Aila

I floated in a black vacuum of emptiness. Time simply passed with no reason. No light, no sound. And I was just the same… empty. No feelings, no thoughts.

Except sometimes, there would be a brief flash, like I had managed to open my eyes for a short moment.

First, there were the nightmares. I felt trembling fingers press against my forehead, and suddenly, I was staring at myself sprawled across the pavement. Slowly, my body began to fade, limb by limb.

But then, there was someone beside me. It was Sandy. He was lying next to his own crushed memory cylinder, fading away into nothing. The emptiness spread like an infection through his body, until it finally reached his neck… to his head...

I dropped to the cement with a jolt, and then everything went dark again.

Next, I heard familiar voices echoing over my head.

"What about Aila?! You have to help her!"

"I tried to help her, but she wouldn't let me! Now it's too late! Look at her! There is nothing any of us can do for her."

Then, the very last thing I saw was Sandy. Just like that, everything else dissolved. I felt his warm touch against my cheek and the way he rubbed my face with his thumb. All I could do was gaze into his eyes, and a remarkable peace suddenly overtook my numb brain. Everything was going to be alright.

I allowed my eyes to slide shut.

And from then on, I swam in a detached state of emptiness.

Until a weight was placed on my chest.

The darkness exploded into light. Something yanked on my body, and I lurched upright. I hunched over, clenching my stomach. I squinted in the bright light and found myself leaned over my lap, staring at my hands.

My hands.

My hands… my arms were back. I wriggled my fingers until the numbness disappeared, then laughed in shock. I wasn't fading anymore… but how? My eyes drifted past my fingers to the ground below.

There was my memory cylinder. My rebuilt memory cylinder.

I glanced up to see I was on a balcony overlooking a massive globe of glittering lights. From the sky window, a blinding white light was shining in. The Guardians surrounded me, peering down with concerned expressions.

And right by my side was Sandy. His eyes lit up, and his brow creased with emotion.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. He silently reached down and lifted up my memory cylinder. He held it out to me.

I just stared for a moment in disbelief. It couldn't be… my memories were empty.

I opened one trembling hand. Sandy tenderly placed the cylinder in my palm. He closed my fingers over it.

I glanced between him and the cylinder and drew in a shuddering breath. Hesitantly, I pressed one finger to the center diamond.

It was as if a pocket had been opened up in my mind, and everything washed over me like a rushing wave.

It was nothing like how I had watched Sandy's memories. No… this was a flood, filling my mind all at once.

I remembered everything.

I remembered when I was young, wandering the halls of my parents' mansion. I remembered sitting in the window seat, reading my father's medical books based on the minimal knowledge I had of reading.

I remembered writing my own "medical findings" in my personal journal. Most of it was nonsense at first, of course, but as I grew older, my intelligence flourished. Soon, I was carrying around bigger books than adults and school children.

And of course, I remembered Sandy. And I remembered the excitement I felt every time I saw him. It was as if my heart was trying to escape from my chest. And when we were together… I felt bliss. Like nothing else in the world mattered.

I remembered our marriage. I felt our marriage. It had been such a painful and fearful night… but as we danced alone in the church, I felt… safe. It made no sense, of course. I had never been in so much danger before… and yet, I was at peace looking into those honey colored eyes. I just knew everything would be ok as long as we had eachother.

I remembered the fire. The fear… the pain as the arrow pierced through my stomach.

When we were both lying on the forest floor, I was in agony. And yet, I forced myself to sit upright. "I can… fix this."

I leaned over Sandy and ripped his shirt open.

I faltered only a second. The wound was too big. I knew I couldn't fix it. But I had to try.

He grabbed my hand. I met his eyes. There were tears brimming the edges, and his expression looked glassy… clouded over. I could read his thoughts: I'm sorry.

It was as if someone had taken the arrow and twisted it into my heart. The pain was too much. I collapsed. He caught me, his grip still firm and strong, and lowered me into his arms.

Somehow, as I laid there in his secure grasp, an unexplainable peace overcame me. I was safe here. We would never be separated now.

I watched in horror as he sucked in one last rattling breath, and then his eyes slid shut. He moved no more.

Darkness was edging my vision as well, but I still crawled closer. I nestled against his chest, burying my face into his shoulder.

The pain began to disappear, and I was suddenly unable to move my body. My chest began to grow numb. I wheezed and gasped for air. Somehow, I managed to whisper one last sentence.

"There's no reason to be sorry… you saved me."

The earth disappeared.

I snapped back into reality. I was still on my knees, leaning over my memory cylinder, in the same building as before.

Slowly, I lifted my head. The Guardians were surrounding me, holding their breath. My eyes travelled around the room, until, finally, they landed on Sandy.

He seemed frozen to the spot, too afraid to move. There was a moment when he budged slightly, taking a tiny step closer before freezing again, and the vast emotions I knew were waiting to erupt peeked across his face for a split second.

My heart suddenly swelled, and my throat closed up. Tears pooled in my eyes. "Sandy…?" I rasped.

His face overflowed with emotion. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He practically collapsed into me, throwing his arms around me and pulling me so tightly it almost hurt. I didn't mind at all. I buried my face into his shoulder, my entire body shaking.

My eyes flickered open, and through tears, I caught a glimpse of a shape through the beam of light. There was a silhouette of a man, completely made of what looked like illuminated dust. He hovered there in solemn silence. The Man in the Moon.

I clenched my fists, feeling a stern determination fill my chest. I squeezed Sandy slightly, then unwound myself from our embrace.

I slowly rose to my feet. The other Guardians sent me startled glances as I took a gallant step closer, lifting my chin to stare the Man in the Moon directly in the face.

"You're the Man in the Moon," I replied.

"I am," he rumbled. "And you, Aila Galloway, have cost me much unrest in the past couple days."

"You're head's full of mince," I exclaimed before I could bite my tongue. I paused, cleared my throat, and continued, "The Sandman was tricked. Pitch Black convinced him I was in danger, and he made the gallant decision to protect me despite the cost."

"His decision may have been gallant," the Man in the Moon pondered aloud. "But it nevertheless defiled a major rule he agreed to uphold."

"And what, may I ask, is the reason behind the rule in question?"

The Man in the Moon was silent for a moment. "To protect the innocent." I almost thought I could see a smile forming on his ghostly face.

I puffed out a sigh. "Listen. I know the Sandman broke your rules. But he did it to protect me," I sent Sandy a glance. He was staring at me, crestfallen. He drifted a bit closer, and I clasped my hand in his. "Isn't that what being a Guardian is about?"

Again, I fixed the Man in the Moon with a stubborn glare. "I do not care if he broke your rules. The Sandman is the most compassionate, creative, and courageous person I have ever met…" I hesitated a moment, choosing my words carefully. "And I don't think you can afford to lose him."

The Man in the Moon did not respond immediately. His form simply hovered there, frozen and blank. My heart began to pound as the seconds stretched on.

I cleared my throat. I forced myself to release Sandy's hand, feeling the absence of his touch powerfully. "Fine then," I murmured, voice cracking. "Erase my memories and send me back to the Isle."

Sandy immediately leaped in front of me. He grasped my shoulders, shaking his head vehemently.

"Sanderson…" the Man in the Moon's voice echoed through the building.

As I watched, Sandy's face shifted from fear to the familiar expression of sheer determination. He fixed his gaze boldly to my eyes, and I could see the confidence build back up inside him.

He turned to face the Man in the Moon, floating right up to his level without a single moment of hesitation. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, an immovable shield defending me.

Before the Man in the Moon could respond, Jack spoke up behind me. "Aila is right." He stepped up beside us and smiled warmly at his fellow Guardian. "We can't afford to lose him."

Jack turned his face to the Man in the Moon and squared his shoulders. "If you remove his position as a Guardian, you'll have to remove mine as well. I helped him find Aila."

Sandy's hardened expression crumbled with astonishment. He just began to shake his head desperately, but Tooth interrupted. "Mine too." She set a gentle hand on Sandy's shoulder. "I was the one who suggested Sandy should show Aila his memories."

The dismay in Sandy's face began to melt away, replaced by awestruck gratitude. He sent a glance back at me, and I stepped forward, taking his hand again.

"And don't be forgetting me now," Bunnymund hopped up next to us.

"And me," North joined in. "We all helped Sandy save Aila… it was the right thing to do."

Again, we were met with silence. Then, the Man in the Moon finally stepped down to the floor. The instant his feet touched the ground, the dust forming his body shifted, and we were looking at the fully constructed face and body of a round, tall man with small eyes and a button nose.

"I never wanted to remove any of you from your positions… but the laws were created to protect the Guardians' loved ones."

Indignance and horror coursed through me, and I found myself at a complete loss for words. If we hadn't convinced him yet, how could we ever?

"However, Mrs. Galloway," he continued, and my racing thoughts instantly trailed to a stop. "You seem to be the exception here. I could never banish someone to the fate of a Stranded Soul, especially seeing as you have found a way to free yourself… As it is, I have worked so hard to free many from that very fate."

It took a moment for me to realize what he meant. My heart began to thump. Sandy and I exchanged a glance. "What… what are you saying?" I asked.

"I'm saying I believe the best way to protect you is to allow you to remain with the Sandman, if that is truly what you wish."

I whipped around, and Sandy and I threw our arms around each other, letting out a sigh together. "It is my wish," I insisted, my voice trembling. "It is."

"However," the Man in the Moon's voice turned stern. "I must warn you, Aila…"

I lifted my head at the sound of my name.

"If you decide to take this path, it will not always be easy."

I grinned. "With all due respect, I am pretty used to things not being easy." I turned back to Sandy. "I'll stay with him."

The Man in the Moon nodded. "And as for you, Sanderson. I find your actions to be justified. You may return to your position as Guardian of Dreams."

Sandy's jaw dropped. He stumbled in disbelief for a moment, then his eyes met mine. I grinned, and the smile began to reappear on his face. North guffawed, patting him roughly on the shoulder and almost knocking him right out of the air. Jack and Bunny released a pent up breath, and Tooth chuckled with relief. The group all crowded around Sandy, blocking him from my view.

As the Guardians celebrated together, my eyes found the Man in the Moon. A smile pulled at the corner of his lips as he watched the group celebrate. He dipped his head to me respectfully, and I nodded back. Then, the moonlight began to fade, and the dust particles dispersed.

My attention turned back to Sandy. I just watched him for a moment as he and the other Guardians laughed and cheered. A huge smile had lit up his face, and his eyes glowed.

My husband…

Warmth spread through my chest, filling the once empty holes I thought could never be filled. He caught my eye, and his face softened slightly. Looking at him at that moment, I knew I was safe. No matter what troubles came, we would have each other. I was no longer alone.

And I would never be stranded again.