thing - even though it's wrong. I can forgive that because there's a force that's greater than him that made him the way he is..." Alister trailed off mysteriously.

"What force?" Clover asked with great curiosity.

Alister lowered his head slightly to shield his slightly guilty expression with his bangs, and lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Fate, maybe."

Clover nodded in understanding. "Yes. We are all slaves to our Fate."

Alister fingered his paintbrush unconsciously. "Yeah..." The artist glanced at the sun that was currently being covered by the moon in an eclipse "Look. The Wonderland Eclipse has started. According to Madeline that means we have five hours to complete this impossible task."

"Plenty of time!" Clover said optimistically.

When the duo had reached a height of eight hundred feet they were passing through the clouds. As soon as they passed through the thick, fluffy clouds an enormous, floating landmass became visible in the sky directly above them. That landmass was one thousand feet above the ground below.

Alister squinted his eyes at the floating mass of land above them, that in a way resembled an island, except that instead of ocean it was surrounded by clouds, and noticed a large circular opening that allowed the beanstalk to pass straight though. This opening was perfectly round and appeared to be man-made, or in this case was most likely 'giant-made'.

Alister's arms were trembling from the exertion of the climb, and Clover looked down at him concernedly. "We're almost there, Alister. Don't give up now."

Alister gulped and nodded, and the duo continued the rest of the way up the beanstalk until they'd finally managed to reach the circular opening. They pulled themselves up through this opening and onto the floating landmass's surface where they found themselves in a vast castle courtyard.

Alister looked around the courtyard in awe. "You knew this place was here, didn't you? This hole...looks like it was specifically created to allow a beanstalk to pass through." He turned to give Clover a searching look. "How?"

"Ever hear of the story of _Jacklyn and the Beanstalk_?" Clover asked.

"Yeah," Alister said with a nod.

"The story is true. Well, most of it anyways. Jacklyn was a hero." A wistful expression settled over the White King's face. "Her brave actions saved everyone in Wonderland from the giants who tried to invade our realm."

Alister was muttering to himself. "I remember creating a painting of a girl with a sword climbing a beanstalk..."

"Jacklyn's beanstalk once stood here. It was cut down, of course, to prevent the giants from descending into our realm." A dark shadow fell over Clover's face. "Jacklyn single-handedly fought the giants in order to buy her comrades on the ground enough time to chop down the beanstalk. She was never heard from or seen again."

"Wait, does that mean that our growing a beanstalk and coming here has endangered all of Wonderland?" Alister was aghast.

"This is supposed to be an 'impossible task',' Clover reminded him pointedly. "Did you think it would be without risks?"

"Riiight. Impossible task." Alister turned his attention to the giants' castle in front of him. He had to crane his neck up to look at the spires and turrets, and he let out an impressed whistle. "Whoo."

"It's not too shabby," Clover allowed as he too admired the castle. "But, you have to visit the White Kingdom and see _my_ castle someday though."

"You have your own castle?" Alister was suitably impressed. "Cool." He glanced around nervously. "But, um...shouldn't there be guards posted here? Or is this the backdoor or something?"

Clover frowned at Alister's astute observation. "No. You're right. There _should_ be guards posted here. The fact that they're _not_ means my brother must already be inside the castle wreaking havoc." The corner of Clover's mouth lifted in a lopsided smile. "They're probably chasing him through the castle as we speak."

A look of alarm flitted over Alister's face. "We'd better go help him!"

Clover swiftly reached out and put a hand on Alister's shoulder to stop him. "Whoa there, Cowboy. There's no reason to worry about Crim. He's wily, resourceful, and a bit of a trickster. He'll be fine. It's ourselves we should be worried about. But, it appears my brother has presented us with a golden opportunity. With the giants distracted and chasing Crim around we'll be able to search the castle for the fishbowl unmolested. Come on."

The duo entered the castle stealthily, keeping to the shadows. The main hall appeared to be a combination throne room and dining room. There was a long, wooden dining table surrounded by sturdy, wooden armchairs, and at the far side of the room was a raised dais with a simple wooden throne on it. The furniture was enormous and several feet high. Next to the throne was a wooden door inlaid with gold.

Clover nodded in the door's direction. "I'd bet anything that's the entrance to the treasure chamber."

Alister spotted it and nodded in agreement. "Then, let's-"

Clover abruptly slapped a hand over his mouth. "Shhh!" He nodded his head towards the throne and Alister spotted an enormous giant! He'd thought that the giants' legs were decorative columns until the giant had started to walk. Alister craned his neck up and up to see the giant's face and grimaced. "He's sure one ugly bloke."

The giant guard looked like a mix between a Viking and a Scotsman. Blue war paint was slathered on his pale cheeks, and across his bare chest in swirling patterns. The guard was wearing light armor consisting of: a horned helmet, vambraces, greaves, and spiked shoulder armor. Some kind of animal skin was wrapped around his waist and was his only clothing. The giant had a mane of long, dirty, matted orange hair. There was a menacing gleam in his blue eyes as he paced back and forth with thundering footsteps.

"A guard," Alister murmured softly.

"Of course, the Giant King wouldn't leave his treasure chamber unguarded. Damn," Clover lamented before he shook his head to rid his mind of such pessimistic thoughts. "Well, there's only one. It would be worse." A determined expression settled over Clover's face and he unsheathed his sword before giving Alister a cheeky grin. "We can take him!"

Alister gawked at Clover wide-eyed. "What? Are you crazy! We can't go out there. Look at his arms...he could pick us up and snap us in half like a toothpick. We need a plan!"

Clover's brow furrowed in confusion. "That _is_ the plan. We attack him from both sides, and take him by surprise!"

"You're forgetting the part where he's the size of a freakin mountain!" Alister hissed and started to pace. _Think, Alister, think._

Katrina's voice flitted through his mind: _Just paint something, Silly._

"That's it! I know what I have to do!" Alister whipped out his paintbrush and began to paint on the stone wall of the castle.

Clover looked over his shoulder curiously. "What is it?"

"You'll see," Alister said as he continued to paint with a smug expression on his face. When the artist finished his painting it glowed with a golden light and seconds later a golden harp materialized in front of the duo, sitting on the stone floor.

"Is _that_ what I think it is?" Clover asked, somewhat starry-eyed.

Alister nodded. "Yes. It's _the_ harp." He reached out and experimentally strummed its strings. The harp instantly began to play on its own, and sweet, melodious music filled the air.

The giant turned and glared in their general direction. "Who goes there?" He walked over to stand protectively in front of the door to the treasure chamber, and held his enormous hammer aloft. "Show yourself, coward, and have a taste of mine hammer!" The giant was saying, when he yawned widely. His eyelids started to droop, and then his eyes shut. The giant swayed on his feet before falling over and landing on the stone floor with a thunderous thud.

"Problem solved." Alister flashed Clover a cocky grin.

But, Clover was looking at the harp with a wary expression on his face. "That is the enchanted harp from the legend..."

"Yeah, so?" Alister arched an eyebrow at the White King.

"According to the legend it was destroyed by a giant who stepped on it," Clover said with a frown and shot Alister a searching look. "How were you able to _summon_ it here?"

Alister shrugged carelessly. "I didn't _summon_ it. I _painted_ it."

"And then, it became _real_..." Clover trailed off, his frown deepening.

Alister was starting to grow impatient. "Come on, I don't know how long the enchantment lasts."

"Right. Sorry." Clover gave Alister an apologetic look. The giant had unfortunately fallen sideways in front of the door to the treasure chamber, and so Alister and Clover were forced to climb over the giant's fallen body in order to get to the door to the treasure chamber.

Climbing over a giant's stomach had to be one of the strangest things Alister had ever had to do. The rise and fall of the stomach as the giant breathed made the journey strangely perilous. The White King used his superhuman strength to push the gigantic door open once they'd reached it, and then the duo made their way inside.

"Whoo," Alister whistled softly at the sight of all the treasure inside of the room. There were towering piles of gold coins, jeweled goblets, crowns, armor, weapons, ornate boxes, and jewelry. "Wow. Can we just...?"

Clover arched an eyebrow at Alister. "No."

Alister pouted and his shoulders slumped. Clover was such a goody-two-shoes.

"Come on...keep your eyes peeled. The fishbowl must be in this room somewhere." Clover said as they walked further into the chamber and looked around for any signs of the rumored fishbowl. That's when Clover spotted it. "There! It's up there! Look!" He pointed up.

Alister followed Clover's line of sight, and spotted an antique table draped with a tablecloth, and with only one item sitting on it: a gigantic fishbowl. "Whoa." The fishbowl's dimensions were similar to an Olympic-sized swimming pool: fifty-meters-long and twenty-five-meters wide. But, the fishbowl was much higher than a pool would be at around twenty-five-meters.

Swimming around inside of the fishbowl were what appeared to be fish, at first, but when Alister narrowed his eyes at them he saw that they were in fact mermaids. "Real live mermaids!" Alister's blue eyes sparkled. "What a wonderful painting opportunity! If I had known I would have brought a fresh canvas along with me." He pouted.

Clover chuckled amusedly at the longing look on Alister's face. "Perhaps, some other time. But now, we have an impossible task to complete: fetch a mermaid's tear!"

Alister frowned. "And how exactly are we supposed to do that? When a mermaid cries...won't her tears just dissolve in the water?"

Clover pointed at the bottom of the tank. "You see those pearls?" Alister nodded. "When a mermaid cries...her tears turn into pearls."

Alister gawked at the sheer amount of pearls that covered the bottom of the tank. At first, he'd thought those pearls were decorative sand. "But...there are so many of them."

A grim expression settled over Clover's face. "The mermaids cry often because they long to be back in the ocean - their true home. Those mermaids are the last of their kind in Wonderland. They've been hunted and sold into near extinction."

"Hunted?" Alister's voice was laced with horror. "Why?"

"Not only are their tears valuable, but there are legends that if one consumes the flesh of a mermaid they'll become _immortal_ ," Clover revealed in a hushed tone.

"How barbaric." Alister shuddered. "Are the legends true?"

"I don't know. Nor do I _want_ to know," Clover said coldly.

Alister's heart went out to those poor, trapped mermaids that were being kept as the giants' pets or maybe an alternative food source. "How tragic. Isn't there something we can do for them?"

Clover shook his head hopelessly. "It would be impossible to take them with us. So, unless you possess magic powerful enough to turn their tails into legs - there's no hope for rescuing them."

The duo approached the table, which was fifty-feet-high, and Alister stared up at it dismally. "How the hell are we going to get up there?"

Clover grabbed a hold of the tablecloth and tugged at it experimentally. He nodded to himself when it appeared to be strong enough to support his weight. "We climb, of course! _Heroically!_ "

Alister gaped at the White King. "Uh...no. I'm afraid of heights, remember? It's a miracle I made it up that bloody beanstalk!"

"Come on, Alister!" Clover grabbed Alister's arm and shook him slightly. "Be brave! Be a hero! And climb!"

"Yeah, no. I think I'll just, uh..." Alister spotted a bare table leg and smiled at the nice, flat surface it provided. "Paint myself some stairs."

Clover shrugged lackadaisically. "Suit yourself then, Alister. Meet you at the top!" The White King said as he began to climb up the tablecloth swiftly.

Alister was suddenly reminded of the visual image of a Borrower climbing a table inside of a human's house. He shook his head in amusement before whipping out his paintbrush and starting to paint a zigzagging staircase that became real as he painted it.

As soon as Alister had painted as many steps as he could reach up to paint, he hopped up onto the first step, and started to make his way up the staircase. The steps ascended to the right before they shifted directions and ascended to the left, and continued this way up the leg in a zigzagging pattern. When Alister reached the top step he simply painted more steps in order to continue his way up the table leg.

Alister successfully managed to reach the table's surface in a matter of minutes. He even beat Clover. With a swagger to his steps, Alister walked over to give Clover a hand up, which the White King gratefully accepted. By the time he'd reached the top he was panting for breath. "Th-Thank you..." Clover wheezed. He was slightly hunched over as he took deep gulping breaths.

"You should have just taken the stairs," Alister quipped dryly.

"That would have been far less heroic," Clover argued.

"Masochist," Alister accused teasingly. The duo walked over to the fishbowl, pressed their hands and faces against the glass and peered inside. Alister admired the bed of white, opalescent pearls that covered the entire bottom of the tank.

Inside the tank was an over-sized, open clamshell that Alister thought was probably a place for the mermaid's to sleep. Alister's attention was then drawn to the mermaids themselves. There were five of them, and they each had a different hair color: pink, blue, yellow, green and purple.

A pretty, blue-haired mermaid swam over to peer through the glass at Alister in an inquisitive manner. She pressed her hand against the glass where his hand was pressed to the outside of the tank. Alister flushed in response. "Um...hi," he greeted awkwardly. _Hey, she's kinda cute._

The mermaid tilted her head at Alister before abruptly hissing at him while baring her sharp teeth.

"Eek!" Alister let out an unmanly squeak and stumbled backwards a few steps. Nope. What the hell had he just been thinking? Cute? Ha! _All_ females were scary as hell! He really should have known better.

Clover burst out laughing at Alister's antics. "I may have forgotten to mention that mermaids are known for being the most vicious and dangerous creatures of the sea! And like the giants they _hunger_ for the flesh of man!"

Alister shot Clover an irritated look. "Oh, _now_ you tell me. A little warning next time would be nice. They're like piranhas, but if that's true how the hell are we going to get a pearl away from them without getting eaten?"

"Well, I plan to do it like this." Clover attached a rope to the pickaxe Alister had painted for him then started to swing it like a lasso before releasing the rope so that the pickaxe flew up into the air, and finally snagged on the lip of the fish tank.

Clover tugged at the rope to test the pickaxe's hold, and nodded to himself when he decided it was secure enough. After that, Clover started to remove his clothes until he was down to nothing but a pair of white boxers with the pattern of green, three-leaf clovers on them.

At first, Alister thought the clovers were green polka dots since there were so many of them on the boxers. "You can't be serious," Alister remarked, when he realized what Clover's intentions were. "Those mermaids will eat you alive! There has to be another way. A better way. A better plan..." He stroked his chin in thought.

Clover buckled the belt that had his sword and scabbard attached to it around his waist with hurried movements. "I don't have time to sit around and discuss what a better plan would be. The eclipse will soon be over and I need a pearl to present it to Madeline! So, if you want to just stand there and _think_ , feel free. But I must _act_!" Clover strolled over to the tank, grabbed the rope, and recklessly began to climb up the side of the slippery glass fishbowl.

Alister watched him climb in disbelief. He whipped out his paintbrush and stared intently at it. "Come on, Alister, think...there has to be a better way to get in that tank and steal a pearl!" He could paint a submarine on the glass surface or the tabletop, but...whatever he painted would materialize _outside_ of the tank where it wouldn't really do him much good.

He could do what Clover was doing - use a grappling hook, climb up the tank, and dive in. But, that would just be suicide. Those mermaids were _not_ friendly guppies.

"Argh!" Alister let out a frustrated growl. He was out of ideas. Alister wrung his hands together nervously and watched as Clover successfully reached the top. The White King pulled himself up onto the lip of the tank and stood up. He unsheathed his sword with one fluid motion, and then fearlessly dove into the fish tank with a splash.

Alister continued to watch with baited breath as Clover swam down towards the pearls at the bottom of the tank. The mermaids hissed at Clover, and swam towards him, but the White King waved his glowing sword at them and managed to keep them at bay.

Clover swam all the way down to the bottom of the tank, and Alister watched as Clover picked up one pearl, hesitated for a moment, and then picked up one more. He looked through the glass, met Alister's questioning look, and winked.

Alister's eyes widened with the realization that Clover was getting him a pearl too. But, why? They were rivals in this competition for Madeline's hand. Did such an honorable man really exist?

Clover wrapped his fingers tightly around the two pearls, flipped over, and began to swim towards the surface, kicking his legs. However-

Alister noticed that the mermaids appeared to be signaling at each other to do something. The artist frowned. _Just what are they up to? Whatever it is - can't be good._ Alister watched as two mermaids swam down below Clover before swimming back up and grabbing his feet. They then started to pull him down.

Clover gasped and bubbles escaped his mouth. He looked down, spotted the mermaids holding his feet, and waved his sword at them threateningly. The mermaids let out an eerie shriek that made the glass of the tank vibrate, and were forced to let go of Clover, or else risk getting their hands cut off. Another mermaid was sneaking up on Clover from behind, however-

Alister pointed behind Clover's shoulder. "Look out!"

Clover whipped around in time to see the mermaid lunge at him. But it was too late to stop her. She sank her teeth into Clover's right hand causing him to cry out in pain and let go of his sword.

_Oh, no._ Alister inwardly groaned and watched in horror as the sword sank to the bottom of the tank.

Now that the White King was weaponless and thereby defenseless the mermaids closed in on Clover, and one by one sank their teeth into his flesh, biting into his arms and legs.

Alister watched Clover cry out in pain, but then watched as his pained expression morphed into one of pleasure. Then, Clover moaned blissfully.

A vein at Alister's temple throbbed in exasperation. "Ugh! That masochistic, son of a bitch! He's actually _enjoying_ them biting him! That idiot! He's going to get himself drowned or killed! I have to do something! Fast!" Alister held up his paintbrush. "I need to get in there and save him somehow. Dammit. I wish there was just a door I could open...that's it!"

Alister quickly painted a large door on the tank's surface and lastly added the doorknob. As soon as Alister had finished painting the doorknob the door glowed, solidified, and became real. It resembled a blue door made out of wood that had been painted blue with a golden doorknob.

Alister quickly pocketed his paintbrush, grabbed the doorknob, turned it, and opened the door. It was in that exact moment that Alister realized that he'd been hasty, and hadn't really thought things through as much as he probably should have. _Oops._

The water in the fish tank immediately started to exit out through the open door in a rush. As the water speedily surged out in a torrent it slammed into Alister, sweeping him right off his feet.

Alister screamed as the water gushing out of the tank washed him away. He was carried right over the edge of the table, and ended up riding a wave of water down until the water hit the floor below.

Luckily, the water cushioned his fall, but it was still unnerving to be carried along the floor by the water as it continued to gush out of the door he'd opened on the side of the tank.

As the water level in the tank grew lower the contents inside the tank began to get washed out as well. The five mermaids, Clover, his sword, and all of the pearls were all carried out of the fish tank by the escaping water, and forced to ride a cascade of water down to the floor where the water cushioned their landing.

The water spread out all over the floor, carrying the mermaids, Clover, and pearls with it until the water started to drain away into the cracks of the stone floor. The mermaids came to an abrupt stop when there was no longer any water beneath their bodies keeping them afloat. The mermaids started to flop about on the floor desperately acting like fish out of water, and gasping for breath.

Alister dug his nails into the stone floor when he felt his body finally coming to a stop as the water beneath him drained away. He was completely soaked and chilled to the bone.

An unconscious Clover skidded across the floor on a shallow wave of water until he came to stop when the water beneath him drained into the cracks in the floor completely.

Coughing violently, Alister weakly pushed himself up off the floor, and looked around. The blood began to drain out of his face as he took in the chaos he'd unwittingly caused. Pearls were scattered everywhere, and the mermaids were unhappily flopping about on the stone floor. He began to look around for any sign of Clover, and spotted the White King a few yards away, lying on the floor, unmoving. Alister's gut clenched in worry. Was the White King dead? "Clover!"

Alister was about to run to Clover when the sound of someone clapping caused him to stop mid-stride and instead turn to face the direction the sound had come from. Alister blinked when abruptly Crim seemed to appear out of thin air as the Red King removed an invisibility cloak he'd been wearing.

Unbeknownst to Clover and Alister, Crim had been following them since he'd sensed their arrival in Overland in the castle courtyard. Crim had hung back and watched with interest as Alister used a harp he'd painted to put the guard that had been posted outside the treasure chamber to sleep. Then, Crim had followed them into the treasure chamber where he'd watched and waited for the right moment to reveal his presence, which was _now_.

"Crim!" Alister squawked in surprise. "What are you doing here? Aren't the giants supposed to be chasing you?"

"Well, well, well, I must say I'm impressed by the tremendous mess you've made, Alister," Crim drawled as he glanced around at the mermaids and pearls. "I couldn't have done it better myself - destruction, chaos, pain, and _death_." The Red King strolled over to his brother's unconscious body and turned him over onto his back using his boot. "Hey, you alive there, Clover?" When there was no immediate response, Crim frowned. "Masochistic idiot. The only one that is allowed to kill you is I! You can't go killing yourself off without my permission, Brother!" Crim raised his boot and brought it down hard on Clover's chest.

Alister flinched and watched in shock as Crim continued to slam his boot down on his brother's chest again and again. "Hey, stop that!"

That's when Clover abruptly gasped, turned on his side, and coughed up a great deal of water. Crim looked darkly pleased.

Clover flopped back onto his back and gawked up at his brother. "Crim? You...saved me? CPR?" A playful twinkle formed in Clover's pale green eyes.

Crim's expression darkened. "Of course not! I would _never_ kiss you! I used my boot. You owe me one, Clover." The Red King's expression turned smug.

"You're right. I do," Clover easily agreed with a smile. "Thank you for saving my life, Brother."

Crim bristled with irritation. "I didn't give you permission to die yet. That's all." A flopping sound had Crim's attention turning to the mermaids. "My, my, Alister, you sacrificed the lives of those poor mermaids just so you could save Clover. Enjoy playing god, do we? Getting to decide who lives and who dies? And here I thought you were supposed to be a hero." Crim's lip curled back in a disdainful sneer.

"What? No, I didn't..." That's when Alister noticed the gills on the sides of the mermaids' necks, and how they were opening and closing their mouths as they gasped for breath. Alister had assumed the mermaids were just unhappy to be out of water and that that's why they'd been flopping about so much. But, if they possessed gills that meant they could only breathe under water. This meant...that his actions had killed them all.

" _No_ ," Alister murmured to himself in denial and shook his head as he stumbled back a step. "I didn't mean for this to happen." The blue-haired mermaid gave Alister a beseeching look. Alister approached her and sank to his knees beside her. With tears welling up in his blue eyes, he reached out, and took her hand in his to offer her comfort. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

Crim chuckled lowly in dark amusement.

"There must be something _we_ can do to save them," Alister speculated aloud, his voice tinged with desperation.

"There is nothing _you_ can do," Crim scoffed. "Peasant."

Alister looked up at Crim and his morose expression turned hopeful. "But surely, there's something _you_ could do. You're a powerful sorcerer, right?"

"Oh, yes, there is something _I_ could do," Crim drawled and cracked his knuckles. "I could curse them!"

Alister paled. "Curse?"

Crim waggled his fingers in the direction of the mermaids, and his fingers were enveloped in red mist. Then, Crim's magical power shot out of his fingers, hit the mermaids' bodies, and caused them to glow with a red light.

The mermaids started to transform, and in seconds they'd turned from mermaids into human women dressed in red, lacy, Victorian-style dresses with the pattern of black hearts on them.

The ex-mermaids gasped loudly as they finally managed to take much needed oxygen into their lungs. The five young women began to tentatively push themselves up off the floor, and stand on wobbly legs. They looked down at their new legs in astonishment.

The blue-haired ex-mermaid turned to give Crim a searching look. "You...gave us legs?"

Crim smiled evilly. "Oh, yes. Despair. Now, you'll never be able to return to the ocean you love!"

"Thank you," the blue-haired woman said simply, and a small, shy smile formed on her face.

"What?" Crim's happy expression deflated at the ex-mermaid's thanks.

"The ocean has become unsafe for our kind," the blue-haired woman started to explain in a solemn tone. "You have saved us, oh kind and gracious King!" The woman's eyes _literally_ turned into two pink hearts.

Crim frowned and looked uncomfortable. "Not my intention, dearie."

"Oh my God. Now more girls are in love with him," Alister moaned and threw his hands up into the air in an exasperated gesture. "What _is_ wrong with the girls in this realm?"

Clover laughed loudly in amusement. "Girls _do_ tend to have a thing for bad boys."

Alister pushed himself up off the floor, and straightened. He cringed at the way his wet clothes were sticking uncomfortably to his skin. That's when Alister noticed that the cloak Crim was wearing was made out of purple and pink striped fur. It instantly reminded him of Katrina's fur, and his gut clenched in anxiety. "Crim, what is that cloak made out of?"

Crim stiffened. "That's none of your business."

"It's made from the fur of a Cheshire Cat Person," a scratchy male voice declared. First to appear out of thin air was a pair of thin lips. Next, a male body dressed in a dark blue, Steampunk tuxedo and bowtie appeared. When the man's face became fully visible, Alister recognized that it was Chesher. A dark blue top hat sat on his head of matching hair, and hid his cat ears from sight. "Why don't you tell them whose fur that used to be, Crim?"

"Shut your mouth, slave!" Crim snarled viciously.

Alister was feeling nauseous. "Katrina's?"

"No!" Crim snapped hotly.

"It belonged to his mother," Chesher revealed.

" _Adoptive_ mother," Crim swiftly corrected.

"You see, he just admitted it." A twisted yet triumphant smile spread across Chesher's face. "He made an invisibility cloak out of the nursemaid that was like a mother to him. He's a heartless bastard."

Crim smiled sharply at the insult. "Yes, I am," he readily agreed. "Now, tell me, where is Katrina? Is she alright?"

"I don't have to tell you anything." Chesher strolled across the floor until he bent over to pick up a pearl. "With this pearl my entry into the Wonderland Joust is assured. I will have fun unseating you, and watching you plummet to your death, Crim!"

Worry swirled in Alister's blue eyes. "Whoa, whoa, whoa...hold on. Plummet to his death?" He turned to give Clover a searching look. "What's he talking about?"

"The Wonderland Joust...is no _ordinary_ joust," Clover said grimly.

Alister groaned and scrubbed a hand down his face. "I should have known."

Crim just tossed his head back and laughed. "Ha! I'd like to see you try, slave. I am a master jouster!"

"We shall see," Chesher said as his body started to disappear.

Crim grew pissed. "Wait! You can't go. Not until you tell me what has become of Katrina! I haven't dismissed you yet! You can't keep her from me! She's _my_ slave! Argh!" The Red King let out a growl of frustration when only the cat-man's lips were visible.

"Katrina...sleeps," Chesher said and his pale lips quirked into a cryptic smile.

"That answer is not good enough!" Crim whipped out his sword and charged towards Chesher. "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" He swung his sword in the general direction of where he thought Chesher's invisible neck was.

But, the rest of Chesher abruptly disappeared, and Crim's sword passed through nothing but thin air. "Tch. Dammit..." He sheathed his sword. "Enough of this nonsense." He stalked over and grabbed a handful of pearls before showing them to the ex-mermaids in a cocky manner. "I'm taking these with me. And you can't stop me!"

"Please do," the blue-haired woman said obligingly. "You have earned them as your reward for saving our lives."

A vein at Crim's temple throbbed in irritation. "I already told you that wasn't my intention. And I don't need your blessing to take them," Crim sneered and pocketed the pearls. "Now that I have what I came for, I'll just be going. You're on your own, ladies!"

"Wait!" Alister called after Crim, his voice laced with desperation. "You can't just leave us here. We need your help getting these girls to safety. You saved their lives...so they're your responsibility now."

Crim shot Alister a look of disbelief and barked out a laugh. "Ha! You're asking for help from a villain? You poor, deluded soul! I pity you. No, that's hero stuff. I'll leave the saving of damsels in distress to you and my brother. It's more his style anyways. Toodles!" Crim waved his hand curtly at the group before disappearing in a cloud of red smoke.

With tears glittering in their eyes, the ex-mermaids waved their handkerchiefs at the departing Crim. "Goodbye, my King!"

Alister gawked at the empty space where Crim had been standing only seconds before. "I can't believe he just left us here to fend for ourselves." He frowned.

"Oh, I believe it," Clover was saying as he struggled to put on his wet clothes. "We need to get out of here before-"

"Fee-fi-fo-fum, I small the blood of an Englishman," a giant's deep, rumbling male voice echoed through the chamber. "Be he alive, or be he dead. I'll grind his bones to make my bread!"

_Oh shit._ Alister inwardly thought.

From the door that led to the throne room two giants entered the chamber, and from a side door two more giants entered. _Uh oh._ The giants immediately spotted Alister, Clover, and the ex-mermaids who were standing in the center of the floor surround by pearls and broken glass.

"There they are!" One of the giants pointed at them needlessly. "The intruders! I knew I could smell them!"

Clover whipped out his sword and held it in a two-handed grip before him. Alister appreciated his display of bravery, but it was certainly a futile gesture when the giants before him were over a hundred-feet-tall. He whipped out his paintbrush and held it aloft, just the same. Maybe he could think of something useful to paint.

Clover's attention shifted to the ex-mermaids. "Get behind us, ladies. We'll protect you with our lives!"

"We will?" Alister asked uneasily.

The giants snickered as they approached from both sides and closed in around them until they were completely surrounded.

"Whoo-hoo!" a sharp whistle from the doorway had everyone's attention turning in its direction. And there standing in the doorway was the largest woman Alister had ever seen.

"No way, that's..." Alister bit down on his lower lip to stop himself from continuing his line of thought aloud. _Madeline._ He finished in his mind.

Madeline was currently a hundred-feet-tall. Blue war paint was slathered over her eyes like a domino mask, lending to her fierce appearance. She was wearing an animal skin dress that left very little to the imagination, and various pieces of armor: a horned helmet, vambraces and greaves. "Yoo-hoo! Hello, boys."

The giants turned to look at Madeline, and their jaws dropped open simultaneously in a combination of shock, awe, and obvious lust. That last emotion irked Alister a lot.

"W-Who are you?" one of the giants asked awkwardly. "We've never seen you before."

"Oh, uh..." Madeline stammered as she tried to come up with a good alias.

"Uh?" one giant asked stupidly. "That's a pretty name."

"From Uhtgard," Madeline said casually.

"What are you doing here, Uh?" a giant asked with an air of impatience.

"I'm here to fetch my little friends." Madeline pointed her large sword at Alister and the others.

"These your friends? But they try to steal from us." The giant's brow furrowed. "They thieves!"

"Oh, dear...then I guess that makes _me_ a thief too!" Madeline twirled her sword on her right side and then on her left side, showing off her swordsmanship skills before letting out a battle cry and recklessly charging forward towards the four giants.

Madeline swung her sword at the giant closest to her, and he raised his rusty sword to block her attack. He was slow, but he managed to block. As Madeline bravely engaged in battle against the four giants, Alister had to cover his ears to block out the tremendous clanging sound that was reverberating through the air as Madeline's sword clashed against the giants' weapons.

Clover swiftly realized that Madeline was herding the giants further away from the door that led to the throne room, and finally saw an opening for their escape. "Now's our chance! Follow me, ladies. We're getting the hell out of here! You, too, Alister! Come on!" Clover took off running towards the doorway with the ladies following right behind him, running as fast as they could in the high heels they'd never worn before.

Alister ran after Clover and the women until he hesitated and came to a stop. "Four against one? I don't like those odds. We can't just leave her behind, Clover. We should...stay and help her somehow."

Clover halted his steps and turned to face Alister. There was a grim, determined, and yet apologetic expression on the King's face. "I must get these fair ladies to safety. They're depending on me," Clover explained as he waved the girls through the doorway and into the throne room. "Keep going!" He told them when they shot questioning looks over their shoulders his way. "I'll be right there." The White King returned his attention to Alister. "We should go too. Our rescuer appears to be able to hold her own against those giants."

"Wait, just tell me...how did Jacklyn defeat so many giants in the past?" Alister questioned. "Did she use the mushroom to increase her size like our mysterious rescuer?"

"No. She used poison, I think," Clover said as he tried to recall the details of the legend. "But, I'm sorry I don't have any on me."

Alister's troubled expression grew thoughtful. "That's okay. I...I'll think of something. Go! You're right...those girls need a hero to look after them."

Clover frowned. "What about you?"

"There's someone I just can't leave behind," Alister said.

"Good luck." Clover gave him a thumbs-up.

Alister nodded. "Thanks. You too." Clover ran through the doorway after the girls. Alister faced the treasure chamber and watched Madeline fighting the giants. He gulped at the fearsome sight. _Come on, Alister. Think!_ He dug his fingernails into his scalp. _Poison, poison, poison._ How could he get his hands on some poison?

_Just paint something, Silly._ Katrina's voice flitted through his mind.

_That's it!_ Alister ran across the chamber and used the stairs he'd created to climb up the table. Once he was standing on the table's surface he called out to Madeline to get her attention. "Uh! Over here!"

Madeline's green eyes flared when she spotted Alister standing on the antique table. She blocked a hammer blow and ran over to Alister to see what he could possibly want. "Alister! What are you still doing here? You need to leave."

"Quick! Set your sword down on the table," Alister directed in an urgent voice.

Madeline tilted her head at Alister, but since she trusted him implicitly did as she was told and set the Vorpal Sword down on the table.

Alister then used his paintbrush to paint glowing green poison on the blade. "There! Now it's poisoned. You can kill them!"

Madeline looked at the glowing, green poison on her sword's blade in awe, and looked suitably impressed. "Thanks, Love." She grabbed her sword's hilt and spun just in time to block a sword blow that had been aimed at her back.

Alister ran across the tabletop, and scrambled his way down the stairs as quickly as he could. He was about to run for the exit, but...

As long as he didn't get himself stepped on and squished like a bug maybe he could still help Madeline somehow.

Madeline fought savagely, and using her superior speed and agility managed to slip past the giant's defenses and stab him in the shoulder with her sword. The giant staggered backwards, swayed on his feet, and then fell over - dead.

"Poison!" one of the giants exclaimed fearfully.

"What foul treachery is this? She must be Jacklyn's descendant in disguise!" another giant added with a bloodthirsty gleam in his beady eyes.

Alister tried to get closer to Madeline without getting stepped on. There had to be something he could do. He thought back to his previous battles. Well, a well-placed mud puddle always seemed to do the trick.

Alister snuck behind one of the giants, crouched down, and started to draw a large mud puddle on the floor. Once he was done, the painting glowed, and turned into real mud.

When the giant took a step back his foot sank down into the mud. "Ah!" the giant cried out as he lost his balance, fell forward, and fell to his knees.

Madeline saw her chance and swung her sword, decapitating him.

"Yeah!" Alister fist pumped the air until the giant's head hit the floor and started to roll in his direction. "Or not. Eek!" He let out a squeak and ran for it. _All of a sudden I know how Indiana Jones felt in the Temple of Doom!_

At that moment, a giant wielding an axe spotted Alister running across the floor of the treasure room. "You! You did that, you little pest!" The giant raised his sword and started after Alister.

"Alister! No!" Madeline tried to go towards him, but the giant with the hammer stood in her way.

Alister managed to avoid the rolling head, but slipped on some blood on the floor and fell. _Uh oh._ Alister inwardly moaned.

"I have you now, bug!" the giant raised his axe.

"I'm so dead," Alister muttered darkly.

"Think again, foul creature!" a familiar gallant male voice declared.

A cloud of sparkly black dust engulfed the giant and he was transformed into a cockroach.

Alister looked up to see Clover approaching the cockroach. "Sorry about this. I usually fight with more honor." He raised his boot and smushed the bug with an audible _splat_.

"What _was_ that?" Alister questioned breathlessly as he pushed himself up off the floor and grimaced at the blood that was now on his clothes.

"Dark fairy dust," Clover explained. "I 'borrowed' some off a Dark Fairy back at Salome's Tavern." His expression turned smug.

Alister smirked. "You dawg."

A relieved look passed over Madeline's face when she saw that Clover had come to Alister's rescue, and she was able to return her attention fully to the giant wielding the hammer. She snuck past his defenses and slashed at his gut. The wound she managed to create was shallow, but the deadly poison worked instantly. The giant dropped his hammer, sank to his knees, and fell over, dead.

"Phew," Alister let out a sigh of relief as the last of the giants was vanquished.

Clover grabbed Alister's arm. "We should go!"

Alister glanced at Madeline. Madeline gave him a discreet nod and winked.

Alister nodded back and grinned. "Thanks, Uh!"

Clover and Alister ran out of the castle, into the courtyard, and started to make their way down the beanstalk.

To be continued in...Chapter 7:

### Chapter 7:

Several years ago in London, England...

Laura and Henry Kingsley were the happiest newlyweds one could find. They were very much in love, and had no financial troubles due to Henry's popularity as a poet.

They lived in a brick townhouse in the heart of London, and Laura had fun decorating it to her heart's content. It wasn't long before she became pregnant, and nine months later she gave birth to a healthy baby boy with the bluest eyes, and lovely, golden-blonde hair.

Laura had been tempted to name the boy 'Angel' since he reminded her of a little angel sent from heaven, but Henry decided on naming their son after his own father 'Alister' meaning 'defender of mankind'.

The Kingsleys were the perfect little family. They lived peacefully, happily, and in good health without a care in the world until Alister got his first box of crayons.

It was on a day just like any other day when _it_ happened. Laura was sitting in the living room working on her embroidery while four-year-old Alister was scribbling away at several pieces of white paper that were scattered on the coffee table in front of him.

Nothing Alister had drawn so far really resembled anything. They were all just nonsensical, childish scribbles. But that day, little Alister looked out the window, and spotted a bluebird perched on the branch of a tree in the garden.

When the bluebird began to sing Alister clapped his hands together in excitement. "Ooo pretty!" He immediately began to draw the bluebird to the best of his ability. He drew the bird's head, its body, its wings, its little feet, and lastly, Alister drew its eyes and filled them in.

That's when the strangest thing happened.

The drawing glowed with a bright golden light, and then the image of the bird started to peel off the drawing paper. Alister giggled happily and clapped at the incredible sight in amusement.

"What's so funny, Al?" Laura asked absentmindedly as she looked up from her embroidery just in time to see Alister's drawing peel off the page, and then materialize into a very _real_ bluebird. Laura's jaw dropped and she dropped her embroidery hoop.

The bird flew over to Alister's outstretched finger, perched upon it, and began to sing for him. Alister smiled widely at it.

However, Laura was _not_ impressed, but incredibly frightened by this unexplainable turn of events, and screamed loudly.

Alister flinched at the sound of his mother's ear-splitting scream, and his eyes shot to his mother. His lower lip started to tremble as he took in her distressed state, his blue eyes filled with tears, and then he started to cry.

Upon sensing Alister's unease and fear the bird turned its attention to Laura - the threat. The bird flew towards Laura and started to peck viciously at her in order to get her to quiet.

Laura's scream only intensified, however, as the bird started to peck at her, and she leapt up from her chair in a panic. She waved her hands futilely at the bird. "Ah! Get away! Get away from me!" A trickle of blood trailed down Laura's face from her forehead where the bird had managed to peck at her skin there.

The bird started to try and go for Laura's eyes next.

At that moment, the front door was flung open, and Henry stepped inside the foyer. He'd just gotten home from the publisher's who were helping him to release a new book of poems, and the first thing he heard was the sound of his beloved wife screaming in terror.

"Laura?" Henry called out and rushed into the living room just in time to see his wife getting savagely pecked at by a bluebird. "Hey!" Henry shouted, and quickly scanned the room for an object he could use to get the bird away from his wife. He spotted the fancy, brass, fireplace poker sitting against the fireplace, and walked over to grab it. "Stay away from my wife, you crazy bird!" Henry swung the poker at the bird like a baseball bat.

The tiny bluebird died instantly from the impact, and was knocked to the floor with its little head completely bashed in.

Henry dropped the bloody poker and rushed over to comfort his frazzled wife. He cupped her pale face in his large, warm, calloused hands. "My Love, what happened? Where did that crazy bird come from? Did you leave the window open? Or perhaps it came down the floo-"

With crystalline tears streaming down her face, Laura shook her head in denial, and pointed a trembling finger at Alister, who'd stopped crying by this time, and was now looking at the dead bird on the floor that was now surrounded by a pool of its own blood with a forlorn look on his face. "It was _him_...he did it. Alister summoned that - that demon! It was just like witchcraft!" Laura wrapped a trembling hand around the cross she wore around her neck.

Henry frowned. He knew that Laura would _never_ lie to him, but this _was_ a little hard to believe. "Laura, please, you're not making any sense. Come over here and sit down, and tell me what happened in more detail." Henry guided his trembling wife over to the plushy armchair by the fireplace, and helped her to sit down.

Laura took a deep breath to steady her nerves before she began to tell Henry _everything_ that had happened. Henry listened intently and remained silent until the end of her retelling. "The bird peeled itself off the page and became real?" Henry stroked his chin in a pensive gesture.

"Y-Yes," Laura said in a quavering voice.

"So, what you're really saying is our son could be Harry Potter?" Henry teased jokingly.

Laura quickly became incensed at her husband's blasé attitude. "Be serious, Henry. This isn't a joke, and I'm _not_ making this up. Our child may be demon-possessed." She shuddered and rubbed at her arms.

Henry frowned at his wife's incriminating words. He didn't believe in demons, and knew Alister was the opposite of some evil creature. "My Love, let's be reasonable about this. Maybe this was just a one-time thing. First, we should see if Alister can even do it again."

Laura grew appalled by the suggestion. "You _want_ him to summon another of those creatures here!"

"It will be alright," Henry said soothingly. "I'll be right here with you." He walked over to Alister, crouched beside his son, and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Hey, my boy."

Alister sniffled and glanced up at his father. "Hi, Daddy."

Alister's nose was red and his eyes were still glassy from crying. A wave of protectiveness washed over Henry at the sight of his distraught son. "Alister, there's something I want you to do for daddy."

"What is it?" Alister asked softly.

"I want you to draw another bird," Henry said.

Alister's lower lip started to tremble. "So, you can kill it?"

"No! Of course not," Henry instantly objected. "I feel bad about what happened to the first one. But, I was only protecting Mommy. I...really would like to see your drawing."

"O-Okay." Alister picked up his blue crayon and started to draw another bird. He set the blue crayon down when he was done with it, and picked up the black crayon to draw its eyes. As soon as Alister had finished filling in its eyes the drawing glowed and materialized to become a _real_ bird.

Henry couldn't help himself from being both awed and impressed. "Brilliant! You really did it. You brought it to life!"

"You see, I told you!" Laura exclaimed in a shrill tone. "Our boy is _cursed_!"

Henry's shoulders slumped in disappointment at how his wife was handling this situation. "No, Laura, this _isn't_ a curse. It's a gift." Henry calmly walked over to the window, opened it, shooed the bird outside, and then shut the window after it.

Laura gaped at her husband in shock. "You just let that _thing_ out there! It's not even a _real_ bird! What if it attacks someone?"

Henry took a deep, steadying breath as he tried to find the patience he needed to deal with his hysterical wife in that moment. "You must have done something to frighten it before, Love. It's just a bird. Animals often lash out when they feel threatened."

"So, now this is _my_ fault!" Laura snapped hotly and gave her husband an incredulous look. "You're forgetting that our son is _evil_! We can't have him creating anymore of those...abominations of his!"

Henry frowned at his wife's negativity. "I don't really see the problem...except that it might draw unwanted attention to Alister." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps, there is a way he can control his power. Let me try something. Alister, I want you to draw me a bunny rabbit. Think you can do that?"

Alister smiled brightly at his father and nodded. "Sure, Daddy!" Alister picked up a purple crayon and started to draw a bunny rabbit on a blank piece of paper. He drew the rabbit's head, its ears, its body, and lastly its round, furry tail. Then, Alister set the purple crayon down, and reached for the black crayon in order to draw its eyes.

Henry reached out and grabbed Alister's wrist in order to stop him. "No, wait, don't-"

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Alister shot his father a questioning look. "Don't you want me to finish the drawing?"

"Just...wait a moment, son," Henry said in a soothing tone.

The Kingsleys waited and waited until an entire hour had passed with nothing out of the ordinary happening.

Henry grew triumphant and his chest swelled with pride. "Aha! You see, Laura? Alister has to _finish_ the drawing for it to come alive. In the case of animals he needs to finish its eyes." Henry turned his attention to Alister. "You can go ahead and draw its eyes, Son."

"Okay." Alister drew two black eyes and filled them in. The drawing of the rabbit glowed and seconds later the rabbit materialized, sitting on the coffee table. It was a very real, flesh and blood rabbit, but with one bizarre feature. It had _purple_ fur.

"Absolutely extraordinary!" Henry remarked, a twinkle in his usually serious brown eyes.

"Extraordinary?" Laura demanded shrilly. "You can't be serious? This...this is _unnatural_. Evil!" She pointed her finger at the rabbit that was harmlessly hopping across the tabletop.

Henry let out a sigh. "My Love, you are making a mountain out of a mole hill. This is just a harmless gift that our son has been blessed with. I'm sure that as long as we teach Alister not to finish any of his drawings - something like this will _never_ happen again."

Laura gawked at her husband in disbelief. "After all this...you're actually going to allow him to continue drawing, aren't you? I can't believe this. We should forbid him from drawing anything - ever again!"

A dark scowl formed on Henry's face. "You may see Alister's power as a curse, but I see it as a blessing, a God-given gift. And one shouldn't scorn gifts from God. To be an artist - that is obviously our boy's _calling_. Maybe he was given this power because one day he's destined to save someone with it."

"Save someone?" Laura scoffed and waved her hand dismissively through the air. "Our son is evil."

"You're wrong, Laura." Henry shook his head. "No child is born evil...evil is made, but goodness must be taught. As parents it is our responsibility to teach Alister right from wrong, good from evil. And if Alister uses his powers for evil...then I'll agree with you that he's a monster, but if he uses his powers for good and to save people then that makes Alister a hero. It means he's special."

"I'll take no part in this!" Laura declared with a huff. "That boy is no longer my son!"

"You're just rattled by what happened," Henry said in what he hoped was a soothing tone. "You don't really mean that." He _hoped_ she didn't mean that. Because how could a woman be so cruel as to not love her own son?

"Oh, yes, I do!" Laura countered before getting out of the chair and stomping out of the room without looking back.

Henry's sorrowful brown eyes followed after her retreating figure, and he ruffled Alister's hair in an affectionate way. "Alister, you want to make Mommy happy, don't you?"

Alister nodded eagerly. "Of course, Daddy."

"Good." Henry put his hands on his son's shoulders and gave Alister a serious look. "Then, just promise me one thing - _never_ finish one of your drawings again unless it's to help someone. Your gift...it scares Mommy. Understand?"

"Okay, Daddy. I promise. I don't want Mommy to be afraid of me," Alister's tiny voice cracked with sadness.

"That's my boy!" Henry exclaimed before pulling Alister into a fierce hug.

***

The years passed by rather uneventfully for the Kingsley family until Alister turned twelve. One day, Alister was playing hacky sack on the sidewalk outside his house with three of his friends from school.

Two of the boys were laughing and smiling during their game, but Alister noticed that one of his friends seemed to be depressed. "What's wrong, Billy?" Alister asked concernedly.

"It's my dog. He died." Billy sniffled as he remembered the recent loss of his pet.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Billy. What did he look like?" Alister whipped out a piece of chalk. He had a sudden idea that might cheer up his depressed friend.

"He was a _huge_ Rottweiler," Billy said as he spread his arms wide and excitedly described his pet's appearance. "And he weighed a hundred and thirty pounds."

Alister knelt on the sidewalk and began to draw a Rottweiler while his friends watched with rapt attention.

"He wore a collar with his name on it," Billy added as he peered over Alister's shoulder.

Alister drew a collar around the dog's neck. "What was his name?" Alister asked, concentrating hard.

"Duke," Billy said.

Alister added the name 'DUKE' to the stainless-steel nametag, and then stood up to inspect his work.

"Brilliant." Billy's voice was laced with awe. "It looks just like him."

"You're an amazing artist, Alister," one of the other boys added.

"Yeah, draw my pet next!" the third boy requested eagerly.

Billy frowned thoughtfully as he gazed down at the drawing of his dog, and nibbled on his lower lip. "But, Alister...you forgot to draw his eyes."

Alister stiffened. "Ah, I'm sorry. I can't draw them. I'm not _allowed_ to finish any of my drawings." He gave his friend an apologetic look.

The three boys shared confused looks. "Well, that's a stupid house rule! Why not?" Billy asked curiously.

Alister frowned thoughtfully. "You know, what? I don't...remember. It's always been that way. If I finish the drawing and my mom finds out she'll hit my hands with a ruler for sure!"

Billy gave Alister a pleading look, and pressed the palms of his hands together in front of him as if in prayer. "Oh, come on, Alister. _Please_. You have to finish your drawing of Duke. He still looks...dead like this. I want to remember him looking alive."

"Yeah, come on, Alister," one of the other boys said. "We promise we won't tell your mom."

"Yeah, it's a stupid rule anyways," the third boy added carelessly. "There's no harm in finishing your drawing of Billy's pet. It's not like it's going to be the end of the world or something." All three boys laughed at that.

Alister gulped nervously, and his hand trembled slightly. That's when he vaguely remembered his father telling him that he couldn't finish his drawings unless it was to help someone. Well, he _was_ trying to help Billy with his grief over the loss of his pet, so it should be alright to finish the drawing then. "Well, okay. As long as you guys promise not to tell."

"We promise!" all three boys chimed.

Alister crouched down, added two round circles for eyes to his drawing of the Rottweiler, and then filled in the eyes. Immediately, the drawing glowed with a golden light and peeled up off the sidewalk before materializing into a very _real,_ hundred and thirty pound Rottweiler with black and brown fur.

"That was just like magic," one of the boys breathed in shock.

"It's a Rottweiler," the third boy said uneasily. "It's big."

Billy was smiling too until he looked at the dog more closely, and noted the red collar around its neck, and the nametag, which read: DUKE. Billy hadn't told Alister that the collar had been red. Also, the dog was foaming slightly at the mouth. "I know it's impossible, but that's the _real_ Duke, isn't it, Alister? And if that's true...Duke had rabies and had to be put down!"

Duke set his sights on Billy, and growled. The dog's lip curled back, revealing its sharp teeth. Billy froze in fear.

Suddenly, Alister remembered why he wasn't supposed to finish his drawings, and recalled the incident with the bluebird and his mother. "Oh no. What have I done?" Alister staggered backwards a step as the reality of this dangerous situation hit him hard. "Father, help! Help us!" Alister called out towards the townhouse.

From inside the house Henry heard Alister's call, and quickly left his office, made his way to the living room, and grabbed the fireplace poker. Henry had no idea why his son was calling for help, but whatever it was couldn't be good. Henry didn't want to be unarmed in case it was a thief or criminal that was trying to hurt his son or his friends.

When Henry opened the front door and stepped outside, he looked down at the sidewalk and saw that a mad dog was stalking towards one of Alister's friends. "Hey! Get away from my son and his friends!" Henry called out to get the dog's attention. The dog immediately set its sights on Henry, and its dark eyes narrowed at the poker in his hand.

As soon as the dog's attention was directed elsewhere Billy screamed and took off running down the sidewalk, followed by his two friends. Alister remained behind.

Henry raised the poker and made his way down the front steps. Unfortunately, the last step was covered in a thin layer of ice, and when Henry stepped onto it too fast he ended up slipping and falling back onto the steps. The Rottweiler saw his chance and didn't hesitate to leap towards Henry.

"No!" Alister shouted as he watched the dog attack his father and use its sharp teeth to rip Henry's throat out. "Stop!"

The dog's ears twitched as he listened to Alister's command, and he immediately stopped mauling Henry. But it was already too late. The dog turned around, lowered his head meekly, and approached Alister.

Alister glared fiercely at it even though he could somehow tell it was trying to act apologetic. "What have you done? You killed my father! Go away!" He waved his hand at the dog in a shooing motion. The Rottweiler whimpered and ran off with its tail between its legs.

A gasp had Alister looking up the stairs to see his mother Laura standing on the top step with a horrified look on her face as she eyed the prone, bleeding form of her husband. Her angry gaze shot to Alister and he could see the betrayal swirling in her eyes. "You! What have _you_ done?"

Alister flinched at his mother's accusation. "I...I didn't mean to-"

Laura stalked down the steps, grabbed Alister by the arm, and began to drag him inside of the house. "You monster! You killed your own father!"

Alister's blue eyes filled with tears. "No. I didn't mean to! I swear! It was an accident. Mommy, please. I'm sorry."

"Don't you 'mommy' me!" Laura snapped, shaking Alister roughly. "I am _not_ your mother! I don't love you!"

Laura dragged Alister over to the door that led to the basement. She opened the door and shoved Alister inside. "Get in there. You need to be locked up like the monster you are!" She slammed and locked the door after him.

Alister spun around an immediately tried to open the door, to no avail. "No! Wait! Please, Mother! Don't leave me alone down here." Alister glanced at the dark staircase that led down to the basement, and shuddered. "It's scary in here! Please, forgive me!" Alister banged on the door until his knuckles bled. When he ran out of energy he sank to his knees in despair. " _Mom_..."

***

After Henry Kingsley's death, Laura went slightly crazy and kept Alister imprisoned in the basement. Because Alister felt guilty about his father's death he didn't try to fight his imprisonment, and just went along with his mother's cruel whims.

Laura felt completely justified in her harsh actions, and thought she was providing a public service by keeping Alister isolated from the rest of civilized human society. Her son wasn't normal, and so didn't belong among normal people.

Laura gave Alister plenty of books to read on a wide variety of subjects, and that was her version of home schooling. Alister felt a little like the longhaired Rapunzel shut away in his tower by the evil wizard Gothel. The basement became his lonely world.

Even though painting had led to his imprisonment, Alister didn't stop painting. He found several old cans of white paint, and painted on the walls of the basement. He probably couldn't have stopped painting even if he wanted to. He _had_ to paint. It was in his blood. It was just something he _had_ to continue to do. When he caught himself daydreaming he noticed that he'd been unconsciously drawing images on the floor with his finger.

Years passed in this manner, until Laura started to feel the tiniest twinge of guilt for having Alister locked up in the basement. He'd never even tried to escape, and had conformed to using white paint to paint the boring gray walls of the basement. It was hard to see Alister as a monster when he was acting so docile. She began to feel like the evil one, and in order to ease her own conscience Laura decided to gift Alister with some new art supplies: blank canvases, oil paints, turpentine, and brushes.

"Happy seventeenth birthday, Alister," Laura said as she handed her son the art supplies.

Alister thanked his mother profusely for her gifts, and promised her that he'd _never_ finish a painting _ever_ again.

Now that Alister was able to use color, he started to create paintings of an incredible, imaginary world he'd thought up inside of his head, and that he'd dubbed: Wonderland.

Wonderland was a place born from Alister's isolation, loneliness, and insanity. Alister painted fanciful, silly things that could never exist in reality like: rocking-horse-flies, bread-and-butterflies, talking flowers, and talking animals that wore clothes like humans.

And Alister was so lonely that he painted imaginary people too. These people were Alister's only friends: The White King, Chesher, and Katrina.

He painted someone to love - Madeline, the Mad Hatter.

He painted someone powerful to admire - Crim, the King of Hearts.

When Laura entered the basement to bring Alister his daily food tray, even she had to admit that Alister's paintings of Wonderland were amazing. Maybe Henry had been right - this _was_ a gift. And gifts should be shared with the world. Shouldn't they?

"These latest paintings of yours are quite lovely," Laura complimented airily as she tucked a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "What if I tried to sell a few at the next Art, Design and Craft Fair?" She tried to keep her manner nonchalant.

Alister's paintbrush fell from his limp fingers to clatter to the floor and he turned to gape at his mother in shock. He opened and closed his mouth as he tried to formulate a response like a fish out of water gasping for air, but he was too thrown by his mother complimenting him out of the blue. Did this mean she was finally learning to accept his gift? He lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug, and had to duck his head to hide the small, hopeful smile that had formed on his face. "Sure. Whatever."

That weekend, Laura took a few of Alister's paintings to the local street fair where artisans had set up tables to sell jewelry, paintings, and crafts, and managed to sell Alister's paintings in just a few hours. This caught the attention of an artist agent named Adam Bailey. Adam gave Laura his business card, and said that he wished to help represent her. Laura opened her mouth to correct his mistake, but then thought better of it, and smiled enigmatically instead.

From then on, Laura sold Alister's paintings while pretending to have painted them herself. Alister's paintings began to receive more attention and renown, and Laura started to become famous. With that fame came wealth beyond Laura's imagination, and she started to buy furs, expensive jewelry, and brand-name perfumes. She also started to greedily _demand_ new paintings from Alister, which he was only too happy to provide for her.

The only problem with his mother selling his paintings of Wonderland was that once the basement was no longer filled with the colorful and whimsical paintings of his Wonderland friends he was all alone again inside that dank, gray basement.

A few months later, while staring at a painting that he'd recently completed of a purple and pink striped cat with a wide grin, Alister couldn't resist the temptation of filling its eyes in. He was just _so_ lonely. He couldn't stand it any longer.

In hindsight, he should have given the cat a normal, ordinary appearance, and not such an unusual one, but to the isolated Alister a purple and pink striped cat had become _his_ idea of normal.

The painting of the cat glowed, pulled itself off the canvas, and materialized into a real flesh and blood cat. It gracefully leapt into Alister's waiting arms where he caught it.

Alister sat down on the floor cross-legged and started to pet the cat adoringly. "Aren't you a beautiful kitty?" Alister cooed.

"Why, thank you," the cat replied casually as it started to purr loudly.

Alister blinked and stared down at the cat in a mixture of surprise and awe. "You can talk?"

"Of course, I can talk," the cat drawled with a lazy grin. "You made me this way."

"Do you already have a name?" Alister's brow furrowed.

"Yes, my name is-" the cat was saying when the sound of a tray clattering to the floor drew their attention to where Alister's mother was standing at the foot of the stairs that led to the first floor of the townhouse.

Laura had been bringing Alister his daily food tray, but upon seeing the talking cat she'd dropped her tray out of shock. "Alister! You did it again!" Laura clenched her fists in anger. "You summoned a _demon_ into this world!" She stalked towards Alister, put her hands on her hips, and glared down at him when she was less than a foot away from him.

Alister looked up and gave his mother a beseeching look. "Mom, you don't understand. I-"

"You're wrong. I _do_ understand. No matter what I do you're still evil, and the temptation to summon those monsters." Laura waved her hand at the cat on Alister's lap. "Is too great for you to resist. I never should have given birth to you! You're an abomination. A monster. And there's only one way to stop this from _ever_ happening again. Yes, it's all up to me as his mother. I must be the one to do it." A crazed, manic look had formed in Laura's blue eyes.

Laura crouched before Alister, and for a second Alister thought that his mother was reaching out to hug him before her hands wrapped around his neck. Alister's eyes flared in alarm. "Mom, what are you doing?"

"Rectifying a mistake," Laura said as she started to increase the pressure around Alister's throat. "You don't belong in this world!"

"Mom, please, I'm sorry," Alister gasped out. "I never meant to hurt anyone."

"Lies!" Laura spat and increased the pressure of her hands around Alister's neck until her nails were digging painfully into his flesh.

Tears sprang to Alister's blue eyes, but they weren't from the pain, but from the overwhelming sadness he was feeling. His own mother wanted him dead. Maybe she was right about him, and he really was some kind of monster that didn't deserve to live. It was these dark thoughts that caused Alister to hesitate with even trying to stop her.

Black spots swam in Alister's vision, and he knew he was about to pass out when suddenly the hands were removed from around his neck. Coughing violently, Alister looked up to see his mother backing away from him with a horrified look on her face.

"I...just tried to kill my own son," Laura lamented as she cupped her face with her own hands. "I...I'm a monster. But, this isn't _my_ fault. It's his curse! It drove me to this! Never again! Alister, you will _never_ paint again!" Laura cried before rushing over to a storage shelf and grabbing a bottle of lighter fluid.

Alister stood up and eyed the bottle of lighter fluid in his mom's hand warily. "Mom, wait, what are you doing?"

Laura started to douse all the canvases in the basement with lighter fluid, and then started to cackle madly. "Fixing things! I should have done this years ago, but your father...he thought this curse of yours was a gift. But, it's not. It's a curse! And I'll save you from it!" Laura whipped out a lighter, which she used to smoke her cigarettes, flicked it open, ignited a flame, and tossed it at the pile of canvases. The canvases immediately set on fire, red and orange flames curling up towards the ceiling.

"Alister, we have to get out of here!" the cat warned, tugging at Alister's pant leg with her clawed paw. "She's gone round the bend!"

Ugly, dark purple bruises were forming on Alister's pale neck. He opened his mouth to respond, but it hurt too much to speak. He picked up the cat and ran for the stairs. Alister was surprised when he made it to the first floor without his mother stopping him, and he even managed to make it out of the house.

Alister only stopped running once he'd reached the bottom step in front of his house. He sat down, gathering his breath, and held the cat close to his chest.

"Congratulations, Alister. You're free now," the cat said. "Unfortunately, I cannot remain in this realm for much longer. I don't belong in this world. I belong in the other one."

Alister's expression fell. "You're already leaving? So soon? I thought..." _That you could be my friend._ He finished pathetically inside of his head.

The cat started to disappear until only its strange, wide grin remained floating in midair. "I'm sorry. This is the way things must be. Come and find me in the other world. In Wonderland. Remember...my name is Katrina," the cat said before it disappeared completely in a cloud of purple smoke.

Alister's arms wrapped around thin air and passed right through the cloud of purple smoke. He frowned morosely. The cat Katrina was gone. Alister stood up, dusted his clothes off, and prepared to leave. However-

"Help! Someone! Please, help me! The fire...it's gone out of control," a female voice cried from within the townhouse.

A chill crawled up Alister's spine. It was his mother's voice. "Mom!" Alister turned towards the house and noticed that the entire house had quickly caught on fire. The windows on the first floor shattered abruptly, and flames exited from them.

Alister started to ascend the front steps, but then his body froze in place. He reached up and touched the bruises on his neck that were throbbing in pain. He swallowed a lump of fear. He was afraid to go back inside and face his mother so soon. She'd just tried to kill him, and had almost crushed his windpipe. She didn't love him. She hated him. Would she try to kill him again? What if she succeeded this time?

Alister tried to make himself ascend the steps, but his body still wouldn't move. Maybe he just didn't want to go into that burning building to try and save his homicidal mother. _I have to go in there...she's my mom._ Alister berated himself.

And yet his feet still didn't move. It felt like they were glued to the steps. _Am I being a coward...or do I want my mother to die in there?_

Alister opened his mouth and screamed.

***

Alister's mother died in the fire that day. Afterwards, it was soon discovered that Alister Kingsley and _not_ his mother was the true artist behind the popular Wonderland paintings. Laura's agent Mr. Adam Bailey became Alister's agent. Alister's popularity only increased thanks to his tragic story that made his clients empathize with him.

It was hard for Alister to enjoy his fame and riches when he secretly blamed himself for his mother's death. He hated himself and his cowardice. But Katrina was right when she'd said he was free now. He had the option of going to college and getting a proper education. He could try and live a normal life. But, in the end, such things were easier said than done.

Alister knew that he would never be able to stop painting, and so he decided that it would be too dangerous to have friends. If he let anyone too close they would discover his secret.

Alister decided to simply concentrate on his career as an artist, and continued to paint and sell paintings of Wonderland. He lived in a luxurious penthouse apartment that was filled with the best furniture and electronics money could buy.

But, he was still lonely.

Only his paintings of his imaginary friends that lived in Wonderland kept him company. He didn't just paint their portraits, but actual scenes of events that took place in their lives. He painted tragic moments, adventurous moments, and happy moments.

Alister longed to love and be loved in return, and painted several paintings of the brave and beautiful Mad Hatter, Madeline.

That's why when Alister spotted the White Rabbit at his art show he didn't hesitate to follow her. He would have followed the rabbit to the ends of the Earth because in the end, he was a man with nothing to lose.

***

Present Day...

By the time Alister and Clover arrived at the Mad Hatter's house, Madeline, Crim, and Chesher were already there, and waiting for them seated at a long, dining table set up outside of Madeline's house, and that had been set for a lavish afternoon tea.

Alister wasn't surprised to see that Crim had taken a seat at the head of the table as if he were the host. Chesher was sitting to his left while Madeline was seated to Crim's right.

Alister's jaw dropped open slightly at the sight of Madeline sitting there so nonchalantly while sipping a cup of Earl Grey. He didn't know how the hell she'd managed to get back there before he and Clover had. Unless...she didn't use the beanstalk to climb down, and had found some other way to leave Overland.

Madeline spotted them, grinned, and waved. "Hey! You guys made it! Come have a seat and have some tea. The Wonderland Eclipse is almost over."

Alister and Clover took a seat at the table, and obediently served themselves some tea. Alister smiled to himself. Clover was right. Madeline _was_ bossy!

While everyone sipped their tea and waited for the eclipse to end, Crim and Chesher glared daggers at each other. Lightning _literally_ flashed between their gazes making Alister incredibly nervous.

When the moon finally made its way past the sun, the sun was revealed once more. Madeline beamed at them. "Well done, gentlemen. You have all succeeded in accomplishing the impossible task I set out for you. But, I still need proof. So, if you would please present the pearls to me now." Madeline held out her hand expectantly.

One by one, the men got up from their seat at the table, approached Madeline, and deposited a single pearl into the palm of her hand.

Once all four pearls were sitting in the palm of her hand Madeline closed her fingers around them and quickly pocketed the pearls. "You all qualify for the Wonderland Joust because of this. The joust will determine the true winner of this tournament, and whom I shall wed. There will be two elimination rounds to determine who the last two contenders are. That means we just have to decide who will be jousting against who." Madeline took her top hat off, flipped it upside down, and set it on the table. "Gentlemen, if you would please write your name on your napkins and deposit them into the hat."

All four men wrote their names on their napkins before walking over and dropping their napkins into the top hat. Madeline rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Let's see who shall joust against who, shall we? This is _so_ exciting!" She reached in, pulled out a napkin, and read the name on it. "Chesher will be jousting against..." She reached in to pull out another napkin and read the name on it aloud. "Crim!"

Chesher smiled silkily. "Perrrfect."

Crim slammed his fist down on the tabletop out of disappointment causing everyone's teacups to rattle. He'd been looking forward to the chance to unseat Alister from his dragon mount early on.

"That means that Alister will be jousting against Clover," Madeline informed them as she pulled the two remaining napkins out of her hat and set them down on the table.

Alister let out a breath of relief. "Phew." He'd been sensing Crim's bloodlust directed his way since he'd arrived at the table.

Crim noticed and chuckled darkly. "You have no idea what a Wonderland Joust actually entails, do you, Alister Kingsley?"

Alister shrugged lackadaisically. "Nope. But it probably has something to do with horses-"

"Horses!" Crim cut him off. "You wish. Wonderland Jousts are executed on fire-breathing dragons!"

The blood slowly began to drain out of Alister's face, and he swallowed thickly. "D-Dragons?" he squeaked.

"I will be riding my beloved Jabberwocky, of course," Crim started to brag. "No faster dragon exists in all of Wonderland! Which means none of you stand a chance against me."

"She's still alive?" Alister asked somewhat tentatively.

"Yes. Luckily, I was able to reattach her head," Crim shot Madeline a reproachful look, which she completely ignored while slathering extra orange marmalade onto a piece of bread.

"Yay. That's great," Alister said sarcastically.

"You should probably just go ahead and forfeit, Alister," Crim drawled. "Everyone here knows you're too much of a coward to be able to properly ride a dragon! And my spies tell me you're also afraid of fire. What _aren't_ you afraid of, I wonder?"

Alister was actually considering Crim's offer, until...Crim reached out and stroked Madeline's cheek. She flinched away at his unwanted touch. "Just leave Madeline to me, Alister. I promise to love her until death do us part."

Abruptly, Alister stood up, and slammed his hands down on the table angrily. "Don't you dare touch her!" Everyone turned to gawk at Alister in surprise.

Crim's dark eyes were wide. "What's this? You're acting like you care. Like you have _feelings_ for Madeline. But, my spies told me-"

"Your spies don't know anything about me or what I truly feel in my heart for Madeline," Alister interjected and took a deep breath. "And I...I love her!"

"Alister...?" Madeline asked softly as a blush started to rise to her cheeks.

Alister turned to face Madeline and his angry expression softened. "You were right. I lied to you. I was in denial. I love you. I've _always_ loved you. I was just afraid to admit it because then it makes it real. You're _real_ and my feelings for you are _real_ too. I won't run away from my feelings for you any longer, Madeline. I'm sorry for putting you through that. I know now that I can't lose you. Especially, not to a heartless bastard like Crim! So, sorry to disappoint you, King of Broken Hearts, but I _will_ be participating in that joust, and I _will_ defeat you if Chesher doesn't do it first!"

Smirking, Clover raised his teacup. "Hear, hear! Well said, Alister!"

Cheshire smiled widely showing off his pointed incisors. "I can see why my sister liked you, and wanted to help you. You are an honorable man, Alister Kingsley." Chesher grew distracted, however, as a bread-and-butterfly flew past his head. The cat-man reached out and grabbed it and plopped the entire creature into his mouth.

Crim eyed the trembling Alister in disbelief. "But...you're afraid. Don't deny it. I can see your knees knocking together!"

"Yes. I _am_ afraid, but that won't stop me from participating in the joust." Alister raised his chin in a gesture of defiance. "Sometimes, you have to be brave enough to run into the fire to save the person you love - even if it might cost you your own life!" _I won't make the same mistake twice._ Alister thought the last vehemently to himself as he remembered his mother's tragic death.

"That's what it means to be a-" Clover was saying.

When Crim interrupted with: "Idiot."

Clover let out an irritated sigh. "I was going to say 'hero' before I was so rudely interrupted by my asshole of a brother." He coughed into his hand. "That's what it means to be a hero and that's the type of man Madeline deserves."

Red-faced with anger, Crim stood up from his seat at the table. "Enough of this nonsense. You can spout all the lovely, romantic words you want to, Alister. But, actions speak louder than words. Actions determine who a man really is. And tomorrow in the Wonderland Joust I _will_ defeat you. So, go ahead and enjoy the last night you're going to get to spend with _my_ wife! Because tomorrow everyone will find out just who you really are - a pathetic coward and a loser." Crim waved his hand through the air and disappeared in a cloud of red smoke.

Chesher stood up next. "I have somewhere I need to be. I'll be seeing you all at the joust tomorrow." Chesher slowly disappeared until only his mouth remained and then he was gone entirely in a cloud of purple smoke.

Alister and Madeline gave Clover an expectant look, as if they expected him to get up and ride away into the sunset.

Clover raised his eyebrows at them. "What? Why should I waste my precious magic teleporting myself to my castle when there's a perfectly good guestroom here that Madeline has let me stay in before?"

Madeline sighed and rolled her eyes at Clover. "Ugh. Fine. You can have your usual guestroom."

Clover grinned, stood up from his place at the table, and started to head for the house. "Thank you, Milady, much obliged." He covered his mouth as he yawned widely. "After that adventure we just had I could sleep for a week! I'll definitely need my beauty sleep if I'm to look my best for the joust tomorrow. Goodnight."

Madeline stood up from the table next and sashayed over to Alister. She grabbed his arm and roughly hoisted him up out of his seat. "We need to talk," Madeline declared in a strangely serious tone.

Alister gave her a nervous and slightly confused look. "Okay. Sure." He let Madeline drag him to the house, and concentrated on not freaking out about her hand on his arm, but he was starting to break out in a cold sweat.

They entered the house, and Madeline dragged Alister upstairs to her room on the third floor. Once Madeline had shut and locked the bedroom door behind them, she spun to face Alister, and gave him a very scrutinizing look. She noticed how pale he'd gotten, how he'd broken out in a cold sweat, and was even trembling slightly. She frowned. "You really can't stand _my_ touch, can you?" Madeline's voice was crestfallen.

"It's not just _your_ touch," Alister quickly interjected. "It's any _woman's_ touch."

Compassion swirled in Madeline's green eyes. "What happened?"

Alister's shoulders slumped, he let out a heavy sigh, and then he went over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Something _bad_ happened to me in my past." Alister hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should tell Madeline about his mother. "About a year ago, a woman tried to kill me...through strangulation. Because of this I developed a trauma. When any woman tries to touch me...I feel these phantom hands wrapping around my neck and squeezing." Alister unconsciously raised a hand to rub at his neck. "I break out in a cold sweat, I get hives, and I start to have a panic attack."

Madeline was horrified by this revelation. "Oh, Alister." She walked over and took a seat on the bed next to him. "That's awful. I'm so sorry you had to go through something like that." Madeline reached out to place her hand on Alister's arm, but then hesitated and let her hand drop beside her onto the mattress.

Alister gave her a chagrined look. "It's pathetic. I'm pathetic. I'm eighteen-years-old. I'm a grown man now. This shouldn't bother me. I shouldn't let my past haunt me, but it does. My past still has a hold over me. I'm a broken man, Madeline. I'm sorry. I can't give you what you need." Alister's sad expression turned haggard. "Maybe Crim is right. Maybe I'm not the right man for you. Maybe I'm not worthy. Maybe you should marry a cool guy like Clover-"

"No!" Madeline passionately exclaimed. "I keep telling you, I don't love Clover. I love _you_." She gave him an urgent look. "And you're _not_ pathetic. You're just...hurt. And wounds of the heart do heal. With time. And I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for you to get over your trauma about women so that we can be together." A blush rose to her cheeks. "Intimately."

Alister gave Madeline an astonished look. "You would be willing to do that? Wait for me?"

Madeline grinned wolfishly. "Yes, because you _are_ worth the wait, Alister Kingsley."

Alister was floored, and found himself smiling back at her goofily.

Madeline's expression turned mischievous and sly, however. "Although, I do have a question for you." The Mad Hatter stood up and sauntered over to the middle of the room. "Do you like to watch?" Madeline traced her neckline with her index finger teasingly. She then trailed her index finger down to the top button of her jacket and unbuttoned it. She paused to give Alister a questioning look.

Alister flushed and swallowed thickly. His throat felt dry. All the blood in his body was rushing south. Sometimes honesty really was the _best_ policy, he decided. "Y-Yeah..."

A wide grin spread across Madeline's face. "Good. Because so do I." Madeline started to perform a sensual striptease for Alister by slowly unbuttoning her jacket one button at a time.

When Madeline took her jacket off and tossed it to the floor, Alister was surprised to see that Madeline had only been wearing a purple silk bra with green polka dots on it beneath her jacket. "Dang. I thought you'd be wearing a blouse under that jacket."

"Disappointed?" Madeline arched an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, hell no." Alister shook his head vigorously.

"Good," Madeline said as she bent over, giving Alister a nice view of her cleavage, and started to take her lace-up knee boots off. Alister's cock was starting to harden in his pants as he watched.

Madeline glanced down at Alister's crotch and noticed the slight bulge starting to form there. "Mmm." She licked her lips. "Rub yourself through your pants, Alister," Madeline ordered in an imperious voice.

Alister gulped, placed a hand over his crotch, and obediently started to rub. A pleasured moan slipped past his lips.

"Good boys get rewarded." Madeline undid the top button of her pants and then began to slide her pants down her long, toned, graceful legs.

Alister gulped as her most intimate place was revealed, covered by purple silk panties.

Now dressed in only her bra and panties, Madeline began to sway her hips from side to side, and move her hands through the air. It took a moment for Alister to realize that she was dancing for him. Alister's gaze was fixated on her every movement.

When their gazes locked, Madeline reached behind her back and undid the clasp on her bra. Without breaking eye contact, she removed her bra in a slow, tantalizing manner before tossing it at Alister.

Alister caught it, and grinned sheepishly. His hooded gaze lowered to Madeline's bare breasts, and he worshipped them with his eyes. Alister salivated at the sight of her pert, pink nipples. He had the urge to put his mouth on her breasts, to take one of her nipples into his mouth and suck on it, but knew that would be too much for him to handle. Still...what he wanted to do, but couldn't do, Madeline could do herself. "I wish I could touch you so badly. Madeline, knead your breasts for me. I wish I could do that."

Madeline smiled impishly and brought both her hands up to her breasts. "You want to touch me? Is this how you would do it?" She teased as she kneaded her breasts softly.

Alister groaned at the sight. "Yes. Just like that."

"Or...would you be a little rougher?" Madeline asked squeezing her breasts and gasping.

"Holy shit," Alister murmured at the erotic sight. He was fully hard, his erection pressing painfully against his black silk pants that felt too tight now and begging for release.

"What about my nipples?" Madeline questioned in a sultry voice. "Would you touch them too?"

Alister nodded eagerly. "Yes."

"How?" Madeline prompted.

"W-With my mouth," Alister said tremulously.

"You wouldn't pinch them? Like this?" The Mad Hatter asked as she pinched her own nipples, and tossed her head back as she cried out. "Oh, yes!"

Alister was rubbing at his crotch frantically. " _Madeline_..." His voice had turned deep and husky as he begged for...he wasn't quite sure what.

Madeline glanced down at the tent in Alister's silk pants. "I think Little Alister wants to come out and play."

Alister's blush deepened. "Madeline...?" he squeaked shyly.

"Take your cock out, Alister. Show it to me. Show me how hard I've made you. Show me just how much you want me. How much you desire me," Madeline said in a beseeching voice.

Alister gulped nervously. With a trembling hand, the artist undid the button on the top of his pants, and pulled down the zipper. He reached a hand into his boxers and pulled out his throbbing erection. Alister shuddered at the feeling of his own warm hand wrapped around his length. It felt good. He shyly tried to cover his cock with his hand, however.

A mischievous twinkle formed in Madeline's green eyes as she watched how shy Alister was acting. He was so cute. "Remove your hand, Alister," she said in a firm tone.

Alister swallowed, and did as he was told. Alister's erection stood tall and proud, pressing against his stomach now.

Madeline licked her lips appreciatively as she admired Alister's long, hard cock. A drop of precum had formed on its tip as Madeline continued to stare at his erection so intensely. "Impressive. You may be shy, but your body sure is honest about your true feelings. You want to fuck me. You want to stick that long, hard cock of yours inside my pussy, and mate with me."

Alister trembled at Madeline's dirty sex talk, and couldn't resist placing a hand on his cock and stroking. He groaned as pleasurable tingles zipped up his spine. "Yes, I do. I want to fuck you so bad. I wish I could fuck you...make a mess of you."

"I wish you could fuck me too," Madeline let out a wistful sigh. "Oh, Alister, you've made me so wet. So, ready for you." The Mad Hatter stuck her thumbs into the waistband of her panties before sliding them down her legs and off her body. Madeline twirled her panties around her index finger before tossing them in Alister's direction.

Alister caught her panties and noticed they were indeed damp from her desire for him. Her sweet nectar beckoned him and he couldn't help himself from bringing her panties up to his nose and breathing in deep, basking in her musky, womanly scent that reminded Alister of orange marmalade.

Madeline arched an eyebrow at what Alister was doing. "How pervy." An ashamed look flitted across Alister's face before Madeline continued, "I like it." Alister instantly looked relieved. "I think I may have a closet-pervert on my hands."

Alister grinned and without breaking eye contact with Madeline he brought the panties to his mouth and lapped at the damp silk with his tongue next. He was dying to know what she tasted like. As it turned out, her taste matched her scent perfectly - sweet, orange marmalade. She must use that particular jam on her toast at tea parties a lot. Alister thought amusedly to himself.

Madeline's legs felt weak with her overwhelming desire and need for the man before her. She sat down on the Persian carpet and spread her legs, giving Alister the perfect view of the glistening, pink, petal-like folds of her womanhood.

Her sex looked so soft that Alister longed to run his fingers along it.

Madeline brought her hand down to her sex and began to pleasure herself. Alister watched with rapt attention, taking notes as she rubbed and pinched at her clit gently.

"Alister, grip your cock and stroke," Madeline urged.

Alister tossed the panties on the bed haphazardly, and wrapped his hand around his aching, neglected cock again. He immediately gasped since his hot flesh felt even more sensitive for some reason.

Alister stroked his cock while he watched Madeline pleasuring herself. He shuddered at the erotic sight. He wanted to be inside of her so badly. He also had the desire to put his mouth on her sex and lap up her leaking desire. He closed his eyes and imagined what that would be like and let out a tortured whimper.

Madeline was also getting very turned on while watching Alister masturbate. She'd driven him to that aroused, needy state. She affected the shy, prim and proper Alister this way, and made him come undone. That erection was for her. He desired her. Wanted her. Needed her. "You want that inside of me, don't you? In here." Madeline slipped her index finger inside of herself and gasped.

"Yes. Inside you," Alister gasped out.

"Filling me." Madeline added another finger. "Stretching me. Ah!" The Mad Hatter cried out. "Claiming me. Spilling your hot seed inside of me, and marking me as your own! Yours!"

"Yes! Yes! You're mine, Madeline!" Alister burst out. He was so close. "Mine!" Madeline's dirty sex talk pushed Alister over the edge, and he came in his hand, spurting white cum all over the front of his blue button-down shirt.

The sight of Alister reaching orgasm and coming messily all over the front of his blue shirt caused Madeline to pinch her clit a little too hard and she came next. "Ah! Oh! Alister! _My_ Alister!" She cried out, tossing her head back, and baring her long, swanlike neck to Alister, who had the urge to nibble at her neck until he left a love mark behind. His cock twitched again and released another spurt of cum.

"Bloody hell..." Madeline was so sexy, Alister was sure he could masturbate to Madeline like this for hours without going limp. He used to jerk off to the paintings he'd created of Madeline...but having her here in the flesh with him was intense.

Madeline lowered her head and met Alister's lustful, hooded gaze. She blinked in surprise at the amount of hunger that was shinning back at her in his blue eyes. Hadn't he been sated yet? She shivered. Apparently, his lust for her was unquenchable, and she loved that.

Alister's heart ached as he looked at Madeline. She was positively radiant. Her cheeks were flushed; her green eyes shiny, and a thin sheen of sweat covered her bare flesh making it glow. He loved her so much. Wanted her so much. He _couldn't_ let another man have her! He _wouldn't_ let Clover or Chesher or Crim win the tournament tomorrow.

"Madeline, why did you have the White Rabbit bring me here?" Alister asked suddenly. "I know you don't want to marry Crim, but...Clover could beat him. You didn't really need _me_." Alister held his breath as he awaited her response.

Madeline rolled his eyes at the insecure Alister. "I already told you. I don't love Clover - I love _you_. That's why I had the White Rabbit bring you here. I believe in you, and that you'll win."

"But...why do you love me?" Alister questioned tentatively.

Madeline tilted her head and she thought about it for a short moment. "That's hard to explain. I just _do_ ," she replied flippantly.

Alister's hopeful expression shattered and he quickly lowered his head so that Madeline wouldn't see the disappointed look on his face. "I see." Alister quickly stuffed himself back into his boxers, zipped up his pants, hopped off the bed, and strolled right past Madeline to the bedroom door. "I should really go get some rest. I'll most likely need my strength for the joust tomorrow."

Madeline stared after Alister's retreating back with a confused look on her face. "Alister? Wait..."

"Goodnight, Madeline," Alister said in a clipped manner. "I won't let you down. I _can't_ let you down," he said the latter more to himself than to her.

The artist let himself out of Madeline's room, and shut the door behind him, leaving Madeline sitting naked on the Persian carpet. Alone.

To be continued in...Chapter 8:

### Chapter 8:

A few years ago...

Shortly after Crim had taken over the Red Kingdom, his advisors brought it to Crim's attention that in order to secure his reign he should choose a bride, and produce an heir. When Crim asked whom the fairest maid in all the land was, the answer happened to be the same among pretty much everyone: Madeline Hatter.

Crim's interest was instantly piqued, and he wanted to learn more about the lass with hair the color of oranges, and eyes like emeralds. He discovered that she lived with her mother and father in the heart of the Red City at the family's hat shop. The shop used to be her mother's, but it was Madeline's now.

With a bouquet of red roses in hand, Crim went to visit Madeline at her hat shop, and asked her to marry him. Things didn't exactly go as Crim had planned when Madeline laughed in his face, and flat out rejected him. Crim's face had turned red with his anger, and he had to bite down on his lower lip to keep himself from yelling out: 'Off with her head!'

Crim decided to take a more devious approach to dealing with his unrequited love for Madeline. First, he raised the taxes exorbitantly enough that he knew that Madeline's little shop wouldn't be able to afford to pay them. He knew that Madeline would have no choice but to seek him out and ask for his help to save her business.

Imagine his surprise when he went to Madeline's shop only to discover that the shop had closed, and moved someplace else. When he investigated Madeline's current whereabouts he discovered that her family had purchased a three-story cottage out in the forest that now served as the shop and their home.

Crim soon came up with a new plan to get Madeline to need his help. He created a special poison that he knew how to make the cure for and used it to poison a delicious looking red apple. Madeline had lots of friends and very few enemies, so when Crim dropped off a basket with the single red apple inside of it for her, Madeline wasn't suspicious of it, and ate it.

Madeline fell gravely ill due to the poison. Madeline's parents: Bonnet and Topper Hatter didn't know what to do. They had very little money and couldn't afford to buy a magical cure for their daughter. Just when they were losing all hope Crim appeared at their doorstep and claimed to have a cure. Topper thanked Crim profusely, but Crim said there was a catch: the cure for Madeline's hand in marriage.

Topper refused. He wasn't sure how his daughter felt about the King of Hearts, but wanted his daughter to be free to love who she loved. And because she was delirious with a fever and unable to answer questions, there was no way to really know how Madeline really felt about Crim.

After turning Crim away, Topper knew that they only had one other option to save Madeline. He'd heard rumors of a powerful, evil, dark sorcerer named King Maleficent. The sorcerer was known for having in his possession various rare, valuable, magical, and powerful items. Topper had even heard of a wand that might have the power to cure Madeline.

Topper's plan was to go to Maleficent's floating fortress and ask the sorcerer for help. If the sorcerer refused, Topper planned to somehow sneak into the fortress and steal the magic wand to save Madeline. Topper was willing to do whatever it took to save his daughter. Of course, he didn't let his wife Bonnet know this. He only told his wife of his intention to seek the sorcerer's help.

The very next day, Topper and Bonnet took a fairy to Maleficent's floating fortress, which had appeared in Wonderland several years ago. The black fortress was an intimidating sight, hovering hundreds of feet above the ground in the sky. The castle was made entirely out of a black stone, and had twisting spires and turrets that lent to its foreboding appearance. The Blue Fairy dropped Bonnet and Topper off at the front door of the fortress, and then flew off, leaving them to their fate.

As the couple approached the massive front door - the door opened of its own accord to let them inside. With Bonnet clinging to his arm, Topper entered the throne room. Their eyes widened in awe at the gleaming, black onyx columns that stood on either side of the room, and the black and white checkered marble floor that was beneath their feet. The floor-to-ceiling windows were covered with thick, purple velvet drapes. A hundred lit candles illuminated the throne room from an enormous, black, wrought-iron chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

At the far end of the room stood a hulking, black, iron throne with spikes on it, and seated upon this throne in a casual pose was none other than the sorcerer King Maleficent. Maleficent had a dangerous, commanding presence. His features were handsome yet sharp. He had pale skin that was almost a ghostly white, long, silky black hair, and golden eyes.

Maleficent was wearing black steel armor consisting of: a breastplate, shoulder armor decorated with spikes, gauntlets, and armored boots. Beneath his armor the sorcerer was wearing a black leather tunic and matching pants. A regal, black cape with a dark purple lining and high collar fell from Maleficent's shoulders to the floor.

Maleficent's most eye-catching feature, however, were the two S-shaped, glossy, black horns that curled out of the top of his head. The horns were elegant in the way they curved in and then out at the tips. Topper and Bonnet's attention was instantly drawn to those flashy, dragon-like horns, and they couldn't seem to pull their eyes away.

Maleficent eyed the two peasants with great impatience, and drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne. "Well, don't just stand there gawking at me all day. Approach!"

Bonnet and Topper flinched in fear, and clinging to each other they warily approached the sorcerer. Topper gathered his nerve to speak, and swallowed a lump of nervousness. "Your Majesty, the reason we're here-"

Maleficent held up a hand to silence him. "I already know. You're here because you wish to save the life of your daughter Madeline."

Topper and Bonnet exchanged a surprised and impressed glance. "Yes, that's right," Topper said as he returned his attention back to the dark sorcerer. "How did you know?"

With a wave of his hand Maleficent summoned a crystal ball, which appeared in a cloud of purple smoke and sat in the palm of his hand. He then began to play with the ball, moving it from side to side on his hand while only using one hand to do so, and rolling it up and down his arm. "I see a lot of things."

Topper nodded. He'd heard rumors that Maleficent could see into the future. "Can you save our daughter?"

"It would be easy for me to brew a magical cure for what ails your daughter, but the ingredients for such a potion..." A twisted leer spread across Maleficent's face. "Come with a high _price_."

"We'll give you everything we have." Topper took out a small bag of gold coins and tossed it Maleficent's way.

Maleficent raised his left hand, caught the pouch, and frowned at its weight. "Sadly, this won't be enough to save the life of your daughter."

Topper shot a nervous glance his wife's way since he knew that she wouldn't like what he was about to say, and then turned his gaze back to Maleficent. A determined expression settled over his grim face, and he raised his chin. "I'm willing to give you _anything_ you want."

Maleficent's leer widened. "Is that so? I do love it when they say that." The sorcerer chuckled darkly.

Bonnet had grown deathly pale over worry for her husband, and eyed Maleficent suspiciously. "Wait. We shouldn't be too hasty about making a deal with him. We don't even know what he'll want in return. It could be a price we're _not_ willing to pay." She started to wring her hands together.

"I'm willing to pay _any_ price if it means saving the life of my daughter," Topper countered firmly.

Abruptly, Maleficent stood up from his throne. "Why don't you two take a moment to consider my offer? I have something that I need to attend to. I shall return shortly." The sorcerer waved his hand in a twirling motion, and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Topper and Bonnet shared a startled, confused look.

Then, there was a strange, clattering noise behind them. When the couple turned around it was to see a long dining table had appeared out of thin air. The table was splendidly covered with a delectable array of desserts: cakes, cookies, colorful macaroons, chocolate bonbons, and candy.

Chocolate was extremely difficult to get in the Red Kingdom because Crim had a bit of a sweet tooth, and if the peasants couldn't pay their taxes with gold he was perfectly alright with allowing them to pay their taxes with chocolates instead, and had even been known to accept freshly-baked cookies and cakes as payment.

Bonnet gasped at the sight of all that chocolate, and her eyes sparkled. "Oh my goodness, dear, look at all that chocolate! Can you believe it?"

Topper eyed the table laid out with desserts warily. "Hmm. Maleficent is a King, so I suppose he can easily afford it."

Bonnet grabbed Topper's arm and shook it slightly. "Do you think he left this here for us?" she asked excitedly, giving her husband an eager look.

Topper eyed his wife in disbelief. "You think an _evil_ sorcerer would be that generous? I don't."

Bonnet couldn't resist the allure of the chocolates, however. Her feet started to move on their own, and she walked closer to the table. "Even if it's _not_ meant for us...he has so much of it. Surely, he won't miss one little piece of chocolate?" She rubbed her hands together as she eyed a display of chocolate bonbons and drooled slightly.

"Bonnet, I would leave that chocolate alone if I were you," Topper warned sternly.

Bonnet didn't listen to him, and reached out to pluck a piece of chocolate up from a plate. She plopped it into her mouth and bit down. "Mmm!" She groaned in bliss as the flavor of rich dark chocolate with a creamy, soft center of raspberry cream hit her taste buds.

"This is so delicious!" She grabbed another chocolate and brought it over to Topper. "Really, dear, you must try this chocolate. It's the most delicious thing I've ever eaten in my entire life!" She held the chocolate up to Topper's lips insistently. "Maleficent won't miss just one piece."

Topper relented since his wife could be _annoyingly_ persistent, and sometimes it was better to just give in to what she wanted. "Oh, alright, Bonnet." He opened his mouth and Bonnet plopped the chocolate inside.

The flavor of milk chocolate with a soft center of grained brown sugar and cream with a touch of vanilla hit Topper's taste buds, and he groaned. "Mmm! That _is_ good! That's got to be the best thing I've ever eaten."

Bonnet nodded eagerly. "Yes, certainly! You don't think he'd miss just _one_ more piece, do you?" She started to walk back over to the table.

Topper followed after her as if in a daze. "Surely, not just _one_ more piece."

Bonnet and Topper each selected another chocolate, smiled at each other, and ate it. After that they couldn't resist eating just one more chocolate, and then just one more, until-

The couple was eating chocolate after chocolate bonbon until they were greedily stuffing their faces with handfuls of chocolate.

Maleficent returned a few minutes later in a cloud of purple smoke, and spotted Topper and Bonnet stuffing themselves with _his_ chocolates. "Tsk, tsk, tsk." He shook his head at them in disappointment. They'd failed his little test spectacularly. He cleared his throat to get their attention. "What kind of people help themselves to food that doesn't belong to them?"

Topper looked up, and winced guiltily. "Y-Your Majesty-"

"I'll tell you what kind - pigs." Maleficent's lip curled back in a disdainful sneer. "And I don't make deals with pigs." The sorcerer waved his hands at the two peasants, and a bolt of purple light hit their bodies. Bonnet and Topper started to transform until they'd become pigs.

A sinister smile spread across Maleficent's face as he looked at the two squealing pigs. "There. Now your outsides match your insides as they rightly should."

***

A few days later, when Madeline awoke from her fever she discovered that her parents were missing. When she'd asked the Dormouse where they'd gone she was shocked to discover that her parents had decided to go and see the sorcerer Maleficent in order to ask for his help to save her life, and that that had been several days ago.

Madeline immediately set out in search of her parents, leaving the safety of her home behind. She traveled through Wonderland on her own until she reached a cliff where she spotted Maleficent's floating fortress hovering hundreds of feet above an expansive lake.

Madeline tossed a single gold coin over the edge of the cliff in order to summon the fairy that would take her to Maleficent's floating castle. A few minutes later, a tiny male fairy appeared. He had dark blue hair, sky-blue eyes, pale skin, and was wearing a sky-blue suit embroidered with silver thread. A pair of blue and black butterfly wings was outstretched behind him. "You called for a fairy transport, Milady?"

"Yes, I did," Madeline confirmed.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Blue." Blue executed a gallant bow. "And what might your name be, Fair Lady?"

"Madeline."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Madeline." Blue smiled at her charmingly. "Where would you like me to take you, Milady?"

Madeline pointed up at Maleficent's castle. "Up there. To Maleficent's floating fortress."

The fairy's happy expression fell. "It's really none of my business, but I would advise you _not_ to go up there. Just the other day, I took a nice couple there, and they never summoned me for their return. I fear...the worst."

"A nice couple? What did they look like?" Madeline asked urgently.

Blue raised an eyebrow at the excited girl. "The man was dressed in a threadbare brown suit, top hat, and had a cane. His wife was wearing a purple dress with a bell skirt, and puffed sleeves. She was also wearing a pretty purple bonnet decorated with flowers."

"Those were my parents!" Madeline's dour expression turned hopeful. "I'm looking for them. That's why I'm here. Now, I must get up to that castle more than ever! _Please_!"

"No need to beg, Milady," Blue said with a frown. "You've already paid for my assistance, and I _will_ take you there even if I continue to think it's a bad idea. You are certain you wish to go?"

Madeline nodded emphatically. "Oh, yes, please. Thank you so much!"

The fairy let out a resigned sigh, and waved his wand in a circular motion through the air. A large, opalescent bubble formed around them both, and as the bubble rose up off the ground Madeline was lifted up into the air as well.

Blue pointed his wand in the direction of Maleficent's fortress, and the bubble shot off heading towards it. The fairy deposited Madeline on the front steps of the castle, and the bubble burst, so that she could exit it.

"Thanks again for all your help, Blue," Madeline said and gave him a bright smile.

"Perhaps, I should wait for you," Blue offered kindly, worry swirling in his sky-blue eyes.

"Perhaps, you shouldn't," Madeline countered with an apologetic look on her face. "I don't know if I'll be back."

"I _will_ wait for you," Blue decided with a determined expression on his face. "So, please come back, and with your parents."

Madeline nodded, and looked slightly relieved. At least now she had someone rooting for her return. "I'll do my best."

As Madeline approached the huge, wooden door it opened and let Madeline inside the castle before shutting behind her with an ominous slam. When Madeline entered the main audience chamber she spotted a large dining table sitting in the middle of the floor. And seated at the head of the table casually eating his dinner was Maleficent.

Madeline frowned as she watched Maleficent cut a dainty bite of whatever it was he was eating, and plop it into his mouth. He chewed a few times and swallowed. She hadn't expected to find the all-powerful, evil sorcerer eating dinner like a _normal_ person. It threw her off, and she removed her hand from the hilt of her sword. "Pardon me, Your Majesty? I'm looking for my parents-"

"Yes, I know," Maleficent interrupted in a drawling tone. He picked up his goblet of red wine and took a sip. "They came to me looking for a way to cure you of your ailment." The sorcerer continued to eat.

"Then, you know where they are?" Madeline asked eagerly.

"Yes. I know," Maleficent said.

When several minutes ticked by and Maleficent didn't say anything else, Madeline began to grow impatient. She stalked over to stand next to the sorcerer in order to get his attention. "Are they alright? Did you do something to them? Please, I _must_ know," she beseeched.

"It's rude to bombard a man with so many questions when he's in the middle of dinner-" Maleficent chided.

"And I'm sorry to interrupt your meal, but...I'm very worried about them." Madeline started to wring her hands together.

Maleficent gave Madeline a scrutinizing look. "Aren't you curious about whether or not they found a way to cure you?" He noticed the sweat beading on her brow and her wan complexion. It wouldn't be long before Madeline's fever returned causing her to be bedridden once again.

Madeline shook her head, causing her orange curls to bounce around her shoulders. "All I care about is my parents' well-being."

Maleficent waved his hand at the armchair in front of Madeline, and pulled it out using a tug of his magic. "Please, have a seat, my dear, and join me for dinner. After we've eaten then I will tell you what has become of your parents." A sinister grin spread across the sorcerer's face.

Madeline hesitated, but ultimately had no choice but to take a seat at the table. With a flick of Maleficent's finger the chair scooted back in, and with a wave of his hand a bowl of stew appeared in front of Madeline in a cloud of purple smoke.

Madeline looked down at the stew and grimaced \- chunks of some kind of meat were floating in a clear vegetable broth.

"Don't be shy," Maleficent drawled as he returned his attention to his own meal. "You are welcome to eat, my dear. You are my guest. I've been expecting you for some time."

Madeline knew that it would be rude to refuse the meal, and so picked up her spoon and started to dig in. "What do you mean you've been expecting me?"

Maleficent smiled as he watched Madeline chew and swallow. "I see visions of the future, and in those visions I have seen how you will reunite me with my lost daughter."

"Oh?" Madeline raised an eyebrow at the sorcerer. "And why would I want to help you?"

"Because helping me is the only way you'll save your mother's life," Maleficent revealed. "A life for a life."

"I don't understand." Madeline frowned, setting her spoon down on the table. "Where are my parents? What have you done with them!"

"The real question is what have _you_ done to your father," Maleficent said coolly.

"What?" A chill of unease crawled up Madeline's spine.

"Your father told me he was willing to pay _any_ price to save your life," Maleficent started to explain. "And so, he did pay that price. With his life. A life for a life. That's how it works with magic. In order to save your life I turned your father into a pig and used his organs to create a magical potion that would save your life. The stew you just consumed was that potion. I ate the rest of him already. He was quite delicious as a pork chop."

The blood drained out of Madeline's face in horror, and she stared down at her empty bowl of stew. "You're telling me, I ate my father's organs...?" Madeline gripped her head in her hands, her nails digging into her scalp. She shook her head in denial. "No. This can't be. It's not possible!"

"Oh, but it is, my dear, and now you're cured," Maleficent drawled in a flippant manner. "You should really be rejoicing your salvation."

"I never asked for this..." Madeline's gaze grew haunted. "I never wanted this."

"Sadly, your father made the decision to save you all by himself," the sorcerer said.

Madeline looked up at Maleficent with a stricken look on her face. "What about my mother? What have you done with her, you monster!"

Maleficent's lips thinned into a grim line. "No need for insults, my dear." With a wave of Maleficent's hand a live pig appeared standing on the stone floor next to the dining table. "This is your mother."

"Mother?" Madeline scrambled out of her chair, and rushed over to crouch down in front of the pig. Tears filled her emerald green eyes. " _No._ How could you do this to her? How could you be so cruel?"

"This is her rightful punishment. Your mother acted like a greedy pig when she stuffed her face with _my_ chocolates..." Maleficent started to explain in a chill tone. "I merely made your mother's outer appearance reflect who she truly is."

Madeline gave Maleficent an urgent, pleading look. "Please! You have to change her back! I'll do anything!"

Maleficent pointed a triumphant finger at Madeline. "There! You see? I told you you'd be willing to help me. Let's make a deal, shall we? You reunite me with my long lost daughter...and I will return your mother to her original form."

"What must I do?" Madeline asked with a grimly determined expression on her face.

Maleficent grinned sharply. "First, you'll need to steal my daughter's heart back from the Red King. Then, you must figure out a way to get your hands on two mermaids' tears. The pearls are ingredients I need to brew two potions - one to return your mother to her original form, and another to unseal my daughter's memories."

"Who _is_ your daughter?" Madeline asked with great curiosity.

"Right now, she is known by one name in Wonderland: the Jabberwocky."

***

The day of the Wonderland Joust had arrived! The battle arena for the joust was going to be a stretch of sky two hundred feet above an expansive lake. If a jouster were knocked off his dragon, he would plummet two hundred feet down where he'd hit the lake's surface. The chances of survival were _slim_ , and most considered the jousts to be 'to the death'.

A large crowd of Wonderland nobility - lords, ladies, dukes and duchesses - stood gathered on the lakeshore in order to watch the joust. The ladies were dressed in fancy, glamorous gowns while the men were dressed in slick, Victorian or Steampunk style suits. All of the nobility were wearing elaborate masks decorated with jewels, feathers or sequins on their faces.

Also in attendance were: the March Hare, the Dormouse, the Dodo Bird, the twins Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Knave, and the former Queen of Hearts, Crim's mother, Cordelia. The nobles had also brought their Cheshire Cat slaves to attend to their needs. Some of them were holding umbrellas over their masters' heads in order to protect them from the sun's harsh rays, others were fanning them with gigantic feathered fans, and some were hand feeding them _hors d'oeuvres_.

Alister was lamenting that the first match was going to be between him and Clover, and he wouldn't get to see how the others jousted first in order to get a few tricks before he had to joust. Apparently, Alister was just going to have to wing this thing.

Alister, Madeline, and Clover were currently inside of the Dragon Stables. The Dragon Stables were very similar in appearance to 'horse stables' but several times larger since they had to be able to accommodate dragons that were forty-feet-long, or more.

Clover was unconcernedly stroking the snout of the dragon that he would be riding into the joust. The hero's dragon had white scales that glittered like diamonds, and pink eyes. It had large, bat-like wings, and two horns curled out of the top of its head that lent to its fierce appearance.

Alister was feeling slightly nauseous as he watched Clover petting his dragon. He didn't have that kind of 'connection' or 'bond' with any of these dragons. The dragons didn't know him, care about him, or trust him. He was a stranger to them. For all Alister knew he could look like _dinner_ to them.

Noticing Alister's unease, Madeline gave him a playful shove. "Well, what are you waiting for? Don't be shy. Go ahead and pick a dragon that..." She waggled her fingers. "Speaks to you." A cheeky smile spread across her face.

Alister shot Madeline an irritated look. She wasn't making this any easier. All the dragons looked the same to him. They were big, scary, scaly, and fire-breathing creatures that he wanted _nothing_ to do with. "Not helping," Alister said in a singsong voice.

The Chinese dragons had long, lithe, serpentine bodies, were wingless, and had beards. The other dragons reminded Alister of Smaug from _The Hobbit_ , but where only forty-feet-long versus Smaug's eighty-foot-long size. These dragons all had menacing appearances with horns curling from their skulls, spikes running along the ridges of their spines, enormous, bat-like wings, and sharp talons on their front and hind legs.

Clover had already tacked up his dragon, and so opened the dragon's stall, grabbed the reins, and started to lead the albino, fire-breathing dragon outside. "I'll go ahead and give you some space, Al. I'll be waiting outside whenever you're ready."

"Yeah, see you," Alister muttered back absentmindedly.

A thoughtful frown formed on Madeline's face now that she and Alister were alone. There was something she wanted, no, _needed_ to tell Alister before he could go up there and risk his life for her sake. "Alister, there's something I need to tell you."

"Oh, yeah?" Alister replied in a distracted fashion.

"I've been keeping a secret from you..." The Mad Hatter nibbled on her lower lip worriedly.

Alister turned to face Madeline, and gave her an impatient and somewhat irritated look. What skeletons could the open-book that was Madeline possibly be keeping? Whatever was bothering her, Alister doubted that it was that important. "Madeline, I'm sorry, but I really don't have time to deal with this right now. Can't you see I'm in the middle of trying to pick a dragon who won't try to eat me?"

Madeline flinched at the way Alister had just snapped at her. "Yes." Hurt swirled in Madeline's green eyes. "I suppose I should leave you alone too." The Mad Hatter turned and left the stables, closing the double doors behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Alister gripped his head with his hands and groaned. "Ugh. Why does it have to be fire-breathing dragons?" he said bitterly. "Why couldn't it be ice dragons or water dragons instead?" Alister looked deep within himself trying to find the courage to do what he needed to do. _Nope, not finding anything._ Alister thought dryly to himself.

"If you want to ride an ice dragon," a tiny, squeaky voice began. "Then why don't you ride one?"

Alister looked around to see where the voice had come from, and spotted a mouse with pale pink fur decorated with purple polka dots, and overly large ears. "Was I thinking aloud? And what do you mean by that? All of these dragons are fire-breathing ones, aren't they?" His brow furrowed in confusion.

The Dormouse raised an eyebrow at Alister. "I thought you were Alister?"

"I _am_ Alister."

"Then you must be _The_ Artist," the mouse said with a flippant wave of her hand. "And if you're _The_ Artist then you could just paint a _new_ dragon to ride." She raised her eyebrows at Alister in an expectant expression.

Alister's jaw dropped open and he gawked down at the mouse. She was right.

Katrina's words flitted through his mind: _Just paint something, Silly._

Alister could feel laughter bubbling up his throat out of a strange sense of relief. He hoped his laughter didn't sound too hysterical. "Why didn't I think of that? You're a genius, Dormouse!"

The Dormouse nodded sagely. "You were probably over-thinking things. Madeline tends to do that too."

Alister stroked his chin in thought as he began to picture the kind of dragon he wanted to ride in his mind. For some reason, he ended up picturing Falcor from _The Neverending Story_. He'd always liked that white dragon with the dog-like face. It had seemed friendly and harmless, yet powerful.

Alister shook his head of such recollections. _Right...so an ice dragon._ He had to picture what he wanted it to look like, and decide whether it would be male or female. He also had to imagine its demeanor. He had to imagine it all very carefully in order to get this right.

Female animals tend to be gentler, so I think I'll make the dragon a 'she'. That way even I will be able to ride her. She'll have the ability to breathe ice instead of fire. I'll make her scales blue, give her a long serpentine body, and she can have a dog-like head like Falcor.

Alister nodded to himself when he was pleased with the final visual image he had of the dragon in his mind. He whipped out his paintbrush, and approached the long back wall of the stables - it was the perfect canvas. Alister began to paint, and slowly the image of the dragon began to come to life on the back wall.

There! All she needs is her eyes...and she's finished. Alister stepped back to admire his work, and turned to the Dormouse. "What do you think, Dormouse?"

The mouse nodded appreciatively at the painting. "Impressive. You should paint its saddle and bridal though so you won't have to worry about figuring out how to tack up your dragon."

"Ooo good idea, Dormouse!" Alister quickly added the bridal and saddle to his painting of the dragon. Finally, Alister started to paint her eyes. "Let's see if this worked." He filled in the dragon's eyes, and finished his painting.

The painting glowed with a golden light before the image of the dragon began to peel off the back wall, and then materialize into a real, flesh and blood dragon! The dragon was much more impressive in the flesh at forty feet in length, and she towered over Alister, who gulped nervously as he stared up at her.

"You're...beautiful," Alister breathed in awe. The dragon's ice-blue scales glittered like diamonds. Her enormous, dog-like head had big, floppy ears just like a Cocker Spaniel, and she had huge, luminous, dark blue eyes with long, curling lashes.

Alister wondered if he was imagining it, but a slight pink tinge rose to the dragon's scaly face. "Thank you, Alister."

Alister blinked in surprise. "You can talk?"

"Of course, I can talk," Falcora said carelessly. "You imagined me this way."

A strange feeling of déjà vu washed over Alister, and he scratched the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "Right."

"You'd better get out there, Alister," the Dormouse advised. "Everyone is waiting for you."

Alister swallowed. "Sure. Let's do this, Falcora!"

Falcora nodded regally. "It would be my honor, The Artist."

Alister grabbed a long, blunted lance from a nearby bin filled with them, walked over to Falcora, and mounted her. He held the reins with his left hand, and his lance in his right.

When Alister exited the stables riding Falcora, everyone's gaze was immediately drawn to the dog-dragon that had _not_ existed before. Awed, impressed, excited, and surprised looks settled over the spectators' faces as Alister continued his way onto the lakeshore. Alister felt encouraged by the applause that suddenly filled the air. Maybe he could do this after all.

Alister rode over to Clover and his albino dragon, and pulled back on Falcora's reins to bring her to a stop.

Clover looked pleased and slightly impressed by Alister's dragon riding skills. "What a beautiful dragon. What's her name?"

"Falcora," Alister replied.

Clover nodded agreeably. "It suits her. I knew you would find the courage to do this if you looked deep enough, Artist. Let the best man win."

"Sure," Alister agreed tremulously.

Madeline, who was acting as the emcee of the joust, strode out onto the shore, and raised her voice to get everyone's attention: "Dragon riders - to your positions!"

Luckily, the dragons knew what to do from there, and obediently flew up into the sky before flying to opposite ends of the lake where they then faced each other.

Flying on a dragon's back for the very first time was an amazing experience, and one Alister would not soon forget. The sensation of the wind whipping through his short hair felt somehow liberating, and the view of Wonderland from that height was incredible.

Alister was able to see a castle standing in the distance that must have been Crim's castle since it had red roofs, heart-shaped windows, and red, heart-shaped decorations on the tops of its spires. To the west, Alister spotted a white castle that must be Clover's.

Sadly, this incredible moment was marred by the fact that he wasn't just up there flying a dragon for fun, but was about to engage in combat with one of the bravest and noblest men Alister had ever met. A man who also wanted to marry Madeline - the woman whom Alister was in love with. He felt bad for Clover, but he couldn't let the White King win this thing. No matter what. For once in his life, he had to be brave.

Alister's body was trembling violently, however. _Come on, Al, at least try to pull yourself together and be brave._ He inwardly scolded himself.

Falcora noticed her rider's unease and grew worried. "Alister, please, don't be afraid. Just concentrate on your opponent and on unseating him, and leave the flying to me! Even if you're knocked off my back I _will_ rescue you, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

Alister let out a sigh of relief. "Phew." He stopped trembling. "Thanks, Falcora, I do feel better now. If I actually manage to unseat Clover will his dragon go to his rescue too?"

Falcora grew thoughtful and it took her a minute to respond. "Dragons can be...unpredictable. You created me, so I am loyal to you. You will be safe. That is the only thing I can guarantee."

Alister frowned at her evasive response. _Clover..._

Madeline watched as Clover and Alister took off into the sky on their dragons, and flew to opposite ends of the lake. The dragons stopped ascending once they were two hundred feet high. Once they were in position she raised her arm. "Dragon Riders...Joust!" She slashed her hand down through the air as the signal to start the match.

Alister snapped his reins, and squeezed his thighs around Falcora's waist to let the dragon know that it was time for her to fly forward. The dog-dragon shot forward through the air, and Alister raised his lance and tried to get it in the best position to try and unseat Clover with it.

Clover urged his own dragon forward, lance raised and poised to unseat Alister. Clover's back was straight, and he exuded confidence.

It all happened so fast.

Alister could tell Clover was better at this than he was just by looking at how Clover was seated so casually on his dragon. The White King could have unseated him easily, but at the very last second Clover moved his lance slightly to one side so that it only grazed Alister's side harmlessly while Alister's lance ending up hitting Clover square in the chest.

Alister could hardly believe it as he watched Clover get knocked off his saddle and then start to plummet towards the lake's surface two hundred feet below.

Alister's jaw dropped open out of shock. "I did it. I actually did it. I won!" The artist continued to watch Clover plummet down through the air and looked at the white dragon expectantly, waiting for it to go to its master's rescue. "What the?" Alister called out to the dragon, "Hey! Aren't you going to go after him?"

The dragon chuckled lowly. "Why should I? Clover likes pain. I'm sure he'll enjoy getting badly injured in the fall. A few cracked ribs would probably be bliss for him."

"Son of a-!" Alister swore out of frustration. "Falcora! We have to save him...from himself apparently!"

"Yes, Sir! Hang on tight!" Falcora shot off towards Clover at a descending angle. They were flying so fast that the wind stung Alister's eyes causing them to tear up. He could barely see, but trusted Falcora implicitly.

Then Falcora flawlessly swooped under Clover, which allowed Alister to grab the White King and pull him onto the saddle behind him.

Clover looked a little dazed and wide-eyed as he blinked behind Alister. "You...rescued me."

"Of course, I did," Alister said nonchalantly. "That's what friends are for."

Clover flushed, feeling flattered. "We're...friends?"

"I hope so." Alister smiled shyly. "And, I know what you did. You let me win, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Clover glanced askance, and started to whistle casually. "You won fair and square, Alister."

Confusion swirled in Alister's blue eyes. "I thought you loved Madeline."

"I do," Clover said softly. "But, she doesn't love me. She loves you. How could I stand in the way of true love? That wouldn't be very heroic, now would it?"

"Clover..." Alister's voice was thick with emotion.

"Besides, Madeline's house has thin walls," Clover began in a teasing tone. "I heard you two last night. You dawg." The White King shoved Alister lightly.

Alister turned bright red out of embarrassment, groaned, and put his burning face in his hands. "Ugh. You heard that?" He wanted to find a hole to crawl into and never come out again.

Chuckling loudly in amusement, Clover thumped him on the back. "Expressing your feelings for the one you love is nothing to be ashamed about, Al!"

"Oh my _God_ ," Alister groaned.

Clover's merry expression turned serious. "The next joust is Crim versus Chesher. Alister, I want you to keep a close eye on Crim. Watch how he fights, how he moves. Any weaknesses you can spot, take note of them. Unfortunately, I don't think Chesher stands a chance against Crim. Crim is just too bloodthirsty, and won't shirk from using underhanded means to win. He'll do anything to ensure his victory. Crim likes to fight dirty."

Alister nodded at what Clover was saying. "Got it."

Clover offered Alister his hand. "Good luck."

Alister took Clover's hand and squeezed it. "Thanks. I'm probably going to need a lot of that."

When Alister and Clover landed on the lakeshore cheers greeted them. "Yeah!" "Whoo!" "The Artist!" "Alister, Alister, Alister!" the nobles and other gathered spectators began to chant.

Chesher was already standing by on the lakeshore and waiting for the next joust to begin. The dragon that Chesher was riding was unlike any creature Alister had ever seen before. It had a very feline face with enormous golden eyes with slit pupils, and its wings were feathery and bird-like. The dragon's body was covered in purple scales with pink stripes.

The suit Chesher was wearing matched his dragon, and was purple and pink. He was also wearing a purple bowtie with pink polka dots on it to complete his snazzy look.

When Alister's dragon, Falcora, and Chesher's dragon, Nekomaru, spotted each other - Falcora immediately started barking at the cat-dragon while Nekomaru hissed loudly at the dog-dragon.

Alister immediately grew uneasy upon realizing that basically a gargantuan cat and dog were confronting each other. The last thing he wanted was for these two dragons to start fighting each other while he was still on one of their backs!

Always one to make a flashy, dramatic entrance, Crim chose that moment to arrive to the lakeshore. He swooped down from the sky astride the Jabberwocky with her ruby-red scales that were sparkling in the sunlight. Crim was flamboyantly dressed for the occasion in a black suit with the pattern of red hearts on it, a red cravat, a black top hat with red ribbon tied around its base, and a long, black cape with a red lining.

Crim landed on the shore with his back straight, chin raised, and a regal air about him. Several of the nobles bowed or curtsied respectfully in Crim's direction. Though most were probably being so respectful to him out of fear of getting beheaded if they displeased Crim in any way, or made him lose his temper.

Crim may have been an asshole, but...Alister had to admit the King of Hearts had style.

A chant started to rise up from the gathered crowd of spectators: "Crim! Crim! Crim!"

Sometimes, Alister forgot that Crim _was_ a King.

Crim grinned at the crowd charmingly before removing his top hat and cape, which he carelessly tossed into the crowd. Several ladies and duchesses screamed in excitement, and ran over to pick up the fallen articles of clothing. Of course, since there was only _one_ top hat and _one_ cape a game of tug-o-war soon ensued for the items. "Let go!" "It's mine!" "That belongs to me!" the ladies cried out shrilly as they fought over Crim's clothes.

Alister felt a trickle of sweat slide down the side of his face at the unbelievable sight. "Crazy girls," he muttered to himself.

Crim's expression turned even smugger at the violent display. He enjoyed it when girls fought over him in a chaotic fashion. It amused him.

Alister rolled his eyes at pompous Crim. "Oh, brother."

Crim was glaring furiously at Alister out of the corner of his eye. He was surprised that Alister was even there. He'd been sure the coward would be unable to gather enough courage to even mount a fire-breathing dragon, and had assumed that Alister would forfeit. Crim had been wrong, however. And he was rarely wrong. This just made him more furious. _No matter. This presents me with the opportunity to get rid of Alister Kingsley once and for all!_ Crim held his hand out expectantly and called out: "Lance!"

A Cheshire Cat slave rushed over to hand Crim a lance. "Thanks," Crim said curtly before riding over to Chesher. The slave flushed with pleasure at having been thanked by the Red King.

Crim glared at Chesher, and their dragons glared at each other too. Lightning flashed between their gazes _literally_. A wide, psychotic smile spread across the King of Heart's face. "Prepared to get your ass kicked, Chesher?"

Chesher bristled. "You're the one who's going to lose, Crim! I won't let you have your happy ending. Especially, because you stole my sister's!"

Crim's smile fell and turned into a dark scowl. "What do you mean by that? What has become of Katrina!"

Chesher took a moment to relish the distress on Crim's face before his expression turned darkly amused. "I already told you - she sleeps."

Crim's face started to turn red out of anger. "Is she dead? Tell me! Stop speaking in riddles!"

"Now that..." Chesher leaned forward and Crim leaned forward expectantly to hear the cat-man's response. "Is a secret."

"Gah!" Crim let out a growl of frustration. "I'll make you tell me, slave."

"Dragon Riders...to your positions!" Madeline called out in a loud voice.

Crim and Chesher both maneuvered their dragons to turn away from each other, and flew off to opposite sides of the lake where they then turned to face each other once more.

Once the dragons were in position, hovering exactly two hundred feet above the lake, Madeline nodded, and raised her hand above her head. "Dragon Riders...joust!" She slashed her hand down through the air to signal the start of the match.

And the joust began!

Alister watched with baited breath as Crim and Chesher flew towards each other with their lances raised and poised to unseat their opponent. The artist's sharp blue eyes zipped back and forth between the two dragon riders. Chesher's stance and position seemed _slightly_ more favorable. _He's got this!_ Alister crowed to himself.

But then, just as they were about to engage in combat, Crim's eyes flashed with an eerie purple light as he directed his gaze to the cat-dragon. The cat-dragon's eyes glowed purple in response, and then suddenly Chesher lost his upper hand. The cat-dragon changed course so that Crim's lance unerringly hit Chesher's chest.

Chesher was knocked off the cat-dragon, and began to fall down towards the lake's surface.

Alister gripped his head in horror. "No!" What the hell had just happened? "Did Crim just cheat? But how?"

"No! Chesher!" Madeline called out. Her voice was laced with worry for Chesher's safety. "Cheshire Cat People can't swim! He's done for!" she moaned in despair.

Alister instantly grew alarmed by this new tidbit of information. "What? Then, I should go try and rescue him!"

That's when the most surprising thing happened.

Alister watched as Crim swooped down on the Jabberwocky, and grabbed Chesher's hand. Chesher blinked up at Crim in shock. "What are you doing, King of Hearts?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Crim arched an eyebrow at the cat-man. "I'm saving you."

Chesher's golden eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why? I still won't tell you where my sister is!"

"I know. But, if I let you die Katrina will never let me hear the end of it." A sheepish look formed on Crim's face. "And she might stop baking me those delicious raspberry tarts I love so much. And that would be a pity."

Chesher's eyes flashed in anger. "If you think this will get you on Katrina's good side-!"

"Oh, I'm _already_ on her good side. She's hopelessly in love with me, remember?" The King of Hearts declared smugly as he puffed up his chest with pride. He then used his incredible strength to swing Chesher up into the saddle behind him.

"If you think you can wake her up - think again!" Chesher spat as he reluctantly placed his hands on Crim's waist so that he wouldn't fall off the dragon.

"Wake her up?" A slow smile spread across Crim's face. "So, she really is 'asleep'. Is she under a sleeping curse?" Crim started to fly Jabberwocky back towards the lakeshore.

Chesher's eyes widened when he realized his mistake, and he pressed his lips together into a thin grim line.

Crim had been watching Chesher's expression over his shoulder and his eyes widened at the cat-man's telling reaction. "She _is_ under a sleeping curse. How the fuck did that happen? Was that the only way to save her life? The only person capable of casting such a curse is..." The blood began to drain out of Crim's face. "A man even more terrifying than me." Crim shot Chesher an aghast look. "No. Please, don't tell me you were foolish enough to try and make a deal with Maleficent!"

"I had no choice!" Chesher countered hotly. "She would have _died_. Magic was the only way to save her life."

"Magic always comes with a price." Crim shook his head in a disappointed manner. "Besides, I would have healed her for _free_ , you idiot. What did Maleficent ask for in return?"

"Nothing," Chesher said through gritted teeth.

Crim blinked. "Nothing? That can't be right. He must be getting _something_ out of this...but what?" The King of Hearts stroked his chin in thought as an unsettling feeling swirled in the pit of his stomach.

"I'll tell you what I'm getting out of this," Chesher purred. "As long as my sister remains under the sleeping curse...she's safe from you!" A wide smile spread over the cat-man's face.

"Only true love's kiss can wake her, imbecile," Crim snapped.

Chesher's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Exactly. And you'd never kiss her. You don't love anyone but yourself and power."

Crim smiled sharply. "You're absolutely right. I _do_ love power. Power is everything. Power got me this victory over you, and it will ensure my victory over Alister. I can control _all_ dragons. It's in my blood. Poor Alister doesn't stand a chance. This game is rigged. And I've rigged it! I'll win this joust, marry Madeline, and finally have my happy ending. Why would I _lower_ myself and kiss your sister? I don't love her."

"Alister Kingsley may end up surprising you, Crim," Chesher warned in an ominous voice. "I wouldn't underestimate him. After all, he is _The_ Artist."

The King of Hearts chuckled darkly. "He may be The Artist, but he's a bloody coward who doesn't believe in himself. I have nothing to fear from him. I've got this cat in the bag, as they say."

Chesher cringed at Crim's words. "What a ghastly expression."

Crim just threw his head back and cackled viciously.

To be continued in...Chapter 9:

### Chapter 9:

With worry swirling in his blue eyes, Alister watched as Crim and Chesher appeared to have a heated conversation before Crim finally swung Chesher up into the saddle behind him. "Phew," Alister let out a sigh of relief, a hand over his frantically beating heart.

Crim had saved Chesher. Maybe the King of Hearts wasn't _all_ bad after all. A dopey smile formed on the artist's face.

A few minutes later, Crim was landing the Jabberwocky on the lakeshore. "Crim! Crim! Crim!" the crowd of spectators chanted enthusiastically in celebration of his victory.

Crim grinned wickedly, raised his hand, and waved in a regal manner while soaking it all in.

Chesher slid off the saddle unnoticed and immediately made his way over to Alister who'd dismounted his dog-dragon. Chesher grabbed Alister's arm and started to drag him out of earshot from Crim. "We need to talk."

Alister gave the cat-man a bewildered look. "Sure."

Chesher led Alister into the dragon stables for some extra privacy. His expression was grim as he turned to face Alister. "I have some bad news."

"What is it?" Alister swallowed, and his stomach twisted with anxiety. "Is it about Katrina?"

A flash of surprise crossed Chesher's face before his expression turned solemn. "No. It's not about her. And, really, you should be worrying about yourself right now, and Madeline. Crim has this whole thing rigged. Apparently, he has the ability to control _all_ dragons!"

"That explains why his eyes glowed with a purple light up there." Alister's blue eyes had widened in horrified realization. "He was controlling your dragon and using it against you."

"You realize what this means, don't you?" Chesher continued in a grim tone.

"I...have no chance of winning." The blood began to drain out of Alister's face, and his shoulders sagged in defeat. "Bloody hell. Clover was right. Crim will stoop to any underhanded means as long as he'll win. Argh. Dammit!" Alister dug his fingers in his scalp and started to pace. "I wish I could be more like him and come up with some clever scheme to defeat him, or find a loophole in this tournament or joust or whatever. If only it didn't have to be _dragons_!"

"There is no rule in the Wonderland Joust that states you must fly a _dragon_ during the joust," the Dormouse spoke up loudly.

Alister and Chesher both turned to gawk at the little pink mouse. "What! Then, I could ride a flying horse? Or a giant phoenix?" Alister asked curiously.

"Certainly," the Dormouse agreed with a nod. " _But_ a flying horse or a phoenix would be very slow in comparison to a dragon. Dragons are the _fastest_ creatures in all of Wonderland. And that's why they are normally ridden during the Wonderland Joust. Whoever has the fastest mount has the greater advantage."

Alister threw his hands up into the air in a gesture of frustration. "Well, there goes that idea. I'd just be a sitting duck then." He pouted.

"And we don't know for sure if Crim's ability is exclusive to dragons," Chesher pointed out keenly. "What if its _all_ animals?"

"Animals that fly," Alister muttered aloud. "Why does it have to be an animal?"

"It doesn't have to be an animal," the Dormouse interjected. "The Rule Book only states that a jouster must be able to face their opponent two hundred feet up in the air, and be able to try and unseat them using a blunted lance."

Alister blinked, and his brow furrowed in confusion. "How could a person be up in the sky without the aid of a flying animal?"

"Some of the denizens in Wonderland possess wings of their own," the Dormouse explained. "Like the fairies. One woman known as the Sultry Sorceress of Oz tried to joust in a hot-air balloon once." A chagrined look settled over the mouse's face. "That didn't turn out so well."

Alister stroked his chin pensively. "So, a hot-air balloon was allowed. That was a ridiculous idea, but that's interesting. That means a vehicle that is able to fly is allowed. A vehicle that can fly..." Alister's eyes widened as a sudden idea came to him. "I've got it! I know exactly what to paint to ride into battle!" A cocky smirk curled his lips, and he rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Oh, this is gonna be _good_."

Chesher and Dormouse exchanged questioning looks. "Well, you'd better hurry," Chesher advised with an air of impatience. "They're all waiting for you out there."

Alister nodded. "Right." He walked over to the back wall of the stables, and whipped out his paintbrush. "Let's do this." Then Alister started to paint, a wide, manic smile on his face. This was an insane idea. "I've gone round the bend, but maybe, just maybe, this crazy, impossible idea _will_ work. No. It has to. I can't let Madeline marry that pompous asshole! Madeline is mine!"

After Alister had finished his painting of the flying vehicle that he would be riding into battle it glowed with a golden light, peeled off the wall, and materialized into gleaming chrome, steel, and leather.

Chesher walked over and tilted his head as he looked at the thing Alister had painting. "What is it?"

"That my furry friend is a hover car!" Alister declared as he waved his hand dramatically towards the vehicle. Its overall appearance was very similar to a midnight blue, four-seater, Lincoln Continental convertible with a tanned leather interior.

"A car," Chesher tried out the word on his tongue. He'd never seen a car before. Most of the people in Wonderland still traveled on horseback, or by horse and carriage.

Alister puffed up his chest with pride. "Let's see if this baby works." The artist hopped in behind the wheel, took a deep breath to steel his nerves, and then turned the key in the ignition.

The rumbling sound of the engine starting, and the jets whirling filled the stables before the car began to lift up off the ground. "Aha! It worked! It actually worked," Alister said in a giddy tone. "I made a freakin hover car! Eat my dust, Han Solo!"

Chesher grabbed a blunted lance, and brought it over to Alister. The cat-man had a grin on his face that stretched from ear to ear. "Well done, Alister Kingsley." He handed Alister the lance.

Alister took the lance and grinned back. "Thanks."

There was a wicked glint in Chesher's golden eyes. "Go steal Crim's happy ending!"

Alister's elated expression faltered. Steal Crim's happiness? Is that really what he was doing? No. He loved Madeline and she loved him back. It would be wrong to let Crim marry Madeline against her will. Madeline's heart had to be given freely to the man she loved.

_Freely?_ Alister felt a stab of guilt and clutched at his chest. With his power as The Artist, Alister was almost a god in Wonderland. What did free will really mean when it concerned his own selfish desires?

Alister was finally starting to come to terms with a hard truth. In the beginning when Alister had first arrived in Wonderland, he'd thought that he'd somehow dreamt of this place, and then created paintings inspired by the real places and people that existed in Wonderland.

But then, certain incidents made Alister question his original theory. He was able to create living creatures out of thin air with his power. He'd created a dog-dragon even. This meant that it was entirely possible that Alister might have actually created Wonderland and all the people in it. Wonderland could very well be the spawn of his own twisted imagination.

This possibility was so overwhelming that Alister had been trying to ignore it this entire time. Because if this were true and he'd created all these people - that meant he'd also created their backstories. And this would mean that he'd had a hand in creating Crim's tragic backstory.

From the get-go, Alister had lied to himself, and pretended not to know what had changed Crim in the past. But, the truth was, Alister had already known all about what had happened to Crim - because he'd painted it.

A mother who hated their son so much that she tried to kill him. A boy that was bullied for being different. The failure to save one's mother.

These were things that were a part of Alister, and they were also a part of Crim because Alister had painted it that way. He'd painted all of those familiar scenes as a way to deal with his own pain.

Alister had created Crim in his own image, but had made him stronger, less of a coward, powerful, confident, driven, and good with the ladies. As Alister had painted Crim he'd thought about all of these coveted personality traits, and so they were a part of Crim now.

In the end, Alister admired the King of Hearts.

It was also Alister's fault that Crim had unrequited feelings for Madeline that would never be mutual. This is because Alister had imagined Crim to be this way, and had imagined Madeline scorning his advances.

There was something else Alister knew that he was having a hard time keeping quiet about, and that was the identity of who Crim was destined to be with - Katrina.

Because Alister had come up with Crim's backstory himself, he knew all about how Crim had decided that love was a weakness, and would get in the way of his ruling the Red Kingdom.

Alister knew all about how Crim had ripped his own heart out and placed it in a box in order to quell his feelings of love for Katrina. Crim's mother Cordelia had _helped_ her son by sealing away his fondest memories of Katrina as well.

Alister knew that even though Crim acted evil and performed dark acts - there was still _good_ in him. He was _still_ redeemable because Alister had _wanted_ him to be this way. When Crim committed dark deeds, he hurt himself.

At that moment, Alister had to go out there, and defeat Crim using whatever means necessary. He had to take away what Crim _thought_ would be his happy ending. He had to crush Crim's hopes and dreams completely.

The thought of being so cruel made Alister feel queasy. But, maybe after winning the tournament, Alister could help Crim to get his happy ending. If the prideful Crim would accept his help, that is.

Alister merely nodded at Chesher, and the cat-man strolled over to open the stable doors for Alister. Alister revved the engine, and drove the flying car out of the stables.

Everyone's jaw dropped open slightly as they watched Alister exit the stables in a strange, floating, steel contraption!

Crim looked furious, and his face started to turn beet-red. "What is the meaning of this? He can't joust riding that. It's against the rules!"

Madeline's green eyes were sparkling with mirth. "Actually, Crim, according to the rules it's completely okay. A jouster only has to be airborne to participate in the Wonderland Joust. It doesn't matter how one manages to accomplish this as long as they're able to unseat their opponent while being two hundred feet above the ground."

Steam started to come out of Crim's ears, he was so angry. "Argh!" His trump card had just gone up in flames.

Alister smirked at the ruffled King of Hearts. "Let's have a fair joust, Crim." He offered Crim a friendly thumbs-up.

"Never!" Crim spat.

Alister just raised an eyebrow at Crim.

"Riders...to your positions!" Madeline directed with a smirk playing on her lips.

Seated on the back of the Jabberwocky, Crim flew off to one end of the lake while Alister drove his flying convertible to the other end of the lake. They were both two hundred feet high. Alister's palms were sweaty. His left hand was on the steering wheel and his right hand was wielding the lance.

Once the two jousters were in the correct position, Madeline raised her hand, and slashed it down through the air. "Riders...joust!"

Alister pressed on the gas, and the car shot forward with its jets whirling and engine purring. Alister's gaze flicked down to the rising speedometer.

30 MPH...50 MPH...60...70...80...

Alister looked ahead of him and focused on Crim. He raised and positioned his lance in what he thought was the most favorable position to unseat the King of Hearts.

The Jabberwocky was soaring towards Alister and the hover car at top speed. By the time they reached each other they would be going more than one hundred miles per hour. Crim had a bloodthirsty look on his face as he focused his gaze on Alister, and kept his lance poised and ready to try and unseat his opponent.

Then Alister noticed Crim's expression changed and became more mischievous. "Fireball!" Crim suddenly called out with a psychotic glint in his dark eyes. The Jabberwocky opened her maw and released a large, glowing fireball Alister's way.

Alister still hadn't really gotten over his phobia of fire, and instantly freaked out. "Ack!" He instinctively turned the wheel hard to the right in order to avoid the sudden attack. Unfortunately, Alister's new position meant that Crim's lance was about to hit Alister's chest.

"Shit!" Alister took his left hand off the steering wheel, quickly grabbed his paintbrush, and painted a large circle in the air in front of his chest.

Seconds later, Crim's lance went into a black hole that had appeared out of nowhere instead of hitting Alister's chest.

Crim's jaw dropped open in complete disbelief as he watched his lance slide into what appeared to be a pocket dimension. "Impossible."

Alister took advantage of Crim's surprise, repositioned his lance, and seconds later the tip of Alister's lance was hitting Crim's chest. The King of Hearts was knocked right off the Jabberwocky's saddle. Crim screamed as he plummeted down through the air towards the lake's surface.

Alister watched in concern as the Jabberwocky swerved, turned around, and started to fly after Crim when suddenly she stopped. The dragon's eyes glowed with an eerie purple light before she started to fly towards the lakeshore instead.

A scowl formed on Alister's face. "What the hell?" Jabberwocky would _never_ abandon Crim like that. Unless...

Alister's gaze shot to the shore where Madeline was standing; in her grip was the Jabberwocky's glowing, red heart.

Alister grew bewildered. "Madeline!" The Mad Hatter was controlling the Jabberwocky, but why? Did she really want Crim to die? It didn't make any sense...

_I didn't paint anything about this. What the hell is going on?_ Alister looked down at the falling Crim and made a quick decision. He couldn't let Crim die!

Alister tossed the lance aside, put both hands on the steering wheel, turned the car around, and then drove down towards the falling Crim. Alister carefully maneuvered the car so that it was under Crim at just the right moment so that Crim fell right into the backseat.

"Oof!" Crim grunted as he hit the leather seats, and had the wind knocked out of him. "Ugh. What happened?" Rattled, Crim sat up, and winced in pain. One of his ribs had been bruised during his landing. "Where's Jabberwocky?"

"Madeline is controlling Jabberwocky with her heart," Alister explained.

"She's... _what?_ " Crim exclaimed with wide eyes. "But, I never took Jabber's heart..." He frowned thoughtfully as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on.

"If you didn't...that means your mother did," Alister mused aloud. "She's the only other person in Wonderland with that ability."

Crim's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he glared at the back of Alister's head. "How do you know that, peasant?"

"That's not important right now," Alister replied flippantly. "We need to find out what Madeline is up to!"

Alister and Crim both turned their attention to the shore where the Jabberwocky was currently landing. They watched as Madeline hopped up into the Jabberwocky's saddle, grabbed the reins, and then had the dragon take off into the sky again while heading in the opposite direction from them.

Confusion swirled in Alister's blue eyes. "Where the hell is she going?"

"I think I know." Crim gulped nervously and a dark cloud fell over his face. "Maleficent's floating fortress."

"Maleficent?" Alister glanced over his shoulder at Crim. "You mean from the fairytale?"

"What _are_ you talking about?" Crim arched an eyebrow at Alister coolly.

Alister frowned, and shook his head. "Never mind." _I never painted Maleficent...how is he here in Wonderland?_ The artist wondered with growing unease. Things were making less and less sense now.

"Hurry up, idiot," Crim snarled with great impatience. "Turn this car around and go after her!"

"Alright already, geez." Alister turned the car around, and started to follow Madeline. They ascended higher in the sky until they were passing through a sea of thick clouds. As soon as they'd passed through the clouds Maleficent's floating fortress abruptly became visible in the distance.

Alister gawked at the sight of the black, sinister looking fortress with its demonic gargoyles and twisting spires and turrets. "I never painted that fortress." The blood was draining out of Alister's face as he started to freak out. "What the hell is it doing here?"

"What _are_ you babbling about?" Crim demanded in a drawling tone.

"N-Nothing...it's nothing," Alister denied uneasily.

Crim's angry expression turned skeptical, but he didn't bother Alister again. The duo watched as Madeline landed just outside the castle. The enormous front door opened, and Madeline entered the castle while remaining seated upon the Jabberwocky.

Alister waited until the Jabberwocky was out of sight before driving the hover car down and parking right outside the front entrance. The two young men hopped out of the car, and made their way into the castle. They entered the massive main audience chamber just in time to see Madeline kneeling before Maleficent's throne, and presenting him with the glowing, red heart.

Alister felt dizzy, and his head was pounding. _What the hell is going on?_

Maleficent smiled as he reached out and grabbed the heart covetously. "Well done, my dear. I knew you could do it. And the pearls?" Madeline handed Maleficent the four pearls that her contenders had given her next.

Alister was shocked and befuddled by Madeline's actions. He opened his mouth to speak, but Crim beat him to it.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?" Crim demanded hotly as he strode forward towards Maleficent's throne with confident steps. Alister followed after Crim hesitantly, feeling lost.

Madeline whirled around and her eyes widened at the sight of Crim. "Crim! You're alive!"

"You actually sound _happy_ about that despite the fact you controlled the Jabberwocky so that she didn't go to my rescue," Crim drawled darkly.

Madeline's pleased yet surprised expression turned repentant. "I'm sorry. But there was no other way. I had to get the Jabberwocky away from you somehow...in order to free her." Then Madeline's attention turned to Alister, and her expression warmed. "I knew Alister wouldn't let you just plummet to your death. He's a hero."

A flash of surprise crossed Alister's face. "You _expected_ me to save him? Even though he's tried to kill me how many times?"

"Well, I hoped you would." Madeline shrugged carelessly. "You're not one to hold a grudge, Alister. And you have a big heart. You're a hero. Not a villain."

Alister offered Madeline a crooked smile. It felt good to live up to her expectations of him.

Crim was starting to grow impatient. "That explains nothing! _Why_ did you do all this, Madeline?"

Madeline hesitated and opened her mouth to explain, but Maleficent smoothly interrupted her. "Perhaps, _I_ should be the one to explain what is going on since I am the Mastermind behind it," Maleficent said with an air of superiority. "You see, gentlemen, Madeline and I had a deal. If she retrieved the heart and body of my beloved long, lost daughter I would cure her mother of her cursed state." Maleficent stood up from his throne and started to approach the Jabberwocky with swift strides.

Jabberwocky was eyeing Maleficent with a mixture of suspicion and confusion. "I'm your daughter? If that's true then why don't I remember you?"

"You shall remember soon, Jabberwocky. But, first things, first. Here. I believe this belongs to you." Maleficent shoved the Jabberwocky's heart back into her chest. The Jabberwocky gasped as her heart was returned to her so abruptly. "Now, my beloved daughter, no one will be able to control you." Maleficent looked incredibly pleased with this turn of events.

A cloud of purple smoke started to surround the Jabberwocky, and then she started to transform. It only took seconds for her to shift into her human form - that of a stunning young woman with long red hair, gold eyes, and golden-hued skin. She was wearing a red, medieval gown with belled sleeves that was embroidered with golden thread.

Maleficent waved his hand over Jabberwocky's chest and it glowed with a golden light. "There. I just cast a protection spell on your heart. Now, no one will be able to rip it out of your chest again."

Her bewilderment was obvious in the Jabberwocky's expression. "Thank you, I..."

Crim let out an appreciative wolf whistle at the sight of Jabberwocky in human form. "Whoot-whoo. You weren't kidding. She really _is_ your daughter."

Jabberwocky spun around to face Crim. "Crim!" She ran over to him and spread her arms wide. "Look! I...I'm human now!" She began to spin in a circle causing the bottom of her dress to flare out. "How do I look?" A pink tinge had risen to her cheeks.

Crim's amused expression grew serious. "You look quite lovely." Crim's attention turned to Maleficent, and shadow fell over his features. He raised an expectant eyebrow at the sorcerer. "Should I tell her? Or will you... _father_?"

Alister and Jabberwocky were both shocked by this revelation, but Alister was the most shocked. Maleficent...was Crim's father? How was that even possible? He hadn't painted that scenario. _I didn't paint that. How is this possible? I only painted Crim's father as a powerful, evil sorcerer dressed in a cloak with a hood that always shadowed the features of his face mysteriously._ A deep scowl had formed on Alister's usually carefree face. _Does this mean that...there's another Artist out there?_

"I believe you already have." Maleficent's voice was laced with irritation and he turned his concerned gaze upon Jabberwocky. "Jabberwocky, he tells the truth. Crim is your brother."

Jabberwocky stumbled back a step out of shock, and her happy expression turned disappointed. "You're my brother? Then...we're related?" She pouted.

Crim offered Jabberwocky a sympathetic look before reaching out, taking her hand, and squeezing it in a reassuring gesture. "Why do you look so sad? This is a good thing, you know? We're _family_ now. We have a bond that no one can break."

Jabber's dour demeanor immediately brightened at Crim's words. "Family."

"I should really get to work on the potions." Maleficent waved his hand in a twirling motion, and two enormous, black, and bubbling cauldrons appeared from out of thin air. Everyone turned to give the sorcerer a questioning look. Maleficent nodded his head towards the cauldron to his right. "This one contains a memory restoration potion." He then nodded towards the cauldron to his left. "And this one contains the cure to a dark curse."

_A memory restoration potion?_ Alister's curiosity was instantly piqued. _What if...I gave that potion to Crim? Would that make him remember his love for Katrina?_

"Both potions are missing one vital ingredient - a mermaid's tear," Maleficent explained in a drawling tone. The sorcerer added a single pearl to each of the potions. The potions had originally been the same black, bubbling color, but the potion to Maleficent's right turned a pale blue color while the potion to his left turned lilac. The sorcerer reached into his cape and pulled out two glass vials. He filled one vial with the blue potion, and the other vial with the purple potion.

Maleficent walked over to his daughter first, and handed her the blue potion. "Here. Drink. And remember who your father is."

Jabber eyed the potion dubiously, but then drank it back in one go. A few seconds ticked past and then...her head began to throb in pain. She screamed in agony as her memories were restored.

Suddenly, she remembered growing up in her father's castle, a pampered little princess. She'd even been betrothed to a prince once upon a time. Until, one day, the prince discovered that she could transform herself into a dragon. The prince's family considered her to be a monster in disguise, and the wedding was called off.

Once Cordelia, the Queen of Hearts, found out that Jabberwocky could turn into a dragon she decided that the useless daughter she'd discarded and allowed Maleficent to raise on his own could now be useful to her. Cordelia decided to kidnap her own daughter from Maleficent's castle, take Jabberwocky to Wonderland, and then rip her heart out so that Jabberwocky would be under her complete control.

Jabber pressed a hand to her throbbing forehead. "I...I remember..." She looked up at Maleficent with an open, emotional look on her face. "Father, we used to live happily together in this very castle." A wistful smile curled Jabber's lips as she remembered fond memories. "Wow. You used to spoil me rotten. You...loved me."

"I still love you...my daughter," Maleficent said softly.

"We were happy, but then..." Jabber's lips dipped into a frown. "It happened on my eighteenth birthday. I was so nervous about finally meeting the prince I was betrothed to for the first time that I turned into a dragon. I don't really remember much about what happened after that. The wedding was called off and then mother...she came. She took me away to the Red Kingdom." Venom laced the Jabberwocky's voice now. "She ripped my heart out to control me!" Jabber's lower lip began to tremble. "I was her _pet_ for so long."

"I've been trying to find you ever since you disappeared from the fortress," Maleficent began solemnly while giving his daughter an apologetic look. "I never would have guessed that your own mother was your kidnapper since she'd been adamant that I care for you on my own. I originally hail from a land called the Enchanted Forest. It's in another realm. It took me many years to find a way to come here to Wonderland. And once I found a way I decided to bring my fortress with me when I did." The corner of Maleficent's mouth raised in a smirk.

Alister grew suspicious. "And how exactly did you get here, Maleficent?"

Maleficent's attention snapped to Alister, and his smile turned sharp. "Oh, I think you know _exactly_ how I got here, Artist. Someone did me the favor of painting me into a painting of Wonderland."

Alister was floored. "Someone? You mean there's _another_ Artist? There's someone else out there with powers similar to my own?"

Maleficent nodded. "Indeed."

"Who?" Alister demanded with a deep frown on his face. He had no living family that he knew of...although perhaps this person wasn't even related to him.

A dark chuckle slipped past Maleficent's lips. "I'm afraid I can't tell you, Alister. I was sworn to secrecy, you see."

Madeline was starting to grow impatient. "Maleficent, I've kept up my end of the deal. You've been reunited with your precious daughter, so when are you going to uphold yours?" She glared at the sorcerer with her hands on her hips in a sassy pose.

"Patience is a virtue, my dear, you should learn it." Maleficent waved his hand in a twirling motion, and a pig appeared out of thin air. The sorcerer handed Madeline the vial containing the purple potion. "Make your mother drink this, and she shall be cured."

Madeline nodded and took the vial. She made her way over to the pig, crouched before it, and carefully forced the pig to drink the potion. The pig glowed with a purple light, and immediately began to transform. In seconds, the pig had changed into none other than Madeline's mother - Bonnet Hatter.

Bonnet was looking confused and disoriented as she glanced around her surroundings. "What...happened? Where am I?"

With tears glittering in her green eyes, Madeline spoke to her, "Mother? Is that really you?"

Bonnet spun to face her daughter and a flash of surprise crossed her face. "Madeline?" She looked Madeline over from head to toe. "You're alive? What about the poison? You were dying..." A flash of guilt crossed Crim's face at the remembrance that he'd poisoned Madeline in order to force her to marry him to get the cure.

Madeline rushed over to her mother, hugged her tightly, and buried her face in the crook of her mother's neck. "Father...sacrificed his life to save mine." She started to cry softly.

Bonnet's brow furrowed in confusion, but she hugged Madeline back and ran her hand soothingly up and down Madeline's spine in a comforting gesture. "The last thing I remember is...getting caught eating Maleficent's chocolates." Bonnet pulled away from Madeline and shot an accusing glare Maleficent's way. "You! What did you do to my husband?" she demanded fiercely.

The blood slowly began to drain out of Madeline's face. "Mother, no! Please, just let it go."

"Why, I turned him into a pig, of course. Just like I did to you," Maleficent drawled coolly.

"A pig? Where is he now?" Bonnet frowned as she looked around the throne room searchingly.

"No!" Madeline cried out shrilly. "Don't tell her!"

A cruel, sadistic smile spread across the sorcerer's face. "Why, your daughter _ate_ him. So, technically, I'd say he's inside of her stomach or perhaps her liver by now." He started to chuckle darkly.

Madeline gripped the sides of her head with her hands, and let out a crazed scream before sinking to her knees in despair.

Bonnet stared down at her daughter in shock. "What? Why? I don't understand."

"I needed certain 'ingredients' to make a potion in order to cure your daughter, remember?" Maleficent drawled. "Topper agreed to pay that price."

A feeling of hopelessness and guilt swept over Alister as he stared down at Madeline who was literally losing her mind and going crazy. _This is all my fault. I painted Madeline's backstory about the mysterious sorcerer who saved her life, but who tricked her into eating her father's organs, which led to Madeline losing her mind, and becoming known as the Mad Hatter. I painted everything except for Madeline making a deal with Maleficent. My fault...all my fault._ A small, tortured moan slipped past Alister's lips. Alister's heart felt like it was breaking in response to seeing the woman he loved in such pain.

This horrible circumstance was partly Maleficent's fault, but he was still just the instrument of Alister's design as well as someone else's instrument apparently. _Who is the other Artist?_

Crim gave his father a disgusted look. "Maleficent, you're a monster. Because of you...Madeline went mad, didn't she?" He folded his arms over his broad chest.

Maleficent spread his hands before him in a helpless gesture. "Correct. Though that was _not_ my intent. Madeline was just too weak to accept that the ends justify the means."

"Even if it means eating your father's organs?" Crim demanded with a sly smirk.

"Well, I wouldn't recommend that course of action for _you_ to take, for obvious reasons, but yes, magic always comes with a price," Maleficent drawled. "And to save a life \- a life must be given in return. That's how dark magic works."

Bonnet was nodding in sudden understanding. Topper had sacrificed himself for Madeline. "I understand now." Bonnet stumbled over to Madeline, crouched beside her, and put her arm around Madeline's shoulders. "This...isn't your fault. It's mine. Maleficent tested us, and I failed. I acted like a pig. And so, I was treated like one. I made your father eat those chocolates. He never would have done something uncouth like that on his own. Your father was an honorable man. And he really was willing to do _anything_ to save you. I don't think he would have minded being turned into a pig for your sake. That's just the way your father was. He was a good man. He just wanted you to be healthy and happy."

Alister opened his mouth to object, but then closed it again out of fear of being hated by Madeline and Bonnet. This wasn't Bonnet's fault. It was his. It was the fault of his twisted, macabre imagination.

Madeline sniffled and looked up at her mother with glassy green eyes. "Really? You don't think he would have regretted it...?"

"No. Not at all." Bonnet shook her head vigorously. "He would have ripped his heart out himself and put it on a silver plate if he knew that's what he needed to do to save you. That's how much he loved you."

"Oh, Mother!" Madeline sobbed loudly. "I...I miss Father so much! I wish there was a way to bring him back!"

"No one can bring back the dead," Bonnet said softly.

_Bring back the dead?_ Alister mused, feeling faint and overwhelmed. If he was able to create _new_ life with his paintbrush why shouldn't he be able to restore life?

But...did anyone really deserve to have that kind of power?

Power over life and death.

How could he judge who deserved to be alive and who didn't? Alister unconsciously fingered his paintbrush. And if he really could bring people back from the dead then that meant he could bring back Crim's adopted mother, Catara, too. Where would he draw the line?

If Alister started bringing people back to life in Wonderland he really would become this realm's 'god'. And, in the end, he just wanted to be plain ol' Alister Kingsley, the cowardly painter who loved Madeline.

With a hand on her daughter's arm, Bonnet was able to help Madeline get up off the floor. Madeline wiped her tears away with the backs of her hands. Her madness had been kept at bay, for the moment.

Madeline smiled tremulously, however, when she glanced over at Alister, and it caused his heart to ache with guilt. "Mother, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Madeline grabbed her mother's hand and led Bonnet over to Alister. "This is Alister Kingsley...my fiancé."

Bonnet's surprised expression quickly turned pleased as she took in how handsome Alister was. "Fiancé? Then, you found true love?"

Madeline nodded eagerly. "Yes. That is..." Madeline turned to give Alister a questioning look. "If he's still willing to marry a monster?"

At her self-deprecating words Alister's body started to move on its own. Alister gathered his strength and courage before reaching out and taking Madeline's hands in his.

Madeline gasped at the physical contact, and stared down at her hands in his wide-eyed. "Y-You're touching me."

"You are _not_ a monster, Madeline," Alister started in a firm tone as he caught her gaze and held it. "That wasn't your fault. It was an accident. A cruel twist of fate. And, of course, I'll marry you. I'd be honored. I want you to belong only to me. I love you." Alister brought Madeline's hands up to his lips, and kissed the backs of her hands tenderly.

Madeline blushed at his suave actions. "More touching. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

Alister smiled wanly. "Sure." Suddenly, there was something much scarier than the trauma of his mother trying to kill him, and that was the prospect of _being a god_.

Crim started to grow angry that Alister and Madeline were getting all lovey-dovey. "Alister, are you really going to forgive Madeline so easily for everything we just went through? You do realize this entire tournament was nothing but a trick. Madeline _used_ us to get her hands on the pearls. Then, used the joust to separate me from Jabberwocky. She's been working for Maleficent this entire time in order to break the curse on her mother. She used us - _used you_!"

Alister quickly leapt to Madeline's defense. "She may have been using us, Crim, but she also protected us. In Underland, Madeline disguised herself as a Dark Fairy and fought against the Knave you sent to kill me. And in Overland, Madeline disguised herself as a giant, and protected all of us so we could make our escape when you left us high and dry."

"How is that possible?" Crim stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Madeline was already at her home when I teleported to it."

"I've been wondering the same thing for a while now actually." Alister turned his attention to Madeline. "How did you manage to arrive back to your home before Clover and I, Maddy?"

Madeline grinned mischievously. "I jumped off the edge of Overland. And then a Jubjub bird saved me and flew me back home."

Alister let out a broken laugh. "You really _are_ mad!" He gave her a fond look, and returned his attention to the King of Hearts. "Madeline can use me whenever she wants. I'm just happy to be of service to the woman I love."

Madeline grew worried by Alister's easy acceptance of her duplicitous actions. It was almost too good to be true. "Alister, I may have had ulterior motives for the tournament, but my love for you is _not_ a lie. I really _do_ love you."

A sad, somewhat guilty look flitted across Alister's face. "I know. And I love you." The artist tugged her closer and tried to place a kiss on her lips. He chickened out at the last second though, and placed the kiss on her forehead instead. Madeline's green eyes flared in astonishment, and then she sighed happily.

Crim rolled his eyes at the two lovebirds. "Oh, brother. So much for sanity." He turned his attention to Maleficent. "By the way, Father, I believe you have something that belongs to me." There was a dangerous edge to his voice.

Maleficent's eyebrows rose to his hairline. "Oh? And what is this item?" he asked in a dry tone.

A vein at Crim's temple throbbed in irritation. "Don't play dumb, Maleficent! Where is Katrina?" He balled his hands into fists.

"Ah, yes, your Cheshire Cat slave girl." Maleficent waved his hand, and in a purple cloud of smoke a four-poster bed appeared out of thin air. Lying fast asleep on the bed was Katrina. Katrina appeared to be sleeping peacefully, and her chest was rising and falling with each breath she took. She was wearing a silk, purple and black, medieval gown fit for a princess.

Crim's cool mask of indifference shattered at the sight, and he rushed over to the bed, concern shinning in his dark eyes. "Katrina!" He reached out, grabbed her shoulders, and tried to shake her awake. "Katrina! Wake up! It's me, Crim!"

Maleficent started to chuckle darkly. "She won't wake. Not like _that_ anyways."

Crim shot a heated glare the sorcerer's way. "What have you done to her?"

"I thought that would be obvious," Maleficent drawled carelessly. "I cast a healing spell on her, and then cast a sleeping curse on her. My specialty. Now, only true love's kiss can wake her."

"You bastard..." Crim said through gritted teeth.

"Tell you what, if you kiss her, and she wakes - you can feel free to take her with you." A sharp smile spread across Maleficent's face. "I won't even try to stop you."

Crim looked down at Katrina with a conflicted look on his face. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. Go on. Don't be shy," Maleficent prompted.

"I am _not_ being shy!" Crim snarled in objection. "It's just...she's a lowly slave, and I don't love her. This will never work. But, I'd hate to lose her because no one can make delicious raspberry tarts like she can." The King of Hearts bent over Katrina and pressed his lips gently to hers.

Alister sucked in a breath and held it. He knew that Crim loved Katrina deep down, so this _should_ work.

But then...

Nothing happened.

Crim pulled back with a pissed off look on his face, and clenched his hands into fists at his sides. "Dammit. I knew it would never work."

"Of course, it didn't work," Maleficent remarked cruelly, his lip curling back in a sneer. "How can a _heartless_ man like you expect to awaken someone with true love's kiss!"

Crim immediately grew suspicious. "Just what are you implying, Father?"

"I know your heart is not inside of your chest, Crim," Maleficent revealed nonchalantly. "As for _how_ I know this - your mother told me."

"Cordelia?" Crim blurted out in shock.

"Fret not. I'm willing to make a deal," Maleficent drawled. "Give me Cordelia's heart, and I will return Katrina to you."

"Mother's heart...? So, you're in league with her!" Crim accused hotly. "I should have known that this is what all this nonsense was about. She told you the location of Jabber's heart in exchange for your help against me, didn't she? She's trying to reclaim the Red Kingdom, but that will _never_ happen! The Red Kingdom is mine now!"

Jabberwocky clung to Crim's arm worriedly. "Brother, whatever happens, or whatever deal Father wants to make, you can't give him Cordelia's heart. If Father gives Cordelia back her heart...she'll be too powerful."

"Jabberwocky," Maleficent began in a stern, chiding tone. "This does not concern you."

Jabber whirled to glare at her father. "Have you forgotten that Cordeila is the one who kidnapped me and ripped my heart out of my chest! How can you forgive her for that and become her ally again?"

"I still love her...despite your mother's many flaws," Maleficent said solemnly. "Besides, your mother has repented of her past deeds against you, Jabber. That's why she agreed to help me free you from Crim's clutches. She wants to do right by you. And...she wants _us_ to be a family again." He gave Jabber an urgent look.

" _Again_?" Jabber scoffed and flipped her long hair over her shoulder. "When were we _ever_ a family?"

Crim's face was starting to turn red out of anger. "And what of I, Father? Am I to be a part of this family?"

A dark shadow fell over Maleficent's face as he turned his attention to Crim. "You know nothing of family, and therefore don't deserve to be a part of it. You killed your brothers - Diamond and Spade. My beloved, powerful, magical sons. They were to be my legacy. And you ripped your own mother's heart out of her chest so that you could control her. You're a monster."

Crim flinched at the unexpected insult and gawked at his father. "I'm the monster? And what, mother is an angel? Or saint?" Crim barked out a laugh. "That's just the pot calling the kettle black! And you know what? Mother has you completely fooled. She doesn't love you. She doesn't love anyone, but herself and power. After she's gotten whatever it is she wants from you - she will discard you! She _will_ betray you!"

Maleficent shook his head and gave Crim a pitying look. "You're wrong about her. You don't know your mother like I do. We...love each other. _You_ are the one who doesn't love anyone but himself and power. You failed to wake Katrina - that shows how heartless you are."

"I never said that I didn't love power." Crim stomped his foot angrily, and a slight blush had risen to his face. "And, it's really none of your business how I feel about Katrina. She's _my_ slave. You can't keep her from me. She belongs to me. You will give her back to me...or else!" The King of Hearts raised his right hand palm upwards and summoned a fireball into his hand.

Maleficent's eyes narrowed dangerously at that flickering ball of red and orange flames. "Are you threatening me in my own home? How foolish." Maleficent waved his hand and the bed with Katrina on it disappeared in a poof of purple smoke. "If you attack me what's to stop me from taking it out on her? What if I teleported your beloved Katrina to the heart of a volcano? Hmm?"

"You...bastard!" Crim trembled with rage, but eventually lowered his hand. "This isn't over, Father. I will find a way to defeat you, and retrieve what belongs to me. Count on it!" The King of Hearts waved his hand and vanished in a cloud of red mist.

"Crim, wait!" Alister called after him in an urgent voice. "Shit." Crim had already disappeared and had probably returned to the Red Kingdom. Alister knew that he could help Crim if only the prideful King would let him. But...that would have to wait for now.

Maleficent turned bored, golden eyes towards Alister, Madeline, and Bonnet. "Why are you people still here?" There was obvious irritation in his voice.

Alister gulped and took Madeline's hand while the Mad Hatter took her mother's hand. "We were just leaving, Maleficent."

"We'll be seeing each other again quite soon, The Artist," Maleficent drawled casually.

"Yeah, well, I sure hope not," Alister muttered darkly to himself before guiding the women out of the castle to where his hover car was parked and waiting for them.

"Ooo," Bonnet breathed as she saw the red convertible that was hovering a foot above the ground. "What is that strange contraption?"

A cocky grin formed on Alister face. "It's called a hover car, Mam. I made it myself." He puffed his chest up with pride before hopping in behind the wheel. He leaned over to open the front passenger door for Madeline to get in. He waggled his eyebrows at her playfully. "Get in, babe."

Madeline giggled as she got in the front passenger seat. Bonnet took a seat in the back. Alister turned the key in the ignition and started the car. The engine roared to life causing Bonnet to let out a surprised squeak, and the car rose three feet up off the ground. Alister reached out his right hand and took Madeline's hand in his. "Let's go home, Maddy."

Madeline shot Alister a surprised look before lacing her fingers with his. She smiled brightly. "Yes, let's go home, Alister."

Alister pressed on the gas, and the car shot off into the sky heading towards home.

To be continued in Ch 10: Epilog

### Chapter 10: Epilog

It was the day of Madeline Hatter and Alister Kingsley's wedding...

Madeline still couldn't really believe that Alister had forgiven her, and was going to marry her after everything that had happened. She'd tricked him, _used_ him to get the mermaid tears. Even if her love for him was sincere she'd put him in harm's way.

The contract Alister had signed _was_ a magical one, and he _had_ to marry her, or else he'd turn into a frog. He seemed happy to be marrying her, although a little nervous, but that was just how Alister was.

When Alister had been younger he'd visited Wonderland in his dreams, and he and Madeline had had glamorous tea parties together. They'd also caused quite a bit of mischief sneaking into the Red Kingdom and painting Crim's roses red so that the gardeners wouldn't lose their heads for having planted the wrong color roses.

As a little girl Madeline had daydreamed about one day marrying Alister when she grew up. And now that dream was going to become a reality. The end of most fairytale stories ended with a wedding and true love's kiss.

A kiss.

_Eeee!_ Madeline inwardly squealed, and cupped her flushed cheeks with her hands. That kiss would be their _first kiss_.

Madeline's lips dipped into a frown when she began to wonder if Alister would really be able to kiss her at the ceremony. Had he gotten over his trauma enough to do so? Or would he not be able to? Maybe he'd end up kissing her on the forehead or cheek instead. Maybe...he wouldn't kiss her at all. Sorrow swirled in Madeline's green eyes at the depressing thought.

Madeline touched her fingers to her lips, and envisioned what their first kiss would be like. It would probably be shy, timid and unsure...like Alister. It would also be warm, soft and gentle.

But, it's not like Madeline had been lying when she'd said that she'd be willing to wait for Alister to get over his trauma of touching women so they could be together _intimately_.

Alister _was_ worth the wait.

When Madeline was a little girl she'd drawn pictures of what her and Alister's wedding day would look like. She drawn them getting married under a beautiful gazebo decorated with purple talking flowers. Alister would be dressed in a sky-blue tuxedo and Madeline would be wearing an incredible wedding dress.

Madeline's dream wedding dress had been white and decorated with purple talking flowers and bread-and-butterflies. Purple was Madeline's favorite color after all. Madeline had decided to recreate her fanciful dress as best she could, and had made the entire dress herself by hand. She hoped Alister would think she was pretty in it. The thought made her blush.

Currently, in her bedroom with her and helping her to get ready for the ceremony were her mother and her three closest female friends: White Rabbit, March Hare, and Dormouse. Madeline felt a pang of sadness that Katrina wasn't there, but Alister had assured her that when they had the opportunity they'd help Crim rescue her. If the stubborn ass would accept their help that is.

Madeline didn't want to sound ungrateful, however. She was especially grateful that Bonnet was there and able to help her get ready for this very special day. And that was all thanks to Alister, Clover, Crim and Chesher.

Her contenders.

Madeline's heart swelled with gratitude towards them.

Once Madeline had put on her wedding dress, Bonnet immediately began to help her by buttoning up the back of the dress, and then tying a purple silk sash into a large bustle in the back.

Madeline was standing in front of a full-length mirror and staring critically at her reflection.

Bonnet peered over Madeline's shoulder at her daughter's reflection in the mirror and smiled. "You look beautiful, Maddy."

"Thanks, Mom." Madeline's voice was thick with emotion.

"But, I think you're missing something," Bonnet began with a twinkle in her eye. "Isn't that right, ladies?" She directed this question to White Rabbit, March Hare and Dormouse.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, a sixpence in your shoe," Dormouse said in a singsong voice.

Bonnet draped an amethyst necklace around Madeline's neck, and she gasped at the sight. "Your necklace."

"This can be your something old." Bonnet clasped the necklace carefully around her daughter's neck. "Your father gave me this necklace on our tenth wedding anniversary." A sad, wistful expression settled on her face as she recalled the happy day.

Madeline touched the necklace gingerly with her hand. "Dad did? He had great taste. I wish he could be here," she said the latter softly.

"He _is_ here." Bonnet placed a hand over Madeline's heart. "In your heart. He'll always be with you, Madeline."

Madeline sniffled. "Thanks, Mom."

"Ah! Don't cry!" White Rabbit exclaimed fussily, and started to wring her gloved hands together in a worried manner. "You'll ruin your makeup!"

The Dormouse had been wearing two small amethyst studs in her large ears, and started to take them off. She then reached her little paws up towards Madeline. "Here. These can be your 'something borrowed'. They will go perfectly with that necklace."

Madeline bent over and took the earrings from the Dormouse with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Dormouse."

"I have the 'something blue' that you need." White Rabbit whipped out a glittering butterfly-shaped hair comb. Its wings were made out of sapphires and amethysts. Madeline gasped at the sight of it with a hand over her mouth. "It's beautiful."

Madeline reached out to take it, but White Rabbit pulled it back. "Ah, ah, ah. It's not for your hair."

Madeline frowned quizzically. "It's not?"

The March Hare took that as her cue and whipped out a white top hat with a purple silk ribbon tied around its base. "It's to go on this. What do you think? This can be your 'something new'. I made it myself, Teach."

"You girls want me to wear a _top hat_ on my wedding day?" Madeline arched an eyebrow at them.

"Of course, we do!" White Rabbit declared with a sniff. "You're Madeline, the Mad Hatter. It wouldn't be _your_ wedding otherwise!"

The March Hare handed Madeline the lovely top hat. Madeline took the hat and White Rabbit handed her the butterfly comb next. Madeline took it and carefully stuck the comb into the purple ribbon that was tied around the base of the hat. Madeline then faced the mirror and placed the top hat on her head.

"There. Perfect," Dormouse praised with a lazy smile. "Now you look like yourself."

Madeline grinned at her friends. White Rabbit, March Hare, Dormouse, and her mother Bonnet were all wearing long, purple, silk bridesmaid dresses. Madeline had made four purple 'fascinators' a.k.a. mini top hats, and each bridesmaid had one attached to the side of their head with bobby pins. The fascinators had been decorated with black feathers, black roses, playing cards, and were incredibly fashionable.

Madeline hadn't chosen a Maid of Honor because...without Katrina around it hadn't felt right. Madeline was sure that if Katrina were there she'd demand to be Madeline's Maid of Honor, and the mischievous cat-girl wouldn't have taken 'no' for an answer.

White Rabbit whipped out her pocket watch, and frowned at the time. She held her watch up so that Madeline could see it. "Hurry up! We're going to be late!"

Madeline giggled and nodded. "Alright. Let's go." She started for the door.

"Wait. Don't forget a six-pence in your shoe!" Dormouse called after her.

Madeline turned around and Dormouse tossed her a six-pence. Madeline caught it easily, and slipped her foot out of her shoe before dropping the coin into her shoe. She put her shoe back on and started out the door.

When the girls reached the wedding venue that was located in the heart of the Wonderland Forest, Madeline gasped at the sight before her. Rows of antique chairs with purple velvet cushions had been set up on either side of an aisle that was completely covered in colorful flower petals. The aisle led to a picturesque gazebo that was elegantly decorated with draping, purple wisteria. And standing inside of the gazebo waiting for her was Alister.

_This is just like my daydreams._ Madeline thought to herself dizzily. _It's exactly the same. It's perfect. How...did they know to decorate the venue like this?_

Alister was looking incredibly handsome dressed in a Victorian, Steampunk, sky-blue tuxedo with the pattern of gold pocket watches on it. A black mini top hat was sitting on the side of his head with a sky-blue ribbon tied around its base. Their gazes met and a blush started to rise to Madeline's face when Alister smirked at her.

While Madeline was ogling Alister, White Rabbit, March Hare, and Dormouse walked down the aisle and took their positions to the right side of the gazebo. To the gazebo's left stood Clover, who was acting as Alister's Best Man. Chesher was standing in the gazebo behind Alister, and would be officiating the wedding ceremony.

Bonnet turned to Madeline and kissed her daughter's cheek. She giggled when Madeline didn't even seem to notice, and walked off to take her seat in the front row. Madeline would be walking down the aisle alone.

The sound of giggling guests made Madeline realize that she'd been standing there and staring at Alister a little too long. Her blush deepened and she smiled at Alister before taking a deep breath to steel her nerves. She started to take a step forward, when-

An arm looped around her left arm.

Madeline turned to see who'd taken her arm, and saw her father Topper.

Madeline blinked, unable to comprehend what she was seeing at first. "Father? How is this possible? Are you really here...or am I just hallucinating? I've gone round the bend, haven't I?"

Topper chuckled lowly and offered Madeline a reassuring smile. "You're not hallucinating. And you haven't gone crazy. I really am here. And it's all thanks to your fiancé." He nodded in Alister's direction.

Madeline followed her father's line of sight and gave Alister a questioning look.

Alister discreetly reached into his tuxedo jacket, and pulled out his paintbrush to show it to Madeline before tucking it back inside his jacket. Alister then raised a single finger to his lips.

Madeline's eyes widened in sudden understanding. Alister Kingsley, The Artist, had used his power to bring her father back to life. Madeline nibbled on her lower lip as she thought about how that must have come to pass. Alister must have created a painting of Topper, and that image of her father had come to life once completed. This meant that Alister could bring people back from the dead.

Madeline felt faint at this revelation. Alister had control over life and death in Wonderland. Alister was like a _god_.

Madeline felt like running...until she noticed how pale and nervous Alister had gotten as he waited to see what she would do. He seemed to be waiting for her to run. No. He wasn't a god. He was a man. A man who'd given her the most wonderful wedding present in the world - her father's life.

Madeline's heart swelled to bursting with love for Alister in that moment.

Her kind, sweet Alister...

He'd decided to try and bring her father back to life despite the possible risks and consequences he had to have known that entailed. Madeline had the feeling Alister had risked a lot for her. And how could she be anything but grateful?

_Alister has saved me from my madness._ Madeline thought. _He really is my hero._ She nodded at Alister, raised a finger to her lips, and winked. She would keep silent about what Alister had done for her.

Alister immediately appeared relieved as he let out a breath he'd obviously been holding. He still looked a little pale and nervous, but not as bad as before.

Madeline's emerald green eyes filled with tears of happiness as she placed a hand over her father's that was on her arm, and allowed Topper to start to guide her down the aisle.

As soon as Madeline and Topper started down the aisle the surrounding oak, willow, and pine trees as well as the flowers started to hum the Wedding March song loudly.

***

A few minutes earlier...

Alister sucked in a breath when he spotted Madeline arrive at the wedding venue, appearing at the other end of the aisle with her friends. The wedding dress she was wearing was spectacular. It was white, had an enormous bell skirt, and was decorated with purple roses.

Alister had to squint his eyes at the dress because the butterflies decorating the dress looked _alive_. And indeed they were. He could see them slowly flapping their wings. The white top hat sitting on Madeline's head of loose orange curls that were cascading down around her shoulders was a nice touch.

It was Alister's first time seeing Madeline in an actual dress. Those long jackets she wore that had fluffy bustles didn't count. She looked so feminine and ladylike in that moment that Alister felt an odd protective urge well up inside of him.

A goofy smile formed on Alister's face. _She looks so...cute!_

Alister's heart began to pound madly inside of his chest. He was actually going to _marry_ that stunning woman! He didn't feel worthy...

But he _would_ marry her because of the magical contract (he didn't want to turn into a frog) and because he loved Madeline and didn't want her to marry anyone else. He wanted her to belong to him. Only him. _She's...mine._

Alister's gaze met with Madeline's and he smiled at her. He wondered how she was going to react to his surprise, and felt the palms of his hands grow sweaty.

Alister watched as Madeline took a single step forward, and how Topper appeared at her side and looped his arm around hers. He watched intently as Madeline turned to look at her father, and she said something. That's when Topper nodded in his direction. It was pretty obvious what Madeline had asked her father: 'How?'

Alister met Madeline's questioning gaze, and discreetly took out his paintbrush so that Madeline could see it before slipping it back inside his inner jacket pocket. He raised a finger to his lips, and hoped to God that Madeline would understand what he meant by that.

If Madeline made a big fuss and everyone in Wonderland found out he had the power to bring back the dead there would be chaos. First, he'd be treated differently by everyone. Like a god, perhaps. Or a monster. The requests to bring people back to life would be endless. His whole life would change. Everything would be different.

And Alister didn't want to be treated differently by everyone, or like a god. He just wanted to live life as himself. As Alister Kingsley, _an_ artist, who loved Madeline Hatter.

His heart was hammering so hard against his ribcage he wouldn't be surprised if it burst right out of his chest. He held his breath as he awaited Madeline's response. When Madeline nodded, raised a finger to her lips, and winked he let out a breath of relief.

Madeline apparently understood the possible repercussions of such a startling revelation to the people of Wonderland. _My wise Madeline...I knew I could count on her._

Madeline and her father began to walk down the aisle towards him, and the talking flowers and trees started to hum the standard Wedding March tune.

Alister swayed on his feet, but caught himself from falling over. Or rather Chesher had noticed and reached out to place a hand on Alister's arm to steady him. Alister shot the cat-man a grateful look. Alister hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night. He'd been up all night debating whether or not he should risk trying to bring Madeline's father back to life. The very idea had terrified him. What if he succeeded in bringing Topper back to life but...the man didn't come back 'quite right'? What if he'd returned to life as a mindless, flesh-eating zombie?

It was Salome's ominous words that had determined his ultimate decision: _Only you can save Madeline from her madness._

Madeline's madness, which had been caused by Madeline eating her father's organs in a stew made by an evil sorcerer. An occurrence that he had caused by painting the macabre scene.

Salome was right. Only he could save her. And so, he'd decided to try.

He owed Madeline after all. Alister had chosen a wall in his room before whipping out his paintbrush, and had started to paint a life-size painting of Topper.

Alister made sure to visualize Topper _before_ the events of his visit to Maleficent's fortress. Topper - the devoted, loving husband and doting father. And after Alister had finished Topper's eyes - the man had come to life!

Alister quickly explained everything that had happened to Topper. Madeline's father had taken the news surprisingly well. He did look at Alister with more respect and admiration than Alister thought was necessary though.

Topper had agreed with Alister's retelling and that he probably would have done _anything_ in order to save Madeline's life, so his sacrifice hadn't come as that big a surprise.

And so, it had worked. Alister had managed to successfully bring someone back from the dead! He had control over life and death in Wonderland. He was like a god.

It was terrifying.

Alister didn't want to be a god. He didn't want to have so much power available at his fingertips.

He just wanted to be Alister Kingsley, _an_ artist and soon-to-be husband of Madeline Hatter, the woman he loved.

Alister had contemplated destroying the paintbrush, but...

He still needed to help Crim save Katrina, and apparently there was another Artist out there in Wonderland, and one that had helped Maleficent come to this realm. This other Artist's intentions weren't clear, and they could be dangerous. Alister decided it was too risky to destroy what could possibly be their only protection against this other Artist.

Alister shook his head of such dour thoughts, and slapped his cheeks with his hands to pull himself together. He would worry about maybe being a god _tomorrow_. Let the Alister of tomorrow deal with that. The Alister of _today_ had a woman to marry.

Right now, he had much more pressing concerns.

Alister's attention refocused on Madeline, and his gaze darted down to her plump, luscious lips. He swallowed thickly. At the end of the ceremony, he would be expected to kiss Madeline. He felt the palms of his hands beginning to sweat again.

K-K-Kiss...!

This would be their _first kiss_.

Somehow, he'd managed to hold Madeline's hand, and even place a kiss on her cheek, but this was different. A kiss was much more romantic and intimate.

Would he really be able to kiss Madeline? Had he gotten over his trauma?

Clover noticed that Alister had started to tremble out of nerves, and looked as white as a sheet. "You know, if you faint...as Best Man I'm going to have to take your place and marry Madeline instead."

Alister shot Clover a disgruntled look, and quickly tried to calm himself down. "Shut up, Clover. I'm _not_ going to faint. At least, I don't think I will. And _I_ will be marrying Madeline today, thank you very much."

Clover chuckled lowly and put his hands up before him in a surrendering gesture. "I'm just messing with you." The White King's joking expression turned serious. "But, are you sure you're okay? Are you going to be able to handle going through with this? We could always postpone the wedding..."

Alister took a deep breath. "I'm fine." _I can do this. I have to do this. I can't lose Madeline._ Alister clenched and unclenched his hands into fists.

Once they reached the gazebo, Topper let go of Madeline's arm, and strolled over to stand next to Clover. Madeline ascended the gazebo's steps and stood in front of Alister. Madeline's green eyes were glittering with unshed tears of happiness, and she smiling brightly. Alister tremulously smiled back.

Madeline mouthed: 'Are you okay?' And Alister merely nodded in response.

Chesher grinned widely at the couple and began the ceremony: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of family and friends to celebrate the joining of this man and this woman in the unity of marriage. Who gives this woman in marriage?"

"I do," Topper replied and his chest swelled with pride.

Chesher nodded at Topper before turning his golden gaze to Alister. "Alister Kingsley, will you take this woman to be your wedded wife - to love and comfort her through good times and bad, in sickness and in health, and to honor her at all times and be faithful to her?"

Alister swallowed nervously and nodded. "I do."

Chesher turned his sharp golden eyes to Madeline next. "And do you, Madeline Hatter, take this man to be your wedded husband - to love and comfort him through good times and bad, in sickness and health, and to honor him at all times and be faithful to him?"

"I do," Madeline said solemnly.

Alister reached out and grabbed Madeline's hand. "I, Alister Kingsley, take you, Madeline Hatter, to be my wife, to love and cherish, from this day forward."

Madeline smiled and gave Alister's hand a reassuring squeeze. "And I, Madeline Hatter, take you, Alister Kingsley, the Artist, to be my husband, to love and cherish, from this day forward."

"The Best Man shall present me with the rings," Chesher directed.

Clover ascended the steps of the gazebo, and held out a purple pillow that two rings were sitting on top of to Chesher. Chesher took the smaller ring and handed it to Alister.

Alister took the ring and slipped it onto Madeline's ring finger. "With this ring, I thee wed. Let it be a symbol of our love."

Chesher handed the larger ring to Madeline next. She took it and slipped it on Alister's ring finger. "With this ring, I thee wed. Let it be a symbol of our love."

Chesher's smile widened until he was literally grinning from ear to ear. "By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may now kiss the Bride." He waggled his eyebrows playfully at Alister.

Alister could feel that everyone's eyes were suddenly on him. He gulped, and took a step forward.

Madeline noticed how pale Alister had gotten and grew concerned. "Alister, you don't have to push yourself..." she said softly, in a voice that only he could hear.

Alister shook his head and a determined expression settled over his face. "I'm a man, Madeline. And I _want_ to do this." He reached out and cupped her cheek. "I've been dreaming of this day for a very long time. I love you, Madeline Hatter." Alister leaned forward and pressed his lips against Madeline's.

Ear-splitting cheers rose up from the guests and talking flowers in response. Chesher wiped a tear from his eye, looking pleased. The butterflies that had been sitting on Madeline's dress took that moment to take off in flight, and they flew circles around the kissing couple.

Madeline's emerald green eyes flared in a mixture of shock and surprise. Alister was kissing her. _Eeee!_ His kiss was just like she'd imagined it - warm, gentle, sweet, and tender. Just like the man she'd married.

As Alister kissed Madeline he savored every second of it, and reveled in the fact that he wasn't afraid. Maybe being a god was much scarier than kissing the Mad Hatter.

Her lips were plump and soft, and she tasted delicious. Like orange marmalade. They were so close. She smelled so good. Like sun-ripened oranges hanging on a tree. A citrusy scent that made him salivate.

A few minutes later, Alister pulled back for air, and offered Madeline a shy smile. He really hoped that kiss hadn't sucked.

Madeline beamed back at him, a mischievous twinkle in her green eyes. "That was wonderful, my love."

Alister scratched the back of his neck in a sheepish gesture. "I'm glad you liked it, Maddy. Because I think I still need some practice..." His voice had grown husky and teasing.

"Oh, _lots_ of practice," Madeline agreed playfully.

Alister laughed before leaning in to kiss the Mad Hatter again. _I could get used to this._

Madeline Hatter and Alister Kingsley's wedding would go down in history as the most beautiful and _mad_ wedding that had ever taken place in all of Wonderland.

THE END

Keep reading for an exclusive sneak peek of the other installments in the Genderbent Fairytales Collection: Handsome and the Yeti, and PETRA PAN.

### Chapter 1: Handsome and the Yeti

Bellamy DeWinter lived in a small town in northern Alaska named Yeti Town. The town got its namesake from the Nepal folklore legend of the yeti, also known as the Abominable Snowman. A yeti was an ape-like creature, taller than an average man and covered in snowy, white fur. Apparently there'd been sightings of such a creature in the nearby forests by the Hunters that lived in town and the town's name had been changed shortly thereafter.

The majority of the people that lived in Yeti Town were either Hunters or furriers. This was mostly due to the sudden increase in predators - bears, polar bears, lynxes and wolves - that started appearing around the town. This abrupt influx of predators in the area put not only the human towns that were in close proximity to the creatures in danger, but also the farms and cattle ranches, which had livestock to worry about protecting.

In recent years and in this modern era, the hunting of animals for their furs had become controversial, but due to the fact that this increase in predators in the area was _not_ natural, but unexplainable the Hunters of Yeti Town were able to make a living hunting, and killing these predators and selling their meat and fur. Since they were providing a service to the ranchers and farmers the controversial aspect was entirely overlooked, and the Hunters were looked upon as heroes.

Eighteen-year-old Bellamy and his mother, Doris, had moved to the isolated town because Bellamy was _cursed_. If a female saw Bellamy without his round, nerdy glasses on his face she would instantly fall in love with him.

Bellamy had been aware of this strange curse since he could form rational thought, and his mother had taught him how to stop the effects of the curse by always wearing a pair of nonprescription glasses. Sunglasses would also have the same affect, and could nullify the effects of the curse.

When Bellamy became a senior in high school his luck finally ran out. Due to his nerdy appearance he'd been targeted by a group of bullies, taken to the men's room, and beaten up. His glasses had been punched off his face and then stepped on.

Bellamy left the bathroom while trying to keep his head lowered, but it was inevitable that he had to look up to see where he was going. Unfortunately, at that very moment lunch had ended and the hall was flooded with students. When Bellamy looked up a large number of female students saw Bellamy's handsome face and instantly fell in love with him.

At the time, Bellamy was living with his sickly mother, Doris, in their tiny apartment. The place was so small there was no escape from the phone that started ringing off the hook from Bellamy's fan girls that began calling. Bellamy's fax machine also started spitting out love letters from his new stalkers.

At first it was almost funny, but then the content of the love letters started to become more and more desperate as time passed. Other handwritten letters that were delivered by the mailman started to include photos of the girls, locks of their hair, fingernail clippings, and some letters were even written in blood. It was downright creepy.

Bellamy's mother, Doris, already had a weak constitution and could barely handle the added stress of the unsettling love letters, the phone ringing off the hook, the girls that stood on the sidewalk outside of their apartment building demanding to see Bellamy, and later the kidnapping attempts on her son. It all just became too much for Doris to handle.

Even the therapy sessions Doris had been going to no longer gave her peace of mind. After the most recent kidnapping attempt on Bellamy, Doris decided that she had to protect her son somehow. Doris was also filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt. It was _her_ fault that her son Bellamy was cursed after all. Doris had suffered from the curse herself before Bellamy had been born, and the curse had been passed onto him.

After one of Bellamy's babysitters had tried to kidnap him, Doris decided she had to find a way to stop the curse from activating and had started covering Bellamy's face with a scarf to see if that would work. When it did, Doris tried covering Bellamy's face with just a mask where his eyes were barely visible, and this worked too. Next Doris tried sunglasses and when those worked she lastly tried nonprescription glasses.

Doris had the feeling that the reason the nonprescription glasses worked to stop the effects of the curse had something to do with the old mythos that 'the eyes are the windows to the soul'. As long as females didn't make direct eye contact with Bellamy he was safe from the effects of the curse.

Wearing glasses had become a simple solution to stop the curse, and Doris and Bellamy had been able to live in peace for many years. Doris reprimanded herself that perhaps she should have warned Bellamy to be more careful at school, or provided him with an extra pair of glasses, but it was too late now. Bellamy's female classmates had already fallen crazily in love with him.

It was also around this time that Doris learned of the death of her parents. They'd been Hunters living in Yeti Town and had been overwhelmed by a pack of vicious wolves during one of their usual hunting expeditions. The hunting cabin that used to belong to her parents now belonged to her. Doris instantly decided to take Bellamy to live there. There in the isolated town Bellamy would be _safe_.

Unfortunately, Bellamy wouldn't be able to graduate from high school, and it would be difficult for him to get into a college without a high school diploma, when and if they found a way to break the curse. But that's why Doris was determined to support her son financially.

This is how Bellamy DeWinter found himself living in the small Alaskan town with his sickly mother. To make a living Doris made woodcarvings of various animals that lived in the Brooks Range area of Alaska: brown and black bears, polar bears, moose, goats, foxes, coyotes, ravens, lynxes, and wolves.

For hours and hours Doris would sit in her comfy armchair by the fireplace in the living room, and carve little wooden figurines of animals until the calluses on her fingers popped and bled. She was highly skilled at woodcarvings.

Sometimes Bellamy would help his mother by making woodcarvings of his own, but usually Doris insisted that Bellamy didn't need to do anything to help out with the household finances, and that he should instead continue to concentrate on his self-study.

Bellamy knew his mother felt guilty and blamed herself for their current situation because of the curse. But Bellamy didn't see it that way. He saw it as _his_ fault that they had to live here in the middle of nowhere now. If only he'd been braver and fought back against those bullies. If only he hadn't let them break his glasses, none of this would have happened.

Because of him, his mother had gone through a lot, and her already poor health had declined from all the stress. That's why he never complained to his mom about living there in Yeti Town. There were only a few young single women his age in the town that might have showed an interest in him, and he made sure to avoid them as much as possible.

Most days, Bellamy had his nose stuck in a book in self-study. He was determined to go back to school one day, and get a college degree. He wanted to get a high-paying job so that he'd be able to support his mother financially, and give her the easy life she deserved after everything that had happened.

Bellamy had to admit to himself that it could get rather boring though living there when compared to how his life used to be back in New York. There wasn't much to do for fun in Yeti Town. The town's inhabitants were mostly Hunters, and Bellamy had no interested in learning that particular trade. The other people that lived there were either a part of the Hunters' families, jewelry makers, or woodcarvers like his mother.

There was a mine close to Yeti Town that contained several types of semi-precious stones that the townspeople made jewelry out of. Alaska was known for its jade, quartzes and even diamonds, but this particular mine contained other semi-precious stones that were normally found in South America.

Bellamy had become fascinated by all the different types of semi-precious stones the jewelers worked with - agate, quartz, rose quartz, onyx, obsidian, jade, jasper, red jasper, tiger's eye, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and more.

The semi-precious stones may not have been as valuable as diamonds, rubies and emeralds, but Bellamy thought that they were uniquely beautiful in their own way.

To stave off his boredom, Bellamy started going to the small local library and checked out all the books that were available on gemstones, and gemology. Bellamy had his nose buried in a book about stones more often than not.

Bellamy didn't care about his lack of a social life since all he wanted was to protect the peaceful life he and his mother were currently enjoying in Yeti Town. His books became his only friends. It was lonesome without any friends his age, but peaceful. And Bellamy just wanted to keep it that way.

However, peace and quiet never lasts forever. The Hunters had become curious about their new neighbors and had confronted Doris about Bellamy. After they'd discovered that Bellamy was so young they instantly decided that he must be lonely, and should make some friends his own age. The Hunters immediately told their children that were around the same age as Bellamy all about him, and of his 'plight'.

This meddling resulted in someone knocking on Bellamy's front door one Saturday night. It was eight o'clock at night. Doris was in her usual spot, seated on the plush armchair by the fire in the living room and carving a small piece of wood into the shape of what Bellamy thought looked like a dancing monkey. _Oookay._

Bellamy was seated in the armchair across from his mother, nose in a book about Alaskan jade. He frowned and looked up from his book at the door, wondering who would be coming to visit them at this late hour.

A secretive smile curled Doris's lips when she heard the knock at the front door. "Could you be a dear and get the door, Bellamy?"

Bellamy frowned and his brow furrowed slightly. His mother was acting different from usual. "Are you expecting someone, Mom?" he questioned as he stood up, and approached the front door with his now closed book still in hand.

"I'm not," she began softly. "But you are."

"Huh?" Bellamy said as he opened the door to see who it was. Staring back at him with wide, mischievous grins on their faces were two young men around Bellamy's age. Because of their flashy fur coats Bellamy deduced they were the sons of Hunters right off the bat.

One of the young men had sandy-blonde hair, pale skin, and honey-brown eyes. The other was an African-American teen with short black hair, brown eyes, and super white teeth. They were both wearing friendly, amiable expressions on their faces, but this didn't make Bellamy any less nervous about what their intentions were. He already had a bad feeling about this.

They looked past Bellamy and smiled at Doris. "Good evening Mrs. DeWinter. We're here to pick up Bellamy."

Doris nodded knowingly. "You boys have fun!"

"Thanks, Mrs. DeWinter!" The African-American teen crowed as he and his friend latched onto Bellamy's arms and began to drag him out the door.

"Huh? Wait, what?" Bellamy sputtered, giving his mother a look of sheer disbelief. Why had his mother o-kayed this? Didn't she realize how dangerous it was for Bellamy to hang out with people his own age?

When his mother just waved him off, Bellamy let out a resigned sigh. _My life officially sucks._ He thought morosely as the sandy-haired teen shut the door.

Bellamy glowered at the two young men that had interrupted his precious reading time. "Who the hell are you guys?"

The two teens chuckled in amusement at Bellamy's surly attitude. "I'm Crispin," the sandy-haired boy started and jerked his thumb at the African-American teen. "And he's Oscar."

"And we're here to rescue you, Belle." Oscar flashed his gleaming white teeth in a teasing grin.

A muscle beneath Bellamy's eye ticked in irritation. "Rescue?"

"Yeah, our parents told us all about you," Crispin began to explain. "Like about how you didn't get to graduate from high school due to your mother's health, and more importantly how you have no friends."

Oscar slung an arm around Bellamy's shoulders amiably. "But fear not. Now, you have _us_."

"Wonderful." Bellamy's tone was sarcastic.

"We're going to introduce you to the other people in this town that are our age, so you can make even _more_ friends," Crispin said excitedly.

Bellamy felt his temples beginning to throb. Just how important did these guys think having a social life was? He was already feeling exhausted.

"And more importantly we're going to introduce you to the fine, single ladies in this town." Oscar waggled his eyebrows at Bellamy in a playful manner.

"And this is what I was afraid of," Bellamy muttered darkly to himself in a voice so low that the other teens didn't hear him. A chill of fear crawled up his spine, and he had to suppress a groan of despair. Young men his age had a one-track mind. This was nothing new. All they ever thought about was girls and sex.

The last thing Bellamy wanted right now was to be introduced to girls though. If something happened, and they saw his face - they'd fall madly in love with him. And go slightly crazy. Their 'love' would quickly turned into lustful desperation. _And those girls can become freakin scary._ He shuddered as he remembered how his old female classmates had finally formed an alliance and had tried to kidnap him.

What had his mother been _thinking_ letting him go out with these guys? Sure, _they_ were guys, and thankfully the curse didn't affect them, but guys his age were _always_ on the prowl for chicks.

Bellamy felt like hitting his head against the wall repeatedly. _Why me?_ He inwardly moaned. Before Bellamy had even realized it, his two new 'friends' had dragged him down the main street in town and had stopped in front of some kind of bar or tavern.

Like most of the rustic buildings in Yeti Town it was made out of logs and had a sloping roof. Swinging over the front door from two chains was a hand-painted, wooden sign shaped like the head of a polar bear. The polar bear's mouth was wide open and clenched between its sharp teeth was the establishment's name: _Polar Bear Pub_.

Crispin puffed up his chest proudly and waved his hand at the pub in a dramatic fashion. "And this, my new friend, Belle, is the _Polar Bear Pub_. It's the best bar in town!"

"It's the _only_ bar in town," Oscar added dryly.

"My older brother, Wren, is one of the two bartenders working here, so we'll be able to get a couple of beers!" Crispin bragged, since technically they were still underage.

"Great," Bellamy droned as he was dragged into the pub. He couldn't help but glance around at the interior décor curiously. Most of the long tables and chairs were made out of solid pinewood. An enormous stone fireplace took up most of the back wall and several comfy looking chairs had been situated in front of it.

Animal head and antler hunting trophies covered the walls. Though Bellamy wasn't too surprised by this since pretty much all of the men drinking in the pub were Hunters. Bellamy was able to recognize them as Hunters due to the outfits they were wearing: white or gray fur coats, winter camouflage, and heavy boots. The rifles and shotguns leaning against their chairs were also a dead giveaway.

There were two bars inside of the _Polar Bear Pub_ \- the largest that took up most of the right hand side of the pub was exclusively for the adults. A shorter bar on the left was for the teenagers that were around Bellamy's age. Really, the teens should have only been allowed to order nonalcoholic drinks but the adults seemed to turn a blind eye if their children wanted to have a few beers on the weekends since they were being supervised anyways.

Crispin and Oscar led Bellamy over to a small group of teens that were surrounding the bar on the left. "Hey, everyone," Crispin began in a loud voice to get everyone's attention, "I want you to meet the new guy in town - Bellamy DeWinter."

The group of teens' focus was suddenly on Bellamy and he could tell that they appeared to be excited about a newcomer to their small town. Bellamy raised his hand in an awkward greeting. "Hi."

Almost instantly, Bellamy was surrounded by a mob of teens that were bombarding him with a ton of invasive, and personal questions. "Where are you from?"

"New York," Bellamy replied.

"Ooo he's a city boy," a girl cooed.

"Why did you move _here_?" one of the boys asked in an incredulous tone.

"My mother's health-" Bellamy started to explain, but was rudely cut off by one of the girls.

"Is it true you didn't get to graduate from high school?"

A scowl formed on Bellamy's face. "Yeah."

"Home schooling rules!" a random boy shouted and fist pumped the air.

"Are you single, or do you have a girlfriend?" a girl asked boldly with a glint in her green eyes.

"I, er, I'm single," Bellamy reluctantly answered after a long stretch of silence had passed as the teens awaited his response.

"Eeee!" the girls squealed loudly. Bellamy was forced to plug his ears with his index fingers in order to drown them out.

Just how desperate were these Alaskan girls? Bellamy wondered worriedly. They hadn't even seen him without his glasses yet and they were already acting ridiculous. He supposed their behavior had a lot to do with the fact that it was slim pickings for a boyfriend when you lived pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

Bellamy mused for a moment about what things might be like if his circumstances had been different, and if he weren't cursed. Perhaps, he would have been happy to be surrounded by a bunch of desperate, pretty girls. As things were, however, he remembered just how crazy girls who thought they were in love could be and shuddered.

Crispin grabbed three beers from his bro at the bar, and quickly distributed them. Crispin and Oscar held up their beer bottles in Bellamy's direction. "To new friends!"

"Yeah." Bellamy could barely keep the skepticism out of his tone as he clinked his bottle against theirs. He bitterly remembered what had happened to his high school friends once their girlfriends had inexplicably turned their sights on Bellamy, and how they'd given Bellamy the cold shoulder after that.

As oftentimes happens with groups of teenagers, the group split in two - girls and boys. Bellamy was actually glad for the girls' sudden apparent shyness. He could breathe easier without them being in such close proximity.

An hour ticked by without incident, and Bellamy was beginning to feel hopeful that perhaps nothing bad would happen to him this evening. Letting his guard down a little, Bellamy glanced around the pub and couldn't help but notice an incredibly attractive young woman that was seated at a table, surrounded by a group of fawning guys.

Bellamy's eyebrows rose to his hairline as he took in her flashy appearance. She was wearing a tight, v-neck, red dress along with a floor-length white and black fur coat. The corner of Bellamy's lip twitched in amusement since the coat was definitely necessary to provide her with warmth when wearing such a skimpy dress. Her thick, black hair cascaded down around her shoulders in waves, and sultry lashes accentuated her intelligent, dark brown eyes.

Bellamy took a sip of his beer as he let his gaze travel over her curves appreciatively. He was a little buzzed. He pointed his beer in her direction. "What's the deal with Cruella de Vil over there?"

"Isn't she beautiful? Her name's Astonia Sharpe," Oscar began, a dreamy expression on his face. "She's French. And she's awesome. She's also my future wife. She just doesn't know it yet."

"Uh huh," Bellamy agreed dryly.

Crispin draped his arm around Bellamy's shoulders conspiratorially, a rueful smirk playing on his lips. "You'll have to get in line." He nodded his head in the direction of the guys surrounding Astonia with hearts in their eyes. "All those guys over there are in love with her. It's like she has her own personal reverse harem."

Bellamy had been in the middle of taking a sip from his beer and promptly began to choke at Crispin's words. "Harem?" He arched an eyebrow. "You don't mean she's sleeping with all of them?"

A flash of anger crossed Oscar's face at Bellamy's careless words. "Hey! Don't talk about Astonia like that! She's _not_ that kind of girl!"

Bellamy quickly put his hands up before him in a surrendering gesture. "Whoa, sorry man. I didn't mean anything by it."

"She's just a big flirt," Crispin began to explain. "It's pretty obvious she just likes the male attention. Apparently, no one in this town has even managed to _kiss_ Astonia yet."

That dreamy, lovesick puppy look was back on Oscar's face again. "There's nothing I wouldn't do to get a kiss from Astonia." He released a wistful sigh of longing.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Bellamy said as he took another sip of his beer to hide his unease. Crispin and Oscar's obsessive behavior with Astonia was a little too similar to how the girls who saw Bellamy's face without his glasses acted.

"It sucks that _everyone's_ in love with her," Oscar muttered darkly. "But how could they not be? She's smoking hot."

"In love?" Bellamy arched an eyebrow at Oscar. "In _lust_ maybe," he murmured to himself. Those guys over there were just in love with Astonia's outer appearance. There was no telling what kind of person she was on the inside, but as Bellamy watched Astonia preening under the boys' attention he began to get an idea of how narcissistic she was, and shook his head disappointedly.

Astonia was just playing with those guys. But playing with people's _emotions_ was dangerous. Love was dangerous. Bellamy knew this from firsthand experience. He grew bored of observing Astonia and remembered that luckily he still had his book with him. He opened it up and began to continue his reading about Alaskan jade, and how the term was really referring to two minerals - Jadeite and Nephrite.

Astonia surreptitiously glanced over at Bellamy DeWinter - the 'new guy in town'. She was sure that he was probably gawking at her stupidly just like all the other guys in the pub, but she was in for an unpleasant surprise when she saw that he'd actually taken out a book and had started to read at his own 'welcome to the town' party.

Astonia's jaw slowly dropped open as she gawked at the bookworm. He was completely ignoring her presence! It was like she didn't even matter. And after she'd done him the honor of gracing his party with her presence. Astonia Sharpe did not like to be ignored - _would_ not be ignored! _How dare that nerd ignore me! Just who the hell does he think he is? Hah?_ She thought venomously.

"Would you look at that? That nerd is actually reading a book in the middle of this party. How pathetic," Astonia sneered loudly, and her boy toys laughed in a jeering fashion as if on cue.

Bellamy just sighed, ignored Astonia's immature outburst, and continued to read. He was used to people making fun of him and bullying him due to his nerdy appearance.

A muscle beneath Astonia's eye ticked in irritation as Bellamy continued to ignore her. "I mean, how _uncool_ is that? Maybe he moved here because he's mentally disabled or something." She cackled and again her boy toys joined in.

Finally, Bellamy shut his book with a loud snap. He turned and glared at Astonia. "You like making fun of _disabled_ people?" He narrowed his eyes at her critically.

Astonia flinched guiltily. "What? No. It's just you're so... _weird_." She waved her hand through the air as she tried to search for a better word. "So...different from the rest of us."

"Well, excuse me for being weird." Bellamy slid off the barstool, book in hand. "It's become much too noisy in here to continue reading my book." He turned to give Crispin and Oscar an apologetic look. "Sorry, guys, I'm gonna call it a night." He started to head for the front door.

Astonia fumed as she watched Bellamy. She hadn't even dismissed him yet! _He_ was dismissing _her_. _I'll show him._ Just as Bellamy passed by her chair she stuck her foot out and tripped him.

Bellamy fell flat on his face, and his glasses flew off his face, skidding across the floor. His eyes widened in panic as soon as he realized what had just happened. _My glasses! Shit!_ He inwardly swore. Bellamy frantically scrambled across the floor, reaching out for his glasses, but someone beat him to it.

"Oops, sorry." Bellamy heard Astonia's voice as he watched a delicate hand with red-painted fingernails reach out and pick up his glasses. "I have such long legs that it's hard for me to keep them under the table."

Bellamy swallowed nervously and stood up as slowly as possible. He tried to keep his head lowered and his face shielded by his bangs. "Give me back my glasses, Astonia," Bellamy demanded as he reached his trembling hand out to her. _Shit, shit, shit. Just don't make eye contact. Don't make eye contact._

A wolfish smile curled Astonia's red lips. "What's the magic word?"

"Please," Bellamy said through gritted teeth.

"Alright, fine. Here you go, _nerd_." Astonia laughed as she handed Bellamy his glasses.

Bellamy let out a sigh of relief, grabbed his glasses, and quickly raised his face so he could put his glasses back on.

Suddenly, it was eerily quiet inside of the pub and Bellamy realized that Astonia had stopped laughing. With his glasses now on his face, Bellamy risked looking up at her.

There was a look of astonishment on Astonia's face, her brown eyes wide. "You...you're so _handsome_ without your glasses. How is that even possible?"

"Shit!" Bellamy swore in her face realizing it had only taken a second - just _one_ measly second - for the curse to activate. "Sorry...I gotta go!" He turned and bolted out the front door.

Less than a minute later, however, the pub door opened, and Astonia emerged chasing after Bellamy. "Hey, Belle, wait!"

Bellamy grit his teeth and didn't slow down. That's when a gunshot split through the night and a mound of snow that was directly next to Bellamy exploded. He decided he'd better stop unless he wanted to end up full of holes.

"I said 'stop'," Astonia called out in a strangely calm tone. "Turn around."

Bellamy gulped, raised his hands in a surrendering gesture, and turned around slowly to face Astonia. His eyes widened when he noticed that Astonia was holding an old-fashioned double-barrel shotgun in her hands. Most of the Hunters these days used semi-automatic rifles or pump-action shotguns.

Astonia approached Bellamy with a smile curling her scarlet lips. She stopped only when the gun barrel was pressed against Bellamy's chest. Bellamy knew that she had one shot left in the shotgun. "You ran away from me." There was an incredulous note to her voice. "That wasn't very nice. Now, take off your glasses. I want to see your face again."

Bellamy hesitated, but he had no choice - this lovesick biatch was crazy enough to blow a hole in his chest if he refused. He removed his glasses and glared at Astonia. "Happy?"

Astonia gasped, blushed, and lowered her gun. "I didn't imagine it then. You really are drop-dead handsome. Do you know what this means?" she asked Bellamy in a giddy manner.

"No. Not really," Bellamy replied warily.

"I finally have a boyfriend!" The Huntress exclaimed happily.

"And _who_ would that be exactly?" Bellamy's brow furrowed in confusion.

"You, silly." Astonia shoved his shoulder playfully. "You're the most handsome guy in Yeti Town. And that makes you the best. And I deserve the best."

Bellamy swallowed thickly, and wiped his hands on his pants to try and hide his nervousness. "And if I _refuse_?"

Astonia raised her gun at Bellamy and pointed it at his heart. "I'm known for my bullets never missing their mark. Especially, if it's the heart of a handsome young man. There is _no_ escape. You are mine, Bellamy DeWinter."

Bellamy's head was throbbing; he could feel a headache coming on. He rubbed at his temples with his index fingers. _Shit, shit, shit._ Bellamy had no choice but to agree to this ridiculousness. For now. He couldn't cause his mother any more problems and stress. "Fine. But I really need to get going now. It's getting late and my mom waits up for me." He turned to go.

There was a soft clicking sound as Astonia began to playfully pull down on the trigger. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Bellamy turned back around, and raised his eyebrow at the Huntress. "What?"

Astonia offered him an innocent smile. "Where's my goodnight kiss, Belle?"

A muscle in Bellamy's jaw ticked. "Think you could at least lower your gun first? It's kind of a mood killer."

Astonia laughed loudly and lowered her shotgun. "Of course, darling."

Bellamy stepped forward reluctantly until he was standing directly in front of her. He tilted his head sideways and leaned forward for a kiss. He intended for it to be a quick peck on the lips, but as Bellamy tried to pull back Astonia wrapped her arms around Bellamy's neck and kissed him fervently.

Then Astonia started to try to get her tongue into his mouth in a desperate manner. Bellamy stubbornly refused her entrance, and kept his lips pressed together.

Once Astonia finally pulled away so they could breathe again, they were met with boisterous cheers, catcalls, and whistles. "Whoo! Yeah!" "Way to go, city boy!"

Bellamy groaned and looked past Astonia to see that a crowd of people had gathered in front of the _Polar Bear Pub_. The pub's patrons had become curious due to the gunshot going off outside, and had all exited the pub to see what Astonia had done now.

Bellamy spotted Oscar's betrayed expression in the crowd, and felt his stomach twist itself into knots. _Great, just great. More icing on the shitty cake._ "Now, I really gotta go. See-ya." He sped off down the snowy sidewalk and did not look back.

Astonia smiled and waved. "So long, honey!"

When Bellamy reached his home he opened the door as quietly as possible and entered. Thankfully his mother was fast asleep in her chair by the fireplace, and didn't hear Bellamy as he rushed into the bathroom, sunk to his knees in front of the toilet, and proceeded to puke his guts out. _That crazy bitch..._

He felt...violated.

Was it normal for a guy to feel that way when a hot girl kissed him? He wondered ruefully. Still, that kiss had been _against_ his will - even if she _was_ attractive. Other guys would have probably done anything to be in his shoes. But not Bellamy.

He was feeling overwhelmed as his body was wracked by dry heaves. There was only acid left inside of his stomach at this point. Suddenly, it was all just too much. All the stolen kisses he'd experienced throughout his life, all the unwanted groping. He'd been treated like an object. He supposed he knew what a lot of women must feel like - being treated like sex objects.

_I'm being retarded. I'm a guy. What does a stolen kiss matter?_ Bellamy scolded himself as he straightened and made his way over to the sink. He brushed his teeth and rinsed his mouth out with _Listerine_.

After that he splashed water on his face and looked at his haggard expression in the bathroom mirror. His already pale skin was even paler than usual, his deep blue eyes were sunken, and his long dark brown hair, which he wore pulled back into a ponytail, looked limp and lifeless. Everything that had happened tonight was because of his handsome face. He was almost tempted to just pour acid on his face, but...

That would just make his mother cry, and then she'd probably blame herself for his rash actions. Bellamy decided that he had to deal with the 'Astonia problem' some other way, and without his mother finding out about all this.

Bellamy began to pace across the tiled floor as he thought about his options. He wondered if just giving in to what Astonia wanted might lessen the effects the curse had on her. Maybe after she'd slept with him she'd leave him blessedly alone. It was his only hope.

He was going to have to get his mother out of the house in order to put his plan into action. Bellamy knew that his mother was planning to travel to the next town over to sell her accumulated woodcarvings to a gift shop there in just a few days. That's when he'd put his plan into action, he decided.

Bellamy quickly wrote a letter to Astonia, and set up a date with her to make sure she wouldn't show up while his mother was still at home. The night of his mother's departure, he and Astonia would dine together, and then...he shuddered. He'd give himself to Astonia. Bellamy only hoped Astonia would be patient and wouldn't show up randomly to do something stupid while his mother was still at home.

***

Doris DeWinter knew something was bothering her son Bellamy. Over the following days, Bellamy helped her to finish her woodcarvings until a nice sizable collection was ready for her to take to the next town over where she sold them to a gift shop that specialized in having souvenirs for tourists visiting Alaska.

A couple of the carvings she was going to sell were of a yeti. Or at least, what Doris thought a yeti probably looked like. She pictured him as being a tall, monkey-like creature with fluffy fur covering his entire body except for his face. She'd come up with the idea to carve the yeti due to the town's popular urban legend that an actual yeti, or Abominable Snowman, had been spotted in the forest nearby.

All of the Hunters in Yeti Town wanted to kill the yeti and get famous. Doris shook her head ruefully. She had the feeling that her yeti woodcarvings were going to be a hit.

Despite appreciating her son's help with the woodcarvings, Doris couldn't help but notice that ever since the party he'd gone to with the Hunters' teenaged boys he'd become awfully quiet and withdrawn. She began to worry that perhaps _something_ had happened at the party, which Bellamy hadn't told her about.

She'd just wanted Bellamy to have the chance to make some friends his own age, but maybe she shouldn't have meddled. It had been selfish of her to force Bellamy to go to that party when the reason she wanted him to go was to relieve her own guilt over the fact her son hadn't been able to finish high school and currently didn't have any friends.

Doris still felt responsible for the curse that her son now suffered from and for him having to live out there in the middle of nowhere with her.

When the day of Doris's trip to the next town arrived, Bellamy helped her to pack all of the woodcarvings into a large burlap sack which he then secured to the back of the dogsled. A team of five huge Huskies was already attached to the sled. The dogs were incredibly intelligent and would be able to get Doris to the next town even through a snowstorm.

Doris was dressed in a gray fur-lined coat that had pretty, white fur trim on the hood, a pair of winter camo pants, gloves, a scarf, and heavy boots. "Thank you, Bellamy," Doris said as she mounted the sled, and picked up the long, brown leather reins.

"Don't mention it, Mom," Bellamy said. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "You sure you're going to be okay on your own out there?"

Doris offered Bellamy a reassuring smile. "I'll be just fine. I've made the run on my own before and the dogs know the way. What would you like me to bring you from Coldfoot? A new jacket? A new book?"

Bellamy thought for a moment. He didn't want to trouble his mother with buying him anything. But there _was_ something he wanted. He was missing a rose quartz for his stone collection. Surely, it wouldn't pose too much trouble for his mother to find him a small rose quartz at the gift shop. "Can you bring me back a small rose quartz for my stone collection?"

Doris raised an eyebrow at the humble request. Most teens his age would probably have asked for the latest smart phone. "A rock? That's all. _Bellamy_..."

Bellamy took his mother's hands in his and squeezed them tight. "Yes, mother - a rock. You know I love stones. And it's the only one missing from my collection."

Doris gave Bellamy a searching look, but then let out a resigned sigh. "Oh, alright. If that's _really_ what you want. I'll bring you back the prettiest rose quartz I can find."

"Thanks, Mom." Bellamy leaned over and placed a kiss on his mother's cold cheek, momentarily warming it against the frigid Alaskan air.

There was a haunting sadness in Bellamy's blue eyes, and Doris wanted to do something to erase it. All they had was each other.

"Be safe," Bellamy added when his mother didn't get the sled underway immediately.

Doris smiled thinly, and snapped the reins. "Mush!" The dogs barked and shot off down the snow-covered road. As soon as Bellamy was out of sight, she frowned. Her son was hiding _something_. But she'd have to wait until she got back to find out what it was.

Driving a dogsled was easier than it looked since the dogs did most of the work. Or at least, this is how Doris felt about it. She barely had to guide their movements with the reins since the dogs confidently knew where they needed to be going, having done this run with Doris before. Doris also felt safe and protected having five huge dogs with her and probably would have been scared if she'd been out there alone on a snowmobile.

It wasn't long before they were winding their way through the forest with tall pine trees on either side of the narrow path. A wolf's howl echoed through the forest making Doris swallow nervously. She wasn't a Hunter like her parents had been and never carried a gun with her. Her dogs were her only protection against predators. So far she'd never had a problem on this road between the two towns. But she was feeling slightly paranoid for some reason. That howl had sounded a bit...unusual. "It couldn't be...the yeti?" Doris mused aloud with a nervous tremor to her voice.

Abruptly, from out of the trees a gigantic, white polar bear emerged onto the road right behind Doris, thudding loudly behind the sled. It opened its maw wide, and roared at Doris loudly, showing off its sharp teeth.

"Oh my God, a polar bear!" Doris's eyes flared in alarm. She snapped the reins. "Mush! Hurry! Go faster!"

The team of dogs broke into a faster run, and continued their way swiftly down the main snowy road with pine trees blurring past them on either side.

Just up ahead, Doris saw that a tree had fallen onto the main road, blocking their path. "Oh no!" There was nowhere else to go. "Wait..." She spotted another road to her right and steered the dogs to head in that direction instead.

Doris and the dogs flew down the narrow path and just a few minutes later exited the edge of the forest, emerging onto an expansive frozen lake. Doris squinted as she tried to see the other side of the lake but it was so far away it wasn't visible yet.

Even though it was unsettling how large the lake was, Doris didn't hesitate in snapping her reins again. "Mush!" Her sled flew over the thick ice of the lake smoothly.

The polar bear burst out from the tree line a few minutes behind Doris and her dogs, and charged after the sled. The ice started to crack due to the polar bear's tremendous weight. "We're not going to make it," Doris moaned, but then she miraculously reached the other side of the lake. The sled shot down a narrow path, which ended at a black wrought-iron gate that was a part of a towering stone wall that enclosed a large estate.

For a moment, Doris wondered if she'd have to get off the sled and try to figure out how to open the gate - when the gate opened of its own accord. Doris briefly pondered if the gate was electric, but snapped the reins and drove the sled through the open gate.

Doris glanced over shoulder, her mousy brown hair whipping in front of her face, and obscuring her vision slightly, expecting to see the polar bear following her through the gate, but watched as the polar bear skidded to a halt at the open gate entrance. It opened its maw and roared angrily, and appeared to be frustrated that its prey had escaped.

Doris frowned, wondering why the polar bear hadn't followed her inside, and watched as the wrought-iron gate slowly closed behind her on creaking, rusty hinges. When Doris turned her attention to what was in front of her, she gasped in astonishment.

Doris and the dogs were approaching a Tudor-style mansion that looked like it'd fallen right out of a fairytale storybook. The mansion was made up of several different wings with triangular-shaped roofs. The dogs guided the sled right up to the sweeping staircase that led to the front door.

Doris hopped off the sled and approached the mansion warily. She put her foot down on the first step, and looked down due to the clicking sound of her booted heel hitting the surface of the step.

The steps looked like they were made out of blue ice. Doris removed of her glove before reaching down and touching the step. She'd expected it to be freezing cold, but she realized it wasn't ice. It was a blue quartz crystal.

Doris laughed at her own foolishness. Apparently, she'd watched the movie _Frozen_ one too many times. This wasn't a palace made of ice, but it was still incredibly impressive. It must have cost a fortune to build the mansion entirely out of blue quartz like this. Doris mused about the possibility of an eccentric billionaire living there.

She carefully made her way up the slippery stairs, and arrived at the front door. Her dull brown eyes were immediately drawn to the beautiful doorknocker. It was made out of a dark blue lapis lazuli and had been carved to resemble the face of a yeti with a large metal ring in its mouth. Doris reached out and stroked the doorknocker. "What incredible craftsmanship." She took a deep breath to steel her nerves, grabbed the metal ring, and knocked. The door opened and she stepped inside.

To be continued in...Chapter 2:

### Chapter 1: PETRA PAN

" _En garde_...ready...fight!" the judge called out to the two fencers that were standing in the field of play in the middle of a large hall.

Eirwen Darling's opponent - Thomas Paisley - moved forward and lunged his foil at Eirwen. Eirwen deftly parried the attack, and was about to _riposte_ when loud, overzealous female cheering coming from the stands distracted him.

"Darling! Darling! Darling! My Darling! _My darling!_ " the girls all chanted in lovesick voices.

The tips of Eirwen's ears turned red out of embarrassment and he groaned. "Ugh. What do they think they're _doing_? This isn't a basketball game!"

His fan girls were there _again_. He glanced at them out of the corner of his eyes and immediately wished he hadn't. His flush started to spread to his cheeks. The girls were holding up flashy, homemade banners and posters, which read embarrassing things like: 'Do your best, my Darling!' and 'I (heart) Eirwen Darling'.

Eirwen hated that his last name was 'Darling'. When the girls called out to him it sounded like they were using a silly pet name. And with the way they were looking at him lustily he had the feeling he was right on the money.

The reason that Eirwen Darling had fan girls in the first place was because his great grandfather Eirwen Darling was famous for being the inspiration behind the popular children's book: _Petra Pan_.

Eirwen Darling also bore an uncanny resemblance to his great grandfather when he'd been Eirwen's age. So when people pictured the boy who'd been spirited away to Neverland by Petra Pan for a series of grand adventures - they usually pictured the boy with Eirwen's face. Eirwen's great grandfather was dead now, but people never seemed to forget the connection.

Eirwen's current opponent and close friend, Thomas, was a good sport, and waited patiently for the cheers to die down before he'd make his next move. "As always, you're popular with the ladies, Eirwen. I'm jealous." Like himself, Thomas was dressed in an all-white fencing uniform with a chest protector made of plastic and a lamé - a layer of electrically conductive material worn over the fencing jacket in foil that was used for detecting hits. A mesh metal mask was covering his face protectively, so Eirwen was unable to see what was undoubtedly Thomas's amused expression.

"Do shut up," Eirwen groused irritably, before lunging his foil forward.

Tom parried the blow and retaliated with an attack of his own. Eirwen gracefully parried. This was the London Open - a fencing competition for national and international fencers. Eirwen had made it to the final, and this last match would determine the gold medal winner and champion of the competition. He wanted to make the club he belonged to - the Academy Cadets Club - proud. The current score was 14 to 12. Eirwen just needed to win one more point and he'd have this victory in the bag.

Eirwen's muscles were beginning to ache and a pounding headache was beginning to form behind his eyes. His vision was blurring slightly. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision and looked up towards the stands. _What the...?_

There perched at the very top of the stands was the oddest girl Eirwen had _ever_ seen. Her wild, long, golden blonde hair with scattered braids was adorned with spring flowers and ivy vines. She was dressed in a green tube dress that was decorated with ivy, and a pair of green ankle boots made out of soft leather. Her grass-green eyes were sparkling mischievously and an impish smile quirked her pink, pouty lips.

She looked very 'fairy-like' or 'pixie-like', but she had no wings and was the size of a normal human girl around his age. (Eirwen had just turned eighteen).

Maybe it was just how the sunlight coming in from the windows framed her body with a golden aura that made her look so...otherworldly.

_Fairy cosplay?_ Eirwen wondered in bemusement, arching an eyebrow at her. When he blinked again the girl just disappeared from his sight. _What the?_

Thanks to Eirwen's well-honed battle reflexes he just barely managed to dodge a lunge from Tom - the fencing blade passing his face. _Bloody hell._

Eirwen needed to concentrate on his match. He took a deep breath to steel his nerves, got into a stance, and charged forward. He managed to slip past Tom's defenses and touched the tip of his fencing sword to Tom's chest.

He'd just scored the winning point, making the final score - 15 to 12!

"Bout! Winner - Eirwen Darling!" the judge announced, waving his hand in Eirwen's direction.

Deafening cheers rose up from the stands and Eirwen had to resist the urge to plug up his ears with his index fingers. "Darling! Darling! Darling!"

Eirwen removed his helmet while Tom did the same. There was a lopsided smirk on Eirwen's face. He'd won the match. His _final_ match.

Eirwen ran a hand back through his sweaty, short, dark brown hair to get a few troublesome strands out of his face that had been irritating him.

Tom was grinning at Eirwen cheerily even though he'd lost. "Brilliant match." He stuck his hand out for Eirwen to take.

Eirwen took Tom's hand and shook his firmly. "Hell yeah."

Tom's happy expression turned serious. "Are the rumors true? You're quitting fencing?"

Eirwen shrugged carelessly. "I'm afraid so."

Tom's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Another shrug. "Fencing...just doesn't interest me anymore," Eirwen lied.

"Bollocks!" Tom swore in a frustrated manner. "I know you'll be back eventually, and when you return - I'll be waiting for our next rematch. But next time it will be at the Olympics."

"Sure," Eirwen half-heartedly agreed before his attention was drawn to the stands where he spotted his two younger sisters - Joan and Michelle - waving and screaming his name. His smirk widened into a broad grin. His sisters were utterly adorable, and the apples of his eyes.

Joan was eight-years-old, and had the same boring dark brown hair he did. She'd pulled her hair back into a serious ponytail, and had a pair of thick-framed glasses on her face. Michelle, on the other hand, didn't look related to them. She had blonde hair, which she wore in two pigtails, bright blue eyes, a round cherubic face, and a smattering of freckles along the bridge of her nose. Michelle was holding a stuffed pink unicorn.

Eirwen met their gazes and held up his sword in a triumphant pose. He then headed for the stands with purposeful steps, and watched as his sisters descended the stands. Once they'd reached the bottom of the stands Joan and Michelle started towards Eirwen.

Out of the corner of Eirwen's eye, he noticed that a man in a hoodie was approaching his sisters. He didn't really think anything of it until the man suddenly grabbed Michelle, who let out a surprised squeak.

The man kept one arm wrapped around Michelle's waist while he turned to face Eirwen and used his right hand to lower his hood to reveal-

It was Jim Graveson - an ex-fencer. Eirwen had competed against him during past fencing competitions. Eirwen recalled that Jim used to be a part of his school's fencing club, but he'd been expelled from his school for getting into fights outside of club activities, and had been forced to quit the fencing club too.

If he hadn't been expelled, Jim would have participated in the London Open and probably would have ended up in the finals against Eirwen since he was a better fencer than Tom. It was no secret that Jim had liked to consider himself Eirwen's rival.

Jim was tall and had a lanky physique. His skin was overly pale and he had short curly black hair. He was wearing a _Black Sabbath_ T-shirt, a pair of faded jeans and some muddy sneakers. Eirwen's fan girls probably would have considered Jim to be attractive if it wasn't for the glazed, slightly psychotic look in his eyes.

Eirwen gave the young man a confused look. "Jim."

"Eirwen," Jim drawled with a dark edge.

"Why are you doing this, Jim?" Eirwen demanded, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "Let Michelle go."

"Why don't you make me, _Champion_ ," Jim sneered, his lip curling in disdain.

"W-What?" Eirwen stammered in surprise.

"You heard me," Jim drawled, a glint in his gray eyes. "Make me. Fight me with that sword you're still holding in your hand. I should have been the one to fight you today - _not_ Tom. I would have beaten you and become champion. I'm the _real_ champion of this competition!"

Eirwen looked down at his fencing sword, and shook his head in a helpless fashion. "No way, mate."

Jim reached behind him and pulled out a rapier - a _real_ one with a long, thin, sharp steel blade. Jim put the edge of the blade against Michelle's throat. "I said...fight me. Or else little Michelle gets it."

Eirwen's amber eyes flashed with anger, and he raised his sword threateningly even though he knew a foil couldn't really do much damage. "Let her go, Jim."

"That's more like it!" Jim crowed happily.

When Eirwen saw a thin cut form on his sister's neck he flew into action, lunging his sword forward. Jim moved his sword away from Michelle's throat to parry the attack, and their blades clashed.

Michelle took that opportunity to bite Jim's forearm as hard as she could. Jim cried out in pain. "Ah! Why, you insolent little brat!" He let go of Michelle, who fell to the floor on her backside with an 'oomph!'.

Joan quickly scooped her younger sister up into her arms and ran for it.

"Get back here, you little brats! You'll pay for that!" Jim turned and started off towards the fleeing girls.

But Eirwen smoothly stepped into his path, blocking his way, and with his fencing sword raised. "I thought you wanted to fight _me_ , Jim."

A twisted smile spread across Jim's face. "Quite right." The two young men both got into fencing stances, and sized each other up for a moment. "Let's find out which one of us deserves the title of champion! Shall we?" Jim egged, before letting out a shout and attacking Eirwen.

Eirwen easily blocked the reckless attack with his fencing sword. Jim attacked swiftly again and again, but Eirwen continued to deftly block all of Jim's attacks.

Jim was beginning to get pissed and frustrated. Letting out a roar, he swung his rapier in a fierce sideways slash. Eirwen raised his sword to block the attack. Their swords clashed and Jim's rapier cut through Eirwen's fencing sword.

Eirwen leapt backwards instinctively, narrowly avoiding the tip of Jim's sword from grazing against his chest. No point had been earned yet though. But then Eirwen realized with a sinking feeling in his chest that he should have just let Jim's sword graze him and lose this impromptu match. _Bloody hell. Why am I even playing along with this lunatic? Who the hell cares who wins or loses at this point?_

Now Eirwen only had the pathetic stump of a fencing sword left to defend himself with while Jim had a _real_ sword that was deadly sharp and dangerous. There was this sinister leer on Jim's face as he pointed the sword at Eirwen.

Eirwen didn't fear death.

In fact, he would welcome it, but...

"Jim, stop this now. You're already going to be in so much trouble for this." Eirwen gave the young man a beseeching look. "Do you really want to throw your life away for this? For one silly match? It's not worth it. _I'm_ not worth it. As far as I'm concerned you've already won this match!"

" _No._ I haven't won the match yet," Jim argued passionately. "Not until I make you _bleed_!"

_Shit._ Eirwen realized he had no choice but to fight Jim seriously. When Jim charged forward Eirwen rushed to meet him. Jim's sword sliced into the side of Eirwen's cheek.

Getting past Jim's defenses, Eirwen used the stump of his sword to disarm Jim. Jim's rapier went flying up into the air. Eirwen spun and caught the sword by the hilt, and pointed the tip of the rapier to Jim's throat. "Yield, Jim."

With a psychotic glint in his gray eyes, Jim chuckled darkly. "I think not." Jim reached into his hoodie and pulled out a handgun. People immediately screamed at the sight of it and began to run for the exits in the hall.

Eirwen looked down at the gun and let out a heavy sigh. "You have got to be kidding me. Bad form, mate."

"Eirwen!" his sisters cried out simultaneously in their worry.

Jim's attention turned towards them and he pointed the gun at Eirwen's sisters.

Eirwen's eyes flared in alarm. _No!_ Eirwen dove in front of Jim and reached out to grab the gun. A single shot rang out through the air. Eirwen looked down and noticed the bright red spot spreading on his shoulder, blooming like a red flower on his white fencing uniform. _Heh, I've been shot._

Eiwen wondered dazedly why it didn't hurt. He smiled lopsidedly as he began to lose consciousness. _Hopefully this has killed me. That'd be great._

Out of the corner of his eye, Eirwen caught sight of a flash of gold and green.

A green mist enveloped the handgun and it was wrenched out of Jim's hand and sent flying, skidding across the gymnasium floor.

Jim loosed a cry of alarm and he too went flying, but Eirwen hadn't touched him. _Huh...? What's going on?_

"Eirwen! Eirwen!" His sisters were shouting his name, but they sounded so far away. This was the last thing Eirwen remembered before he lost consciousness.

***

With a flick of her graceful fingers Petra Pan had sent the punk's gun flying out of his hand and skidding across the hall floor. "What a coward, bringing a gun to a swordfight." Petra stuck her tongue out at him in an immature fashion.

With another wave of her hand Jim was sent flying across the hall. The back of Jim's head hit the wall hard and he was knocked unconscious.

Petra's grass-green eyes focused on Eirwen Darling again. She watched as he fell unconscious and his little sisters ran to his side. She grinned widely.

Eirwen had selflessly risked his own life to save the lives of his sisters. He was a hero. A guardian. A true knight. "Eirwen Darling...he's perfect. I have found my knight, Tink!"

Petra's male fairy companion - Tinker - shot Petra a look of sheer disbelief. " _Him_? But he _lost_."

"If Eirwen had been wielding a _real_ sword he would have easily won," Petra argued flippantly. "Neverland needs a knight to slay the evil creature that threatens its existence. And Eirwen is just like the dragon slayer, St. George - the perfect heroic knight."

Tink smacked a hand to his forehead and groaned. He now regretted having read the tale of _St. George and the Dragon_ to Petra. He'd been the one to put odd ideas into her head - _this time_.

There was a strange, hungry gleam in Petra's eyes as she looked down at Eirwen's unconscious form. She licked her lips unconsciously. "He's also quite...handsome. Isn't he, Tink?"

Tink gawked at Petra in horror. "What!"

"Oh, don't be jealous, Tink. You're handsome too," Petra quickly assured, glancing at the fairy on her shoulder. And the tiny male fairy _was_ handsome. Tink had short orange hair, and sparkling teal blue eyes. He was dressed in a tunic made of green skeleton leaves, brown leather pants, and green boots. A tiny sword the size of a needle was strapped to his side. All in all, he had a rather dashing appearance.

But...she'd never felt _this way_ about Tinker. Petra couldn't quite explain what she was _feeling_ in that moment. She'd never felt like this before.

As Petra had watched Eirwen face off against Jim without his helmet, Petra's heart had started to pound loudly inside of her chest as her gaze lingered on his handsome face. Butterflies had started to dance in her stomach, and tingles went up and down her arms. She was feeling strangely hot, restless and achy somehow.

She nibbled on her lower lip contemplatively and realized that she wanted to touch Eirwen. Get close to him. And then...do what? She didn't know.

_Oh, what is this strange, restless feeling welling up inside of me?_ Petra wondered dreamily. Was it an _adult_ feeling? Petra's eyes widened as she came to a sudden realization.

Love.

_Could this be...love?_ That feeling that adults felt for each other in the romance books Petra had sneakily read in secret. If Tinker had known the kinds of books she'd been reading he would have given her that disapproving look of his. He could be so overprotective sometimes it drove Petra mad.

Of course, Petra had also read about a different kind of love in fairytales. True love. Those tales were about brave princes rescuing kind-hearted princesses in distress. The destined couple wouldn't kiss until the very end of the story, and only after evil had been vanquished. Then the happy couple would live happily ever after. Also, according to those tales the power of true love's kiss was an incredible force that could combat dark curses and the forces of evil.

True love.

Love at first sight.

"You know what, Tink? I think...I've fallen in love with him at first sight," Petra announced before letting out a wistful sigh of longing. She had her chin propped on her hand and a dreamy expression on her face.

The blood drained out of Tinker's face, and he fell off Petra's shoulder out of shock. He quickly flapped his wings though, and flew back up to perch on Petra's shoulder again. "Love!" he screamed into her ear. "You can't be serious. You shouldn't even be capable of such feelings. And besides, you don't even _know_ him."

Petra's brow furrowed and a tiny frown formed on her face. It was odd for her to frown. She'd never frowned _before_. "Um, that's why it's called 'love at first sight'. Duh," Petra explained knowledgeably.

"You don't even know what love is," Tinker scoffed, but his voice was tinged with doubt. "You're nothing but a child!" He decided to remind her instead.

Petra snorted. "I _was_ a child. But not anymore...not since the Neverland Clock was stolen and started ticking." Petra's voice was laced with regret. Ever since she'd started to grow up things seemed so much more complicated. She longed for the days when she'd always been happy and without a care in the world. Her days had been filled with silly games and exciting adventures that she'd shared with Tinker and her Lost Girls.

"Only on the outside," Tinker said stubbornly. "You're still a child on the inside."

"A child that's been a child for a few hundred years," Petra reminded.

"You've never felt adult emotions before," Tinker said while giving Petra a stern stare. "You don't _know_ them. It's dangerous for you to think that what you feel for this mortal is love."

Petra raised a questioning eyebrow at Tinker. "Why would it be _dangerous_?"

Tinker flushed as dirty thoughts filled his head. He really didn't want to have to explain sex to Petra and its consequences. "J-Just stay away from him!"

Petra shook her head. "No can do. I want to get closer to him. He's the one, Tink. The one we've been looking for. With his help...we'll save Neverland. I'm taking him back with me. He's _mine_."

"You know the rules." A grim scowl formed on Tinker's face, and he folded his arms in front of his chest. "You can only bring those 'out of time' to Neverland."

A somber cloud fell over Petra's countenance. "Why do you think I chose to watch him in the first place, Tink? Eirwen Darling's time...has run out."

Tinker grew visibly startled, and looked back down at Eirwen, who was currently being put on a stretcher by an EMS team. That would explain the young man's recklessness. "I still don't like him," the fairy huffed with obvious irritation.

"Well, I do. A lot!" Petra giggled mischievously, turned herself invisible with a waggle of her fingers, and flew after them. "Come on, Tink! We have to follow them! He's mine!"

"Impetuous girl." Tinker shook his head, turned himself invisible, and followed after Petra.

***

Eirwen Darling awoke five hours later with a pained groan slipping past his chapped lips. "Ugh." He blinked his eyes open, stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling, and immediately frowned. Where the hell was he?

When he tried to sit up there was a sharp, stabbing pain in his left shoulder. "Ouch." He glanced down at his torso and saw that it had been bandaged. Also, someone had apparently dressed him in his pajamas. Ah, that's right, Jim had shot him. They must have already removed the bullet from his shoulder, or the bullet had passed right through the flesh of his shoulder.

Then Eirwen noticed his sisters - Joan and Michelle - in bed with him. Both girls were sound asleep, and snuggled up against his sides. His haggard expression softened at the sight of them. His lips dipped into a frown, however, as he thought about how they must have been worried about him. The last thing he wanted was to cause his sisters worry.

_It's a shame...I didn't die. Shit._ That would have been the perfect opportunity to die and get to die like a hero no less. He let out a disappointed sigh.

Eirwen Darling's time had run out. He'd been diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer. At this point the brain cancer had spread and the cells kept multiplying. It was already too late for chemotherapy to make much of a difference and surgery wasn't an option due to where the cancerous tumor inside of his brain was located. The last time he was at the hospital his doctor had told him he had a month left to live at the most.

Three years ago, Eirwen's parents had died in a car crash, and he'd been raising his sisters ever since. They were living off of a combination of their parents' savings and the money they got from their parents' life insurance policy. Still, it wasn't a lot of money and Eirwen decided he didn't want to tap into the money that could be used for his sisters' education by wasting it on chemotherapy that wouldn't buy him that much more time anyways.

All Eirwen wanted was to enjoy his last month on Earth by spending time with his sisters as much as possible. And then maybe he'd come up with a creative way to kill himself so his sisters wouldn't feel guilty that he hadn't wanted to spend money on chemotherapy and break into their college fund.

Maybe he'd jump off a bridge. Or jump out in front of a truck.

He'd taken a bullet for them, but hadn't died. What rotten luck.

Life wasn't done buggering with him yet apparently.

As carefully as possible so that he wouldn't disturb his sleeping sisters, Eirwen slipped out of the bed and made his way to the bathroom. After taking care of business, he washed his hands, and then splashed cold water on his face. His muscles ached. He felt exhausted and drained, and his head was pounding. He looked up at his haggard expression in the bathroom mirror.

Florescent lighting was _never_ very flattering to begin with, but Eirwen had to admit to himself that he looked like shit. He had dark shadows beneath his tired brown eyes, his complexion had turned incredibly wan, and his cheeks looked hollow.

A drop of blood dripped down from his nose. _Shit._

Eirwen grabbed a paper towel and held it up to his nose. He applied pressure to the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger to help staunch the blood flow. He couldn't return to his sisters until his nose had stopped bleeding. He didn't want to worry them.

Eirwen had accepted and come to terms with the fact that his time had run out.

Time was a bitch.

No one could escape Time. Except for maybe...Petra Pan.

A rueful smile tugged at his lips at the thought of the twelve-year-old girl who never grew up, and that lived in a magical place called Neverland where she battled her archenemy, Captain Jasmine Hook.

Eirwen's great grandfather Eirwen Darling had still been alive when he'd been twelve and had told him stories about how he'd been taken to Neverland one night. He'd always had a twinkle in his eye as he'd recalled Petra Pan and her loyal male fairy companion Tinker, who was so obviously in love with his charge. Petra had invited Eirwen to be the 'father' of the Lost Girls who'd been in dire need of parental guidance. For a time, Eirwen had lived in Neverland, but he'd eventually missed his family and decided to return home to London, England.

_If I could go to Neverland...I wonder if I wouldn't die. Or maybe when I die I wonder if then I'll get to go to Neverland._ Eirwen ran a hand down his face as he sighed. _I can't believe I'm even thinking about this. I don't believe in fairytales...or dreams or magic._

Abruptly, Eirwen recalled the vision he'd had of that strange girl - the one in fairy cosplay. She'd been pretty hot. Maybe if he wasn't going to die in a month he could have invited her out for a coffee or ice cream or something. _C'est la vie._

But even if he could go to Neverland, he'd never go without Joan and Michelle. He'd never abandon his precious sisters. Their protection was his responsibility and he would protect them until his last dying breath.

Finally, Eirwen's nose stopped bleeding and he exited the bathroom. He returned to the bed with his sisters curled up against his sides. His eyelids felt heavy and drooped until he fell into a very deep sleep.

***

Eirwen was having a nice dream. He could feel a cool, sea breeze blowing against his face. It felt refreshing. He could smell the salt in the air and could hear the sound of seagulls squawking as they probably soared overhead and eyed the sea below for fish. He groaned and stretched his stiff arms over his head.

Eirwen was reluctant to open his eyes since he didn't want this nice dream to end. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked up at...the sky? _What the?_ Instead of a plain white ceiling with peeling paint and water stains a blue sky was overhead complete with fluffy, white clouds that were drifting lazily past.

Eirwen sat up quickly and groaned at the pain in his shoulder. He tried not to panic as his head spun. But, apparently his bed was _flying_! He looked down at Joan and Michelle who were both still fast sleep and let out a sigh of relief. He didn't want to worry them just yet. After all, he was probably hallucinating or something.

"Wow," Eirwen muttered darkly to himself, "just what kinds of pain meds did they put me on?"

Something caught Eirwen's eye and he noticed that there was a rope tied to the footboard. Eirwen's gaze traveled along the length of rope until he spotted-

_What the fuck?_ He rubbed viciously at his eyes. Was that...a girl? And she was flying. Just like Petra Pan might have been. The girl appeared to be tugging the floating bed along with her as she flew off somewhere.

"Yep, I must be dreaming." A laugh started to bubble up his throat. Eirwen saw something flying close to Petra and shielded his eyes with his hand against the blinding sun to see it more clearly. It...looked like a tiny fairy man. His wings reminded Eirwen of a dragonfly's wings. They were opalescent, translucent, and glowed with a golden light. As the fairy flew forward he left a trail of glittering, gold dust behind him. _Pixie dust?_

The sound of Eirwen laughing slightly hysterically drew Petra's attention and she glanced over her shoulder at him. Her green eyes widened, and a bright smile formed on her face. "Oh! You're awake, Eirwen Darling." Petra dropped the rope and flew over to hover directly in front of Eirwen. "How are you feeling?"

Eirwen offered her a crooked smile. "Hello, Miss Hallucination. I'm going crazy. But other than that...I'm great. Thanks for asking," he replied dryly.

Petra tilted her head at Eirwen and her brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "Miss Hallucination? That's not my name. My name is Petra. Petra Pan!"

Eirwen laughed despairingly. "Yeah, and I'm the Easter Bunny!"

A small frown formed on Petra's face. "You don't believe me?"

"Well, first of all, you're just a figment of my overactive imagination. Secondly..." Eirwen glanced down at Petra's ample cleavage. Petra had rather large, luscious breasts. "Petra Pan is supposed to be the girl who never grew up. She's supposed to be twelve-years-old. And you...well, according to those breasts are at least as old as I am. Maybe older. You're an _adult_."

"My breasts?" Petra looked down at her chest quizzically. A thoughtful expression settled over her face as if she hadn't even noticed her breasts until Eirwen had pointed them out to her. Petra cupped her breasts with her hands and squeezed them. "What's wrong with my breasts?"

Eirwen flushed at her childish yet lewd actions. "N-Nothing is _wrong_ with them. They're just...you know, _huge_."

"And that's a _bad_ thing?" Petra looked up to meet Eirwen's gaze, her frown deepening.

"No - yes - I mean, it just means you're an adult," Eirwen coughed awkwardly into his hand. "Ahem. You know...?"

Petra blinked. "Having big breasts makes me an adult?"

"I'm starting to doubt that now actually." Eirwen scratched his head. What the hell was up with this strange girl? This was a very odd, messed up dream.

Petra accidentally pinched one of her nipples and gasped. Startled at her body's reaction to her own touch, her eyes widened. "What was _that_?" Her voice was tinged with awe.

Eirwen's mouth gaped open as he stared at this innocent yet lewd girl. He was at a total loss on how he should actually respond to _that_ question. "Uh..."

"Petra!" Tinker zoomed over to Petra and wagged his index finger at her in a chiding manner. "Stop that at once!" He flew over to Eirwen and glared into his face heatedly. "And you - stop putting strange perverted ideas into Petra's impressionable head!" The fairy then bit Eirwen right on the tip of his nose.

"Ow! Hey!" Eirwen rubbed at his sore nose and shooed the fairy off with his hand. "Okay, now there's a little fairy man talking to me and he sounds pissed. Maybe I should apologize or something. Even if this is just a dream there's really no reason for me to be impolite. Uh, sorry, mate?"

Tinker let out an exasperated huff. "This is not a hallucination, you fool." The fairy looked down his nose at Eirwen in a condescending manner. "And you're _not_ dreaming. This is real. She is really Petra Pan, and I am Tinker."

Eirwen gave the fairy man a suspicious and doubtful look. "Uh, no, you're in _my_ dream. That's why Petra has such huge-"

"Enough!" Tinker snapped, predicting where Eirwen was going with that thought, and bit Eirwen's nose again for good measure.

"Ow! Quit it!" Eirwen waved the fairy away again. "Will you stop _doing_ that?"

"I...grew up," Petra began to explain, wanting to soothe Eirwen's obvious unease. "The Neverland Clock was stolen, and it started to tick again."

"Neverland Clock?" Eirwen could feel a headache coming on.

Petra nodded. "That's why I've brought you here to Neverland, Eirwen Darling. Neverland needs your help. The help of a brave knight."

"A knight?" Eirwen shook his head. "I'm no knight. I'm just-"

"There! Look! You see, it's Neverland! We've arrived!" Petra waved a hand at the expanse before her.

_Neverland?_ Eirwen followed her line of sight and then spotted-

"Bloody hell."

An island had appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the middle of the ocean. And it was beautiful. The green, verdant island was mountainous and there was a dormant volcano located at its very center. Eirwen recalled his great grandfather's stories and thought he could recognize what must have been Merman Lagoon with its cascading waterfall, and the Indian encampment with its tall, carved animal totem poles, and conical-shaped teepees.

An unbidden smile had started to form on Eirwen's face as he admired the island, but then he caught sight of something rather unsettling towards the far end of the island. His lips thinned into a stern line. If Eirwen didn't know any better the far end of the island looked like it was...disintegrating.

At that moment, a gigantic forty-foot-long worm rose up from a hole before it crashed back down into the earth creating another hole. Dust was sent up into the air and it disappeared before it hit the clouds overhead. The worm wasn't alone either; there were more of them. "What the hell are those things?" Eirwen shuddered and rubbed his arms.

"Time worms," Petra explained bleakly. "Time is devouring Neverland."

Eirwen looked away from the depressing sight, and that's when his eyes landed on what appeared to be a pirate ship. "Wait, is that...? That's can't be Captain Jasmine Hook's ship, the Jolly Roger? Can it?" A deafening boom filled the air as if in answer to Eirwen's question. "Is that...a cannonball? Holy shit, it's coming straight for us!"

Tinker bite Eirwen's ear. "No swearing in front of Petra!"

"Ow!" Eirwen grabbed his bleeding ear and glared at the pesky fairy.

Petra zoomed around to the front of the bed, grabbed the rope, and quickly pulled the bed out of the way. And just in time. The cannonball went through a cloud instead - leaving a round hole behind.

"What the hell?" Eirwen demanded, his heart beating a mile a minute. "Is that Captain Hook down there? This dream keeps getting crazier and crazier! And why haven't Joan and Michelle woken up from all that noise?" He glanced down at his sisters in concern.

"I put your sisters under a sleep spell," Tinker informed Eirwen in a nonchalant tone. "They won't wake up until I choose to wake them up."

"Well, that's..." Eirwen frowned at the fairy suspiciously. "Slightly creepy. But, thanks. I think."

There was an excited gleam in Petra's green eyes, and she whipped out a dagger with a wickedly sharp blade. "That's Captain Hook's ship alright! She's spotted us! Tink, you take Eirwen and his sisters to the Lost Girls' Forest. I'll keep Hook busy!"

"Understood, Petra," Tinker grumbled. He wasn't too happy about being left to baby-sit Petra's knight and his sisters.

Eirwen looked conflicted by this sudden turn of events. "You'll... _what_?" He grew more alarmed when he saw the dagger in Petra's hand. "You can't just-" Eirwen was cut off when Petra flew over to hover directly in front of him and nuzzled her nose against his affectionately. Tinker turned red out of jealousy.

Petra smiled widely at Eirwen and winked. "Don't you worry about me. I can handle that catfish!" Petra returned her attention to Tinker. "Keep my knight safe, Tink."

"I will... _not_ ," Tinker muttered the last word to himself darkly.

"Hey, wait a second-" Eirwen objected as Petra flew off, heading towards the pirate ship.

Tinker grabbed the rope that was tied to the footboard, and began to head in the direction of the Lost Girls' Forest.

"Hey, wait, ahhh!" Eirwen was forced to hold onto the headboard for dear life as the bed shot off, flying towards the island. Towards Neverland.

***

"Hey, Hook, over here!" Petra egged as she slapped her behind with her hand. "Blast me if you can!"

Another cannonball was sent zooming Petra's way from the cannon that was sitting on the main deck of Hook's ship and currently being manned by Mrs. Bree.

Petra giggled madly as she easily dodged the attack and the cannonball went soaring through another fluffy white cloud harmlessly. She decided to get closer, and entertain Hook while Tinker took her knight to safety. Dodging cannonballs gracefully, Petra flew down and headed straight for Captain Jasmine Hook's ship.

She noticed that Jasmine had given her ship _another_ new paint job. This time the ship's hull had been painted with red and pink stripes. The sails on the ship's three impressive masts had been made out of a pink and red checkered material. The latticed windowpanes of the captain's cabin that could be seen at the stern of the ship had been painted pink instead of their usual gold. The current flag that was flying was hot pink with the image of a white skull and crossbones on it. Petra squinted her eyes at the flag and thought she could see red lace decorating the flag's edges. Mrs. Bree was probably responsible for that extra feminine touch.

Petra swooped down low and made a loop around the crow's nest, taunting the tattooed pirate girl inside of it and that fired a pistol shot at her. Then she spotted Captain Hook just below her.

"Petra Pan!" Hook shouted up at Petra, waving her golden, jewel-encrusted hook angrily in Petra's direction. "Get down from there so that I can gut you!"

Captain Jasmine Hook was beautiful despite her awful temperament. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded down around her shoulders in chaotic, glossy waves. She was wearing a dark green, gold, and black Victorian-style coat, tight black leather pants and boots with large cuffs. The green of her jacket brought out the dark green color of Hook's eyes. Hook was tanner than Petra due to being out in the sun more often, and from giving orders while swaggering along the main deck. A cutlass was stuck into the gold sash belt that was tied around her waist.

"Hello, Jass," Petra greeted casually, flying closer to Captain Hook. "Is that a new hat?" The hat sitting on Hook's head was larger than the one Petra remembered, wide-brimmed, green, and with a giant black feather.

A muscle beneath Hook's eye ticked in irritation. "Don't call me that! You have no right to call me by my first name! I am known as Captain Hook now! And it's all thanks to _you_!" she snarled and waved her hook at Petra threateningly.

Petra stared at Jasmine's left hand, which was a sharp, deadly, solid-gold hook. A flash of guilt crossed her usually carefree expression. "I'm sorry. You know I never meant to-"

"Lies!" Hook cut Petra off as she unsheathed her cutlass and charged forward. She swung her cutlass through the air in a sideways slash as soon as she was in range of Petra.

Petra swiftly flew upwards so that the cutlass's blade passed beneath her feet. A tiny frown formed on Petra's face. Although, _this_ was nothing new. It was always the same song and dance between her and Captain Jasmine Hook.

But for once Petra wished Jasmine would just...listen. Things could be different between them. They didn't have to be enemies.

"I will have my revenge, Petra Pan! I will have your head on a golden platter, and then I will present it to _him_!" There was a manic gleam in Hook's dark green eyes as she attacked Petra fervently.

Petra dodged the sword attacks easily. Captain Hook lunged her cutlass forward, aiming for Petra's heart next. Petra used her dagger to block the attack and the steel blades clanged loudly as they clashed together.

Captain Hook was an excellent swordswoman. The best in all of Neverland. But anytime she encountered Petra Pan she became blinded by her hate, and her attacks became reckless and stupid. Hook let out a frustrated sound as Petra effortlessly blocked another attack that should have taken off her head.

As for Captain Hook's loyal crew - Petra glanced around the deck and couldn't stop the amused smile that curled her lips. The all-female pirate crew was also used to Petra and Hook trying to kill each other on a weekly and sometimes daily basis.

Since Hook had already made it _quite_ clear that Petra was her prey (the last pirate who'd tried to interfere had walked the plank) and that no one else was to interfere during their battles, they, well, didn't.

But, Petra thought they all looked a little _too_ relaxed and unconcerned with the infamous Petra Pan in their midst. While reclining on ornate lounge chairs covered with plush velvet cushions several female pirates were dressed in skimpy bikinis and sunbathing. The bikinis were black and white, red and pink, red and white, or pink and white striped.

The female pirates were filing their nails, enjoying colorful alcoholic drinks and fancy cocktails, and reading fashion magazines. Petra's eyes narrowed when she recognized one of the titles as being _Cosmopolitan_. Hook must have taken a little trip to Earth to pick up those magazines for her crew, Petra realized uneasily. Hook's ship, the Jolly Roger, could fly because of the pixie dust Hook had stolen from the Fairy Kingdom during one of her pillaging raids. Hook going to Earth was never a good thing, and Petra wondered how much damage she'd done this time.

That's when she spotted a man. Petra blinked and did a double take. A man onboard the Jolly Roger was a very unusual sight indeed. Hook and her crew _hated_ men. And with good reason. They'd all been slaves once upon a time.

It'd been Jasmine who'd led the revolution of the female slaves to rise up against their pirate captors, and had taken over Blackbeard's ship. Jasmine had killed Captain Blackbeard herself and most of his crew all on her own apparently. Those that had been captured alive, Hook had mercilessly forced to walk the plank.

It was obvious that Hook hated men and had forbidden them from being on her ship. Which made it very odd that there was a man on Hook's ship at the moment.

And not just any man. He was incredibly handsome. Petra raised an eyebrow. Was he some sort of pleasure slave for the pirates?

But when Petra caught sight of the man's face she instantly recognized him and wondered why she hadn't realized who he was sooner. It was Prince Tiger of the Piccaninny Tribe!

Tiger was currently shirtless, showing off his tanned, muscular chest. He was wearing a pair of brown leather pants and moccasins, and like most of the other Indians of his tribe he was wearing a feathered headband. Orange face paint was streaked across his cheeks. Tiger's long black hair was thick, straight, had orange highlights, and scattered braids decorated with feathers and colorful beads.

_Goodness, what is Prince Tiger doing here?_ Petra wondered.

Tiger was holding a golden serving tray covered in an assortment of colorful, fancy, sweet cocktails decorated with little paper umbrellas that had definitely come from Earth. As he moved there was this clinking sound that drew Petra's attention to the thick manacles around his wrists that had a long chain between them.

Tiger approached the sunbathing female pirates and offered them drinks from the tray nonchalantly. The pirates tentatively took the drinks offered them, and smiled in thanks. They wore guilty expressions on their faces, however, and were shooting nervous looks in Hook's direction as if they expected her to make them walk the plank for associating with a male without her permission.

Petra couldn't help it - she burst out laughing like a hyena at the absurd sight of the brave, proud Prince Tiger serving these pirate wenches fancy cocktails! Petra quickly got her laugher under control though. She had to help Tiger. She flew up and cut a line on one of the sails so that it fell right on top of Hook.

Hook let out a cry as the heavy sail fell over her and pinned her to the deck.

Petra then flew over to Tiger and hovered directly in front of him. There was a mischievous glint in her green eyes. "Good day, Tiger, fancy meeting you here in a place like this."

Tiger's dark eyes widened as he looked Petra over. "Petra...Petra Pan?"

Petra nodded vigorously. Tiger was used to seeing her in her twelve-year-old form. Not this eighteen-year-old form. "Yes, it's me. I grew up."

"But how?" Tiger asked, a dark scowl forming on his face. One of the constants about Neverland was that Petra and her Lost Girls had remained young girls for hundreds of years. "Why?"

"It's kind of a long story...but actually a pretty short one. Tezcatlipoca stole the Neverland Clock and broke the spell on it. The clock has started to move again and so I started to age. But, more importantly, what are _you_ doing here? Are you on some kind of top-secret mission? Spying on Hook?"

Tiger held up his manacles. "What does it look like I'm doing here? I was defeated and captured by Captain Hook. She's trying to get me to tell her the whereabouts of Excalibur."

Excalibur - the legendary sword of Kings, and the only sword in existence that could slay a god like Tezcatlipoca.

A glint formed in Petra's eyes at the mention of Excalibur. "Speaking of Excalibur, I found a worthy knight that may be able to pull the sword from the stone."

Tiger's brow furrowed. "You brought him here to Neverland?"

Petra nodded, and shot a glance Hook's way. The pirate captain had almost managed to free herself from under the sail. "Uh oh. I'd better hurry up and rescue you!" Petra wiggled her fingers at Tiger's manacles. They became enveloped in a green-tinged mist before unlocking and falling to the deck with a loud clatter.

Petra reached into her cleavage and pulled out a small brown leather pouch next. She turned it upside down over Tiger's head and golden pixie dust sprinkled down over the Indian prince. Petra held her hand out to Tiger and grinned devilishly. "Think a happy thought!"

Tiger took Petra's hand, smirked, and nodded.

Petra began to rise up off the deck - Tiger along with her. Then they were flying. "Come on, let's go!" Petra declared as she flew off with Tiger. "So long, you catfish!" Petra called over her shoulder.

Hook removed the sail just in time to see Tiger and Petra flying away, and let out a shriek of outrage. "Argh! She stole my slave! Petraaaa! Get back here! I'll kill you for this!" The pirate captain waved her hook at their retreating backs.

Petra giggled madly. "My, my!" Hook was always _so_ angry. It couldn't be good for her health. The duo flew towards the Indian encampment and landed at the outskirts of the village.

"I can't stay," Petra said as she began to rise up off the ground again. "I need to check on my knight." Just as she started to fly away Tiger reached out and grabbed Petra's wrist, stopping her. He pulled her down towards him and Petra had been caught off-guard so in a matter of seconds their faces were inches apart.

"Thank you for rescuing me from Captain's Hook's clutches, Petra Pan," Tiger's voice was low, husky. He leaned forward and Petra's eyes widened when she thought that Tiger might try to kiss her. But then he seemed to think better of it and placed a kiss on the top of Petra's hand instead.

Petra blushed at the unexpected gesture and her hand was tingling slightly. That was no thimble! Tiger had always treated her like a little sister...a pesky little sister. So that'd just been weird.

Petra forced a smile on her face though. She didn't want to hurt Tiger's feelings after all. And now she was learning a thing or two about feelings. Bothersome things to be sure. "Anytime! Bye!" Petra said brightly before pulling her hand out of Tiger's grip and flying off, heading towards the Lost Girls' Forest.

To be continued in...Chapter 2:

###

Final note:

Other works by the author:

GENDERBENT FAIRYTALES COLLECTION

Handsome and the Yeti

Handsome and the Yeti (audiobook now available)

Petra Pan

Petra Pan (audiobook now available)

Alister in Wonderland

Alister in Wonderland (audiobook now available)

King of Hearts: A Wonderland Story

King of Hearts (audiobook now available)

Theodore Gale in Oz

Theodore Gale in Oz (audiobook now available)

Wicked Warlock of Oz

Wicked Warlock of Oz (audiobook now available)

Ashe and the Glass Sword

Ashe and the Glass Sword (audiobook coming soon!)

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