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Time rarely pitied people. Humans always thought themselves to be above him. They always had the idea of ‘beating the clock’ or beating time himself.
This annoyed Time.
However, upon watching recent events, Time found himself wanting to pity her.
Lady Catherine Pinkerton.
For hours, Time watched her cry. He watched as she begged him to take everything back. To bring him back.
Normally, with deaths, he felt little sadness. Death was an inevitable thing, the nature of all life.
But something was different about this.
The fact that one second made this happen. One decision.
The fact that this was never supposed to happen.
Many say that death “was not supposed to happen” when it was one of their loved ones involved, but this.
This was not supposed to happen.
Many think Time was in control of everything that happened, but he wasn’t. He was ever-present, yes, but all-deciding? No. Just because he knew how all things end and begin, does not mean he has a say in them. Maybe that was why he was so angry. People blamed him for simply existing.
But Lady Catherine didn’t.
She begged with him, but never blamed him. She somehow knew that even though he may have the power to undo it, he did not cause it.
Which is why Time felt great sympathy for Lady Catherine. Truly, his plan for her was grander than this.
She continues begging, pleading. He thinks that her sobs will haunt him for eternity.
“I’m so sorry, my child. I fear this cannot be undone.”
Time knew she couldn’t hear him. Nobody heard him and his callings.
“Please. I would do anything. Just bring him back.” Sobs break her sentences. “That’s all I want. Even if I don’t get to love him the same. Even if it kills me. Please, Time. Trade his life for mine. Let me be honorable one last time. Let me be the hero he needed me to be.”
Time watched as her friend tried to console her.
“Cath, listen-“
“No, Mary Ann, you have to understand. I would rather die than marry him. Not after this. Please. Don’t make me do this. Do you understand what I’m feeling?”
“Cath-“
“I feel like I’m dying, Mary Ann. I’d rather be dead than have to live with this.”
“Cath, you don’t mean that.”
“But I do. This pain, it’s- it’s too much to bear. It’s torture. I don’t think I can do this.”
“Catherine. I understand how you’re feeling-“
“No, you don’t! Mary Ann, you’ve never loved someone the way I loved him. You’ve never loved anyone so deeply that you would’ve done anything for them. I will never love anyone the way I loved him. Not you, not Mother, nobody. I’d rather die by my own blade than go on.”
“Catherine.”
“Leave me, Mary Ann.”
“Cath-“
“I said leave.”
~~~~
As the years went on, Time watched Lady Catherine, The Queen, lose herself.
He could do nothing as she destroyed both herself and those around her.
If he could, he would.
Time was not supposed to have favorites, and if he did, nobody would think it would be her.
But he did. And it was.
While Catherine had changed, and turned cold and unfeeling, Time felt as though he grew more sympathetic.
Which is why he planted her .
Alice.
She would have the mind and the heart to fix everything. She would change Wonderland, and let it go back to how it was.
She would free Catherine.
Which was foolish of Time.
He knew how that story ended.
He hated himself for it.
Still, he held on to the small sliver of hope that Alice would want to understand Catherine. That’s all she needed.
She needed to be reminded that being loved was better than being feared.
~~~~
When the final meeting of Alice and Catherine happened, Time held his breath.
Though he knew what was coming, he selfishly did not want it to happen.
A part of him, the realistic part, knew this was for the better.
It would be better for everyone now.
Wonderland would be free of its tyrannical ruler, and Catherine would be happy.
She would be better off.
Time would make sure of that.
Death was, after all, the grandest peace he could provide.
So, Time watched as his favored Catherine was beheaded, and then called upon Death for a favor.
He told Death that she deserved a break. After decades of nobody being there for her, nobody wanting to know her, she deserved a final happiness.
Which is why Cath was able to spent her afterlife with him. With Jest. The only boy she ever loved.
Time was content with the end of their story. Though incomplete and saddening to the living, their story was grander in death .