( Once Upon a Time.... )

“B-but no one comes back from the Pool of Tears!” She yelled at him, her frail voice breaking.

It was true. Not one person that had dove into the Pool had ever returned. Hatter Madigan had to believe it would work. He needed her to believe. Squatting, to look her in the eyes, his leather wrapped hands took her by the shoulders. “But, you will.” Confidence radiated from his lips and eyes. “You have to. Alyss, you and I will not fail.”

Small arms wrapped around his neck. His wrapped around her waist. From where they stood they could see the palace burning. Hatter gave one last pitiful sigh, failure. Holding tightly to his precious package they leapt into the dark waters and into another world.

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With the agility of a….well…a cat…the Milliner somersaulted gracefully from the standing pool of water. A pool that appeared where no water should have been. Years later and he still was jolted when traveling through the Pools portals. He never knew just where he might land; a quick reaction would hopefully stop him from getting trampled by bulls in Spain, marathon runners in New York, or a yellow Lotus in Los Angeles.

The car narrowly missed Hatter as he tumbled away from the small pool of water. A loud blaring came from the car as the driver laid his hand on the horn. Jumping up his hands delicately dusted the shoulders of his dripping coat off. Unkempt hair fell around his face in wet clumps. As the yellow beast moved past, the driver cursing Madigan for his idiocy, the Milliner simply gave a mocking bow. He had gotten use to the shocked reactions of the Earthly people.

Pulling his fingers from the thin leather gloves, he shook them off and tucked the supple skin into his coat. The familiar weight of his hat was not felt upon his bountiful head of hair. Last time it took him two lunar cycles to find the hat shaped weapon. An aggravated, displeased hiss rumbled against his lips, his fingers raked through his quickly drying hair.

“Excuse me…” Hatter politely asked the first passerby, hoping they spoke the same language. “What city is this?”