Previously:
The Pooka turns on his heel, ready to sprint the rest of the way to the safety of Santoff Claussen. He only manages two steps before a dark tendril reaches out from the shadow of the tunnel, wrapping itself tightly around his neck before slamming him into the wall, hard. He slides down to the ground as he's unceremoniously released, trying desperately to take oxygen into his burning lungs.
A dark chuckle reverberates throughout the now enclosed space, more black sand moving in toward the Winter Spirit.
"You didn't really think you could get rid of me, did you, Jack?"
Chapter Two
Jack's wide blue eyes narrow on Pitch. "One can always hope," he says through grit teeth. He falls back into a defensive posture, his staff thrust out in front of his body protectively, aimed at the tall ashen man before him. Jack wants nothing more than to rush over and help Bunny, but knows he can't take his eyes off of Pitch. "What do you want now? The children aren't scared of you anymore, Pitch."
"Oh, but this isn't about the children, Jack. It's about you; it's always been about you," Pitch says, emerging from the shadows into the open.
Clutching at his surely broken ribs, Bunny manages, "Run...Jack...Get outta here." He forgoes a nickname in the urgent situation.
"M... Me?" Jack says, ignoring Bunny and glaring at Pitch. "Why do you want me? Heck, even the Guardians didn't even want me at first." Pain is evident in the spirit's voice as Jack glares at the taller man, the sting of being invisible and unwanted still very sharp. Up until about a year ago, no one had wanted anything to do with the Winter Spirit and even the children hadn't believed in him.
"You were the one who got away, Jack," Pitch says, his voice regretful, though whether the feelings are true or not is unclear. "I was there, you know; three hundred years ago. You were so afraid. But right as I went to help you, the Man in the Moon snatched you up, condemning you to that life of solitude." He spits the name as if it burns his mouth to utter it.
"Don't listen to 'im, Jack," Bunny wheezes, but is quickly silenced by a black spear piercing into his shoulder.
Jack glances between Bunny and Pitch, his heart thrown into turmoil. The seed of doubt had long since been planted in his heart centuries ago when the Man in the Moon left him alone and scared to figure things out for himself. He wants so bad to believe in his friends, but they had been reluctant to let him into their fold at first, especially Bunnymund.
"I... How do I know you're telling the truth?" Jack demands, his hands beginning to tremble slightly. He doesn't want to believe the Boogeyman, but something inside him says Pitch is telling him the truth.
Holding his hands slightly out to the side, Pitch asks, "Why would I lie?" He then folds his hands behind his back. "But if you must know, I could sense when the ice began to crack. Your little sister, Jocelyn was her name, I believe, was terrified, but you, Jack, you calmed her down, made her play a game with you. Then, in a feat of unquestionable bravery, sacrificed yourself to save her life. I jumped in after you, but before I could reach you, he took you."
"He's lyin' to ya, Jack, don't-gah!" Bunny winces as the spear is turned in his shoulder, cutting off the rest of his words.
Jack has to choke back a sob at just the thought of his sister, and how she'd nearly died that day.
"Lyn..." He whispers her name, his whole body beginning to tremble. Losing his will to fight, Jack looks up at Pitch while fighting the tears that threaten to fall.
Smiling victoriously on the inside, Pitch continues. "I was banned from any contact with you after that. So, I did the only thing I could think of to help you." He looks the boy straight in the eye, face serious. "I watched after your sister in your place, Jack. It was apparent you no longer remembered who you were, so I kept an eye on her, watched her grow up, all for you."
Bunnymund stares up at the King of Nightmares, utterly bewildered. Surely Jack isn't buying all this, right?
Jack falters when he looks at the bleeding Bunnymund, pleading with his eyes for the rabbit to understand. He'd been alone for so long he found it hard to trust, and here Pitch was offering the stability and comfort he'd needed. He can feel himself succumbing to the Nightmare King's saccharin words, and it terrifies him. He doesn't want to admit to himself that he had never trusted the Guardians.
Pitch smiles as he senses the fear, though it appears on his face as kind and sympathetic. Taking a few cautious steps forward, he closes the gap to place a gentle hand on the young Guardian's shoulder. "I know I've given you no reason to trust me, Jack, but if you'll just give me a chance, I can show you everything you missed. Were you aware that Jocelyn had children? Lovely bunch, they were."
That was all Jack had needed to hear from Pitch to finally break the last of his defenses. He had tensed when the taller man touched him, but now he relaxes, slouching, and his staff falls from his shaking fingers. He looks up into Pitch's face with big eyes, the tears finally beginning to fall from his blue eyes though the salty liquid freezes before it hits the ground.
Jack falls to his knees at Pitch's feet and buries his face in his hands, letting the tears fall now. The boy can't even bare to look at Bunnymund, knowing he's betraying his friends. But he can't stop himself.
The King of Nightmares allows himself the briefest of smirks before fitting his mask of concern back into place. Kneeling next to the boy in a flourish of dark robes, he returns his hand to Jack's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "There now, no need to be upset," he says softly. "Jocelyn was never alone, and neither do you ever have to be, Jack."
Attempting to push himself up, Bunnymund gasps as the pain knocks him back down, leaving him winded once again. "Jack," he pleads, "come on, mate. You can't believe what this guy says".
"You never liked me, Bunnymund." Jack says softly, using his name. He looks at Bunny with red eyes and a wet face. "Why can't you understand...?"
His face is blank as he turns to Pitch.
"I want to see them." Jack wants nothing more than for Bunny to understand him. For 300 years, he had no one - not even his past. Just recently he acquired his memories of his beloved sister and now he's been given a link back to her.
Flashing a brilliant smile, Pitch stands up, holding out a hand to the boy. "Let us be off, then."
Jack hesitates for a moment, glancing at the wounded Bunnymund before taking Pitch's proffered hand. As soon as he touches Pitch's hand, Jack feels a part of himself breaking and it's a very real pain to the boy.
I'm glad I'll get to meet Jocelyn's family, but I hope I won't regret this.
Pitch pulls the boy to his feet, and as if reading his mind adds, "Trust me, Jack, you won't regret this decision".
Seeing Jack take the Spirit of Fear's hand, Bunny starts up his futile struggle to stand once more. "Jack, don'...don't do this. He's just...just tryin' ta fool ya." A hiss escapes him as his hind legs buckle underneath him, leaving him panting on the ground, pleading silently for the boy to listen to him.
"Sorry..." Jack whispers, unsure if Bunny could even hear him as he turns to follow Pitch.
With that, Pitch places an arm around Jack's shoulders. Bringing up black sand to envelope them, the pair disappears from the Easter Bunny's tunnel.
Pausing for several minutes, Bunny finally grits his teeth and drags himself to stand again, the spear in his shoulder already dissolved into black sand that clings to his fur. His breathing is labored as he stumbles the rest of the short distance to Santoff Claussen.
"Bunny!" North shouts upon seeing the Pooka running into his workshop. "Finally you are here! But Jack. Where is he?"
Sandy's eyes grow wide as he sees the state Bunnymund is in. When North fails to notice it at first, he tries to draw his attention to Bunny's beaten state. He waves at the wall of a man and emits little chiming sounds, shapes forming in rapid succession over his head in his golden sand as he tries to get North's attention.
Standing a short distance behind Sandy, Tooth notices his motions and flutters over to see behind the large Russian, Baby Tooth perched comfortably on her shoulder, and gasps as she sees the dark stain of blood and something black clinging to him. "You're hurt! What happened? Are you okay? Where's Jack?" The questions rush out, her mothering instincts taking over at seeing the state her friend is in.
Bunny looks up at his three remaining friends, eyes hazy from pain. "He got 'im...took 'im...dunno know where..." he mumbles.
More shapes and symbols form over Sandy's head, though a question mark appears a few times as he chimes at Bunny.
"Pitch has Jack?" North rumbles, automatically assuming the worst. "Why? How bad was he hurt?"
Tooth remains silent to hear the Easter Bunny's reply, though she flutters nearby nervously, a hand atop Baby Tooth's head to quiet her chirping.
A humorless laugh escapes Bunny's lips as he answers, "He wasn't hurt, mate. Pitch spouted some nonsense about a pond an' Jack's sistah, and he fell for it".
"He what?" North exclaims, furious. "How could he believe that no good..." North trails off, pacing back and forth. Somehow, he avoids stepping on the little elves that always seem to be underfoot, but their presence only makes him angrier and more distressed.
Sandy tries to calm North by placing a little golden hand on his arm, but North just shrugs it off.
"His sister...?" Tooth mumbles, landing softly on the ground. Her eyes widen in sudden realization and she lets out a gasp. "Oh no," she utters, voice trembling slightly. Looking to the others she says, "Pitch didn't lie to him".
"Explain." North demands, though his voice is softer as he looks at Tooth.
Tooth bites her lip, uncertain whether she should tell or not. After a moment, she lets out a sigh. "It's not my place to say any of this...but I guess given the circumstances, I have no choice." Taking a deep breath, she tells them, "When Jack gave back his baby teeth for me to guard, I saw his memories. I didn't mean to!" she amends, "but sometimes it happens if the memory is strong enough. And this one...this one was bad". The Tooth Fairy wraps her arms around herself, Baby Tooth snuggling against the side of her face and chirping sadly, then tells the rest of the Guardians about the death of Jackson Overland...and the birth of Jack Frost.
When she finishes, Bunny breathes, "Crikey...That would explain how Pitch knew so much...He was bloody there".
North scrubs a big hand across his face and groans. "Chyort voz'mi!" he swears in Russian, clearly not thrilled with the news.
"We've gotta get him back," Tooth says, determined. "Before Pitch can use what he knows against us."
"To the sleigh!" North exclaims, glad to be doing something.
Bunnymund staggers to his feet, not looking forward to riding in that flying death trap, but wanting to help in getting Jack back. He thanks Tooth as she flies over and hooks his good arm around her neck, helping him to the sleigh.
North leads the way to the stable where his reindeer are already hitched and ready, looking as fearsome as ever as they rear and plunge, aggravated at being disturbed.
With the help of Tooth, Bunny manages to climb into the large sleigh, and grabs the side in a vice-like grip. As the fairy takes a seat next to him, he gives North a nod. "Let's go get our Frostbite back."
North nods, his mouth set in a grim line as he snaps the reins, signaling the reindeer to take off. With a lurch, the deer begin running, maneuvering through the iced tunnels leading outside. It's a wild ride as North steers, the deer even running the sleigh upside down a couple times. It doesn't take long for them to emerge from the tunnel and with a huge leap the sleigh is airborne.
"Buckle up." North says, chuckling as he pulls out a snow globe. He rolls it in his palm a moment before tossing it into the air in front of his team, opening a portal.
"You gotta get some actual seat belts in this thing, mate," Bunny mumbles, looking a bit green through his fur as they soar through the portal.
"Who need seat belt, my friend? Sleigh more fun without." North chuckles, his mood lightening up a bit now that he can keep busy.
"Yeah, 'fun'," grumbles the Pooka, hanging on tighter.
Tooth chuckles at the pair, thankful for the slight reprieve in the tense atmosphere.
North gives a hearty laugh before turning back to Bunny. "Where do you think they went?" He asks.
Tooth hums in thought before saying, "My best guess would be the place it all started. I highly doubt he would have taken Jack to his lair..."
"To Burgess, then. To pond where Jack was created." North nods in agreement.
"Let's just hope we're not too late," Bunny adds morosely.
Pitch proves them right as he has the pair emerge in the shade of several trees, a frozen pond in clear view from their vantage point.
A cold pain grips Jacks body when he recognizes the lake as the place where he had died, and in turn been reborn.
Folding his arms behind his back, Pitch walks forward until he's standing directly in the middle of the pond, staring down into its depths with an unreadable expression. Finally turning back to Jack after a moment, he says, "You may not know this, but that fairy is not the only one who can deal with memories".
"T-Tooth?" Jack looks at Pitch, the information new to him. "I just kind of assumed she was the only one..."
"Yes, everyone always assumes that," Pitch hums, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "I normally only deal with unhappy memories, but in this case, it's different. I was there, after all."
Jack watches Pitch, confused by this new bit of information. "Why did you decide to look after Jocelyn?" Jack asks softly, staring at his bare feet in the snow. "You had no reason to."
"Because it was my fault you were alone for so long, Jack," Pitch informs him. "Had I gotten there sooner, you would have been noticed long before now. You would be right at my side from the get go, just as visible as I." Fists clenching at his sides, he continues, "I knew what would happen once you became a spirit; we've all been through that unbearably lonely time before being believed in. But you were taken first. The least I could do was make sure your sacrifice wasn't in vain".
Jack lifts his eyes to study Pitch's face, uncertainty written on his face. "When are you going to take me to her family?"
"We can go whenever you like," Pitch tells him. "After all, they never left Burgess. You've been with them all along."
"You mean I've been around them the whole time?" Jack's eyes light up and he takes a few steps toward the taller man, not bothering to try to hide the urgency in his voice. "I need to see them."
"I believe you saw them just a short while ago," the Boogeyman says. "You see, Jocelyn Overland grew up to marry one Gregory Bennett; the family has stayed here for centuries." Looking at Jack curiously, he adds, "Did the Guardians not tell you?"
Jack stares at Pitch, thunderstruck. "You mean Jamie and Sophie?" he asks softly, afraid of Pitch's answer. They were here the whole time... My sister's family was here and I had no idea. Jack sways a little where he stands, feeling suddenly lightheaded.
Pitch seems to glide forward on the ice, stopping before the boy and placing a steadying hand on his shoulder. "That's right. Your little sister had a long and happy life, and her descendants lived on to stay with you." Quieter, he adds, "I wanted to tell you, Jack, I truly did. But the Man in the Moon would have none of it. That was why I wanted you to join me; so the two of us could find a way to be free of his deceit".
"I... I can't believe they didn't tell me... Jamie and Sophie... That they're my..." Jack can barely hold together a complete thought as his mind races a mile a minute trying to comprehend that his first believer is actually his nephew. His ice blue eyes are vacant as they search Pitch's gold ones.
"I never understood why they never wanted to tell you," Pitch nearly whispers. "It's almost as if they wanted you to be alone..."
Jack grips his staff close to his body, the thought that he was kept in the dark on purpose quite painful. "But why? What would they get out of it? Why lie?" Jack asks, his hands shaking.
Placing his other hand on the boy's shoulder as well, Pitch says knowingly, "They were afraid of you".
"Afraid? Why should they be afraid of me?" Jack looks up at Pitch, his brows drawn together in confusion.
"Because you're powerful, Jack," Pitch tells him. "More powerful than any of the Guardians. They had to keep you in line somehow, so you wouldn't turn that power against them; they knew they wouldn't stand a change in a fight against you. But if you were all alone, it would be easy for them to win you over by finally paying attention to you. It was a horrible, deceitful plan that I wanted nothing to do with."
Jack simply stares at the Nightmare King. "I don't understand" he says sourly. "I'm not as strong as you think. It was all I could do to save Jamie. Why do you think I have some great power?"
"Ah, but you did save him," Pitch answers. "You're resourceful, Jack, something the others are not. You know how to think like the children you protect. All the other Guardians are adults; your childishness frightens them."
Jack remains quiet, unsure of himself as he studies Pitch.
"I know this is a lot to take in," Pitch starts, releasing his hold on the boy. "I'll give you a moment to think it all over." With that he walks off into the woods, disappearing into the shadows.
Jack watches Pitch's retreating form as he sinks to the ice, not really noticing the cold of it on his already cold skin. What am I doing...? Jack wonders, creating patterns on the ice to distract himself. If I join Pitch, I go against everything I've ever known. But on the other hand, the Guardians never once thought it important enough to tell me that Jocelyn's, no, my family was still here in Burgess. That Jamie was one of her descendants.
Pitch watches the boy from the shadow of a large tree, it's branches dried out and dead from the cold. It's simply beautiful, he thinks, how well cold and dark blends together, creating a place positively glistening in hopelessness.
After a few minutes spent doodling on the ice and thinking, Jack stands back up and looks in the direction Pitch had left in. The trees are thick, leaving the area too dark to see very far into the woods. "I'm ready, Pitch. I want to join you." Jack calls out. "I'm tired of being lied to."
At that, Pitch emerges from the darkness, coming up to stand in front of him. "I knew you'd make the right choice." Placing a hand on the boy's shoulder in a very fatherly manner, he adds, "I promise you, Jack, I will never lie to you".
"There!" North points toward a pond in the middle of the woods they are flying over. In the distance, a small, thin figure can be seen standing in the middle of the frozen pond.
Seeing the taller figure, Tooth leans forward slightly, uttering an, "Oh no..."
Bunnymund lets out a low growl, fingers digging in to his shoulder where a slight pain can still be felt from the spear.
"Chyort voz'mi!" North exclaims, recognizing Pitch. "We're too late." He tries to bring the sleigh down in the snow near the pond.
"Let's just get out of here... This place... It has too many memories for me." Jack says shrugging Pitch's hand off.
"As you wish," Pitch answers, not at all bothered by being shrugged off. It's still early, after all. "We can go wherever you like." His eyes narrow as he sees the other Guardians land nearby. He had been hoping it would take that stupid rabbit longer to get help.
"Anywhere but here." Jack says before noticing the Guardians.
Tooth soars out of the sleigh, not bothering to wait until it's stopped, hollering, "Let him go, Pitch!"
Bunny is close behind, a boomerang held firmly in his good hand.
"Stop, Jack!" North shouts, jumping from the sleigh as soon as it's stopped. "You don't know what you are doing!"
Sandy, having just woken up, tumbles from the sleigh, golden dream sand gushing from his ears as he glares at Pitch. He chimes nearly nonstop at the Nightmare King and symbols move at high speed over his head, though one of them can definitely be seen as Pitch standing over a weeping Jack.
Stepping toward Jack protectively, Pitch sneers, "I think it's time you let the boy decide for himself what he should do. You've planned out his life enough as it is".
"I'm tired of being kept in the dark." Jack says, more aggressively than he had intended, but continues. "You left me by myself for 300 years. I didn't even have any memories!" Jack nearly screams the last part. His fury causes lacy tendrils of frost to shoot out around him on the ice, branching out to cover a few nearby trees. He stares at the four Guardians with cold blue eyes.
"But we did it for your own good, Jack." North says, trying to calm the boy.
"For my own good?" Jack snorts, a harsh sound. "I didn't know anything; all I knew was my name. I lived the only way I knew how to, and you all resented me for it." Jack's free hand balls into a tight fist, and the one holding his staff grips it tightly.
"We never resented you, Jack," Tooth says, trying to calm him. "We just didn't want to see you get hurt."
"Don't you think it hurt me to be alone all those years? I didn't even know what was going on. Do you know how scared I was when those people walked right through me? I was alone. Completely and utterly alone." Jack says, his tone cutting. "At least Pitch can understand how that feels."
"Pitch?" Bunny questions incredulously. "You think he can understand anyone? His job is bringin' fear ta people!"
Pitch scoffs at that. "And it is because of that that I can understand Jack. No one wants to be around a person who only thrives in the dark. Even with believers, Pitch Black is alone."
Jack glances at the man with a new respect for him and all he's gone through.
Sandy chimes at Jack, a pair of golden figures forming over his head. They come to life as the taller figure strikes the smaller figure, sending him to the ground in a heap. Then the taller figure dissolves and the smaller one reforms into a much more frightening visage of Jack, icicles dripping from his clothes and dark rings around his hollow eyes.
"Sandy's right, Jack. Pitch can't have anything good planned for you if you side with him." Baby Tooth flies over toward the Winter Spirit, chirping her agreement with her mother.
Putting his boomerang away, Bunny adds, "He's just brainwashin' ya, mate".
"I don't care!" Jack shouts, a shock wave of cold air bursting out around the startled, though very angry boy. Without another word, Jack spins around and takes off into the woods, his hands shaking with anger.
"Jack! No!" North starts to take off after the boy, but is stopped by the little golden man, shaking his head no.
Tooth covers her mouth at the outburst, tears threatening to spill over. "No..." She opens her arms, catching a very distraught Baby Tooth as the little fairy trembles against her chest.
Pitch throws a victorious smirk at the Guardians before disappearing in darkness, moving to appear in the path of the retreating boy.
"I'm gonna kill 'im," Bunny grinds out before taking off after the pair.
Jack barely gets himself stopped in time to avoid barreling into Pitch. He glares up at him, still shaking in anger.
Pitch holds his hands up in front of the boy in a placating manner. "I truly am sorry you had to find out this way, Jack."
"Yeah, somehow I doubt that," scoffs Bunny as he skids to a stop nearby. Turning to the other Guardian, he says, "Don't ya see what he's doin' to ya? He's wormin' his way inta your head, feedin' on your doubts. He's the Boogeyman, Jack. It's what he does".
Jack turns from Pitch, leveling his stormy gaze at his former friend. As he glares at Bunny, he can feel something in his eyes changing. As a cold wind blows around the trio, Jack's eyes begin to change. His irises, which were once the color of ice, begin to swirl, darkening to the color of stormy seas. When the wind settles, Jack's eyes have become such a dark blue that they almost appear black.
Bunny takes a step back in his shock, eyes wide and body shivering in the cold, despite his thick fur. "Jack, you gotta calm down, mate. You're gonna freeze this whole place ovah. Think o' Jamie."
Jack reels back, his eyes flashing back to their normal icy color at the thought of Jamie. Pain flashes across his face but he quickly forces a blank expression on his face. "I wouldn't have to worry about him if you'd just thought to tell me about him." Jack's voice is dangerous and threatening.
"What're you talkin' about?" Bunny questions, eyebrow raised. "He's fine, we just saw 'im a couple 'o hours ago."
Jack's anger slips for a moment and his eyes dart to Pitch before returning to Bunny. "That he's related to me." Jack snaps. "You know how much I cared for my sister, yet you didn't tell me that she had a living descendant not only in this town, but that he's my first believer!"
"Who told ya that?" Bunny asks, then hearing how that could be taken the wrong way, amends, "I mean, Pitch told ya that? And you believed him?"
Finding an opening, Pitch retorts, "I merely thought it was about time Jack knew the truth. And since it was quite obvious none of you were going to tell him, I took the liberty of doing it myself". He smirks behind Jack's back at the bewildered expression on the Pooka's face at his words.
"I thought I could trust you guys!" Jack shouts, gesturing to the others still back at the lake. The pain is thick in Jack's voice as his eyes begin to change again.
"And you can!" Bunny says, starting to get flustered at not being able to get through to the boy. "We've nevah lied to you; nevah had a reason to! We're your friends, Jack. We'd nevah do anythin' to hurt you."
Pitch is positively beaming behind Jack by this point, though his voice shows nothing but sorrow. "And is that why you all chose to ignore him for three hundred years? Because you were his 'friends'?"
Jack stares at Bunny, silent as he waits for his response with his arms crossed.
"Th-those where Manny's ordahs!" Bunny splutters, anger at Pitch bubbling up. "We couldn't just go against them!"
"But you weren't forbidden to have contact with him, were you?"
"Well, no, but-"
Pitch's eyes glint maliciously as he interrupts. "There you have it, then. You were allowed to acknowledge Jack's existence, yet you Guardians still chose to act like he wasn't there for centuries."
Jack turns from Bunny, not able to face him any longer. "I need to get out of here," he tells Pitch. "I don't want to hear any more of this."
"Very well," Pitch agrees. Reaching out a hand, Pitch once again places a hand on Jack's shoulder. As the dark sand begins to envelope the pair, the King of Nightmares smiles over at Bunny. "So long, Guardians."
Jack cringes as the sand envelopes him, but doesn't break away. As they disappear into the swirling sand, Jack feels a piercing pain behind his eyes and it's all he can do not to collapse as his hair begins changing from its light snowy silver to a darker, dingier shade of gray.
As they emerge from the darkness, Pitch glances down at the boy. "Are you alright, Jack?" he asks, noticing him wince.
"Fine." Jack manages through clenched teeth, though it's obviously a lie. He's unaware of his altered hair color, but notices his previously slightly frosted hoodie is now covered in intricate frost patterns and building up in places on his body. "W-What's going on?"
"I would presume your true powers are awakening now that you're not being held back," Pitch answers easily.
Jack stares at Pitch as his hoodie darkens from its previous blue to black, the frost appearing like glittering silver. Touching his hand to a nearby pond, Jack freezes the surface so he can use it like a mirror. He's shocked when a boy with almost white skin stares back at him with dark eyes and dark rings around his eyes to match, giving them a sunken appearance. He sees now that his hair is much darker. It's not quite black, but far from the silver color it used to be. Shocked, Jack backs away from the ice and nearly bumps into Pitch.
Pitch places a hand on the boy's back, just long enough to keep him from bumping into him. "You were meant for so much more than what you've been doing, Jack," he says. "I can help you find your destiny. Everyone will know the name Jack Frost; you won't ever go unnoticed again."
Jack looks at Pitch, his bangs flopping over his dark eyes making him look like a hopeful puppy.
"We have a lot of work to do to get there," Pitch says. Off in the distance, a large black castle-like structure can be seen. "Let's begin, shall we?" With a flourish, he motions the boy forward, no longer able to contain the victorious smirk off his face behind Jack's back.
I win, Guardians.
Bunnymund rushes forward, leaping at the sand. "No!" He lands hard on the ground, black grains slipping through his fingers. With a frustrated cry, he slams his paw on the ice, not even leaving a crack in the thick, frozen snow.
Hearing the rather loud yell, Tooth shares a quick glance with the two remaining Guardians before zipping off in the direction their friends had gone, North and Sandy hot on her heels.
Upon reaching the surprisingly frozen wooded area, Tooth gasps at seeing the Pooka on the ground. Rushing over to kneel beside him, she asks, "What happened? Where's Jack?"
Pushing himself up on his haunches, Bunny looks up at her, eyes unreadable. "He's gone," he says quietly. "We lost 'im..."
When Sandy hops off of his little cloud, he's frowning at the state the Pooka is in. Chiming to Tooth, a golden question mark floats above his head and he points to Bunny.
North gets to the frozen area a moment later, his swords drawn as he takes in his surroundings.
"What happened here?" He asks, gesturing to the frozen trees with one of his swords.
Tooth turns to her friends, hand over her mouth and tears finally spilling down her cheeks as she tells them, "He went with Pitch".
North is too shocked to speak, and can't bring himself to be angry. The tall man sags, the tips of his swords falling to the snow.
"Why...?" Bunny whispers. Louder he asks, "How could he fall for all that?"
"Is Pitch. He can find your weakness and exploit it to fullest." North sighs. "He's a snake that knows how to get what he wants."
Standing to his full height, the Easter Bunny's eyes burn in determination. "Not this time, mate; Pitch ain't winnin'. We're gettin' our Frostbite back. No mattah what."
A/N: Anime Angel Alchemist here, the other half of the brain that came up with the idea for this RP. I was Jack, North, Sandy, and Sophie for this. Please excuse any weirdness that might come about – the entirety of this RP was done between the time we both saw the movie, and way before the movie came out on DVD, so we relied a lot on the Guardians wiki page which may or may not be accurate.
Well, I can't think of anything witty to put here, so I'll just leave you for now.
Please, Rate & Review so we know how we're doing!
~AAA