Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Reconnect

by monkeycyborgninja

"I've been having some weird thoughts lately... like, is any of this real, or not?" A year has passed since Madoka returned to Japan, and when she begins to question her own memories, she sets out on a journey to find the one person she believes has the answers, all with the help of a key shaped sword.

6. Off With Their Heads!

A/N: WOOOO! PHOTO FINISH! Well, I'm cutting it a little close here, but I managed to finish the second part of the Wonderland visit before the worldwide release of Kingdom Hearts 3... less then 24 hours before the worldwide release of Kingdom Hearts 3... still, I made it. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and I'll see you guys at the end.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Puella Magi Madoka Magica

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Off With Their Heads!

Madoka's breath came out in shallow huffs, her legs feeling weak as a horrifying realization began to dawn on her.

"N-Nagisa-chan… what are you saying?" She managed to choke out, the younger girl oblivious to her mounting terror.

"It's ok, Madoka-nee-chan, you don't have to push yourself like this anymore." Nagisa assured her, apparently interpreting her clear dismay as a fear of combat of some sort. "Once you're back home, everything will go back to normal, Homura-nee-chan said so."

There it was again, the mention of the devil girl that Madoka had run away from. Part of her wasn't surprised, after everything Homura had proven herself to be capable of, there shouldn't have been any doubt that the only way anyone could leave Mitakihara was with Homura's blessing… on Homura's orders.

A knot formed in her throat, her whole body shivering as she lost her voice. She looked back at the Clara Dolls blocking the gate, giggling menacingly as the grip on their weapons tightened, ready to prevent Madoka's escape at all costs. Frozen and mute, it would have been effortless for them to force her to go with them, for them to take her back to the world that acted as a gilded cage for all who inhabited it. Where she would once again have to face her.

Madoka was horrified at the very prospect of facing her again.

"Come on, let's…"

"Now hold on just a moment there, lass." Mini-Scrooge interrupted, hopping out of Madoka's hood and perching himself on her shoulder for Nagisa to see. "I understand that yer in a hurry to get yer friend back home, but there's no need to be so hasty about it." He argued, much to Madoka's surprise and relief.

"Obviously there is." Nagisa replied, shooting the mechanical duck a frustrated gaze.

"Oh?"

"You saw what happened in that fight just now. If it weren't for me, Madoka-nee-chan would have died! Keyblade or not, it's just far too dangerous out here for her." Nagisa asserted, genuine concern in her voice that made Madoka almost feel guilty for resisting.

"Aye, ye may have a point there." Mini-Scrooge conceded, much to Madoka's dismay. "But ye know lass, that concern yer feelin' right now for yer friend, that's exactly how Madoka be feelin' about the White Rabbit." He quickly added, catching both girls a bit off guard.

"I said I would take care of it." Nagisa reminded.

"And I'm sure ye would, but what if I told ye that I would bring Madoka home meself." Nagisa's stern expression fell at the hypothetical question. "Would ye really trust me so unconditionally to get the job done, without seein' it with yer own eyes?"

"Well…" Nagisa trailed off, trading an indecisive look with the third Clara Doll, which only shrugged in response. "…Give us a minute." She requested, the two trotting past Madoka to huddle with the rest of the Clara Dolls.

The four of them all whispered to each other, Madoka looking quizzically at Mini-Scrooge who only offered a playful wink in response. Eventually, Nagisa separated from the Clara Dolls, looking to Madoka with a concerned look.

"Madoka-nee-chan, is saving the White Rabbit really that important to you?" She asked.

"Y-Yes, of course!" Madoka replied. "It's like you said, it's my fault he's in danger because I couldn't beat the Heartless. I… I can't just leave him like that, I have to save him." She insisted, a guilty look on her face. Nagisa let out a defeated sigh, but smiled in response.

"Alright, then I'll will help you save him!" She declared.

"R-Really!?" Madoka exclaimed with a joyous smile on her face.

"I know Madoka-nee-chan is far too kind to leave without helping her friend." Nagisa said with an understanding tone. "So, if it really means that much to you, we'll help you." She said, the Clara Dolls all offering playful salutes.

"Nagisa-chan…"

"And once he's safe and sound, we can all go home." Madoka's smile immediately fell, her hopes dashed in an instant as she was reminded of the younger girl's motives.

"…R-Right." She hesitantly agreed, but it was enough for Nagisa.

"Well then, let's not dilly-dally and get a move on." Mini-Scrooge spoke, Nagisa nodding in approval.

"Don't worry, Madoka-nee-chan, if things get too scary, we'll protect you." She assured Madoka, the Clara Dolls all taking a defensive position around Madoka. They were like soldiers protecting royalty, but to Madoka they felt more like armed guards escorting a prisoner. "Bye Mr. Hare, Mr. Hatter, thank you for the party!" Nagisa called back to the strange duo.

"Tootle-loo, Alice!" The Mad Hatter called back with a wave.

"Come back soon if you're able, we have an unbirthday to celebrate tomorrow!" The March Hare added.

"It looks like we bought ourselves some time, lass." Mini-Scrooge whispered to Madoka. "But ye better start thinkin' about how yer gonna get outta this." He advised her.

Madoka just gave a nervous nod of her head in response. She knew this wasn't a permanent solution, that it would only last until they rescued the White Rabbit, and she dreaded the moment she would need to confront the issue with her friend again.

Without a word more spoken between them, Nagisa led Madoka back into the forest, the Clara Dolls marching at their side, forcing Madoka forward.

---

Madoka wasn't the most self-confident person in the world, but even she knew by now that she wasn't so fragile as to need protection from garden variety Heartless. And yet, here she was, standing behind two protective Clara Dolls while the third and Nagisa fought off a Large Body and a few Shadows further up the path. She didn't exactly relish her battles with the Heartless, they were a danger and a nuisance she could do without, but somehow, being relegated to the back of the party like this irked her in a way she didn't expect it to.

'I've fought worse before…' Madoka found herself thinking every time they stopped like this. 'She's seen me fight worse before!' She argued in her head, thinking back to the battle with the Dark Follower over the Keyhole of their world.

"Ok, it's all safe now!" Nagisa called back to them once the Heartless were all defeated. On her order, the Clara Dolls relaxed their stances and allowed Madoka to approach, once again taking their posts behind her as the party moved forward. Nagisa always walked a few paces in front of Madoka, looking out for danger, or any sign of the White Rabbit as she promised.

Eventually, their path had led them out of the forest, the party coming upon what seemed to be a humongous maze, its walls made from neatly trimmed hedges, and in the distance they could see the top of a castle.

"Oh my, this certainly wasn't here on me last visit." Mini-Scrooge said.

"Are you sure you saw the Heartless go this way?" Nagisa asked one of the Clara Dolls, the creature replying with a nod of her head. She let out a sigh. "Well, I guess that means we'll have to go through this maze."

"Fret not lass, if yer lookin' to complete a maze, there be an easy little trick to it." Mini-Scrooge said, flying off of Madoka's shoulder over to the maze entrance. "If ye follow the left wall, ye'll reach the end eventually. Not the most timely solution, but it beats gettin' lost." He explained as he brushed the left wall with his wing.

"Oh, that's really helpful, I was worried what would happen if we got lost, or worse, separated." Nagisa expressed her relief. Mini-Scrooge only gave an awkward chuckle, knowing full well of Madoka's irritation with her mind set.

And yet, Madoka remained quiet, keeping her complaints to herself as she followed her escorts into the maze. The old duck's advice proved invaluable, as the maze consisted of various twists and turns that would have been impossible to navigate were they simply to guess at which path to take.

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Madoka opened her mouth to speak, but the words died on her tongue as she watched the younger girl caress the left wall as they traversed the maze. There were so many things she wanted to ask, so many things she wanted to say, but she couldn't summon the courage to ask them. However, she knew that she needed to ask them, she needed to know what Homura had done to her and how, she couldn't stand not knowing.

'But, would it be suspicious if I asked?' She wondered. Such was the root of her hesitation.

From what she could tell, Nagisa did not see Homura as a threat at all. Would she even answer any questions that suggested otherwise? Would she consider asking a form of resistance and try to silence her? There were just so many things that could go wrong, yet she knew that she couldn't stay quiet. If she wanted to get out of this mess she was in, she needed to know just what the situation even was. She took a deep breath, and then she spoke.

"Um, Nagisa-chan?" Madoka nearly whispered, the girl in question casually humming in response. "I… I was just wondering… how are you able to fight against the Heartless?" She finally, finally asked. It was probably the safest question, nothing to suggest that she was in the wrong for wanting to protect her, or that she may be working for the villain in all of this. It was just simple curiosity.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot you wouldn't know about that." Nagisa replied almost whimsically, stopping and turning around to face Madoka. It seemed she hadn't stepped on a landmine yet. "Well, to put is simply, I can fight because of this." She said as she raised her hand, showing off the single ring on her left ring finger.

"Your… ring?" Madoka said, unsure what she was supposed to see. However, upon closer inspection, she noticed a key difference between the ring she was shown back in Mitakihara, and the ring she wore now. Engraved on the silver surface of the ring was a series of black letters, bold and stylized, starting and ending on either side of the white gem held in it.

"It's not just a ring, it's a magic ring!" Nagisa corrected with a playful smile.

"Magic?" Madoka wondered out loud. Her mind immediately went to Merlin, and the Blizzard Spell he had taught her, of the various forms of magic she had seen Sora use in her memories of him. And yet… none of it seemed right to her, and it certainly didn't explain the anxiety that pooled into her gut at the sight of the magical trinket.

"Yep, see?" Nagisa took her hand and placed it on the hedge wall beside them, the gem on her ring beginning to glow a bright white. Streams of white energy flowed from the ring into the leaves of the hedge, expanding them into beautiful, bright red roses.

"Wow~!" Madoka gasped in amazement, Nagisa picking one of the roses and handing it to her.

"Here, try one." She offered, confusing Madoka for a moment. She took the flower in her hand anyway, noticing that the petals were not the light, thin, organic sheets that she expected them to be. They were hard, solid, and slightly translucent, and despite not spending long in her hands, it already began to feel sticky.

"It's…" She took a tentative lick of the flower, her eyes widening at the sweet, fruity flavor. "Candy!"

"And now…" Nagisa started as she took another rose from the vine. A single flash of light from her ring later, and Nagisa was then holding a piece of cheddar cheese. "This one is cheese!" She declared before flinging the entire piece into her mouth, chewing happily as Madoka giggled at the content hums she made. "See... magic…" She said as she swallowed.

"Aye, that be magic alright." Mini-Scrooge concurred, flying over and examining the unnaturally grown flowers.

"That's incredible Nagisa-chan! All I can do is freeze stuff." Madoka humbly admitted, Nagisa's talent clearly surpassing hers, and perhaps even Sora's. However, her light-hearted amazement wasn't enough to make her forget the lingering question that plagued her mind. "But, how did your ring become magic?" Back in Mami's apartment, all of her friends showed clear ignorance as to even the origin of their favorite accessories; were they magic the whole time and they just didn't know it, or maybe they did know it and were just keeping it from her.

'No, Sayaka-chan and the others wouldn't do that!' She immediately dismissed the idea, and that only left one other option.

"Well, that's a bit of a longer story." Nagisa said, Madoka's silent response prompting her to continue. "You see, when you defeated the giant Heartless back home, the Heartless didn't… completely go away."

"What?!" Madoka gasped in shock, her face falling into a pained and worried look.

"No, no! Don't worry Madoka-nee-chan, it's not what you think!" Nagisa insisted frantically, replacing Madoka's terror with confusion. "When you defeated the greater Heartless, it did stop the massive Heartless incursion from getting any worse. Most of the lesser Heartless disappeared with their leader, and the ones that are left are easy enough for Homura-nee-chan to deal with on her own. Don't worry, thanks to you, our world isn't in danger anymore." She explained, a wave of relief falling over Madoka. However, she didn't miss that one crucial detail Nagisa had slipped in.

"So, Homura-chan is dealing with the Heartless now?"

"Yes, it turns out she's someone really powerful." Nagisa confirmed. "She's the guardian of our world, and an overseer of magic, sort of like a… guardian angel!"

'Angel?' Madoka questioned in her head. She recalled her last confrontation with Homura; the way she fell all of her friends without so much as blinking, standing remorselessly before their unconscious bodies and prepared to do the same to her. She could hardly call someone like that a guardian angel.

"Once she realized that you disappeared from Mitakihara, she put some of her power into our rings so that we could help her look for you." Nagisa told her.

It made sense, the rings had obviously changed since Madoka left Mitakihara, and she knew that they wouldn't have let her fight all by herself if they could fight as well. It was a sensible explanation.

'But… then why were the Heartless after their rings?' Madoka questioned in her mind. From what she could tell, Nagisa was under the impression that the rings were completely ordinary before Homura had gotten to them, and she feared what might happen were she to point out such a clear contradiction in the explanation.

"But, why would Homura-chan want to look for me?" She asked instead. Nagisa clearly trusted her, and so she was curious as to what the younger girl thought Homura's motives were.

"Guilt, mostly." Nagisa replied with a sympathetic look on her face. "She's the protector of our world after all, so I can't blame her for feeling guilty about letting that responsibility fall onto you, Madoka-nee-chan. Not only did it put you in danger, it ended up making you disappear from Mitakihara. She was worried sick when she couldn't find you, we all were." Nagisa's face fell, the Clara Dolls all exaggeratingly crying in the background.

"Nagisa-chan…" She didn't doubt for a second that it was the truth, they were friends after all, which made it all the more heart wrenching that Homura was taking advantage of that.

I did it for you… Everything I've ever done was for you, Madoka…

'This… is also because of me…' She thought, feeling her own guilt rise to new heights.

"But it's ok now! I found you, and once we take care of your rabbit friend, we can all go home, and that'll be the end of it." Nagisa assured with a comforting smile, which only made Madoka's heart sink even lower.

"Nagisa-chan, I… I can't…" She struggled for a response.

"WHO'S BEEN PAINTING MY ROSES RED!?" A loud, enraged voice bellowed through the Maze, nearly making the very earth shake with it.

"W-What was that?" Madoka pondered out loud.

"Oh heavens above, no. Anythin' but her!" Mini-Scrooge groaned on her shoulder.

After a moment's hesitation, the girls pressed onward, soon coming to a small courtyard within the maze, a few rose bushes strewn all about. The flowers themselves were all dripping with red paint, a single unfinished rose revealing that they had all been originally white.

However, the group's attention was drawn to the scene of what seemed to be three anthropomorphic playing cards groveling before a rather large woman, her red and black regal outfit and crown atop her head making her out to be some kind of royalty. Behind her were a quartet of red playing cards, all of them hearts, standing at attention with spears at the ready.

"Well, out with it then, or ALL of you will lose your heads!" The woman angrily demanded, waving the short, heart shaped wand in her hand at the groveling cards.

"A queen?" Nagisa wondered as she watched the scene curiously.

"The Queen of Hearts." Madoka offered.

"You know her, Madoka-nee-chan?"

"Uh… no, I just…"

Court is now in session… Her Majesty, the Queen of Hearts, presiding…

"That boy's memories, right?" Nagisa recalled, Madoka nodding her head in approval. The younger girl didn't look pleased with her correct assumption.

"Now lasses, it be best if we find another way around." Mini-Scrooge whispered to them.

"Eh? But Mr. Rabbit…" Madoka protested.

"Trust me Madoka, no good will come from gettin' involved with that irritable queen." He insisted, urgency in his voice that Madoka couldn't argue with.

"Alright, come on, before she spots us." Nagisa softly instructed, the girls and Clara Dolls turning to sneak away.

"Hm? You there!" The entire party halted at the sound of the queen's voice. Slowly, hesitantly, the girls turned to meet the Queen of Heart's narrowed gaze. "Who are you? Who gave you permission to stroll around my garden!?" She demanded.

"Um, w-well, we were just… the white, um…" Madoka stuttered for an answer, looking to Nagisa for assistance, only to gain a nervous shake of her head.

"Why, ye were the one to give us permission, yer Majesty." Mini-Scrooge spoke up, popping out of Madoka's hood and bowing in the air.

"Whaaat~?" The Queen of Hearts quizzically gasped, Madoka and Nagisa exchanging an equally confused look.

"Yes, well, the lot of us were lookin' fer a friend of ours we lost track of, and out of the kindness and generosity of yer heart, yer Majesty let us take a look around yer garden fer any sign of 'em." Mini-Scrooge lied through his mechanical teeth.

"I did?" The Queen of Hearts pondered, scratching her temple with her wand as she attempted to remember the fabricated exchange. The red cards behind her all shook their heads in denial, though luckily she didn't look to them for their insight.

"Ye mean ye don't remember? I would think that a monarch such as yerself wouldn't be so forgetful." Mini-Scrooge taunted, masked under an air of admiration and disappointment.

"Hmm? Of COURSE I remember! My memory is absolutely perfect!" The Queen defended herself, the anger quickly fading as a confident, almost smug look appeared on her face. "Of course it was I who gave you permission, what kind of queen would I be if I turned away a request from my loyal subjects?" She cooed, looking at the two girls behind Scrooge almost kindly. "Now run along dearies, and I do hope you find your friend."

"Y-Yes! Thank you, your Majesty!" They replied and bowed in unison, playing along with the bluff.

With nothing more than a dainty wave goodbye, the Queen of Hearts returned her attention to her cowering subjects, Madoka and her friends all letting out a long sigh of relief. Mini-Scrooge chuckled softly.

"Typical Queen of Hearts, so arrogant and stubborn that she'd rather admit to something she doesn't remember doin' than entertain the idea that she may have forgotten somethin'." He gloated softly to Madoka. She gave a light giggle of her own in response, the elderly duck proving time and time again that he knew his way around this backwards world they found themselves in.

"Come on, let's keep moving." Nagisa suggested, leading the way out into the clearing.

As expected, the Queen of Hearts paid them no mind as they made their way around her and her card soldiers. There were four paths for them to choose from, one for each face of the hedge wall that bordered the courtyard. Following Scrooge's advice, they stuck to the left, but as they approached the new pathway, so close to leaving the Queen to scream at her poor card soldiers, they were stopped by a quartet of Red Nocturnes appearing in their path.

The sound of them popping into existence seemed to earn them the attention of the red card soldiers. They immediately fell into a defensive formation around the Queen of Hearts, stirring the monarch herself from her irrational tirade just as Soldier Heartless surrounded them.

"Wahhh! An ambush!" The Queen of Hearts cried as she sent an indignant glare at the creatures that dared attack her.

"Heartless!" Madoka instinctively warned. She nearly fell into a defensive stance herself, fingers curling in an attempt to summon the Keyblade, only for the Clara Dolls to protectively force her back into the courtyard.

"Stay back Madoka-nee-chan, I'll handle them!" Nagisa declared, summoning her trumpet from her ring.

"But…" Madoka's protests were halted as the Clara Dolls forced their formation deeper into the courtyard, just far enough so as not to be in the way of either skirmish that was about to unfold.

"How dare you wretched creatures attack me in my own garden! Your heads will ROLL for this insolence!" The Queen roared, her soldiers needing no other signal to begin their assault. "…Well, don't just lay there, GET THEM!" She ordered the three groveling cards, forcing them to spring into action as well.

Madoka could only watch as the courtyard fell into total chaos. The card soldiers all desperately tried to keep the Heartless at bay while the Queen of Hearts just hurled abuse at them, only attracting more. Meanwhile, Nagisa was hard at work dealing with the Red Nocturnes, but with every one she defeated, a Blue Rhapsody popped into existence in its place, much to the younger girl's frustration. Eventually, the Heartless began to subside on Nagisa's front, the girl finishing off the last Blue Rhapsody with a single blow of her trumpet.

"Madoka-nee-chan, hurry, let's go!" Nagisa called, the Clara Dolls stepping aside to allow Madoka to pass.

"But, what about the Queen and the cards?" Madoka said, looking back at the battle raging in the courtyard.

"Those card soldiers are as tough as they come, lass, they'll be fine. But we won't be if we're still here when the Queen is safe and in need of someone to take her frustration out on!" Mini-Scrooge cautioned.

Trusting her guide's judgment, Madoka started towards the pathway, Nagisa and the Clara Dolls urging her forward as they prepared to defend against any attack. However, without Nagisa noticing, a Soldier Heartless appeared in the pathway behind her, immediately leaping to catch her off guard.

"Nagisa-chan, look out!" Madoka cried out a warning, alerting her guardians to the threat. In the heat of the moment, Madoka summoned the Keyblade and shot a Blizzard Spell at it, freezing the Heartless in the air and giving Nagisa enough time to finish it off.

Unfortunately, the remaining Heartless in the courtyard sensed the presence of the Keyblade and immediately shifted their focus to its wielder, leaving the card soldiers in favor of their new prey.

The card soldiers all watched in bafflement as the Solider Heartless viciously attacked Madoka and her party. The Clara Dolls intercepted most of them, but that still left a few for Madoka to fight off herself, falling into combat like it was second nature.

"Hmm? What's this now?" The Queen of Hearts pondered as she watched the pink haired girl guard and counter against the claws of the Heartless. "Where have I seen this before?" She struggled to remember, tapping her temple with her wand as if to force the memory out.

It wasn't until Madoka finished off the last of the Heartless with a wide swing of the Keyblade that it came to her, the weapon's silver blade shining in the sunlight as she finally got a good look at it.

"That… key…" The Queen muttered to herself, a long forgotten grudge coming to the forefront of her memory.

"Are you ok?" Nagisa asked as she and the Clara Dolls surrounded Madoka with concern.

"I'm fine Nagisa-chan, you don't have to worry so much." Madoka assured her, resting the Keyblade over her shoulder in a matter that was uncharacteristically confident.

"…You." The Queen breathed as all of the pieces finally fell into place for her. "It was YOU!" She bellowed, startling the girls back to attention. They couldn't help but take a few nervous steps back as the Queen stomped towards them, face turning red and a scowl on her face. "How DARE you show your face before me again!" She shouted into Madoka's face.

"Eh? What are you talking about?" She asked in confusion, clutching the Keyblade in both hands as if for comfort.

"Ooh, playing coy now, are we?" The Queen of Hearts chided, her glare narrowing on Madoka. "Well you'll have to do a lot better than that to pull the wool over my eyes! I have seen a weapon such as yours only once before, when you were waving it around my courtroom in a clear obstruction of justice!"

"What is she talking about, Madoka-nee-chan?" Nagisa whispered quizzically to her.

"I don't know." Madoka replied honestly, trying to make sense of the monarch's tirade.

Who are you…? How dare you interfere with my court…?

Excuse me… but we know who the real culprit is…

"Wait… are you talking about Sora?" Madoka guessed. It was a ludicrous idea really; surely the queen couldn't have mistaken her for the boy she sought on the grounds of the Keyblade alone.

"AH HA! So you admit it!" Apparently she could have.

"N-No! Please your Majesty, you have to believe me, I'm not Sora!" Madoka pleaded, dismissing the Keyblade so as to not incriminate herself any further.

"Oh really?" The Queen said, clearly still suspicious. "If that's the case… then how do you explain this wig!?" She declared, grabbing Madoka's hair by a pigtail and pulling hard.

Madoka cried out in pain, the Queen tugging at her hair stubbornly as it refused to fall off of her head.

"Stop!" Nagisa cried as she smacked the Queen's hand away with her trumpet. "A girl's hair is her very life, how dare you accuse Madoka-nee-chan of wearing a wig!" She reprimanded as she and the Clara Dolls stood protectively before Madoka.

"Not a wig you say?" The Queen of Hearts said as she briefly nursed her hand. "Hmm… Ahh~, I see how it is then; that spikey hair, those big yellow shoes, that was the disguise, and this here is your true appearance!" She accused.

"WHY?" Both girls exclaimed baffled by the nonsensical conclusion this irritable queen had drawn.

"Guards, arrest this insolent child! She shall stand trial for her horrid crimes against the crown!" She ordered, the card soldiers brandishing their spears and axes against the defending Clara Dolls.

"A trial?" Madoka repeated, recalling how the trial Sora had walked into turned out.

I'm the law here…! Article 29: Anyone who defies the queen is guilty…!

"That's not fair, it'll just be my word against yours!" Madoka blurted out, the queen going red in the face at the protest.

"YOUR word!? ALL words here are MY words!" She asserted, the sheer force of her shouting making the Clara Dolls lose a bit of nerve and ground.

"Aye, tis true yer Majesty." Mini-Scrooge interjected. "So then it would just be yer word and against yer own word. How are we expected to reach a decision like that?" He turned the faulty logic against her. To the girl's shock, the Queen's face fell into a pensive stare as she fiddled with her wand.

"Hmm… why, that is a problem, isn't it?" The Queen conceded. "But how else are we to prove her guilt?" She pondered, the rest of the card soldiers thinking along with her.

"Now lasses, let's make a run for it!" Mini-Scrooge urged.

Madoka and Nagisa nodded in compliance, turning tail and making a break for the nearest exit as quickly and quietly as possible. However, during their retreat, Madoka heard a familiar sound in the distance; a strange mix of a bouncing rusted spring and a cry for help.

"…Help… HELP!" The White Rabbit cried as he and his captor leapt over the hedge wall and landed in the courtyard, shaking the ground. "Help! Help! Assistance! Oh please, somebody help me!" He cried desperately before the Mad Watch turned back around to face its prey.

"Mr. Rabbit!" Madoka cried at the sight of her endangered friend. However, before she could move to help him, the Clara Dolls stood in her path, trapping her behind a defensive line.

"Finally, we found him!" Nagisa cheered as she took her place before Madoka. "Don't worry Madoka-nee-chan, I'll save Mr. Rabbit!" She declared as she brandished her trumpet.

The Mad Watch on the other hand looked not at all interested, keeping its swirling eyes glued firmly on to Madoka. Still, it scrapped its claws together in preparation for battle, willing to tear through Nagisa and the Clara Dolls if it meant getting to the Keyblade Wielder.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Queen of Hearts said as she took in the scene. She looked between the Mad Watch and the girl that stood accused, a devious smile appearing on her face. "I know how we can settle this matter; trial by combat!" The Queen announced as she marched forward and reached over the Clara Dolls, grabbing Madoka by her hood.

"Hey, what are you…!" Madoka's protest was cut short as she was flung over her protective entourage and landed at the feet of the Mad Watch, much to Nagisa's horror.

"Madoka-nee-chan!" Nagisa attempted to rush forward, the Clara Dolls following to protect their charge, only for the card soldiers to cut them off.

"Do not interfere with the proceedings, child." The Queen ordered, gaining a hateful glare from Madoka's friends.

Meanwhile, the Mad Watch seemed almost delighted to have its prey delivered to it. With a sound that almost resembled an evil cackle, it brought its claw down on her, Madoka realizing just in time to roll out of the way and onto her feet.

"This battle shall serve as the girl's trial! Should she defeat her foe, then her identity as the boy with the key shall be proven without a doubt, and she shall be beheaded!" The Queen declared, running her wand across her neck to represent the punishment. "However, should she perish in battle, then she shall be proven innocent, and all charges shall be dropped." She added almost kindly.

"So I die either way?!" Madoka exclaimed at the outrageous terms of this "trial".

"That's crazy, there's no way we'd agree to such a trial!" Nagisa objected wholeheartedly.

"SILENCE! You dare defy me!" The Queen screamed indignantly, but this time Nagisa and the Clara Dolls stood their ground.

"Yes, we dare!" She challenged, wielding her magical trumpet as the Clara Dolls prepared to do battle with the card soldiers.

"Nagisa-chan…" Madoka said, helplessly watching, as her friend was quite literally about to go to war with the queen of Wonderland.

"Incomin'!" Mini-Scrooge warned, just in time for Madoka to summon the Keyblade and guard against the Mad Watch's claw.

"Please, somebody, anybody, help me!" The White Rabbit pleaded from his place on the back of the Heartless.

Madoka's grip tightened around the Keyblade's handle, her eyes narrowing in determination as she pushed against the rusted claw, eventually breaking the deadlock and falling into a defensive stance.

"Nagisa-chan, it's ok… I'll do it." Madoka called back to her friend.

"What!?" Nagisa gasped, she and the Clara Dolls turning their attention to the girl they were meant to protect.

"The Heartless are attracted to the Keyblade, the Mad Watch is probably only here because it noticed me." Madoka explained. "If I don't fight it, if you don't let me fight, it might just run away again, and then we may never find it again. You said you would help me save Mr. Rabbit, so please, let me save him!" She pleaded, staring down her staggering enemy the whole time.

Nagisa was speechless, she had known Madoka for a whole year now, and never had she displayed such determination before, especially in the face of such a scary enemy. She traded a concerned look with the Clara Dolls, but ultimately she dismissed her weapon, the sound of it fading from existence being all the confirmation Madoka needed.

This battle, this trial by combat, it served two purposes for the pinkette. First, of course, was rescuing the White Rabbit, but in doing so, in showing Nagisa that she wasn't the terrified, frail little girl that she seemed to think she was, then maybe she could convince her to abandon her quest all together. It was a long shot, but it was the only option she had.

Madoka dashed forward, the Keyblade at her side ready for a horizontal slash. Unfortunately, the Mad Watch recovered from its daze just in time to deflect the strike with its claws, the force of the block making Madoka stumble back. This proved to be beneficial, as she ended up in a better position to guard against a retaliating swipe of the opposite claw, leaving the creature's face wide open. She prepared a Blizzard Spell, the tip of the Keyblade glowing with sub-zero energy, but just like last time the Mad Watch sensed the danger and turned around to reveal the cowering White Rabbit on its back.

'No, not again!' Madoka cursed in her head, about to cancel the spell.

"Aim lower!" Mini-Scrooge instructed from her hood. Startled, but compliant, Madoka pointed the tip of the blade at the gear and spring the Mad Watch balanced itself on, freezing the makeshift appendage in place.

The Heartless seemed almost surprised by the sudden change of tactics and immediately began to scratch at the thick ice.

"I'm coming Mr. Rabbit!" Madoka said as she rushed to free the White Rabbit from his bindings.

However, before she could even graze the chains that held him in place, the Mad Watch turned back around, stopping Madoka's approach dead in its tracks. The cover then opened to reveal the watch face, the clock hands moving at different speeds and in different directions, before it fired the Slow Spell at Madoka once again.

"Look out, lass!" Mini-Scrooge warned before Madoka barely managed to roll out of the way of the spell.

However, the Mad Watch immediately fired another wave of magic at her, forcing her back even further, and then even further than that, until she was pushed up against the line of card soldiers that boxed her into the makeshift arena. They pushed her forward, as if warning her that they wouldn't let her escape, the Queen of Hearts cracking an amused grin as the girl stumbled forward.

With that momentary distraction, the Mad Watch managed to crush the ice on its foot and free itself, the watch face closing with a rusted squeak that alerted Madoka of her foe's escape. She immediately tried to freeze it again, but the Mad Watch jumped just in time, avoiding the spell and forcing Madoka to roll away as it came crashing down where Madoka once stood. The creature then began mercilessly clawing at Madoka, sparks flying off the silver blade as she blocked and deflected the sharp slices of rusted metal. However, a single claw managed to get passed the pinkette's defense, slashing across her chest and making her stagger back, allowing the Mad Watch to land another claw swipe with the opposite arm that sent Madoka tumbling to the ground.

"Madoka-nee-chan!" Nagisa cried, only to be held back by the card soldiers.

"Well, perhaps she is innocent after all." The Queen of Hearts commented almost mockingly.

"It's ok, Nagisa-chan…" Madoka insisted as she stood back up and fell back into her defensive stance. "I'm fine. I'm not defeated yet." She declared, glaring at the Heartless.

The Mad Watch jumped over to her, Madoka attempting to freeze it while it was in the air, but the Watch once again turned face, putting the frightened rabbit in the line of fire, forcing Madoka to simply jump to the side to avoid the Mad Watch's descent. Once the spring had touched the ground Madoka fired another Blizzard Spell at it, however, the Mad Watch anticipated the attack and blocked it with its claw, coating it in a wad of ice and snow.

Madoka gasped in surprise at the counter, giving the Mad Watch just enough time to prepare another Slow Spell.

"Madoka!" Mini-Scrooge cried in warning, but it came too late.

The Mad Watch fired the wave of magic at her; catching Madoka in mid-roll and leaving her unable to defend as the Mad Watch flung its frozen claw at her. The ice shattered upon contact with the girl's face, the spell causing her recoil to be as slow as her roll, leaving her open for the Mad Watch to slash at her with the now free claw, and then send her flying back with a slash from the other. The spell wore off just as Madoka let out an agonizing cry, sliding to a stop on the other side of the courtyard.

"NO!" Nagisa shrieked. She summoned her weapon, fully intending on stepping in and saving her, but the card soldiers caught her off guard and held her back by the arms. "Let go, let GO!" She struggled against them, the Clara Dolls pinned down by three other soldiers as the Queen of Hearts watched in almost sadistic pleasure as Madoka struggled to her feet.

"Madoka! Lass, are ye alright?" Mini-Scrooge asked in grave concern.

'No… no I'm not…' Madoka thought as she supported her weight on the Keyblade. 'So tired… so hurt… I need a potion, an ether too… but that would just postpone the inevitable.' She tried everything she knew, fought as hard as she could, but it just wasn't enough. 'I'm so sorry Mr. Rabbit…' She closed her eyes as she heard the White Rabbit call out to "Mary Ann". 'I'm so sorry Nagisa-chan…' She could hear Nagisa and the Clara Dolls struggling to get passed the card soldiers. 'If only I were stronger…' She heard the Mad Watch begin to approach, hopping on its rusted spring and gear. 'If only I were actually the person the Queen thinks I am…' She could just barely hear the Queen of Hearts let out a mean spirited chortle. 'If only… if only…'

If only… I was Sora.

Madoka's eyes fluttered open as she felt a bright light shining in her face. She looked down at the source, the necklace gifted to her by Sid and Merlin letting out a bright, white light as it began to levitate off her chest.

"What's this?" The Queen of Hearts said quizzically as she noticed the glow.

"Nee-chan?" Nagisa said, watching in stunned silence as the glow began to shine brighter.

"Yer pendant… what's happenin' lass?" Mini-Scrooge inquired, staring at the floating trinket in awe.

"I… I don't… wah!" Madoka gasped as the force that was lifting the pendent suddenly lifted her as well, floating just mere inches off the ground. The pendent just kept glowing brighter, and brighter, Madoka's confusion melting into comfort as she felt the energy from the necklace pouring into her heart.

No, that wasn't right. In fact, it was the exact opposite, energy from her heart flowing into the gemstone, turning her very thoughts and memories into physical power. Eventually, the power came forth in a burst of energy, the light blinding the spectators and even pushing the Heartless back. The white strands of energy began wrapping themselves around Madoka's body, transforming her clothes in a way that, somehow, felt oddly familiar to her.

When the light cleared and her feet met the ground again, she stood in a completely different outfit. She wore a red zip up dress with a baggy skirt that reached down to her knees, a blue belt with a silver buckle fastened around her waist. She wore white fingerless gloves on her hands and a matching short jacket over her torso. Her legs were clad in black thigh high socks and on her feet were a pair of oversized, yellow shoes.

"Uhh… huh?" Madoka gawked at her new ensemble. It didn't take her long to recognize it as a feminine take on Sora's outrageous outfit; all that was really missing was the boy's spikey hairdo and crown necklace. "What is this… cosplay?"

No, not exactly. She didn't just look different, she felt different too, whatever damage she had taken was completely healed and she was filled with more energy, more power, than she had ever felt before. Even the Keyblade itself seemed to hum with some unseen energy just waiting to be unleashed, Madoka's grip on the weapon feeling like the only thing keeping it from flying over and taking down the Heartless itself.

"AH HA! So the mask finally falls!" The Queen of Hearts bellowed victoriously, drawing Madoka's attention. "It seems than not even a master criminal like yourself could keep up the rouse in the face of certain doom."

"Huh? What are you…?" Madoka tilted her head quizzically at the Queen's words. She looked at the Queen's satisfied expression, then down at the cosplay she had suddenly acquired. Then back up to the Queen, her eyes widening in realization as she remembered what exactly it was she was standing accused of. "N-No, this isn't what it looks like! I-It's just, um… it's cos…!" Her pleas were interrupted when she was forced to leap back out of the way of the Mad Watch's claw.

"Stay focused lass, ye'll never convince her now!" Mini-Scrooge lamented, bringing Madoka's attention back into the fight. "I doubt Merlin would 'a given ye somethin' this flashy fer aesthetics alone, how are ye feelin' lass?"

"I…" Before Madoka could answer, the Mad Watch lashed out at her again, its claw meeting the blade of Keyblade as Madoka almost effortlessly deflected the strike. However, it just kept coming, clawing at her with a renewed ferocity, sparks flying as Madoka defended.

Madoka was astounded with herself, with how quickly and more seamless her movements have become. Everything that she had borrowed from Sora, his power, his technique, his reflexes; they were all turned up to eleven. She was as much "Sora" as she could be without actually becoming Sora.

'I… I can do this!' She declared to herself, ducking under a claw and stepping into the Mad Watch's guard. With a loud grunt, she landed a powerful upward slash on the Mad Watch, sending it stumbling back but its flailing claws prevented Madoka from capitalizing on the opening.

Instead, she lowered into a defensive stance, awaiting its inevitable retaliation. It came in the form of the Mad Watch extending its claws and spearing them forward to skewer Madoka where she stood, the pinkette jumping high up into the air to avoid the attack. Madoka felt the Keyblade hum with power, allowing it to take form as a bright light collecting at the tip of the blade that she aimed at the Mad Watch. Of course, the Heartless went on the defensive, turning to reveal its hostage in hopes of dissuading her from the assault.

However, Madoka remained unfazed, the light expanding into a series of lasers orbiting a ball of light, growing more intense the longer it charged. She had thought back to Nagisa's confrontation with the Heartless, how she managed to do damage with those homing bubbles of hers, and thus this technique came the forefront of her mind.

Ragnarok

"Take this!" She declared as she unleashed the flurry of lasers from the Keyblade. The White Rabbit screamed at the sight of the projectiles approaching, shutting its eyes in terror only for the lasers to fly passed him and instead impact the face of the Mad Watch.

With the enemy stunned by the damage, Madoka fell back to the ground and dashed forward, and with one precise swing of the Keyblade she cut through the chains, the White Rabbit falling free from his bindings with a grunt and a gasp.

"Are you ok Mr. Rabbit?" Madoka kneeled down to his side, helping the rabbit back to his feet.

"Oh thank you… thank you Mary Ann…" The White Rabbit said between nervous pants. However, the moment was cut short when Madoka was forced to push the White Rabbit out of the way of a claw swipe, barely managing to guard against it with the Keyblade.

"Get back Mr. Rabbit, it's still really dangerous!" She warned as she pushed against the Mad Watch's claw. Unfortunately, the warning fell on deaf ears as the White Rabbit simply curled up into a ball and cowered on the ground. "Mr. Rabbit?" No response, the attention she allotted towards him making Madoka give some ground against the Mad Watch as it pushed against the Keyblade.

Madoka knew she wouldn't be able to fight the Heartless and properly defend the hysterical rabbit; she had to defeat the Mad Watch then and there. Tightening her grip on the Keyblade and letting out an effortful grunt, she managed to win the clash against the Mad Watch, sending it hopping back as it attempted to stabilize itself. She needed to act quickly, to capitalize on the opening before the Mad Watch could retaliate and draw out the fight or even flee.

The Keyblade hummed with power again as another technique came to Madoka's mind, as if it were a part of her arsenal all along. She widened her stance, rooting herself to the ground as the Keyblade began to give off a subtle glow. The moment the Mad Watch steadied itself and met Madoka's gaze, she threw the Keyblade at it, the weapon flying through the air with a perfect spin and completely demolishing the rusted arms that came up in an attempt to block the attack.

Strike Raid

However, Madoka didn't stop there, calling the Keyblade back to her in a flash of light before hurling it again, the Mad Watch just barely managing to clumsily jump over the attack. And yet, the moment it had cleared the projectile, Madoka brought it back to her hand, only to throw it a third time, catching the Mad Watch on its descent and shattering the possessed body into a burst of shattered glass and broken gears and springs.

Out from the wreckage came the Possessor Heartless. No longer fit for combat, it attempted to flee, floating away ominously over the heads of the spectators. However, Madoka wouldn't allow it, summoning the Keyblade back into her hand, the glow intensifying as she threw it a fourth and final time. The Keyblade spun so fast that it resembled a single glowing disk as it sliced the Possessor right in two, its body fading into black mist as the spectators all ducked under the light that arced from the weapon upon impact.

Madoka let out a few tired pants before bringing the Keyblade back into her hand, standing victoriously with the weapon resting on her shoulder.

"My… watch…" She heard a whimper, turning around to see the White Rabbit stand in stunned silence over the remains of the pocket watch. "Oh, my watch~…" He sniffed, tears spilling from his eyes as he collected the shattered remains of his most treasured possession.

Madoka's heart sank; in the heat of the moment she had all but forgotten that the Possessor Heartless possessed the White Rabbit's beloved pocket watch. A regretful frown appeared on her face as she dismissed the Keyblade, her clothes returning to normal along with it.

"Mr. Rabbit, I'm…" She was cut off when she felt a sudden wave of fatigue hit her all at once. Suddenly, all of the power and energy she had fled her body along with her Cosplay, forcing her to her knees in exhaustion.

"Madoka? Lass, are ye alright?" Mini-Scrooge asked from her shoulder.

"…Mary Ann?" The White Rabbit finally took notice of the panting girl kneeling beside him.

"The trial by combat has reached its conclusion!" The Queen of Hearts announced.

"Trial?" The White Rabbit said, completely unaware.

"And now, for the verdict." The card soldiers all stepped aside, allowing the Queen of Hearts to march forward to give the verdict. "This court finds the defendant… GUILTY as charged!" She declared, pointing her wand down at the exhausted girl accusingly.

"No… your majesty, please…" Madoka begged, lifting her head just enough to meet the Queen's smug gaze.

"For the crimes of obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting a criminal, and defiance of the royal court, I hereby sentence the defendant… to DEATH!" She shouted, shaking Madoka to her very core.

"Wait!" The White Rabbit exclaimed, standing in between Madoka and the Queen.

"Hmm? And what do you want?" The Queen inquired, looking down upon her loyal subject with little more than impatience and irritation. "Have you something to say?"

"Y-Y-Yes, your Majesty, I do." The White Rabbit replied with a cordial bow, shaking like a leaf. "Now, I'm not entirely sure what it is that's transpired here today, b-but certainly there must be some kind of mistake. Mary Ann…"

"Mistake?" The Queen interrupted, immediately silencing him. "Are you accusing me of making a mistake!?"

"Why, no, no no no, n-not at all, your Majesty, y-your grace." The rabbit quickly denied, beads of nervous sweat rolling down his face. "What I'm simply trying to say is that I don't believe that dear sweet Mary Ann could've done anything to warrant a… b-b-beheading."

"Well, I say she has, and the Queen's word is LAW!" The Queen shouted, the White Rabbit shivering in absolute terror at his ruler's anger. "Are you speaking out against your queen?"

"No! N-Never, your Excellency, b-b-but…"

"But NOTHING!" The queen shouted in the rabbit's face, the sheer force of it sending him tumbling back against Madoka's exhausted form. "If you wish to speak on behalf of this criminal, then you are just as guilty as she is! Guards, OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!" She howled, her face turning beet red.

The card soldiers started marching forward on the Queen's order, their weapons at the ready to apprehend them both. Madoka struggled to her feet, her legs buckling under her own weight and her shoulders shivering with fear. She was far too exhausted to put up a fight, or even try to make an escape; all she could do was stand there and wait to be captured, along with the terrified rabbit whose only crime was coming to her defense.

"Run for it!" Nagisa suddenly cried. It was then that the card soldiers stopped their approach, on account of each one having to evade a bubble that homed in on them. Nagisa and the Clara Dolls all stepped forward, standing protectively between Madoka and the Queen's guards.

"Nagisa-chan?"

"Hurry, take the White Rabbit and run, I'll hold them off!" The younger girl ordered, blowing into her horn to send the bubbles back on the attack, occupying the card soldiers.

"…Ok, thank you, Nagisa-chan." Madoka complied, receiving a nod from Nagisa in response. She didn't like having to leave her behind, but she knew that she was in no condition to fight at the moment. She and the White Rabbit needed to escape. "Come on Mr. Rabbit." She said as she summoned what was left of her strength to rush to the nearest exit.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, look what has become of us, fugitives of the crown!" The White Rabbit rambled to himself as he followed after the pinkette.

"You imbeciles! Stop playing around with bubbles and seize them!" The Queen angrily ordered. The soldiers did as instructed, standing their ground and safely popping the bubbles with their weapons before focusing back on their adversaries. Madoka and the White Rabbit kept on running even as they heard the queen shout out another order.

"OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!"

---

The sounds of frantic combat began to dim as Madoka and the White Rabbit ran through the maze. They paid little attention to where they were going; hoping only that wherever they went would be safe from the wrath of the Queen of Hearts. They encountered a dead end or two, but eventually they stumbled upon an exit, the hedge archway leading them into what was likely the most bizarre place Madoka had seen yet.

Madoka felt like an insect in the oversized room, which would have been rather quaint if it were sized properly. There was an unlit fireplace and stove attached to a wall, with an oversized chair not too far, next to a cupboard that housed several books to read. At the center of the room was a large white table that may as well have been a two-story building for how it towered over her, and the door that lay behind it was far too large to consider opening it to exit. They had entered through a small passage that was made right next to the actual door, properly sized for them, but eternally locked as Madoka recalled from Sora's memories.

With no sign of the queen or her cohorts, Madoka and the White Rabbit finally collapsed from exhaustion, Madoka sitting down and leaning up against the bed that was folded up unnaturally against the wall.

"Worry not, lass. We should be safe here, for now." Mini-Scrooge assured her as he hopped out of her hood and waddled onto the floor. "Ye best get some rest now, ye look positively tuckered."

"I… I guess Sora's full power… was a bit too much for me." She lamented between tired pants.

"Aye, so it seems." Mini-Scrooge concurred, Madoka's head falling in response. "But don't let it discourage ye lass, ye'll get used to it in time. But fer now I suggest ye save that little trick fer when things get dire."

Madoka agreed with a nod before leaning her head back against the wall to try and catch her breath. She recalled from Sora's memories, during what she'd been calling his second journey, that there were times when he would summon forth great power in times of crisis, but only in short bursts, returning to a sort of default state soon after. However, she didn't think those "Drive Forms" tired him out the same way her little "Cosplay" did, though whether that was a difference in their powers, or just their constitution, she couldn't tell.

As she thought on it, she managed to take a short nap, only to be woken up by the sound of a loaded spring and a frustrated groan. She looked over to see the White Rabbit sitting at her side, his hands buried in the shattered remains of his pocket watch. From what she could tell, he seemed to have collected every single piece of it, though the shattered glass was piled off in a separate pile for safety reasons. It seemed like he had hastily pieced together the brass body and had moved on to trying to fit the broken wheels and springs into place.

"Uh, so, this one goes here."

"I think this one goes there, actually."

"Oh, yes, yes, of course."

Mini-Scrooge was aiding in the reconstruction, but for every gear they put into place, another would fall out, and then a spring would unwind, knocking even more pieces out of place. At one point it seemed like they had finally at least put all of the pieces inside the body, only for the whole thing to fall apart, the White Rabbit letting out a sad little cry.

"Oh, my poor watch."

"Aye, I'm afraid there's no savin' it." Mini-Scrooge deplored, making the White Rabbit whimper as he collected the pieces back into a misshapen pile.

"*sniff* And it was an unbirthday present too." He wept with a quivering lip.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Rabbit." Madoka said, scooting over to him and gaining his attention. "I said I would help you find it, but I ended up breaking it instead."

"Oh, no. Don't you fret about it Mary Ann." The White Rabbit insisted after wiping away his tears with a sniffle. "I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"Huh? Why would you need to apologize?" Madoka asked in confusion.

"Well, if I had taken better care of your present like I said I would, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place." He explained, looking down at his broken watch in shame.

"My present?" Madoka said quizzically, realizing a second later what he must have meant. "You mean Mary Ann gave you that watch?"

" Why, yes, yes you did." The White Rabbit confirmed. "I remember it like it was yesterday, it was right around the time when I was first appointed as the herald for her Majesty the Queen. Oh, what a stressful time it was, I can't imagine you were very fond of me back then Mary Ann, what with how hard I worked you." He looked down at the pile of broken parts in his lap, a nostalgic smile crossing his features.

"And yet, after a particularly hard day, you threw me a wonderful unbirthday party, and gave me this watch to assist me in managing my busy, busy schedule. It was such a thoughtful gift, and I promised you I would take good care of it… oh, I'm so very sorry Mary Ann."

"Mr. Rabbit." The White Rabbit didn't look at her as he apologized, and somehow, Madoka felt that wasn't purely out of shame or guilt. He wasn't apologizing to Madoka; he was apologizing to Mary Ann, the real Mary Ann. The way he told his story, it didn't feel like he was reminding a friend of something they had forgotten, but rather telling a stranger about a treasured memory. Madoka let out a warm smile, the White Rabbit's mind may have mistaken her for his friend, but his heart knew better.

"I think Mary Ann would forgive you." She asserted much to the White Rabbit's surprise. "Even though you carried that watch everywhere you went, you kept it clean and shiny."

"Aye, I dare say it looked better than new." Mini-Scrooge added. "That takes a lot of love and care."

"It's sad that your prized possession was destroyed, but… I think Mary Ann would be happy knowing that you're ok." Madoka said with a kind, honest smile. The White Rabbit looked up at her, then back down to the pile of rubble that was his watch, and then went back to return that smile.

"Thank you for the kind words, Mary Ann."

"Hihi, you're welcome, Mr. Rabbit."

"Madoka-nee-chan!" Madoka looked back to the door they passed through and saw Nagisa running through it, her face a mixture of concern and relief.

"Nagisa-chan!" Madoka replied as the smaller girl leaped into her arms in a tight hug.

"Are you ok?" Nagisa asked as she pulled away, still looking incredibly worried.

"Yeah, thanks to you. I don't know what I would have done without you." Madoka admitted, recalling how close she had come to being beheaded. It was then that she noticed that a few other members of their party were missing. "Where are the Clara Dolls, are they ok?"

"Oh, they're fine, they're just keeping the queen and her guards busy in the maze." Nagisa explained, Madoka letting out a relieved sigh. Creepy creatures as they were, she still would have felt bad if they had lost their lives trying to defend her.

"Once they lose them and make it back here, we can finally go back to Mitakihara." Madoka's expression fell at the reminder of her dilemma. Nagisa had made good on her word to help her save the White Rabbit, and now that he was safe and sound there was nothing left keeping them here. Now, Nagisa would take her back to their home world.

"I'm just so glad you're ok, I don't think I would be able to face Homura-nee-chan if I let anything happen to you."

Correction, she would be taken back to Homura.

"Lass." Mini-Scrooge whispered to her, urging her to make a decision.

"Um, Nagisa-chan…" Madoka began, her friend looking up to her curiously. She had to think of something, anything that could buy her more time, a reason that they couldn't go back just yet. "What… what about Sayaka-chan, you said you came here with her, right?" She recalled, having nearly forgotten that her best friend was probably still out there somewhere, looking for her.

"Yes, but don't worry about her, after the Clara Dolls send us back home, they can look for Sayaka-nee-chan and take her back later." Nagisa casually deflected the concern.

"B-But…" She needed something else, another distraction that couldn't be ignored. Her eyes wandered back to the White Rabbit, who had been quietly standing off to the side, politely staying out of their conversation. "But the White Rabbit is still in danger! Because of us, the Queen of Hearts is after him, we can't just leave him as a fugitive of the law!" Madoka rebuked, the rabbit crying out in shock.

"Gah! That's right, I'm a fugitive, a wanted rabbit! Oh, the Queen will have my head for sure!" He moaned in terror, Madoka hoping against all hope that the performance would sway Nagisa.

"Hmm, I guess you're right." Nagisa conceded, Madoka letting out a sigh of relief. "Then, why don't we just take him with us?" Madoka's heart skipped a beat at the sudden suggestion.

"What? W-We can't!" Madoka argued, her eyes wide in desperation. "It's… i-It's against the rules." She tried to explain, unable to go into the fragility of the world order with the White Rabbit in earshot.

"But he can't live here anymore with the Queen after him, right?" Nagisa said. "So the safest thing we can do is just take him with us. It won't upset "the rules" if he never comes back, and I don't even think he'll notice if he's gone, what with his madness and all."

"But…" Nagisa's argument was ironclad, and even if Madoka could counter, she didn't have an alternative solution, making it less than likely that Nagisa would be convinced. That was it, there were no excuses left, it was either except her fate and return with Nagisa… or resist.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Homura-nee-chan will understand, she is a guardian angel after all." Nagisa added, hoping to calm Madoka's nerves.

It had the exact opposite effect, Madoka's heart beating a mile a minute once she realized what it meant for the White Rabbit if they were to take him back with them. She recalled her friends laying on the ground motionless, the devilish girl free to do whatever she wished with their thoughts and memories. She remembered how it felt for the girl to impose her will on her, the cold, terrifying isolation as her heart was engulfed with her darkness. Her gaze fell on the White Rabbit again, his figure trembling in fear of what the queen will do to him… and yet Nagisa suggested what was at best the lesser of two evils.

That was the final straw.

"No." Madoka stated, plain and simple for Nagisa to hear.

"What?" Nagisa said, clearly caught off guard.

"I'm sorry, Nagisa-chan, but I can't go back, not yet." Madoka looked Nagisa straight in the eye, conveying her uncharacteristic determination to the confused younger girl.

"W-Why not?" Nagisa demanded. "Aren't you scared being so far away from home? Don't you miss us, your friends, your family?"

"Of course I do! Believe me, I want to go back." Madoka admitted solemnly. "But… But I can't, not while Homura-chan is…"

"Homura-nee-chan?" Nagisa said with a quizzical tilt of her head.

"…Nagisa-chan, please listen to me, whatever Homura-chan told you, it was a lie." Madoka finally revealed, Nagisa staring back at her in shock and confusion. "I don't know all of the details myself, but Homura-chan is not a guardian angel. She doesn't care about protecting our world, or the people who live in it, she only cares about controlling them, controlling us!"

"What?" Nagisa looked at Madoka with a confused expression, as if she couldn't even comprehend what she was trying to tell her. "Nee-chan, you're not making any sense."

"I know, but it's the truth!" Madoka asserted, unwilling to back down this time. "Homura-chan is not on our side, it's just like Sayaka-chan is always saying! She's… a devil!"

"Devil?" Nagisa breathed, the puzzled look on her face never fading. "But she…" She was cut off by Madoka stepping forward and placing her hands on Nagisa's shoulders, her eyes pleading as they gazed straight into Nagisa's.

"Please Nagisa-chan, you have to believe me. If we go back, Homura-chan will make us forget, she'll get rid of Sora's memories and maybe even the Keyblade; then, there'll be no stopping her, we'll be trapped under her spell forever!" Her grip on Nagisa's shoulders tightened, shaking the younger girl slightly to convey her seriousness. "Nagisa-chan, if you and Sayaka-chan really want to help me, to help everyone back home, than come with us. If we find Sora, he'll be able to help us, I know he will… please." She pleaded one last time.

Nagisa was shook, literally and figuratively, a shocked expression coming over her face as she processed everything her friend had told her. Eventually, her expression fell, her gaze traveling from Madoka to the floor as a solemn expression graced her features.

"So, it's true." She said, barely above a whisper. Madoka couldn't respond before Nagisa pushed her hands off her shoulders, the younger girl refusing to look up at her as she walked passed. Madoka turned to look at her small back. "She said you might resist. I didn't want to believe it, but…"

"Nagisa-chan?" Madoka said warily.

"Madoka, I think we better get goin'." Mini-Scrooge advised, sensing the same danger that Madoka did. She turned to run only to find a transparent barrier blocking the exit, trapping her and the White Rabbit in the bizarre room.

"Fine then." Nagisa said, Madoka turning her attention back to her. "If you don't want to come back…" Nagisa turned back around, a determined look on her face as she raised her hand and presented her magic ring. The ring began glowing, and in a flash of light it completely changed shape, taking on the form of a white, ovular crystal placed within a golden casing, floating above her outstretched hand. "…Then I'll just have to take you back!"

Nagisa raised her hand straight up into the air, her body lifting off the ground as the crystal began shining with power. Out from the crystal came a multitude of cakes, pastries, and of course cheeses, orbiting Nagisa as she twirled in the air. The foodstuffs all began colliding with Nagisa's body, transforming her clothes with each impact. On her head was a brown hat that had a pair of subtle animal like ears on either side, and around her torso was an orange shawl with white fur lining, held together by brown buttons. She wore a brown skirt held up by brown suspenders, and her legs were clad in black tights with pale polka dots and orange shoes.

"Nagisa-chan… what…?" Madoka gawked at Nagisa's transformation, the girl floating over onto the table in the center of the room, looking down on Madoka from high above. It was strange, Madoka had never seen Nagisa in this strange, "magical girl" attire before, and yet… it seemed unsettlingly familiar. She tried to recall where she had seen it before, reaching for some memory buried deep within the confines of her occupied heart, but all she could come up with were Sora's Drive Forms.

"Oh my word, what's happening Mary Ann?" The White Rabbit asked, taking notice of the young girl's transformation.

Madoka met Nagisa's gaze, regret and hesitation flashing through her eyes before she hardened her glare and summoned her trumpet horn.

"Stay back Mr. Rabbit!" Madoka warned as Nagisa blew into her weapon, summoning four large bubbles that flew all over the room. Nagisa changed the note that the horn played and the bubbles all began to home in on Madoka, the pinkette stepping out of the way of the sluggish projectile before needing to roll out of the way of another.

"Oh my! Oh dear! Oh my fur and whiskers!" The White Rabbit cried as he desperately tried to avoid the stray projectiles that he was unfortunate enough to have come wandering in his direction.

"Mr. Scrooge, please take Mr. Rabbit to cover!" Madoka requested, dodging yet another bubble.

"Aye. Are ye sure ye'll be alright, lass?" Mini-Scrooge asked, clearly concerned with how Madoka will handle battling her close friend.

"I… I'll be ok. I can't let her take me back, not before I find Sora." Madoka replied, her determination clear.

Mini-Scrooge nodded and flew over the White Rabbit, guiding him over to the empty fireplace to take shelter from the impending battle. Once Madoka saw that they were safely behind cover, Madoka summoned the Keyblade and fell into a defensive stance. She stood her ground as one of the bubbles approached, popping it with a quick slash, though the shock of the small explosion made her stumble a bit. She evaded one that came at her from behind before popping it with a solid thrust, following up with a spinning slash that popped the last two remaining.

She turned her attention back to Nagisa, the magical girl clearly surprised by Madoka's skill. Madoka took a deep breath to calm her nerves before charging forward. She jumped in the air, not high enough to reach the table, but enough to put her in range as she fired a Blizzard Spell at Nagisa. However, the younger girl countered by playing a new note on her trumpet, sending a ball of fire shooting out of the horn and canceling out the blast of ice. Before Madoka could retreat, Nagisa fired a few more balls of fire at her, the pinkette managing to evade them all rather easily.

Unfortunately, Nagisa didn't expect them to hit, instead she changed the note she played and the fireballs suddenly expanded into a wall of flame, cutting off half of the room Madoka could move in. She then sent out a few more bubbles, Madoka standing her ground like before to pop them. However, Nagisa suddenly changed the note she played, transforming the bubbles into jagged spears of ice that came rushing towards Madoka. Caught off guard, she narrowly avoided the first spear and just barely guarded against the next, but the force of the recoil left her open for the final two to hit their mark, sending Madoka to the ground in pain.

"Had enough? Just surrender and we can stop this pointless struggle." Nagisa offered, her concerned expression contrasting her condescending words. Madoka offered no response as she struggled to her feet and fell back into a defensive stance. "…Fine." Nagisa lamented before blowing into her trumpet, summoning forth more bubbles.

"Having trouble~?" Madoka heard a whisper in her ear. She turned to find the Cheshire Cat's grinning face, balancing itself on her shoulder, much to her surprise. The shock was enough to make Madoka nearly forget to avoid the ice javelin that came barreling towards her, the rest of the feline's body appearing as she did her best to defend. "Then perhaps you should try fighting on more even ground." The cat said teasingly, Madoka letting out an annoyed grunt as she failed to evade a projectile.

"Well I can't jump that high, so…" Madoka's protest was interrupted when suddenly a white chair appeared beneath the Cheshire Cat, offering Madoka a way up to the table. "Oh… uh, thank you." Madoka hesitantly thanked before charging forward.

Nagisa noticed the approach and threw a few fireballs to keep Madoka at bay. The pinkette managed to block and dodge the attacks and soon enough was able to hop her way onto the chair and then to the table, swinging the Keyblade at Nagisa who caught it on the guard that protected the pistons of her trumpet.

"Nagisa-chan, please, listen to me! Homura-chan is manipulating you!" Madoka said as she pushed down on Nagisa's weapon.

"No… Madoka-nee-chan… is the one being manipulated." Nagisa shot back, struggling against Madoka's superior strength. Realizing she couldn't win the clash, Nagisa changed the angle of her weapon, the Keyblade sliding off her trumpet and allowing Nagisa to flip back and fire a stream of small bubbles at Madoka.

"What?" Madoka gasped in confusion as she rolled out of the way, the two girls staring each other down on opposite ends of the table.

"That boy's memories, his powers, the Keyblade, they're making you do things you don't want to do!" Nagisa declared, firing another stream of bubbles that Madoka evaded. "That "Sora" person is making you put yourself in danger, that's why we need to bring you back home, where it's safe!"

'No, Homura-chan is lying to you, Sora saved me!' Madoka knew it was no use trying to convince her, Homura had her completely convinced that Sora was the bad guy, and that Nagisa was on a mission to rescue her. Honestly, Madoka couldn't fault her for it, she was being manipulated, but she couldn't let her take her back. She needed to win, to escape, and to find Sora.

Before Nagisa could attack again, Madoka shot a Blizzard Spell at her, Nagisa once again countering with a fireball. However, Madoka used the resulting explosion as cover and closed the gap between them, the Keyblade at her side prepared for a powerful thrust that would knock Nagisa off the table.

"Careful~, or you might break her too." The Cheshire Cat taunted, vanishing as easily as he appeared.

The comment made Madoka hesitate, her mind flashing back to how she callously destroyed the White Rabbit's pocket watch in the heat of battle. At the last second, she changed the angle of the thrust ever so slightly that Nagisa was just barely able to dodge it, flipping around her to the other side of the table. Before Madoka could retaliate, Nagisa took a deep breath and blew into her trumpet, summoning a multitude of small bubbles that floated overhead before transforming into a rain of icy stalactites that Madoka could only avoid by jumping off the table. Nagisa followed up with a few blasts of fire that forced Madoka further back, once again putting her at a major disadvantage.

"I'm really sorry, Madoka-nee-chan, but if you really intend to resist this much… then I can't afford to hold back anymore!" Nagisa exclaimed. It was then that Madoka noticed a white, candy shaped crystal on her belt, not unlike the one she used to transform, and upon her declaration, it began to fog up with darkness.

"Nagisa-chan?" Madoka felt a cold chill run up her spine as Nagisa brought her lips up to the mouthpiece, blowing into it and making a low, heavy note.

Madoka stared in horror as out from the horn came a long, worm like creature, far too large to possibly fit into the tiny instrument, and yet there it was. It's long black body was covered in red polka dots, its face a pale white with yellow cheeks and multicolored ringed eyes that swirled with madness. It slithered in the air above Nagisa, smiling down menacingly at Madoka with its tongue partially hanging out of its toothy grin. Madoka could only stare at the monstrosity, it was unlike any Heartless she had seen before, and yet, just as with Nagisa herself, it felt familiar. However, the nostalgia she felt was of a cold, terrifying kind, whatever this creature was, wherever she had seen it before, it had made Madoka fear it, right down to her very core.

Charlotte, the Witch of Sweets

The name came to Madoka, the girl still unable to recall where she had heard it.

However, she wasn't able to reflect on this feeling as Nagisa blew into her horn and sent Charlotte after Madoka. The pinkette narrowly evaded the jaws of the monster, her stomach churning as the sound of its sharp teeth mashing together on the open air. Fortunately, she was able to steady herself and smack Charlotte's exposed face with her Keyblade, making it jump back in pain. Madoka immediately tried to follow up with another swing, but the creature opened its giant maw and bit down on the Keyblade, trapping it in its vice like jaws.

"H-Hey! Let go!" Madoka demanded, tightening her grip on the weapon as she struggled to free it.

The monster seemed to giggle at the demand before it did as was asked, throwing Madoka across the room and sending her slamming into the wall.

"Mary Ann!"

"Madoka!"

She heard her friends cry out to her, keeping her conscious enough to roll out of the way of the beast's follow up attack, slamming its head against where Madoka once stood. However, just as Madoka fell back into her fighting stance, she heard Nagisa begin blowing a series of notes into her trumpet, creating a melody that filled her beast with power.

Charlotte glared down at Madoka before opening its mouth and letting flames spew out, trapping Madoka in a ring of fire that severely hindered her movement. The monster hovered over the mystical cage and began blowing out streams of bubbles at Madoka, the girl desperately trying to evade the attacks while also needing to stay clear of the flames that surrounded her. However, she failed to notice that the bubbles all coalesced into larger bubbles off to the sides, which upon a particularly sharp note transformed into icy javelins that came down onto Madoka.

She managed to block them all, but the recoil she received as they bounced off the Keyblade left her open for Charlotte to come down and slam Madoka into the fiery wall, the girl crying out in agony as she felt the flames bite into her before she fell out the other side, whimpering in pain. Charlotte loomed over her, the intense light of the flames casting it in a terrifying orange glow, the sight of its toothy grin so oppressive that she almost felt like just staying down.

"Out of the frying pan an into the fire it seems." The Cheshire Cat appeared right in Madoka's line of sight. "Perhaps you should consider breaking her, it worked so well the last time."

"No, that was…" The fiendish feline disappeared before she could offer a rebuttal. Still, he had a point; Madoka clearly didn't have the strength to properly battle Charlotte and Nagisa, but perhaps if she used the Cosplay again, she might stand a chance.

But, what if she couldn't control it? What if she got caught up in the battle again and seriously hurt Nagisa… or worse.

"Mary Ann!" The White Rabbit's cry interrupted Madoka's thoughts enough to notice Charlotte about to bite into her, the pinkette just barely managing to roll out of the way. "Mary Ann, don't you listen to that pink stripped degenerate one bit, it will only lead to trouble!"

"But…"

"He's right, lass!" Mini-Scrooge agreed. "I don't know what that cockamamie cat said to ye, but he's no doubt messin' with ye just fer the fun of it!"

"But, what if I hurt her?" Madoka said, once again trying to wrestle the Keyblade from Charlotte's jaws.

"Oh don't be silly Mary Ann, you wouldn't hurt a friend. You didn't hurt me after all, did you?" The White Rabbit easily waved off the girl's concern.

"That… that's right, I didn't." Madoka said, realization striking her. It's true she broke the watch, but that was only because what she was actually trying to protect was already safe and sound. She didn't lose control, the watch just wasn't as important as saving the White Rabbit's life, of course she would go all out to ensure the defeat of the Heartless.

With renewed resolve, Madoka allowed Charlotte to toss her across the room again, her hand moving over her enchanted necklace as she tumbled in the air.

"Please, give me your power again… Sora!" On her command, the crystal let out a powerful light, filling her body with power and immediately stopping her trajectory. Once the light faded, Madoka safely landed back on the ground, once again donning the Sora Cosplay.

"Ha ha, yes, go get her lass!" Mini-Scrooge cheered.

"Good luck, Mary Ann." The White Rabbit added.

Charlotte looked rather displeased seeing Madoka once again borrow Sora's power, as did Nagisa as she played a few more notes to guide Charlotte to attack. Madoka charged forward, meeting Charlotte head on with a swing of the Keyblade, the monster once again catching it in her jaws. Charlotte seemed to laugh mockingly at the straightforward strike, but it failed to notice the red energy that crackled on the blade. With a grunt, the energy was unleashed into a large burst, forcing Charlotte to let go of the blade and stunning it, the only movements it made being painful looking twitches.

Stun Impact

"No, Charlotte!" Nagisa cried, realizing her companion could no longer move.

Madoka, on the other hand, intended to capitalize on the opening, readying her Keyblade as energy began to collect at the tip. She then thrusted forward, Keyblade first, with incredibly speed for a powerful strike on the stunned creature, but the moment she came to a stop on the other side, she immediately changed directions and thrusted again, and again, six times before the light in the Keyblade over flowed and unleashed itself in one final, powerful thrust.

Sonic Blade

With that devastating attack, Charlotte fell over, completely unconscious, allowing Madoka to jump up and climb the length of its long black body back up to the table. Nagisa looked distressed, blowing desperately into the horn to try and get Charlotte to move, but no such luck. Eventually, she decided to cut the creature loose, separating the trumpet from the body, causing it to fade away from existence. But it was too late, Madoka managed to leap back onto the table and immediately swung at Nagisa, the girl just barely managing to step away from the attack.

However, Madoka didn't let up, continuing to slash at her, keeping up the pressure as Nagisa desperately tried to keep blocking and evading the strikes. The younger girl's reflexes were surprisingly good for someone who fought at a distance, but eventually, Madoka managed to knock the trumpet out of her hands, leaving her completely vulnerable.

"I'm sorry, Nagisa-chan." Madoka lamented one final time before the Keyblade began to shine with the power of light. Nagisa could only gasp in shock as the light coalesced into an extended blade on the weapon, Madoka unleashing a powerful flurry of slashes upon the younger girl. Nine, ten, eleven, each slash more powerful than the last, until eventually Madoka completed the combo with a powerful thirteenth slash, the force of which sending Nagisa flying off of the table onto the ground below.

Ars Arcanum

Nagisa struggled to get back to her feet, managing to get onto her hands and knees before her strength failed her, falling back upon the ground.

"Madoka…nee-chan…" She breathed before she lost consciousness, her clothes reverting back to normal and her ring reappearing on her finger.

"Nagisa-chan!" Madoka cried, leaping off the table and rushing to her injured friend. "Nagisa-chan, are you…"

Her approach was suddenly halted as something suddenly came down between them. Madoka stumbled to a stop, her path obstructed by a long, cutlass like sword, thrown so hard that it imbedded itself into the floor and stuck up right at an angle. Madoka looked up in the direction the sword came from, her eyes going wide as saucers, her heart caught in her throat, as she gazed upon a familiar head of blue hair.

"Sayaka… chan?" Madoka choked the name out, as if she couldn't believe it was actually her, and with good reason. The girl standing atop the giant stove was certainly Miki Sayaka, hand outstretch as if to confirm that it was her that threw the sword, but wrapped around the lower half of her face was a strange golden mask, ornate in its design, yet it was obvious that it was uncomfortable to wear. However, what really struck Madoka was her eyes, they were just… empty, completely devoid of anything, like they weren't even looking at her.

Behind her came six Clara Dolls, the three that came with Nagisa, and three more that were apparently accompanying Sayaka, all of them crying as if to mourn the younger girl's defeat. Without a word, Sayaka jumped off the stove all the way over to her discarded sword, pulling it out of the ground and admiring it for a moment.

"S-Sayaka-chan, what happened to…?" She was immediately silenced as Sayaka's soulless gaze turned to Madoka, piercing through her and making her take a frightened step back. Madoka's breathing was hitched, coming out in light gasps as she gazed at the hollow shell that was once her best friend.

When nothing was said, Sayaka turned her attention down to the unconscious Nagisa, kneeling down and hoisting the girl over her shoulder. The Clara Dolls then appeared behind her, two of them planting their shadowy spears into the ground while a third balanced hers on top of theirs, creating a makeshift arch. In the space between the spears, a shadowy portal came into existence, the Clara Dolls all skipping through it before Sayaka turned to enter as well.

"No, wait!" Madoka pleaded, moving to stop them, only for Sayaka to raise her sword against her. The blade stopped right before her neck, the threat clear and forcing Madoka to back away. The blade remained pointed at her as Sayaka carefully stepped back through the portal, disappearing in the swirling vortex of darkness before it and the arch that summoned it faded from existence.

Madoka fell to her knees, even before she dismissed the Keyblade and her Cosplay form, tears spilling from her eyes and dripping onto the floor.

"Sayaka-chan… what… what has she done to you?" She sobbed into her hands, unable to handle such a horrifying sight. As she began to cry, she felt a hand come to rest upon her shoulder, looking over to see the White Rabbit with a sympathetic look on his face.

"Oh, don't cry Mary Ann, I'm sure you'll see those friends of yours again." He attempted to comfort her, once again completely missing the greater context of the situation. Still, the gesture was appreciated.

"Aye, of course ye will." Mini-Scrooge said as he perched himself on Madoka's tear stained hands. "And the sooner we find Sora, the sooner ye can help them, but ye got to stay strong, lass." He encouraged, reaching up and wiping a few stray tears from her face.

Madoka sniffled, whipping away her remaining tears before giving a small nod. It was then that she noticed something, looking passed Mini-Scrooge to an object discarded where the dark portal once was.

"Hey, what's that?" She inquired, brining the others' attention to it.

"Oh my word!" The White Rabbit squealed before rushing over and picking up the item. "It's her Majesty's crown!" He said, holding it up in reverence. Indeed it was the little crown that the Queen of Hearts wore, slightly dirtied before the White Rabbit gave it a little polish. "Why, what's it doing all the way out here?"

"Yes, why indeed." The group turned around to see the Cheshire Cat appear on the table above them. "The Queen of Hearts does love her crown, it elevates her above her subjects you know. Why, I suspect if someone were to take it from her, she would chase them all across the hedge maze to get it back."

"So… the Clara Dolls took it to distract the Queen so we could escape?" Madoka deduced.

"Aye, and I suppose they left it behind since they have no use fer it anymore." Mini-Scrooge added. "Quite the stroke of luck fer our friend here. If ye return that crown to the Queen, she would surely spare ye the beheadin'." He suggested.

"W-Why, yes, what an excellent idea! Let me just make sure it is presentable…" The White Rabbit said as he continued to polish the little crown.

Madoka couldn't help but giggle in delight, relieved that the White Rabbit would be safe after all. However, the light mood was soiled as Madoka noticed the Cheshire Cat had remained on the table, humming a tune to himself, waiting. He knew that Madoka had something to ask him. She knew that he knew.

"Sora… Sora's not even here, is he?"

"Here, there, everywhere. Here one moment and then gone the next. I can certainly guarantee that he is somewhere." He answered in his typical, infuriatingly cryptic manner, gaining an exasperated grown from Scrooge. "But, no, I'm afraid he is nowhere here." He finally revealed, his smile unwavering even as Madoka hung her head in disappointment. "Do not fret, lost things are always in the very last place you look. After all, once you find them, you stop looking for them." With that taunting factoid and a laugh, the Cheshire Cat faded away, like he was never there to begin with.

"Well, I suppose we best take our search elsewhere then." Mini-Scrooge suggested, perching on Madoka's shoulder.

"Ok… just one second." Madoka requested, turning back and approaching the White Rabbit. "Mr. Rabbit, thank you very much for helping us, but we have to go now."

"…Oh." The White Rabbit said, his face falling a bit, as if for a moment he understood what it was she meant. "Well… do come back soon, I'm sure to be very busy now that I can no longer tell when I'm late." He returned to his airheaded self, and somehow Madoka preferred it as such. It made the goodbye easier. "Well, I best be returning this crown to her Majesty, excuse me." He said as he walked passed them towards the now unobstructed door.

Despite what the White Rabbit said, Madoka still felt guilty about breaking his pocket watch. She wished that she could somehow make it up to him, and that's when she felt the camera that Sayaka had left behind in her pocket.

"Hey, Mr. Rabbit!" Madoka called, trotting up to the rabbit as he turned his attention back to her. Without so much as a warning she kneeled down, threw her arm around his shoulders, and smiled, snapping a picture of them.

"Wah, I'm blinded, I'm blinded! Mary Ann, where did you go?" He cried, blinded by the flash.

"Mr. Scrooge, could you…"

"Aye, say no more lass." Mini-Scrooge said as he pulled a cord out of his back and plugged it into the camera. His robotic body twitched a little bit, eyes flashing, before his head became nearly twice as wide, a high quality photo sliding out of his beak before it returned to normal size. "How's it look?"

"Perfect!" Madoka beamed. "Mr. Rabbit, um… Happy Unbirthday!" She said as she presented the rabbit with the picture. The White Rabbit rubbed his eyes to regain his sight, taking the picture from Madoka and admiring it. "I know it will never replace Mary Ann's watch, but…"

"I love it!" The White Rabbit exclaimed with a single joyous hop. "Thank you Mary Ann, why, I know just where to put it." He gushed with a bright smile on his face that quickly spread back to Madoka.

"Gehihihi, you're welcome Mr. Rabbit."

"Come now lass, the ship is ready fer us." Mini-Scrooge said as a warp point appeared behind them.

"Right." Madoka nodded, stepping onto the glowing circle. "Bye, Mr. Rabbit." Madoka called back to the White Rabbit.

"So long Madoka, do come back and visit again." The White Rabbit called back.

"Of course I… eh? Wait, did you just say my…" Madoka was cut off as she and Scrooge were beamed back up to the ship, the White Rabbit missing the flash of light as he admired his present.

"What a nice girl, she and Mary Ann would get along swimmingly." He mused as he strolled over to the door of the bizarre room, a photo in one hand and a crown in the other.

---

'Take me to Sora.' Madoka chanted in her mind, opening a pathway to another world with the Keyblade. She plopped back down on her chair in the Gummi Ship cockpit, feeling rather tired from the little adventure she just had.

"I must say lass, it was very nice what ye did for the White Rabbit." Scrooge said, fiddling with the controls in preparation for launch.

"Well, it was the least I could do to make up for breaking his watch." Madoka insisted, looking down at the copy of the picture saved onto the camera, holding the device almost lovingly. "A keepsake from your best friend could never be replaced."

"Aye, I suppose not." Scrooge concurred before flying the Gummi Ship through the pathway.

As Madoka leaned back in her seat and looked out the window, she caught her reflection in it, her hand coming up to grip one of the bright red ribbons in her hair.

'That's right, these ribbons were a present from Homura-chan, weren't they, from when I first came back to Mitakihara.' Or did she ever leave at all? Such simple facts were now up for debate. 'I wonder… why I kept them for so long.'

She pondered the question, she really did, but no answer came to her. Eventually, the thought faded back into her mind as she admired the sight of the Lanes Between, lulling her to sleep.

---

A/N: Splits world visit into two parts to keep the chapters at a manageable length, second part ends up as the second longest chapter yet... cool.

Well, there you have it you guys, the conclusion of the Wonderland visit. Let me just take a moment to clarify a few things about Nagisa and her allegiance to Homura. If it wasn't clear, the devil did indeed brainwash her, I mean, she didn't change any of her core personality, she only made it so that she was unquestioningly on Homura's side. As for Sayaka... well, she's always been a hard one to convince. Also, the little backstory behind the White Rabbit's watch is completely fabricated on my end, there's absolutely no basis for it in the source material, I just took the comment that it was an Unbirthday present and ran with it, let me know what you guys thought about it.

Well, this is it you guys, the long wait is nearly over. For some of you it might already be over, I for one am receiving my copy of the game later tonight since my Game Stop is doing an early release. Still, it's pretty surreal, I honestly don't really know what to say, the next time I see you guys we'll be living in a post-Kingdom Hearts 3 world, it won't be just a concept or a series of sporadic trailers, it'll be real... its almost sad. It's the end of era, not just for the story itself, but for the fandom, we'll probably never feel like this about a Kingdom Hearts title, or any video game for that matter, ever again. But, whatever the game ends up being, whether it lives up to our expectations, falls short of them, or blows them completely out of the water, I can't wait to pour all of that love I feel for this franchise into this story for you to read.

Before I go, I want to say thanks to everybody who has been reading this story so far, and to those of you, however few you may be, who took the time to check this story out when you could be playing Kingdom Hearts 3 instead, that truly means a lot.

Well, that's all I gotta say, this is Monkeycyborgninja, wishing all of you luck in the coming Keyblade War.