Hey guys! So sorry for the long update. It was a combination of writer's block, newfound obsession with Sherlock, and getting ready for senior year (ewww). Promise the next chapter won't take nearly as long!

Disclaimer: do I need to say it? ugh...I don't own RotG :(


"Oi, there ya are." I sat up and looked at Bunny, who had interrupted our rooftop picnic. I guessed that he picked up on the subtle irritation in my eyes, because his ears flicked back in slight apprehension.

"Look, mate, there's something we were discussing. Since Pitch seems to be targeting you, and ya already seem to have combat abilities, we figured we should train ya with actual weapons and martial arts. That way ya have more than just one way to fight back." I shrugged, relenting. It made sense, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to try out a variety of weapons. I mean, who doesn't like playing with sharp objects?

Jack helped me up and we followed Bunny to the weapons room. North was waiting for me. "Are you sure you don't mind taking the time to teach me? Christmas is coming up soon." I asked, not wanting to keep North from his work. "Nonsense!" He answered with a brush of his hand, "We are ahead of schedule, and yetis can handle work for a while. Besides, it is more important now to find you a weapon and teach you to fight!" Gesturing to his vast collection, he told me to pick out whatever spoke to me.

Rubbing my palms together, I walked slowly along the various weapons, ending up with a sword and a collection of daggers and throwing knives. I would have grabbed a bow and arrows to practice with as well, but I figured the quiver may have gotten in the way of my wings.

We started with the sword. Even though I'd never held a sword in my life, I could appreciate the craftsmanship. The obsidian handle was a smooth, glassy black and had steel inlayed in swirling patterns. The blade was steel, and was about three feet long. Despite the size, it was surprisingly lightweight.

Looking closer, I saw it had the inscription "укротитель огня" on either side in Russian. "What do these mean?" I asked North. Looking at the phrases, he chuckled. "It is ironic you would pick that particular sword."

"Why?"

"'Ukrotitel' ognya' means 'tamer of fire;' it is name of sword."

"Ukrotitel' ognya," I mused. Swinging the blade, I did a few practice swipes and lunges. I couldn't believe how natural it felt. Suddenly, I got an idea. Holding the blade up, parallel to my body, I concentrated on flames flowing from my hands into the sword; it was instantly bathed in flames. Smiling, North said, "you see, it is destiny."

Jack came and gave me a high-five (after I put out the flames) and Sandy gave me two thumbs up. Bunny patted me on the back. "Now ya just need to learn to fight with it," he said.

"That's where I come in!" Tooth said excitedly. "Normally, we would have North teach you, since he's probably the greatest swordsman the world's ever seen, but with Christmas right around the corner, and our shared ability to fly, we decided it would be more beneficial if I taught you!"

I was surprised; the Tooth Fairy was a skilled sword fighter? Cool. Smiling, I told her I couldn't wait. She zipped to a small closet in the corner of the room and drew out two elegant, curved blades. "Shall we begin?"

Line Break-Neutral POV

Pitch paced in his lair, seething from the fight with Meredith and the Guardians. "How dare she?! She thinks she's all that? I made her the wonderful being she is! Grrr…those blasted Guardians! We could have ruled this world together as father and daughter! But instead, she chooses to be with the one spirit she was practically designed to destroy; Jack Frost."

Just then, Pitch heard a small popping sound and saw that Azazel had finally made it to his lair. "Well, it's about time," he muttered irritably.

"Terribly sorry for the delay; I'm afraid I got a bit sidetracked, "Azazel said. Like North, he had a Russian accent, but his was not as thick as the Cossack's. "So," he said, casually putting his hands in the pockets of his ornate red and gold coat, "what is our plan now, old friend?"

"Well, since the girl refuses us, we will have to bring her here by force…if that plan fails, however, I fear she may need to be ah, taken care of. But we'll worry about that detail later. Once Meredith is trapped here, my nightmare sand paired with your dark magic will make her loyal and obedient." Pitch grinned and continued, "The perfect weapon against those moon-forsaken Guardians."

"And, since she is human, she can make the children believe in you once again," Azazel said, liking the plan more and more. "Though," he added, "we may want to enact this plan before Christmas, and start by taking out North. It would cause the most damage and give the Guardians less time to prepare or recover."

"Indeed…having no Christmas would be even more catastrophic than having no Easter." Pitch smiled at the memory of Bunny's near-downfall.

"What about the location of our attack? I would suggest the Pole, but…"

"It is too well-protected." Pitch finished. "No, I have a better place; one that will surely get their attention. We'll need a way to separate Meredith from the others, though."

"Already got that worked out. Your nightmares can be in one area of fighting, keeping North, Bunnymund, Tooth and Sandy busy. You and I, however, will be elsewhere. Once Meredith knows both of us are there, she will no doubt come to confront us. And her dearest Jack will follow."

Seeing where Azazel was going with this, Pitch grinned and added, "The girl will want to settle things with you, which will allow me to keep Frost busy until you cast the spell. I must say, I can't wait to see the look on that cocky sprite's face when his fiery 'girlfriend' turns on him."

"This spell will take a bit of preparation, so I'll take my leave and contact you when I am ready." With that, Azazel popped back to his own lair. Pitch resumed his pacing, this time in malicious anticipation rather than irritation.

"This time, their pathetic scrambling will be for nothing. This time, they will be the ones running away in fear. The era of Nightmares has come…"


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