Wonderland Gambler III

"Wonderland Gambler III" is the twenty-first chapter of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.
== Synopsis ==
Axel watches Xion and decides he wants to know more about her.
Roxas and Luxord travel through the Lotus Forest in Wonderland when Roxas notes they never found the White Rabbit. Still upset about his humiliation, Luxord suggests they focus on finding their targets and completing their objectives. Roxas wonders what a shadow glob is and Luxord explains they are a result of shadow buildup that makes it difficult to collect hearts. Though Roxas says he hasn't seen anything, Luxord suggests they may be indoors as they happen across the White Rabbit's house.
Inside, Roxas wonders if they should be entering without permission though Luxord reassures it'll be fine as long as they leave everything the way it was. Roxas, however, bumps into a tray of cookies, dropping a few onto the floor. He suggests that Luxord eat one as they've changed size every time they ate or drank something. Luxord takes a bite, but only grows an inch taller when the White Rabbit shouts for his maid. Roxas, unable to hide quickly, disguises himself as the maid though the White Rabbit has him and Luxord imprisoned.
At the Queen's Court, the Queen of Hearts dismisses the intruders and sentences the White Rabbit to be beheaded for missing the dedication to her new castle, which Luxord notes is made up entirely of shadow globs. The Queen of Hearts begins a game of croquet with flamingos and hedgehogs though the Card Guards ensure she always wins, despite never hitting the ball. Luxord spots the key and rushes over to grab it, but is mistaken for a hedgehog. He jumps to attack her, but the Queen of Hearts unknowingly hits Luxord into the Lotus Forest. The Cheshire Cat appears beside Roxas and asks if he needs help getting out. Roxas, surprised, agrees but the Cheshire Cat throws a hedgehog at the Queen and disappears. Angered, the Queen of Hearts sentences Roxas to be beheaded and the Card Guards place him in a guillotine. The Cheshire Cat warns that the shadows can't hold the darkness anymore when Crimson Pranksters and Pink Concertos, having been attracted to the globs, appear in the court.
Roxas manages to break free and defeat several Heartless though is surprised to see so many. At that moment, Luxord, having grown to a monstrous size, intercepts the Heartless and rounds them up for Roxas to collect the hearts. Despite the Queen of Hearts' protests, Luxord crushes the castle. As the Card Guards approach him, he rounds them up and warns the Queen of Hearts not to overplay her hand lest she loses her royal subjects. She begins to cry and Luxord uses the Card Guards to make a new castle, declaring he can't stand the sight of a woman in tears. As he and Roxas leave, the Cheshire Cat notes that the Queen of Hearts has lost her heart to a man with no heart.
As they return to the castle, Luxord congratulates Roxas for following the White Rabbit and though Roxas claims it was just a coincidence, he tells him that curiosity can carve a path through life, but can also lead to one's downfall. Meanwhile, Axel explores Vexen's lab in Castle Oblivion when he comes across a journal titled "The Truth about Naminé." As Roxas and Luxord return to the castle, Saïx orders them to return to Wonderland and not to come back until Luxord has returned to his normal size.
== Worlds and characters ==
The WorldThat Never Was	Wonderland	Wonderland	Castle Oblivion
;Organization XIII
* Axel
* Xion
* Saïx	
;Organization XIII
* Roxas
* Luxord
;Residents
* White Rabbit
* Card Guards
* Queen of Hearts
* Cheshire Cat	
;Heartless
* Shadow Globs
* Crimson Pranksters (x2)
* Pink Concertos (multiple)	
== Production notes ==
=== Series continuity ===
* Axel and Saïx finish their conversation from "Broken".
* Xion is still in a coma, after falling in one in "The Wrong Buttons".
* Roxas and Luxord are still on the mission that Saïx assigned them in "Broken".
=== Differences from the video game ===
* In the video game, Saïx doesn't tell Axel to check Vexen's lab if he wants to learn the truth about her. Instead, he tells him that Xion doesn't deserve to be among them, but refuses to elaborate. Following the encounter, Axel learns about Xion's memories of Sora during a three-man mission and takes it upon himself to search for the truth on Day 194.
=== Goofs ===
* All of the Card Guards appear as hearts when the Queen of Hearts should have diamonds, clubs, and spades as well.
=== Trivia ===
* This is the sixth chapter where Twilight Town isn't visited.
* The vultures, owl, pencil birds, flamingos, and hedgehogs appear along with a sign advertising "Don't step on the mome raths" referencing the 1951 film, Alice in Wonderland.
* The Organization XIII Moogle appears in a non-canonical role where he warns the readers not to follow Roxas and Luxord's example of breaking and entering.
Category:A to Z
Category:Chapters
Category:Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days chapters
Category:Real world