[A/N: I may have gotten some of the locations in this chapter messed up since it's been a while since I've played the first Kingdom Hearts game and I no longer own it so I couldn't go back and check. Anyway the next chapter is going to follow the storyline of the game, but the chapter after that is going to feature a world that hasn't been in Kingdom Hearts yet and I'm not sure if Juliet is going to be in that chapter yet since she's supposed to be following Sora. Reviews are appreciated. Enjoy the chapter!]
It took a bit of searching around for Juliet to find Puck and Antonia again, but when she did she found herself in a very strange looking forest. "So, what's this world called?"
Antonia wasn't paying any attention and was looking around intently for something so Puck answered.
"This is Wonderland and if you want to be of help you'll look for the cat too."
"What cat?"
"The Cheshire Cat of course. We're trying to convince him to be an ally of ours, but he keeps saying no." As Puck said there was a sing song voice coming above him followed by a set of split paw prints going around him.
There was a grin floating above a tree branch that was soon followed by two eyes that were floating by themselves. The eyes looked down at Juliet. "Oh, would you look at that another Keyblade wielder. All though I must say you're a bit familiar."
"I've never seen a cat that can disappear like that."
The Cheshire Cat blinked and disappeared from its branch reappearing in front of Juliet, but the trouble was that only its head appeared. "But we have met before. I remember you fought off the Jabberwock, but you know that wasn't the end of the Jabberwock. It's still around and if you want to give Wonderland a big favor you'd get rid of it for good this time." The Cheshire Cat's smile slipped ever so slightly."But you aren't in the business of doing favors anymore are you?"
Juliet shook her head, but before she could say anything else Antonia pulled her aside.
"Look cat you know what we want from you so maybe you should just go along with it. If not for our sake then for you own sake."
"Why for my sake?"
"Because our master could do something very horrible to you if you don't help us."
The comical grin on the Cheshire Cat's face didn't so much as twitch. "There's nothing your master could do to me. Nothing you can do yourselves either. So…" He turned his eyes back to Juliet. "If you'd be so kind Keyblade wielder why don't you go get rid of the Jabberwock."
Puck was frowning up at the cat along with his sister. "If the Jabberwock is causing trouble don't expect us to do anything about it and if you're not going to give us your help then go away."
"Very well." First the eyes disappeared leaving the grin behind then after a few seconds that too disappeared.
Juliet heard Puck and Antonia walking away, but was still staring at the spot where the Cheshire Cat had been. First that wizard in Traverse Town now the Cheshire Cat is recognizing me. I can't ask Erik about this it will only make him angry. I guess the next time I see those other two again I could ask them. Or that maybe be a bad idea since they could lie too.
"Are you coming?" Puck had paused to wait for her.
Her pace was little more than a trudge as Juliet still found herself thinking about what the Cheshire Cat had said.
Puck noticed this almost imminently. "You can't trust anything he says you know. Everyone in Wonderland is mad so naturally everything that comes out of their mouth is crazy. You were never in Wonderland before you know that, I know that, everybody knows that so just stop thinking about it before you make yourself go crazy."
This still doesn't make any sense. Why would both the wizard and the Cheshire Cat lie about seeing me before. So maybe the cat is mad, but I don't think the wizard was. "Puck, where did I live Erik found me?"
This wasn't the question he'd expected. "I don't know I wasn't there when he found you."
"But he must have told you and Antonia something, right?"
"You ask too many questions has anyone ever told you that? Come on we're going to lose Antonia."
As they walked Juliet heard the familiar lisp from the duck she'd seen in Traverse Town and ducked behind a giant flower. She peeked out to see the spiky brown haired boy with the big shoes from the Destiny Islands walking into the forest. I was told to keep tabs on him so that's what I'm going to do. Juliet took a long quick step out from behind the flower and got into the tall grass when she felt a hand yank her back.
"Are you trying to get us caught? Be quiet will you." Antonia looked irked with her.
"You're just mad because you haven't seen Carissa today."
Antonia's pale cheeks went pink. "That has nothing to do with it. I'm irritated with you because you're being loud."
"You're being louder than me right now don't you think?"
The pink tinge got darker red. "Shut up will you."
Before Juliet could interject further Antonia clapped a hand over her mouth. She pulled the hand away and got up on her tip toes in time to see the boy walking further into the forest. "Don't you think I should follow them?"
"Only if you can be quiet."
"I'm quieter then you." Juliet shoved Antonia away and slunk out of the grass and behind another flower. She heard footsteps coming towards her and looked back to see that Akio and Clementine had just walked into the forest.
Clementine looked down at Akio. "And you're sure she'd come here?"
"You heard the Cheshire Cat when we first got here. He said he'd seen her in this forest."
Juliet crouched down in the grass summoning her Keyblade just to be on the safe side. She was about ready to jump out at them when she heard growling behind her. Slowly she turned around to see a scaly, winged monster with lumbering feet and antennae sniffing through the grass. I wonder if that's the Jabberwock? If it is I should try and make this work to my benefit. She inched over to it and tapped it on the snout to get its attention.
The Jabberwock looked down at her with its beady little eyes and snarled.
"Now you listen to me Jabberwock I need your help. Do you understand that word?"
The Jabberwock stopped growling and sniffed her.
"Do you see those two out there?" She pointed over at Akio and Clementine.
It turned its head and sniffed the air growling again.
"I need you to keep them occupied so I can get out of this forest."
The Jabberwock growled again before slinking out of the grass.
She waited until she heard it snarl before making her way out of the grass no bothering to look back. "Now where could that boy have gotten too?" She came out into a clearing that had two large lily pads and jumped onto one of them before pulling herself onto a bit of tree that stuck out. Juliet hoisted herself onto the tree when she saw an opening in the branches.
The room she'd walked into was checkered pink with darker pink with a painting on what she assumed was the wall along with two newly lit candles. "That kid was probably in here, but he isn't here now."She saw a stack of books that looked like it led to another room and pulled herself up onto the books.
As soon as she'd disappeared through the hole Akio and Clementine entered the room. Clementine ran a hand through her hair looking around the room. "It doesn't look like Juliet is in here either, but you know I think it was her who sent out the Jabberwock."
"It was her, Puck, or Antonia. Come on let's keep looking."
Juliet was back in the forest on the other side and was feeling quiet confused on how she'd gotten from one side of the forest to the other simply by walking through a part in the trees.
There was another part in the trees up ahead that looked like it could be promising.
This room was also check with shades of pink, but Juliet was finally up right. She looked up at the table in the middle of the room and then to the door which oddly enough had a sleeping door knob attached to it. She could hear talking from on top of the table and quickly scampered into the fire place. She recognized the Cheshire Cat's voice when she felt a hand tap her shoulder. "What?"
"It's just me. I was hoping I could catch up with you." Antonia snapped her fingers calling out a tall gangly limbed heartless that was juggling two flaming batons. "That's the trick master in case your wondering."
"So are we done here?"
"No, there's still another potential ally in this world."
"Who is it?"
"The Queen of Hearts, but I'll warn you she has quiet the temper so don't be surprised if she threatens to chop your head off."
"Chop my head off?" Juliet turned around to ask Antonia why the Queen would want to chop her head off, but saw that she had disappeared. "She could have waited until after I'd gotten across the room to summon the heartless." Thinking it would be best to run across the room Juliet darted out not noticing that the heartless paid her no mind. She heard the boy address her, but ignored him. We'll have plenty of time to talk later don't you worry, kid.
Once Juliet was out of the room she found herself in a garden surrounded by hedges. In front of her was a big woman with black hair wearing a red and black dress with a high white collar. "Are you the Queen of Hearts?"
The Queen was grumbling under her breath before she looked down at Juliet. "What do you want?"
Juliet didn't really want to deal with the Queen of Hearts and her moods, but an order was an order. "I was hoping you and I could be friends."
"And who exactly are you?"
"Juliet. My master's name is Erik if that helps at all."
The Queen of Hearts suddenly looked pleased at the mention of Erik. "Oh yes I remember him. Tall dark haired young man wasn't he? Very popular with the ladies wasn't he?"
"I didn't know that he was popular with girls, but he does have dark hair and he isn't quite so young anymore." The last time Juliet had seen Erik she had seen bits of grey in his hair.
"What about him?"
"He would like it very much if you were to be an ally of his."
"What can he offer me?"
"Anything you want." As far as Juliet knew Erik's powers were infinite. If the Queen wanted anything in particular he could give it to her.
"I want your head. Can he give me that?"
"My head? I'm not sure what I did to offend you, your majesty, but I can assure you I meant no offense."
"You don't think I heard the commotion in the forest? You let the Jabberwock loose again didn't you?"
"You have that wrong, your majesty. The Jabberwock found me and I used it to assist me with a problem."
"I want your head or no deal."
"Well, I'm afraid Erik finds me valuable so he wouldn't give you my head or any other body part for that matter."
The Queen was smiling down at Juliet. "Well, if you won't give me your head then I guess I'll have to take it."
From the corner of her eye Juliet saw the card soldiers starting to trap her in a circle. "I'll have you know that a pack of playing cards is no match for me." She summoned her Keyblade and to prove her point blew away a spade and a club that was coming at her.
The cards continued to try and get her in a circle, but Juliet continued to knock them back. She wasn't even breaking a sweat.
After all the cards had been knocked away Juliet looked back up at the Queen. "Are you quiet finished?"
The Queen only glared down at her and crossed her arms in a huff.
"Then I guess no deal?"
"Get out of my kingdom you little black eyed miscreant."
Juliet shrugged and turned to walk back into the forest. She found Puck and Antonia waiting for her. "I tried talking to her and it didn't work."
Puck shrugged and summoned a dark portal. "Oh well I guess. I tried telling Erik the Queen wouldn't make a good ally. She's too temperamental."
Giving the forest one last look Juliet followed Puck and Antonia through the portal.
