Here's chapter three!

Hope you all enjoy!

cArrY oN...

Chapter Three

I woke up in a hospital bed, alone. All I could see was sterile white. So, to be honest, I freaked. And I'm not proud.

Phil came in to calm me down. When I asked where the Guardians were, he allowed me to get up so I could see them (my chest had been bandaged up, but I'm pretty sure the nightmare sand was still in there somewhere). I expected them to be at a meeting, or sleeping.

But comatose? No, that's the last thing I expected.

They all were put in separate rooms for comfort, despite them not knowing that they were supposed to be comforted.

I laid my hand on Sandy's, who, for the first time I could remember, wasn't giving dreams to the children of the world. I sighed, running a hand through my white locks.

Guess I'll see you when you wake up?

They were silently seated in the back of the wagon, contemplating what to do next.

Jack was sleeping horribly, moaning every two minutes from either nightmares or pain; or both. Pippa was seated next to him in a thin blanket while Medina sat at the front, controlling the reigns.

"So what do we do?"

Bunny sighed. "I don't know, mate. Tooth, do you know how to get out of this memory?"

"Aster…." She had a scared look on her face. "I don't think we can get out of here until we understand something that Man in Moon wants us to."

"You're saying Man in Moon sent us here?" Sandy asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying. There's something that he wants us to see, and I have a feeling it isn't this, despite how absolutely cruel this is."

"Maybe he wants us to see the Aunts?"

Bunny agreed with North. "He might think we'll recognize them or something. Rea and Willow? Medina? Pípere? They all originated from Old English. Something about Jack's family seems off."

"But what about 'Jack'? That doesn't exactly fit the rest." Tooth said in wonder.

"What if Jack is a cover name? For, like, Jackson."

"That's too simple."

"I never said that was the one, Captain Obvious."

Guess I'll see you when you wake up?

They all stumbled over each other in shock at the new voice. It definitely wasn't Medina's—hers had a womanly ring to it. No, this sounded like….

"Was that Jack?" Tooth asked.

"We must've landed at the Pole. I guess the yetis took care of him." North rubbed his beard. "But what does he mean 'when we wake up'?"

"Do you think we're asleep?" Bunny said. "Like, one that we can't wake up from?"

"A coma?"

"That's the word."

"I don't know." Sandy replied, shaking his wide head. "We did kinda just, black out. North, we were close to the Pole, yes?"

"About three-hundred feet."

"Then the reindeers must've landed. The yetis probably found us and got to Jack—but we couldn't do, anything because we were asleep. And the closest thing to whatever this is, is a coma."

"We need to get out of this." Bunny sighed, staring longingly at the younger version of Jack. "Jack probably still has nightmare sand inside him. And after a while… let's just say, that it isn't the nicest thing."

"But Manny wants us to see something." Tooth let out exasperatedly, tugging at one of her feathers in anticipation. "And he won't let us out until we see that 'something'. And who knows how long that's gonna be?"

"Pippa, dear," they all heard Medina say with tiredness in her voice, "I think we going to take a break for the night, alright? We all need our rest, and someone needs to be able to change Jack's bandages. I'm gonna pull over on the side of the road. Get comfortable."

You know, Manny, I've always liked 'Jack' better than 'Jeván'. Take that into consideration when…. Her trace of thought was lost when a whistle was heard.

"Jeván?" North gasped. "And why didn't she finish the thought?"

Dark figures descended upon them, emitting a scream from Pippa. They started ransacking the bags, stealing the food and money. Medina's eyes widened.

"Pippa, get to the floor. Right now. Press your body to the floor."

"Mama?"

"Dammit, Pípere!" she hissed, wincing immediately. "Sorry, sorry, but Pippa—get to the floor. I'm going to… distract him."

"Mama, where will you go?"

They were kneeling down on the floor. Medina cradled her cheek in her hand—the sun was almost down. "Pípere, you're about to see something only stories tell. And Jeván cannot know, you hear? I'm going to run away. They will follow me."

"Mama!" Pippa cried quietly.

"Hush now," the older woman scooted over and hugged Jack's limp, cold body to her own. "Jeván, take care of your sister. And do exactly as Pípere tells you. You're hurt and can barely move."

"Yes, Mama," they all heard Jack's voice for the first time. The two words were croaked out and sounded strained, like talking took a great effort. Which it probably did.

"Sleep with your eyes open. I know you will move if you have to, no matter how much it hurts, but you need to stay down." Medina looks at both of them. "You both need to do that."

"Yes, Mama." Was their symphonic answer.

She carefully laid Jack back down, who had tears streaming down his face, mumbling incomprehensible words. Pippa snuggled in next to him, watching her mother very cautiously.

"Mama, you're special, aren't you?"

The woman was shaken. "Pippa, dear?"

"Are you a spirit?"

"Of course not; that's ridiculous."

"Oh, you definitely are one."

"I am not."

"Yes you are."

"No, dear."

"Yes, yes you are, Mama. And don't you deny it. I've never seen you asleep, or at night, for that matter. Mama, you can't hide it from me. You're glowing, Mama."

And indeed she was. A faint white light was radiating off of her, the outline of wings just noticeable. Her face seemed longer and more elfish with the disappearance of the sun.

"Dear, I didn't want you to find out this way."

"You didn't want me to find out at all," she furrowed her small brows. "You have beautiful wings, Mama."

"I have to go now," the men were at the front of the wagon, distracted still.

"Alright. Mama, will I see you again?"

"One day, Pípere. One day, you will see me. Maybe even you will have wings." Oh, you will. I've already foreseen it. They will be even more beautiful than mine.

"That would be nice. Will Jack have wings?"

"I honestly have no clue, dear. It may be a girl thing." At this, Pippa giggled.

He won't need them, Pípere. Jeván won't need them.

"Goodnight, Mama."

"Goodnight, dears." And with that, she slapped one of the men, leaving the rest staring and running after the Angelic Knight.

You could faintly hear Jack whisper, "See you in a few years, Mama."

It'd been three days. Three whole days.

I was officially stumped. Nightmares plagued my thoughts, preventing common knowledge from helping me out with the situation. The big question was, why?

Why were the Guardians in a coma? From what I could remember, they'd been just fine on the way back to the Pole. We'd been laughing and joking around, and then… then I stopped.

It was my fault they were comatose. I feel sick now.

Really sick.

Sorry for the cliffy! Tis what I do.

Not really.

So Medina, Rea, and Willow really are Old English names. I made Pipere (can't put the damn diacritic) and Jevan (again with the diacritic UGH) up. I know they probably sound stupid on the tongue, but oh, well. "Jackson" was too simple :)

Thank you to all who reviewed on chapter two and three!

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