Not Alone
Chapter 11
Highly Suspicious But Maybe Innocent Although We Haven't Clarified That Yet Bystander: *maniacal laughter* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Angela: *walks in* Well, this is unusual… I think?
Opal: *facepalm* Yes, Angela, this is highly unusual. Who gave you coffee, Bystander?
HSBMIAWHCTY Bystander: Ange-MMFF!
Angela: *removes her hand from HSBMIAWHCTY Bystander's mouth* I don't think we need to hear that now, do we?
Opal: Oh yes we do.
Angela: Yeah, um, Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye! *races away*
Opal: *chasing Angela out of the room* GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!
HSBMIAWHCTY Bystander: Angela doesn't own RotG, but she does own Rose and Krystal. SEE YOU LATER!
Angela: NO WAIT YOU CAN'T FINISH THE DISCLA-
Jack, Rose and Sandy stared at the mass of nightmares surrounding them. Jack swallowed heavily. "You take the ones on the left, we'll take the ones on the right?" he asked Sandy desperately.
Just then, the sleigh came barreling out from a side street, a half-awake North at the reins, and flew over their heads, nearly knocking Pitch off the nightmare he was riding. Sandy took advantage of his distraction and grabbed Jack and Rose before spiralling up into the sky on a funnel of dreamsand.
Rose yelled as he let the winter children go mid-spin but soon Jack's arms were around her, and she was being deposited on the sleigh. She whipped out her quiver, which also held her bow. She strung it in one smooth movement, and stood tense and ready, waiting for a strike. Suddenly, Jack's voice echoed in her head. You're not sulking on me again, are you? Rose let out an impatient huff. Yeah, right. Anyway, I know that you have to do this. I can't fly, and bows are generally used for- DUCK!
Jack dodged the Nightmare behind him with ease, just as at least two ice-fletched arrows sprouted from the creatures hide. Jack nodded. Thanks sis before throwing himself into the fight, swinging his staff with wild abandon, and taking down Nightmares wherever they stood. He spared one guilty thought for what Lily would say if he came to visit with another cracked rib, but reminded himself that Rose could fix him up just fine, and threw himself back into the fray, seeing arrows impacting Nightmares out of the corner of his eye.
A split-second later, Jack heard Rose's scream spilt the air. He spun around to see her go flying off the sleigh; apparently she'd been hit by one of Bunny's returning boomerangs. He pushed down a surge of anger at the Pooka, and dive forwards, intercepting Rose in mid-air. He held her to his chest; he could feel her shaking. "We're going to have to stop making this a habit." He murmured into her hair. Rose just laughed shakily, before her relieved face morphed into one of horror. Jack spun around and, with a thrill of terror, saw Pitch pull back an imaginary bow filled with a large, deadly arrow made of Nightmare Sand.
"NO!" He yelled, and launched off the sleigh, moving faster than he ever had before, but knowing it was too late. Jack could see Sandy's golden sand shrinking, smaller and smaller, until with a flare of light, it vanished completely, swallowed up by the black sand. Jack stared, numb, unable to believe it, while Rose's cry of misery echoed through his head. No, he murmured silently. NO!
Jack suddenly shot towards Pitch, fire in his eyes, ignoring the shouts from the Guardians behind him. Pitch simply smiled and raised his arms, causing a wave of darkness to wash over the teenage spirit.
On the sleigh, Rose cried out in pain as she started to glow, brighter and brighter. Tooth looked away and noticed an identical glow coming from where Pitch had swamped Jack.
Jack grunted in pain as an incredible amount of power, more than he'd ever had to channel before, washed through him. He frowned, wondering where it all come from, before catching the scent of flowers and wind and excitement that was so uniquely Rose, and smiled slightly. Ah, that's was it. With a roar of pain, frustration and grief, he brought his staff over his head, imagining Rose's small hands holding the staff too, and together they blasted all the excess power into Pitch. Jack faintly saw the black wave almost instantly crystallize and explode, before a pulse of dizziness swept through him, and he started to fall. Oh, crap.
Almost at the same time, Rose shivered and collapsed in the sleigh, gasping, "Get... Jack..." to a worried Tooth who had rushed over to get to her. Tooth looked around and saw Jack falling through the sky like a stone. She flew towards him and grabbed him, noticing how thin and light he was as she towed him towards the sleigh. As she laid him down on the wooden slats, he opened his eyes and noticed Rose lying on the wood next to him. Reaching out, he pulled the little girl over to him, and started tapping her face gently, calling to her both out loud and mentally. "Rose? C'mon, Rosie, wake up! Rosie?"
Rose opened her eyes sleepily and Jack sighed in relief. All at once, Rose's eyes cleared as she remembered what had happened, and she turned to bury her face in Jack's hoodie. Jack could feel the ice-cold tears soaking into his jumper, but he didn't say a word, only pulling his sister tighter into his embrace. the rest of the ride back to the pole was spent in silence.
When they arrived, Jack slung a drowsy Rose onto his back and flew off without a second thought, causing Tooth to frown and follow them, ignoring North's plans for a Guardian-only memorial.
Tooth found them in one of the highest places in the place, siting on a windowsill and drawing ice pictures on the windows. Rose's was a slightly clumsy picture of different sand animals, while Jack was doing an incredibly detailed and small ice drawing of the Sandman himself. Tooth cleared her throat nervously. "They're beautiful, you two. I'm sure Sandy would have loved them."
Jack spun around, and Tooth noticed that his eyes were red, before he snapped, "Did North send you to spy on us? We're perfectly aware we're not allowed to join the me-memorial for Sandy." His voice wavered slightly, but his face was firm. Tooth shook her head.
"No, I came to see how you were doing. I think North's being a complete idiot about this, but I can't change his mind if he doesn't want it to be changed. Also, I think we need to talk."
Jack's slightly resigned nod was a bit of a surprise for Tooth, but all he said was, "Go ahead,"
Tooth nodded slightly nervously. "First, you two are telepathic, aren't you." Jack nodded his head, slightly reigned while Rose grinned, though there was still sadness lurking behind her eyes. "Jack owes me a visit to Scarlett now. I told him one of the Guardians would figure it out."
Tooth smiled warmly at the little girl, directing her next question to her alone. "You knew I was watching, didn't you?"
Rode nodded her head. "We'd been alone for so long, we knew how to look after ourselves. Unfortunately, even we make mistakes. So when I noticed you watching us all the time and told Jack, we figured one of us had accidentally let something slip. We're not used to being around people who can see us and don't know anything about us. Do North and Bunny know?"
"No." Tooth told the two, causing almost imperceptible sighs of relief. "They're too think to notice it on their own,. and I certainly wasn't going to tell them after the way they treated you. Now, I was wondering..." Tooth dithered nervously for a second. "You two seem really lonely, and you don't really have anyone to talk to often, and I'm kinda worried about you, and-"
Jack cut her off. "Tooth, you're rambling. What's up?"
"IwaskindawonderingifIcouldbeyourmother?" Tooth burst out.
Jack looked confused, while Rose looked slightly hopeful. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" He asked her.
"I was wondering if you would like me to be your mother?" Tooth said calmly, although her heart was beating like a drum.
Jack looked stunned, but Rose grinned, a pure, honest smile of joy, and she ran over to hug Tooth, chanting "Yes, yes, yes!" As she went. Tooth almost deflated in relief, and Jack simply smiled and nodded, walking over and giving the tooth fairy a hug as well. as he pulled back, he said, the most honestly Tooth had ever seen him, "I'd like that. As long as we don't have to call you mum?"
Tooth laughed and shook her head before pulling Jack back into the group hug.
I'm Early! Haha! I decided it was mean of me to make you wait, and I wanted to make up for last week and- ah, who am I kidding, I just wanted to post this! Sorry if that was too fluffy and cuddly for you lot, and please let me know if you think I didn't get their personalities right, but I had this coming for ages, and this was just the perfect time for it once again. Thanks to Rose Jennison for the follow, and see you next chapter!
Angela