Jack could not believe this.
How could the sleigh crash, with no wind? It just didn't make any sense. But here they were, minus one rabbit that'd become ill. Lost, in freaking Greenland. Greenland!
"Oi, Frostbite! Come 'n help!" That would be Bunnymund, returned from the land of the carsick. Jack didn't move. He couldn't shake the feeling that something, someone was out there, and the Guardians were doing exactly what it wanted.
"Jack, please help catch the reindeer. They like you, right?"
Jack sighed. "Coming, Masani!" he called, whirling. The others were trying without any modicum of success to catch the ornery reindeer. North said they were never this disobedient. Jack wondered if they had the same sense of impeding danger. Quickly, he leapt into the air, spinning his staff and shooting ice at the reindeer. They froze rapidly, though they were very good at not being caught.
Masani's P.O.V.
Brrr. Why does the Arctic have to be so cold? I'm freezing my wings off. I'm glad my mini faeries are adapted to all weather; otherwise, they'd be frozen stiff. Well, not Hampaat-Baby Tooth. Jack really was so sweet to- sorry. Sidetracked. Being a hummingbird-hybrid has its disadvantages.
Speaking of Jack, where is he? He should have been back a while ago. I scan the skies, searching for my comrade. My heart leaps into my throat. Nowhere.
"North, Aster, Sandy, you seen Jack? He should have returned now, right?"
They look at each other, and then shake their head. I close my eyes. Damn. Well, responsibility falls to me again, it seems.
"Right. Mini Faeries spread out. Stick together, no one go off alone. Baby Tooth, you come with me. Guys, keep trying to catch the reindeer, okay?"
The others look dubious. "Masani, shouldn't at least Sandy come with you?" Aster asks. Sandy nods emphatically. I roll my eyes. "Fine, come on." Without waiting, I whirl, run a few steps, and jump into the air. In the sky, I can shake off the uneasy feeling. I glance behind me, and there's Sandy in his airplane.
We fly everywhere, but there's no sign of Jack. Worry eats at me even more. Jack is like my brother. I would fly to the ends of the Earth for him.
Suddenly the nervous feeling increases. I turn round and round, looking for the cause. Turning back to Sandy, I freeze. Behind him is some sort of tentacle, made of shadow.
Kali's P.O.V.
Ugh, my head hurts. And where am I? It looks like some sort of nurse's office. There are cots everywhere, and a cabinet.
Vague memories flash through my mind, a mine's shaft, a girl with a purple jacket, a boy, glowing with golden light, ice shards on a ceiling, Sam Hain, and a girl in blue and white, Icy-Isolda. And of course, being attacked in the first place.
Anger begins to fester. How dare they! I search my memories of that, and notice a few odd details. Like, since when does North have gold eyes? But, it doesn't matter. I'll get revenge. You can count on it.
I try to sit up, and immediately regret it. My chest, head, and legs are swathed with white bandages, so white they make my eyes hurt. My chest pangs, and I ache all over. I lean back into the bed, and decide everyone else can worry about things. For once, sleep, real, true sleep, comes easily.
Isolda's P.O.V.
"I'm telling you, something's wrong. Flint never takes this long."
Apollo and I are standing in the "courtyard" of our "castle". Have you ever been to a old fort? It looks like that, because it is an old fort.
Apollo nods. "I agree something is up. But what shall we do about it? We don't even know where he is right now!"
I think for a second, and then grin. "Maybe we don't know, but I know someone who could find out."
"Who?" Apollo asks urgently.
"The Ta Paidia tou Fovou."
He raises one eyebrow at me. "And which do you propose we talk to?"
My grin widens. "Why, my dear Apollo, have you forgotten our hapless patient, Kali?"
Masani's P.O.V.
"Sandy, look out!" I shriek.
Sandy barely manages to fly out of the way before that thing grabs him. It dissipates before he can destroy it.
I lock gazes with him, wild-eyed. But nothing happens.
I should no better then to jinx myself like that.
With an almighty eardrum-shattering roar, more black tendrils shoot up into the air. I grab Sandy and Baby Tooth and fly up as fast as I can. The tendrils, unfortunately, are faster. They ensnare our bodies, pulling Sandy away. They then begin to drag us down, down…
Or not. With a clear, snapping sound, the tendrils of shadow vanish, dropping Sandy and me on a glacier. I just manage to keep Hampaat-Baby Tooth, from an undignified tumble. I look up. Of course.
Pitch.
"You!" I nearly scream, jumping up. I fly at him, about to knock out the rest of his teeth!
Of course, he just fades into a shadow. Jerk. I don't swear, but right now I feel like calling Pitch every name under the sun.
As I spin round, looking for him, he appears behind me and grabs one arm. "Truce?" he asks.
I consider it. By now, Baby Tooth and Sandy are up, and I'm pretty sure we can take Pitch in a fight. I nod. I'm released.
"Great," he says, sounding as if it was anything but. "Have you ever heard of Primoris?" My eyes widen. I hear Sandy's sharp intake of breath. That monster took years to exile last time. I hadn't been there, but I'd heard the horror stories. Could it be…back?
"What happened?" I demand.
He sighs. "Well, Primoris possessed a sprite called Flint Aden, and tried to kill me. And Primoris is what possessed you, to get at Kali Black. So we have one mega nasty problem on our hands, and may I suggest we put aside past wrongs and destroy this demon?"
I bite my lip, uncertain. What Pitch says makes sense, but…Primoris. The bloody king of Outside, the realm where everything nasty comes to play. Could he really be back?
I sigh. "Come with me, let's tell the others. I want to know what they think."
Kali's P.O.V.
I'm just waking up again when the door to the room I'm in opens. In walks a boy. He has hair so blond it's white, golden, glowing eyes, and good, outdoorsy features. He also glows slightly, which is cool. Behind him is Isolda.
"Good, you're awake. How you feeling?"
"Like I've been through a snowstorm, hiked ten miles, and then spent three days without sleep. Otherwise? Fine!" I reply.
Isolda grins. "When the patient is grumpy, it's a good sign they're recovering. This is Apollo, Kali. He did most of the healing."
I give him my best smile. "A doctor, and a sun spirit. Sure you're not the Greek sun god?"
He blushes, and then laughs. "No. Uncle would kill me if I said I was him."
I blink, and then decide not to pursue that. "So, here for a checkup?"
"More or less," Isolda says. "Can you stand?"
I look at the bandages covering my body. Probably not, I think. I do try, though. I immediately stumble and make a fool of myself. In front of a fairly cute spirit, no less. Apollo and Isolda catch me. Unfortunately, I can feel that my face is as red as a tomato. "Apparently not." Isolda answers her own question. They help me back on to the bed. Isolda changes my bandages, though she seems embarrassed, by the violet blush staining her cheeks. And she's freezing!
Isolda chats with me while Apollo dabs cream on some bruises and less serious cuts. Then they both stand. "Kali, we'll be back soon, okay?" I nod. "Hey, how long was I out?" I ask. They glance at each other. "A day." Apollo replies.
Jack's P.O.V.
Ugh. I hurt everywhere. And it's so cold. It's so cold I feel it. Where am I? Why do I hurt?
Cracking open one eye, the first thing that hits me is the smell. It's like blood and bodies, a wet, coppery tang. I look down. Oh. Well, the violet stain on my hoodie and the purple shard of ice nearby explain the smell.
I look at the ice underneath me. It's all black, and holds me down. I force my eyes open and take a good look around me.
I'm in some cavern, the ceiling maybe 100 feet in the air. It's about 50 feet, from wall to wall. I can see a crack in the ceiling, enlarged as if something, or someone, fell through it. How will the Guardians find me? The realization sets in.
They won't.
I'm all alone. There's no one coming.
Masani's P.O.V.
"What's Pitch doing here!"
I flinch. Yeah, I should have known better then to bring Pitch here. Sandy doesn't really like it either, but at least he's agreeing.
"Look, guys, hear him out. He makes sense."
The other Guardians look angry, but they allow it. I watch the shocked expressions as they hear about Primoris. The looks of anger as they hear that it was Primoris that hurt Kali.
After Pitch finishes, North and Aster look contemplative. Then, to my relief, they nod.
"Fine, Pitch," North says. "But first, we need Isolda and her friends on our side. And, we need Jack. Pitch, if you want an alliance, you will help."
Pitch looks highly mutinous, but he agrees. Operation Find Jack Frost commences.
Kali's P.O.V.
Later, Apollo and Isolda come in. They look nervous.
"Kali, there's something we have to tell you."
So sorry guys. Life's been interesting lately, and I only got this finished recently.