"Dad's sick, so I told him to stay home," Molly admitted sheepishly.

Bibwit Harte, Alyss Heart, Dodge Anders, and Generals Doppel and Gänger stared at Molly with wide eyes.

"Well then…." General Doppel started, rubbing his eyebrows.

"There was that," General Gänger murmured, doing the same.

Bibwit and Alyss glanced at each other. "Why didn't you say something earlier?" Alyss asked Molly in a tired voice. "It would have saved the yelling!"

"Not my fault I was ignored for most of the conversation!" Molly argued.

"True," Dodge agreed, "but there's still one more question…"

"What?" Bibwit's ears stood up in interest and curiosity.

"What will we do with Hatter? Punishment wise, of course."

"He's sick, there's not much I can do with him," Alyss pointed out, "which is why he was to stay home." She turned to Molly. "It's nice that you told him to stay home, but next time, tell me sooner."

"Okay!" the young Milliner chirped happily.

"Now what?" Dodge huffed to himself.

General Doppelgänger turned back into one and bowed to Queen Alyss. "I'll go deal with the Black Imagination camps now." Alyss gave a curt nod and he walked out of the room.

Queen Alyss headed toward the doorway after Doppelgänger, but stopped and turned toward the other three. "Come. I haven't seen the walrus butler for a while, so let's go check on him." She pointed at Bibwit accusingly. "No cheating!"

Bibwit smiled sheepishly, his ears lowered. "Of course."

After being fairly convinced that Bibwit wouldn't cheat with his extraordinary senses, the group left in search of the walrus butler.

Hatter coughed and frowned at the pain in his throat. He was lying in his sleep-pod, a box of tissues and a trashcan sitting on the floor to his left and his blue top hat resting on the table to his right. His face was red and hot with sweat while his hands were cold and clammy. The entire house was silent, not one sound echoed through it but the Milliner's breathing. But even so, his head rang like a jabberwocky was constantly screaming in his head.

Hatter stared at the ceiling, his eyes dull with boredom. He had lain in bed for five hours, trying to sleep, but he was quickly growing restless instead. The brown-haired man continued to watch the ceiling, not having much else to do.

After several more minutes of ceiling watching Hatter sat up, bored out of his skull. He immediately got light-headed from moving too fast, but he didn't mind it, for he saw something flicker at the bottom of his doorway. Almost like there was a shadow of something in front of his door….

"Molly?" Hatter murmured softly. He quickly shook his head. Why would Molly be at home? She has to stay with Queen Alyss. But there was something there…. Madigan slowly got to his feet, but didn't move forward. Did he really want to know if something was there? Did he care?

BAM! The door suddenly banged open, causing Hatter to jump. He instinctively grabbed for the brim of his hat, but when he realized there was nothing there he dropped his arms to his sides. The Milliner's eyes narrowed. He swiftly snatched the hat off the table and stomped to the door.

Hatter then felt the world tilt. At least, it felt like the world was tilting. He leaned until he finally fell sideways, desperately trying to grab onto something. Once Hatter fell he instinctively rolled, which only disoriented him even more. Madigan immediately stood on his feet, shaky, and walked forward, which only lead him face-first into a wall. After falling yet again he laid still on the floor, trying to get his bearings. A giggle of a girl echoed through the room. "Shut up," Hatter snapped crossly, agitated at his clumsiness and the pain that throbbed in his head. He got back to his feet and walked carefully to the bathroom.

Hatter stumbled into the bathroom, which had clean quartz flooring, a bath on the left side of the room, and a sink to the right. Madigan approached the sink and turned on the faucet. He splashed a handful of cold water on his face, and looked up at the mirror in front of himself.

A girl, about eighteen to nineteen-years-old, was reflected in the mirror, as if she was standing next to the man. She was wearing a white dress with a white apron. A long bloodstain was smudged from the left side of her chest to the bottom of her apron, and an omega symbol was hanging around her neck by a string. Her hair was pitch-black and blood dripped out of her blood-red eyes and mouth.

Hatter watched the reflected image of the girl for a few moments. He then grabbed a towel, dried his hands and face, and left the room, leaving the girl confused and dumbfounded.

Hatter turned left toward his room, but the girl was standing in front of the door. She was holding a completely red kitchen knife in one hand, her arms red with blood all the way to her elbows. Madigan huffed. He grabbed the teen's shoulders firmly and put her to the side. The girl again watched him with a dumbfounded expression. She silently growled at the top hat-wearing man and disappeared.

Molly sauntered down the shining quartz, Queen Alyss, Dodge, and one of Dodge's best friends and royal chessman, Rook, at her side. They all agreed it was a nice day, so the group decided to take a walk.

Rook watched as Wonderlanders who passed bowed to Queen Alyss respectfully and frowned. "Shouldn't you tell them to stop doing that? It's a little… weird."

"I try," Alyss insisted. "But when I tell one person, the next person would bow. Trust me, it's pointless telling them to stop."

Rook nodded and looked at Dodge, who was already talking to Molly.

"Come on, Molly!" Dodge pleaded. "Just real quick! We'll be gone for a moment!"

Molly shook her head. "I don't think he'll appreciate it much. I'll just tell him you said 'get well' or something."

"What is the problem?" Rook asked in confusion.

Dodge pouted childishly. "Molly won't let us visit her old man!" He pointed to a large building. "I mean, he lives right there! Why can't we visit him?"

"How do you know where I live, Dodge?" Molly barked.

"You looked at the building and wondered of your dad's getting better aloud, I think I could take a guess."

"Creep!" the young Milliner scoffed.

"Dimwit!" Dodge shout back.

"Girls you're both pretty…" Rook started. They both stared at Rook. Molly seemed amused and Dodge looked insulted. "…But Dodge is prettier."

"Ha ha, I'm prettier than you!" Dodge teased. Molly started hitting Dodge playfully. Dodge walked faster.

The brown-haired girl raced past Dodge and called behind herself, "last one to my house is a rotten dodo!"

"That's not fair!" Dodge yelled as Rook ran past him. Alyss sighed as Dodge raced after the two and walked leisurely down the street.

Rook knocked on the door. "Hatter, it's us–" Molly pushed past the chessman and opened the door. "…. Right."

Dodge patted Rook's shoulder. "You do realize Molly lives here? She can go in and out as she please."

"I just remembered that."

"Dad! I'm home!" yelled a voice noisily. Rook and Dodge walked into the house, both exchanging worried murmurs. What if Hatter didn't want visitors?

Molly was hanging up her Millinery coat when they entered the living room. "Where's Hatter?" Rook asked, his eyes wandering around the room curiously.

"In bed I hope!" Molly snorted.

Dodge gestured Molly forward. "Lead the way to your father."

"Doggerel of war powers activate!" Molly grunted. She led them down a hallway to a closed-door. "Dad, I'm coming in!" she announced clearly. What they saw beyond the door made them all freeze.

A pale teenage girl with a white dress was looming over Hatter Madigan, who was laying on his side in his sleep-pod. The girl had a bloody knife, which was pointed to Hatter's back. Hatter himself didn't seem to be responsive; his back facing the girl, and his body was wrapped tightly with blankets.

"Dad…? DAD!" Molly raced toward her father before Rook could grab the girl's arm.

"Molly!" Dodge and Rook cried in unison.

Molly charged at the bloodied girl, wrist-blades and homburg at the ready. The girl's gaze never left Hatter, and she didn't flinch when Molly threw her homburg at her. The black-haired teen dodged the hat's sabers and faced Molly.

"Get out of my house!" Molly snarled as she swung her wrist-blade at the strange girl. Her arm phased through the stranger and Molly fell forward from the lack of impact.

The girl frowned and held her fist out, which hit Molly in the face as she fell. Molly rolled away from the eerie girl and held her face once she stood.

"What was…?" Rook trailed off in mid-sentence.

"What just happened?" Dodge wondered aloud, astonished.

Molly stood beside Rook and Dodge and studied the girl. "What is she?"

The girl looked from Dodge to Rook to Molly and then went back to Hatter. She lifted her kitchen knife and held it threateningly over him.

Molly growled at the girl. "Don't you dare!" The brown-eyed girl tried to leap at the enemy, but Dodge and Rook held her back.

"Molly, don't!" Rook pleaded anxiously.

"She'll kill my father!" Molly snapped back. She turned toward Hatter, her eyes filled with worry. "Dad!" She struggled, breaking free from her captors, and again charged the red-eyed girl.

The girl turned to Molly again and let out a deafening screech, sending a deadly sound-wave out from herself. Molly stumbled backwards and held her ears, Rook and Dodge doing the same.

As quickly as the girl started, she stopped. The room grew quiet.

"….." Dodge glanced at Rook. "Someone has to get rid of her."

Rook nodded. "Agreed."

"Well…" Dodge pushed Rook forward. "Rook-a-chu, I choose you!"

"Wha–? No!" Rook rebuked. "If Molly can't hit her, what makes you think I can? Especially WEAPONLESS?"

"…" Dodge put up a finger as to say something, but put it down slowly.

The vaporous girl's expression turned from sullen to aggressive in a flick of the wrist. She returned her attention to the older milliner.

"Dad!"

Poke. The girl began poking the man with her blade angrily, almost like –

"Is she angry because he's…. ignoring her?" Dodge proposed.

"Looks like it…" Rook agreed. Molly stared at the girl, her eyes wide with shock. Why was this stranger poking Hatter? And why wasn't she solid?

"Dad…?" Molly called cautiously.

"Yes, Molly?" Hatter replied.

Molly paused. She watched her father carefully. Molly then started poking her father too. "Why don't you stop this freak from tormenting you, huh?"

"Why would I stop my daughter from doing something if she thinks it's right?"

"Hey!"

"Joking." Molly pouted and began pulling Hatter's cheeks.

"Why didn't you speak before?" she hissed.

"I have a headache." Hatter grabbed Molly's hands and pulled them away from his cheeks. "And her screaming is certainly not helping."

"Yeah. Shouldn't we get her out of our house?"

"That would be nice," Hatter glanced at the glistening red blade, which jabbed at his back softly. His expression was tired.

"Do you have any ideas as to how to get her out?" Dodge asked hopefully. Hatter shook his head. Dodge sighed. "Then we–"

"Guys?" It was Rook. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Rook?!" They called in panic and astonishment. Rook had a knife through his head, and the girl was standing behind him.

"Rook, you're alive, right?" Molly asked, alarmed.

"I hope so," Rook replied, shaking.

"Alyss should be able to help us! … Where's Alyss?" He looked around the room. "Didn't she follow us?"

Molly shrugged. "I ran ahead. Wasn't she behind you?"

Hatter frowned. "You mean you lost Queen Alyss?"

Dodge smiled. "No." Hatter's expression darkened. "Yes." Hatter scowled. "What do you want me to do?"

"Find Queen Alyss," Hatter ordered. He went into a coughing fit, and Molly pushed the brown-haired man down onto his sleep-pod gently.

"Could you guys hurry it up?" Rook pleaded nervously.

"Right!" Dodge headed for the door. It slammed shut in front of him. He then looked at Molly and Hatter.

Molly sped past Dodge and slammed the door open. The door quickly slammed closed. It nearly broke into splinters from the force.

"Quite slamming the door!" Hatter snapped from his sleep-pod. Everyone was quiet. The lights went out.

"Now can we slam the door?" Molly asked innocently.

"…."

"We need Alyss," Dodge spoke shakily. He couldn't see a centimeter in front of himself, which was not good, considering it was sunny outside, and there was a window in the room. "And we need her now."

With that there was another deafening screech and a white wave of sound came toward them.

"EVERYONE RUN!" Molly yelled, struggling to be heard over the girl's screaming.

"WHERE AM I? WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?" Rook shrieked in response, trying to get his bearings.

"WE NEED ALYSS!" Dodge shouted before getting knocked back by the sound wave.

"NO DUH!" Molly snapped before she, too, went down.

"WE'RE GOING TO DIE!" Rook screamed.

"SHUT UP!" Hatter bawled, covering his ears.

"ALYSS!" Everyone cried in unison.

Author's Notes

Hello, Reader! Brightpaw speaking!

This is the most fun I ever had writing a story, so updates are going to be fast. I'll work on my other stories when I'm finished with this one.

And "A Gentleman", I'm watching you. Closely. I think I'm on to you. -_-;

I don't own the Through the Looking Glass Wars trilogy and I don't own Pokemon.

Paths are as Bright as we make them ~Brightpaw