Chapter 27: The Cat's Calling
AN: I AM SO SORRY I SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS UPLOADED MONTHS AGO PLEASE FORGIVE ME! These chapters are so teeeedious T.T Keep an eye on my profil for updates.
-April 11, 2009-
Sora's POV
"...A... Ora... Sora!" I shook myself of my thoughts, coming back to the trial at hand.
Sylvia rolled her eyes, "Oh my god. The Queen SAID: Choose only one box to decide Alice's innocence."
I shook my head to clear my mind, eyebrows scrunching up, "Wait, what?" I frowned at the Queen perched in her throne, "Why? After all the trouble of collecting them all?"
"Silence! You dare defy me? Then it will be your head!" Cringing, I walked over to the boxes laid between the stand and throne and pondered. Four of the boxes we had collected and one that the Queen had provided.
"Come on, Sora, you can do it." Kasandra clutched the bars of the inside of the cage beside the Queen.
With a deep breath, I opened the second box on the left. The box flattened and shot up a hologram of... Kasandra? That can't be right!
Everyone grew silent. Kasandra was the first to speak, "That's definitely new. And most definitely wrong."
The Queen screamed, rattling the ground, "OOOOOFF WITH HER HEAAAAAD!"
Sylvia smirked, staff raised, "Bring it on, bitches!"
Jumping out of the left booth, Hazel and Elena stood next to their friend, weapons raised.
The Queen growled, "You want to do this the hard way? Fine! OOOOOF WITH THEIR HEADS!"
The hedges and platforms moulded into the ground save for the Queen's throne. A small yellow tower with a brown pointed roof and brown wheel on three sides rose from the ground. A ten of spades card soldier ran over and spun it.
"Be careful!" Kasandra cried and the cage's blood red curtains shut, rising several feet off the ground.
Kassy's POV
I smiled gently at Alice who had began shaking, "It's alright. Everything's going to be fine. Okay? Just trust me."
She sniffled, tears beginning to fall, "A-Are you s-sure...?"
I nodded, taking one of her hands in mine, "Trust me. Everything is going to be fine. You need to be brave okay? You'll be perfectly safe no matter what happens. Will you be strong?"
Alice sniffled before wiping her tears away with a handkerchief from her pockets, "Y-Yes... I promise..."
"Good girl." Just as the words left my mouth, a black portal opened behind me. A hand covered the scream that threatened to tear from my lips. Alice screamed, trying to back up further away in the cramped cage.
"Shh... You're safe... I'm not here to hurt you both..." My eyes widened. I ripped the hand away, "Riku!"
Alice had ceased her screams, although didn't look like she was completely reassured. Lack of space prevented me from facing the other. I could feel him breathing against my neck, "Kasandra..."
"You really do come here." I smiled, "You'll take good care of Alice, won't you?"
I could feel him tense immediately, "How did you-"
I cut him off immediately to prevent questions, "It doesn't matter. Just take good care of her. And... Go easy on Sora. Please. He loves you. And I can see you love him. Don't let jealousy and anger blind you from that."
Hands curled tightly around my biceps, "You know nothing about me. How can you even think you have a right to-"
"Riku, stop!" I took a deep breath, "Riku..."
His tight grip didn't loosen. He remained silent for a moment, "...Come with me."
I bit my lip, forcing down the urge to swoon, "I... I can't. I'm sorry. There are things I need to do."
The grips on my biceps increased until I quietly gasped at the pain. His hands slipped away. I gently took a hold of Alice's hand and manoeuvred around until she was closer to him, "Take good care of her." I let go of her hand and smiled at Riku, "Next time you find us... I will come with you."
A dark smirk that crept across his lips. They both disappeared in swirling darkness. A small wisp remained. I tilted my head, slowly reaching my hand towards it. It curled and weaved around my fingers and palm before sinking into my wrist. Darkness met my senses.
Sora's POV
With one last attack on the tower, the structure broke down completely. I faced the lowering cage. The curtain pulled back with an anticipating audience.
It was empty?
"They must have been kidnapped while we were fighting!" Donald frowned. But how? And why?
"You fools! Find the one who's responsible! I don't care how!" The Queen bellowed. The soldiers scrambled in various directions.
"AHHHHH!" Someone came soaring down from the sky wrapped in wisps of darkness.
The individual landed on top of me, forcing me backwards onto the ground, "I'm so sorry, Sora!"
Sylvia dragged her off and to her feet. I stood by myself, "What the fuck was that about? Where the fuck is Alice?"
She ripped Sylvia's grip off her with anger in her eyes, "I don't know. I blacked out."
Sylvia frowned, "Okay... Not buying it. But you'll tell me later."
She shook her head, "Whatever. I don't know what happened. Let's go find out." The group followed her into the forest, tension all but a physical grey cloud above our heads.
When we emerged into the clearing, I put a hand on Kasandra's shoulder. She looked over it with a tilt of her head. I smiled to reassure her, "Things will be okay. I promise." She smiled weakly for a few seconds before it fell. She muttered a thank you.
Elena walked ahead of us, "Cheshire cat? Are you here?"
"You called, dear fabricators?" A large furry dark grey cat with dark blue stripes appeared with an enormous grin.
Sylvia's eyes widened in amused amazement, "Oh my shit. No way. I-I... I didn't think he could do that... Does that version even exist in this plane of existence?"
Hazel's eyes were mirrored, "Should anything surprise us anymore?"
Sylvia tilted her head with thoughtful agreement. Both girls ran and dove at the floating cat, only to collide with each other on the cat-less ground.
"Stephen Fry's got nothing on me." His chuckle echoed behind us.
The girls looked like they were choking. I frowned, clutching my Keyblade, confused and worried. Donald and Goofy looked like they felt the same.
The Cheshire Cat's grin widened even more, if that was possible, "Does darkness wither in light? Or does such existence really exist? Would you embrace neither or both? How IS a raven like a writing desk?"
Silence.
"No. Duh. Both. Edgar Allen Poe." Sylvia's grin gave the cat a run for his money.
"What she said." The other girls hastily added.
"Has ANYONE seen Alice?" Donald burst out angrily.
"This way?" The cat pointed left, "That way?" He pointed right, "Does it matter? Left, right, up, down! All mixed up thanks to the shadows! Step deeper into the forest to the deserted garden. You might find shadows in the upside-down room! Oh, and fabricators? Have a merry unbirthday!"
"You too, Cheshie!" Hazel's waving hand was a blur.
Sylvia tapped Elena, who was standing next to her, on the shoulder, "Was he pointing in the direction I think he was?"
Elena smiled and nodded. Hazel squealed, bolting ahead of us deeper into the forest, "Go go go!"
Donald, Goofy, and I hurried after the girls until we burst through a set of gates to a large pink clothed table with variously sized chairs. A short man with white hair in orange with a large green top hat was singing with a small panic stricken grey rabbit in a waist coat. The two linked arms, clanked their teacups together and gulped, singing a rather strange song.
The hated man frowned his annoyance at the sudden outburst of applause from the girls, "How rude! Crashing a party you weren't invited to!"
Sylvia shrugged off his comment, "Cheshie sent us this way."
The two table occupants screamed rather loudly and dove under the table, "We already told him yes! So leave us alone!"
Sylvia frowned quite deeply, "Heeeey, wait a minute! That's not how this-"
Elena gripped her arm, effectively cutting her off, and dragging her through the door of the cottage next to the table.