~Chapter 10~

Pitch ordered Ember to go on about her day as usual now that they had settled things. So she went out into the town of Burgess, close to Pitch's lair, and released her nightmares. But Pitch made sure to keep an eye on her this time. So he stayed hidden in the shadows and watched Ember from a distance to make sure she didn't do anything rash.

Ember didn't notice though that she was being watched. Her mind was still focused on how angry Pitch had gotten. 'I should have just left you to die!' Pitch's words still stung Ember. Even if Pitch was just saying that out of anger, she still felt like he meant it. She felt like an idiot for believing that someone would actually think she was something more than a silly little girl.

More than once she had to force her eyes shut to keep the tears from spilling out. She hated her emotions. Crying made her feel weak and pathetic, but it also shows a person's biggest weakness. Ember couldn't afford anyone knowing her biggest weakness. So she forced herself to focus more on her nightmares instead of Pitch's rage.

"Ember! Are you alright!" The voice of Jack Frost rang out. Ember quickly spun around and saw the Guardians speeding towards her.

North landed his sleigh on the abandoned street and everyone quickly field out. Ember was rather confused and didn't know what to do. But Pitch had told her to go on with her plan, so she would. She appeared out of an ally way and approached the Guardians with caution. The Guardians looked with awe upon Ember, they didn't know what to expect.

Jack flew forward with a worried expression. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw newly formed bruises upon Ember's wrists in the shape of Pitch's hands.

"What did he do to you?" Jack asked frantically, gently grabbing Ember's hand so he could examine it closer.

"I'm fine, Jack. I promise." Ember wrenched her hand from his. She despised how everyone thought she was some weak girl who couldn't take care of herself.

Ember hesitated as the other Guardians started to come forward to take a closer look at Ember, she didn't know what they would do to her.

"Don't be afraid, Ember. We will not harm you." North reassures Ember as he throws up his hands in surrender. Ember narrowed her eyes in question, she still didn't know if she could trust them yet.

"I promise, Ember. Were here to rescue you, not to harm you." Toothina explained as she flew forward.

"Huh?" Ember asked. "Rescuing from what?"

"From Pitch of course." Toothina answered as if Ember should have already known this.

"What makes you think I need to be rescued? I choose to live with Pitch, i don't need to be rescued." Ember sneered, she was getting angry that no one thinks that someone would choose Pitch. Like he was someone not to even look at.

"Right there is why you need to be rescued, mate. No one in there right mind would choose to be with such a vile man as Pitch!" Bunnymund exclaimed as he strode closer to Ember.

Ember was about explode, but she didn't notice the Guardians where closing in on her. However, Pitch did. He was watching the whole thing go down, and he wasn't about to let the Guardians take away his daughter.

"You know, i could say the same about you rabbit." Pitch spat as he walked out of the shadows behind Ember.

The Guardians backed up a little as Pitch joined Embers side, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Ember's anger dissipated as soon as his hand was on her shoulder. She felt safer, and more at ease with Pitch by her side.

"Did you really think I would just let you take her away from me without a fight?" Pitch sneered.

"If it's a fight you want then it's a fight you'll get!" Jack shouted angrily as he reared up his staff and shot an icy blast at Pitch.

Without even thinking Ember quickly jumped in front of Pitch and blocked the icy blast with a shield of nightmare sand. The Guardians looked a little stunned at how fast Ember reacted. It made them think that Pitch was using her as a new sort of weapon, only confirming their thoughts even further that she was being controlled.

Pitch smirked at the the Guardians. Yet he was a little surprised that Ember blocked the attack. After all that he had said she was still willing to protect him with her life.

The Guardians all shared a quick glance with each other. They knew exactly what to do. They had to get Ember alone somehow and drag her back to the pole if that's what it would take. So they all sprang into action and drew their weapons. North, Bunnymund, Toothina, and Jack all attacked Pitch at once, and before Ember could block any of there attacks Sandy attacked her with his whips.

Sandy didn't want to attack Ember, but he had to if he was going to save her. So he wrapped his whip around Ember's hand and threw her away from Pitch. Ember landed on her feet and quickly cut the whip away from her wrist with her own sword made out of nightmare sand. She sent spears flying at him, but he blocked the attack with a whip and sent another flying right at her.

Ember suddenly remembered that she could manipulate the dream sand and re directed Sandy's whips. She made the whips come back on Sandy and tangle around his arms and legs. Ember looked frantically around for Pitch and the others and saw Pitch blocking every single attack with his scythe. He didn't look overwhelmed, but he couldn't keep blocking that many blows for forever.

So Ember quickly joined the fight while Sandy was trying to untangle himself. She summoned every ounce of nightmare sand she could and created a giant dragon that was almost the size of a building. The dragon drew back on it's hind legs and roared, then with one big swift movement he breathed a black fire that even surprised Ember.

The fire sent the Guardians flying backwards and ducking for cover. But the dragon pursued them, sending cars parked on the street flying everywhere. It was a miracle no one woke up, but Sandy had put a sleeping spell on everyone in the town of Burgess. Pitch was still staring in awe at the nightmare dragon. He had no clue Ember was capable of such a thing. He wouldn't dare admit it, but even he was scared for a moment by the dragon.

Suddenly out of no where, a golden fire sent the nightmare dragon flying backwards, screeching as it did. Another gigantic dragon came flying from out of the sky and reared just like the nightmare dragon had done. It was of pure dream sand, meaning Sandy had mimicked what Ember had done.

Ember growled and created a sand arrow to shoot at the other dragon so it would turn into a nightmare. But right as she was about to release the arrow one of Sandy's whips came out of nowhere and destroyed the arrow. Sandy quickly sent another whip at Ember, but Pitch pushed Ember behind him and thwarted the attack. Pitch drew his scythe and started to fight Sandy, keeping him as far away from Ember as possible. But as Pitch and Sandy started to battle, the Guardians came after Ember since her dragon was preoccupied.

"Ember, please come with us!" Jack begged as he sent frozen spears flying at Ember.

"Never!" Ember growled as she blocked the spears with a wall of sand. But one spear was too quick for Ember and stabbed her in the stomach.

Ember gasped, but did not scream. She had to be tough, for herself and Pitch. Ember grabbed the spear and pulled it out, but as she did a shadowy substance began to spill from the wound. "Is this my blood?" Ember thought as she stared at the substance.

"Is that all you've got?" Ember taunted as she blocked out the wound.

Ember created an army of nightmares and sent them flying at the Guardians. They scattered the Guardians as they tried to defeat them, but every time a dragon was destroyed three more took its place. Ember nearly doubled over at the shooting pain that emanated from the wound as she moved, but she wouldn't let it keep her from fighting.

Ember took the chance to attack Jack while he was distracted and sent a stream of nightmare sand flying at him. It hit Jack directly in the chest and sent him flying backwards into a car. Jack groaned as he slumped to his knees, his face contorted in pain. He didn't want to fight Ember, he only wanted her to be safe. But if fighting was what it took to get Ember into safe hands than Jack would fight forever.

Jack slowly got to his feet and pointed his staff at Ember. "Ember, I don't want to hurt yo-"

"It's a bit late for that, Jack." Ember snarled as she sent another blast of sand at him. Jack quickly blocked the attack, sending sand and ice everywhere.

"You've got to listen to me Ember!" Jack shouted as he blocked another attack.

"I could say the exact same thing to you." Ember spat.

Suddenly the shouts of Pitch could be heard as he was thrown into a building across from them. One of Sandy's whips followed as it wrapped itself around Pitch again and sent him flying into the air. Before Pitch started falling the whip wrapped around him again and threw him straight to the ground.

Ember spun around to see Pitch lying on the street un conscious. She wanted to race to his side and make sure he was okay, but one of Sandy's dream whips prevented her from doing so. The whip wrapped around her waist and threw her up into the air screaming. Sandy yanked the whip back down slamming her onto the ground just like he had done with Pitch.

Ember was knocked un conscious instantly, the harsh blow making the blood flow more freely from her wound. Jack raced to Ember's side and gently picked her up. She was light, and she felt cold as if she was dead. Her blood stained her corset from where she had gotten stabbed from the spear. Jack couldn't bear to look at it, he couldn't stand the fact that he had caused the injury.

"Hurry, we need to get her to the pole, now!" Jack shouted to the others who were still fighting off the dragons.

North pulled out one of his globes and threw it to the ground shouting, "To the Pole!". Instantly a swirling portal opened up and Jack quickly flew threw it with Ember, followed by Sandy and the others as they made a run for it.

Pitch woke up right in time to see Ember's limp blood stained body being carried off into the portal. Fear raced threw him as he realized his worst fear had come true, Ember had been taken away from him. He was alone again, and Ember was injured. He had to get to Ember if it was the last thing he did and take her back. He had to, or else he would have nothing left.