Part 2 Chapter 53
It was then the turn of the other halfling children from the other world to disappear into the portal behind Savannah. They did so one by one until me and Santana, the dragons, and Henry were the only ones left in the room.
After a pregnant pause Santana finally spoke. "I guess it's time to finally close these rifts between the two worlds."
She snatched up my hand and squeezed it tightly. I let out a cry of protest at her rough touch, but stopped when I noticed the look on her face. She had the same look as Emily when she told me what most of her family was gone.
"Ready?" she asked, her voice cracking in the middle from emotion.
"Yeah..."
I felt some energy leave my body, like water being drawn to a well.
She let go of my hand and stepped back from me.
"Is that it..." I asked. "Is the rift between the two world's closed."
"Yes," she said and immediately collapsed to the ground, like a puppet with its strings cut and the room echoed with her sobs.
My eyes flew to Henry with a silent plea asking him what to do. But he was busy looking at Santana like she had some sort of incurable disease.
I sighed and shook my head, knowing that I was going to have to deal with this on my own.
I knelt down on the ground and reached a hand towards her.
But the second my finger tips grazed the fabric of her dress, she jerked away from me and stood up.
She wiped furiously at her face with her sleeve. I stood up too.
"I'm fine, no big deal. I just sealed off my only way home."
There was a crash from somewhere in the distance and the room shook and tilted to the right before straightening out, but not before it sent me and Santana colliding into each other.
"Ow, what now!?" Santana yelled while she rubbed her nose that had just collided with my chin.
"Um, I think that was Miss B telling us that the attack has just begun," I said while I rubbed my chin that had just collided with her nose.
Henry raised an eyebrow at me.
I felt my hair being tugged by some wind and I looked to see that Santana had already opened a portal.
"Are you guys coming?" she asked impatiently.
Without answering her, we walked towards the portal.
Henry whistled and Nessie came bounding up to him.
She and him walked through the portal ahead of us, while Santana stood to the side waiting.
I singled for Deception likewise and in moment, he was besides me.
I tugged on the side of his saddle to lead him forward, and together we walked through the crackling black mass.
Walking into the portal instead of all the ways I had enter one before, made for a much better landing on the other side, although the journey through it was still painfully uncomfortable.
We were now standing at the edge of the forest. I could see the camp in the distance. It was daylight outside and the sun hung high in the sky and so did the know visible floating school. It looked like have of it had been destroyed. The portal closed silently behind us.
Suddenly Santana began hoot and I looked at her startled. Had she lost her mind?
I jumped a bit when three figures emerged from the shadowy forest.
"Emily, Peter...Dr.Nightingale? What are the three of you doing here?" I said aloud. But I most I wanted to know why Dr. Nightingale was here.
Sure he had helped Danny the night so long ago that he had fallen off the cliff. And he had also helped Henry when he had injured his head when the Griffins had attacked. But, I wouldn't consider him belonging to he close inter circle of people that I trusted, which did include Emily and Peter .
Like she had read my mind, which she had probably done because I would lost my focus when I had spotted Dr. Nightingale, Santana said, "Dr. Nightingale, Violet is probably wondering why you are here."
"I'm here to treat Mr. Hemlock, because unlike some of the other people in camp, I appreciate what you and him did for our country.
"You're here to treat me?" Henry scoffed. "I don't need trea-"
Santana pointed at him "Go to sleep," and with that he collapsed . Peter and Emily both caught him before he hit the ground.
"What is going on!?" I turned angrily to Santana. I took her step towards her, "Undo what you just did right now!"
"No can do, I have been keeping him awake despite that nasty concussion he had. The longer I kept him awake, the less he is going to recover when he wakes up on his own."
"WHY WOULD YOU WAKE HIM UP IN THE FIRST PLACE!!?"
Nessie who had been fixated on Henry, perhaps sensing my anger at Santana, turned to Santana and hissed. Santana shrank back from the dragon a bit but still held her ground.
"Okay I know you are thinking that I'm the bad guy right now, but its for his own good.
He sustained serious head trauma during the battle, but at the same time I saw you were in trouble on the other side.
John, you know the guy with that huge dragon, is banged up pretty badly and Vivian couldn't leave, so I had to send Henry. "
"Easy Nessie," I said and Nessie immediately stopped. She stepped closer to Henry, but still kept one of her yellow eyes trailed on Santana.
I felt a moment of sympathy for Vivian she must be worried about John.
John had mentored Henry back in his Academy days and was also Vivian's fiance, a big step up from her last one .
I hoped that Frog, his dragon, was okay too.
He too had too been under Greta's control and I knew first hand just how terrible it was.
"Everyone knows he helped me, they are going to go after him too! How is he supposed to defend himself if he's in a coma!?"
"That's why I have Emily, Peter, and Dr.Nightingale here. They will take care of him until he has recovers. John is already at the location we are moving Henry to and resting."
"Well if your taking him somewhere I want to come to!" I said.
I jumped when I heard a twig snap and so did Deception. Both our heads turned to see a tall figure walking towards us from the trees.
"Absolutely not," Vivian said emerging from the forest. "Violet you have a huge target on your head. People fall on mainly two sides of an argument when it comes to your fate, they either want to kill you or imprison you . And same goes for Santana and all the other "normal" elementals.
"Here," she said removing a bag from her shoulder. She tossed it to me, and by some miracle I was able to catch it.
"You should find some clean clothes in there along with food and water to last you five days."
At the mention of all of those things I realized a couple things one, I was still wearing the black dress given to me by Alyzzea and my cloak wasn't keeping me warm, i was hungry and thirsty, and I really had to pee. But all those things had to wait till later.
"Yeah go figures, I helped save everyone and the people I saved think something horrible should happen to me. Glad to see how grateful people are!" I spat bitterly.
"I can understand you're frustration, but I came here to make sure Henry was indeed placed back under a coma and that you and Santana left the area safety.
" She eyes passed over me to look behind me at where Emily and Peter stood supporting Henry.
"I can see at least one of those things have been done. "
"Okay thanks for checking up on us I guess, but aren't you supposed to be leading an attack on the school as we speak?"
Vivian abruptly stomped her foot on the ground and the earth began to rumble under me feet. Everyone else managed to keep their balance, except me. I landed straight on my butt.
"Ah, son of a banshee," I said involuntarily.
By the time I climbed to my feet, there was a huge boulder looming over me. In a blink of an eye, Miss B threw it at the far away school floating in the air, those of us still conscious watched it soar through the air and explode upon impact with the school.
Well never mind I guess.
"Well the problem is not that you saved them,is how you saved them. You defeated Greta by raising a whole army of the undead. Honestly, what were you doing in purgatory for four hundred years Violet? Your mind should have matured a little more than this.
"Necromancers don't develop the same way that you develop.
Like a hundred years for us is like one for you.
Lay off a little, okay!" I said defensively, then I went to say more, but then I remembered how John, her fiancé was seriously hurt, and decided to forgive her just a little at least, so I didn't say anything more.
I looked at Emily "What about your family? Your mother and father just died. Don't you need to be here for them?"
"I need to be where I'm needed and they understand that," Emily said and I saw that her eyes were glinting tears.
I felt sadness tug at my heart. I had loved the Howls but I was dealing with so much, I couldn't feel fully yet the weight of their death. Still, I could see the crushing pain reflected in my best friend's eyes.
"I see, but promise you'll update me on everything that happens with Henry. I need to know if he's okay. And also update me on what is going on with you and Peter, because you're my best friend, and I love you and your new husband."
"Emily gave me a big smile and the tears seemed to evaporate in an instant from her eyes , "Girl, of course I will update you.
There is no way I wouldn't tell you everything, because you're my best friend, and will always be.
And I would also huge you so hard right now that you would fall down because you couldn't breathe, if I wasn't holding up your unconscious fiancé.
And by the way, I better be the maid of honor for your wedding! "
"Of course, who else would be my maid of honor besides you!"
Emily's golden eyes danced to Santana , "And you stay safe too girly! You've been such a good friend to me this past year! Take care!"
While Santana finished exchanging her goodbyes with Emily, I turned my attention to Peter who gave me a equally warm smile.
"I'm so glad she married you, she's lucky to have you," I said, feeling great affection rise up in my chest.
He shook his head, "No, I'm lucky to have her. We will be in I touch," he said.
With Henry secured between them, I watched Santana opened the portal and Peter and Emily carry Henry through it, with Dr. Nightingale and Nessie following close behind.
"Take care of Henry and my hubby! I don't know who'll be my sparing partner if something happens to them! They're the only ones who refuse to admit that they are scared and will actually fight me!"
With that I turned towards, Santana. "Okay, how are we going to collect my mom?" I asked.
Santana was silent and I felt my stomach churn with unease.
"Umm she's coming with us Santana, wherever I'm assuming where we are going...right?" I said, not liking the way the Santana was eyeballing me, like she was afraid of me.
"Well you see memory erasing is a tricky business....so it wouldn't a good idea for us to take her, because she doesn't remember you either because when I was trying to erase one daughter, I accidentally erased both..."
Before I knew what I was doing punched Santana square in the face, a move that startled both me and her. Because we both screamed in surprise the second my fist connected with her nose.
There was a crack and Santana moaned loudly and doubled over, her hands going protectively over her nose.
"Yow, maybe Henry was wrong to stop teaching you how to fight. You might be a natural," Vivian exclaimed.
Ignoring Miss B, I continued to stare at Santana, "Are you o...never mind did you at least make sure she was at least safe?"
"Yes, of course she's safe!" Santana mumbled into her hands that were still cupping her nose.
"Good, that is all that matters."
"Oh so I only get a punch and you're not going to say something about me being a horrible person, which eventually leads back to you wanting me to reverse this? You are just accepting this?"
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
"Whoa I didn't even read your mind. But for the final time today, I will stay out of your head. But so you aren't mad?" she removed her hand and I saw that there was no blood. I guess I hadn't punched her as hard as I thought I had. Didn't know if I was unhappy or glad about that
"Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond mad, but its better if my mom forgot me. She would just be in more danger if she remembered."
"Did you decide that before or after you decided to punch me in the face?
Not the point, so you're finally catching on.
Pretty much anymore that is associated with us is in big trouble too.
That's why I am just a little thankful that my family is separated from all this by a freaking veil between two worlds.
But your mom is in safe hands, a few people, like Dr. Nightingale, that don't totally hate you or Neeva, are smuggling her to a nice isolated cottage besides a massive lake. She will be well taken care of."
I nodded begrudgingly then turned my head upwards, "Lacy!" I called out.
"What are you doing!? Don't shout like that, I still need a moment before I can open another portal for us to leave!
I'm absolutely exhausted! " Santana hissed, but suddenly she was gone and a ball of light was slowly descending downwards from the sky.
It slowly dimmed in brightness and I was staring at Lacy.
She frowned at me"You know, I'm not just going to come every time you scream my name into the air.
Come on," she snapped, "make it quick, there's a lot of new comers to the afterlife, because of.
..well this little battle of yours and we are a little swamped trying to get everyone to their correct spots in heaven. "
"Well no worries because I will never call on you again. I want you to stop being my guardian, so you can watch over my mom and Lilly."
I observed every feather on Lacy's red wings suddenly puffed out.
She began to tap her foot impatiently on the ground, "SO you want ME to be transferred to YOUR MOM and YOUR sister as their GUARDIAN ANGLE?
Do you know how much of a commute that would mean for me?
They are opposites sides of the veil! I mean I know your a ditz and all, but even you should realize somewhere in that hollow head of yours that it doesn't work like that! ?"
"I just saved both worlds from a tyrant named Greta. Can the afterlife maybe bend the rules a little for me."
"Fine hold let me check, toddles for now. Try not to die temporarily or purposely, while I'm gone, which we both know, from past experience, is not that easy for you."
There was a blinding flash of light and suddenly Santana was standing there again. She looked frazzled. She nervously pulled at the hood of her cloak until it covered most of her face. "Don't yell do loudly," she said in a shaky voice.
"Relax," Miss B said, pressing her body tall, toned body against the nearest tree to her. No one can here her no matter how loudly she shouts. We are too far away from camp and the battle. But why are you calling out my sisters name?"
"I'm trying to get a guardian angle transfer," I said, not sure how else to explain it.
"So my sister is your guardian angel?" Vivian said slowly, "Well, that explains a lot. Well tell I her I said hi and...never mind just hi." She turned her face away so I couldn't see the expressions on it.
"Wait so she has a dead sister who is your guardian?" Santana asked, pointing between me and Vivian.
"Yeah who she and her ex, Hampton killed by accidentally burning her alive .."
Miss B shot me a look.
"By complete accident, but that is all forgiven, we're past that."
Miss B gave me a quick nod.
Still Santana said, "One can never be too careful."
Miss B shrugged and stomped her foot and another boulder perturbed from the earth. She hastily chucked it at the half destroyed castle, and once again it hit the floating school with startling accuracy. Guess that's why she was a member of the big four.
Miss B, Santana, and the dragons where replaced by a blinding ball of light descending from the sky and in an instant I was once again staring at Lacy.
"Okay so yes I can watch over both your mom and your sister, but you realize that they both have their own guardian angels assigned to them already, even though there's weren't allowed to be as active as me. And that you won't be given a new guardian angel, right?"
I considered this for a moment, "Well will I have to save the both worlds, even if I'm like the last person in the world who would be responsible for saving anything, by an evil , mind controlling, crazy person?
Or will I have to travel to the other world to save the people there from soulless monsters? "
"No, your days as a world saver are done. Next time, it won't be you."
"Hopefully there isn't a next time," I replied.
"Well anything else before you become unguardian-angled?"
I shook my head.
"Okay but as my last act of a guardian I will tell you, that sixth element chick is not going to be able to open another portal for at least another month, so I suggest that you get waking.
Now toddles, it's been real, dits with no tits," she said waving at me before she evaporated into a explosion of light. "
"Bye ghost girl," I said softly.
"Where you just talking to her, weren't you?" Miss B asked and I was abruptly snapped back to the present. "You got that far away look in your eyes again."
"Yeah for the last time, she isn't going to be my guardian angel anymore. I passed her on to my mom and my sister. She might be a pain but she kept me out of catastrophic danger , even if it was just barely."
"I see... Well is she..."she trailed off before turning to Santana.
"I think she's doing fine, she seems like she likes being a guardian angel, even if she complains. But she's going to do that job now on for my mom and sister."
"You fire her or something?" she asked and grinned.
I shrugged, "I like to think of it as a transfer."
Miss B's eyes floated over to Santana. "So, you ready to make yourself and Violet scarce with your portal making abilities?"
"Yeah in just a second," Santana mumbled. "I just need a couple more minutes of rest."
"Or a couple weeks?"
Santana's eyes drifted towards me, "What do you mean?" she asked, and I noted just how sickly and pale she looked.
"Well the last thing Lacy, my exguardian angel told me before she left that you need to rest. So, I think that we might have to walk or..." my eyes fell on Deception.
Santana seem to become even paler, before she took a shuddering breath. And began to walk towards the dragon.