Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Kuni no Alice series; QuinRose does. I only own the original storyline and any characters not seen in the original games.

Musical Accompaniment: Sovereign, by Kevin MacLeod. The song begins right at the start of the chapter and goes until they leave the Tower of Clover. The second song, Clarity, by Zedd, begins near the end of the chapter as Vivaldi and Nightmare begin to play.

Author's Note: It has been an almost literal year since I last updated this story, so I apologize with all the energy I can muster.

Chapter 10 – In My Last Days I'll be Standing Strong

Everyone stayed quiet in her mind as she jumped off the Jabberwock's disappearing body; grains of blackened sand rose into the sky, and it wasn't until the creature was completely gone that she finally felt safe again.

Her heart was still hammering away like crazy, and the realization of what I've done suddenly brought laughter bubbling up to the surface. It was obviously hysterical laughter, hitting notes that had no business existing, but there was no way to stop it as the sword slipped from nerveless fingers and clattered on the floor. There was joy and relief and excitement and life and

Oh my God we did it

the laughter turned to tears because she was so glad that everyone was still alive, even if trapped inside, because she almost died because everyone almost died and how in the world do you ever feel better after living through something like that?

"By moving on," Nightmare whispered, faint lace against her mind. "Come on, dear Alice. I think it's time we left you back to your thoughts."

"But if I let you go… you were so hurt before, and when you're real again, you'll die. If you stay with me, you'll be safe," she said, barely able to speak through the tears. "I don't want you to die."

They understood; they could literally feel her anguish.

"I don't want you to leave me. Everyone leaves me – Mama, Lorina, now Gowland and Joker and Ace," she cried, hugging herself around the waist as if holding them inside. "Please. I don't want to lose anyone else."

"You won't lose us," Blood said, and for once she felt the promise echoing in his thoughts. "Watch."

Before she could do anything, his spirit – a white sphere of life – pulled away and drifted from her like a dandelion seed from the head. It flashed for a split-second, and when the light cleared he was sitting on the ground. His coat and top hat were missing and he looked a little rumpled, but really seemed no worse for the wear.

"Blood!" and Alice couldn't stop herself from tackling the Hatter, embracing him as tightly as possible. "Blood, you're okay! Oh, thank goodness!"

"No, young lady, I believe you are to thank for that," he said, letting the warmth seep through his words as he laid a few gentle kisses against her neck. "You are quite the hero."

There weren't any more words as she held him to her. It was enough to just bury her face in his hair and let the reality of him sink into her skin.

At least, until he said with dark mischief, "So if I save your life again, would you let me inside in other, more pleasurable ways?"

"Okay, moment's over," and Alice pushed him back just as more of the white spheres burst out from her chest. Peter immediately grabbed her as Vivaldi knocked her brother backwards with a forehead poke from her scepter.

"Impudent male! You shall be beheaded!" she said, and Blood just smiled back.

"My beloved Alice! I will cure you of the Hatter's taint!" he declared, then began kissing the same places on her neck with impressive vigor.

"Ah, no! No, that's not necessary!" she gasped. Then, before she had a chance to whack him with something hard, hands pulled her away.

"Big Sis is ours, ugly Rabbit," adult Dum snarled, draping one arm over her shoulders. From the other side, Dee wrapped his arm around her waist and said, "So back the hell off!"

"Hey, don't crowd Alice, you little fleas!" Elliot said, literally picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

More people were trying to crowd forward; while she was ecstatic that everyone looked to be in good health, Alice held her hands out and yelled, "Everyone, stop!"

It was like a magic trick. All the Role Holders – now back to being human instead of voices in her head – froze and looked at her. "Elliot, would you be a sweetheart and put me down?"

He didn't respond, and Alice did the one thing she knew would get his attention. She grabbed a handful of ear and pulled. "Elliot!"

But again, he didn't respond, and suddenly she knew something was very wrong. He always yells and shouts when I grab his ears. What's going on?

"I've been found out, huh?" he said, almost talking to himself.

"Put her down," Blood said much more gently, and for some reason that did the trick. Elliot set her upon her feet just as she let go, and then gave her a slightly bashful smile.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you the first time."

And Alice remembered exactly what the Jabberwock did to him before she arrived. He looked completely whole, but….

She reached up with a shaking hand and touched one ear; he didn't flinch, even when she pinched the delicate tip. Her fingers traveled further down, and there, a spot where it felt like two pieces of a puzzle had been put together, a soft bump of scar tissue two inches or so from his scalp. Below it, he suddenly made a face, as if he was trying to resist being tickled.

"Your ears… can you hear me?" she asked, leaning forward and speaking up.

"Kinda," Elliot said, still wearing that shy smile. "I mean, it's like the world's muffled instead of clear, but it's better than nothing."

He couldn't have been the only one. Oh my lord, no. The only other one she remembered suffering something so devastating had been oh no.

He was hiding behind Gray, arms crossed and trying to his damndest to look tough. But when the latter silently stepped aside and Alice stood in his place, he didn't turn his head to look at her. Instead, she saw that the patch had been replaced by a single band of black silk lined with gold that wrapped around both eyes.

"One stray thought about feeling sorry for me, and I'll make you scrub all the toilets in the tower," Nightmare growled softly.

His gruffness made her want to smile and cry, but she said in an equally soft voice, "I was just thinking that it makes you look pretty cool. You're even more mysterious now."

She was rewarded with a brilliant smile that was all Nightmare, and couldn't help but engulf him in a powerful hug that almost knocked both of them over. When she pulled away, the sight of all her friends standing around (healed, whole, alive) suddenly made her go weak in the knees. She collapsed to the ground in a puddle of maroon and black, bringing Nightmare down with her.

"Alice!" "Alice, are you okay?" "Hey, what's wrong?" "You're crying! Who made you cry?" "Get your filthy hands off of her, curs!" "Kiss my ass, Rabbit!" "I'll kill you all if you don't go away!" "Yeah, yeah, promises, promises."

Alice laughed, the sound reaching up to the sky as she felt, Yeah, everything is just fine now.

Something must have reverberated through all of Wonderland when the Jabberwock died, because throngs of faceless met the twelve at the base of the tower. Some factions separated to speak with their appropriate heads, but most people came to pay their respects to Alice. There were tears of joy and laughter and excitement and hands shaking hers and just a lot of everything. She felt embarrassed and self-conscious and maybe a little proud, but the overwhelming sensation was an incredible exhaustion that made her want to fall asleep on the spot.

Julius let out an annoyed sigh. "Good lord, you are stubborn beyond words," he said, then picked her up in a princess carry in a single move. Alice wanted to have the energy to fight or argue.

But this is awfully nice, isn't it?

She fell asleep before they exited the Tower's gates.

When she finally opened her eyes, she was actually shocked to see… no one. Absolutely no one but herself.

What in the world?

A few seconds to reorient herself, but she figured it out. She was back in the Clock Tower, which must have somehow survived the Jabberwock. It was empty and silent for perhaps the first time in, well, what felt like a long time. The whole work area had been completely cleaned out; there was only a bed and a desk. It was such an odd sensation, this quiet, especially since there was no sign of Julius or his clocks.

But some unspoken something told her that if she needed help, all of her friends would be there in a heartbeat.

With that in mind, Alice rolled back over and fell asleep with a tiny smile of contentment on her lips.

Waking for sips of water or trips to the bathroom

Sleeping, uncaring of sunlight or moonlight

Dreamless, she rested

Time passed, gently and unconcerned

Until

I guess it's time to get out of bed.

But it's so comfortable here. No worries. No cares. Just sleeping and breathing.

Maybe, but you have to get up and face the day.

… but I'm afraid.

Of what?

I don't know. Something. Everything. She buried herself under the covers, throwing the heavy down blanket over her head like a child.

If I leave the room, then the illusion breaks. Then I have to see what the Jabberwock did to my friends, to Wonderland… to me. I'm not ready for all that.

An image of her sister rose into her mind – but for once it brought the sensation of comfort, not guilt. What has been done, has been done, Lorina seemed to say. Don't be afraid of the past, Alice, and don't run from the future.

Which is exactly what she had been doing. Remembering the transformation – and the truth – and knowing that it would likely change her place among them… Alice didn't want to leave the comfort of her room or that of her friendships.

But Wonderland kept spinning without her, and she didn't want to be apart from it any longer.

She took her time showering, washing away all the residual feelings. It felt incredibly good to feel something intangible washing down the drain, her soul starting to lighten with each passing moment. A passing glance in the mirror showed that she was a teenager again, to her quiet relief. Stepping out, she saw that her usual dress was neatly cleaned and pressed, hanging patiently in the closet near the black assembly dress.

Between them was the university jacket and skirt, looking the same as it did the day before she left England for Wonderland.

Not ready to take that step yet, and grabbed the blue pinafore. After she finished, she automatically reached inside the apron pocket, and her heart skipped a beat when she felt nothing inside.

But when she closed her eyes and reached into that quiet place inside, Alice could feel the hilt in her palm and the weight of the sword pulling down.

Thank you. I hope I never have to hold you again.

The sword disappeared before she opened her eyes, and Alice left her room for the first time in (probably?) a week.

And as she opened the door, four bodies toppled inwards from the sudden loss of support.

"Oh, hey Alice!" Boris said, jumping up first and giving her a cheeky grin. Though something looked different about him…. "Just making sure you're okay. We weren't doing anything weird."

"Big Sis isn't dead!" child-sized Dum cheered from the floor, then turned angrily on Pierce. "You said she was dead!"

"No, I said she was probably scared to death and hiding for a million time-turns," he said, then squeaked when Boris whacked the back of his head.

"Be nice, everyone," Alice said as she held out her hands, and Pierce nearly flew into her arms. "Whoa, Pierce! I'm fine. I was just really tired after all the fighting. I feel much better now."

"Won't you help us up, Big Sis?" Dee asked, eyes wide and hopeful.

She sighed and gently extricated herself from the Dormouse's grip before offering her hands to the boys. Each took a hand and… pulled her down to the ground with a shriek of surprise, catching her like a pair of puppies catching a chew-toy.

"We gotcha! We gotcha!"

Somehow, a cat and a mouse got added into the pile, and Alice nearly suffocated under the fur and kisses and affection. They engulfed her in their arms, rubbing their cheeks against her shoulder and back and making an absolute mess of her clothes and hair.

For once, she fiercely hugged them back. "I missed you boys."

"We missed you too!" "We're not lettin' go!" "Ever!" "Nope, not ever!" "You're stuck with us!"

Then she heard someone clear his throat and say, "You might want to do that behind closed doors."

Everyone's heads spun towards the doorway, where both Blood and Julius stood, the former amused and the latter annoyed.

"Can you please refrain from the molesting the Outsider, at least until after Wonderland has spoken?" Julius flatly asked.

Boris dropped a final kiss onto Alice's lips (oh!) before giving both men a cheeky smile. "Guess if I gotta. Is it starting?"

"Sooner rather than later. The Queen's threats of beheading are becoming more frequent."

Alice was helped to her feet by the Bloody Twins, and asked, "So what did I miss?"

"Both quite a lot, and not much," Blood explained, walking on one side while Julius immediately took the other side. The twins led the group through the Clock Tower's halls.

"What does that mean?"

Pierce said, "We're trying to fix Spade. And Diamond. And the rest of Clover and Heart."

"Is it working?"

"Yes, and no," Boris admitted, his hands behind his head. "Part of the problem is Wonderland."

"What do you mean?"

"This is gonna sound stupid, but here goes – we think it's waiting for you."

"Me?!"

Julius said, "You've been unconscious of it for at least fifteen time turns. We could barely get water and broth into you during that time; I was not certain you'd survive."

Alice certainly didn't remember anything like that. In fact, she didn't remember seeing them at all for the past few days, and said as much. And why was she still having these odd feelings like something was amiss?

"Likely you were too tired to remember," Blood said. "We all took our turns watching over you. Those that were not here were making attempts to instill order back into Wonderland."

"But the weird thing?" "Wonderland hasn't picked new Role Holders." "Which is super weird because that's, like, the thing it does."

Alice was tempted to further goad the kids ("how weird is it?") but instead asked, "What normally happens?"

Boris shrugged. "I don't remember much about life before being a Role Holder, but when the previous Cat died, I knew right away that I was the next one. I mean, I woke up with my ears and tail and that was that."

"But why on earth would it wait for me?"

"That, dear Alice, is what we are going to find out," Blood said, and he gestured to the door. Boris opened it, and he must have had permission from the Queen because it led directly into Vivaldi's throne room, where she and the remaining five Role Holders were (im)patiently waiting.

And when she finally saw everyone together, she realized what it was that that seemed so different.

Almost everyone had some sort of scarring from their torture, though it was much more evident on some than others. Blood had soft lines of rose vines curled over the skin near his collar, as if he'd been branded, and Alice would bet that they went all the way down his body. Julius's hands had thick scars in the center of the palms, and she realized that he was not moving his fingers as before. Vivaldi was the same, but her scars were little lines across her chest and arms like finely-healed paper cuts. Boris's old piercings and tattoos were gone, replaced by a single little heart on his cheek and silver spiraling jewelry on his ears and tail. One small lizard now sat the right side of Gray's neck instead of his ruined left side; Pierce's ears with its missing bits and a gnawed tail; Peter resting against a cane in his hand; Elliott's ears, Nightmare's eyes, Dee's arm….

It was so disconcerting, particularly since she'd never seen the Role Holders look anything but perfect. As long as they survived a battle, they could be made whole again with each passing time turn.

Apparently, there is some damage that can't be undone.

But she took it all in within a few heartbeats before focusing on the moment. None of the Role Holders were acting any differently than usual, and she wouldn't either. Instead, she smiled and said, "I'm home."

Vivaldi quickly jumped from her throne and engulfed Alice in a hug. "Dearest Alice, we have missed you so! You have a horribly bad habit of frightening us, and such a thing is inexcusable! You must come live with us in the palace!"

"For once, I agree with you," Peter said, moving with surprising grace and kissing Alice's hand.

Before it could get much farther, Alice broke the mood. "So what's going on with Wonderland?"

Vivaldi let her go with an incredible amount of drama. "Wonderland is continuing to be difficult. We are in need of an appropriate Knave, and it will not replace him at this time. This is quite frustrating."

"It's the same for Diamond and Spade," Nightmare said, sitting in a chair. "It seems that Wonderland is in an odd stasis period, and did not deign to assign new Role Holders."

"Which is weird," Alice said, almost to herself.

"Considering the speed at which clocks and afterimages get replaced, it is more than odd. But it is also concerning because it prevents us from trying to rebuild," he continued.

"The plague of afterimages in Spade, the decimated populations across the four countries, all those things can be turned over more quickly with new Role Holders," Blood explained.

"So how do we know when it'll happen?"

"Wonderland runs the gamut of dramatic to understated," Gray said. "It could be-"

And a Heart soldier ran into the room, yelling, "Your Highness! They have found the next King and Queen of Spade!"

Everyone whirled towards the door, varying degrees of surprise and annoyance on their faces.

"Well, it took them long enough!"

"Really? Who is it?"

Now he looked very worried. "Uhm… they're co-" and his words were cut off with a choked gasp, and his head exploded in a shower of bone and blood.

Alice let out a light shriek – compared to all the things she'd just seen, this was quite tame – but the surprise echoed through all the Role Holders. They all took up defensive positions; Elliot carefully shooed her behind him and Gray as the rest pulled their weapons from nowhere.

Now a voice, light and sweet, came echoing from the hall. "Now do it again! Better! More regally!"

A new Heart soldier hustled into the room, trying to ignore the other man's clock. "It is my honor to present the new King and Queen of Spade," the Heart soldier announced, his voice wavering. "Cole Horn and Ariella Jourdain."

"Yes, well done! Now throw open the doors!"

Someone did just that, and two people came striding into the room. First was a woman with a huge mane of dark brown hair, wearing a self-satisfied smile. She was surprisingly short, closer to the child Twins' height than Alice's, but carried herself with a grace that was eerily similar to Vivaldi's. Right behind her was a thin man nearly a six inches taller than Elliot, platinum-blond hair shorn short. He looked more apathetic, almost disinterested in the hubbub happening, but his eyes were sharp – and Alice immediately remembered the way King Johann's eyes looked when he was young.

And over the man's forehead was a light blue diamond, while the woman had a pair of tawny ears coming out from her head like Boris from which hung a pair of onyx earrings.

"The Lion and the Unicorn," Blood said in a flat voice. "My word, Wonderland is desperate."

"How the hell did this happen?" Boris asked.

"Good luck, I am inclined to believe," Ariella answered in a teasing tone. "How nice to meet to you all as equals rather than faceless."

No one responded, and the air was still thick was tension. But since no one was answering the unspoken question, Alice asked in a stage whisper, "So who are they?"

"Oh! The Outsider!" and Ariella bounced over to Alice – and was promptly stopped by both Elliot's gun and Gray's knives. "That's not very nice. I am a Queen, after all, and you should be more respectful."

"We haven't shot you yet, Lion. That's quite respectful," Gray said.

"True. And I really should be talking as the Queen of Heart and former Diamond spoke. Oops. So, we would like to meet the Outsider."

Elliot snorted, "You can say 'hi' from over there, crazy bitch."

Alice felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around to see Cole standing there, looking at her with thoughtful quiet. "You're not really seventeen, are you?"

She felt her face start to flame, and this time Peter and Boris surrounded her on the back. "Back off," Boris growled, though neither had pulled their guns.

"Hmm, interesting," Cole said, hopping back with careless ease. "Such passionate protection. She did protect Wonderland from the Jabberwock, so perhaps it is warranted."

"To answer your question, sweet Outsider," Ariella said, "we are the Lion, and our dear partner is the Unicorn. Two of Wonderland's elite assassins. You would recognize Gray as one of our former co-workers, though he foolishly took up with the Incubus."

Gray said coolly, "I have no reason to regret my decision, considering my former co-workers."

"Too bad. You might have become a king yourself instead of a nanny to a weak and useless lord."

"Sitting. Right. Here," Nightmare snarled.

"We know."

Realizing that this discussion was quickly going to degenerate into a fight – and then more Role Holders would need to be born – Alice said, "So if you're the new rulers of Spade, then you know what happened there."

The two of them focused on her with incredible intent. "Of course we do. We can feel the afterimages in the country like a fever in our skin," Cole said, and his diamond gave a very faint glow.

"But since it's our first day on the job, we didn't know what to do about it," Ariella sighed, and turned to Vivaldi. "We think you do, though."

One could hear Vivaldi grinding her teeth from a distance. "Of course. For the rebirth of Wonderland, we would offer our benevolent assistance."

Alice was pretty certain that Vivaldi would rather swallow glass and kiss the Jabberwock than help this woman, but she was nothing if not upstanding in her promises. And considering that the plague of afterimages could spread without something to control them, there was obviously nothing to do but help the new King and Queen.

As the three of them began to talk closer to the throne, there was another, more frantic knock at the door.

"Enter," both Queens said, then glared at each other. Vivaldi repeated, "Enter!"

This time, one of the Heart soldiers led in a little girl – the same little girl that Alice remembered from the Circus. She still had the star-shaped hat with bells and a bi-colored dress, but now her eyes and hair were wine-colored, like old Joker's had been.

"Alice!" and she ran right towards Alice like a bullet. She was so quick that none of the Role Holders managed to catch her before she literally jumped into Alice's arms. It was only through good luck – and Elliot grabbing her around the waist – that neither of them fell down.

"Alice, Alice, guess what?" she said, breathless with happiness. "I'm Joker. Both Jokers. And now I've got a face and everything!"

"Isn't she a little young to be the new Joker?" Ariella asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Now she jumped out of Alice's arms and stood in front of the rulers with her hands on her hips. "That's not very nice! Don't make me punish you for being a meanie!"

"Oh really?" and now Vivaldi's voice was covered in frost. "You may be a Role Holder, but we assure you, child, that you can die as easily as when you were a faceless toy."

"No one can kill Joker! So there!" and she stuck out her tongue.

Oh my God, this situation can't get any worse. Which of course means something else is going to happen. She swung her head around, trying to look for some way to diffuse the situation without gunshots when her eyes fell on both Boris and Peter standing next to each other, looking equal parts bored, annoyed, and impatient. Funny, how similar they look standing next to each other. Even funnier considering that they were quite alike temperament-wise.

Her mind made a hundred leaps of logic, and the electric knowledge made her yell, "Oh my god!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing, which was a minor magic in itself, as if her words suddenly made their fights unimportant. Even Cole and Ariella looked at her with concern.

"What? What's wrong?" Pierce asked, suddenly frantic. "Alice, what's wrong?"

"The Knave! He's been here!"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, no one's replaced the stupid knight," Dee said with a shrug.

"We would know," Vivaldi agreed. "He would have come and presented himself."

Her brain froze, and she briefly wondered if she could fake insanity as the excuse for her behavior, but he saved her.

"It's okay, Alice. Cat's gotta get out of the bag sometime. Just as well it happened now that you're awake," Boris said, affectionately patting her shoulder before stepping in front of Vivaldi. Then, with a poise that was so unlike him but yet was starting to fit more and more faithfully, Boris sketched a respectful bow the Queen of Heart.

"The Knave of Hearts, at your service," and his punk outfit suddenly morphed into his Clover suit, with the magenta shirt changed to red and a heart stitched over his breast pocket.

Stunned silence. Alice hadn't ever seen Vivaldi at a lack for words, never mind the rest of the room. But it made complete sense. The heart tattoos, the automatic permission from Vivaldi to open doors to Heart, the way he moved in compliment to Peter… Alice was shocked that no one had seen it before.

Not like they really pay attention to each other, she corrected herself.

Suddenly, Vivaldi grinned like a small child. "The kitty is our Knight!" and hugged Boris to her chest. "How wonderful this gift! What a delightful surprise!"

Boris tried not to wince as he slowly extracted himself. "Yeah, great."

"So, are you still the Cheshire Cat?" Alice asked out of curiosity.

He nervously rubbed the back of his head. "I think so. They aren't completely conflicting Roles, and I can still run around whenever I feel like it. Besides, Ace got away with all sorts of crap, so I don't see why I can't."

Alice couldn't really argue that point, and the room went silent again.

Cole finally said, "If we are done here, we should be leaving now, Ariella. Spade still burns from shadows."

"Aw, just when the drama was getting good," she pouted, but blew a kiss to Alice. "Thanks for saving our country, sweetie. We'll call on you later!"

"Sure," she replied faintly, and the new King and Queen of Spade sauntered out.

Although Alice would never have considered the Role Holders to be friendly with each other, the high level tension suddenly faded away.

"So now what happens?" Joker asked, magically perched on Alice's back. "What about you? What happens to you now that you're staying? Are you a Role Holder, then?"

Which was something Alice hadn't wanted to think about; if she was no longer an Outsider, who was she to everyone? Did slaying the Jabberwock but still retaining her Vorpal Blade give her a Role? But when she looked at everyone in the room, she realized something else.

It didn't matter to them – her age, her looks, her title – and it shouldn't matter to her.

So she grinned and said, "I'm the same as I always was."

The little girl planted a kiss on Alice's head and said, "Good! Then you'll come visit the Circus when we're back in town."

"Of course."

"Then it's time to practice so you'll always want to stay!" and she soared off Alice's shoulders before disappearing in a flash of fireworks and confetti streamers.

"That takes care of Spade, the Circus, and the Prison," Alice said, mostly to herself.

"We are still missing the rulers of Diamond," Blood said. "Unless anyone else wants to admit that they've suddenly changed Roles without telling anyone."

For a moment, no one moved. Then Pierce raised his hand. "Duke."

More yelling and noise and Boris chasing Pierce around in a flurry of anger, but nothing that Alice didn't expect. Still, that didn't really answer the question about Diamond, or even Heart and Clover.

Vivaldi, however, got a rather sharp smile on her face. "We have an idea. Knave!"

Boris stopped in mid-run before letting out a deep sigh of dismay. "Great, it's already started," he grumped, but more loudly said, "Yes, my Queen?"

"Go visit Diamond for us, and report back with the findings. Make haste!"

He sketched a more sarcastic bow (I didn't know bowing could be sarcastic). "Of course. Anyone wanna come with for the ride?"

Blood sent Elliot for back-up, and they were gone for only about ten minutes before coming back with surprising news.

"Well?" Vivaldi asked.

"So, uh, looks like Diamond's doing OK," Boris said, looking a little befuddled.

"What do you mean?"

"All the ice in the castle is melted. Faceless are being reborn, the city looks like it's rebuilding itself," Elliot said. "It doesn't look that bad."

Boris shrugged. "Oh, and the King of Diamond was apparently freed from the ice sculpture that Crysta had trapped him in, and is now ruling Diamond."

She didn't really understand everything that they said, but since the rest of the Role Holders looked something between puzzled and relieved, she decided not to push it. Especially since no one looked all that interested in going back to Diamond.

Which leaves only Heart and Clover – the places I call home. Alice sidled up next to both Vivaldi and Julius, who were talking together. "Can I ask a question?"

"Of course, lovely Alice, you may ask us anything."

"Is there something I can do to help rebuild the countries? Anything at all?"

The two looked at each other. "I don't believe so, Alice," Julius said, more gently than usual. "Now that we have all the main Roles filled, Wonderland should start fixing itself."

"Although we wonder…," Vivaldi trailed off. "It is possible to give an Outsider some of the Role Holders' powers. Perhaps that ability can be… expounded upon. Let us try it. Knave!"

"Goddammit, Your Highness!"

They stood in the point between two worlds – a mountain region just east of Vivaldi's still-destroyed Castle – overlapping the places like pictures that didn't quite fit. If she turned her head to the right, she could see Heart and all its attractions. If she turned her head to the left, she could see Clover and its appropriate landmarks… which was incredibly odd considering both countries had some shared sites.

Don't think too much about it, Alice. Don't think too much. Just assume the world is still a little weird from the Jabberwock attack.

Although Vivaldi had made it perfectly clear that only the Heart Castle residents were welcome, everyone else followed right along. The gentle background noise of everyone chatting was actually relaxing; Alice still found that she felt much more at ease with her friends nearby, knowing they were alive.

"Alice, would you be willing to try something?" Nightmare said, his left side gently pressed against her right. Gray had guided him to her, the Incubus still hindered by his complete lack of vision, and used her as his support.

"I suppose… it won't hurt, right?"

"No, never."

Vivaldi unabashedly grabbed Alice's opposite hand like a possessive sister. "Bring out your sword."

"What?"

"Bring it to light. We have need of your strength."

She was utterly befuddled at the request, considering there was no risk of attack now, but Alice sighed, released Vivaldi's hand, and held them together.

Come on out. I know you're there.

The weight of the sword's hilt fell gently into her palms, and the Vorpal Blade glittered with sunlight. Now, outside of her eyes, the Role Holders made various sounds of appreciation as they looked at it.

"Nice," Boris said. "Looks like you could chop someone in two pretty easily."

Alice rolled her eyes at him. "Not really the kind of flattery a girl wants to hear."

"No, really, it's awesome!" he said, now getting into the spirit and leaning on her back. "Look at the edges! Look at the perfect fuller! Look at the incredible point!"

"Look at the time!" Alice interrupted. "I know you're excited, but can we finish helping Heart and Clover first?"

He backed off, as did the other Role Holders except Vivaldi and Nightmare.

"Hold it point down, as if you were digging your blade into the ground," Vivaldi instructed, now resting her hand on Alice's shoulder. "Now place your hands upon the rounded end, holding it in place as one who is of royalty would do."

She followed the instructions, feeling a little silly as she did so. I'm not exactly a queen or anything, she thought.

"But you are someone very important," Nightmare said, and she was surprised to see him holding a violin. "But it is your choice to become more than just 'The Outsider'."

She rolled that thought around her brain, wondering what he really meant by that phrase, but then the sound of his violin began to rise through the sky. It hummed against her skin, like the first time she'd heard it, and she could swear that her blade was starting to shine just a little bit brighter.

And then Vivaldi began to sing, her voice rising in time with the violin's chords, and it felt someone was christening the world anew. There was something like passion and strength, faith and fortitude echoing off the rocky terrain. The song carried her up like a wish on an extinguished candle, reverberating in her chest and making her heart feel both light and weighty.

"Feel it," Nightmare whispered, barely audible over the music. "Reach inside and out, up and down, until you are nothing and everything."

That made absolutely no sense, and Alice tried to do her best to listen and follow his words. But though she let herself enjoy the music, she couldn't completely relax.

As the song got stronger, she heard the sound of rusting cloth behind her. A moment's panic made her turn around (the Jabberwock?) but there were no enemies present. Instead, all the other Role Holders were on their knees in utmost sincerity. Everyone – from Blood and Julius to Pierce and the Twins – were bent in genuflection, right knee on the ground and their hands over their clocks. Some had their eyes closed, but others were looking straight ahead as if they could see something holy in the air.

Lightning sped through Alice as she realized that she was one of the three they were bowing to. She turned away, feeling a blush running up her cheeks and into her ears because oh my god they can't possibly treat me as an equal to Vivaldi and Nightmare.

The sword seemed to vibrate under her fingers, and Alice changed her grip from over the pommel to the hilt. As she did, the rock beneath the point seemed to give way, and her sword slipped just an inch into a crevice.

And then she felt it, that sensation Nightmare had wanted her to understand. She felt the land as if it were her very bones, and the sky like an extension of her hair. She was thrown thousands upon thousands of miles around the world, her very self touching the mines of Spade and crystals of Diamond, the forests of Clover and cities of Heart. She knew this world in a way that she had never truly known England, or even her own house. And walking upon the earth were the countless faceless who would never be faceless to her again. She was in the very air they breathed, and they were as much a part of her as her own features. Even the Role Holders were inexorably tied to her, and it felt like the first time she truly bonded with them.

It was a heavy burden that she was taking, and knew that it had to be carried with open arms.

And that means taking responsibility for who you are, always aiming to be who you will be… and letting go of who you were….

The voice might have been Lorina's, was probably Nightmare's, could have been her own. But Alice smiled as she let the change come back upon her – the ribbon falling away, her dress changing to a white pencil skirt and a cerulean suit jacket, her features maturing by a handful of years. It felt good to be herself again, no longer willfully blind to the truth.

Her sister dead. Her college years a blur. Her life in England gone. Her new world destroyed.

Because she was exactly where she wanted – no, needed – to be.

A little part of her brain knew that she was singing with Vivaldi, cotton-soft alto to the queen's powerful soprano as unfamiliar words tumbled out, and could swear that she heard the King of Diamond along with the newly crowned rulers of Spade joining in. There was even a hint of a child-like voice singing from top of the Circus coloring the high notes. The voices covered Wonderland like a knitted blanket, healing both land and people as it reached from mountain to valley, city to ocean. Each ruler sang or played for their land, bringing rebirth and regrowth, and Alice figured out that she was the stitching that held this patchwork quilt of quirky (psychotic) people together.

She sang even louder upon that realization. I will care for them as they cared for me.

Once it was done and the final notes faded away, Alice released the Vorpal Blade back to her secret little corner of the universe. Both Queen and Lord were looking at her with incredible affection and pride, and she couldn't help but smile back.

Then all three turned around, facing the Role Holders, and Vivaldi said, "It is with great honor that we present Alice Liddell, the White Knight."

Those words fit the final piece of herself into place, and Alice understood that that title was what her soul was waiting for. In a heartbeat, she understood the implications of this new Role; bound to no country but Wonderland itself, she was its protector. No one was beneath her care as no one was above her justice. Though she could bear no higher fidelity to one country or another, she would befriend or love whoever she wanted without repercussions.

At the heart of all, she could still be herself.

With that, Alice could do nothing but smile and say, "I'm here to stay."

For the first time since she arrived in Wonderland, as she hugged all her friends and reveled in the shared delight, the tears falling down her face were born of happiness and joy.

I'm home.

Author's Note (08/20/14): So this is it; the final chapter of Breaking Wonderland, and probably the hardest one to write. I knew that I wanted to give Alice more than just being an Outsider, but I wasn't quite sure where she wanted to go. It only took a literal year for her to figure it out. But I'm happy with where everyone is. Although I don't think I'll have the time to write any side stories about the adventures of the White Knight, I hope people will come up with their own.

It's kind of funny. As I go back through my story and look at the manga (which I've read for reference, though I've tried to reference the games when I could) I realize that I came very close to canon on a few occasions. Apparently my idea that Nightmare's powers are inversely related (healthy means no psychic talents, unhealthy means lots of power) has been delved into. Giving a Role Holder multiple roles has been done by Ace.

Whenever I finish a story, I like to thank those of you who have read my story and, more specifically, those who left reviews and comments. Thank you to all the Faceless Guests who came by to say hello. Also, thanks to Sgt. Baker, silverlocketx3, amu yimata, luna demon, Sambucivox, SalCuthin1122, Meadow Melody for leaving a note and letting me know you guys enjoyed it.

Many, many thanks to all of my frequent reviewers - alice-in-wonderland-fan888, weeping lilac/Ms. Prim .N. Prissy, serima, samshamrocks, In The Forest, SalCuthin1122, Person P. You guys were so kind in commenting over and over, giving encouragement as I wrote this story. Your words were well and truly appreciated.

Thank you, everyone, for reading and enjoying the ride with me. Take care, and maybe I will be around and see you in the future.

Jaa mata,

Kryssa