Wonderland Of Confusion [Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories] in Gamer's Gaming

The Road So Far…

Sora, Donald, and Goofy have saved the worlds from the Heartless and their leader, Ansem. In shutting off the door to the darkness, Riku and King Mickey were trapped on the other side but Mickey suggested that there were many doors to the light. After the worlds had reformed and separated themselves once more, the trio set off in search of their missing friends. Along the path, they ran across Pluto who appeared to be carrying a message from the king. They chased Pluto to a large castle. Entering the castle, the trio was met by a mysterious hooded figure who informed the trio that they were now in Castle Oblivion. In the castle, their memories would give form to everything they saw. Donald attempted to use his magic, but nothing happened. The figure told them that they had lost all of the abilities they had learned and would have to relearn them in the castle. Meanwhile, all of their memories would now take the form of cards. The man then tossed them a card that looked like Traverse Town and told them to use it at the nearby door. Sora and company, though reluctant and confused, did as the man said and used the card to open the door. Inside, they found what appeared to be Traverse Town. The man was there, also, and taught Sora the basics of card combat. However, Donald and Goofy had disappeared. The man told Sora that they were also at the mercy of the cards and would only appear when the cards allowed. He then left Sora to fight his way through this twisted version of Traverse Town. Sora made his way through the different areas until he met up with Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, and Cid, his friends and refugees from Hollow Bastion. All of them seemed to say the same thing: they could remember Sora’s name but they could not figure out how they knew him. Aerith suggested that perhaps Sora’s memories were so strong, they were resonating within the hearts of his friends and informing them of things they would not know otherwise. Sora took it a step farther, figuring that if his memories had formed the town, maybe his friends weren’t really there. Sora ended up having to fight the Guard Armor Heartless that he had fought when he first met Donald and Goofy. After the battle, Sora spoke with Aerith, who told him to beware his memories. If the castle was really using them to create his environment, his memories may end up being his undoing. Donald and Goofy called to Sora, worried. Sora told his friends what Aerith had said, but they told him that he had been standing there by himself. Sora was confused, but left through a world exit with Donald and Goofy…only to come upon the hooded figure once more. He asked if the trio had enjoyed catching up with their old friends. Sora and company drew their weapons, but a newcomer appeared from behind. With fiery red, spiky hair and a pair of flame-powered chakrams, the robed man introduced himself as Axel and said that he would be happy to test the hero as he attacked. Sora managed to fight off Axel’s onslaught and was congratulated by Axel for being everything he was told the hero would be. Axel tossed Sora a set of five new world cards and disappeared into a black portal, leaving Sora and company to progress through the castle. Sora saw a card for Wonderland in the group of cards he had received and walked up to the second floor world door to use the card…

Now…

Sora stepped through the door on the second floor of Castle Oblivion and into the middle of the Lotus Forest in Wonderland. Donald and Goofy followed close behind him until Goofy noticed that somebody was coming. The White Rabbit sped up from behind, carrying a large watch, and passed the group without a second glance. He screamed about being late and how the queen was going to roast him for dinner. If he was late for the trial, it was going to be off with HIS head next. Sora called from behind, asking what he meant by “off with his head.” The White Rabbit seemed not to hear the question and moaned, figuring he was never going to make it. The White Rabbit sped off, leaving the trio awfully confused. Off with his HEAD? Donald said that for such a peaceful looking place, it sure sounded dangerous. As the trio headed off into the forest, Sora received the Key of Beginnings map card. As Sora fought through the Heartless in the first room, an odd thing happened. Even though these rooms and worlds were constructed from Sora’s memory supposedly, Sora faced off against two completely new Heartless. The first, called the Creeper Plant, was a tough foe that pushed Sora’s skills to the limit. Even though it was rooted in one place, it used powerful, highly leveled attacks, spitting seeds at Sora and slashing at him with it’s roots. Sora also fought a Heartless called the Crescendo. This Heartless could use it’s honks and other noises to summon more Heartless into battle. Sora managed to defeat the many groups of Heartless in this entrance room, but not without taking a beating himself. Sora managed to defeat all the foes in the room, however, and finally got a chance to explore. Sora noticed that all three doors in the room were covered with vines. Sora hopped up the plants in the room and noticed that one purple plant stood out from all the others. Sora took a chance and attacked the plant, destroying it and the vines covering the doors. Taking a closer look at the doors, Sora noticed that one was a normal door and two had crowns over them. The one to the east side of the room asked for a Key to Truth map card. Knowing that he had more to explore before he would find the required card, Sora made for the west side of the room. This door prompted Sora for his Key of Beginnings card as well as a green map card. Sora had managed to accrue four level 1 Meeting Ground cards, so he used one of them to meet the green map card requirement before offering up his Key of Beginnings card and progressing through the door. Sora found himself in the Queen of Hearts courtyard. The White Rabbit ran up a staircase leading to a platform on the west side of the room whilst, in the middle of the courtyard, Alice stood before the queen as the queen looked down from her bench. Goofy wondered what all the fuss was about. Donald suggested that this must be the trial that the White Rabbit had mentioned in his rambling as he was running by the trio. The White Rabbit blew a horn and asked Alice if she understood the charges against her. Alice was baffled. She had done nothing wrong and had no idea why these charges were being brought against her. The queen seemed to think Alice was feigning ignorance and told her that she was charged with aiding the Heartless that were threatening the kingdom. Alice scoffed and asked where the evidence was that she had done anything wrong. The queen said that the evidence was…well, she forgot. That was the evidence that Alice had stolen the queen’s memory. The White Rabbit explained that they wouldn’t be able to rid the kingdom of Heartless until the queen got her memory back. Alice chastised the queen for being unfair. It wasn’t her fault if the queen couldn’t remember anything. The queen went into a tirade about Alice’s lack of respect and said she might have let Alice go if the girl had apologized right away. Sora decided to make his presence known, asking who really was acting with complete disrespect here and ran up to help Alice. Meanwhile, the queen came to a verdict: decapitation for Alice. Sora yelled at the queen to wait. The trial was a farce and a more thorough investigation needed to be done before innocent people were arrested. The queen asked how Sora could dare to suggest that Alice wasn’t guilty of stealing her memory. If Alice wasn’t the culprit, then who was? Sora seemed stumped by the question. The queen told him to speak or it was off with all of their heads. Sora could not remember, but instead of letting Alice take the blame, Sora yelled out that he was the thief. Both the queen and Alice were stunned at this turn of events. Even Donald and Goofy had no idea what Sora was thinking about. Sora asked them what else he was supposed to say. After all, the world was constructed from his memories and he couldn’t just let Alice take the blame for it. Donald told Sora how screwy this was, but couldn’t get another word out as the queen ordered her card soldiers to seize Sora. The card soldiers attacked Sora in an attempt to arrest and execute him. Wave after wave of card soldiers rushed the field and did their best to take Sora out, but Sora managed to fight them off, standing tall above his foes and won a Card Soldier enemy card. Sora breathed a sigh of relief after the battle, but Donald let out a loud squawk, asking where Alice had disappeared to. The trio looked around, but Alice was nowhere to be seen. Goofy suggested that maybe she had escaped. The queen said that maybe SHE had, but THEY would not. More card soldiers swarmed the courtyard. Realizing they were too far outnumbered, Sora told Donald and Goofy that it was time to run for it! The trio dashed off with the card soldiers hot on their heels. As they exited the courtyard, Sora found a Key of Guidance map card in his pocket and decided it was time for them to find the room where they could use it. Sora decided it was time to head north. The door here prompted Sora for a level 1 or higher card. Sora still had three level 1 Meeting Ground cards, the most of any of his level one cards, so he took one out and used it to open the door and move on further into Wonderland.

Sora fought his way through all the Heartless in that room and made his way west once more. The door asked for a level 2 or higher map card. The only level 2 card Sora had multiple copies of was a Feeble Darkness card, which Sora gave up and made his way into the next room. The Heartless in this room were weaker than the average Wonderland Heartless, making for easier battles for Sora. Sora fought through his weakened foes and made his way to the door in the northern part of the room, which was adorned with a crown. The door prompted Sora to give up cards totaling fifteen levels and his Key to Guidance card. Sora supplied the necessary cards and the door opened, bringing the trio out to another part of the Lotus Forest. In this new room, Sora and company found Alice. Sora breathed a sigh of relief and apologized for how crazy things had gotten in the courtyard, but he was happy to see that Alice was okay. Alice told Sora that she didn’t mean to be ungrateful, but was it true that he was the thief? Sora told her that he wasn’t. After all, why would he want to steal the queen’s memory. Goofy said that Sora had only said he was the thief to help save… Donald cut him off, however, and said that Sora was just showing off. Sora just crossed his arms and pretended Donald wasn’t even there. In any case, Alice thanked Sora for saving her. Just then, the Cheshire Cat appeared out of nowhere, like an RKO. Cheshire asked if Alice was feeling better after her escape. He warned Alice and company that they weren’t safe yet. The Cat disappeared and reappeared on a flower nearby. Cheshire told the group that the queen wouldn’t forget them until she remembered everything. Sora figured it was best to just stay away from the queen, but Jiminy reminded Sora that if the queen caught Alice again, it would be off with- well, Sora knew. Sora sighed and suggested that they should do something about the queen. Cheshire replied that it wouldn’t be so easy. If one worked too hard, trying to remember something, their own memory might lie to them. Sora seemed confused that his memory would lie, but Cheshire said that Sora would need to figure out the rest for himself. As Cheshire disappeared and the group left the room, Sora received the Key to Truth map card that he needed back in the first room. Sora returned to the Lotus Forest in the room to the immediate east of the room he came from. Sora turned back to the south and proceeded back to the room he originally entered upon arriving in Wonderland. To the east side of the room, Sora once again found the crown adorned door and walked up to it. The door asked for a red map card and the Key to Truth map card. Sora gave up both and walked on through the doorway, into the room.

Sora and company arrived in the Bizarre Room, where everything was giant sized!. Goofy asked what was up with the change in scenery. Alice suggested that they look around the room. Alice walked forward, away from the group. The group didn’t notice anything going on until Alice yelped. A group of card soldiers had appeared in front of her, standing guard in front of the Queen of Hearts. The queen had found them and decided it was time to sentence them. As she tried to confer a sentence on them, though, a sharp pain in her head rattled her. The queen put her hands to her head before dropping them down and asking what was going on. The queen had forgotten where she was or what she was doing. The group stood back, wondering what was going on with the queen. Goofy suggested that maybe somebody had swiped her memory again. Suddenly, Alice screamed out that something was coming. Suddenly, the Trickmaster, leader of the Heartless in Wonderland, dropped from the ceiling and attacked the group. Sora assumed that the Trickmaster had stolen the queen’s memory. The Trickmaster attacked Sora with his flaming juggling sticks, a wave of flame that spread out from his feet when he landed after a jump, and shot fireballs at Sora all around the room, but Sora persisted in his attack and managed to fell the giant Heartless once more, rewarding him with the Trickmaster enemy card. The queen yelled to Sora after the battle, asking where that giant creature had come from. Sora asked how they could possibly know that. The queen took the group’s confusion as a refusal to answer and ordered her guards to seize the group immediately. The cards got ready to attack, but Alice, thinking quickly, told the queen that it was the queen who ordered the group to find and destroy the Heartless. Sora was confused, but Alice continued, telling the queen that, in her prudence, she didn’t trust the group at first, so they had fought the Heartless to prove themselves to the queen. Sora, a little slow at times, didn’t have a clue what Alice was talking about, but managed to catch up to Alice’s plan in a knick of time and agreed that the queen had commanded them to fight the creatures. The queen couldn’t remember doing that, but she said that of course she had, in an effort to save face. With that, the queen and her card soldiers turned and walked away. Sora commended Alice and said that he never would have thought to trick the queen like that, but Alice said that the Cheshire Cat had suggested they do it. “Try too hard to remember and your memory might lie to you.” Since the queen would never admit that she forgot anything, she chose to remember something that had never happened. Sora figured Alice would be safe now and so would Wonderland, as they had managed to clear out the Heartless. With a job well done, Sora and company arrived in the Conqueror’s Respite room. Sora took the opportunity to get his bearings and check on his deck before leaving Wonderland and making his way back into the halls of Castle Oblivion.

As the door to Wonderland closed behind them, Goofy paused and looked contemplative. Donald turned and asked him what was the matter. It was the creepy castle that Goofy had mentioned earlier. He knew he hadn’t imagined it, because that was where Sora had needed to use the Keyblade to free Kairi’s heart. Sora had just disappeared and Goofy had been really worried about him. Goofy asked how he could ever forget that. Sora remembered that was when he had become a Heartless. Sora seemed confused, though, and didn’t remember that happening in a castle. Donald mocked him for forgetting it and said he remembered it perfectly. Sora asked Donald, if he remembered it so perfectly, what was the castle called. Donald was stumped, so he decided to ask Jiminy to check his journal to see what the castle was called. Jiminy told him that he had finished that volume just before they had reached Castle Oblivion. When Jiminy checked his journal, however, he was stunned to find that all of his entries were gone and all the pages were blanked. Jiminy couldn’t understand how all of that hard work could just disappear and broke down into tears. Sora wondered what was going on in this castle as he made his way up to the third floor. Meanwhile, in another part of the castle, the blonde girl from before continued to draw in her sketchbook. Before the camera could see what she was drawing, however, the scene switched back to Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who had arrived at the third floor landing. Donald said that something screwy was going on. Journal pages didn’t just vanish. Sora wondered if, perhaps, something more was going on. He wondered if maybe more things were disappearing. For instance, the castle that Goofy was talking about. They knew what had happened, but they couldn’t quite remember the castle itself or what it was called. Sora wondered if maybe they were losing their memories as well. Jiminy figured that was what the hooded man had meant when he said that by losing, they would find something, but to find something, they would have to lose more. Sora agreed. If they continued on, they would lose more and more of their memories. Donald wondered if that meant that everything and everybody would be forgotten. Sora worried that he would forget Riku and Kairi also. Donald asked if Sora wanted to go back, but Goofy reassured them both that, no matter what places or experiences they may forget, they would never forget who their friends were. Donald wasn’t so sure, but Goofy asked Sora if, when he became a Heartless, he forgot the two of them. Sora said of course he hadn’t. Goofy figured that was proof enough that, no matter what they may forget, they would never forget their friends. Sora smiled and seemed reassured. Donald figured that if there was nothing that could make them forget their friends, they had nothing to fear. As Donald walked on towards the third floor door, Sora got a mischievous smile on his face and asked Donald who it was who, when Sora had become a Heartless, had taken forever to notice that it was Sora and kept clobbering him. Donald froze in place and spun around, asking Sora why it was he hadn’t forgotten about that. The trio had a good laugh before settling down and approaching the third floor door. Sora figured this would be a good place to use his Olympus Coliseum world card, so he removed it from his pocket and held it up to the door, opening the portal to another world and another adventure.