The others still thought she was a man. It was mostly because of North's misguided influence, though Sandy hadn't just stayed on the sidelines.

He had tried telling North that the "Man In Moon" was really Woman on Moon, but at the time, he had just met the Russian. . . so very many things had gotten lost in translation during that first meeting, and Sandy was too much of a gentleman to make any specific, language surpassing signs to express 'woman.'

So, he had allowed his new friend to believe she was male. In the centuries since then he had tried multiple times to correct the misconception, but the others all thought it was just a strange joke by now, and they laughed appropriately. He suspected that Bunnymund had caught on, but Pooka must have thought the mistake was harmless (or hilarious) because he never said a word to put the others on the right path.

"Sorry Sandy! I had to kill one of your guys, but I had no choice!" apologized Tooth.

Sandy nodded understandingly and took his turn.

Manizok hadn't been upset about it when he told her. In fact, if anything she had been amused! He remembered hearing her deep alto laugh as they chatted about it telepathically.

They used to talk so often.

Why had they stopped?

He grimaced.

'They,' hadn't. 'He' had.

It had been over three centuries since he had last heard her soothing voice in his mind. Looking at Jack, guardian of three months, he now realized why.

She must have been exhausted after changing him. I wonder how she did it? Jack is elementally more powerful than North or Tooth, so the process must've been drastically draining for her. . .

"Your turn, Sandy!"

He took his turn, then looked toward his best friend again, focusing on opening his mind to her.

"Manny? Can you hear me?"

No answer.

She must be angry with me. . . Or still exhausted.

"I'm sorry for not trying to talk to you for so long. I feel awful. Now that I understand why you didn't answer. . . I´m a fool for not guessing it earlier. I should have known you had a good reason. I don't deserve you. I shouldn't have stopped reaching out to you."

The other three were so engrossed in their game that they didn't notice Sandy's aching expression, or the broken heart above his head.

"None of this would've happened if I had stayed with you instead of insisting on returning here. I'm so sorry, Manny, what have I done to you?"

Despite her sudden silence, he had kept talking to her for a long, long time. It wasn't until about 30 years ago that he stopped hoping for an answer. "Maybe she is angry with me?" he had thought. He had combed his brain for a reason why, and had eventually chalked it up to being because he hadn't visited her in person for so long.

Or maybe she has her eye on another man.

He had become angry then, and had given her silence a piece of his mind. It wasn't his fault that his ship had been destroyed by Pitch! And with his guardian responsibilities that she had insisted he take up, how was he supposed to find the time or the impossible means to get to her and back without abandoning the children?!

He had avoided looking at her home for a month after that, but then his heart had betrayed his shredded feelings, and he shamefully apologized; not just for lecturing her, but also for doubting her, and for lacking the power to somehow return to her.