Giving Way to the Light

Chapter Six

Warning: This chapter gets pretty dark. Contains suspense and mentions of blood, death, murder, and our horrific villain. If you are uncomfortable with PG-13 rated books, you should probably skip this chapter and I will explain what you missed at the beginning of Chapter Seven in a short PG paragraph.

"No."

"Perhaps you could just give it a try, watch us we do our jobs and then—"

"No."

"Would yah at least give us the benefit of—"

"You attacked me, fluff-butt, you don't get a say in this at all."

"Now wait just a—"

"No."

"Man in Moon-"

"NO!"

They all finally stopped speaking and stared at me like I was the epitome of death itself. It probably didn't help that I had resorted to turning my eyes red, growing out my fangs, and fluffing up my wings (having finally snapped the bandages on the left one).

"LOOK," I said calming down just a little. "I know you're just doing your job or whatever, and you're just doing what the boss man tells you to do, but nothing you can say will sway me. I love children as much as you do, but I can do a better job protecting them by myself. I don't need you. You don't want me. So just leave. Me. Alone."

Four shocked faces stared up at me. Four pairs of eyes widened in surprise. Four Guardians had the truth that not everyone in the world adores them thrown in their faces. And at the moment, I couldn't care less.

After North had told me the translation behind my name (whoopedy-doo-da-day), he had tried to sell a spiel about how it was an honor to be chosen for such a noble task, and that I had a beautiful center that the Moon found could help in protecting the children. He said it was my responsibility.

Needless to say, I didn't take his lecture very well. I had blown up in his face, asking if it was such an honor to work for the Man in the Moon, why did he treat us like trash? The other Guardians had heard me screaming at him, and had rushed in to defend him in case I became violent. I wouldn't have hurt him no matter how mad I was though, so the fact that they thought they knew me well enough to assume my reaction just made me angrier.

They had tried to calm me down, make me see their side of the story, bargain with me. Then I just crossed my arms and refused to agree to anything, much like the rebellious teenager I am, even a thousand years later.

So, before they could get the guts to speak again, I snatched one of the magic snow globes off of North's desk (really it was no mystery what they were for; everyone talked about them), told it to bring me back where they had found me, and smashed it on the floor.

Then I was back in the Ashdown Forest in seconds.

And then... I cried.

I cried because I was angry that the Moon thought he could treat me any way he wanted and still think I would look up to him as if he were my father, always seeking his praise. I cried because as much as I hated it, it was true; I did still look up to him and seek his praise. Then I cried because I was mad at myself for crying.

Funny how that works, huh?

After a while, I finally got some control over myself again. I looked up from my huddled ball between two boulders and at the scenery around me. It looked to be around six o'clock in the evening. Christopher Robin would be home by now. I needed his innocence to bring that smile to my face again; I needed the distraction more than anything.