To Ally with the Guardians

Chapter 9: The Pain of Loss

Matt, Angelia, Duran, and the three Guardians overseeing everything were the last ones left in the cave. Angelia was calmer now, though still trembling a little. Matt guessed that her sudden violence had shocked her out of her panic. Her fear of her parents thinking she was hallucinating again had been replaced with her fear of turning into a Fearling. Had the curse tried to make Haven do something similar, she probably would've reacted the same way.

"If I can get a signal, I'll text Grandpa Sloan to tell your parents what's going on," Matt told her, "and mine. And Haven's." He wasn't going to tell his grandpa what had happened to his girlfriend, though, because no one needed to know. Matt was going to get her back, so it didn't matter. "I'll tell him what's happening."

"Honestly, we weren't gonna tell anyone you guys are with us to keep you safer," Bunny said, also looking more relaxed, "but then the Fearlings and Nightmares showed up. Pitch must know you're here now. There's no reason to keep it a secret anymore."

"Alright, let's go," North said, moving toward the green tunnel in about the middle of the cavern, "before they find you again." He gestured for the teens to head on down.

Matt looked behind him at the nearly empty cave once more before sitting at the edge of the mossy hole and pushing himself forward. He was immediately thrown all over in the slide, and when he shot out the end, he tumbled onto his hands and knees. Grimacing in pain and heat building up under his winter gear, he heard someone else coming down the tunnel and was quick to jump out of the way before he got run into, almost bumping into a couple of nearby children. The whole well-lit grassy area was packed with creatures and people, and he only added to their numbers.

Angelia slid out of the slide, landing on her feet unlike he had. He waved her over by a huge mossy egg with a smiling face carved into it.

Duran came down next, almost falling forward like Matt had done but managing to keep his balance. The legal adult spotted his two friends immediately and walked over to them, and they all shed their coats. The temperature wasn't as bad without them, though still a little on the too warm side.

"We need a plan," Duran said.

Matt nodded. "We're waiting for Bunny. He's gonna help us." Impatience scratched at his brain, and he tried to assuage it. Just because he hadn't turned Haven back the first chance he had gotten didn't mean he wouldn't ever end up doing it. Besides, this was Bunny's territory now, not North's, so an ally was in charge. Matt found it difficult to calm his fears, however.

The three Guardians came down last, the tunnel closing up behind them as they landed in a near-perfect stance that Matt couldn't help but be a tad envious of.

"Bunny!" he called to the Pooka with a wave, but when the Guardian began moving in the L.E.R.'s direction, North put his hand on his shoulder.

"We need to talk." There was a strong note of seriousness in his voice that matched the grave look in his eyes.

Bunny mouthed a "sorry" at the teens and turned away.

"You should talk about food," a tween-looking redhead girl said to the Guardians. Her posture was slumped, but there was a hint of frustration in her voice. "Could you please get us some food?" What time was it? Five, six, seven p.m. in Matt's time? What was it in the Guardians and children's time?

"Tooth, could you have your fairies...?" North asked.

"I think so." She then lowered her voice. "And they can, um, take care of the notes."

"Right, right. That would be good."

Matt pulled his phone from his pocket, but it still had no signal. He would have to wait to tell Grandpa Sloan what was happening.