I own none of the original.

Crawling on my stomach over to the alpha, I emit a whimper, my ears flat in submission. I flick my tail as a signal for my friends to stay back and stay silent. Grief can cause a wolf to become mad.

Without lifting his head, Shay greets sadly, Hey, Aqua.

I'm safe. I press against him. Is she…?

Yes. He finally lifts his head and howls, mourning the loss of his mate. When he glances at me, I look away, unable to bear such visible grief. Join me. She was your mother, after all.

So I do. With my pelt brushing his, and my mother's fur growing cold at our paws, I cry with him. Three other voices echo behind us, a pack in itself. Wolves crest the horizon, and the rest of the pack bounds over and sings mournfully.

When we stop, Shay's eyes narrow as he focuses on Brady, Jazz, and Ren, who stand a few paces away from the rest of us. You bothered to come back? His ruff bristles; he curls his lip in a snarl. Then he sniffs tentatively at Brady, suspicion pricking his fur. Who are you?

Brady – my friend. I lower my head to the ground, avoiding anyone's gaze out of both respect and fear. We both… we're different, changed.

Ansel steps forward, gives his sister's ear a lick, and moves to catch my scent. Shay… I hear the alarm bells in his mind as he tells Dad privately.

The swords… I think to myself. Padding toward the wall, I swallow hard against my fear. Somehow they refused to stop the wraith from killing my mother. They turned my into what had been banished, and somehow I turned Brady. I have every good reason to hate them.

But I don't.

Shay rushes over, stopping my advance by putting himself between me and the Cross. As opposed to the shadow that surrounded Mom, shafts of light engulf Dad. He yelps. I can see his human form beside him, then merge with him, through the flash.

Warmth surrounds me. The Cat's Eye Aquamarine is glowing again. Murmurs of shock erupt as they all become the old Guardians. Elemental power surges through me. I push past Shay. Abruptly, the Cross vanishes, and only I know why.

The Netherworld is opening once more, its magick stronger.

How? Bryn whines and leans against Ansel. Fear-scent radiates off her. Why are we like this again?

Shay bristles more, frustrated to find his swords gone. I can feel them against my back – my human back. Why they choose me over him, I don't know. I knew that damn pendant would bring trouble! He begins to pace, never once straying too far from Calla's unmoving side, growling all the way. There was something about it that I didn't trust. When you came in contact with the Cross – he stops right in front of me – something must've triggered and it signaled to the Netherworld that their savior, our fool, had been found.

I back away from my father. You don't mean that…

Why should we trust you anymore? During the flood I saw what that gem did. It saved your life, probably just to save the Keepers. Through the haze of sorrow I can sense oncoming madness.

Enough! Brady flings himself between me and the crazed dog. His tail lashes from one side to the other; he is ready for a fight. Calla's dead. I haven't been a wolf for long, but I know we should give her a proper warrior's burial. She was a great alpha, judging by how you all reacted and how Aqua was in the Academy.

By mentioning the Academy, he takes it one step too far.