Chapter 10

The first thing I felt was the soft blankets covering me. The second thing was the cold.

I groaned lightly and opened my eyes. At first, everything was a bit blurry; but after blinking a couple of times, my vision cleared.

I was laying in a large bed, it had to at least have been a queen size. I glanced everywhere and realized that I was in North's workshop at the Pole, given the room's color scheme. I relaxed into the bed once more, and then the memories of what happened came back.

I bit my lip and felt my eyes prick with tears. "Sandy . . ."

"Skye?"

I looked to my right and saw Jack sitting there and holding my hand. He looked like he had just woken up as well, given the fact that he covered his mouth on a quiet yawn.

"Jack . . ." I breathed. "I'm glad you're alright."

He gave me a slightly forced grin. "I should be saying that to you, Ryuu. You gave me a bit of a scare when you started following the laws of gravity."

I snickered once and then slowly sat up. "Ughh . . . . my head . . ."

"Easy there, Skye," he said, helping me sit up. "You landed in the sleigh a bit hard."

I nodded and then let out a shuddering breath. "Sandy . . ."

A tear fell down my face and Jack wiped it away. "I know . . ." he murmured.

I got up and out of the bed, using Jack's shoulder to steady myself. I went and sat in a chair near the window and Jack joined me. I spotted my mp3 on a nearby table and grabbed it, putting it to a song that I felt I had to sing, even if it was to let out my emotions.

"Of all the money that e'er I had
I spent it in good company.
And all the harm I've ever done,
Alas it was to none but me."

"And all I've done for want of wit
To memory now I can't recall.
So fill to me the parting glass;
Goodnight and joy be to you all."

"So fill to me the parting glass,
And drink a health whate'er befalls.
Then gently rise and softly call:
Goodnight and joy be to you all."

"Of all the comrades that e'er I had,
They're sorry for my going away.
And all the sweethearts that e'er I had,
They'd wish me one more day to stay."

"But since it fell into my lot
That I should rise and you should not,
I'll gently rise and softly call:
Goodnight and joy be to you all."

"Fill to me the parting glass,
And drink a health whate'er befalls.
Then gently rise and softly call:
Goodnight and joy be to you all."

"But since it fell into my lot
That I should rise and you should not,
I'll gently rise and softly call:
Goodnight and joy be to you all."

"So fill to me the parting glass,
And drink a health whate'er befalls.
Then gently rise and softly call:
Goodnight and joy be to you all."

"Goodnight and joy be to you all~ . . ."

By the time I finished, a few more tears had fallen down my face. I wiped them away as Jack made a picture of Sandy out of frost on the window.

"You know," he said softly, "I'm not sure if I've told you this before, but your voice is . . . really pretty."

I felt myself flush a little and I gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Jack."

A knock sounded on the door, and I heard North come inside.

"Are you two alright?" he asked quietly, coming over to us.

I looked up at him as Jack kept gazing at the frost picture he made.

"I . . . I should've done something," I murmured, looking back out the window. Jack nodded in agreement, taking my hand and giving it a light squeeze.

"Done something?" questioned North. "You both stood up to Pitch and saved us."

"But Sandy-" started Jack.

"Would be proud of the both of you," interrupted North.

Jack and I stood, Jack taking his hood off as North said, "I don't know who you were in your past life, Jack, but in this life you are Guardian. Both of you are Guardians."

"But how can I know who I am . . . until I find out who I was?" asked Jack. I gave him a gentle smile.

"You will, Snowcone," I said. "Ya just gotta have a little faith."

North chuckled and put a hand on each of our shoulders. "That is the spirit!"

A yeti then came in and said something to North, then the large Russian left in a hurry. Jack and I exchanged a glance before following him.

As we floated down the hall, he looked at me. "How can you be so sure about stuff?"

I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder. "Well . . . fate has a funny way of doing things, Jack." Like dumping me here after I died, I added mentally. "Something tells me that, with a little bit of faith in knowing that things will be okay, you'll get the answers you've been looking for."

He chuckled a little, then intertwined our fingers. "Thanks, Skye. You always know what to say."

I flushed and my stomach did flip-flops. "I-I try . . ."

We made it to the globe room, and saw the others gathered there and looking at the globe. It seemed to rotate slower than before, and it looked a bit . . . dim. The lights were also flickering and going out at a troublesome rate.

"Look at how fast they're going out," lamented Tooth.

As I watched each light die, I felt a piece of my heart break. It seemed that a lot of bad dreams could make a lot of kids lose faith and belief in my new-found friends.

"It's fear," said Jack as we floated over, observing the globe from above.

"He's tipping the balance," I added. "He's making them lose faith and belief . . ."

North and Tooth looked up at us with sad expressions, and then Bunny piped up.

"Hey, buck up, you sad sacks," he said, hopping over and standing on the control panel. "We can still turn this around. Easter is tomorrow, and I need your help. I say we pull out all the stops and get those lights flickering again!" he concluded, turning to look at the globe.

Jack and I landed and I smiled up at the Pooka. "Damn straight, Cottontail," I said, silently vowing to make sure that some of the eggs made it out of the massacre I knew would occur. "We gotta have hope!"

He hopped down and bumped his paw against my shoulder with a grin. "You said it, sheila."

With our spirits a little bit lighter, we made our way to the elevator. "Bunny is right," said North, getting his coat on.

We rode down in the elevator, and North sighed. "As much as it pains me to admit, old friend, this time, Easter . . . is more important than Christmas."

Bunny gaped. "Did you hear that?" he asked, looking at Jack, Tooth, and I as we exited the elevator. "Did everyone hear that?"

I giggled and swung mine and Jack's clasped hands. "Yes, Bunny, we did. Honestly, though, I think they're equally important, but for different reasons."

"Everyone, to the sleigh!" cried North.

"Oh, no. My Warren, my rules," said Bunny with a smirk. "Buckle up."

North gaped as Bunny tapped his foot twice, and I groaned. "Shostakovitch!" cursed North as we fell.

I held onto Jack's hand for dear life as we went down the tunnel, and I groaned as Jack laughed.

"God, I'm gonna feel drunk after this," I moaned.

Jack only laughed louder. "Come on! This is fun!"

And with that, we flew out of the hole and I wobbled in midair, my head spinning.

"Kami wa, watashi wa tawagoto no yō ni kanjiru . . . Toppu no yōna watashi no atama no kaiten . . . Watashi ga suwaru koto ga dekiru jimen dotchidesu ka?" I said.

Jack snickered and helped lower me to the ground. "There ya go, Ryuu."

"Arigatō . . ." I murmured, breathing deeply and closing my eyes.

"Haha, 'buckle up'. Is very funny," said North as he sat up.

Bunny chuckled and I opened my eyes to look around. "Welcome to the Warren!"

I took in all of the lush greenery, and I smiled softly. Now THIS is a spring haven . . . so beautiful. The movie really didn't do it justice at all . . .

Then, Bunny turned around and listened sharply. I bit back a grin, since I knew what was going on.

"Somethin's up," he said.

Everyone except me went on high alert. I idly played with the hilt of my katana and decided to hover above the entrance of the tunnel they were looking at.

"Guys, I really don't think there's anything to worry about," I said with a smirk. They looked skeptical, but I held up a hand.

"Seriously, just wait for, like, 30 seconds," I said. "Trust me."

Sure enough, Sophie came out holding a bunch of the little walking eggs. They all gaped at each other, and Sophie dropped the eggs she was holding to chase after the elf that got sucked down with us.

"Sophie?" questioned Jack.

"Elf elf elf!" cried the little girl, chasing around the little man.

"What is she doing here?!" questioned Bunny, looking like he was about to start ripping his ears off.

"I thought I saw a little snow globe fall out of your coat when you were knocked out at Jamie's, North," I said, hovering above the Russian with my head tilted back. "That lil cutie is Jamie's sister. Must've snuck into Jamie's room and found it."

"Ahh," he said.

"Crikey, somebody DO something!" cried Bunny, looking between Jack and I.

"Hey, don't look at us," said Jack, raising his hands in front of him. "We're invisible, remember?"

"Hehehehe elf hehehehe elf!" giggled Sophie, dragging the poor creature on the ground by its bell.

"Don't worry, Bunny, I bet she's a fairy fan," said Tooth, flitting over to the little girl. "It's okay, little one!"

"Pretty!" cried Sophie, letting go of the elf as she smiled up at Tooth.

Said fairy smiled and flitted lower to be a little more at level with the blonde girl. "Aww~! You know what, I've got a surprise for you," she said. She held out her hand which had teeth in them and I quickly flew over and covered her mouth.

"Tooth, trust me, nothing you could say about those teeth will make them appeal to Sophie as much as they would to you," I said. I uncovered her mouth and shrugged. "No offense, Toothy, but I don't think this lil cutie would like anything covered in blood or gums."

Tooth smiled sheepishly and Jack chuckled as Sophie ran after some walking eggs to play peekaboo with them. "Blood and gums? When was the last time you guys actually hung out with kids?" he asked as he floated over to sit on an egg.

"We are very busy bringing joy to children," said North. "We don't have time . . . for children," he finished, realizing how wrong that statement sounded.

I sighed. "Oh, woe is me. You lot need to loosen up and get out more. You'll turn into hermits if you keep that up."

Jack chuckled. "Exactly. If one little kid can ruin Easter, then we're in worse shape than I thought . . ."

He made a single snowflake and it floated in the air before hitting Bunnymund square on the nose. Blue sparkles shined in front of his face for a second, and then he smiled.

I turned to Jack with a grin. "Well, now you've gotten the rabbit to loosen up. I think it's my turn to set the mood, don't you~?"

He laughed and leaned back on the egg he was perched on. "Go for it, princess."

I grinned and rifled through my mp3, then my grin widened as I stopped on the perfect song for preparing for Easter.

"Ohh . . . Ohh . . .
Underneath the snow
Beneath the frozen streams,
There is life~ . . .
You have to know,
When Nature sleeps, she dreams;
There is life~ . . . !"

"And the colder the winter,
The warmer the spring!
The deeper the sorrow,
The more our hearts sing!"

"Even when you can't see it
Inside everything~ . . .
There is life~ . . ."

"Ooh . . .
After the rain,
The sun will reappear;
There is life~ . . .
After the pain,
The joy will still be here;
There is life~ . . . !"

"For it's out of the darkness,
That we learn to see!
And out of the silence,
That songs come to be!
And all that we dream of
Awaits patiently~ . . . !"

"There is liiiife~ . . . !"

"There is life~ . . ."

"Ooooh~ . . ."

As I sang, I awaited already painted eggs and picked up one at a time, painting on the kanji for 'hope', or in my father's language, 'kibou'. Because, after all, Easter was a holiday of hope; and it was also Bunny's center.

Bunny hopped over to me while keeping an eye on Sophie. He looked over the eggs I completed as they walked towards the tunnels, and I caught him smiling slightly at my little added details, aside from the kanji.

"Ya know, Skye, you ain't half bad at painting," he said, sitting next to me.

I gave him a grin. "Thanks, Aster. Oto-san made both Luka and I learn calligraphy, and he taught us how to properly write kanji. I figured that it would give the eggs a bit of an added flare."

He watched me paint a few more, then said, "You don't talk much about your mum, I noticed. Frostbite mentioned that, too."

My hand stilled for a second, and I let out a sigh before finishing my current egg. "No, not really. Oka-san, uh . . . she passed away four years ago," I murmured. "It was a, uh . . . it was a very dark time for me and Luka . . ."

"Crikey. Sorry, sheila," he said, his ears drooping a bit.

I gave him a half-smile. "Hey, if anyone here knows about losing family, it would be you. No need to be sorry; you had it a lot worse than I did, that's for sure."

His eyes clouded over for a second, and then he nodded. "Yeah . . . But, ah, what happened? To your mum?" he asked, changing the subject.

I bit my lip and shivered slightly. "She was . . . she was murdered," I muttered. "A coworker who was in competition with her for a promotion at the publishing industry she worked at caught her in the parking garage . . . She put chloroform to her nose, and she passed out . . . The police spared me the details, but when they found Oka-san . . ."

I shuddered and clenched my fists. "Let's just say that she was . . . in more than one place."

"Crikey," breathed Aster. "That's . . . that's awful, Skye . . ."

I took a few breaths and calmed down enough to look up at him; he looked a bit pale under his fur.

I smiled a little. "It bothers me and gets to me at times, but . . . Oka-san is still with me. Her beliefs are still with me. Her father, my grandfather, is a Druidic High Priest. My Oka-san was pure-bred Scottish. While I may speak Japanese, Oto-san let her teach my sister and I her people's religion."

"And interestingly enough," I said, brightening a little more, "Easter, or Ostara as it is known to my mother's people, is a very important holiday. Birth of new life, new beginnings . . . Bringing hope and helping people keep faith."

Aster smiled and gave me a one-armed hug. "Right you are, sheila."

I saw Sophie getting a bit tired, and I chuckled as she came a few inches from falling into the color river. "Uh, Bunny, I think you might want to check up on the lil cutie," I said, pointing to her wobbling figure.

He followed my finger and his eyes widened before he jumped up and hopped over to her. I chuckled and stood as well. I saw Jack float over to the Pooka as he held the little girl, and I knew they were having their heart to heart.

~ 3rd P.o.V ~

"Not bad," said Jack as he watched the eggs start to go towards the tunnels.

Aster cradled Sophie in his arms and looked at the winter spirit with a smile. "Not bad yourself."

"Look, I'm sorry about the whole 'kangaroo' thing," said Jack, smiling sheepishly.

The Pooka chuckled. "It's the accent, isn't it?"

Jack giggled and nodded. "Yeah, to be honest."

Bunny rolled his eyes, then looked at Jack with curious eyes. "Hey, Frostbite . . . are you n' Skye together?"

Jack raised a brow at him and tilted his head a little. "What do you mean?"

Bunny had to laugh at the boy's naivete. "Are you n' the sheila an item; all lovey-dovey, like."

Jack's face turned so blue that it traveled up to the very tips of his ears. "N-no! W-what gave you that idea?!"

Bunny grinned. "Ya can't pull the fur over my eyes, Frost, I know you're sweet on 'er. I see the way ya look at the sheila," he teased. "She looks at you the same way, too," he added, shaking his head.

Then, he became sober. "The sheila's got some heart in 'er, that's for sure. Don't know why she'd up and give it to a gumby like you, though," he finished with a grin.

Skye then floated over. "Why are you calling Jack a gumby, Aster?" she asked with a giggle. "What'd he do? Ask a stupid question?"

Bunny shook his head as the others came over. "Nah, just calling it as I see it, to use your words, mate."

She rolled her eyes and settled next to the still slightly blue-faced boy. She looked over at Sophie with a soft smile.

"She reminds me of Luka at that age, almost," she murmured.

"Poor little ankle-biter. Look at 'er, all tuckered out," said Bunny, smiling down at the little sleeping girl.

"I love her," sighed Tooth, hovering next to Sophie with an affectionate gaze. "I think it's time we got her home," she said, taking the little girl from Bunny as he stood.

~ Skye P.o.V ~

Oh geez . . . another plot thing that is gonna make me go cray cray, I thought to myself.

"How about I take her?" asked Jack, standing as well.

I hovered next to him and forced a smile on my face. "Good idea, Jack."

"Jack, no, Pitch is-" started Tooth.

"No match for this," he finished, holding out it staff.

"Which is why we need you here, with us," said Bunny.

I clicked my tongue. "What am I, chopped liver? As long as I stay at least, you guys have got back up," I said. "Jack will be fastest; the Wind will carry them quickly."

Jack grinned triumphantly. "See? And don't worry, I'll be quick as a bunny," he said, miming a running motion with his fingers.

They reluctantly nodded and Tooth handed Sophie off to Jack. "Take Baby Tooth with you," she said.

I giggled. "I don't think the little one was planning on leaving Jack anytime soon. She's attached to him."

The little fairy smiled and twittered shyly before nuzzling against Jack's cheek. I had a slight moe moment. "D'awwwWWW~! She's so damn CUTE~!" I giggled.

Jack flushed light blue and cleared his throat. "Yeah, so, I'm gonna just-"

"Nope, you ain't leavin' yet, Snowcone," I said firmly. I grinned. "Not before promising me that you'll come back without being distracted. You have the attention span of a chihuahua on crack."

"I do not!" he said, frowning.

"Promise me," I said firmly.

He sighed. "Fine . . . I won't get distracted . . ."

I patted his cheek (which was so soft and smooth, ohmyjesus) and grinned. "Good boy."

With that, he rolled his eyes and gave me a quick wink before flying off.

I sighed and shook my head. "It's like trying to deal with a 12 year old . . ."

North laughed and clapped me on the back, making me go forward a bit. "HAH! That is funny! Is he always like this?" he asked.

I giggled. "At times, yeah. But he's really fun to be around and he helped me adjust. He's the one who found me when I was reborn; that's why we're so close to each other," I said, drifting towards the tunnels with a sweet smile on my face. "I saved him from his 3 centuries of loneliness, and he saved me from enduring the same thing. He's my best friend."

Then, I turned to them with a serious expression. "Now, I have a feeling that we're gonna need to guard the tunnels. Guard them like they're Alcatraz, Fort Knox, and Buckingham Palace combined."

They nodded and Bunny hopped closer to me. "There's six tunnels; one for each populated continent. A couple a my egg gollums can take the two at each end. We can cover the other four."

I nodded once. "Sounds like a plan, Cottontail."

We each stood guard over a tunnel; I took North America, Tooth took Asia, Bunny took Europe, and North took Africa. For the first half hour, everything was fine.

But then, I heard a faint whinny coming from my tunnel and I drew my katana.

"Guys, they're coming!"

And then, the proverbial shit hit the fan.

NightMares flew out of my tunnel, then went after the other five. We all slashed and destroyed as many of them as we could, but it was like more and more just kept taking their place.

"Where the hell is Frost?!" called Bunny.

"I don't know!" cried Tooth.

I saw North dispatching a dozen of the shadow creatures with his swords, and I looked around in a panic.

God, this is awful! Come on . . . THINK! I scolded myself. What made your dragons power up in the first place?!

I thought about different depressing or angering things as I fought the NightMares, trying to coax a reaction out of my dragons. When I got to the thought of what would end up happening to the children if they didn't find any eggs, something in me seemed to stir.

I looked at my right arm and grinned as tnhat dragon, at least, started to glow and began to come off of my skin.

"Time to get serious!" I cried. I put more force behind my slashes, letting out my dragon-esque roar.

As I did, that one dragon came off of my skin and glowed bright with silver light. The NightMares seemed to wwhinny in distress as they beheld it, and I grinned sadistically.

"Kōgeki!"

My dragon whooshed through three dozen of the NightMares, and I laughed in glee as I saw it take out a other dozen.

However, I soon began to feel weakened. My strikes became less agile and more sloppy, and then I finally collapsed to my knees on the lush grass, my dragon going back to my arm.

The last thing I saw was seven of the blasted shadow creatures swarming around me, and then it turned black. Pitch black.

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Yay, updates :)

But, on a more somber note, my family's dog had to be put down today. The poor boy had bone cancer, and we had no idea that that was what was wrong with him, and we took him to the vet today and she said that at that point, it was too late to try and operate. So, we had to have him be put to sleep.

That being said, I'll try to update as soon as I can, but don't get too mad at me if I take a little while. Okay?

Love you all lots,

vampireXgirl13X