Down the Rabbit Hole

Chapter 28 March Hare

This was not the Hatter I grew up with. No, this man was vengeful and full of rage. There was no way to talk him out of this state the only thing I could do is make sure he didn't kill the hybrid. He was well within the laws to take his life if he wanted to but that may lead him down a darker path than he wanted to walk at this time. Cheshire was a true wild card, there were always rumors about how he used to torture and kill those who had threatened his line. I never believed it until I watched as he was slicing the muscle of the hybrids bones just for answers. Yes he healed him in the end, but I could also see the unrest in his eyes. He wasn't done with him yet.
The air in the garden seemed to be colder than when we went into the house. The world was finally feeling the pain and torment that Dina had tried to hide from it. And it was reacting.
Those two were still tied to the garden chairs and I could see Dina trying to slip one of her hands out to no avail. It merely tightened more and she winced.
"You can struggle all you like Dina, but my magic is stronger than yours. I also know the truth even if you deny it. I wove the magic on that chair to only bind the one that plotted to hurt my line. The one who wished the most harm onto Alice. You know as well as us that you can't lie to the magic. You were very close to killing her, but your biggest mistake was hiding her in our world. Now, the only real question I care about is why? Why kidnap her if you intended to kill her in the end." I move behind my soon to be sister in law and remove the gag that Duchess tied around her when she tried to deny her involvement in what happened. She slapped her a few times first and asked the magic's forgiveness for having such a vile sister.
"I didn't want to kill her at first. I only wanted Hatter to believe she left him. Then he just had to go chasing after her. I couldn't risk them staying in the same world so I had to wait till he got back before I could dump her into her shit hole world again. It's not my fault that she's a weak royal line. There's a reason that the stupid hearts left our world. They couldn't cut it here." Before she can spill more venom against Alice's line Cheshire jumps into her lap.
"Every word you say against my line is making your punishment more severe. So, unless you'd like to lose your head slowly, I would say silence is your best course of action." His eyes are almost black as he glares at her. She still has the nerve to scoff at him.
"I'm already dead. So my words mean nothing." Cheshire chuckles darkly before he warns her.
"There are worse punishments than death my dear. And I would know, I perfected them in the early days against those who were much bolder and smarter than you could ever hope to be." I hear her breathing start to grow shallow. In fear no doubt.
"I wanted to bring her back to her world sooner, but she wouldn't let me. She threatened to say it was all me."  I can hear the slight hope in the hybrids voice as he tosses Dina towards Cheshire's growing anger. He was trying to remind Cheshire of "how little" he was involved in Dina's plan. He had already said his name before but I didn't care to remember it. He was as good as beheaded for what he'd done no matter how big or small his part was. And after seeing the marks on Alice, I doubt Cheshire would grant him a swift death. Cheshire jumps to his lap and I see his claws extend into the meat of his thighs again. He winces and bites his lip, but doesn't make a peep.
"And you believe that should grant you some mercy? You had the keys to her shackles. You could have removed her gag. You could have shown her mercy, but no. You decided to be a coward and let that simple girl fill your head with a possibility of getting away with your crimes. You couldn't even feed her properly. She is so weak not even her magic can heal her. So yes. Dina may have concocted this plan, but you couldn't even care properly for the one you were paid to watch over." I didn't even see his paws move before I see the spray of blood and the gashes down his legs. He howls in pain before Cheshire heals his legs again.  The only proof of what he did is the blood splattered across the lawn and his clothes.
"I'm in no rush here. My line is as safe as she can be and she's being cared for. I could rip every once of meat off your bones and you'd live through it if I let you. What everyone seems to have forgotten is that beheading was a mercy killing in the early days. We kept most of the bloodier punishments away from the public eye so not to distress those who deserved punishment, but nothing as severe." He holds his paw against his shoulder before he drags his claw down from his shoulder to his chest.
"I have missed the old ways." He growls and watches him bleed a few moments before he heals him again.
"It's always nice to stretch those old muscles. I've only had myself to punish for 300 years. Every few hundred years people need a good reminder that death is a mercy." We hear a few chuckles before the other guardians come into view.
"Hello Cheshire. Couldn't let you have all the fun. Where is Alice? I made an excellent balm for her wrists." Griffon holds up a jar with an odd smelling goo inside.
"Third door on the left my friend. Duchess is helping monitor her." Griffon smiles at him and moves to disappear in the house. Mock turtle stands glaring at the hybrid with a very awake Dormouse sat in his hands.
"Blood was spilt, but never enough. One sought to blow out her magic's candle while the other sought to cover his misdeeds. Blood will rain. Old ways back again." Dormouse jumps down and moves beside Cheshire in the hybrids lap.
"Protect what was lost. Heal the Heart. Punish the Wicked. One sister lives one sister locked away. Madness infected the line. Fixer has broken more than what could be mended. Let those who fix taste their own methods." Cheshire laughs deep in his throat as he looks at Dormouse.
"You hear that? Another guardian has helped decide both of your fates. Though we will have to discuss the finer details of how to enact that message. You see." He pauses a moment to rip open the hybrids shirt.
"We don't know how you fixers operate. We don't know if you keep to a common code or only a code you, yourselves keep. If any of you keep a code at all." As he speaks he's carving a word into the hybrids chest. Its large so it will never be missed. And I can feel Cheshire's magic weaving into his marks. We'll have to wait and see what magic he has decide should be etched into his very soul, maybe even the souls of any offspring he may produce from now on.
"The Guardians have had an unbreakable code that we abide by. We have upheld our code since the first families formed. So tell me, Hunter what code do you live by?!" Cheshire finishes the word on his chest. "Traitor". The hybrid is starting to get weak so only a moan escapes his lips.
"That word will heat to an almost searing pain anytime someone inquires about it. Should you decide to try and erase that word, it will appear on your child's chest as a birthmark. And if you never have children then it will appear on your youngest kin. This is punishment for the gag you had on her. You silenced her so now you'll carry a silent word on you at all times."
Mock turtle surprises us all by laughing. A slow laugh, but it's the most noise I've heard from him in my whole life. Dormouse starts to laugh along with his comrade. Cheshire gives them both a knowing grin but doesn't join in the laughter.
"Young Alice Hart will make a full recovery my friend." Griffon steps closer to the group and pats Hatter on the back.
"Do not fret my friend. She will heal physically though her mind may take some time to recover. She is very strong in that regard. I will have to beg her forgiveness once she wakes, but I watched through her memories of being held. She managed to reach not only you two, but also her father and the heir to the Spade line. Cheshire you'll have to tell me that tale later on." He winks at Cheshire before he stops in front of Dina.
"You, young one have a madness in your mind that cannot be expelled. You will need to be put somewhere where you can't hurt the magic again. Unfortunately we can't merely drop you in the other world to teach you your lesson. No. That would be too easy.  Your punishment will have to last till the end of your dark days." Dina just scoffs at him and looks away.
"Can't you just kill me and end this whole righteous punish the wicked parade?" She looks at Hatter and I know we can all see the pain and longing in her eyes. She now has concrete proof that Hatter will never even come to care for her now. Griffon is right though. She will never let this poisonous fantasy go. Hatter sneers at her and looks away.
"The guardians are taking it easy on you. If I had my way there'd be nothing left for your family to mourn." We hear a small sniffle close to the house and we turn to see who made the noise. Unfortunately Duchess and Dina's parents are stood silently crying by the back door with a basket of pears clutched in the mothers hands.
"Forgive us, Hatter. We should never have ignored this obsession as long as we had. This is our fault." For the first time today I see Hatters face soften as he approaches them.
"I do not blame you. And I know Alice won't either. Undying love for your daughter clouded your decisions on how this should have been handled." They look sadly at their mad daughter one last time before the move into the house, away from what must be done. Officially severing their last ties to the youngest daughter.