White Wolf Fan Fiction Presents:

~Tried and True~

A Rise of the Guardians Collection

Title: Tried and True

Pairings: Salem Night/Valentine Amor; E. Aster Bunnymund/Jack Frost

Disclaimer: I own Salem, Valentine, and other spirits not mentioned in any part of the movie/series whatever. I do not, however, own any of the Rise of the Guardians characters (Jack, Bunnymund, Tooth, Sandy, North, Pitch, etc.)

A/N: These are not really in any particular order, they're just written randomly and as I come up with things to write. None of these will probably be related to another and if they are, I might mention so in the summary.

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Words: 3,072

Rating: T

Warnings: Pre-Yaoi (Boy Love), minor angst, minor hurt/comfort, minor fluff, minor humor, and mentions of past death.

Summary: (Following an Unwritten Story called the Messenger) Salem Night is a mysterious spirit with a very dark past, having lived two thousand years as a spirit, over half a which he spent alone. And then he meets the Guardians...

Having lived for two thousand years, like he has, he knows things; mostly it was because of his occupation as the one and only Messenger Spirit, traveling all across the globes for centuries upon centuries, delivering things and vital messages to other Spirits, or sometimes even clueless humans, people who don't even know he exists. For over a thousand of those years, he lived in solitude, on his own, until he met them, the Man in the Moon's Chosen.

The Guardians.

The first one he met had been the Sandman, who traveled in the night all across the globe to give humans, children especially, sweet dreams in the night. This had made him hate the Sandman, because for the thousands of years he'd lived, not a single one of his nights had been given a sweet dream; only nightmares that frightened him enough that he never slept anymore. But he was used to it he supposed, and he reasoned of course, that if the humans couldn't see him because they didn't know he even existed, who is to say that other spirits never saw him for the same reason?

That was the first time he had questioned the Moon, and had asked him why?

North had been the second one he met; the jolly man behind the popular figure of Santa Claus. And at first, the man himself had frightened him, but as he got to know him, throughout several trips he made to the North Pole, he began to realize their was more to the big man with the twin blades and the tattoos of the Naughty and Nice list on his arms. He wondered though, if maybe North believed in him, like he believed in North, that maybe he was on the lists too… but then he realized, quite quickly, that not even the big man himself believed in the Messenger.

The Tooth Fairy… she was the one he had met next, and oh how she was beautiful. She was a kind, young spirit with a bright and loving energy and when he saw her interact with her little fairies, and the children with their teeth, he was sure that if he had a heart that still beat, it would have melted. And there were times that he loved her all the more, when she saw the letters and things he left for her, as was his job, and she smiled and whispered a small, kind 'thank you' to the wind, and he felt believed in.

But he never confronted her, never thought it was possible that finally, finally, someone would be able to see him.

The next Guardian he met, he had despised the second he saw him, because the next one he the Moon thought fit to introduce him to, directly this time, was E. Aster Bunnymund, the Easter Bunny. The second he had entered the warren, he had been on edge, his fur raised and fangs bared and ears flattened to his head, and he just knew who the message in his satchel was for. But he had a job to do, yes, and he knew he couldn't leave, or run, because he was a wolf, and he'd be damned if he ran from a bloody rabbit.

He would argue, centuries later, that perhaps he should have run and just left the message outside of one of the tunnels, but even he couldn't hide from the Moon how elated he had been when he was finally seen by someone, anyone at all.

"What are you doin' in 'ere mate?" Bunnymund growled the second he had tackled the Lycan to the ground, and his ears flattened to his head when he heard the growl in return, this one much darker and dangerous than his.

"Get yer bloody paws off of me, rabbit…" he growled out, snapping his fans at the rabbit and Aster jumped off and back, grabbing his boomerangs the second he had a chance to, just as the Lycan stood up, suddenly materializing a scythe from out of the shadows of the Warren surrounding the two.

"How did ya get in 'ere?" Bunnymund questioned, on edge now and the wolf narrowed his eyes, grip tightening on the scythe and as he thought of a way to answer Bunnymund, "Who are ya…?" Bunnymund decided then was a great time to survey his opponent, taking in the tall figure, much like his own, covered in black fur- with dark red markings all over his body, and at the tips of his ears, still laid back in light of the situation, and his three very long tails. The rabbit noticed also, at this point, the strange long, sharp black antlers on the Lycan's head and his large, broken wings, covered with sleek and beautiful black feathers. "What are ya…?"

"You… you ask… too many questions, rabbit…" the wolf suddenly mumbled, shifting away, the scythe disappearing immediately, and blood red eyes closed tightly as if the wolf was suddenly realizing something and then, quick as a flash, he darted off on all fours, leaving only a small letter behind in his wake.

He'd tried not to get caught after that, his fear and excitement battling with each other and the anger trying to override it all. Because why now? Why was it the rabbit that was able to see him, even when he didn't even know him? What was the point, in any of this?

But then he met Jack Frost, a lonely spirit, just like him, who had spent three hundred years alone. How did he know this? Because he was there during every single one of them, only he couldn't have been able to bring himself to show himself to the immortal teen. He knew what it felt like to be alone, to have nobody see him, because he had dealt with that for over a thousand years and then some. But that fear still gripped his heart, and he felt it, and he never showed himself because he wondered if perhaps Jack would be just like the rest. Because other than Bunnymund, who the Moon still didn't give an answer for, no one else had seen him, had known he existed.

He hadn't even meant to find him, because since no one knew about him either and all the other spirits ignored him, he never had anything to deliver to Jack; no gifts or letters or anything. But then one day, on his rounds, he had been caught in a blizzard conjured by the troublemaking spirit and he'd gotten lost on his way to deliver a mildly important letter to Cupid at the other's domain. And he'd found him, at a lake, just standing there, alone.

He hadn't been able to leave him since, though he still did his rounds like the loyal spirit he was, because yes, he did have a job to do, and while he could have told the Moon to shove it, and fuck off, it was the only thing he knew how to do.

The first time they actually interacted, the Lycan hadn't even planned on it, because it was the one night of the year that he took off duty, and the Moon actually let him, because it was Halloween and that single day meant the world to the Lycan. It was the day he'd died, in his previous life, and it was the one holiday he'd ever felt he truly connected with; because there were secrets, dark ones, that he kept to himself, and told not even the Moon, though he had no doubt the Man in the Moon already knew of them.

Jack was trying to create a little fun on Halloween night, just a little snow of the ground, a bit of ice on the sidewalks, frost here and there, the usual; but the Lycan had never felt so angry at the spirit as he did now, because no one should mess with Halloween and the kids when they're just about to walk up and down the streets, all dressed up in their costumes, about to go door to door to get candy.

He had caught the immortal the second Jack appeared in the town, landing on the middle of the street, a wide grin on his face as he watched all the kids and the parents, but before he could even touch his staff to the concrete, the Lycan was there, tackling him to the ground, fangs bared and eyes narrowed. "No!" he barked, barely registering the shock, surprise, and the fear laced within the blue-eyed teen's expression. "What are ya doin'!? Ya can't do that here! Not now! It's bloody Halloween! Don't ya 'ave any idea what that means!?"

"W-what…?" Jack choked out before suddenly pushing off the Lycan and he scrambled up, trying to call the Wind, but the Wind herself didn't know which side to choose, loyal to the both of them. For years she had treated Jack as her own, circling him with her icy embrace, and giving him comfort when he had none, letting him call upon her whenever he needed; but for several centuries longer, she had become the Lycan's only confidant, especially when the Moon chose some nights to hide from him and everyone else. "W-what's going on? Who are you?"

"I… I'm just…" shaking his head the wolf backed off, standing upright on his two back paws and he rubbed at the fur on his left arm with his right paw, looking down suddenly, ears lowered. He was a fool to rush in, to stop Jack, because he had known that it would cause trouble; hell, he had known that there hadn't even been a chance that Jack would… see him… "You… you can see me?" and just like that, his head snapped up, eyes wide and his wings fluttered as his tails swished slowly back and forth, as he bit down the urge to let them wag in his excitement.

Jack frowned and narrowed his eyes at the strange creature, scrunching his nose up a little, "Uh yeah… you're a spirit, aren't you? Of course I can see you." he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and the Lycan's ears lowered again, a frown painting his muzzle now. "Wait a second… don't tell me. Are you and the Kangaroo in on this together? Is that why you're here? I was only just going to cause a bit of fun for the kids, there was no reason to go and do what you did!" he looked angry now, as if this… kangaroo of his made him upset for some reason, but the Lycan knew of no 'Kangaroo', only… only Bunnymund… who he had seen interacted with Jack a few times in the past two hundred or so years, and their interactions were always stiff with fear, anger, and just a tiny bit of excitement from both of them. "Easter isn't even anywhere close to this holiday, so what is it to him if I have a bit of fun?"

Left speechless, the Lycan shook his head sharply, trying to form the words, because it wasn't right. Jack couldn't just… he just… can't. Suddenly looking up at the Moon for advice, he was distraught when he realized the Moon had once again abandoned him in his time of need and he gritted his teeth, pulling up a mask as he stared, glared back at Jack before he suddenly took off, his emotions a mess.

He hadn't interacted with Jack since, or visited Bunnymund again either, not feeling up to interacting with either of them anymore.

Several more very lonely Halloween nights had passed, with only the Wind to comfort him, sometimes, when it seemed the Moon had given up all hope for him. And then Pitch happened and his job had suddenly gotten a hell of a lot harder, running around to all of the domains in the world, delivering messages and important, vital news of the Guardians' war against the Nightmare King himself.

Several domains had fallen to his fear and his darkness, and for once, even he feared the outcome of this war. He had discovered that the Moon chose Jack to be the new Guardian, and though he knew why Jack, and the others surely, would be against this, he had hope that perhaps Jack would be able to turn the tide after all and win.

So while the Guardians fought, or the spirits, and for the children of the world, he continued to deliver the messages he could to who was left standing near the end of it all. Cupid's domain was of the ones that had fallen and the Lycan had only discovered this a little too late, as he found what was left, the ones that had called the domain home broken, their eyes vacant and their wings useless. It was there that he spent most of his time, watching over Cupid and his son, a young, wingless spirit, Valentine. Only Valentine knew he was there, except that the Lycan refused to show his face to the beautiful spirit, knowing that he would only cause fear in the young one's innocent, kid, and loving heart.

"We're going to be okay…" Valentine whispered one day, staring into the shadows where the Lycan rested, numb and confused and filled with fear, because even though no one believed in him in the first place, he still felt the effects of it all with every spirit he encountered. He reached small, delicate hands up to brush back light pink colored, blue tipped hair, curling some of it around a single pointed ear, his other ear- round like a humans- not visible underneath the mess of it.

"Shouldn'it… be me that is to reassure you…?" the Lycan whispered back and Valentine only smiled, his angel blue eyes sparkling in warmth and love and hope.

"Maybe… but… I know they can defeat Pitch Black. They're five of the most powerful spirits known to anyone… you'll see." he answered and reached out, hesitantly, silently asking if it was okay, if he could finally touch him and the Lycan only shifted back. "It's… it's okay…" Valentine added, a little disheartened, but the smile never left his lips, and somehow the Lycan was grateful for even just that.

It was unnecessary in the end, because they had defeated Pitch Black and they'd restored hope, and wonder, and light, and dreams to all of the children and the people of the world.

The Lycan hadn't stuck around Cupid's domain too much longer after that, because he still had a job to do, but no matter how much he wanted to avoid all other spirits in the end, he couldn't avoid them forever. And he knew so, the moment that Valentine had sought him out and invited him to the party hosted by the Guardians at the North Pole.

And everyone was there, every spirit and every Guardian, including Jack, and Bunnymund, both of whom he had avoided, but he kept watch on them, smiling when he saw their little friendly bickering, born of the jolly aura surrounding them all in light of the end of Pitch Black. And he saw their love, as plain as day, even if they couldn't see it or refused to acknowledge it themselves.

Several spirits ignored him themselves, and others, those that he never knew knew he existed, offered smiles. But the Guardians, they all saw him, one way or another, at one point in time at the party, and they all offered him their thanks and it wasn't until Tooth spoke to him that he knew why, his ears flattened to his head in embarrassment.

"Valentine and Cupid told us what you did while all of this was going on, how you kept your head and did your job and helped out the other spirits in their time of need." she whispered, smiling kindly at him, flittering in the air, her hands on his fur clad shoulders and he ducked his head.

"I didn' do anythin' Miss Tooth…" he murmured in return and jumped slightly when Bunnymund came up behind him.

"Ya know, yer an alright mate," he smirked at the wolf, and even the Lycan could tell Bunnymund was finding it hard to let go of his initial fear and anger at the Lycan. "Nice ta 'ave someone like you around ta help out."

"...thank you." he smiled, just barely, and looked back and forth between all the Guardians, lingering on Bunnymund and Jack when the both of them shared a secret look, and identical grins on their face, with each other. "It is… an honor… to work under all of yer guide and to help in… any way… I can…" he said, slow and uneasily, but the words he spoke were nothing less than the truth.

"Oi, mate, ya never did answer my question last," Bunnymund spoke up again, smirking this time in genuine good and fun and the Lycan couldn't help but smirk back.

"Yer right," he murmured and turned away, wings fluttering as he put his back to the Guardians, though his eyes met Valentine's, just for a moment, the young spirit hanging back with a blush and a smile on his face and the Lycan was no longer afraid. "My name… is Salem Night…" he said, loud and clear, and shot a feral grin back at the five behind him, "but you can just calle me… the Messenger."

And with that, he darted off, running through the thick crowd on all fours, with quick and easy steps, as silent as a mouse and as quick as a rabbit, before finally disappearing into the night. The only thing left heard of his presence, a long and loud and beautiful howl that told them all of his gratitude and his happiness.

Because he was no longer alone.

But this was only the beginning, he knew, because there would still come a time that he would show his true colors and there would be a time when he would have to face his past and tell his most darkest secrets. And when that time came, he would have to fight his own war, but not alone, never alone, to regain what was rightfully his.

How did he know this? The Moon… told him so. And the Moon… was always right.