Last Time on 'Giving Way to the Light':
Vera got mad at The Guardians for trying to pressure her into Guardianship, and made a dramatic exit by stealing one of Norths snow globes, and returning to the Ashdown Forest by Christopher Robin's home. Upset with the world and with herself, she breaks down and cries. Then, after pulling herself together, she decides to go visit Christopher. As she approached the house, she gets a bad feeling about the place. She enters the house to find both of Christopher's parents dead, the house a mess, and Christopher, alive but unconscious and very hurt. She rushes back to the North pole, flying as fast as she can with her still healing wing, and reaching top speeds of over 400 miles an hour, trying to get back to the only people who may be able to help save Christopher. She returns to the Guardians.

Vera Night was one very messed up little miss, that much Bunny knew for sure. Physically she was fit, and she seemed intelligent enough, and very much not as crazy as he thought she would be, but looking at her was like watching the antics of a neglected child. She had adored the Man in the Moon once upon a time, but she felt like she had been betrayed by him, much like Jack Frost had when they had first brought him in.

Speaking of Jack, the blighter had come back to the pole not long after Vera had made her dramatic exit. He had been unnaturally excited about meeting Reaper, and it was then that North insisted that they only call her by her actual name; Vera Night. When Sandy had finally finished his rounds, he came to join us as well. Apparently he was very disappointed that the rest of the Guardians had scared off their newest recruit.

"Ah, what do we need 'er for anywho?" Bunny asked the group. "'S not as if we're at war or anythin'. We've been stronga than ever before these last few years. We don' need her here."

"But ve do Bunny," North said, tiredly pinching the bridge of his nose. "Man in Moon is trying very hard to prepare us for something very big. The peace is coming to an end dear friend. I can feel it in my belly."

"So what are we going to do?" Jack asked. "We can't just go out there and kidnap her again. We don't even know where to start looking for her. Apparently, we don't know nearly as much about her as we thought we did. Bunny thought she was a guy for Moon's sake."

Bunny huffed indignantly, and crossed his arms.

"You thought she was a bloke too, ya ninny."

"Because you told me she was!"

Bunny looked ready to squabble with the young spirit further, but instead he harrumphed, and refrained.

North hummed thoughtfully, and everyone looked to him. Everyone was well acquainted with his, I-have-an-idea hum. "May have few ideas," he said, somewhat begrudgingly. "Don't much like idea. Bunny won't either. Might need to visit other Jack."

"There's another immortal Jack?" Jack Frost asked, intrigued with this new information.

"Yes," Tooth said. "Jack Skellington. The Pumpkin King of Halloween."

"Or Vera could be back with Christopher Robin. Iz also possible."

"So you're sayin' she's either with Christopher Robin or in Halloween Town with Jack Skellington?" Bunny and North shared a weary look.

"Not it!" They both shouted. Sandy snickered, thinking of Christmas several years earlier in which both of the Guardians had been kidnapped from their homes, to spend the night in Halloweentown. They had made everyone swear an oath never to speak of the situation again.

"Why don't Bunny and Sandy check at Christopher Robin's home to see if she's there," Tooth suggested sympathetically. "Jack and I can check Halloween Town, and North can stay here in case she changes her mind and comes back here."

Bunny and North shared a quick look and curt nod, which prompted everyone else to their feet.

"Great!" Tooth chirped. "Then we can all meet back here by tomorrow noon. And make sure to watch each other's—" She was cut off as the large windows of the sitting room burst open, and a black and white feathery mess came tumbling into the previously cozy sitting room.

It was Vera.

She was covered from head to wing-tips in layers of ice and snow. She appeared too cold to even shiver, and exhaustion hung on her like a wool blanket. In her arms was a large bundle wrapped up in several quilts. She had obviously done everything she could to take the blunt of the cold and wind to protect the seemingly precious cargo.

"Help," she croaked hoarsely. "Please, help him..." She tried to stand up again, but her legs could not bare her weight, and just before she crumpled back to the ground, Bunny caught her and Jack jumped forward to take the bundle of quilts.

"Easy there, sheila," he murmured soothingly. "Help who now?"

"Christopher," she said weakly, reaching out for the quilts in Jack's hands. "Help... Christopher... Blood everywhere... flew here... didn't know where... where else to take him... Please... help him!"

Jack turned, if possible, even paler and quickly unwrapped the mess of blankets. Inside was a little boy; Christopher Robin to be exact. He looked terrible. He was as stark as chalk and his lips were a light shade of blue. A nasty gash stretched across his forehead and he looked to be in a lot of pain. Quickly, Jack handed the boy off to North knowing he was not the right person to he holding a hypothermic little kid.

Tooth and Sandy looked around North at the child and gasped.

"He needs medical attention right away!" Tooth said urgently. North nodded and kicked open the big doors to the sitting room.

"Carl!" He boomed. "Get Kyle and Phil and prepare Hospital Wing for two patients! Tom, bring water bottles and supervise elves in making cookies and hot drinks for Guardians and Vera. Chop chop!"

A large yeti came and took the young boy away and Bunny followed, carrying the delirious Vera. After some assurance that Christopher and Vera would be in the best hands, and saying that the yeti would need all the elbow room possible, North convinced the rest of the Guardians to stay in the sitting room, then left for the hospital wing to get some answers.

Alright, I'll admit it. The Guardians are pretty okay people. After my less than gracious entrance, they had been quick in getting medical attention for both Christopher Robin and myself. After the first few stressful minutes of trying to warm him up and stabilize his condition, Christopher came through alright. He was still unconscious, but it is in dreams that the brain takes time to process exciting or stressful events. After what he had seen, I didn't want him waking up too soon. I just hope he doesn't get nightmares...

Once the immediate danger had passed, I had expected the Guardians to bombard me with questions on what had happened- something I would not have been able to handle in that state of mind. Instead, Bunny had gently set me down on a hospital bed (not an uncomfortable cot, but an actual bed with marshmallow-esc padding), grabbed some blankets from off the shelf, wrapped me up so it felt like I was being hugged by a big polar bear, and left. North had given me some water to rehydrate myself, then some hot chocolate and cookies. He then left with the request that I get some rest.

After drinking the hot chocolate, I felt the weight of the day heavy on my eyelids. I was too pooped to poop. Flying over 2,000 miles in little four hours will do that to you. As I slept, my dreams were strange and twisted, suggesting I was getting a fever. I kept spinning in circles, trying to find something in the dark. At first I didn't know what is was that I was searching for, but then I saw it. It was the blurry figure of a spirit; the chill riding up my spine was confirmation enough. I tried to squint and get a good look at his face, before I realized he didn't have a face.

It was a rather tall man wearing a black tuxedo and a blood red tie. Behind him, inky black tentacle-like tendrils twitched and shivered. He was staring at me. I don't know how seeing as he had no eyes (or mouth, nose, or any facial features what-so-ever), but he was. The image of him jumped and ticked. The lighting flickered on and off, each time they did, the image of him came closer and closer, liked the film reel in a bad horror flick. Slowly he reached up to touch me. I resisted the urge to scream and held my ground, ready to fight to the death (pun totally intended). He was about to touch my cheek with one long, slender finger when I jumped awake.

I was still in the hospital wing, completely fine, not about to fight for my life, and sweating like a pig. I pushed off the layers of blankets and made a grab for the new bottle of water on the bedside table, guzzling the whole thing is a matter of seconds.

That done I looked around the room at my surroundings. On a bench at the foot of my bed, there was a plain white long sleeve blouse and a pair of skinny blue jeans. Looking down at my dress, I realized how tattered and dirty it was. I shrugged, indifferent to a little wardrobe change, and pulled the curtain around my bed, struggling to fit into the first pair of pants I've ever worn. To say they were uncomfortable was a great underestimate. Who ever had left the clothes for me had been thoughtful enough to cut slits in the back for my wings.

When I was finished changing, I pulled the curtain back open, and glanced at Christopher. He was asleep, his face still and emotionless. He looked as if he wouldn't be waking up for a while, so it should be alright to leave him for a little bit. But the thought of him waking up all alone in a strange new place...

I peaked my head out the hospital wing door and looked up and down the length of the hallway. There was no-one. I cast one more look over my shoulder at Christopher, then made a silent vow that I would only be gone for ten minutes, then come back and check on him. I turned back around and almost ran smack into the upside down face of a very pale boy with white hair, and sparkling blue eyes.

"Well, hello there, Sleeping Beauty," he chuckled, floating right side up again and landing on his feet. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up. You gave us all quiet the scare yesterday."

I stared at him blankly and my mind came to a sputtering stop. And no, it was not just because this guy had to be one of the most gorgeous human beings I have ever seen, it was the thought of yesterday. I couldn't remember most of it to tell the truth.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" I asked.

"Jack Frost," he said with a smile, sticking out his hand for me to shake. I slowly took it and analysed him carefully. He was nothing like any of the other Guardians. He looked to be around my age. He wore very antique looking buck skin pants with leather laces, and a very modern blue hoodie, laced with the frost of his own creation. He was carrying what looked like a strange tree branch the shape and size of a shepherds crook. There was a certain twinkle in those mischievous blue eyes that held a child's wonder and playfulness. He, like North, seemed almost impossible not to like.

"Vera Night," I finally said in return. His grin only grew.

"I know who you are," he said. "You are a little different than I expected though. The way everyone was talking, I almost thought you'd be a skeleton or something." He leaned in like he was sharing a secret with me. "Kind of glad your not though. You're much prettier than the Reapers in those picture books North has."

He was probably expecting a smile, but I only nodded, and pulled back my hand.

"Where is everyone?" I asked. "I know they're probably wanting an explanation..."

Jack laughed easily. "Oh yeah, you can say that again. You made quite the commotion, showing up in the way you did. We do have a front door you know."

I blushed and muttered about how I couldn't find it with the blizzard raging the way it was. He laughed again, and finally stopped floating and stood on the ground. The small breeze that I hadn't even noticed was suddenly gone, and I realized that must be how Jack flies.

"Well, the Guardians are all kind of scattered about right now. Bunny is in the kitchen, stealing some eggs to paint, Tooth went back to the Tooth Palace to sort out a little organization issue, Sandy is... to be honest he probably just fell asleep somewhere, and North is probably working of one of his ice sculptures. I'll take you to him."

I nodded again and we started back towards the very same office in which I had made my almost as dramatic exit just yesterday.

****I DO NOT OWN DREAMWORKS, RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, DISNEY, WINNIE THE POOH, SLENDERMAN, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA OR ANYTHING ELSE!!!!! JUST THE STORY PLOT!****

Last Edited 2/28/19