Whoo! Superlong chapter- and we meet Amay, the May Queen. Next chapter is MiM, Jamie, and Mrs. Bennett- looking forward to that! Show your support- R&R, please. I really appreciate all the love I am getting from this fandom- you guys are amazing.

Notes: Amay calls Sam 'mo chroí dheirfiúr'. That's my attempt at Irish Gaelic- it is intended to translate as 'my heart-sister'.

Also, I attempted to get and Irish accent for Amay- not sure how that worked. Just imagine a thick Irish brogue, and that's how Amay sounds when I reference her 'accent'.

Last- the 'Legends' are just the term I've decided to use to reference all of the fantasical spirits and creatures who aren't Guardians. Since both the groundhog and the leprechaun are referenced in the movie, i think it's safe to assume their are at least as many spirits as holidays.


Pennsylvania was alright, Sam thought after an hour of driving through both developed and more rural areas. Michigan might have been her home, but this was pretty close.

And, as much as she hated to admit it, the leaves just beginning to turn, setting the tops of the trees afire, were even more beautiful than what she could dimly remember from her home state.

Sam turned her gaze away from the window for a moment to look in the rearview mirror- and saw Emily, fast asleep. She looked so adorable, and innocent, that Sam had to smile at her. But there was no golden sand drifting around her- which was interesting.

Hmm. You would assume that, if everyone dreams as they sleep, that they dream anytime they sleep. I wonder why-

Sam's thoughts were interupted by a jouce as the car bounced through a pothole. Attention diverted, she could see a large, partial brick structure through the windsheild. Intrigued, she studied the building as Mitchel found a space in the unpaved lot and put the car in park. Without a word, as she was used to the drill by now, Sam unbuckled her seat belt, and slid out.

"I's just gonna get something to sleep in and I'll leave my stuff in your car, that alright?" Sam called to Mitchel as she shut the car door.

He shrugged. "Save us time in the morning." He went around to the rear of the car to unlock the trunk for her. "I'll be inside getting things sorted. Bring Emily with you. okay?"

"Like I'd forget," Sam muttered to herself. "Alright," She agreed, loud enough for Mitchel to hear.

"Thanks." He opened the trunk, and set off through the gravel parking lot for the front doors.

Sam fished through the duffel bag for a bit before coming up with sweats and a camisole. Rolling the clothes up and holding them with one hand, she zipped the duffel bag back up and slammed the trunk shut- perhaps a bit harder then nessecary.

"Well, someone's mad." Sam jumped and spun around, eyes widening and her face breaking into an enormous smile when she saw who it was.

"Amay!" Sam -almost- shreiked with joy, running over to hug her freind. Smiling equally wide, but a bit more restrained in her enthusiasm, the May Queen returned Sam's hug.

If anyone could have seen them together, besides Sam herself, they would have sworn the two were proof of the idiom 'opposites attract'. Amay was tall, athletic, and curvy, with long, waist lenth golden hair, a California tan, and green, new-leaf eyes. Sam was average height, skinny, and 'delicately' built, with shoulder length dark hair somewhere between brown and black, pale skin, and silver eyes. Amay thought she was about nineteen, physical age wise, and looked older- Sam was sixteen and looked younger.

They were like day and night- but ever since the twelve year old Sighted Sam had fled the funeral of her parents, only to find the then much older May Queen, they had been best freinds.

Sam allowed herself to relax a bit, finally, in her freind's embrace- ever since the fire, that had been 'home' more than anything else.

"It's been so since I saw you- the last time you said hi was in July." Sam said, finally pulling out of the hug. "Things been going well?"

Amay nodded, making the few flowers she wore in her hair dance. "As well as could be expected. Washington got a dry summer for once. How's stuff with you?"

Sam shrugged- and Amay realized where they were. "Oh," she said sympathetically. "Your family's kicking you out again?"

Sam nodded, moving around to the rear passenger door where Emily still slept. "They're making me go live with someone I've never met- the Bennets or something. But I can't complain. I've still got a week before school starts."

Amay's face was solemn. "You don't fool me, Sam. It sucks, and I know it." Amay caught sight of Emily as Sam opened the door. "We'll talk later, if you want to. Take a walk after dinner. I'll find you." Amay walked over to a young tree on the edges of the parkinglot. She laid one graceful hand on a branch, caressing it.

"See you soon, Sam," Amay said brightly. She winked at her freind before melting into the tree, and was gone.

Sam shook her head disparingly. Nonetheless, she knew that after dinner, she would be out, looking for her freind. Shaking her head again, this time to clear away the thoughts of Amay and her flightiness, Sam reached out to touch Emily's shoulder.

"Hey, Emily. We're here," Sam said softly, shaking the girl's shoulder gently to wake her up. "C'mon. Wake up, silly."

Emily's eyes slowly fluttered open as she yawned hugely. "We're here?"

"Yep. Now c'mon, get your stuff, Mitchel's waiting inside."

"Alright." Emily yawned again and unbuckled her seatbelt, taking her backpack with her as she slid out of the car. Sam shut the door behind her.

Sam tierdly climbed the steps up to the main doors, with Emily shadowing her. She'd been here, mentally, so many times before- and each time, it was emotionally draining. Sam paused a moment in the doorway, holding the large glass door open for the smaller girl, before sighing and following her shadow in.

Sam collapsed on her bed- the lower half of a bunkbed. Emily had insisted on the top bunk, and Sam had given in with only a token resistance.

Their room for the night was a basic double- bunkbed in the corner across from the door, desk next to the door, two dressers alongside the bunkbed, and a sort of couch or daybed under the large window.

Sam closed her eyes and tried to ignore the sound of Emily happily bouncing above her so she could sneak in a nap before dinner. She was so tired-

It wasn't the group home- the group home was okay. A little boring, a little worn, but okay. It wasn't like she was spending the rest of her life here, after all. But right now, she was just emotionally and physically worn out.

Moving always took a toll on her; stress was a killer for anyone. But most people didn't have to move in with complete stangers the next day- without even meeting them first. For most people, moving brought at least a small sense of a fresh start and adventure. For Sam, the most she could hope for was an hour or two of blessedly dream free sleep before the shadow horses- the Night Mares- caught up with her.

But, apparently, that wasn't going to happen. Sam cracked open one eye and glared at the bunk above her. The names and her worries kept chasing themselves around and around in her head.

The Bennetts, from Burgess, Pensylvannia. What will school be like- How long will they let me stay- What will they be like-?

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Emily?" She called up to the top bunk as she slid off her own, "I'm gonna go out for a walk, okay?"

"Okay!" came the cheerful awnser from above her head.

"Can you stay put here and wait for me, unless Mitchel or Mrs. Huston comes to talk ot you?"

"Yep."

"Good girl." Sam said, pulling her beat up sneakers back on. "I'll be back before dinner, okay?"

"Got it!"

Sam, reassured that her new freind was safe, slipped out the door to their room. Quietly, she walked down the hall, seeking the door to the garden and back feild that had been included on their brief tour.

It took her a while to find it again, but when she did, she hastened her steps and hurried outside. Quickly, she went through the garden, giving all the flowers and plantings barely a glance. Once she reached the wide feild that sloped downhill, away from the home and to the forest, she broke into a run.

Part of it was impatience to see her old freind again, and part of it was the abstract joy she found in running. But most of it was habit. The sun was setting, lengthening and enlarging the shadows- and that was what she ran from.

Most shadows were innocuous, that she knew both from experience and from what she could See. But one or two encounters with the ones that weren't- they'd scared her into never taking chances.

She reached the edges of the woods, slightly out of breath, to find Amay waiting for her. The Summer spirit was perched about ten feet up, in the crook of two tree branches, bare feet dangling in the air, and with a smile on her face.

Seeing Sam, Amay hopped down from the tree, landing lightly and gracefully on her feet.

"You're early," She remarked. "Something is bothering you."

Sam said nothing, letting her weariness speak for itself. Amay frowned in concern and walked over to her, taking Sam's hands in her own. "Tell me about it." Amay invited, drawing Sam down to sit next to her on a fallen tree.

The summer spirit waited patiently as her freind sorted her thoughts into coherent speech, quietly warming Sam's cold hands with her own heat. Amay knew Sam well- her friend was the first human she'd met with the Gift in hundreds of years, thousands, probably, though she'd lost track, and consequently the only freind she'd had in all that time.

You can't be freinds with those who don't belive in you, can't see you. Small wonder I care for her so much.

She'd known Samantha since she was twelve- and the child had blundered into her. Into her, not through her, something the May Queen had long since taken for granted. She'd thought the Gift had died out, along with all the others.

Idly, as she waited for Sam to speak, she reflected on her own past. Having never crossed the Veil herself, she could still dimly remember her human life as a Irish Druid before the Roman invasion.

Not that she wanted to remember. She would much rather have forgone all of her memories that retain those of the invasion- the day she changed. She had been an apprentice talented in the Earth magics- and she had the Sight.

However, her tribe was slaughtered mercilessly by invading Romans, and she ran into the forest to hide, the only survivor. Greiving and in pain from wounds that would have proved fatal, she met a woman who offered her a chance to escape, and serve a purpose akin to her calling.

So I took it. And never looked back.

A small cough as Sam cleared her throat called her back from ancient memories. Amay faced her, listening to what her freind wished to say.

Sam took a deep breath before beginning. "They're shipping me off to live with some freind or the other- someone I've never met. Four years of refusing to allow anyone but family, custody, and now this-?" Sam sniffed, wiping at the freely flowing tears in her eyes. "I know I should have expected it, but-"

"But nothing." Amay interupted before Sam could lauch into a spiral of self-incrimination. Her old irish accent slipped unconciously into her speech, as it did in times of stress. "'Tis your family is to blame. Not you. An' have we not been over this? I know you know's tha' you're not to blame- deep inside, a' least. Now, mo chroí dheirfiúr, what's truly worryin' thee?"

Sam got control of herself again. "I'm scared. I'm never safe from them- how will I be safe there? And what will they be like- I can't stand not seeing you for the rest of fall- or being alone again! Not when the whole winter's ahead!"

"Ah." Amay leaned her freind's head down on her shoulder, letting the teenager feel her warmth for support. "An' you fear, because of this, tha' the nightmares will return- bringin' the Shadow King with them, na?"

Sam nodded against Amay's shoulder. The ancient summer spirit knew why her freind was dealthy afraid of what she faced- even if she wouldn't admit it to herself. The shadows could be deadly, especially for one who could see them. To face the nightmares alone- Amay shuddered at the thought. Not for the first time, she cursed those so called Guardians' blindness. They concerned themselves with the greater good- the objective good, and often failed to see the unique children in need of help.

Even the winter spirit, they'd mostly ignored. Amay had tried to reach out to him, to tell him she was there, but summer and winter just couldn't coexist, especially where he frequented.

Frowning, she thought of something- a name- the child who had first seen the Winter Spirit in his whole existence. It had been all over the Legend's gossip for months- the child who refused not to believe. Yes- that was it! Jamie Bennett- of- of- Burgess. The winter spirit's home.

"Sam?"

"Yes, Amay?" The voice was somewhat muffled, but she heard it.

"Who are they sendin' you to? Do you know? A' all?"

Sam sat up, drying her receding tears with her sleeve. "Ah- Bennett. In Burgess. Couple hours that way." Sam pointed vaguely to the north.

Amay smiled. "Then you have nothing to fear. If these are the Bennetts I'm thinking off, then the eldest child- he is protected. He sees what you do." Soloution to her friend's worries found, the thick Irish slipped back out of her speech.

"He does?" Sam was doubtful. "Most children do- and then they forget."

Amay shook her head, eager to reassure Sam. The girl had a rough life- she didn't need her own unnessecary worries to make it any worse. "No. That's not what I mean. The Legends were talking for days about it- Jamie Bennett saved the Guardians. He faced down the Shadow King himself."

"Huh." Sam said, more than a bit ashamed of her own fear. If a child could do it, why couldn't she? Why- was she just weak?

Amay shook her shoulder. "Don't be ashamed. You've lived with him far longer. But Jamie Bennett is on both the Guardians' and the Nightmares' maps. The Guardians' protection and the Nightmare's avoidance of him will extend by default to you- because you'll share the same roof. In defending him, the Guardians must also protect you. You are still a child, by their rules."

Sam snorted disdainfully, and Amay knew that the worst was over. "A child. Me. Until when?"

"Eighteen. That's their rule- us Legends work less rigidly, though. You're no longer a child by our rules, if it's any consolation- you've long since matured beyond that. And you passed your sixteenth birthday."

"Well. Good to know my sufferings are counted towards my status by somebody!" Both girls laughed, and Amay stood up.

"Please don't go," Sam begged. "I've missed you."

Amay's face darkened. "I have to, Sam. Summer is fading here- and I have to go where I'm needed. But I promise I'll visit you before fall ends- we'll have a nice long vacation together."

Sam nodded in reluctant agreement, once again reminded that her best freind wasn't just hers. She was tied to her duty as the May Queen- which, as she'd explained once to Sam- the same time she'd explained the Guardians- sustained her in absence of belief. Without doing her job, she would fade.

"Well, I won't keep you. And I've got a likely impatient freind up there." Sam chuckled, pointing to the group home, which was dimly lit by the rapidly fading light.

"Good." Amay said, tossing a small round object to Sam, who caught it deftly. An apple.

"I remembered how you loved the early apples," Amay said with a smile. "You can thank me by telling your little freind a story about me. Another believer always helps."

And then she was gone. Sam smiled, turning the apple over in the dying light. A strange gift- but then, Amay was strange. And that was why she loved her.

Tucking the apple in the pocket of her hoodie, Sam turned and raced back up the hill, her heart much lighter, though her fears remained, heavy as ever.