Once Again : Part 3 : Return to the Future

Part 1 : Recome

Alice woke up in her guest room in current-time Underland. Alice got up, yawning slightly, and rushed outside as soon as possible. 
    Hatter, and all the usual attendants, were sitting at the tea table. Hatter’s clothes were droopy, and his hair was lighter than usual. 
    “Do you think she meant to leave…?” Hatter asked, staring into space. Mally and Chess sighed.
    “Tarant…” Cheshire said. “Don’t be grumpy, please…?” Hatter’s eyes turned dark orange-red. Hatter smashed his hands onto the table. 
    “You’re just sayin’ that!” Hatter said, in his thick angry, Scottish accent. “You slurvish, scut-!”
    “Hatter!” Alice yelled from a short distance away. Hatter turned around, forgetting everything from a moment ago. Hatter couldn’t find words. Mally and Piper both gasped happily. Alice threw herself into Hatter’s arms.
    Alice looked up at Hatter. “Oh, Hatter, I am so sorry! I was gone for 6 or more days and I have no idea why I went into the past but I did and I met you Mally and Chess and-” Hatter blinked blankly.
    “Alice!” He stopped her. “Slow down, you’re acting absolutely regrattlin’.” Alice shook her head.
    “Sorry...” She squeaked. Alice looked at Mally on the table. Have you two solved your problem?” She asked. Mally nodded.
    “I ain’t holdin’ no more grudges.” Mally squinted at Chess. “Not with im’ at least.” Mally smiled at Hatter.
    “So, what’s your plan now?”
    “Chess said that I would meet that special person soon,” Mally sighed. “But I’m not sure.” Piper’s ears folded slightly, and his lips molded into a frown. He sighed, and looked down at his tea cup. Piper’s ears folded back up again, as if he had reminded himself of something. Alice smiled slightly at him, and then looked back to Mally.
    “Just be patient,” Alice smiled. “I’m sure you’ll meet them soon.” Piper sipped his tea.
    Hatter asked Alice where she had been. Alice explained all the adventures and all the events that took place in the past while she was there.
    “I hit my head on a rock,” Alice said, Hatter gasped, and Chess raised an eyebrow. “Then I woke up, and Hatter was hung upside down from a tree.” Alice laughed. Hatter squinted, and Cheshire smirked. Alice continued telling the story, and passed the part where Hatter had been worried about Chess. Mally and Chess looked at Hatter.
“Aww.” Mally teased. “You do care about him.” Mally, Chess, and Thackery all chuckled. 
“That’s before he was a slurking, scuttish, scut…” Hatter grumbled as they mocked. Alice giggled, and continued her story. Piper sighed when she talked about meeting him. 
“And… Cronia?” Alice looked at Piper.”She seemed important to you. Who was she to you?” Piper’s ears perked up at her name, but then fell. 
“She was my twin sister…” Piper explained. “She was named after her engraved talents*.” Alice tilted her head.
“Engraved Talents*?” Alice asked, taking a break from her story. Piper cleared his throat.
“Here we go…” Hatter said quietly. Piper looked at his hands.
“My species were specially known for our talents.” Piper’s ears were up and his eyes shined. “Our names were determined by our three talent slots, one was undeterminable, and two revolved around one thing, the three being: Animals, Simple Talent, and Unexplained. For example, Cronia, she was named that for her two: Aquatic animals, and breathing under water. She had very rare ones indeed. Her Unexplained one was her ability to go invisible completely.” Alice leaned forward in her seat, and looked at all the others. 
“What are yours?” Alice asked. Piper sighed.
“Music…” He said. Alice made a confused look. Piper rolled his eyes. “My name is ‘Piper’ for my abilities to play any and all instruments. My animals are merely land and air animals, but when I turn into them, I can make that animal’s noise 3 times louder than the actual sound. My Unexplained one is my lack of the reaction to poison. Of course, all things have limits, which is why I can’t have Squimberries.” Piper sighed. “Cronia, in exchange for her abilities to be seen, became very loud whenever she was invisible, so if you couldn’t see her you could most definitely hear her.” This made Alice wonder... a lot.

*To learn more about Engraved Talents, go to: Once Again Files : Piper