Sora scratched his head, slightly taken aback by the task before him. He, Donald, and Goofy stood in Lotus Forrest, having just engaged in an interesting conversation with the eccentric Cheshire Cat. He turned and faced his comrades.
"So, uhh, all we have to do is find the four pieces of evidence, and Alice is free to go? Yeah, quick question though… how are we supposed to 'find the evidence' if we don't even have a clue who the culprit is?" Sora quivered with frustration. The trio recalled the Queen of Hearts sentencing Alice to death just minutes before. Being it in Sora's nature to always help others and give them a chance, he immediately stepped in to defend Alice. How could Alice be responsible for trying to steal someone's heart? It was ludicrous. The boisterous Queen then charged them with finding the evidence to prove she was innocent.
"Well, gwarsh Sora," chimed in Goofy, "the Cheshire Cat did say 'The answer, the culprit, the cat all lie in darkness.' So, *hyuck* what do we all know that lies in darkness?" Sora looked up quickly.
"You don't think—"
"Mhmm!" quaked Donald, "The Heartless!"
…
After jumping tree-to-tree, going through the Bizarre Room who knows how many times, and meeting a very peculiar pair of party-goers, Sora and the gang had finally collected all the evidence.
"She's just gotto listen to what we say! There's no way Alice did it—she can't deny everything we've dug up," Sora said with a massive grin.
"Don't be so sure... I got the feeling this queen won't take our word if it means she'll be proven wrong," Goofy whispered nervously. Donald nodded in agreement.
"Me, too. Let's just be smart and going into this ready for anything." The trio nodded, made sure they each were stocked up on items, and when to see the Queen of Hearts.
"Now, show me what you have found," the Queen barked at Sora. Suddenly more nervous than before, he showed the four boxes of evidence the team had collected.
"Well, that's certainly a lot of evidence, but I'm still not impressed. Cards! Bring forth my evidence," the card rushed forth and revealed the Queen's evidence.
"Hmm… checking all five would only be a waste of time. All right, then. Choose the one you wish to present. I'll decide who's guilty based on that evidence."
"What? After all the trouble of collecting it?" Sora cried, outraged.
"You dare object? Then you will lose your head! Now, choose! One box!"
Looking at his friends for confirmation, Sora walked forward. Oh geez, oh man. Alright now, Sora. Nothing to freak out about, just someone's life hanging on my decision here... Sora thought he was going to lose it. He fidgeted with his hands, continuously shooting glances at Donald and Goofy. And then he felt a hand touch his shoulder—a tiny, familiar hand.
He looked, and there stood Kairi, her adorable face breaking into her well-known grin.
"Come on, Sora. You're fine. Just take a breath and relax." He closed his eyes and did so, but when he opened them she was gone.
"K-Kairi?!" he spun around, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Sora! Now's not the time," Donald hissed from his seat. Donald and Goofy gave each other concerned looks as they watched at their clearly confused friend. Kairi was surely not in the courtroom with them, and it was unlikely that she would be hiding anywhere near it.
Aching to get the whole thing over with so he could search for her, Sora chose a box at random. He flipped the box open, and out popped the silhouette of a Heartless.
"What in the world was that?"
"There's your evidence," Sora said, in a slightly cocky voice. "Alice is innocent."
"Rrrrrrrgh... Silence!" The Queen growled, "I'm the law here! Article 29: Anyone who defies the queen is guilty!"
"That's crazy!" Donald shrieked as the Queen yelled to her Cards:
"Seize them at once!"
…
The battle that ensued was relatively pointless—Sora took care of them in record time, desperate to see Kairi again. However, all that the end brought was another disappointment: Alice had been kidnapped from her holding cage.
The Cards all began darting around with no sense of direction, so Sora and the gang snuck off to Lotus Forrest. They entered and immediately began healing up from the previous battle. Donald tossed Sora a potion, which he drank gratefully.
"Well hello there," the Cheshire Cat called, appearing out of thin air behind Sora, causing him to slosh his potion all down his front.
"Have you seen Alice?" Donald asked, while Sora wiped his front, throwing the purple cat a dark look.
"Alice, no. Shadows, yes!" He smiled happily. Sora shot a look to Donald and Goofy, which clearly said Why's this guy always gotta talk in riddles?
Goofy asked where they went, and the Cheshire Cat – through a series of riddles, of course – told them they'd find the Heartless in the Bizarre Room.
As they readied themselves for battle, Sora found himself wishing he would have kept his eyes open just a little bit longer…