-I will attempt to upload the final chapter on Christmas(or Festivus if you're a Seinfeild fan) day, as a present to each and every one of you who has been so supportive of this story. I love you all from the bottom of my heart and up-

-Somewhere Over India- Black's p.o.v****

"EDMUND ASTER BUNNYMUND!"I shouted, head poking up out of a rabbit hole that 'spontaniously appeared' over where I had been standing, hearing a chuckle above me as he knelt down, me wiggling as hard as possible to get not only myself, but also the half-empty bag of toys in my hand, free from the trap. His eyes glittered a bit as he gave me a lopsided smirk, placing a finger to his lips as he whispered,

"Keep it down, mate. Don't wanna wake the ankle bita's!" I nodded my head quickly, a shadow shooting from my hair and knocking him clean out of the open window. After a few minuets of struggling, I managed to dislodge myself and the bag from the hole, spinning and letting the black whisps wrap around me before the kids could run out to see what the scream was about.

I landed somewhere in what appeared to Asia, but I couldn't be quite sure. Stopping for a second on top of a large building, looking down at all of the neon, flashing signs and the eccentric clothing of the teenagers below me, I sighed and muttered,

"900 years can change a lot." I stopped wasting time, ducking into four houses before spying a spiral of ice over a few hundred yards, seeing Jack skidding across with an uncomftorbly-light-looking bag slung cooly over his shoulder, smiling in victory. I paused, standing on an ornate rooftop before getting a brilliant idea.

I quickly snuck a shadow over to the chimney he was about to head-dive into, the shadow completely blacking out the top of the chimney before Jack could stop himself, his eyes going wide as he called out, hitting the shadow and bouncing hundreds of feet back up into the air, making a silent indent as he passed through a cloud. I smirked and shouted up,

"Hope you liked the trampoline effect! Merry Christmas Frostbite!"

"Zat es my line!"I gasped, ducking as the sleigh flew inches above me through the air, the wind whipping my hair around as I immediatly stood up, eyes wide as a very-concious North waved back at me, along with a smug-looking Sandy. I stomped my foot and let out a puff of annoyance.

"Greeeat. He's back."I deadpanned, and immediatly set off again, sights set on Tokyo.

-England- Bunnymund's p.o.v****

"Oof! Guess ya asked fer a bloody pile o' bricks, ya little bugga's."I muttered as I slung the heaviest of the presents under a massive Christmas tree, glad for the pressure release on my shoulder. This would cut my time in half, making up for lost time when Black got me back for that 'fireplace' incident earlier in the year. I stood up and crossed my arms, smiling as confidence rose in my chest.

"Ha! Let's see her beat me now!"

"Yes, let's." Came a teasing, smooth voice beside my head, and I spun to see a sly-smirking Black appearing on the back of the couch near me, arms crossed as I secretly spied her almost-empty bag laying next to her on the ground. I felt a little spark of comptetition ignite in me again, remembering all those races(that I won) way back when, both of us giving the same, confident smirks we were giving now.

Not much had changed. I walked slowly over to her, leaning close and saying with a raised eyebrow,

"Shouldn't ya be stuck in a hole somewhere, sheila?" She gave a shrug and a sigh, looking more mischevious than I'd ever even seen Jack, a giddy smile playing on her calm features, leaning in closer to me and making me acutely aware of her breath on my nose, remaining in my calm facade.

"Maybe...well I gotta be going!"She said suddenly, dissipating from in front of me and re-appearing at the windowsill in a flurry of shadows and darkness. I spun to her and pointed a boomerang in her direction, exclaiming,

"What makes ya think I'll let ya?" To that, she gave a subtle wink that did things to my heart that I'd rather not admit, and then threw over her shoulder,

"Oh, just...I think someone must have let the dog out." I froze, hearing a familiar growl behind me, all of my fur standing on end and my prey-animal instincts shooting up through my nerves, telling me to move slowly as my ears stood on end. Slowly, slowly, I turned around, seeing a rather hungry-looking, adult greyhound snarling up at me, bearing all of her canines.

"Shh, don't wanna wake the ankle-biters!"She mocked back at me, before I heard a whoosh of her leaving, the dog immediatly standing up taller and pupils dilating.

"..Crikey."I deadpanned, before making a run for my bloody bunny life, cursing Black the whole time.

-Chile- Black's p.o.v****

I placed the final south-of-the-border present under a modest tree, smiling as I looked at the little stuffed animal bunny that the child had asked for, looking nothing like mine, but making me smile all the same and reminding me that I had to make sure Jamie's house was the last stop on my list. I had a little something to give Sophie. I jumped to the widowsill, almost toppling back over as a blurr of green-and-yellow shot past me like a peacock on crack, flailing my arms and grabbing the edges of the window as Toothiana and her little baby teeth fluttered about.

I was about to aim another trampoline-shadow their way, when a massive clump of snow hit me in the back hard enough to make me fall forward and sink into the 4-foot-deep mound of snow beneath me, growling angrily as the cold seeped into my skin. I threw myself out, looking up as I was still waist-deep in the snow to see a cockily-smiling Jack Frost, leaning out of the window I had just been in, throwing a snowball up-and-down lazily.

I huffed in embarrasment and shook the snow from my hair, only to get another snowball to the face.

"FROST!"I shouted, throwing my arm up as a flash of shadows shot up, Jack dodging out of the way just in time to avoid my attack, by not the sudden ball of golden sand that hit him smack in the face. I gasped and laughed out loud as Jack's eyes rolled up and he fell over the windowsill and right next to me in the snowmound, sleeping soundly.

I looked up and gave Sandy a wink, which he returned, a little payback for saving him from one of Bunny's boomerang-trip-wire attacks. I looked down at Jack, curled up and snoring softly, and thought for a moment, aloud,

"I should help him...Oh look, my next stop's Hawaii!" I immediatly gripped my map in my hands and dissapeared, heading for somewhere at least mildly warm.

-Burgess-

"Out of my vay!"

"Not on ya life, ya old date!"

"Oh, Babytooth, hurry up! We're almost there!"

"Coolest guy on Earth coming through! S'cuse me, Cottontail!"

"Frost! I'll give yer 'dashingly-good-looks' a shina'!"

"Sandy! Move! Ve vont let anyone show up Santa Clause!"

"Haha! Made it!"

"No way, I'm here!"

"Move, you're crowding the window!"

"Watch it! You're ruffling my feathers!"

"Oi, watch it ya gumbies! Haha, told ya all I'd make it in first..."

I raised an eyebrow, Jamie giggling and yawning as Sophie crawled over my lap, reaching for the red bag next to me as I sat on the bed indian-style. Bunny's face fell in shock, the others clamoring in and arguing, only to have their comments drowned out by the scene. I couldn't help the smile that fourced its way onto my face, a feeling of victory welling up inside me as I winked at the shocked guardians.

"What took you guys so long? Poor Jamie here's been up for half an hour with me waiting for you!"I exclaimed teasingly, Bunny dropping his boomerang in pure shock with his jaw hanging down, North's head dropping shame as Toothiana laughed and Sandy huffed, Jack immediatly walking over and plopping down on the bed, apparently still fighting Sandy's sand effects. Jamie laughed and pulled a cover over him, tucking in the poor winter spirit as Sophie struggled more in my arms.

I laughed and said,

"Okay, okay! Hold on, you have to close your eyes!" She immediatly sat back and closed her eyes, squeezing them shut for emphasis as I reached into the almost-empty bag, pulling out the very last present. I saw Bunny straighten up a bit in my periphrial vision, hiding the heat on my face as I leaned down and placed the toy in Sophie's outstreached hands.

"Open!"I exclaimed, and she looked down, gasping loudly and then letting out the most excited, joyful squeal I'd ever heard. I beamed, a warmth filling me as she hopped up and down, shaking the identical bunny in her arms as the one that I pulled out of my shadows, showing it to her and saying happily, "Now we match! I owed it to you, you helped me out little Sophie-bear." I tickled her nose with mine and she let out another excited squeal, hopping up and down.

She pointed to Bunny, who immediatly melted into one of those smiles that made my heart jump into my throat, Sophie exclaiming,

"Easter Bunny, hop hop hop!" He chuckled lightly and was about to say something, but Sophie pointed to me with her other arm and exclaimed, "Tag! Tag!" North let out some booming laughter and exclaimed,

"Ah, little one knows well!" I felt my face heat up again and I starred at Sophie wide-eyed as she continued to hop in my lap and point.

"Do I get to open my present, too? Huh Jack?!"Jamie exclaimed, Jack groggily sitting up and handing him a small, red box that I knew contained a snowglobe of Jamie sledding down the street. I wanted to see him open it, glad for the distraction, when I heard footsteps behind us on the stairs.

"Sandy, parents! Sleep sand, now!"I whispered, and he nodded, Jamie and Sophie pouting. I winked down at them and placed Sophie next to Jamie on the bed, Bunny not-so-nicely tugging Jack from the bed as the winter spirit made a loud 'bang' on the floor.

"We'll visit again soon, Merry Christmas you two."I whispered, smiling at their smiles and kissing them each on the forehead, Sophie returning the gesture. I was about to leave, Sandy pulling sand up between his hands and the footsteps drawing closer, the others already at the window and prepared to leave, when Sophie held up her bunny doll and exclaimed,

"Kiss kiss! Kiss kiss!"

My jaw dropped and I could have sworn I heard Jack snort with laughter, Sophie's eyes wide and bright. I swear, the kid knows more than she lets on. I wanted to melt away right then and there, but the look on Sophie's face was too genuine, too happy and magical with Christmas cheer to crush by saying no. So, I leaned forward and quickly placed a peck on the toy's nose, leaning back just in time for Sandy to hit both of them with sleep-sand.

I stood quickly, facing Bunny. Our eyes locked for a moment, my stomach flipping and heart jumping until we both quickly looked away, coughing awkwardly and jumping onto the windowsill, bumping shoulders as we soared into the air, Bunny quickly falling onto the sleigh below us, Jack shooting past me with Tooth close to him.

"Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!"North exclaimed, Jack teasing back,

"What did you just call me?" I laughed, jumping from my shadow cloud as Sandy beckoned me down, airborn for a moment, bracing myself for impact onto the sleigh...

A pain shot up my ribs and I called out, cringing as I felt myself gripped tightly and thrown through the air. The sudden impact after a few, slow seconds of ice-cold air knocked the wind out of me, hearing shouts above me from my friends, their image not viewable beyond the halo of trees above me, my vision blurry from impact. I groaned, head lurching as I rolled painfully over onto my stomach, seeing a lash of shadow dissipate in front of me weakly.

My heart dropped, the pain in my ribs shooting up again as I pushed myself up to my elbows. My breath caught. But just for a moment.

"..Pitch."I spat, anger and shadows flaring around me as he stood there, glaring at me with a hatred I'd yet to see, making his eyes flicker and mouth contort in a snarl. But he looked anything but menecing. Standing uneasily on the slightly snow-dusted lake that Jack called his 'home', he was panting heavily, arm wrapped around his torso from where I'd wounded him last time we met, body lurched forward and tired-looking, beaten down.

Pitch was down, but he didn't want to be out. I could assist that. I slowly pushed myself up to my feet, starring at the brother I was convinced had abandoned all previous bonds towards me, and feeling a pang of pain and hurt. This man that was once strong. Once had meant the world to me. Deduced to this?

I dropped the red back in my hand, a shadow snaking around my wrist. Pitch saw it, and I saw...something. Something flash across his face that I couldn't quite catch, something along the lines of pain or guilt. But I had to be mistaken. Pitch didn't feel guilt, not one ounce, in all the time I'd known him.

"Do you really this to end this way?"I asked, kicking the bag away and taking a step forward as the sounds of my friends echoed near me, a loud crash and shouts. I remained trained on Pitch, who didn't even seem to notice the oncoming guardians. Instead, he remained looking at me, breath hitching as he cringed. He was weakened from the evil he had done to me. He had hurt me. Hurt my friends. Turned on me. Lied. Cheated. Injured. Corrupted. Endangered. I hated him.

And I hated a small part of me that still ached when he tried to take a step forward and almost fell flat, instead weakly catching himself with his other foot. The trees moved with the sounds of my friends. Of the people I loved. Of those that fought for me even when I went against them. I betrayed them and they still loved me, even though they had no obligation to. They loved me unconditionally.

And in this moment, seeing my seething older brother who had taken care of me a good majoraty of my life, part of me aching towards him, I had to wonder...

"...Why?"I hated how my voice hitched a bit, as if I were about to cry when really it was from all of the hurt suddenly welling up inside of me. All of the good memories breaking at this one scene, playing out like a bad soap opera. Pitch's eyes flickered up to me a bit, straightening and cringing. I felt myself being to shake, asking myself a question that I didn't realize I was asking out loud. "Why?"

He remained silent, panting, just looking at me. No response, just a dropped scowl in place of a pained frown. No. He had done too much. He had hurt too much. He had hurt me too much, to just remain silent and let me send him permanently back to where I had lived for 900 miserable years. And all of the emotion, all of the questions, frustrations, tears and pain, bundled inside of me. He was my big brother. I was supposed to protect him. He was supposed to protect me. I couldn't believe that that bond had been a lie.

I couldn't believe it. So I had to know.

"Damnit Pitch!"I shouted, his eyes going wide at my outburst, the words pouring from me like a waterfall, "Why! Tell me WHY! After everything we'd been through, after all that we did, you can't even tell me?! You hurt me, you betrayed me, you made me vunerable, you tried to take away the only people that every truley loved me, and all for what?!

"That's what I want to know, Pitch!"I screamed, unaware of the quiet 'crack' below my feet through my haze of emotions and pain, voice cracking as I finally shouted, "All of this! All of this pain, these nightmares, this fear! Tell me! Was it all worth it?!"

My voice caught in my throat and I silenced, my own breathing now heavy and burdened as his was, teeth clenched to prevent more words from spilling from my mouth. I'd said all I needed to know. And I was going to get an answer. After everything that had happened, I deserved one.

Pitch was silent again, for just a second. His breathing even out and his eyes locked onto mine, his jaw tight and face a mix of angry and...and something else. I expected any number of excuses to come from him. Expected him to say that if he could achieve his goal, then it was worth it. Yes. Yes it had been. Yes-

"No."

My eyes widened, my breath caught, trying to understand what I'd just heard. Pitch's face was loathing. Self-loathing. Hatred. Panting again and hand dropping from his chest and shaking his head a bit, whispering quietly, darkly,

"No, it wasn't."

"Pit-" CRACK!

I gasped, the ice beneath me spiderwebbing out violently and heaving below me, Pitch's eyes going wide as I looked down, panic blocking out any means of escape. I couldn't form one in time, anyway. Jack and Bunny's voices ripped from the trees to my side, screaming,

"NO!"

"Black-!"

And then there was nothing but muffled water. A cold so sharp in bit me to the core. A darkness deeper than any I had ever known. And a silence more chilling than any nightmare could offer.