[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/72bEcUi.png[/img][/center]

Lily’s scowl gave way to a trembling lip of her own as Chloe lashed out at her, and she sniffled, holding back her tears. 
[color=fff200]”I’ll…I’ll find a way. There must be one…”[/color] She mumbled, and was left standing there, her entire body shaking from a flux of emotions as Chloe walked away, blending into the crowd of skeletal monstrosities until she disappeared. She turned towards the others, and gave a sad look of sympathy to Connie as she was comforted by Gaia. And then, she looked at Alex, encouraged by him and Mayra both bringing their focus back to the task at hand.
[color=fff200]”You’re right, Alex...Mayra. We can’t stay here any longer,”[/color] she spoke quietly, and managed to crack a slight smile as the energetic dragon girl crossed her eyes.

It was then that she realized that Gaia wasn’t just talking to Connie, but to the tree that had appeared with Pinocchio. The old oak’s mouth opened in surprise as he was enchanted by Gaia’s spell, and looked at a raised leg in awe. While already tall compared to the girls even when he was rooted to the soil, now he was even taller.
“My goodness! So these are legs, then?” He took a step forward, and exclaimed in glee. 
“And you walk by moving them one after the other, how queer! I feel like a leaf blowing it’s way from one gust to another! O Blessed Nymph, you have my gratitude!”

Lily couldn’t help but stifle a giggle at the tree’s entertainingly antiquated vocabulary, and turned to look at Alex when he brought up the Guardian, petting one of the animals absentmindedly as she did.
[color=fff200]”Wasn’t that one glowy girl a Guardian? Kayli, I think…”[/color] She didn’t manage to finish that thought, as she was surprised by Mariette’s voice coming out of a mirror that appeared close to them. Lily listened intently, followed by sadly placing a hand on the mirror to confirm what Mariette stated, as if longing to hold her hand. She frowned upon confirmation of her being imprisoned.
[color=fff200]”Don’t worry, Mariette. You are my friend, and I promise I will rescue you! Because that’s what friends do!”[/color] She flashed her a peace sign, and waved goodbye as the mirror faded away.

She summoned her bike. [color=fff200]”Ok, let’s go, Mayr-”[/color] she turned, and only then realized that Mayra had disappeared. Just as she was about to ask after her, she had returned, with Brittany tucked under her arm like an oversized doll: the diminutive girl seemed to have recovered from her earlier stupor, though she had a strange look to her eyes, as if she didn’t quite recognize them, as she sang a little song: 
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXbHShUnwxY]“I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam…”[/url]

[color=fff200]”Brittany?”[/color] She leaned forward with her hand on her knee and waved a hand before her eyes: she attentively followed after it, her head moving in rhythm while humming the song.

[color=fff200]”This must be the Wonderland enchantment Mariette talked about. Oh yeah, that reminds me!”[/color] She removed one of her earrings and offered it to Alex.

[color=fff200]”These earrings block the enchantment’s effects. You should put one on. As much as I’d love to see you sing and dance, we can do that after we’ve saved Mariette, kicked the Queen’s butt, and done what magicals do best!”[/color]

The tree nodded, his branches heaving as he did so, causing a slight rustle of leaves. “I know the way to the Queen’s castle. It’s this way. Just follow me,” he said, as he started walking down the road towards the west…At a slower pace than the rainbow unicorns or Lily’s motorbike were capable of. Lily smiled, but it was the kind of understanding smile you gave to an awkward grandpa or uncle.
[color=fff200]”Y-Yeah…”[/color]

Meanwhile, after having left the group, Chloe contacted her network of spies that had been posted around Penrose and Bolorton, and quickly got a response from Viper, who was assigned to the occupied town.

“It’s a river on the table.” Her words were corroborated by another Mint agent, who confirmed that numerous portals with red heart motifs have opened up to various royalist hotspots in Wonderland, with military personnel and equipment flowing to the town at an alarming rate. Chloe would further confirm from her undead forces scattered around Wonderland that military outposts and besieged towns began to empty, signs of resistance quieting down: they were all funneled to their world.

[hr]
Rachel’s teeth could be heard gnashing past her closed lips as she held back a cringe after hearing Mac speak, but surprisingly did not speak, having let the audible torment pass by her with a deep breath.
“I can see that,” she curtly responded instead. “They seem to possess some kind of sentience, so you can try,” she responded to Mac after she suggested engaging them in conversation.
However, Alicia then gave a warning shot to the green cactus creatures: they were seemingly alarmed by the threatening display, and scampered past the dunes, only a single smaller one peeking at a farther distance.

“They don’t seem threatening,” Rachel absentmindedly commented, ignoring Mac’s outburst, and nodded as Alicia suggested to form a vanguard unit that could take point. “Hm, good idea, Alicia,” she mumbled as she looked at MDP cartwheel and bound her way across the sands towards the single cactus, who blinked in surprise. The two’s ideas were further enforced by Ronin and Miko, who suggested that they could handle the trip to the castle on their own.

The little cactus found his fear overcome by fascination towards the pastel-colored princess and the small girl as they gave friendly smiles, as it now [url=https://i.imgur.com/bFSFBCo.jpeg]approached[/url] them:

The creature’s limbs did not move beyond two positions, and it instead shuffled from side to side, like a living piece of two-dimensional art. It spoke in a strange, high-pitched language as it now looked up at MDP, followed by shuffling right up to her legs: despite its spiny body, it only stung a little, like a rose bush. It seemed to enjoy the shade MDP naturally provided. Soon, more cactus creatures popped their heads from behind the far dunes, and began to crowd around MDP while gibbering amongst themselves, slightly pushing and nudging each other in an apparent competition to get to the shade: they numbered about thirty in total. One accidentally jumped up on impact and hit the top of its little head against MDP’s bosom, causing a bounce.
Some of them also surrounded Ronin, and hopped around in apparent joy: they seemed to have mistaken her for being one of them based on their behavior of mimicking her movements.

Rachel rolled her eyes at the strange, yet no longer surprising sight of the two carefree girl’s antics. “Very well then. Alicia, I’ll be taking the teleporter back to HQ. Will you be coming with me, or staying with the group?”

[hr]
Mariette, using Absolute Direction, opened a mirror to the throne room, which she saw a quick glimpse of while passing through the castle earlier. There, she saw the Queen of Hearts sitting at her royal seat, numerous portals opened all around her: they opened to various places around Wonderland, and most alarmingly to the dreary landscape of Bolorton, where soldiers and tanks began to quickly gather.

That was when the queen swiftly turned her head towards the mirror with excited eyes, jumpscaring Mariette.
“Oh! You must be hungry, my dear Alice. Unfortunately, mother is quite busy now. But I’ll send the Cheshire Cat to bring you dinner.” If Mariette were to close her mirror, the queen would deliver the message with a portal of her own.

Then, Mariette spent more time observing Wonderland. She confirmed that the Lilliput Princess had taken command of the Green Helms, as they were now drawing what looked like a contingent of royalist troops towards the woods, where the Forest Princess prepared an ambush. The Mermaid Princess’s forces continued advancing, with one detachment now moving away from the border of the desert where Mad Hatter’s factory was situated, having passed by that point. The dwarves were besieging a city near the valley where the royal castle stood, their cannons making quick work of the fortifications, and dwarven thunderers with large rifles breached the gates, only to find little resistance.

“Princess Alicee~?” She heard a knock on the door, followed by a cutesy cat-like voice of a perky female servant. “Can I come in? The Queen has ordered me to only enter if given permission by Your Highness, but I really want to serve some dinner to my adorable mistress, meow~!”