Hatter

THE VOICES AND THE WHISPER

The voice echoed in his head. It was soft and sweet like honey as it called out to him.
"Daddy?"
Sebastian opened his eyes to see a pair of innocent round eyes staring back at him; they were blue like the morning sky.
"Alice?"
The eyes sparkled brightly, and then he noticed it was his daughter smiling back at him; her gap toothed beam was like rays of sunshine.
"Mommy, mommy, look! Daddy's okay; you needn't cry," said the little girl, pointing to a woman at the corner of the room.
Near the woman's skirt stood two round boys, tugging at her clothes' hems.
"Cath," said Sebastian pushing himself upright, his left hand holding Alice to stop her from falling off his chest.
Cath rushed to his bedside and embraced him in a hug; the two boys followed at her tail.
"Don't ever do that again. You scared the crap out of me," she said, shoving him playfully.
He laughed, "I won't, I promise. Now how have my babies been?"
"We missed you daddy," the children exclaimed, their eyes and noses runny from tears.
"Oh don't cry; I'm here now," Sebastian soothed, petting his youngest, Alice, on her head.
"What a blissful family," smiled Ace to Oscar.
Oscar shook his head coldly. "Too bad we're no longer part of it." His voice was sharp and bitter. "That man isn't the Hatter we used to know."
"Am I not?"
Sebastian was staring at them.
"You're Sebastian Baxter," snapped Oscar.
"Ah, my dear March Hare, I'm both," he replied with a smile.
Oscar clenched his fists. "You'll leave this place soon, won't you? And then you'll forget about us. Everyone always does."
Sebastian shook his head. "You're wrong," he said softly. "I won't forget any of you. I won't forget you, Oscar-" he turned round the room, surveying the assortment of people, "-or you, Ace, or Henry, or Lilith."
"You...you remember." Cath stared at her husband with wide eyes. "You remember their names."
"Of course I do. When I left aether, you told me that they're my friends. And I won't ever forget my friends." Sebastian's eyes fixed on Oscar. "I can promise you that."
Oscar let out a snort, but his expression seemed lighter. Sebastian's gaze surveyed everyone once more.
"You all look so similar to my friends in Aether," he voiced softly.
Alice's eyes widened like round teacups. "What's Aether?"
"Well, my dear Alice, it's a magical place; one full of wonder," he began as she curled into his lap. "It was my old home, where I used to go on adventures and hunts and-" he paused, then gave a smile.
"And where I met your uncle for the last time before he left."
The little girl leaned forward. "Really?"
"Aether was a place of fairy tales, the wildest you can ever imagine. I worked for the White Queen, and I was the best swordsman there ever was-" here Cath rolled her eyes, "-but I was too humble to admit it, of course. And then there was old Dormouse, with his ever growing list of stupid hideout passwords," Sebastian stared pointedly at Ace, at which point Ace pulled a big scowl. Sebastian's eyes then moved to Oscar, then Lilith, "There was March Hare, too, who'd spend his mornings making smoke bombs with his powers and throwing them at us whenever he had his tantrums, and then the Queen of Hearts, the woman we spent our lives fighting against- she really was a terrible tyrant I have to admit. She had a magic staff that could apparently transform people into creatures, and Cat and I-" he paused. His gaze lingered tenderly on his wife. "Cat and I were the ones who tried to take her down, except I always kept getting into some stupid mess and she kept saving me every single mission."
"Can I go to Aether?" asked Alice.
All of them waited for his response eagerly. "Of course you can. Anyone can." He smiled at them. "All it takes is a little imagination, with a little madness."
"I can't wait to go," she beamed.
"Someday, I'll take you there,"he replied with a smile. "And then we'll fight the Queen together," he joked, eyes fixed on Lilith.
"I must insist you stop calling me that," she sighed, approaching the bed.
They laughed lightly as Henry began to bring in tea. The once haunting ER room now was blissful; the room was filled with light, chatter, and the smell of oolong tea and scones. Everything was beautiful, almost euphoric.
Sebastian felt too happy, too perfect. A smile was plastered on his face, but something nagged him at the back of his mind. It was a soft voice, one he had heard several times.
Remember, where there is good, there is always evil, its lingering melody whispered in his ear.
You may have lost me to the darkness now, but I'm here, and will always be here. You shall follow me back home one way or another, for I am Fear, Hope's brother. I shall haunt you in your sleep, and whisper to you in the day.
I'll make sure you never forget me.
Alice.