After she fell

9|Decision..

(just so you know, i headcanon the Hunter being nonbinary)

"I-I don't know. Have you seen a young girl about yay high, short, scruffy black hair, and an oversized blue cardigan?"

"Yes, actually. You missed your friend by five days."

Six was here! I have a lead!

"Which way was she heading?" Alice inquired.

"You mean they," the Hunter replied.

...Is Six nonbinary? Have I been misgendering her-I mean they, all this time?

"The person you seek was rescued by another."

Alice felt like she had been struck with an anvil.

"Wh-who, what, when..?!"

"Did you not know? If it helps, the rescuer was wearing a paper bag hat, and they headed in the direction of the Pale city."

"Wait a minute, you said that the other person- "child, the Hunter interjected"- the other child rescued her. Who (or what) were they escaping from?," Alice asked.

"..."

Alice asked the question again. Same response. Then repeated it. Still no response.

However, she had been able to predict when people are getting uncomfortable from a young age, and realised that, whatever the answer was- she wasn't going to get it.

"Then, can you take me to the Pale city?"

With great relief showing on the Hunter's face (if you could call it that,) they said "Yes I can."

(One day later)

"Well here you are! The Pale city in all its splendour!"

But when Alice looked at the city, all she saw was a bunch of grim, deserted buildings. It was nothing like the utopia that she had seen on brochures before.

When she turned around to thank the Hunter for taking her to the destination, they were gone.

So she started running down the hill, wind rustling through her hair and heart heavy with sadness.

It bloomed deep inside her. Sorrow for the world's suffering, sorrow for the things she had done, (that part was all in her head,) and sorrow for all that was to come.