Protecting Genie

Chapter 21

Abril's POV

This....can't be real. Is it?

Please, someone tell me that this isn't real. Someone tell me that this is just a bad dream. Someone tell me that the person lying in the snow isn't dead.

It feels like somebody just punched me in my gut. My eyes were stinging from having to hold back the tears. My mouth was slightly open, but my voice was gone. No words or sounds would come out. My lips were quivering but it wasn't because of the cold snow around us.

Small flurries of snow continued to fall around the large group of Immortals that have all gathered around in a close circle. To others, it would have been a beautiful sight. The many holidays and spirits gathered around one another, almost encased in a blanket of snow.

It would have been a beautiful sight if it wasn't for the random patches of red that were splattered in the snow.

Blood.

From the way that we all came together to mourn the loss of a pure soul, you would have never guessed that we were once two groups that had been enemies.

Hal and Liam were of course on the same side, but right now, they were currently holding onto one another while Ground hog was in the middle of it. All three of them were crying their eyes out.

Even Cupid, who has pointed out how much she hated Genie, was crying. She was wrapped up tightly in Mother Nature's arms, sobbing hard into her chest.

"She just had to be brave, didn't she?" Cupid was trying to keep her reputation by sounding like she was judging the actions of Genie; but she wasn't fooling anyone right now.

Mother Nature was rubbing Cupid's back to comfort her. But Mother Nature was having a hard time herself to keep it all in. She still stood tall and proud, trying to remain composed. But she was failing hard. Just as the rest of us were.

In the time it took me to wake up and return to the group, everybody had already found somebody to help comfort them. I hadn't tried to join any of the groups, even though Tooth had tried to pull me into an embrace with her and North.

I just continued to stare at the scene before me.

I hadn't been awake when this tragedy happened. While the battle was taking place, something knocked me out right in the middle of my conversation with Genie.

I knew it was her.

During what I thought was a mental breakdown, I hadn't been paying full attention to her. Not until she asked me if I believed everybody had good and bad in them. It had pissed me off that she was trying to find some way to defend Pitch, after everything he had done to her.

But I guess that's just the kind of person she is. Forgiving.

While the rest of us were ready to kill Pitch, she was more than willing to forgive him.

Then she asked me if I'd still be her friend when she comes back and to not be mad at her. Before I could question what she meant, I felt a blunt force against the side of my head. Immediately, I was unconscious.

I was only out for a few minutes but those few minutes changed the course of the battle.

When I woke up, the battle had stopped. When I couldn't see any of the Nightmares, Night Terrors, Hal, Liam, or Pitch around, I assumed we won. Mentally, I began to cheer, thinking that we had won.

Slowly, I pushed myself up into a sitting position, taking a moment to regain some stability and to correct my blurry vision. Once I was comfortable enough, I got to my knees then stood to my full height. The first few steps I took were very wobbly; I probably looked like Bambi when he first started walking.