Chapter 11: The Glowing Light
North's PoV
We had been flying for over an hour now and still, there was no sign of Emily, Onyx or Jack.
"What's that?" Bunnymund asked as he pointed to a small cave that seemed to be hidden in the forest.
"Good eye, Bunnymund," I said as we started to fly downwards.
"Whoa," I said to my reindeers as we roughly landed.
"Next time, we travel my way," Bunnymund said as he struggled to get off the sleigh. Once we were all off the sleigh, we walked cautiously to the cave. All of a sudden we heard someone struggling.
"Come on," I said to my fellow Guardians. We crawled into the small cave and fell through a hole and landed on the hard rocky floor.
"Everyone alright?" I asked.
"I'm ok," Bunnymund said as Sandy conjured up a thumbs up.
"Ouch," Tooth said.
"Tooth," I said as I ran to her.
"My wing, it hurts." I quickly examined her right wing and I noticed that it was chipped at the edges a little.
"You'll be fine Tooth. You just got it chipped a little." She seemed to be relieved and a bit sad, at the same time. We all had followed the moonlight as it guided us to the entrance of a room. We peeked inside and saw Jack chained to the cave wall and Emily locked up in a cage.
"This Onyx is going to pay. Pay real hard," I said as I watched my daughter struggle to get out.
Emily's PoV
"Stop fighting it Emily. It's no use," Onyx said.
"Now Emily, you have a choice. You stay here with me and Jack does. Choose my dear, or I will choose for you." I looked over at Jack and saw the love that he had for me in his eyes. I knew that the decision I had decided on, was the right choice.
"Jack. I choose Jack to leave." Jack looked at me with tears in his eyes. I knew he wouldn't of liked my decision.
"One more thing," I told Onyx.
"And what would that be?"
"Jack gets his staff back, and you leave the Guardians alone."
"Fine."
Jack's PoV
I couldn't let Emily die. She had no right to choose for me to live and for her to die. I began to grow furious at her. I was not going to let her have control over this situation.
"No. No. If she stays, then I stay. We leave together," I said. I smiled at Emily as she smiled back. If she was going to die, then I was going to die with her.
Emily's PoV
"This was not our deal. You said that if I stay, then Jack will leave." I liked how Jack chose to stay with me, but the whole point was so that he could live.
"And live he shall, just long enough to watch me destroy you," Onyx said with a devious smile.
"NO," Jack yelled as he tried and tried to break free from his chains. Onyx had started to walk towards me, but now he had a long dagger in his hands. I saw it, and fear started to creep in my head.
"Now, don't worry. This shouldn't take long," Onyx said as he came closer and closer to me. He reached my cage and opened the door. I closed my eyes and started to relax. I began to think of Jack and my dad, and all those that I loved. I started to think about the night that Jack and I kissed. The moment we had before Onyx ruined it. I had a powerful love for Jack that night, and I still did. I began to think of the day that I twirled in the wind and sang my own song. Peace is what all these memories had reminded me of. I felt like Onyx's dagger wasn't that far from my heart. I waited for the dagger, but it never came. I had opened my eyes as I had felt the brightness of a golden glow. I looked at my hand and it was glowing into a golden brightness. My whole body was glowing. How was I doing this? In front of me was Onyx, and I had watched him dissolve into nothing.
North's PoV
We charged towards Onyx when all of a sudden, a bright golden light had shined from the cage that Emily was in. It was so bright, that I had to shield my eyes. I watched as my daughter burned with brightness. She seemed to have found her center. I watched as her golden glow seemed to have burned Onyx into ashes. She got out of her cage as I had started to run up to her. As I reached her, I welcomed her into a huge bear hug.
"I'm so proud of you," I said. I felt her shed a tear on my should. I assumed it was a tear of happiness. She was still glowing when I had set her back down on the floor.
Emily's PoV
Once my dad had placed me back on the floor, I had walked over to Jack and saw the chains dissolve into nothing, as I got closer to him. My glow began to burn brighter. I wrapped myself around Jack as he welcomed me into a hug.
"How did you do it?" Jack asked in a curious way. I began to figure out how I did. I rummaged through my thoughts and found the answer. I had found my center. I had felt it when I started to think about Jack and our love and that day in the wind. Peace. My center was Peace.
Jack's PoV
I couldn't believe how bright she glowed. We both hugged each other for a long time. I was not going to let her get away from me again. Emily lessened her squeeze and looked up at me. Her eyes had started to glow a light green color.
"I found my center. It has been peace all along, and you helped me find it," Emily said as she smiled. I smiled back at her.
"May I be the one to kiss you this time?" I asked in a mannerly way.
"Just kiss me," Emily said as I leaned in and our lips met.
