Rose nearly screamed with pain as she sped as fast as she was able across the sky. She glanced over her shoulder, checking to make sure that her wings were working properly, and was satisfied at their performance, even though the pain escalated the wider they stretched to the horizan. At least the night sky that dragged out behind them was as black as ever, casting the white clouds in a gray coating. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, dripping off her chin to the ground by the time she finished and was nearly home again. As her palace came into view, she spotted Sandy where she had left him among the pink flowers in the meadow. She landed heavily, stumbling. Sandy was right there to catch her, cradling her gently, stroking her hair and whispering assurances to her. A well of love erupted in her soul, she was smitten with this gentle, enticing man who was as perspicacious as he was ebullient. She nuzzled her face into his chest, stifulling a whimper as her wings shrank back into their latent form. He caressed her back after her wings were gone, rubbing away some of the ache that persisted. That is where the others found them, all of them having saw the change in the sky and were titillated at the prospect of her awakening. Tooth fluttered in, twittering to her fairies on their job well done. North slid up in his sleigh, the snowglobe portal shimmering closed behind him. Jack and Bunny arrived together, Jack holding a pale looking Aster tight against his chest as Bunny squeezed his eyes shut. As soon as them two landed Aster jumped back and blushed, silently daring anyone to make a comment. Rose giggled behind her hand and smiled up at Sandy, the Guardians all talking at once as to how happy they were she was alright.
"Yes you did a number on my shop, no? It is okay I is wiping clean the slate." North stated after they calmed down a bit, brushing across one of his tatooed forearms.
Rose thanked him graciously before adressing the group as a whole "What happens now? Does everything go back to normal and we let the humans eventually forget about it?" she figited nervously, wringing her hands. Everyone looked confounded, as this particular situation had never happened before, they didnt know what to expect in the near future. Rose invited them all inside for some cookies and beverages while they thought it over.
As everyone settled down with their cookies and various drink preferences, Rose's pendant that she always wore around her neck began to glow a luminecent pink before deeping into a throbbing, angry red. Rose visibly paled. Sandy nudged her gently, looking at her inquiringly, she sighed. "Its my dad, he's summoning me to his palace." Rose looked forelorn as the others exchanged excited looks. Jack was the first to ask the question that was just buzzing between the other guardians "So can we come?" he was unable to keep the hopeful smile off his face.
Rose's head snapped up, her eyes wide "You WANT to come? After what's happened? You comprehend the fact that he isnt exactly going to be in a magnanimous mood, right?" she asked incredulously. The reality of that fact settled on their budding excitement like a boot on a sprout, the dampening in the air nearly tangiable. North frowned "I still want to go" he stated bluntly. Rose sighed and with a quickness that blurred her figure, she snagged a bit of all their clothing, apparating in front of a huge stone palace, an impossibly large and heavy wooden door looming over them.
Jack was the first to close his gaping maw and, turning, exclaimed with glee "I can see the Earth!"