Chapter 4

Jack and the Guardians stood around the globe, but no one had anything to say. Not even Jack who would usually have no problem cracking a joke spoke. He knew what Pitch being back meant; they all did. It was hard to erase their feelings of what happened six years ago; Bunny would never admit it, but those few hours being unseen had affected him. It was why he always went easier on Jack when Frostbite had a tendency to flood the Warren with snow. A few hours unseen was miserable; how could anyone compare to 300 years?

"What's the plan then mate?" Bunnymund finally asked twirling his boomerang around his paw with ease.

North just broke out in a laugh, and it was almost contagious except no one knew what he was cracking up about until he spoke. "Well we stop him of course," North bellowed with a grin reaching for his swords.

Tooth fluttered around before nodding in agreement. "We beat him once, we can again."

Sandman flashed multiple images, and while North seemingly understood, Jack only nodded and gave the little guy thumbs up. Sandy exasperated his actions and rolled his eyes. Apparently whatever he was saying was very important, and finally, he just gave in and started to point behind the four Guardians.

Leaning against the frame grinning was Ember. She had her head tilted against the door jam, and she was obviously enjoying watching the Guardians interact. When they all turned to her, Ember changed her expression to something more appropriate of a beaten girl. She gave them a smaller smile and cast her eyes to the ground.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I heard you talking and I couldn't help myself." She was the perfect image of politeness and broken. Ember knew how to play this game, make them like her, want to protect her, and then, she crash their world around them. It took some energy to keep the smile from her face at that thought.

"Sheila," Bunny said, his accent thickening at the sight of the summer spirit. Ember tried not to scoff at the idea that she could attract the rabbit's attention but not Jack's. "Should you really be up and around?"

Ember laughed lightly before wincing, "No probably not. But I'm not one to sit out either."

Tooth was suddenly right in front of Ember, and the fire girl couldn't help but as her eyes went wide. The tooth fairy was fluttering and looking over the spirit. Toothiana had never met a fire spirit before, and she was genuinely curious.

"Why is there a flying peacock trying to get into my mouth?" Ember asked taking a step back before falling on her butt rather unceremoniously. Internally, she was growling and wondering if she set one feather on fire if they would all go.

Jack cracked up as did North. Bunny narrowed his gaze, but let a smile slide onto his face. It wasn't every day when someone other than him was being teased for their looks. Tooth didn't even mind; she just grinned larger as her smaller fairies fluttered excitedly around the girl's wavy locks. Her pony tail had been knocked loose with Pitch.

"Ho ho," North cracked up as he finally started to calm down. The elves around his feet were freaking out with all the commotion. Everyone was so enraptured with the current scene that no one saw the Nightmare scamper through the workshop.

"So," Bunny started just as Ember got back to her feet, but Sandy interrupted by walking up to the girl.

More images flashed, but he slowed it down to show a silhouette of Pitch and her. The question hung heavy in the air- why did Pitch go after her? Without answering verbally, Ember held out her bow. She closed her eyes and focused on her raw power. The recurve bow seemed to glow with energy, and the bowstring caught on fire. Most of the Guardians took a step back at the show of power before Ember seemingly released control and began to pant.

"I figure he wanted this for something," she said in explanation before slinging the bow back over her should to sit across her body. "Every time, he tried to take it though, I just set it on fire."

"I'm sure Pitch loved that," Jack drawled sarcastically, and the fire spirit nodded with a grin.

"It's why he dislocated my shoulder," she said with a shrug trying not to wince with the sore muscle.

"You got lucky then," Bunny was saying, "to find Jack."

"Very much so," she continued staring at the rabbit. The air was alive with heat, and Ember didn't think it was entirely from her. Somehow, in the smallest span of time, she had upset the fuzzy creature. She tried to put on a better smile, but she knew it looked forced. "I was afraid for my life."

"We're happy you're here Ember," North said grabbing a cookie from a nearby tray.

Ember bit her lip and blinked her lashes, "May I have one?" The grin on North's face was contagious, even Sandy broke out in a smile… except Bunny. His ears were back against his head.

"So how'd you escape?" he asked.

"Oh Bunny, leave her alone," Tooth said. "She's probably shook up from it all."

"Excuse the Kangaroo," Jack commented. "He gets grouchy without his eggs."

"If you hadn't caused a blizzard mate!" Bunny roared suddenly distracted from Ember. She grinned at the spectacle and was about to head back to her room when the rabbit seized her arm.

It was automatic; after decades of barely being touched, not being seen, Ember couldn't help the defenses she had. Her body immediately came alive with fire forcing Bunny to let go, and she couldn't stop the glare that reached her eyes. Moments later though, she fell into the image of horrified.

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "It's a reaction, I'm sorry." She kept repeating it over and over while Jack took a step back. She had effectively raised the temperature in the room by five degrees; it wasn't uncomfortable for the winter spirit… but still, it was warmer and reminded him of earlier when he had touched her. "I just wanted to lie back down. I was hurting and the more I rest, the quicker I heal."

Bunny was looking at his pad, but thankfully, he had yanked back quick enough to avoid any serious damage. Still, it was throbbing a bit, but that was the less worrying issue. He had seen Ember's look when he touched her, and she thought him injured. Bunny knew an act when he saw it; the rest of the Guardians enjoyed having new company like they did when Jack showed up. Bunny had always been careful, and he had never heard of Ember until today… and the look she gave him- the contempt in her eyes and the amusement when he had to yank back to avoid serious damage.

"Go rest," North said snapping Bunny from his thoughts. "We talk later."

Ember nodded and cast another sympathetic glance at Bunny before receding from sight. Jack released the breath he was holding as the cold air overtook the room again. Without the fiery gal here, his power wasn't being canceled out. The air was back to a few degrees above freezing which Bunny glared at him for.

"You have fur for a reason," Jack pointed out with a smile.

"It's good having another female spirit around," Tooth said with a happy sigh. She finally landed, and Sandy nodded his encouragement.

"Did none of you see the look she gave me when I touched her?" Bunny asked.

Sandy flashed a 'sorry' face above his head with a shrug.

"No," Bunny sighed. "She looked mad… like she hated me."

"Lighten up Bugs," Jack said referencing a new nickname. "She said sorry."

"I don't think," Bunny started, but North waved him off.

"You're worried," he said. "We place Yeti outside her door if you're concerned."

"We should worry about Pitch," Jack pointed out. "What's the plan?"

"Oi look Frostbite is being mature," Bunny teased accepting North's proposition. "Halt the presses."

Tooth pointed to the sky showing it was getting darker. "Me and Sandy have a job to do." Sandy nodded again in agreement. "Pitch needs to be stopped, but we have the children to worry about right now too."

"Go," North commanded. "We shall rest and tomorrow we start after Pitch."

Jack didn't find this to be a perfect situation, but he nodded in agreement before parading off towards the guest room he used anytime he was staying here. As he walked, he passed Ember's door, and he felt the heat knock the air out of his lungs. The poor Yeti, Phil, looked miserable with all the heat pouring from the room.

"Night Phil," the winter spirit casually waved before retiring to his room. With a wave of his staff, snow started to fall from the ceiling, and everything that was bothering Jack melted away (figuratively of course). He sat on the window sill and closed his eyes.

"Jack I'm scared," his sister cried standing on the ice. Jack saw himself standing there on the ice as well speaking to his kid sister; it was similar to an out of body experience.

"We're going to have some fun instead," he heard himself saying, and he smiled knowing that while he would die here, he would save her. However, everything shifted; the moon's light disappeared, and Jack could only watch in horror as his other self shoved his sister through the ice.

"NO!" Jack screamed running for the lake, but his other self just grinned at him. "Why? Why?!" he was crying as he moved to the hole to try and get her back out, but he couldn't even see her in all this darkness. "Why didn't you save her?" he said turning on himself.

"Because I'm no hero," his other half teased. "I'm no Guardian… I'm nothing." His other half just broke out laughing, and he continued to laugh no matter how much Jack pleaded and clawed at the ice in an attempt to get his sister back. "Believe that," his other half said before shoving Jack through a newly formed hole.

Jack found himself floating in the water as he desperately tried to get back to the surface, but with a sickening jolt, he didn't even know where up was with all this darkness. He wasn't even sure how much longer he could hold his breath, and that was when he felt it. The searing pain not in his lungs from not breathing, but from heat. Fire seemed to reel across his body…

Jack's eyes flew open, and he could barely shake the nightmare. It worried him to think that he had such a dream; Pitch shouldn't have been strong enough to reach the winter spirit here, but Jack highly doubted that the dream was pure coincidence.

It was then Jack noticed the smoke pouring from underneath his door, and he had barely a second to register it before the door caught on fire. Jack couldn't help that his eyes went wide at the sight.

Chapter 5: Ember isn't entirely patient with what she wants- Jack… Seeing that any plan she would have had would be ruined by Bunny untrusting nature, she does the next best thing… She sets the entire workshop on fire.

OOC: Oh did you think Ember was going to sit and play broken and innocent forever? No, she's dark and she has every intention of going after the guardians. Be ready for the fights as the war has just begun. R&R, let me know what you think or what I should change.