[h1]Alison[/h1]

[i]Rina, Libé and Aron... all such weird names.[/i]

That proved it, then. In fantasy books they always had weird names to show that they were magic and not normal old fuddies like her brother Drew or Mr. Clarkson her very tall tutor who always told her that what they did was a secret just between them. Alison glanced up at Aron again, slightly nervous at its flat gaze and unsmiling visage. Wasn't that how the Terminators always looked just before they killed you? 

"That is if you two are alright with Aron leading?"

The bulky robot started to march forward to the center, and Alison quickly hurried forward and ahead of him. "Hey, wait up!" She shot a glance at the robot again, then at Rina and Libé. 

"I'm the magical princess, so that means I have to prove my bravery by going first," she explained. "If we let Aron go first every time, nobody will believe I'm a real princess, and all the unicorns won't like me, especially since I'm not pure any more." Taking a deep breath to calm herself plus a quick reminder that she was a real princess and nothing could hurt her, Alison pushed the door open.

Outside was the forest as seen through the windows; airy, inviting. Beyond lay flat grasslands, with long billowing blades of grass that swayed back and forth in the wind. They blended together seamlessly, somehow forming a perfectly angled picture that made Alison's breath stop. This was even better than her trip to the Grand Canyon. She let out a pleased sigh. 

The roiling sensation was inside her hand again. It felt more like a kitten pushing against her palm than anything. She looked at her hand and giggled. "Should I call you Kitten? No, you're a... snake or octopus or something. Anyway, not a kitten. What should I call you?"