Unforgettable - Heartless

Chapter Three - Maybe Not-so-Heartless

Catherine sighed dejectedly. "So Jest is still dead?"

"Yes," Alice affirmed.

"But...there's a chance to bring him back, isn't there? Can't you go and transport him here right now?" Catherine asked, her eyes begging.

"I...could. But he's still dead. He's been forgotten in the living, he can't live," Alice said. She hated to be the bringer of bad news even if the Queen of Hearts needed to know.

"This is reminding me of my dream though. There must be a connection, especially since it was the Sisters who were speaking to me," Cath muttered, her eyes brightened suddenly, and a new fire was lit in them.

"What was your dream, my Queen?" Raven asked.

"The Sisters spoke of another prophecy, it was- The Murderer, the Martyr, the Monarch, the Mad. Just like how ours were, but they continued," Cath was surprised how easily the words came to her, and recited the poem perfectly, "The Murderer, the Martyr, the Monarch, the Mad. Their tales had ended but now they will rise. Through Alice an ending will solve all their plights. The hopeless now hopeful, the bonds now reborn, And they travel through Wonderland to save their one own. Live backwards through destiny, find Time by themselves. They'll lift away the curse, they forced upon themselves. Let them unwind Fate, let the tale unfold. As they search for an ending that before was untold."

"Well it's definitely hopeful, though very very doubtful," Raven said, after Cath finished reciting.

"But our first one was also very doubtful," Cath retorted.

"However, that one was believable, this one's impossible," Raven snapped.

"It's not impossible if we just saw Jest," Cath retaliated.

"And he is in Forgotten, as good as dead, as dear Alice has said," Raven replied, his frustration seeping through his usually calm tone.

"But it's hope, there's hope from this," Cath said, "The Sisters say Fate's unwinding. A few hours ago, we didn't know Forgotten existed, but now, we do. If Fate hasn't cut the strings on our tale yet, how come this happened? To give us false hope?"

"My Queen, if you are heartless, how can you have hope?" Raven stated, his black eyes piercing her forest green ones.

Catherine halted, how did she feel hope? How was she feeling happy and excited and so so hopeful if she didn't have a heart? Cath placed her hand against her collarbone and felt a pulse, but it was strong and consistent. How was this happening? She gave her heart to the Sisters, how does she have it now?

"I'm sorry, but who are the Sisters?" Alice's voice peeped, her eyes lighting with curiosity like they did two years ago.

Cath frowned as she considered Alice's question. Answering would force her to expose her whole story, but Alice helped them out, if saving Jest meant telling Alice her past, she wouldn't hesitate to do so, "Alice, years ago, there was a girl named Catherine Pinkerton. She was the Marquess' Daughter and Heir to Rock Turtle Cove, now Mock Turtle Cove. Her dream was to become a baker with her friend Mary Ann, but her mother, the Marchioness, had different plans. She set her and the King of Hearts up so Catherine could become the Queen of Hearts. But on the night the King would announce their engagement, a jester named Jest stole Catherine's heart.

"Their relationship could never be, but still Jest snuck her out to a tea party, where they met Hatta, a hatter. By that time, a Jabberwock had started attacking Hearts, and one day, when Catherine and the King of Hearts were going on a date, the Jabberwock attacked them. Cath was able to take out the Vorpal Sword from Jest's magical jester hat, but she was injured before she was able to kill the Jabberwocky. Jest took her to the Sisters, three girls who live in a magical Treacle Well that has healing powers. The Sisters live from offerings and only take things that are useless to the person. There by the Treacle Well, he shared with her that him and his friend, Raven, were rooks from Chess. They came with Hatta. He was a Hearts citizen who went to Chess to escape the disease of madness from his family because of hat making. There, he became a pawn and came back to help Jest and Raven steal the Queen of Hearts' heart to end the war in Chess.