“How much farther is it?” Sylvie was exhausted. She and Snowpepper had been wandering, aimlessly, it seemed, through the featureless mist for long enough that she was beginning to be discouraged. “We’re not lost, are we?”

“Um…” Snowpepper made a small, distressed sound. “I don’t know. It’s different going back. Coming here, I followed you—I could feel you, you know? But now… I don’t…” Suddenly, the faerie burst into tears. “Oh, Sylvie, I’m such a dummy, I’ve gone and lost us, I’m so sorry!”

“Hey, Snow, it’s okay.” Sylvie hesitantly put her arms around the sobbing faerie. She still wasn’t used to being able to touch Snowpepper this way, but she wanted to comfort her somehow. “It’s not your fault, truly it isn’t. Anybody would be lost if they were trying to find their way in this thick pea soup fog. I’m just amazed that you found me in the first place. That was really great. You’re not dumb at all, you hear me?”

“Oh, Sylvie, what do we do now?”

“I know what I need to do,” sighed Sylvie, plopping herself to the bare, featureless ground with a groan. “I need to rest. I’m so tired I could fall over. Hey,” she coaxed, “Come on and sit with me, Snow. It’s not going to hurt us to take a little break. Maybe we’ll think of something together. Okay?”

“Okay,” sniffled the faerie. She snuggled next to Sylvie, curling into her side like a small child. Sylvie’s heart tugged in a mixture of pleasure and pain. Why, she thought. I actually love this ditzy little broad. Well, I guess it makes sense that I should! Smiling gently, she put her arm around her otherside self.

The two girls leaned on one another for support. Frightened that if she slept she might be transported into another dream and thus be separated from Snowpepper and her way home, Sylvie tried to stay awake. Despite herself, she drifted into a dreamlike state, half waking and half sleeping. Still dimly aware of the weight of Snowpepper’s body pressing against her, she fell into a fitful doze.

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