Work Text:
It was nearly midnight, and Coco couldn’t sleep. She held the covers to her chest, tossing and turning in bed, but it was no use. She whimpered and slowly slipped out of her bed, tiptoeing out of the room and through the atelier so as not to wake anyone.
She could hear voices coming from the kitchen as she approached, and sure enough, both Qifrey and Olruggio were sitting at the table, chatting quietly amongst themselves. Qifrey’s ears perked up almost immediately to the sound of the young apprentice approaching. He turned his head to face her, expression softening.
“Coco.” He frowned, “You’re still awake. It’s very late, you know.”
“ I'm sorry, Master Qifrey.” She rubbed her eyes.
Qifrey shook his head and beckoned her closer. “Not another work of apology out of you. It’s quite all right. Come.” He patted the spot at the table between him and Olruggio. Coco nodded and shuffled over.
Once she was seated, Qifrey gently rubbed her back.
“What’s the matter?” He asked softly. “Nightmare?”
Coco nodded and tucked her knees up to her chest. Ever since that fateful day back home, she was plagued by nightmares of the incident. Qifrey clicked his tongue sympathetically.
“I’m sorry. That must have been so scary,” Qifrey sympathized. He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “Still, little apprentices need their sleep…is there anything I can do to help you relax?”
Coco just shrugged sadly. Orliggio and Qifrey shared a look.
“I’ll get you some water,” Olruggio grumbled and stood.
“Thank you, Olly.” Qifrey gave the other man a smile before giving Coco his full attention. “Coco, how would you like a story before you go back to sleep? It might help take your mind off things.”
Coco perked up ever so slightly at the mention of a story. She gave a shy nod. Qifrey smiled and squeezed her shoulder.
“Perfect. You wait here with master Olruggio, and I’ll go grab you a storybook. I think I have one you might like.”
Qifrey stood from the table and went off to retrieve the book. Meanwhile, Olruggio returned with a class of cool water and handed it to Coco.
“Drink.”
Coco took a few long sips before setting the glass down and whispering a tiny “thank you.”
Qifrey returned not long after with a book tucked under his arm. He took Coco's hand as the young girl stood, leading her back towards her bed.
“There we go, back to bed. Bring your water, my dear.”
~~~
Qifrey pulled back the covers slightly so Coco could climb back into her bed, tucking her in tenderly and patting her on the head. He took a seat at her bedside and showed her the cover of the book.
“This one was one of my favorites growing up. It’s about a curious little girl who ends up in a magical place.” He held out the book for her to take a closer look. “It reminds me of someone else I know.”
Coco giggles softly and touches the covers. “Alice…in wonderland?”
“That’s right.” Qifrey nodded. “Now, get nice and cozy.”
As Qifrey cracked open the old storybook, a soft glow encased the room.
“Chapter one, down the rabbit hole. Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting with her sister by the bank, and having nothing to do…”
The glow slowly became a blinding light, and Coco had to squeeze her eyes shut.
~~~
Not a moment later, something had changed.
Coco blinked her eyes open, but found herself no longer lying in her bed, but lying by a riverbank against a tree. She gasped and looked down to see that she was wearing a beautiful blue dress and a pair of black shoes. As she stood and twirled around, she giggled softly.
“Oh dear me!” She smiled, “How wonderful! But where has the atelier gone? I do hope my friends aren’t worried…”
As she mused to herself, she could hear the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.
“Time, time, so little time…oh goodness me, I’m so late!”
Coco looked up to see who the voice was coming from, and sure enough, there was master Qifrey. Except, it wasn’t quite him. He had on a white button-down, a neat blue vest with a watch chain sticking out of the front, and what appeared to be…bunny ears?
“Oh goodness,” the white rabbit tapped his foot and pulled out his pocket watch, “oh goodness no, I’m so terribly late.”
“Master Qifrey!” Coco waved to get his attention. The white rabbit looked up, but shook his head and looked back at the watch.
“No no no…so late, such to do….”
He breezed straight past Coco and up to a hedge, approaching a rather large rabbit hole. Without a second's hesitation, he jumped straight in.
Coco gasped and ran up to the hedge. “Master Qifrey!” She called down the hole. She looked around the hedge to see if she could find an exit point, but came up empty-handed. Even peering down the hole, it was too dark and far too deep.
Coco clenched her fists and tried to gather herself. If Qifrey had gone down, surely it was safe…but that kind of thinking had gotten her in trouble before.
Still, she couldn’t deny the almost magnetic sort of pull she felt coming from the rabbit hole, as if it were calling out specifically for her.
“Alice,” it called, “they’re waiting for you.”
Coco shook her head and patted her cheeks. “But I’m not Alice! I’m me! I’m Coco.”
“Alice, come join us.”
Coco bit her knuckle, torn between the call to adventure and staying safely by the riverbed.
Alas, the pull of the rabbit hole was too strong. She approached its very edge, lining up her feet at its entrance. She took a deep breath, and down she went.
~~~
Down, down Coco fell. She felt as though she might fall forever. How long had gone by? Hours? Minutes? Merely seconds? It was difficult to say. Then, all at once, she landed on the soft ground with a thump.
Coco groaned and stood, dusting herself and looking around.
“Master Qifrey!” She called out. No reply. “White rabbit!”
She began looking around when she stumbled upon a table with a tiny golden key. She picked it up, twisting it between her fingers.
As she continued on, she came upon a large door with a golden doorknob. She approached the door and tried to twist the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. Coco huffed and tried to stick the key inside, but it was simply too small.
“Do you mind?”
Coco looked around the room to see where the voice came from, but found herself alone. That is, until the doorknob began to change. Before she knew it, a girl stood before her where the doorknob once was.
The strange girl stood with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face, but Coco recognized her instantly.
“Agott! Thank goodness it’s you! I have to get through that door so I can find Master Qifrey.”
‘Who?” The girl raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you actually thought I’d let you enter into Wonderland. You who are…” She looked Coco up and down. “So ordinary.”
“Ordinary?” Coco looked down at herself. The girl nodded sternly.
“You’re better off going back the way you came.” She scoffed. “As if I’d ever let you pass.”
‘But I must pass,” Coco said. “There’s no going back the way I came. I have to find master Qifrey so I can find my way home!”
The girl narrowed her eyes, looking at the key in Coco’s hand.
“Alright then.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny notebook. On the cover were the words ‘drink me’ in scrawled text.
“Drink me?” Coco echoed, flipping open the book. It looked just like the palm quire she owned.
“Prove to me you belong in Wonderland.” The girl crossed her arms once more. Coco looked around the room and patted her pockets.
“You want me to draw a spell, don’t you?” Coco frowned. “But I haven’t got a wand.”
The girl rolled her eyes and took the key from Coco’s hand.
“Rule number one in Wonderland, nothing is as it seems.”
She cupped the key in both hands, and sure enough, it transformed with a flash of light. When the girl handed it back to Coco, it had become a pen.
“Go on then,” She smirked. “Drink me.”
The girl settled on the ground and leaned her head against her palm. “If you want to enter Wonderland, find a way through the door.”
Coco thought long and hard before suddenly getting an idea. She scribbled on the palm quire, and in a poof, a tiny Coco appeared. She hurried up to the door, climbed up the side, and slipped right through the keyhole.
“You fool!” The girl bolted upright and slammed open the door. She grabbed the tiny Coco in her hands. “Magic that alters the body is forbidden! You cannot enter Wonderland! The King will surely have your head!”
“Um…” A voice came from behind the girl. There, a regular-sized coco stood, holding her palm quire. She held up the smoke sculpture spell, and the little Coco disappeared.
“I know I technically didn’t go through the door, but I did get it to open! So…please. Let me in?” Coco tilted her head. The girl's face was red with anger.
“You-!” The girl pinched the bridge of her nose. She huffed and stepped aside. Before Coco could hurry away, she touched her shoulder.
“Be wary of the King of Hearts.” She warned. “He won't like an outsider entering Wonderland.”
As Coco hurried off, the girl sighed. “Do be safe, Alice.”
~~~
The first thing Coco came across was a beautiful garden full of the most vibrant flowers she had ever seen. She couldn't help but take a moment to lean down and admire them.
“Well, hello!” A cheerful girl with pink hair waved to her from across the field. She hurried over, stopping just shy of Coco. Behind her, another girl with long blue hair trailed behind. Both girls wore long white dresses adorned with flowers.
“Tetia, Richeh.” Coco smiled and waved back. The girls looked at one another in confusion before turning back to face her.
“Never mind.” Coco shook her head. ‘Have either of you seen a white rabbit?”
“A white rabbit…” The girl with blue hair tapped her chin.
“Oh, I know!” The other girl chirped and clapped her hands together. “Did he have a pocketwatch?”
‘Yes!” Coco exclaimed with relief. “Them, you have seen him?”
The girls nodded and giggled.
“Oh, my my, how late I am!” One of the girls mimicked. The other covered her mouth to hide a smile.
“Oh, please tell me, which way did he go?” Coco asked. “I’m trying to find him, you see, and I fear I cannot get home unless I do.”
“But is it home you want to get to?” The pink-haired girl rested a hand on Coco’s shoulder.
“You’ve only just arrived.” The other added, a hand on her opposite shoulder.
“Im afraid I surely must.” Coco nodded. “My dear, dear friends are waiting for me, and so is my master.”
“Very well then,” The girl with pink hair clapped her hands together. “The white rabbit ran past the field of flowers and into the mushroom forest.” She pointed across the way.
“Hurry along then, Alice.” The blue-haired girl nodded.
“But my name is…” Coco shook her head. “I suppose it doesn’t matter, thank you both!”
“Thank you for your thanks!” The pink-haired girl giggled and waved.
~~~
Coco ran along through the winding trails of Wonderland, and soon she came upon a patch of giant mushrooms. She giggled excitedly at such a strange sight and climbed atop the nearest one.
‘Master Qifrey!” She cupped her hand around her mouth and called out, “White rabbit! Where have you gone?”
“Who are you?” A drowsy-sounding voice came from behind her. There, lying across a mushroom, was Olruggio.
“Master Olruggio!” She quickly climbed over and sat beside him. “Thank goodness. Do you know where Master Qifrey went?”
“Who?” He raised an eyebrow. He looked her up and down. “I see. You must be the one they're talking about. The little girl who stumbled across Wodnerland. Alice, is it?”
“I’m not Alice.” She shook her head. ‘It’s me, Coco!”
The man looked unconvinced. “No.” He shook his head and yawned. “Blue dress. White stockings. Black shoes. You simply must be Alice. Word travels fast here in Wonderland. It won't be long before the news reaches the King. You’d better go.”
“But I can’t go,” Coco huffed, “I have to find Master Qi- the white rabbit!”
“The white rabbit?” He yawned again. “Why didn’t you say so?”
“But I did say so! I was calling out for him, didn’t you hear?”
The man just closed his eyes and began to drift off. Coco groaned and shook him awake.
“Master Olruggio! Don’t fall asleep on me!”
He grunted and opened one eye. “It's ‘Caterpillar’, kid.”
“Fine then, mister caterpillar.” She crossed her arms. “I need to find the white rabbit. Tell me how I can find him.”
“I wouldn’t know.” He shrugged, “He ran by a little while ago, but who knows where the man is headed. That being said, I know who very well may know. The trouble is, getting a straight answer out of him.”
“Who? Where can I find him?” Coco insisted. “Please, mister caterpillar, I must find the white rabbit!”
The caterpillar sighed and pointed towards a path. “The cheshire cat. He's a mischievous one, so keep your head about you. And Alice,” He rubbed his head. “Don’t lose sight of yourself. Wonderland has a funny way of changing people.”
~~~
“Cheshire puss!” Coco called out as she hurried down the path. She huffed as she tried to catch her breath. “Cheshire puss, tell me which way I ought to go!”
“My my,” came a voice from the treetops. “That depends, my dear, on where you're trying to get to.”
There, in the tallest branch of the tree, sat Beldaruit. He was grinning ear to ear and leaning against the trunk of the tree. Coco gasped, but quickly steeled herself, remembering the caterpillar’s advice.
“To the white rabbit.” She said firmly. “Do you know where he’s gone?”
“Oh, but I might.” The Cheshire Cat grinned. “He went…that way.” He pointed to the right
Coco sighed. That was certainly much easier than she had anticipated. She shouted her thanks and began to hurry off, but before she could make any progress, the cat spoke again.
“Or,” He chuckled. “It may very well have been that way.” He crossed his other arm over and pointed to the left.
Coco huffed in frustration. “Well, which one was it?”
“That depends.” He shrugged. “North, south. East and west. Up, or down, or perhaps around.” The Cheshire Cat tapped on his chin.
“Oh, I fear I’m going mad.” Coco shook her head and covered her ears.
“But my dear, you’re in Wonderland. They make us all mad here.” He assured her.
Coco patted her cheeks and sat on the ground.
“Please, cheshire puss.” She whimpered, “I want to make my way back home. Everything is so terribly strange here.”
“Is strange so bad?” The Cheshire Cat smiled. “Very well, my dear, if you take a left, you’ll meet the mad hatter and the march hare. It should be just about time for their tea party. They might have seen the rabbit.”
“A mad hatter?” She asked nervously.
“Don’t look so nervous, my dear. As I’ll remind you, we’re all mad here.”
Coco took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright, so I’m looking for a mad hatter…thank you, Cheshire puss.”
“Any time, my dear.” He waved goodbye before disappearing in a poof, leaving only a grin behind.
~~~
Alice came upon a clearing, and in the center was what appeared to be a lavish tea party. At said table sat who appeared to be Custas, Ininia, and Dagda.
Dagda was slumped over the teapot, fast asleep. Custas chatted excitedly with Ininia, that is, until his gaze landed upon Coco.
“Sorry!” the boy who looked like Custas slammed his feet on the only open chair. “No room!”
“But there's plenty of room.” Coco frowned.
“Not here.” A girl who closely resembled Ininia shrugged.
“Yes, here, there's a chair right there.” She pointed at the chair that Custas had his feet on.
“Oh, but you weren’t even invited,” He leaned over and grinned at Coco. Coco huffed and pulled out the chair from beneath his feet, but the boy quickly shifted over to sit in it.
“I said,” He snickered, “No room.”
“What's gotten into you? Have you gone mad?” Coco put her hands on her hips.
“Mad? Mad?” He began to laugh, “If I’m not mad, I’d be merely a hatter.”
“Who are you to say who’s mad?” The girl resembling Ininia, who Coco could only assume was the march hare, pointed at her accusingly.
“But I’m not mad, surely not. I've only just arrived.”
“To be here itself is to be mad.” The Mad Hatter replied. “Otherwise, you would not be here at all.”
Coco went to sit on the now available chair the hatter had been sitting in, but this time the march hare took the seat before she could.
“No room,” The girl declared.
‘Let us have a riddle!” The mad hatter slammed his hands on the table.
“Yes, let’s.” The march hare nodded her agreement.
“If I answer your riddle, will you help me find the white rabbit?” Coco crossed her arms.
“Maybe I will, maybe I won't.”
Coco leaned against the table and huffed. “Alright, let’s hear it then.”
“How is a brushbug like a pyreball?”
Coco thought about it for a long moment before sighing.
“How?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea!”
The mad hatter and the march hare burst out laughing. Coco slammed a hand on the table, causing the teacups to shake.
“That’s hardly fair to ask a riddle with no answer!”
“Why must there always be an answer?” the march hare tilted her head.
“And what if the answer is simply the unknown?” The hatter grinned.
“I demand another riddle.” Coco insisted. “A real one this time.”
“You’re no fun.” The mad hatter crossed his arms. “But very well.”
He leaned forward across the table and looked Coco in the eyes.
“What has green hair and shining eyes, who thinks herself to be oh-so wise? That drew a spell found in a book, and so her very world was shook? That traveled far across the land of a world she stumbled upon unplanned? Who took for granted what she had, and finds herself completely mad?”
Coco was silent for a moment, clutching the fabric of her dress.
“Is it…me?”
“You tell us.” The hatter smiled.
Coco grit her teeth and shook her head. “That's enough. I answered your riddle, now tell me which was the white rabbit went!”
“The white rabbit should be the least of your worries,” the March Hare shook her head. “From what I hear, you’ve garnered the attention of the King.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Coco frowned.
The mad hatter snickered and held up two fingers, pretending to squish Coco’s head between them. “The king has a nasty habit, you see,” He explained, “One wrong move? It’s off with your head!”
“You’d best hurry along now, Alice.” The March hare grinned. “To be mad is one thing; it’s another to quite literally lose your head.”
“Take the road down that way,” The hatter pointed towards another path. “Follow it until you reach his majesty’s castle.”
“Very well.” Coco took a deep breath. She took one last look at the tea party before marching off down the path.
~~~
As Coco walked, she soon came upon rows and rows of white roses. Among them were what appeared to be two knights with red paint buckets and brushes in their hands.
“Why is it his majesty insists on having red roses?” One of the knights groaned to the other.
“You know how he gets.” The other replied softly as she took care to coat each petal in an even layer of red paint.
“Such a chore…” The first knight huffed.
Coco peeked out from behind a rose bush to get a better look. One of the knights had a white suit painted with diamonds, and the other a suit painted with spades. She vaguely recognized their resemblance to a few of the Knights Moralis.
“And who do we have here?”
Coco yelped as a hand touched her shoulder. A knight with a suit painted with clubs pulled her out from behind the rose bush. The other two knights turned to face the sound, their expressions serious.
“That’s her, is it not?” The knight of diamonds looked her up and down. “The outsider.”
“She is as outsiders are.” The knight of spades shook his head. “Just couldn’t stay home, could you?”
“Oh, but I so wan’t to go home.” Coco protested. “I only came to find the white rabbit!”
“There’s no undoing what you’ve done.” The knight of clubs kept a grip on her shoulder. “You went tumbling down the rabbit hole and straight through the door. You cannot unturn the key once it has been turned.”
“But I didn’t know where the door would lead!” She objected.
“Excuses.” The knight of clubs raised his spear. “You mean to tell me you were completely oblivious to what you had done? You chose to follow, and look at where it’s brought you.”
“I didn’t mean to!” Coco covered her ears. “I didn’t mean to meddle with things I didn’t understand! I didn’t mean to hurt mom!”
The knights fell quiet, looking at each other in confusion.
“What is she going on about?” The knight of clubs mumbled gruffly.
“Who knows?” The knight of diamonds raised her own spear. “But im certain the king would like to have a word with her.”
~~~
Coco was led into a massive throne room and forced to kneel. She looked up to see a man who was all too familiar to her.
Easthies. At least, a wonderland version of him.
The knights kneeled beside Coco, their heads bowed down. The king of hearts huffed and waved his hand.
“As you were.”
The knights bolted upright, spears held at their sides. Coco stood and clumsily curtsied.
“Your majesty,” She said shakily.
“The infamous Alice.” The king of hearts scowled. “Found yourself in wonderland, have you?”
“Yes, your majesty.” She nodded, “Though I’m trying to find my home. If I could only find the white rabbit-”
“Home?” The king narrowed his eyes. “You believe I’d let you leave after all the trouble you’ve caused?”
“Oh, but your highness, I haven’t caused anyone trouble.” She pleaded.
“You cause trouble simply by coming here.” He stood and slowly descended from his throne. He approached Coco with a palm quire in hand, an eerily familiar spell etched onto it.
Memory erasure.
“You foolish girl,” the king spoke in a low, serious tone. “Fallen headfirst into a world that was never meant to hold you, and now you cannot return to the world you once knew. There is no leaving Wonderland.”
“No, no, please!” Coco pleaded. “Please don’t erase my memories! How will I ever get home then?”
“Perhaps you should have been more grateful for the life you had.” The king ripped the spell from the palm quire. “Say goodbye, Alice.”
Coco closed her eyes and softly began to weep.
Suddenly, the doors to the throne room slammed open. Coco gasped and opened her eyes to see the white rabbit standing between her and the king.
“Alice,” he shouted. “Run, now!”
Coco scrambled to her feet and bolted for the door. She was grabbed by one of the knights, but wriggled out of his grasp and ran as fast as she could.
~~~
Coco gasped for air as she finally stopped running. She sat herself down on the top of a large hill that overlooked all of Wonderland.
“Dear me,” the white rabbit panted as he finally caught up. “You certainly are quick.”
“White rabbit!” She hugged him tight. “Oh, please, how can I ever return home? Is it truly too late for me?”
The white rabbit stiffened before slowly hugging her back. “Oh my…”
Coco began to cry as she clung to his shirt. “I miss home…I want my world back.”
“Well,” The white rabbit knelt down and patted her head. “It would seem you miss your home very much.”
“I do.” She sniffled and wiped her tears. He clicked his tongue gently.
“Sit with me a moment.”
Coco took a seat in the soft, green grass as she looked out across the world she had just come to know. The white rabbit sat beside her, letting her rest her weary head against his shoulder.
“You’ve certainly had an adventure today, haven’t you?” He smiled. Coco wiped her eyes and nodded.
“Isn’t there any way for me to find my way home?”
“Im afraid I have two answers.” He hummed and ran his fingers through her hair to soothe her. “You can return to the place from whence you came, but you can no longer return to the girl you used to be.”
“But im scared. What if I have changed?” She sniffed.
“We all change, even if sometimes we don’t want to. We do things we regret, we meet people along the way, and sometimes we go a little mad.” The white rabbit chuckled.
“Let me not be mad.” She shook her head.
“But my dear, we’re all mad here.” He continued to soothe her.
Coco closed her eyes and put her head in his lap. He hushed her gently and rubbed soothing circles on her back.
“Wherever it is you call home,” he whispered, “Don’t forget about Wonderland, Alice.”
~~~
“And all the cards went flying up into the air before raining down upon her. “ 'What a curious dream I’ve had’, Alice said,” Qifrey whispered before gently closing the book. He gently pulled the covers up over Coco and patted her head before standing and turning off the lamp.
“You didn’t have to read the entire thing,” Olruggio whispered as Qifrey shut the door. “The kid was out like a light from chapter one.”
“But she seemed to be having a most vibrant dream.” He chuckled as he walked with Olruggio back towards his own room. “It was almost as if she was listening the whole time.”
From her bed, Coco rolled over and snuggled into her blanket. “White rabbit…” she mumbled in her sleep. A tiny smile pulled at her lips. “Thank you.”