The moon told me nothing. Not a name. Not my purpose. Not why he was pulling at me while I slept. But when finally he was able to urge me to open my eyes, I looked up into the faces of the ones I held closest to my heart. North. Tooth. Sandy. Bunny. Jack. Baby Tooth, too. Their faces had a mixture of shock and awe.

"Did we win?" I asked, looking around to find I was actually in Bunny's arms with the others huddled around.

North looked skyward to where the Man in the Moon was watching despite the sun in the sky. "Manny…" He seemed speechless. I craned my neck around to see the moon as well.

Feeling my way through the darkness
Guided by a beating heart
I can't tell where the journey will end
But I know where to start

Tooth looked like she was going to cry and I lifted a hand to beckon her closer into a hug. "I'm okay," I assured her, remembering my fall. Obviously, I was uninjured! Sandy bounced up and down, images of the moon and a figure with a wolf at her side flashing excitedly while I blinked without comprehension. Bunny could only look at me with relief and smile. When I saw Jack, his grin was bigger than I'd ever seen it.

"Alice, how do you feel about being a Guardian?"

They tell me I'm too young to understand
They say I'm caught up in a dream
Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes
Well that's fine by me

"Me?" I asked, perplexed. "I can't be a Guardian," I chided. "I don't have any super powers like you guys! I'm just…me." Really, what had urged him to say that?

"Alice…you died," Tooth murmured, wiping a tear away with a feathered hand. "When you fell. You…died." She seemed unable to say more while I stared at her with shock. That wasn't a very funny joke.

So wake me up when it's all over
When I'm wiser and I'm older
All this time I was finding myself
And I didn't know I was lost

"Stop joking around," I muttered, looking at them all uneasily. Were they serious? No one was smiling at that, or making glances that could lead me to believe she was lying. "I'm…dead?"

"Well, yes and no," Jack answered, willing to be the one to break their silence.

Instead of letting Jack say something without thinking, North interjected. "Manny," he lifted his hand to the moon, "brought you back for reason. He believe you can be Guardian."

"Not such a little ankle biter anymore, Sheila," Bunny said, shifting me until I could stand on my own feet. I blinked, looking down at the snow that didn't feel all that cold anymore. It was cool and pleasant, like bare toes in fresh spring grass.

I tried carrying the weight of the world
But I only have two hands
Hope I get the chance to travel the world
But I don't have any plans

"Wait, wait, wait," I said, putting my hands up. "So. I died. And the Man in the Moon brought me back to be…a Guardian?"

"That about sums it up," Jack answered with a shrug and a laugh.

"Jack!" Tooth chided, thinking he was being a bit too tactless about things.

"What?" he asked with a chuckle. "She's a toughie!" he complimented.

I couldn't help but smile at that. When first I came, I hadn't been. I likely would have been afraid of my own shadow if I'd ever thought to look at it.

Wish that I could stay forever this young
Not afraid to close my eyes
Life's a game made for everyone
And love is the prize

"So I'm a Guardian? Guardian of what?" I asked, still struggling with the concept.

"What you think?" North asked, his gaze still as paternal and kindly as ever.

"I don't know," I admitted. I looked down at my toes before I realized I was missing something very vital. My eyes popped wide as I looked around the snow. Seeing my stuffed wolf laying in the snow, I started towards it only to see it burst to life and rush up to me. His huge tongue licked across my face before he snuggled close to me. I laughed, hugging his broad neck tightly.

"You know," Bunny began. "It takes quite a lot of courage to hug on a wolf like that. Have you seen that thing's choppers?"

"You know what wolves do to rabbits?" Jack asked with a wry smile. The others laughed as well as if it were an old joke.

So wake me up when it's all over
When I'm wiser and I'm older
All this time I was finding myself
And I didn't know I was lost

"So what? I'm a Guardian of Bravery?" I asked incredulously.

They looked at each other with pleased smiles.

"That about sums it up," Jack repeated.

"You faced your fears. For us," Tooth murmured. "That took all the courage in the world."

Sandy bounced up and down again, clapping his golden hands with delight. Their excitement rushed through me with sudden fierceness and I gave a bright laugh. "I'm a Guardian!"

"She's taking this much better than that Dill did," Bunny muttered with amusement, a furry thumb jutted out towards Jack.

I raced across the snow, my legs not getting tired as I moved with a speed I never would have believed I was capable of. My wolf raced along beside me until I circled back towards the group and launched myself at North to give him a hug. He twirled me about before pulling me close. He set me back on my feet looking like a proud father. I hugged Bunny next, then Tooth, and Sandy. Baby Tooth flew forward to get in a snuggle of her own before I could turn to Jack.

We both had wide grins that seemed infectious among the others. He stepped forward to hug me even as I did. It felt like home. Pulling back, I realized I finally belonged somewhere. I leaned forward to rub my nose against his as he had before. My wolf shoved his muzzle between the pair of us, breaking our hug with a grumble while the others shared knowing looks.

"Oh, so you want to get to work already, huh?" I demanded of my wolf, pressing my face into his fur with adoration. His wagging tail was answer enough for me. "Alright!" I said, hopping onto his back. "Then let's go!"

Didn't know I was lost
I didn't know I was lost
I didn't know I was lost
I didn't know

I'm sad to say that this is the very last chapter! The song used within this chapter is Wake Me Up by Avicii, so look it up if you get the chance! I have to say I really enjoyed this piece. It started out very dark and grim. Honestly, I didn't see the light until it opened up in front of me. There were no plans throughout this entire story. I just wrote and wrote without much thought. I hope you really loved it even if there were quite a few fumbles along the way. If there is enough interest, I may potential write more with our dear Alice, but it really depends on you guys. All I know for sure is that it will be quite a while until I have time to write again - MUST STUDY! - but I look forward to hearing what you guys have to say.

EDIT: There is a sequel! You may find it here: s/9649018/1/Believe-In-Me