Al in Wonderland

Memories of The Lost

Al opened his eyes tiredly. He couldn't see until his vision focused.

The book was gone and the door was too. He lift himself slowly and coughed a little sniffling.

His whole body ached. He moved slower than he normally would and walked along grabbing the scarf.

The little firefly hurried out from the scarf and showed him the way.

The warmth of the forest reminded him of Cheshire. He didn't cry or think or smile.

He followed the firefly tiredly at his own pace.

With each step he took pieces of the ground turned into the tiles floor from his domain.

Leaving it unnoticed he walked on.

At least three miles later he took a break eating small berries that the firefly brought.

He realized he never asked its name.

"What.. is your name?" he asked it as he gave him some more berries.

"Brrr!" It dance, "Brrrrzzzeeee!" it rubbed against his cheek and Al smiled numbly.

"Belze?" he said and it nodded dancing some more. "I see, what an adorable name.." Al held out his hand and Belze sat down resting its wings.

"Bzzzr, bzzzzr!"

"Girl, huh," he chuckled even if it did hurt.

She walked along his hand telling him a story of when she saw a Geli, she explained it almost too perfectly.

He stood up again when she finished and dusted himself off as she fluttered up into the air.

"Brrzeebeeee!" she flew onward and Al followed her.

He had wrapped the scarf around himself feeling the emptiness.

"Bzzrrzzee," she sat on the scarf and huddled inside as it began to snow.

"Don't worry, I know where I'm going." He said keeping her warm.

The changing of the floor from his steps stopped soon after.

He saw the sign leading him the right way.

"I remember when, at this time, I would be in bed and Adam would bring me warm soup," he smiled using the scarf to cover himself as a hood.

"There would be small pieces of ham and warm mashed potatoes, small carrots and pieces of chicken," Al remembered it as if it were lost somewhere in his head.

"I liked how he would cuss that it was hot," Al laughed and the little firefly laughed with him.

"But I would still eat it like that. It was better when warm. I liked seeing him worry."

"Bzzeebeee?"

"Yes, it did make me feel loved." Al remembered more memories along the walk.

It was like he forgot them all. He remembered Elizabeth and how she treated her maids.

He smiled remembering his mother. She would always smile when she saw him. Not once had she ever gotten mad or even yelled at him.

"My mother was always really calm." He said thinking of her. "She never was the type to hold grudges for things."

The firefly moved down more still listening to him, she huddle up to him and smiled.

"She was the nicest person ever!" He said happy but didn't cry.

He walked farther seeing more signs of how close he got.

He saw Cassie running toward him and he squinted.

"Al!!" She screamed.

Al stopped as she came to a stunningly perfect halt hugging him.

"It's okay Al," she held him.

"Okay?"

"I'm here for you," she said.

Al stayed quiet and remembered Cheshire's face.

He narrowed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm okay," Al said as she let him go.

She stared into his eyes making sure.

He smiled, "I'm okay," he said showing her.
She smiled sadly seeing something different in him. Even if he smiled. Even if he laughed, the memories he lost were the ones that hurt him worse.

She walked with him following the map. She didn't speak and neither did he.

He remembered the maids that cared for him, Melodi and Lestia too. He remembered every detail, even the unnoticed silver heart on Melodi's shoulder.

He smiled to himself. Something inside of him burned. Something shifted and changed.

Vaan crawled along the floor groaning in pain.

"Aaaah!" He cried out digging his nails in the tile floor.

The vines pierced out his body into the ceiling. More struck into the walls.

Blood seeped out from his lower back where the vines came out. Bell struggle stumbling over her own feet.

She dropped against the wall as a vine plunged straight through her stomach.

"Aaaaaaagh!" Vaan cried out as vines burst out from his back. Blood spurted as the vines lingered along his body.

"What's... happening?" the darkness in Zela burst out from her mouth and eyes.

"Al.." Vaan tried to stand up, "Al is rejecting us-aaaaaaah!" he screamed as vines stabbed his hands.

-

Cassie and Al came up to a river and a bridge.

Cassie glanced at Al who kept the smile from before. He thought about the memories he had forgotten.

A sudden turn showed on his face and Cassie caught this.

He looked at her and smiled again.

"I'm okay," he chuckled. "I'm okay."

The words were empty and far.