Golden eyes widened with something. Pain? Fear? Realisation? Horror?

Those same golden eyes drifted down as black hungrily ate up golden sand and they met Wind's silver ones and saw. They saw her. Sandy saw her.

No.

No.

NO.

The thing rising in her was so quick, so all-consuming she had no idea if it was hers at all but it really didn't matter. She clung to Jack as her vision whitened and she was vaguely aware of her feet leaving the sleigh below.

Wind couldn't see.

Wind couldn't see.

Instead, she could feel everything.

She was the sharp word at the tip of a tongue, the shuddering gasp sucked in, the silent scream in everyone's head. At that moment specifically, she was every flaming thought of destruction hurtling up, up, up her chest tight with so much pain, why Sandy.

She couldn't breathe. Not that that was very important. She didn't need to breathe when she was breath and air and wind and tornado.

From above, the darkness arched down to meet and swarm them, swallowing them just as hungrily as it had swallowed Sandy. She felt the something turn red hot as anger burned itself across her body like a scar. She was outraged.

The sky was her domain. She was not just Wind but Aeolus and she was raw power thrumming under the control of one person only and her trigger had been pulled.

She was let loose.

The air around them crackled and fizzed with energy and as Jack lit the darkness in a blinding flash of beautiful, beautiful pale blue light, Wind snapping back at the darkness in a shuddering shock wave that built up pressure before releasing into the nightmares like the crack of a whip and forcing them to disperse and shiver into inexistence with a roar. The sky crystallised in jagged lines headed straight towards Pitch and despite his efforts, he was struck with the icy lightning, sent flying in a shower of glittering shards by Jack's own powers.

Wind felt Jack slip and she made a split-second decision.

It was time she intervened.

"Boreas," she snapped commandingly and left the anemoi behind to keep an eye on Jack as she flung herself in the direction Pitch had fallen.

When she found Pitch, she wasn't even surprised when she found he could see her again. She could feel the Moon watching closely, could tell it was some form of apology. She didn't have time to think about it.

Right now, all she knew was that she was pissed and Pitch needed to shut up if he wanted her to not turn him to dust right then and there.

Pitch eyed her with a deranged glint as she landed before him and he opened his mouth to say something.

Wrong move.

In an instant, Wind had grabbed hold of the air around him and spun him around so fast she was sure that he was thoroughly out of breath before slamming him more than a little ungently into the ground.

His body shook slightly as he lay there and when she heard that sadistic chuckle of his, Winds dived at him with her fists, pummeling him hard in the face so that the ground caved in beneath him.

She held his head in her hands and slammed it down one more time, pressing forcefully so that he couldn't move an inch as she got in his face.

"You better choose your words carefully, Pitch, because I'm just about done with your garbage. And if that's all you have to say, you better quickly slither back to your hole."

Despite his beat-up appearance, Pitch took the time to raise an eyebrow at her, looking far too patiently quizzical for someone who'd just been pummeled into the dirt.

"Why… are you fighting me?" he wheezed, not even trying to break out of her hold.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" Wind hissed back.

"Well, I'd love to say that that was a choice but you haven't exactly given me much opportunity, loathe as I am to admit it. Are you done, or is this just the beginning?"

In the face of his sarcasm, she felt her disgust overpower her desire to touch him any longer. Wind let go of him abruptly with a huff and backed off. He pushed himself to sit up with a wince but didn't attempt much more.

"Exactly the kind of greeting I had been expecting after years of radio silence once more. Tell me, should I expect to see you sometime in the next hundred years? Or have you been avoiding me on purpose and I won't ever see you again if you can help it?"

Wind rolled her eyes. "Be quiet, Pitch, I've been here the entire time. There's just been a little interference in things."

"Ah, our old meddling friend. I should have guessed. So you definitely haven't been avoiding me then, hmm?"

Wind just glared. "I'm not looking for a war. I'm not taking part in any sides."

"Then either those punches were kisses or they were personal. I'm not all too sure which would be better, violent affection or a grudge..." he remarked in a sing-song voice.

Wind flushed and was tempted to slap his smug face. "I just…"

She let it hang in the air between them, not really having much of an excuse.

Pitch watched her and sighed. "Aeolus, why are you fighting me?"

Wind frowned. The urge to punch him was still strong but… she wasn't sure why. When she raised her arm, it instinctively formed a fist and she forced it to relax. Why was she fighting? Why was she so angry?

Sandy, weakly stumbling, eyes wide and looking right to her - Jack screaming in pain and outrage - too many emotions overpowering her senses, were they hers? Were they hers?

Then… then Jack. With only her by his side. In the face of all those nightmares. She'd seen him fall. Seen him beyond exhausted, vulnerable, in pain.

"Jack…" she whispered with her eyes closed. She wanted nothing more than to be with him but she needed to deal with this first. She knew Boreas was with him, and if she tried, she could see him through her anemoi's eyes. But she remembered why she was angry and heady emotion was back. When she opened her eyes again, Pitch's expression had hardened.

"You're worried about them? Why is it always them?" he spat. "They deserve everything I can throw at them. I see you're still far too soft on them. You need to let go."

"I'm not talking about the Guardians, okay?" Wind stressed just as forcefully. "I'm talking about Jack Frost. You leave him out of this, okay? He's mine, you hear? Leave him alone, and I won't fight you."

Pitch stared at her incredulously, uncomprehendingly. "Jack Frost? What have you got to do with Jack Frost?"

Something in her eyes must have startled him because he even took a step back.

"Everything," Aeolus snarled. "Jack Frost is my everything now. You don't get to take that away from me.

Pitch hummed curiously. "Well, this is interesting. My dear Aeolus, this is the closest I have seen you act to your old self. I had started to think all was lost after all. You certainly are very stubborn. But." He shook his head wonderingly.

When Wind stepped forward dangerously, eyes flashing, she was distantly aware of voices at the back of her head calling for her to calm down, to think clearly, to stop.

When Aeolus spoke, it was with the voice of a thousand winds, vibrating in one growl like thunder before the lightning. "This is not my fight. This little war of yours, the Wind has no part to play in it. This is between you and the Old Man."

Pitch grinned delighted and refused to back away so that they were forced into each other's personal space once more, face to face in a tense standoff that neither was willing to back down from.

"You can pretend all you want, but you have never been able to stay out of a fight. Not this one. You hunger for change just as much as I do. Aeolus, we can reshape this world. Together. Together, the Guardians don't stand a chance."

Wind scowled in frustration. "This isn't the way Pitch. We've done this for centuries and-"

"Then stop sitting on the fence and finally choose me. Not them. Pick a side and things will finally be different. We'll be different."

Wind's face crumpled. "Don't. That's not how it'll be."

Pitch sighed and let her float away, her back to him.

"Then I'll prove it to you. I'll show you just how weak and pitiful those Guardians really are. How easily I can bring them to their knees. Then you'll see. Then you'll know."

Wind's didn't turn around. "It's too late, I've changed. I've learnt where you haven't."

The Nightmare King glanced back at her, already half-melted in his shadows.

"We'll see. I'll be back soon. Very, very soon."

Then Wind was alone and the shadows shrank away from where they had risen up protectively without her noticing, making the night appear far brighter than it should. The grass below her was suddenly bathed in moonlight and when she looked up, the Moon was big and melancholic in the night sky.


By the time she'd reached North's workshop, Wind knew she had missed Sandy's mourning ceremony.

But that wasn't what stopped her cold outside the warmly lit building.

Technically, Wind didn't need to go through doors as others did. As long as there was the tiniest of cracks, she could just phase right through the wall unhindered.

Yet somehow, standing outside the workshop's big windows, she was stuck. Fear gripped her as she hovered there, panic bubbling in her stomach like boiled water and she almost felt like hyperventilating.

It was okay.

It was fine.

She could just go in and… and no one would see her. The Old Man couldn't have possibly felt that bad.

Wind still hadn't analysed the kindness the Moon had granted her in letting Pitch see her again. In her fury at the time, she had merely felt satisfaction that he was finally listening to her but she wondered if in doing so, he had had an alternative motive. He always had one.

But now that she was back here, she was struck with the thought that maybe he hadn't stopped at Pitch. She didn't know why he would do so now after all this time but if he had then they would see her. If she went in there now, the Guardians might be able to see her.

The thought absolutely terrified her.

Wind took a deep breath. Bravery. That was her core. She was brave.

But bravery wasn't not not being scared, as she'd argued so many times before. It was acting in the face of that fear. Doing so in spite of the fear. In spite.

And Wind, despite her fear, refused to let herself be cowed. She lived in spite.

She would… she would go in. Sneak if she had to. She just had to see Jack.

Wind pushed herself through a wall.

And immediately bumped into Tooth.

Moonrock, Notus cursed.

Wind reeled back as Tooth stood before her and she seized up as she saw those amethyst eyes look up and… and… right through her.

Her shoulders dropped and she couldn't move in time before the Tooth Fairy was fluttering dejectedly through her, making Wind shudder. Glancing back, she saw Bunnymund hop slowly to meet the fairy and share a sad look.

Gritting her teeth, Wind flew the opposite way down the hall, completely missing the way the Tooth Fairy paused and looked back with a shiver only to be distracted by Bunny.

Wind felt… well, oddly enough, disappointed. What had she wanted, for Tooth to see her? To hug her? To welcome her back? No. She didn't want that. It wasn't like that was how it would play out in reality anyway.

Wind forced away the disappointment, angry at herself. She was relieved they still couldn't see her. She was.

Now she knew for certain, anyway. It seemed even the Moon wouldn't go that far. Wouldn't or maybe couldn't. She didn't know anymore.

Wind didn't even know if it was the Moon she had to blame for this part of her invisibility. She knew that at least part of the reason Jack didn't see her was because he didn't believe in her, as much as she hated the idea, much like the rest. In Pitch's case, that had been entirely the Old Man's fault. Pitch had always been the one person who had always believed in her. In the Guardians' case, Wind hadn't ever been too sure why they hadn't been able to see her. She supposed it could've been unconsciously her own magic, driven by her deep desire to be hidden and to hide from the world after… After. She had succeeded in self-isolating herself until the Moon had forced Jack into the picture. There was that and the Moon, of course, probably seeing the wisdom in distancing her from his precious Guardians.

That option was more preferable than the one she considered sometimes when it hurt the most. That they didn't believe in her anymore. Losing belief was a thousand times more painful than simply not having it in the first place.

But it wasn't important. What was important was Jack. She just needed to find him.

When she found him curled up by a window, painting frosted silhouettes of the Sandman on the glass pane, Boreas informed her that Jack had stayed away from Sandy's ceremony as well.

The North Wind had been on the floor by Jack's window seat, hugging their knees to their chest as they glared at the floor. Wind didn't have it in herself to question Boreas further and simply accepted them as they wordlessly rose and stepped into her space to return. Wind breathed in one icy breath and floated up to hover idly above Jack. She held her breath when North solemnly approached but his gaze never strayed to her and so she watched him closely, the only Guardian to think about Jack at the moment.

"Are you alright?"

"I, just." Jack sighed emptily. "I wish I could have done something."

"Oh, Jack," Wind whispered, pained.

"Done something? Jack, you stood up to Pitch. You saved us, " the bearded man said.

Wind frowned but remained still when North took the place next to Jack and turned his earnest eyes on the winter sprite. As much as she wanted to be the one to talk to Jack, to ask him if he was alright, to comfort him… she couldn't be that person. The best she could do was watch others take her place. Not that it was her place, really.

"But Sandy-"

"Would be proud of what you did."

The words seemed to have a positive effect on Jack as he uncurled and opened up more physically. North continued with a gentle smile, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"I don't know who you were in your past life, but in this life you are Guardian."

"How can I know who I am until I find out who I was?" Jack asked, shrugging off the hand. Wind looked away. She wanted to say that the past was meaningless, that it wasn't important. But if she said that, then there would be so much she would be shrugging off, so many memories she would be demeaning.

"You will. I feel it. In my belly."

Jack just looked like he wanted to laugh and sigh at the same time.

But there wasn't much more time for North and Jack to talk with the pressing issue of the falling believers bringing the Guardians to meet by the massive globe in North's workshop.

Even as Wind flew above it and saw lights going out one by one, she could sense a great shift. Things were really changing, just as Pitch wanted them to.

There were fewer children believing in the Guardians.

Wind wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing anymore.

It also made her wonder if other spirits like her would sense it too. If they would see it as an opportunity or whether they would disapprove. Maybe it would be a good idea to-

A tug and she was swooping back down to Jack as he floated up to inspect the globe himself, the Guardians murmuring in distress below them.

"He's tipped the balance," Jack breathed.

"Hey, buck up, you sad sacks." Bunnymund hopped in front of the globe to face them all. "We can still turn this around. Easter is tomorrow and I need your help. I say we pull out all the stops and get those little lights flickering again."

Wind had to say, it wasn't a bad idea. They were all together, all desperate to do something to turn the tides and Easter provided the perfect opportunity. Provided everything managed to go smoothly, they would at least manage to secure most believers with the success of Easter and the evidence of the Easter Bunny's existence in the lives of the children. It would leave them time to take down Pitch and save the rest of the Guardian's believers.

If it weren't for the Nightmare Kind himself.

Wind knew he wouldn't let the believers go without a fight and he would no doubt have some kind of plan. He'd said it himself that he'd be back. She was already cursing herself for drawing Pitch's attention to Jack even more and with his determination to 'prove' something, she had no idea what he planned to do.

Her and her big mouth.

More like your temper, jeez Aeolus, we tried to stop you, Eurie grumbled.

Not that we can stop you, Boreas remarked.

What's done is done, Notus cut in soothingly.

Yes, all we can do is get ready for whatever will happen next, Zephyrus added gently.

Easter, HOPEFULLY, Eurie sniggered, triggering a wave of sighs. Oh come on, that's a pun, right? That's gotta be. Because Bunny's like-

In any case, the Guardians were swift to the Warren via Bunnymund's preferred method. That method being the tunnels.

Wind hadn't ever actually been to the Warren considering the overgrown rabbit was very particular in who was allowed in - *cough* no one but him *cough* - so she had been a little wary of how it would feel travelling away from open air. Turns out, it was the funnest thing ever. She uselessly yelled at the Easter Bunny for not letting her do this centuries ago as she and Jack zoomed through tunnels much to the queasiness of North who skidded unsteadily behind.

Okay, I take everything back, the tunnels are way better than the sleigh! Eurie squealed as they did a loop around the surface of the tunnel, briefly hanging upside down before returning upright with a whoop from Jack.

What happened to Betty? Notus asked drily.

Sorry North, but Betty's got nothing on Daisy.

You… named a tunnel… Why even? I vaguely grasp the concept that humans name inanimate vehicles out of emotional and financial attachment, but a tunnel? Boreas wondered uncomprehendingly.

Don't try, Reas, Notus advised. It's not worth the pain of knowing.

Understood, Boreas agreed gravely.

I feel somehow like I'm being insulted. Daisy is a great name!

Oh, Eurie. Daisy's a lovely name, Zeph intervened pleasantly. I'm sure the, er, tunnel appreciates it.

Woah.

Damn.

I think Zeph's in love.

Holy-

When they finally reached the end of the tunnel, they were temporarily blinded by a burst of cool green as they stumbled back to their feet and found themselves in the Warren.

Beautiful, Zephyrus breathed and Wind whole-heartedly agreed.

It made sense since Easter was all about springtime but the Warren truly took it to the next level with it's rolling grassy hills, mossy stone guarding statues, plethora of all kinds of exotic plant life and millions of tiny playfully bumbling eggs.

But Bunny's ears were pricked and he was tense as he cautiously sniffed the air, setting the Guardians on edge as they immediately stood at attention. Wind's first thought was Pitch. From one of the many tunnels that edged the Warren came a high pitched shrieking and the Guardians plus Jack raised their weapons at the ready and started to charge whatever was coming only for a little girl to come running out of the darkness, eyes sparkling as she chased eggs gleefully.

"Sophie?"

They all froze and immediately hid their weapons sheepishly. Eurus was cackling in Wind's ear and she could hear even Notus sniggering in the background. The little girl, who Wind slowly recognised as the little sister of Jamie, paused a little at the sight of them but was immediately distracted by the small elf helpers North had brought along who she chased giggling.

"What is she doing here?" Bunnymund demanded, turning on the rest of the Guardians angrily. North's hands immediately went to pat down his pockets and he paled slightly.

"Uh, snowglobe," he winced and Wind wanted to throttle them for their idiocy. Untold power granted to them by the Moon and they were this careless with it? Hers and Pitch's time away really hadn't done them any good. She half-heartedly wondered how Pitch hadn't managed to steal the globe himself and wreak havoc on the Guardian's domains when one little human girl had managed it.

"Crickey, somebody do something!" Bunny yelled.

Jack raised his hands in mock surrender with a smirk. "Hey, don't look at me. I'm invisible, remember?"

"Elf! Elf! Elf!"

"Don't worry Bunny, I got you covered! I bet she's a fairy fan." Tooth zipped by to flutter gracefully before the little girl who paused and cooed in awe. "Hey, little one."

"Pretty," Sophie said with wide eyes, making Tooth melt with an "aww".

"You know what? I've got something for you!" the Tooth Fairy sang, revealing her cupped hands to the girl. "Here it is. Look at all the pretty teeth! With little blood and gum on them!"

Sophie's wide eyes turned terrified as stared at the bloody teeth before she ran away crying, leaving a confused Tooth behind.

"Blood and gums?" Jack chuckled. Wind carried him apart from the Guardians and they rested on one of the Easter statues as Sophie chased eggs under it.

"Peek-a-boo!"

The eggs went scuttling and Sophie chased them happily, her blonde hair flying.

"When was the last time you guys actually hung out with kids?"

Wind scoffed.

Ooh, I know the answer, I do, I do, I do! Eurie called impatiently.

The answer's "a while", Boreas butted in and Wind could feel Eurie pouting.

Hey, I was gonna say it.

What, were you waiting for him to pick you? We're the only ones who can hear you, d-

Children, children, no fighting. Jack's going to help them, Zeph said pointedly and Wind sat back behind Jack in satisfaction as she waited for him to do his thing. He might not know it yet, but this was what made him so special. The laughter and ease he brought everywhere he went, and his ability to make others light up too.

"We are very busy bringing joy to children," North explained. "We don't have time… for children."

Jack huffed and distractedly held out a hand, a small snowflake forming delicately on his fingertips. He let it catch on the air and played it around his fingers. "If one little kid can ruin Easter, we're in worse shape than I thought."

With a grin, he let the snowflake go and Wind blew on it, guiding it through the air to where Jack wanted it to go.

Dancing above Sophie as she ran past after butterflies, singing, the snowflake landed glittering between Bunnymund's eyes and blue magic sparkled over him as he blinked. Bunny grinned back.

It was as easy as that.

With the help of Jack's magic, the Easter Bunny became less awkward and more child-friendly, gently guiding Sophie through the Warren as they helped the eggs finish getting ready for the big day. Maybe it had reminded him of the joy of being with children or it had helped Bunny remove the stick from his butt but it worked well and Easter was looking like it was well on its way to starting off a success.

Wind grinned as she watched eggs wriggle through rivers of shimmering paint and bumble to where Guardians would carefully pick them up and hand paint details, all enjoying themselves as they got into the spirit of Easter. She half wished that she could join in and paint a few too. She had found that it didn't matter if no one believed in her, she could just as easily scoop an egg up as anyone else. She could join in. But she knew a floating egg would look suspicious. And… and. She didn't want to risk being seen. Maybe… maybe another time.

There was an odd feeling inside her that told her there wouldn't be another time. Oh well.

As she drifted closer to Jack, she found him talking with Bunnymund.