Chapter Five: Confusion

Journal: Day Two

A lot happened yesterday…

I'm connected with a guy called Sora somehow. He's my…

Other.

And because of that Marluxia and Laxene's plan would knock me out. But I came up with a new one for them. That I could be stronger than Sora if I train up.

Now I'm going through his memories. Trying to become as strong as he did...Even if I'm just…

Well, Axel is helping me at least. And Zexion...maybe. I think.

And Naminé wants to see me again too. So I ought to make sure I come back to her, right?

Before Roxas opened the door to the recreation of Wonderland, Zexion had held him back for a moment with a warning.

"Even if this is one of Sora's first worlds, I must advice that reconnaissance has shown it to be particularly...difficult"

"Difficult, how?"

"Well let's see. The architecture's a pain, gravity is more of a suggestion, The food will change you, and the Queen is temperamental."

While he initially brushed off Axel's summary as a bit much, he had begun to understand things more as he reached the garden with Zexion and Axel. Twisting hallways, and shrinking from a drink were disorienting enough. He didn't want to know what playing around with gravity was like. At least handling the heartless was simple enough. Zexion had at least taught him some new magic to shoot ice and heal himself.

But as he walked into the garden, he soon caught sight of two podiums with people standing at them, card-like guards lining the way between the two smaller one held a blonde girl in a blue dress, and the other, taller podium held an older, much larger woman with a crown.

And just looking at the probable queen, Roxas had a feeling she was a bit more than temperamental. She was looking at the girl with palpable rage as she shouted at her.

The scene was familiar. And still uncomfortable.

Zexion walked up beside Roxas as he surveyed the scene, "So we find the queen of Wonderland, and the princess of heart, Alice."

Axel crossed his arms, "Kinda looks like they're in court, what with the guards and all." He gave a shrug, "Well, can't imagine Alice did anything too bad with a heart of pure light and—"

"OFF WITH HER HEAD!"

Blanching at the queen's outburst, Roxas turned to his two companions, "I don't think the queen agrees!"

Zexion blinked as his momentary bewilderment passed, he coughed, "It would appear so. Now, given that Sora sought to protect the Princesses of Heart, we should do the same in our journey." Crossing his arms, he looked at Roxas, "Tell me, how would you approach the situa..."

But Roxas had already made a dash to the open podium and grabbed Alice's hand. "Follow me!"

Alice looked back at him with surprise, "I say! Are you here to act as my attorney?" But as Roxas motioned to the garden exit, she nodded, "Rescuer then. Given the circumstances, I can hardly complain!"

"What is the meaning of this!?" The queen of hearts bellowed, and as Roxas ran with Alice, she began to roar, "GUARDS! GUARDS! SEIZE THEM! APPREHEND THIS FOOL THAT DARES TO OBSTRUCT MY JUSTICE!"

He and Alice managed to dodge past the guards, and ran up to Axel and Zexion. The two stared at them, jaws agape. Flabbergasted, Axel finally managed to ask, "Roxas...what exactly was your plan here?"

Roxas took a step back anxiously, "Well, we need to protect her, so we should get her away from the Queen that's yelling and screaming about cutting her head off. Right?"

Zexion shook his head and growled out in exasperation, "While the queen's bloodlust can induce some understandable urgency, perhaps we could work together next time to think of something more long term!?"

Axel took a quick look around and saw a path leading farther from the castle, "Lecture later! Into the forest! Run!"

For lack of a better plan, everyone scrambled down the path.

Roxas saw Zexion grit his teeth with the rest of the group in the underbrush. Guards shouting all around.

"There they are!"

Pages turning in his book as he shifted focus to the illusions under his control.

"No there!" "No! Over Here!"

A few times, he saw the flash of a card from the leaves, but no sooner did he see them, than a black cloaked illusion would attract attention.

Eventually, the shouting died down, and footsteps ceased. Zexion dusted his cloak as he stepped out from the tall grass obscuring them and glared at Roxas, "I must caution you not to rely on such brazen interference in the future."

Roxas crossed his arms and scowled as he walked out from the brush, "Well maybe instead of leaving me to figure things out on my own at the last minute you should have said something."

Alice spoke up, "Now see here! I can hardly see why he should be taken to task given the pressing threat to my life!"

Zexion remained unmoved and narrowed his eyes, "If you are going to be a part of this organization, you will need to be self-sufficient."

"How can I do that if no-one tells me anything?"

Zexion paused at Roxas' question, his anger vanishing.

Axel continued, "I mean I get that this is a last minute assignment and all, but don't we usually get a halfway decent mission briefing?"

For an instant, Zexion's far off look lingered, but eventually he answered calmly, "I..suppose that might have been my error, as your senior."

Axel, relaxed and scratched the back of his head, "Well, I for one appreciate less damage to my eardrums."

"Looks like we finally lost them," Roxas looked around the clearing and stretched,"Though I'm probably going to need to fight heartless soon instead of hiding."

"Ah, but hide and seek can be such fun!" The group looked around at the sound of the voice, but only Roxas was surprised at the eyes and mouth floating on a tree branch and grinning. Though soon the body and head of a cat faded into view around the grinning visage.

A visage which Alice instantly recognized, as she walked up to the cat with indignation, "I say Cheshire, what's all this about? I was wandering about until the queen's men arrested me and accused me of stealing her heart!"

Axel nodded as he got the picture, "Heartless. Guess the queen just grabbed whoever was convenient."

"Indeed! And unfortunately for you, the shadows have found their quarry!" At the Cheshire Cat's chuckling, an assortment of soldiers and magical heartless appeared from darkness.

Axel chuckled as he lit his chakram's aflame, "Well, surrounded by so much kindling, how can I resist?"

Roxas looked around at some of the floating minions as he summoned his keyblade, "Just don't hit any of the red ones! For now, stay close to Alice!"

Zexion nodded as he turned the pages of his book, "Much better plan, Roxas" And holding it up, shot a ball of ice at the red robed heartless.

Axel worked on blasting away any of the Blue Rhapsodies that had floated past the assault. Blocking the blizzard blasts they fired, and retaliating with his own flames.

Roxas made his way across the forest floor, knocking down soldier after soldier. This was familiar. What he was used to. He could dive past any clumsy swings and drive his keyblade into the attacker's back.

But as the last of the Heartless faded, there was a flash. Axel shouted in surprise as he turned to face it, "What the?! Alice, what is that?!"

Before her was a door. A door to light, "I don't know. I was just...thinking of some way to get far from here." Alice murmured as she reached a hand to the portal.

"Wha—Hey!" Roxas tried to chase after her, but as she touched the glowing portal, there was a flash of light. When Roxas could see again, both of them had vanished, "Where did Alice go?"

"A fair question!" The returned Cat laughed from one of the large leaves. "Find your way back to the cottage, and I'll tell you what I know! Though I would advise against crossing the queen again!"

"Figures," Roxas sighs as he began to look around, seeing if there was any path that led back to the room where they had shrunk.

Then he looked up,

"Is that...a cottage door in the treetops?"

Zexion followed Roxas' sight and stared for a moment in surprise, but eventually venturing,"For lack of a better option, let's give it a look."

Climbing the same oversized leaves the cat lounged on, and hopping from mushroomtop to treetop, the trio eventually made their way to the door. Opening it, Roxas was shocked,

"What?"

He could see the familiar inside of the cottage.

"What?!"

Even though the door in the forest had nothing on the other side. And as he ran through…

"WHAT?!"

He realized he was walking on the side of the wall.

Zexion peeked through and nodded, "Yes, that's about the reaction I would expect."

As Axel joined them, the three heard clapping from above, "Well done! Well done!" As they looked, they saw the Cheshire Cat standing on the table, as though gravity was normal for him.

Axel crossed his arms as they walked over, "Yeah, we're here. So where's Alice?"

The Cat rested his head on his hand in puzzlement, "Now why are you asking me?"

Roxas summoned his keyblade and pointed it at him, "You said you'd tell us what you know."

That caused the cat's face to light up in recognition, "Ah! So I did. As for what I know about where Alice is..."

Zexion narrowed his eyes, "Yes, where is she?"

"I'd like to know too! Because she's not in Wonderland anymore!" The cat continued grinning despite the groans and growls of frustrations from the three. "I'd love to chat more, but it seems that trouble has found you!" The Cheshire Cat chuckled at their shock before continuing, "Are you ready? If not, too bad!"

And with the cat vanishing into nothing, a pool of darkness appeared before them. And dropping down on the Cottage Wall came a massive heartless. A red and black creature with strange, spindly legs. One of it's paper arms held a set of clubs, the other had reached to the stove it stood by. Turning on the flames, it began to juggle the clubs into the fire, resulting in it's weapons blazing.

"Huh? So you like playing with fire too?" Axel grimaced as he got out his chakrams, "Looks like I'll just be playing keepaway here, then."

Roxas nodded, "Alright. He's a bit higher than we can jump," he began to aim his keyblade, "Good thing I got something to close the distance. Freeze!" The spell shot towards the Trickmaster, but the heartless simply blocked his attack with his weapon. Even so, the ice doused the flaming club, "Well, that'll make things easier. Let's keep going!"

Zexion nodded, and brought up his own spell book to begin a barrage of spells. Again, the heartless began to deflect the magic away at the expense of its improved weapons, but as the Trickmaster was busy blocking, Roxas ran up to the side of the Heartless, and using the stove to gain some height, began to slash away at the head.

Eventually, it's knees buckled under the assault. Leaving it wide open to attack. As chakram and ice began to batter it's body, the heartless still tried to stand on a shaky leg.

"No you don't! Hold still and let me hit you!"

Only for Roxas to shout out as he held his keyblade. Racing forward at sonic speed, he knocked the Trickmaster to the ground. Again, and again, and again, he rushed his keyblade into the Heartless' body, darkness leaking everywhere. Eventually, the creature finally expired, melting into darkness and releasing a heart.

Or at least the memory of one, as the shining soul vanished in an instant.

Zexion put his book away and walked to Roxas, "We need to work on your capacity in a crisis scenario, but for now, this is acceptable." Zexion placed a hand on his shoulder as he continued, "In fact, that skill is a bit...more advanced than what Sora was capable of at this time. Well done."

"Thanks." surprised, Roxas nodded before asking,"Is every world as crazy as this one?"

Zexion put a hand to his chin in thought before answering, "Actually, Wonderland is probably the most nonsensical it ever got for Sora. As far as our recon goes, he only watched after Alice long enough for her to leave this world before challenging the Heartless leader."

Axel wiped his hands as he walked over, "So hey! Crazy part's over!"

"Yeah." Roxas nodded and he felt more at ease. Even though the mission was a bit tough to understand at first, eventually he got the hang of it. And besides, Zexion said he was getting stronger. If this was as difficult as it got for Sora to deal with, then the rest of his memories would be a cakewalk.

Naminé sighed with relief as he watched Roxas leave with the other two members of the Organization. It was worrisome when Roxas managed to get in trouble with the queen. But eventually he managed to escape and was able to defeat the heartless.

But again...there was that worrying issue with what Alice was able to accomplish. A door to light, created just by her dearest wish to wander far far away.

Her mind drifted again to one of the other people that accomplished such a feat. Her other half. And her dearest wish to see her friends again.

A swirl of darkness.

"Naminé."

She snapped to attention at the cold voice, "Yes, Marluxia?"

"I want to be absolutely certain." A hand came down with a firm grip on her shoulder, "Is there any other interference that might arise from your power?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat as she confessed, "There is...someone…"

Kairi watched the sea hoping for a sign. Anything that might mean Sora had found his way home with Riku. She sighed and shook her head. She knew that The End of the World was too dangerous for her. Especially since she didn't have a reliable method of protecting herself like Sora and Riku. But even so...part of her regretted letting Sora go off on his own while she stayed behind and waited.

Because maybe waiting wasn't good enough anymore.