It was a lazy summer afternoon and Ashley had her eyes closed as she listened to her grandmother tell stories in the shade of the porch.

"You know," Her grandmother started slowly, "There's a place you visit each night?"

"My bed?" Ashley asked.

"Haha," Her grandmother laughed duly, "No."

Her grandmother then lit a cigarette and blew out a long stream of smoke. "A place you visit when your eyes are closed. That place you visit when you dream."

She flicked away ashes and continued, "It's something my grandma told me and I'm pretty sure my mother told yours."

"What was it?" Ashley asked, leaning in eagerly.

"Dreamland," She said. "Those who dream visit it. Those who don't aren't so lucky. From what my grandmother told me, it's a spectacular place with all kinds of places. Each differing from the other. A farmland patched together and run by stuffed animals to a land made completely of candy."

"You're making it up," Ashley said skeptically.

"You're a rotten child who doesn't know how to respect her elders," Her grandmother glared.

"How could something like that exist if you could only get to it when you were dreaming?"

"Because it's on a different plane of existence than the one we're on. Which is why the only mode of transportation is sleep. At least for humans. There are few, only a few, that can make it over to our plane of existence. They're very special."

"Who?"

"Depends on where in the world you are," Her grandmother responded. "Nearly each country has their own name for them."

"Has anyone seen them?"

"If they do, they aren't recognized. When they come here, they are the masters of disguise. They make sure that nobody notices them so they can do their work."

"Grandma? Do you believe in all of that?"

She rocked slowly backwards as she thought. "Yes. I really do."

"But, Grandma, how can you believe something you can't prove?"

Her grandmother held her eyes tightly shut. "Ash-bell," She said firmly. "Go inside and leave me alone for a bit."

"But, Grandma-"

"Leave me alone!"

Ashley ran inside. The door slammed behind her as she hid by the stairs. After a while of waiting, Ashley tip-toed to the glass door and peered outside.

Her grandmother was still in the rocking chair. She sat still with a withered hand held over her eyes. Her chest heaved in an odd pattern. A sharp pang of guilt shot through Ashley as she realized that her grandmother was crying. Ashley slowly backed away and sat in the kitchen. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to make her grandmother feel all better, but she also knew that she was the one who made her grandmother cry.

Instead, Ashley waited. Several minutes later, her grandmother came into the kitchen. Her thin lips pursed into a small smile.

"Sorry, Grandma." Ashley blurted.

Her grandmother shrugged. "You're as critical and as stubborn as your father."

But I didn't mean to make you cry, she wanted to say.

Her grandmother sat both of their drinks on the counter next to the sink. "I simply thought that telling you the stories that were passed on to me and your mother by our grandmothers would be something special. They were for me, anyway." She looked at the clock and sighed. "I suppose I should get you off to bed. Your mother's going to have a fit if she sees that I let you stay up this late."

Ashley got up and gave her grandmother a tight hug. Then, silently, Ashley went up to her room.

As she was pulling her curtains shut, she saw that her mother was in the yard. She seemed to be yelling at someone, but Ashley wasn't able to tell. Her grandmother quickly paced out to the lawn and said something passionately to her daughter. Soon, they were yelling at each other. Eventually, Ashley's mother walked off and her grandmother came back into the house. The door slammed loudly, vibrating through the whole house.

Pulling the curtains tightly shut, Ashley climbed under and pulled a coin from under her pillow. Her thumb circled the golden surface. She took in a deep breath and put it in her pajama's pockets.

2: Chapter 2

Ashley woke as her entire room rocked about violently. It was dark and there was something strange about the way she shook. Ashley held her hands out and felt around until her fingers wrapped around metal bars.

She pulled herself closer to the bars. Her eyes were struggling to adjust in the blackness.

She was no longer in her room. She was inside a carriage.

Even though inside the carriage held little light, she was able to make out dim shapes when she looked out the window. Most of what she could see was offered by a lantern that was toppled around next to the driver. She could see the man's silhouette and just a bit of the carriage itself. What struck her the most were the horses that drew it.

They had no fur, not even flesh. They were just bone and went down the winding path at an alarming rate.

Ashley felt a tear streak down her cheek, but pushed it away. She was afraid of who the man was and where he was taking her, but she knew that she could get away from him. She had to. Her family would be missing her.

She turned and faced the depths of her cell. She couldn't see anything. Then Ashley turned back to the lantern and strained her eyes to see if she could focus on anything else. If there was a chance that the light could give her any ideas.

Her eyes then flicked downwards. There was a bit of path that the fire illuminated, then it dropped into nothing. Were they travelling along a cliff?

Ashley thought, then shook her head as she came to a conclusion.

She ran from one side of the carriage, then slammed herself into the wall, forcing the whole thing to shift close to the edge of the path.

Ashley heard the horses panic, then did it again.

When she it the side of the carriage with the entirety of her body weight, the door swung wide open and she was falling.

She thought that she heard somebody shout, but everything quickly faded into blackness.

3: Chapter 3

Ashley woke to enough brightness that she had to close her eyes again. Her head spun and her body ached terribly. Trying not to vomit, she opened her eyes slowly and let the world lull into focus.

Blue sky and fluffy clouds. Had she dreamt about the carriage? No. If that were the case, then she would be back in here room.

Ashley sat up and looked around. She was in a large field of flowers. Rather, she was in a field of large flowers. Daisies scattered all around and it took Ashley a while to realize that she was even sitting on one.

Cautiously, Ashley parted the large leaves to look at the ground. The distance didn't look too bad, so Ashley clambered down the edge of the large petal. Letting her weight pull her closer to the ground, Ashley was able to hop off without much to worry about. But she did have to be careful about the petal swinging back upwards and nearly knocking her to the ground.

She wandered through the flower-forest until she came to a clearing at the base of the hill. A large tree sat in the center with buildings that nested around it. Maybe she could find somebody to help her.

Excitement racing through Ashley's veins, she ran towards the small village as fast as she was able. All kinds of questions raced through her head all at once. With all of her thoughts focused on who she would find and what she could ask, she didn't see who she stumbled over, knocking both of them into the ground.

A strange human-like creature with large insect eyes glared at her, then put its focus back to where it was. It was a massive crowd. What they were looking at, Ashley wasn't able to tell. Large, colorful wings blocked her view.

Her hope vanished when she noticed that nobody, aside from the person she had knocked into, even gave her a glance. Anger welled in Ashley's chest and she pushed her way through the tightly woven crowd. In the center, there were two more winged creatures holding down a sand-colored cat with curved black stripes.

"Stop it!" Ashley screeched.

They paused and looked at her.

"Who are you?" The taller one asked.

"Why are you hurting that cat?" Ashley demanded.

The smaller one spoke as it tried to stop the cat from wiggling away, "It was trespassing."

"Trespassing?" Ashley repeated dumbly. "It's a cat! It'll go where it wants to! You don't have any right to hurt it!"

"Is it yours?" It asked.

"Yes," Ashley lied boldly.

The taller one fluttered up to Ashley. Its head cocked to the side. "Why didn't you have a better restraint on it?"

"I didn't mean for it to get away!" Ashley snapped. "It just did! It's a cat."

It loomed over Ashley, casting a long shadow as it blocked the sun. "Why are you here? Why are you trespassing? Do you have a ticket?"

"Wh-what ticket?"

"Enough," A voice echoed. It sounded soft, but rang firmly and clearly through the crowd.

A murmur erupted from the crowed as they looked around. A woman emerged and everyone soon silenced and fell to their knees.

The woman looked more like Ashley, but, like the others, still had antennae poking through her raven hair. Unlike the others, her wings had more muted colors. Yet, somehow, that made her all the more beautiful. Her dress was made of large, red rose petals that complemented the earthy colors of her wings and skin.

"What is going on here?" She asked.

"Princess Rosalia," The taller one said as it stood, "We have trespassers."

Rosalia's eyes went from the cat to Ashley. "I can see this...but where does it state in our laws that first-time trespassers are to be treated as criminals?"

It hesitated, then bowed its head as it backed away from Ashley. "I'm terribly sorry, Highness."

Rosalia nodded. "I'll let this pass as a warning."

The princess then turned to the crowd and said to where everyone could hear, "There's nothing further to see here. Carry on with your business."

In complete silence, everyone rose to their feet and complied. Most of them retreated to a nearby building.

Rosalia turned her attention to the four that still remained. "Flor. Daisy. I want you two to leave our guest with me. I want to have a word."

The two nodded and quickly fluttered away.

Rosalia waited until they were out of sight, then said, "I apologies for my fairies."

The cat sat up and nodded its head. "Fairies aren't the easiest creatures to govern."

Rosalia smiled. "I wondered if that was you."

The cat's tail switched rhythmically from one side to the other. "I saw something troubling and wanted to investigate. I knew the risk when I came to your fields. However, I think it would be wise if we furthered this conversation somewhere more private."

Rosalia's dark eyes narrowed. "I see."

She turned around and began to walk. "Follow me, then."

The cat followed, then shortly stop to look back at Ashley, who still stood where she was, too confused and shocked to do much else. "It would be in your best interest if you came with us."

Ashley nodded slowly, then followed.

They arrived in one of the larger buildings in the village. Aside from its size, it was still very modest in everything it had to offer.

"I see you're still not very lavish," The cat said as it hopped on to the table.

Rosalia smiled as she sat on the bed. "An effective ruler doesn't need to live lavishly. However, it doesn't hurt to look the part."

She ran her hands down her dress, smoothing it out as much as it was able. "Now, what concerned you so much that we needed to speak privately?"

The cat turned its head to Ashley. "Her."

Rosalia looked at Ashley and raised an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"

"She's from the Waking World," The cat said.

Rosalia's features tightened. "Are you sure?"

The cat nodded. "I saw her fall from one of the hidden exits."

"What makes you think that she's an issue?" Rosalia asked.

"She's not," The cat said. "I'm far more concerned about what brought her here...and if there are others."

The features that were tight with thought fell with horror. "Others?" Rosalia repeated. "You wouldn't think that someone would be as...stupid enough to-?"

"There's no way of telling right now, but it is something I need to investigate...and quickly."

Rosalia nodded. "Should I talk to Mother about this?"

"Inform her, yes," The cat said, "But tell her that I'm looking into it and that I'll send for help if I need it."

Rosalia waved in Ashley's direction. "And what of her?"

"I can't take her back the way she came," The cat said, "That's a travelling door that's difficult to catch even in the best of times. Trying to put her back that way would be wasting time. If she was brought here by someone, then they'll have noticed that she's missing and will either look for her or replace her. We can only hope for the former. Until we have this taken care of, it will be best if she stays with me. I'll take her to Nightmare City as I try to find out what's going on."

Rosalia stood and pulled a box from a nearby shelf. She walked over to Ashley and placed it in her hands. "This is for you."

Ashley looked at Rosalia doubtfully. "Why?"

Rosalia smiled. "Because there are things you will need in here."

Realizing that the doubt didn't fade, Rosalia guided Ashley to the table and opened the box. She pulled out a wooden bracelet decked with precious jewels and lined heavily with equally precious metals. Rosalia took Ashley's hand and clamped it around her wrist.

"This should never be taken off while you are here," Rosalia said. "You can remove it when you get home, but not before."

Ashley looked at the bracelet, "Why not? What will happen if I do?"

"It's capable of many things and will be more useful if you keep it on," Rosalia said.

The cat padded over and looked at the bracelet. "I never thought you would part with that."

"I think, at times, parting with our most precious possessions is necessary," Rosalia said. "Especially since I don't have a current use for it and the child clearly does."

Rosalia went back to her box and pulled out a key that was tied by a simple string to make a necklace. "Just like this," Rosalia said, placing it around Ashley's neck.

"This," Rosalia said, closing the wooden box, "This necklace provides safe passage for those regions like my fields that question your right to be there. If anyone asks, just show them the necklace. If they have half a brain, then they'll let you pass without question."

Ashley looked at the cat and the fairy sternly. "Will I be able to go home soon?"

Rosalia looked at the cat hesitantly, unsure about how to answer.

"Soon is up for debate," The cat said, "But I'll try to get you back to your home as quickly as I can."

Ashley looked at the necklace for a moment, then clutched it tightly.

They emerged from the building and said their good-byes to Princess Rosalia.

"I wish you nothing less than a safe journey home," Rosalia said as she gave Ashley a kiss on the forehead.

Ashley gave Rosalia a hug, "Thank you."

The cat's tail flicked impatiently. "I'm afraid the longer we wait to leave, the longer it will take you to get home."

Ashley nodded and they left to start their journey.

4: Chapter 4

As they walked across green fields, a question popped into Ashley's mind as she looked at the bracelet that Rosalia had given her. "What does this do? You and Rosalia were talking like it does something."

"It does," the cat said. "Which is why I found it strange that she would even part with it. Especially since it was a gift from Iseda."

"What does it do?" Ashley asked again.

"Many things," The cat said, "But it mostly protects...which is why Rosalia gave it to you."

"What's your name?" Ashley suddenly asked.

The cat thought for a bit, then finally answered, "I don't remember the one I had at the beginning of my life."

"Why not?" Ashley asked.

"It was such a long time ago. Few of us that still remember it the way it was. Then, we were more focused on our survival than our names."

"So what are you called now?" Ashley asked.

"Depends," The cat responded. "Different places call me different things...but I think you can call me Will if you want."

Ashley's face scrunched as she thought about the name. "Okay," She said eventually.

Hours seemed to pass and Ashley's pace had slowed down significantly, but the sun hadn't moved a single inch in either direction.

Will stopped and looked back at Ashley. "You should rest."

"But it's not even dark out yet," Ashley protested.

Will looked at the sky, then shook his head. "The sun's a poor judge of time. He'll move when he wants to and he looks like he's rather playful today."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ashley said, rubbing her eyes.

As Will stepped closer to Ashley, his size increased several times over and became larger than a horse. He laid on his belly and said, "Why don't you hop on my back and rest."

Ashley wanted to argue, but her body and mind just ached so much. So with a nod, she climbed on the large cat's back. When Will resumed his walk, his strides crossed more distance than they had before. Ashley laid on her belly in exhaustion.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"No," Ashley said somewhat reluctantly.

"What's day like where you're from?" Will asked. "I've usually visit at night, so I'm not familiar with what day's like. The sun clearly moves because night arrives, but why does the moon seem to be so still?"

"The moon's a rock in space," Ashley said. "It moves around the earth."

"How are you certain of this?" Will asked.

Ashley shrugged. "My teacher told me."

"And the sun?"

"It's a big star that the earth moves around."

"How does it decide when it's day?"

"It doesn't," Ashley tried to explain. "Day and night come when the earth turns."

"I'm not a new visitor to your land," Will said, "But it's still very strange."

Ashley thought about this. "How does your night and day work?"

"I hope you don't mind a lengthy story," Will said, "I was young during the time, but it's I time I remember clearly. Like myself, a bear and a lion were struggling to survive. The land was clear of any life and we ate almost anything we could find. The lion and the bear were the closest of friends and worked together every day. They were different, but in ways that only benefited each other. The lion was bold and outgoing. Never afraid to speak his mind. The bear, on the other hand, was calm and reserved. Always mindful.

"It so happened that, one day, a rock fell from the sky. It's hard to say where it came from, but it was the brightest thing they had ever seen. Now, mind you, the kingdom was also a dark place. The two examined it curiously. Not only was it bright, but it was warm. Then a thought came across them: Perhaps it was edible. With their diverse ingenuity, they split the rock. Unfortunately, the rock did not split in half.

"After much talking, it was decided: The lion ate the bigger half and the bear the smaller. Shortly after consumption, both the lion and the bear began to glow. But the lion was brighter than the bear. The bear suggested that it must've been due to the size difference and the sun agreed. What they didn't know was that the portions also contributed to their energy levels as well. So the lion became restless and bear became drowsy.

"They figured out what had happened and the lion began to worry for the bear. Rightfully so, too. As time went on, the bear became sleepier and sleepier. In worry, the lion rested the moon on a crescent rock. However, he didn't realize how bright he had gotten. Others began to complain, so the lion thought for a while and then took the rock where his friend soundly slept in his great jaw and ascended to the sky. Thus the birth of the sun and the moon as the kingdom knows them."

"Does the Moon ever wake up?" Ashley asked.

Will's striped tail flickered with amusement. "Yes, but only on occasions. When she does wake up, she spends her time with her good friend, the Sun."

"That's good." Ashley sighed. She then asked, "Have you ever met them? The Sun and the Moon?"

"Occasionally all of the Elders will gather together for some reason or another. I'll see them then, but that doesn't happen often."

"Who are the Elders?"

"The Elders are the few who lived in the kingdom when it was barely above habitable. We are the only ones who can leave."

Then, Ashley's eyes got heavier and she fell into a deep sleep.

5: Chapter 5

"Did I sleep too long?" Ashley asked lazily when she finally woke up.

Will shook his head. "You seemed to need it."

Ashley was mesmerized by the creamy blanket that caked the ground. It was everything that she ever fantasized about winter. "Where are we?"

"We just arrived at the edge of the Candy Caverns," Will replied. "There's a friend of mine that I would like to consult."

"A friend? What's he like?"

"He's...an interesting fellow to say the least," Will said, "But I mean that in the best way possible."

Ashley was about to ask another question, but something moved in the distance. She wasn't sure how she hadn't seen it before. Especially since was a pink that heavily contrasted with the background.

Curious, she climbed off of Will's back and started towards it.

"Where are you going?" Will asked.

Ashley pointed at the moving pink blotch, "There's something over there and I want to see what it is."

Will cocked his head curiously as his eyes followed Ashley's finger. "That might be a bear."

"Bears aren't pink," Ashley said, stomping through the snow that didn't seem to make her cold.

"Not where you're from," Will said, following Ashley. "Bears here come in a wider range of color, but they only stay near the Candy Caverns."

"Why would they be pink?" Ashley asked. "Wouldn't that be bad camouflage?"

"Their surroundings are made of candy and so are they," Will said. "If that's not blending with their environment, then I don't know what is."

When they finally came closer to the ball of pink, Ashley saw that Will was right. It was a bear.

Ashley had never seen a bear up close before, but she had always thought that they were bigger. This one seemed to be shorter than her knee. Its gaze darted from Ashley to Will with wide, terrified eyes. She wondered what was wrong with it. When it tried to back away, she realized that its leg was caught in a red licorice rope. Slowly, Ashley reached over and untied it. Before she knew it, the bear ran away.

"Hm," Will wondered aloud, "I wonder how long the poor thing was caught in the trap."

Will then pushed Ashley gently with his head. "We must hurry. I'm afraid we won't find Jack if we take things too slowly."

Ashley strained her eyes to see if she could find the bear once again, but finally nodded.

As they traveled, Ashley looked more at the scenery that surrounded her. It was nothing but candy. The things that Ashley had assumed were supposed to be trees were varieties of lollipops and candy canes. Gum drops were clustered in a way that reminded her of bushes. Ashley was certain she could get a cavity from just looking around. Then there was the snow. It wasn't cold and it looked more like cake frosting. Every time Will took a step forward, Ashley was almost overwhelmed with a sweet smell.

"It looks like you have a visitor," Will chuckled.

Ashley looked around, confused. But, sure enough, there was the small pink bear just a short distance behind them. When they walked a little further, it would run up behind a candy cane or a lollipop and wait to repeat the process.

"Why's it following us?" Ashley asked. "We didn't do anything special."

"I would say you did do something special."

"All I did was help it loose. That's all."

"Wouldn't you like someone who freed you?" Will asked. "Wouldn't that be special?"

"It shouldn't be special."

Will then stopped. "I believe I see Jack. Do you want off?"

Instead of answering, Ashley hopped off the large cat. When she touched the thick snow, the pink bear walked up beside her, then nudged her hand with its muzzle. Ashley couldn't help but smile and pet its head softly.

Jack, unlike Will, the pink bear or the fairies, was the most human-looking thing Ashley had seen yet. But despite his initial impression, there was still something about him that was off. His skin and hair were unreasonably white. It made Ashley think of a dead man. Yet, Ashley knew that he couldn't be dead because he was moving, drawing on the ground with a large stick.

"Jack?" Will asked.

He didn't seem to hear Will. It seemed that all of his focus was on whatever he was doing.

Will sighed, then ran into him, using his head to knock Jack into the ground.

"That was unnecessary, wouldn't you say?" Jack asked. "I was on the verge of a new design for this winter."

"I wasn't going to get your attention otherwise," Will said as he sat down.

Jack lifted his head up and examined Will. "You're bigger than you usually are. Is there a special occasion for your size?"

"It's easier for travel," Will said.

"Travel, eh?" Jack smiled, pulling himself off of the snow. "Is that why you have four legs instead of two?"

"It's a bit of a story," Will said, "But I'll be more than happy to explain if you feed my guest."

Jack then looked at Ashley. "I hope she's not what I think she is."

"She is," Will nodded.

"My, we do have a lot to talk about."

Jack brought them to a building that Ashley could only describe as the largest and most intricate gingerbread house she had ever seen. As they entered, the pink bear curled next to the house and closed its eyes.

Jack gave Ashley bread and soup as Will explained everything he knew. Jack listened as he changed into something more fashionable. A light blue suite that had a white, inconsistent pattern that reminded Ashley of a strange mix between lightning and frost.

"I certainly hope there aren't more of her here," Jack said when Will had finished.

"I'm the only me so there can't be more," Ashley said.

Jack's cold hand patted Ashley's head and he smiled. "Not what I was meaning."

"Rosalia and I hope the same, but it would explain why she's here," Will said. "That is, if there were others."

"I can only wonder why someone would feel the need to start gathering children from the Waking World if that's the case we're facing," Jack said.

"It doesn't matter why," Will said, "It needs to stop."

"And how exactly do you propose we do that?" Jack asked. "How do we find someone who has already taken one child under the radar? How many others has this person taken? Will we be facing a hoard of children from the Waking World once we do find them?"

"You're asking too many questions and not providing enough answers," Will said.

"Perhaps you are asking too few," Jack said. "I'm simply voicing the questions we are all thinking."

A chill ran through Ashley. Were there more children that were taken from their homes like she had been? How long had they been away from their families? Ashley forced the questions away. She didn't want to think about things like that. Not when she knew that she would learn the answers later on.

"But you are right," Jack said, "Perhaps we are looking at too many questions. However, I do believe the ones we need to look at are: How is this person taking children? And how do we use their method to track them down?"

"I can already tell you that they've been using the traveling doors," Will said. "That was plain enough when I saw this child fall."

"Ashley," Ashley said firmly.

"What?" Will asked, clearly confused.

"My name's Ashley."

His expression softened. "Ah. I hope you accept my apology, then. I should have taken the time to learn your name."

"At least we know that our mystery thief is taking the time to use the travelling doors," Jack said. "Which means they're not making too many trips to the Waking World. Especially considering how infrequent those things are."

"But it would grant the thief a secret passage," Will nodded. "This especially so when we don't even pay that close attention to them."

"This does bring up another question," Jack said. "Why my help?"

Will's ears flattened and his tail flicked quickly from side to side. "You're an elder and this is as much your responsibility as it is mine. This should come without saying. Aside from mere advice, it is also your responsibility to take action."

Jack shrugged. "I'm a busy man that has a lot to prepare for in a short amount of time."

Ashley looked at Jack with blatant panic. "You aren't going to help me get home? Why not? Did I do something wrong?"

Jack's mouth opened and closed as words failed him. He then shook his head. "Of course I'm going to help you. You heard that over-sized kitty, right? It's my responsibility."

He knelt down and held her hand. "It's also my promise."

In Ashley's hand, A large snowflake formed and, slowly, she realized that it was turning into a glittering necklace.

"My promise," Jack said, pressing the necklace into her hand, "That I will help you. Not just now, but whenever you are in need. Turn the necklace thrice when you need me."

Ashley knew she was smiling like a goofy idiot, but she didn't care. She was too happy. She put the necklace on and let it fall over the key that Rosalia had given her.

"I take it you won't be coming with us?" Will asked.

Jack shook his head. "I think I would be of better use if I don't. I'm thinking that it might be possible to track an intersection between all of the travelling doors."

"An intersection?" Will repeated questioningly.

Jack nodded. "It's just a theory...but there might be a place where they all cross and the directions they travel may be visible. The only reason we've never noticed would be because we've never cared to track them down the way our thief has."

When they left the house, Ashley saw the pink polar bear shake its head and follow them, taking a particular closeness to Ashley.

Apparently, Jack had seen that too.

"I'm so happy she's found somebody," He smiled.

"She didn't find me," Ashley said. "...But I did help her."

Jack reached down and patted the pink bear on the head. "Cott's been a little lonely since she's lost her mother. It's been a while since she's been close to somebody."

Ashley felt a stab of sadness grip her heart. She lost her family too? No, Ashley knew it was different. Cott's family wasn't lost. It was gone and never coming back. Just like when her father went missing and it took her a while to figure out that pretty much meant that he was never coming back. Cott's mother wasn't coming back either.

Will was giving Jack a perplexed look. "I hope you don't assume that she'll come with us."

"She will," Ashley said. "I'm not letting Cott stay alone. She's coming with us."

Will shot Jack a vicious glare that didn't match the softness in his voice. "Surely she'll find others that she'll find company in."

"She's alone right now and needs friends," Ashley said firmly. "I'm a friend and I'm not letting her be alone when she needs someone the most."

Will was about to protest, but then closed his mouth and recognized defeat.

Jack lead them to the edge of a large forest that gave off a significantly more intimidating feel than the Candy Caverns had. "My advice is to go visit the Collector."

Will's posture tensed.

"I know, I know," Jack said. "It's not my favorite idea either, but she does have the fastest method to get you to Nightmare City."

"But-"

"No," Jack interrupted, "Listen; My advice at this point is to get her to Nightmare City where she can be either put in better care than simply roaming around the kingdom or, at best, taken home. Then we address the issue in regards to our thief."

"When you're right, you're right." Will sighed with a defeated nod.

There was a quick gust of cold wind and when it had died, Jack was gone.

Will took a step forward, then stopped, looking at Ashley. "This is Fear Forest. This forest completely surrounds Nightmare City and only the most terrible things live here. Hold on to my tail at all times if you're not riding on my back."

Ashley held on to Will's tail tightly and entered into the thick fog.