The Star-Crossed Guardians

Chapter Fourteen- The Final Battle: Part Two

'I have to go! Why don't you understand that my entire life has been building up to this point? I finally have a lead and you're trying to keep it from me? This is just beyond low. Give me back my documents!' I lunged for his hands that was filled with ruffled paperwork, but he pulled away.

'It's a suicide mission, is what it is! Why can't you understand that this 'hobby' of yours has turned into an obsession, Jackie? It isn't healthy!'

'How do you know what's healthy for me? This is what has kept me going this whole time!'

'Exactly! You never spend time with you family, your friends. I just can't see you like this anymore.' He held the papers over the fire burning in the mantle.

'You wouldn't...'

'I would, if it meant getting my daughter back.'

He let go.

'No!' I cried. I reached for my papers. My life's work. All gone. I fell to my knees in front of the burning fire.

'Honey please. It's just... It's just a mythical place that doesn't exist,' my mother tried to plead with me. I shook my head, my heart filled with anger and my head filled with knowledge.

'You wouldn't understand.' I stood back up and ran up to my room. I packed the things I would need into a rucksack that I had on standby in case something like this happened. I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, so I packed quicker.

'And where are you going now?' my mother asked, holding her hands to her chest.

'I can rely on my memory. I was right to think you both would overreact like this, so I memorized the location, just in case.' I finished and slung it over my left shoulder.

'Let me through.'

My parents stood in the doorway, blocking my path.

'You leave this house, you'll have no house to come back to. Because you will no longer be welcome.'

I inhaled a little in surprise. I didn't think he would go this far to obstruct my dream from completion.

'If that's what you desire.' And I walked out, never to see them again.

At least, not until now.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I woke up on someone's lap.

"Honey? Are you alright?"

I looked up to see an older man holding my head. I sat up and turned towards him.

"No way... I... I remember now!"

"Remember what?"

"You! And my past! I remember who I am! Was! Whatever. I'm just... I'm so glad you're here!" My eyes welled up with tears.

"Jackie..." he sighed, and we embraced each other, tears mingling where our cheeks touched.

"I've missed you so much..." my father told me. I could only nod in response.

All of a sudden, I was lifted up by the back of my shirt. Lethe held me aloft, his cheeks wet as well.

"Okay, now why are you crying?" I asked, wiping away my tears.

"We were going to be together forever. But you ruined it. I really did love you, Cupid..." He held me out towards where Eris was waiting, and looked away. I saw Tooth laying on the floor, unconscious. Jack was a few feet away, his staff in Lethe's other hand.

Eris slowly summoned her bow and took aim with a green arrow.

"Don't worry, dear. Soon, it will be aaaall over," she grinned.

She let go of the arrow. I closed my eyes, waiting for impact. But like in the movies, it didn't come. I opened my eyes, and expected what I saw.

"Jack..." I breathed. He writhed on the ground in front of me in pain. His cries made my heart break in two.

Out of the blue, Lethe dropped me. I turned and saw my dad wrestling with him, his arms around Lethe's neck.

"Go honey! Save him! Use your gift!" he called. I nodded and turned around to see Jack standing. He was hunched over, as if he was still in pain, his right hand on his head.

I approached him carefully. "Jack...?" I glanced over to my weapons in the corner of my eye and contemplated going after those first. That'd be a smart thing to do. Never taking my eye off of Jack and Eris, I scurried backwards and grabbed my bow and slung my arrows over my head. I slowly made my way back to Jack and tried to speak with him again.

"Jack? It's me, Cupid. You remember me, right?"

He was silent. Then, he chuckled. His chuckling grew louder and louder until it filled the whole cave. He sounded like he was out of his mind!

"Remember you?" he finally said after he was done laughing. The entire room was quiet. Even the little octopus demons were still.

"Of course I remember you. Who doesn't, right? Everyone knows who you are. But do they remember me? NO!" He yelled the last last word so loudly, I almost took to my knees. He turned to the Guardians beneath him.

"No one remembers me. No one believes in me. It's all about the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Oh, and of course, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy! Even the Boogeyman before we got rid of him." My brow furrowed as I tried to make sense of what he was saying.

"No one remembers me. No one cares about me. You all, well, you all have it all. Everything I've always wanted, you guys take it for granted. I've always been alone but you guys have each other. Even when I became a Guardian, you guys welcomed me and it was great. But we know that it didn't last long. I distanced myself so you guys didn't have to. I knew that you guys didn't actually like me. You were pretending. So even as a Guardian, I was alone." Tears were beginning to fall down his face. Then, he turned to me.

"And you. Everything changed when I met you. You lit up my dark world. You're... You're too precious for me. You're so fricken perfect and I can't have that! I can't be perfect and I wish I could be! I wish I could be perfect for you but that won't happen. If I could... I would in a heartbeat. But I can't take your perfectness. I can't hurt you. I'm just... I'm so jealous! I wish I could be like you guys!" He swivelled around to look at all of us. He just kept turning and walking around, like he's trying to escape from someone. Or something.

I stroked my bow. I didn't know what to do. To help him. I thought of my father's words.

'My special gift...' I thought. I am Cupid. I have powers. I never really dived into my powers much, but I do know that it's the only thing that can actually compete with Eris's power.

Suddenly, a thought struck me. I pulled an arrow out of my quiver and notched it in. I took aim at Jack.

"Jack!" He turned towards me, his tears still fresh.

"I love you."

SWISH.