Title: Wild Cards & Gambits

Rating: R for violence.

Author's Note: Shorter this time around, but that's an epilogue for you. Thanks for the great reviews.

Chapter Thirty One: Epilogue

From the frying pan and into the fire: that always seems to be the way it is with us, Alice thought to herself as she and Hatter made their slow way through the halls. It was a bit of déjà vu to think of that; Hatter had once referred to himself as the frying pan and Wonderland the fire. Strangely enough, it was still applying to him and it had always applied to Wonderland.

But the little phrase was so perfect and fitting right now. It was the only way to describe the sudden smell of smoke and decay that now pervaded the air, and the faint glow of fire that could be seen under the cracks of the doors and through the windows. The constantly shifting halls and windows allowed only glimpses at the outer wings of the building but she could see that there were signs of a fire beginning to spread. It seemed to be travelling from the library but she didn't have the time to spare as to how it likely was started.

When she paused to take a closer look, she noticed that the library windows were open and black clouds of crows were flying in and out. Some were screeching as if they were attacking something in the library but would fly out just as quickly to avoid being caught in the flames. As they flew out, she could see that a few were clutching books in their talons and the odd sight had made her pause to think. But the growing heat and rumbling building had made her move on, resolving not to think about it yet. There were more important things to worry about than the strange habits of the crows but there was a niggling feeling that what they had been doing was important.

The walls around her shifted and Alice pulled back, narrowly avoiding a wildly writhing vine. It screeched as it went by her into the next wall, burrowing itself through the plaster and brick.

"Now's no time to panic," Alice said to herself. She went back to the other wall and tugged on Hatter's arm gently. He'd been sitting on the floor, eyes shut and she would have thought him asleep if it weren't for the way he flinched when she came closer. He looped his arm through hers though and let her pull him to his feet, not seeming to have heard a thing she said.

For his sake, she was trying not to panic but she hadn't been able to stop that sinking feeling from growing in her belly.

Alice had felt panicked as each hall they came to felt warmer than the next, and now the air seemed to feel that it was getting thicker and thicker.

Definitely cause for concern, Alice thought to herself. Especially since she wasn't very certain that they were actually going in the right direction anymore. Not with the way the Manor kept changing its corridors and rooms with frantic quickness. It was becoming a maze very quickly and dead-ends were popping up everywhere.

Escaping the Manor's burning demise would have likely been easier ten minutes ago. If only Hatter hadn't taken that exact moment to lose his strength and succumb to a mixture of injury and sheer exhaustion.

Alice supported some of his weight as they stumbled through the halls, his arm slung over her shoulder. Thin as he was, his listlessness still made him exceptionally heavy and she had to encourage him to walk at times. But as the moments passed, his steps seemed to be becoming heavier and heavier. Alice, already tired and sore, realized that it wasn't just Hatter who was finding it hard to walk. The haze of smoke and rumbling of the building was making her feel sick and she soon started to lean just as heavily back into him.

The Manor was starting to change its halls again, she could feel it in the way the building trembled. They were just coming back to one of the corridors that should have led back outside but when Alice stared down through the falling debris, she could only see a large wall. Another dead-end, and when she glanced behind she saw that the walls had come down again to form an entirely new hall.

"Stupid building" she muttered and for once she meant it. The Manor hadn't stopped pissing her off and she was more than ready to give its walls a good kick, though she doubted the massive building would actually feel it. Chesh growled something beside her, surprisingly docile in the way he kept close to her ankles. He'd been dazed from his part in Alice's fight and seemed to have no more magic ready for use.

The floor suddenly began to buck and Alice staggered, Hatter gripping her tighter to keep her from falling. It seemed to be an unconscious gesture on his part and she wrapped her arm tighter around his waist. A part of him was aware of her, she knew, and she was grateful for that tiny display.

Her eyes rolled up to the ceiling and she glared at the chandeliers that lined it.

"At least give us a hand," Alice demanded loudly and the floor stopped its odd bucking immediately. The building gave a disgruntled groan and a door suddenly appeared in the wall. It swung open with a loud bang and Alice jumped in reflex at the gun-shot sound. Chesh immediately bounced towards it, his ears flattening against his skull as if he wasn't sure whether to run or not. Glancing through the new door, she saw that the newly created hall was stretching and twisting itself wildly, until the walls almost seemed to be melting into one another. Then they bounced back and the floor re-stretched like it was made from elastic.

When it was finally settled, it almost looked like one of the many other halls she'd be in, and Chesh put a tentative paw on the floor. Finding it solid, he glanced over his shoulder at her.

"It's not like we have much choice," he pointed out and she sighed, agreeing with him.

Still leaning against her, Hatter muttered something nonsensical and his grip on her suddenly slacked.

"Hatter, stay up. Come on!" she urged as she pulled him up with her. They staggered into the hall together, Chesh leading the way cautiously. This new hall was long and the heat was growing stronger and stronger. But the wind was also stronger here, keeping the smoke and fog at bay and Alice tightened her hold on Hatter's arm.

"We're almost there," she whispered, more to encourage herself than him.

They were close to one of the side doors when the doorknob began to twist and shake. Alice froze mid-step, focussing over the sound of rumbling that had increased around them. She could just make out the sound of footsteps and people muttering beyond the door and sudden cold fear washed over her. If it was Selena and her men, none of them would be able to stand a chance against them. They were both too injured and weak and when she tried to summon a bit of glow to protect herself, Alice felt the gryphon mark shift on her back. But nothing responded and she felt colder than ever on the inside.

"He took his vorpal sword in hand... and stood awhile in thought," Hatter mumbled, eyes crossing as he swayed dizzily, and Alice felt him start to fall. Even speaking seemed to be a strain for him and when she glanced at his eyes, she saw them glinting a darker emerald green.

"Nice thought, but hold onto it, Hatter. We need to get moving," she whispered, half-dragging him to his feet. She backed them away from the door and struggled to keep him moving, knowing that they needed to get out of the Manor before anything else happened. She could only hope that they were close to the exit.

The door slammed open and they both jumped before they swung around to face it, Hatter's right hand clenching around Alice's arm. Feeling it, Alice leaned her body against his and unwrapped his fingers from her arm before holding his hand tightly to restrain him. They stumbled together to the opposite wall and Hatter landed against it with a groan.

They were only just able to avoid being run over by an overly zealous White Knight, who crashed into the hallway with all the grace of an ox. He was holding his sword in the air and he swung it wildly to defend himself from an unknown foe. The heavy weapon almost sent him toppling backward when he lifted it over his head and he leaned to the side to avoid falling.

"Justalice!" he shouted the moment he saw her. He gave a courtly bow and beamed at her. "I have come to rescue you from most certain and destructive death!"

He waved his sword in a circle above his head to emphasize his words and Alice pulled Hatter further back to avoid being hit.

Charlie glanced around, his bright eyes suddenly narrowed in confusion. "Er... where is the battle then? I am most ready to charge forth with the hounds of War into the jaws of death and shine within the glory of combat!"

"I'd wager you're a good ten minutes too late to do any shining, old man." Pidge pushed back the Knight roughly to one side, ignoring the offended sputtering he was given for doing so, and came to an abrupt halt before Alice and Hatter. He looked them over with obvious relief and then gave Alice a sheepish grin. "Sorry. Once he figured out what you were actually up to and how to get back... he sort of twisted my arm into it."

Alice arched a brow and he shrugged. They both knew that the reason why he'd come back had nothing to do with Charlie and everything to do with the risk she'd taken. His eyes went to Hatter and a troubled look came over his face. He looked back at Alice.

"How is he?"

"He's..." Alice struggled to think of the best way to describe the man leaning against her. "Hatter. In some ways."

She couldn't think of a more definitive answer than that.

Coming up beside Alice, Chesh fluffed his tail irritably and sat down at the door. His eyes glinted as he looked at both Pidge and Charlie. "Oh wonderful. Two more perfectly useless people to add to our troubles."

Pidge glanced at him. "I see you're still alive. Can't think of why I'm not more relieved about that," he responded. Chesh muttered an answer but the tall man's attention was now on the cuts and bruises he could see on both Alice and Hatter. Alice saw his concern when he saw their blood splattered clothing and shook her head.

"It's not my blood. Hatter, he..." she started but Hatter suddenly pitched forward onto his knees. Weak and tired as she was, Alice simply followed him down.

"Help me," she ordered. "He's badly hurt and I don't think it's all on the outside. They've..."

"Say no more, Alice. I shall not mind the burden of his care," Charlie stated, waving his hand to tell her that words were not necessary.

Both Charlie and Pidge grabbed at Hatter's hands and hauled him up so that he was braced between them. At their firm grip he cried out in obvious pain, his face going into a spasm and Alice suppressed the urge to cry out at the sight. She had seen the old bruises and cuts on Hatter's body that were criss-crossed with fresher wounds. There were bones haphazardly set and likely still broken, and his thinness only told her that they'd been starving him to keep him weak. It was as if he had been running on pure mad adrenaline and Alice took a step forward to help them.

She was stopped in her tracks by two hands wrapping around her shoulders and turning her around. Alice choked out a surprised cry and leaned back, her nerves so shot that she was ready to strike out. But Carol's face swam in her already dizzy vision and Alice blinked to focus her eyes on her mother. Carol made a small, happy gasp and hugged Alice tightly.

"I was so worried about you, I just couldn't stay away," Carol started and took a shaky breath. "The minute we got through that door I knew it was wrong... I was terrified but we made him reform the door."

"Mom..., how exactly did you manage to get him to do it? He knew I wanted you safe!" Alice demanded, grabbing hold of her mom's arms and giving her a small shake. It didn't help that she could still smell the smoke and feel the heat starting to increase. The Manor's walls began to ripple and she gave them a worried look.

"It was a matter of persuasion," Abigail said as she came in behind Carol. She was staring wide-eyed around them, barely recognizing her home in this state. Her amber eyes focussed hard on Alice when she saw the look on her face. "Are you all right?"

"Bit shook up but I'm fine," Alice answered.

"We need to get out of here," Abigail ordered. "It's going to come down around our ears, I know it."

Hatter's head suddenly jerked and twitched, and his eyes swept over the people surrounding him. With a strange intensity, he focussed on Abigail. Alice tensed up, waiting for what was likely to be an inevitable explosion. No hint of recognition came to him, nor any signs of simmering anger. Instead, his eyes slid from the older woman in a dispassionate way and he started shivering violently. Though Abigail was clearly relieved, Alice found his lack of response disturbing.

Just as she had found the rest of his listlessness. He didn't seem to recognize his mother and Alice wasn't certain that it would be a good sign right now. He barely seemed to recognize anyone around him nor did he care that he was surrounded. Still, it was far better than a new descent into furious madness.

"The Manor won't last much longer. I can smell the smoke and it's getting stronger. Someone is looking to burn it down, and it is too late to stop it ourselves," Pidge said as he started to guide Hatter to the door they had come through. Charlie scuttled to help him, muttering about the heat as he started to drip sweat in his armour.

"How can you leave your home?" Alice whispered to Abigail and the older woman gave her a weak smile.

"It always rebuilds eventually and the Manor will stop the fires in its own way. I think my father knew it was to happen; he's been cultivating and training the Manor for so long that it will take care of itself," Abigail answered quietly. She gestured for Pidge and Charlie to start pushing Hatter through the door but the young man was dragging his feet, struggling weakly. "For now, we need to get him out of here. He needs to be carefully taken care of, by the look of him."

Her eyes trailed over Alice, taking in the weak look of her and the way she swayed as she stood.

"You need checking as well," she whispered. "You look ready to drop."

"I'll be fine," Alice said, watching the others struggle with Hatter. Carol gripped her hand.

"I insist on it," her mother stated firmly.

"But, Mom," Alice could barely keep the exhausted whine out of her voice.

"You're under shock, Alice, not to mention you look positively exhausted. It's not good for you."

Abigail clearly agreed with her mother, giving a pointed look to Alice's belly.

Alice nodded, starting to tremble though she kept her hands in tight fists to hide it.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's get out of here," Carol whispered, wrapping her arm around Alice's shoulders. She could feel how cold and shaky her daughter was and she gave Abigail a startled look.

Alice was watching Hatter as he and the other two men went through the black doorway. Charlie was talking soothingly to Hatter, like a father to a frightened child. He was telling him how he couldn't wait to hear Hatter's latest insults and that he had new inventions and ideas to show him. For some reason, the sound of Charlie's fatherly encouragement brought fresh tears to Alice's eyes. Hatter and the others disappeared into the darkness and as she stared dumbly at the door, the shock of what had just happened finally hit her.

She had nearly killed Hatter and been killed by him.

Alice's glow, which had been sustaining her for so long, suddenly started to fade and Carol almost jerked her arm away at the freezing cold of Alice's body. Even through the heavy material of Alice's coat, she felt like she'd been dipped in an icy bath.

Both she and Abigail paused mid-step to the door when Alice cried out in pain, her body jerking abruptly. The slight girl went to her knees while clutching her stomach, the glow gone from her body completely now. The gryphon mark on her neck was still moving fiercely, its tattooed jaws opening and closing repeatedly. Carol dropped beside Alice and grasped at her face. Alice was staring sightlessly at the floor before her, shaking and gasping for breath.

"Alice? Alice, what's wrong?" Carol held her face between her hands gently and tried to still her shaking.

Suddenly materializing beside Alice, Chesh looked the girl over carefully. "I dare to suggest that her injuries may be worse than thought. She did use much of her glow here."

Abigail stared at the cat and then at the door.

"We need to get her out of here," she ordered, reaching down and grasping Alice under the arm. The girl cried out in pain, struggling to keep from falling again and Carol held on to her.

"We might hurt her if we move her," she argued weakly, the sound of her daughter's pain breaking her heart.

"We can't wait for Pidge to make it back here to carry her. Get her moving, Carol!" Abigail insisted and she nudged Chesh with her foot. Without any hesitation he leapt through the doorway. Abigail looped one of Alice's arms over her shoulder and Carol did the same. The two women locked eyes over Alice's dark head, both hearing her murmurs of pain and feeling the ice-cold of her body.

"If we don't get her to the doctors, she'll lose her baby... and maybe her life," Abigail finished and without another word, they both leapt into the door.

The last thing Alice herself felt was a sucking sensation that pulled at her skin and agony that spiralled from her toes to her head. Then it was only darkness, the kind she had felt before, and with a final cry of pain she fainted.

Wonderland City...

The woman standing at the railing of the highest balcony of the Heart Palace had once been the most powerful woman in all of literature. She had been feared and respected and often hated rather than loved. She had commanded all of Wonderland after the brutal Taigan Wars that had destroyed centuries of Colours' Rule and much of the old magic. She had once cleverly held almost all of her citizens under the thrall of synthetic emotions.

All had feared her until a stripling of an Oyster girl, a Hatter, the impostor White Knight, and her own son had brought it all down like a house of cards.

But by all of Wonderland, I'll have it back to the way that it was, Mary Elizabeth, the Queen of Hearts, thought as she rested one hand on the railing and clicked her red nails against the iron rails. She had been planning this since her incarceration, and so far, it had nearly gone to plan perfectly.

It would be a matter of weeks before there was a complete take-over. And she would be Queen again and the greatest ruler of all of Wonderland. It would be easier than it had been before since her greatest foe, the White Queen, had been destroyed a year ago. Easier still since Jack had been... taken care of.

"Your Majesty?"

The Queen of Hearts turned, her red lips pursed into a heart-shape. Her servants had very strict instructions to never speak to her unless ordered to do so but she was willing to overlook this Spade's intrusion. He was a young man, eager to rise in the Court, and therefore very useful.

"What is it, Seven?" she demanded, turning and making sure her red silk gowns fluttered around her majestically. She never bothered to learn their names; it saved on any guilt of beheading them in the future.

"We've received word from the South. The Oyster has escaped our grasp."

"What?" The Queen slammed her fist into the iron hard enough that it rang.

The Spade cringed and cowered, an amusing sight for such a tall man. "But we did get most of the formula, and the Drawling Manor is burning to the ground, if our telescopes are being truthful. Supposedly the Hatter was trapped in its depths and was left to die."

"Which leaves that petty Resistance with nowhere to run that we can't find them and no mad fools to ruin everything. We can adjust our plans for the Oyster." She smiled viciously. "Excellent. And the preparations for the Trial and Coronation?"

"Ongoing. The people were still protesting the Trial of the young Amelia Heart and there is still the possibility of the Drawling Master organizing a rebellion." The Spade sighed in relief when the Queen turned away from him. "The Snake was sending in her men to destroy the Manor but we don't know what happened to them all. We do know that the Drawling Master escaped, or so our sources told us."

"We'll let him bring the Oyster to us. He won't be able to resist trying to bring about our downfall. Allow him into the City if he comes this far and we'll take that Oyster for our own. It will take some careful planning." She paused, considering her most important political prisoner, Amelia. "The people will do what I want them to do. Contact our remnants of the White Rabbit to bring my grandson back from the Ice-slopes of the East. That will calm the populace into believing what we want them to believe."

She snapped her fingers and he turned abruptly to do her bidding. Once he had gone, she permitted herself a smile.

"I do so love when a plan comes together."

To be continued in "Illusions & Destinies "...