Not Alone
Chapter 6
*in Uru'Baen*
Opal: Right, Angie. Our mission…
Angela: Which you came up with when you were bored.
Opal: *ignores Angela* …is to escape from Uru'Baen, find Eragon and give him coffee. Got it?
Angela: *sighs* Yes, I've got it. Oh I cannot wait to see Murtagh's face when he and Thorn duel Eragon in a couple of days time.
Murtagh: *appears behind them* I hear my name.
Opal: *whispers* Uh-oh!
Angela: *to Murtagh* Yes you do, sir. We were planning on giving copious amounts of coffee to your brother. Care to join us?
Opal and Murtagh: *stares*
Angela: What?
Opal: *facepalms* Did you have to be so blunt?
Angela: Oh you know I don't like beating about the bush.
Murtagh: Are you entirely sure that this is a good idea?
Angela: *points at Opal* It was her idea!
Murtagh: Sure it was.
Opal: *sheepish* Actually it kinda was. Now, we can't have you blabbing about our presence to the king. Therefore, you're coming with us.
Angela: Agreed. *takes one of Murtagh's arms while Opal takes the other one*
Murtagh: What? No! Help!
Opal: If you don't shut up, there will be consequences.
*both girls drag Murtagh away*
Angela: And, magic or no magic, Opal does not make idle threats. *produces a pair of glasses*
Opal: Angela, don't hit a man with glasses. Try a cricket bat instead. But don't actually hit him. I need him conscious.
Murtagh: Why? And who exactly are you two? You seem like noble ladies yet I don't recall ever seeing you around here. Plus, you seem to know who I am and who Eragon is. How?
Angela: I'm Angela and my friend is Opal. How we know this stuff is irrelevant and a bit of a long story, and we aren't from here. We actually aren't from Alagësia.
Murtagh: So you're from Surda?
Opal: No, we're from a different world entirely. Now be quiet and let Angela finish the disclaimer.
Murtagh: This is either a dream or just one of those days. I'm being dragged down a corridor by two girls supposedly from another world and we're off to go and give my brother coffee, an act which might possibly unleash forces unknown and uncontainable onto the world. Oh dear gods this has got to be a dream.
Opal: This is a dream.
Murtagh: You'd say that even if... Hang on... This IS a dream? I didn't think dreams worked like that. Am I just going crazy?
Angela: Yes.
Murtagh: Fantastic.
Angela: Now, I don't own Rise of the Guardians but I do own Rose.
Murtagh: Rise of the what?
North, Bunny, Jack and Rose raced along the corridors to the stables, Jack complaining all the way. As they burst through the doors, Jack tried again. "Look, I told you guys! I am not going in some rickety old..."
He stuttered to a stop, staring at the complete opposite of a rickety old sleigh. It's wood was polished lovingly, the high-tech gadgets were shinishg brightly, and it looked powerful. Rose nearly fell over laughing at the look on his face. it was a cross between stunned amazment and childish glee.
"Sleigh?" she helped him, giggling at the glare he threw her, until he chuckled too, before swinging her up onto his back, and turning to North. "Alright. One ride, that's it."
North laughed too, as he, Sandy and the kids climbed into the sleigh. "Everyone loves the sleigh." He chortled to himself before noticing that Bunny was still on the outside on the sleigh. "Bunny, what are you doing? Get in."
Bunny cautiously leaned back and poked the sleigh with one furry foot. "Uh, I think my tunnels'd be faster, mate. And um, safer." He told North plaintively. North scoffed. "Ach, Get in!" He growled, grabbing the Pooka and hoisting him onboard, tossing, "buckle up!" Over his shoulder.
Bunny scrabbled around frantically. "Whoa, where are the bloody seat-belts?"
The Russian laughed. "Ha! That was just expression. Are we ready?" He asked a nearby Yeti, who immediately made urgent 'no' motions, which North ignored, roaring, "Let's go!"
Bunny gripped the handrails, his claws making big gouges in the wood. Rose and Jack started laughing at the ridiculous sight, and couldn't stop. As they were going through the tunnels, North shouted something, but Jack and Rose couldn't hear him over the noise of the sleigh. Sandy made an excited noise and threw his hands into the air, a silly grin on his face as they shot off the landing ramp and into the air, Bunny's yells of fear mixing with Jack and Rose's cheers of excitement.
As they steadied, Jack had an idea. Keeping his face blank, he thought to Rose, Hey Rosie, wanna se me freak out cotton-tail over there? Rose's eyes brightened, and her cheerful voice filled his head, eager for another prank. Whatcha gonna do, Jack? Tell me! She demanded excitedly. Jack shook his head slightly, miniscule movements. Nu-uh, that'd be telling. Just watch the master at work. She rolled her eyes at him but aquieced, waiting to see. She didn't have to wait long.
Jack casually hopped up onto the back of the sleigh, looking back over the retreating Santoff Clausen. "Hey Bunny, check out this- AARGH!"
"JACK!" Rose yelled, trying to hide her giggles. Bunny freaked, just like Jack promised, leaning over the edge, muttering, "North! He..haa...waa." To see... Jack, lounging casually on the sleigh's rail, and smirking at him. "Aw. You do care." He cooed sarcastically. Bunny growled.
"Ah, rack off, ya bloody show-pony!" He grumbled. "And you too, Shelia!" He snapped as he saw Rose trying to stiffle her giggles behind him. "I have half a mind to toss you off the sleigh-"
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Jack was right in Bunny's face now, standing protectively in front of Rose. "She can't fly, and if you even think it, I'll pitch you off myself! Are we clear?"
Bunny nodded slowly, actually scared of the winter spirit they had kidnapped. He pittied anyone who actually wanted to hurt the ice girl, he was sure that Jack would defend her with his dying breath. Rose who had jumped back onto Jack's back didn't hurt the image either.
North, who had not heard the kerfuffle in the back, yelled back, "Hey, I know a short cut!" Bunny simply groaned, muttering under his breath, 'Strewth, I knew we should've talken the tunnels!"
North ignored him and whispered "I say... Tooth Palace." into the snowglobe, which he then smashed in midair before flying through.
They arrived in a world of chaos. Pitch's nightmares were flying everywhere, snapping at tiny blue blurs. Jack looked closer and gasped. "They're eating the tooth fairies!" he called out.
Suddenly, one nightmare raced directly overhead, chasing one tiny fairy. Acting on instinct, Jack leapt high into the air, grasping the tiny fairy and falling back onto the sleigh. He opened his hand to see the shivering fairy. He handed her to Rose, who asked the little fairy, "Are you okay, little baby tooth?"
She nodded shakily, and Rose tucked her into a pocket to protect her as another nightmare flew past, almost crashing into the sleigh. Quick as a shot, Rose pulled out her bow, and shot the nightmare, making it dissapate into black sand that Sandy blocked with an umbrella. Bunny looked at Rose curiously for a second, but noticed the teeth containers on the floor of the sleigh, and he forgot what he was going to say. Instead he shouted to North; "They're taking the teeth!"
North suddenly thrust the sleigh reins at Jack, taking him by surprise. "Jack! Take over!" Jack stared. "What?" North thrust the reins at him, and Jack grabbed them, and cracked them experamentally. "Hyah!"
Suddenly North grabbed the reins from Jack. "Look out!" He pulled on the reins, causing them to barely miss a coulum and crash onto a platform. They all climbed out shakily to see a distraught Tooth fluttering around a spire. "They're gone, all of them are gone!" She wailed.
The tooth fairy Jack had rescued, dubbed Baby Tooth by Rose, fluttered out of the pocket of her dress, and flew over to Tooth, who held her tenderly. "Oh, thank goodness. One of you is safe."
Abruptly, a voice echoed throughout the room, causing Rose to squeak in fright, and Jack and the Guardians to look around. "I must say, this is very, very, exciting."
Pitch appeared on the platfrom on the spire, causing Tooth and Bunny to snarl at him, while Rose hid behing Jack. "The Big Four; all in one place. Did you like my show on the globe, North? Got you all together, didn't I?"
North cursed, and Jack deflected a questioning thought from Rose with a mental shrug of his own. Don't know. Without warning, Tooth launched herself upwards, swooping towards Pitch. "Pitch! You have 30 SECONDS to return my fairies-"
"Or what?" Pitch interupted mockingly, vanishing into the shadows, and reapearing onto a different spire. "You'll stick a quarter under my pillow?" North frowned. "Why are you doing this?" He asked. Pitch snarled. "Maybe I want what you have. To be believed in!"
Rose gasped, and Jack's eyes widened. You mean, he can't be seen either? Like us Jack! He nodded somberly. Yeah, but don't forget that he's trying to kill us all and take over the world, Rosie. She nodded slightly, her excitement dimming. Their attention was drawn suddenly when they heard their names.
"Hang on... is that... Jack and Rose Frost? Since when are you all so chummy?" Jack nodded, and he and Rose spoke in unison, trying to spook the King of Nightmares. "We're not."
"Oh good." Pitch's voice had moved position again, and Jack had to spin around to see where he'd gone. "A neutral party. Well, I'm going to ignore you two. But, I suppose you must be used to that, aren't you?"
Jack hissed under his breath and Rose glared, but Pitch turned away and was immediately confronted with a 6.1 foot Pooka, brandishing an egg bomb. :Pitch, you shadow sneaking ratbag! Come here!"
Pitch ducked the bomb, but Tooth had grabbed one of Bunny's boomerangs, and she charged at Pitch, who simply smiled at her. As she reached him, a huge Nightmare bursts out of the shadows, making Tooth fall back. Pitch runs his hands over the nightmare's mane, holding out a piece of black sand to Sandy. "Look familiar, Sandman? It took a while, but now I've perfected the practice, turning Dreams, into Nightmares."
Sandy scowled, and looked down, while Pitch laughed at the Guardians. "Don't be scared, it just encourages them." Bunny scoffed. "Scared of you? Mate, no-one's been scared of you since the dark ages!"
Pitch sighed happily, but Jack and Rose were having a discussion, and had stopped listening. Rose said, very seriously, Jack, I think we should help them.Jack blinked. What, the Guardians? Rose, you know how badly they treated us!" She nodded, her chin on his shoulder. Yeah, but still, I don't think they can handle Pitch by themselves, and I kinda like Tooth. Jack snorted, You would. She rolled her eyes at him. Shut Up! But seriously, please, just give them a chance? He scowled, but aquiesed. Fine, but only for you, Rosie.
Suddenly Tooth gasped in shock as the paint flaked off a nearby pillar, and the top started to disintergrate like Sandy's sand. Pitch smiled."Oh look, it's happening already." "What is?" Jack and Rose asked in unison, enjoying the flinches Pitch wasn't quite able to hide. He shook it off however, and told Jack and Rose "Children are waking up and realizing that the Tooth Fairy didn't come. It's such a small thing, but to a child.."
Rose leaned over, nearly toppling Jack over, and whispered in Tooth's ear. "What's going on, Tooth?" Tooth shook her head slightly. "The children... They don't believe in me anymore..."
Pitch stood on a pillar, crowing to the world. "Didn't they tell you, Jack, Rose? It's great being a Guardian - but there's a catch. If enough kids stop believing, everything your friends protect - wonder, hopes and dreams - it all goes away. And little by little, so do they. No Christmas, or Easter, or little fairies that come in the night. There will be nothing but fear and darkness and me."
Rose had heard enough. She pulled out her bow, and, combined with Bunny's boomerang attack, caused Pitch to not avoid her arrow, and it stuck in his shoulder, very painfully. He cursed and Jumped off the platform, and Jack, after high-fiving his sister, followed the Guardians off it, chasing Pitch down into the depths.
Hey, it's me again! Sorry about the length of this chapter, but this scene is one block, and full of script, so I couldn't really cut it any further than I already have. Believe me, this took three takes to get right, so appreciate it! Anyway, thanks to TheAmythystGirl and Gabby Wolt for the faves and or follows, plus anyone I've forgotten. Seriously guys? Is nobody reading this anymore? Let me know if you want this to continue, and I'll see you next week!
Angela