A/N: Happy 2015! May it be the best one yet! I'm so inspired to write more fics, read more fucs and books, etc. So here's the grand finale of this bigger-than-I-thought story. Honestly, I never planned it this way, and I'm loving the review and follows. They're so encouraging! Thanks for your help and support!
"Sanderson Manszoonie...older than the Man in the Moon itself...prepare to meet your demise..."
"D-doc...p-please d-don't do this...take me instead...I-"
"No, Jack!" Aster grunted. "You've been though enough." He stood up slowly, grunting in pain. "You hurt my oldest friend, and I-AH!"
"Hush now! I'm tired of heroic bantering!" Morbus called his panther back after it had another bite at Aster's leg. "Let me finish my ultimate experiment." He pulled out an hour glass. "Tell, me Sanderson, how well are you at telling time?" The hourglass floated into the air, sucking Sandy grain by grain into the glass container. Nobody could stop this madness, this so-called man of science.
As Sandy started evaporating before their very eyes, the Guardians and even Pitch saw absolutely no hope. There was no way out of this one. It looked like Morbus had won.
"Sandy..." North tearfully said his name so softly. Tianna started weeping again, not from pain this time, but from the sorrow of losing someone who was one of her closest friends she loved dearly. Aster was furious he could not do a thing to help. "Sorry, mate..." Sandy nodded in understanding to the broken warrior.
Jack could not control himself. Aster held him back as he screamed and cried, watching his first friend as a spirit disappear before his very eyes. "Sandy..." The old spirit blew out a last spirt of dreamsand to make Jack fall asleep so the poor boy wouldn't have to see him die...again. After Jack passed out in Aster's arms, the last bit of the Guardian of Dreams was closed off into the hourglass, revealing nothing but a pile of sand. Even the golden sparkle had lost its shine. A moment later, it looked like ordinary brown sand.
"Well, I must say this has been quite a show!" Morbus proudly shoved Sandy into his coat pocket, patting the lump on his side. "You don't know how long I've been preparing and waiting to pull off perhaps one of the greatest scientific achievements in the history of the universe! You are all free to go! I have no use of your remains." The wolves came back to surround the Guardians, preventing them from attacking Morbus as he marched on, laughing a deep, dark laugh.
But he never made it more than five steps...
The Wind started howling like a tornado, blowing the wolves and the panther far away in pure terror. Morbus was thrown back, landing flat on his back. Sandy fell out of his pocket, and Aster quickly retrieved it, huddling back with Jack.
"What on the world?!" Morbus stood up, put his spectacles on, and stared curiously at the storm before them. It was unlike anything anybody had ever seen. It was no ordinary tornado...it was bright and colorful...
"No..." Morbus stepped back in shock. "That's impossible!" The storm howled on. "I destroyed you! You evil spirit! You siren!"
Jack looked at Aster and the others to see looks of shock on their faces.
"Uh, guys, what is he talking about?" Aster looked at Jack, then back at North, who was in obvious wonder at the sight before him...
"North?"
"Ngh? Yes, well, um, I thought es just legend, no? Myth, perhaps. But never knew was real. Guess Manny thought we needed help..." North tearfully looked up at the sky. "He alvays knows vat to do ven time is right..."
"I still don't understand." Jack shook his head, snuggling closer to Aster. "What is it?"
"Nah, Jack...the question is who is she?"
"She?" Jack looked, and the storm twisted into a young woman, would've been only a few years older than Jack mortally speaking. Her hair was a fiery orange red with feathers of birds hanging down. Her skin was a light turquoise, with pink lips and slightly rosy cheeks. Her eyes opened to a black abyss of power. She was clothed in robes of dull colors, surrounded by little fairies of light purple. The Wind died down to a soft breeze.
Everyone was too stunned to speak, so she did.
"Morbus. You thought you could defeat me by mortal ways, but you are wrong. You thought you could banish me to the end of the universe where the Man in the Moon could not find me. Well, you were wrong. He did find me, and restored me to make myself stronger than ever before. And now, you will face judgment for all of the souls you have destroyed and tortured."
"This is why you should have never existed! You're a demon witch! I'm going to tear you apart and experiment on you sgain, but this time, I won't go easy on you. No, madam, you will know what true pain is once I am through with you. You-AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"You are no more."
The Guardians and Pitch, now conscious, were continuing to stare in awe at this spirit's immense power.
"Guardians..." She snared at Pitch, who just glared back at her, "I am Camilla, the Spirit of the Wind. My name meaning free-born, I am unbreakable. I cannot be contained. It is not of my nature. And because of my desire of freedom, my center is restoration. So, here is what was lost to you, yours again."
The Guardians were speechless as strength was restored, wounds were healed, and gratefulness in their hearts. Jack stood up with no pain, Tianna's wings were returned to her.
"Sandy?"
Camilla smiled, using the wind to free Sandy from his prison. The Guardian of Dreams was anew and better than ever.
"Welcome back, Sanderson. It is good to see you again." Sandy was surprised but joyful to see her again. Pictures were whirling above his head in excitement.
"Ve cannot thank you enough." North stepped forward. "You saved us all. I am sorry to say I believed you to be just a myth. Forgive me."
"There is nothing to forgive, Nicholas. All is well now, and once again, we are at peace."
"We wouldn't be here without ye, Sheila. Ah cannot thank ye enough." Aster smiled, hope fully within his center once more.
"Aster, your strength and courage spoke wonders to me. The love you have for Jack and your family was what called me hear."
"How?"
"Hope is the beginning of freedom. Hope keeps you alive to see the sun again. Without hope, freedom would never be obtained."
"But, I started to lose hope." Aster's ears lowered in embarrassment. "What kind of Guardian am I to lose the thing that makes me me?"
"You can never lose who you are, my friend." Camilla looked at Jack. "And you, Jack. So young and full of life. You didn't deserve any of this. But never fear. Your family is safe now."
"Uh, th-thank-you so much for everything." Jack blushed and started running his fingers through his hair. "Thank-you."
"You're very welcome, Jack."
"Don't mean to interrupt, but I really cannot stay for a second longer, it disgusts me." Pitch was back to his normal dark self. Black sand swarmed him. His Nightmare formed and nudged her master. "I must be going. We'll see each other very soon, I can assure you." And with that, the Nightmare King disappeared into the shadows once more. It didn't faze the Guardians, though. After all, each and every Spirit Manny created has a purpose in this world.
Jack cleared his throat. He winked at North. "Sooooo?"
North laughed his deep jolly laugh. "To the sleigh!"
The Guardians bid the Spirit of the Wind farewell and headed home to the North Pole. Camilla smiled, blew a Kiss that fluttered away on a butterfly to the Man in the Moon, and flew off into the distance.
All was well...
For now...
A/N: The End! Yea! I'm really proud of this story, and because of the awesome reception I got from this, I'm throwing in a sequel! Woohoo! As you may have guessed, Camilla will be featured in the next story! I really like this OC that I got the inspiration from Josephine Wall, whose painting The Spirit of the Flight is absolutely inspiring! Found it on a journal at Barnes and Noble! Anyways, sequel coming very soon! I'm also working on Hate Me, so please check that out too! I cannot thank you enough for reading this! Love you guys!