Notes: Okay, explanation time: just when I thought Paper Faces was finished, and had put up the first chapter of the sequel…this epilogue came into mind. I may take it away, depending on reviews…but I won't promise anything right now. Also, even though a sequel is up now, I don't know how soon updates on it will come. If anyone has a suggestion, or desire, for me to write a one-shot, or wants to write a one-shot/lemon/alternate version/etc. of the story themselves, contact me, via review or private messaging, and I will see about it...this does not mean I'll do it, or give permission, mind you, but if you write something without permission, and I do not like it, know that I WILL report you. (If I DO like it, and you don't have permission...well, I'll think about it. It's still plagiarism.)

…Not much else to say. So it is we turn to…

Epilogue: Fabulous Monsters

A small, scholarly dormouse in a green vest sat beside a tree, reading an equally small book.

Above him, a pair of glowing, blue-green eyes watched him with interest.

Just below them, a wide grin stretched out in space.

Some creatures just never learn…

"Pardon me," purred a voice. "Have we met?"

The dormouse looked up. The instant it saw those bright cat's eyes, it squeaked and dropped its book breaking into a run.

Oh, madness…not again!

The Cheshire Cat materialized fully, grinning hugely. Even if he hadn't been expecting such a reaction, he wouldn't have cared; it was more fun when they tried to run away.

He swirled away in a wisp of blue-gray mist.

The green-vested rodent turned, and, seeing nothing, smiled slightly, thinking he'd managed to-

THUD.

The dormouse toppled over as he collided with something…furry…

Fixing his glasses, he looked up in horror.

It was the cat. It smirked, amused.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?"

The dormouse only tried to stand up and run away again.

With a sigh, the cat vanished and met it on the way again. He growled at touched his stomach; a mouse running into it full-speed was not helping it hurt any less…it already ached from hunger.

And he was in a hurry.

Before the dormouse could stand again, he placed a paw down on it.

"I seem to recall seeing you in my territory not so long ago," he purred casually, picking it up by the collar of its vest. The creature gulped, trying to break free.

"N-not I!" it squeaked. "It m-m-must have been somebody else!"

Chess raised an eyebrow.

"No…no, I'm fairly sure you are the same one. Same vest, same glasses…"

He sniffed at its fur and purred louder.

"…Same scrumptious scent…"

The dormouse shivered.

"I-I've n-n-never seen you before…wh-why don't you l-leave me alone?"

The cat's eyes narrowed.

"Two reasons: one, because I know we've met, and I do not hold liars in high regard. And two…"

He licked its face, making it squeak with both fear and indignation.

"…I don't really care if we've met or not. As of now, you are my breakfast."

So saying, he dropped it back onto the ground. It stood up fast, only be batted by a paw into a tree. Its glasses cracked, the creature yelped from pain as its tender head smacked against the trunk. It looked up with bleary eyes at the cat, who approached casually, purring with pleasure…

Shakily, the dormouse tried to rise again…only to be pressed into the ground once again.

"I'm so sorry to finish our little game so fast," purred the cat, "But I have a little lady waiting for me, and I'd hate to disappoint her. You understand, of course…'circle of life,' 'welcome to the food chain,' et cetera?"

The rodent only whimpered.

"I thought so."

Chessur laughed, and leaned in, meaning to bite out its throat…

"Um…Chess?"

He froze.

Oh, henfan…not again.

Slowly, he turned to the source of the new voice.

As he had suspected, a small, white furred dormouse in a pink skirt peeked up at him from behind a cluster of tall grass.

"Run!" screamed the male beneath him. "Run, while you still have time!"

But Mallymkun did no such thing. She looked at the male quickly, and then turned back to the cat, who stared with wide eyes.

"Am I interrupting you?" she asked quietly.

Chessur took a deep breath to calm his instincts.

"Yes," he hissed softly.

Mally nodded.

"I woke up, and you weren't around…I came looking for you. It never occurred to me you'd be…er…"

"Hunting."

"Yeah…that."

"You're not…upset, are you?"

Mally shrugged.

"Not really, no," she admitted. "You need meat. But…since I really don't want to see the rest of this little scene, could you let this one go? For me?"

The cat hesitated, eyeing the terrified, and now utterly bewildered dormouse in his paws with an air of suspicion.

"…Please?"

Glancing quickly at his little love, he sighed, relenting, and lifted his paw, moving over to her.

"Oh, well," he said with mock disappointment. "Easy come, easy go…I'm sorry I left you like that…"

"It's fine," she said softly, hugging his neck as much as she could. "Do you want to continue, or can we go home? We still need to pick up my teapot…"

Chess thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"No…I'll hunt tonight," he said. "We can have breakfast at the windmill. Together."

Mally responded by giving him a kiss on the cheek. He smirked, and touched a paw to the area.

The dormouse in the vest, who had – quite stupidly – not run off yet, glared at the cat.

"You cold-hearted cat," he whispered to himself. "Monster…such cruel deception, towards a lady like her. You should-"

The cat, who had heard his mutterings, was just about to whip around and give a few nice, deep cuts for the insults…

But didn't get the chance.

The male cried out as something white and pink tackled him to the ground. A pin-sword was at his neck.

"Let me make something clear to you," snarled Mallymkun, eyes blazing. "I only saved you because I wanted him all to myself…and when he goes on a killing spree, I have to wait. I'll let a lot of things slide. You can call him cold-hearted; he can be. You can call him deceitful; once again, he can be…I know that better than anyone. But the very jiffy you call him a monster…"

The dormouse gasped aloud as a trickle of blood ran down his neck.

"…He's the least of your problems."

The male only stared up in shock.

Mally smiled darkly.

"I am going to let you up now," she said slowly, as if she was talking to a child. "Once I do, I'll give you until the count of five to get out of my sight, or he gets a kabob for breakfast. Understood?"

The scholarly nodded carefully, so as not to cut himself any deeper with the blade at his throat.

"Good," Mally said, and stood. The male rose instantly. He stared at Mally with confusion and horror.

After a moment, her smile widened.

"OnetwothreefourFIVE!"

The male squeaked, and vanished behind a bush, just as a pin-sword embedded itself in the dirt where he had stood.

Mally frowned, pulling her blade out of the ground and cleaning it on her apron before replacing it in its sheath. She turned to the cat again.

The cat stared, speechless for a while.

"…Jiffy?" he said at last, unable to think of anything else.

"A jiffy is an actual unit of time," Mallymkun said, matter-of-factly. "It's about one-sixtieth of a second, if I recall correctly…"

Chessur chuckled.

"I love you."

"Right back at you. Let's go, okay?"

Chess nodded, and held out a paw. Mally climbed up his arm and sat on his back.

And the cat floated into the air, and flew away with her.

He would hunt later; right now, they were together. And that was what mattered most.