"YOU VOLUNTEERED TO DEFEAT THAT DANGEROUS WIGHT KNIGHT?!" Erinn shrieked at the top of her lungs, killing everyone's eardrums, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"I was thinking about justice?" Alice peered out from behind the counter. Damn, Erinn is scary.

Patty came out of the back room, Marine and Iris trailing behind her. Sheila was helping out in the kitchen again; some people had come to eat in the inn.

"Hey, calm down. What's this about?" Patty crossed her arms, trying to placate Erinn's hot fury.

"She volunteered for that wight knight business! She's going to go up against that dangerous knight guy!" Erinn toned it down a little, but it was still clear that she was pissed.

Patty looked at the hiding Alice, and burst out laughing. "I had a feeling you would do that the second I sent you out. Well, how about I loan you my girls, as repayment for helping me out in the Hexagon."

Alice poked her head out, and grinned even wider. "That would be great!"

This seems... interesting.

Alice was slightly startled, but didn't let it show. She knew that voice anywhere, but... it'd been such a long time since she'd last heard from her.

Marine takes in the situation before her, and sighs. It's so typical for Patty to volunteer us for things without our input. Looks like I'm involved in another troublesome situation. She looks at Alice, who is jumping around joyfully (although the real reason she's jumping around is to escape from Erinn). Well, it's not like I can just watch her go off to her death, right?

Patty turned back towards the two, and pointed at them. "Hey! Iris! Go get your guys' stuff! I put it all on the table in your room. While you're at it, get Sheila from the kitchen, will 'ya?"

Iris let out a barely noticeable sigh, and walks back towards the kitchen. Alice scampers over towards Marine, and twirls around her, laughing.

"Alice, what are you doing?" Marine stares waaay down at her, one eyebrow raised. Alice gestured for her to bend down, and Marine complied.

"She looks forward to traveling with you." Alice's voice took on a bone chilling tone, though it was just for that one word. She tilted her head, that happy-go-lucky grin on her face, except now it looked... off somehow.

Marine blinked, Was that just my imagination?

Iris came out wearing her traditional martial arts clothes, and was carrying a set of iron claws, an iron lance, chain mail, and a small leather dress. Trailing behind her was Sheila, who was also wearing some chain mail, and was carrying a long wand with a large red gem in it's hold.

Sheila squealed, "Ooh~! We're going to go on a trip?! It's been such a long time! You guys never let me go anywhere!"

Patty watched her warily, "That's because you always go over the top and end up getting yourself lost somewhere."

"I do not!"

"Yes you do." Marine interjected, Iris nodding in agreement.

Sheila gasped, "Iris, not you too!"

"...I'm afraid it's quite true, Sheila. You have a terrible sense of direction, and it has put us in more dangerous situations than you can likely remember."

Sheila pouted, crossing her arms in protest. Alice stood in the background, giggling at the scene playing out before her. Patty took the dress from Iris, and handed it to Alice.

"I think this should fit you nicely. I had it when I was around your age." Alice was about to snicker at the unlikely statement, but quickly stopped herself before she did so.

Wait a moment, is that a dress? Alice peered closer at it, "...It's lovely!" She spoke more quietly now, "Now, if only I could get my hands on a flower... Oh, but they had them outside the city, did they not?... Yeah, then I guess I'll be getting one when we leave."

If I collect all the necessary items, maybe I can convince her to come back out. She shouldn't be all cooped up like this, it's quite unhealthy. All the more better that we're traveling with these nice girls; maybe she can finally make a friend other than me (I don't even really count, to be honest).

It was at this moment that Alice noticed that everyone was staring at her. Marine voiced up, "Will you stop mumbling? I want to hurry and get this over with."

Alice looked up at her (one of three) taller companion, "Oh, yeah, let's go."

After Alice changed her clothes, the four of them walked out of town, stopping just outside of the town's walls.

Marine pulled out a world map, "Okay, so where are we going to meet up with this knight guy, Alice?...Alice?"

The three of them looked around, and saw Alice crouched over a small field of flowers, mumbling to herself. Marine walked over to her, and leaned over to see what she was doing.

"Alice, stop fooling around." Alice tilted her head way up to look Marine in the eyes.

"Oh, good, it's you, Marine. Which flower do you think is prettier?" Alice shoved two flowers into Marine's face: a pale white orchid, and a blood red amaryllis.

Marine wrinkled her nose, "...Does it really matter?"

"Well, duh! This is a super important decision! On one hand, I think this orchid is exceptionally beautiful; it's so pure and elegant! But on the other hand, this amaryllis is my favorite color, and shows how delicate life is. Don't you think so?"

"...I guess you're right?" Marine didn't really understand what Alice was saying, she just wanted her to make a decision so that they could carry on.

Alice nodded vigorously, "Of course I am!...Yeah, it'll do quite nicely." She delicately places the amaryllis in her hair, and twirls around. "Well, what do you think?"

"You look really cute, Alice!" Sheila clapped, giggling, but then her eyes widened, and she looked closer at Alice. "...Excuse my asking, but have the two of us ever met before? You look really familiar."

What is she talking about...? Alice stared at her, hard. "...I don't think so. Maybe you're mistaking me for somebody else."

Sheila hummed, tilting her head. Alice took this opportunity to swipe Marine's map, and rotated it around a bunch, not knowing how to read a map.

"Anyway, we're supposed to go to Loch Storn. Does anyone know which way it is?" Iris gently took the map away from Alice, and looked at it herself.

"...It looks like Loch Storn is up to the north of here. Shall we go?" Alice suddenly shifted so that she was staring up at the sky, raising her arms out towards it for seemingly no reason.

"Alice... what are you even doing." Marine sighed, slightly annoyed.

"I'm trying to go north, but it's not working. It'd be easier if I had my wings..." Alice mumbled to herself.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing! C'mon, let's get going~!"

The quartet make their way up to Loch Storn, with Marine and Iris closely protecting Sheila, and Alice slicing up all the monsters that came her way. Eventually, the monsters seemed to learned to just stay away from the group if they wanted to live. The three mortals watch Alice skipping around with glee, seeming to enjoy fighting.

Iris leaned in closer to Marine and Sheila, whispering. "Miss Alice is quite skilled at her swordsmanship, isn't she?"

"I know, right? I wonder who taught her, maybe it was her parents? Ooh! Maybe this is a way for her to prove herself to her parents, because they're actually really strict, and want her to lead some kind of hard life; like being an Imperial Knight or something, and she has to go around helping people to show that she can live up to their expectations, because in the end, she actually only wants their approval!" Sheila squealed, getting lost in her own odd fantasies. Iris sighed, and shook her head at her younger friend.

Marine gave a short laugh, "Sheila, that is the most obscure thing I've ever heard... but, y'know, I wouldn't be surprised..."

"What do you mean?"

Alice's cheery voice brought the three of them out of their little world, "Hey! Is this the place? It looks like a nice little clearing~"

Marine looks up, and sees where Alice is pointing. It was a small path that leads into a small clearing that overlooks the river that separates Coffinwell from Stornway.

"Yes, that's it." The four of them make their way into the clearing, and looked around. By now, it was late in the evening, and the sun had already set. Night time was rapidly approaching, but the Wight Knight was nowhere to be seen.

Stella pops out of Alice's pocket, "Well this is just flappin' fantastic! I can't see head nor tail of that Wight Knight guy! He better have not be standing us up!"

Sheila looks over at Alice with wide eyes, "Is that a fairy?!"

"Oh flap! How can you possibly see me?!" Stella freaked out, flailing everywhere.

Alice glanced at Marine and Iris, but they didn't seem to be doing anything. Marine noticed Alice staring at them, and spoke.

"Hm, is Sheila seeing something again? She's been able to see supernatural things ever since the three of us were kids."

"Oh. Well, this is Stella, my... companion of sorts." Alice gestured towards Stella, who made a fabulous pose.

"You can see her, too? Awesome! Now Marine and Iris can't say I'm crazy anymore!" Sheila did a little dance.

"...Why do you have a fairy as a companion, Miss Alice?" Iris questioned, confusion laced in her voice.

"...Oh, uh..." Alice didn't get to finish her sentence, because at that very moment, a loud, but strong, raspy voice rang out from above. The girls look up, and see a knight in black armor riding an almost ghostly looking horse.

"Halt! Who are you lot? You are not my Princess! Give me my darling Mona!" Without even waiting for an explanation, the knight jumped off of the cliff he was on, landing right on Alice.

The petals of the amaryllis scattered everywhere.

... I really like the name of 'Amaryllis'. Maybe I'll use it for something else I've got planned in the future... (but only after I finish this, and my one shots! I refuse to do any more until I'm done, or else I'll get bored of one and pursue the other)