"Summer has come and passed, the innocent can never last.
Wake me up when September ends.
Like my father's come to pass
seven years has gone so fast.
Wake me up when September ends.

Here comes the rain again
falling from the stars.
Drenched in my pain again,
becoming who we are.
As my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost,
wake me up when September ends…"
-Wake me when September ends, Green Day

X-

PREFACE

"Brother! It seems you've returned from 'Wonderland' in one piece." War chuckled as he walked up to his brother, Death. Though what he didn't know was that his eldest brother was in a state of regret, guilt, and dejection all mixed into one, and not from the things that occurred hundreds of years ago. No. This was all new, bringing another level of hate towards him to the point where his younger self would find it uncanny.

"It appears so," He replied, emphasizing 'appears' more than he intended to, not peeling his gaze from his horse's neck. War walked to the opposite side of Despair and gazed at his brother, who still wouldn't look up. Death had a small horseshoe charm hanging from Despair's fleshy neck; one which he ran his long, thin fingers over so many times that it was beginning to scar it. War decided to not even ask, since Death would give him a blank and useless answer.

"How was it?" He asked Death after a few moments of silence. "I presume this… Alice was a raging lunatic-"

Death cut him off by thrusting Harvester so it was a few inches away from his brother's neck. "I strongly advise you not to finish that statement, brother."

"…And why is that?"

Death didn't answer. He reattached the dual scythes to his tattered belt and began to walk in the opposite direction.

"Is there something that I'm missing, Death?"

"No."

"Hmm." War acknowledged.

"What are you doing here?" The eldest horseman asked.

"What, am I not allowed to come and speak to my brother about his most previous assignment?" No answer. "Anyway...was the girl insane?"

Death glanced down to the necklace that strung around his horse a second time. "No."

"Then why was she such a threat to the balance?"

Death sighed. "The past broke her, War."

"I see."

"And I wish I had done something, anything different..."

War was utterly confused. "Such as?"

Death, despite his annoyance with his brother, turned back around and looked at him softly, and choked out the single word: "Safety."

Chapter one

I woke up with bloodshot eyes. I had been sleep deprived for the past couple of years, staying up until early morning because of the fact that I could never sleep. I didn't care, because I had Death on my mind. How the last time I had entered Wonderland, Death was assigned to accompany me. How we explored Wonderland as we had to fix it due to the fact that creatures that I created began to come alive and destroy mankind. How I now would do anything in my power to see him again… how Doctor Bumby, the man who I trusted with all of my secrets was the one who killed my family. That all took place around seven years ago.

I haven't seen Death in all of this time, but he was basically the only thing that has been on my mind. After he left that day when we killed the Dollmaker and Bumby, my mind returned to London. My sanity returned, and I haven't had a problem with it since, other than I could control my hallucinations. When I walked around London, everything was wrecked. people were living on the streets, buildings were demolished.

After a year or two, people began to gain their lives back from the tragedy. I was able to work and get an apartment for myself since I was not required to be locked in an asylum anymore. I lived alone, and the only time I was exposed to the outside world was when I had to do errands or work. Other than that, I never left my house. But every night I thought about the eldest Horseman.

Once I had the time, I thought it would be interesting to travel. I figured since the tragedy was worldwide, I would start with a place I have never heard much about. America. The only place I had ever heard of was New York, so I thought I would go there. As I was packing my bags, something happened that I never expected to.

"Hello..." the Cheshire cat caught me off guard. I flinched, but I didn't look up and kept packing.

"I haven't seen you in a while,"

"Seven years. it doesn't seem like it's been that long."

"It has-"

"And I see that you didn't listen to me. Again."

I looked at him for the first time. "What do you mean?"

"I advised you to stay with him."

"I couldn't." I said, sighing because I knew he was referring to Death. "He had to leave. You know me, and you know that I would have if I could."

"Just watch out on your vacation, Alice..." He replied, grinning his signature grin. He evaporated, and I went back to packing. I zipped up my bag, and I walked out the door, locking it right behind me.

xxxxxxxx

Once I got to New York, I walked to look around. I stared at the pavement, watching myself slowly walk.I had no idea where I was heading, but I didn't care. I let myself think about Death for a while, smiling at the things that made me laugh. Behind me I heard people screaming, but I ignored it as much as I could. Suddenly one of the buildings on my right was being attacked. I had no idea by who... or what, but it made me step back. A flaming meteor crashed into the side, breaking the glass in the process. My heart beat sped up, and I began to walk the other way to avoid any havoc to come. That didn't help, because another meteor ripped through the building right in front of me. The blast knocked me off of my feet, and my head hit hard on the sidewalk.

Some policemen helped me to my feet, but I just walked away from them as soon as possible. I gripped my burned arm in panic. God, I hate fire, everything to do with fire. I started to run when I saw some kind of strange beast running towards me. It was a dark brown color and it had no eyes, its clawed fingers digging into the stone and its teeth dripping a liquid that looked like anything but spit. I opened my luggage and pulled out my Vorpal Blade. Just because Wonderland is imaginary didn't mean I didn't have the weapon that stuck with me through the whole of it. I smiled at it, remembering when Death shocked himself upon touching it. I pulled it out and began to slash at the creature. It soon died with multiple gushing cuts on its face, and I wiped the blood from the end of the blade. I turned a corner and saw a man that was a lot taller than everyone else. He had ice white hair, deep tan skin- though only on his face, the rest of him looked as if he was made of rocks- and a scarlet red hood.

I started to think, That could have been a demonic creature...and that really looks like War, from the memories that Death showed me. This must be the apocalypse! If it is...Death is here. He is here?! I have to find him!

I broke into a run and approached the man. He was fighting off more of the creatures, and he was also trying to kill a creature with bleach white wings being held into place with a set of golden armor.

"Are you War?!" I screamed over the noise.

"What is it to you, human?" He hissed with a low, velvety voice.

Yep. That's War. "Where's Death?!"

"I don't know! Now get out of my way."

Before he could walk away, I yelled one more thing. "I'm Alice!" I figured that the Council had told Death's brothers where he would've been. I must have been right, because War turned and looked at me.

"Alice? You mean the balance-threatening, Alice?"

"I believe your brother knows me very well."

Another meteor crashed onto a building. "Damn it! He said he didn't want anything to happen to you..." He whispered under his breath. "Come," He moved his head in the motion to go. I ran behind the Horseman as he tried to take out as many demons as he could. Any ones that he didn't have the time to kill, I decapitated as many as I possibly could. I did my best to keep up with War, and he soon stopped and fell to the ground.

I stopped and looked at him, and he grunted in pain. "What is happening?" He questioned to himself. After a moment, he got up and we continued on. Running through the streets of the shattered New York was a complete blur. People were dying right before my eyes, and I just wanted to mourn, but War seemed slightly colder than Death, the one who I was in love with...

I wonder if Death told War...or Fury or Strife... all I know is that Death isn't as open to his brothers as he was with me...

"Impossible." I heard War say. My head snapped up and I saw an angel that was a lot bigger than the others; he had a white feather coat that hung down over layers and layers of shining golden armor. "What is this?" War asked. "Where are my brothers?!"

The angel War spoke to got attacked by a demon, but shook it off easily. "How could this happen?!" he exclaimed.

War thrust his sword, Chaoseater- I was just remembering the name of the sword- into the concrete, and I looked up to see the angel again.

"The seventh seal was not broken!" A large hand came up from a newly formed pool of lava, and it grabbed the angel.

"Abaddon!" a female angel yelled as the other was crushed. She then turned her attention to War. "What in Heaven's name have you done?!"

"I...answered the call."

The angel flew off to attack more demons, and the hand that grasped Abaddon began to rise more and more out of the lava until a figure formed. It was covered in armor that was cracked and pieces were missing. This creature, to me, wasn't that frightening, other than the fact that he was about the size of the Dollmaker.

War walked backwards without talking his eyes off the beast until he was beside a food stand. He picked it up and threw it at the creature. It hit him in the eye, and it rested its chin on the pavement. War ran up to the beast and used Chaoseater to stab the creature in the eye. The thing screamed in pain as War was about to give the final blow. That's when he collapsed again. He fell back hard against the concrete, and the demon used his huge gauntlet to throw War across the ground. It turned its attention to me.

"Taking a mortal with you, War?" It asked as it grabbed me with its gauntlet. I protested as much as I could, but I couldn't do anything. With its other hand, he picked up War, and before I could see anything else, I blacked out.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Why is a mortal before us?!" I heard a low voice say. I opened my eyes, and saw three rock statues enveloped in fire.

The Charred Council.

I sat up and began to scoot back from them, paralyzed in fear. I saw War In front of me as I hit the back wall of the court.

"Alice." He blankly replied.

"Alice?!" The right one exclaimed. "The Alice who threatened the balance?"

"Correct."

The middle rock paused, and then spoke again. "Come forward."

I didn't move for a moment, but then somehow got to my feet without collapsing. I walked up slowly, and cowered behind War.

"Why are you here?" the voice boomed.

"W-War told me to follow." I stuttered.

"War? Why is this so?"

"I ran into her on the street, and I figured the Charred Council could use such a powerful mind to their advantage."

They didn't reply for a few moments, but then gave us the answer. "Alright, Horseman. That is not our concern right now... The law is clear. When the Seven Seals are broken, four horseman will ride forth to punish the wicked. Be the sons of men, the lords of Heaven, or the dregs of Hell... all upon Earth will be judged, and the pact forged anew. You forget your post, horseman! You forget the Law!" The Council screamed. "No call was given! Yet, the Destroyer marched, and you were found under his black banner. If the claims are true-"

"To Hell with your claims!" War exclaimed, and I stepped back. "The seals were broken! I was summoned!"

"But where are the other horsemen? Were they not summoned as well? The seals are hidden as they have been since the pack was forged, eons ago...all of them intact! There was no call. You aided the dark ones, broke a sacred covenant that has doomed mankind, and threatened the balance! do you deny it?!" I was back up against the wall again.

"When I rode..." War began. "Heaven and Hell were already at war. Abaddon was there. He knew something-"

"Abaddon fell, fighting off the chaos you unleashed!"

"I fought powerless against the demons, and still you accuse me?!"

"Your defeat proves nothing. Likely, the Destroyer cast you aside when he was finished with you! You have defiled the law, Horseman... you will be punished."

"I serve only the Council. Only the balance. As the horsemen always have... send me back. I'll punish the ones responsible."

"How? What hope do you have against the Destroyer's armies? You're powerless."

"Then I will fail, and the demons will have carried out your sentence."

"Hmm...very well... you will return to the Earth. But, you will be watched. Come forth."

War walked up to the council, and sat on his knees. He thrusted his over-sized gauntlet into the lava, making me flinch. He grunted in pain, but stayed mostly silent as the magma scorched his skin. The boiling rock then turned from bright orange to a deep black with a green tint. the black turned to smoke in which emveloped his gauntlet.

"The Watcher is bound to you," the rock on the left told War. "it will ensure your loyalty."

A creature then formed out of the smoke. It had six pale green slits for eyes, and its cheekbones were sucked in. it had no mouth, but it spoke in a high-pitched voice. "Remember that," The Watcher hissed. "Or I will really get under your skin..." The Watcher returned to War's gauntlet, and he cringed in pain and dug his fingers into the rock.

"Enough! Rise, War, and arm yourself."

Right next to where I sat in the back with my back firmly pressed against a rock, a hole formed with lava bubbling out of it, I moved over so I wouldn't get burned, and War's sword rose out of it.

"Chaoseater. The angry blade thirsts for destruction. War walked towards the blade, grabbed it and threw it on his back, making me flinch again.

"Ah, the girl..."

Please don't stick me with War, please don't stick me with War... I thought.

"You will accompany the horseman on his quest."

Damn. "I...okay..."

"Now, get out of here. best be on your way..."