Kingdom Hearts

Ch. 18

Wonderland

The 66th Son

"Hurry Alice," said Sora to her as they both ran away. Alice kept up with Sora the best she could. She wasn't going to fumble. Alice did her best to keep her legs moving with Sora's. But he was faster than expected. Sora stared at the sky looking for their allies. The Griffin and The Caterpillar were supposed to give them a lift. Jiminy still a giant nearly destroyed the entire royal guard. The citizens have evacuated, and the remaining soldiers have fled. Sora stared at the giant concluding, "Maybe they're flying around Jiminy."

"Alice follow me," Sora quickly shifted directions as Alice raced behind him. She then felt something slide across her leg. She looked down to notice a small cut on her ankle.

"What, my sock ripped?" she thought. She didn't run past any bushes or branches. She didn't think of it much at first till something flew across her face. Something fast, something sharp.

While running she only caught a glimpse of it, but she knew what it was. It was a playing card. She turned her head to see that someone was chasing them. It was Hal with a full deck of cards in his hand. "Sora!" Alice said frightened. She grabbed Sora's hand and tugged at him to stop running.

When Sora slowed down to a halt. He turned around and asked, "What's wrong Alice?"

When he did, she ran around him. She grabbed his shirt and rested her head on his back beginning to sob. She tried her best to explain. "Sora, this man wants me. He said that he'll take me with him. He said he'll take me to another world. A world of darkness. Sora I…I'm scared please don't let him take me. I don't want to go with him." Alice sobbed loudly.

Sora's face froze as he looked up to their pursuer. His eyes gazed upon the man who threatened his friend. He wasn't even fully grown being slightly order then Sora. He dressed in a black and red suit. He wore a heart shaped eye patch over his right eye. In his hand was a deck of cards which he maneuvered between his fingers easily.

Sora's face turned emotionless till it rapidly changed into rage. "Hey, you!" he screamed loudly. "What do you think you're doing? You keep on trying to harass my friend." He quickly summoned his keyblade and got into his fighting position.

"Sora! Please just run I don't want to be around him. Please I beg of you," pleaded Alice horrified of the figure that laid before them.

Sora then spoke loudly "No, I made you a promise. I promised that I'd protect you. And as long as this guy is around, you'll never be safe."

Hal quickly grinned again with his madding smile. "Oh you're going to stop me. Go ahead and try. I'll chase this girl to the ends of the world or any other world for that matter."

Sora loudly spoke clashing with Hal's voice, "No you're not. This ends here. You can't have her. Because I'll take you down here permanently. So I'm not going anywhere till you and I are through."

Hal laughed softly "Really, a boy with barley any training. You had your keyblade for how long. I have been training my whole life ever since I was a child. I am one of the few elites who are tasked by our Mother to wage war on the light and conquer all worlds."

Sora looked on this being of darkness and asked, "Who's your Mother?"

Hal shrugged the question off. "Ha, like I'll tell you. Besides little girl, your about to meet her soon." He pointed to Alice grasping Sora's coat. Alice stepped back in fear.

Hal stuck his tongue out and licked his lips. "Well then keyblade wielder, I accept you-agghhhhhh." Hal was interrupted as something struck his head. It was a staff but with an ice looking sphere at the end. The ice disappeared revealing the head of the staff. A buckle wrapped around the top with a sorcerer's hat.

"Hey, stupid. Do you think you can just run off like that?" said the magic duck running over to the group. He summoned his weapon back and pointed it at Hal. "I challenged you. And you just gave up and ran coward," Donald said angrily.

Hal looked around a bit annoyed. He rubbed the bump on his head still throbbing after being hit by this oversized fowl.

"Donald, you're here. Where's Goofy?" asked Sora.

"He's taking care of the big lug with the axe. Get Alice out of here. I'll take care of this guy. We're both mages I know how they fight."

"Thank you, Donald Duck," said Alice in a sigh of relief.

"Donald are you sure you can take him?" said Sora concerned for his friends safety.

"Of course I can waagh," Donald was interrupted as a several cards flew past him.

Donald barely having any time to dodge lost his breathe. "Donald are you okay?" asked Sora.

Without a moment Hal teleported himself right near Donald and kicked him. He hit Donald so hard that the duck went flying into the air. Donald landed near Alice dazed. Then Hal moved again. He appeared right behind Alice much to her horror. He cupped her mouth and waist with his arms.

"Alice! Get away from her," cried Sora unable to do anything. Hal smiled wickedly. Alice face expressed fear and disgust. He continued to smile as he stared directly at Sora. Tears began to form in her eyes, but no words could escape her lips. Sora looked in disgust.

Hal turned his eyes to Sora and spoke menacingly. "This girl isn't like other people. Her heart is special. Inside rests a secret that shall lead my Mother to obtaining her ultimate goal. Being the way she is. Children of the night like the heartless and myself are drawn to them. There are 7 total that emulate this kind of light. You see it's completely by instinct not lust I'm infatuated with this girl." His hands waved over her dress.

That was the final straw for the young keyblade wielder. "Shut up," Sora shouted loudly. He lunged towards him only to be stopped by a fire spell. Flames burst in front of Sora causing him to step back. "HAL COME OUT AND FIGHT ME!" he demanded.

With that something on the left slammed into Sora's face. It seemed like a monster's foot. Sora was knocked to the ground helplessly. He stared up as a monster appeared above him. It lands on the floor with its accordion-like hands wrapped over its large pointed boots. It stands up to its full height, towering over the boy, unraveling both of its long arms. It stares down at him with its five stacked heads. It folds its arms together and pulls out two giant matches, twirling them in the air. Upon its chest, it bared the emblem of the heartless for what it was no doubt.

"That's good Trick Master kill him," someone commanded with a strong and rotten voice.

"Your majesty," said Hal surprised. The Queen of Hearts has made her way to the gardens. She looked around to see the destruction Sora and his friends caused. The entire Palace was destroyed.

"Trick Master. Kill this freak. He is clearly mad. He isn't a fit member of society. He doesn't follow our codes and values. He is too dangerous to be kept alive. Trick Master, I don't care how you do it. I don't care if you off his head or you burn his body to a crisp and I don't care about anyone else. I only want him."

Sora sat up after being knocked down. He looked up at the monster. It was twice his size. He quickly turned his head to see if Alice was okay. To his horror both she and Hal disappeared. "Damn you, damn you," Sora said banging his hands on the ground. He quickly got up and summoned his blade. "She's gone. He got her and I couldn't save her because of you. What do you think you're doing?"

"What am I doing?" replied the Queen. "I simply keeping order. You are a mad criminal whose actions peeked past the point of no return. Trick Master, I command you. Go destroy this boy. Focus on him. Don't let him get away. Defeat him or die trying." Her voice was loud and clear to her heartless.

Sora looking pissed off noticed Donald beginning to stir and move. "Ugh Sora," he said rubbing his head.

"Donald!" cried Sora desperately.

"I've lost Alice. Hal has taken her. Please find and save her. I'm begging you." Donald looked to his spiky haired friend to see him worried and scared.

"Sora, yes. Yes!" Donald grabbed his staff and ran off to find them.

Sora faced the heartless that got in his way. He got in his fighting stance preparing for battle. He knew this wasn't like most heartless. It was stronger and unique. It won't be an easy victory.

Donald continued to look for Alice. He called her name repeatedly. He came across some abandon homes next to the castle. It must have been used to house the soldiers, but no one's lived here for a while. Donald called her name again but this time he got a response. "Help me!" cried Alice in peril.

"It must be her," thought Donald relieved that they hadn't gone too far. He dashed along the path and eventually came across Hal holding Alice by the waist. But something was different. Hal seemed more silent then before. "Let her go!" cried Donald.

"Thundara," he sounded from his staff. Then a stroke of lighting came bolting out of his weapon. It struck Hal in the back causing him to lose grip of Alice. She fell to the ground before the girl jolted off towards Donald's direction. She quickly thanked and hugged him for saving her. Donald padded her shoulder telling her, "We need to go!"

Donald grabbed her hand and pulled her away. They intended to run but they both stopped after taking one step. In front of them was a sliver haired boy with green eyes and jumpsuit like Sora's outfit. "Where do you think you two are going?"

Alice's heart skipped a beat. "Hal's allies," she thought biting her lip. Her hands shook and her knees trembled.

Donald raised his staff at the sliver haired boy. "Beat it." Donald said assertively.

Just as he spoke a giant force crashed on his head. A large fist was launched from above slamming into Donald's noggin. The duck was forced to the ground with a giant crash. Alice tilted her head in Donald's direction. Her eyes twitched as she screamed. She looked above to a see a figure in the air. The figure had long elastic arms like they were made of rubber. The figure took it's other hand and launched it at the Donald. It began punching Donald into the dirt literally. The attack caused the ground to shake and dust to lift in the air. Alice fell over in shock. The sliver haired boy folded his arms causally waiting for the individual pounding Donald to stop.

The person high above ceased it's attack leaving Donald unconscious in a ditch. The figure fell down landing on her feet in front of Donald. She looked down at her incapacitated enemy. The girl was wearing a grey top and baggy black sports shorts. Her hair was black like the night as was her eye shadow that circled her sparking sliver eyes. She wore long white boots and gloves on her hands. She had a gap in between her two front teeth on her upper jaw. Her black hair was fashioned with star pins that decorated her short shaggy hair. Her limbs didn't seem normal. They were long and thin like rubber pipes.

"Perona, I was handling it," said the sliver haired boy.

The elastic girl's right arm stretched around the boys shoulder. "Um little brother. Did you forget your just shadowing me today? This is your first mission out. Just because you were a hot shot back on your own world doesn't give you the right to take charge on a whim."

"Perona, as I live and breathe. Mother sent you to retrieve the Princess," said Hal causally walking towards her.

Perona elongated her legs and hopped next to Hal like an old friend. "Why howdy big brother Hal the 52nd son. I'm so glad to see you again. As you can see, we just welcomed a new member to the family. The 66th son Riku." She pointed to the sliver haired boy.

Riku who became irritated called out, "I'm not your brother."

Perona jumped in front of him staring Riku dead at the face. "What, all agents of Maleficent become her childern. Like I'm the 54th daughter of Maleficent. She sends us out to either spread heartless to other worlds or assist the dark forces that preside over them. And if you want to be one of us. You got to accept us as family."

Riku sighed blowing off her advice. "Let's just get the girl and go."

Hal looked around the gardens to see no sign of Alice. She had vanished.

Nearby by was a thorn bush of roses that provided covers for small creatures. Alice quietly crawled down on all fours and made her way through the brush. Her fingers and knees were covered in dirt. She quietly breathed as she made her was through the thorny brush. Till she felt something grab her legs pulling her out of the rose patch. She fell over screaming as she was dragged out into the open.

Perona used her stretching arms to pull Alice out. She lifted the girl upside down. Alice found three sets of eyes staring at her. Hal, Perona, and Riku stood around the young girl. All Alice could do was stare back horrified. She remained speechless till Riku broke the silence. "Okay lets go."

A portal of darkness manifested behind them. Alice took noticed and slowly shook her head. "No. No! NO!" she screamed. Perona dropped Alice on the ground. The young girl began to freak out. She tried to crawl away but Hal and Perona both grabbed her by the ankle. They dragged her by the feet towards the dark portal. She screamed louder as she dug her fingernails in the dirt. "Someone help me! Help!" she cried as they neared the portal. Her stomach was dragged across the dirt and grass underneath her.

A bit away Donald began coming too hearing Alice's plea. He slowly opened his eyes to see Hal and Perona drag Alice through the dark portal. They disappeared into the clouds holding their hostages feet. Alice looked towards Donald after half body her body disappeared into the portal. She yelled out to him one last time. "Promise! You and Sora will find me!"

The rest of Alice's body was dragged through the portal vanishing in an instant. She was gone.

Donald's stomach turned. His lips became dry and his eyes swelled with tears. He looked back at Riku who had yet to leave. The young boy looked at the duck laying in the ditch and waved goodbye with an emotionless face. Riku trotted off through the dark portal disappearing without a trace.