Al in Wonderland: You've Gone Mad

Chapter 12: Hatter's Hat

Cheshire walked slowly behind Al, Mou sat on his back nibbling a piece of cheese. "Is this what I am to you, boy?" Cheshire growled.

"Shut up. It's good you're making yourself useful for once." Al answered his annoyance.

"I would die of boredom, had you not come around." Cheshire turned his head forward again.

"Is that a compliment, or are you trying to bully me some more?"

"You two are always bickering, aren't you?" Mou giggled, Cheshire stopped feeling she patted his back. She slid off him and walked on her own. "Thank you for carrying me, dear Cheshire. You are most kind." She patted his head and he shook it.

"It's ironic how you managed to strain your ankle running away from misshaped butterflies." Al recalled what happened.

"Oh, shush now, dear Al. It was a mistake!"

"A mistake, she says." Cheshire rolled his eyes and disappeared.

"At least we are out of the canyon and on our way to the tea party!" She said excitedly, "I've never been to a tea party before."

"Why not?" Al asked following her as she walked.

"Oh, I was never invited."

"You are now?" Al watched as her tail sway cutely.

"Of course not! I'm going because you are!" She giggled and Al raised a brow.

"I thought you needed Hatter's help." Al was confused now.

"Huhu, I don't even need help. I can hold my own against anything! I need no man to aid me." She showed she was tough by flexing her small muscles. Al noticed a fragmented space as she passed and wondered if she could see it, he touched it hearing the voices.

"Mum, I'm going out to play." A boy said.

"Alright, Alan. Be safe. It's warm out today." A woman spoke. "I wonder how that boy was doing. He lost his cat recently."

"What boy?" Al asked and Mou turned looking back at him.

"Did you say something?" She asked and he shook his head shrugging.

"No. It's nothing." He followed her through an empty field and into an abandoned village. They made their way through it and out the other side following the path again. "How much further?" Al asked, hurling his knife forward as a monster appeared before Mou when she turned to look at him.

"Just a little bit-oh!" She faced forward noticing the beast on the ground. "My, they sure are persistent, aren't they?"

"Very." He agreed. "Mou?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Are you dead?"

"Me? Of course not! I'm alive and well thank you. Having myself a little snack of cheese is nice!"

"No, that's not what I mean." He sighed.

"Hm? What else could you mean?"

"I mean where I come from, are you still alive?" He pulled out a card with red heart on it.

"Well, where do you come from? I'm sure I'm alive there too." She giggled.

"You don't understand." Al sighed.

He felt a strange warmth in his pocket and reached into it pulling out a card. The card had a slight glow to it as he walked closer to her, he reached to her back without her knowing and the card glowed brightly slowly dissolving into her. He pulled it away quickly and stared at it.