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wcmiunofficial · 5 years ago

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WCMI (Unofficial): Ch.33 Goodbye May Seem Forever

((UPDATE AUG. 22 2019: All updates of this story will now be here as well.))

But if you want to leave, you can. I'll remember you though. I remember everyone that leaves.

‘Lilo & Stitch’, 2002

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Alice was reading by the light of a lone candle near the window in her room. The fireflies were long gone as winter approached, which made her feel wistful for their soft glow that dazzled the summer evening skies. As winter's icy fingers crept across The Realm, Alice slumped into a depression she felt she couldn't open up to anyone about for fear that they may become overly worried about her. She also felt as if anyone she told wouldn't really understand the reasons behind her melancholia. So she spent the days preparing for a long and dreadful winter, practicing ways to hold up the perfect mask of normalcy to the rest of the world in the meantime. It would be quite awful, she knew. But, the comfort of a good book was usually helpful in the endeavor to lift her spirits, so of course that's where she turned to at night when there was nothing else to curb the nagging feelings of depression.

After awhile, a slow, hollow whisper on the wind blew into her room.

“'Twas brillig...and the slithy toves...”

Alice brought her eyes up from the book to look for the source of the singing, wondering at first if it might have been Reginald trying to serenade her from out on the lawn again.

“Did gyre and gimble...in the wabe...”

A dark ethereal voice echoed about her room from a source that was difficult to locate. It sounded as if it was all around her now. “What-” her words fell short as she felt compelled to listen. This song...was familiar to her.

“All mimsy...were the borogoves...”

Of course she knew this song! “Cheshire?” Alice inquired softly, remembering the plump, unusually colored feline she met so long ago.

“And the mome raths out graaaabe...”

What appeared before Alice was certainly a cat, but it was like a horrible version of the one she remembered. While it was still similar in shape and color, it was different in size and, well, everything else. His fur was ragged and was swept at strange angles. His teeth looked much sharper and jagged than Alice had remembered, too. But the biggest difference that she noticed right away were his eyes. Instead of the non-threatening usual cat's eyes he used to have, what gazed back at Alice in their place were wide, luminescent, color-changing orbs with slits in their middles. It felt as if the The Cat's eyes bore into Alice, to the very core of her being. To places within her she hadn't even known existed.

She shivered. The flame of the candle near her window was now put out, she'd noticed.

“Oh hello, Alice. What seems to be the matter?” the enigmatic feline questioned in an innocuous tone.

Alice struggled to find words at first. This terrifying thing staring back at her – no – through her, left her speechless.

“Cat got your tongue?” The Cat practically spat the words out and his rhetorical question spiraled into a fit of ghoulishly mad laughter before the creature composed himself long enough to let Alice respond.

“Who are you? And how did you get in here?” Alice asked, closing her book and laying it softly in her lap. She kept one hand on it in such a way that she could use it as a weapon, if need be. He was just a cat, but everything about him was so unnerving. As the flashbacks of this creature almost getting her head cut clean off started to bombard her thoughts, Alice figured it was better to be safe than sorry around him.

“Why, I'm The Cat, of course. You do remember me, don't you?” came his reply.

“I do. And that's why I'm only interested in getting down to the bottom of what you want so I can send you on your way. Preferably shortly,” Alice stated, shifting into a standing position to better see the cat in the darkness. Standing also offered her better leverage in case things went south.

The Cat's eyes never left her and followed her movements so intensely that it made Alice feel as if he could anticipate her every move before she made it. “Oh come now! We have so much catching up to do!” he shouted convivially.

Alice sighed and a look of annoyance crossed her face for a brief moment before she tried to compose herself. She would not let him fluster her this time. Coolly her answer swept across the room and tickled The Cat's ear: “All I want to know is what you want. So that I can go to bed soon..” She added, after a short pause, “Peacefully, I hope.”

A pointed grin glinted back at her from the dim room, illuminated by the moonlight. “Do any of us really ever know what we want, my dear?”

Alice put her book down and crossed her arms lightly, replying, “Well, yes. Otherwise no one would ever have any kind of direction in life.”

Laughter bubbled up in The Cat's throat and bounced around the room as he inquired in a sing-song manner, “Oh but do you know what you want?” His laughter came to an abrupt halt as his uncanny green eyes fixed tightly on her once more.

“Now what kind of a silly question is that? Of course I do,”Alice stammered. It felt as if she were facing off with him verbally and being swept around into a circle of confusion, much like when she came to Wonderland for the first time all those years ago. She began to feel small and helpless all over again. The Cat was just as frustrating to talk with as she remembered, too. This time around, however, she could sense something else in her more matured mind that she was not able to articulate as a child. The Cat, while it seemed he knew nothing when he spouted his nonsense, actually knew a great deal more than Alice gave him credit for. At any rate, The Cat was not a puzzle Alice dared to try and figure out tonight and she feared if she let him stay too long, mayhem would come knocking on her door in the wee hours of the night. Clearly, this was not a night that she was prepared to venture into anything like that.

The Cat's body floated on the air and began to walk away from his now disembodied head. It danced about while his head stayed stationary in the air next to it. Alice's eyes flitted nervously between his head and the rest of him. The Cat yawned and his mouth gaped open like a forbidden portal of razors. Eventually he lazily purred in reply, “Hmm. I don't really think you know what you want. Anyone can see that you're so terribly indecisive. They say curiosity killed The Cat. But here I am, alive. And you? You're so very curious. It's killing you, isn't it?”

Alice froze. “What's killing me? Curiosity?” she asked the question stiffly, eyes wide as her emotional state teetered between fear and frustration.

“Not knowing,” said the cat. “The curiosity of wondering where you can be happy forever. What would make you happy, Alice? I mean truly happy. Here...or there? The bookshop? Your family?” The Cat's body had begun chasing its own tail at this point. “The Hatter?” he inquired lightly after a bit of uncomfortable silence.

Alice swallowed hard. She knew her cheeks were aflame because her ears burned as he went on. She wanted so badly for The Cat to leave. But it was killing her not to know where he was going with this. She was tired of feeling so very lost these days. With the hope that he strangely might be able to provide some kind of insight into everything if she could just ask the right questions, Alice pressed on.

“How do you know about all this? Has Reginald been talking to you?” she eyed him suspiciously.

“Quite the contrary! He nearly had my fur for a hat the last time I attempted to speak with him. If you ask me, I believe his ire is misplaced. He's mad and all, you know. Can't really trust his view on things,” a dismissive paw waved across the room as The Cat spoke.

Alice sighed. “Mm. It's completely his fault for not giving you a chance, I'm sure.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm which The Cat either willfully ignored or was truly unaware of.

“That is precisely what I have been saying. I'm glad we're on the same page!” he chuckled while his body began to dance slow circles around his head in mid air.

Alice couldn't help but be bewildered by this. Of all the magical things she'd seen in Wonderland, seeing The Cat's strange form separate, change shape, disappear, and any number of the other things he could do, would always baffle her.

She continued on. “I'm not quite sure where I belong or where my happiness lies at the moment, to be honest with you, Mr. Cheshire.

“So this is where you leave to The Other Side, naturally,” offered The Cat in a very matter-of-fact tone.

“I beg your pardon?!” Alice realized her voice was raised much higher than she had meant for it to be and she looked around for a moment as if someone were about to come in and chastise her yelling in her own home. In a softer tone she said, “What I meant was...how do you mean? I don't exactly belong here, but I'm not ready to leave Wonderland yet, really.”

The Cat's body came to a halt and brought itself around to connect to its head. Placing a paw on each side of his face, The Cat spun his head around on his shoulders as if to screw it back on.

He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity before he turned to the full length mirror in Alice's room. Her gaze followed his movement and she noticed something strange. The mirror was beginning to glow a faint blue around the edges of the glass.

The Cat's voice broke through her state of awe. It was low and smooth. “Are you really so sure?”

Alice glanced back at The Cat and then at the mirror. He dipped his head encouragingly in the direction of the looking glass. Before she even touched the glass, she knew exactly what would happen. “I'm...I'm not ready to leave yet. I'm sorry,” she said softly, eyes still fixed on the glowing glass before her. The offer to escape and go back to living her old life was so tempting. Shedding the heartache and indecisiveness of her current life seemed like such a natural way to go. But something held her back.

* BANG BANG BANG *

A knock at the door downstairs snapped her out of the mental war she was busy waging on herself. “What on earth...Who could that be at this hour??” she looked at The Cat. “You stay here and don't touch a thing.”

* BANG BANG BANG *

In a flash, Alice tugged on her robe and donned her slippers before sweeping down the stairs to open the door. “Yes, yes! One moment!”

When she flung the door open, she came face to face with Reggie and her expression of anger dissipated into one of surprise.

“R-Reginald...” she stammered softly. Then she felt her cheeks get hot and the anger bubbled back up. “What are you doing making such a racket on my doorstep in the middle of the night? Haven't you any idea what time it-”

Reginald cut her off. “Alice, is everything alright? Are you safe?”

He seemed so worried. And at this point, Alice finally noticed that he seemed rather breathless. Beads of sweat gathered upon his forehead and his snow white, curly hair was disheveled. It was as if he had run all the way there. His concern melted her icy expression.

“Of course I'm alright,” she replied firmly but kindly.

He stood on his tip toes, looking into the house behind her, putting him unnervingly close to her. The Hatter didn't seem to notice as he worriedly scanned the room.

He was so close to her that Alice caught the combined scents of sweet spices, leather, and dried tea leaves that she'd come to associate him with. It was oddly comforting, especially after not having spent any time with him for months now. But this was all so much.

Hatter eventually stepped back and inspected the porch quickly, his eyes darting around suspiciously.

Suddenly, Alice could hear The Cat's voice in her head. “Just look at him. He's still madly in love with you. He's never going to leave you alone. You should do what's best and leave now, or you may never have the courage to.”

“Hush,” she thought. But a piece of her couldn't help but echo similar sentiments. That piece of her was much larger than she wanted it to be.

“What is going on? This had better not be some hare-brained attempt at trying to invade my home in the middle of the night in the hopes that I will fall prey to your wiles,” Alice spoke aloud to Reginald.

A switch seemed to flip on and the troubled man took a step back. Reginald cleared his throat and a deep blush spread itself over his befreckled cheeks. “I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I just thought...” he paused. Everything seemed to be alright. Maybe The Cat had never even gone to bother her and explaining the situation to her may have made it seem like he was indeed making something up just so he could trouble her doorstep and mind once more. Realizing this, Reginald sighed and said, “It's nothing. I'm so sorry. I just had a nightmare that something awful happened to you and I wanted to make sure that everything was alright, Cric- I mean, Alice.” It was half true. He had such a nightmare roughly a month prior to this where exactly that had happened. But it was an excellent cover for now, he thought.

Alice softened her tone a bit. “Oh. Well, that's...very sweet of you to come check on me, then. But as you can see, I'm perfectly safe. All in one piece. Fit as a fiddle.”

There was a moment of silence where the two just stood on the threshold of her home, staring at one another. In their eyes there was a longing that was evident to both of them as they searched each other's faces for the stories they told. Reginald could tell that Alice was still very much conflicted about everything. Her body language was stiff and reluctant, though her eyes called to him like he was the moon that she longed to one day touch, though never would because of the distance between them. It made his heart ache to know she was looking at him that way and there was nothing he could do to help her let her guard down so he could comfort her. He didn't want to be her moon. He wanted to be her Hatter.

His stunning ice blue eyes met hers with concern and warmth. Alice looked over Reginald and could nearly feel every word he wanted to say to her the last few months wash over her in a wave of unspoken affection.

Another part of her longed to embrace him and never let him go.

“You could only ever be friends if you plan on going back home, remember?” The Cat's voice came into her mind again. “When will that be? How much longer will you fight this battle? You said it yourself; you don't belong here.”

Alice was the first to speak. “It's late, Reginald.” A chilly, harsh wind blew through the door, whipping Reginald's curly tresses across his face and making Alice shiver. “You should go home now and get warmed up.” Reginald lowered his head in agreement. “Y-yes. You're quite right. You're shivering and I'd rather you be comfortable and warm, as well.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I suppose I shall see you whenever I see you.”

Alice hesitantly stepped back out of her doorway and nodded. “Good night, friend,” she responded quietly. And then, the door was shut. Reginald stood there in hopelessness longer than he cared to admit when questioned about it later on. After some time, the night swallowed him up and he was home with no memories of how he even got there the next day when he woke up.

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Ears was enjoying a day sleeping in for the first time in awhile when a heavy rapping upon his door startled him into consciousness. * BANG BANG BANG *

The March Hare jumped out of bed and yelped as he hit the floor. “Whoever it is, this had better be good,” he shouted as he made his way to the door, still in his pajamas and nightcap. Reggie rushed into his home the moment Ears opened the door. Ears spun around in confusion as his friend thunderously and swiftly invaded his home.

“What is th-” his inquiry was cut short as Reginald launched into an anxious retelling of all the misfortunes from the night before.

After filling his dearest friend in on the series of events, Reginald finished with,“And now she must think me a fool for waking her up in the middle of the night with my nonsense. I think The ,” he caught himself and looked around warily before continuing, “C-A-T must have set this up to make me look like a desperate idiot in order to further drive her away from me.”

“Very likely, yes,” stated Ears bluntly as he went about the house making his morning tea while Reginald spoke. “I still think Alice may be in trouble, Ears. I have no doubt that if he hasn't already troubled her, he soon will.”

Ears shrugged and offered, “For what it's worth, I think it will be alright. She's got a good head on her shoulders.” “But she's not from here, Ears. She's not used to dealing with him. He'll probably drive her madder than, well, I am!” replied Reginald incredulously. Ears finished up preparing tea for the both of them and sat down at his table, silently beckoning The Hatter to have a seat as well. Reginald opted to pace around Ears' living room instead, it seemed.“If you haven't already driven her there, Reggie, I think she'll be able to handle him,” said The Hare finally before taking his first long and much-needed sip of tea.

Reginald ran his hand roughly through his hair and grunted in frustration. “That DAMNED Cat!” he exclaimed.

The Hatter clapped a hand over his mouth shortly after the outburst, but the damage was already done. A shrill, tiny cry sounded from the sugar bowl on the table: “CAT? CAT!!! CAT!!!” The dormouse scrambled out of the bowl in sheer terror, his tiny legs carrying him across the table as fast as they could go. “The jam, the jam!” cried Reggie as he darted toward the table in an attempt to corral the hysteric creature. Ears expertly sprinted to the kitchen and back in a matter of seconds, jam jar in hand. The two were able to pin down their little mousey friend, successfully coating his nose in jam, thus comfortably sedating him. Once he was back in his sugar bowl fast asleep, Reginald apologized profusely and promised to leave if Ears promised to keep an eye on Alice for him in the coming days since he himself was unable to without crossing her boundaries. Ears agreed, of course, stating that Reggie wasn't the only one who cared about her safety and wellbeing. The two parted and the next few days seemed to go by as usual. Ears lightly observed Alice for a few days before determining that things must have been going well for her. He witnessed her leave for work in the mornings and return home every night just the same.

Things seemed to go on as usual. Until a few days after that, when he never saw Alice leave or come home. The lights in her home were on, however. Figuring that maybe she had taken a few days to herself from work, Ears calmly informed Reggie of Alice's sudden inactivity for a few days in a row.

“What?? Why didn't you tell me sooner?” Reggie roared. “I'll bet The Cat got to her. What if he got her killed? I will have his pelt for a hat by the end of the day if he has so much as harmed a single hair on her!”

“Now, now. We'll just take a walk to her home and you can stay hidden in the treeline while I knock on the door and check on her. I think knowing that she is safe will put our minds at ease. The Cat isn't so dastardly as to intentionally harm someone for no reason, you know,” Ears reasoned.

When the two made it to Alice's home, they split up and took to their respective places. Reggie nervously fiddled with the leaves of a nearby bush as the third knock landed upon her door with no answer. Ears leaned against the door with an ear up to it for a moment. Nothing.

He called out to The Hatter. “Uh, Reginald. I think now would be a good time to get worried. There is absolutely no sound coming from inside.”

Of course Reginald was now on her doorstep in no time at all. Carefully, the two opened her door and called for their friend. No answer.

Reginald had just begun to devolve into a high-speed come apart when Ears pointed out an envelope addressed to The Hatter sitting on a nearby table.

He took a deep breath before opening it, fearing for the worst.

As soon as he took in the first few words, his heart sank.

“Goodbye may seem forever. Farewell is like the end. But in my heart's a memory, and there you'll always be.

Sincerely, Alice Liddell”

He was in the midst of searching for his handkerchief to dry the oncoming tears when a familiar and unwelcome voice purred from behind him, “Well, well. I think this is the first time I've ever seen you actually learning from a lesson. Don't worry. Not every rejection from a woman who denies you will feel as bad as this one did. Don't you think it's such a fitting punishment in return for being a notorious heartbreaker? Losing the one woman you actually ever did love? I promise you'll thank me later.”

Reginald spun around to witness none other than The Cat lounging on the coat rack behind the door, peering at him with those devilish eyes and smiling that insidious grin.

The Hatter dried his tears up almost immediately before his mood flipped over to overwhelming anger. “What are you doing? What is your endgame here, Cat? So help me, I will destroy you if you've done anything to her,” he snarled.

The Cat chuckled heartily. “Boldly challenging a god among madmen? You always keep me on my toes with your unpredictability and steadfastness. See, this is why I just love to meddle in your life when I have nothing else to fill my time.”

Reginald balled up his fist. Ears rushed to his side to hold him back from The Cat. “No! You don't know what he'll do,” the Hare cautioned firmly.

The Cat disappeared and his voice danced around the room while the two searched the room to no avail for any trace of the mischievous feline visually.

“You must understand that this has taken such a load off my shoulders. You and I both know she could have never stayed here forever. Things have just never been that way in The Realm. Allow me to explain. Have a seat.”

Two chairs from the parlor scooted themselves behind the bewildered pair's knees, buckling them backward into sitting positions. The arms of the chairs then stretched across their chests, holding them firmly down. Both Reggie and Ears struggled for a bit before deciding the point was moot.

“You see, if she would have stayed, she would have been the first person from The Other Side to stay here forever. And you know I have this fear of things ruining the balance between both our worlds. If it just so happens that she is like some of the other humans who have invaded The Realm only to threaten our way of life with greed, war, pollution, death, and famine, then there is no use to her being here. For centuries, I have helped maintain this land of pure whimsical joy and I would rather things stay that way. It's probably for the best that she is on The Other side for now. I can't say I didn't see it coming. It's always the same. Human wants to stay, but can't because they can't let go of their loved ones and natural way of existing. None of them will ever adjust to this world. Once they are on The Other Side, they eventually begin to talk about The Realm. Obviously, no one believes their wild tales and so the human almost always wants to come back to find proof of Wonderland that they can take back to The Other Side. But so far all of them have been unsuccessful in that endeavor due to me thwarting their attempts to do so. If the other humans on The Other Side who haven't been here don't know anything about us, it's for the best. I will not abide their selfish and destructive habits.”

The voice seemed as if it were coming from behind Reginald where couldn't see The Cat. This only served to make The Hatter angrier, and he was again on the verge of tears from the sheer helplessness of it all.

“You remember Gaston, right? He was such a bad egg. He died in The Realm because he was a selfish human who was not intent on staying in our world. He landed here by accident, of course. As soon as he got acclimated to being here, he was determined to bring some magical prey back with him to show how victorious he was as a hunter. Along the way, he became utterly infatuated with Belle. You know her. Sweet girl. Anywayyyy”

The Cat's voice sung and Reggie struggled some more, tiring himself out rather quickly so he resigned to just listening now.

“So that muscled-up buffoon tried to win her over with the ulterior motive of taking her back to his world. Well, a lot of things happened, and then he got into a fight with Adam...and the rest is history. I'll let you in on a little secret: If any of these humans were to stay here long enough and choose The Realm without a single doubt in their heart, they would be made immortal, just like us. If they turn out to be terrible like that wretched hunter, then our world is doomed. A tyrannical, immortal human villain from The Other Side who seeks to bring our world to ruin is the last thing we need. People from THERE can't stay HERE without making the commitment to lose everything in the other world. I also have to deem them worthy of keeping a presence in Wonderland, as well. I am biased, though, since I tend to look down on humans greatly, as you may have gathered. I have never been wrong about a human so far. But that little bookfiend Alice...she has a sort of special place in that old, dusty heart of mine. She did survive my madness the first time around, after all. I believe that she has the potential to stay and help Wonderland prosper, if she could just find a way to open up her mind. I think that girl may not be a good fit here unless she shuns most, if not all, of her upbringing. I wonder what she will choose. There are already a few smart, bookwormish, feminine types with their heads in the clouds that occupy the surrounding kingdoms...what makes her any different? I guess time will tell, won't it? But, truly, it is of no consequence to me which way this tumultuous affair ends. This is merely a game to me. One that I will always win. Rest assured, Wonderland will be safe no matter my decision. The forces that be have an eye on everything at all times in these matters. The fun has only begun...” he trailed off into a light laughter.

Reginald slumped into the chair, the gravity of everything now weighing on him heavier than ever. He finally began to weep. The arms of the chairs loosened until they settled down into their regular shapes, setting the companions free. The Hatter sat forward, elbows resting on his knees with his head in his hands. “Aw come now. Cheer up. If she chooses to come back and is right for The Realm, you'll see one another again. The chances are slim, but there's always hope. Of course...you could follow her to The Other Side, maybe, to persuade her.” The cat paused for a moment, seemingly entertained by this notion. “Wouldn't that be interesting?”

Reginald didn't even look up as he stood, grabbed his things, and began to head out the door. Standing at the threshold of Alice's former home, he looked slightly over his shoulder to say, “If she wants to come back, she will. I just...want her to be happy anywhere she is. The choice is hers and I won't bother her, if that's what she wants.” He moved to begin walking again but then stopped for a moment. “Cat. I want you to leave me alone for awhile, if you're so inclined. I will not have the energy or will to engage you any time soon.”

The Cat's voice faded away as the two friends left the desolate house. “As you wishhh...” was his final remark.

The Hare's ears were perpetually pricked up throughout this whole exchange. As they sullenly walked home, Ears said carefully, “Reggie, I've never seen you like this. I...I'm so sorry. What now?”

“We go about business as usual. I can't keep ruining her life. It's time I've started to try to move on with mine.”

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