I don't own Rise of the Guardians and the Guardians of Childhood. They belong to William Joice and Dreamworks.
Jack could feel Kozmotis' body shake with sobs under his hand. But he knew from the whispered "Thank you!" his trained ears caught, that Kozmotis wasn't crying from pain. Slowly he started to rise to his feet and everyone's hand returned to their sides. Once he was standing Kozmotis turned around to face them, his eyes sparkling with tears and his face was a mask of Gratitude.
"Thank you, all of you! I don't know how I can ever repay you!"
"No need!" proclaimed North.
There were nods all around. Kozmotis looked at the small group of kids and the four young spirits that had come searching for him. "I don't know why you came to find me or even how you saw any good still inside but if not for you all, I'd be dead or worse back under the Fearlings control."
"Like we told you before everyone can be saved. We just helped you believe in it!" comforted Bloom.
Kozmotis started to say more but a rumble stopped him. Sandy put a question mark and an exclamation point above his head. Kozmotis closed his eyes for a moment then snapped them open. Pitch created his lair from scratch; it's like a different demotion right from his mind. Without Pitch the lair is beginning to disappear."
"How are we going to get out of here before it disappears with us inside?" Jamie asked. "It's a maze out there!"
Sandy waved his hands smiling but everyone was too worried to notice.
"I created a frost trail the last time I was here, but I didn't see it while we were traveling through the lair!" Jack said
Sandy created a picture of a trail pointed at himself then the door.
"My fairies say they only were in the main cavern, that doesn't get us there." Tooth said.
Sand flags waved around while arrows danced at the door.
"We really didn't think this through mates!" Bunny worried. "Who ran off without thinking of a plan anyway?"
"You did!" North scolded.
Sandy had sand-steam coming out his ears.
"Do you have an idea Sandman?"
Sandy turned to see Monty standing behind him. Nodding yes Sandy showed the scene in front of them over and over again, with different backgrounds.
"All the time huh?"
Sandy nodded with a shy.
"Yah, same with me. I've always been quiet. No one noticed me and I kind of blend into the back ground, like I was invisible. I mean I'm small and, if you don't count the glasses, I don't have a lot of points that make me stand out. After a while I kind of just let the invisible thing happen, I once went a good year without talking. Then Pippa became my friend and introduced me to the others. With their support I was able to develop a few tricks that helped me be more outgoing."
With that he dug in his pocket and took out a small bell on a string. "In my pocket it's silent but out…." The bell made a sharp "Ding, galling, ding, galingaling," which finally silenced the chatter. "Sandman has a plan!" Monty said pointing at Sandy.
Sandy gave Monty a grateful smile, then recreated the trail picture and pointed at himself.
"You made a trail?" asked Jack.
Sandy showed a check mark then an arrow pointing out the door. Everyone looked in the hall to see a sparkling sand trail.
"Way to go Sandman!" Cheered the twins.
Further celebration and complements were cut short by another rumble!
"Let's go!" North said, leading the way to the door and the hall beyond.
Monty caught Sandy's hand as he went to the door. "Here I have lots!"
Sandy held the small bell and string. Choked with emotion he forsook sand images and made the hand sign for "Thank you".
Monty returned with the sine for "your welcome". Surprise shown on Sandy's face. "Like I said I went close to a year without talking, learned sign language so I could communicate. I'm a bit rusty but some things you never forget." "After you." He signed.
The rumbling continued as they followed Sandy's trail to the main cavern. Once there it was an easy task to find the exit.
At the hole Kozmotis stopped. "My presence is the only thing that's been keeping the lair in existence. If I leave it's liable to vanish. The only way is for me to last!"
With understanding nods everyone began to exit. The one's who could fly quickly lifted the kids out. Then (with Bloom's vines) North, Bunny and Shanook followed. As soon as the hole was clear of them Kozmotis climbed the vines himself.
The walls heaved and rained down on him, hand over hand, foot over foot he continued to scale the vines. His head broke the surface and he was blinded by the bright moonlight. Still he continued. Just as he'd thought, when his feet exited the hole the lair below and the domain that had surrounded it vanished.
When his eyes adjusted to the bright moonlight he came face to face with the Guardian's army. Fear griped him but he needn't have worried. He was soon surrounded by the cheering crowd who gave him pats on the back and all around congratulations. When he got some breathing room he spied Sandy who quickly explained.
Sandy showed the army and the rescue party talking. Above them was a thought/speech bubble showing Pitch turning into Kozmotis.
While Kozmotis absorbed the information and congratulations a moon beam shined its way through the thick branches overhead. For the first time it wasn't Sandy who noticed first.
"Guys!" Jack exclaimed.
All eyes turned to see the moon beam move down the trail.
Jack felt The Moon's light and instinct told him to follow. So when the moon beam moved down the trail he went after it, Shanook at his side. Whether his brother felt the same instinct or was just intent on staying by him, Jack was happy to have him. The beam lead them straight to the icy edge of Jack's pond. When all of the Guardians and there allies arrived the pond began to glow with The Moon's power.
Walking to the center Jack looked up at The Moon and smiled his mischievous smile. "You knew all along! Thanks, for everything!" Jack thought. And he meant it; The Moon had been there all along he'd just hadn't believed. Just like Kozmotis hadn't believed he could be saved. They both had been wrong.
Suddenly a voice he'd heard only once, on the very first night of his immortal life, spook with warmth and pride. "Well done Jack Frost. Well done."
If it weren't for the fact that Shanook and the two nature spirits looked to have heard it to, Jack would have thought he had imagined it. "Man in the Moon?" he asked.
"Yes Jack, but if it's alright with you. Please call me Mim."
"Jack! He's talking to you!" Shanook looked at his brother with joy.
"Jack, I'm sorry that I haven't answered or spoken to you all this time. It was important you discovered who you we're on your own. However that is no excuse. On the night Mysheara found you and brought you into her pack, I hoped that with their help you would find your center. It took longer than I thought and then there was no time left to wait."
Right then Kozmotis stepped forward, although he knew that besides when he talked with nature spirits the moon only communicated through pictures, Jack could have sworn Kozmotis hand heard that last part.
"Pardon the intrusion; I realize that this is something you have waited for all your immortal life. I do not wish to stop this but I can't help but feeling that I need to…that I should speak to the moon at this point."
"Ha, ha, ha. I may have been young but he always took me as a vary regale man. To save us some time would you do me a favor Jack?"
Kozmotis waited nervously. Had he crossed the line? Should he have waited till latter to try and talk? His eyes focused on the moon, he didn't notice when Jack jerked in shock or when he shakily pointed at his chest and whispered "Me?"
"What is it Jack?" Tooth's question snapped Kozmotis back to the people around him.
Jack looked at Kozmotis. "Mim would be honored to talk to talk to you. If it is alright with you I'll communicate his words."
"Thank you Man in the Moon, Tsar Lunar. And to you Jack!"
With that Jack stood up starter and began to speak with a vary formal demeanor. "Kozmotis Pitchiner, honored general of the golden age military. It is good to see you!"
The kids, Guardians, and there armies were speechless to see and hear Jack like this, only Shanook who knew he had learned it from the wolfs themselves was not surprised.
Kozmotis swallowed a lump in his throat and spook, "Lord Tsar Lunar, I have done unforgivable thing to you and countless others. I am ready to reserve whatever punishment you see fit."
"Kozmotis you are here because you finally believed that you were worthy of forgiveness. The Fearlings could only hold onto someone if they didn't have that belief. Of course the help of pure light doesn't hurt ether." Jack smiled at the seven kids. "I believe the centuries trapped by the Fearlings were more than punishment enough! No I would rather have you return to your rightful place as the general of the new golden age!"
Kozmotis was crying again he bowed low and spook with barely contained thankfulness and joy. "It would be my absolute honor! I don't have words to describe how much this means to me!" Two moon beams landed on his shoulders.
"Raise General Kozmotis Pitchiner!"
As he stood the moon beams merged with his uniform's shoulder pads to create glowing golden emblems complete with tassels and bars to mark his potion. He ran his fingers delicately over them. Once again bowing deeply he returned to stand beside the Guardians.
"And now! North, I do believe we have one last thing…to take care of?" jack's poster and demeanor returned to normal as he looked at the moon. "What does that mean?" He asked.