I'm even going to pretend I have an update schedule anymore, but I just got out of an art block and I have been drawing nonstop. Hopefully now that it's summer I can have chapters at some kind of regular interval, we'll just have to see.

WAIT, I JUST REALIZED THESE CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN CONTOLLING MY LIFE FOR ALMOST A YEAR. WHAAA…?

This chapter is a liiitle on the rushed side, because there's things I needed to happen to set things in motion. I'm trying not to wait so long to get to the point of the plot, and because I ended up with such a complex plot(seriously, half a spiral of outlining things), I don't want to draw out the introduction quite as much as before. A lot of the intro before was character building, and since(I hope) you know my character by now, I don't need to do all that.

I'm also updating Seeing Isn't Always Believing with this one, and I recommend reading it at some point, also(well, it's at two chapters right now), but it is actually going to be important to the plot of this story. It shouldn't be too long, but it is a tie-in with this story, and it won't be long before it becomes obvious why. If you don't read it, I don't think you'll be completely lost, but things will make a lot more sense later on in this if you do.

Now for reviews(also, what happened to all of my old readers? I miss you all!)!

(Guest)- Thank you! Don't worry, you will have plenty more!

KikaKatTIOI- Yeah, I usually(read always) review from my phone, and my phone is a piece of crap, so it's always a hassle to login on it. And thanks on Cupid, I figured as a love deity, he wouldn't only look at females that way, so I did make him bisexual, though I did imply he tended more toward men, which will have a purpose later on. I also wanted to do something a little more original with some of the other Spirits, and I was trying to decide between Lady Luck and the Leprechaun for the main Luck myth, and thought "why not both?". Thus, fraternal twins were born.

C'mon guys, reviews actually do make me update faster, because I know people are reading this. I just need to know there's people interested!

"I'm sorry, but what?" Jack asked, not-so-subtly stepping in front of Willow defensively. "Seraphina, we all respect the hell out of you, we'd be stupid not to, but this is too far."

Willow teeth dug harshly her lip, a bit surprised to hear him curse, though it was understandable given the situation.

"I'm sorry, Jack, but I have an agreement to uphold. The Spirits and the Creatures are to remain separated. Terra cannot remain here." the woman said softly, though there was an unmistakable edge of steel.

"Now hold on just a minute. Why do you have to take her away?" Bunny asked, stepping between Seraphina and Jack. "To make sure no one finds out about the Creatures, right? That's not a problem, it's not like we're gonna tell anybody."

She shook her head. "Aster, you and I both know it isn't that simple." Her eerie golden eyes turned back to Jack. "Word has spread about Hysterium, and it's quickly becoming apparent no one has ever heard of her. I can remove all memory of her from the Spirits, but there cannot be anything to trigger reminiscent memories. That includes her."

"No." Jack said simply.

"Jack…" Tooth said quietly. Only a fool would defy Mother Nature, but none of them wanted to see Willow taken away, either. If it really came down to it, everyone knew, deep down, they would fight to their last breath to protect one of their own.

"You would be wise to listen, Jackson." she said, a warning undertone creeping into her voice.

"You can't take her! After everything she has gone through, the least you can do is leave her be!" he said loudly, his voice still rising in volume.

"Nikolas, I suggest you leash your Guardian, or I will." Her anger was now clear, though her voice remained as soft as ever.

"Seraphina, surely we cannot work something out." he began, but it was waved away.

"I cannot do that. The agreement was they remain apart. No exceptions." Her eyes softened to the young Guardian. "If it is of any comfort, I can remove her from your memories, as well. It will not be painful."

"And then what? All that pain she went through? All for nothing? If you remove me from her memories, too, then what will Hysterium do? I was as much a part of that as she was, and that could make her even more of a target." Jack hissed, tendons standing out of his hand from the rough grip of his staff.

"Her memories would remain intact, I do not have that kind of power over Creatures." she told him, deliberately not addressing the actual point of his rant.

"No, instead she would hurt as much as I would, except I would be forced to forget her, which is even worse for her." He shook his head. "No, I won't do that to her. It should be her choice, no yours, or whoever you answer to."

"It is not your decision, nor hers, nor mine. I promise you, I do not want to or enjoy having to do this, but I have a duty just as you all do. Nature is balance, and this is me keeping the balance." she explained, trying to get help to understand.

"No." he said again, reaching back to grab hold of Willow. His turned around when he was met with empty air.

Willow was gone.

(*)

The oracle's fingers trailed lightly over the milky white sphere. A low hum seemed to course over the smooth stone in response to her gossamer touch.

"Has she been retrieved yet?" asked a low, male voice behind her.

She turned to him, though didn't look him in the eye. "No. It would seem the… Guardian, is more defensive than we anticipated, and the others would not back down should it lead to a fight. Terra has vanished."

He gave something between a sigh and a growl, flicking a hand through his tawny hair, its ends brushing his cheekbones. It proceeded to fall exactly where it had been before. "Aeon will not be pleased if she is not delivered here soon, but Seraphina cannot use force. Is there any way to make her come willingly?"

She shook her head. "Not that I can foresee. As long as her and the Guardian's love remains, she will not leave them of her own choice."

A foggy image of a boy with stark white hair appeared in the orb, a slender girl seated next to him in an empty room.

"Then we may have to take one of the elements out of the equation." he said, studying the hazy depiction.

The oracle gave him a surprised look. "You know as much as I do that we can't directly harm any of the Spirits, either. Only Seraphina can alter their memories, and she can't do that until Terra has been brought here. How will you 'take one of the elements out of the equation'?"

"Seraphina will want to employ the assistance of a Banished." he mused. "But any ties to the Creatures break once a Creature is banished, which makes this too risky. It would be so simple to double cross and act upon their own motives."

"Which will put us exactly where we were before." she hesitated a moment, before speaking again. "If you would be willing to consider it, I do know another way."

He sighed, and looked down at her. "You know I cannot do that." he said softly. "You have seen what could happen if the removal is undone. And, should it even work, you are unable to defend yourself against that capacity of power."

"I am not defenseless." she said firmly. "I have been trained as any other Creature has."

"I did not say you were defenseless, I said you could not defend against this. You hold very little disadvantage over the others, because you have advantages they do not, but you would have no assistance, and anyone would be overwhelmed." he explained gently. In truth, he had grown something of a soft spot for the oracle. She had a difficult life as a human, but not as one may think. He found her to be a very enigmatic, feisty person, and would not tolerate being doted because of her impediment.

She gave a frustrated sigh and stood, the image in the sphere melting away. She began to pace the room, her hand reaching out to touch the textures of the prophecies carved on the walls. The cloth wrapped across one of her shoulders hung down to her waist at the other side, and the thin fringe brushed lightly against her fingers.

"There is little I can do, then, except watch and see how it will play out. I will keep you informed of you need me to, but I doubt any of it will matter yet. There are too many things that can cause it to change, and the likelihood of any of it being accurate is very small." she finally said, her hands stopping at the small lines of text.

"Regardless, I would like to be aware of the change of outcomes. Any possible outcome needs to be prepared for." he replied. Lifting his eyes from the pulsating orb, he walked to her in three long strides, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know you can defend yourself, I would not doubt your ability to do so. But this is bigger than any one person, and I refuse to send anyone to their deaths." He told her. After a moment, she nodded.

"I understand. It was stupid to offer, but we are getting desperate." she said.

"Indeed we are. But I would risk the life of a Banished before I did a true Creature." he told her.

She nodded once more. "I will make certain you are notified of any changes."

Taking her hint, he briefly thanked her and left the small chamber.

The oracle reclaimed her place at the low table, placing her hands back on either side of the sphere. Something told her that that the entire situation was going to get far more messy before they got easy.

(*)

The icy winds buffeted Willow's hair but she paid them little mind from her perch in a tall pine, the thin boughs swaying. The cold was rarely a bother to her anymore, even in the most harsh conditions.

She had fled the Shop like a coward, and she knew it, but it was either that, or have a meltdown in front of everyone. She chose the former.

She didn't go far, though, not yet. She had stopped as soon as she was back over land, landing in the top of a high tree somewhere in the northern corners of Canada. The snow was still heavy and the chill lingered year-round, but it didn't matter. She simply stayed in the tall branches and let the wind low though her hair, wrapping the long strands in more and more tangles. But that didn't really matter, either.

"Do I really not get a break from the shit storm?" she whispered aloud. "Was my old life not hard enough? Did I offend someone by being happy?"

Only more questions without answers, and the north Canadian winds didn't offer her much closure, either.

She sighed, her breath curling away from her mouth in lazy vines. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, but straitened a moment later when something in her pocket poked her in the hip. She pulled the object from her pocket, the green bow holding the lid on the small silver box Cupid had given her, still unopened.

A bitter smile pulled at her lips as she fidgeted with the silk ribbon. It had been given to her, what, a few hours ago? So much had changed in such a short time, that the party seemed so silly and distant now. Most of the various gifts had been left at the North Pole, save for the decoy bubble from Rumplestilskin, the voice stone from Lark, the clip in her hair from Pan, and the luck bracelet.

And the box in her hands.

Finally, she pulled the end of the green ribbon, which fell neatly into her hands. She carefully lifted the lid, tucking it beneath the bottom of the box, and revealed two small heart-shaped charms with gold rings attatched to them so they could be fastened to something.

"Hm, I wonder what these are." she murmured, picking up the folded slip of paper that lay beneath them.

If your love is true, you will never be apart.

"Well that's awfully cryptic." Willow picked up one of the charms, seeing a tiny gold catch attatched to the ring. She clipped it to and empty link in her bracelet, tucking the other back into her pocket.

Her thoughts soon drifted elsewhere as she gazed back out at the ocean's icy blue abyss, but it wasn't long before she had taken back to the skies, another destination in mind.

She craved to be somewhere familiar, somewhere comforting. A place that had happy and sad memories alike, and a place she could let herself sit and get lost in thought.

She was homesick.

(*)

Ten minutes after Seraphina's departure, Jack was still staring at the spot she had been standing, His blue eyes burning a hole in the elaborate rug, fist wrapped impossibly tight around his staff. The other Guardians had attempted to gain his attention, but no one had been successful thus far.

"What are we going to do?" Tooth finally asked quietly, realizing there would be little chance of getting through to Jack for a while.

"I don't know. I haven't ever seen 'em like his." Bunny said, glancing at the still Winter Spirit. He hadn't moved in a long time now, and even he was beginning to worry. He would never admit it, but he had grown something of a soft spot for their youngest.

"Oh, it's just awful to see him so upset." Tooth also gave Jack's stoic expression a long look. "I really don't think he's going to let her go. He'll fight it, and I'm afraid he's going to get himself hurt."

"I know, I've been thinking the same thing. But what do ya think he'll do?" The rabbit asked. "That girl… he's not just gonna quit on her."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about." Tooth said, fidgeting.

"They can't take her."

Both Guardians turned to Jack at the sound of his quiet voice.

"What are you going to do?" Tooth asked again, this time talking directly to him.

"I don't know. But I will fight them until I can't before they take her away." he responded flatly. A moment later, he took off out the window, it only having been noticed was open after Willow's disappearance. Thick flurries of snow began sheeting into the room, but they paid little mind to the increase in the snow. After all, what could be done about it?

They made no attempt whatsoever to stop him, merely watching him go.

"This is going to end badly, isn't it?" Tooth asked.

Bunny's silence was answer enough.

(*)

Snow fell on the entire Northern Hemisphere, the thick flakes sparing no mercy as Jack shot though the sky. Where he was going, he wasn't sure, he just knew he needed to calm down before half the world was thrown into an Ice Age.

The icy waters of the North Pacific rushed beneath him, the snow dissolving the moment it touched the lapping waves.

Jack's teeth cut into this lip for what much have been the fifth time in the past ten minutes, the flesh inside raw and ragged with a faint coppery aftertaste.

Before long, he found himself very close to Burgess, which didn't really surprise him. His opinion, it was his true home. It was Willow's, as well, and if he was lucky, he might find her there, too.

His first stop was the pond, and he didn't really think he would find her there, but there was something… cleansing about it. He didn't know what it was, and part of him really didn't want to, but he soon left once he confirmed she was not there.

Next, he flew over the park, searching the quieter corners of the snowy area, but there was only swarms of children out to enjoy the surprise snowfall. He started off towards Aly's, but on a hunch, shifted his course.

The town's old strip mall passed below, and rough brush soon followed, leading the way to a small patch of rugged trees.

Even if I find her, what then? Where will we go? We can't go back to any of the other Guardians, we'd be too easy to find. Are we going to spend the rest of our lives running now?

Only more questions that had no answer, but more would ensue. The shifting landscape below was barely noticed, his course steering him toward the three lumbering oaks.

Willow's old house was silent, though the bitter canopy still lingered. Not long after the body of Willow's mother had been found, the house was seized and condemned. Having lived there all her life, Willow had never known that the structure was falling apart, weakening around her from lack of repair. The old, run-down neighborhood was full of houses such as this, but a closer eye was usually kept on them.

Ultimately, though, everything was taking out of the house, and for the most part, dumped beside the street. In the middle of the night, the two of them managed to save a few of her things, and later, North offered her one of the guest rooms at the Pole, if nothing more than a place to call home.

But now, the house was as hollow and lonely as it ever was, devoid of anything that could have made it a home.

He landed carefully in the ground, the few scattered leaves from the previous fall crunching softly beneath his light stride. He approached the window to her old bedroom, the rusted frame raised a few inches.

He pushed the window open all the way, surprised that it still did not make a sound, but found the small room empty. He pushed lightly on the ajar door, and it too swung open soundlessly.

The lightly soured small of alcohol still lingered in the house, and stray bits of broken glass still resided in the corners. Torn strips of tattered yellow tape were strewn about, as well as several DO NOT CROSS posters. Jack couldn't help but be a bit disgusted at how messy the authorities had been.

Rounding the corner, Jack immediately noticed the open door to the master bedroom. Upon seeing that, he hesitated for the first time.

"Jack, I know you're there."

He started a bit at the low voice, but stepped forward again, pushing open the door.

And just like that, there she was. Leaning against the wall, she sat on the floor with one leg tucked against her chest and the other half extended in front of her. She was fidgeting with something small, but her hands obscured it from his vision.

Not entirely sure what to say, or if there was anything to be said at all, he simply sat next to her, laying his staff on the floor. He could not see that the object in her hands was a red, heart-shaped stone.

"At the risk of sounding cliché, how did you know where I was?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

It was a moment before he answered. "I'm really not sure." he admitted. "It was only a hunch."

She didn't answer, only continued to fiddle with the tiny stone. After a while, she grabbed his arm. Without explaining what she was doing, she pushed up his sleeve to expose the stone bracelet beneath. With her other hand, she held the heart stone against the bracelet, and her eyes briefly shone green. When she pulled her hands away, the red heart was embedded into the stone of the bracelet.

"What it this?" Jack asked, lifting the stone band closer to his face to study the new addition.

"It's from Cupid, though I'm not exactly sure what it is, or what it does." she answered, pushing back her own sleeve. "There were two."

Jack lightly touched the charm dangling from the gold band, remembering what Lucky had said about it being infused with their luck magic.

"I guess this is just beyond luck, huh?" she asked softly, reading his thoughts, toying with the charms as well.

He remained silent, but it wouldn't have mattered what he said, because it would change nothing.

He reached over to take her hand, but just before he grabbed hold, she dropped in back into her lap. She recoiled a bit, wrapping both her arms tightly around her waist.

Reluctantly, Jack brought his hand back to his own lap. Her eyes remained on the floor, and he could almost reach out and touch the wall slowly descending around her.

Having the weight of her former life lifted from her shoulders, the disconsolate aspect of her had all but dissolved. Happiness had set in, and revealed the spirited person tucked away beneath.

But now that the happiness was fading, the oppressive coat began to return, and he was afraid she would become the same closed off, distant person she was when he first met her.

And if that person came back, he would lose her.

(*)

The glass-like reflections of the onyx hall reflected the green mist on every facet. It curled together and evened out, leaving the strong figure of Mother Nature in its wake.

"Seraphina. I see your visit bore no fruit."

She turned to the tall man, whom paced at the end of the short hall. "You would be correct. The youngest Guardian refuses to let her go, and Terra has no desire to leave, either. I can do nothing from here without breaking the pact, I cannot use force."

"The pact states no force is to be used to collect any Creatures. It holds no sway over Spirits." he told her, a suggesting undertone.

She shook her head. "I am well aware of the grounds, but I hold allegiance to Tsar Lunar as much as I do you, Leader, perhaps even more, and no Spirit can be directly harmed, either. After all, you refuse to even tell me your true name." she countered, crossing her arms.

Leader sighed. "Sera, we have been over this, is it not counterproductive to have a pact over anonymity, only for you to know my name? You only know the girl's name because of her companionship to the Guardian, which is inopportune enough, and Hysterium has made something of a spectacle of herself, to she is the only one to blame for that."

She shot him a short glare when he called her 'Sera', but did not comment on it. "Despite the circumstances, however, there is one way we can get her to come willingly."

He stopped short, and gave her a surprised look. "You know how dangerous it is to employ the help of a Banished. They hold no loyalty to anyone, too many things could go wrong."

"What else do you suggest? Hysterium has fled, no one will find her until she wants to be found. There are no other options." she said firmly.

"And if he should turn on us?" Leader questioned.

"I think that can be taken care of. He is still very weak, a decade is rather short. Even if he were to turn, he does not have the power to even attempt anything that cannot be handled." she answered. "However, the Guardians do not know this."

"But if his power is limited, the girl can still escape him."

"I know, and that is why my plan will not fail"

(*)

This cavern was filled with dark stone as well, but not because the rock was dark. It was due to the shadows that seemed to cling to every surface, earth, metal or person alike. And they did.

Pitch Black's ashen skin always seemed to escape the light, his arms near black with the every present darkness, the shadows extending the sleeveless robe down to his wrists.

His slender hands moved with fluid motion over the coat of his Nightmare, one of very few survivors from his last escapade. Fine trails of midnight sand peels away from the Nightmare's side, the dark grains floating to the floor.

The horse's golden eyes were turned downward, soft breath stirring the other fallen bits of sand. The long ribbons of her mane rippled in graceful spirals, curling around rocks, nearby formations, and around Pitch's hand.

"Such a magnificent creature, is she not?" Pitch asked aloud, voice low and smooth as velvet. "Strong, fierce, and beautiful. A powerful female, just as powerful as any of her male counterparts."

"But only as powerful as you are." Spoke another, female, voice.

"Indeed, she is only as strong as I am, but she does not allow that to take away from her own pride." His hand stopped its motions, returning to his side. "It sounds a bit familiar, wouldn't you say, Hysterium?"

The small woman only huffed, glaring off to the side. "Stop being so smug. If I had anywhere else to go, you can be certain I would be there."

"I am only making an observation." he told her, smirking. "You know, you don't have to be so indifferent towards me. I am helping you, after all."

She rolled her icy blue eyes. "Oh please, don't say that like you don't have your own motives."

"I never said I didn't." he replied.

Hysterium leaned back against the stalagmite she was next to, but stepped away from it quickly when vines of black sand began curling around it, a small black peony blooming by her shoulder.

"Peonies do not grow in vines." she said quietly, reaching out and touching the flower. A thin wisp of blue trailed away from her hand, wrapping around the blossom. The peony dissolved, taking the rest of the vines with it.

"So they don't." Pitch replied, stepping close. He was nearly a head and a half taller than the small woman, but she seemed rather unconcerned over this, his height not intimidating her in the slightest.

"My answer has not changed." she told him, her voice still quiet. "What happened in the past must stay there."

"This isn't about the past. What happened then has nothing to do with what happens now." he answered, his nimble fingers catching a few strands of her hair. She studied his golden eyes for a moment, before gently pulling his hand away from her.

"You're right, it doesn't. But it also does not change my decision." She walked around him, but paused a moment, speaking over her shoulder. "At least, now right now."

He said nothing, merely watched her walk away until the darkness enveloped her graceful form.

Ooohh, suspense. My favorite thing.

So, I want reviews telling me your theories of what the hell I'm doing, I want to see how many of you are catching on, and I may even tell you if you're right.

Until next time!