"How much further?" Cath sighed, running out of breath as she tried to keep up with ghostly white little girl.

"About ten more minutes," Elsie nodded. "Keep up. We're almost there."

Raven had been silent the entire time. He tried his best to process everything that was going on. Jest was his best friend. Getting to see him seemed impossible. "Well," he thought with a sad little chuckle, "impossible was his specialty."

"Is something the matter, Raven?" Catherine asked as she ran.

"No," he quickly replied.

"I've just realized something," Cath said thoughtfully. "You haven't spoken in riddles since Jest was alive. Why is that?"

"Like you said," Raven sighed, "Jest was alive. Now he's gone. It doesn't feel proper."

"I must say that it has made being around you bearable," Catherine chuckled. "I didn't particularly like the riddles."

Raven nodded in reply.

Not knowing what else to say, the group continued running in silence.

After a little while, they arrived at the treacle well and entered the long maze.

As they walked, Cath couldn't help but think about Jest and how the met. "How long has it been since I've seen him?" She thought. "Why, it's been about five years."

Five years?

Had it really been that long?

True, it had seemed like an eternity, but five years? Did Jest still remember her? Did he still love her? Did he spend the nights laying in bed, dreaming, wishing, hoping, praying that she would return to him?

Cath hoped so. She hoped that Jest missed her as much as she missed him.

The group entered into the maze and a familiar feeling of helplessness came over Cath the moment they'd stepped into the seemingly endless walls of dead branches and packed laurel leaves. It would have been a gloomy sight, if not for the white flowers covering the ground.

They walked on and on for what seemed like days, but was in reality only a few hours.

"Here we are," Elsie grinned. "The beginning of the maze."

Cath gave a sigh but then remembered that night all those years ago. She approached the well and found a long spiral staircase.

As they descended, the walls dripped with treacle. It was odd to think that so many years ago, Cath was walking down these very stairs with Jest.

Jest.

That's why she was here.

With newfound determination and hope, Cath quickened her pace. She practically ran down the staircase at the thought of seeing her one true love again.

The trio soon found themselves in a circular room with a black and white checkered floor and many doors. Lots and lots...and lots of doors. In the middle of the room was a glass table. On the table lay a crystal bottle and a silver hand mirror.

Catherine picked up the bottle. "If I drink this," she said slowly, "I'll fit through the Looking Glass?"

Elsie nodded.

"No riddles?"

"No. I wish you to succeed."

Cath gave a nod and took a small sip. "It tastes of...cherry and custard, pineapple and...turkey, toffee...and hot buttered toast," she said, feeling puzzled. "Exactly how it smells."

What the soon-to-be former Queen of Hearts didn't realize was that she was now extremely small and standing on top of the glass table.

Elsie gave a childish, ghostly grin and followed suit, sipping the shrinking elixir.

As soon as all three had been shrunk, Cath gave a nervous sigh. "Through the Looking Glass!"