To Ally with the Guardians

Chapter 24: Again

The first thing Haven became aware of was how there was something inside her that shouldn't be. A second presence harboring memories that caused her to shiver and making her desire things she feared. She pushed it away, knowing it would only make her commit immoral acts that would taint her soul with guilt.

What was going on? She didn't know. The only sense she had was the awareness of her existence and the second one, and the battle for her freedom from it.

Something aided her in her struggle to remove the second will from her person, like a hook dragging a fish from the water. A friendly third presence who she wanted to draw closer to, to cry out to to pull stronger. She opened her mouth and screamed, hoping the ally would hear.

A chill ran up her arms and legs. Cold. The last thing she knew, it had been warm and summer but raining. A memory. She blinked, and her vision was filled with every shade of darkness, shadows cast by the little light. Where was she? The second presence's memories were gone, so she had no understanding of what had occurred after the curse overtook her. The curse. Another memory.

There was nothing beneath her feet. Her body plummeted toward the ground, however far away that was, and she screamed again.

Someone caught her with warm furry arms, and she drew in a breath. The person set her down.

Immediately after her feet hit the solid ground and she nearly fell forward, another pair of arms wrapped themselves around her.

"Haven!" Haven immediately recognized the voice, her recollections becoming stronger through the fog.

"Matt?" She turned her head to be able to look up at his face. They had never actually hugged before. "Where are we?"

"Pitch's lair. We're gonna get out real soon."

"Whisper, what are you gonna do with that?" Bunny- that had to be who it was from what she could see- asked.

The two looked over to the subject of his question. From what Haven could see, the girl didn't look human, with completely blue skin, no irises, and some sort of violet markings on the side of her head. Her face was covered in sweat, though, as she concentrated on the dark sphere hovering between her outstretched hands. She tilted her head up for a second before returning her gaze to whatever it was, and she threw it away from everyone. There was a loud boom as it crashed in the distance.

Whisper shook out her limbs and relaxed her face, breathing hard.

"Alright," someone- Duran said. "Let's signal the Guardians and get out of here." Whisper ran around the corner, leaning heavily against the stone, and stared at a battle in the distance. After a moment, she returned.

Bunny whispered into the snowglobe in his hand and threw it on the ground. The light from the swirling circle that popped up where it had landed nearly blinded Haven, it was so bright compared to the lair.

Matt guided her into it. For a split second, she couldn't see anything, only flashes of color and light as her body spun around. Soon, however, she was placed abruptly on her feet, nearly falling forward but getting caught by Matt. Green, pink, and yellow and other friendly hues poured into her eyes, stinging them for a moment before they could adjust. The noise was also temporarily startling, the chatting and the crying of the children farther down the hill, plus what she guessed were Yetis and elves. This had to be the Warren, where children were transported to once they were cured. So many. She and the rest of the L.E.R. had cured so many children!

She and Matt stepped forward out of the way, and other people from the lair came out behind them one by one. Angelia, Duran, and Whisper. Presumably Bunny. A blond man with a few tears in his dark clothes.