Chapter 8 (KAIRI): A Little Magic

Chapter 8: A Little Magic

        The Prince Charming Carousel in the heart of Fantasy Land shined like the morning sun as Kairi approached it, her heart brimming with anticipation of Mickey's trust in her completing a mission to rescue a Princess of Heart on her own.  She eyed each of the horses and carriages, which were handcrafted by the finest artists and craftsmen Mr. Disney had at his disposal.  Kairi chose one of the white stallions with a golden saddle before finally climbing aboard.  But the ride did not start when she attempted to work it.  She looked around for Mickey or someone to fit the bill and fix the ride, but realized no one was within radius to help her.  

       "How can I get to Cinderella if the gate to her world isn't open yet?" Kairi shouted in frustration.  It was only then that she noticed the small keyhole wedged into the heart of the carousel.  Near the keyhole, it looked like a little mouse statue was hauling a key towards it.  Dumbfounded by her own ignorance, Kairi flicked her hand and summoned her Keyblade and with another flick, used the power of light to trigger the ride.  

       The ride started slowly, ringing out the classical chime of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes", until Kairi began to notice the scenery changing.  The village and subsequent rides of Fantasy Land were being replaced with curled archways and a magnificent palace that loomed over the carousel.  Kairi enjoyed the ride, but knew that time was still not on her side at the moment.  She needed to find Cinderella before Maleficent or Xehanort could intervene.  

     Her horse bucked one last time, allowing Kairi to slide off and walk into the courtyard of Prince Charming's castle.  Within seconds of her descent from the ride, the carousel vanished into the light. 

     The moonlight brought a peaceful yet gentle mood about the palace courtyard and showed no signs that anything was amiss.  "So far, so good.  Let's just hope it stays that way."  Not wanting her words to come back and sting her, she walked her way towards the Palace.  

        

        No sooner did Kairi place her foot on the last step leading towards the palace, then a squad of familiar dark beings surrounded her and danced in the darkness.  Kairi nodded.  "I didn't expect this to be easy!"  Without waiting a second, she summoned her Keyblade and leapt forward.  

Defeat All of the Heartless!

        Kairi lowered her Keyblade as the last Heartless fell into the shadows, sighing with relief.  But her sigh was not loud enough to drone out the clapping that sounded off behind her.  Kairi looked down the staircase to see a man in a black robe looking up at her and clapping.  He spoke to Kairi in a deep and threatening voice, one Kairi was all too familiar with.  

       "I had thought Mickey and Sora would be more protective of their little pet project" he sneered at Kairi.  "No matter.  It will make my job far easier."  

       "Xemnas?" Kairi asked, shocked by the sudden resurgence of the former leader of Organization XIII.  "But, Riku and Sora destroyed you!"

       The man threw back his hood and revealed the evil silver haired face Kairi remembered from The World That Never Was, grinning at his new target.  "I did not expect a wielder of the Keyblade to be as naive as Sora, but once again, the Realm of Light proves me wrong.  How could you think I wouldn't have returned?  I am a part of Xehanort, after all."

       "You guys do have a knack for showing up unannounced and unwelcomed!" Kairi snidely replied.

       "Such bravado" Xemnas chortled.  "Lest you forget we have spread your little army thin across many worlds already.  Sora and Riku are in no position to rescue you should you fall prey to my power.  And I do have a score to settle with them.  If neither of them could have been bothered to come and ruin our plans here, I will have to settle for the next best thing!"  Xemnas reached out for Kairi.  Kairi lurched away and drew her Keyblade up to her face.  

      "I've grown stronger!" Kairi warned.

      "Do you honestly think we've been sitting around at the same time?" the dark figure chuckled.  "How amusing.  Perhaps it's time I put an end to this little game of words and showed you exactly why Sora and Riku fear the dark as much as they do!"  The cloaked man raised his hands towards the sky.  Balls of dark energy appeared in the sky and loomed over Kairi.  Xemnas scoffed and pointed towards his target.  The dark energy rushed at Kairi wit incredible force.  

      Kairi closed her eyes, and angled her defense.  But before the blows could rain upon her Keyblade, a soft voice echoed in the Courtyard.  "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!"  Kairi felt herself being absorbed by the light and within seconds, could no longer feel the dark presence of Xemnas looming near her.  When she opened her eyes, she found herself sitting on a chair.  It took her a brief moment to understand just how large the chair she sat in was.  She looked behind her.  The chair was enormous, towering over her.  But it wasn't just the chair.  The entire antechamber was incredibly huge.  

      "What happened to me?" Kairi asked.

      "The power of light, my dear" a voice spoke to her.  Kairi looked across the room and saw a woman in a periwinkle robe sitting in the chair opposite her.  She looked at Kairi with fondness.  "Though I think my magic can be a bit too strong sometimes.  But it should keep both you and the rest of the Castle safe from that wicked man."

        "Thank you for rescuing me" Kairi answered graciously, "but who are you?"

        "I'm Cinderella's Fairy Godmother" the woman explained.  "I help those who are unable to help themselves.  Many years ago, I gave Cinderella a little help in making her own dreams come true."

        "That sounds wonderful" Kairi answered.  "But do you still look after Cinderella now, even when her dreams have all come true?"

        "Not all of Cinderella's dreams have come true, my child" the Fairy Godmother answered sorrowfully.  "And one of Cinderella's wishes is a thing I cannot grant by myself.  It will require some courage and the powers of the Keyblade."  The Fairy walked over to the miniature guardian and scooped her up in her hands.  "And that is why you are here, Kairi."

         "You know about me?" Kairi asked.

         "Of course" she laughed.  "Not only did Cinderella tell me everything about her adventures inside that castle of Hollow Bastion, but I first learned about you from Sora.  Merlin the wizard and I taught him much about magic, but his entire motivation was to see you again."

         Kairi beamed.  "And he got his wish.  If I may, what is Cinderella's wish?  Because I need to find her to talk to her on behalf of King Mickey.  Maybe I could grant it and talk to her."  

        The Fairy Godmother reached into her sleeve for her wand, but fuddled around when she couldn't find it.  Kairi hopped out of her hands as the airy fairy searched her whole dress robe for her wand.  "I would be able to tell you, but it seems my wand has disappeared."

       "What does that mean?" Kairi asked.

       "Until I can find the wand" the Godmother frowned, "I cannot find Cinderella or make you your normal size again, Kairi."

         Kairi sighed.  "Well, I guess this will have to do for now."

        "The wand must be somewhere here in the Castle.  I bet Jaq the mouse would know.  He is a friend of Cinderella.  If you find him, you are sure to find both my wand and Cinderella.  Would you please look look around while I search in here?"

        Kairi rolled her eyes.  "Alright, I'll give it a shot.  But I don't know how much ground I can cover when I'm only this tall."

        "Bless you, child" the fairy cheered.  "As soon as I find my wand, we can try to see what we can do to fix up Cinderella's last dream."  

         Eyeing a mouse hole near the massive doors, Kairi nodded.  She slid off the chair and hurried along the path.  

         But before she could climb into the mouse hole, the Fairy Godmother called to her.  "One thing, child.  There is a cat on the loose in the castle.  Be sure to look out for Lucifer."

         "Alright" Kairi called back, sliding into the mouse hole.  

           Kairi climbed out of another mouse hole and found herself standing atop the railing of a massive staircase.  She looked as far as she could, but found no sign of Jaq the mouse.  As she was about to return into the mouse hole, she noticed the door to the chamber open and saw a young woman with blonde hair walk into the room and begin to climb the stairs.  She hummed to herself a song as she walked past Kairi.  

          "Cinderella!" the miniature warrior called.  "Cinderella!  Over here!"

          The woman turned at the sound of the name and looked to the rail.  She gasped when she noticed how small Kairi had become.  "Kairi?  Oh my goodness."  She hurried to the rail and scooped her up into her hands.  "Are you alright?  How did you get so small?  And what are you doing all the way out here in my world?"

          Kairi sighed.  "To answer your questions, in order: I am not alright as you can see.  The Fairy Godmother's magic shrunk me down to this size but since she's lost her wand, I can't grow back.  And I'm here to bring you to King Mickey."

           "King Mickey?" Cinderella asked.  "But why?  Does he think I'm in danger here?"

           "Master Xehanort and all of his dark friends are running around the worlds" Kairi explained.  "The King has Sora, Riku and I going around to worlds and stopping him while also bringing you all safe and sound to his castle.  Xehanort can't get there."

             "Oh dear" Cinderella answered sadly.  "I'll have to alert the Prince to my departure, along with my friends.  And we should get to work on your size problem as well."

            "The Fairy Godmother thinks that Jaq might have a clue to where it is" Kairi continued.  

            "Jaq?" Cinderella asked.  "But that will never do.  He's been in my chambers the whole time.  He sleeps there until we can make sure Lucifer doesn't go after him.  They've been at odds for years."

            "You know Lucifer?" Kairi asked.

            "He was my stepmother's pet cat" Cinderella sighed.  "I took him in here after I was married, because I believed he would change if treated better.  But he still tries to eat my mice friends.  Since then, we've been trying to get him out of the palace, but he keeps finding ways in."

             "Can you take me to Jaq?"

             Cinderella smiled.  "Of course I can.  But you'll have to travel in my pocket.  Jaq told me the mouse holes are filled with Heartless.  I wouldn't want to endanger you with travelling in there."  Cinderella slid Kairi into the pocket of her apron and continued her walk up the stairs.  Kairi poked her head out of the pocket and looked around for Jaq, while also muttering to herself about no one's inclination to trust her to carry out a mission.  

Ranking the Disney Princesses (With Some Help from Julia, Shroomie, Pebbles and Deetzy)

Believe it or not, a series of dolls, dresses, videos, CD's, makeup, and all sorts of treasures and toys little girls can have is one of the most profitable ventures the Walt Disney Company has.  The Disney Princess chain is almost as big a money absorber as all of Marvel and Star Wars combined for the company, raking in almost a billion dollars in revenue all around the world each year.  All these animated girls have to do is stand there and look pretty while girls emulate and dream to live the lives they live and have a Happily Ever After of their own.

But what exactly does this franchise mean to us as a people?  To little girls, it could be used an initial starting point for your dreams to begin.  To boys, these girls could be your very first interaction with the opposite sex and could actually be a boy's first actual crush (I know Ariel was mine).  To some, it could be a way to bond with your children over movies and characters you enjoyed as a kid.

One thing we cannot deny about this chain, however, is that they have had both a positive and negative impact on worldwide reaction to fairy tales and all sorts of stories that we grew up with.  Perhaps some of these arguments hold ground, but I think we have become too overanalyzing as a society (but that's for another post).

In this post, I will be discussing how these lovely ladies work as characters, plot points, singers, and a few other categories that surprisingly more and more men seek in a female companion.  This is a Countdown of the 20 Greatest Disney Princesses.

Criteria:
1. The Characters Must Be a Female in a Disney Movie or a Product distributed by Disney
2. She must hold a specific title as a monarch or be a highly important/respected person in their kingdom.  

That's pretty much it.  Let's get started:

20. Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

Of all of the Disney Princesses in the Major Line of princesses, only one character is in their movie for only about 18 minutes and leaves almost no impact on us as an audience whatsover.  Congratulations, Aurora.  Aurora is quite simply the most bland and uninteresting of all of the princesses.  All she really does is dance and look pretty.  And feminists think Cinderella is the bad role model for girls?

19. Princess Eilonwy (The Black Cauldron)

This movie did serious damage to one of my all time favorite characters in literature.  Eilonwy was spunky, hot-tempered, and often always risked her own well-being to prove she is just as capable of taking part in battle as Taran.  But the only element this film gave to Princess Eilonwy is the fact that they made her a girl.  She has almost no personality and serves only as a love interest to Taran and no other reason.  She has no scene of standing out and is just another reason this movie pisses me off as much as it does.  

18. Princess Kida (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

While some Princess's get flak for being overrated, others get too much praise as underrated princesses.  Kida is one of the latter.  She serves to teach Milo and the explorers all about Atlantis and is even a fairly important part of the survival of her people.  But wherein she has a good backstory and serves an importance to her people, her personality is one of the things that detracted me from the movie.  But hey, not all princesses have to be Belle or Rapunzel, right?

17. Kairi (Kingdom Hearts Series)

Unlike Kida, Kairi has another chapter in her story to have her character fleshed out in the upcoming final installment in the Kingdom Hearts saga.  In the first game, Kairi serves as a driving point for Sora and Riku to both travel on their journeys and even take opposite sides in an effort to rescue her heart from the darkness.  It is heavily implied that she has strong feelings for Sora that should be realized in the next game and ultimately the rest of the series.  Though Kairi lacks the true personalities and turmoil her two close friends endure on their journeys, she does have the potential and perhaps even the wherewithal to overcome some of the doubters of her character and serve as a vital cog in the final battles to come.

16. Nala (The Lion King)

The fact that I can put the one aspect of this film I criticized the most over Princess Aurora ought to tell you guys something, right?  Nala serves little purpose in The Lion King other than love interest to Simba, as her attempts to motivate Simba fail to galvenize him the way Rafiki and Mufasa manage to later on.  While she is noble and cares deeply for her pride and kingdom, these are her only character traits.  Honestly, this is why I skip most of her scenes.


15. Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

There is nothing seriously wrong with Snow White, aside from her bad dubbing in Birth By Sleep.  She is the first Disney Leading Lady that didn't just look like Mickey or Donald dressing in drag.  Adriana Caselotti has a beautiful voice that fits well in the era the film came out in, and she actually does have a part in the film aside from being a damsel.  She is the romantic and emotional foils to not only the prince, but the dwarfs as well.  We get to know about her more than Aurora and she actually does things in her movie, unlike other females in this list...

14. Pocahontas (Pocahontas)

When your preachiness is the most memorable character trait you have how can you possibly be a memorable princess.  In the marketing of the Disney Princesses, Pocahontas is almost never involved and even almost got booted out in favor of Tinker Bell (which would have been the dumbest thing Disney did since they booted Jeffery Katzenberg out).  She is just too preachy to make enough of a serious impact on any of the young girls out there.  I guess she fills the Native American quotient, and she does have a damn good singing voice...so she's still better than Aurora and Eilonwy...

13. Atta (A Bug's Life)

Atta has got to be the most overlooked of all the Disney Princesses, including Eilonwy.  While she isn't the most memorable part of this movie in any light, she still manages to evoke different traits that were frowned upon by most of the other Disney Princesses.  Her entire motivation is not to win Flik's love or be free from the colony, but to learn how to be a good leader and to keep the colony protected from Hopper and his gang.  Her as a romantic foil is almost a cliffnote in the movie and she plays her part as a princess fairly well.

12. Merida (Brave)


Had she been more of a memorable character in this film (the Mulan effect), I might have liked Brave a bit more than I currently do.  But instead, Merida is a blend of most of the princesses that preceded her (including Mulan, Jasmine, Belle, and Pocahontas), which isn't a bad thing, except for the fact that she doesn't bring anything new to the table, which is what I criticized the movie for in general.  However, I will admit she was more memorable than both Snow White and Pocahontas, both of whom don't have enough of a personality to carry them up the list...

11. Megara (Hercules)


Well, her boyfriend is the son of the King of Olympus, so Meg does count here.  Susan Egan does a brilliant job portraying one of the many out of place characters that makes this film so memorable.  Meg is not the typical DID.  Instead, she is contracted by Hades to be a DID and a bit of a siren to lure monsters and villainous beings to his cause.  But it is the first meeting face to face with an innocent but good-intentioned young man with superhuman strength that breaks the dense wall she had put around her heart.  And it's her character arc alongside the wacky performance of James Woods that will never let me hate this movie...

10. Princess Jasmine (Aladdin)

Jasmine is easily the most polarizing of these Disney Princesses.  In most cases, she should be near the bottom for failing to be as galvanizing and captivating as her two predecessors were.  But again, she has a great personality to go along with her desires and it is nice to see that she falls in love with Aladdin not because of his title or his power, but for his heart and his true being.  She can see through the facades that Jafar puts up, along with being able to quickly think her way out of a lot of situations as her man.  While Jasmine isn't exactly original, she isn't exactly a bad influence.  She teaches girls to find love in the person behind the money and power, not the power itself.  And I think that's a good message.  (Plus, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a crush on her too as a little boy)

9. Elsa (Frozen)

I didn't think I'd be able to get away with putting Elsa on this list, since she is the Queen for most of the movie, but I figured she still is an integral part of the new Disney Princess chain and should get the credit she deserves.  Like Kairi, I firmly believe that Elsa will get a serious character upgrade in the sequel to Frozen that will likely solely develop her and her sister's relationship.  On her own, however, Elsa is a very intriguing character, who can be used to represent people who are afraid of allowing people in and hurting them.  She chooses to isolate herself and even allows herself to become a more dynamic character through doing so.  I honestly see a lot of myself in her.  Elsa was one of the best parts of her own movie and I definitely look forward to fighting alongside her in Kingdom Hearts III and watching her sequel (so long as it's not a DTV).

8. Cinderella (Cinderella)

It's time for me to take down a few harsh criticisms this poor girl gets from feminists.  Many believe she represents this belief that girls should just sit around and wait for something to happen to make their dreams come true.  I have to disagree.  The only Disney Princess I see working harder to obtain their goal is Tiana, and unlike in the POS live action remake, Cinderella is kept isolated inside the chateau.  Remember, the Grand Duke and the King have never seen her before at the ball.  Plus, imagine all the horrible stuff she has to deal with, from her obnoxious stepsisters and evil stepmother, I would have cored those bitches a long time ago.  But she holds onto her dreams even through adversity and only breaks when Anastasia and Drizella rip apart her dress.  She is one of the strongest characters in Disney History that gets way too criticized for this guy to like...

7. Giselle (Enchanted)

This was the funniest movie I have seen in a long time.  I didn't watch this when if first came out, but I am kicking myself for every second I missed this film.  And most of it is because of Amy Adam's incredible performance as Giselle, who is the stereotypical princess that needs to learn that sometimes, the fairy tale way of doing things isn't the right thing.  She knows she's a stereotype and she enjoys every second of it.  But she also teaches the sourpusses in New York that sometimes, love should conquer everything from divorce and even physical attraction.  How else could I judge a character who is as ditzy and funny as she is?

6. Mulan (Mulan)

Mulan is probably the one "Disney Princess" who does not belong on this list.  Not only is she herself not related to the Emperor of China, but she also doesn't marry into royalty like Cinderella and Belle do.  I guess she was there to appeal to young Asian-American girls, and I guess that works.  It definitely helps to have a strong-willed woman who can kick ass on the roster.  Mulan is one of the best female leads in ANY Disney film and she definitely keeps the film from being an abject failure in my eyes.  She is kind, but will not hesitate to stand up for what she believes in and will not duck away in the face of danger.  This kind of bites her in the ass in the sequel, but I'm done talking about those films...Mulan is still an awesome lead...

5. Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)

If Aurora is the first extreme Disney Princesses can reach, Tiana is the second.  Instead of waiting for her dreams to come true, she takes action immediately and sets out to achieve the dream she and her father had of opening a restaurant in New Orleans.  She ignores the wishing aspect of her dream until she is pushed to her emotional breaking point, which is when fate drops the frog Naveen into her life.  Through her adventuring around the bayou, she eventually learns that both dreaming and doing are important in achieving a dream and that sometimes, what you want and what you need are two different things.  It's very surprising of Disney to have someone this proactive in the plot, but it shows that the company has matured since the mid-2000's.

4. Rapunzel (Tangled)

Rapunzel, in many ways, is the modern equivalent to Quasimodo, except she's a girl and much better looking.  She is eager to break free from the tower she's locked away in and is willing to do anything to see the lights in the Kingdom.  She loves adventure and learns to let her guard down in front of not only a man she learns to love, but also thugs in a bar, a horse, and so many people in the Kingdom.  She is kind, adventurous and stands out as a stark contrast to both Giselle and Tiana as the true revival of the Disney Princess Line.  She is the most well balanced and perhaps the best Disney Princess of the new millennium...well...

3. Princess Anna (Frozen)

If Elsa represented one end of the isolation spectrum, Anna is (like Tiana) the exact opposite.  While Elsa refuses to trust anyone, even herself, Anna proves to be far too trusting and almost gets her and her sister killed because of it.  Nevertheless, it is almost nostalgic to see this new princess fawning and dreaming all about a new life for herself in a style reminiscent of the films I grew up with in childhood.  Perhaps that's why I was drawn more to Frozen than I was to Tangled.  I see a lot of people I know in Elsa and Anna, two whom both take very different roads in trusting people and allowing the world to know them.  Kristen Bell is virtually flawless as Anna and as I watch this film again making this list, she reminds me a lot of another Disney Princess I haven't gotten to yet...

2. Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

Maybe it is pure nostalgia that draws me to Ariel.  Or, maybe it's the fact that she is such a dynamic character in her plot.  Unlike most of her fellow Princesses, Ariel impacts almost the entirety of her film's plot, from missing the concert, to rescuing Eric from drowning, to sealing the deal with Ursula.  And, if I may just say so, Jodi Benson's voice is electrifying as this little mermaid almost every boy I knew had a crush on in school.  She's passionate, innocent, loving, daring, and loves anything that isn't from her own undersea kingdom.  And if it weren't for her passionate drive and love for all things human, my childhood would most certainly have been a different place...

1. Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

But there is honestly no character Disney has made in recent memory better than Belle.  I can honestly say I have not found a single flaw in her character.  She is kind and caring, but has her limits with certain people and will certainly not take insults or mockery towards her or her father lying down.  And when it comes to dealing with the Beast as his prisoner, she brings this attitude and does not learn to see the Beast more than a monster until he stops acting a like a jerk to her.  She is a bookworm, looks for the best in people before the worst, and has a goal and dream even she doesn't know the answer to.  She hopes to find adventure and magic in her dreary and boring little town and manages to find both in the last place she ever expected she would.  And this is why Belle is the best Disney Princess of all time.

Chapter 7 (KAIRI): The Escape from Wonderland!

Chapter 7: The Escape from Wonderland!

        Kairi and Alice dodged another flaming assault from the Jabberwocky, but both girls stumbled over a piece of a collapsed rose bush and fell to the ground with a thud.  Kairi picked Alice and herself up from the ground and kept running.  But their running came to a grinding halt when all the duo discovered remained of the garden were a few oak trees.  Kairi pushed Alice towards the tree and made a defiant charge at the Jabberwocky with her Keyblade.  But the beast simply flicked Kairi back towards the tree in his unbridled confidence.  Kairi collapsed beside Alice, moments from fainting.  

      "For all of your brash gusto" the beast boasted, "you are nothing more than a frail little girl!"

      Alice tried to help Kairi to her feet, but the girl was too fatigued to stand.  "Please, Kairi!  You have to get up!  Do it for Sora and for Mickey and for everyone!"

       Kairi sighed.  "I just don't think I can..."  Seconds later, Kairi collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.  

       Alice looked at the beast in horror.  She clasped her hands to her heart.  "Everyone!  Please!  We need your lights!  Kairi needs your light!  Help her stand again!"

       A swirling light energy appeared above Kairi and shined all over her entire body.  Moments later, Kairi pushed herself back to her feet and smiled.  "I feel a lot better!  Thank you, Alice."

       "I'm just glad you're alright" Alice cheerfully spoke, until her eyes once more met the Jabberwocky's.  "I cannot say that it will always be that way, though."

        The Jabberwocky towered over the girls, licking his lips.  "So" the beast roared at his adversaries, "I can finally dine on the flesh of a Princess of Heart.  Oh, how I have waited for this day.  To think that everything has occurred exactly as Xehanort predicted it would."  The beast extended his tongue to wrap the girls inside it.  But as the beast prepared to do so, Riku appeared out of nowhere and sliced the tongue of the beast off with his Keyblade!  Riku rolled to Kairi's defense, his Keyblade poised to kill.

         "Kairi" Riku called to his friend, almost glad to take in the onslaught this new fiend had to offer.  "Get Alice back to Disneyland and have Mickey seal the entrance."  

        "I'm not leaving you behind, Riku" Kairi answered bitterly.  

        "I'm giving you an order!  Now go back and--"  Before Riku could finish, the Jabberwocky struck again, breathing purple and black flames at the young warrior.  Riku easily dodged the attack, lunging for the beast with his Keyblade in hand.
          Kairi held her hand to her heart.  "I'm not abandoning Riku this time!"  She led Alice to a safe hiding place behind the final few trees that stood.  "Stay here!  I have to help Riku!"
         "Please be careful, Kairi" Alice pleaded.
          Kairi nodded and dashed back to Riku's side, her Keyblade as eager to defend the light as she was.  When Riku saw Kairi appear beside him, he was dumbfounded.  "I thought I--"
         "When have Sora and I ever listened to you?" Kairi asked rhetorically.  "Besides, how will you ever think I'm ready to be one of you guys if you never give me the chance?"
           Riku was about to explode, but restrained himself.  Kairi nodded.  Riku was giving her the chance she needed.  Now it's time to prove myself!  No more hiding with the princess for me!  This time, I fight with the Masters!
          The Jabberwocky roared once more and stomped on the ground.  Neither Keyblade wielder was intimidated or amused.  Both knew what was at stake and neither was inclined to allow such a terrible thing to pass.

Boss Battle: Jabberwocky

HP: 915

Boss Music: Desire For All That Is Lost

GET BONUS:

Kairi Learned Cure

+5 HP

Riku: +30 Friendship

+20 HP

       The Jabberwocky reared back one final time, before dissolving into purple flames, which crackled and torched the beast until it's cried could be heard no more.  When the mounting flames began to die down, a heart appeared from it's dissolving ashes, before vanishing into the darkness.  

        Riku looked to Kairi and finally smiled.  "I gotta admit, Kairi, I was a little worried about you at first.  I have to call it brotherly intuition, I guess.  But you really are starting to grow stronger with the Keyblade.  I'm proud of you."

        Kairi beamed.  "I'm glad to hear you say that.  Now, I'm one step closer to being a Keyblade Master, like you."  

        "You both did a splendid job" Alice answered from behind the tree.  The young girl returned to the forefront to greet them.  "I am truly grateful for you all saving me from both that horrid man and the Jabberwocky."  

        "Alice" Riku called to the girl, "why did you return to Wonderland in the first place?"

        "I didn't have a choice in the matter" Alice answered, a sad look on her face.  "A few moments after Kairi disappeared into the Dwarfs Mine, the Queen's Card Soldiers arrived and kidnapped me.  They brought me here to resume our trial that Sora had saved me from."

        "How did the Card Soldiers get into Disneyland?" Riku asked aloud, both curiously and accusatory.  

        "From what I recall" the young girl recounted, "the Card Soldiers kept saying something about a man named Xehanort."

        "XEHANORT?!" both Kairi and Riku exclaimed at the same time.  

        "Is he someone you know?" Alice asked.
        Kairi was ready to answer the inquisitive princess, but Riku used his Keyblade to summon a portal of light for them to escape Wonderland from.  "Alice, we need you to remain in Disney Castle at all times.  Until Xehanort is at least restrained, you are not safe here."

        "If you insist" Alice answered curiously, "though I doubt it will do if some of that man's men can get into Disneyland."  

        Riku looked out into the now barren plains of Wonderland, only to find a near innumerous amount of Heartless gathering.  Riku looked back to Kairi and Alice.  "This time, Kairi, do as your told.  Bring Alice to Mickey immediately and tell him Xehanort is once more at large.  I'll meet you back in Disneyland when I can.  Go!"  

        Kairi nodded, grabbed Alice's hand and led the girl through the portal of light.  She made one last glance to Riku before she and Alice vanished from Wonderland.

        Forged a D-Link with Riku

Kairi Obtained the Vorpal Blade Keychain

STR: +5

MAG: +1

Ability:

Boost the strength of Ground Combo Attacks

        Kairi and Alice climbed out of the Rabbit Hole attraction and collapsed to the ground.  Both girls were drained of almost all of their power by their experiences in Wonderland.  Kairi pushed herself to her feet and pulled Alice to hers.  "We made it."
        "But at what cost?" Alice asked.  

        "Kairi?  Alice!" a voice called out to them.  Mickey hurried over to the recently arrived Princesses and sighed when he saw they were alright.  "Thank goodness you two are alright.  But, where's Riku?"

        Kairi shook her head.  "There was some kind of Heartless monster engulfing the world.  He told us to come back here to Disneyland, where it's safe."

        "And to inform you that Master Xehanort is once more at large, Your Majesty" Alice chimed in sadly.

        Mickey clenched his fists.  "I should have known it wouldn't take long for him to show up.  I'll alert the others."  Mickey turned to Alice.  "You should probably go into the library and help Queen Minnie and Snow White."  Alice did as she was told, looked admiringly to Kairi and vanished into the castle.  Mickey returned his attention to Kairi.  "The offer still stands for you too, Kairi.  If this is too hard for you, I'll have no problem keeping you here."
       Kairi gasped.  "Are you kidding?  If that's the kind of danger we're up against, I have to be out there.  You can't just keep me on the sidelines!  Sora and Riku need me."

      Mickey sighed.  "If something happened to you, Sora would never forgive me.  I don't think Riku would, either."  The little mouse put his hands to his sides.  "I don't know.  Maybe we should wait until Sora or Riku returns."

     Kairi lowered her head.  "Mickey, I've seen some of the same things you all have.  What if we wait too long and Xehanort goes after another Princess?  How could we protect the world without all of them?"

      Mickey sighed.  "I guess you're right.  But I want you to be extremely careful, Kairi.  I'm sending you after Cinderella in her world.  Find her, and bring her back to Disneyland."  

      Kairi cheered.  "Yes!"

      Mickey shook his head.  "But be careful.  We don't know when Xehanort or his flunkies will strike again.  If anything happens, I want you to call on me and I will be there."  Mickey turned and looked towards the carousel in the center of Fantasy Land.  "That is the gateway to Cinderella's world.  Use it to make your way there."  Mickey then dashed off into the palace.  Kairi looked towards the carousel and smiled.

      "I can handle this" she spoke to herself as she approached the carousel.

Forged a D-Link with Mickey

Chapter 6 (KAIRI): Xehanort's Puppets

  

Chapter 6: Xehanort's Puppets

         Riku and Kairi's long journey through the Rose Garden finally led them to the throne of the Queen of Hearts.  Flanking the rose bush walls of the throne were card soldiers of every suit.  Two guards stood in front of the podium, blocking the two warriors from seeing who was on trial.  The Queen of Hearts, an ugly fat old woman, sat in her massive throne and glared down at the defendant on trial.

        "If it weren't for that Sora interfering, I would have been able to convict you before" the Queen snarled brutishly.  "Now that we have you back, we can resume our trial."  The Queen turned to the White Rabbit, who slumped next to her on his own stand.  "What are the charges?"

        "Assault on the Queen and attempted theft of her heart" the rabbit reminded the Queen.

        "I"LL DECIDE WHAT HER CHARGES ARE!" the Queen raged, causing the rabbit to tremble.         "I've done absolutely nothing wrong, as I told you last time" a soft girl's voice sounded.  "And Sora and his friends more than proved my innocence last time we were here."  

        "Isn't that Alice?" Kairi asked Riku.  

        Riku nodded.  "Wouldn't surprise me."

        "Silence!  You dare to defy me?" the Queen asked bitterly.  "When that black-hearted Sora returns looking to rescue you, I'll put him on trial as well.  But for now, you are guilty.  Why?  Because I say so!"  

        Riku shoved past the Card Soldiers and addressed the Queen.  "Your Majesty, this trial isn't any good if you don't have the real culprit."

        The Queen scowled as she glared down Riku.  "Nonsense.  I have my culprit right here.  Alice has already admitted to her crime of doing nothing.  Therefore, she is guilty."  

        "You still don't have the right person on trial.  The person who tried to steal your heart...was me!"  Riku drew his Keyblade and stood in front of Alice.  "If you want your revenge, come and get it!"
        Kairi gasped.  Riku?  But how?  Unless he's imitating Sora...

        The Queen snarled.  "Guards!  Seize the Traitors!"  The card soldiers turned against Riku and charged at him.  Kairi leapt to Riku's side.  

        Alice smiled.  "Kairi!  You came!"

        Kairi turned back towards Alice.  "You have to find a safe place to hide.  This is going to get ugly."  Alice turned and ran off, but was surrounded by several Card Soldiers.  "Oh no!  We have to protect Alice!"  

        "They're all traitors!  Seize them at once!"  The cards all leapt forward to strike at the little band.  

Defeat All of the Card Soldiers while protecting Alice

GET BONUS:
Kairi Learned Swift Strike
+5 HP
Riku: +10 HP

       Fatigued, but still eager to keep moving, Kairi approached Alice.  "Are you alright?"

       "I think so" the young girl answered.  "I just wish all of this fuss with the Queen of Hearts was over."

       Kairi's attention turned to Riku, who stared down the Queen of Hearts in her podium.  "Now do you see that Alice wasn't the one responsible?"  The Queen didn't make a movement.  

        "Is it true what you say?" Alice asked Riku.  "Are you indeed the thief?"

        Riku shook his head.  "No, but it was the only way to make sure no one got hurt.  Now, to finish this with Her Majesty."  Riku turned to face the Queen of Hearts.  But as soon as he made eye contact, the Queen disappeared into darkness.  In her place, a cloaked man wielding a powerful Claymore sat in her throne.  The skies around Wonderland began to darken.  Riku raised his Keyblade against the new foe.  "Xehanort!"

        The hooded figure laughed.  "Why do you think it's Xehanort?" 

        "Xehanort put his heart into each of you" Riku answered bitterly.  "I should figure I'm talking to one of Xehanort's flunkies right now.  Or, if he had the guts to fight me, Xehanort himself."

        The hooded figure pulled his hood back to reveal his face.  He had fairly dark skin, but it was an x that was over his nose and eyes that drew Riku's attention to him.
        Kairi shuddered in fear.  "Not him again!"  Kairi remembered all too well the Nobody known as Saix, who had kidnapped her and imprisoned her in the Castle That Never Was and used her as bait to lure Sora into countless Heartless traps in many worlds.  

        "It's not Saix" Riku explained to Kairi.  "It's his original self!"  

        Isa nodded.  "Isn't it curious, how frail and fragile a single world can be?  Rather like a heart, no doubt.  With one powerful being inside, the darkness begins to overtake it, swallowing all of the goodness and pureness inside, and causing it to implode in on itself."  

        Riku ignored Isa's monologue.  "What are you doing here?"

        Isa pointed at Alice, who drew back behind Kairi.  Kairi pointed her Keyblade at the former Organization leader.  "As if we'd ever let you hurt Alice!"  

        "It's not your choice, Kairi" Isa sneered.  "We have all been instructed to act against the Princesses of Heart without mercy.  Soon, even you will be begging for mercy against us.  Soon, once we've dealt with your pesky protectors, Sora and Riku."

        Riku laughed.  "And I hope you'll understand that we'll always be there to protect her!"  

        Isa grinned.  "You may wish to be forever her guardian, but can you really afford it?  Someday, she will have to face us alone, without you or Sora being there to guide her.  In the end, your wasted attempts to protect her will prove fruitless once we've assembled Master Xehanort's X-blade.  How will you protect anyone from that, Riku?"  

        Riku lowered his head.  "The same way I protected Sora from you.  I will never let you hurt my friends!"  Riku lunged forward to slash at Isa, but he simply swung his Claymore around and blocked the blow.  

        "For a Keyblade Master, Riku, you have many of the same flaws Terra had" Isa remarked scornfully.  "I would hope you can keep your darkness in check.  Otherwise, killing you won't be quite as exciting."  Isa pushed Riku back to the floor.  "Besides, it was Lea who rescued Sora in the end.  Were it not for his treachery, we would have had our Thirteen Vessels.  But no matter."  Isa snapped his fingers.  Surrounding the group were several dark creatures, but none of them were Heartless.  "Here me, my Unversed!  Annihilate these wretched fools!"  

        Riku turned to Alice and Kairi.  "Kairi, get her out of here!  I'll hold them off!  Go!"  

        Kairi was about to argue, but nodded and turned to Alice.  "Let's get back to Mickey!"  The young warrior held out her hand to Alice.  

        "Yes" Alice answered, placing her hand in Kairis.  The young Keyblade warrior led her fellow Princess of Heart away from the garden, leaving Riku alone to deal with the enemy.

         Kairi and Alice stopped in the Rose Garden to catch their breaths.  It hurt Kairi to leave Riku behind to face one of Xehanort's flunkies alone, but to battle him alongside her friend would endanger Alice.  And that was something she couldn't afford.
        "What do those men want with us Princesses?" Alice asked nervously.
        "If they can harm the only beings with pure light in their heart" Kairi explained, "nothing would stop Master Xehanort from taking over the world.  That's why Mickey wants all of the Princesses to be brought to Disneyland as soon as possible."
         "Oh dear" Alice spoke solemnly.  "What if Disneyland isn't safe, either?"
          Kairi gulped at the thought.  She hadn't even considered Disneyland not being safe for the Princesses.  She was sure Snow White was already making herself at home in the castle, while Sora would be bringing Belle back from the Beast's Castle.  But what if Disneyland was just as vulnerable as these other worlds had been?  "We'll just have to trust in Mickey."
         Alice was about to respond, when a vicious screeching echoed over the rose garden.  The girls looked into the sky and saw a monster soaring down towards them.  The monster was breathing purple and black flames all over the gardens.  Kairi dove atop Alice to shield her from the heat.  "We have to get out of here!"
        "I agree" Alice frightfully answered.
        The beast landed beside the girls.  "Ah, the Princesses of Heart.  How I have longed to feast upon your pure hearts."
         "What are you?" Kairi demanded, aiming her Keyblade at the monster.
         "I was once the Queen's faithful servant, the Jabberwocky" the beast roared.  "But when the Queen and all of Wonderland's residents vanished into the shadows, so too did my mistress.  But my new master has told me much about you.  And I will not hesitate to complete his grand objectives!"
         Kairi fired a beam of light at the beast, temporarily blinding it.  Kairi then grabbed Alice's hand and dashed into the maze of hedges ahead.  The beast snarled and rose back into the sky.  "The thrill of the chase!" he snarled, breathing flames all over the hedges.

Escape from the Jabberwocky!  

NOTE: Do not allow the beast to harm Alice!  

NOTE: Use the Keyblade to knock aside obstacles and reaction commands to 

protect yourself and Alice!

GET BONUS:

Kairi Learned Aerial Recovery
+10 MP

Chapter 5 (KAIRI): The Wonders of Wonderland

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.

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!"

      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.