In the ether of space-tame, there stood a tall door and a solitary guardian.
Her name was Moa, and she had short cropped blonde hair and tanned skin. Her eyes were hazel and often golden.
Pitch entered the ether. He wore the robes of royalty, and knelt, kissing her hand.
"Here Pitch, this rose is for you." Moa said, moving her Key Staff and causing roses to rain down on him.
"Wow, thank you. Nobody has ever given me a gift before. I'll never forget this Moa, and someday I'll be back for flowers for you." Pitch said.
"Why did you have to go away?" Moa said.
"Don't be sad, someday I'll be back with flowers for you. I promise." Pitch said.
Xxx
Kurai and Jack were in the park catching up.
"Who are you?" Kurai said.
"I have a name and it isn't 'you'! My name is S—Ninako! Moon Maiden?" She swiped the ball, turned and ran.
They walked to Memorial Park, and saw the girl sitting by herself on a swing. She was looking at a video inside the ball.
They heard the girl sniff. "Mom..." she cried.
Jack stepped forward. "Ninako?"
"Where's your house? We'll take you home." As he took the girl's hand, he saw an image of a crystal city. "What?" he thought. "What was that? Did I just see something...?"
The girl held onto him. "He's warm," she thought. "Like my dad..."
"Jack, you've gotten attached to her!" said Kurai.
"Now that I look, she's a normal kid," said Jack.
"She is not normal!" Kurai said.
"She has no hostility now," he said. He looked at the girl. "Where did you come from?"
"Say, do you know me?" Kurai said. "Is your name really Ninako? How do you know about the Guardians?"
The girl was silent. They take the little girl back home.
The door to the house opened, and Shiroi, Kurai's mother, came out. "Kurai, you're back?"
"Ack, Mom!" thought Kurai. She and Jack blushed.
"Well who is this?" Shiroi asked, eyeing Jack.
"This is Jack Frost," said Kurai. "We were on a walk."
"Why, Kurai, isn't that nice," said Shiroi. She looked at Ninako. "Who's this?"
"No, that's..." said Jack. "A kid I'm kind of fond of."
"Ninako is my name," Ninako said.
"You're so cute!" Shiroi said.. "Where's your home? It's dinner time already. Your mother must be worried."
"I..." Ninako said.. "Kurai Hikawa. I've decided to watch you for a while."
"Huh!?" Kurai said..
The ball emitted a strange sound.
"Wh- what!?" Kurai said.
Everyone fell into hypnosis.
Kurai's pendant flashed, and undid the effect.
"Damn that brat!" Thought Kurai. She grabbed Ninako and ran to her room upstairs.
"Show me your true identity!" Kurai said. "Ninako! Stop doing that!"
"I won't..." Ninako said quietly.
"You won't...!? What's that supposed to mean! What did you do!? Who the hell are you!?" Kurai said.
Ninako was silent.
"Say something!" Kurai said. "You've been unfair since the start! I won't go easy on you just because you're a kid!"
Shiroi walked into the room.
"Hey!" he said. "Stop bullying Ninako!"
"Mom..." Kurai said..
"Come on, Ninako," Shiroi said. "Dinner." She lead her out of the room.
"What?" Jack said. "Kurai, Where's are the other Guardians?"
"I keep contact with them." Kurai said. "They are all back at Santoff Clausson."
"There's something about that kid..." Jack said. "I want to keep an eye on her for a while. Since I don't feel any strong hostility, that's what I want to do. Leave it to me."
Kurai nodded and went back to the main room.
The morning came. It was dawn when Kurai awoke.
Kurai peered into Ninako's room the next morning, and saw her sleeping quietly.
"What a relief. Is she sleeping...? I don't believe it..." She then went to see Jack.
"I see," said Jack. "So she's staying at your place after all, Kurai. But we don't know what kind of bomb she might be carrying. I'll come to take a look at her, too. Should we at least ask the police whether anyone's asked them to search for her?"
"Sounds good." Kurai said.
Kurai and Jack walked away talking to each other, as Ninako watched them. Later Kurai went and met the others at an ice cream parlor. They talked about Ninako.
Toothiana then introduced them to her latest crush's little sister and the 2nd reason she asked them all to meet at this parlor.
The group then headed to the gardens along with Ninako.
"Forget-Me-Not." Kurai said.
"What?" Jack said.
"I said this flower is called forget-me-not." Kurai said.
"Oh, yeah. Forget-Me-Nots, they're nice." Jack said.
"Know what they stand for?" Kurai said.
"No." Jack said.
"They stand for true love in the language of flowers." Kurai said.
Jack laughed. "The language of...Nobody back there. OK." Jack whispered.
Jack looked around, to see if anyone was watching them.
"Look at Miss Fish Lips all puckered up like some..." Bunnymund said.
"This isn't right guys, were spying. Stop! Come on, let's go!" Toothiana said.
"Would you knock it off, they're gonna hear us!" North said.
Sandman motioned arrows at them.
Jack heard some noise and stepped away from Kurai. Kurai still had her eyes closed, waiting for Jack's kiss. When Kurai opened her eyes, there was a caterpillar right in front of her. Bunnymund (who was holding the caterpillar) laughed as Kurai fell over and rolled away.
"You snoops are gonna pay! Huh, Jack? Hey where'd you go?" Kurai said.
Jack had gone out of the green house.
"It's so nice here, the flowers smell so nice, the fountain is so soothing. I never noticed how the flowers make me feel so calm." Jack said.
Then there was a sudden rain of rose petals.
"How weird, flowers petals?" Jack said.
"It's snowing flowers!" Kurai said.
"Wow, they smell so good." Toothiana said.
"It's lovely!" North said.
Then the rose petals stopped and Pitch appeared in the air.
"Jack did you see? It was raining rose petals!" Kurai said.
"Hey. It's been a long time Jack. But actually...we haven't met have we. That's the trouble with time...we are all trapped in her beautiful dance." Pitch said.
"Who are you?" Kurai said fiercely.
"No, moon maiden." Pitch said. "My quarrel is with the warrior prince. The one who broke his promise and destroyed my happiness."
Kurai growled; her transformation and that of the others was instantaneous. "Any quarrel you have with my beloved is with me and my warriors!"
"I will never forget of course." Pitch continued. "It took me a long time, but I kept my promise. I finally found a flower worthy of my love for her. And you won't stop me anymore!"
"Her?" Jack said.
"That's right. I vow to return with flowers for her." Pitch said.
"Flowers?" Kurai said.
"It's still the most beautiful gift anyone has ever given me, that rose she gave me." Pitch said.
"I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about." Jack said.
"Of course not." Pitch said. "You don't know her. More beautiful and powerful than your maiden. And you tucked her away and forgot about her. Leaving her alone, a solitary guardian."
"Stop!" Toothiana said. "You must not speak of her!"
"That's right it is forbidden!" Bunnymund said.
But Kurai wanted to hear more. "Please. Tell us who she is. I will use my power to free her and—"
But Pitch just knocked her away.
"Kurai!" Jack said.
"No!" The Guardians chorused.
"Coward, come back here!" North said.
"You should be ashamed, it's not right to push people." Toothiana said.
Sandman made an indignant motion.
"No one is going to prevent me from keeping my promise, no one!" Pitch said.
Toothiana shredded the flowers with her feathers.
"You will pay!" Pitch said, catching Toothiana in a vine and holding her upside down.
Kurai now found Bunnymund and ran up to him. She called Joyuese, her sword by placing her right hand, with index and middle fingers extended, in front of her brooch, then raising her hand to the upper right. Nothing happened.
"My sword?" Kurai said.
"You defiled it." Bunnymund was the one to finally give voice to what they were all thinking. "By using it to kill yourself."
"I can't fight?" Kurai said.
Jack shot Bunnymund a poisonous look. "You can always fight, maiden."
Meanwhile Bunnymund attacked Pitch, protecting Toothiana.
The vine that was wrapping around them stopped moving and Bunnymund was able to pull Toothiana free.
Kurai tied desperately to purify the intruder.
"I can't allow this...!" said Kurai. "Using his plants to toy with people's lives!" She grasped Jack's hand. A light appeared between them.
Pitch was startled. "No! That's...!"
Joyeuse appeared between Kurai and Jack's hands. Kurai transformed into Kaguya, the Moon Maiden.
Jack powered up.
His clothing was frosted a great deal fancier, up and down his pants and sweater, in diamond and pearl, and Twinetender, his staff, was decorated with frosted diamond crystals all over.
The two wore matching rings.
Kaguya's hand held a glowing weapon.
"That's the Queen..." thought Pitch. "No! Her holy weapon!?"
Pitch stared at it.
Ninako watched.
Kurai took the rod in her hand. "Born from our strength, this is...!" she thought. "The New Joyeuse! My sword! I understand!" She held the sword out
Pitch disappeared in a flurry of petals, but his voice lingered in the air. "No one will stop me from keeping my promise!"
