Kris had fallen asleep in the van on the way home from the Yangtze River Music Festival. He was thinking about all the great things the fans had done for him for his birthday. He couldn’t fathom how he was even deserving of so much love, but then again one’s best traits are hidden out of his view, so while the others knew he was a great person, he did not. He couldn’t believe what he had done to deserve such a beautiful memory. The fans singing him Happy Birthday nearly made him cry from happiness. He was so touched, and it was with these thoughts that he fell asleep.

When he woke up, a coordi-noona was bringing the fan gifts to the van. Kris got out of the vehicle to help her. His eyes, however, zeroed in on one thing. In her hands was the most adorable plushie he had ever seen in his life. It was an alpaca. An Alpacasso to be exact. Kris couldn’t contain himself, he grabbed it immediately and wouldn’t let go of it. He carried it happily all over the airport, putting his scarf on it and his glasses and gazing lovingly on it.

He couldn’t help it, he loved cute things and Ace was adorable. Sure, he was doing a bit too much coddling of the doll, but he simply couldn’t care. It was just the sweetest looking plushie he’d ever seen. When they got on the plane the stewardess had asked him to place it in the overhead compartment but he pretended like he had not heard her. Most airlines allowed people a carry-on item and a personal item, as long as one was under the seat or in the overhead it was fine to keep one with him, so he didn’t feel so bad breaking the rules. If he couldn’t have Ace with him, civil disobedience was more than respectful of the rules and regulations.

He looked at his fellow subunit members. He was still a bit ashamed after that game of rock-paper-scissors but he forgave them. It wouldn’t be good to act bitter in front of Ace, not that he was able to due to the sheer cuteness of the plushie. It just took away all his anger and soothed him. It was amazingly cute. He decided he had better head to the washroom, so he buckled his “son” into his seat and headed off.

Soon after he got back, Kris fell asleep with Ace on his lap.

-----

He woke feeling something light moving on his lap. Fearing a fangirl or worse was  about to start molesting him his eyes shot open only for him to see Ace checking a small pocket watch?

“Ace? You… you can move?!”He exclaimed

The alpaca turned it’s head to look at Kris. He was wearing a monacle and slipping his pocket watch back into his vest pocket. It nodded curtly then hopped off Kris’s lap, it’s tiny feet carrying it swiftly out of the now empty plane as it sang, “I’m late, I’m late, No time to say Hello Goodbye, I’m late! I’m late I’m late I’m late!”

Kris sat there, mouth gaping for a bit, before he got up and ran out of the plane after it. “Ace! Wait! Don’t just leave me behind!”

Kris ran and ran the plane never seemed to end. The alpaca would look back every so often as Kris called his name but he never stopped. His little legs carried him swiftly to the front of the plane. “Ace! Where are you going?”

Finally Ace reached the end of the plane…. The only problem was there was a large gaping hole where the cockpit was supposed to be. He looked back one more time at Kris and continuing his chorus of “I’m late! I’m late” He hopped over the edge of the hole.

“Ace! NO!” Kris yelled and ran to the edge of the cockpit. He looked over the edge. It just seemed like it was a never-ending stretch of mucked up time space with a large black hole in the center. He could hear Ace’s string of song coming from that hole. He looked back. He couldn’t just lose Ace (I mean come on, what would the fangirls think of him?). He had to jump. He took a couple paces back and ran full speed reminding himself,  “You’re a dragon Kris! You can do this! You can fly! You’ll make it!” and finally leapt over the edge and landed right in the hole.

As he was falling he saw that at the bottom of the hole was water. Lots and lots of water. He moved so that he wouldn’t belly flop and dove deep into it. It was extremely salty and he was not pleased. Nevertheless, he soon saw Ace paddling his way through the water in a make-shift boat made out of a red card. He was really puzzled as to what was going on, but he continued to swim. As he did so, he saw another person swimming beside him. When he got closer he noticed something strange. The young man had a nice face naturally, with reddish burgundy hair and little round ears?! And a mouse tail?!

“Hello, excuse me. I’m trying to catch up to that Alpaca up there you see. Will you help me Mouse-ssi” he asked

“MOUSE?! WHY I’VE NEVER! I’M A GUARDIAN NOT A MOUSE!”

“Mianhe. I don’t mean to have offended you, but it’s your ears you see”

“What about my ears?!” Su Ho mouse asked.

“They just, they look like a mouse’s is all”

“I’ve never been so insulted by a anyone in my life!” He said before swimming away.

Kris sighed. Now he made the only person in sight who could help him angry. He was not doing so well. Suddenly, though, as if someone pulled a giant plug out of a drain, the water all started to dissipate and he’s on a dry beach along with a lot of other people, including the Guardian mouse he had offended. He was so confused. All the others had animal characteristics though. There was one with feathers all over it and winged hands that resembled a dodo, the mouse and many others. All of them were extremely concerned as to how to get dry. The dodo kept squeaking in fright “How are we going to geth dry? I’m all weth. My feavers are all methed up!”

“Calm down Maknae!” The mouse guardian cried “I shall tell all of you how to get dry! It is much like playing golf! You must wait for the proper moment when the light is just right and the wind and grass are in perfect condition!”

The other animals sighed in annoyance but allowed Su Ho to continue his talk about golf, until the dodo had an idea that is. “I’ve got ith! We should have a rathe! Or at the very leatht run in thircles!” He cried.

The other animals listened to Dodo Sehun and calmed down a bit. A duck that was there then looked at Kris and asked him “Say, what kind of bird are you?”

“I’m not a bird” He answered quickly.

“Well then what are you?” The Dodo and Mouse asked. “You look like an Angry Bird. Like Red!”

“I’m not a bird!” Kris said in annoyance. “I’m a dragon” he roared.

“A dr-dr-dragon! Hyung ith’s the Jabberwock!” Sehun cried.

“RUN! EVERYONE RUN! It’s scarier than we thought!!!” Su Ho cried as all the animals ran away.

Was his face really that scary? I mean he may not smile that much, but he wasn’t mean or anything. He was starting to get a little depressed. He had no idea how he’d find his way to Ace or catch the alpaca for that matter. A forest materialized so he decided he might as well go inside and look there. He still saw Ace’s foot prints in the sand leading that way, so he figured he might as well try his luck. He walked for some time. This forest was way different from any he had visited. It was tropical and full of all sorts of flowers. The flowers, however, were so strange he did not think anything like them could exist in the world.

Then Kris heard arguing voices. “You’re just jealous cuz all the girls think I’m cuter than you! I mean I got a zero on the ugliness scale. You’re just jealous you got a ten!”

“NO WAY! I am not ugly! The girls even said so! And even if I was, at least I don’t look like a Baozi! Besides my singing is way better than yours! I’m a Dancing Macheen!”

Kris finally saw two boys, who looked extremely Chinese, arguing with each other and smacking each other. One really did look a lot like a baozi. The two were about to rip each other’s hair out when Kris finally had to speak up.

“Uh hello? Have either of you seen an alpaca?”

“Hmmmm why are you….”The taller began.

“Looking for said…” The Baozi continued.

“alpaca, and who…”The first resumed.

“Are you?” The latter concluded.

“Uh… I’m Kris…who are you?” He replied puzzled

“We are…”They began together “Tweedle Chen….”

“And Tweedle Min” they finished.

“I was looking for him cuz he’s my friend. Have either of you seen him?”

“We cannot tell you….”

“Until you play a game with us”

“What game?”

“Rock…” Min began.

“Paper…” Chen followed.

“SCISSORS!” They said in unison.

“Uh Maybe next time….”

“NO! NOW!” They yelled.

Kris sighed. If he could get the information it’d be better for him, so he agreed. They played, and played and played, and Kris could not see the end to this game. When Chen and Min got into an argument over a tie in the game, Kris sneaked away unnoticed down the trail, thanking God he had gotten away from that mess. He could still hear them fighting

“You’re just jealous that the March Hare and I are best friends while your Hatter cares more about tea than you!” Min yelled.

“No way that Hare likes the dodo a heck more of a lot than you! ANYWAYS the Hatter’s just a little bit forgetful!” Chen bellowed back.

“You take that back!”

“NO YOU”

He heard them wrestling and he just walked faster. If they caught him he’d probably have to play more games and he just was not in the mood.

Next he came upon a clearing filled with giant mushrooms of all different colors shapes and hues. And on top of the largest mushroom sat one overly-ual, tanned man with the lower body of a caterpillar smoking a hookah pipe?

The man blew rings of smoke and basically sat with the same bored look as he ignored Kris. “Excuse me, but have you seen an Alpaca?”

The caterpillar took another drag from his pipe and blew out more rings of smoke. “You’re looking for the castle trumpeteer?”

“I guess so?”

“Either you know or you do not. There is no guess.” The caterpillar removed his shirt exposing the extremely toned body beneath. The man flexed his muscles and climbed down from the mushroom and handed him a mushroom. “If you eat the left side you will grow and if you eat the right you will shrink… Now if you’ll excuse me I’d like to get back to my pipe. The duchess should be able to help you.”

“The Duchess?”

“His estate is at the end of the right end of the fork”

“Thank you Caterpillar-ssi”

“That’s Kaiterpillar”

“….okay…Kaiterpillar-ssi” Kris replied. This place was seriously weird.

Kris walked down the path and finally came upon a mansion. He assumed this is where he should go. He knocked on the door and was let in by a servant of some sort. He stepped into the sitting room and noticed a very large striped cat-man lying down on the couch. As he entered the Cat grinned and then disappeared into thin air leaving nothing but a creepy smile behind.

Soon after a young man with eyeliner and styled hair came to the room to look into the mirror and check that he looked absolutely perfect. “Chanshire Cat, am I presentable enough? I have a concert to give tonight”

A deep voice resonated through the room. “Sure~ Duchess Baek always looks great.”

“Who shall watch the child for me tonight?”

“This man here…” the Chanshire Cat replied materializing by the Duchess and gesturing toward me.

“Is he trustworthy?”

“Yes.”

“Fine off you go.” The Duchess replied.

The cat began to laugh and disappeared once again until he was nothing but a grin, and then even the grin faded away. Kris sat stock still in his seat not wanting to move.

“So you shall be watching the child tonight? You better take good care of my little Panda. Now as for your compensation…”

“Do you know of an alpaca?” Kris interrupted.

Baekhyun looked at him in disbelief. “You dare talk to the Duchess that way?”

“Mianhe Duchess-ssi it is just that I’ve been looking desperately for him.”

“For what purpose?”

“I am his friend and I have to make sure he doesn’t get lost”

“I see you are responsible” Baekhyun paused “I shall give you the information, after I am done with my concert, however. For now please look after the baby.”

“Where is he?”

“In his room”

“And where is that?” Kris asked.

“Down the hall and to the left,” Baek turned “And do not mess up and open the right, the new cook is a failure and I don’t want the baby smelling the pepper” The Duchess opened the door “also… don’t mess with the lights. That’s my job” he muttered before leaving.

Kris however, did mess the first part of that up. He opened the left door like he was supposed to and found a younger boy with black hair, pale skin and rings under his eyes. He was kind of like a panda. But as Kris tried to move the panda to another part of the house he tripped over his own two feet and the kitchen door opened spreading pepper throughout the house. The boy sneezed and ended up becoming a real, miniature panda.

Kris began to worry but as the duchess did not return on time, and the cook later informed him the Duchess would be on a trip to the sun for a few days, he decided to just take the panda along with him as he continued on his quest.

As he continued again in the forest he met the Chanshire Cat once again. “Go to the Zhang Hatter and Han Hare for what you seek” he said before laughing hysterically again and disappearing again, with his grin reappearing by the left fork in the road. “This way~” His deep voice resounded.

Kris decided he might as well try, so he picked up the baby panda and headed for the end of the fork. Halfway to the end he found a table in the middle of nowhere, at which sat a Hatter, a Hare and a dormouse. The Hatter and Hare kept pouring each other tea while the dormouse simply slept. “The Cat told me to find you all?” Kris said unsure.

The Hatter, who had on a large top hat covered in unicorns, studied him quickly before asking him “Why is a raven like a writing desk?”

Kris just stared “uh…. Can you repeat that?”

“Repeat what?” The hatter said confusedly.

“What you just said”

“I was saying something? I must have forgotten.”

“Would you like some tea?” The hare piped up. Kris had to admit the hare was not nearly as scruffy and ugly looking as he thought. “The old hatter here is very forgetful”

“You are older than me Hare!”

The dormouse stirred “First you cut the fish cakes and put the anchovies and 4 cups of water in the pan and boil it” The large eyed mouse boy said sleepily before nodding off once more.

The two stared at him then continued talking. “So today we are celebrating the D.O.rmouse’s un-birthday!” The hare said patting the larged eyed boy on the back

“Un-birthday?” Kris asked.

“Yes un-birthday” The hatter said.

“what is that?”

“I forgot” the hatter replied again.

“It is the day that is not your birthday. Coincidentally it is my un-birthday today as well!” The Hare replied cheerfully.

“What a coincidence” The hatter replied. “It is mine too.”

“Is it your un-birthday?” They asked Kris.

“yeah I guess…”

“Very well. Very well. We must sing the Very Happy Un-Birthday song! Hatter you said you know it!” The Hare said excitedly.

The D.O.rmouse stirred once more “Then you take out the anchovies and put in the green peppers and fishcakes and red pepper paste in and stir and that’s…” he yawned “how you make…. ddukbokkie…” The D.O.rmouse fell asleep again.

The Hatter was deep in thought “I forgot the song…”

“Um do you know where to find an alpaca?”

“Alpaca?” They asked.

“Yes”

The panda looked back and forth between all the people talking. Kris smiled at the fact that at least he wasn’t alone in all the confusion.

“Oh I know!” the Hare said.

“The castle!” The D.O.rmouse exclaimed before falling back asleep.

“Which way is it?!” Kris said excitedly. Finally, he was getting somewhere.

The hare pointed in two directions. “That way!” he said.

“Which way?”

“yes” the hare replied.

“uh…”

“Go on” the hare encouraged.

Kris looked at the Panda. It looked at him as well, and eventually Kris decided to continue on the trail he had come on and left, thanking the odd tea party goers as he left. All of them waved at him awkwardly, and the hatter seemed to be doing some pre-choeographed dance, but he ignored that and continued down the trail. Eventually he saw the alpaca. It was not that much further down the trail. Kris ran after Ace, this time not saying anything. He ran and ran and was just close enough to reach out and grab him when another hole opened up in the ground and he fell. He yelled as he fell down further and further.

------

Kris gasped waking up to Tao shaking his shoulder “Kris Gege. We’re here. What’s wrong? Why are you so jumpy?”

“Oh sorry Tao. I was having a very weird dream”

“What was it about?”

“Surprisingly it was about all of us”

Tao seemed very interested. “Will you tell us about it?” He asked eagerly.

Kris thought for a minute.

He looked down at his lap and saw that Ace had not moved.

“Hmmm…. Maybe next time.”

But as he said that he could not help but get the feeling that Ace had smiled at his words.