Title: A Spirit Guide Problem

Rating: K+ for mentions of abuse

Note: Thank Charmed for the spell used at the end. I've altered it slightly for the purpose of the fic.

"So we have a deal?" asked the woman with long silver blond hair. Fiero stood there with a dark look on his face. They both smirked at one another as Elena only watched them. It was like she couldn't be seen by them. Around her everything seemed to be swirly as she studied them and what they were saying. She looked around noticing that she was in the middle of the main street in Avalor. "My daughter will help and we both get what we want. Power and a country to abuse that power on. You get your revenge against your Mateo and Elena."

"Of course," said Fiero as he watched the girl draw with chalk. Her dusty hands waved around in a familiar way only to her before a spirit animal came out of the ground. Then another and another. Each of them scary and friendly at the same time. Fiero and the woman chanting from a spell book as the little girl watched horrified. All of the spirit animals seemed to intensify in their scariness as Elena watched as Zuzo grew bigger, eyes turning red, and pointier teeth. The other animals were angry as it turned black around her. Elena turned and looked noticing that she was in the castle on the front steps.

Then she saw it and the pit in her stomach grew. She saw herself lying in Gabe's lap and Mateo in Naomi's. Her family and friends holding each other and crying into them. Her grandparents holding each other. Esteban and Isabel hugging one another close. Naomi hugged Mateo close to her and Gabe buried his face in her hair. That was when she realized what happened to them. They were dead with the sky dark around them. Spirit animals dancing around ready to pounce on any nearby victims.

As the sun started to rise across the Avalorean sky, crown princess Elena Castillo-Flores turned in her sleep as she flung herself up. She just had a dream it was just a dream. More like a nightmare as she found herself turning to lay on her stomach, arms sprawling on the bed. Just a nightmare. Then her arm made contact with skin. From another person... She rolled over at what she might have hit. Next to her was another body as she sat up quickly pulling over covers back before letting out a loose a small scream.

"Princess?" said Gabe letting himself in, sword in hand, ready to fight. He must have been patrolling around her room just now. His eyes looking wildly around the room wanting to hit something. "Princess Elena are you okay?"

Silently, she pulled her covers back showing him what she found. Next to her lay a little girl not much older than five or six sucking on her thumb in her sleep. Her red hair stark against the sheets. She looked so tiny in her kind sized bed. Gabe put his sword back in its sheath and shared a look with Elena. How could a little girl get in the castle? Better yet, in her bed? Gabe only frowned thinking that there was a breech in their system somewhere. Elena shared a look with Gabe nodding that this was okay, before both of them gently shook the girl awake.

"Hello," said Elena as she brushed away her own hair. Gabe sat down at the edge of her bed looking at the little girl who sat up from her sleep. She looked at both of them with her green eyes wide. Willow looked up at the two people. Zuzo said that princess Elena would be able to help her and her family. The princess looked nice with long hair and a friendly smile. Then she looked over at her guard. He looked like daddy, at least what she could remember of him.

"Can you tell us who you are?" asked Gabe taking the little girls hand, stroking the back. She seemed harmless. In fact, she kind of reminded him of his cousin Veronica for a minute. Both of them had that same wild curly hair.

The little girl looking a bit frightened before speaking, "I'm Willow, Willow Nicola Russo." Her eyes wide and mouth open looking at them. She hoped that this was the princess she needed. "The friendly fox said that you would protect me." She looked at Gabe and Elena hopeful, thinking that was who she was. Both Gabe and Elena looked at each other questioningly. Friendly fox? Zuzo, thought Elena. Although, now the question was, why Zuzo brought her a little girl to begin with? Then, how, knowing that he lived in a spirit world. She looked over at Gabe who only looked confused for a moment. At least he caught on as soon as he realized it.

"I'm Princess Elena," she said brushing her own hair behind her ears, getting closer to her. "This is my guard Gabe. Gabe waved to her as she said his name. "We're not going to hurt you."

She shrunk back in the pillows still scared. Zuzo seemed to have saved her from something, but she was clearly scared to be here. Wherever she is from wasn't safe for her. Elena reached out for her as she tried to turn away from her and buried herself into Gabe. At this Gabe only looked surprised before patting her head.

"Elena is right, neither one of us is going to hurt you," he said pulling her off of him as Elena reached over and rubbed her back. She got up and crossed the room to her closet and found all of her old dresses from when she was younger. All the girl had on was a dirty and ripped nightgown... Willow was all dirty. What would have happened if she was so dirty? So many questions ran through her mind before deciding on the safe questions. Ones that wouldn't have her run and hide behind a post.

"What happened to your nightgown?" she asked noticing it as Willow hugged Gabe again. That was the wrong kind of question to ask. It was like she was afraid of her or at least of the answer. Taken a back Elena only sighed unsure what to do about this. It never happened before, children usually loved her, and she wanted several one day. Zuzo brought her here from where exactly? Why her? Elena started to feel her head spin as she slumped on the bed seeing that she could not get answers from her. "Would you like a hot bath and a new dress? Food?"

At this she smiled and started to nod still not really talking. Elena smiled as she walked into her bathroom and turned the bath water on to let it run. Then searched for some old dresses that she had before helping the little girl take a bath. A pretty teal one that she loved as a kid. Gabe came back to her room with some food for all three of them. Elena was sure that she didn't miss breakfast, but this was there chance to get to know the little girl. As soon as Willow went into the bath she turned to Gabe.

"Gabe, why do you suppose she's here? I mean, what could Zuzo have to do with this and protecting her?" asked Elena turning to him finding some stockings and a pair of old shoes. She was kind of grateful that she didn't get rid of a lot of her old things. She thought of Zuzo for a moment debating if she should bring him here. That might scare the girl though. Especially if this was only her second time meeting him.

Gabe only looked stumped at this. He didn't even know how she would have gotten in besides magic. The girl didn't look very magical, but the only thing to go by was Mateo. "I have no idea, besides what she said. Thing is if she had contact with the spirit world, she might be a very young sorceress."

Good point, she never thought of that. Maybe they didn't have to do anything besides protect her. It would have to be Mateo's mission to help her with whatever is wrong magic wise. Elena made a mental note to find him and see if Mateo could help her in anyway. Gabe could watch out for her. Willow already seemed to have taking a liking to him. She could help her too. Everyone would be able to help out in some way she thought.

Oh no, everyone. She had a grand council meeting to get to as she heard the girl in the bath tub.

"Elena are you okay?" asked Gabe as he waved a hand in front of her face concerned.

"I'm fine, I need to go to the grand council meeting and I'm thinking I should bring her," said Elena as she nodded to the bathroom door. She look a piece of food off of the tray Gabe had brought in. "When did the cooks start making Chilaquiles and churro doughnuts?" Elena savored the taste as she licked her fingers of the powder.

"They make them for me," said Gabe looking down at her blanket. Oh, whoops, she thought putting down the last one. He didn't eat any of the food he brought yet. "You should probably bring her to the meeting. I'd come too but you're the one that found her."

"You're coming too," she said as the girl came out of the bathroom in an over sized robe. Elena went and gave her the teal dress and tying it up in the back for her. Willow smiled at her as she wiggling into the soft cloth. All three of them heading down to the meeting. Elena not sure what to say as an explanation besides what happened. Willow taking Gabe's hand as he looked down at her surprised and Elena's hand in her other. Oh at least Elena knew that Willow liked her.

Opening the door for them, Gabe stepped ahead as the others inside looked up. "Elena you are late to the," started Esteban as he looked down at the small girl who was holding Elena's hand. Gabe coming up in the rear. "Who is she and where did she come from?"

"Willow," said Gabe as Esteban looked at him. "We don't know where she is from."

"She's cute," said Luisa as she walked over to the young girl and got on her knees. She sometimes wished that Elena and Isabel were this young still. At this, Willow hid behind Gabe at how close she had gotten. "Hmm, where did you find her?"

"In my bed this morning believe it or not," said Elena, "You know how I mentioned Zuzo from the spirit world?"

"Yes," said Francisco. "Do you suppose he has something to do with her being here?"

"We think so, she mentioned a friendly fox. I don't know what a little girl would know about the spirit world," said Gabe as he turned and got down to her level as he tried talking to her. Francisco, Naomi, and Esteban only watched as Elena attempted to join the conversation. For whatever reason, the girl took a shining to Gabe of all people.

Elena decided to introduce her to her family. If she was going to be staying here, she should at least know who everyone is. "Why don't I introduce you to everyone? Of course you know Gabe," she said as Willow clung into his legs as she peaked out from between them. He only smiled before turning around and picking her up. She squealed playfully as he propped her to have her looked at the grand council. Elena could hear her abuela say that she is adorable to her abuelo. Elena could briefly admire Gabe for being so nice about this. If it had been any other guard, they would be annoyed about having to take care of a child. At least some of the younger guards would be. Trying not to scare the girl Elena took her hand now at her eye level.

She gestured to her abuela. "This is my abuela, Luisa. She's really good at cooking and baking, you'll love her food." Luisa only beamed at the praise as she studied the little girl. Willow couldn't have been from around here. For one she had bright red hair like Higgins. From what she knew about him, Higgins is from Enchancia.

"My abuelo, Francisco. He's really good at reading bedtime stories and giving advice." He smiled at her as she shyly waved from behind Gabe's legs. "My best friend, Naomi." She gestured to the blond as if saying best friend meant everything. Naomi only beamed when she heard that.

Then she turned to Esteban as the girl hid again. Elena lowered herself down as she whispered into the girl's ear before Willow said something. "He scares me," said Willow.

Gabe tried to hold back a laugh. Meanwhile, Elena really did laugh as she admitted that out loud. Naomi snorted as both Francisco and Luisa only grinned. Esteban looked offended as the seven-year-old only shied away from him. "What?! I am not scary," he said standing tall and straight going over to the girl. The intention of cookies and candy in his mind to persuade her otherwise. Willow hiding behind Gabe's legs as he started to laugh too. "What? I'm not actually scary am I?"

"You can be intimidating to a little girl chancellor," said Gabe after a minute. Gabe thought he was a bit intimidating a little at first too. Esteban sobered up before sulking a bit. Children were afraid of him? What is this sorcery? He could have a child like him if he really wanted. "Never mind that though."

"Willow do you know anything about spirits?" asked Elena as she joined him near the floor. They were whispering as Willow's face changed. She didn't seem scared at the mention of spirits, in fact she looked happy and she broke out into a smile nodding along. Then looking at Elena she looked as if she was slapped across the face. Her face fell talking about the spirits like that. "You're not going to hit me are you?"

"Of course not!" said Elena appalled at the idea of hitting the little girl. Who would do that?

"Willow did someone hit you? Is that why you're afraid of us? That we're going to hit you?" asked Gabe as he tried to hide a disgusted look. What kind of person would hit a child? Least of all an innocent one such as her. From their seats, Francisco, Naomi, Luisa, and Esteban strained to listen to the hushed conversation. Elena pulled herself together as she thought about what she was going to stay.

"Momma did," said Willow starting to cry. Gabe clenched his hand into a fist and Elena gasped as a hand flew to her chest. What kind of mother would hit her child? "She hit me when I didn't bring her Riza."

At this Gabe and Elena shared a look before looking back at her. "Riza?"

Willow got up from the floor and turned to stand in the middle of the room. Elena wanted to walk toward her but Gabe held her arm back. Willow stood in the middle of the room before clapping her hands slowly and twirling around room. She looked peaceful as Elena looked around before seeing it. There was Zuzo and other spirit animals coming into the room. Until Willow stopped twirling. She heard Gabe order Hector to get Mateo behind her.

"Zuzo?" asked Elena as she saw the wily fox form in front of her. That was impossible only a wizard could conjure one. If Willow is a sorceress or witch of some kind, she didn't have something to summon them with. They would have a tamborita of some kind at that. Her eyes wide as she watched the other creatures come. Willow, a six or seven-year-old managed to summon spirit guides. Several of them.

"Princess Elena, I assume you got my gift?" said Zuzo as he flew over to him. She looked around the room and saw that everyone else was looking directly at Zuzo. Elena heard an "it's real" from someone in the room. "Wait a second, they can see me. How can they see me?"

Behind her she heard footsteps and Mateo come into the grand council room seeing Zuzo. Then two more come up behind Zuzo as the spirit fox turned around. Zuzo even flew behind Mateo as a large shape started to form and a smaller one flew around before landing on Willow's head. A fourth slithered into the room from the door. The fifth seemed to be swimming in the air just above her head. Willow dropped to the floor and crossed her legs smiling at the spirit animals.

Instead of being scared Willow waved with a sunny disposition. Like she didn't just admit that her mother hit her or something. They spirit animals seemed like a comfort to her. Elena only watched as she watched the spirit animals act like this was no big deal.

"What was that?" asked Mateo as he saw all of them coming out. He saw that the others were watching this too. They could all see them. Elena ran over to Willow as Gabe followed her, unsure what to make of the spirit animals in the room. Were they going to attack? "Zuzo what's going on?"

"Well, I'm told that this little one needed some protecting," said Zuzo as he gestured toward Willow. "So I brought her to Elena. For what reason I wasn't sure, but just to keep her safe."

"I think we know now," said a spirit jaquin in that came. Elena turned and looked at it with her eyes taking it in. It was big and the blue swirls on his body looked like glyphs. Then her eyes were still wide as Willow only danced around looking at all of them with rapt fascination. A smile on her face looking at all of them in wonderment.

The others looked at the spirit guides taken a back. Whose were they? After all, Zuzo is really Alacazars. "Who's spirit animals are they?" asked Esteban after a moment. He was kind of hoping it was the big jaquin that seems to have a mighty presence compared to the others. Mateo felt his stomach fall as he looked at them wondering how a little girl could have done that. A potential danger or something else altogether?

"They're yours," said Willow earnestly. "There's Sia, Zuzo, Smita, Itsaso and Pepa." She pointed to each animal as they stood attention at hearing their names. Elena was starting to wonder what kind of little girl she really was. Willow just summoned spirit animals from out of nowhere. Doing some kind of odd dance and everyone could see them now. Needless to say it was kind of cool to see all of them there.

"Is the jaquin mine?" asked Esteban impressed at the idea that he would have such an intimidating creature. He straightened up as he looked across at all of the spirit animals. They just looked confused to being here. Then being seen on top of that, but nobody seemed to mind at the slightest.

"I'm yours," said the small owl it looked like a bujito as she flew over from Willows head to Elena as she landed next to her. "My name is Pepa." Elena looked at it for a moment before realizing that Zuzo was technically Alacazars spirit guide. It's adorable she thought as she looked at her friends. She had a little owl bujito that became her official spirit guide.

Elena turned and looked at the swimming creature as it floated down next to the end of the table with Naomi. She recognized it as a marposa after her adventure with King Hector. "I'm Itsaso." Naomi had a marposa for a spirit guide. It fit because she lived on the water and such. Elena couldn't help but wonder what the bujito meant now.

"Mine's obviously the jaquin," said Francisco looking at the four glowing blue animals in the room. This was kind of neat, if a bit scary. Weren't the spirit animals traditionally supposed to help them if they were in some sort of desperate need? No, it was a magical situation. They were in for some kind of magic now. That might… they didn't want to think about that.

The said jaquin spirit only looked it's eyes before crossing his paws, his voice clear and commanding in a warm way. "My name is Sia and I'm Gabe's spirit animal."

Francisco and Esteban looked at Gabe as he only looked up. At hearing his name Gabe only looked up after making sure Willow was fine. "Wait a second you're mine?" He shook his head and thought for a moment. "Hold up, let's get back to what's going on. So your telling me that a little girl summoned five spirit animals that we can now all of a sudden see. By herself and not even a tamborita?"

"Sounds about right," said Sia nodding along. "And thank you for getting back on track."

Everyone grew quiet as they realized what just happened. A little girl just brought spirit animals as Mateo only looked over Willow closely not sure how exactly to make of her. "How old are you?"

"I'm six and a half," she said proudly as the snake spirit slithered in front of her. Then it slithered onto the table as everyone watched it settle at the end of the table in front of Esteban. Elena could only guess that the snake was Esteban's spirit animal. "That's Smita." Esteban only looked in dismay at it and then at Sia. He was still wishing that he had the jaquin rather than a snake.

Mateo straightened himself as he looked at all of the animals. Then hesitated unsure what exactly to say. I have no idea why a four-year-old girl would be able to summon spirit animals for no reason or another, he thought. Everyone grew quiet, realizing now they had problem if a girl could do this.

"Mateo, could you question her while we talk to Gabe and Elena about this morning," said Luisa as he walked over to the girl, who only hid behind Gabe. She was afraid of him?! Willow only stayed close to both Elena and Gabe. Probably because Elena gave her a dress and Gabe probably got her food, but still. Willow shaking her head no. Everyone shared a look before Elena got down on her level to let Mateo talk to her. Even the spirit animals looked curious. They weren't going anywhere.

Willow bounced out the room with Mateo following as the animals stayed to watch.

"First off we should find the little girl's family," said Esteban as Elena only looked horrified at the idea. Her mother hit her and no mention of a father. She'd sooner find her a better home. "Then we could try to see if we could get the little girl to- I don't know, she looks like she can control it."

"Her name is Willow," said Elena as she found herself standing up to her cousin. "I'm not going to send that little girl home. She just admitted that her mother hit her." Luisa's eyes only grew wide as she looked at the door. That never crossed her mind.

"She mentioned that her mother's spirit guide is named Riza. By the sound of the way Willow said the name it was like it scared her," said Gabe remembering an earlier conversation. Then he turned to the Zuzo and the others. Mateo and the girl had come back into the room, with Mateo looking at the others in defeat. He couldn't get her to open up about anything, they were only out there for a couple of minutes.

"Can she get rid of them?" asked Esteban as he looked at all of them crowding the room. Then looked at the younger girl. "You suppose she'll summon bad spirits?"

All of the spirits looked at one another as they seemed to confer. It wasn't like that they could it in secret anymore. Out of nowhere did they feel a wind as the lights started to get a little dimmer. A new spirit animal came into the room. A giant bird of some kind, but instead of blue it glowed green. Willow hid behind Gabe as he pulled Elena behind him too. The others had pushed the grand council table over as the glowing green tried to reach its full form.

Esteban let out a squeak from his spot as Elena tried to think of what took out a spirit creature. Gabe had pulled her by her wrist and pulled her and Willow out of the way. They peaked in as the others peered over the table. The spirit pushing open the doors as it flew down the hall.

"I'm sorry," wailed Willow as they turned and looked at her with shock on their faces. "I can't get rid of them. Once they come, they're either bad or good. After they're here they disappear on their own." Esteban only looked at them all with an, 'I told you so' look on his face. So she could summon evil spirits by mistake and she couldn't really control any of them at all.

The woman with long blond white hair walked into the cemetery. As far as anyone knew she was just visiting a lost loved one. Looking around she made her way back into the far end where no one would see her. Toward the back she saw the statue of the man she looked for the last couple of the months. Finally. Then she could go and find her daughter where ever the spirit guides took her. A 7-year-old couldn't get very far.

Her dark eyes looked over the statue. The stone had an incredible detail such as the eyelashes and a pointed chin. The woman turned and pulled out a book from her bag. She opened the book and turned to the marked page. Then finding her candles in the bag as well. She would need a lot more help than what she could do as a sorceress.

"Hear my words, hear my cries,
Spirit from the other side.
Come to me, Cross now the
great divide, Fieryo.
I seek your guidance
Commune with me
And move amongst the living."

The blond woman watching as the stone started to crack around him.