Down the Rabbit Hole

Chapter 3- Cheshire

After almost 300 years, I've finally found my line again. I finally feel peace in my mind. That constant nagging in the back of my brain is finally silenced. I won't fail my line again. I won't survive losing them again. Once I finally look up at Alice again she gives me a breathtaking smile.
"I knew cats could talk! Jack and Lorraine always said it was just in fairytales. I knew I was right!" She reaches her hand out like she's going to pet me, but she hesitates so I rub my face against her hand.

I wasn't going to fault her for not quite understanding that I wasn't a normal cat. Once we get to know eachother better I can teach her about the importance of the roles for each person here in Wonderland. That will be a lesson for another day though.

"Only I can talk to you my dear. Unfortunately other cats aren't as talented as I am. And who said fairy tales can't be real?" I smile at her. She looks so much like Beatrice. She has the same bright blue eyes and button nose. Hatter clears his throat. I glance towards him.
"Is she who I think she is? Is she from the lost Heart line?" He glances at her in wonder and smiles. He's always been curious about the other side, I never knew why though. Maybe she was the key to that curiosity.

I laugh sarcastically as I point out what should be obvious to someone who's sat through my countless retellings of my trips to the other side.

"She can hear my usual voice. She just portal traveled with only a small scrape. I think it's safe to say that she's Beatrice's heir." I grin at him. She's sipping at her tea when I ask them.
"Has Time gone to sleep fully yet?" If he has then that means our time has slowed down and I can take my time getting her home before her family starts to worry.
Unfortunately between keeping the magic balanced and our usual guardian duties we needed to sleep for a few years just to recharge ourselves. I was going to need sleep soon, but it could wait till I had Alice home. For now though I think she'll enjoy some tea and games with us. It may help ease her mind about everything that has happened.
Hare finally looks at me.
"Time went to sleep a few weeks ago. So he should be deep asleep by now." I just nod at him. We've never really seen eye to eye, but I know deep down Hare is a good person or Hatter wouldn't put up with him. I'm still a bit pissed he called me scruffy. Hybrid families seemed to be so uptight about their looks, especially the royals, but what's a royal compared to a guardian? Thankfully Hatter speaks up before things get too awkward.
"Who wants to play a game?" Hatter asks us cheerfully.

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We spent the next few hours teaching each other games. Hare couldn't seem to win any of the games that Alice taught us which seemed to put him in an even fouler mood. After a while I started to notice Alice was rubbing her eyes and she was starting to drift.
"I think it's time for Alice to head home. It's been a long day already." I say as she sleepily nods and starts to get up from her chair.
"Since she's from the lost line, what's going to happen now? Will her leaving throw the world back in chaos again?" Hatter asks me. I can hear the worry in his voice. He wasn't alive for those dark times, but I remember them all too well. I know the stories about those dark days were passed down through families to show how serious the magical balance could be. He's right to worry. I look at her, thinking.
"I can't say for sure. She's still young enough her magic isn't fully awakened. Though if she travels back and forth between our worlds that may be a solution. For now though, she needs rest. And traveling back home will take a lot more out of her. I'll see her home and I'll be back for a chat with you Hatter in a week or so." He nods at me before he smiles at Alice.
"You've been lovely company my dear. I do hope you'll be back again soon for tea." He holds out a tart for her and she smiles.
"Thank you Mr Hatter." He chuckles
"You can just call me Hatter. Safe travels little Alice." She takes the tart and looks at Hare.
"It was nice to meet you Mr Hare." He just huffs at her.
"Wish I could say the same." He mumbles low enough she didn't hear him. I growl at him.
"Show some respect. She's a royal just like you are." He rolls his eyes and goes back to his tea. I look back at her.
"Are you ready my dear?" She nods so I lead her away from the table. Once we cross the gate she turns back to Hatter and waves. He smiled and waved back. Definitely need to have a chat with him.
She's quiet as we walk back. For once in a very long time I don't mind the silence. We make it back to the portal tree and I look at her.
"Place your hand on my back and I'll lead you home." She kneels next to me and puts her hand on me. I cross over easily and before she opens her eyes we are back on her aunt's farm. She looks at me sleepily.
"I'm gonna lay down for a nap. Will you be here when I wake up, Cheshire?" She lays down nestled between some tree roots as she asks me.
"I might be. I do have to go back to chat with Hatter. I will come back though. You can't get rid of me that easily. I will always be watching over you." She just nods as her eyes slowly close. I lay on her chest and started purring. She smiles as her breathing deepens and she falls into a deep sleep. I lay with her for an hour before I gently got up. I had to be sure she was deep asleep so I wouldn't miss much while I was gone.
"I'll be back before you know it." I quietly whisper before I cross the portal and start to walk to Hatters. I feel myself slowing down. I need to sleep, but I can't sleep for too long. I need to keep my word and watch over Alice. I can't lose track of her again.
I hear Hatter and Hare at the table when I get close. I hopped over the fence and heard Hatter call out to me.
"Cheshire! You're back sooner than I thought. Tea? I have some salmon bites if you'd like." I jumped up to the place where Alice sat last.
"Tea and salmon sounds perfect. I'm going to need a rest after." He nods and pours me my tea and places some salmon bites on the plate. Hare is eating one of Hatter's family's famous shortbread cookies when he looks at me.
"You look horrible, you know. Are you sure that scrawny little brat is the one?" He laughs to himself. I'm too tired to fight with him.
"Yes, you hare brained fool. Not only can she hear me talk, but she crossed the portal unassisted. Very few can do that, even with practice. And she looks a lot like Beatrice." I sigh and take my first bite when Hatter says.
"I had a vision when she touched my hand." He looks at me unsure. Hare looks at him bewildered.
"What kind of vision? We've been having meals and tea together for 12 days since she left and you never mentioned this to me! We're supposed to be best friends!" Hatter just chuckles. He passes him another cookie.
"With how you treated her, why would I mention it? I have my theories, but only Cheshire would know for sure." Hare scoffs at him and pours himself more tea.
"Why Cheshire? Why not ask your own guardian? I'm sure Dormouse would be able to predict your future better." Hare wasn't wrong. Dormouse was famous for his predictions being accurate, but the problem was waking him long enough to get answers. As the Guardian of knowledge he went crazy a long time ago and he prefers to sleep through the days than deal with the headache of knowing everything.
"Dormouse is asleep in one of the teapots again. And you know almost no one can wake him. Besides, this is about someone from Cheshires line. I figured he'd have the answers I'm looking for." I take one last bite before I ask him.
"What was the vision? Depending on what you saw it could mean any number of things. What did you see exactly?" I feel my weariness starting to take over.
"And be quick. I need sleep. This trip has been more taxing than the others." Hatter nods and clears his throat.
"Of course. When she put her hand in mine I saw her older. Maybe late 20s. She was wearing a blue dress again and she was drinking tea here at the table. Then she winked at me. And the vision was gone. And when she left the table I felt a tug at my magic like I was supposed to follow her." He looks at me expectantly. I try to think about what it could mean apart from the obvious. I'm exhausted, but when he said he felt the tug to go with her I thought of the claiming magic. Something made me curious. She's too young to feel any pull towards her future claimed half, but Hatter wasn't.
"How old are you now Hatter? Do you know?" I ask. We age so differently than the other side. He starts to answer but I cut him off.
"Never mind. Once I've rested I can do the math." I sigh. "A better question would be, have you found your claimed half yet? Have you begun to look?" Hare laughs. I just look at him, unamused.
"He's met every eligible unclaimed and unmarried person in Wonderland. He's not gone on more than one outing with each one. I say he should settle down with Dina. It's a proper match since he wants to be so picky." Hare gives Hatter a serious look. He was dead wrong though. Dina was never going to be a good match to Hatter. I stretch before I sit in front of Hatter. Making sure I have his undivided attention.
"That tug you felt was your magic reaching out to your claimed half. She's too young to be aware of the magic in her blood so she won't have felt anything. That vision though. All I can say for now is that she will be back." He nods at me and I watch as his mind starts to drift. Either thinking of the future or trying to remember the vision he had. I'm about to say my farewells when we hear Dormouse's sleepy voice coming from a teapot.
"Found the line, once lost. Lost for love and severed by fate. Shall a Heart return? A love to be determined. One shall cross to see if love will again win. Sleep and remember or sleep and forget. Time shall tell. 20." Dormouse starts to snore and we all look at each other silently.
"As much as I'd love to help. I need to sleep now. Or I'm going to sleep too long and I won't be able to keep my promise to Alice." Hatter just nods at me.
"Sleep well my friend. Let's hope you have more answers after you rest." I nod to him and leave the table. The closer I get to my home the more I feel my exhaustion take over me. Something felt off though. I was too tired to figure out what it could be, but going to sleep now didn't feel right. Like if I slept I was going to miss something. I reach my home and try to stay awake to figure out what was wrong, but I fall into a deep sleep all the same.