Sleeping in Danger

by Turise

This story largely follows Pitch Black, although, because Pitch stole Jack Frost, it also in many ways follows them both. Follow me into the dark salty cave where this story starts, and hear a nightmare the likes of which has never been told above a whisper. This story is rated T for the fear factor, and because I don't like restricting myself in content.

Okay, I wrote this today, can you believe?! It's my first crack at Rise of the Guardians. I hope it's clear enough to read...I was going for a quick story that takes up a few years' worth of time. It might get ambiguous...Hopefully I get good reviews~

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Pitch moved very slowly in the shadows, away from a pale boy who showed up without warning, riding the wind.

Jack is here. Really? Oh, has he found me? Has he been looking for me? …

As the sun rose in the north, Jack Frost padded into the salty cave along the ocean. The light – and therefore shadows – swarmed in the cave off the icy blue walls. It was an extremely magical place; a very healing place. Blue Yetis, also known as the kodama of the ice, appeared and shook their blue heads upon Jack Frost's arrival. They were no taller than six inches.

Jack's mouth moved, but like is natural around the Blue Yetis the sound didn't reach Pitch until his mouth had already stopped moving.

… "Hi guys. Miss me?" …

Pitch closed his golden eyes in despair, a feeling he was friends with.

Do you know, Guardians? Do you all know about this secret place I found 200 years ago? Am I not safe to rest here any longer?

Jack proved Pitch was safe not a moment later when he was so deep in the cave the light barely flickered on the walls. It was subzero this deep; Pitch often never went this far. The immortal Guardian raised to the ranks of the elite five months ago sat down upon a smooth scoop of ice, speckled in salt as the whole cave was. Pitch started to realize that the fumbling Jack Frost was looking to a comfortable position as he maneuvered this way and that. The Blue Yetis were swarming him now, touching him, disappearing, reappearing feet away and rolling in joy.

… "Having fun there? I missed you guys." …

Pitch smiled to himself then. His memories of Jack were a painful revisit of a great failure. He wanted to stay in his great hall of shadows with the Globe, but the Guardians would seek him out there eventually to make sure he was kept down. That was all he needed now that so few children believed in his power: more disapproval.

The frost spirit looked around the cave now. Pitch waved his body, blending in with the moving light off the blue icy walls. Jack then pulled off his hoodie, revealing pale skin that reflected off the icy surface of the walls. His frozen body was blue and white, and his small muscles flexed as he folded the fabric and set it on the floor. Immediate a dozen Blue Yetis appeared silently around it and touched it. One shook its head and the sound was loud.

… "Careful with that. It's my only one." …

Jack next took off his brown faded pants. He wasn't naked – there was a small pair of crystal white shorts left. Perhaps…no, not shorts. Pitch saw them moving. It was just a cloud of mist. The frost spirit was shy! The humor of this numbed the ache in Pitch's stomach. His spirits rose and a wide smile filled with sharp teeth spread across his face. Jack saw none of this, though. He folded his brown faded pants just as carefully as he had his hoodie, and set them on the floor. Blue Yetis appeared – one, two, three, many more. They seemed very accustomed to him; glued to his side. Where they had never come near the shadows since Pitch arrived, they caressed Jack like their pet.

… "You guys lonely or something? I've never been so popular!" …

Lonely, Jack? Frightened, maybe! I've been here keeping them worried.

Pitch felt a shiver of pleasure pass through him a moment later once he figured this strange behavior of Jack's out. Jack was getting ready to sleep! He was curled up with his wooden staff and still, eyes closed, breathing evening out. The Blue Yetis grew quiet and few, blinking in and out of appearance atop him, rolling about, and playing simple games among themselves at the base of Jack's slab of sleeping ice.

This salty cave in the north along the ocean was a cave of hibernation for the winter spirit. Pitch left him in his subzero quarters and moved closer to the warmer part of the cave, nearer the sun. The Nightmare King didn't want to have to risk waking Jack as he did his next bit of plotting.

O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O

Toothiana sent out from the Tooth Palace the message first. She used her fairies to do it; a special mission.

"Go out and ask the other spirits where Jack Frost is. I'm worried. He hasn't been seen in three months!"

Her message was brought to all the spirits: Lucky Leprechaun, Lovely Valentine, Sweet Spring, etc. All of them. Tooth went to the Guardians to ask personally. Bunnymund, the Pooka of Easter, encouraged her search and said to get back if the news was bad or good. Sandy, the sandman of good dreams, just shook his head because words were not his thing. Finally there was St. Nickolas, the Santa Clause of the North Pole, and he bid Tooth immediately come to him with the answers from the other spirits.

Tooth went back to Tooth Palace, and heard no good news.

O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O

The salt in the salty cave was there for a reason, Pitch Black found out. It was there to keep Jack from icing up. The Blue Yetis had a helping hand in that. Their antics would raise the salt and brush off the large crystals that grew on Jack's body. Off his arms were five inch ice spears, and it had only been a week. If those spirits weren't there to play, Jack would be a block of ice by now.

Taking his clothes off wasn't just a ritual, either. There was a reason his clothes were those colors. The Blue Yetis used their blue fur to patch the holes and snags in his sweater. Perhaps it was a sign of old age, but they also had a few brown hairs near their chins. These were used to thread new strands into the pants. The Blue Yetis worked leisurely on Jack's clothes, and often in groups. The sweater and pants were spread out and turned this way and that, but it was abandoned once Pitch materialized in full carrying something, scaring them away.

"Gone? Why gone?" He chuckled to himself. His voice was clear in the cave; it seems they went far away.

Pitch walked up to the bare and helpless sleeping Guardian, lugging the heavy object in his hands with him. Jack's body shined and was decorated with patterns of ice, even with the foot prints of the Blue Yetis. Pitch leaned over him and looked closely at his shining skin.

"So beautiful, Jack. So…mine!" His voice echoed softly, not loud enough to wake the hibernating winter spirit.

Pitch leaned back and poked a hole in the dark object he held. It was a container he created of his nightmare sand, and within it was pure water. In this subzero temperature it would freeze on contact with anything. Pitch planned this. He tipped the container over Jack's body and watched it trickle down. Slowly, still not waking the spirit, the water formed a block of ice over Jack. No salt could keep him safe now. Pitch felt outstanding.

O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O

… … "…Hee…" … "…llpp…" … … "…Heee…" … "…lllllpp…" … …

The air was so stuffy with Blue Yetis that Jack's voice was nearly mute. They were thick, nearly all atop him and shaking their heads. The vibrations were strong and loud. He was delirious in their magic. He didn't know how long had passed. He thought he was screaming at the top of his lungs; he just might have been because his throat was raw. Maybe they thought they were helping, but it wasn't working.

He had been coming here to hibernate during the high summer months for over 240 years. The salty cave was a perfect place for the spirit to sleep, and after a few years the Blue Yetis started to appear. They patched his clothes from the brown they once were to the soft fur they were now. They detailed the artwork his crystals made; he'd never had such creative powers before them. He thought they were drawn to him, but then, one day 100 years ago, he'd seen one grow from the center of his chest. The Blue Yetis weren't the source of his power, but they came from it, they thrived on it.

What had made this block of ice form? Was it because he was a Guardian now? The Blue Yetis were awfully glad to see him this year. Had they become infected because of his new status?

… … "…Yeti…" … "…lleav…" … … "…vveee…" … "…meee…" … …

He loved them, but he needed them to leave him alone. He needed his voice to travel into the moon light. He needed to try talking to Man in Moon to get him to help.

Jack wasn't cold in this block of ice. He was just stuck. Days passed; perhaps weeks. The Blue Yetis got no quieter.

He'd gone through his whole hibernation period, now he was deep into the days he would start bringing the frosts. Surely the Guardians North, Aster, Tooth, and Sandy were looking for him. Surely. Surely?

His mind was fading from the torture of it all. He faded out so much that when the silence came he was distraught by it. A gentle hand was touching his face, but he couldn't open his eyes – they had frozen closed. The hand touched…no…caressed him. Caressed over his eyes; it was breaking the ice on his lashes.

"Who…?" Jack tried to ask who this person was.

"Sshhhh…" was the only sound he heard.

It took time, but Jack opened his eyes. He was too weak to register the true meaning of what the man he saw brought. But the name came quickly enough.

"Pitch Black."

"I'm sorry, Jack. I am not as powerful as I once was. I have no form to break this ice."

Jack digested those words. They made sense after more time passed and the noise from the Blue Yetis faded from his ringing ears.

"Go get someone! Please!" Jack begged.

Pitch only looked sorrowfully at Jack. "Do you really think I would? Do you really? You think a simple please will get me to find you help?"

Jack closed his eyes and sighed. "Please, Pitch?"

Pitch sat upon Jack's slab of ice over his body, and he caressed the white icicles of hair away from Jack's forehead. "No, little Guardian. Just…No."

Jack found the strength for anger. "Pitch! Help me!"

"Now, now, no need for that. After all, isn't it nice to have someone here who knows how it feels to be alone? We have a lot in common now. We're both…powerless."

Jack glared at Pitch. He might have said something to declare Pitch wrong, but how could he? He had no control and no power to help himself. Pitch regarded Jack's anger, and finally sighed.

"It's not very pleasing to be around someone as unhappy to see you as you see me. See you later, Jack."

"What?" Jack gasped, watching Pitch leave his line of vision. "Pitch! Don't!"

"Don't?" Came a question from the darkness.

"Don't go." Jack whispered, ashamed he was putting himself in this danger.

Pitch came back. Better, he came back and sat down again on the ice over Jack's chest and touched his face again. Jack looked at Pitch closely now. He saw a deep gauntness about him. His hair was shiny and black as usual, but it kept falling out of place, unable to hold form. His gold eyes were dim. His lips were blue. His collar was open and lined with frost.

"Are you cold?" Jack asked at last.

Pitch's voice was quiet, but truthful, when he said, "Yes. I can't stay here forever."

"Can you get me out?"

Pitch shook his head and, though it was an illusion, he ran his hand over the ice, allowing it to lose form and turn shadowy.

"You see? I have no strength left to change or manipulate anything. Not enough fear."

Jack was a smart one. He was 300 years old. He had been though a lot. He also knew enough about spirits and growing power to know that he could help Pitch. But Jack wasn't willing to give in yet. Sure, it had been days that he'd been locked in this block of ice, but he didn't trust Pitch enough to offer assistance.

"I have to go, Jack Frost."

Jack about panicked when he heard this.

"I'm cold. I need to warm up."

"Will…" his unfinished question was met with a smile and a last caress.

"Yes. I'll be back."

O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O

Toothiana was crying on Aster's furry shoulder six days before Easter, and the day of a Summit. That year was Jack's first as a Guardian, and he was never seen once. He'd cast not one spell to bring snow or frost. He'd shown no sign at all. She was terrified something had happened to him so much so that she couldn't contain herself.

"There there, Toothy," Aster said, patting her gently. "You need ta' stop these tears! Can't be seen by all the spirits like this, can you?"

Tooth and Aster were alone, but soon they would have to walk into the Summit room. One of these had never been held before in the history of all spirits. A summit of everyone. Over a hundred would attend. It was taking place at Stonehenge and it was all for Jack Frost, the noticeably missing Guardian.

"No. I know…" She wiped her eyes and pulled herself as best together.

The Easter bunny nodded in approval.

"Let's get up there. Find the snowflake."

Upon her nod, Aster patted his paw on the ground and a hole appeared. He let her go first and he followed through the tunnel into the open grounds of Stonehenge.

The place was packed! Spirits talked, walked, yelled, laughed, and were doing a minor amount of showing off, which with so many doing so led to a great display of activity. In the center of it all was St. Nickolas and Sandman. Tooth and Aster went up to them.

"Alright, yea all here!" North said, his voice booming about.

This wasn't a cluster of unruly students. This was a cluster of worried spirits. Though none of the bundle had ever had any contact with the quiet, lonely winter spirit Jack Frost, they would not miss this chance to help find where he went. They had all heard North's voice, and they all quieted down quickly. They gathered close, some hovering, some sitting, and some standing at attention. They were listening with intent.

The meeting was held under the light of Man in Moon. Manny shone brightly on them all. It was worrisome to the Guardians to know that even Manny didn't know where Jack was.

North looked up at Manny, and then out across the faces of all the spirits. He had hope for this meeting to bluster the search for Jack, but in the back of his mind he knew that if it didn't work, it meant that either Jack didn't want to be found, or someone unkind didn't want him to be found.

O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O

Jack started to feed Pitch fear, and Pitch started to chip away the ice. It was all show. Pitch was ripe with power again, but still he showed weakness when tackling the ice. He'd made headway by about an inch. It was no help to Jack, but it gave Jack encouragement to look deep within and find the pockets of fear Pitch found so tasty.

"I think it's warming up," Jack told Pitch, his voice weak and empty.

"It is. Coming on summer, soon."

Jack swallowed hard and opened his eyes. Pitch was in his usual place atop him, scratching slowly with his sharp nails on the ice.

"Will you stay with me as I sleep?"

"Has it really been a year? It feels less. Like just days have passed," Pitch of course was lying.

"Maybe for you…" Jack closed his eyes again.

He didn't see the smile that crept up on the Nightmare King's face.

It'd taken Jack Frost a lot of thinking and a lot of time to get used to the block of ice that encased him. Dreaming up fear about it was quite easy. He wondered if he was losing himself to it…to the darkness. He wanted to shake off his inner pain but he knew Pitch's propensity for distrusting others; if Jack didn't supply the fear, no one would. And all Pitch had to do was unbury a sliver of his Staff, and that would allow his magic to spread and fully release him.

"When will you fall asleep for the long season?" Pitch asked.

Jack might have answered, but it appeared that time had come. Pitch's gaze grew heated, his golden eyes bright. He leaned down over Jack and sniffed him. It was faint at first, but then he could smell it: dreams! Jack was asleep! He was dreaming!

Pitch jumped to his feet and clapped his hands.

"Oh, yes! Oh, goodness yes! Jack! You've done it!" And Pitch smacked his hands down on either side of Jack's face and planted a dark kiss on his cheek, perhaps close to his nose. "You've fallen into a long…long…nightmare!"

His voice was ever so menacing.

And with one simple touch of his finger to the ice covering Jack, the block shattered into a million pieces. Jack was unaware, of course. Pitch settled into a stance over Jack and moved his fingers about menacingly. Dark sand formed; just tiny tendrils. It swirled around Jack's head and fed the Nightmare King a bounty.

O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O

Pitch still needed to warm his body every few hours from the subzero temperature of the salty cave, but as the weeks went on with Jack in a nightmare, Pitch took to standing on the ledge of the cave overlooking the dangerous ocean and the everlasting day of summer in the northern hemisphere. He was unafraid of Manny seeing him because of the shadows he stood in. Those Blue Yetis were always by Jack's side whenever he left, and always were gone when he came near.

One time, though, they lingered. Pitch was gleeful when he found out why: Jack's body had wholly crystallized because his skin was so dry. It cracked, revealing ice within. Pitch didn't know what to expect when his time came to take over Jack entirely, but this must have been the sign.

He put his finger up to Jack's eye and attempted to pull it open, but Jack's eye sank into his face instead, turning to dust. Pitch pulled back his hand but – oh – a tendril remained connecting them. Pitch smiled manically.

"Oh, Jacky! You have been naughty this year! Or at least…you will be!"

And Pitch, with gusto, entered Jack through his left eye, settling like a weight within him, falling down his legs, filling him up to his belly. Without the ice box holding Jack down, Pitch was free to spread Jack out and allow more room to fit. He had first tentative control of Jack's arms, and used them to haphazardly rip into his own skin, creating more chasms that this time displayed inky black within Jack's body instead of the sparkling blue ice crystals.

A part of him splattered over Jack's left eye. It was inky and looked like vines. This was the only place Pitch was connected to the outside world; otherwise he was entirely inside Jack and had full control and power.

"Yes! Yes! Jack Frost! You are mine!"

He roared with laughter that echoed like drums within the salty cave. As Jack's face was frozen in the image of a sleeping boy having a nightmare, the grin Pitch forced Jack's mouth to make cracked the sides of his mouth. The blackness was now prominent in his left eye and the corners of his mouth. He rose and tried out his new body. From his chest down was solid ink, like his body before, and could morph easily. Pitch had the most control over this portion of himself. Chest, arms, neck and face was all still Jack, only this time Jack looked older and bigger. It was the breaks in his skin – he was stretched out and formed a similar silhouette to Pitch's old self. Larger muscles, broader shoulders, taller, and body posed in a proper fashion. He was shirtless, which was fine considering the inky part of him rose so high.

"I am glorious!" Pitch yelled into the shadows.

And that's when he felt the power. It was amazing power. It was the lithe of the shadows and the strength of the ice. Pitch easily turned himself from a man into the image of a horse with a man's chest, and back again. The dancing of his hoofs was like music to him. On the bed Jack once laid was his crooked staff. Pitch lifted it and felt its connection. He pointed it at the floor and a jet of frost shot out, bathing the ground with a slick artwork sculpture dusted with snowflakes.

Pitch had the sudden urge to show off to an audience.

O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O

Sandy slept year-round. He slept in the day, in the night, while he worked, and while he had fun. Sandman sleeping was as natural as the night turning into the day and children walking to school. His tendrils of dream sand had awhile ago been rather thin, but time had a way of healing wounds, even the wounds of a lost friend. Tonight, Sandy's tendrils were thick and powdery and full of niceness for the kids. He flew fast and worked quickly, bringing good dreams to all on this night in warm August.

He was working over a great city in Maine. Trees grew over the houses and Sandy flew between them; his tendrils ran through them. He was ever focused on his work, but ever aware of the spirits around him, so immediately when Pitch/Jack emerged from the shadows, Sandy felt a prickling on his neck.

He pulled short and stopped. He was in his golden dream mobile, a small airplane with twin propellers. He glowed with power and so did his tendrils, but it was night so the shadows were deep. He rose above the tree line, a worry crease between his eyebrows. Sandy was intent, making small circles to look in every direction.

Then he heard a faint, maniacal laugh. It was familiar. A symbol instantly appeared over his head of an evil horse made of sand.

"You have it!" Said the voice from the shadows.

Sandy raised a fist into the air, shaking it in anger. Then he gently rose from his airplane and it materialized into a small floating platform, like a flying carpet. In Sandy's hand appeared a large whip that Pitch was familiar with. Sandy snapped it once.

"Now now, Sandman. Jack is already so fragile. You wouldn't want him to crumble into pieces."

Sandy…about dropped. He became instantly docile with worry. He held his whip but didn't flick it again. He was intent on one shadow now, where he knew Pitch was. With a slight flutter, Pitch walked out of the shadow, although it gave Sandman such a fright when what he saw as the silhouette of Pitch actually was colored in his chest and up the white and blue of Jack Frost. The most evident thing on him was the black – the cracks in his skin and the inky fabric-like substance that was his legs.

"You see, Sandman, Jack is rather too delicate for you to go snapping your whip about. He would crumble into…nothing."

Sandy watched as Pitch scraped a sharp black fingertip over his own face – Jack's face – from the corner of his mouth and down to his jaw line, spreading the crack already along the edge there. It created a large black chasm; another view into the pit that was Jack's insides. Jack's skin was like crystal; it fell like shining powder to the ground below and sparkled in the light of Sandy's dream sand. Sandy shook with anger and fear for his young, lost friend. His fiery golden eyes met Pitch's once again.

A smile crept up Pitch's face.

"Tell the others that Jack's gone. He left. I found his body and felt it shouldn't go to waste."

Sandy moved closer. A sharp exclamation mark appearing over his head, and then it changed into two knives warring.

Pitch smiled coyly, using the shadows on the corners of Jack's mouth to do so. Sandy was close enough now to see something odd about Pitch's other eye – the eye that remained Jack Frost's, which was closed and never even twitched. Where Jack's whole body had changed and was a different shape that closed eye remained the image of the winter spirit. Only, it was frozen solid in the reflection of a pained expression. In fact, Sandy noticed that Jack's whole face was the reflection of…a nightmare.

Sandy backed off.

Pitch faded into the shadows.

"Tell them, Sandman. Tell them I'm back! Tell them I will get them all just like I got Jack!"

O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O

Sandy called to the sleeping warren bunny though his dreams, and awoke half of Toothiana's fairies with the same message: Guardians come to North's!

Aster Bunny hopped in through a hole and witnessed Sandy in the creation of a life sized sculpture. North was just waking up and there wasn't a single yeti around, and only seven elves. By the time Sandy had finished the sculpture Tooth had arrived. All four Guardians stood back and let the image Sandy created sink in.

It was Jack Frost corrupted by darkness. Not just any darkness…the King of Nightmare's darkness.

Jack was poised in a stiff stance, hair pulled back, looking out with a horrible mix of sleeping boy and evil King.

"It can't be!" North whispered with dread.

"This is what happened to snowflake?! We can't let this go on!" Aster yelled, stomping his foot with such power that it shook Sandy's sand sculpture to the ground.

"Oh, Jack! Jack! We must save him!" Tooth cried.

Bunny all of a sudden changed from anger to terror. His whiskers shook and he hopped; a sure sign he was losing body control and acting on instinct. He hopped up to North.

"We're responsible for the wee spirit, North," his whiskers shook even more. "We're the ones who have to save him!"

North was in a trance as he talked, even unable to reach Bunny's eyes. "I…am unsure…"

"Unsure of what?!" Bunny demanded.

"Unsure…Jack is…"

North was interrupted, though. Interrupted by Manny in the Moon. His beam of moonlight shown so brightly down upon the four Guardians they had to shield their eyes. When the light cleared, there upon the floor between them all – on the pile of dust that was Sandy's sculpture – were tools. Magical tools.

For Tooth, a plate of armor and two shiny rapiers inlaid with bright and sharp shards of colored metal. She picked up the tools and held them with pride, staring up at Manny.

For Sandy, a dark wooden box with a gold lid. He opened it to reveal three throwing stars, each with a white jewel in the center. He scraped the three stars together and they created a menacing ringing of metal. He put on his warrior's face and gave Manny the thumbs up.

For Bunny, a shield large enough and light enough to protect his whole frame. It glittered blue and gold and had the ancient symbols of every spirit who ever walked the earth – all 365 of them – which Manny's symbol in the center and Bunny's within Manny's. Bunny held the shield in both hands, in awe of the knowledge of the spirits and of Manny's gift. He looked with near tears in his eyes up at the moon.

Finally, for North, was a staff of his own. It was fashioned of many materials – woods, metals, jewels – and was carved with the symbols of the five Guardians…and space for more. North clutched the six foot tall broad staff in his right fist and gave it a proper setting-down next to his side. As it clashed with the floor, a loud gong sounded throughout the workshop, startling all yetis, elves, and even reindeer to alertness. A toothy, perhaps lethal grin spread over the great North's mouth and he looked up at Man in Moon.

"What else has moon for Guardians hidden up there?" he asked conspiratorially, not really needing any more than this.

Aster stood tall and banged his boomerang on the shield, sending out a loud gong of his own. "This is all I need, bub. Where's the sleigh?"

Sandman and Toothiana were just as eager to move out.

O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O

August turned to September, which turned to October, which turned into the month of November and the month the Guardians finally caught up with Pitch.

They had several small encounters before this, and in each situation their new tools saved their hides. Bunny felt the most at war with Pitch because in each of the five encounters they had he was present for all of them. His shield had scorch marks upon it – icy scorch marks. Pitch in Jack's body was proving to be very difficult. Should someone slash, it must be at the inky mass, not his fragile crystal skin. Should someone defend, it must be a thoroughly defense, otherwise they might be obliterated. Aster was proud of his new shield and never put it down.

The chase and fight started when two spirits having a quiet evening in Texas rang the proverbial bell that they spotted Pitch. Another such bell was rung in Arizona, then Nevada, then South Dakota. Pitch was headed north. The Guardians found him icing up the Great Lakes and chased him to Nova Scotia. He might have escaped if Tooth hadn't cut his inky foot off and splattered it like so much tar on the road.

"Take that!" she screamed at the now limping Nightmare spirit.

Tooth instantly took cover from a barrage of Pitch's favorite new composition: nightmare sand and ice. She was saved only by Bunny's shield and the distraction of his boomerang.

Little by little the Guardians weakened Pitch. Sandy lit up the shadows with his dream sand and North gonged the night and rattled the bones of their enemy.

"We take you down now!" North shouted, chasing Pitch into an empty city ice rink. Pitch tripped on his uneven feet and slid to a halt in the center. The four Guardians were all around him. All were out of breath, but only one pair of eyes looked defeated.

"I took Jack! Don't you forget that! I took him when I had no power at all! I will end all of you!" Pitch's scream was matched by his sudden flurry to his feet and his attack with Jack's staff. It collided with the ice and sent a shockwave that was engulfed by North's quick reflexes with his own staff. The spirit of Wonder stepped up to Pitch, looking larger than ever before.

"No, Pitch. You end Guardians never again. Also, you give back Jack now. Right. Now."

Pitch made a move with his staff but was halted again, this time by Tooth gashing a hole right in the inky center of Pitch's stomach with one of her new rapiers. Sandy swirled his dream sand about and fastened Pitch in every way that didn't harm Jack's crystal skin. Held fast, Bunny was on him in a flash.

Staring right into Pitch's empty black left eye, Bunny said, "You're coming out now."

And Bunny meant it.

He reached two fingers into Jack's face and grabbed hold of something cold. He pulled a vine of ink out that Sandy latched onto and helped tug. Pitch didn't quite understand the meaning of it all until he was nearly half extracted.

"No!" He screamed, trying to pull free and succeeding in only shaking off more of Jack's crystallized skin than ever before.

"Hurry! Or he'll hurt Jack!"

Bunny pulled him all out. The result tightened his inky lower half into the skinny legs Jack once had. He was naked, and not even a shroud of fog covered his center. Near the end the black open gashes sucked closed, shrinking him into his teenage size again. His mouth was second to close the black gashes, and when it did it opened naturally and the four Guardians heard Jack gasp a deep breath of fresh air.

The last tendril escaped, turning Jack's black hollow of a left eye into a blue orb once again. His white hair lost its vertical nature and collapsed along with Jack's body into Bunny's outstretched arms.

Sandy bound the inky blob that shaped itself into a defeated and wining Pitch. The Guardians were fixed on Jack Frost, though.

Jack was motionless as Bunny held him.

"Hey, snow. Open your eyes…" Bunny said, relief clearly in his voice.

But Jack…he couldn't. He tried and nearly did, but just as the bright blue shown in Manny's moonlight, Jack crumbled into powder in Bunny's arms. It was a beautiful and horrible sight to see. Aster screamed but it was no use; Jack shattered into a million pieces of dust and crystal, and the sound of chimes filled the ice rink. Aster fell to his knees upon the ice and buried his hands in the dust. The others stepped back, afraid.

"This can't be! We saved him!" Toothiana yelled loudly.

Bunny pounded the ice and kept his face hidden. North held his sword against Pitch's throat. Sandy, silently, turned his face towards the moon.

Moon took him then. On a beam of light he floated Jack's dust away. The others watched with tears in their eyes as he moved far out of sight.

O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O O.o o.O

Every day the spirits communicated with each other, asking if Jack had come back. Most often they got the news from Tooth that no such thing had happened. She has more friends among the spirits than any other. Bunny hid in his warren and wouldn't come out, not even to visit on Christmas. North met his deadline by the skin of his teeth and then went home.

It was Wind who was the first to know. She found Jack with the first snow of the New Year. He was speechless and awkward as he walked out of a salty cave along the ocean side in the far north, during the long days when the sun never shined and only moonlight and the lights of the north lit things up. He wore his old blue hoodie and faded brown pants, but he didn't have his staff with him. Worse, he weighed too much for her to carry him. He seemed to be in good hands, though. He was following a great migration of Blue Yetis. They were a mile long, zigzagging though the north arctic landscape. Jack walked with heavy legs, face down, and drained.

Wind blew ahead and beat on the walls, windows, and doors of the North Pole's workshop. She awoke everyone and they went to look in the direction she came. In the distance was seen the large path of the migrating Blue Yetis coming down the large hill the workshop was cradled in.

Elves spread their red bodies over the snow outside the front door. Huge white yetis gathered there also. The doors let in Wind, who blew through North's workshop like never before. She brought out St. Nick, who stood hesitantly by the open doors in the glow of the workshop. Phil brought to him a scope, and North looked through and focused on the trail that was coming near them, bathed in the light of Manny and the lights of the north. He followed it upwards to the rise of the hill, and then he saw a large figure emerge within the line of blue…things…which flickered in and out. North saw their lost Guardian.

"Waaaa hooooo! That Jack! Jack! Jack is back! That is Jack there!" North yelled in absolute happiness, jumping high into the air and even being carried by the dancing Wind a short ways as she emerged from the workshop, creating a huge tornado of red elves that chimed with many bells.

Everyone started celebrating, especially the Blue Yetis. They rolled and danced with each other as they mingled together near the doors of the workshop. Bells and the muted drumming of the Blue Yetis filled the air. Jack was near the end, although not the very end. He was smiling weakly, his blue eyes focused on North. Everyone let the two Guardians come together.

"Here you be, Jack," North said with delight.

"North…I think I got myself in some big trouble," Jack was apologetic and very tired.

"Aye, you did. But we Guardians and spirits were watching out for you. And Man in Moon!" North added loudly, because Manny was big in the sky.

North beamed and gave Jack Frost a hug.

"Come inside where is safe. Bring friends! And Jack…I have familiar Staff inside waiting for you."

Jack walked in beaming with a smile. He walked carefully, a little unbalanced still. Wind came with him and constantly kept her hands on him, lifting him should he slip. The second North pointed out Jack's Staff Jack smiled. It was atop the largest tree in the building, the shining star the tree wore as a crown. Jack felt light as a feather then. Wind was ready. She lifted him high and fast and he snatched his Staff up. Everyone cheered once again as Jack twirled and danced with his oldest friend midair.

"Just wait until other spirits hear of you!" North's voice boomed up to Jack's ears over the drumming and music of all. "We need to tell Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny! They missed you much!"

Jack came to a soft landing on a banister, holding his Staff tightly. He took in the colors, music, and beginning smells of a great feast, and he looked at North. Everything in the young Guardian's face said it: yes, let's tell Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny now, because I missed them, too.

Down below, North looked on the Wonder that was all around him, especially that which was in the pure, unmarred pale face and blue eyes of Jack Frost, a Guardian with a smile he'd missed.

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Thanks all for reading. I can't believe I wrote this all today, and it was my first RotG fic, too! I think I'd like reviews :)

-Turise