By Zara Descartes
The room was silent for a moment as its three inhabitants stared at the empty bed. None of them dared to speak, they couldn't. How was it even possible that they'd messed up that badly?
They had ONE job.
Watch the kid.
And that was a total and utter failure.
"You know, this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't fallen asleep!" Harlequin the fruit-juice-stained yellow stuffed duck snapped, rounding on Lucas. "As his guardian angel, you should have been awake at all times! How dare you take time to recuperate and rest after catching him earlier this afternoon when he almost fell off the Eiffel tower, and saving him before he fell in front of that oncoming bike this evening, and preventing him from eating the soap at bath time when Rose turned to get his towel, and smacking the rat poison out of his hand before dinner and stopping him from choking on the carrots at dinner! This is a full-time job, you slacker!" He said, angrily waving his fluffy arm at the angel who timidly looked down, pulling at his sleeves.
"AND YOU! You walking nightmare," Harlequin turned to the large grey fluffy monster. Upon realising he was being addressed, Misterly looked at him with all 65 of his obsidian eyes. "You're the monster under the bed! You're supposed to keep everyone awake!" Harlequin quacked, throwing a toy truck at him.
"Oh yeah? And what about you? He was holding you, wasn't he? You should have felt him let go, you should have been awake too, you nasty old dishrag!" Misterly said with a snarl, grabbing the duck with his clawed hand.
"Dishrag?! Say that to my face you useless carpet-"
"I AM saying that to your ugly mug, you muck-covered-"
"On second thought, talk in that direction! Your breath smells like sh-"
"Why don't YOU talk in the other direction because your whole body smells like baby pis-"
"WHY I OUGHTA-"
Lucas peaked up at the two as they circled each other at the centre of the room. He lifted a hand to push up his glasses in a tentative manner. "Urm…Gentlemen, s-shouldn't we get him b-back before his p-parent's wake up?"
Harlequin was stuck in Misterly's mouth, pushing upward with his 100% cotton arms to prevent the mouth of the monster from clamping down on him. Both creatures stopped their rowdiness and looked at Lucas.
"I-I was able to pick up his location using my connection to him. He's u-under the 'Pont de la Concorde' b-bridge on the Seine." He said with a small sniff.
Misterly gasped allowing Harlequin to escape.
"DANG TROLLS! Mr Fluffy next door told me yesterday that they tried to get his kid last week and roast him!" Harlequin said. "UNFORGIVABLE! The disrespect! Why, when I get my hands on them! I'm gonna kick 'em where it hurts, right in the baby toe!" He said, his brows furrowing over his beady black eyes.
Lucas gasped and his green eyes became worried. "Oh no…Poor Blaise, h-he must be so sc-scared and alone…"He said and his eyes filled with golden tears.
Misterly roughly patted the silver-haired angel, making his head go down with each impact of his large hand. "There there young Lucas, we'll save him. Once this fool shut's up." He said with a big, scary yet reassuring smile and Lucas swiped the tears away with a nod.
"ALRIGHT! Let's go! Follow my lead!" Harlequin said, picking up a wooden sword from Blaise's toy box, before he ran toward the opened window. "Stay close, you need my protection." He said as a matter-of-factly. Misterly sighed.
The three jumped through the window, and Lucas spread out his large, majestic wings. Harlequin jumped onto his head while Misterly grabbed his hands. The angel adjusted his grip on the monster, and with a great beat of his wings, the trio was high above Paris, with a perfect view of all the bridges on the Seine.
Lucas gasped. "T-There!" He whispered, staring towards the bridge in question. On it stood a multitude of trolls, all dancing and hobbling around a gigantic cauldron at the centre of the bridge. Blaise sat in the centre of the empty pot, looking around sleepily. Suddenly, a troll slammed a lid over the top, resulting in the others cheering happily and swinging their heads in big circles so that their dirty beards circled like helicopter blades.
"Not the brightest bunch are they?" Misterly asked.
"Neither are adults if they never see this happening," Harlequin said.
"Are we just going in there, without a strategy?" Lucas asked.
"Don't overcomplicate things, let's just grab him and get out." Harlequin waved his wing. "Now get us in there my feathered comrade!"
Lucas nodded and beat his wings again, sending them hurtling towards the bridge. The trolls turned, upon hearing the loud whishing sound right above them.
"INVADERS!" One shouted and the rest of then began to yell angrily. "Slingshots out!" Another screamed.
Lucas' eyes widened.
"Grab him and get out my butt!" Misterly said as Lucas' halted.
"READY? FIRE!" The commander troll said, and the trolls sent an onslaught of sharp rocks and stones at them.
"Nonononononononononononononono!"Lucas squeaked. "Never fear! Harlequin is here!" Harlequin said as he pulled out his wooden sword.
"THAT DOESN'T ALLEVIATE ANY FEAR WHATSOEVER YOU OVERUSED TOILET RAG!" Misterly shouted back.
Harlequin swung his sword back, hitting Lucas on the head. "OW!" Lucas exclaimed, letting go of Misterly. Misterly screamed as he fell towards the bridge. "I'm gonna die!" He wailed.
He landed with a great thump, right on top of several trolls. The others gasped. He shifted his plump, fluffy butt-cheek to see the squished lump of unconscious trolls under him. "I lived!"
Blaise lifted up the lid to peak out of the cauldron. He looked up at Lucas who was flying down happily.
"Lulu!" Blaise said with a dimpled smile. "Master Blaise!" Lucas said smiling as he dropped down next to Misterly. Misterly looked at Blaise. "BLAISE!I'VE COME SO YOU THAT YOU CAN COME BACK AND PLAY WITH ME!" He grinned, blinking each of his shiny, black eyes. Blaise' eyes widened and he let go of the lid, screaming.
"You see? You see what you do?" Harlequin said to him as he jumped in front of the cauldron. Misterly sobbed. "I'm a sensitive soul!"
"Mr Harley?" Blaise called from inside the pot. "Yes, It is I, Sir Harlequin and I will save you."
Lucas picked up the cauldron lid and scooped up the three-year-old, brushing the brunette's hair out of his small face. Blaise looked around, eyes closing, but still curious.
"HEY! Put down our meat!" The trolls began to shout and several more started to jump onto the bridge. Their long beards brushed the ground as the thumped forth.
"I-I'm afraid I can't g-give you this child," Lucas said, pushing up his glasses.
"You're a child too! Don't think we won't cook you! You've got them tasty looking chicken wings too." One troll said.
"Him? A kid? He's nineteen." Harlequin rolled his eyes.
"But he's been nineteen for thousands of years. Puberty is just a tad late for him you see." Misterly shrugged.
Blaise peaked at the trolls. "Sleepy." He said, yawning.
"Hmm, yes. Well, it was lovely meeting you all, but we should be going." Harlequin said, jumping onto Lucas' head. Misterly grabbed Lucas' ankles.
"Very lovely. We do hope to see you around!" He said. Lucas held Blaise tightly then shot into the air.
"THE MEAT!" The trolls screamed.
"TROLLSHOT!" A particularly scary voice shouted as they flew away.
"Trollshot? What's a t-tr-" Lucas started but was interrupted by Misterly screeching. "It's on me! It's on me! EWWW!"
Sure enough, a slimy, green and yellow troll was climbing up Misterly to get to Blaise.
Harlequin jumped down and started to whack it with his sword. "Get off! You nasty creature! Begone!" He said.
The troll snarled and bit Lucas in the leg. "Ouch!"
"Just shove it off! Don't aggravate it!" Misterly shouted to Harlequin. "I'm trying but he's so strong!" Harlequin said.
The vigorous movements were making Lucas lose balance. "Incoming!" Misterly shouted as they approached a bridge, they were going to crash. At that point, Harlequin and the troll were fighting on Lucas' head.
The trolls kicked his glasses off in the scuffle. "I can't see!" Lucas said.
"FLY UP! FLY UP!" Misterly screamed, but not quick enough. They slammed into one of the bridges, before they fell into the water, however, Lucas flapped his wings and they shot back into the air.
"I'm fighting here! Watch where you're going!" Harlequin snapped as he shoved his sword into the troll's nose.
"He's blinder than a mole! What do you expect him to do without his glasses! Just get the troll off!"
The troll sneezed and covered them all in mucus. "Ewww!" Misterly said and Lucas grimaced. Blaise sneezed too.
"In the name of all Guardians, I vanquish you!" Harlequin said and plunged it towards the trolls baby toe. The troll's eyes widened at being stabbed and he howled loudly as he lost his grip and fell toward the dark water below. Soon, he was gone.
The group breathed in relief, "Well, that's that. Let's go home. Fly straight!" Misterly said.
"Right." Lucas said and flew right into a building.
"You're going to get us killed! Lucas, fly upward and then straight." Harlequin said. Lucas did do and hit a large signboard.
It was going to be a long trip back home…
The next morning found Rose yawning as she went to check on her son. She found him sound asleep in his bed, clutching his favourite stuffed animal. With a fond smile, she closed his door quietly and went downstairs.
The three creatures all sighed. Lucas rubbed at his multiple bruises and adjusted his white gown as he floated on the ceiling.
"We should get paid for this," Misterly said as he yawned under the bed.
"All in a day's work men." Harlequin said tiredly.
"We'll probably have to do this again, at least another three thousand times before he forgets all of us and can't see us anymore," Misterly said as he looked up at the under of Blaise's mattress
Lucas smiled sadly. "All kids have to eventually, but at least we get the opportunity, even if it's just for a little while."
Harlequin slipped out of Blaise's hold and hopped onto the floor. He looked at his companions.
"Until then, that's our human, and we need to protect him at all costs." He said. The three moved to sit on the bed around Blaise. "Just like we protected Rose, and her dad , Skylar, and his dad ,Tom, and his mum, Ellie, even if they toss me away someday when I'm too matted, even if all your eyes scare them," he looked at Misterly and then at Lucas, "And they never acknowledge any of us again. We just have to because-"
Rose opened the door suddenly and Harlequin dropped into a natural position. The other two stared fondly at Rose as she moved to pick up Blaise and carry him out, not seeing either of them. Harlequin sat up when the door closed, and they stared at it. "Because even if it's just for now, that's our human."