A/N: The moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived! The end to A Choice of Faults. And then the start of a sequel, so it's only a bittersweet ending. Brace yourselves! (Warning: "expressive" language on Cinder's half)

Also, I really like being able to answer to your reviews, so I'll be doing that for some if I have something to add or to clear up from now on. Although that might make for some really long author's notes occasionally... :/

Anyway, please read, review, and enjoy! :)

Chapter 35 - Verity's Last Wish

Cinder's body bumped and scraped against miles and miles of dirt, rocks, and tree roots before finally tumbling onto what seemed to be a field of grass. Her head hit the ground, which was alarmingly soft, and she lay there for a few moments. Not hearing anything but a faint wind and the scuttle of very tiny feet, Cinder tried to push herself up. She must be in Bunny's home, but it puzzled her. Didn't the Guardian live in Australia? Or was that just the accent taking over her judgment? Either way, the grass was amazingly soft and a filtered light above her felt warm on her back. If this was where Bunny lived, Cinder would have been glad to stay here forever had things not been what they were. The smell of flowers was nearby and Cinder wondered if she would be able to pick one or two and hold them closer. The incredible sense of peace was pleasant and nearly overwhelming. But she came here for a different, far more important reason.

She had fallen through the tunnel right after Bunny, and yet there was no sign of him. She didn't hear hopping or running of any sort. Damn he moves quickly. How am I supposed to find the others? Cinder passed a hand through her hair─ which had gotten stuck partway due to the insane amount of knots─ and was trying to untangle it when she heard a faint, low gasp coming from up and to the left. She froze in place and waited for it again. Low murmurs hummed in her eardrums and she dropped as close to the ground as she could possibly get. Army crawling toward the noise, she hoped that she wouldn't bump into something. Just because she could still hear things didn't mean she could hear anything solid blocking her path. She wasn't some sort of superhero just because she'd become blind. Cinder would have laughed at her own train of thought had other matters not been more pressed for completion.

The ground Cinder was on began to slope upward and the noises grew a little louder. When she felt like she was close enough without being seen, she arched her hand upward and looked for some cover. There was something above her. Cold, dry: she was already in another tunnel? Cinder still felt the warm sun-like rays on her back, however, so she was possibly at an entrance. But how could an entrance be this low? Was the sound carrying from one of the other tunnels? Cinder groaned, thinking her brass act of bravery was going to be in vain.

"You hear dat, Bunny?" Cinder heard North's voice abruptly closer. Cinder clamped a hand over her mouth and shrunk away, her back hitting another dirt wall. Her fingers felt bony and cold─ deathly cold. Perhaps she was a spirit now? It was possible, but Cinder would have to delve into the situation later. Feeling the vibrations of North's heavy footsteps, it seemed to be that he was next to her. There was no way he was crouching─ even then he wouldn't be able to crawl through this tiny space. Which mean that Cinder was in an uneven tunnel that was taller on his side perhaps? Or maybe she was under some sort of overhang?

A second pair of footsteps joined North's. "I thought I did, but I don't smell or see anything. You're just goin' crazy, North. C'mon, leave your coat here and let the eggheads take a look at your wounds. They need tendin', mate."

"Bah! Am not crazy, but is very warm," North agreed as the shuffling of fabric and fur was heard. Cinder's eyebrows narrowed, trying to puzzle together what was happening. The sound of something moderately heavy fell above Cinder, making her flinch instinctively. He must have dropped his coat off here. Perfect.

As she heard them walk away, Cinder reached a hand above her head and followed the contours of the lower ceiling until she touched a furry fabric. Not willing to be very patient, Cinder tugged at it. A rolling noise, made louder by the smallness of the cave, delivered itself from one edge to the other and four thuds were heard in the grass behind Cinder. She froze momentarily, afraid that someone had heard her. But they must be far inside the tunnel, because Cinder didn't hear anything. Biting her tongue, she tried to turn herself around in the enclosed space. She knocked her head several times on sturdy dirt, but several curses and bumps later and she was able to feel the heat on her face again. So far, so good.

Cinder pawed around in the grass until she grasped a smooth, spherical object. She couldn't see it, so she shook it a few times to make sure. She heard tiny specks hitting glass and a slight tinkle of bells. Grinning, she knew she'd found at least one snow globe. Where were the others? She only needed two, but she'd take as much as she could carry. Spreading her body out, Cinder began rolling in the surrounding grass and hit several other objects. I must be a maniac. She kicked and grabbed at them fitfully, wishing not for the first or last time that she could just fucking see anything at all. Having them all in her arms, Cinder tucked three into her extra large sweater and tied the bottom behind her back tighter so that they wouldn't fall out. She probably looked really fat, but that didn't matter. The only snow globe left was the one in her hand.

But before she said anything, she heard Bunny's voice carrying from out of several tunnels. Panicking, Cinder scrambled─ still on her hands and knees─ as far away as she could until she bumped into a large rock. She bit back a scream and desperately padded her way around it and away from his voice. But as soon as she had, she was able to make out what he'd said.

"Cinder chose us over Pitch! She's not the bad guy we thought she was!" Bunny was livid and Cinder was touched. She never expected Bunny to care so much.

"We know dis now, Bunny," North consoled the other Guardian, his voice echoing lower than Bunny's, "but is too late."

"Ex─ except it's not!" Bunny insisted. "I saw her! She's alive!"

Cinder thought she heard a higher-pitched gasp from the Tooth Fairy. "Cinder survived that? That's impossible, we all saw what happened in the alley! Are you sure, Bunny?"

"I'm positive! But she said she could only buy us a little time. That means we've gotta hurry if we're gonna find Jack and defeat Pitch!" Bunny's voice sounded desperately urgent.

Cinder had heard enough. None of them would be going off to fight Pitch today. She couldn't afford to have any of them killed. It was too high a risk. Leaning back against her rock, Cinder held the snow globe close to her face. Maybe if she tried hard enough and held it close enough she would be able to see some sort of shine or glimmer or sparkle. A few long seconds later and Cinder gave up. It was so warm here, the feeling made her feel almost normal again. She wondered what the Warren looked like. How big was it? How green was the grass lying beneath her? What kinds of rocks were these? What kinds of flowers were here? Was there a stream somewhere? Was it like a forest? So many questions that Cinder knew she would never get the answer to. This place felt so lovely, and loneliness crept into her heart. The grass that tickled her bare legs reminded her of the small clearing in Old Burgess where she and Jack would meet up. Indulging in the image, Cinder pictured Jack lying next to her, his face looking into hers with that mischievous smile that could tell a thousand stories. He was closer than usual, though, something Cinder didn't quite understand, and his arms were reaching out for her. His light brown eyes were begging for an embrace and she'd curled into it. Some grass blades were still between them, poking through the entanglement in a burst of bright green. Even if they blocked tiny pieces of the view that was Jack, Cinder knew it wasn't enough. She wanted to truly see Jack again. His heated body next to hers was a memory Cinder held tight for a few moments before spoken tones reached her ears a little too late.

Snapping out of her daze, Cinder cursed herself as she heard the Guardians emerge from the tunnel. Cinder whispered into the snow globe and dropped it in front of her. The resulting blast of wind and threadbare whistle of another place was enough to catch the Guardians' attention.

Tooth must have gasped. "North! I thought you said you didn't have the energy to make a portal!"

"Wha─?" Cinder heard North checking his pockets. "Uh oh. Snow globe."

"Hey, look!"

"Stop!"

Cinder had been spotted. Pushing off the ground, she ran in the direction the wind took her and fell─ yet again─ through the portal. She'd really have to learn how to get used to these things. But then again, if all went well with her plan, this would be the last portal she'd ever take.

Her body was carelessly thrown and her sense of up and down clashed with that of left and right. Her feet hit the ground first, and Cinder thought she was standing. Trying to run so that her momentum wouldn't cause her to fall, she tripped over her feet and landed face first into some more dirt. Her hands and arms were scraped, marked by sharp pebbles and sandpaper-like textures. When the hell did she become this clumsy? It must be her lack of sight... except that she'd always had issues with portals, so her blindness wouldn't necessarily be the culprit. It sure didn't help, though. Ugh, I hate portals. Even without sight, Cinder knew exactly where she was: the little cabin in the woods where Pitch had awoken her and taught her things few people would understand. Sitting up as fast as she could, Cinder instantly felt like heaving. There was so little vitality left in her body. She patted the front of her sweater and was relieved to find that none of the snow globes had broken.

"Cinder?" Pitch's mystified voice floated toward her. "What in the─?" He was drawing closer, the heat of the smaller room evaporating with each step. He knew how she'd known to find him here, but he hadn't expected a dead girl to teleport herself there. Cinder tried to turn around and run back─ she wasn't looking to face off directly with Pitch─ and instead ran straight into him. Pitch's cloak was coarse against Cinder's skin. Or maybe her skin was coarse? She couldn't tell. Backing away yet again, Cinder's hands flew out in order to keep her balance.

"Pitch!" What was Cinder going to do? She couldn't just pull out a snow globe and chant randomly. Pitch could avoid that. She had to get his attention off of her somehow... Where was Jack?

A sudden kick to her back sent her to the floor.

There he was.

Jack pulled Cinder's hair, several clumps falling out easily, and forced her head upward. Then something cool touched her frail neck and Cinder was afraid to even gulp for air. "Wait! Don't kill me!"

Pitch chuckled. "They always beg," his voice faded in menace.

"You want to weaken Jack's center, right?" Stall him, stall him, stall him! "It weakens when he's around me. If you kill me, he'll be enraged. He'll overcome you and tear you to pieces! Now, if that doesn't sound like a lose-lose situation─" Cinder stopped speaking when she felt the metal object close the distance between itself and her throat. A prickle could be felt underneath her jaw and Cinder was beginning to fear the worst. But then it lessened; some sort of silent command?

The weight and cold air around Cinder lifted, her head falling back to the floor with a thud and a small crack. How many bones could she break and still walk around? The fearlings must be supporting her more than she thought. She scrambled into a kneeling position, hopefully facing Pitch. "Please! I can still be of use to you! I can bring the Guardians down! I know where they are!" What the fuck are you doing, Cinder? Stall him, don't give him information! Cinder was mentally punching herself because heavens know she couldn't really do it herself without dying in the process.

"What a liar you've become!" Pitch was mockingly impressed. "You used to be so open with me, my dear Cinder. What happened?"

"You went after my personal affairs; that's what happened!"

Pitch's incredulous laughter rang throughout the small space and forced Cinder to clutch her temples. "Your personal affairs? Was there ever anything personal about you? I raised you to work for me, my dear. You don't have anything personal." He must have realized that telling her this was getting them nowhere and yawned. "Jack?"

Arms were thrown around Cinder's neck and she began to claw against the fabric. His muscles contracted as the space for breath became tighter and tighter. Freaking out, Cinder tucked her chin inside his inner elbow and relaxed her jaw. Making sure he squeezed a little tighter, she clamped down on his arm. A yelp resounded, vibrating through her hair with its closeness, and Cinder felt the pressure disappear. Falling to the ground and rolling, Cinder kicked outward. However, she hit dead air and was met with a foot in her ribcage. The ease with which cracks and crunches were heard inside her body meant she had very little time. She hadn't expected Pitch to make Jack do the dirty work, but it could work. She just had to survive. She knew how to fight.

She didn't know how to fight blind.

Cinder grabbed his foot on the next kick and pushed it in the opposite direction. She forced herself to stand up, wobbling unsteadily, and put her fists close to her face. A second later and her stomach was pounded into before she could retaliate. Cinder set one arm horizontal in front of her stomach and kept the other one diagonal across her face, crouching as low as she could. If she was a smaller target, perhaps fewer of Jack's hits would land. Cinder managed to block a few of the blows, but her arms were taking the brunt of the damage and would soon be useless. Tucking her head in, she shouldered him backward and punched in a vague direction. The attack caught the lower side of Jack's chin, unfortunately, and no real damage was done. He shoved her back, ice seeping into his hands and spreading onto Cinder's skin with every hit. Another step backward and Cinder tripped over something─ it might have been the stool she remembered being in the small cabin where she would sit often and pester Pitch about his work. She'd never been given an answer about what he was doing, and perhaps she never would. Jack's weight nearly landed on top of her, his face inches from hers. Something splintered on her stomach as Cinder recollected the three snow globes she'd stashed underneath her sweater. One must have broken, because the water soaked her dry skin before it turned to ice. His icy breath filmed frost over her nose and Cinder wrinkled it. If this had happened under different circumstances, Cinder was sure she'd be having her way. But at the moment, her mind couldn't linger for a moment longer.

"Jack..." Cinder whispered. She wasn't sure where Pitch was anymore in this permanent darkness, but she talked low to avoid being heard. "Jack. It's me, Verity," Cinder's throat caught on the name, forcing it out before she coughed up a lung. "You remember Verity, don't you?" Cinder's hands rose above her and awkwardly met Jack's head, which was much closer than she had guessed. Her fingers found his jaw line and cheeks and latched on. His skin was freezing but smooth and clear. Pieces of his hair fell over his face and ears, tickling her fingers. The upper part of his cheeks─ near his eyes─twitched and his lips grimaced briefly. Although she couldn't see his eyes, Cinder was sure they were beginning to falter. She just had to keep going a little further. Then Pitch would focus on him and give her an opportunity. "Do you remember the pond we would skate on? And the field we would lie in and talk for hours?" But as she continued to whisper to him, images of his human self came back into her mind. If she could remember seeing nothing else, she would always be able to see Jack. His warm-toned skin and bright brown hair encased his eyes with an enchanting affection that she knew was meant for her. But the image began to shift: his skin grew pallid, his eyes became a cold, chilling blue, and his hair became a stark, snowy white. The very person may have been the same, but there was something in the features that was different, aside from their actual colors. He looked at her in similar ways, but there was a mature childishness and longing sadness fighting for recognition. It was ironic how, despite being blind, Cinder could now choose how she wanted to see Jack. If by some crazy chance they both survived, she might not even want her eyesight repaired (even if that were possible). "Jack... God, this is so cliché. Please come back to me..."

A few seconds later, the metal was brought back to her throat. Cinder heard Pitch's triumphant chuckle somewhere behind her head. Cinder closed her eyes, although it made no difference, and felt extraordinarily tired. Her physical body had almost nothing left to it and this was going to all be for nothing. A tear slid down her cheek.

"...Verity?" Shit, this worked?!

Cinder opened her eyes and this darkness was somehow lighter than before. "Oh, Jack!" She whispered in unbearable relief. Jack was beginning to hear her, or at least she hoped. "It won't last long... Do you want to go back?"

Her hands were still on his cheeks as she felt the imperceptible nod prickle her senses.

"Do it!" Pitch's commanding voice was intensely dark and Jack shuttered as he was pulled under control again. Cinder recognized her chance. Tucking one hand into the bottom of her shirt, her fingers grasped one of the surviving snow globes and she pushed Jack away from her. Jack's grunt told her he was out of the line of fire. This was it.

Calling forth everything she had left she pegged the snow globe in Pitch's direction and listened as he caught it in his hands.

"To skotádi!" Cinder yelled, pronouncing the name as clearly as she could muster. It would have to do. It had to.

Cinder heard a divergent portal explode from the small snow globe in Pitch's hands. He began to curse at her before a giant black and purple mass swirled around Pitch's feet. He immediately began to fall and gripped the corners of the portal, desperately trying to climb back up. "Why, you...!" But before Pitch could do any more, his body was engulfed by the portal and the gravitational pulls on the other dimension lessened considerably. It was still very strong and Cinder could feel her body slipping backward, but it would have to do. On the other hand, she hadn't completely expected her plan to go this far. Now she had to figure out how to get Jack out of here. Cinder hadn't known this portal would be so substantial. It would begin to destroy this place if it remained open with entities in its proximity. Realizing she had one last snow globe, she tossed it in Jack's last known direction and muttered one last word, coughing at the end.

"Amaranthine..." Cinder had barely said the end of the word when she felt a cold hand grip hers tightly. Apparently she'd missed her target, because she heard a second portal open up behind Jack's chilling presence.

"Cinder! What are you doing?" Jack yelled above the deafening roar of two portals competing in the form of winds and aerial pressure. With Pitch temporarily out of the picture, the control of Jack's consciousness had lifted. It was partially too bad that it had to be that way, because now Jack would insist on saving her. Like he always had.

Cinder couldn't answer him. The feeling in her feet began to succumb to the numbness that happened when you went into to skotádi. The darkness. It was a special dimension that dealt with and disciplined everything evil in the world. It was where Pitch had been originally sealed when the new Guardians defeated him. But he had returned, thanks to Cinder, and now, also thanks to Cinder, he would return again sooner or later. It wasn't meant to be permanent. That would require too much power. But it would give Jack more time to get away. There had to be someone else that could extract the fearling inside him because Cinder couldn't last much longer.

Amaranthine would be the place to go to for information on fearling removal, even if it wasn't perfect. He'd find someone there. As soon as he mentioned Cinder's name, he would be taken under their care. Her sense of hearing began to blur, and she felt death beginning to swallow her. She was about to let it all go when she felt Jack yank her arm toward the other portal. Was he planning to take her with him?

"What's going on? I don't see anything!" His voice barely rose above the raucous mess surrounding them. A hazy panic worried Cinder. The portals were fighting for dominance of the air around them and Cinder was failing to grasp or think or hear or feel. If she could see, the edges of her vision would slowly be turning black. Then the ground was gone. She knew it. She was dying. And she was going to accept it. The world was set up so that the Guardians would win and Bunny would keep his promise to her. But then the air's compression felt different.

Jack had picked her up and was taking her through the other portal.

Then something grabbed her ankle and she was pulled downward forcefully. Cinder's body was unresponsive but her mind could still register faint remarks from her surroundings. She knew what was going on: the shadows were going to take something from her again. This time, she admitted defeat. They could take whatever they wanted.

"NO!" Jack's scream tore through the muffled silence and Cinder was jolted awake for a moment. She was being torn between two sides. And something in her mind was starting to fracture.

Just let go, Jack...

"Get to Amaranthine..." fell from her lips in hushed finality.

The next thing Jack knew, he was lying face down in sand. Tossing his limp body around so that his face was to the blinding sun, Jack covered his face in his hands. But his hands had been carrying more sand and it only got into his eyes and nose and mouth more so than before. Grunting in pain, he wiped away the looser particles and began to dig the deeper pieces out of his eyelids. When he thought he was done, Jack tried to open his eyes. Oh, what a mistake that was. The sunlight was much stronger and Jack swore that he could feel his face melting. How long had he been in this place? Sitting up slowly, Jack pulled his hood over his head to shield himself from the rays' immediate heat. Blinking lazily, Jack tried to take in his surroundings. There was sand, lots of sand. Everywhere. Jack grimaced and pinched his eyebrows together. Where had the portal taken them? Whatever "Amaranthine" was, this didn't look to be it.

Jack was wheeling his head around carefully when he spotted a clump of reddish hair peeking out of the sand a few feet away. His heart lurched and he struggled to run over to the body, his feet scorched by the surface of the sand.

"Cinder! Cinder!" Jack yelled to her until he got close enough to see her. "Cind─" he started as he turned her body over so he could see her face. But instead, he was met with a grotesque figure equaling that of what he'd seen in the memory retrieval of Cinder: burned and beyond recognition. Her hair was little more than a few clumps and her skin─ or what was left of it─ was caked with blood and burnt-black muscle. The sweater Bunny had gotten for her was singed and resembled more of a very small t-shirt. Parts of her bones were visible: her ribcage, one arm, a foot, and several other places were already bleached by the sun. If she ever looked dead, she looked it now. Jack's eyes were suddenly wet and he couldn't stop the tears from crashing down onto her cheek. "No... No! Cinder... Verity..."

But then her body twitched. Her mouth twisted into a gaping frown and hideous noises began to crawl out. She began to thrash and scream uncontrollably. Jack tried to stop her, to hold her arms down or something, but he was afraid that too much force would kill her too soon. Jack tried to tell her to stop, but she didn't seem to hear. Her words were incoherent and her eyes were both swampy yellows, unseeing and far away. She didn't recognize him, or she thought she was already dead and feared that Jack was, too. Or maybe she was already dead and this was some sort of chemical thing that made her body move so jerkily. Jack admitted that he had no clue and the heat was bearing down on him so much that he could not think clearly.

It was sweltering out and Jack felt woozy. Leaning back on his feet, crouching, Jack's body wobbled from fatigue. He looked around them and saw the dunes wavering and shape-shifting even when he thought he was standing still. Then two dark figures were staring at him. Jack tried to squint his eyes, but the image didn't become any sharper. As he attempted to yell to them, Jack fell backward and fainted, the heat consuming his consciousness.

Do you think we should help them? The giant wolf, standing with its shoulders well above four feet, its head resting higher than the young man's beside him, muttered silently. He'd seen the portal open up from a few miles back but hadn't mentioned anything until they got a closer look. As a wolf, he'd be able to see these things much further away than would the man at his side. The man had jet black hair that gleamed blue in the deadly sunlight. His yellow eyes descended the valley and caught onto what the wolf was talking about. There were two bodies, seemingly stranded, lying next to each other. One had amazingly white hair and a bright blue sweatshirt on. The idiot must have gotten heatstroke, the man surmised. But the other... the man's eyes couldn't leave its mangled desperation. Scanning closer, he noticed the hair was shining bright orange. The only person he'd known with that hair color had been...

"Cinder!" The man threw himself down the steep side of the dune and began sliding down the loose pebbles and sand. Whatever the wolf had been talking about earlier didn't matter because it was Cinder. Cinder was here. He'd finally found her.

The wolf growled after him. Lykos! Wait!

But the man named Lykos wasn't listening. Cinder had gone missing a little over a week ago and he hadn't seen her since. Now she shows up injured in the middle of the desert? And who was that person beside her? She'd probably taken refuge at another nightclub and picked up an ill-willed stranger. Knowing he was more than likely the very last person she'd ever want to see, Lykos slowed his approach. He saw that her body was horribly mangled, bones and flesh exposed haphazardly. The sight made his stomach churn unsteadily. The wolf caught up to him in a few effortless bounds and demanded an explanation.

"I don't know how... but that's Cinder. We need to get her out of here, Fenrir," Lykos knelt beside her and assessed the damage. She appeared to be already dead, but Lykos knew that this was how she had always truly looked.

Lykos was the Boy Who Cried Wolf, and as such a myth, he had a grain of truth as well. His exceptional lying skills had supposedly gotten him into trouble and eaten. But the truth was far from that. Fenrir, the wolf that he insisted had shown up in his fields, had taken him in and taught him how to lie, to suggest different realities. And in turn, how to distinguish different realities. He'd known since the beginning that Cinder wasn't a spirit or human. He'd always been able to see through her, see the black shadowy creatures that kept her alive. But now that he was actually seeing it, strangely without the creatures, he wanted to fix it. If she died, Lykos couldn't forgive himself. He needed to apologize; he'd been working on one since the day she left, and she needed to stay alive long enough to hear it.

As for the guy next to her, Lykos couldn't have cared less. But when he looked closer, something about the boy seemed familiar. Who was he? Before Lykos could think on it further, Cinder's body shifted. His eyes returned to her too late and her broken nails caught the side of his face. Letting out a hiss, Lykos leaned back and watched what she would do. Her eyes were open now and her mouth as gaping open at an unnatural angle. Was she a zombie now? She sure looked like one.

You know that what you call "zombies" do not exist, do you not? Fenrir sat across from him, cocking his head to the side and watching the events as they unfolded.

Lykos sneered. Of course Fenrir could hear his thoughts. He could hear Fenrir's, too, but at least he didn't go around parading it. That was part of the reason they'd fought four years ago, but Fenrir had come back, willing to apologize and forgive and move on for some grand purpose or something. It was what had given Lykos the nerve to work on his apology to Cinder, had she come back on her own. Today was Lykos and Fenrir's first trial at reuniting, and already the wolf was getting on his nerves. "I know this, Fen─"

Cinder's maniacal claws caught his face again and Lykos growled. "Damn girl was always so aggressive."

Is this how humans die naturally? It seems rather painful, Fenrir thought absently. He'd been around long enough to understand how people died, but seeing Lykos get hit by a dying girl was morbidly hilarious.

Lykos ignored him. "Cinder? Cinder, calm down. It's me, Lykos. I know, you probably hate me, but can you─"

Cinder swatted at him again and began to scream. She kicked and punched and clawed and flailed so feebly that Lykos wondered if this was the last time he'd see her alive. It was an ugly, monstrous, and mournful state and he wasn't sure he could look on for much longer.

Do you want me to end her misery? The wolf sauntered over toward her head and leaned down, waiting on Lykos's go-ahead. His jaws were separating slowly, the gleam of his white teeth reflecting deadly intent.

"GET AWAY!" Cinder's parched vocal chords managed to choke out. Something was wrong with her voice, however, and both of their ears caught it.

"She's deaf...?" It was just a guess, but clearly she hadn't heard Lykos's voice moments ago.

And blind, from the looks of her eyes, Fenrir added in agreement. It made sense as to why she kept hitting Lykos. He slid away from her momentarily to think it through. How did Cinder come to be like this, so close to death in the desert? He'd searched everywhere in the area for her and never found a trace. Yet she showed up out of the blue in the desert, with some random albino, blind and deaf? What the hell?

Lykos glanced at the white-haired boy. He had moaned and turned around, still unconscious. Lykos was tempted to leave him there until the boy muttered something.

"Cinder..."

At the sound, Cinder's body grew still. What sorcery was that? Lykos's eyes grew wide. Whatever happened to Cinder, this guy knew. Cursing under his breath, he steadied himself and tucked his arms underneath Cinder's perilously cold body. He asked Fenrir to pick up the boy and carry him on his back. They had a long way to walk.

Where are we taking them? The wolf blocked his path instead of following orders. His wild yellow eyes glared into Lykos's soul, but Lykos wasn't bothered by it much anymore. Still, the intensity was nothing to laugh at. And he'd asked a valid question, after all. He waited a moment to make sure Fenrir wasn't going to explode on him.

"You've heard of Amaranthine, correct?"

Fenrir growled darkly. We don't even know where it's gone! The location changes every year and I've yet to track last year's area! And you just suppose we'll stumble upon it in the desert? Yep. He'd exploded. A small explosion, Lykos had to admit. He'd been expecting Fenrir to jump on him or something. Of course, Fenrir hadn't been around for over four years. He wouldn't have known about Lykos's... other affairs. Yes, Amaranthine was hard to track, but that was his own doing. Fenrir would find out soon enough, though. He always did.

"Just shut up and start walking. We'll reach it by sunset," Lykos didn't usually order the giant wolf around. But this was about Cinder now, not their damaged partnership.

The wolf was averse to the sudden sense of confidence coming from his younger counterpart, but obliged. He dug his body underneath the white-haired boy's and lifted him out of the sand. His body lay limp and covered by the wolf's fur, but he was staying in place. That was all that mattered to Lykos. His mind was blocked off from communication and he figured they'd be done talking for a while.

Lykos started walking ahead of Fenrir, Cinder in his quivering arms. Peering into her sullen and destroyed features, Lykos felt remorseful. He should have gone after her as soon as he'd heard her shut the door to the apartment. But perhaps that hadn't been his choice.

Cinder had always made her own, that was for sure.

A/N: THAT'S THE END OF A CHOICE OF FAULTS, GUYS! Whew! I know that, likely, you guys want to get a start on the next story in the series. And I promise, it WILL happen. Just... can I have a week or two to prepare some things? I know you've all had to be very patient, but I want to give you an amazing story!

Also, the words "to skotádi" mean "the darkness" in Greek. But you'll learn more about this in the sequel. :)

Next chapter will be uploaded on Friday (or sooner if you wish!) and it is the interlude and summary chapter. Then the second adventure begins! :D

Songs for Inspiration: Most chapters will only have one song, but this was the last chapter of the first story and thus special.

1. もう一度だけ (Mou Ichido Dake) by Da-iCE (You'll have to use Google if you want to listen to it because the full version isn't on YouTube anymore; also, I picked this one because I understand Japanese but there is a really good English version if you can find it. I can translate if desired.)
2. Fire and Fury by Skillet (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!)
3. Shots by Imagine Dragons (I personally think this is Cinder in song form.)

Wow... I have such wide music tastes. If there are any that you think match, let me know!

Reviews:

hithere: The OCs are mainly just there for support, and they wouldn't be in much detail (HINT: they're immortals; thus many readers would get the general idea anyway). Now that I'm looking over my notes, only Lykos and one other are super important (I'm not counting Cinder because she's not a "new" OC). The others just get cameos/made fun of/are there for the sake of plot advancement. Their parts will be so small that I even hesitate to call them OCs other than the fact that they aren't canon. I hope that helps!

In addition, the POV would stay to Jack, Cinder, and Lykos. However, there will be snippets of POV that are the "opposite forces" (not necessarily bad guys) simply to add an ominous tone. Also, I felt like I didn't add enough of Pitch in this fic to properly fill you guys in on pieces of his plan. I'd only be adding his in to keep the action/tension of the story building. Same thing will happen for the other Guardians: snippets (but the occasional full chapter will be devoted to Bunny and Tooth in particular).

Jayla Fire Gal: Your reviews always make me chuckle/smile like an idiot! You didn't really pose any questions but I just wanted to let you know! Also, you give such high praise and it feels really great knowing I'm writing something that people really like. (This last sentence can also be said to reviewer and guest Sophia.)

Oh, and to the newest reviewer of the story (guest, ch.4), it was meant to be 15*F, which is about -9*C. I had it be Fahrenheit in the story because the story takes place somewhere in Pennsylvania, US. Either way, I don't think it's that cold at all. My region is used to -34*C (-30*F) or worse during the winter and maybe 23*C (75*F) in the summer. Yay for living up north! (It may be a little pointless to answer your question in the 35th chapter when the question is from chapter 4...)

Thank you all so much and have a wonderful day/night! :)