Sora barely brought out Kingdom Key as the Vorpal Blade struck the broad side of the key-blade, forcing Sora to take a step back as Alice whirled around. Sora ducked as the Vorpal Blade just swung above his head and he had to dodge a downward swing from Alice. Sora quickly backed away as far as he could while Alice screamed in frustration, pulling the Pepper Grinder and immediately started shooting deadly peppercorns at Sora.

'Proctecga!'

Peppercorns pelted off the magical shield, giving Sora a moment to take a breather. He did not have long. Alice shoved the Pepper Grinder back into her apron and swapped it with the Teapot Cannon, aiming it at Sora. When it was fully charged, it unleashed a glob of hot tea onto the magical shield: shattering it as soon as it made impact. Sora has to jump back to avoid getting scalded by the hot beverage, putting as much distance away from Alice as possible. Sora straightened up as Alice put the Teapot Cannon back into her apron, shouting.

'Alice! Calm down! Can we talk about this rationally?'

Alice grinned demonically as she pulled out the Hobby Horse. 'It's too late for that Sora dear. All thoughts of rationality and sophistication are out of the window. Right now, I want nothing more but to carve your heart out and gnaw on it!'

With another banshee-like scream, Alice ran forward and jumped into the air: bringing the Hobby Horse onto Sora. Sora dodge rolled just in time as the Hobby Horse slammed into where Sora was, sending a shockwave that made Sora rolled further. Sora barely was on his feet when he had to roll to his side, the Hobby Horse almost smashing his head.

Outside of the ring of fire were Donald and Goofy, trying whatever they could to get through the inferno. Donald casted every ice and water spells he knew while Goofy used his shield as a way to force himself through the fire, all to no avail. Donald looked desperately through the flames and saw that Sora was in trouble.

'Hang in there Sora!' he shouted. 'We will get through this fire as fast as possible!'

'As soon as we call the fire brigade!' Goofy added, holding up a dial-phone from nowhere. 'Hey Donald, what's the number for the fire brigade in England?'

Donald tuned to look at Goofy. 'Well… It should be nine… Nine… Goofy! We don't have time for this!'

Sora jumped onto his feet and dodged another swing from the Hobby Horse, this time he gripped Kingdom Key tightly and swung as hard as he could. He heard the clash of steel as he knocked the Hobby Horse out from Alice's hands, making it sink into the ground. Alice snarled and pulled out the Vorpal Blade, slashing towards Sora. Sora backed away too slow and he felt warm blood flowing from the cut inflicted by the blade on his left cheek. Sora can feel himself losing consciousness from the loss of blood as his movement became slower, barely dodging all of Alice's deranged attacks.

Sora jumped backed from Alice latest attack, panting heavily and struggling to stand up straight. Besides the cut on his left cheek, there was a vertical slash on his stomach and another cut on his right arm. Alice was slowly weakening him before going in for the kill. Alice stood before him, wearing the same demonic grin, with the Vorpal Blade pointing towards him. She let out a growl.

'This is your end! I hope you will burn in hell with me!'

Screaming, she charged towards Sora with the Vorpal Blade. Sora stood there, too weak to defend himself. Even if he had the strength, he cannot hurt Alice. She was his friend. Sora closed his eyes, a tear flowing down his cheek.

'Kairi, please forgive me.' He whispered.

Before Alice could plunge the Vorpal Blade into his heart, Sora stepped forward and instead of the heart, the Vorpal Blade ran into his stomach. Sora grimaced at the searing pain in his stomach but endured it as he pulled Alice towards him in an embrace. Alice demented grin fell at the gesture.

'What the hell are you…?'

She did not finish her sentence as Sora's lips touched her, kissing her gently on the lips. Alice's uttered a surprise gasp into Sora's mouth but when her surprise subsided, she slowly closed her eyes and kissed Sora back. Her madness was replaced with warmth as their lips stuck to each other, their tongues sliding towards each other. Slowly, Alice's features returned back to her normal self: the white dress turning back into blue and her pale face becoming tanner.

The ring of fire slowly died down, allowing Donald and Goofy to run towards Sora and Alice. As they reached them, Alice and Sora broke the kiss. Both of them fell onto the ground, Sora groaning as he slowly pulled out the Vorpal Blade from his guts and throwing it aside while Alice just sat there: her hair blocking her face. Donald pointed his wand at Sora.

'Curaga!'

The cuts and wound Sora received from Alice slowly closed up and all that was left on Sora were dried blood. Sora moaned softly as Goofy helped him onto his feet, letting him go as soon as Sora was stable enough to stand up by himself.

'Thanks guys.' Sora said gratefully, holding his stitched up stomach.

'Any time.' Donald said.

'We're just glad you're okay. A-hyuk.'

Then their smile fell as they turned to Alice who was still on the ground, her face still hidden. They saw her moved her fingers to her lips before dropping them to the ground. There was a long silence and it was only broken when Alice spoke softly, Sora, Donald and Goofy barely heard it.

'I'm sorry.'

Sora, still recovering from his wound, gave a small smile. 'Hey no worries. You were overcome with madness so what you did wasn't your free will…'

'NO!' Alice said violently, making Sora jumped. She stood up, glaring at Sora. 'I may have been overcome by madness but my feelings were genuine! I love you Sora and it was because of that love that I almost kill you! I… Cannot forgive myself if I… I hurt you!'

They stood there, staring at one another, unable to say anything. No one dare to say a word as the awkward silence grew longer and longer. The paralysis broke as Alice shook her head and bends down to pick up the Vorpal Blade. She spoke as she straightens up. 'I need to continue this… Alone. You… Don't need to come. Thanks for everything until now but we need to part ways here.'

Alice turned her back on them as Sora reached out. 'Alice wait, you can't face this alone. Whoever doing all this is…'

Sora stepped back as Alice whirled on him, pointing the Vorpal Blade at him. She glared at him. 'Don't follow me! If you do, I'll kill you and this time I mean it! Do you understand me?'

Sora stood where he was, not moving a muscle. Then Alice lowered the Vorpal Blade and her face softens, looking apologetic. Sora was shocked to see tears flowing down her cheeks. 'Please… Just go back home. Go back… to Kairi. Both of you… Deserved each other.'

Alice quickly turned and broke into a run, not looking back at the group. She ran further and further until she disappeared into the darkness. Sora stood there, his mind in turmoil. He stared at the darkness where Alice disappeared, trying to make a decision. Donald and Goofy looked at him, worried. Realising that Sora could not make up his mind, Donald said softly.

'Come on Sora, let's go home.'

Sora did not answer for quite some time before he answered with determination. 'No.'

Donald was startled at Sora's answer. 'Sora, you heard her. She doesn't need our help if your life is in danger…'

'I handle worst and Alice need us more than ever!' Sora said. He then turned to Donald before he could say more. 'Donald, remember when we had that fight on Tarzan's world?'

Donald closed his mouth and he frowned. 'Yeah… We had an argument about who gets to drive the Gummi ship. With wouldn't talk to each other for some time.'

'But we still helped each other when we were helping Tarzan and Jane.' Sora argued. 'And we even forgave each other at the end. With Alice by herself, she needs us more than ever! Besides,' Sora grinned, back to his usual self. 'A certain feline encouraged us to continue helping Alice no matter how many times she said no.'

Donald opened his beak to speak then stopped, smiling a bit. 'I guess you're right. Well, if you still want to help out then you can count on my support.'

'And mine! A-hyuk!' Goofy added.

Sora smiled at his friends. 'Thanks guys, I and Alice will appreciate it.' He then became serious, turning towards the darkness. 'Let's go.'

Taking the lead, Sora ran into the darkness: Donald and Goofy following after him.


Sora stopped running and leaned onto his knees, breathing heavily. Donald and Goofy did the same thing as Sora, taking a breather.

'Phew.' Sora breathed out, standing up straight. He looked around his new surroundings and shuddered. 'Guys, if I've any daughters in the future, remind me not to buy them any dollhouses.'

For the past hour, Sora, Donald and Goofy travelled what looked like a giant dollhouse. It was all pink with a mixture of different colours that supposed to be a place for children but on the contrary, the surroundings were too ominous. Broken plastic limbs of giant dolls were scattered all over the ground, missing limbs and even eyes. Their mutilated bodies were like real-life corpses. All of the dollhouses were falling apart and the group had to struggle to get pass them, hindering their process. It gets worse.

The groups are constantly attacked by the Ruins and mutilated dolls with torsos missing or behemoth dolls carrying kitchen knife. As usual but without Alice's aid, the party cut down any enemies that were in their way, whether it was the Colossal Ruin or any of those dolls monstrosities. Although Sora was comfortable with Donald and Goofy fighting at his side, he does miss Alice darting in and out as she sliced up enemies with the Vorpal Blade. Sora just sighed and hoped Alice was all right, speeding up their progress on finding her.

At the mention of those dolls, it was Donald's turn to shudder. 'Tell me about it. It reminded me about that killer doll movie we watched that one time.'

'A-hyuk!' Goofy agreed. 'I couldn't sleep for weeks!' then he became serious, looking around thoughtfully. 'Do you think these dollhouses have a part in Alice's real world?'

'Maybe Goofy.' Sora replied as he continued forward, well rested already. 'It could be the asylum or that place she's living with her psychiatrist…'

'But isn't the psychiatrist suppose to help Alice?' Goofy asked.

'Maybe…' Sora said as he studied the dollhouses. 'Or maybe he's not…' he shook his head. 'Come on guys. We won't know if we just stand around here.'

Donald and Goofy nodded as they followed Sora out of the dollhouse they were currently in and stepped inside a house. This house was no longer colourful and gay like the dollhouses but every where were metallic pipes and almost everything were covered in the black liquids that came from the ruins. The ceilings was pitch black, with chains dangling from the ceilings, as the air was filled with the screams of what sounded like children. Chills were sent down the group's spines. Not even the dollhouses were as ominous as this house.

'Erm guys…' Goofy said as he looked around. 'I think we're in some sort of a workshop.'

'Whatever they're making here, I don't want to know.' Donald shivered at Goofy's statement.

'Guys!' Sora said urgently, straining his ear. 'Do you hear that?'

Just around the corner, they can hear a feminie voice speaking:

'Am I not the most wretched and selfish of fortune's fools? Oblivious, I live in a training ground for prostitutes; my mentor is an abuser and purveyor; I've been complicit with my sister's murderer, and the killer of my family, as he corrupted my mind! I sought relief from my pain and you turned me away from the truth!'

'It's Alice!' Sora said with relief.

They were shocked when a deep malicious male voice spoke:

'You were almost there, almost free from what you fear. You could have been cured. You could have forgotten.'

Sora , Donald and Goofy, concerned over Alice's safety, quickly make their way to the corner: sticking their heads out so they can see what was going on. Alice was standing defiantly before a giant being that looks like a human but too grotesque to be one. Its face was hollow and sunken, pale ghostly white. Its had no eyes, leaving hollow sockets oozing with black fluids that came from the Ruins: also dripping down from its mouth and nose. Its hands were even more grotesque as it looks like it been stitched together with nails sticking out from it. Sewn on each hand was a face of a baby doll, one black and one red. It wore a black vest but instead of pockets were drawers at the front. Hanging around the workshops were lifeless dolls, shaped as children.

'Abandon the memory of my family!' Alice shouted at the abomination.

The monster just gave a shrug. 'They are dead, and you should be too.'

'You misbegotten abomination… Murderer!' Alice cursed at the creature. 'You blood sucking parasite! The damage you've done to children… The abuse!'

'I provide a service, in the great and awful metropolis, appetites for al must be gratified.'

'My family!' Alice screamed. 'My mind, the infernal train!'

'Train is your invention, your defence.' The creature told her. 'I merely set its schedule and itinerary.' Then it recited mockingly:

'The train is coming with its shiny cars,

with comfy seats and wheels of stars,

so hush my little ones have no fear,

The man in the moon is the engineer.'

Alice waited for the creature to finish its recital before saying. 'I'll stop that train, if it's the last thing I do!'

The creature just shrugged. 'As you wish, it will be. You're lost. And where your body is your mind will follow, perhaps it's already there.'

Before Alice could do anything, the creature swept her into its hand and closed its palm. When its opened its palm, there was a lifeless doll that resembled Alice. The creature then dropped the Alice doll into a funnel, sending it flying down itno the abyss.

Without a moment thought of consequence or harm, Sora ran from where he hid towards the funnel: ignoring the cries of his friends. Sora heard the monster gave an astonished grunt but before it could pick Sora up, Sora dived into the funnel. Sora found himself in total darkness, falling deeper and deeper into the same abyss the Alice-doll was heading to. Despite the darkness hindering his visions, Sora managed to spot the Alice-doll.

Putting all his weight into the fall, Sora sped downwards and reaching out his hands, he managed to grab the Alice-doll. With the Alice-doll safely in his hands, Sora closed his eyes, ignoring the rush of the winds in his face, as he muttered a prayer to the light. Gradually his entire body was engulfed in light and it spread to the Alice-doll, covering her with the same radiance. With the Alice-doll filled up with light, it suddenly exploded and Sora had to close his eyes to avoid being blinded. When he opened his eyes again, he was surprised to see Alice back into a human again. Alice slowly opened her eyes, her vision of Sora in a blur.

'Sora?' she whispered.

'Hey.' Sora grinned at her. 'Don't want to scare you or anything but we're falling to our deaths here.'

Alice frowned and looked down, gasping as they both continued to what looked like a white platform. Alice shrieked as they plummeted towards the platform. Before they could do anything, they heard a voice just above them.

'Gravity!'

Sora and Alice suddenly slowed down by a purple magical shield, magically pushing their feet first towards the plaform. Sora looked up and was glad to see Donald and Goofy hovering just above them. Sora gently landed on his feet with Donald and Goofy landing just behind him. Sora lowered Alice down onto her feet, making sure she was stable before pulling his hands back. Alice held her head in groginess before looking at Sora.

'You… Came back…'

Sora grinned. 'Of course I did. You didn't think I would abandon a…'

He stopped smiling when Alice exploded on him. 'What the hell is wrong with you? I tell you one simple thing and what did you did? The exact opposite!' Sora slowly retreated from Alice's tirade. 'Why, you're the most idiotic blockhead I've ever come across! The most stupidest moron I ever met! You stupid, moronic…'

Then to Sora's astonishment, Alice buried herself into his chest. Her arms were around his waist as she sobbed quietly into his clothes, still ranting at him. 'Stupid… Stupid… Idiot!'

Sora's smile returned as he hugged Alice back, allowing Alice to cry into his chest for a while. Donald and Goofy respectably stood back, allowing them some time to themselves. After a while, Alice dried her tears and gave Sora a shaky smile.

'I knew you came back.' She murmured. 'Thank you… For being such a good friend.'

'Hey, you know I will help you all the way.' Sora said before turning serious. 'Was that thing someone you knew from the real world?'

Alice nodded. 'My psychiatrist, Doctor Angus Bumby. He was suppose to be my mentor but he is secretly selling children as…. Sex toys. I… Cannot forgive him. If he lives, who knows how many more innocent children will suffer. We have to stop him!'

Sora, who had been listening to Alice in horror, nodded his head. 'So what's the plan? Where are we?'

Goofy and Donald joined them and looked around, studying their surroundings for the first time. The sky was still dark with raining dolls descending upon them but did not land on the platform they landed on. The platform that they were standing on was paved with white marble surrounded by gates with sharp spires. Before them stood a tall and white cathedral with many glazed-glass windows. Shrouding behind its spires were thick smoke coming from several steam pipes. Another factor the group noticed was that even though the entire platform was stationed, it felt like it was moving.

'Call me crazy but isn't this the Infernal Train we have been tracking all this time?' Donald asked.

'You're right!' Sora confirmed Donald's statement. 'So in the engine room…'

'Is where the Dollmaker is lurking.' Alice said and slowly made her way towards the cathedral, Sora, Donald and Goofy following behind her. Sora and Goofy took the lead and pushed the first door opened, letting Alice and Donald to walk in before closing the door behind them.

Once the doors were closed shut, the party found themselves in a luxurious train carriage with red carpet covering the floor and golden linings in every corner of the carriage. Red cushioned chairs were lined up in rows and the windows showed the darkness outside. All the seats were empt… Except for one.

The party approached the Mad Hatter, leaning heavily on his staff. His yellow eyes looked up as Alice came towards him

'Hatter!' she said imploringly. 'I must stop this infernal train and the evil force that drives it!'

The Hatter shrugged disdainfully. 'Everything's a nail, is it, Miss Hammerhead? First it was your search, freighted with fear and fragmented memories. Now it's the train! Never time for tea! While your brain's on holiday, we're out ruined! Now we're all mad here and that's a good excuse for going to hell in a teapot, but not for forgetting what your senses saw. Forgetting is just forgetting, except when it's not. Then they call it something else. I'd like to forget what you did. I tried, but I can't.'

Hatter lifted his cane and pointed it to a door that lead to the next carriage. 'You best be going or else we're totally ruined! While you're there, remind whoever driving this train to bring in some tea.'

The group cast another look at the Mad Hatter before walking through the door that he indicated to them. The party found themselves in another carriage similar to the one the Mad Hatter was occupying but with a different passenger. This passenger happened to be a butterfly with dark coloured curved markings on his wings and covered in black fur. On his head were two long antenna's and it wore a solemn face. Caterpillar, who was now a butterfly, turned his head as Alice got nearer.

'Come to receive your punishment then?' he asked not unkindly.

'I know I'm guilty of something, but punishment never suits the victims of the crime.' Alice defended herself.

'Abuse is a crime the strong visit on the weak. And you're right, Abusers are insufficiently punished for the damage they do. Those who witness abuse without seeking retribution for the harmed, pay a penalty. Your own pain mitigates your failure to act earlier, but you may not have paid enough for witnessing the pain of others!'

'Oh come on!' Sora jumped in to defend Alice. 'Alice was eleven at that time! What can she do to prevent harm on others?'

Caterpillar nodded his head towards the door that lead to the next carriage. 'That is for the next passenger to decide.'

Alice looked at Caterpillar and at the door, realising who he was referring to. Without another word, she rushed towards the door and pushed it open: dissapearing into the next carriage. Sora, Donald and Goofy quickly followed after her, yet again appearing into another same carriage. When they stepped into the next carriage, the boys drew their weapons as the Red Queen sat calmly on one of the seats. To their surprise, Alice just approached her, a horrified look on her face.

'My Lizzie!' she cried. 'What is this train destination?'

Sora, Donald and Goofy almost dropped their weapons in surprise at Alice's words, their jaws dropping.

'The Red Queen is Lizzie?' Donald asked. 'Lizzie as in…'

'Alice's older sister!' Goofy confirmed.

The Red Queen, Elizabeth Liddell, cast a glance at the boys. 'Your dimwitted friends finally made the connection.' She turned back to Alice, scowling. 'To Madness and destruction, where else? You shouldn't ask questions you know the answers to, it's not polite. And that noise wasn't Lizzie talking in her sleep.'

'Poor Lizzie…' Alice gasped, covering her mouth.

'And there are no centaurs in Oxford.' The Red Queen continued sternly. 'Make your survival mean something, or we are all doomed!'

Alice uncovered her mouth and a determined line appeared on her face. She walked towards the final door with Sora, Donald and Goofy. Her hand was resting on the golden door knob as she turned back to the Red Queen, her sister.

'I will avenge you Lizzie.' She whispered.

Hearing her words, the Red Queen's words soften a bit. 'Be careful… Little Alice.'

Alice nodded and after taking a deep breath, she turned the knob and the door opened wide. The party had to blink when cold wind slammed into their faces, sending specks of dust into their eyes. The party members stepped out of the carriage and found themselves in an open-air platform. The platform's floor were paved with cold stones that were coated with the black substances and black iron fence surrounding it. Two giant pillars were in the middle of platform, in scripted with mosaics of children's' faces. Blood red sky loomed above them, sending down deadly bolts of lightning that struck the highest point of the two pillars or loomed in the horizon.

What terrified them the most was not the lightning but the behemoth abomination that stood before them, the Dollmaker. The Dollmaker loomed above the platform, more fearsome and grosteque as ever. As they got closer, they noticed two things about the Dollmaker. Firstly, there were two small pink arms attached on its upper back, waving in the air. Secondly, the first time they met the Dollmaker was when his arms were covered with white sleeves from his top. Now the sleeves were gone and there were no arms. His grotesque hands, however, were attached to his torso by three thin threads that wavered in the sky. Black ichor dropped from his mouth as he studied Alice and her friends, grinning horribly.