The Looking Glass Railway sped through Wonderland, sometimes staying on its tracks and other times flying clear away as though repelled by them. The passengers in the train cars were accordingly tossed about in their cabins like croutons in a salad, all save Alice. She sat primly on her seat, hands folded in her lap and not so much as a hair of her long brown locks out of place as the train heaved and shook.
Glen took a more practical approach, and used her Dreamer power to give her seat on the bench a proper safety harness. This kept her from bucking about, though did little to prevent the other residents of the car from occasional bumping into her.
Fortunately, most of the car's occupants departed the next time the train stopped. A man with the head of a goat shot Glen an annoyed glare before following behind his newspaper-wearing friend. After letting out a bleat, he muttered, "Silly strangers … told her it was a private car …"
"Charming," Glen said as the ticket-checker closed the door. She looked to the only other residents of the car besides herself and Alice, a wolf-man wearing shabby clothes and the pink-haired vixen beside him. Both had been sound asleep since Alice and Glen arrived. Glen moved to wake them, but Alice stopped her.
"They'll wake up when they're ready to leave," Alice said. "Some use the train to travel, but not everyone gets off the first time they reach their destination."
Glen chuckled. "Been there, done that. So, where we off too today?"
"To see the Hatter again, of course, but not in his domain. I've arranged a change of scenery that I think might do him some good, and you as well." Alice paused and added, "In truth, I thought your new friend would be accompanying us today."
"Huh? Oh, Ashi. Right." Glen rubbed the back of her head. "She's , uh, researching something for me. Besides, she offered to take care of the kids while we're gone. That's got to be something of a relief."
Alice considered this for a moment and nodded. "I do worry about them while I'm away."
"Well, there you go!" Glen said, slapping the seat beside her. "Gives us plenty of time to talk with Hatter."
There was a brief pause as the train screeched back into motion. Once they were moving, Glen asked, "Say, what was he like? The Hatter, I mean, back before the trouble here started."
A small smile spread across Alice's face. "He was a dear friend. They all were, but the Hatter was special. I think it was our first tea party that helped me more than anything understand Wonderland. Of course, he never went anywhere without the March Hare or the Dormouse. Thick as thieves, they were; they even took the stand together when the Queen put the knave of hearts on trial for stealing her tarts."
Alice's smile fell as she let out a sigh. "The death of my parents and my sister didn't just devastate me; they devastated Wonderland. It wasn't my fault, I know that now, but nevertheless, when I see them as they are now, I can't help but feel responsible. I wish there was a way to go back to those old tea parties."
Silence followed until the door to the cabin slammed open.
"Dollhouse!" the ticket-taker shouted even though Glen and Alice were only feet away from him. "All departing for Dollhouse, get ready to depart …"
The train came to a screeching halt. A chorus of thumps sounded from the compartment ahead of theirs, the riders' muffled complaints faintly audible through the wall.
"-now," the ticket-taker finished, a satisfied grin on his face.
Alice rose gracefully from her seat and beckoned for Glen to follow. Glen did so after a brief but decisive fight with her harness.
Dollhouse was a surprisingly good description for their current location. It was as though they'd somehow shrunk over the journey and were now walking through some little girl's (or little boy's, Glen supposed) Christmas dream. The only difference was that most doll-houses don't have animals running construction equipment around them, fixing things.
"Ah," Glen said, Headache appearing on her arms instinctively. "I feel right at home."
"The Dollhouse took the brunt of the damage during the incident with the Dollmaker." Alice said, guiding Glen through what looked like a city of homes. "The dolls held out longer than most, but in the end, they were overwhelmed."
Glen didn't respond. As a Dreamer, she was intimately familiar with dolls in the dream realm. People weren't meant to experience the Dream Realm unfiltered, but sometimes someone made it through anyway. Those people gradually lost their sense of self until all that was left was their core personality. Aggressive people became teddies, curious folk became scarecrows, and the kind-hearted became dolls. From Alice's story of the Dollmaker, these dolls were very much the same thing: children emptied of their memories by a immoral bastard who Alice introduced to the London transit system in a very direct and final way.
Even under construction, however, Glen could see that it was once a great city, and was on the right track to being one once again. She had half a mind to stay around after their business with the Hatter was done to help out. It'd been a while since she had the chance to roll up her sleeves and do what she did best … er, other than interfere in other people's affairs.
Alice led Glen through the winding streets to a magnificent structure that wasn't so much a doll house as it was a doll palace, likely home to a long lineage of doll royalty. The palace must've been a priority, seeing as it was almost completely repaired at that point.
Two nutcrackers easily two feet taller than Glen saluted as Alice drew near.
"Lady Alice!" Said the one on the right, sporting a blue jacket. "You honor us with your presence. How can we assist you on this fine day?"
"I'm here to speak with the Hatter." Alice said, giving the guards a small but polite curtsy.
"Ah yes; you'll find him in the audience chamber."
"Working on her majesty, he is." Said the other guard, this one with a red jacket.
"Working on?" Glen asked, "As in-"
"Thank you," Alice interrupted smoothly. "We'll be going in now."
"Of course. Have a fine day, madam." With that, the nutcracker guards moved to either side of the main doors, inserted their hands in large grooves within the wall. The door, despite looking as though it was designed to open in the middle, slid aside to reveal a large and spacious courtyard.
There was more damage evident here, though the beginnings of a wonderful,if a bit unusual, garden helped cover the scars of the Dollmaker. Dolls dressed as gardeners carefully sewed bits of cloth together to form blooms and stems before sewing the new flowers onto the brown quilted ground of the flowerbeds. Several nodded at Alice as she passed, one even pausing to tip her hat.
The tin soldiers at the palace entrance pushed open the doors for Alice and Glen, revealing that there was much more work going on in the palace than Glen suspected from the outside view. There were scaffolds everywhere, loaded to the brim with hundreds of walking animals, dolls, and chess pieces. The most impressive sight of all was the great stained glass window on the northern wall. They were still placing the carefully cut pieces of colored glass into the iron framework, but from what Glen could tell, it depicted the history of Wonderland. Unsurprisingly, Alice was featured more than once: her first visit as a child, her overthrow of the Queen of Hearts, and finally her defeat of the Dollmaker. There was more, but it was largely devoid of colored glass, making interpreting it difficult.
The sound of the Hatter's voice broke through Glen's thoughts. Glen looked ahead to see the tall form of the hatter kneeling beside a pile of parts.
Glen opened her mouth to greet the Hatter, only for him to say, "Yes, I see you, Miss Sunshine. Don't interrupt; I'll be with you when I'm finished here."
Glen watched in respectful silence as the Hatter continued. The Hatter's giant hands worked with astonishing precision as he picked out, put in, and adjusted mechanisms within the Glass Princess. Many were rusted, though Glen spotted a few splotches of a dark substance that she was fairly sure was ichor.
"There," the Hatter said with a kindness Glen had yet to see, "That should do it. Up, milady, it's time you were on your feet."
Glen took a step back in shock as what she'd mistaken for a pile of old parts slowly rose to its feet. Metal panels slid into place amid the squeals of metal joints in bad need of oil. The Hatter quickly attended to these as slowly, but surely, the pile became the slim form of an animatronic woman with a porcelain face and a gown of stained glass.
"Ah," The Hatter said, beaming, "There! That's much better, isn't it?"
The animatronic woman took a few hesitant steps, the Hatter maintaining a supportive grip on her shoulder. A few more joins were oiled before her movements became relatively smooth.
"I …" the woman said in a voice like an old recording. "I can walk again! Hatter, you are astounding!"
"Why, thank you, Your Highness." Turning to Glen, the Hatter said, "Miss Sunshine, allow me to introduce you to the Glass Princess."
The Glass Princess managed a rather stiff curtsy, which Alice returned shortly before Glen opted to bow, seeing as she wasn't wearing a dress.
The Glass Princess's eyes fell on Alice. Her porcelain smile widened. They hugged briefly, Alice wincing at the animatronic woman's embrace.
"The Glass Princess watches over the dolls of Dollhouse." The Hatter explained. "As you might expect, the Dollmaker didn't care much for that. Took her out first, reduced her to bits and bobs. Lucky for her, the dolls are a clever lot. Explains how they lasted so long. They found her bits, enabling me to have the honor of reassembly."
"And an excellent job you've done, Sir Hatter," said the Glass Princess. Her movements were still a bit jerky as she removed the Hatter's hat and kissed his bald head. The Hatter's resulting blush spread redness to the tips of his ears.
"It was an honor, and a privilege, M'lady." He said, large hands fumbling with his hat.
Seeing the Hatter acting like a shy schoolboy brought a smirk to Glen's face. The Hatter noticed and scowled at her.
"And I suppose you're here for another lesson, hmm? More information on the darkness?"
"If you're feeling up to it," Glen said with a grin. "Not lookin' to bust up your da-"
The Hatter's hand clapped over her mouth. To the Glass Queen, he said, "My apologies, your Majesty; but Glen and I have a matter to attend to. I'm sure Alice wouldn't mind helping you settle back in."
Without another word, the Hatter took off running. His long legs carried him with frightening speed out of the palace and through the Dollhouse streets. With a massive leap, they were airborne and swinging from girders and construction equipment. He carried her to the very edge of the construction zone, where buildings were still splattered with ichor.
Coming to a halt atop a rickety two-story house, the Hatter dropped Glen to the roof.
"What are you trying to do, Miss Sunshine?" He demanded, poking her with a long finger. "Are you trying to make a mockery of me? Tease me? Humiliate me?"
Glen stared at him uncomprehendingly for a few moments before she realized what he was talking about. "Wait … you and the Glass Princess-"
"There is no me and the Glass Princess! I am just a simple maker of hats, a master of clockwork, yes, but mainly hats! A woman of that level of refinement would never have tea with a buttercrumb like me."
"You do like her!" Glen said, eyes and smile wide. "Aww, that's just adorable! Kids'll be a nightmare, but hey; I'm not one to judge."
The Hatter scowled at her. "Are you quite finished?"
"Oh, I've got more …" Glen hesitated at the nasty look the Hatter gave her. "Er, but I suppose this isn't the time."
"Good. Now, I promised you three lessons on the darkness you're so curious about. There aren't many places in Wonderland where large amounts of ichor remain, but you'll find this is one such place. Ichor itself isn't terribly dangerous if you know how to handle it, but in large amounts over time, it presents a whole new problem."
"Like what?" Glen asked, hands on her hips.
The Hatter didn't answer. He was staring into the muck covering the buildings, eyes searching for something among the mess. After a few moments, he pointed and said, "There!"
Glen peered between the ruined walls for a few moments before spotting what the Hatter wanted her to see. At first, it looked like nothing more than a particularly large mound of ichor. As she watched, however, the mound sprouted arms and lumbered forward with arms reaching forward. After a few moments, it lost its form and fell back into an amorphous puddle.
"Ichor infested areas are like bee-hives," The Hatter said, "But instead of delicious respectable honey, they hold only creatures such as that. The ichor here is weak, and can barely form these pitiful creatures, but at its strength, it can produce other, much more dangerous creatures. Foul winged beasts, hideous giant spiders, abhorrent golems of putrid ichor."
The Hatter looked at Glen. "But where do these beasts come from? Are they the the source of the ichor … or simply a symptom of it?"
When Glen didn't answer, the Hatter became impatient. "Come on, girl! We spoke before of a door through which the ichor can enter our worlds, Did you truly think it was an actual door?"
"Some poor soul opens themselves to the darkness and lets the ichor in," The Hatter continued, turning his gaze back to the ichor. "They become the doorway, allowing the ichor to spread and infest the fabric of reality is weakened, allowing what lays beyond to force itself through."
"What lays beyond?" Glen asked, both horrified and fascinated.
"Who knows? Beasts, certainly, like those I've described. Spirits lost to the ichor long ago, or perhaps something much worse. Can you think of something that lives in darkness, biding its time in hopes of causing much destruction?"
The name Terael sprang to mind. That didn't help much, however, as Glen knew practically nothing about the entity that named itself as such. Well, other than the fact it orchestrated a multi-universe cycle of destruction that was only stopped when she and the other twelve restored the Solarius. Oh, and there was the time he tried to cover the Dream Realm in darkness, only to be foiled by the Scarecrow and first Solarion Wander. Then there was the rumor that he was the child of the Legendary Dust Knight who fought with his sister over the power of Creation, resulting in the two of them being flung out of existence.
Terael was an enabler; he didn't show himself; instead, he manipulated others, Dreamers included. Only Wander and his bride, Samara, stood against Terael himself. Since that time, Terael was a shadow, a wandering shade.
"The devil on one's shoulder," Glen murmured.
The Hatter nodded, a look of satisfaction on his face. "They're clever, of course; they won't emerge until they're ready for a true assault. The attack on Wonderland was swift, brutal, and ultimately defeated when Alice destroyed the source, both here and in the real world. The Dollmaker. Of course, the ichor didn't vanish. It probably never will."
A number of dolls wielding flashlights appeared below, driving back the ichor. The smell of burnt toast soon filled the air as the ichor was slowly but surely consumed by the light.
"But without its source," the Hatter continued, "It struggles to even take form."
"So if I take out the source," Glen said, "The ichor loses a good chunk of its power."
"Exactly!" The Hatter said. "The main conduit closes, and from that moment on, the ichor's fighting a losing battle. Some vestiges will always remain, but as long as people remain vigilant, the threat should be minimal."
The Hatter took out an old battered pocket watch and glanced at it for a moment. "And that is all for today, Miss Sunshine. It's almost time for Tea, and I shan't be late for the Glass Princess."
"Oh!" Glen said, "Did your friends agree to join you?"
The Hatter sagged for a moment before drawing himself up. "Well, no, but one day they will! And I'll be ready! And then every thing will be back the way it was!"
The Hatter took off without another word. Glen watched for a few moments before realizing that he'd left her on the skeleton of an old building with no way down.
"Oh well," Glen muttered, "I'm done here for the day anyway."
She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again to find herself in her usual chair in Alice's study. Ashi was there, watching her with the intensity of a cat.
"Oh," Glen said, sitting up. "Hey, Ashi. Everything okay?"
"Is it?" Ashi asked, a curious look on her face. "You were well out of it."
"Just doing a little research."
"In your sleep?"
Glen chuckled until she realized Ashi was legitimately confused. "I was speaking with one of Alice's friends about something I've been encountering in the last few realities I've passed through. It's this black tar-like stuff we've been calling 'the ichor'."
To Glen's surprise, Ashi froze on the spot. "Do … do you know what it is?"
"Eh, kinda. Negative emotion given physical form. Even worse, now I'm learning that it can manifests monsters."
"You mean it changes shape?"
"Dunno for sure. The one I saw was barely human. Apparently they can get a lot bigger. Frankly, it's the source that bothers me; apparently there's someone who acts as a conduit to the stuff. The good news is that I can stop the spread of ichor by taking out the conduit. The bad news is I'm not sure …"
Glen sighed and lay back in her chair. "No, that's a lie. The problem is that I think I know who it is, and I don't know what to do about it … but I gotta do something. The stuff's spreading through multiple realities, and sooner or later, it'll find its way here."
Glen shook her head. "Ugh. Enough about the ichor. How'd it go with the search? Did you find out anything useful in Alice's library?"
"Nothing directly useful. I've got a vague idea of the time period, but it's still hundreds of years." She hesitated a moment before asking, "Glen, you seem to be knowledgeable in strange matters. What do you know of Aku?"
"A-who?" Glen asked.
"He … he was a shape-shifting demon with time-traveling powers from Jack's … our time. Jack and I defeated him."
"Good for the both of you. Time travel's a messy business."
"Believe me, I know," Ashi said, bowing her head. "So you have never heard of Aku?"
"Doesn't ring any bells," Glen admitted, "But then again, I do most of my work on Vinta. A shame I can't shift realities reliably, or I'd take ya to Teach's library over in C-32's Elsewhere Mansion. He's got records on everything."
There was something in Ashi's expression that prompted Glen to ask, "Hey, what's wrong? Are the kids giving you trouble?"
"Not at all," Ashi said, a slight blush in her cheeks. "I just … your description of the ichor reminded me of Aku."
"But you killed Aku," Glen said.
Ashi nodded. "Yes, but … well, it was said that he had servants who possessed some of his powers. Black skin, the ability to shape-shift, flaming eyes."
"Flaming eyes?" Glen interrupted. "I can stop you right there; I've seen quite a bit of ichor, but none of it was on fire. If anything, the one thing with a face I've seen had solid black eyes … dribbling ichor, if you want the truth of it. Besides, there's no evidence of time-traveling ichor, thank the Creator."
Seeing Ashi's still-troubled face, Glen chuckled and stood up. "Don't worry, Ash: ichor, Aku, or not, we'll get you home. I promise. Now, let's give Alice a break and get a start on dinner, yeah?"
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