"What's that?" Mae asked in confusion.
"The floorplan of Pester's hideout." The ginger said in a smug voice.
"Anyways... I have two more friends that where locked inside Pester's base." The three of them all looked at the blue sheet of paper.
"And?"
"We create a distraction, get into the lab and free them." Skylar raised a brow.
"Aren't their like... over a hundred sours waiting there?"
"Well... I do have a potion which can unsour piñatas." The ginger smiled
"We can work together to find a way to make a smoke screen that unsours piñatas to clear the way." The sorcerer put her hands together with a smirk on her face and Mae smiled.
"Alright, there is a back door leading directly into the lab through a hallway, Mae and Skylar, you make a smokescreen to conceal us from any cameras and unsour any potential sours." Alisa pointed to the hallway.
"But what if Dastardos finds us?" Skylar asked.
"Good question, we use a sick piñata as bait, he will have to go to that garden to destroy it so we will have around one hour to execute this plan, and that's an estimate."
"Oh god, my head..." Laila groaned grabbing the back of her head, trying to sit up.
"O-oh thank god you're ok L-Laila." She knew that stuttering voice, the gardener opened her eyes.
"What happened?"
"I-I don't know e-exactly but a group of people came in with l-lots of injured r-r-residents." The young gardener raised her eyebrows in shock.
"Is Alex, ok?!" She said in worry. Patch's mouth curved down.
"I'm sorry..." He dipped his head in apology and tears rolled down Laila's cheeks.
"no..." She said shakily, putting her hand over her mouth.
"I'm sorry Laila..."
"no... no... no! No! NO! NO! NO!" She grabbed her hair, pulling it as the gardener sobbed, her eyes shut tightly. Patch put a hand on her shoulder in reassurance and she slapped it away.
"This... c-can't be true..." She looked up shakily.
"Can it...?" The doctor shook his head.
"Not many survived... your lucky to be alive-"
"I don't care if I'm lucky or not!"
Laila stood up.
"I'm gonna go..." She said, her eyes staring ahead blankly.
"Make sure... to take care of the others..." The gardener walked out the door, she didn't say a word... There were bandages on her legs which hurt but she didn't care. Tear stains ran down her bisque-colored cheeks. She felt numb, like a blackhole was in the place of her heart...
Laila finally arrived home, grabbing a tiny pouch from one of her draws, she sat on her bed.
The pouch was filled a glistening power called 'Angel Feather Dust'... the gardener removed the bloody bandages and sprinkled it on the half-healed wounds on her legs and arms... they somehow, disappeared in an instant.
Once the pain had stopped, she stood up and stared out of her window.
Her home was just outside the village but she could still get a good view.
'Mae? Who are those people she's with?' She thought to herself, Mae was with two other strange looking individuals...
*Knock, Knock* The gardener swiftly turned around, and headed to the door to answer, wiping away the tear stains from her face before opening the door...
"Hello Mae!" Laila said cheerfully with a bright smile.
"I'd like to ask... we are planning to defeat Pester but us on our own will not be enough to take him down..."
"Come on in, it'll be better to discuss this inside rather than out." The gardener gestured with a forced smile as Mae and the two other people followed behind her. The four of them sat down on a light, forest green cabriole-styled sofa as the light from the windows shone down onto the dark-brown oak coffee table.
"These are the other two people who have joined, Alisa and Skylar"
"I take it that you too want to take down Pester too?" They both nodded in agreement and Laila took in a deep breath.
"I'll join..." Mae raised a brow.
"You sure?" The gardener looked at the dark-skinned witch.
"Yes, I am very sure, that's why you came to me right? To ask me." The young gardener looked the witch in the eyes, speaking in a stern tone. Mae sighed...
"Well then. I guess you're working with us." After a lot of talking and going over the plan the 4 of them departed, going their separate ways...
"Oh god..." Laila groaned as she slid down the door, putting her head in her hands.
"What have I gotten myself into?!"
"No! You have to do this! For Alex!" The gardener said, trying to motivate herself.
"For... Alex..." Her eyes welled up with tears, the memories hit her like a sour limoserus.
"I'm so... sorry..." She sniffed, wiping away her tears but they kept coming. Like a waterfall the ran down her face. The regret in her heart made it feel like it were to implode at any second. She no longer had someone who could comfort her. Her closest friend was gone, her parents too.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She repeated to herself over and over.
It was like a dark force was wrapped around her heart, squeezing it tightly.
"No..." She chuckled.
"It's not my fault!" Laila laughed, a psychotic grin forming on her face...
"No, it's Pester's fault. Always has!"
"Oh... I'm gonna make him pay... He will know the true meaning of pain, yes, he will!" The gardener smiled widely clenching her fists.
She punched the wall as hard as she could, the sheer rage inside of her trying to break free like a feral mallowolf.
"OW! Damn it!" Laila gritted her teeth.
"Forgot how hard these walls are." She huffed, her fists were red, but not bleeding thankfully.