Al in Wonderland: You've Gone Mad

Chapter 21: Heart

Al sat on the chair, Cassie in front of him with the card glowing in front of her. She looked up at Al, he was a mess.

His auburn hair was dried by Lestia who carefully tended to him, he was bathed and clothed in something warm, yet he still seemed far from alright.

With puffy cheeks, swollen red eyes, and a sorrow that rolled down his cheek, he was nowhere close to being just fine. However, she found this behavior normal, as she had just uncovered why he was this way.

Cheshire was made to leave, he did so willingly to look for others he could save. This gave her ample time to collect her thoughts, and speak to Al who was torn where none could heal.

"Alan." She said in a gentle tone as Lestia went on to prepare some tea. "You're in love with the Cheshire Cat?"

He narrowed his eyes not looking at her, but she was answered as his tears formed in his eyes and he fought well to keep them that way.

"There is nothing wrong with adoring someone." Cassie smiled. Lestia brought the tea pouring some for them to enjoy. "Many will tell you love is a beautiful thing. It is inexplicable, mysterious, and works in strange ways, but..." she lifted her tea cup from the small serving plate and said, "I'm not one of those people." Al finally looked up at her.

He watched her take a sip of the tea and thank Lestia for it who smiled.

"Love is unfathomable, a feeling like no other, however it is just as equally painfull, filled with remorse, humiliation." Cassie set her cup down and looked at him, "The cat, this would end if you knew his name?"

Al dropped his eyes to the cup and shook his head, "I don't know... Wei Lee-"

Lestia was first to gasp, "Wei Lee?"

"Wh-what?" Al wondered why her reaction wasn't all too happy. He recalled Melodi interacting with him quite rudely as well. "Is he.. untrustworthy?"

"A sly fox that one," Cassie smiled, "did you return his card?"

"No.."

"Do you have it?"

".... No." Al sipped the tea, it left him warm and fuzzy inside. "He tried to steal it.

"Ah, as difficult as always, with good reason."

"Why?"

"If I can recall it clearly," Lestia said as Cassie looked at her to explain, "In your world-before all of this-Wei Lee was always quite troublesome."

"How.. do you know that-my world?"

"Lestia has dreams of your world, you could even say she shared some of your memories."

"Ah... then?"

"He was always getting between you and Cheshire, putting false accusations, playing tricks, or even getting you two into trouble." She explained, "However, out of all of these, I believe-his card-may hold the worse one yet."

"Worse?"

She looked at Cassie who gave a nod, and she said, "I should really leave this to the card, but.." she raised her hand and small red sparkles emerged with a red powder after.

The powder poured from her hand and lay on the table forming images, a story.

"You were young, perhaps some time before you arrived here in Wonderland again."

Al watched the powder as it told the story. A boy walking carefree, he knew who it was. Though no words were added, the images were enough. He watched as the boy was snatched into a room.