'It is all yours darlings', a plump lady said to Alice and Kairi. 'My kitchen and recipes are all at your disposals.'

'Thank you, Duchess.' Alice said politely. 'We will repay you back for your generosity.'

The Duchess waved her hand dismissively. 'That's all right dearie. I know how hard it is to please the queen these days. Turning into a grump. Won't you stay for dinner?'

'Thank you for inviting us but I'm afraid we must be on our way to the court', Alice said with a straight face. 'Maybe another time.'

'Perhaps', the Duchess sighed. 'It's a pity but I am serving mock turtle soup today.' With another sigh, the Duchess slipped out of the kitchen.

Kairi raised an eyebrow at Alice. 'It seems your friend likes trying out unique cuisines.'

'Like is too mild a word, Kairi.' Alice sighed. 'I hope she didn't turn my friend the mock turtle into soup.'

Kairi looked around the kitchen. 'When you said her kitchen was big, you didn't mean that big. Why does she need it if she is the only person using it?'

'She is always trying bizarre recipes'.' Alice answered. 'Like the other day, she made groundhog pie.'

Kairi crinkled her nose. 'I think we better start baking before I lose my will to cook. Pass that bag of flour please.'

After leaving the Queen of Heart's court, the girls walked through the giant forest until they found the house of the Duchess. The Duchess willingly allowed them to use her kitchen. Now the girls were mixing ingredients into one big bowl.

'Right, some butter and four tablespoons of sugar', Kairi listed as she added ingredients into the mixture. 'Two eggs and a dash of cinnamon.'

'I'm impressed Kairi', Alice said. 'I didn't know you knew how to bake.'

'I make even more effort to learn whatever skills I could from grandma', Kairi replied. 'I did all this so I could impressed S…'

Kairi suddenly stopped as she thought of Sora in danger. A tear slid down her cheek and was about to enter the mixture if Alice hadn't spotted it and place a bowl to catch the teardrop.

'Please don't. You will make the tarts salty.'

Kairi wiped away the rest of her tears. 'I'm sorry. 'But I can't help thinking that while I'm here, Sora is suffering in his captivity.'

Alice patted Kairi on the hand. 'There, there. You know full well that you can't find Sora if you can't find those crystals you spoke of. Once you find those crystals, you're one step closer in finding Sora.'

Kairi smiled gratefully. 'Thanks Alice, I don't know what I will do without you.'

'Then let starts with those tarts.'

Together, they shaped the mixture into tarts on a baking tray and put them in the oven. After twenty minutes or so, the girls could smell a rich aroma coming from the oven and it was time to take out the pastries. Opening the oven, the tarts were nicely brown in a shape of crowns and filled with cranberry jam.

'I think her Highness will enjoy this very much', Kairi said.

'She surely will.' Alice agreed.

Tidying the Duchess' kitchen as quickly as they can, the girls locked the back door to the kitchen and walked onto the path that led to the maze. When Kairi looked up, she was dismayed at how low the sun was.

'Oh no! It's almost sun down! If we don't make it in time, Donald and Goofy will be executed!'

Alice also shared Kairi's distress. 'The way back is too long for us. We only have one hour before sundown but I doubt we can make it.'

Kairi slumped onto a nearby rock. 'First I failed Sora. Now I failed my friends.' She said bitterly.

Alice put her hands on Kairi's shoulders. 'Don't be so hard on yourself. It's not your fault.'

Kairi just shook her head sadly.

'Ahoy there!'

Both girls looked up and saw something approaching them in the river. It has a head of a cow but the body of a green turtle.

'It's my friend! The mock turtle!' Alice cried as she ran to meet him. 'I'm glad that the Duchess didn't catch you for her soup.'

The mock turtle snorted. 'She has to be ten times smarter to catch me. What's wrong? What with the sad faces?'

Alice explained about what had happened. When she was finished, the mock turtle suggested something that made both the girls' spirit rose. 'Maybe I can bring you to the Queen's court. The river goes down to where the maze are.'

'Can you do it?' Kairi asked, jumping to her feet.

'Of course.' The mock turtle confirmed. 'I may be half-turtle but I'm not slow. Climb aboard.'

The two girls gently climbed onto the mock turtle's shell and they were soon sailing down the river. They passed through the thick forest and many other habitats that live close to the river. The currents were fast and they are leaving the forest area and could see the Queen's maze in the horizon.

'We're nearly there!' Kairi cried.

'We're going to make it!' Alice said.

Then out of the blues, the mock turtle suddenly stopped as they were almost near the maze.

'What's wrong?' Alice asked.

'We got company.' The mock turtle said grimly.

Before their very eyes, Heartless that resembles seahorses and fish appeared before the group: ready to attack them. Kairi, Alice and the Mock Turtle were surrounded.

'Damn it!' Kairi cursed as she drew her Key-blade out. 'Get out of the way!'

Alice looked worriedly towards the descending sun. 'Oh dear! I'm afraid if we don't get passed them, we won't be able to save our friends!'

'Then I will cut us a path!' Kairi shouted as she slashed at a charging Heartless and brought her Key-Blade down onto another. However, no matter how many Heartless she slain, there were many more to replace those who were slain.

'This isn't working', the Mock Turtle muttered.

'Kairi', Alice urgently said. 'If you can cut me a path to the land, I can quickly run through the maze and into the Queen's court!'

Kairi nodded and pointed to the group of Heartless who were on the riverbank. 'Firaga!'

The group of Heartless burst into flames. Kairi next pointed her Key-blade to Alice and using the power of wind, levitated her at the entrance of the maze.

'Quickly save the others!' Kairi shouted as she parried a blow delivered by an attacking Heartless.

'Stay safe!' Alice shouted back before disappearing into the maze.

Kairi fought with all her might on the Mock Turtle's shell as swarms of Heartless charged towards her. Swinging her Key-blade and casting spells, all the Heartless were finally gone. The Mock Turtle finally reached the riverbank and Kairi got off from its' shell.

'Thanks for the ride', Kairi said gratefully.

'Oh', the Mock Turtle moaned. 'There will be dents on my shell after all that fighting. But at least it's better than swimming in the Duchess' stew.'

Waving his slippery fins, the Mock Turtle dived back into the water. Kairi hurriedly ran through the maze until she reached the center of the maze. Panting, she looked up and saw the cages were empty. Worried, she looked around for her friends but saw no one. She began to fear the worst.

'Why… these are magnificent!'

Kairi turned around and saw the Queen munching on the tarts that she and Alice made. 'These tarts are even more tastier than my baker's! How did you make them so tasty?'

Alice shrugged modestly. 'Just some spices we added your majesty.'

The queen nodded and waved her hand. 'Very well, the prisoners are pardoned. They are free to go.'

Donald, Goofy, the Mad Hatter, the Brown Hare and the Sleeping Dormouse were release by the guards. Kairi ran towards them and embraced Donald and Goofy.

'I'm glad you're okay!' Kairi sobbed.

'I thought we were goners!' Donald said.

'You don't happen to have anymore of those tarts, do ya?' Goofy asked hungrily.

Kairi chuckled as she rubbed a tear away from her eyes.

'Let all celebrate with some tea!' the Mad Hatter announced as the Brown Hare and the Sleeping Dormouse cheered behind him. Alice shook her head and nudged Kairi.

'Come on, let's go somewhere else.'

Alice led Kairi, Donald and Goofy out of the maze and into a field. The sky was blue, displaying many shapes and sizes of the white clouds. Birds sang the loveliest tunes and the wind softly accompanied their melodies. The field is lust with healthy, green grass and other features of nature. In the very center of the field stood a tree; majestic and older than anything on the field.

Alice gasped, 'Why, that's the tree where I fell into Wonderland!'

As the group came closer, the tree suddenly shone with such radiance that Alice, Kairi, Donald and Goofy had to shield their eyes. When the light dimmed a bit, Alice and Kairi uncovered their eyes and saw something floating. It was a small figure of a flamingo with the color of the darkest indigo and clothed in light.

The group stared in wonder on what transpired before them.

'Is that…?' Kairi asked.

'Alice's Crystal of Heart.' A sarcastic voice confirmed. 'If it's not a floating rutabaga, then what else can it be?'

Kairi turned towards the dinosaur. 'Krocken.'

Krocken arched an eyebrow. 'I never thought you would be glad to see me.'

'Well', Kairi answered back. 'I'm not glad to see that sharp tongue of yours.'

'Fair enough.'

'You're the one who told the Cheshire cat about us.' Donald piped.

'Ten points for Mr. Obvious here.' Krocken said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Donald fumed as Krocken approached them. Alice shrank back. Kairi put a comforting hand onto her shoulder.

'It's okay, he is a friend of us.' Then Kairi grinned.' Except his mouth.'

Krocken ignored that last remark and wrapped his claws around the crystal.

'By right, the Crystals of Hearts should be left in its' original world hidden but under the current situation, we can't risk the Horned King finding it.'

Krocken murmured an incantation under his breath and a safe appeared next to him. It was no ordinary safe. It was made out of marbles and there were ancient runes carved into all sides. The design of the keyhole is completely unique and complicated.

'Gosh', Goofy commented. 'That's one strange looking safe you got there.'

'This is the Safe of Many.' Krocken explained. 'It contained many secrets and ancient treasures from the very beginning of the Key-blades. The skilled wizards and sorceress who resided in the Forgotten World made it and it is I who held full responsibility in safeguarding the safe. It is where I will store the Crystals of Hearts until this crisis is over.'

Krocken turned to Kairi. 'This safe, however, can only be open and locked by a key-blade. If you may.'

Kairi nodded and pointed her Key-Blade. Her Key-Blade illuminated and the door of the safe opened. Krocken gently placed Alice's Crystal of Heart into the Safe. After he closed the safe, Kairi locked it with her Key-Blade. Satisfied, Krocken murmured another incantation and the Safe of Many disappeared.

'I will come back after you find the next Crystal of Hearts. Go to another world to find more clues on the whereabouts of the Horned King if you can.' Krocken walked to the opposite direction but stopped and said over his shoulders, 'Well done, in acquiring your first crystal. Although even a toddler could have done a better job.'

Kairi wrapped her arms in slight annoyance as Krocken disappeared. Jiminy Cricket popped out and shook his head.

'That dinosaur always has to have the last word.'

Kairi nodded and hugged Alice. 'I guess this is goodbye for now.'

Alice embraced her. 'Please come by and visit me again. Maybe we can bake something together again.'

Kairi laughed and let go of her friend. She followed Donald and Goofy back to the Gummi ship, waving goodbye to Alice as she walked away. On the tree, the Cheshire cat appeared and flashed his grin at Kairi.

'Fare thee well young heroine. Save your Prince Charming from the peril he is facing before all is for naught.'