Once upon a time in a small quiet town, there lived a pony named Sweetie Alice. Sweetie Alice was always known as an innocent, sweet filly at heart, but she was also known to be very inquisitive and curious. She also tends to daydream almost every day and get distracted easily.
One day, Sweetie Alice and her older sister were in the local park to spend some much needed quality time together. They sat under a big shady tree next to the pond, their pet cat Opalescence lying beside Alice. But after a while, Alice grew tired of having nothing to do. She yawned before sitting up and looking back at her sister.
“For a minute there, I thought I’d fall asleep. Hey, sis? Don’t you ever get tired of reading books with no pictures in them?” Alice asked.
“Heavens no, little sister. I get to use my imagination when I read books like this.” Her sister said, turning her head away from her book to face Alice. “You know, a good book is almost as magnificent as silk pajamas on a Sunday morning.”
“Oh, please. I know I’d fall asleep not having any pictures in my books.”
“You can fall asleep doing anything, Sweetie Alice. Perhaps you enjoy dreaming.”
“You know, maybe I do.” The two ponies shared a few giggles before the mare went back to reading her book.
But after a few minutes, just as her eyes were about to close for a nap, Alice saw a very strange sight. It looked like an ordinary rabbit only it had light purple fur and it was wearing a blue, purple, and magenta waist coat and in its paw was a small golden pocket watch. And just when she thought things couldn’t get any stranger, Sweetie Alice heard the rabbit speak.
“Oh, dear! I’m late! I’m late! I’m so late!”
Alice was surprised by the sight she was viewing; what could a little bunny be late for?
“Excuse me, ma’am?” She called. “Can I help you with something? Where are you going?”
“I don’t have time to talk! I hardly have any time at all! Oh, I am so, very late!” The rabbit whined as she ran faster into the forest.
“Late for what? Hey, come back! Wait! Stop!”
Burning with curiosity, Sweetie Alice began to chase after the rabbit. She ran straight through the park, up a hill, and into the Everfree Forest trying to catch up with the purple bunny in the waistcoat, but she soon lost sight of the little creature after she ran down a small hole in the ground beside a large gnarled tree.
“Where’d she go?” Alice asked herself before she spotted the hole near the tree. She walked closer to it, looking at the hole all the while.
“Hello? Is anypony down there?” She called.
She stopped near the tree’s enormous roots and looked into the dark hole. She was about to shout something else when she suddenly noticed the faint green glow the hole possessed. Alice cocked her head to the side and squinted her eyes; what could possibly be making that light?
“Well, that definitely isn’t… normal…” She said, slowly walking closer.
But after gazing into the pit for more than a few seconds, she tripped on one of the roots of the tree, her hoof slipped on a piece of dirt and grass below her, and she fell straight into the hole. Alice fell down and down the rabbit hole, screaming all the while. She thought the hole would go on and on forever until finally, she hit solid ground.
“Ow!” She grumbled as she shakily got back on her hooves while rubbing her head.
The minute her vision was in focus, Alice saw that she was standing in the middle of a peculiar room with doors of all shapes and sizes lined up all over the walls.
“What happened? Where am I? What is this place?” She asked herself, looking around the room.
She soon looked at all of the doors surrounding her; it rattled her. She wanted to find a way out and go home. Soon, she began to try and open all of the doors, but none of them would open or even budge.
“They’re all locked.” Alice said.
She then spotted something in the middle of the room, it was a glass table; it certainly wasn’t there before. She walked towards it and noticed a tiny brass key sitting on the translucent tabletop. Alice took the key in her hoof and examined it.
“This has to open at least one of these doors. I guess I’ll just have to try them all.” She thought.
She used the key to try and unlock one of the doors to get out of the room, but the key wouldn’t work for any of the doors or fit any of the locks near the knobs. She groaned and rubbed her forehead in frustration.
Then she saw something on the other side of the room. It was a short blue velvet curtain; it looked like it was covering something else. She walked towards it and moved the curtain to reveal a very small door, smaller than her.
“Maybe the key fits this one.” Alice said, smiling a hopeful grin.
She put the key into the lock, turned it, and to her surprise, the door unlocked. As soon as it opened, it revealed the most beautiful garden Alice had ever seen, but she couldn’t get out because the doorway was much too small for her to fit through.
“Oh, great! I get the key that unlocks the only door that’s not even my size! That’s perfect, just perfect!” She ranted.
As she contemplated her predicament, Alice spotted something else on the table: it was a bottle filled with a strange liquid. She walked back to the table, set the key down, and looked at the bottle curiously. It had some kind of odd looking substance inside; it was bright orange with various tints of green and purple. She looked at the label attached to the neck of it.
"‘Drink Me’?" Alice said as she opened the bottle. “Should I? Maybe, but what if it’s poisoned? But, it does smell pretty good… Maybe a little sip. Just to see what happens.”
Even though she was very skeptical at first, she took a tiny gulp from the bottle and swallowed a small amount of the liquid. It had a rather peculiar taste of peach tart, chocolate, butterscotch toffee, and cherry custard mixed together; it was delicious. After the questionable liquid slid down her throat, Alice felt strange. Soon, she began to shrink and shrink until she was much smaller than the table itself; eventually she was just as short as the tiny door.
“Whoa! So that’s what that does. Now to get out of here.”
She ran back to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked again. She then remembered that she forgot the key on the table. Alice tried her best to climb the leg of the table to retrieve the key, but she couldn’t get a grip on it. She tried using her magic to grab the key and bring it down to her, but her magic was still not strong enough and it was now much too heavy for her to lift.
“What now?” She groaned.
But then, Alice spotted a small box near the table’s leg. She opened it and took out a small cupcake with a short message on it written in hot pink and bright purple icing.
"‘Eat me’?" Alice said to herself, examining the cake in her hoof. "That’s a pretty weird message to write on a cupcake. Well… okay, I’ll eat it. But who knows what this could do?"
She took a small bite from the cupcake and put it back in the box. The moment she swallowed the tiny bite of mystery cake, the strange feeling Alice felt before returned. Before she knew it, she grew and grew until her horn reached the ceiling of the room.
“Ugh! This is ridiculous! How am I supposed to get out of here now?” She said before a few tears started to fall from her eyes. “I’m stuck! Now… now I’ll… never get home!”
And soon, Sweetie Alice began to cry. She cried and wept so much that the entire room had started to fill up with all of the water from her enormous tears. But as the water filled a quarter of the room, Alice saw the glass table.
“Wait… the key!” She exclaimed, the flow of her tears stopping.
She then picked up the key and the bottle with her magic, gulped down the rest of the liquid in the bottle, and she immediately shrank down to the size of the tiny door again only this time, she was swimming in her own tears. Now with the key, Alice took a deep breath, swam back down to the door, unlocked it with the key, and the moment she did all of the water flowed out through the door, along with Alice herself.
“Whoa!” She cried as she washed up onto a river bank.
She climbed out and saw a group of random animals all staring at her with wide eyes; they also appeared to be wet.
“Hello.” A mouse with mint green fur greeted the filly.
“Hi.” Alice said. “I’m Sweetie Alice.”
“Nice to meet you. Hey, do you know where this river came from?” A raccoon with a blue and pink tail asked.
“Oh! Sorry about that. I guess I cried it all out.” The filly replied, shrugging her shoulders.
“Well, it’s okay. But how are we all supposed to get dry?” A bird with grey feather and yellow eyes asked.
“We could sit in the sun?” Alice suggested.
“That’s boring.” The mouse said before getting an idea. “Hey, I know! Why don’t we have a race around that big tree over there?”
“Great idea, the wind will dry us off! Ready, set, go!” The raccoon called before all of the little animals started to run around the tree.
Alice was very confused but it did look rather fun, so she decided to join in. After a few minutes of running, everyone was finally dry.
“Okay, I’m dry.” The bird panted. “Everyone else?”
The others agreed.
“Hey, did I win the race?” Sweetie Alice asked.
“No one wins the tree races, my dear.” A brown squirrel wearing a bowtie said.
“Then why do you do it?” Alice asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s just for good old fashioned fun, child.” A grey chipmunk said; another bird with blue hair nodded, agreeing with her friend.
“Well, maybe you should try calling it something else.” Alice said before remembering what she was doing before. “Oh! Hey, I just remembered something. Have any of you seen a rabbit with purple fur run by?”
“Oh, you mean that one?” The green mouse asked, pointing a paw behind Alice.
Sweetie Alice turned around and saw the rabbit from before. She smiled and thanked the animals for their help before running off after the creature again. But then, she lost the rabbit again and found herself in the garden she saw before. She slowed down as she took in the strange beauty around her.
“Curiouser and curiouser.” She said to herself as she walked down the path.
As she walked, Alice took note of the strange plants and flowers around her. Because of her current height, they seemed far larger than those back in Equestria; even the grass towered over her. After wandering around for about a few minutes, she came upon three large flowers. One was a rose, another was a lily, and the last one was a daisy. But what really shocked her was that the flowers were moving by themselves and actually talking to each other.
“Oh what a gorgeous day it is today!” “Indeed it is! How I love spring!” “So wonderful out, I can stay in the sun all day!”
“Uh… excuse me?” Alice said as she tapped one of the rose’s leaves.
The three flowers yelped, turned, and saw the little filly standing before them.
“Hi. I’m Sweetie Alice.” She smiled.
“Oh! Pardon us, miss.” The rose said, lowering her head to get closer to the filly. “We didn’t know you were standing there.”
“That’s okay. Who are you? Do you know where I am?” Alice asked.
“I am Rose and this is Lily and Daisy.” The red flower said.
“Hello.” The other two flowers greeted, waving their leaves at the filly.
“This garden is gorgeous, probably the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.” Alice remarked.
“Why thank you very much.” Rose said proudly.
“What kinda garden do you come from, honey?” Daisy asked.
“Oh, I don’t come from any garden. In fact, I’m not even a flower.” The filly said.
“You’re not?” All three flowers asked.
“That explains it! If you were a flower, you’d be a pretty weird looking one.” The lily said, examining Alice more closely. “I mean, come on! Two-toned petals with FOUR white stems?”
“Yeah, and no fragrance either!” Rose said.
“And is that thing?” Daisy said, playing with Alice’s skirt before spotting her cutie mark. She gasped dramatically. “Girls! This filly has… the Mark!”
“THE MARK?!” Lily and Rose cried.
“You mean my cutie mark?” Alice asked, looking at her flank curiously.
“This is awful!” Lily yelled.
“The horror! The horror!” Rose cried before she and the other two flowers attempted to faint.
Sweetie Alice was very with the flowers’ reaction to seeing her cutie mark and why they seemed so scared. But she didn’t want to bother then anymore, so she quickly walked away from them before she exited the garden and entered a forest on the other side. She stopped and looked around the area. The forest was a strange sight to behold; it looked very much like the Everfree Forest back in Equestria. But this forest was brighter, more colorful, and definitely not as frightening as the Everfree. She continued on her way to search for the little purple rabbit. But after a while, Alice grew weary and she decided to sit down and rest.
“I’m never going to find that rabbit at this rate.” She groaned as she sat in the dirt.
“At this rate, you’re not gonna find anything.” A familiar voice said.
“At that rate, you’re not getting any younger, either.” Another recognizable voice added.
Alice yelped in surprise and suddenly stood up. She whipped her head around to see two strange ponies. They bore a very, very striking resemblance to two young ponies in her class. Only these two were wearing some very odd outfits. They wore red and yellow horizontal striped shirts with royal blue overalls and little orange and green propeller hats on their heads.
“Uh, excuse me?” Sweetie Alice asked nervously. “I don’t mean to be rude or anything but—”
“Of course you don’t mean to be rude!” The colt taller than Alice said. “You don’t look or seem like a rude filly to me.”
“Or me!” The other colt added. “Allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Tweedle Snips and this is Tweedle Snails. At your service.”
They each took a bow.
“And you are?” They asked in unison.
“Sweetie Alice.” She replied with a polite smile.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Alice.” Tweedle Snails said as he wrapped a hoof around her shoulder. “Now, where are you off to?”
“I’m just trying to find a purple rabbit.” Alice replied.
“Why?” Tweedle Snips asked.
“I’m curious to know where she’s going.”
“Oh, you’re curious, huh?”
“You know what they say, ‘Curiosity killed the cat’ …or the Tantawocky.”
“The Tantawocky?”
Both Tweedles gasped at the filly’s question.
“You don’t know the Tantawocky?!” Snips cried.
“How could you not know?!” Snails added.
“Uh… I don’t know. Maybe you could enlighten me?” Alice asked as she nervously shrugged her shoulders.
“Okay, if that’s what you want.” The Tweedles said before clearing their throats.
It was then that the colt began to recite a strange and rather frightening poem.
“`Twas brillig, and the slimy stones
Did gyre and gimble in the wave:” Tweedle Snips said.
“Ol’ flimsy were the borogrones,
And the tone-raths outgrave.” Tweedle Snails added.
“"Beware the Tantawock, young one!
The jaws that bite, the wings that slash!
Beware the Loo-Loo bird, and shun
The furicious Haberdash!"”
“She took the Vorpal Gems in tow:
Long time the manxome foe she sought
So rested she by the Harmony Tree,
And stood awhile in thought.”
“And, as in snuffish thought she stood,
The Tantawock, with eyes of flame,
Came spiriting through the Cascade Wood,
And snarled as it came!”
“One, two! One, two! And through and through
The Vorpal Jewels went flicker-flack!
She left it dead, with its stone head
She went gallóping back.”
“"And, has thou slain the Tantawock?
Come to me, my dear little miss!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his bliss.”
“`Twas brillig, and the slimy stones
Did gyre and gimble in the wave:
Ol’ flimsy were the borogrones,
And the tone-raths outgrave.”
“The end.” The Tweedles concluded.
“Whoa, that was a pretty creepy story.” Alice said with a slight shiver. “This Tantawocky thing sounds pretty terrible.”
“Oh, it is.” Snips said.
“You have no idea.” Snails added.
“Well, now who wants to play a game?”
“A game?”
“That’s right!” Tweedle Snips said. “Wanna play hide-and-seek? Or tag? Or jump rope? Or a seven-legged race? Or Rock, Paper, Scissors? Or Duck, Duck, Horse? Or Hopscotch? Or—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” She stopped the colt before he could continue his enormous list of games. “Hold up. I never said—”
“—you didn’t want to play with us?” Tweedle Snails interrupted. “That must mean yes! I knew you’d say that! Tag-and-seek it is! You’re it! Ready, set, go!”
And with that, the Tweedles ran off in different directions, stupidly laughing and giggling all the while. Not wanting to interrupt their random game, Alice ran away from the colts without them even noticing. As she ran, Alice thought about what the Tweedles said about the Tantawocky and she wondered what it could be or mean. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn’t see where she was going and she bumped into a large white mushroom with bright magenta spots. Alice looked up and saw a large blue caterpillar with purple eyes and white hair sitting on top of it. This creature appeared to be wearing a purple cape with stars on it with a matching wizard hat and it looked like it was blowing sparkling bubbles through a magic wand shaped bubble wand.
“Oh, beg your pardon! I’m sorry.” Alice apologized.
“Would you mind watching where you’re going?” The caterpillar asked. “I’m busy.”
“Busy doing nothing?” Alice asked, raising an eyebrow and cocking her head to the side.
“What is that supposed to mean?” The creature asked, glaring at the little filly before her.
“I mean you’re not really all that busy. You’re just sitting on that mushroom doing nothing but… blowing sparkly bubbles!?”
Sweetie Alice looked up and saw the multi-colored bubbles sparkling like stars mixed with glitter floating above her head; her jaw dropped and her eyes seemed to brighten up and sparkle in wonder.
“You like?” The caterpillar asked.
“Yeah. I like very much.” Alice said, her eyes transfixed on the bubbles. She suddenly shook her head, rubbed her eyes, and looked back at the caterpillar. “Oh, sorry for staring. I get distracted easily. What’s your name?”
“It’s quite alright.” The caterpillar said, sitting up. “Allow me to introduce myself. You can call me the Great and Powerful Caterpillar Trixie!”
“Seriously? That’s kind of long. Can’t I just call you Trixie?” Alice said.
“Whatever. Now, you didn’t tell Trixie your name.” Trixie said.
“Oh, it’s Sweetie Alice. Do you think you can tell me how to get to normal size?”
“Normal size?”
“Yeah.”
“Explain?”
“Well, it’s… kind of hard to explain. Ever since I came here, I’ve been changing non-stop. First I was small, then I was big, and now I’m small again and right now I’m lost in the middle of nowhere. Can you help me, please?”
Trixie thought about it for a moment. She didn’t know this filly at all and she just showed up out of nowhere, how was she so sure the child could be trusted? Also, this particular caterpillar isn’t known for helping other ponies.
The caterpillar finally said, “Alright, alright. Trixie will help you and Trixie wants you… to taste this mushroom Trixie is sitting on.”
Alice looked down at the mushroom and looked back up at the blue caterpillar, giving her a confused look.
“Why?” She asked.
“Because it’s magical. The right side will make you grow taller and the left side will make you grow shorter. Get it?”
“But mushrooms are round. How am I supposed to figure out which side is which?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. You should at least give it a try… unless you want to stay the same height as Trixie for the rest of your life.”
“Okay, okay! I’ll try.”
Sweetie Alice looked at the mushroom very carefully and tried to guess which side she should try. So, she leaned in and took a small bite. But no sooner did she swallow than her neck began to grow and grow until her head was above the tops of the trees.
“This is so weird! Where’s that mushroom?” Alice cried before she took a bite out of the other side. And with that, her neck shrank down to its original length.
“You okay?” Trixie asked.
“Phew!” Alice exclaimed. “That was a close one. For a second, I felt like a giraffe up there. I hope I never have to do that again.”
Little did she know that Trixie was laughing like mad pretty much the entire time, salty tears running down her face. The filly’s eyes widened.
“Hey!” Alice shouted. “You tricked me!”
“You got that right!” Trixie exclaimed, catching her breath and calming down.
“Why?”
“Trixie just needed a good laugh. Don’t take everything so personally. Take a joke!”
“But—”
“Okay, okay! Just pop one of my bubbles and you’ll grow tall again.”
“How am I supposed to know this isn’t another trick?”
“Trust me. Cross my heart, hope to glide, stick some jelly in my side.”
“Okay, fine.”
Alice approached one of the sparkling bubbles and she touched it with her horn. And in an instant, it popped and she grew back to her normal size.
“Whoa!” Alice exclaimed, looking back at the now tiny Trixie. “I guess you were telling the truth that time. Gotta go. Thanks, by the way.”
“Happy to help.” Trixie said, grinning and waving goodbye as Alice walked away deeper and deeper into the forest. As soon as she was gone and out of hearing range, Trixie’s smile faded.
“Finally! I thought she’d never leave! So serious, these ponies.” She said to herself before she continued her bubble blowing.
As more time dragged on, Sweetie Alice continued further and further into the forest until she was convinced that she totally lost her way again. She looked at a few of the signs nailed to some of the trees, but they were no help at all. They all read and pointed in random directions, no point in following them.
“Well, none of these signs are much help. Where am I now?” She asked herself.
“You lost, kid?” A strange and high-pitched voice voiced.
“Well, yeah I am… Huh? Who said that?” Alice asked, curiously looking around.
“I did.” The voice said again.
Alice looked up and she saw a pink and blue striped cat with large, bright blue eyes, poufy magenta and blue hair, and a huge, toothy smile spread across its face sitting on a tree branch.
“Oh! A cat? How did you get up there?” Alice asked.
“Strawberry cinnamon cilantro salutations!” The cat said in a high voice.
“Yah! Oh! Wait, you… you can talk?!” Alice exclaimed.
“Of course I can talk!” The smiling creature declared.
“But how? You’re just a cat.”
“Not just any cat, sweetheart. Most ponies here call me… Cheshire Pie. Nice to meet you.”
“Uh… nice to meet you, too.”
“Ooh! Look at what I can do!”
After she spoke, the pink cat suddenly disappeared in a bright pink and blue wisp of smoke and she reappeared right next to Alice. The cat giggled loudly and smiled as the filly yelped and jumped back in surprise.
“Whoa! How can you do that? That’s impossible.” Alice exclaimed.
“Nothing’s impossible around these parts, kid.” Cheshire Pie explained as she floated back up to her branch. “But enough about me. Who are you?”
“I’m Sweetie Alice and I’m kinda lost.”
“Yeah, I gathered that from you looking at the signs.”
“I just don’t know where to go from here.”
“Well, it all kinda depends on where you wanna get to. Where is it you want to go exactly?”
“I don’t care, I just want to get out of this forest. Hey. Do you think you could tell me the way out of here?”
“To be completely honest with you, I have no idea.”
“Oh, okay. Later.”
“But that doesn’t mean I won’t help you. Lucky for you, I just so happen to know somepony else who could help you… if you can get him to.”
“Really? Who?”
“My friend, the Hatter; he’s the craziest, wildest, and silliest creature in the entire land. I’ll take you to see him and his friends right now. He knows this place like the back of his paw… or claw or… whatever he has. Just follow me.”
So, Sweetie Alice followed the smiling feline through the dense trees and plants until the two came upon a small garden surrounded by a little white picket fence.
“Here we are, Alice; the Hatter and his friends are just behind this gate and right now, they’re in the middle of a tea party.” Cheshire Pie said.
“Are you sure I should just walk in?” Alice asked hesitantly.
“And don’t be scared, they won’t hurt a fly… even if you barge in on their party. But I must warn you, they’re all kinda… mad.” The cat whispered in Alice’s ear.
“Mad? But… but I don’t want to come around mad ponies, or any other creature for that matter.” Alice said, a concerned look on her face.
“Oh! Well, you can’t really help that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Basically, we’re all mad here! Everyone you’ve met on your journey, they’re mad too! I’m mad, you’re mad! What’s the difference?”
“Me? How do you know I’m mad?”
“You must be. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t even be here, now would you?”
“Uh…?”
“Have fun!”
“Wait! But what if I—?”
Before another word could be said, Cheshire Pie was already gone in a wisp of pink and blue vapor. Even though she was rather afraid to go in, Sweetie Alice pushed the gate door open a tiny crack and cautiously peeked into the garden.
She saw a very long dining table covered with a fancy white tablecloth and any and all tea party needs including teacups, saucers, spoons, forks, knives, and so many teapots that she couldn’t even count them all. She also saw jellies, creams, pastries, pies, cakes, candies, butter, donuts, loaves of bread, and of course many different kinds of tea and juices all scattered about the tabletop. There were also many chairs surrounding the table, but Alice could see that there were only three guests and they looked so strange to her.
One of them was a hare about her size with fur in shades of purple and green while wearing a little suit in various shades of bluish purple and yellowish green. Another was a tiny mouse with yellow fur and long pink hair that was wearing a little teal dress and a fancy feathered hat. And the last one was a tall, mismatched creature called a draconequus who was wearing a long brown jacket, a green and gold diamond patterned vest, fingerless gloves, a large polka-dot bow tie around his neck, and a tall top hat on his head.
They all seemed to be talking and laughing while having various cups of tea and different kinds of sweets and foods spread about. Alice soon overheard the draconequus say:
“But that’s not all. When I went to look for them again, they were all up in the tree! Orange you glad you joined me today?”
The mouse and the hare laughed like maniacs at their friend’s joke. “Oh, Hatter! I don’t think Spike and I have ever known anypony as funny as you!” The mouse giggled as she gave the hare a high-paw.
“You got that right, mousy! That was so funny; you made cake frosting squirt out my nose!” The hare agreed, laughing loudly.
“Thank you! Thank you all!” The abnormal host declared, taking a bite out of his teacup.
But the draconequus soon saw Sweetie Alice looking at him and his friends through the open gate; he smiled slyly. With a snap of his fingers, the creature teleported the filly right next to him in a bright flash. She yelped and looked at him.
“Uh… hi?” Alice said nervously.
“Why hello, young filly! It’s about time we’ve had another guest! What’s your name?” The draconequus asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
“Sweetie Alice.” The filly said politely. “And who are you?”
“Oh, of course! How rude of us!” The beast stood up from his chair and looked at his companions, urging them to introduce themselves first.
“I’m… Fluttermouse.” The tiny mouse replied softly before smiling and waving at Alice.
“March Spike.” The hare said, jumping up and down while waving his arms.
“And I am Tarrant Discord, or the Mad Hatter, at your service.” The Hatter said, giving a bow.
“Well, it’s really nice to meet you. And… I was kinda hoping you’d be willing to help me with something.” Alice said.
“Of course! What is it you need help with, my dear?” The Hatter asked. He seemed to be taking an interest in little Sweetie Alice.
“Well… I was looking for a certain rabbit. I’ve been chasing her all over the place just to ask her where she was going. And I lost her.”
“Did this rabbit have purple fur and was she carrying a watch?” March Spike asked.
“Yeah. How’d you know?” Alice asked.
“Because we know her!” Fluttermouse exclaimed.
“You do?”
“Indeed we do. Her name is Twi-Rabbit Sparkle and she works as a page for her majesty, the Queen.” The Hatter said nodding his head.
“Oh, of course! That’s why she said she’s so late!”
“Yes, my dear Alice. She’s always fussing about things being perfect and being on time and dull things like that. Quite a boring job if you ask me.”
“Hey, Alice! Wanna see me do a trick?” March Spike asked.
Alice nodded and in response, Spike grabbed a spoon, a plate of butter, and one of the teapots, he put the spoon, the pot, and the plate on his nose and he kept them above him, like a little balancing act. Alice and Fluttermouse giggled and applauded, but the Hatter merely smiled. When he stopped, the teapot and butter fell right onto Spike’s head and he just laughed.
“Spike, not at the table! Don’t be rude!” The Hatter scolded. He looked back at Alice and lightly gasped. “Oh, but where are my manners? Please, have some tea, dearie! I insist!”
The Hatter then grabbed a small teacup and a saucer with his tail, placed them in front of Alice, levitated a teapot off of the table, poured some tea into the cup, and he even added some cream and a lump of sugar.
“Here you are.” He said, setting the pot down.
“Thanks, Mr. Hatter.” Alice said before stirring her tea and taking a sip.
“You’re very welcome. Oh, darling Sweetie Alice, you seem like a clever little filly. Perhaps you could answer this. Why is a raven like a writing desk?” The Hatter asked, raising an eyebrow.
‘Why is a raven like a writing desk?’ Alice loved solving riddles. She tried to think of a good answer, but she was clueless. “I give up. Why is a raven like a writing desk?” She asked.
“I haven’t the slightest idea.” The Hatter replied.
“Why’d you ask the question, then?” She asked, confused.
“I was hoping for an intelligent answer… or at least a hilarious one. Wait. Sweetie Alice, do you like to sing?” The Hatter asked. She nodded. “Do you know Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?”
“Yeah. I do.” Alice began to sing the first half of the song.
“Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.”
“Oh, no, no, no. No offense or anything, but that won’t do. You have a lovely singing voice though. But I prefer Twinkle, Twinkle Little BAT. It goes like this.” The Hatter cleared his throat and began to sing.
“Twinkle, twinkle little bat,
How I wonder what you’re at.
Up above the world you fly,
Like a tea tray in the sky.
Second verse, everypony!”
Then, March Spike and Fluttermouse began to cheerfully join in with the Hatter’s song with Alice giggling all the while.
“Twinkle, twinkle little bat,
How I wonder what you’re at.
Up above the world you fly,
Like a tea tray in the sky.”
When they finished, Alice laughed. “I have to admit, you guys do make me laugh.”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” The Hatter said giving a bow. His friends did the same.
“If you guys don’t mind my asking… what’s her majesty like? The Queen, I mean.” Alice asked.
“The Queen!? Oh, she is just horrid! A true terror!” The Hatter exclaimed, taking a few gulps of tea straight out of a nearby pot.
“You got that right, Hatter! She’s awful, I never liked her!” The March Spike scoffed, nodding his head and stuffing his face with a large piece of cake.
“She’s nothing but a big, loud meanie. Serious trouble, I tell you.” Fluttermouse added softly, sipping a bit of her tea.
“What?!” Alice cried, nearly spitting out her tea. “You don’t respect your Queen?!”
“Of course not! Have you seen the way she rules Wonderland?!” The Hatter ranted. “I’m surprised everypony is still around! I thought they would’ve all been executed by now!” The Hatter crossed his arms over his chest and slumped down into his chair.
“Executed?! What are you talking about!?”
“Fine. If you don’t believe me or my friends, I guess I’ll just have to show you.”
And with that, the Hatter stood up from his chair, snapped his fingers, and in an instant, he and Sweetie Alice were teleported to the middle of a large, beautiful, and extravagant garden next to a stunning, magnificent castle.
“Whoa! Where are we?” Alice said, rubbing her head with her hoof.
“We’re in the castle gardens.” The Hatter answered.
“Why’d you bring me here?”
“To show you how horribly the Queen treats Wonderland and its residences.”
The Hatter looked around the area and soon, his sensitive ears picked something up. It sounded like worried voices from another part of the garden.
“Come with me.” The Hatter said as he took Alice’s hoof.
The two walked towards the sound and they discovered the source. There were three Earth pony stallions dressed in red, black, and white armor and it looked like they were painting bushes. Alice was confused.
“Hey, Mr. Hatter? Who are those guys and what are they doing?” She asked.
“They’re three of the Queen’s soldiers, but I have no idea what they’re up to.” The Hatter said.
“Maybe we should ask them.”
“You can. I’m staying out of sight where it’s safe.”
Alice let go of the Hatter's paw and walked to the soldiers while the Hatter hid behind one of the hedges and watched Alice. As she got closer, she could see their cutie marks. They were the exact same thing; an equal sign. And she could also see that they were painting the flowers on a rose bush. The flowers were white and they were being painted a bright red.
"Excuse me? What are you doing to these flowers?" Alice asked.
The guards screamed in fright, turned around, and saw Sweetie Alice standing before them. They all sighed in relief.
“We’re sorry about that, miss. You scared us.” One of the guards said.
“Oh, sorry. I was just wondering why you were painting those flowers.” Alice said.
“Well, miss, the Queen likes red roses, but we planted white ones by accident.” Another guard explained. “So we’re painting the buds red so she won’t notice our mistake. But if she does notice, then we’ll all lose our heads. Serious trouble.”
“Yeesh. Then, let me help you.” Alice offered, grabbing a brush and beginning to paint.
She looked behind her to see the Hatter behind a bush and giving her a smug look. She ignored it and went back to helping the soldiers. But as soon as Alice began painting one of the smaller buds, she and the other guards heard a great fanfare; the soldiers knew what that meant.
“The Queen is coming! Everypony, bow!” The guards shouted in horror as they bowed down as quickly as they could.
“Should I bow, too?” Alice asked.
A guard nodded his head ‘yes’ and pulled Alice down to the ground to do the same thing. Soon, she saw more soldiers like the three near her, only they had big creepy smiles plastered on their faces. When they stopped, Alice saw a wonderfully radiant pony standing before her. She was a unicorn mare with a pinkish coat, purple and aquamarine hair, Persian blue eyes, and a golden crown atop her head. She was wearing a red, black, and white dress with little stars littered all over the bodice, skirt, and collar. But before the mare was Twi-Rabbit Sparkle! Only this time, she was wearing a white, black, and red star patterned uniform and blowing a trumpet.
“Announcing the arrival of Her Imperial Highness, Her Grace, Her Excellency, Her Royal Majesty, the Queen of Stars!” Twi-Rabbit announced, revealing the crowned pony.
It was then that the unicorn mare finally noticed Sweetie Alice bowing with the three guards and that she definitely wasn’t one of them.
“And who is this?” The mare asked, looking down at Alice.
“Oh, this? This is… is…” Twi-Rabbit saw Alice and she immediately recognized her from earlier that day. She made a frightened expression.
“My name is Sweetie Alice, Your Majesty.” Alice replied, standing up and curtsying.
“Well, a pleasure I’m sure. What exactly are you doing in my garden… with my guards? And what are these pots of paint and brushes doing here?” The mare asked. She then noticed the rose bushes behind Alice and her eyes widened in shock. She saw the white buds and the painted ones; this made her very angry. “These flowers are white! And you three tried to trick me by painting them red!” She screamed.
The three guards immediately shot up from their current positions, stood up straight, and they all looked at the Queen with terrified expressions on their faces. They immediately hid behind Alice for protection.
“Please forgive us, Your Majesty!” “It wasn't our fault, Your Majesty!” “It wasn’t me, it was him!” “No, him!” “No, him!”
“Spare me your worthless excuses! Off with their heads!” The Queen shouted.
But before some more guards would grab the three cowering ponies, Sweetie Alice stepped between the trio and the Queen to protect them.
“No! Your Majesty, please don’t hurt them!” She protested.
“What did you just say to me?” The Queen asked, glaring darkly at Alice who stood tall.
"I said no." Alice answered, glaring back at the Queen.
"I see that you're… strong. Smart, compassionate. Perhaps… you would care to join me and the rest of the royal court for a game of croquet." The Queen offered, putting on a fake smile.
“Croquet?” Alice thought for a moment. "Uh… sure, I'll play, if you'll show me how."
"Splendid. Follow me."
So, Alice followed the Queen to the middle of the garden where the croquet equipment was to be set. Everypony of the royal court was gathered around and they were ready to start the game. Some of the soldiers stood in strange positions, almost like hoops. But what Alice didn’t know was that she was supposed to let the Queen win.
"So… what are the rules?" Alice asked.
"The rules are quite simple; you must knock your hedgehog ball through the hoops with a flamingo mallet." The Queen explained. "And whoever gets their ball through all of the hoops and at the end of the court first wins."
"Sounds easy enough."
"Yes, but I must warn you. I have never lost a game of croquet… ever. Now let the game begin! I go first!"
Alice definitely felt pressure at this point. The Queen stepped up, grabbed a flamingo mallet with her magic, and took her position. A little balled up hedgehog was placed in front of her mallet and she waited. And then, she hit the ball with her flamingo’s head. The ball rolled through most of the hoops and when it stopped, everypony applauded and cheered. She kept on posing and making model faces; Alice rolled her eyes.
“Your turn, dear.” The Queen said.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Alice said as she stepped forward with her flamingo mallet.
Soon, Alice took her position and readied herself. She took in a deep breath and looked at her targets. She was about to hit the ball, but the hedgehog and flamingo looked so cute and innocent that she couldn’t bring herself to do it. But in the corner of her eye, she could see that the Queen was getting very bored of waiting.
“HIT THE BALL OR OFF OR IT’S OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” The Queen screamed.
Alice screamed in surprise and she hit the hedgehog ball with the flamingo so hard that the ball practically went flying through all of the hoops at top speed and stopped at the end of the court. Everypony was in shock, especially Her Majesty. The Queen of Stars lost to a filly at croquet, her signature game. Everypony else cheered in honor of Alice; though she was confused.
“What just happened? Did I lose?” Alice asked, opening her eyes and looking at the court.
“Quite the contrary, Miss Alice… You won the first round!” Twi-Rabbit answered.
Alice looked back at the court and she realized that the bunny page was right. Her hedgehog ball had made it all the way across the court and through all of the hoops in one shot.
“Whoa, didn’t see that coming.” Alice cheered, jumping up and down.
But the Queen was glaring darkly at the filly, her face twisting into an enraged sneer.
“Nopony beats me at croquet! NOPONY!!!!” She shrieked.
“Wait! I didn’t mean to, Your Majesty, honest.” Alice tried to argue.
“Um, Your Majesty! There’s really no need to go overboard! It’s only the first round and she did beat you fair and square. Nothing else to it.” Twi-Rabbit tried to explain.
“I don't recall asking you to speak, you overgrown tie-died rat!” The Queen said, pushing the bunny out of the way and walking closer to Sweetie Alice.
‘Well, that was uncalled for.’ Twi-Rabbit thought.
“What do you have to say for yourself, child?” The Queen asked the filly.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.” Alice apologized nervously. “I didn’t even know what I was doing back there. Really and truly.”
“Oh, please! Don't start with any pointless excuses! Get this through your little head, missy; if I lose my temper a second time… you lose your head, UNDERSTAND!?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“Hmm, good. Let us continue the game, shall we?”
The Queen then turned around and grabbed her mallet to try and make another shot to start the next round. Just before she could make it, however, Cheshire Pie suddenly appeared atop the skirt of her dress; Alice’s eyes widened in shock. The cat was holding a silver pie tin filled with whipped cream in her paw and she has a wicked smile on her face.
“Should I do it?” The cat whispered, winking at Alice. “What do you think her reaction would be? Oooh, this is gonna be so funny.”
Alice shook her head and glared at Cheshire Pie, non-verbally telling her not to do anything stupid. But before anypony else knew it, Cheshire Pie suddenly squished the pie tin right onto the Queen’s head, covering her mane and face in sticky, sugary white cream and the tin sitting over her crown. The Queen was enraged. Everypony gasped as Cheshire Pie disappeared, crazily laughing all the while.
“She kinda deserved it, huh?” She whispered to Alice before vanishing.
“Who did this?!?” The Queen shouted.
She turned around only to see Alice. She winced; her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. She pointed her hoof at the filly and screamed,
“YOU! I knew you were up to something! That does it! Off with her—”
But before the Queen could finish her ranting, Twi-Rabbit fearfully interrupted her by pulling on the skirt of her dress. Alice gave a sigh of relief.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty. But couldn’t she have a trial… first?” Twi-Rabbit asked.
“A trial?” The Queen asked, glaring at the rabbit.
“Just a little trial? It’s only fair.” Twi-Rabbit reasoned.
“Yes! Please, please, please, Your Majesty!” Alice begged, falling to her knees.
“Hmmmm… very well. Let the trial begin!” The Queen announced.
And before she knew it, Alice was standing in the middle of an already crowded courtroom filled with strange creatures of all kinds. And sitting at the desk in front of everypony was Twi-Rabbit Sparkle as the judge and the Queen sitting above her. Alice sported an awkward grin; her eyes filled with a look of pure worry.
“Your Majesty, members of the jury, loyal humble and subjects, and the prisoner.” Twi-Rabbit announced. “This young filly standing before you is charged with enticing Her Majesty, the Queen of Stars, winning a game of croquet and thereby willfully annoying our beloved ruler through teasing, tormenting—”
“Never mind all that!” The Queen interrupted. “Get to the part where I lost my temper!”
“Okay, okay!” Twi-Rabbit said. “Thereby causing the Queen to lose her temper! There! Satisfied? HAPPY… your Majesty?”
“Yes, I am. Thank you. Now, are you ready for your sentence?” The Queen asked Alice.
“Sentence? But there has to be a verdict first.” Alice clarified.
“Sentence first, verdict afterwards.”
“What? But… but no, that’s not how it goes. This isn’t the right way to—”
“ALL ways are MY ways! You should’ve learned that by now!”
“Oh! Uh… yes, Your Majesty! I’m sorry, I’ll shut up now.”
“Good, thank you.”
But before the Queen could say another word, Twi-Rabbit interrupted her again by tugging her dress.
“Your Majesty, consider. We’ve called no witnesses. Couldn’t we call up just a few?” The rabbit said.
“Ugh! Fine, very well. BUT GET ON WITH IT! My patience is running thin!” The Queen shouted.
Alice gave a small sigh as she rolled her eyes. The first witness who was called up was March Spike. When he was brought forth, he was holding a cup of tea in one paw and a piece of blueberry pie in the other. He sat down and Twi-Rabbit looked at him.
“Mr. Spike, what do you know of this unfortunate affair?” Twi-Rabbit asked.
“Nothing. I don’t know anything about this.” The hare answered simply.
“Are you quite sure?” The purple rabbit asked.
“Positive. I know nothing about it.” March Spike replied.
“Nothing whatever?” The Queen exclaimed.
“Nothing whatever! Do I have to keep repeating myself!?” He exclaimed back.
“That is very important! Jury, write that down. Now!”
And with that, the jury started writing what Spike just said in their notepads vigorously; they didn’t want to make the Queen any more upset than she already was. But before Alice could say anything else to the crowned pony, Twi-Rabbit called up the next witness; Fluttermouse. She was brought before Her Majesty in a little china teapot.
“What have you to say about this, mouse?” The Queen asked softly.
“Oh! I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but I’m afraid I don’t know anything about what happened.” Fluttermouse replied before going back into the teapot to hide.
“What are you waiting for? Write that down, too!” The Queen screamed at the jury.
After the jury finished writing, another witness was called; the “Great and Powerful” Caterpillar Trixie. Alice groaned to herself; she hoped at least one of these creatures would vouch for her. The blue caterpillar’s uprooted mushroom was set in front of Her Majesty; the Queen looked at Trixie who merely sat while blowing more bubbles.
“Trixie, do you know anything about this atrocious crime?” The Queen asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I wish I could help, Your Majesty, I truly do. But Trixie is afraid she cannot help. Trixie is just an innocent bystander in all of this. So try not to ask her again.” Trixie answered before blowing another bubble.
“But you—” Alice protested before being interrupted.
“QUIET!” The Queen shouted.
“Sorry, Your Majesty.” Alice said meekly.
“Now, who’s the next witness?” The Queen asked Twi-Rabbit.
“Oh, yes. Of course, let me see.” Twi-Rabbit looked at her long list of witnesses. “The next witness is… the Mad Hatter.”
‘The Hatter?!?’ Alice thought. ‘Oh no! They must’ve caught him!’
The courtroom doors opened and the Mad Hatter himself was being held down by two bulky Earth pony guards.
“Here he is, Your Majesty.” One of the guards said. “We found him hiding in the garden maze. How he got there in the first place? We don’t know.”
“Bring him forth.” The Queen commanded, waving her hoof.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Both guards said.
As they walked to the front of the room, the Hatter was walking behind the guards in shackles. Alice tried to call out to him, but another guard stepped in front of her. The Hatter stopped in front of the desk and gave the Queen of Stars a dark glare.
“What do you know of this unspeakable event, Mr. Hatter?” Twi-Rabbit asked.
“I've been investigating things that begin with the letter "M".” The Hatter replied. “Moron, macabre, mutiny, murder, malice, malevolent, malicious.”
“Enough. I want an answer from you now. What do you know of that filly right there?” The Queen asked, pointing her hoof at Alice. “Do you know her?”
The Hatter looked at Alice who was worriedly shaking her head no. He gave her a small smile and slyly winked at her before looking back at the Queen.
“Who? That wee little pony? I wouldn't know who she is.” He lied.
‘What?! What are you doing?!’ Alice thought.
“Is that so? …What if I went ahead of myself and took off your head? Would you know then?” The Queen asked in an irritated tone.
“That will not be necessary.” A new voice said.
Everypony turned their heads to look at the doorway and they saw an unbelievably beautiful mare with red and yellow hair, a yellowish orange coat, and sea foam green eyes who was wearing a dress in white and silver. As she calmly walked to the front of the room, the ponies and creatures bowed before the mysterious mare; even the Hatter himself took a bow as she walked past him. The mare activated her magic and took the shackles off of his wrists and ankles while smiling at him, he smiled back. The Hatter made his way to Alice and he stood close by her side, holding her hoof.
“Hatter? Who is that?” Alice whispered.
“That is the White Queen.” He whispered back.
“She’s beautiful.”
When the mare in white came closer, the Queen of Stars stood up from her chair and walked to the floor. The two mares stopped in front of each other, looking each other in the eye.
“Hello, Starlight Glimmer.” The White Queen said.
“Hello… Sunset Shimmer.” The Queen of Stars said in the same tone.
“Hold up, they know each other?” Alice asked.
“They sure do.” A familiar high-pitched voice suddenly whispered in the filly’s ear.
The two friends whipped their heads around to see Cheshire Pie herself floating right next to Sweetie Alice. They both nearly screamed in surprise.
“How’d you get there so fast, Chessie?” The Hatter asked in a hushed voice.
“I’m everywhere. You two shoulda learned that by now.” She replied.
“Wait. Cheshire Pie, how did you know they know each other?” Alice asked.
“They’re sisters. When they were fillies, they NEVER got along. They were always arguing and bickering and fighting and when they finally got their cutie marks, neither one spoke to the other for years… or so I've been told.”
"That sounds terrible."
"Indeed." The Hatter explained. “They were at each other's throats since they were foals. Sunset was destined to be Queen, but Starlight must’ve thought otherwise. After the two grew up and parted ways, Starlight took the crown by force and… things spiraled out of control.”
Alice thought long and hard about what her strange friends said; why would two sisters fight as they grew up? It just sounded so sad to her. When she looked back at the two mares, they just stared at each other with looks of disdain and anger in their eyes.
"Starlight, what do you think you're doing?" The mare in white asked.
"I'm doing whatever I wish. What does it look like to you, Sunset? That filly right there is about to be punished for the greatest of crimes." The Queen of Stars answered in a rude tone.
“Ugh! Sister, listen to us; we’re doing it again. This isn’t right; we don’t have to fight like we did before.”
“I know what you’re doing here. You think you can blink your pretty little eyes at me, acting all innocent, and I’ll melt just like mom and dad did.”
“Please?” The mare in white offered her hoof to the mare opposite her.
But she pushed her sibling’s hoof away from her and shouted, “NO! It is MY crown! I am the eldest! I was always next in line for the throne and YOU know it!”
“It doesn’t have to be like this, you know. You can be a better pony.” The White Queen offered.
“Enough!” The Queen of Stars declared as her horn began to glow. “For crossing me again, I hereby sentence you to… death by DARK MAGIC!” And with that, a shockwave of bluish green light came from the Queen’s horn. She smiled wickedly as her younger sibling gave her a concerned look. “Good luck facing my champion.”
Without missing so much as a beat, a roar unlike anyone has ever heard rang through. Following it was a loud crash and an enormous hole formed in the middle of the ceiling. And standing in the hole was a creature with great size and brutal strength. Everypony in the courtroom started to panic; even the White Queen looked scared, but not her sister. She looked perfectly calm and smug all at the same time. But the most horrified one of all was Sweetie Alice; she had never seen a monster like this before.
“Sweet Celestia! What is that thing?!?” Alice screamed.
“That is the Tantawocky! The most ruthless and most evil creature in all of Wonderland!” The Hatter shouted.
“It’s a servant to the Queen of Stars! Her champion!” Cheshire Pie added.
“That’s the Tantawocky?! You mean… that thing works for HER!?” Alice asked, pointing to the Queen of Stars.
“Uh-huh!” Cheshire Pie said.
“Exactamundo!” The Hatter added.
“Isn’t there anything we can do to stop it?!”
“What are you talking about!? There’s nothing that can stop that creature!” March Spike said over the noise of panic.
“Yes! It’s too strong! And not to mention SCARY!!” Fluttermouse added.
“But there has to be some way!” Alice insisted.
“Well, there is one way!” Twi-Rabbit commented.
“What is it?!” The filly asked.
“Legend has it that a pony not of this world would one day come to our land and save us all.” The White Queen explained. “And some powerful artifacts known only as the Vorpal Gems are the only things powerful enough to stop that monster from demolishing everything in its path.”
“We need those Gems! Where are they?” Alice asked.
“I doubt you can make them work!” Trixie protested. “You're just a confused filly who has no idea what she's even doing!”
"Not helping." The White Queen grumbled at Trixie.
“Don't worry. I can fetch them!” The Hatter offered. In a snap, he disappeared and reappeared with a gilded chest in his hands. “Here they are, everypony; the Vorpal Gems.”
He opened the chest and it revealed six gemstones in various shapes and colors. Four of them were encased in silver anklets, another had a silver chain to make it look like a necklace, and the final gem was framed on the top of a silver tiara.
“They're beautiful.” Alice commented with wide eyes.
“Yes, and very powerful.” The White Queen said.
“Ooh! Sparkly!” Cheshire Pie said, reaching out her paw to touch one of the jewels.
“No! Don’t touch them! They’re dangerous! Nopony was ever able to use them!”
Just then, the Hatter got an idea. He shut the chest and set it atop Alice's back. “Take the Gems and go with the White Queen.” He said to her.
“What!?” Alice exclaimed. “No! Hatter, I'm not leaving without you!”
“There's no time to argue. Just go.”
“But, Hatter, I can’t just—”
“I said go!”
“But—”
“GOOOO!”
Alice still didn’t want to leave her friend behind, but she reluctantly ran beside the White Queen when the Tantawocky shot a large bolt of blue fire at the group. The Hatter stayed behind while Alice ran away with the others. But while she was running, she felt something on her flank. She stopped running and lifted the skirt of her dress to reveal her cutie mark; the star and musical note in the three-toned shield were glowing green. It was the same color of the light the rabbit hole was glowing from before; the gems inside the box were also glowing the same color. The chest opened, the six gemstones floated above Alice’s head, and they were placed onto her head, neck, and ankles. The White Queen’s eyes widened when she looked at the filly.
“Alice… the Vorpal Gems have chosen you to defeat the Tantawocky!” She exclaimed.
“You’re the White Queen’s champion!” Cheshire Pie exclaimed.
“WHAT?! ME?! Defeat THAT?!?” Alice screamed in shock. “But… I can’t! I’m just a filly!”
The Hatter looked back at the entrance to see Alice wearing the Gems. He gasped and smiled.
“Alice!” He shouted. “You are her champion! It’s fate! If you beat the Tantawocky, then the White Queen takes back the crown and Wonderland will be back to the way it was before!” In a snap, Alice was teleported back next to the Hatter.
“But Hatter, me… beating that monster?! I can’t do that! It’s impossible!” Alice shouted.
“Only if you believe it is!” The Hatter said.
‘Believe. Impossible.’ She thought. She remembered something her sister told her. “You know, sometimes… I believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” She said.
“That’s an excellent practice.” The Hatter said, looking back at the Tantawocky. “However, just at the moment… you really might want to focus on the Tantawocky.”
At that moment, Alice knew what to do. She stepped forward and faced the Tantawocky on her own. All the while, she was talking to herself about the things she’s seen ever since she arrived in Wonderland.
“Six impossible things; count them, Alice. One: there’s a potion that can make you shrink. Two: there’s a cupcake that can make you grow.”
The Tantawocky looked down at the filly standing before it. It stared down on her and nodded its head in the form of a scoff. And much to Alice’s surprise, it spoke to her in a low demonic voice.
“Ah, my old foes. We meet on the battlefield once again.” It said.
Alice was confused; she cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about? We’ve never met. And there's only one of me.”
“Not you, insignificant wielder! My ancient enemies, the Vorpal Jewels.” It hissed.
“Okay! That’s enough chatter from you, pal!” Alice yelled as she ran towards the creature.
But the Tantawocky dodged the filly’s attack and she slid across the slippery room, nearly colliding with a wall. She turned around to face the creature again while listing more impossible things. As she counted, each of the Gems sparked and glowed with every impossibility she listed.
“Three: animals can speak. Four: hatters are magical. Five: there’s a place called Wonderland. Six: I can beat the Tantawocky.”
With that being said, Sweetie Alice charged at the beast. She grabbed onto its leg and tried her best to hold on, but it was so strong that it violently threw her out of the courtroom and back into the castle garden. But thankfully, a large hedge from the nearby maze broke her fall. When the Hatter saw this, his eyes burned with rage; he wanted to protect his friend, so he raised his left claw and slashed at the Tantawocky's tail. It swung at him, nearly hitting him in the head.
"The Hatter is interfering! Off with his head!" The Queen of Stars commanded.
The Queen's guards stepped forward with their weapons in tow, but the Hatter was having none of that. He snapped his fingers and a large sword appeared in his hands. He took off his hat and he charged with March Spike, Fluttermouse, and Cheshire Pie by his side. Meanwhile, Alice was still trying to fight the Tantawocky. It ran after her through the garden and the courtyard. She looked up at the castle.
'Maybe if I get to a higher point, I might be able to stop it from there.' She thought.
Alice ran straight into the castle, trying to find higher ground, the Tantawocky still following her. When she got to a balcony near the ballroom, she looked up and saw the tallest tower.
'That must be it.' She thought.
Alice ran under her opponent’s legs and up the nearest staircase to the tallest tower. And just as soon as she thought she was safe, the Tantawocky met her at the very top. It made a roar unlike any Alice had ever heard while looking at her with a vengeful look; it terrified her. She looked up at the beast, a glint of horror in her eyes; this was her only chance.
Meanwhile back in the garden, the Hatter was still fighting guards off; all the while, looking back at Alice to see if she was alright. Cheshire Pie was fooling some of the guards with her disappearing and reappearing acts. March Spike distracted more guards with silly party tricks and his speed. Fluttermouse tricked some guards by whispering rumors to them that made them fight each other. And the two sisters had a fight using their own magic, since both of them studied advanced magic back when they were fillies.
Back at the tower, Alice jumped onto the Tantawocky and she clung onto its neck when it slipped on some stone. It thrashed its head around trying to make her let go, but she kept a strong grip on it. And when it finally threw her into the air, the Vorpal Gems began to glow brightly and Alice was floating above the monster’s head in midair.
"OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!!" Alice screamed, her eyes glowing white.
And with that being said, the Vorpal Gems glowed with all of their might, engulfing both Sweetie Alice and the Tantawocky with their magic. Everypony shielded their eyes from the blinding light. When it ceased, Alice safely floated down to the ground still wearing the Gems whose light started to fade. She lay on the grass; her eyes shut and her body still. The Hatter threw away his sword, ran over to the filly, and picked her up in his arms.
"Sweetie Alice! Alice, are you okay!? Speak to me! Speak!" He cried.
Silence. The Hatter held Alice close to his body with tears in his eyes. But then, his sharp ears picked up Alice’s soft breathing; he looked and saw that Alice was waking up. She looked at her abnormal friend with tired eyes.
"H-H-H-Hatter?" She asked in a tired voice.
"Alice! You're alright!" The Hatter cried, hugging the filly tightly. "I thought you were gone! Since that thing was attacking you, I had to help! Oh, thank goodness you’re alive!"
"Hatter! I'm fine! But right now, the only thing attacking me is you!" Alice managed to croak.
"Oh, sorry." Embarrassedly, the Hatter let go of Alice to give her a chance to catch her breath.
"That’s okay. What happened? Did I lose the fight?" Alice asked as she used her magic to put the Hatter’s hat back on his head.
"Quite the contrary." Twi-Rabbit said, hopping forward and pointing a paw up. "Look at what you've done."
When Alice craned her neck up to see what Twi-Rabbit was pointing at, she gasped in shock. Standing in front of the castle was the Tantawocky, only it was turned to solid stone. And on the ground was its enormous head, it must’ve broken off when Alice fell. And the best part was that everything around the statue was turned back to the way it was before. Everypony stared, their eyes wide with awe. The Queen of Stars only stared at the headless stone creature with an upset and angry expression on her face.
“I did that!?”Alice cried.
“You did.” The White Queen said as she approached Alice. “You defeated the Tantawocky and saved Wonderland!”
“KILL HER!!” The Queen of Stars screamed, pointing a hoof at Alice.
“We follow you no more… bratty baby.” One of the guards bravely said.
“How dare you?! Off with his head!” The Queen commanded.
But when the mare made her demand, every living creature that was in sight dropped their weapons and the guards took off parts of their armor to reveal that they all had individual cutie marks. That was when the Queen felt something deep inside her; she felt her pride crumble, something she had never felt once in her life.
“I’ll take that!”
Cheshire Pie took the crown off of the Queen of Stars’ head and she set the crown on the White Queen’s head instead. The two mares stared at each other.
“Starlight Glimmer, your crimes against Wonderland are worthy of death.” The White Queen declared as she approached her sister. “However, since I cannot bring myself to behead my own kin, therefore you’re banished to the outlands. Nopony is to show you any kindness or ever speak to you. You won’t have a friend in the world.”
Starlight rolled her eyes before saying, “Spare me your sentimental nonsense! Unlike you, I gave all of these ponies real friendships they never could've had otherwise!”
“How do you know that?!” One guard shouted.
“Yeah! You never even gave us a chance!” Another guard added.
Starlight was enraged. Before she could cast another spell, however, the Hatter snapped his fingers and in a bright flash, the natural glow of Starlight’s magical aura suddenly vanished and steel cuffs and chains were now on her ankles.
“Wha-what happened?! What have you done to me?!” She shouted at the Hatter.
“I just turned off your magic. Now you can’t pull any tricks.” He answered.
“What?!? Sunset Shimmer; you can’t let that freak do this to me!”
“He is not a freak. And if you’re supposed to be so smart, then maybe you shouldn't be messing around with things you don't understand! Just like the Tantawocky!” The White Queen shouted.
“What are you saying?!? I did understand the Tantawocky!”
“No, you didn't! You still don’t! If you were supposed to be next in line for the throne, then you shouldn’t take ponies’ heads off every time someone makes you angry! And worst of all, when you summoned that thing, you put the lives of Sweetie Alice, her friends, and all of Wonderland in danger!” Everything soon went quiet for a few moments.
The Queen took a breath and said, “Guards, take that traitor away; get her out of my sight. Starlight, I never want to see you again.”
Two guards soon came up and dragged Starlight Glimmer away, who was screaming and cursing at her sister. The moment she was gone, everypony cheered and celebrated the coronation of their new queen. The Hatter was happier than anyone else; so much so that he joyfully cried:
“Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He then began to move parts of his body in a very odd way, almost like an uncoordinated dance. It looked so silly and goofy that it made Alice laugh.
“What’s he doing?” She asked Cheshire Pie who was floating next to her.
“The Klutzerwacken!” Cheshire Pie cheered.
“The what?”
“It’s a dance. He used to do the best Klutzerwacken in all of wit’s end!”
"You got that right. He’s good."
When the Hatter’s dance was over, everypony applauded and cheered for him, especially Alice. He gave a quick bow and he gave the filly a big hug.
“Hatter, your Klutzer… klutz… what-ser-something was awesome!” Alice exclaimed.
“You mean Klutzerwacken?” He asked.
“Yeah! Amazing!” She laughed.
“Thank you!” A thought soon popped into the Hatter’s head. “Alice… do you like it in Wonderland?”
“Why?”
“If you do… you could stay.”
Alice looked up at her new friend and smiled at him.
“What an idea. A crazy, mad, fantastic idea.” But her smile slowly faded. “But… I can’t. I love it here, but I can’t stay.”
The Hatter’s smile faded as well.
“Why?” He asked.
“Because, Equestria is where I belong. There still a bunch of questions I have to answer and things I have to do.” The filly explained. “I guess what I’m trying to say is…”
“I understand, Sweetie Alice.”
“I want to go home.”
Suddenly, the Vorpal Gems glowed as they made their way off of Alice’s body and back into the open chest. But not before the six gemstones each left a small piece behind and each piece fell onto the grass at Alice’s hooves. Alice looked at them curiously before the six pieces floated into her open hoof. The White Queen approached the two.
“It appears that the Vorpal Gems have given you a bit of Wonderland magic for you to take to Equestria.” The White Queen said. “Now you have our everlasting gratitude, for your efforts on our behalf.”
“Will these take me home?” Alice asked, looking at the shards and back up at the Queen.
“If that’s what you want.” The White Queen said before giving Alice a hug.
“Goodbye, dear Sweetie Alice. We’ll never forget you.” The Hatter said, joining in on the hug.
“I’ll never forget you guys, either. This is probably the most fun and excitement I’ve ever had in my entire life, but it’s over now.” Alice said, embracing her friends one more time. “So… I guess this really is goodbye.”
And with that being said, the six pieces of gem began to glow in Alice’s hoof and they floated above her head as they began to bathe her in a bright green light; all of Alice’s friends waved goodbye as a wind began to blow around the filly, almost like a tornado. She closed her eyes and she breathed in softly.
“Alice? Alice. Alice, wake up!” Sweetie Alice’s sister said, shaking her little sibling awake.
“Huh? Huh? What? What?” Alice cried as her eyes suddenly shot open and she sat up. “Twi-Rabbit! Cheshire Pie! Hatter?”
“Alice, darling. You’ve been talking in your sleep. Whatever is the matter?” Her sister said.
“I… I was asleep this whole time? Wha'… none of it was real?!”
“What wasn’t real? What are you talking about?”
“I-I… Oh , where do I even begin?”
“Well, now that you’re awake, tell me what you were dreaming about.”
“I don’t really know how to describe it. It was pretty scary, but it was also kinda fun. But over all, it was just really weird.”
“Ooh, a lucid dream. Do tell.”
“Well, it wasn’t exactly a lucid dream. First, I chased a purple rabbit into the Everfree, then I fell down this rabbit hole, then I was growing and shrinking, I swam through a river of my own tears, I talked to giant flowers, I met a smiling laughing pink cat, a crazy yet really sweet Hatter, a queen who obsessed with taking off heads, and—”
“Wait. Where did you get that necklace? Those gemstones are gorgeous.”
“Necklace?”
Alice looked to what her sister was looking at and she saw a sparkling silver chain around her neck and hanging on it were the pieces of the six Vorpal Gems. She gasped and her eyes widened.
“Vorpal Shards. It was real.” She whispered, smiling excitedly.
“Vorpal what? What’s real?” Her sister asked.
Alice looked at her sister and smiled. “Sis? Why is a raven like a writing desk?”
“A raven? A writing desk?” The mare asked, raising an eyebrow. “I haven’t the vaguest idea. Wherever did you come up with that, little sister?”
Alice looked into the Everfree Forest and saw her Wonderland friends looking at her through the trees and smiling.
“Oh, a friend told it to me… in a dream.” The Hatter winked at Alice who winked back.
“Well, when we get home, you must tell me, mother, and father about your dream over tea. I’m sure they’d love to hear about it.” Her sister said as she stood with Opalescence on her back.
“Tea? Sure.” Alice said as she stood up.
Before she left, she looked back at the forest and smiled and waved at her friends one more time; they smiled and waved back. And soon, Sweetie Alice galloped off to join her family for tea.
Even though she missed it with all of her heart, Sweetie Alice had never forgotten about Wonderland. She told her friends and family about her adventure, all of the friends she had made, and of course her battle with the Tantawocky. And the creatures of Wonderland, who missed her ever so much, had never forgotten about Alice; she was remembered as a national hero and a true friend to all.
Before this, Alice was always told time and time again to never believe in impossible things. But after her adventure, she learned that sometimes it’s good to believe in the impossible as long as she had true friends by her side who believed with her and who were willing to help her discover them. And from that time on, as long as Sweetie Alice kept on believing in Wonderland and her friends there, they all lived happily ever after.