A/N: I have not updated in what seems to be forever. I'm so sorry! I'm super busy and I honestly have no time. I'm trying my best and seeing as how this is a Tuesday afternoon and I got my homework done, I might as well do some updating. This one is for my friend Stephanie 'cause she's probably my biggest fan. Hopefully. lol I'm so glad I got to see you recently, Steph! Here you go!
Disclaimer: Still don't own Kingdom Hearts. Ugh...
Chapter 11
The Evidence
"You know, that queen was really starting to bother me..." Kupo stated as soon as they were out of earshot. "I mean, who locks somebody up with out evidence?"
"Her, apparently," Donald replied as they made their way back to the Lotus Forest. The forest around them was very quiet. Almost a little too quiet. The group of five became a little uneasy, but nearly jumped out of their skin when Goofy shouted.
"Hey, look!" He pointed at a light purple cat with darker purple stripes sitting on a stump.
"Who are you?" Donald questioned warily.
"Who indeed?" The cat replied smugly. "Poor Alice. Soon to lose her head, and she's not guilty of a thing!"
"Hey, if you know who the culprit is, tell us!" Sora ordered.
"The Cheshire Cat has all the answers -- but doesn't always tell," the cat said as he watched the confusion on their faces grow. "The answer, the culprit, the cat all lie in darkness."
"What the-?" Kupo arched one eyebrow and studied the cat hard. Suddenly, he started fading away.
"Wait!" Sora cried.
"They've already left the forest. I won't tell which exit. There are four pieces of evidence in all. Three are a cinch to find. The fourth is tricky. Big reward if you find them all," the cat said, pleased at his own riddle.
Donald quickly pulled the group a few feet away before asking, "Should we trust him?"
"To trust, or not to trust? I trust you'll decide," the Cheshire Cat snickered at the word play as he faded away once more.
"You know, I normally like cats," Kupo said, then added, "but I can't stand that one!"
Sora, ignoring the comment, said, "I think we should trust him. Even if he is lying, what more do we have to lose?"
"Riku and Kairi..." Kupo mumbled under her breath.
"Yeah, I think Sora's right," Goofy said first. "King Mickey would want us to trust him."
Sora smiled in victory as the five began their search for the evidence.
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Pink walls, green checked floor, and black doors. It was something comparable only to a child's dream. Or nightmare. The room was well lit, even though no light fixture could be seen. The lone figure with curly blonde hair was uneasy about the whole situation. This was a room like none she had ever seen, nor would want to see. She slowly turned to her Heartless companion and whispered, as if a sudden noise would receive an attack from hundreds of hungry natives, "Are you absolutely positive my friends are here?"
"Yes," came the simple reply in a normal voice, not a whisper.
The girl hesitantly made her way to the black door ahead, carefully picking her steps. She reached for the doorknob and twisted it. Another door was in line behind the first. This one was brown. Again, she turned the knob, but only to find another door waiting. Becoming careless, she flung open the remaining doors and stepped out into what looked like a kitchen. A table with a matching chair stood in front of her and a small door stood behind them.
"This is crazy..." she muttered.
"Welcome to Wonderland," Blue Light replied as he examined the room. A couch stood to their left and a stove and chimney to their right. An interesting combination.
"Wonderland?" She questioned. "I don't see what's so wondrous about it..."
The room they were in was anything but wondrous. That is, unless they looked up. If they had, they would have seen five tiny figures running around on the ceiling fighting Shadows.
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After the horrible experience with the up side down room, the group of five were grateful to be back in the world of right side up people and things. They were even grateful when the Cheshire Cat reappeared. Well, that's saying a little too much.
"Well, look what you've found!" He didn't sound the least bit surprised that they had found all the evidence for the queen. "Nice going."
"Now we can save Alice!" Sora declared proudly.
"Don't be so sure!" The cat held up one paw and popped Sora's bubble in one. "She may be innocent, but what about you?"
"Innocent? Of course we're innocent!" Kupo exclaimed, quickly becoming agitated with the cat once more. "We haven't been here for more than a day and already you think we're guilty!"
"Kupo!" Sora hushed her. "Now, what do you mean?"
"I won't tell," the cat said smugly with a glance at the girl.
"Great job, Kupo. Now he won't even tell us what we want to know," Donald said in a annoyed tone.
"But I will give you something," the cat continued. "I'll give you the power of ice."
Sora felt an intense power surge through his veins and he suddenly had the urge to freeze something... But still, all that power he felt! He opened his mouth to ask the cat what he did, but it was gone.
"Did you guys feel that?" Kupo asked. All the anger was gone from her voice and was replaced with a hint of fear.
"Don't be afraid," Donald said, already knowing full well what had happened. "You just obtained the ability to shoot ice beams."
"Cool!" Sora said as he froze a blade of grass.
"Guys!" Gizmo shouted. "Have you forgotten about Alice?"
"Alice!" Sora exclaimed. "We have to hurry and show the queen the evidence!"
The group rushed through the shrub door and slowly approached the queen. A red card quickly blocked their path.
"Are you ready to present the evidence before the queen?" It asked with a high-and-mighty type voice.
"Yes," Donald replied.
"Very well," the card continued in that same voice. "Counsel, step up to the podium."
Sora walked up onto the podium Alice had been at before.
"Now, show me what you have found," the queen said hurriedly.
Sora held out all the evidence and the queen frowned. The boy mentally went over all that just happened and wondered if he held it out in an offensive way.
"Well, that's certainly a lot of evidence," the queen's frown deepened as she continued, "but I'm still not impressed. Cards! Bring forth my evidence!"
Two frantic looking cards scrambled to where the evidence had been laid and placed the queen's evidence amongst it.
"Hmm, checking all five would only be a waste of time," she said slowly. "All right, then. Choose the one you wish to present. I'll decide who's guilty based on that evidence."
"What!" Kupo exclaimed from the sidelines. "After all the trouble of collecting it!"
"You dare object? Then you will lose your head!" She gave Kupo an icy stare before returning her gaze to Sora. "Now, choose! One box!"
The boy frowned in deep thought. He had no idea what the queen had collected, but he knew his evidence out numbered hers. So he made his final choice and pointed it out.
"Are you certain?" She asked hastily. "No second chances!"
"I'm sure," but on the inside, he was hoping it would all turn out all right.
"Now we shall see who the real culprit is."
Sora slowly walked over to the box he had chosen and opened it. A Shadow appeared and the queen shrieked out of surprise.
"What in the world was that!" She shouted at the boy.
"There's your evidence," Sora stated simply. "Alice is innocent."
The queen glared daggers at the boy. "Rrrrrrrgh... Silence! I'm the law here! Article 29: Anyone who defies the queen is guilty!"
"That's crazy!" Donald shouted in protest.
"Seize them at once!" The queen ordered her card guards.
A small tower with gears and wheels appeared out of the ground and a card began to pull the wheels. The cage with Alice inside rose up and a red velvet curtain wrapped around the front of it.
The cards charged for the group of five.
"Cards, if they touch the tower, you lose your heads!" The queen threatened.
Kupo saw her opportunity and sped towards the tower. A card jumped in front of her, but she quickly had him out of the way with her Spike Blade. The girl hoisted Gizmo up into the tower with three quick words to him. "Break the wheels!"
Gizmo watched as the girl hurried to help her friends, but his view was blocked when a red card popped up in front of him.
"What do you think you're doing?" The card reached his long thin arm into the tower. Gizmo jumped away and the arm began feeling around the best it could. The moogle quickly latched himself onto the arm and bit down hard. The card yelled in pain and yanked his arm out.
Sora rushed over to the tower and hit the card with his Keyblade. The boy gave a wheel two good hits before he ran off. "Go, Gizmo!"
The moogle climbed back to where the wheels were and began to use the ice spell the Cheshire Cat had taught the group. One wheel after another broke and Gizmo was going strong. He broke the last wheel and jumped out of the tower, only to be lost in a crowd of dashing feet. He heard Alice's cage being lowered again and the everything was silent. The moogle scurried around to the other side of the tower and saw the cage, but Alice was gone.
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A/N: Not much of a cliff-hanger here, unless you haven't played the game and that's very unlikely. So you'll have to settle for knowing what happens next. Thank you Sailorstar 165 for giving me that website with all the lines! It's a big help! Please review!
