Illuminate

The night breeze felt warm against my small rounded face as it played with the golden strands of my hair, and I giggled. Night time was the prettiest in Wonderland. When the moon rose high the sky, the stars came out one by one and twinkled like diamonds. Moonlight flowers blossomed under the silver light, glowing like small delicate lanterns. Golden faeries like fireflies woke from the centers of the flowers, and stretched their tiny arms as they rose from their slumber.

One by one, I stood in the Queen's garden and watched the tiny little figures rise from the flowers into the night air. As they floated around happily, trails of gold dust cascading behind them like a comet tail. Vibrant colors of blues, purples and pinks flickered all around as the plant life adjusted to the darkness and created an entirely different vision of Wonderland.

I clapped my hands gleefully at the sight and glanced over my shoulder at the young vision of the Hatter clad in his usual suit and top hat. His eyes sparkled in the moonlight as I rushed over to him, grasping his gloved hand in my own.

"Oh Hatter, it's lovely!" I cried happily, gazing all around at the beautiful swirls of glowing colors against the darkness of the night. "Thank you so very much for showing this to me!"

His lips curled into that familiar smile that made my tiny heart flutter and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"I would do anything for you, dear Alice," he murmured, using his free hand to stroke my hair and I giggled shyly in response.

I suddenly found myself gazing at the very same scene from my dreams. My brain had yet to keep up with my awakening body as I gazed around at all the shimmering colors and twinkling stars of the night. Golden faeries chimed softly like bells as they flitted about merrily, leaving a trail of shimmering gold dust in their wake.

I pushed myself to my feet and stepped away from the Clock Tower that I had fallen asleep against. With each step I took, the blades of grass illuminated and shimmered briefly to reveal the path that I had tread before disappearing. Even the towering mushroom caps housed the tiny glowing creatures that flickered underneath like glitter touched by sunlight. The sound of the fountain was soothing as I began to slowing separate my dream state from reality.

It was then that I realized that I had been close with the Hatter when I was just a child. I began to think if I had been close with Cheshire as well, when a sound in the forest made me pause and look. A chill went down my spine as I thought of my previous encounter with Ace, the assassin. The image of his younger self flickered in my mind's eye of the expressionless boy, when suddenly he smiled and his entire face lit up.

When the image faded, I inhaled sharply as I realized that I had been holding my breath. My heart raced in shock, stunned by the image that my memories had revealed. The frightening automaton of a man had once been a normal human just like the others. I wondered what it was that changed him so. I thought long and hard, in hopes of spurring on another forgotten memory.

My efforts were all for naught when I could sense another presence with me in the shadows, watching. I felt no fear after rousing from my dream. After all, it would only make sense that the man from my dream be the one to find me on such a night.

"It's just as beautiful as I remember," I murmured, gazing out into the forest as he silently stepped from the shadows, his face a mask.

He stepped closer until he was behind me, his eyes boring into the back of my head. I felt nostalgic under the stars, surrounded by faeries and moonlight. There was something so serene and soothing about Wonderland at night. He said nothing as his arm gently brushed against the side of my own, and softly entwined his fingers with my own just as he had when I was young.

"I would and will always do anything for you, dear Alice," he whispered softly, his lips gently touching my ear as he spoke. A shiver swept down my spine in response, goosebumps breaking out across my flesh.

I turned my head to look at him, and found him gazing at me with that very same expression of affection and pure love in those glittering eyes. My heart fluttered and I felt as though I were back in the body of my childhood. I smiled softly and gave his fingers a gentle squeeze that he returned with a smile of his own. He lifted the hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss upon it, the perfect image of a gentleman.

Those mesmerizing eyes lifted to meet my own, his black hair brushing delicately against my skin. His expression was earnest and revealing.

"What I have always wanted to say," he murmured, his voice trembling slightly with emotion, "is that I will always love you."

I stared at him in awe, drowning in his overwhelming presence and swept up in the beauty of the night. A blush crept up into my cheeks as he straightened and tugged me gently into his warm embrace. He curled himself around me almost perfectly, fitting me in against him like a puzzle piece. His soothing scent washed over and all around me, causing my eyes to close and my body to melt into his.

In the dark of the night with nothing but the moonlight and golden faeries, I allowed myself to be swept up in the Hatter's embrace and longed for a childhood that I would never experience again.