Disclaimer: Rise of the Guardians belongs to William Joyce and Dreamworks Animation. Okami belongs to Clover Studios… only Clover Studios. I can't trust Capcom with any continuations lately.

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Rising Sun

Prologue

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Snow day in Burgess had been welcomed with enthusiastic kids racing from their houses, whooping and yelling at the fact schools were closed for the day. Bundled from head to toe, snowballs were soon flying, snowmen came to stand tall on lawns, and hills were claimed by many for sled races. As his mother decided to go out and buy new mittens for his sister, Jamie left to meet his friends, ice skates over his shoulder. After several days of light snow and a storm overnight, they were expecting the lake to be frozen enough. Still, if it wasn't, he was sure a certain someone would make sure.

Actually, Jamie was surprised that said person hadn't been outside his window. Raising his eyes towards the sky, the boy found it strange that it was overcast. Glancing around, he didn't see anyone as he entered the woods. This didn't deter him, but he moved faster, wondering if the others were waiting for him. Around the bend, it grew darker, and yet, he didn't think much of it. A grin splitting his face, he raced past the last tree. "Hey guys! Sorry I'm… late…?"

The fresh powder snow was undisturbed and the lake surface smooth as glass from the fresh freeze. Brown eyes blinked in bewilderment and he stepped closer, taking his skates from his shoulder. Maybe he had actually been early? Well, the twins did usually end up having to shovel snow for their parents before they could play. Monty couldn't leave until he had five layers on. Jamie's brows furrowed as he tried to think of why Cupcake and Pippa wouldn't be here until the wind began to swirl, fresh snow being tossed on his back. That could only mean one person had just flown in.

"Jack!"

Far above the lake, the winter spirit whipped around, blue flecked eyes wide when he spotted Jamie who was beaming until he realized how shocked the Guardian was. Jack's pale hands were gripping his shepherd's crook staff tightly as he dropped on the ice. "Jamie, what are you doing here? Didn't you see the clouds?"

"Yeah, I did, but I'm bundled up enough. Besides, we're supposed to ice skate today." Jamie gestured over to his skates sitting in the snow. A brief grin came to Jack's face, but it slipped away just as quickly as he shook his head.

"Look, I don't have time to explain, but you should head home for now. I have a blizzard scheduled for today and-"

"A blizzard?" Jamie frowned, "Are you sick, Jack?"

"What? No, I'm fine. Nothing can take me down and you know that," Jack said with his grin back again. He placed a hand on Jamie's shoulder and nodded, "It's complicated. Trust me; I'll tell you all the details when…"

He trailed, eyes pulling away from Jamie. With one hand still on Jamie's shoulder, his other tightened around his staff as he peered into the woods. The younger boy was beginning to feel nervous. When the Guardian of Fun was silent, something was up and that's all that mattered. Jamie too turned his head to look into the woods and noticed how the darkness had grown. The trees stood taller, their presence much more sinister than when he had been cutting through the forest. The way the shadows had come to stand higher, he had to wonder aloud, "Pitch?"

However, Jack didn't have an answer. The winter spirit just continued to glower into the dark forest as it seemed to expand before them, glowing eyes appearing where the abrupt multitude of trees opened. Eight pairs of eyes, watching the two of them at the edge of the lake. Jack hissed and brought his arm forward, pushing Jamie behind him, "Stand back. I don't know what they are, but… they've been lingering around the lake since last night."

"It's not-"

"No, it's not Pitch," Jack said. Really, the Guardian didn't know what those eyes belonged to. He had never faced such an opponent. They made the forest thicken and the darkness reached out without so much as lifting a finger. If they wanted to make the environment change, they could. Even Jack couldn't properly control his wind when they were around. Somehow, it refused to listen to him or it couldn't hear him. He didn't understand his opponent at all. However, Jamie was here; he wouldn't let the boy onto his current inabilities.

"Don't worry, Jamie. I won't let anything happen…"

Jamie glanced up at the winter spirit, but then around at the trees again as the eyes became larger. Each pair seemed to grow larger as whatever loomed out of the darkness, approaching the two of them. He couldn't help, but be scared. This wasn't like Pitch at all. His method had seemed to be looming out of the darkness and taunting people with their worst nightmares. This the former, but then, instilling the sense of dread further without words and even creating more potential nightmares.

"Jamie…" Jack was speaking again. Jamie looked up, realizing that he had clutched Jack's hoodie on instinct. The spirit glanced at him, but then back at the woods, "Don't be scared. I'll protect you. I promised, remember?"

"But Jack…"

Jamie wasn't entirely sure considering what they were facing now. Were they Nightmares or-?

His thoughts halted when the first creature became visible from the ever-thickening darkness and several more followed, surrounding them. They couldn't be larger than Abby, but their thick fur stuck out here and there, small bodies littered with scars. Their necks seemed to be covered by scarves and large orbs dangling from their necks like collars, but their most prominent feature had to be the fact each animal had a different colored face that seemed mask-like. Black lined maws curled back, revealing rows of white fangs and their claws seemed to glint. Their paws broke the snowy surface easily as they advanced, coming closer and closer as they stalked as the trees seemed to become larger in size and number. Jack turned back and forth, but the eight creatures were everywhere. Trying to focus on several left the two of them open for the remainder.

Before either could think of a solution, the eight creatures moved, bounding almost in formation. Jack lashed back, ice lancing out from his staff and managing to freeze one of the creatures while the rest scattered. Jamie blinked, shocked to see that it looked like a fox. Still, why were they attacking? The ice bolt blasted past his face made him jump. Immediately, he remembered now wasn't the time to be thinking about why foxes were attacking, but what the best method of escape would be. Jack couldn't protect himself and Jamie, not against seven - oh no, the eighth was thawing out fast - of those foxes. His eyes turned towards the ridges and the rocks. If he could get over there and hide-!

He didn't even take a step when something struck the ground before his feet, making him stumble. It was a bead that couldn't have been any bigger than a pebble yet it had struck so fast. Jamie didn't realize the second one rocketing at him until Jack deflected it, the sharp twang echoing as the bead ricocheted elsewhere. "Now Jamie!"

Heart pounding, Jamie ran towards cover, ignoring the furious movement of paws and rattling cries as all the foxes moved in response. Bright flashes of white and sharp pops broke between the vicious snarls and yelps. He ducked into an alcove as the fight moved on to the ice, eyes wide and unable to look away.

There was a resounding thwack as Jack's staff caught the green-colored fox in the face, ice blasting the orange one back a second later. Back flipping, his right foot knocked the red one high into the air where, upon falling, it crashed into the yellow fox. As occupied as he was his the foxes in front of him, there were still the other four circling around. Jamie's eyes darted to each of them and he swallowed. Were they possibly doing this on purpose? The monsters hadn't chased after him and if all eight attacked at once, the winter spirit would be overwhelmed in seconds.

He gasped aloud, realizing the purple fox closing in. "Jack! Behind you!"

As the Guardian came to pivot and dodge, there were two abrupt lancing blows as the blue fox darted in as well, its claws flashing. Flecks of red speckled the frozen lake as it ripped through his back and out through his waist. Jack's eyes widened and a yell was ready to burst from his lips. The sound was only to be made more intense as the jaws of the purple fox caught his arm and twisted, pulling him down with a crash. His yell gave way to a gasp and shout as he tried pulling his arm from the fox's fangs. They held, a vicious head shake drawing another pained cry from the spirit.

The foxes didn't immediately descend. Instead, the yellow grabbed his other hand, the one holding his staff. Its fangs sunk into his wrist deeply, threatening to crack bone, but worse was it forced him to let go. As the staff clattered against the ice, the frost disappeared, leaving behind a dead stick. It was knocked aside, rolling to a halt before the red fox, slit eyes somehow glinting as it glanced down at Jack's conduit. He was struggling to get up, but the other five beasts kept him down, claws and fangs digging in more. From his hiding place, Jamie covered his mouth. He never liked blood and seeing Jack bleeding like this, he didn't know what to think.

"Ugh-!"

Jack's struggles ceased as he tensed, chest heaving from exhaustion, and staring away from the monsters surrounding him. Jamie saw it too; the red fox had bitten the staff. Eyes glinting again, it bit harder, causing Jack to groan. Besides his panting, there was the audible sound of wood splitting as the fox clamped down harder. His next attempts to writhe and twist failed and laughter could be heard as the shadows twisted. All the foxes' eyes were glinting with glee as he yelled, "Stop!"

Unable to watch anymore, Jamie darted out of hiding. He didn't know what he was going to do against it, but he had to get Jack's staff. All he did was blink and he found the green fox blocking his path. He cried out and fell back, terrified as he stared. Claws and mouth coated in blood, it stalked towards him, shoulders rolling beneath matted fur and muscle. It was taunting him, snorting out a laugh until it was flung into the air by an ice spike.

"Get away from him!" Jack snapped, frost coming from his body and blasting the beasts back. Grunting, he pushed his palms flat against the lake slicked down by red, pale skin and eyes glowing as he rose to his knees. It immediately faded and his eyes snapped shut, hand shooting to his chest at a crack. The staff dropped to the ice with a clatter, dried stick broken into two pieces, but two became four and then eight as the creatures decided to feud over then instead of attack. Jamie didn't know what happened. Before he could even find his voice again, the broken staff was abandoned and a set of fangs were buried in Jack's throat.

It was the unexpected roar that brought Jamie back. All of the foxes seemed alarmed and searching through their dark realm for the source. Unfamiliar warmth washed over Jamie's back and he nervously turned as the creatures moved away. Its fur appeared whiter than the snow, amber eyes glimmering from the pure color. He had seen wolves before in books, but they weren't supposed to get this big, were they? It was practically staring him down at eye level, but its attention shot away as it refocused on the foxes. Hackles raised and nose scrunching, its lips curled back to reveal its own set of pearly white fangs, ears pointing forward in aggression and tail high. It stalked past Jamie, muscles rippling beneath its fur as it prowled forward, movements slow and precise. The once exuberant foxes now seemed to cower, dropping Jack on his side as they moved towards the woods. He was struggling to breathe, choking, but then coughed out a gratuitous amount of blood. That did it; the wolf snarled and bounded directly at the foxes, chasing them into the woods with the radiant light following closely behind.

As the roars and yelps faded further into the distance, the shadows and trees shrunk. Everything appeared to return to normal; that is, except for Jack and his staff. Jamie scrambled over the lake to the spirit bleeding out in the center, eyes wide and horrified. He hadn't even noticed half these injuries from a distance, but the most alarming was the bite wound. Still bleeding sluggishly, Jack was struggling for air, wheezing as his eyes became glassy from tears. Hurriedly, Jamie removed the scarf bundled around his neck and pressed it carefully to Jack's throat, his fingers trembling. His own eyes were welling up, but he fought the urge to cry. He couldn't cry; Jack needed him to be strong and stem the bleeding. Still, he was scared. The spirit was supposed to be immortal, right? With the way he was wheezing and becoming paler, the possibility that he might-

"Y-You can't die," he whispered, hiccupping faintly. "Who's going to bring the snow days a-and start the neighborhood snowball fights?" He ignored the snow quickly piling up on his back, small hands still trying to apply enough pressure, but not too much. It wasn't working as he hoped, the blood seeping through his scarf. "I-I should have left when you told me to. Then the Wind could have carried you away. You could be warning the other Guardians right now, but-!" He sniffled, unable to remove his hands to wipe his face.

Concentrated on his friend, he didn't notice the light return and collect the broken staff. Until the light came to illuminate Jack, Jamie didn't look up. His brown eyes met with those burning amber orbs again, the wolf staring back calmly. He had no idea what happened to the foxes, but the wolf was unmarred, letting its eyes fall upon Jack. Without much thought, Jamie leaned forward and shielded Jack from the great animal, but a simple nudge pushed him aside. One glint from those still white fangs made his voice crack, "No! Don't hurt him anymore!"

It didn't seem to listen, or what he had assumed it would do had never been its intentions. With movements as precise its prowl before, the wolf wrapped his scarf around Jack's neck more and pressed its nose against the covered injury. Opaque streams of light lifted from its back and slithered down, seemingly flitting over the spirit's skin. The once gasping boy let his eyes close and his head fall to the side. Lifting its head up only so far, it stared back at Jamie and nodded back towards Burgess. The young boy didn't know what to make of this gesture, but chanced a quick glance over his shoulder. All the houses once hidden from view were back; he didn't understand. Biting he lip, he brought his eyes forward again, mouth open to speak only to find the wolf and Jack gone. He shot to his feet and spun around, shocked.

What was going on? Snow still falling, he retreated to the bank and picked up his skates, sprinting home to inform the others.

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A/N: This idea was swimming around in my head for a while so I'm putting it out there to see what the response is. I know what to do and what the final outcome will be, but this is still in terms of writing for Rise of the Guardians. Also, I don't have my usual beta reader because she doesn't like reading stories that concern things she hasn't seen/read/etc. If I'm to continue, I would love a beta reader familiar with Okami and Guardians. General feedback would be loved since my style has gotten bad. I suppose this just what happens after too many college papers.