6

As the two frequent travelers made their way to the Kingdom of Hearts, Alice was very glad that it was not nearing nighttime; she'd had enough camping trips with the psychotic knight to know that that was a bad idea.

Hey, wait, are we even going the right way? thought Alice as she noticed that they had crossed the same bush four times.

"Ace?"

"Yes, Alice?" he asked.

"You tricked me, didn't you?" she asked, sighing. Seeing him nod, she added "Why? Haven't you got whatever you asked me for?"

"Just keep walking" he said mysteriously.

Moments later, they arrived at the grand front gates of the palace, and were welcomed in by numerous faceless servants. They walked on, to a place Alice recognized.

"The queen's court?" she said, surprised. Ignoring her, he opened the doors and pulled her by the hand inside.

"Wait. So you tricked me…about tricking me?" she asked wearily. "Why?"

"I don't know. It was fun to watch your anxious expression while you thought of all the things you thought I'd do to you…" he said with a smile. "G'bye Alice! Come camping with me again!" he said, ducking to avoid Alice's punch.

"Welcome. We have been waiting for you for a long time" said Vivaldi as she saw Alice.

"Alice!" Alice heard his voice first, and before she could react, she crashed to the ground. She got up and dusted herself off, feeling the queen's stare upon her.

"Sir Peter. You will go back to your work now. We will be with Alice today" she said in a cold voice.

"Alice! You can come to my room later!" he called enthusiastically and disappeared.

--

They sat in the queen's room, among dozens of plush animals.

"Alice, tell us, how do you like the palace?" Vivaldi asked, while a faceless maid poured them tea.

"Oh, the castle is very beautiful" Alice said, smiling and thanking the maid.

"Then why don't you move here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "We're sure Sir Peter and that knight would be very pleased. We would also be pleased, since you are so cute. After all, we adore cute things" she said, playing with a green frog toy.

"I'm sorry, but I like living at the clock tower" she said.

"We will give you your own house. And a large allowance" Vivaldi said.

"No thank you" said Alice, trying to be as polite as possible. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course" she said.

"Are you sure you won't mind?"

"No, we will not mind."

"Okay…I was wondering, what's your relationship with Blood Dupre?" she asked tentatively.

"We are enemies. You have heard, I assume, that we are in a power struggle?" she said quickly.

"But-but- I saw you in a rose garden with him" she said, surprised at her own daring.

"Ah, that…we were simply discussing land negotiations with the hatter" she said, and her tone indicated that the topic would not be brought up again.

What kind of land negotiation meeting involves them presenting each other roses?

No, I am not going to thin about that vile, cruel, evil person.

--

Soon, night approached and once again, Vivaldi insisted that Alice stay at the castle till the morning.

A servant led Alice to the room she stayed in last time, and she got ready to sleep when there was a knock at her door.

"Peter, what are you doing here?" she asked disgustedly.

"I was wondering whether I could—"

"NO! Definitely not!" she shouted.

"Not even when I'm in this form?" he asked, after a small flash of light. Alice looked at his cute rabbit form, and could be seen visibly struggling.

'Umm…" she said.

Resist the cuteness, resist the cuteness, resist the cuteness, resist the cuteness.

But the chant proved ineffective, and soon, Peter sat on her bed and watched her with big eyes.

"Alice?" he said once Alice had settled down.

"Yes?"
"Alice, do you love me now?" he asked hopefully.

"No…not at all, why?" she asked, dreading the discussion.

"But you have to love me!" he said frantically. "If you didn't, I wouldn't have been able to bring you here."

"But Ace brought me to the castle" Alice mumbled, half asleep.

"I meant to this country" he said, sighing. But she was asleep.

--

Alice awoke about two hours later, to find herself breathing heavily. Why? Because Peter was in his human form and half on top of her. She quickly gathered her things, and made a run for it.

She was in the garden, when she bumped into a tall figure. After getting up, she realized who it was.

"Hi, Alice! Where are you off to so late at night?" said the psychotic knight with a smile.

"Escaping from Peter" she mumbled.

"Oh? I was under the impression that you invited him to spend the night in your room."

"How did you know that?" asked Alice, mystified.

"Secret."

After deciding that she didn't care how Ace knew, she asked "Where are you going?"

"Same place you are. Will you help me get there?" he asked.

"How is that you get lost every time?" Alice asked, sighing.

"As I said, it helps me meet nice people like you, and that rabbit. Also, I can be with Alice for a night." He paused to smirk, probably reminiscing last time's camping trip. Then he continued. "Speaking of which, we'll have to stop for the night" he said, when they'd reached a scary-looking part of the forest.

Oh no, another camping trip?

Ace magically pulled out his tent from nowhere and set to work putting it up.

"You know, I always seem to end up camping with you" said Alice, half amused and half annoyed.

"Well, I guess life is one long, perpetual camping trip."

--

Well, that was it! It's over! Thanks for reading, and review, as always.

But don't fret, my dears. I've got another story up my sleeve…hehehe

Bye-bye, everyone!