Sorry I didn't update last week. School cancelled a bunch of times over the last two weeks, so my exams were stretched out.
"Nn? Why'd you stop, Marine?" Alice's voice jolts Marine out of her thoughts, and she looks at the child in front of her warily.
"Oh, it's... nothing. I just found some little wings tattooed on the back of your neck-" Marine was cut off by Alice slapping her hand over the back of her neck, standing up, and hopping around excitedly.
"Really?! I do!? I can't believe it's still there...! This is so fantastic!" Alice's little cheer fest is interrupted by Alice tripping over an extra bar of soap and smacking her forehead against the cold unforgiving floor. Marine stares at her for just a few moments, before scrambling to her feet to aid her fallen comrade. No need to worry, though, since Alice popped right back up, burst out of the bathroom (into the bedroom), and started rolling all over the carpeted floor.
"...Miss Alice, you're getting water all over the room." Iris raised an eyebrow at the show in front of her, having shielded Sheila's eyes (for what reason, nobody knows. They're all girls, after all).
"But this is so greaaaat~!" Alice squealed, "My wings are still there, even though they're not there!"
"That makes absolutely no sense at all." Marine face palmed, and took out the nightgown that Erinn had packed for Alice.
"It doesn't need to! It's our symbol! Very important!" Alice threw her arms up so that Marine could slip her nightgown on, and once that was finished, she slumped into one of the beds. "I'm sleepy! G'night!"
Not even five minutes later, soft snoring could be heard from the ever-so-cheery girl.
The two older girls shook their heads, and went to bed. Sheila stood there, alone, wondering what had happened.
The tattoo wasn't a common feature for any Celestrian. In fact, Alice is the only one with it, but she doesn't mind.
After all, it was a sign of their bond. The bond that would last until the end of time.
Alice would make sure of it.
When Marine and the others woke up, Alice wasn't in her bed. Her ruined dress was still there, so it was safe to assume that she was still in her nightgown, and within Zere. Who would go fighting in a NIGHTGOWN?
Marine hurriedly gets dressed, and rushes out of the inn. It's not much of a wonder as to where Alice went; just follow the laughter of the children. Birds of a feather flock together, Marine hoped. She jogs over near the church, and sure enough, Alice is running around with a couple of little girls, seeming to be playing tag. Of course, since the nightgown is too big for her, Alice would often trip and fall, making her nightgown get increasingly dirtier.
Marine stands around for a few minutes, and notices the nearby town shop. She vaguely remembers the measurements of that dress Patty gave to Alice, and approaches the salesman, who happened to be the shop owner's teenage son. He leaned on the counter as Marine got closer, a smirk gracing his face. Marine could already tell she wouldn't like this.
"Hello, I need something small, but durable." The teen raised an eyebrow at her.
"...We have female underwear?" Marine's face went scarlet. How dare this moron think she was talking about CLOTHES!
"No, you idiot! I'm talking about armor!" She didn't need to say anymore, because Alice hopped up to them, appearing out of nowhere. Marine assumed she got bored of tag.
"Ooh, what'cha doing, Marine? Shopping? That sounds FUN!" Alice clapped her hands together, making all the former would-be tension disappear. Marine smiles, and holds Alice up to the shop boy.
"Yeah, I specifically need the armor for this kid. Not a dress either, those don't seem to hold out too well." Alice pouted.
"Aww, but I like dresses..." The boy frowned at the thought of the little girl going into battle, but he turned back to his merchandise, and returned a few minutes later, holding up a weird leather garment of some kind, that had a dark green cape attached to it. Alice instantly fell in love with it, if only for the fact that capes are cool as shit. She made the grabby hands for it, and Marine knew that she would not be leaving without it. She sighed, payed for it, and took Alice back to the inn to regroup and have Alice change.
"You look cute in that, Alice!" Sheila squealed, spinning Alice in circles as they walked to 'Petra's' house. It seemed that the old maid, Alanna, went there to spend time with her old friend, Petra. Petra's old husk of a husband was standing outside the house, just hanging around the stream that led from the large tree that covered practically all of Zere, to the ocean. He also had a cool looking dog that Alice immediately gravitated towards, riding the dog around like a horsey.
"Hey, little girl! You should be careful, that dog is known for biting... Oh well, she seems to be fine." The old man waves his hand at Alice, and turns to the three girls. "Do you need something?"
"We're looking for Alanna?"
"Oh, she's inside the house with Petra. They won't let me back in during their visits." He sighed, but pointed to the lone house by the woods. Marine thanked him, and thought about calling Alice over... but Alice looked positively overjoyed to be playing with the dog, so she decided against it, and the three girls went in on their own.
(One annoying talk with old people later)
Marine limped her way out of the house. The old ladies' tone deaf singing actually injured her legs somehow. Sheila was quietly whimpering, but Iris seemed fine. They walk over to Alice, who is now just lying face-down into the grass, and Marine nudges her in the side with her foot.
"Alice, stop napping. We're leaving." Marine sighs as Alice struggles to flip over, and sticks her arms straight out.
"Carry me!"
"What? Why? Did that dog beat you up?" Marine looked the girl over carefully, while Sheila looked around for the possible murder suspect. Alice shook her head, and grinned.
"No~ That dog was the nicest, I'm just too tired~" Alice yawned for emphasis.
Marine's mouth twitched, but she complied with the childish demand, throwing Alice over her shoulder like a potato sack. They continued on their way to the entrance of Zere so they could leave.
"So, where are we goin'?" Alice propped up her head with an elbow as she stared expectantly at Sheila and Iris, who were trailing behind Marine for their own safety.
Sheila smiled, "We're going north! The nursery rhyme said 'Bird, north, Brigadoomward on', so we're gonna try that out~"
Alice let out a hum of amusement. "I see."
As they approached the front gate, they heard somebody screaming.
"AAARGH! SOMEBODY HELP US!"
Alice jumped off of Marine's shoulder, and skipped her way over to where some dude was flippin' his shit in front of the Village Guardian's decrepit statue. He was trying to defend an old woman from the Wight Knight, who seemed to just be asking some normal questions with no threatening involved at all.
The conversation got clearer as she approached them, ". . .I look like a witch's slave you you? I've never heard of something so ridiculous as a knight serving a witch!"
"I have~" Alice twirled, getting their attention, "But he ain't no servant~"
Wight Knight turned to Alice, letting the villager escape. The old woman, however, didn't move. Alice wondered if she died standing.
"Ah, you are Alice, are you not? What are you doing here all by yourself?"
Alice grinned, and jumped on his horse. "Firstly, I'm not alone, the girls are around... somewhere close by. Second, we're finding out stuff about Brigadoom~"
He awkwardly patted Alice on the head, "Oh, really? You didn't need to go through so much trouble on my account, but... did you learn anything?"
Alice told him what Sheila had told her, taking credit for all the work. The Wight Knight looked at her confusedly.
"So, I'm part of an old nursery rhyme? That is... odd. I'm clearly not the figment of a storyteller's imagination! 'Bird, north, Brigadoomward on'?" He nodded, and handed Alice to Marine, who had just arrived on the scene. "I suppose that there's no harm to following the bird's example. Northward, ho!"
The Wight Knight rode off into the sunset (even though it was mid-morning), with Alice waving enthusiastically. Marine had no idea what just happened, but she felt cheated somehow.