Jack raised a quizzical brow and smiled at you and you looked down bashfully. You weren't exactly sure why you wanted him with you, he just made you feel joy, and you needed that, you needed someone to make you smile. These were dark times for you. It hurt you to think about it now, you sighed heavily, trying to expel this feeling that weighed you down. You looked back up at Jack how had lost his smile and had tilted his head to look at you with concern. You wanted to bring that smile back. "Well I suppose we should head back" you paused to look back at the distance you had covered then turned back to Jack; "I'll race you there". Jack narrowed his eyes at you, a smile creeping onto his face "a challenge?" he asked, you smirked "oh, for you maybe, but as for me…" you began to let your form change, you felt lighter than air, "…well I should be able to kick your ass pretty easy".
You caught a glance of Jack's indignant expression before you fell back into the earth and travelled back south, sensing the spot where Bunny's tunnel had shifted the earth when he first arrived. You heard Jack boisterous laughter right at your back, you could feel the wind brush the earth you travelled through. You could sense Jack through it, you felt enveloped as the wind surrounded you, his laugher swimming through yours, sending chills down your spine. He was catching up. You pushed yourself harder, suddenly competitive as you neared the finish line. Tooth and North had already returned and from what you could tell, empty handed. As you arrived at your destination you surfaced from the ground, solidifying as you did, in one quick movement. Jack, who had been inches behind didn't have time to redirect his course and came hurtling into you, sending you both tumbling to North's feet.
You both burst out into laughter as North looked down on you raising his eyebrows, but you and Jack were too busy looking at each other to notice, still chuckling "you should give me some kind of warning before you do that", you raised your brow at him, "maybe you shouldn't fly so close to me" you retorted playfully. The both of you stood and brushed yourself off. You held each other's eyes for a minute then your broke away and turned to North and Tooth, clearing your throat, "so I'm guessing you didn't find anything" North turned to Tooth who had stopped frantically checking in with her baby teeth when you and Jack had come tumbling in. They both shook their heads. You nodded, not surprised by their news. Jack looked around, "No Sandy or Bunny yet, maybe they've found something".
You were scared of what they would bring back, if anything at all. You knew that no matter how hard you tried that there were some things that couldn't be saved. You found yourself slowly pacing without realising, surveying the area and watching for Bunnymund and the Sandman. You were about to make another turn when a hand grasped your arm and tugged you back gently. "Hey", you turned to Jacks velvet voice, "Yeah, I'm fine", it wasn't a lie, but the statement only referred to you physically, you didn't to want to go into how mentally drained you were. Jack didn't seem to think that was a sufficient answer, he looked at you straight in the eye, his ice blue eyes held you there, searching your expression. You couldn't comprehend his concern for you, why did he care so much?
Jack stared into Terra's eyes, she did look fine but he thought otherwise. He had seen the look she had before he had stopped her pacing. He had seen it years ago, on Jamie's face when that last light was about to go out, like he had nothing to believe in anymore, he had lost something important to him, the magic had gone from his life. Jack saw that on Terra, and he felt it was his duty to bring that back, just as he did for Jamie. Jack just needed to figure out how.
Jack hadn't noticed Bunny and Sandy's return until he caught a movement from Sandy's golden body from the corner of his eyes. He turned his head to find Sandy nudging Bunny's leg and wiggling his eyebrows, nodding in Jack and Terra's direction. Bunny rolled his eyes at Sandy and stared daggers at Jack. Terra turned from Jack to the two, walking over and letting Jacks hand slip from her arm. Jack felt the absence more than he would've liked to admit.
"We found this poor little blighter, but he was the only one" Bunny said to Terra, offering a bird he was cradling. Its body had brown feathers that turned orange at its neck, yellow feathers covered the crown. Terra outstretched her arm and the bird gladly took it up as a perch, tilting it head to look up at her. "A Bristlehead" she said, stroking its crown with her fingers. One of the birds wings lay limp at its side. Terra raised it in her hand gingerly, not wanting to cause the bird and pain. Jack and the other Guardians watched in awe as her fingers that held the wing glowed with heavenly light that emanated from her when she travelled through earth. It glowed brighter and brighter until the bird's wing was no longer visible from the light. The glow seemed to pulse and the only ones who didn't seem to be staring in awe of it were Terra and the Bristlehead. The glow began to fade again until it was completely gone. The bird stretched its wings and flapped them to test them out before launching itself into the air and flying off.
Terra smiled as its outline grew smaller and soon disappeared altogether. "Never gets old" Bunny said, sharing that same look of content and peace as Terra, they smiled at each other like it was an inside joke between them. Jack felt a pang of jealousy. He wanted to share something like that with her. No, Jack thought, I'm not jealous of him. Though as much as Jack denied it, he knew it was true.
North interrupted the moment "Come! We must make plans back at the North Pole!" Jack thought he'd make a suggestion; "why don't we take the sleigh since we took the tunnels here?" North's eyes brightened "Ha! Wonderful idea! We will take sleigh!" Jack turned to Bunny, a triumphant smile on his face. Bunny looked like he was about to hatch Jack's head open with a boomerang. The sound of sleigh bells soon rung out and heavy hoofed reindeer came down from the sky, hauling North's jacked-up sleigh. North jumped in the front, taking the reins. As the other Guardians got into the back Jack stopped at the side of the sleigh making a mock bow and offering his hand to Terra like a gentlemen helping a lady into a carriage. Terra took his hand, laughing at the gesture and Jack flew up, raising her off the ground and into the sleigh.
Bunny was the last, approaching the sleigh hesitantly, "how about I just meet you there North?" North's booming laughter filled the air, "Don't be silly, Bunny", he said grabbing him and tossing him into the back of the sleigh, "We go together!" and with that the sleigh took off.
Author'sNote: So this one was a bit longer! hope that doesn't bore people!