Al in Wonderland

A Smaller Goddess

Al lay in the same bed as Cheshire. He was still cold and very still. His body was calm and made no movement.

Al stared at him and sighed softly. He couldn't look away and only turned facing him.

He touched his cold cat ears and smiled trying to be happy.

But the pain in his chest killed him when he smiled. He curled feeling the pain get worse and soon he was coughing.

He didn't see Bell and Vaan he controlled his coughing. His chest was heavy and he groaned annoyed by it.

He couldn't speak, his throat was sore and his nose was stuffy. It was him all over again.

"What are we going to do?" Bell asked, "With Cheshire gone..."

"I know.." he said, "we can only rely on her.." Vaan closed the door softly for him to not notice and left.

Bell followed him to the large room with the tablets.

The woman who came out from Al's back the time before.

She had black hair and seamless all black eyes. She wore a black gown much like Bell's.

"He's.. rejecting me.." She said and looked at Vaan.

The tablet with the dark symbol on it floated over the tablet bed where it belonged.

Electricity kept it from going down along with a dark barrier.

Vaan narrowed his eyes. "He's not in a good mood or condition," Bell explained.

"Maybe if we called her.." she looked at the large statue. "She could give him back to us."

"Cheshire is not dead." The woman said,

"Not.. dead?"

"But he's still." Vaan questioned her.

"She told me so." The woman looked at the statue and smiled. "She told me it is a game, a riddle Al must fix an solve."

"A game?"

"A way for him to see the truth."

"Zola," Vaan got closer and then the tablet struck the barrier forcing itself in.

They watched the barrier falter and soon crack letting the tablet seal into its bed.

The dark symbol glowed with the other two and Al appeared in the bubble. The water was red and his body twitched.

He opened his eyes and closed them again. His hand close and opened, he twitched again and blood came out from his mouth.

"Oh.. no," Bell almost cried.

"He's getting worse." Vaan said.

"It.. is a nightmare." Zola said feeling accepted.

"Nightmare?"

"When Alice did not believe, she was hurt and cured when she understood her role. Al must do the same, or he too will die."

"Die.." he looked at Bell.

"He thinks he's in a nightmare!" They said together.

The ran back down the hall and to the room where they were.

Cheshire was still there but Al was gone.

"Al?!"

"Look!"

They saw blood on the floor leading out the room.

Quickly they followed it and ran down following it toward another door.