(Elsewhere)
The three guardians looked around the wooded area searching for Pitch's lair. They had been searching for a while now without any results. Finally Tooth stumbled upon something and she called the others over. They stood around a large sink hole, bits of what once was a bed stuck out here and there.
"Do you think he's in there?" She asked the others nervously.
Bunny moved closer, cautiously stepping on the ground. "Only one way to find out." And tapped at the ground with his foot. There was a crack as the ground below him caved in. He shouted as he fell into the darkness.
"Bunny!" They shouted.
North drew his swords. "Come on Tooth!" He jumped and Tooth followed.
It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. Two paths lay before them and Bunny was nowhere to be seen.
"Bunny!" Tooth shouted. The only reply was her own echo.
"You take left and I take right." He pointed with his sword. "Shout if you find Bunny."
"And if I find Pitch?"
"Shout louder."
She nodded and the two split up.
0o0o0o0o0o
Tooth hovered slowly down the dark tunnel, which twisted and turned in an almost unnatural manner. It was nearly impossible to see, the only way to tell which way was forward was to keep a hand on the wall and head into the darkest area. What was worse was the noise, or lack there of. It was dead silent, except for the rhythmic beating of her own heart and the fluttering of her wings. This unnerved her, making her feel very anxious as if the darkness might reach out and grab her, and considering her location it was a very real possibility.
She entered a rather large chamber. The path she'd been following connected to the other side by a stone bridge. Hanging above and below were dozens of black metal cages.
She abandoned the bridge for the more open ground below. Stalactites and stalagmites dotted the chamber. The ambiance of this place made her shiver in fright.
"I'm not afraid." She whispered to herself and glided along. "I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid."
"Oh, but my dear, you are."
Spinning around to see Pitch Black standing before her. She gasped and hovered backwards.
He smiled relishing her fear.
'No!' She thought. 'This is about the other spirits and children in danger.'
His smile fell. How he hated bravery. "To what do I this most honored of visits?" He asked sarcastically and bowed to her in a mocking fashion.
Toothania balled her hands into fists. "What's happened to Morticia?"
"Oh whatever do you mean?" He half chuckled as he turned and ran a finger across the glass of a near by cage, as if checking for dust.
Tooth gritted her teeth. "I mean why is she doing all of this? Tell me now!"
Pitch turned and fixed her with a dangerous stare. "You dare order me in my own palace?" He outstretched his arm, motioning to his lair. "I may not be as powerful as I was before, but I'm still more of a match for you. You were a fool to come here alone Toothania."
Tooth smiled. "If you think I came here alone then the fool is you."
Pitch's eyes widened and he spun around, coming face to face with a sword and a boomarang.
"G'day mate." Bunny smirked.
Pitch's blood went cold and he raised his arms in surrender. "What do you want?" He hissed.
"What's happened to Morticia?" Tooth repeated.
"I already told you I don't know what your talking about."
The guardians looked unconvinced.
"I've been here since Frost put me down."
"If I remember correctly wasn't it your own night-mares that dragged you down here?" Bunny asked with a cocky smirk.
Pitch scowled at him but made no reply.
"Either way." North interrupted. "You will be coming with us." He threw down a snow globe and a shimmering portal appeared.
Pitch gave a short bitter laugh. "And what, pray tell, makes you think that?"
"You could try to escape, but you have nowhere to run to."
"North's right Pitch. Your plum out of tricks."
The nightmare king glared hatefully at them.
Tooth returned his glare in full. "So are you going to go quietly or are we going to have to force you?"
Pitch opened his mouth to respond when there was a sudden clattering noise, a strange noise like rocks tumbling about inside a burlap sack.
From a tunnel near the ceiling, something fell out. The something landed with a clattering thud before them.
"What in sleigh bells-" A stench like a punch in the face interrupted him.
A horrid smell of decaying flesh wafted up from the something. Bunny whose sense of smell was more acute then the others made a choking sound and covered his nose with his paws.
Suddenly the something twitched. It moved, writhing and squirming, it rose from a pile on the floor into a standing form. A frame of bones both yellow and sun bleached with chunks of festering maggot filled flesh clinging to them and draped in wads of matted black moldy hair. Roughly the size of an adult grey wolf it stood like a prime ape, on it's knuckles with it's shoulders raised higher than it's pelvis. The skull of a cougar protruded out, it's empty eye sockets oozing lime green puss and it had the claws of a grizzly bear. A green aura surrounded it, like a creeping slime the aura wormed it's way through the empty rib cage, out it's nasal cavity and re-entering through it's ear. The maggots writhed in joyas dance as it moved over them, taking delight in it's presence. The something clawed at the ground as it's head swiveled side to side, as if smelling the air.
"What is that thing?" Bunny gaped through his paws.
The something's head locked onto them.
"I think it see-" Tooth was cut off as the something gave a horrid gurgling cry and launched itself through the air at them.
"Get back!" North shouted pushing her out of harms way, he brought his sword down on the threat.
The something landed, it's skull rolling a few feet away. The green aura surrounding the body reached out and took hold of the skull, dragging it back the something re-assembled itself and stood back up.
Tooth turned on the nightmare king. "Call it off Pitch!"
He shook his head staring at the thing in disgust. "It's not one of mine."
"Then what is it?" Bunny asked drawing his boomerangs.
The something made a low warbling sound. A familiar clattering sound echoed through the tunnels and two more somethings fell to the ground and took shape.
"Doesn't matter what they are. Let's go. All of us." North said looking at Pitch.
For once Pitch didn't disagree. The four abandoned the lair in the order of Tooth, Bunny, Pitch and North.
They appeared in North's workshop, in the large lobby. Free of harms way they took a moment to catch their breaths and filled their lungs with gingerbread and pine scented air.
Tooth looked to North with a shaken expression. "Do you-do you think it was Morticia who sent-"
"I don't know and I'm not going back to ask." He took a deep breath and seemed to become stronger and more solid. "Come, we see if others got back safely." He headed for the hall.
"I believe I shall take my leave now." Pitch said.
"What? After we just saved your sorry skin?" Bunny nearly shouted, his eyes wide with angry shock.
"What do you expect, for me to burst into tears of gratitude?" He spat bitterly.
"Your not going anywhere mate. The man in the moon said you were going to help us."
Pitched looked out a high window at the night sky, but the moon was on the other side of the earth. "As if I care what he has to say-"
"It's Morticia Pitch. She's attacking the other spirits. She's already gotten Patrick and Cupid. They're-they're gone." Tooth explained.
"All the more reason to leave. Perhaps you should do the same. If Morticia did send those... things after me, then she probably knows you intervened. Do yourselves a favor and disappear." He said looking for a shadow in evaporate into.
Bunny 'hmph'ed.
Pitch gave him a superior glare. "You can't hide from death."
"And you can't run from it either." North crossed his arms. "But at least we have a fighting chance. Pitch we need your help, we're not strong enough to go against Morticia. But if we don't stop her she will destroy everyone and everything, including you."
Pitch thought about it for a moment. They were right, if Morticia was after him then he stood a better chance in a this fortress rather than out on his own.
"Fine." He said begrudgingly. "But the first chance I get to walk away scott free, I'm taking it, just so you know where we stand."
Bunny's ears up and began twitching side to side. He shushed Pitch. "Here that?"
"Here what? What now"
"Sounds like...hooves."
There was a loud crash followed by an unfamiliar voice shouting,
"CHIRIN NO!"
The door burst open and a large beast came galloping in dragging two yetis with it. The animal reared and bucked trying to shake it's captors off. The yeti on it's back was flung into the air and landed with a hard smack on the floor. The second yeti attempted to grab the animal's back legs but was promptly kicked across the room. The animal glared at the yetis with a threatening stare, daring them to make a move.
"Stop! I said stop!" A young woman ran in, grabbed the animals collar and began dragging it away from the terrified yetis.
The guardians and Pitch looked dumbfounded. Pitch stared at the beast with confusion and perhaps a small amount of admiration. Even he would think twice about taking a yeti head on, let alone two.
"What in sam hills is going on?" Bunnymund stared at the new comers.
She looked at them as if noticing them for the first time. "Oh sorry. One of the Yetis tried to put Chirin in with the reindeer and he kind of freaked out."
"Uh- who is Chirin?" North asked still very confused.
"Chirin's my ram here." She patted the animal fondly.
"Okay, but who are you?"
"Oh right, I'm-"
"Elsie Mercy!" Elsie suddenly found herself being tightly hugged by Tooth. "Look at you! It's been so long!"
Elsie hugged the woman back, unsure of what else to do. "Wow, I haven't seen you since... ever before."
Jack and Sandy ran in panting yet again from the exertion of chasing both Chirin and Elsie through the toy factory.
Tooth pulled away. "Since your last baby tooth. Secondary molar, fell out during a dodge ball game when you were ten. Have been brushing?" She pried open the younger woman's mouth. "You have!"
Elsie looked to Jack for help.
Chuckling he gently pulled Tooth off her. "El, this is Toothania, the tooth fairy."
"Well it's nice to meet you...again."
Jack led her to the others. "Guys this is Elsie Mercy, my best friend. El this is Bunnymund, the Easter bunny and North, you may know him as Santa Claus."
Chirin snorted irritably.
"Oh yeah and that's El's pet goat Chirin."
Elsie shook both their hands.
"Nice to be meeting you." North smiled.
"So your the sheila Manny wants us to find."
"Manny?" She gave a confused look.
"Man in moon." North pointed up.
Elsie was even more confused now. "Okay, uh I'm a little confused right now."
North nodded. "Of course, all in good time. Will you excuse us for a moment?"
"Sure, no problem."
The guardians moved to the other side of the room and huddled together and began a hushed conversation.
Elsie took the time to let her eyes wonder. The room which was large with a tall ceiling was decorated in reds, greens, golds and silvers and from what she could tell was a sitting room. Two fireplaces on each side kept the room comfortably warm and a diversity of chairs end tables and sofas were laid out in an elegant fashion. She watched the little elves that wondered aimlessly about, some occasionally dragging random things like Christmas lights and ornaments. Eventually her eyes fell upon a man dressed in black standing in a shadowed corner, glaring at the backs of the group. She hadn't noticed him before and wondered why he wasn't conversing with the others. Though she knew one thing, that she liked the way his hair was styled, straight back like spikes. She decided to introduce herself.
He noticed her just as she reached him, and she held out her hand.
"I didn't catch your name." She smiled.
Pitch stared at the young woman indecorously. She had walked right over to him and offered her hand to shake, as if it were normal for people to shake his hand. And what was stranger was that she seemed to actually want to shake his hand. He was Pitch Black, the Boogeyman, people didn't like shaking his hand and they certainly didn't like him.
Her appearance was just as strange as the rest of her. Black knee-high heeled boots, elbow long lace gloves, dark grey skull patterned skinny jeans, a black and red plaid corset top, with a black over-coat. Her raven black hair was long and wavy, with a golden streak, her skin was pale like moonlight which made her dark emerald eyes even more vibrant. She was a bit taller than Jack and very, how could he put it...pneumatic.
He figured that her enthusiasm was just ignorance of not recognizing him for who he was. He reached out and shook her hand, a bit surprised that she didn't shy away from his cold clammy touch and by her firm grip.
"Elsie Mercy." She introduced with a leveled voice.
"Pitch Black." His voice like satin. There was no immediate reaction and Pitch realized that she didn't recognize his name. He smiled kindly. "You probably know me by my more common name. The Boogeyman."
He expected her to rip her hand away and to run to the guardians for protection. He expected her legs to give out and for her to fall to the ground, screaming in fear. He expected her to at least gasp, a little. What he didn't expect was an enchanted smile to cross her lips and a look of curious wonder to come over her eyes.
"Really?" She asked amazed.
He nodded unsure.
"Well, it's a real honor to meet you Pitch Black."
He stared at her with the most bewildered and addled look. Usually people hated and resented him for what he was. He finally decided that it that she was acting so oddly because she was to dense to fully understand the horror that he was.
"Your not all there, are you?" He said, speaking to her in a tone that one would use to confront a slow child.
A look of slight insult flashed through her eyes, but disappeared and was replaced by a cocky smile. "I'm not the one whose still shaking hands."
Looking down he realized she was right. She'd tried to let go but he was still holding and shaking her hand. He turned a light shade of pink as he let go.
"I know who you are." She said. "I'm just-"
"Not Afraid?" He cut in, an irritated inflection leaking into his voice.
"I wouldn't say that. Your a very terrifying person, it's just my curiosity over weighs my fear."
Again a look of bewilderment came over Pitch's face.
Elsie couldn't help a small giggle. She had always wondered what kind of a horrifying person the Boogeyman was. She'd always pictured him like a monster, ugly and deformed or as a grotesquely buff creature. But never had she imagined him like this. He was tall, about half a foot taller than her, and he was lean. But at the same time managed to look athletic. He stood with a sense of power and poise. His face long and dignified, pale nearly white skin, thin lips, a hooked nose and eyes that reminded her of an eclipse. And the way he reacted to her was just so...so cute. Over all she found him rather handsome.
Chirin strode over and gently buried his snout in her hair, he huffed hot breath against the nape of her neck. She reached up and scratched his head fondly. "This here is Chirin my ram."
Pitch looked at the beast in appreciation. Large, nearly as large as one of his mares, with a dense dark coat. Two deadly horns which rested on her shoulders with a sense of casualty and trust, and a pair of golden eyes that stared at him from behind a raven curtain.
"A fine beast if I ever saw one." He admitted.
With such a strong physique and fearsome appearance, the ram would have made better model for his night-mares than actual mares. Pitch reached out a hand to pet him. Chirin snorted, giving him a wary look.
"Easy Chirin. Careful he's not fond of strangers."
Pitch stilled his hand mid-air, offering it to him as a sign of respect. Chirin looked at him for a moment before drawing nearer and cautiously sniffing the offered limb. He huffed but more contently.
"Are you with them?" She asked motioning to the guardians.
"Certainly not." He said looking disgusted by the very thought. "Are you?" Suspicion creased his brow.
She shook her head. "No. I mean me and Jack were friends and used to hang out a lot, but that was a long time ago."
He raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Elsie!" Someone shouted.
The three of them turned to see the guardians rushing over. Jack put himself between Elsie and Pitch, pointing his staff threateningly at the nightmare king. Bunny got his boomerangs ready, North drew his swords. Tooth took Elsie by the shoulders and Sandy took her hand, they started leading her away.
"Whao, what are you guys doing?" She said aghast at their behavior and halting Tooth and Sandy.
"Be careful El, this guy's dangerous." Jack growled glaring at Pitch, who returned his glare with interest.
She ripped herself from the guardians grasp and started at Jack. "What are you talking about? He wasn't trying to hurt me."
"You don't know who this guy is. He's evil! He's-"
"Pitch Black, the Boogeyman. I'm a big girl Jack, I can take care of myself."
A gentle hand on her shoulder turned her to Tooth wearing a sorrowed expression. "Jack's right Elsie. He's done horrible things. He's evil."
Evil? He was evil? He didn't seem evil. She always had a knack for sensing a person's true nature. Pitch was dark, he was guarded and a loner, but evil? She looked back at him, he was busy glaring at Jack. He seemed to have a distinct dislike for the others, probably something from their past. But no, not evil.
"Are you sure your just not holding onto some kind of grudge?"
Bunny's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me, he spreads nightmare and fear where ever he goes."
Elsie shrugged in a confused manner. "So? That's not any different from what you all do."
Every eye in the room turned on her. Even Jack and Pitch paused their glaring contest to give her equally confused looks.
"Uh we're the guardians and it's our jobs to protect the children of the world, to keep them safe. How can what he does be the same thing as what we do?"
"Because fear keeps children from doing dangerous and stupid things. I mean do you know how many I times I would have tried to blanket parachute off the roof of my house if I wasn't afraid of heights? Most things that people are afraid of are dangerous and that keeps them away from danger. Fear protects children by making them protect themselves." She paused to let it sink in, they looked unconvinced. "And it's fear that keeps what you represent alive."
"We bring hope and wonder and good memories and fun."
"And you can't have any of that without fear and darkness."
"And how exactly does that work?" Bunny challenged.
"If everything was light and perfect and everyone happy then there would be nothing to hope for. All the wonder and fun would disappear. You can't have light without darkness, they're each one half of the same whole, they keep each other balanced."
They all stared at her, shocked. Bunny gave her an irritated and angry look. He took three steadfast steps forward until he was eye to eye with her, trying to stare her down.
She stared steadily back at him, refusing to be subdued.
Sandy floating between them trying to prevent a fight from breaking out, a bunch of images appearing above his head.
"Alright both of you." North said helping Sandy separate them. "Sandy's right, we've all had a long day and we're all grumpy. We rest tonight and discuss what to do in morning."
Elsie looked up at the jolly Russian in confusion. "What do you mean in the morning? I can't stay here, my parents will freak."
Tooth floated next to her. "Wait, you don't know?"
"Know what? I'm only here now because I followed Chirin after he ran through some kind portal that sent us here."
North turned to Jack. "You did not tell her?"
The young spirit shrugged. "I was going to, then horn head over there attacked us. We ended up here and when I tried to explain again, well you saw what he did to those yetis."
"Explain what?" She asked Jack a trace of suspicion in her eyes.
North groaned gripping the bridge of his nose in a look that signified exhaustion. "I'm getting to old for this." He mumbled to himself. "Elsie we need your help to fight a powerful enemy. We will explain everything to in detail tomorrow, but tonight we should rest."
Elsie's eyes widened. "Fight a powerful enemy? Whoa-I-I did not sign up for this,-I-I cant stay-"
Bunnymund leaned over and whispered to Sandy. "Eh mate, why don't you give 'er a pinch of the 'ol dreamsand. Just to calm 'er down a bit, looks like she might panic."
Sandy nodded, silently floating up behind her. He held out his hand and blew a small amount of dream sand around her head.
"I'm not...I'm not..." Elsie couldn't finish her sentence as she was suddenly feeling extremely tired. Her body felt limp and heavy, her eye lids began drooping almost uncontrollably and she was filled with a warm cozy feeling that made her yearn for a soft place to curl up in. She shook her head stubbornly trying to fight the feeling but it remained. Why was she feeling like this, she was wide awake a moment ago.
It was no mystery to the others what was happening.
"Jack why don't you take her to room, down the hall three doors to the left."
Jack nodded and began leading her down the hall.
Chirin growled in protest, pawing at the ground. He attempted to stop Jack but Sandy hit him with a ball of dream sand. Chirin's head dropped and legs became wobbly with exhaustion. North motioned a yeti to take him to the reindeer pen.
0o0o0o0o0o
Jack led Elsie to a large pine door carved with holy plants and poinsettias. Opening it they came to a large bedroom with a snow white carpet on the wooden floor and dark rich pine walls, a large bed overflowing with fluffy pillows, a small coffee table and a dresser.
By now Elsie was near passing out, her legs gave out and she collapsed. He managed to catch her before she hit the ground. One hand around her back and the other around her legs, he fireman carried her to the bed and tucked her in. Wrapping the soft thick comforter around her, he watched as her tired emerald eyes closed and images of a glorious battled appeared in dream sand above her head. Jack smiled and watched as Elsie's dream self summon a weapon and began fighting off a horde of samurai warriors, she smiled contently in her sleep. Jack couldn't help but reminisce over the old days, he often spent the nights at her house, sleeping on her couch. Things were so simple and easy back then. Then she accidentally revealed her powers.
They were walking through the forest. Jack was making it snow large glob like snowflakes that turned everything white. The two were having fun throwing snowballs and making snow people.
As the snow continued to fall it became just to heavy for one particular tree. There was a sharp crack as gravity pulled the tree down. Hearing this, he turned saw the falling titan and realized all he had time to do was close his eyes and cringe. He heard Elsie scream his name in terror and hoped she'd be alright alone.
Then there was a sound like a giant piece of paper being ripped, followed by two loud thumps one on either side of him. Opening his eyes he saw that the tree had been cut straight down the middle. Elsie was standing in front of him, her arms raised and above them both he was shocked to see a floating wave of blackness. She lowered her arms and the wave of blackness fell to the ground in a puddle of shadows that rushed away to their owners.
Elsie wrapped her arms around his neck at the same time yelling at him for not moving. Jack released the breath he'd been holding and hugged her back.
Later she explained about her powers, about Lucy, about the flower, about everything. He understood why she isolated herself and he promised her he wouldn't say anything to anyone about them.
He remembered then a few days later when he did something he'd regreted to this day, said some things that he now understood were wrong. He wished he could take it all back, what he said and the fight that followed. Jack bent down and kissed her forehead in apology.
From her spot in the doorway Baby Tooth watched and then zipped back to her queen as Jack made for the door.