Twyla stood up as quickly as she could, the plant still in her hand. The Smokey magic that wafted about was certainly getting irritating.

Hannah dropped down to the floor again, at least landing on her feet this time. She looked around for a moment, then smiled excitedly. "It worked!" She giggled excitedly.

The skeleton stared at her for a moment, her eyelights dulled with annoyance. "Are you serious..." She mumbled, then watched as another skeleton dropped down.

Gracie stumbled slightly, trying to keep her balance. Her skin seemed to have completely disappeared, her bones and the intricate designs on them visible. It seemed to be her body reacting to the sleeping magic, converting fully in an effort to not be affected.

She looked up at CJ still in the vent and called, "Maybe you should stay there until it clears?" She had seen the immediate drowsiness the spell had caused, and the last thing their team needed was one of them collapsing asleep in the middle of a fight.

CJ hesitated for a moment, glancing at Hannah. "I... sure." He resigned, nodding in agreement with Gracie. He knew she was worried about him falling asleep. So it would be better for him to stay there until the magic faded.

If it did. But he doubted the Horned King would make it easy enough (or would be powerful enough, the old withering corpse) to just make an eternal sleep in a small leather pouch. Plus, he was pretty sure that would just be a straight-up death spell.

Twyla glared at the group. "Coming in and trying to steal the Cauldron while everyone's asleep. Real cowardly, Horns." She tsked, hands on her hips as her grip tightened around the plant.

Hannah clicked her tongue, acting not too bothered. "Welp. No one's getting hurt, so I don't see the problem." She hummed, stepping closer to the Cauldron.

The skeleton looked at the plants, realizing that she couldn't wait for much longer. Twyla screamed, her voice echoing through the room. Hannah shouted, covering her ears and stumbling back down the steps.

Satisfied with the stalling, Twyla held the plants up, ready to break them. Gracie suddenly attacked, tackling her and trying to wrestle the plants away. Twyla kicked her off, reaching for the stems that she lost grip of.

Gracie grabbed them instead, observing them. "What's this, hm?" She asked, her crooked smile bright.

Twyla rolled her eyes. "None of your business, Miss Daredevil!" She shouted, standing up and ready to fight again. Suddenly, a bone burst through the ground. Hannah held her hand out, causing a couple more to emerge and surround Twyla.

The skeleton found herself trapped between the bones, fighting and struggling to get her way out. Gracie took the opportunity to tease her, holding the plants up to her face. She hummed in a singsong voice, "Got your flowers!"

"Don't be so immature!" Twyla protested, trying to push herself out of the bone prison.

"And whatcha gonna do?" She asked.

Twyla suddenly lurched forward, baring her teeth and biting onto her hand. Gracie stared for a moment, an odd mixture of muffled pain and confusion racing through her bones. Once she snapped out of her shock, she shouted and tried pulling her hand away.

She ripped her hand away, the plants ripping as she got away. "Dios, what the hell!?" She protested.

Twyla spat out the remainder of the plants and smiled. The stem tasted bitter in her mouth, but she felt a bit proud at the move.

Slowly, the other Guardians woke up with a start, taking in the situation and getting to their feet. CJ took this as his cue to help his friends. He dropped down to the floor and tripped Embry before they could fully get up.

"You March Hare!" Embry shouted in protest. CJ just shook his head, glancing at Sahira, who messily stumbled to her feet.

"Does blondie here always talk like that?" He asked. Sahira glared at him, as if asking why he was holding conversation while they were meant to be fighting.

"Anyway," he shrugged.

Ray glanced about the room, noticing Hannah attempting to step closer to the Cauldron. He sighed and went over, annoyed with the sudden need to fight. "Sorry, princess." He grabbed the knife Embry had left behind when they were off doing God-knows-what. He held it to her, blocking her from getting any closer.

"Unfortunately for you - and me - the stupid Cauldron is under my protection." He gave a faux smile as Hannah narrowed her eyes at him. They simmered into a light red.

"The Cauldron rightfully belongs to the King." Hannah said, though the words were hollow. And Ray could tell.

He rolled his eyes. "Alright," he stepped further up. "Go on, baby horns. Come up and take your birthright."

Hannah swiftly took out her hatchet, swinging forward in an attack. Ray quickly dodged, dropping quickly and kicking her legs. She stumbled back slightly, but grabbed his arm to drag him down with her. Ray used the knife, slashing in across her arm and making her recoil.

She fumbled down the stairs, but caught herself. She didn't hesitate in attacking again, racing up the stairs and wielding her hatchet.

Ray again held her back, blocking her from getting too close to the Cauldron. There were moments where he felt his own body getting too close, and the faint whistle of wind that threatened to doom him hummed in his ears.

There were also moments - as he threw her back over and over, and she found new ways to dart about and surprise him - that he almost wanted to let her pass.

It was a near-fascinating ordeal, the obsession with the Cauldron. The determination to get it, what with the barrier and the magic and this being the second time they came. He almost wanted to see what would happen.

Then he remembered why he was doing this. And he wasn't going to lose that chance.

Him being pushed off the stairs and onto the ground snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Hannah, we've almost got it!" The son of Chernabog, CJ, shouted. Hannah met his gaze with a smile.

Then, Sahira's voice rang out as she continued to break the bones that held Twyla in place.

"Hannah King, it doesn't matter what you do or if you bring the Cauldron to him! Your father isn't going to care about you once you stop being useful!"

In all honesty, Sahira was bullshitting her way through this.

However, was it really bullshitting if it worked?

Hannah ran at Sahira, kicking them into the bones before grabbing her and throwing her to the floor. "You know nothing of what you're talking about." Hannah said, his voice echoing off the walls.

Well, that was true, but Hannah didn't need to know that.

CJ couldn't help but stare for a moment. This wasn't what he knew Hannah to be like. This wasn't what Hanny did. Gracie could tell as well, pausing her fight with Embry.

Ray noted that his team leader was being attacked by a very pissed-off demoness, and grabbed one of the discarded bones. He took it up and hit Hannah in her ribs to get her attention away from Sahira.

CJ stepped forward, trying to help his friend. However, Twyla managed to pull herself out of the bones and launched at him, keeping him away.

Gracie stared for a moment, unaware of what to do. Taking the opportunity of shock, Embry swung, knocking Gracie back. Gracie's head spun for a moment as she landed on the ground, settling crooked as she attempted to compose herself.

Hannah didn't seem to appreciate being hit with a bone like some sort of morbid baseball, so she turned to Ray and made a grab for her hatchet. She swung, but Ray managed to block it with the bone, which promptly shattered.

Ray grabbed Embry's knife from the stairs he discarded them by. It felt a little awkward in his hand, with the handle that was most likely made just for the child of Alice, and the blade that seemed inconsistent with its curves, still he put up a fight against the angry demoness, who sent bone and hatchet-swipe his way over and over.

Then, Ray noticed something.

On her arm, among the bruise scars that didn't seem inflicted by him or his team, was the slash in her arm that he had made earlier. However, instead of red blood coming out, or even whatever kind of blood demons had (Ichor? No, no, that was gods.), something else was coming out. Wispy fog-like smoke came out of her arm, wafting in the air before dipping back down and going back into her arm.

Smog just like the kind that made up the weird, new bridge. Smoke just like the kind that had floated into the room and caused the sleeping spell.

Magic.

And he laughed at her, as she stood there- confused for just a moment, then eyes-glowing angry the next.

"You're seriously doing this for the Horned Asshole?" He pointed to her arm. "And he created you for this whole scheme! The hell do you think he's going to do once you finish your job?"

Hannah flinched for just a moment as a stunned silence came over the room. Then, with an angry shout, she launched at Ray, tackling him to the ground.

Ray didn't stop, grabbing her own hatchet and using it as a frame against her. "Did he ever tell you what's gonna happen once you get the Cauldron? Once he's got his prize, do you think he'll still want you? Does he even really want you in the first place!?"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Hannah shrieked, the ground cracking as undead climbed out aimlessly. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, I CAN MAKE HIM PROUD."

The voice was angry, but Ray couldn't help but pity her words. Even in this angry, volatile state, she couldn't even say that her father did want her or would be proud.

It was that he could be proud. And he hated to admit that a younger, more naive and stupid version of himself had thought the same thing about his own mother.

Was that why these three were really here? To prove to someone- anyone, especially their parents that they were worth paying attention to? That maybe, just maybe if they did this... something would be worth it?

"I think I do understand, Baby Horns. And if you keep doing this, you'll be a monster- and that's what he really wants." He muttered, noticing the hatchet handle cracking as she continued to claw at him.

"SILENCE." The command echoed off the walls in a thousand voices, like dozens of souls screeching the same thing from one mouth.

The handle snapped and Hannah attacked, grabbing the knife and stabbing at him.

But her hand fell short of his throat, as if her hand was suddenly pulled away, landing in his shoulder instead. Ray managed to stifle most of the scream, clenching their teeth down and letting out a low, guttural shout. His other hand managed to shove Hannah off, but it was weirdly easy to push her away.

Hannah stood up, staring at what she just did, at the red on the knife she was still holding. She dropped it, backing away. Sahira ran past her, reaching Ray and shouting for Twyla to get something- someone to help.

Someone touched her arm and she recoiled, raising her arm and causing bones to sprout around her in some sort of shield. Or a cage.

The person that tried to reach her gave a small shout. Hannah felt her heart - if she had any - sink further.

"CJ?" She whispered out, hoping her voice would reach through the bones. CJ's hand reached back over, grabbing hers and pulling her out of the bones. His hand was bleeding, but he appeared calm.

"We're leaving." Gracie decided, calling for a retreat. Hannah just nodded, as if she couldn't remember what that would entail. She held her hand up, smoke enveloping the trio. One more glance at Ray.

'Monster,' that tiny voice in the back of her head whispered, loud enough that she was convinced everyone could hear.

And when Gracie glanced at her, a worried and confused daze in her eyes, Hannah realized she said it aloud.

And in a moment, they were back in front of the cottage, and they all felt sick.