Dark and Light: Blood Moon - Chapter 24
It was as though the machine was still switched on. The (supposed to be dull) mist was glowing where he touched the case.
Impossible, Bunny thought. The memories- and his mind- were starting to awaken. He stepped back in shock, unable to believe his eyes. The glow vanished as he pulled away.
Wait- so he'd done that? He'd started to power the machine somehow. How? What had he done? He had to know. He thought back to what he'd said: 'I'm not giving up on you'. On the inside he'd been thinking 'I'll never stop believing'... Belief...
The belief of the children might not be enough to save the lost Guardian, but the children weren't the only ones who believed in that winter spirit. In fact, there was no one- in the world- who believed in that boy more than the four people in that room. They would never stop believing in him. One of the Guardian's greatest strength was, not only the children's belief in them- but their belief in each other.
He placed his hand back on the machine.
"I won't stop believing in you." He said.
The memories lit up near his hand.
He was right. They could still do this- they just had to believe. Believe in their little boy.
"I believe in Jack Frost." He declared, putting faith every single word. "I believe in that winter spirit." He continued, the glow starting to spread across the memories. "I believe in the boy who did the impossible- the one who saved our lives. The boy who never stopped fighting for us- who never gave up no matter what. Jack Frost saved us- and I believe in him."
A bigger set of hands joined him at the machine.
"I believe in Jack Frost, that little troublemake-"
"I believe in Jack Frost. A Guardian who was strong and true." The deep, Russian accented voice of North bellowed. Bunny continued his own pledge of belief.
"Who would always cause the worst of pranks-"
"He would always bring great joy to the children-"
"-but he would always make us laugh."
"-because mostly he was one himself."
The machine clicked slightly, the glow of the memories spreading throughout the rest of the machine- through the tubes and tunnels that interlocked within it.
Small, delicate hands placed themselves on the glass of memories.
"I believe in Jack Frost, my little snowflake." Golden hands touched the glass, right next to the fairy's, the sound of golden symbols ringing through the air.
Bunny poured his heart and soul into every word he said. The words of faith from all four of the Guardians resounding out through the whole Pole.
"I believe in Jack Frost!" He shouted, the machine starting to whir and come to life once again.
"I believe in Jack Frost!" Tooth promised, pledging her heart to those words. The machine was humming and shuddering as it started to reach full power- blue light starting to creep up the staff.
"I believe in Jack Frost!" North shouted to the world- he believed in that boy with every fibre of his being, and he would not stop until they'd brought him back.
The winter light spread right up the hook of the staff. This was it- they were doing it! They were bringing him back to life! They'd gone further than last time. Don't stop, Bunny thought.
"I believe in that stupid, little trickster." He announced, starting to grin as his hope burned within him like a wildfire. "He drove me up the wall, but I loved him like a brother." He didn't care that the words were too emotional for a tough rabbit like him- he was speaking from his heart, and it refused to stay quiet any longer.
The entire length of the staff was now glowing the colour of the brilliant arctic sky. The chant repeating through the air:
"I believe in Jack Frost!"
"I believe in Jack Frost!"
"I believe in Jack Frost!" The two spheres of power either side of the staff started to crackle and spark, a white aura of foggy light starting to appear between them. They were doing it. They were actually doing it!
"I believe-!"
The machine exploded into sparks- wires popping, metal snapping. Something had gone wrong. He watched in horror as one of the spheres let out a long, agonised groan, spitting out sparks as a crucial wire snapped with the miniature explosion. No, no- no!
The white aura vanished. The whole gave a pained whine, the glass holding the tears of Jack's heart cracked. No! North hurriedly rushed to the control panel, trying to rescue the situation- Tooth zipping over to see what was wrong. Bunny and Sandy both leapt back, as one of the explosions went off right next to them. What was going on?! Bunny thought. Then the whole thing slumped and went silent.
No... Bunny thought. Not again. It couldn't have-! Then he remembered the slam of a handle he heard, just before it turned off.
He looked over to the control pad. North was looking heavily down at the control board. As Bunny watched, he took his hand off a large handle he recognised easily. The power switch. He stared at him, stunned with disbelief... Why?... He muttered numbly in his head. North closed his eyes heavily. Why did he look like that? He looked like he'd given up. He couldn't give up! They almost had it! They just had to try again- they couldn't give up now!
He then noticed Tooth, stood beside the larger Guardian (standing, not flying, he noticed), she looked, forlornly, at North, tears swimming in her eyes... What was it? What was going on?
He looked back at the machine... And his heart stopped.
The glass was broken- melted droplets of crystal tears dripping from the centre... A slow cloud of dull mist drifted from the fractured base... And the staff, at the centre... Snapped cruelly in two...
He just couldn't... This wasn't happening... It just... Couldn't... No... The sight was like a fist to the heart... This couldn't be real... This was just a bad dream...
"We can't bring someone back from the dead." He heard North mutter, voice heavy and cracked. "Especially the oblivion."
He refused with all his heart to listen to it, but the words confirmed every doubt he'd ever had about it. He'd tried... so hard.. to fight against- not to listen... but he could hold it back no more. The blissful shield of denial was crumbling... And now it was gone.
He never was coming back... No matter what they did, they just couldn't save him... He was dead... Forever.
He saw Tooth and North walking away together. With a heavy heart, turning their backs on the broken mess that could've been their boy. Turning their backs on the last hope of saving their boy. Sandy followed.
Bunny just stood there. He was close to his breaking point. It was like that moment on the moon all over again. The last of the fragile hope so cruelly taken away... He starting to turn away from it. The failed shell of a machine... But he just couldn't. How could he?
He collapsed, trembling, breath coming in gasps- or, dare he say it... Sobs. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't turn his back on that boy. He couldn't give up on him- even though there was no hope left. He couldn't bring himself to turn away- he just couldn't wouldn't do it. He couldn't abandon him. And even if he did turn away-... what would there be left to turn away to? He was nothing without hope... And if he turned away from this... he would be accepting defeat. It went so against everything he stood for, and believed in- everything that he was... he just couldn't, physically, bring himself to do it...
He just stayed there, collapsed, at the side of the broken remains of hope for saving Jack... Jack... He couldn't even bring himself to think his name anymore... It opened up too much heartache... He felt like he'd just stay there for all time- forever half turned away from the youngest Guardian- unable to move any further...
Jack was gone...
Jack was dead...
There was... no hope.
He would never... ever get to apologise to him. He could never tell him those words that he so desperately wanted to say... That he wasn't just a troublemaker- he wasn't just a pain in his backside... He was his brother... the best brother he could've asked for... and he would never get to tell him that. Everything he should've said- left unsaid forever.
Because, no matter what they did, they just couldn't reverse death- let alone complete destruction into non-existence.
Saving Jack was an impossible task.
It was beyond them.