“Are you quite alright?” Eraqus heard the sweet voice ask. He blinked his eyes open against the light. He brought a hand to his head as he rose from the cold tiled floor. “You gave me a fright, falling down here the way you did.”

The girl was kneeling in front of him, her face pinched in concern that eased as he rose. “Sorry I scared you.” 

“Nevermind that, are you feeling well?”

“Heh. A little woozy, but I’m good.” Eraqus smiled. He was able to get a better look at her now, her long blond hair and blue and white dress. “I’m Eraqus. Thank you for looking out for me.”

“Oh, no trouble at all.” She dismissed. “I’m just glad you’ve not injured yourself. My name is Alice.” 

Eraqus stood, offering the girl a hand. She took it gratefully, standing to her full height. She only came up to his shoulder.

“Thank you, Sir Eraqus.” His face reddened at that.

“O-oh uh.. Just Eraqus, please.”

“Hehe. Eraqus then.” She giggled, covering her mouth. “Oh, I had almost forgotten.” she reached into a pocket in her dress. “Is this yours? It fell through the rabbit hole with you.” In her hand was a familiar object. Blue-green and yellow like the item Xehanort had grabbed from the desk drawer. Though noticeably smaller and misshapen. 

“Oh no, it’s broken!” He took the offered piece from her hand. 

“Oh, that’s unfortunate. I didn’t see any other pieces around earlier. Perhaps we can find them together!”

“Maybe..” Eraqus hoped she was right. “Oh! Alice?” she hummed. “Did you see anyone else around? Two boys about my age. One is wearing a black outfit like mine.”

“I’m afraid I haven’t.” Her face brightened as she had an idea. “My friends might know! I was on my way to see them, you see. We could ask if they’ve seen anyone!” Alice grasped his wrist and began pulling him along down the hallway. 

The hall around them was decidedly weird, the floor and walls slanting every which way. Pieces of furniture even painted into the walls around them.

Alice led him to a door, which opened revealing a second, slightly smaller,  door directly behind it. And another and another until the actual opening of the doorway was about half the size of the full door. Eraqus watched her open the doors with raised eyebrows until finally, the pattern ceased and they ducked through the tiny opening into a similarly bizarre room. 

There was a fireplace on a side wall, a round table with a single chair in the middle of the room, and a small door on the opposite wall. Just like in the hallway, there seemed to be more ‘furniture’ painted into the walls and floor. 

Alice approached the table, picking up one of two bottles that were placed there. She began to bring it to her lips before she stopped and glanced back to Eraqus. “Where we’re headed, we’ll need to be smaller. We’re much too big at the moment.” She offered as if it were an explanation before taking a sip from the bottle and setting it back on the table. 

Eraqus watched, eyes wide, as the already small girl began to shrink in front of him. By the time she stopped shrinking, Eraqus was sure he could hold her in just one hand. She was so small! She had turned to look up at him and he crouched down to see her better. And though her mouth was moving, presumably to speak. Eraqus could only hear faint squeaking. 

“I’m sorry. I can’t understand you, Alice.” He told her. The little Alice stopped ‘speaking’ and put her hands oh her hips. Tapping her foot as if waiting for something- “Oh!” Now he felt a little silly. Watching her shrink had made him completely miss that he should have followed suit. 

Standing again, he took the bottle she’d used and examined it. The contents didn't smell like anything and he’d seen Alice drink it, so it must be safe, right? Eraqus shrugged and brought the bottle to his lips. 

At first it tasted like nothing, just as it smelled. But after a moment, Eraqus could taste so many things at once; sweets like the cake and cookies he liked, mint and lemon like his favorite tea, even the savory broth of the hotpot they enjoyed in winter. So many of his favorites, one after the other. He’d been focusing so much on all the contradictory flavors that when he blinked his eyes open again, he was surprised to see Alice standing in front of him. No longer shrunk to the size of his hand. No, wait. He’d been shrunk too. 

“There we are.” Alice said, smiling up at him before turning. “The garden is this way, I’m sure Mr. Rabbit will be there.” She began walking toward the corner of the room, which was now much farther away due to their smaller stature. But they crossed the distance quick enough, Eraqus walking while distracted by how huge everything looked from down here. 

Through the archway in the corner, they emerged into a garden. Red rose bushes and hedges lining a clearing. An arch of roses framed what appeared to be a throne on the far end of the garden. A few other benches and tables scattered about the otherwise empty clearing. 

Alice stopped and turned to him, “Mister Rabbit’s house is that way.” She pointed down a path to the right. “Mr. Hatter and Mr. Hare live past the forest to the left.”

“Which way should we check first--?” Eraqus began to ask, before his attention was drawn instead toward the archway on their right. Where a white rabbit wearing a little red waistcoat ran into the garden. Alice followed Eraqus' line of sight and her face lit up with recognition.

“Oh, Mr. Rabbit!” She called to him. 

At the sound of his name, the rabbit jumped in shock. “Miss Alice!” He approached them. “So very good to see you, my dear!” He said. 

Pleasantries were exchanged then, Eraqus shaking the rabbits hand before asking him if he’d seen any other new faces around recently. 

“I certainly have not.” Mr. Rabbit answered, shaking his head. But before he got another word in, they were interrupted by what sounded like a strong wind, though the breeze was just as light as it had been since they entered the garden. 

“Eraqus!” 

Turning toward the voice, Eraqus saw a familiar face perched atop the hedge that served as a wall for the garden. Yen Sid jumped down into the garden and ran over to the group. 

“Sid!” Eraqus enveloped his friend in a quick hug, keeping a hand on his shoulder as they parted. “I was looking for you!” 

“Same here. There,” he pointed back toward the hedge he jumped from, “is a maze in there. And it kept changing on me!” 

“Oh, of course it does.” Mr. Rabbit chimed in. “The maze will only allow the Queen, herself, to pass through it.”

“Well isn’t that just lovely.” Sid half murmured to himself. Alice chuckling sweetly. 

“Oh! Sid, this is Alice, she helped me.” Eraqus gestured to the girl, who curtsied with a ‘How do you do?’. “And I’ve just met Mr. Rabbit, here.” Mr. Rabbit nodded. “This is Yen Sid, one of the friends I was looking for.” 

“Nice to meet you both.” Yen Sid said politely before turning back to Eraqus. “Now we just need to find that curious idiot who got us into this mess.” 

Xehanort hadn’t been walking for long after his encounter with the cryptic cat before he once again could sense that he was not alone in this forest. He kept walking, keeping his eyes and ears open. 

He was alert and prepared when it finally happened, allowing him to swiftly dodge out of the way of the shadowy creature that leapt at him from the treeline. Summoning his keyblade, Xehanort fell into his stance and faced his opponent. 

The creature that attacked him skittered on the forest floor. It’s bright yellow eyes darting around before it pounced again. Xehanort slashing through the creature as it neared him, destroying it. 

He couldn’t relax though, as more of the black creatures appeared. Seemingly spawning from the shadows themselves. “The Darkness!” Xehanort realizes. Their Master had spoken of these creatures in their lectures. 

Xehanort continues to fight the Heartless off, the group thinning as they stop spawning around him. He cleaves through the last of the shadows and straightens up, breathing hard and letting his keyblade arm relax at his side. 

Breathing hard after his first actual battle with the Heartless, Xehanort takes a last look around the area before dismissing his keyblade. “Heh, they’re not too bad.” He mused. Not anywhere near as thrilling as sparring with the other apprentices. He remembered Eraqus’ fiery determination in his eyes the last time they’d crossed blades. They’d deemed the results of that match a draw . But Xehanort knew, and would never admit, that, had the match not been timed, Eraqus would have beaten him then. Nevertheless, he still held the most wins against his raven-haired friend. 

Xehanort continued down the forest path, thankful that the scenery looked as if it were beginning to change. Large, colorful trees giving way to what looked to be overgrown blades of grass and flowers. He pressed on with his wandering, calling for Eraqus and Yen Sid as he went. The Heartless appear in small groups every once in a while along his path, Xehanort cutting him down with growing ease. 

Watching from afar as the boy tore through the shadows on his path, the Cheshire Cat finished his rhyme, “Long has paled that sunny sky; echoes fade and memories die”.

The Mysterious Tower didn’t really have a day-night cycle. The stars stayed the same no matter the time. But the guardians had begun waking up after their rest, so deeming the time ‘morning’ fit the best. 

Riku, Mickey  and Goofy were the first to wake, making an early breakfast for themselves and the others. They’d agreed to head to Radiant Garden as soon as they could. So after they dragged the sleepyheads out of bed to eat, they boarded the gummiship and departed. Leaving only the Aqua, Terra, Ven and King Mickey at the tower to watch over things. 

“So, just us today? The kids’ still asleep?” Terra asked as he refilled his glass of orange juice.

“Kids?” Aqua questioned his choice of words.

Terra shrugged. “Sure, what else should we call them?”

“Uhh,” Ven piped up from the other side of the table. “Young Masters? Mini Masters?” He gave a few suggestions. Grinning wide as Aqua and Terra chuckle. 

“They haven’t become masters yet in their memory, Ven. Maybe we shouldn’t mention that.” Mickey reminded him with a laugh. “Should we go wake them for breakfast?” 

“Yea, I’ll go!” Ven stood from his chair to do just that. 

Ventus made quick time up toward the study and to the adjacent room. But other than a third bed having been magically added, the room was empty. There was no sign of the three. Assuming they must be around somewhere, Ven headed back downstairs and through the halls more slowly this time, looking into each room as he went. Returning to the dining area with no luck.

“Something wrong, Ven?” Aqua asked when she saw him enter, noticing the troubled expression on his face. 

Ven scratched the back of his head, “Well uh, I can’t find them?”