Hello readers! Here is me fulfilling the rest of my promise! Now if you let your excitement get the better of you, check out the number of chapters! This time I added two, so if you did not read the Chapter 8, please do so! Once again I apologize for the lack of updates, this life crossroad deal is seriously no walk in the park! ugh! Anyway, I once again want to assure everyone that I plan on finishing this story and seeing it to the end!

I only own Shade, Spook, the sprites and any new spirits that might or might not appear! Enjoy and tell me what you think! ;)

Chapter 9: The Gate

Finally after what seemed like hours, the Guardians saw a break in the trees ahead,and Spook bolted forward. They ran after the spirit, only to skid to a halt at the sight before them. There in front of them stood the largest archway they had ever seen and deep inside, swirled a black and purple smoke..with black tendrils reaching out in all directions. It was Jack who moved first, running forward with his staff glowing brightly as he prepared to attack...

"Jack! STOP!" Tooth screamed as she tried to grab him, only for one of the many tendrils to wrap around his staff and lift him into the air, "JACK!"

"I-I can't get free! My magic won't work!" Jack screamed, trying to freeze the darkness, only to be dragged closer to the gate...

"NO!" A voice screamed weakly, as a blast of orange light sliced through Jack's prison and the tendrils withdrew to the gate.

Tooth ran to her fellow Guardian as he fell to the ground heavily and helped him to his feet, then joined her friends as they looked to the source of the voice. Lying among the dying grass was a cloaked figure, breathing heavily as light flickered around her. It was Spook rubbing up against the figure that made Bunny take a hesitant step toward the pair.

"...Hallow? Is tha' you?" He asked, continuing toward what he assumed to be the spirit they had been searching for.

"...Why...are...you...here?" the figure asked, every word seeming forced and pained, as they tilted their head up weakly, revealing the Gate's Guardian.

Bunny gasped in horror, making the rest of the Guardians rush forward. The figure before them was, without a doubt, the Spirit of Halloween; however, her face was almost skeletal in nature and her eyes a sickly yellow, a far cry from the beautiful gold they had all come to know.

"Shade! What's happened to you?!" Tooth asked frantically, flying over to the fallen spirit, stopping abruptly as Spook jumped in front of her hissing protectively.

"...I'm dealing...with...it..." she stated as she looked toward the gate, which the others noticed had cracks running through the base, "But...I'm...I..."she trailed off, looking away.

It was then that Bunny noticed the red gem on her neck...it looked like it would shatter at any moment...cracks running through it in a similar pattern to the gate...but also...it couldn't be...He was shaken from his thoughts as Shade began screaming as if she was in pain. As he and Tooth tried to help her, North interrupted him in a whisper filled with fear, "Bunny...look..."

Tooth and Bunny both looked up, following North's gaze to the gate that had begun glowing a familiar red. The Guardians all watched in horror as the ground shook beneath them and all they could hear were Shade's screams of pain. After only a few moments, the red glow spilled out of the gate forming a figure that then zoomed into the sky and disappeared into the night. Then as suddenly as it happened...it stopped...but the gate stood before them, split down the center. Together they stared in horror...even they knew the importance of this structure. The bridge between life and death.

They were brought back to the present by a pained yowl from Spook, who stared at his mistress in sorrow as she lie on the ground...eyes closed...unmoving...