"So what do you decide?"
"Only ten seconds? Why so little time?"
"Because spirits doesn't belongs in this plane, they either go somewhere else or corrupt themselves"
"But… I want to be with him forever... not just ten seconds, not just one thousand years, but forever"
"Listen child, I don't have to do this, you can either accept my conditions or get lost"
"… You are not nice…" – said within sobs
"Who told you I was?"
"You were nice to Ms. Buvelle!"
"No, I wasn't nice to her, she accepted the ten seconds restriction"

At this point the dark child face was fully covered of her tears, why he had to be so cruel? She only wanted to be reunited with her beloved one. Was that much to ask?

"Why ten seconds?"
"… Listen kid, I don't owe you anything and my patience is running low, accept my conditions or not already"
"I hate you!"
"You aren't the first one little girl" – said the chain warden within small laughs

There had to be another way… One where she could reunite whit his beloved one not for a limited time but for an unlimited one. What to do?
Meanwhile Thresh was already in a bad mood. This little girl was taking much of his time and didn't want to accept his conditions. For him it was either accept what he says or get away from his sight. Maybe he could play with her at least, make her believe something she could never reach. Give her hope and then crush her little spirits. That usually worked when he tortured the unfortunate soul of a slain foe.

"Let's make a new deal"
"A new deal?"
"How much are you willing to pay for him?"
"Anything!"

He then proceeded to give her one of his lanterns. He had many with him, some filled with a green aura inside them while others empty. Like the one he gave to her.

"Twenty souls… Bring them to me in three days. If you do it then I will imprison his spirit in your teddy bear. You won't have any more a shell of the bear you captured long ago, but the real one"

There was no way that this child was going to be able to do this. But yet the fun to see her struggle between killing innocent people for her goals was going to be great. He didn't expected what followed.

"Deal" – Said her with a little smile in her face, he had to admit, it was kind of unnerving.

Well, she looked… determinate? Surely was a façade she was posing. No way this little child would end killing twenty people. One day passed. Nothing. Two days passed. Still nothing. Thresh was sure she wasn't going to appear again. Which was going to be annoying since he would have to locate her to have his lantern back. His thoughts were interrupted however, someone was grabbing his leather jacket from behind.

"Dark child?"
"Here it is, as I promised. Twenty souls" – said with that same smile in her face of days ago

Thresh was speechless at first. Not only she did acquire the souls for him, but instead of twenty there were thirty souls inside the lantern. Was this little girl doing? If that was the case… Maybe, just maybe, this little girl had potential.

"Hahahaha" – Thresh couldn't help but to laugh
"Whats so funny?!" – asked an almost angry Annie
"Nothing dark child nothing. You indeed kept your word, now it's time for me to do so"

Annie angry face turned quickly into the one of an anxious kid. Like the one of that wanted to open a Christmas present or eat a newly open chocolate.

"Step back a little, it will take just a few seconds"

With that the image of a known bear appeared in front of them, Tibbers as she called him was appearing in front of them, his soul to be more precise.

"TIbbers!" – Screamed the little girl while running towards him and giving him an affectionate hug

The bear replied by putting one of his pawns on her back, he seemed… happy. But at the same time he looked to Thresh with an opposite look. One of get near and I destroy you.

"Tibbers! I'm so happy to see you!" – said with tears in her eyes, this tears were of happiness though

Ten…

"I wanted to say to you… I'm sorry for everything…"

Seven…

"… for forcing your body to act against you will…"

Five…

"… and for everything I put you trough! Tibbers I'm so sorry!"

Three. Tibbers only looked at her eyes. He only nodded and then he gave a sight he never showed before. He smiled.

Two. Annie was crying between Tibbers arms. Both mix of sorrow and happiness. It was quite a cute view.

One.

"Please, stay with me forever" – it wasn't a command, but a begging.
"Dark child, Tibbers. It's it time. What are you going to do, mighty bear?"

He only gave a look to Thresh. It was obvious he wanted to serve the little girl forever

"Very well then, since you are willing to get your soul prisoned, I will don't need to take you by force, you are a boring bear…"

Then the form of Tibbers become a small green orb. Thresh only grabs the little teddy bear Annie always carries and gestures the soul to enter it. As the souls enters the stuffed animal, one could tell that the buttons that were used as eyes would shine more than before.

"Here you have dark child. You won't command an empty shell now, but the bear you knew long time ago"
"I… I… Thank you!" – and with that she jumped on the madmen, hugging him very strongly

This was weird. But nevertheless he had to ask her how she get the souls.

"I will carry you to your home, and while I'm at it, tell me how did you get the souls?"
"It's a secret!" – said Annie while getting a horse ride from the chain warden himself
"No soul has secrets I can't get"
"Tibbers would never allow it"
"Hehe, no he would not. Where do you live exactly dark child?"
"I have a room in the Institute of war, take me there please"
"You are aware we are at the Shadow Isles and it would take about five days to any mortal right?"
"Lucky for me, you are not any common mortal"
"Haha, quite likely"

The the little child felt asleep. It was something strange; normally nobody would ever thing of sleeping near him. Yet this child was sleeping peacefully on his back.

"Thresh? What are you doing?"
"Oh, Elise what a surprise meeting you here"
"May I know why you have the dark child on your back?"
"Long story, just taking her back home"
"Mmm…"
"What is it?"
"First the maven of the strings… Then the dark child…"
"Are you insinuating something?"
"You are getting soft" – Teased the arachnid woman
"Hahaha! As if!"

And with that the chain warden disappeared with the little girl on his back.