When Ashley woke up, she ached all over, man... And her nose itched. She moved to scratch it, but couldn't. What. The. Hell.

She groaned and shook her head vigorously before opening her eyes. It was dark. There were pillars, and spiked cages all over the place. There was a sharp, metallic smell in the air, that kind of reminded her of blood. It had a medieval torture chamber feel to it. Should she have been scared...?

Maybe.

But was she...?

Not really... More aggravated than anything.

"This place needs a different interior decorator," She grumbled to herself. "And some freaking febreze, man..." She tried to scratch her nose again, but she still couldn't. Ashley looked over to see why, and dropped her head as she laughed without humor. Her wrists were chained to a stone pillar. And it made her angry...

"This is so fucking cliche... Like some Dungeons and Dragons crap, where the damsel is chained up waiting for the hero to save her," She snorted. "Except I'm not a fucking damsel, damnit! Whoever did this is gonna get kicked in the mofoing trachea!"

A mocking laugh cut through the darkness, and a shadow raised up from the ground and formed into a man. Maybe it was the light, but he kind of looked like he had gray skin... Black hair that was slicked back, and a black V-neck shirt with a V that was a little too low...

"So violent. Come now, we don't need to be enemies, dear girl..." His voice was smooth like velvet. It was a voice that screamed you can trust me. So, naturally, she spit on his shirt.

"If we don't need to be enemies, then why am I chained up, jack-ass?"

His eye twitched briefly in annoyance, but he continued to give her an alluring smile. "Just a few precautions..." He cleared his throat. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Pitch Black."

Ashley froze and blinked a few times. "Oh. Mister Nightmare King..." She tried to leap forward to choke him out but, again, she was chained up. "Unchain me so I can fuck your shit up, you ass-hat!"

He seemed to melt into the shadows, and his voice rang clear throughout the whole place. "Calm down. I did what was necessary, no more, no less."

"You fucked my baby's head up!"

"Ah yes... Zachary, right?" He gave a short laugh, "He just had so much fear... A feasts worth. I couldn't help myself."

She scowled and looked up at the shackles, hoping to find a weak spot. "Do me a favor, and kindly piss off."

Pitch laughed, and it echoed ominously. "Listen to me, Ashley... We don't have to be enemies. I know you're having trouble discovering your powers... I can help you. I can give you all the power, all the respect that you want and deserve. All you have to do is join me." He arose from the shadows beside her and smiled. "All the people you care about will remain safe, I can assure you."

Ashley faltered. "I... What about the Guardians? And the other spirits? Eros, Alice, Francisco...?"

Pitch winced, like he actually cared. "I'm afraid not, sweetheart. They'll never stop trying against us, and we'll have to end them, unfortunately... So what do you say...?"

She scoffed and spat in his face. "No dice, man. Fuck that, and you."

For a moment, his face twisted and he almost looked... sad. But it was gone in a second, and he scowled. "Fine. We can do this the hard way. Let me know when you change your mind..."

She growled. "You wanna know when I'll change my mind?" Her limbs grew thicker and broke the chains, and she dropped to the ground as a bear. "Never!"

She charged at the Nightmare King, only to have him burst into a black fog and dissipate into the air. Roaring in frustration, she slammed her paws into the ground. She would have started to break all his stuff, but... A wave of exhaustion hit her, and she collapsed to the ground.

Man, today just really sucks, she thought as black filtered her vision.

Ashley woke up lying in a forest. She wasn't sure why she was in a forest, and she was a little confused... Hadn't she just been in that weird torture room or something...? Had that been a dream...? She couldn't tell.

She groaned as she rolled onto her side, and pushed herself up. Her freakin' head hurt... Staggering up, she began walking. She couldn't think straight, her thoughts were all jumbled up and she found that she couldn't focus too hard on anything.

There was a foggy, gray feeling in the forest. It was either getting ready to storm, or it was early in the morning. Unfortunately, she had never invested in a wristwatch, so she didn't know the time. And she didn't have her trident, either... That kind of bugged her. She felt defenseless without it...

Oh well... Complaining about it wouldn't help her, she decided. Just keep walking until you find a person, city, or river to follow.

Ashley walked on, until she came to a small clearing. There was someone in it... The person didn't have a shirt, and was horrifyingly skinny. His pale skin had a sickly yellow tint to it, and she could see white tufts of hair sticking up from his crumpled form. This person was horribly sick...

Why was she just standing around?!

She ran to the guy and started to kneel down, when the person turned around and leapt at her. She yelped, but didn't throw him off. He was probably delirious...

He lifted his head slowly, and her heart stopped beating.

This wasn't any random person... Holy shit-It was Frost!

And that wasn't the worst part... His eyes... He-he didn't have any! Just empty, black sockets that had blood dripping from them. Ashley swallowed a lump in her throat as the teen gave a rattling cough into his hand. When he pulled his hand away, there was blood dotting his palm. His breaths were shallow and labored. God it killed her to see him like this...

"Ashley," He rasped, voice dry and weak, "What happened...?"

With a shaky hand, she smoothed his dull, white hair back, and tried not to look as horrified as she really was. "I-I don't know, baby, but... but we're gonna fix you up, and then-then we'll find who did this to you and make them pay..."

He put his hands on her shoulders and shook his head. "But it was you," He wheezed, "It's your fault."

A spike of fear formed in her stomach, and she shook her head vigorously as she tried to keep herself together. "Wha-I-n-no! How did I-"

"We needed you!" He gasped for breath, "We thought we could depend on you... Why weren't you here?!"

He sounded so desperate, so mournful... It damn near broke her heart, and had to bite back a sob. "I-I don't know-I don't know what happened! I-shit-I'm so sorry..."

"I thought you were my friend..." Jack rasped, only to turn violent as he wrapped his scrawny hands around her throat. "Why weren't you there to help us?!"

She wanted to push him away, but he was already so messed up. As his hands tightened around her throat, she shook her head. "I don't know!" She wheezed as she tried to pry his hands off, "I'm sorry!"

"Sorry isn't good enough!" Jack snarled in her face, digging his nails into her neck. She felt blood trickle down her neck, and she decided that enough was enough. She shoved him off of her and onto the ground.

The second she did, though, she immediately wished she hadn't... His broken form landed roughly on the ground, and he broke into a fit of coughs. Jack tried to stand up, but his legs crumbled beneath him, and he weakly reached for the panicking girl.

"Now you're pushing me around, when I'm already so near death..." He wheezed between coughs, and her stomach twisted with guilt.

"Shit!" She yelped, tangling her hands into her hair and pulling as she paced back and forth, wanting to help with everything she had, but scared to touch him anymore in case he broke. "Just-just stay here, Jack! I-I'll get help! I'll find someone to help you, and-and things'll be okay!"

"No..." He groaned. "No, things... things won't ever be okay again. And it's your fault."

Ashley flinched. That had stung... a lot. But she still had to help him! He was her friend, even if he had tried to choke her... he was probably just delirious. She hoped.

She took off into the woods, calling for help. It was a while before something caught her eye.

Sandy... It looked like he had been reaching for help, before... something, froze him into a blackened carcass. Ashley had to swallow bile, as she dropped to her knees, hoping to find any sign of life in the small man.

There was none...

Biting back tears, she got back on her feet and continued on her way. Sandy had been... He was a freaking sweetheart. Who could have done that...?

A monster. A monster that deserved no mercy, and would never get any from her when she caught it...

She got to the treeline, and this time, she did throw up when she saw what was in the nearest clearing of the field.

"Aleksei..." She whimpered, roughly wiping away tears. His back half was completely mangled into a bloody mess. He had chunks of flesh missing from his torso and neck. "Damnit! What's going on-what happened?!"

Sniffling, she walked over to where his massive head was, and closed his eyes. Her head dropped, and she grimaced at the grass. Shaking her head slowly, she stood up on shaky legs. "I'm gonna find who did this... And I'm gonna tear them apart."

Walking into the tall grass, still sniffling, she got to the top of one of the rolling hills, and saw a small shack on the top of the next hill. That's where she was headed.

She half walked, half rolled down the hill as she tried to compose herself. She still couldn't think too clearly, even more so now that she had seen what she did. Things just seemed to be getting worse and worse...

Thunder rumbled in the distance as she made her way. She walked and walked, only to trip over something at the base of the next hill. And fall on her face...

Ashley rolled to her feet and lifted her fists, ready to hit, only to fall back in shock. "No... Not you too..."

Tooth looked up at her from the dirt, face twisted with pain. Her wings had been torn off, and she had a large gash in her abdomen. A trail of blood ran behind her, and Tooth's guts were hanging out.

Ashley crawled closer and moved to help her, but stopped herself. If she moved the wounded fairy, it would probably do more harm than good...

"There you are..." Tooth tried to smile at the girl, but it came out as a grimace. "Where have you been...? You were... supposed to help us..."

She shook her head and pulled at her hair. "I don't know, Tooth!" She told the fairy shakily, "Something big happened, and Jack told me I was supposed to be there and I wasn't and I just can't do this! I remember being in the field and-and fighting fearlings, and then it just goes black! I don't know where I went-I don't know what to do!"

Tooth's eyes closed. "It's... it's okay. We expected so much from you... Don't worry, Ashley... It's not your fault..."

Ashley shook her head and bit back a sob. Why was she telling her it was alright? It wasn't! And-and the fact that she was being so damn nice about it was killing her! It would have been better if she had cursed her out, and tried to kill her! "Tooth, I... What do I do?!"

She didn't get an answer, so Ashley looked at the fairy. Her eyes were closed, and... it didn't look like she was breathing.

"Tooth...? Tooth!" Tooth didn't respond, and Ashley's shoulders fell. She had only known these people for a little while, but it still hurt. So much... she almost wanted to quit, and just curl up in a ball and never get up, but... She knew that wouldn't help anything. It would only make their deaths in vain...

She wasn't sure if this was what it was supposed to feel like when people died... Was this what Zach had to go through when she had died...? God, she hoped not... The only person that had ever croaked on her was her mom, but she had been so young when it had happened, she hadn't really understood it...

It sucked hardcore, either way...

She staggered up, and made her way up the hill, feeling emptier than she had in a long while...

She got to the top to see, of course, another body. North's massive body was slumped against the building, his two swords sticking out of his chest. Ashley just bit her lip, forced herself not to sob, and kicked the shack's door down. She was going to get to the bottom of this, even if it killed her. She was one hundred percent done with this bull shit. Whoever did this was going to die a slow, and painful death.

It was completely bare. Someone had written all over the walls in what looked like blood.

Where are you?

Why aren't you here?

You told me you wouldn't leave me again.

I need you.

I thought you loved me!

You left me again!

I can't do this without you...

I can't do this anymore.

She looked over to the side, and her heart dropped in her feet, and shattered.

"No..." She breathed before giving a heartbroken, horrified, desperate scream. "NOOO!"

Ashley didn't bother trying not to cry as she ran over to the body that hung limply in the air from a rope. Dropping to her knees, she shakily took hold of his one leg and hugged it, trembling and sobbing.

"No, please... Please, tell me this is a joke," She choked out. "Zach! I never thought-you're-you-" She couldn't keep talking. Her mouth wouldn't form the words, and her head wouldn't think of them. All she could think was why-why-why?!

Zach... her baby, was hanging from the ceiling with a noose around his neck... His face had lost all color, and his eyes were closed. He almost looked like he was sleeping.

Ashley could barely see through her tears, but she had managed to reach up and untie the noose. She caught his body before it hit the floor. Hugging him to her chest, she sank to the floor, slowly rocking back and forth.

She couldn't do this anymore... She couldn't do this anymore! Everyone... everyone was gone, or going, and without Zach, what did she have left to live for?! Fuck being the spirit of courage! Zach was the reason she had even bothered! Jack was gone, Sandy was gone, Aleksei, Tooth, North... Bunnymund and Eros were probably lying out there somewhere dead, too...

Clutching Zach's cold, lifeless body, she stayed there for what felt like days, crying harder than she had ever cried in her life, hoping that she would die. That someone, or something would kill her, so she didn't have to hurt so much...

"You."

Ashley didn't bother looking up. She didn't care anymore... Someone ripped her away from Zach, and threw her across the shack, into the wall. She stayed there limply, until someone lifted her by the neck and slammed her to the wall and forced her to look at them.

Bunnymund.

"This is your bloody fault!" Bunnymund snarled, eyes dark, shimmering with unshed tears. "This didn't need ta happen! Everyone's gone, because a' you!"

The rabbit lifted her into the air and slammed her into the hard floor. She didn't care. He started kicking her in the face, and she barely bothered to try to block it. She didn't really care to look when she felt more feet kick her. It hurt, and she could have lashed out and fought back, easily... but she didn't. Ashley had hit rock bottom, and there was no going up.

It would take a miracle for her to get out of rock bottom...

She felt a hand grab her by the hair, and throw her up, into the wall. It was Jack...

He held his stick against her throat, and his soulless eye sockets peered into hers. He pulled out a knife from his back pocket and replaced his staff with the blade.

"I should kill you..." He rasped.

Ashley's eyes burned as she choked out, "Please... please do. I can't... I don't wanna do this anymore." When he didn't do it, she reached up and pressed the knife against her throat a little harder, snarling with desperation, "Do it, you pussy-hearted bitch!"

He pressed harder, and she closed her eyes, fighting back tears as she felt warm blood trickle down. She wasn't that lucky, though...

She saw a light from behind her eyelids, and Jack dropped her onto the ground. The ground trembled as a voice thundered.

"This will not happen, Pitch. I will not allow it."

She groaned and curled up into a ball. So close...

"No-no!I was so close, why did you stop me?!"

"It's not fair, Pitch. You should have known I would intervene..." Ashley peeked her eyes open, and saw Pitch, and that she was back in the torture room.

Pitch snarled. "Life's not fair! I'm tired of hiding under beds! I'm not doing it anymore! I used to be feared all around the world by people everywhere, and I will be again. You won't stop me! You can't! Not when I'm so close..."

"It's as you said. Life is not fair. Sometimes people have someone to look out for them and help them, sometimes they don't. This wasn't right, and I was allowed to stop it." The voice turned dark and threatening. "Now get out of here, before I make you... And trust me... You've been pissing me off a lot in the past few hours. it wouldn't be good for you if you were to let me escort you out..."

Pitch growled low under his breath, but melted into the shadows.

Ashley heard small rocks crunch under boots, and arms picked her up like she was a little girl. "Hey."

She looked over at the strange man. He had short, wavy black hair, and a strong jaw. Stubble, and a faint scar across his forehead, and steel gray eyes that were surprisingly warm. She had never seen him before in her life, but... something about his aura was familiar. But then again, what did she care...?

"Take it easy, Ace." The man told her gently, "You got beat up pretty bad. Both physically, and mentally."

"Just kill me..."

The man gave her a smile that reminded her of her dad, and he brushed some hair out of her face. "I know you must want to die... You just experienced your worst fears. And I also know that it must have felt real... but you must believe me, when I tell you that it was not."

She gave a small shake of her head. "It felt pretty real to me..."

"I know it did. But it wasn't..."

She narrowed her eyes, just a bit. "Just who are you...?" She muttered. "Why do you care? Why are even bothering to help me?!"

"Because, I'm responsible for you," He answered easily, "I made you what you are. I've been watching you since you were a little one... Ever since I saw you being carried out of the hospital by your father, with you're bandaged leg. The doctor had cut you while helping your mother give birth to you, I believe... I suppose it's time I've introduced myself. I'm Vergil."

She froze and narrowed her eyes at the grinning man. "I should punch you."

He chuckled, and his smile had a touch of melancholy to it. "Yes, maybe you should... I had never thought that all this would happen, just from passing on the job... I'm sorry."

She grunted, and a silence came over the two of them for a while before she asked meekly, "I... Are you sure...? That all that wasn't real...?"

He nodded. "Yes, I am... Save for the parts where you got hurt. That really did happen." His face turned grim as he looked ahead. "Fearlings are little bastards, they are."

Ashley still felt like crap... but the edges of her lips twitched up, nonetheless. "And they taste awful, too."

Vergil snorted and grinned at the drained girl. "Gods, tell me about it... As annoying as they are, the least they could do is taste good..."

"But they don't..." She sighed. "And the screeching..."

Vergil laughed. "Do not even get me started on that... The damn noise makes me want to rip my ears off... Especially as a bear. You haven't had the displeasure of that, yet... Pray that you never will." He shuddered. "It's awful."

She snorted, and fended off a yawn as she nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Ace... Why don't you rest a bit...?" He suggested gently. "I can't take you exactly where you need to be, but I can take you somewhere where a friend can find. And he'll be able to take you home."

"But I just met you," She protested weakly. "Everyone always goes on about how great you were, and I wanted to learn more about the job and try to get you to tell me about the powers and junk..."

"Even if I wanted to-and I do, by the way-that's not the way it works." Vergil rolled his eyes in slight annoyance. "The guys in charge are all gung-ho about people finding and understanding their powers on their own. Rather annoying, really, but you've been doing a good job... Better than I had. But, of course, I didn't have to be in a huge war right when I became the spirit of courage..."

She sighed in defeat and let her head loll to the side. "I guess this is the last time I'll ever see you again, huh...?"

"Naaah..." He assured her with a grin. "I'm a bit like your guardian angel. I'll be there when you really need me, and when I can convince the guys in the up to allow me to see you. So rest easy, Ace... When you wake up, you'll be with a friend..."

Ashley was out like a light.

Something was snuffling Ashley's ear when she opened her eyes again. She lightly swatted at it, and covered her head with her arm. Whatever had been sniffing her, picked up her arm in it's teeth and threw her arm back at her side.

With a grunt, she opened her eyes-well, one eye, the other was swollen shut-and glanced up to see orange, concerned eyes staring back at her. Aleksei. She reached up and hugged his head as fast as she could, and he purred.

"I just had the worst time, Aleksei," She rasped, throat dry. "And I hurt all over..."

He nuzzled the top of her head and crooned at her worriedly. She gave the reindeer a half smile and rubbed his snout before giving him an apologetic look.

"Could you help me up...?"

He lowered his head a bit, and she grasped his furry mane as he lifted her up. On shaky legs, she leaned against his side.

"Can you take me home, bud?"

Aleksei snorted, like he was insulted that she even had to ask, and nodded. She nodded and swallowed thickly before climbing up. Now, she was tired, and she failed the first couple tries, but she got up there. Tangling her hands in his fur, she leaned against his thick neck and nodded at the ever-patient reindeer.

"Okay... I'm ready."

Jack Frost sulked in the back of the circle, as they held a small funeral in the Globe Room. He didn't participate. He just sat on the ground against a column, and studied Ashley's trident.

He couldn't believe it. She had done... something, when the fearlings had swarmed her. He had been so sure that she was dead, but she made something happen, and all the fearlings-thousands, millions of the creatures had dissolved into light. Like an atomic bomb had went off.

And she had been okay. She looked back at them and, shaken as she had been, cheered. They all did... They had thought they had won. But another wave of them came over her, and then just left. Ashley wasn't there anymore... just her trident had been left.

It wasn't fair. And Jack couldn't get rid of this bad feeling, that she wasn't dead. And that scared him...

What if she wasn't dead? What if Pitch was torturing her? What if he had convinced her to join him?! Jack couldn't fight her! He wouldn't!

Turns out... he hadn't needed to worry about that.

Aleksei clopped in. The beast had gotten loose when the sleigh pulled in. He had gone into a rage, and tore out of the ice tunnels and back outside. Probably to find Ashley...

No one but Jack really paid any mind to the reindeer. The teen figured that the reindeer had given up, but... Aleksei looked awfully content, considering the fact that he hadn't found her.

As Jack sat there, wondering why Aleksei looked so happy, he got his answer.

Ashley had tried to get off of the beast's back, but must have given up halfway through, and just fell to the ground with a quiet grunt. He set the trident on the floor besides his staff before standing up and walking towards her, gaping in disbelief. Everyone had heard her grunt, and was now staring at her in shock.

She... She didn't look all that good. She had dark shadows under eyes, one eye was swollen shut, and her lip was bloody and split. Bruises and scrapes coloured her right arm and shoulder. And her eyes seemed... duller. Less bright, and without so much of the almost childlike excitement and eagerness.

She picked herself up off of the ground, and leaned against Aleksei for support. "Zach," She started, voice uncharacteristically quiet, "Is Zach still-" Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat before starting again, "He still asleep? He doesn't know about... about what had happened out there, right...?" Sandy shook his head, and she exhaled heavily in relief... At least she wouldn't have to deal with that. Because if Zach started crying, she probably would, too. She was having a hard enough time not crying already, and if he was, man, forget it.

"Ashley..." Jack breathed. She looked up at him, and almost looked scared as he got closer. "What happened...?"

Jack Frost wasn't sure what to expect to happen when he asked her that. A lot of things could have happened... But of all the ways for her to react, the teen did not expect for her to start crying.

"Shit," She choked out, turning away. Ashley hadn't expected such a rush of emotion to slap her in the face when she saw everyone... She especially hadn't planned to start crying, but... It just sort of happened. "Fuck, I'm sorry, I... Just give me a minute..." She roughly wiped her tears away, but they just kept coming. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to compose herself.

"Are you crying...?"

"No!" She yelped, swallowing thickly and trying to not sniffle, "Of course I'm not crying! I-I-it's just... It's just raining on my face." She could practically feel the looks she was getting when that came out of her mouth, and she slapped her palm to her forehead. Of all the things, the excuses she could have said, that shit came out of her mouth...

"It's raining on your face...?"

Well, she's gone and said it now, she might as well stick with it... "Yes... There's an invisible cloud that's above my head, raining on my face." There may or may not have been an extreme amount of smart-assiness in that sentence.

Jack scoffed from behind her and raised an eyebrow. "That was a horrible excuse..." He paused a moment, before adding in a much gentler tone. "Look, Ash... You've been through a lot. We aren't going to think you're a big baby if you cry a little."

"Is true," North said, finally snapping out of his shock. "Ve are here for you."

"I'm fine. Really," She insisted stubbornly, "I just need a minute... I'm not asking for help."

Bunnymund frowned and walked over. "Ya don't need to do this alone." The giant rabbit put his furry paw on her shoulder just as she was looking back, and once he came in contact, she flinched and jumped up. She almost looked scared of the old pooka...

"Just leave it!" She said bluntly, a tone of harshness in her voice. "I'm okay-just let me be, damn!"

His ears fell flat against his head, and he frowned before taking a step back. That had kind of hurt the old pooka. "Alright, Ash," Bunnymund sighed in defeat. "Have it your way... I know you're real prideful, and I can respect that..."

Jack gave the rabbit a surprised, rather disappointed look. "I won't." He walked to Ashley and put his hand on her shoulder. Needless to say, he was pretty surprised when she jerked back and grabbed him by the collar of his hoodie with one hand, and lifted the other to punch him. She looked absolutely livid, and maybe he should have been worried, like everyone around him was... But he wasn't.

"Come on, Ash... You wouldn't hurt me, and you know it. I know I would never hurt you..."

She blinked a few times, like she was snapping out of a daze, and looked back at him. Realizing what she had almost did, regret and guilt crossed her face, and she set him down. Her hands were clearly shaking as she tangled her hands in her hair. "Shit... I almost..."

The teen gave her an assuring smile. "Don't worry about it... I know you wouldn't have. Now listen, alright...? I know a lot of things have happened... Heck, we thought you were dead. You aren't, but you seem to be a little leery of us, and that's just not gonna do... Don't be such a butt head."

"I can't help it, Frost, it's just in my nature," She replied dryly, "Apparently, I have trouble expressing my emotions and I'm very stubborn, remember?"

Jack snorted. "Yeah, believe us, we know. But we're gonna break you out of that."

Ashley raised a brow and folded her arms across her chest, still sniffling but eyes beginning to dry. "Oh yeah...? Just how are you gonna accomplish that?"

"Lots of effort," He replied, inching his way closer and opening his arms. "But first, I think you need a hug..."

She snorted, and wiped an almost-but-not-quite imaginary tear. "I hate to break it to you, but I'm not a huge hugger, kid."

Jack gave her an insulted look. "Okay, first of all, I'm three hundred years older than you, and I'm five foot seven and three quarters. I was considered tall back then, and I've lived before your great-great-great-great grandaddy. So shut up, stop being so headstrong, and let yourself be comforted for once! It helps, I swear!"

"Swearing is bad for your soul.."

His arms fell a bit as he protested. "You swear more than all of us put together!"

She raised her arms in defense. "Never said I didn't... and I am the perfect example of that."

He was about to retort, when he realized that she was trying to change the subject. "Bunnymund, you should hug her... Right now."

Ashley was suddenly in the fucking air, with two furry arms around her, and she grunted. "Dude put me down, this is harassment!"

Jack smirked and joined in on the hug. "Then it's payback time!"

One by one, the rest of the Guardians, Eros, some of the other spirits, and even some of the yetis joined in on the group hug. At first, Ashley struggled a bit, and though she wouldn't admit it, she was a bit scared... but after awhile, she felt... good. A giant bunny was hugging her, for Christ's sake! Who can feel scared when they're being hugged by a bunny...?

Nobody, that's who.

And it finally hit her, just why she had to stop Pitch. Why it was so damn crucial for her to not let him accomplish what he wanted. If it wasn't for the rest of the people in the world, or for Zach, then at the very least, it was for these guys...

They really were just a great bunch of people, and if Pitch wasn't stopped, they would die. And she would do everything and anything in her power to stop it.

Her nightmare would not become reality, she decided, even if she had to make a few sacrifices of her own.

Author's Note~

I could have, and maybe should have gone more in-detail during her nightmare... but I think if I had, I would have started crying. IT WAS SO DIFFICULT TO THINK THAT PART UP, YOU HAVE NO IDEA. A part of me died inside, imagining Sandy up for her nightmare, because Sandy is a motherfuckin' BEAST. He is full of epicosity, and a freaking sweetheart, and I never want to have to imagine him, or anyone else, like that again D: Blegh... At least the ending was okay... and she met Vergil..

Thanks for all the favorites, follows, reviews, and for reading. I appreciate it, they give me warm fuzzies.

If there was anything I did wrong, let me know. I can't really say that I hope you got a few laughs out of this chapter, so... uhm... I hope no one cried, reading this. Unless that's a good thing..? I don't think it is... I don't know what to say for this chapter... This was what I meant, when I said it was gonna be not good. Thanks for reading is all I can say, I suppose, for this one. That, and I did my best D: I've never really done anything quite like this, with all the emotions and depression and sadness AGH IT HURTS.

Merry Christmas to all you guys, yo! I hope ya got a lot of presents and cookies and junk :)

,BlueAsh666