Chapter 1 The Lost Girl

Alice was walking back to Clover Tower, carrying the groceries for dinner. "If I don't get back home soon Gray will probably start trying to cook and that's just a disaster waiting to happen." she chuckled as times when Gray's culinary skills had sent the other Roleholders frantically to their offices seeking shelter behind locked doors. She continued to trudge through the path that was cornered by two frosted blankets of snow. As the afternoon sky traditional blue succeeded to an aurora of oranges and reds her mind pondered and recalled one name.

"Lorina…" a whisper escape her lips. Her beloved older sister, it had been about six months since she had decided to remain in the crazy world. She thought that she would miss Wonderland and her new friends more than missing the only person in her world who truly cared about her. Here in this world, despite the endless war, she felt at home with the twisted yet lovable inhabitants, however there were times when caught herself shedding a tear in memory of her sister. Just like now…

She shook her head, releasing the dark oppressing thoughts out her skull. " Ugh.. I'm bringing myself down, besides I'll be fine. She looked her new life she had a nice home, a face and name (which was a rarity in Wonderland) , enough friends to last a lifetime (though there were a might an exception from time to time) which all were happy to spend time with their favorite damsel and if that didn't work she just eat some chocolate on her plush bed, read an amusing book , take a long soak in the tub, snuggle up to one her plushies, close her teal eyes, and soon her depression would disappear and she would have a new day to spend with her zany, if not sweet companions.

Finding enjoyment in her plan, a grin spread across her face and her pace quicken, then with a couple paces, the stick that stood straight up was beginning to for the familiar sight she called home. Alice was daydreaming of soaking, lounging in the tub, the hot water welcome to take a hold of her forever, when unfamiliar crunching caused her to halt her race. Her aquamarine eyes crossed the lane, from endless row on one side to the other but the scene remained untouched. "A bath, a long one" Alice grumbled. The sound became softer as it suddenly died and was replaced by a sound, a sound that wretched out her heart.

"Mama.. Sniff...Papa…Sniff… Everyone….Hic! Where are you? ..Hic! Mama….Papa….." it was a voice, belonging to someone younger than her yet full of distraught and grief, definitely not to someone she knew. Alice inched toward the trees hoping to get a better peak at voice and the its owner.

*SNAP*

*CRUNCH* *CRUNCH* *CRUNCH*

Alice jumped at the sound of the snap. "What ever that sound was it scared the them off." she thought. She stepped back to find that her footprint was under a puny twig. "Damn!" she cursed herself and saw some more footprints just in front of her. They were much smaller than her own, even smaller than Dee's and Dum's kid size prints. "Just who is this person?" Alice mumbled.

*CRUNCH*

Alice turned around, the footprints still in her gaze, saw the end of the petite pattern, in the snow, behind one of the countless trees. "Hello? Is anybody there?" Instantly, a tiny hand grabbed the side of the tree. One crimson eye slowly appeared on the tree, a strand of cream colored hair hovered above it. "It's okay, don't worry. I won't hurt you, come on." Alice hunched and let her open palm stick out in the air. The eye and strand soon became part of a face, part of a head then part of a little girl.

Alice couldn't help but stare at her. The child owned eyes the color of fine wine, a cream colored mop on her head, and barely went up to Alice's hip, but those qualities were not the most unusual characteristics . Her ears were furry, long RABBIT ears the same color of her hair. Yet, even without the fuzzy ears she still bore the strong resemblance to a certain stalking rabbit. Even her checkered skirt matched Peter's jacket perfectly. However, unlike the kid, Peter was always more properly dressed for the seasons. Her checkered skirt, was that a skirt, showing a pair of azure knees. She wore an ivory shirt, with a plaid ribbon on her chest and sleeves puffed up at the shoulders didn't go mush farther than that. Her blanched socks and crimson buckled shoes seemed to short for the harsh cold that the winter brought.

Her face was truly the heart wrenching sight. Her ruby eyes were had a band of magenta surrounding them. At the corners of the child's eyes two dewdrops hung, just waiting to fall like rain. She continued to sniffle over and over, just waited to turn into sobs. Her snow white ears flopped, a sequence Alice was familiar with since she had seen it before, on both of the men she knew with similar ears.

Alice swallowed. "Hello there, little one. My name is Alice Liddell. What's yours?"

"Na..Natsuki White. Can you help me find my family, please?" The girl whispered, barely audible. Her eyes now staring at the foreigner.

"White? As in Peter White?" the words shot out with a thought to them.

The child's eyes widened and look of relief seemed to have swept her face "Yes, he's my papa! Do you know where he is?"