A Monster behind a Mask

We were walking along the path of the forest...looking for signs of Claude...but I started to wonder why we need a whole army when it's just one person...

I looked up at the Hatter and asked, "Hey, how come we need more people?" He looked at me and spoke, "Well, you know what they say...Everything is not what it seems~!"

I was about to ask what does it mean, until we all heard a rustle in a few bushes...we halt and looked around...

The rustle stops when we stopped...and everything gotten silent...

Too silent...

I squinted to pay close attention to one of the bushes...and realize there is something wrong...

A jump appeared and landed to reveal so many skeletons in armor!

I was freaking out, not even knowing how is it even possible!

"It's the victims of Wonderland," Sebastian yelled, "Someone revived and used them to attack us!"

That's when I recognize the trees and ropes of this forest...It's the Wonderland Graveyard! Claude must have used the same magic he did on the queen! Which could mean...

I shook my head as I yelled, "Everyone! Charge and attack them! Don't let any of them hit us!"

With that, we charged with our horses, blocking and attacking them. Some used their swords and weapons to dent my armor, some were high enough to scratch my cheek; but we kept fighting, destroying every one of them...however the more we defeat them, two more came to us...

Me and the Hatter made it out as Cheshire cat yelled, "Go stop Claude! We'll catch up!"

I looked at Hatter who nodded at me, I nod at Cheshire and we continued riding off...

We stopped at a meadow that is stuffed with ruins of a very old temple...we got off our horses and explore the place with our swords in front of us...

Everything seems quiet, but the whistle of the wind through the stone and trees...

Suddenly I heard a twig snapped from behind, I shot a look back to spy no one...

But then I heard Hatter yelled, "Madison!"

I felt a twisted green sword close to my neck and heard that familiar voice, "You need to control your own mouse ears, Madison."

I glared and elbow punched Claude in the stomach and turned to face him with my sword pointed to his neck, "You need to shut your mouth!"

He smirked as he studied the sword, "The pearled Vorcal sword...handmade by the gods of Wonderland...once used by your father..."

I growled as I was getting ready to strike him, but Claude held the blade, "Before you end up killing me, there is one challenger you must defeat..."

With the snap of his fingers, there comes one skeleton soldier...but it was no ordinary skeleton soldier...it was one that belongs to my father...

I gasped with my eyes widen for what I am going to do, my hands started shaking...

The skeleton father ran to me and I blocked him with my sword! He kept doing it and I kept blocking him; I don't want to get hurt, but I don't want to hurt what belongs to my father!

But then the skeleton has gotten a lot more stronger, it cut my cheek and my stomach!

It hurts so bad that I dropped to my knees with my sword still standing in my hands.

"Give up while you can, Madison," Claude snaked around me, "Just drop your sword and call me your king like the piglet you are..."

I noticed the Hatter ran to attack Claude with his weapon, but Claude blocked it with his sword; however, the Hatter doesn't give up, "Madison loves her father, but she will never give up! Not to you!"

I looked at the Hatter as he turned to me, "Madison, even though it belongs to your father, it's not your father! It was one of Claude's minions!"

I looked at the skeleton and realized that Hatter is right...my father will never do something like that...even if it's something from him!

I stood up as the Hatter continued to fight Claude for distraction, I ran to the skeleton and slashed it in half until it made an ugly screech, turning nothing but ashes and dust...

I watched the dust blew away in the wind as I thought:

Rest in Peace...Father...

Suddenly I heard a scream, I looked back and saw the most shocking thing ever!

Claude stabbed Hatter right at the stomach!

"Hatter!"

I race to him as he fell to the ground, "A-Are you alright!?"

He winced as he look up at me, speaking, "I-I'm alright...just a cut...I-I'll be fine..."

I heard him coughing a little, showing sight of blood that scared me to tears.

I can hear Claude chuckling, "He might not make it, Madison...Now you know how it feels to lose everything after earning your wish to escape from reality..."

I couldn't help, but cry as the Hatter felt my cheek, "M-Madison, I-it's ok, I'm fine! I...I just need a doctor...nothing more..."

I sniffled as tears flooded more and I hold his hand, "P-Please just don't die! Y-You're all I wanted...I-I love you!"

He smiled and we noticed the Cheshire cat appeared, "Oh dear me! What a mess!"

I wiped my tears as I look at the cat, "Please help him! Get him to a hospital! And Hurry!"

He nodded as he poured the small potion in the Hatter's mouth to become a magic cat again so he'll vanish with him.

As Cheshire picked up the Hatter, they slowly vanished and the last thing I heard from the Hatter in this place was, "Stay strong, Madison! I believe in you!"

Even if he'll be alright, I couldn't help but cry even more for what I just witnessed...

I heard Claude going over to me, speaking, "It doesn't matter...your precious hatter will vanish from this world, leaving to you with nothing...

Don't you know how pathetic your life is without your parents here, nor how your siblings never even love you? This world doesn't revolve around yourself... You're not the princess of the story...

You're just a foolish girl who doesn't deserve to have everything ever desired...A worthless piece of garbage that no one cares about...

You don't deserve to have a knight in shiny armor, you don't deserve to have a happily ever after...you deserve to die and rot in Hell..."

All I ever react from Claude's words were a strong clench in my fists...I remember these words that belongs to my obnoxious brother almost every day...

I screamed while I slashed his stomach, "Shut the Hell up, you arrogant bastard! You Idiotic monster! You pompous dragon!"

He made a small motion of pain from that slash...but kept his balance perfectly...he looked at me and closed his eyes, "A dragon, am I?"

I heard him chuckled as he dropped his sword and a black aura came, "You should be careful of what you are saying, Madison..."

My eyes widen for what's happening...I saw his skin turning into coal black scales...

He sneered with very sharp monstrous teeth, "You remembered the legend of the Jabberwocky, don't you, Madison?"

I saw his hands turned into claws and he grew bat wings and a lizard tail with a feather plume and he slowly started to grow.

I stepped back as he continued, "Well, your father stabbed the beast...but it got away...I told him it got away...little did he know..."

With that he opened his eyes to reveal a fuchsia colored eyes with black cat-like pupils and spoke in a demon-like voice with a hiss like a snake, "I am the real Jabberwocky, Madisssson!"

As much as he grew bigger, more of the aura covered his whole face, I stepped back more until he was as tall as a narrow hotel.

As the aura cleared, I saw his whole hideous form...his head was like a lizard with ram horns and a lion's mane, his neck was long like any other dragon, and his wings grew so sharp that can cut down a whole forest like butter!

He roared that shook the ruins of the old temple and all I can ever do right now is to run!

But the more I ran the more I can hear him chasing me!

He was extremely scary looking, and not only that, I simply noticed he can also breathe fire!

I kept dodging at every shot, I can't fight him!

I hide behind a giant column in fear, trying not to make a sound...I didn't know what to do...

I can't fight him!

He's big...and mean...and scary and...

and...

Believe in yourself, Madison...

I froze from these words...Everyday I heard people say these little words...

I look at my reflection of my vorcal sword...

I can't fight him...

But I believe I will try!

Just beyond the reflection of the sword, I noticed a tower with stairs that led up to his height...I know what I must do...

I can hear him hiss, "Where are you, Madisssson? Be a good girl and come out!"

I glared as I glanced as him...and as soon as he isn't looking, I made a break for it.

I ran towards the stairs, but I noticed he saw me and started trying to grab me.

But I kept running and going, not giving up!

I believe I can do this!

I was very close to the top, but I stopped when I saw him breathed fire at the top that destroyed it...

He turned to me and growled, "That'ssss enough of playing of hide and ssssseek...I don't normally eat a girl raw in thissss form...but now I musssst!"

I looked nervous, but then I got an idea...I glared and spoke, "Then why not try it now if you're not so scared and stupid!"

I saw him glared, "What did you sssssay?"

I smirked, "That's right! You're just a coward using your dragon power and reputation to hide your true self!"

I saw him growled as he was about to grab me from his mouth.

I decide to kick it up a notch with one more insult, "You know what! You're just like my brother, obnoxious, pompous, stupid, sell out, and a know-at-all selfish bastard!"

He roared and grabbed me by the cape I wore and lift me up in the air.

I held up my sword in the air and yelled with all my might, "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD, YOU IDIOTIC BASTARD!"

With that, I sliced through his neck, feeling the ice blue juice all over me as I went through.

As I land on the ground I saw him fall to the ground with his head rolled towards me...even though he's dying he still have a few minutes to look at me, speaking, "H-How...You..."

I glared as I look at him, "That is for everything you did to all of Wonderland, to the queen, my father, the Mad Hatter, and to my joy and happiness...You burned for what you did to me..."

As I was walking off, I can feel smoke coming off of him along with the sound similar to sizzling bacon...

I got on my horse and along with the Hatter's horse, I rode past the forest where my friends defeat the army of skeleton soldiers and to the village...

While I rode, all I can pray now is for the Hatter to be ok...

An Eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and now a head for a head. Such a odd feeling as I say so myself. And now Madison must travel to see her friends and hope her love wasn't slain as well...