It was…odd to be back in Wonderland.
Normally he wasn't one for nostalgia, as he had all the time in the world ahead of him (almost literally), but he couldn't help but have flashbacks as he approached the rabbit hole.
After all, he had stumbled into the hole years before his younger sister Alice.
And now, here he was, years later, without a heart. Luxord lurked among the hedges, hidden from sight, which was quite a feat, as black does not blend in with green. Hood up, he peered around the arch into the outdoor court, curiosity getting the better of him. His eyes, glowing slightly beneath his hood, widened as he realized what was happening.
Alice, his dear (former) sister Alice, was in…a cage. On trial.
"What in Kingdom Hearts could be happening here?" he murmured to himself, risking being seen to hear by leaning forward.
"Alice," the lady sitting at the throne barked, "your trial will now begin!"
The rabbit on the pedestal next to her took out a notepad.
"But what for?" Alice asked, eyes wide. She hadn't changed a bit, he noted.
"We believe that you are the reason these…demonic beings are running rampant through my gardens!" the Queen bellowed, and the card soldiers cowered. He couldn't help but smirk. Heartless. Of course.
"I have no idea what these beings are!" Alice cried, to which a card soldier poked a spear into the bars of her cage. She recoiled against the back of the small prison.
"Silence! I will be the one speaking now!" roared the Queen. "The evidence will now be presented!"
The white rabbit on the pedestal put down his notepad, and rushed away. Luxord realized that the rabbit was rushing towards him, and shot back and pressed tightly against the hedges, hoping that somehow he wouldn't notice him. However, the rabbit was too focused on getting the evidence for the Queen of Hearts that he ran by him twice (the second time holding a small box) without so much as the bat of an eyelash.
That was close. Fortunately, Lady Luck was smiling on Luxord today, and every other day of his nonexistence.
The rabbit rushed back into the court, shaking, and holding the box out to the Queen.
"Open it!" she barked. The rabbit forced open the box, and in it was…nothing. But a smooth, clear voice boomed from seemingly nowhere: "Our evidence is that these creatures appeared the same day that the accused fell into the rabbit hole."
Luxord frowned. He picked an unfortunate day to release Heartless about this world.
"There we have it!" the Queen said loudly. "Do you have any evidence proving against that, Alice?"
"W-Why no," Alice stammered, eyes darting left and right. "But it's rather unfair that that's the only reason you have against me!"
"SILENCE!" the Queen shouted again. "I believe the jury finds her guilty?"
The jury all nodded furiously. Smiling a wicked smile, the Queen of Hearts leaned back against her throne, pointing her small, heart-tipped wand at nothing in particular.
"Then off with her head!"
"Not so fast!" Luxord said loudly, but evenly. He stepped into the middle of the archway, his deck of cards tucked up his sleeve. "I object."
The Queen glared at him as if she could take off his head with just her eyes.
"And who are you to defy me?"
Luxord smirked. He stepped forward, so he was standing in the middle of the court, facing the Queen. He tilted his head up to she could see his eyes, and removed his hood. Alice gasped.
"Rould?" she whispered. Luxord shot her a grin.
"Sorry, dear, but it's not longer Rould. Luxord, if you would."
The look of shock and fear in her eyes didn't leave. "But…how? You vanished a few years back…"
Luxord held her gaze, but turned back to the Queen, who had turned red.
"She is MY prisoner, and I say she's guilty!"
"But on the contrary, she's not," Luxord said calmly, smiling up at her. This seemed to aggravate her even more.
"Then who is?"
There was a long, suspenseful pause. The card soldiers had their spears held at the ready. Luxord's eyes raked the scene, resting briefly on Alice, before stopping on the Queen once again.
"I am."
He snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a Shadow stood before him, looking up at the Queen with its glowing yellow eyes. Its head was tilted, and its antennae twitching. The Queen stared back at it in horror, recoiling against her throne.
"W-What do you want from me?" she stammered. Luxord smiled.
"Not much, my dear. Release my sister."
At the snap of the Queen's fingers, a card soldier quickly opened Alice's cage. She stepped out shakily.
"And give it willingly.
"Give what willingly?"
Luxord pulled a card out of his sleeve, holding it in between two fingers, showing the back with the Nobody symbols to her first. "Your heart, my dear." He flipped the card around, showing the glaring red circle, and flung it straight at the Queen's chest. At the same moment, a card soldier jumped in front of the card, and the others lunged at Luxord. Luxord surrounded himself with his cards, which had grown to full size. The card soldier that had jumped in front of his deathly card was lying on the ground, a large slit through its center. Luxord's card was embedded in the bottom of the Queen's throne.
"Ah, pity," the Nobody murmured, frowning. He pushed his enlarged cards back, shoving all the soldiers off to the side, and glided up to the throne, pulling out his lone small card. Alice stared at him, blue eyes wide.
"What…what are you, Rould?" she gasped. Luxord looked at her, his gaze even.
"Sorry, my love, but that will have to remain a secret." He summoned his deck back, shuffled it expertly, and tucked it back into his sleeve. "I'm not your older brother anymore."
"But…what happened?"
Luxord shook his head, turning on his heel. "It's best if you don't know." He vanished into a dark corridor. Xemnas would not be pleased that he meddled...
a/n; happy luxord day, everyone. only happens once every 1,000 years.