2.1 | Alice ✔

Farewell

Everyone gathered in the White Kingdom rose garden, awaiting the marvelous spectacle the Hatters were about to perform. Meredith sighed hopelessly, preparing to watch her flowers be torn up again.

"Are you sure we can do this?" Raelen asked as Ridosen rolled up his sleeves.

"All the magic you're able to wield, and you're nervous about a portal?" Ridosen snickered. "Back in the day, the pocket watch's only purpose was to activate gateways. You'll do fine."

"B-but," he stammered.

"Awww, don't tell me you have performance anxiety?" he smirked, glancing over at the Twiddle twins. They looked happy as ever, all wrapped in arms and waving. "Give it up, bro: she's just not that into you."

"Shut up! I'm heartbroken!" Raelen whimpered.

"Ready?" Alfred called to the two. Crackling his neck and fingers, Ridosen began to work his magic. The ground started to rumble, and everyone looked around nervously. Little sprouts began to erupt from the concrete, and Ridosen groaned in frustration.

"That damn Ancalagon took a lot out of me," he admitted. "I need a little more juice."

Without protest, the queen came over and placed an arm on his bicep, reinforcing his magic. The sprouts started to rise faster, and Alfred joined, then Jeremiah, then the other sorcerers of Wonderland. In no time, the biggest, most beautiful, and most majestic rainbow Wisteria stood in the clearing, it's beautiful flowers blowing gently in the breeze.

"Sorry about damage, Queen Meredith," Ridosen laughed uneasily. The woman just smiled, folding her arms and beholding it.

"No . . . don't be. I think I'll keep it," she informed, and everyone cheered. Raelen came to Ridosen's side and offered him the watch.

"Nope. I can't do it," Ridosen vetoed.

"Why ever not?" Raelen snapped.
"You're the only one that knows how!"

"Maybe so, but the watch has imprinted on you, as you're the one, true firstborn Hatter of this generation," he explained. "The watch won't function in anyone else's hands."

"So what do I do?" he asked in exasperation.

"Just summon a portal the way you would any other," he instructed with amusement. "But first, we need an item that originated from the realm they came from."

Zain and Saber looked at each other in shock.

"My engagement ring!!!" Saber cried in devastation. "Oh goodness, who would have thought the thing I wanted least would be what I needed most in the end?!"

"Don't you fret. I have your engagement ring," Meredith suddenly said, stepping forward and relinquishing the sparkling jewel. They both gasped in astonishment as Saber took it. "I found it as I was reviving my garden a few days after you arrived. I knew it wasn't mine, but I found it so pretty. I kept it this entire time."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Saber smiled. "Will you ever stop saving our lives?"

"Never," the woman said with a dazzling smile.

Saber offered the ring to Raelen, and he placed the jewel on the face of his watch before pointing it at the hollow left in the tree. Before everyone's eyes, he summoned the portal, and to Saber and Zain's disbelief, it was back at the rose maze.

"Oh my God, I did it!" Raelen cheered, and so did all of Wonderland. Saber hugged the man tightly, and then the royals all in turn. She looked to Zain and smiled, and he smiled back before turning to Ridosen.

Before he could open his mouth and say anything, she pushed him into the Hatter's arms, taking them both by surprise.

"Stay," Saber said. "You're happy here. This is home."

"Saber," Zain said, meaning to go to her, but the Hatter tugged him back into his arms, holding him close. He didn't resist, but he looked devastated to let her go alone.

"What about you?" Meredith whispered mournfully. "Aren't YOU happy here?"

"The time I spent here was immeasurably precious to me," Saber said with a brave smile. "I'll never forget what I experienced here. I'll never forget Wonderland, or what you've all done for me. But I HAVE to go home."

"Her husband is waiting for her," a voice said, and her heart squeezed painfully tight as Elias made his way out of the crowd. "She's an incredible, sacrificing wife, considering her spouse's happiness before her own."

"Thank you, Elias," she said breathlessly, willing herself not to cry.

"Go on, honorable hero," he urged, his eyes glittering hard. "Turn your back on me now, while I still have the mind to let you return to that bastard's arms."

Everyone gasped, as did Saber.

"Elias, enough," Zaer said.

"Why are you still here?" he ground out, his face flush with anger, his eyes swirling with misery as he stared at her. Saber stared right back, a smile coming to her lips as her eyes burned with tears she refused to shed.

"I love you, Elias," she whispered tenderly. "I'll never forget the kindness you've shown me, or what a wonderful, selfless, caring man you are. I'll never meet a man like you again. You forever hold my heart." She looked to Zain and smiled. "Farewell, my friend. All of my friends."

She turned on her heel and stepped through the portal, disappearing forever.

"Are you seriously gonna-" Meredith began to say, but before she could turn around and scold Elias, he was running and diving into the portal after Saber. "Ah. That's what I thought," the queen sighed in relief, and the whole of Wonderland cheered.

"Awww, I'm gonna miss that guy," Ridosen said, squeezing Zain. "He was my greatest hunter."

"You don't really need hunters anymore, do you?" Zain chuckled. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and everyone froze with fear as the tremors grew increasingly vicious. Zain stared worriedly into Ridosen's eyes, and be stared back gravely. Had he spoken too soon?

That's when the Bandersnatch appeared literally out of nowhere and descended on Jeremiah, licking his face wildly as he held the man down with his bum foot.

"Oh God, not you!" Jeremiah laughed and cried at once. Alfred burst into laughter like a little kid, pointing and slapping his knee.

"False alarm," Ridosen drawled with a comical roll of his eyes, and everyone just laughed with hysterical joy.