Vol. 09

Chapter 36

Ayla continues to work on the dolls. "What? Ayla is?" Buddy was speaking with Ayla's mother at the front door of their home.

"She's been making dolls since yesterday without any sleep. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen to me. I don't know what to do." She was worried.

"I'll talk to her." Buddy insisted. The two went inside and stop in front of the door of Ayla's room which is locked. Her mother knocked on it.

"Ayla, Buddy is here to see you."

"I don't want to see him." Ayla responded.

"Ayla, I need to talk..." Buddy begged.

"GO AWAY!" Ayla shouted. The mother and Buddy look at each trying to figure out why Ayla is acting like this. Buddy went back home to the orphanage and sat at his desk in his room wondering.

"I wonder if Ayla is still mad at me?" Walking into his room was Selina carrying two cans of pop.

"Buddy, here you go." She place the can on his desk. He looked at her to see what she's up to.

"Huh? What is this?"

"As a caring sister, I can't ignore my kid brother when he's upset. You apologized to Ayla, didn't you?"

"Well the thing is..." Buddy explained everything what happen from the day before and today. By the time he was done explaining his story the two were done their drinks.

"I didn't know that." Selina felt bad about the situation.

"Ayla's always been so sweet, I couldn't believe it. Did I hurt Ayla's feelings that badly?" Buddy felt hopeless. Selina placed her hand onto his shoulder to give some support.

"Cheer up! Oh, I know! Why don't you bring her a present when you visit next time? Girls love getting presents!" She mention.

"Okay." Buddy got back his smile. Back at the apartment, Selina sat at her desk thinking of what's going on.

"Selina, what's wrong?" Luna asked as she sat by and observed Selina's behaviour.

"I know what I told Buddy, but Ayla still isn't acting normal, you know?"

"Selina, you're very sharp today." Luna commented.

"When it comes to my darling kid brother, I do everything that I can. Besides, cursed dolls sound interesting!" Selina got excited. Luna gave her a face.

"Spare me the scary stuff! Well, it could be something to do with the Evil Box; we should keep an eye on Ayla." Luna suggested.

"Oh, right. In that case, let's have Hermione and Marcy handle it." Selina avoided the work.

"SELINA!" Luna growled.

"Okay, I got it."

The next day, Luna jumped onto a branch of a tree at Ayla's house and tried to peak inside. "Well? Do you see anything, Luna?" Selina called out from the sidewalk.

"No. The curtains are closed, so I can't see inside." Luna made herself comfortable by sitting on the branch.

"According to Buddy, Ayla hasn't been going to school either." Selina added.

"The only lead we have left is this private exhibition that starts tomorrow." Said Hermione when she saw the poster on the wall, and she as been tag along in this mystery. The poster reads, 'Dressler's Doll Exhibition Classic Dolls'.

Buddy was walking home from school and past by a promotional poster of Danica. He stopped thought of what Ayla said to him before. "Danica is very pretty but she's only a model. As for Guardian Moon, she's beautiful and she get's rid of the bad guys."

"Okay, that's what I'm going to get her!" Buddy ran home and took out a blob of clay and started to work on it. Selina walked into his room and saw what he was doing.

"What are you doing?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Making a present for Ayla." He answered.

"A present for Ayla?"

"Yeah."

"Wow! It's cute! Good job!" Selina commented.

"You think so?" Buddy was very happy.

"I'm sure she'll love that piggy!" Selina and her big fat mouth.

"It's Guardian Moon!" He said quietly after his pride went down the drain. Selina felt stupid.

"Oh, really. The real Guardian Moon would cry if she saw it."

"It's the thought that counts! The thought!"

"Well, she's the envoy of justice after all, right?" She recovered.

"Right." He agreed.

In the park, during a nice warm sunny day, Marcella and Eddie were walking together. "And the dolls that this person makes are really adorable. Oh, here we are!" The couple stopped at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Inside the museum, everyone was enjoying the dolls.

"It's wonderful. This exhibition seems like a success." commented Troy Parisi, who promised he will be there.

"Thank you very much." Said the mother.

"Where is Miss Ayla?"

"She's making the last one in the anteroom. She worked herself to exhaustion to make those dolls." The mother explained.

"Is that right?" He didn't seem surprised. Inside that room, Ayla was still working on her last doll. Within the exhibit, Hermione was looking at the dolls and Luna beside her also observing the dolls.

"Nothing looks particularly out of place. Oh, that's Marcella! Over there!" Luna pointed out the direction, Hermione turned and saw her.

"Oh, you're right."

"Wow! They're so adorable! Eddie, don't you think they're adorable?" Marcella asked. Eddie does not want to be there.

"Yeah..." He responded in order to keep her happy.

"Oh, that doll is made by the doll maker's daughter! Look!"

"What?"

"Oh, don't you know?" Marcella received mix feelings about his reaction.

"I'm not too much into dolls." He admitted.

"Oh, Eddie, you don't like dolls?" she pressure him.

"No, it's not like I hate them." He try to recover from what he said earlier.

"I'm so glad! Then shall we go?" Marcella dragged Eddie toward the exit.

"Sure..." He let her be. As the couple walked on, they past by Troy. As soon as they did, Eddie and Troy felt a huge amount of energy between the two. Troy turned to see who it was and the same did Eddie. "Do you want something?" Eddie asked.

"No, pardon me. I mistook you for somebody else." Troy continue to walk on.

"Eddie! Hurry up!" Called out Marcella.

"How is Ayla?" Selina asked as she dropped by to see how was everything.

"Well, actually..." The mother couldn't of think of something to say. Buddy pulled on to Selina's sleeve.

"Sis, I changed my mind." Buddy whispered to her.

"What are you talking about?!" Selina gave him a scary face.

"Ayla is in the anteroom. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you." Said the mother.

"Okay! Come on, let's go, Buddy!" Selina encouraged her brother to move on.

"Fine." Buddy agreed. Marcella saw Selina walking with her brother, surprise to see her there.

Selina...She thought. Ayla still in the room working on the last touches of the doll.

"Finished!" She said. The original doll which is posses, started to react. It's shadow grew up to the ceiling. The door of the room opened, entered Selina and Buddy.

"Ayla, here..." Buddy brought out his creation, but the two saw what was going on. The doll started to build and build on it's shadow.

"The energy level has peaked! Now, Jumeau!" Paris summoned the monster from afar. It's shadow was taking form of a person and sucking the soul from Ayla. Buddy was scared from what he's seeing.

"Ayla!" Yelled out Selina, but it was no use. After her soul has been sucked out, Buddy ran to Ayla.

"Ayla!" He screamed out. The monster which is a woman dressed up like a Jumeau doll saw the boy running to the girl, she pushed him to all knocking him out. He dropped his gift and the monster destroyed it stepping on it into a million pieces. Selina was crushed from what she saw. Luna jumped in from the window in her wolf form.

"Selina, transform now!"

"Upon the rule of Diana, Lend Me Your Light! I'm the warrior of the Hunt and the Moon, I'm Guardian Moon! How dare you break the doll Buddy worked so hard to make?! A doll all the heart and soul of its creator! I bet even the dolls of every girl in the world are upset! Under the name of Diana, I will defeat you!"

"She's incredibly enthusiastic today. I hope she'll be alright." Luna worried. Jumeau closed her eyes and sent one of the dolls that's been made by Ayla, torpedo toward Selina with fangs hanging out ready to take a bite out of her. Selina ran from it being all spooked up about it, but she managed to miss the doll's attack. The stopped and floated in the air, rolling it's eyes around. Selina jumped out of the window away from the monster.

"Oh no! Help!" Selina yelled out. Luna followed.

"I knew it!" Luna commented. Jumeau crashed threw the window going after Selina.

"Vous n'échapperez pas!'' She shouted. She stretched out her arms and tried to grabbed her.

"Guardian Moon!" The other two Guardians ran to Selina's rescue.

"Quicksilver Haze! Surround!" Hermione created a fog thick enough to weaken and blind the monster.

"Oh, saved by the fog." Selina sighed.

"Guardian Moon, are you okay?" Hermione asked.

"We should have come a little later." Marcella joked. Selina glared at her. Luna's fur were at their ends.

"Watch out, Guardian Moon!" Two dolls appeared from the fog and went after the Guardians.

"Shit, not again?!" Selina freaked out. Marcella kicked one so hard it shattered and the other she punch into dust.

"Easy." Marcella commented.

"I can't breathe!" Selina couldn't speak. The other two saw Jumeau choking Selina to death. Luna stood there trying to find away to get the monster.

"Selina, hang in there!" Luna called out.

"Can you choose a better choice of words?" Said Selina.

"Iron Fist, Collide!" Marcella tried to punch the arms of the monster, but Jumeau separated herself from her hands which are still choking Selina and also avoiding Marcella's attack.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE AIMING!" Surprisingly Selina could still yell. Jumeau grew out new hands.

"Vos attaques sont tous inutiles!" Said Jumeau. She launched out her hands with claws. The two Guardians dodged but Marcella by the hair and literally. Part of her hair has been cut by the attack.

"They can cut like knives!" Marcella mentioned. Hermione tried to figure out it's weak point. Very quickly, Hermione scan all over the monsters body to see any injury that was made by the mercury.

"The monster's right leg doesn't seem straight. Guardian Moon! Aim for the monster's right foot!" Hermione shouted out. Selina tried to reach for her discus.

"Silver Moon...It's no use! I can't do it!" Selina was still being choked by the monster's hands. Jumeau was smiling in joy but a razor sharp leaf cut through the monster's hair and distract it. Jumeau turned to who it was.

"Qui est là?" Demanded Jumeau.

"*cough* Guardian Earth, it's about time!" Selina complained.

"Do it now!" He yelled out.

"Keep your socks on! Silver Moon, Watch My Aim!" Selina threw the discus flying to the monster's right foot. On impact, the monster disintegrated into dust and blown away into the wind. Ayla's soul went back to her body and she got up all awake and alert.

"What have I been doing?" She turn and saw Buddy unconscious sitting by the wall, she ran to hm to see if he was okay. "Buddy!" He woke up slowly from her calling.

"You're awake." Said Selina, hiding within the curtains from being seen since she's still a Guardian. The other two youngsters turn to see where she was.

"Oh, Guardian Moon!" Called out Ayla in excitement.

"I defeated the bad monster! I hope you two get along well together forever." Selina disappeared.

"Guardian Moon rescued us!" Buddy looked on the floor and saw his gift in pieces. "Look what happened to the present a made you..."

"A present for me?" Asked Ayla.

"Um, I'm sorry about what I did the other day." Buddy felt guilty.

"It's okay. After all, you came to my rescue." Ayla held his hand and smile.

"Thanks!" Buddy smiled too.

The next day, in the elementary school where Buddy goes, Ayla went up to him and gave him a figurine. "Buddy, this is for what you did for me the other day."

"Wow! It looks just like her! Guardian Moon is just so cool, you know?!" Buddy took the figurine and held it.

"So, you like Guardian Moon that much?!" Ayla asked, looking jealous, she than walked away.

"Oh, that's not what I meant. Wait, Ayla! It's not easy being a popular guy." Buddy said to himself and ran after her.