Chapter Text
Goro was used to being in strange places. The Metaverse started with the unnerving train tunnels of Mementos and branched off into countless fantastical Palaces, each only limited by the imagination and rationality of whichever mind formed it. So waking up in a cavern-like room with playing cards jutting out of the checkered floor and the walls adorned with melted-looking clocks was hardly worth fussing about.
What bothered him was the fact that he couldn't remember how he got there. He couldn't even guess that he might have fallen from one dimension of the Metaverse into another, because he didn't know if he was in the Metaverse now and couldn't recall if he was there when whatever it was that happened, happened. If that sounds confusing, just imagine how frustrated Goro was at not having the memories to make it any less confusing.
What he did know was that the floor was hard and a little cold, not at all good for lying on, so he stood up.
He also noted that he was not wearing his school uniform nor either of his magical costumes, but a blue dress with a white pinafore. Though not something he would have picked if he'd had any choice in the matter, Goro decided to be positive about having clothes at all. And if he hadn't been wearing these silly stockings with blue and white stripes, he suspected he would have woken up more cold than he already was, so that was... vaguely comforting.
The next observable fact was that the room had an exit, and beside it a young man with fluffy black hair was crouched, just watching him. The style of his clothing was a relaxed sort of sophisticated, enviably not a dress, with the most remarkable detail being his bright red gloves. Seeing that Goro had noticed him, the young man smiled and said, "Good morning, Alice."
"Do I look like an Alice?" Goro demanded sourly. "Wait, don't answer that." He suspected that his slightly long hairstyle, combined with the dress, might make the answer a yes. "You may call me Akechi."
The young man's smile didn't falter. "You may call me Joker," he shot back cheerfully. "And you look like a very pretty guy, not a girl if that's what you were worried about. I have nothing against guys in dresses."
"It's a good thing I don't either, since I didn't choose to be one," Goro muttered to himself between gritted teeth. "So then why did you call me Alice?"
"Because you're Alice," Joker said matter-of-factly.
Goro gave him a blank look, then decided this was a waste of his time. "I don't know why I expected someone named Joker to be serious. Good day to you." He stomped irritably past Joker to the exit, unobstructed.
He stepped out into a forest, filled with scrawny trees and chill mist. While there had been only one way to leave the cave, he now could go practically any direction he wished and there was nothing to indicate which was better. He calmed his feelings of insecurity by reminding himself that sitting around the cave mouth just waiting would get him nowhere, and set forth into the gloomy woods.
He didn't make it far before the faint path he was following split into a complex crossroads. Far from being unmarked, there were signboards nailed to posts and the trees themselves pointing every which way, without so much as a single letter to tell them apart.
Just as Goro was wondering what to do next, a creature with a big round head dropped from one of the trees, exclaiming, "Alice!" enthusiastically. Goro took a step back in surprise before realizing that it was patterned like a tuxedo cat. This made him just a bit less disturbed when it launched itself at his leg and... hugged him?
"Not another one," he groaned. "Let go of me, cat."
"I'm not a cat!" the creature protested loudly. "I am Morgana!"
"Well I'm not Alice, so as long as you insist on calling me that I can call you whatever I want," Goro retorted.
Morgana made a growly sort of groan as it finally let go of Goro's leg. "Fine, I won't call you by your role when talking to you."
"My... role? What?"
A new voice cut in. "Your role in the story is Alice, the protagonist. Morgana's role is the Cheshire Cat, and you've seen how he reacts to being called a cat." A young woman was walking out of the misty forest toward them. Her hair was shorter than Goro's and a deeper brown, and her red eyes weren't as dark as his. She wore a fancy, antiquated-looking top hat and matching suit.
Morgana nodded. "That's right, so I totally understand. I won't address you as Alice if it bothers you."
"Good to see you again, Akechi," said the young woman, bowing politely to him.
"...Again?" Goro repeated suspiciously.
"Ah, you don't remember me. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised... I'm Makoto, the Hatter. Welcome to Wonderland. You must have a lot of questions, but I'm afraid I won't be able to explain much. The Rules forbid all inhabitants of Wonderland from leaving, so any discussion of what's beyond, while not outright banned, is highly frowned upon. It also tends to draw unwanted attention."
Goro narrowed his eyes at her. "Beyond... Am I from 'beyond'?"
Makoto didn't answer, instead giving him a polite but distant smile.
"Are you from 'beyond' too?"
She just kept smiling.
"How about this... Morgana?"
"I'm a native resident of Wonderland," the creature responded for himself, sounding ever so slightly offended.
"Makes sense," Goro muttered. "Oh, what about Joker? Do you know Joker? Is he-?"
From behind Goro, in the direction of the cave, the man in question cheerfully piped up, "I left Wonderland once, but I got caught." Another native, then.
Makoto rolled her eyes as he strolled over to join their group. "Yes, Joker's a real criminal," she said dryly. "He'd happily tell you all about it, Rules or no Rules, but he doesn't remember a thing. The punishment was losing his role and memories."
Joker grinned as if losing one's memories wasn't that big a deal. "Is it really a punishment to have no role, though? You people with roles have so many responsiblities. What a hassle."
"Speaking of which..." Makoto took a pocket watch out of her waistcoat, looked at it, and sighed. "I have a Tea Party to host soon, so anyone who wants to continue this conversation will have to accompany me."
Morgana eagerly stood up straighter, his tail going rigid. "I can lead the way!"
"By all means. The Lost Woods are not exactly a piece of cake for anyone else to navigate." Makoto put her pocket watch away and added, for Goro's sake, "The duty of the Cheshire Cat is to guide Alice through Wonderland. He's very happy you're here to fill the role, because there wasn't anything else for him to do."
Morgana trotted off into the woods and Makoto followed.
Goro watched for a moment, feeling baffled. "If you won't answer my questions, why should I keep talking to you?"
Makoto paused and glanced back at him, but it was Joker who replied. "She wants to help you, she just has to go about it in a round-about way so she doesn't get in trouble for it."
Goro thought about how she hadn't said a word when he asked whether either of them were from 'beyond', yet still managed to convey what he thought was confirmation. Morgana and Joker certainly had no issue telling him where they were from, after all. Perhaps he could learn some things, even if it took a ton of effort and guesswork.
Having made his choice, he started moving. Makoto waited for him to catch up, then walked alongside him as they followed Morgana. And Joker tagged along behind.