Disclaimer: Rise of the Guardians belongs to William Joyce and Dreamworks Animations. Okami belongs to Clover Studios.

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Rising Sun

Chapter 13

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Jack touched down on the frozen lake in Burgess, holding his staff tightly before him with both hands. Still sobering up or not, the moment he sensed the darkness accumulating over the small Pennsylvania town, he had taken off from Tooth Palace, startling several of Tooth's fairies. They had been chirping, demanding he come back, but there was no time to waste. Baby Tooth's own desperate squeaks had been mixed amongst them, but he couldn't just wait for Amaterasu to return while Jamie, his sister, and his friends were all in danger. His shoulders were hunched and his blue eyes were fixed in a glare. His gaze didn't waver nor did his stance as Pitch drew closer with his legion of bizarre shadow forms behind him.

"About time you arrived Jack," Pitch said, eyes bright against the black wave following him, "I thought I might have to make those children part of my number."

"I'm here now. What do you want?" Jack demanded, powers already beginning to twist into his staff further. The crook itself was glowing ice white and faded as it reached the neck down where the intricate fern patterns weaved into the weathered wood, causing them to illuminate blue.

"Impatient, aren't we?" Pitch drawled. Behind him, all the shapeless creatures chuckled, causing Jack to cast his eyes over them. It didn't take long for his attention to return to Pitch once more as he began to speak again. "I simply wanted to extend my offer once again, but I had to wait until you weren't so intoxicated."

Jack's face scrunched somewhat at the mention of his drunken state. How Pitch had found out, Jack didn't know. Amaterasu had been with him up until Tooth Palace and the fairies would've known if Pitch had been lingering in the shadows.

"Now then…" The Winter Spirit only stared up at the Nightmare King as he stopped no more than five feet away and extended his gray hand towards Jack. "Yami is going to awaken very soon and you wouldn't want to be on the wrong side. After all, he doesn't show mercy on his enemies."

Jack didn't say anything, but his right hand did grip his staff a little tighter. Pitch continued. "No Goddess means this planet will be barren. All that will thrive will be cold and darkness." His lips curled into an unpleasant smile. "You could still have company once he takes over… all you have to do is-"

"No."

Pitch blinked, brows rising as Jack cut him off. Shaking his head, a blue shine came to his eyes. "We will watch over the children of Earth, guide them safely from the way of harm…" Jack said. Wind ripped through the dark clouds rolling angrily above, pulling down a gust to push Pitch and his Fearlings back. "We will guard them with our lives, their hopes and dreams, for they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we ever will be." Taking a step towards Pitch, Jack lifted several feet from the ground, surrounded by a flurry of ice. Holding his staff firmly in his right hand, he pointed the iced crook forward. "That is our oath - my oath - as the Guardian of Fun. Besides, I made a promise to a certain Sun Goddess that I was going to help her. Now, get out of here, Pitch."

It was a bold attempt at a warning, but it seemed to work. Taken aback, Pitch stared at Jack a minute longer before gnashing his teeth and withdrawing his hand. His own eclipsed amber eyes seemed to blaze and the wave of Fearlings groaned and growled. Lightning struck the ground as his gaze became unreadable and his lip curled. "Fine… have it your way."

The Winter Spirit found himself shooting backwards to avoid the black scythe as it suddenly came swinging. How? He hadn't even seen Pitch summon it? Ice and lightning whipped ferociously against each other as the two stared each other down.

"If you won't join me, Jack, I'll just have to show you the fate all of you Guardians are in for!" Pitch roared. The Fearlings rushed at Jack, spindled claws raised as they began to swarm the young Guardian, but with a wave of his staff, he formed a barrier similar to the one in Norway. Placing a hand on it, spikes emerged and skewered the Fearlings scratching at the shield. More began to come around, but he was prepared for them as well, unleashing several frost bolts to send them flying. Still, there were more were coming. Reaching out for the barrier, he had to retreat again as Pitch's scythe easily cut through the ice and caused it to melt. These numbers were increasingly unfair as more Fearlings just appeared. Jack let his staff strike the frozen lake's surface, resulting in spikes driving up and impaling several and causing them to dissipate. It didn't keep the rest from maneuvering through the new obstacle and Pitch still had his scythe.

"Listen, mon petit givre…"

Jack, slumped and still clutching his staff tightly, managed to raise his head and look at Waka. The Moon Tribesman looked like he didn't break a sweat at all countering the numerous ice and wind thrown at him only moment's ago. His slit blue eyes opened a little more as he stared up into the twilit sky. "As an elemental spirit, you have potential to surpass many in power without believers. However, there's one stipulation and that is, you are much like Ma Chérie and her children. You herald such powers, but without believers, you can only use so much for so long. Use this information wisely when it battle; otherwise, it can be the end of you."

The Fearlings were backing him into the rocks, kept at bay by North Wind's howling gales and the snow turned shards of ice. He had believers; he could keep this up and maybe - just maybe - the other Guardians would come, but Pitch was drawing closer. The very aura around him was catching and melting the ice before it could tear into him. Jack wasn't sure if any of his techniques would halt the Nightmare King's path, but he wasn't about to go down without defending himself. Turning the shepherd crook's staff around in his hand, Jack cloaked it down with ice and shaped it into a blade. Silently, he demanded North Wind to stop.

Pitch came at him in a heartbeat, scythe whistling and Jack ducked, easily gliding over the ice. It took a moment for Pitch to halt himself, but a moment was all Jack needed to push the ring of Fearlings back and give himself space to actually fight in. The black scythe was coming again and he flipped back, eyes widening when lightning barely cut past him. That removed the flying option; of course, it wasn't like Pitch couldn't follow if he did decide to take off. Pitch's next swing came again swiftly, scythe coming down vertical, and making Jack finally have to block. He winced as he sensed the force behind the scythe press into his staff, making the three-hundred year old wood strain against the pressure. His magic could only weave so much strength behind it. Pitch had grown in power and no doubt too many blocks like this would make the staff break.

Their lock was broken as Jack pushed up, frozen lake beneath his feet rising to give him more push. He was able to send Pitch stumbling back, unable to grip the ice like the Winter Spirit, and Jack slid around, coming at the other spirit with a yell. He missed narrowly and turned around to face Pitch yet again when a booming voice hailed from overhead, accompanied by recognizable jingling bells. Lightning flashed and the ground shook, but it didn't sound like the sleigh had been struck. Taking a chanced glance, he could see North's sleigh descending, abandoned by its jolly driver and heading to land some distance away, further in Burgess. There was a glint of twin blades before North came cutting into the crowd of Fearlings accompanied by Bunnymund and Sandman. Many Fearlings moved from Jack to the three arrivals while the others closed in. This was reminding him of something…

No time to consider what; Pitch had moved during his distraction and the circle of Fearlings leapt. Jack's sword came to meet several and he avoided a few others. He felt one catch his hoodie, but not him. Still, that was another rip to be repaired whenever he saw Amaterasu again. Sword not proving efficient enough, he broke it against the lake and flipped it in his hand, again conjuring frost bolts to hold the Fearlings off. Was it him, or did they seem to be increasing in number? He could've sworn he took five out only for ten or so to appear in their places.

The formless shadows seemed to spin around him faster, blurring into one black mess as he tried to keep track of them, but it was no use. They quickly made him grow frustrated, the core of his staff responding with several flashes. The Fearlings seemed to delay at the display, but then resumed their speed. Where had Pitch gone?

"Jack!"

North's voice sounded too far off, but he must be pushing forward with Bunny and Sandy, trying to reach Jack. There was no way he could see through the swarm of Fearlings that now seemed to be trying to smother him instead of kill him. Gritting his teeth, he slammed his staff down and North Wind came rushing back to meet him. It billowed around and threw the Fearlings away before lifting Jack into the sky. He avoided the lightning and broke into the black cloud, feeling himself immediately awash with darkness and fear. While it slowed him, he didn't stop, breaking above the storm and lifting his staff up as it became a blinding white. This would take it out of him, sure, but he had to get Pitch out of here. Burgess was his home and the home of his first believers. There was so much more to do, but Amaterasu would understand if he needed to take the day off like in China. The snow and wind built around him; everything was focused on this last move.

Bringing his staff down, he had no time to stop as Pitch appeared with a wicked sword in his hand. Jack's eyes only widened as he fell, his staff again split in both hands. The sword had caught him across the chest, cutting into his hood and pale chest, tossing a fine rivulet of blood into the air. It was a moderate wound, but in his shock and the sudden lack of power within him, Jack could only stare at Pitch, watching as a crooked smile grew across his face and he raised his hands, arms making a motion to draw a bow back. Dark clouds still obscured the ground below so none of the three fighting Guardians could witness the black sword as it morphed into a thin arrow. It seemed much like the one that had brought Sandman down last year, but there was something with this one. Six ridges jutted out and it sharpened to a fine point as a gray sheen came over it.

Pitch's fingers released the invisible drawstring and the arrowhead came at Jack, its whistle muted by a roar of thunder. It seemed like the world fell silent and everything slowed down. He could hear his heavy breathing and feel his heart pound in his chest. He knew it was coming closer, but there was no way he could avoid it. After three-hundred years of being alone, he finally had a new family with the Guardians, but now, everything was going to be ripped away. His eyes were stinging; he failed the Guardians and the kids.

"Sorry guys…"

Darkness swallowed his vision.

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A/N: Again I'm late. Some projects came up and I apologize for the delay. I will not say anything about the next chapter, but it will be here before you know it. Do read and review.

Mon petit givre - My little frost