Crystal landed in front of Edger's hut. She startled Evie's friends.

Ashlynn's eyes widened. “Crystal, is that you?” She inched closer to the newborn alicorn. “Evie, how are you riding her?” There was some jealousy in her voice.

Evie shook her head. “Not now, Ashlynn. We're in big trouble.”

“What's wrong?” Ashlynn asked. She shut down when yelling emerged from over the top of a hill in front of her and her group members.

The undead army, led by Ben and Fororli, pointed their swords, crossbows, spears, and axes at the cabin.

“He's in there!” Ben said, his red eyes flickering.

“Destroy the village,” ordered Fororli, “but bring me the new Guardian alive.” He had a nasty plan in his head of who was going to kill him–Benjamin himself.

Evie pointed at the army. In a sarcastic voice, she said, “That's what's wrong.”

Seranet's villagers took off in flight. The pixies hid in flower buds. They covered themselves with petals.

***

“We need to get Mateo out of here,” Ranger Krysta said when she saw the enemy outside his window. She glanced at Edger. “Edger, do you have a stretcher?”

“I do.” Edger nodded and fluttered out of the room, leaving a trail of fairy dust behind. He returned shortly with Notmuth and Diana, who helped him with a cloth stretcher. It was reminiscent of stretchers used on the battlefield during war.

Krysta worked together with Maria and Charlotte to put Mateo on it. They took over for Edger, Notmuth, and Diana. Edger tossed Mateo's blanket over his shivering body. It only covered him from his shoulders to the bottoms of his legs. His bare feet were free.

Maria, who was at the foot end of the stretcher, playfully tickled his toes. At her touch, Mateo curled them. “Just hang in there,” Maria said.

“Come with me,” Edger spoke.

The hunter's ghost attempted to communicate with Keegan again. “What are you doing? Take the boy from them. Fororli is expecting him.”

“Argh! Stop it! Stop it!” Keegan begged, reaching for his head.

Charlotte noticed his struggle. “Keegan, fight him. Please.” She carefully pushed the stretcher through the room's doorway. She gulped when Mateo coughed under his mask.

The front door to Edger's hut flew open, revealing Evie and her friends.

“They're here for Mateo,” Evie explained.

Krysta gave her a quick nod. “We know they are.”

Evie gestured at her and her friends. “We'll keep them distracted. You guys get him to safety. We'll be right behind you.”

Charlotte sniffed a little. Why was her daughter so brave? She was much braver than her. “Please be careful,” she whimpered.

“We will,” Evie promised. She gave her friends a gentle push outside. “Come on, guys.”

They saluted at her. “As you wish, General Evie.”

Edger escorted the adults, Diana, and Notmuth out the cabin's back door. They carried Mateo toward the massive woods behind it, as well as another one of Seranet's crystalline waterfalls.

Momentarily, Notmuth halted. He squinted his beady eyes, in order to see who led the undead army. The dwarf's jaw dropped when he recognized the little figure. “Fororli?” he asked. His own brother betrayed him?

A gasp from Krysta snapped Notmuth out of his trance. Fearful, she searched herself. “I forgot my First-Aid kit in the cabin!”

Keegan thought for a second. He made up his mind. For the first time, he gestured at the cabin with his hand. “I'll go get it.”

“Keegan, you're serious?” Charlotte could not believe what she just heard. Those words came from her husband, the man who’s bullied Mateo since he met him.

He waved her and the others on. “Now move before I change my mind.”

“Thank you, babe.” Charlotte rubbed the side of her eye.

Keegan nodded. He turned on his heel and hurried to Edger's cabin, kicking the door down. To the demon, he said, “I'm not going to let you take the upper hand over me.”

Keegan rushed into Mateo's room. There was Krysta's enormous medical kit. It rested open at the foot of the bed. Keegan picked up scattered medical supplies: bandages, thermometers, stethoscopes, etc. He tossed them into the kit. He worked fast because he could tell the demon was angry with him. Once finished, he scooped the case off the bed. Keegan tucked it under his arm and started toward the closed door. He yelled when a sudden blast of wind ripped it right off its hinges. The man ducked under the weapon. The door smashed into the bed's wooden headrest.

A ghostly figure–with one dead eye–appeared in the doorway. His shadowy form wafted like curtains. Evie and Mateo's great-grandfather–Autumn and Sam's dad–glared at Keegan. “You've disobeyed my orders, and for that, you will die,” he growled.

Not on his watch! Keegan wasn't ready to die. He had a little girl–a child who meant the world to him. He grabbed one of the bed's pillows and chucked it at the ghost. Strands of his sweaty, brown hair covered his left eye. The pillow went right through the spirit.

His fingertips changed to claws, and fangs appeared in his mouth. He swiped at Keegan.

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Just before he could become a supernatural like Ben, a cold presence jumped in between Keegan and the demon. Faelyn grabbed the hunter's wrist. Teeth clenched, he shoved him away from Keegan.

He knew it was the fae ghost who saved him, but he still couldn't help but ask, “Faelyn?”

Faelyn clutched his hand. He flapped his wings and lifted Keegan into the sky. He flew right by the ghost and hurried out of the cabin. Krysta's kit almost fell from the man's free hand.

Furious, the ghost called for Fororli and Ben: “Fororli and Ben, don't let the humans escape! Unleash the basilisk!”

***

Evie and her friends were ready for action. Evie sat on top of Crystal, whereas Sam and her group members stood on either side of her. Euphorbia floated next to Sam's face. “Crystal and I will attack first,” Evie explained. “You guys follow us. Our goal is to distract the enemy long enough so the adults can get Mateo to safety.”

Her friends nodded, to show they understood.

Excited, Ashlynn said, “So let's do this thing!” She finally did not feel useless. Mateo was her counselor, too.

Emrys gulped. “Hopefully we don't die in the process.” He was always the pessimist, wasn't he?

“We'll be fine,” Amanda encouraged. “We're Pinta Park Rangers, guys.” She bent her knees and got into battle position.

Tate smiled at Evie and Crystal. “Good luck, Evie. Good luck, Crystal.”

“Thanks, Tate,” Evie said. She patted Crystal's neck. “This is for Mateo! Hyah!” Just like that, the little girl dug her heels into Crystal's flanks.

At Evie's command, the alicorn bolted. She tucked her wings to her sides and ran straight for Ben, who held his sword at the ready. Fororli was behind him.

“Ben, snap out of it!” Evie called. “This is not who you are!”

Crystal twisted her neck so she could look at her. “Use your magic, Evie.”

“My magic? But, Crystal, you don't understand. What happened earlier was an accident.”

“No it wasn't,” the alicorn replied. “You relied on nature to get yourself out of that sticky situation. You can do the same here. After all, Evie, you are a Gifted Human.”

A “Gifted Human”. Evie remembered Evergreen's words when she and Sam listened to her story: “Only a Gifted Human can give the Green Guardian the magic he/she needs to transform.”

Sam was a Gifted Human. That was why Autumn gave him the pebble sixty years ago. However, he missed his chance to transform Autumn into the Guardian, leaving Evie and Mateo to follow in his footsteps.

Evie inhaled and exhaled–primarily to rid her stomach of the colony of butterflies growing in it–and put all her focus and trust in nature. Ben and the undead army were getting closer by the second.

Crystal mentored her. “Remember, a Pinta Park Ranger relies on nature to save nature. Tell it what you want it to do, and it will do it for you.”

Evie did. She waved her hand, and vines lifted out of the soil surrounding Ben and Fororli's army. They smacked at the soldiers.

Ben, Fororli, and their men used their swords to saw at the plants. One vine wrapped around Ben's ankle. Before he knew it, he dangled upside down with his arms under him.

Crystal started toward him, but she leaped back when Thebes and the Fused Monster blocked her path. The Fused Monster roared and stomped the feet of its wolf half. In the meantime, Thebes pointed his crossbow at Evie. One of her vines smacked it out of his hand. Her friends came to her and Crystal's assistance. It was all part of the plan.

Each child jumped into the sky and smacked their hands into the soil.

“Put your trust in nature,” Sam ordered. “Listen to its whispers.” Under his leadership, Evie's friends also managed to conjure plants. An enormous barrier, made from vines and flowers, pushed Thebes and the Fused Monster backward. It cut the path to the village, trapping the army on the other side. For the time being, Seranet was safe.

The blockade bought time for the villagers to escape. Mothers and fathers grabbed their children and carried them into the sky, while Hell itself unfolded below.

Evie and her friends felt something moving under them. The basilisk's cobra-like head burst out of the ground. It hovered in between Evie and Sam–the two humans who befriended it.

“I've had enough of your torment and abusssse,” it told the hunter. “You can't fool me anymore.” It could feel its master's powers growing weaker, meaning that Keegan was almost ready to give Mateo his blessing. That would free the poison from Mateo's small intestine and hopefully get him better. It just had to be patient a little longer.

“Go,” the basilisk whispered to Evie and her friends. “They're not going anywhere anytime ssssoon. I'll make sure of it.”

Behind the wall, Fororli glared at the traitor. “This isn't over yet!” he yelled at Evie, who started to ride away. “Just watch, little girl. I'm going to kill your cousin, and nothing is going to stop me!” He tightly gripped the wall's heavy-duty vines.

Evie glanced over her shoulder at him. Who knew the dwarves she read about in Lord of the Rings could be so evil? Evie assumed it was really her great-grandfather talking to her. What a heartless man.

Keegan and Faelyn ducked into the woods behind Seranet. It was overgrown with greenery, so it made for a perfect, temporary hideout. There were so many ferns and flowers; Keegan was honestly overwhelmed. He yelped when Faelyn dropped him to the ground, right at Charlotte's feet. He nervously held Krysta's First-Aid kit out to her and said, “Here's the First-Aid kit.”

“Keegan!” Charlotte took the kit out of his hand and tossed it off to the side. She threw her arms around her husband and gave him a nice, long kiss. Honestly, Keegan was stunned. He thought Charlotte was going to divorce him after their argument in the hospital.

Charlotte pushed her lips off Keegan's. She grasped either side of his face and stared at him lovingly. “I'm so proud of you, baby. You fought the demon. I knew you could.”

“And we've trapped the enemy for now,” a familiar voice said off to the side. Evie and her friends had made it to the hideout safe and sound. Evie, who trotted on Crystal, hopped off her. She held her hands behind her and smiled at her parents.

Both of them sniffed. “Oh, Evie,” said Charlotte. She and Keegan brought their daughter to them. They hugged her close. Charlotte kissed her forehead. “Our little Gifted Human,” she added. Then she realized what she just said, and her face grayed.

Evie pulled away. She clutched Charlotte's hands. “Wait, you knew I was a Gifted Human?” Why would her parents hide that from her?

Keegan patted her cheek. He inhaled deeply and met his daughter's bright blue eyes. “We didn't want to tell you until you were ready. You have a gift, Evie–one that you share with Sam and the basilisk.” He smiled at Sam and Euphorbia who happily watched the reunion. It wasn't long until his joyful expression faded. “No, not the basilisk, but Embrose.”

Evie stumbled back a few feet. She fell into Sam's arms. If what her father told her was true... Did that mean the basilisk was family, too? She just didn't know.

***

The basilisk kept a close eye on the struggling enemy, but it had time to remember the days of its youth. It recalled the sign the Spirits gave it the day before it transformed Euphorbia 1,000 years ago.

***

The fifteen-year-old boy stood under the bright Sun in a flower-filled meadow at the heart of the forest. He tapped his furry boots together and spun in a circle, right in the center of a fairy ring. His animal skin top and brown pants stuck to his sweaty skin.

Spirit animals–moose, deer, eagles, and wolves–floated down from the bright blue, cloudless sky. They circled Embrose from his head down. Life had never felt like such a miracle to him. The Spirits were telling him that something exciting was about to happen.

Embrose danced with a few of the animals. He playfully rolled down a hill in the meadow. The Spirits were hot on his tail.

While he rolled, Embrose conjured bouquets of flowers that fell around him. He stopped next to a stream that cut through the meadow's tall, green grass. The boy splashed himself with the tasty water.

***

The basilisk used to be so free. 1,000 years ago, it was a kid, but now it was a cursed monster. Not only that, but it, too, had failed its duty. Mateo needed to become the new Green Guardian for Pinta's first ranger to forgive himself.

That first ranger was the basilisk itself.

End of Part 3

Word Count So Far: 104,000