KINGDOM HEARTS DX
Chapter 5: Wonderland
Akira and Kimiko wandered through the woods, looking for clues of the existence of the Heartless in Wonderland. Kimiko was unhappy with Akira's deal with the Queen of Hearts.
"Three Hours?!" Kimiko shouted. "We don't even know if there are Heartless in this world! And we're doing this for a girl we don't even know! As far as we know, she could be a NPC!"
"But it still isn't fair!" Akira replied. "Even if she was a NPC, she still deserved a fair trial! That Queen acts like there are no rules!"
"She's the Queen!" Kimiko angrily yelled. "She makes the rules! If she doesn't want any rules, there aren't any rules! And where the hell are we?!"
Akira and Kimiko looked around. They were in a part of the woods that they didn't know about.
"Just great!" Kimiko screamed. "We're lost in the woods! How the hell did you expect us to get back in three hours, let alone with evidence?!"
"I think I can help," a voice echoed from around them.
Akira and Kimiko looked around for the source of the voice. They soon saw a floating, bouncing cat head. The cat kept disappearing and reappearing in different locations around them. They soon saw the cat's body balancing itself on its head on top of a large leaf.
"That is freaky!" Kimiko exclaimed.
"You two look lost," the cat said. "The Cheshire Cat might be able to help."
"Can you tell us where to find Heartless?" Akira asked.
"Maybe I can," the Cheshire Cat answered. "Maybe I can't."
"Which way do we go?!" Kimiko asked.
"This way," the Cheshire Cat said gleefully, pointing to the right. "Or maybe this way? Maybe you could go up? Can you humans fly?"
"THIS CAT IS GIVING ME A MIGRAIN!!!" Kimiko shouted, holding the sides of her head in pain.
"Before I go, keep going straight and you'll find the Mad Hatter's Tea Party," the Cheshire Cat said. "But straight which way? And will you find what you need?"
The Cheshire Cat slowly disappeared.
"I guess we should go find that Tea Party," Akira suggested.
"That stupid cat didn't even give us a straight answer," Kimiko rebutted. "We don't even know where this Tea Party is. And if we do find it, there's a chance that this advice is a wild goose chase!"
"It's the only lead we've got," Akira said. "We've got to hurry. We only have two hours left!"
Akira ran straight ahead, with Kimiko running behind him. They soon found a clearing in the woods, where there was a long table surrounded by chairs waiting for them. On the table was everything one would find at a tea party, including cake, tea, plates, bread, and more. Next to the tea kettle was a note. Kimiko picked up the note and read it.
"A Very Happy Unbirthday," Kimiko read. "Sit in a chair and receive your Unbirthday gift."
"What the heck's an Unbirthday?" Akira asked.
"Who knows?" Kimiko replied. "Let's just sit down and get this over with."
Akira found a seat at the end of the table. Kimiko sat down two seats from him. After they were completely settled down, the chairs fell backwards. They got up to find that an army of Shadow and Soldier Heartless were spawning around them.
Akira and Kimiko drew their weapons and began to fight off the army. Kimiko hopped onto the table and threw her shuriken. The shuriken carved through the Heartless like butter before flying back into her arms for another throw. Akira beat down the Heartless one-by-one with his Keyblade. When they started to surround him, he grabbed the tea kettle from the table and sprayed hot tea onto the Heartless. While the Heartless were distracted, Akira sliced through them. When only one Heartless remained, Kimiko sliced off its antennae and then killed it. Kimiko found a box on the table and placed the antennae into it. She then closed the box.
"Too easy," Kimiko said.
"We got the evidence we need!" Akira happily cheered. "Now let's head back."
Akira and Kimiko looked around.
"Only question is…where do we go?!" Kimiko asked.
"I'd say we follow the Cheshire Cat's advice and keep going straight forward," Akira suggested. "So forward we go!"
Akira began to run forward. Kimiko followed right behind him. Unbeknownst to either of them, someone was watching them from the trees. Back at the court, everyone waited for the two heroes. With one minute left, the Queen was impatiently tapping on her podium.
"This is enough!" the Queen shouted. "I am the Queen here! Start with the head chopping!"
"WAIT!!!" Akira shouted from outside of the court.
Everyone in the courtroom stared at Akira and Kimiko as they ran up to the court.
"We're on time!" Akira shouted. "And we have the evidence we need!"
Akira handed the box to one of the card-servants, who immediately brought it to the Queen. The Queen examined the box, pulled out two boxes just like it, and shuffled the three boxes.
"Pick a box," the Queen said after she effectively shuffled the boxes. "The box you pick will decide the decision of this trial."
"But that's not fair!" Akira exclaimed.
"I am the Queen!!!" the Queen shrieked angrily. "I make the rules! Pick a box, or I'll consider all three of you guilty!"
"Fine," Akira said. "I'll pick a box."
Akira began to look at the box for any slight difference that would show which box was his. He concentrated on the three boxes deeply. After a minute of silence, Akira pointed to the center box.
"That's the one," Akira said. "I'm sure of it."
The Queen lifted the lid of the center box. It was the Heartless box, but a whole Heartless popped out of the box. The Queen screamed in fear as the Heartless bounced towards her. She knocked it away with her scepter. The card-servants stabbed the Heartless as it landed on the ground. Everyone then stared at Akira and Kimiko. The Queen looked upset.
"KILL THEM!!!" the Queen shouted. "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!"
The cards began to surround Akira and Kimiko. The two of them began to knock down their opponent's one-by-one. As they knocked down the cards, the cards stood back up.
"These things are endless!" Kimiko complained.
"Kill them now!" the Queen shouted.
Suddenly, a rock was thrown seemingly from nowhere and hit the Queen on the head, knocking her out. The cards ran to help their Queen. Akira took this chance to free the girl from the cage. With one slice of his Keyblade, the cage was torn open.
"Come with us," Akira said as he held out his hand.
"Ok," the girl answered, taking Akira's hand.
The three of them then escaped before the cards could come after them. When they were safely in the woods, the three of them stopped to rest.
"Thank you," the girl said.
"No problem," Akira said. "By the way, as I told you before, my name's Akira Minamino."
"And I'm Kimiko Kamiya," Kimiko said. "What's your name?"
"Luna," the girl answered.
"That's a cool name," Akira said. "Where are you from, Luna?"
"I'm not sure," Luna answered. "All I can remember is my name. I don't even know how I got here."
"Amnesia?" Kimiko said.
"Maybe we can help," Akira said. "You can travel around with us."
Both Kimiko and Luna seemed surprised by Akira's sudden statement.
"I don't want to impose…" Luna began.
"It's no trouble at all," Akira said. "By the looks of your staff, you must be a magician of some sort. We could use magic on our side. You agree, right Kimiko?"
"I guess," Kimiko answered.
"Then it's decided," Akira said. "Welcome to the team!"
He held out his hand towards Luna. She hesitated at first but Luna shook Akira's hand.
"Alright!" Akira happily cheered. "Now then…where's the ship?"
Akira and Kimiko looked around. Neither of them knew where they were at the moment.
"WE'RE LOST…AGAIN!!!" Kimiko shouted.
Her voice carried through the woods. Suddenly, the Cheshire Cat's head bounced into view. The rest of his body soon followed after.
"If it isn't the kids again," the Cheshire Cat said. "You really know how to get lost, don't you?"
"Can you tell us where our ship is?" Akira asked.
"I could…" the Cheshire Cat said. "But the question is…will I?"
Kimiko let out a scream of frustration.
"I'd rather wander aimlessly than listen to this freak-cat anymore!" Kimiko screamed.
"You can trust the Cheshire Cat," the Cheshire Cat said. "I will lead you to your ship."
His body disappeared. He reappeared about a yard away. Akira, Luna, and Kimiko began to follow him. When they got close, he disappeared and reappeared farther away. As they followed the cat, a mysterious man watched them from above.
The Cheshire Cat led the three heroes to a door in the middle of the woods.
"The way is through this door," the Cheshire Cat said. "I guarantee that you have to go through this door to reach your ship."
"Thanks," Akira said.
The Cheshire Cat had a huge grin on his face as he disappeared. Akira, Luna, and Kimiko stepped through the door. On the other side of the door was a pitch-black room.
"Where do we go?" Kimiko asked.
The Cheshire Cat appeared above them. He had a huge grin on his face.
"Do you want to know something interesting?" the Cheshire Cat asked. "No matter how much light you put in a room, there are always some shadows."
Suddenly, he snapped his fingers, creating a small flame. He then threw the flame to his right. Suddenly, the blaze spread across the arms of a large, thin Heartless monster.
"What the hell?!" Kimiko screamed. "You tricked us!"
"The Cheshire Cat never tricks others," the Cheshire Cat said. "Your ship is this way. You just have to survive against that."
The Cheshire Cat disappeared. Akira and Kimiko attempted to open the door, but it was stuck. The flaming Heartless slammed its flaming arm towards the three of them. They all barely managed to dodge the attack.
Akira tried to get close enough to strike at it, but the heat from the flames became too intense for him to get close.
"How can I fight that thing?!" Akira asked. "I can't even get close!"
Kimiko threw her shuriken towards the Heartless. The Heartless managed to swipe her weapon away with its arms. It then turned its attention towards Luna.
"Luna!" Akira shouted.
"Run!!!" Kimiko exclaimed.
Luna just stood there, frozen with fear. Akira ran as fast as he could, but the Heartless was getting to her faster. It swung down its flaming arm. Luna closed her eyes in reflex. The attack never came. She opened her eyes and saw someone before her. He wore a brilliant, shining white fur cloak. His entire face from his nose up was covered by a wolf's head. His arms and legs were covered in armor. He wielded a snow-white Keyblade, which he was using to block the monster. The flames from the creature's hand merely bounced off of the warrior's cloak. He soon pushed the Heartless away.
"Are you alright?" the man asked, his voice deep and mysterious.
"I am," Luna said.
Akira and Kimiko joined them.
"Keyblade-wielder," the cloaked man said to Akira. "You'll need this to defeat the creature.
He held a glowing blue orb of light in his hand. He spread the light across Akira's Keyblade. Akira felt a cooling wind spread across him.
"What is this?" Akira asked.
"The first spell you will learn," the cloaked man said. "The spell is Blizzard."
"Blizzard?" Akira asked. As he said this word, he felt the chill once again.
"Focus the energy into the tip of your Keyblade and point it at the Heartless," the cloaked man said. "Imagine your foe becoming incased in ice."
"Alright," Akira said.
Akira pointed his Keyblade towards the Heartless. The Heartless began to walk towards Akira. Akira felt the energy build into the tip of his Keyblade.
"Blizzard!" Akira shouted.
A blast of cold energy shot from the Keyblade. The freezing energy eliminated the flames from the Heartless.
"Now you can finish it," the cloaked man said.
"Right," Akira said.
Akira charged for the Heartless and struck it as he ran passed by. The Heartless shook in pain before it exploded.
"Alright!" Kimiko cheered.
"Could you all keep quiet?" a familiar voice said. "I'm trying to sleep."
Akira looked towards the source of the voice and saw the doorknob. The doorknob yawned loudly, revealing a keyhole in its mouth. A beam of light shot from Akira's Keyblade and shot into the keyhole, locking it. A gummy block bounced out of the doorknob's mouth.
"It seems you have locked yet another world," the cloaked man said. "You were foolish to trust the Cheshire Cat. He will always give you the truth, but he will twist it as much as he can for his own pleasure."
"Thank you," Akira said. "Just who are you?"
"You may call me Azure," the man said. "Farewell, Akira Minamino."
In a flash of light, Azure disappeared.
"How did he know my name?" Akira asked.
After a moment, Kimiko had a look of shock on her face.
"Did…did he say Azure?!" Kimiko exclaimed. "As in 'Azure of the White Sky'?!"
"Who is he?" Akira asked.
"Only the greatest warrior ever to play the game!" Kimiko answered. "He was one of the original testers of the game. He is undefeated and is legendary. I can't believe we got to meet him first-hand! They said he disappeared from the face of the earth shortly after the game was released to the public."
"So this guy disappeared for a while, reappeared to help us, and disappeared again once he was done," Akira said. "And how did he know my name?!"
Kimiko saw a door in the distance.
"That must be where our ship is," Kimiko said. "Let's go."
Akira, Kimiko, and Luna stepped through the door, reappearing in the Gummy Garage.
"That world didn't make sense at all," Kimiko said. "Luckily, we will never have to go there again. I found this after you locked that keyhole."
Kimiko pulled out the Gummy Block that had fallen out of the keyhole.
"This Navigational Gummy will take us to a new world," Kimiko said. "Starting tomorrow, we're heading off to a new world! I'll see you later."
Kimiko logged off of the game. Akira walked up to Luna.
"I guess we'll meet up later, Luna," Akira said.
"I guess so," Luna said. "Thank you for saving me, Akira."
"No problem," Akira said, blushing. "I just did what anyone would. I'm just glad you're on the team. I guess a new adventure awaits us in the morning."
Akira logged out of the game.