Chapter 5: The Wonders of Wonderland
Kairi and Snow White stepped out of the Dwarf Mine Ride and found themselves face to face with Mickey, who greeted them with his warm and welcoming smile. Kairi nodded contently, while Snow White bowed graciously to Mickey. "It's good to see you, Your Majesty" she appraised.
Mickey bowed as well. "As it is to see you, Snow White." The King then turned his attention to Kairi. "How was your first mission by yourself?"
Kairi smiled confidently. "It was difficult, but I went through without much of a problem."
"That's good" Mickey exclaimed. "I'm glad to hear that. So will Sora and Riku."
Kairi looked passed Mickey and saw Riku walking to Fantasy Land from Tomorrow Land and smiled. "Isn't that Riku?" Kairi waved to her friend, who hurried to their side. Riku seemed more puzzled that Snow White was there than happy to see Kairi.
"Snow White? What are you doing here?"
Snow White turned to Riku and smiled. "Truth be told" she answered sweetly, "I don't really know. I was on my way to see if Kairi was okay at my stepmother's castle, and I was whisked here along with Kairi."
Mickey sheepishly raised his hand. "Yeah, that was actually me. You see, Master Yen Sid and I think that maybe Master Xehanort may target the Princesses of Heart. That's why I want to make sure we have them here. The Cornerstone of Light and I can protect this world from Xehanort and Maleficent."
Kairi took notice when Snow White seemed surprised to hear the name "Xehanort". To Kairi, it seemed like that name took her back to a time long since passed. "Xehanort? Strange. I think I have heard that name somewhere before. I wonder when I did."
"He's one of the bad guys" Kairi explained. "He would try to hurt you if he could."
The princess was shocked someone other than the Queen would try to harm her, but remained calm under this new news. "Well, at least I'm safe here with you, but what about my little friends? Surely they can be protected from such a man?"
Mickey reassured the Princess. "Xehanort won't want to go there if you're here. And he can't get in here while I'm here, so you have nothing to worry about Snow White. Why don't you go inside and wait in the library with Queen Minnie?" Snow White smiled and curtsied to her friends before departing towards Disney;and's most famous landmark. Once the little princess was out of hearing range, Mickey readdressed Riku and Kairi. "Have you guys seen any sign of Xehanort yet?"
Still unknowing of the exact reason why the ghost of the Queen haunted the Dwarf Woodlands, Kairi shook her head. Kairi looked to Riku, who followed her in suit. "Only Maleficent in my world."
Mickey sighed, though whether out of relief or disappointment, the young maiden could not tell. "I got the same answer from Lea. And Sora is still in his world, so I have to wait to hear from him."
Fearing the worst, as memories of the Magic Mirror's cryptic warnings floated in her head, Kairi panicked and was ready for a rescue mission if needed. "Should we go and find him?"
Mickey and Riku looked at each other and exchange what Kairi could guess was curiosity blended with worry. But Mickey decided to reiterate his confidence to Kairi. "Nope. Sora can take care of himself. Besides, Merlin is watching over the Matterhorn attraction, so if anything happens, we'll know. Plus, I have an important mission for you two."
Overjoyed to hear she was going on a mission with Riku, Kairi listened closely as Mickey whispered their task to them. "We need to bring the Princesses of Heart here as soon as possible. I'm already planning on sending Sora, Donald, and Goofy out to bring Belle here to Disneyland. But it seems one we already had here has disappeared. I need you two to go to Wonderland and find Alice. I think something's happened to her."
Riku took the news as any Keyblade Master would, but Kairi was stunned to hear about Alice's disappearance. "Alice is missing? But she was here when I left. Where could she have gone?"
Mickey frowned. "I don't know, but I've already had Donald and Goofy search the castle for her and we've found nothing. She may not be in Wonderland, but at least we're giving it an effort." Mickey turned to Riku. "Please bring her here, Riku. I'm counting on you."
Riku nodded boldly. "Don't worry, Mickey. Leave it to me." Riku turned to leave both Kairi and Mickey behind, but Kairi, sensing she was again going to be left behind, leapt forward and stood in front of him. Riku was in no mood for Kairi's childish antics. "Let me pass, Kairi."
Kairi staunchly refused. "I'm going with you. There's no way I'm letting my friends get all of the serious missions. Let me go with you, Riku."
Riku was dumbfounded, and turned to Mickey to reinforce his point. But Mickey gave him a searching look and said, "It would be nice for her gain some experience with one of us guiding her."
The Keyblade Master wanted to protest, but respected Mickey too much to argue. "Fine, but be careful, Kairi. I'm not losing two people on this mission."
Kairi nodded proudly, while in her mind, she was cartwheeling and dancing with glee. "You can count on me! By the way, where is the Wonderland attraction?"
Mickey pointed towards a ride that looked as though it were still under construction. A large, crudely painted sign hung above the ride that read: Down the Rabbit Hole. Riku nodded and hurried ahead of Kairi, who held her hand to her heart. I'll finally be able to prove to Riku and Mickey how great I am. Maybe, then I can tag along with Sora. When Riku approached the entrance, Kairi darted after him.
Kairi took notice when Snow White seemed surprised to hear the name "Xehanort". To Kairi, it seemed like that name took her back to a time long since passed. "Xehanort? Strange. I think I have heard that name somewhere before. I wonder when I did."
"He's one of the bad guys" Kairi explained. "He would try to hurt you if he could."
The princess was shocked someone other than the Queen would try to harm her, but remained calm under this new news. "Well, at least I'm safe here with you, but what about my little friends? Surely they can be protected from such a man?"
Mickey reassured the Princess. "Xehanort won't want to go there if you're here. And he can't get in here while I'm here, so you have nothing to worry about Snow White. Why don't you go inside and wait in the library with Queen Minnie?" Snow White smiled and curtsied to her friends before departing towards Disney;and's most famous landmark. Once the little princess was out of hearing range, Mickey readdressed Riku and Kairi. "Have you guys seen any sign of Xehanort yet?"
Still unknowing of the exact reason why the ghost of the Queen haunted the Dwarf Woodlands, Kairi shook her head. Kairi looked to Riku, who followed her in suit. "Only Maleficent in my world."
Mickey sighed, though whether out of relief or disappointment, the young maiden could not tell. "I got the same answer from Lea. And Sora is still in his world, so I have to wait to hear from him."
Fearing the worst, as memories of the Magic Mirror's cryptic warnings floated in her head, Kairi panicked and was ready for a rescue mission if needed. "Should we go and find him?"
Mickey and Riku looked at each other and exchange what Kairi could guess was curiosity blended with worry. But Mickey decided to reiterate his confidence to Kairi. "Nope. Sora can take care of himself. Besides, Merlin is watching over the Matterhorn attraction, so if anything happens, we'll know. Plus, I have an important mission for you two."
Overjoyed to hear she was going on a mission with Riku, Kairi listened closely as Mickey whispered their task to them. "We need to bring the Princesses of Heart here as soon as possible. I'm already planning on sending Sora, Donald, and Goofy out to bring Belle here to Disneyland. But it seems one we already had here has disappeared. I need you two to go to Wonderland and find Alice. I think something's happened to her."
Riku took the news as any Keyblade Master would, but Kairi was stunned to hear about Alice's disappearance. "Alice is missing? But she was here when I left. Where could she have gone?"
Mickey frowned. "I don't know, but I've already had Donald and Goofy search the castle for her and we've found nothing. She may not be in Wonderland, but at least we're giving it an effort." Mickey turned to Riku. "Please bring her here, Riku. I'm counting on you."
Riku nodded boldly. "Don't worry, Mickey. Leave it to me." Riku turned to leave both Kairi and Mickey behind, but Kairi, sensing she was again going to be left behind, leapt forward and stood in front of him. Riku was in no mood for Kairi's childish antics. "Let me pass, Kairi."
Kairi staunchly refused. "I'm going with you. There's no way I'm letting my friends get all of the serious missions. Let me go with you, Riku."
Riku was dumbfounded, and turned to Mickey to reinforce his point. But Mickey gave him a searching look and said, "It would be nice for her gain some experience with one of us guiding her."
The Keyblade Master wanted to protest, but respected Mickey too much to argue. "Fine, but be careful, Kairi. I'm not losing two people on this mission."
Kairi nodded proudly, while in her mind, she was cartwheeling and dancing with glee. "You can count on me! By the way, where is the Wonderland attraction?"
Mickey pointed towards a ride that looked as though it were still under construction. A large, crudely painted sign hung above the ride that read: Down the Rabbit Hole. Riku nodded and hurried ahead of Kairi, who held her hand to her heart. I'll finally be able to prove to Riku and Mickey how great I am. Maybe, then I can tag along with Sora. When Riku approached the entrance, Kairi darted after him.
New Party Member: Riku
HP: 50
MP: 120
Friendship: 80
Weapon:
Road to the Dawn (STR +4, MAG +1)
Armor:
Armor of the Reborn (STR +2, DEF +3, MAG +1)
Accessories:
Guardian's Chain (AP +5, STR +2)
Items:
x3 Potions, x1 Ether, x1 Hi Potion
Abilities:
Aura Bomb: Unleash a powerful attack based on maximum MP total (Cost 10 MP)
Master's Strike: Unleash a devastating combo on enemies (Cost 10 MP)
Guardian's Power: Create a veil of energy around you and your allies (Cost 12 MP)
Cure Potion: Heals you and your allies while also removing status ailments (Cost 99 MP)
Sun Storm: Unleash Kairi and Riku's joint Limit, Power Surge (Costs all of Kairi's MP)
Master's Power: Doubles all of your stats when HP is below 25%
Item Boost: Boost the potency of Items on the field
Second Chance: Ensures 1 HP remains after suffering critical damage
Once More: Ensures 1 HP remains after taking damage in a combo
Auto Limit: Makes Power Surge more accessible
No sooner did Riku and Kairi peer down the aforementioned Rabbit's Hole, did the duo fall through the hole and begin to be transported to the world of wonder and magic. As they fell at varying speeds, randomly assorted household items moved past them, as did grandfather clocks and many other objects that somehow told time. Kairi thought for a moment and remembered Sora's recollection of Wonderland as she fell beside Riku: "Wonderland was the first world we went too. It was really weird, seeing as how Traverse Town and the Islands had been pretty much straight forward. Donald, Goofy, and I fell for what felt like hours, until Donald and I landed on our feet. Goofy was too relaxed to realize how close we were to the ground and he crashed. Be careful not to fall like he did if you and I ever go there."
Taking her best friend's advice word for word, Kairi saw the approaching ground and landed softly on her feet. Kairi looked up and giggled as Riku found himself stuck inside an upside down stair banister. Riku pulled himself as Kairi looked on.
"Did you listen at all to Sora's story? Kairi asked. "Sora taught me all about Wonderland. I'm not afraid of what we're going have to go through. We'll be rescuing Alice in no time."
Riku sighed. "If only it was that simple, Kairi. My question is how did Alice end up back here when you and Mickey both claim she was in Disneyland, where no dark forces could enter."
"Sora says she's too curious for her own good. She may have gotten herself lost again."
"Then it's our job to find her and bring her back before--" Before Riku could finish his sentence, the duo was quickly surrounded by Heartless. Several Large Bodies and numerous multi-colored Heartless, including Red Nocturnes and Blue Rhapsodies. "I guess I spoke too soon. Let's fight!"
"Did you listen at all to Sora's story? Kairi asked. "Sora taught me all about Wonderland. I'm not afraid of what we're going have to go through. We'll be rescuing Alice in no time."
Riku sighed. "If only it was that simple, Kairi. My question is how did Alice end up back here when you and Mickey both claim she was in Disneyland, where no dark forces could enter."
"Sora says she's too curious for her own good. She may have gotten herself lost again."
"Then it's our job to find her and bring her back before--" Before Riku could finish his sentence, the duo was quickly surrounded by Heartless. Several Large Bodies and numerous multi-colored Heartless, including Red Nocturnes and Blue Rhapsodies. "I guess I spoke too soon. Let's fight!"
Defeat All of the Heartless
One final Large Body came towards Kairi and she called forth a bolt of lightning with her Keyblade and wiped out the large being. She looked to Riku for some positive reinforcement, but the warrior simply remained quiet, agitating the girl. "Aren't you going to say anything about me getting better?"
Riku shook his head. "You're still only a beginner, Kairi. Don't be surprised if it takes you a while to wield the Keyblade like me and Sora do."
Kairi begrudgingly accepted Riku's stern teachings, until she noticed a small rabbit draped in a waistcoat, frantically hurrying along down the path ahead. "Oh, my fur and whiskers! I'm late! The trial should begin very soon!" The rabbit noticed Kairi and dashed off down the path.
"Wait a minute!" Kairi shouted.
"What is it?"
"I thought I saw a White Rabbit. He could lead us to Alice. Come on, Riku!" Kairi bolted after the hopping and skipping rabbit, not taking notice if Riku was following her.
From the inside of a house to the vast and expansive Lotus Forest, Riku and Kairi looked all over for their missing White Rabbit and Alice, but found nothing more than Heartless on their path. Despite Riku's souring mood, Kairi remained confident they would find one of the two at some point. But after the duo stopped in front of a clearing, they sighed at their inability to find either Alice or the rabbit.
"Lose something?" a voice echoed throughout the forest. Riku and Kairi looked for the source of the voice, until an oddly colored cat appeared floating over them, a creepy smile etched on his face. "Or, perhaps did you lose yourselves on the way? The more you search for what you've lost, the sooner you'll find yourselves lost. That's the way of it in Wonderland."
Riku was unamused by this cat's riddles and taunts. "Who are you?" he barked impatiently.
Kairi sighed and put her hand on Riku's shoulder, calming him down. She then turned to address the cat, who floated over to a nearby branch and perched himself atop it. "Aren't you the Cheshire Cat?"
The cat simply smiled at his new guests. "I am and I am not. I can be, and I can also not be. Just like Alice will soon not be. The poor girl has done nothing wrong and yet finds nothing but danger so long as she wanders through Wonderland. You too will find what she seeks: danger."
Once again, Riku's temper got the better of him. "Do you know where Alice is, or not?"
The Cheshite Cat rolled onto his backside. "Do you know you look rather odd from this angle?"
Grunting bitterly, Riku turned from the cat. "We're wasting time. Come on, Kairi." Riku brushed past Kairi, but found himself face to face with the Cheshire Cat.
"If you go to find Alice with anger, you will find nothing but what your anger represents. Monsters and monsters galore. Perhaps one day, should you not be so angry, we could share a cup of tea with the Mad Hatter."
Kairi eyed the feline curiously. "Find anger?"
"The Heartless feed on anger, as does the Queen of Hearts. She practically breathes anger. As soon as the Queen got angry, the Heartless appeared. Should this fellow go to find Alice with the same anger, more Heartless may appear."
Riku fumed beside Kairi. "I'm not angry! I'm agitated!"
Kairi sighed. Now, it was her turn to play the master. "Riku, it's almost like you really haven't learned anything from Sora or his stories. The more you let your anger guide you, the more darkness brims inside of you. That's exactly what the Cheshire Cat is saying."
The Keyblade Master seemed eager to argue, but Kairi had the feeling she finally said something that could trump Riku. "Alright, then how do we find Alice?"
The cat pointed his tail towards a rose garden down the path. "Alice may be grateful you have rescued her, but will her captors? Perhaps you should ponder that, while you ponder your anger." With that, the Cheshire Cat vanished into the unknown.
Riku looked ahead to the rose garden. "Can we trust him?"
"I trust you'll decide that too, Riku" the cat's voice echoed. Kairi and Riku both stared down the path towards the Rose Garden and dashed down and to Alice's rescue.
From the inside of a house to the vast and expansive Lotus Forest, Riku and Kairi looked all over for their missing White Rabbit and Alice, but found nothing more than Heartless on their path. Despite Riku's souring mood, Kairi remained confident they would find one of the two at some point. But after the duo stopped in front of a clearing, they sighed at their inability to find either Alice or the rabbit.
"Lose something?" a voice echoed throughout the forest. Riku and Kairi looked for the source of the voice, until an oddly colored cat appeared floating over them, a creepy smile etched on his face. "Or, perhaps did you lose yourselves on the way? The more you search for what you've lost, the sooner you'll find yourselves lost. That's the way of it in Wonderland."
Riku was unamused by this cat's riddles and taunts. "Who are you?" he barked impatiently.
Kairi sighed and put her hand on Riku's shoulder, calming him down. She then turned to address the cat, who floated over to a nearby branch and perched himself atop it. "Aren't you the Cheshire Cat?"
The cat simply smiled at his new guests. "I am and I am not. I can be, and I can also not be. Just like Alice will soon not be. The poor girl has done nothing wrong and yet finds nothing but danger so long as she wanders through Wonderland. You too will find what she seeks: danger."
Once again, Riku's temper got the better of him. "Do you know where Alice is, or not?"
The Cheshite Cat rolled onto his backside. "Do you know you look rather odd from this angle?"
Grunting bitterly, Riku turned from the cat. "We're wasting time. Come on, Kairi." Riku brushed past Kairi, but found himself face to face with the Cheshire Cat.
"If you go to find Alice with anger, you will find nothing but what your anger represents. Monsters and monsters galore. Perhaps one day, should you not be so angry, we could share a cup of tea with the Mad Hatter."
Kairi eyed the feline curiously. "Find anger?"
"The Heartless feed on anger, as does the Queen of Hearts. She practically breathes anger. As soon as the Queen got angry, the Heartless appeared. Should this fellow go to find Alice with the same anger, more Heartless may appear."
Riku fumed beside Kairi. "I'm not angry! I'm agitated!"
Kairi sighed. Now, it was her turn to play the master. "Riku, it's almost like you really haven't learned anything from Sora or his stories. The more you let your anger guide you, the more darkness brims inside of you. That's exactly what the Cheshire Cat is saying."
The Keyblade Master seemed eager to argue, but Kairi had the feeling she finally said something that could trump Riku. "Alright, then how do we find Alice?"
The cat pointed his tail towards a rose garden down the path. "Alice may be grateful you have rescued her, but will her captors? Perhaps you should ponder that, while you ponder your anger." With that, the Cheshire Cat vanished into the unknown.
Riku looked ahead to the rose garden. "Can we trust him?"
"I trust you'll decide that too, Riku" the cat's voice echoed. Kairi and Riku both stared down the path towards the Rose Garden and dashed down and to Alice's rescue.
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