I DO NOT OWN ANY PLOT OF PRINCESS MONONOKE OR BAKUGAN BATTLE BRAWLERS. ALL RIGHT GO TO THE OWNERS OF EACH ANIME ITEMS!

Chapter 3

Third Person POV

Alice sat up with a start. She looked at the arrowhead again to remind her yesterday wasn't a dream. But she had a feeling her nightmare wasn't a dream either.

"Alice?" Hydranoid called.

"Hydranoid," she responded.

"Are you okay, Alice?" asked Hydranoid. "You are as pale as a ghost."

"Just a nightmare. But I feel like it wasn't…" she muttered the last part.

A knock came at her door. She had forgotten she was staying at Marucho's. "Yes?" she called as she got up.

"Good morning, Miss Alice. Master Marucho wanted me to tell you that breakfast is ready," Kato, Marucho's butler, said through the door.

"Uh, thank you. I'll be right down," she replied.

She got dressed and went down stairs. She was sure to hide the arrowhead. "Hey Alice," Julie greeted.

"Uh, hi," she responded.

"Alice, are you okay? You seem a bit, I don't know, worried," Mira mentioned.

Alice could feel the wolves send comforting feelings and it was helping. "It's nothing," she said.

Ace, Mira, Marucho, Julie, Runo, and their bakugan looked at unsure. To release the tension, Marucho said, "Why don't we eat?"

Alice nodded thankful for the change of topic. There was a conversation here and there but it was otherwise quiet. 'I wish I could tell them,' Alice thought.

"So Alice, what did those wolves and that boy want to talk to you about?" Runo asked.

Alice nearly jumped at the sound of her voice. "Um, they just wanted to tell me I was welcomed in their land for… reasons," she trailed off.

"Like what? What makes you so special?" Ace asked.

"They said they saw I had a good heart. They liked that I had a good heart and said a good heart is welcomed there," Alice explained with a half lie.

Mira looked at noticed a rope hanging around her neck. "Alice, what's on your neck?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," she lied.

Runo looked at her. "Since when do you lie, Alice?" she asked.

Alice looked at her. "I have got to go," she said calmly. She got up and left before anyone could say anything.

"Are you okay, Alice?" Hydranoid asked.

"No, I'm not. I don't like lying to my friends but Wolf God Moro has entrusted me with the secret arrowhead. I can't let her down. It's just… I hate lying to my friends," she answered.

"We'll figure it out," Hydranoid comforted. Alice nodded. "Alice, what was that nightmare?"

"It was like I was seeing the wolves. People were attacking these boars and one of them began to grow this slime on it. The next thing I know Moro had to kill it. They said he was turning into a demon," Alice explained.

"You think it really happened?" Hydranoid asked.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Alice replied.

. . . .

She walked to the edge of town until she arrived at the forest entrance. "Are you certain this is a good idea Alice?" Hydranoid asked.

Alice nodded. "They said they would be there for me. They have already sent comforting feelings to me through the arrowhead. I at least want to see Prince Seishin again. See if he trusts me with his real name," she explained. She began to walk in.

. . . .

Shun was tending to a small cut he got during the battle. It was from a branch so it wouldn't hurt him. It may have been small but it was also deep.

Moro walked in as Shun finished with the bandage. "Are you okay, my son?" Moro asked.

"Yes. I just got a scratch. Are you okay? You sound a bit weak," he replied.

"I was shot but the demon has not taken hold yet. I will most likely die before I become a demon," she informed him.

"Mother!" he exclaimed shocked.

"You, Klyn, and Mana are the last heirs of the Wolf Clan. The Boar Tribe is dwindling in numbers and they are preparing for an assault. When I pass it will be up to the three of you to take care of the Wolf Clan," Moro responded.

"Mother…" he trailed off. They suddenly turned towards the forest. "She is here," Shun said.

"Yes, let's go meet her," Moro said.

Shun hopped onto Moro and they took off. Alice walked a bit further into the deep woods.

. . . .

Runo, Julie, Ace, and Mira had gone to find Alice while Marucho contacted Dan. He was already looked around. They met at the park.

"You know there is one place we haven't checked," Drago mentioned.

"Where's that?" Dan asked.

"That wolf forest," Percival said.

"Why would she go there?" Julie asked.

"They're right. Alice did say the wolves said she was welcome there before she left. She obviously is hiding something. I say we go try to catch her before she gets eaten," Ace suggested.

"Totally," Dan agreed quickly followed by the others.

They ran off as fast as they could. Before they knew it they had entered the forest and were seeing Alice at a distance.

Alice was walking up the path. She heard a howl coming near and the others watched as the larger wolf and boy appeared out of nowhere. Dan and the others immediately hid ready to help.

"Hey," the boy greeted.

"Hello," she greeted. The group watching were in shocked at her fearlessness around them. It was like she had grown used to them.

"Hello, little one," the wolf greeted.

"Hello, Wolf God Moro," Alice said.

"Just call me Moro, child," Moro responded.

"Okay, Moro," she said.

"Come on up," the boy said holding out a hand.

Alice grabbed it and he pulled her up and behind him. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"We're heading to our den. Safest place to be," the boy answered.

The wolf darted off and the others followed the trail it left. "Why does Alice trust them so easily?" Runo asked. "It doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know but we have to get her out of there," Dan said.

"I agree. There is no telling what that wolf will do to her and Hydranoid," Dragon agreed.

They continued to follow the tracks until they came to a rocky hill side. They looked around.

"Up there," Julie said pointing to a cliff where two wolves were watching as the bigger wolf, Alice, and the boy were heading up.

The group began their climb up the hillside. Dan watch as all three wolves followed the boy and Alice in.