"Ok. It should be here somewhere." said Josie.

"Are you sure? I feel like we're lost." said Alice.

Josie slowed to a halt. Alice stopped close behind, hand against her chest. An audible sigh could be heard.

"Maybe we really are lost," Josie retrieved the map. She surveyed her surroundings and glanced at the map again. "There's nothing but trees around here. We can turn back, but nothing is different that way either. If only there was a landmark or..."

"A sign?"

"Exactly! Something to give us a clue of where to go would be very-"

Josie noticed Alice walk past. She stored the map within her magic. When Josie followed, Alice kept moving until they found an area of patchy grass.

"Look at this." said Alice.

It was a signpost.

"Travelers. Are you hungry? Need rest? Feeling bored? Then go forth, and follow the path." read Josie aloud.

"Follow the path? Do you think it's referring to this?" inquired Alice, who gestured to the dirt path that stretched ahead of them.

"Only one way to know for sure."

Josie and Alice took the path. It led them out of the forest and continued down a hill. Josie stumbled.

"Are you alright? Do you need help?" said Alice. She offered Josie her hand.

Josie stared at it for a moment and then glanced at Alice. "No thanks. I can handle it."

Alice retracted her hand and watched Josie descend. "Did I do something wrong?" Alice thought to herself before moving again.

***

Ever since they left the hill, Josie and Alice remained silent. Nature did all the talking instead. Trees became more and more distant the further they walked. Their gaze was focused on the path. Suddenly, a faint sound could be heard in the background. Josie perked up in surprise.

"Wait a minute," shouted Josie. "Is that..."

They stood still and listened to the sound.

"Music!?" both of them blurted at the same time.

Josie and Alice powered through the last bit of the path. Music grew louder. More excited. It felt like a happy tune. Upon the horizon, something rose into view. Alice and Josie slowed to a jog and stopped.

"F-Finally." Alice said between breaths.

"Funland."

Josie and Alice admired the big sign that crowned the entrance. After they finished catching their breath, they headed for the ticket booth. Striped turnstalls blocked the way forward.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" called Josie.

No one answered. Disappointed expressions were exchanged between them.

"Hi!"

The ticket receptionist sprung from hiding. Alice was startled.

"Oh! Sorry about that ma'am. Let me start over," she cleared her throat. "Hello and welcome to Funland! The Dream World's one and only amusement park! What kind of fun attractions would you like to see today?"

"Funland is an amusement park?" asked Josie.

"Yes ma'am! Our park exists to entertain. We have attractions for everyone, regardless of who you are."

"I see. Sounds very interesting."

She smiled. "Would you like any recommendations? I know some great attractions for the perfect date."

Josie and Alice blushed.

"T-Thank you, but we're actually not here for any attractions. We need Funland's help."

The receptionist tilted her head to the side.

"We need to talk to the owner as soon as possible. It's a matter of life or death." said Alice.

For a moment, she stared at Alice. Afterwards, she closed her eyes and said "hmm" in thought.

"If your situation is that serious, I suppose I'll let you both inside for free."

Josie and Alice smiled. The receptionist placed her palms together. Two tickets materialized on her hand.

"The owner is about to start a show. Use these tickets to watch it until it's over."

"Thank you!" said Josie.

"You're welcome!" she smiled.

"Um, are you going to tell the owner about us coming?" asked Alice.

The receptionist laughed. "No worries, no worries! She already knows."

Unsure of how to respond to her strange answer, Josie and Alice left and proceeded to the turnstalls. It made sounds of clicking followed by a thump when the bars rotated. They walked down a short tunnel. Outside, Josie's eyes widened. People everywhere you looked. Striped tents and booths. A ferris wheel with colorful passenger cars. Screams of joy emanated from a speeding roller coaster.

"Wow! This park is huge!" said Josie.

"Goodness, how are we going to find the show in time?"

Alice looked around left and right. She placed a hand against her chest. Nearby, she saw a young couple holding hands. Alice motioned her hand towards Josie's. But Josie moved away.

"Excuse me miss. Could you help us?"

The woman turned around.

"Yes ma'am. What do you need?"

Josie stared open mouthed.

The woman blinked a couple times. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"N-No it's just," she paused, confusion written on her face. "You gave us tickets earlier. How are you over here so quickly?"

The woman smirked. Laughter burst from her lips. "Everything will be revealed," the woman began walking. "Come on, follow me to the show!"

"Wait! Uh," Josie turned around. "Alice!"

Alice was lost in her thoughts, frowning.

"Alice!"

"Huh?"

"Hurry! This way!"

Alice rushed to Josie's side.

***

"Here we are!" their guide said, as she gestured toward a big tent.

"Thank you!" said Alice.

"You're welcome! Enjoy the show!"

The guide left. Josie and Alice headed for the curtain doors. Before they could enter, a woman came outside.

"Hello! Tickets please?"

Alice and Josie were taken aback. The familiar woman giggled. She extended her hand and took the tickets.

"Thank you! Take any seat you want. The show will begin shortly."

Inside, Josie scanned the rows of bleachers.

"Looks like everything is taken except for...over there!" she thought to herself.

"Follow me! I found some seats!" said Josie.

"What?"

"I found some seats!"

Alice shook her head. Josie frowned. The dragon's eyes wandered to Alice's hand. She stared for a moment and grabbed hold.

"Eh? W-Woah!"

Josie ran straight for the bleachers. Once there, she cautiously climbed to the vacant seats. Josie and Alice sat down. They focused on the circular stage in front of them. Lights wavered about its center.

"Those lights! Do you think magic has something to do with it?" asked Josie.

"Maybe. Or it could be crystals..."

Alice placed her hands together. Her thumbs fiddled around. She took occasional glances at Josie, who seemed neutral to her surroundings.

"Josie?"

"Hmm?"

Josie turned and stared. Alice kept looking straight.

"Are you," she paused, her thumbs settled down. "Feeling alright?"

Josie tilted her head. "Yeah, why are you asking?"

"It's just...you've been acting weird lately."

Josie blinked a couple times. "I," her eyes veered to the side. "Don't know what you're talking about."

Josie saw Alice stare at her intensely. A frown formed on her face. Josie looked away. Moments later, Josie felt something touch her hand. The sensation took her by surprise. Warmth started rising in her cheeks.

"Whatever it is, I'll listen. Please," Alice gently rubbed Josie's hand. "Tell me what's bothering you."

"I-I, uh," Josie looked at Alice. Her nervous facial expressions and body language made Josie feel more nervous. "Um I, I have-"

"Ladies and Gentlemen!"

A loud voice caught their attention.

"Boys and Girls, Children of all ages! Put your hands together for your host!"

Thum! Thum! Thum! Thum!

Spotlights appeared at all entrances. Women came out and continuously backflipped to the center stage. Once there, the group constructed a human pyramid.

Thum!

A spotlight shined towards the back. Someone stood with their hands against their hips. They grabbed the rim of their top hat and flicked it like a frisbee. The hat curved past the human pyramid but stayed suspended in the air. Everyone around Josie and Alice began to clap. Faster and faster, the synchronized rhythm escalated.

The host started to backflip. Quickly, she flipped towards the pyramid. When she was almost behind them, she launched herself. And then again. This push propelled her high above. With a spin, she landed on the other side of the pyramid. Cheers roared as her arms opened wide. A beaming smile flashed while her hat flew into her hand.

"It's the exact same woman again!" thought Josie to herself.

Her long purple hair waved as she absorbed the atmosphere like a plant, happy to enjoy the sun's rays. She wore a light purple tuxedo with matching pants and bow tie. The only color that differed was the white shirt seen through the v-shaped opening of her tuxedo.

"Thank you! Thank you everyone for the warm welcome!" she giggled.

The audience quieted down.

"For those of you here for the first time, my name is Mallory," she touched her chest, "I am the owner and creator of this wonderful amusement park. Been spreading fun throughout the Dream World for at least 12 years now."

Mallory paused in nostalgic thought. 

"And for those of you who are new to Funland, I know what you're wondering. "Mallory, why do I see you everywhere?" Well, what you've been seeing are duplicates of myself. With my magic, I can create as many me's as I want. They can do-"

"Duplicate!? As if! I'm the real Mallory!"

"No, I am!"

"No, me! Me!"

Clones from the human pyramid started arguing with each other.

Mallory sighed. "Jeez. Not this again."

She placed her hand inside her magic. A black wand with white at the top and bottom spun in her fingers. Mallory pointed it at the clones. Dream energy rapidly fired. Within seconds, the clones were defeated. Their silhouettes glowed and disintegrated moments later.

"Sorry about that folks," she stored her wand away. "Anyways, let's get on with the show!"

The audience roared with excitement.

"For my first act, I would need a volunteer from the audience."

A light shined its eye and swept across.

"Let's see. My volunteer will be," Mallory pointed a finger above her head and closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply. "You! The redhead sitting next to the madam in blue!"

It took a moment for Josie to register that she was being pointed at. "Me?"

"Yes, you! Come on down!"

Josie went down the bleachers and met Mallory where she stood.

"M'am, can I please have your name?"

"Josie."

"Josie?"

Josie nodded. Mallory smiled and faced the audience.

"Everyone! My volunteer, Josie, asked for my help before the show started. As her traveling companion put it, something that's a matter of life or death. With that said," her clones pushed a large, draped object behind them. "I decided to have a fun game for you all to see!"

They removed the draping. Alice gasped. It was a target.

"Josie, the rules are simple. Stay on the target until I say stop. And I will throw these," she took out a knife from her magic. "At you."

"I see. Um, sorry but no thanks," Josie started walking. "I'd rather stay out of something this dangerous."

"Aww! Are you sure? If that's how you feel, then I guess you don't need my help after all."

Josie came to a hault. The audience chanted for her to do it.

"Don't listen to them! It's not worth risking your life over!" shouted Alice.

"What'll it be ma'am? Test your courage or run away?"

Josie gritted her teeth. "Fine! I'll play along."

Mallory bubbled with excitement. "You hear that everyone? She will volunteer! Oh, how wonderful."

The audience cheered while Josie approached the target. She waited for Mallory.

"So what now?" asked Josie.

"Hold your arms straight and open your legs nice and wide."

"Like this?"

"Perfect."

Mallory's hand glowed. Before Josie could react, her body slammed against the target. A spectral glow surrounded her body and moved like fire. Moments later, it vanished except for what was on her wrists and ankles. Josie tried to free herself but the strange magic held her down.

"What is this?" said Josie.

"Levitation magic. It lets me restrain or move anything I want," Mallory walked some distance away. She took out a knife and tossed it up in the air. "Last chance to change your mind."

Josie furrowed her brows. She shook her head.

"Heh, good."

The audience began cheering louder. Alice couldn't hear them. She felt her heart pound and pound again. Mallory pulled her arm back.

"Ooh!" said Alice. She cupped her eyes.

The sound the knives made when they hit echoed in her mind. Suddenly, there was a noticeable silence. Alice peaked between her fingers. She smiled as relief washed over her.

"Wow, you never flinched once!" said Mallory.

The audience applauded while the knives were collected with levitation magic.

"Some of those were...a bit too close for comfort." said Josie.

"Yes, they were like that on purpose. This was a test after all."

"A test?"

Mallory waved her glowing hand. The magic that secured Josie undid itself and disappeared. She fell. Mallory caught her, turned around and placed Josie on her feet.

"Mm-hm. Care to guess what I was testing?"

Josie blinked a couple times in thought. "Trust?"

"Yep! Trust! When it comes to protecting life or being in a relationship, trust is important right?"

Josie looked at Alice for a moment. "R-Right. Definitely."

They walked towards the bleachers. Mallory watched Josie return to her seat.

"Thank you Josie! You were an amazing volunteer," Mallory smiled. "Alright," her hands clapped together. "For my next act-"

Boom!

Terrified screams were coming from outside.

"What was that!?" said one person.

"Is this part of the show!?" said someone else.

"Mommy, I'm scared!" said a child.

"Everyone! Funland is under attack," announced Mallory. "I'm handling the situation as we speak. So please stay calm, and leave in an orderly-"

Boom!

The audience ran from their seats. People stumbled and pushed each other while heading for the exits. Mallory sighed. She was about to leave when she heard someone call her name.

"Let us help you." said Josie.

"No. It's too dangerous."

"We're no strangers to danger. I know you're capable, but so are we!"

Alice nodded.

"Hmm, fine. Come with me."

***

"Fake."

Charity slashed Mallory.

"Fake, fake."

Two more were defeated.

"Fakity fake, fake, fake..."

A group of them were taken down in one fell swoop.

"Fake!"

Another who snuck behind got stabbed. The Nightmare watched her attacker's body glow and scatter into pieces.

"Seriously? None of em' were her?"

Charity surveyed the area. Wrecked booths, tents, and craters could be seen.

"Haah," she began to walk. "This is gonna take ages. Maybe I should eat something."

Her nose twitched. She turned towards the direction of the smell.

"Over here! Hurry!" shouted a man's voice.

It was a young couple holding hands. Charity smiled. She opened her mouth. Moments later, the couple felt a strong tug. The boyfriend looked over his shoulder. He went pale. A whirlwind-like force emanated from the Nightmare. 

When he peered ahead, he saw a tree with a sturdy trunk. The boyfriend pressed on. Objects flew past. Some were eaten and gobbled in seconds. Almost there, the boyfriend reached out to grab it.

"Ack!"

A plushie smacked him in the face. They lost footing and their hands let go.

"Kyaah!"

The girlfriend squeezed her eyes shut as she rapidly flew. Not long after, she felt her body hit something. Her eyes opened.

"It's okay, I got you." said Josie.

Mallory cast Levitation magic. The boyfriend's body slowed down but still kept moving. Alice touched the ground. An ice wall was erected. He bumped it and gently descended. Josie landed nearby.

"Ma'am and Sir," Mallory glowed, a clone appeared beside her. "Please follow my duplicate. She'll escort you to the exit."

"R-Right. Thank you!" said the boyfriend.

"Thank you so much!" said the girlfriend.

The couple left.

Josie observed the Nightmare. What seemed to be the most notable aspect was her physique. Arms and legs were thick. Her claws were a lot shorter than normal, which resided only on her fingertips. She was wearing a sleeveless dress with knee-high boots.

"What kind of Nightmare is she?" asked Josie.

"Nightmare Gluttony." answered Alice.

"Gluttony? Does that mean they eat a lot?"

"Yes. However, there is more to Gluttons than that."

The Nightmare took a few steps forward. Her head tilted.

"You the real Mallory?"

"Yes. And to whom am I speaking to?"

She gave a fang toothed smile. "Charity of the Order. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Sorry, no. Are you famous or something?"

Charity staggered back. "Wha- y-you mean you never heard of "Charity, the devourer" or "Charity, the adorable beauty" before!?"

"Nope.'Fraid-not ma'am."

"Unbelievable," she mumbled. "Whatever! I'm not here to get noticed. The Nightmare Kingdom demands you to surrender Funland."

It took some time to sink in. But when Charity's words seemed to register itself upon Mallory's mind, she cracked a smile and burst with laughter.

"Sorry, sorry! I can't breathe," she held onto herself as she continued laughing. "Why...why would I ever give up my home to-?"

Bam!

Josie and Alice gasped as Nightmare energy exploded near Mallory.

"Because," Charity lowered her hand. "If you refuse, I will have to kill you. And no one wants that, right?"

"...Go ahead."

"Huh?"

"I said, go ahead. Kill me."

Charity gained composure. A chuckle escaped her lips. "Gladly."

Within seconds, Charity closed the distance gap between them. Mallory stood still. She placed her hands behind her back. Josie grabbed Dragwind. But it was too late. The dagger swung.

Swoosh!

Mallory turned her body. The attack missed.

"Hah?" said Charity.

"Sorry ma'am. Would it be better if I closed my eyes?"

Charity growled. Her attacks grew more intense. Each dared attempt felt more desperate than the last. Josie and Alice were in awe over what they were witnessing.

"My turn."

Mallory touched Charity's stomach. The palm of her hand glowed. An explosion launched Charity a distance away. Fragments of dirt leaped when her body crashed. Charity grunted. She lifted herself to a standing postion. The Nightmare panted and glared at Mallory.

"Stop it! Wipe that stupid, smug look..."

Charity sprinted forward.

"Off your face!"

Mallory whipped out her wand. A glowing sphere was cast. Charity smiled. Her daggers split the sphere in half. After she took a few more steps, her movement slowed. Charity struggled to a stop.

"...Come on! Move, Move!" Charity exclaimed. "W-What did you do to me!?"

"For my first act, you will drop your daggers."

Charity relaxed her hands and the daggers fell to the ground. Commanded by Mallory's wand, Charity's body shifted from her running pose to standing straight and tall.

"For my next act,"

Charity began to levitate. Terror seized her face.

"I will throw you into the ground."

Quickly, Charity was hurled over Mallory's head.

"Aaaaah!" she cried.

The Nightmare smashed into the ground. Mallory whisked Charity towards the opposite direction. Her body slapped down once again.

"And now..."

Mallory began turning. Swept along, Charity began turning too. Round and round. There were no brakes to this ride as she orbited faster and faster. Until at last, she let go. The Nightmare ascended high above.

Multiple Mallory copies winked into existence. They were spread out in a big circle.

"For the grand finale!"

In unison, their wands glowed and fired. Dream energy bloomed into a smoky cloud. A tail sprouted downward. Clouds of dust swirled where it rested on the ground.

Mallory smiled. She twirled her wand away.

"Wow." said Josie.

"That was...Amazing! I've never seen anyone defeat a Gluttony that effortlessly before!" said Alice.

Alice began to clap. Josie followed suit. All the clones decided to clap along.

Mallory bowed. "Thank you! Thank you!"

Josie and Alice were about to regroup with Mallory, when something resounded. A slow movement that could be missed. But forced everyone to acknowledge its presence. The figure that stood by the diminishing smoke smiled. Her hands held together.

"Bravo! That was a cute little trick. Surprisingly so. Y'know, I have a little trick of my own. Would you like to..."

Charity shifted her stance.

"Have a taste!?"

Before Mallory had a chance to react, Charity spun on her heel. Dream energy shot out of Charity's mouth. One by one, the clones were getting hit.

Alice hastily looked around. "O-Over here!"

Josie followed Alice and sprinted towards the nearest booth. They dove into it. Stuffed animals cushioned their entry.

"What's going on? How is she using dream energy?" inquired Josie.

"Gluttons can store dream energy inside their bodies."

"Like a squirrel?"

Josie imagined Charity with puffy cheeks and a big buck tooth for a split second.

"No. They store it inside their stomachs."

"Huh, I see."

When Alice attempted to see what was happening, she ducked. Dream energy tore a hole in the booth's wall. Alice tried again. This time from a crouched position.

"The duplicates! They're all gone!" shouted Alice.

Josie scrambled to the table. Once there, she observed the current scene. Mallory was panting hard. Arms held up to act as a shield. Charity remained still. She happily maintained a pose that felt ballerina-like. Mallory aimed her wand.

Charity burst forward. She appeared right in front of Mallory.

"No more tricks," Charity rammed her fist into Mallory's gut. "From you!"

A tailwind blew from the impact. Mallory soared a considerable distance. Then painfully tumbled upon landing.

"Mallory!" exclaimed Alice.

Josie furrowed her brows. "She's not getting up."

"Charity must've knocked her unconscious," her eyes traveled to Charity. "We have to save her! Quickly!"

"Way ahead of you."

Josie vaulted outside the booth and ran.

Charity licked her lips. "I've never had a human before. I wonder, how would you taste?"

Charity's hands twitched with anticipation. Slowly, she approached. Before she attempted to pick Mallory up, a voice called to her.

"Hey!"

A blade extended and swooshed past. Charity almost lost her balance. Her head turned to see where the attack came from.

"What kind of idiot disturbs my me-"

Charity blinked wildly. "Wait, a dragon!? What's a dragon doing all the way out here?"

Alice appeared behind Josie. When she moved to the side, Charity smiled.

"Oh! I get it. You are the princess's bodyguard. Or perhaps," she noticed Alice nervously looking at Josie. "Her girlfriend?"

"Alice is not my," Josie hesitated. She shook her head. "N-Nevermind! We can't let you have Mallory."

"Oh? You say she's off the menu? Alright. Then suppose I'll have to..."

Charity zipped from where she stood.

"Take you three to go!"

Josie raised Dragwind. A shockwave swooshed forth from the force of Charity's blocked punch. Josie grunted. Kicks and punches were swiftly delivered by the Nightmare. Josie responded in kind. Her slashes and swipes missed.

"Hmm, not bad. You seem to be highly skilled for an amateur." mused Charity outloud.

Alice came from behind. Her daggers thrusted and swung at Charity. The only thing Alice was hitting was the breeze.

"Fufufu, excellent! Your skills are deliciously good as well."

Charity skipped backwards. Alice and Josie surrounded her.

"It's been fun fighting you both. Though I can't play any longer. My meal is going to spoil at this rate. So, allow me to share something with you."

Charity's mouth glowed an eerie light. Josie and Alice watched in shock as Charity pulled out a sword. Black with hints of silver colored the blade. Chunks were missing. This made the weapon look like a burning flame.

"Scary looking, yes? Had this ol' thing since I was your age."

Josie glanced at Alice. She seemed to be trembling.

"I'm not afraid. We can still defeat you. Right, Alice?"

Josie smiled. Alice nodded. Determination fueled their feet. Charity smirked. She disappeared. A dust cloud swept by where Charity was standing a second ago.

"W-Where did she- Ah!"

"Alice!?"

When Josie looked at Alice, the same situation occurred to herself. Face planted against the ground, stung with pain. Josie and Alice struggled to stand.

Charity chuckled. "Soon enough you cuties will be mi- ack!"

Charity suddenly buckled. She grimaced while returning to a standing position.

"Charity...she must've not escaped Mallory's attacks unscathed!" said Alice.

"I see! Good. We...can take advantage of that!"

"Yeah!"

Josie and Alice started running. Charity growled. She charged after them. Dragwind extended. Charity dodged. To Josie's right, she reappeared. Blades clashed. Sparks of energy flew. Charity slid down and was about to jump. A thrown dagger stabbed her body. She winced and disappeared once more. Wind whipped around in a violent frenzy.

Alice stayed close to Josie. They frantically surveyed the wind.

"I-I can barely see her! What about you?" said Josie.

"N-No! She's too fast."

Josie observed the wind's patterns. "It looks too risky to run. I think we have to let her come to us."

"But, that's also very risky!"

"I know! I know. But what can we do? We can't anticipate where Charity is going."

Alice gasped. "Wait! We can do that!"

Josie stared at her, puzzled over what she meant. Alice closed her eyes. She filled her lungs with air. A circle materialized beneath her feet. When Alice exhaled, the circle expanded. It became big in size. Suddenly, ripples traveled back to Alice from all directions. Her eyes opened.

"There!"

Imbued with dream energy, the dagger flew.

"Gah!"

Charity fell. She struggled to her feet. Individually, the Nightmare pulled the daggers out and tossed them aside. Hands pressed against her wounds, Charity started using healing magic. When the pain began fading, she heard something.

"Fire?" she repeated to herself.

Charity's eyes, which were squinting, widened.

"Punch!"

Josie's fist slammed Charity. Her body skipped across like a rock tossed across a lake. She dug into the ground and skidded to a stop. Charity coughed and coughed while she laid there. Josie and Alice moved closer.

"I'm not," Charity flipped over and started pushing herself up. "I'm not. Gonna let you. Get in the way of. My d-dream!"

"Dream?" said Josie.

Suddenly, Josie heard Alice cry out. Startled, she turned to see what happened.

"A-Alice!"

Alice was unconscious on the ground. Behind her was a person clad in armor. He raised his visor.

"Another Nightmare!?" thought Josie to herself.

"Lance!" exclaimed Charity.

"Charity, we had a plan, remember? You were supposed to wait for me at the rendezvous location first." he said, sword pointed at Josie.

"I know. B-But I ran out of food and got bored."

Lance sighed. "You and your food."

Charity stood up, swaying slightly. "Hey! A girl's gotta eat!"

"Anyways," he focused on Josie. "I'll handle this."

"I can still fight dummy."

"Dummy? You can barely stand! Who's the bigger dummy here?"

"Alright, fine," Charity exclaimed. "I'll retreat. But remember, you owe me snacks when we get back."

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Get going already."

Charity turned and started walking away. Josie glanced at Alice. Her brows furrowed.

"Leave Alice alone!"

Lance remained silent. He began moving in an arc with slow yet careful steps. His sharp gaze watched Josie the whole time.

Lance stopped and shifted his stance. "Prepare yourself."

He stepped forward. Then vanished. Lance was above. Dragwind changed to wide form. At the last second, her sword blocked the multi-stab attack. The knight flipped back. As soon as Lance touched down, he threw himself at Josie.

His blade swooshed past. It missed, grazing Josie's cheek. He continued to poke and slash. Josie felt her legs wobble with each consecutive blow. She panted and her vision started to lose focus.

"Not good. At this rate, my body will give out! I have to finish this quickly." Josie thought to herself.

There was a distance gap between Lance and Josie. Her grip on Dragwind tightened. Josie sprinted. Lance stayed where he stood. Sword rested near his hip. Adrenaline raced through Josie's veins. She released a shout filled with determination.

Josie swung her sword. Lance made a move. She stared at her hand. Reality kicked in. Dragwind was no longer there. It flew skyward and cut itself into the ground behind her. Josie hastily turned around. Lance was missing.

"Where did he-?"

Something hit the back of Josie's head. Everything turned dark.

***

A voice echoed in Josie's mind. Whoever it was, it sounded familiar. Her eyes fluttered open and shut. A blurry figure could be seen. She pieced together the fragmented words she could hear.

"Josie, wake up. Please, wake up."

Josie mustered the strength to keep her eyes open. The worried woman became more clear and defined.

"Alice?" Josie croaked.

Alice smiled. "Ah, thank goodness! She's awake, Mallory!"

Alice turned her head. "Mallory?"

She didn't respond.

"Where are we?" asked Josie.

"Inside the big tent at Funland. Mallory healed me and we carried you here."

"I see," Josie yawned, her eyes starting to feel heavy. "By the way, this pillow feels really nice. Where'd you find it?"

The question took Alice by surprise. She blinked a couple times. Her face turned a shade of pink.

"T-That's not a pillow. I-It's my lap."

Josie's eyes went wide. She attempted sitting up.

"Ah! W-Wait! You can't sit up yet."

Alice pressed her down. Josie grimaced and willingly gave in.

"Sorry. I...shouldn't have moved without asking first."

"No, I should be the one saying sorry. I should've told you not to move earlier."

Josie smiled. Alice gave a smile in return. Her hand stroked Josie's hair. She was about to fall asleep until another thought crossed her mind.

"What happened to Mallory? Is she doing alright?"

"I don't know. She has been acting strange."

Josie raised an eyebrow. "In what way?"

"Ever since we got here," Alice observed Mallory. "She keeps mumbling and rocking back and forth."

"Have you tried talking to her?"

"Several times. Though she keeps ignoring me."

"...Let me try."

Josie called Mallory's name. She looked at Alice and Josie with curiosity. A minute later, the entertainer beamed with joy. Mallory scooted next to Alice.

"Oh! Josie, you're awake. I was worried that you would never open your eyes again. T-Thankfully that's not the case right?" she expressed an awkward laugh.

"Y-Yeah, thank you for thinking about me. But, um, Mallory. Is everything ok with you?"

"Never better!"

"You sure? If you want to talk about it, we are here to listen." said Alice.

"No thanks. Seriously, it's nothing to be concerned about."

Josie and Alice exchanged glances.

"Besides. We have more important things to discuss. Like those troublesome Nightmares that attacked us."

"Are they still around?" inquired Alice.

Mallory crossed her arms. "My duplicates searched high and low. No signs of 'em' anywhere."

"Maybe they left already?"

Mallory closed her eyes and leaned back. "Who knows? They could have found a good hiding place or left a long time ago. Probably safe, at least for now."

Alice glanced at Josie. "I hope so..."

They said nothing to each other for a moment. Alice ruffled Josie's hair.

"So then," said Mallory. "Do you ladies still need my help for that matter of life or death?"

"Yes! We still-"

"Um, about that." said Josie.

Mallory leaned forward and Looked at Josie.

"While I- no, we- appreciate your help so far, I think it would be best for us to consider other options."

"Ah..."

"Sorry. It's just, this is an important decision."

"It's alright. I...will be here at Funland if you ever change your minds."

Mallory rose from her seat and moved to the bottom row.

***

After Mallory bid them farewell, she returned to the tent and sat down. Her hands that rested on her pants tightened.

"What do I do!? What should I do!? These memories, they feel so real. What. Do. I. Do."

A mallory duplicate appeared.

"Ask your new friends! They can help you." said the duplicate.

Another duplicate appeared.

"Say nothing! Continue working at Funland. Happiness! Smiles! Laughter! Cheers!" said the second duplicate.

Mallory frantically looked at her duplicates.

"Ask your friends! Talk to them! Speak to them! Rely on them! They can help!"

"Say nothing! Do nothing! Smiles! Happiness! Laughter! Cheers!"

They repeated their advice over and over again. The voices felt so overwhelming. Mallory covered her ears. Suddenly, it all stopped. A third duplicate came from behind, her hands on top of Mallory's shoulders.

"I know what you can do.~" the third duplicate said.

"Really?" inquired Mallory.

The third duplicate noticed the other duplicates staring at them. She whispered in Mallory's ear and used her hand to hide her words. Tears rolled down Mallory's face.

"Yeah," she sniffed. "Yeah! That sounds like a wonderful idea!"

"I know. And you know the best part? You came up with the idea."

The third duplicate planted a kiss on Mallory's cheek.

"Pffft hahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!"

Mallory broke into hysterical laughter. Her duplicates laughed along.

"Ha ha ha...! Heheheheh," Mallory frowned. "Eh...Eh...Eh heh heh."

***

Violet gasped. She sprang forward in bed, out of breath. Charles, who was entering the bedroom, rushed to Violet's side.

"Violet!? What's wrong, did you have a bad dream?" said Charles.

"I think," she said between breaths. "I think I remembered something. From my past."

"Really? T-That's great news!"

Charles smiled. Violet seemed confused. His smile faded.

"What kind of memory is it?"

"I was with a man. I don't remember what he looked like, everything was too fuzzy. But I'm sure it was a man. His voice sounded deep."

"Do you remember why you were with him?"

"No, but he gave me something. It was red, small, and round. Like a ball. He told me to use my dream energy on it. Before I did that, he said this out loud: Project Eye of Dreams, start."

Charles rubbed his chin. "And then what happened next?"

"The red ball started glowing. It became very, very bright. And then, I woke up."

"Hmm. Interesting," he looked at Violet. "When your mother returns, I will tell her what you told me. Maybe this man holds an important clue to your missing memories."

"What...do you think Project Eye of Dreams means?"

"I cannot say for certain," Charles stood up. "However, I know a certain Princess needs to take a sponge bath."

Violet frowned. "Do I have to?"

"'Fraid so."

Charles lifted Violet from the bed and left the room. A sphere of light appeared and faintly glowed. Charles came back with Violet.

"Whoops! Forgot your brush." he said.

Charles did a double take and looked at the corner of the room.

"Must've been my imagination."

They left the bedroom.