Somewhere in the forest, a young fairy sat in a cross-legged position. She kept her eyes shut as she hovered a couple feet above a mossy rock, a gentle breeze blowing through her blue hair. This little fairy's name was Tily.
Focus...relax...focus and relax...
Keeping her powers under control was something Tily often struggled with. She recited her personal mantra to herself, adapting to the ways of patience through which she could properly use her magic...
"Helloooooooooo? Anybody out here?"
Immediately thrown from her meditative state, Tily's wings gave out. Her butt collided with the soft bed of moss below her. Forgetting about what she was just doing, Tily perked up, naturally curious about the noise she just heard.
"Helloooooo?"
It didn't sound like anyone Tily knew. Perhaps it was one of Globox's hundreds of children? Tily leapt down from the rock and began sprinting in the direction of the noise.
It didn't take long for Tily to discover who the voice belonged to. She came to the edge of a deep rut pathway that cut along the forest floor. Walking down the path was Alice, who was looking about, searching for anybody who could possibly answer her calls. Tily ducked behind a tree, unsure of whether or not to approach this strange figure. She had heard about humans and their ways of life, but she had never seen any of them in person before. Unlike the Rabbids, Tily always stayed away from the human world. The last thing she ever wanted was to end up in some laboratory, held against her will by curious coat-wearing individuals desiring nothing more than to poke, probe, and examine every inch of her...just the thought made Tily shudder.
As Alice prepared to call out again, she stopped when she felt the ground vibrate below her. An earthquake? Alice wondered. Whatever it was, it was getting stronger by the second, and with it came a soft rumbling, almost like...dozens of feet, all repeatedly slamming on the ground at the same time. Alice realized the sound was coming from behind her! She turned around and her worst fears were confirmed when she saw dozens of giant creatures stampeding down the path towards her! They resembled pillbugs, but unlike actual pillbugs, these things were big enough to trample her without a second thought.
"Look out!" Alice turned her head to see a winged orange-yellow humanoid creature with blue hair darting towards her. Alice could barely yelp as the creature wrapped her arms around her waist, lifted her up out of the rut, and dropped her down onto the grass above. She looked back down into the rut. The creatures were tearing right through it. She could hardly believe it...just a few seconds ago, she was standing down there. "Pretty close, huh?" Alice looked up at the little creature, who flashed her a grin. "Good thing I came along, or else you'd be trail mix right now!" She giggled.
"Say...you really did save me!" Alice said with a smile, her composure regained. "Thanks!"
"Don't mention it. It was your calling that brought me over here," said the fairy, holding out a hand. "Name's Tily, by the way. It's a pleasure to save you- I mean, meet you...heck, why not both?" She giggled again.
Alice stood up and shook the tittering fairy's hand. "My name's Alice. I'm...kinda lost."
"I had a feeling," remarked Tily, taking a good look at Alice. "Maybe I could help. What brought you down here?"
"Well," said Alice. "I was following one of those big white bunnies because he dropped something, and he went down this hole. I went after him, and...now I'm stuck here."
"Whoa whoa whoa, you got here because you were trying to help a Rabbid?" asked Tily, looking genuinely surprised. "Ooooh, major owie right there. Rule number one around here, don't ever mess with the Rabbids. They're nothing but trouble."
"Aw, they're not that bad," said Alice. "I mean, they can be naughty sometimes...a few of them once tried to steal my tricycle, and another time, one tried to hurt me and daddy...but they're usually really friendly!"
Tily stared at Alice as if she were insane. "Okaaaay..." she said uneasily. "When that one Rabbid comes back to finish you and your family off, don't say I didn't warn you. Speaking of family though, I take it you want to get back home?"
"Yeah, I..." Alice suddenly stopped as she was once again reminded of the true weight of the situation. What if this fairy girl wouldn't be able to help her? What if it was years before she found her way out of this new, strange land? "I...I wanna see Mommy and Daddy again...I'm all alone out here, and I don't like it..." Tears started to form in her eyes. She sniffed. "I just wanna go home..."
Tily was taken aback by the sudden burst of emotion from Alice. The poor girl really was lost, in a world completely unfamiliar to her. "Oh, no...don't cry..." Tily tried to reassure her. She thought quickly about what to say next. "I can help. I'll help you. Where did you enter this world from?"
Alice sniffled again, pointing out in the direction she had been walking from. "A cave that way. I came in through a portal, but it vanished." Alice was almost afraid to ask her next question, but knew she had to. "Will it open up again?"
Tily thought about it for a moment. "Well, those portals are usually one-way," she began. "But I do know one nearby that you can hop through to get back. It's in the mountains that way." She pointed past a pair of very large trees. "And you know what? I'm going to take you there. I'll be with you every step of the way!"
Alice rubbed her nose with her sleeve. "R...really?" she asked, her teary eyes brightening a bit.
Tily let out a happy chuckle. "Oh, you bet, friend! No kid deserves what you're going through right now. We're gonna make this an adventure! You and me!"
Alice's face brightened up even more. Then, in an instant, she sprung forward, wrapping her arms around Tily in a tight hug. "Thank you!" Alice exclaimed tearfully. "Thank you so much! You're a real friend, Tily! The best kind of friend!"
Tily felt a gentle warmth build up inside her. As she returned the gesture, she knew that despite just meeting this girl, they had formed a very special bond. As the embrace ended, Tily felt a sense of determination burning inside her. She pointed upward heroically in the direction of the mountains. "Alright then, let's take you home!" Tily announced with mock dramatic flair. "You're gonna see your family again before the day is over! I'll make darn sure of it!"