Interlude 1

Just a small interlude. Enjoy!

~Alice~

'Mama... Papa... Where are you?...' Endlessly, she wandered, searching for parents long gone. She didn't know but it had already been five decades since she entered the forest by accident and met her demise. Her parents desperately searched for her but they didn't even find her corpse. She was ripped apart completely. Her stronger than usual spirit lingered however, leading to this neverending tragedy.

Tirelessly, she roamed the forest, unable to stray too far from the place of her death. Slowly over the years, she began to lose her sense of self, aspects that defined her as human, to the Cold of Death. Her once-bright spirit dimmed until only this one desire stayed with her. The pure wish for a parent.

It promised to be a day like all the others before. She didn't stop her endless search even once in all those years. Some people developed resentment in death and transformed into malevolent spirits that would later on form into menacing Ghost Type Pokémon. Others would simply fade after a while, not having anything to hold them here.

To be able to stay in this plane of existence for a while after death spoke of an exceptionally strong spirit. Little Alice lingered decades already and stubbornly kept that one wish in her mind. The Cold was threatening to consume her soon, though. The way it was clawing at the little innocent soul grew harsher by the day.

Until something happened. A Spark. Sudden Warmth permeated her entire existence without any preamble. For the first time in decades, the girl stopped. The ghostly equivalent of a sigh left her as the Warmth took away an ache that had built up from the start. Ever since the day she got lost, the Cold had been growing steadily.

As the Spark faded, she tried to desperately hold on to it. She didn't want it to go. It felt nice! Like a hug from Mama and Papa... Subconsciously, she turned into the direction she thought the Spark came from. New determination surged through her ghostly mind as for the first time since she died, she searched for something other than her parents.

She rushed, burned through all the energy she had left, until she just couldn't keep it up anymore. But she didn't need to. She had found something that was calling out to her. In the middle of a hollow tree, there was a stump, perfectly preserved. Ironically, despite only being a remnant, a mere fragment of what once was undoubtedly a majestic tree, it exuded a vitality that belied it's reduced form.

Mesmerized, she floated closer feebly, not having enough energy left to speed up. The stump called to her in a way nothing ever did before. Soon, she was near enough to touch it when suddenly, she felt as if she was being sucked into the treestump. Too weak to resist, she was quickly pulled in. Spirit and Tree became one. The plant's vitality combined with her reignited mental energies, causing a wondrous reaction that gave birth to a new being neither plant nor human.

Alice was confused. She existed without a body for so long that she didn't even know how it felt to have one anymore. Not that it would have helped her. The sensations that ran through her were so utterly alien that her mind was soon overloaded. Working on instinct more so than anything else, she managed to float out of the ground and perceived the surroundings for the first time.

Slowly turning around herself, she realised that a weight she hadn't even realised was suddenly lifted from her. Her mind felt more active than ever and she clearly registered her situation. She knew not how long it had been since she died, but she knew it was a long time ago.

She sank down, settling on the ground. Instinctively, she managed to materialise enough to not sink into it as she mourned the likely death of her parents. She didn't know much about her life as a human being anymore. Most of it had been eroded by the Cold and time. But the single-minded wish to find her parents stuck with through it all.

Only to have it made an impossibility by the most callous of all enemies. Time. She didn't know how long she silently cried while huddled on the ground but she only snapped out of it because she heard a sound.

Curiously, she looked over to the entrance, where she found a man. He was rather tall and had broad shoulders. He even had to shift sideways a bit to fit through the opening. When he saw her, he stilled completely in surprise. And then, his eyes drew her in. They were filled with a warm emotion she didn't know. It nearly made her cry again.

Subconsciously, she floated closer. Her newly developed instincts were warring with both, her curious mind and the wish to experience the Warmth she had seen in his eyes. Once she was in touching distance, he reached out and it took everything out of her to not escape.

But it was worth it. The moment his calloused yet warm hand touched her head gently, she knew.

'Just like Papa...'

She actively worked against her instincts as she floated into his arms. He embraced her with a gentleness that brought her to tears again as her instincts settled down and allowed her to wholeheartedly enjoy the overwhelming emotions that surged through her. Suddenly, a hand holding something that smelled divine appeared in front of her face and she realised that he was feeding her.

She opened her little mouth and took a bite and it was the most glorious thing she had ever tasted in the entirety of her new existence. Admittedly, it was also the first thing she tasted in her new state of existence, but she was sure it would take quite a while to beat it.

Bite after bite, she devoured, only now realising just how hungry she was. After being without a body for so long that she had forgotten such a sensation existed. When the strange but wonderful snack was entirely gone, she couldn't help herself. First, she aired her excitement with a cheer and then she turned around to beg for more.

His eyes were soft and indulgent when he looked at her and he quickly gave in to her demands.

"Just one more. I need to get by on those until I find my way back to civilization, you little glutton."

Had she not been as hungry as she was, she might have been indignant at being called a glutton. But since her situation was as such, she just silently nodded and accepted the treat. She was proven incorrect from the start as this one tasted even better than the last one. She nearly missed him talking while she consumed the nourishing nibble.

"I need a place to rest before I continue my journey. Can I spend the night here? It's ok if you refuse."

As if she'd let go of the man who brought Warmth and food! She made her intent clear by holding on to him for dear unlife. In the back of her mind, she already called him what he would represent for her.

'Papa...~'