Anonymous reviewer: I'm glad you like it! I'm working on more ;)
Also just in case, it wasn't clear in the last chapter, Jack was determined to get out but in doing so it drained what was left of his energy and, because of his injuries, essentially his life force. Man In Moon took pity on him so he knew there was no point fighting. His end was peaceful because it was Mim's doing - he blocked out any pain for Jack. He also cleared his worst wounds so as to ease him a bit more. Hope this clears it up, onto the chapter!
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There's a light, there's a light in the darkness
And the back of the night cannot harm us
We can trust not to fear for our comfort is near
There's a light, a light in the darkness
We will fly, we will fly, we will let go
To this world we will die but our hearts will know
We'll see more of what's on that side when the door opens wide
We will fly, we will fly, we will fly, we will fly, we will all go.*
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The Aurora Borealis shone brightly in the night sky, filling the darkness with an explosion of powerful colours. Wonderful shades of various greens, blues and purples tinted the forests, making it seem like someone had painted every individual leaf a different colour of the rainbow. Humans marvelled are the glorious sight, only seen on rare occasions. This would be the topic of conversation for days to come: those lucky enough to see the Northern lights would surely boast.
For the Guardians though, the beauty of the sight didn't matter. For them, it meant trouble.
Tooth was frantic, flying back and forth in front of Bunnymund and North, who were arguing. She had dropped all responsibility at the Tooth Palace as soon as she had seen the emergency warning, leaving her Baby Teeth in charge until she got back. Though she knew immediately why North was calling them, she dreaded hearing her suspicions confirmed and her heart immediately dropped when the news was told.
"We have to go after him! What if he hurts him! Where could he have taken him, why would he take him? What does he want with him? Oh, my poor sweet Tooth!" The Fairy Queen darted back and forth in the Globe Room, not allowing anyone to answer her before she asked her next questions, which were simultaneously as fast as flying bullets. Beads of sweat were proceeding to concentrate on her forehead, both from her nervous state and the dizziness that was beginning to hit her from flying back and forth for so long.
"Sheila calm down! We'll find him." Bunny tried to sound optimistic but inside he was seriously worried for his new comrade. But for now, and for Tooth, he had to put on a brave face.
"I've sent de yetis out to all places over de globe and vee vill join them now. All vee can do is keep hope that Jack is alright, ya? He is a strong boy."
Tooth simply nodded, any more worrying and she'd go insane. North was right, this wasn't about her or her emotions, this was about finding Jack. She prayed to Man in Moon that he was okay.
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They had been searching for over two hours in all of the places where Pitch's nightmare horses had recently been spotted before Bunny suggested they head to Burgess. Though he had only known the Winter Spirit for a little while, nearly all of their encounters had a happened at a particular lake in the Woods near the small town in Pennsylvania. If Jack were to have escaped, surely that's where he would go? It was a long shot, but right now it was all they had.
The sun had fully disappeared behind the horizon now, leaving the world sunk in darkness. A faint glow from the Moon illuminated parts of the forest and a few stars glistened overhead. The residents of the town were either fast asleep or on their way, so North saw it as no problem to take the sleigh, despite Bunny's protests. After all, it was the fastest way there and they hadn't a second to lose.
Before they had even landed, Tooth tore out of the sleigh and immediately started searching for the lost Winter Spirit. "Jack? Jack!" Her cries were desperate and her concern only increased when the simple reply was a faint howl of the wind rustling through the trees. Would they ever find him? No, she thought stay strong, for Jack.
"Ja-" her next shout was cut off by a low, mumbling groan as if the wind itself was trying to speak to her. Without any warning, she found herself being pushed forward by a strong force on her back. As if it were... leading her somewhere. Then she remembered: Jack rides the wind! Happiness filled her heart picked up and she flew forward as fast as her wings would take her, following the wind as it pushed her further into the woods. She didn't even have time, nor the breath, to shout back at her fellow Guardians - who hadn't yet noticed her absence - though she was sure the wind would collect them too.
A cool breeze rushed past her face, tingling her feathers which were reflecting the patches of moonlight like a hundred pieces of a broken mirror. Twigs and leaves slashed at her face as she whizzed forward but she didn't care, she was so close to the lake. The glistening blue water, still partly frozen from winter, seemed to twinkle in the moonlight. Small patches of half-melted snow covered the area as it wasn't quite warm enough for it to melt entirely.
Unexpectedly, the wind stopped about five metres away from the lake. It took her a minute to regain her senses after flying so fast without control, but she shook her head and started searching straight away. He had to be around here somewhere, didn't he? Why else would Wind lead her here?
A loud, gruff about arose from behind her as Bunny and North were tossed harshly in her direction, each landing with a large thud as they crashed ungraciously to the ground in a jumbled heap.
"What the bloody-" The large Australian Pooka didn't have time to finish his sentence as he was silenced by the Fairy Queen who was rummaging frantically through the surrounding trees and bushes.
He has to be here, he has to! She wouldn't give up looking until he was found, even if it took them days. Hopefully it wouldn't, but she knew that Pitch wouldn't make this easy for them.
"Wind, do you know where he is? Please take us to him." Wind, much more gently this time, blew past Toothianna and the other Guardians to a small spot behind a flurry of bushes, where it stooped once more. A low moaning echoed around the lake, sounding like a sad wail from where the wind had gathered. Small snowflakes gently wafted up and down in that one spot, spinning gently as if not to harm what was playing there. Almost like the wind was grieving. Goosebumps prickled all over Tooth's body, her feathers twitching with anticipation. She was sure she didn't want to know why Wind was grieving but couldn't help her curiosity. Silently, her heart full of dread, she floated over and joined the elder spirit by the trees.
A soft, agonized gasp escaped her lips and her whole body began to tremble, tears threatening to flow like a waterfall as she looked down at the still figure of the young spirit on a patch of dirty snow. No breath escaped his lips and his eyes were long since closed. The frost patterns that had previously adorned his blue hoodie had melted into a pile of water, combining with the snow on the floor to form a dirty brown mulch. His skin was tinted a pale grey and blue specks decorated his lips. His cheeks, once rosy and full of life, we're now just as grey as the rest of his body: his lifeless body, which now seemed so small, laying with a small hint of a smile on his face, as if he was finally able to be at peace.
Tooth couldn't hold it in any longer and tears flooded her cheeks as if she would never cry again. She sent to her knees next to Jack's body, traumatized and guilty at the same time. She hadn't known Jack for very long but in the short time she had spent with him, he had shown himself to be a truly noble soul and one of the kindest people she had ever met. If she and the other Guardians hadn't dragged him into their mess with Pitch, he would still be alive right now. This was all their fault - he was dead because of them! Them and their selfish choices. He could have said no, could have refused to help. After all, what had they ever done for him? Nothing. And he repaid them with absolute kindness, no questions asked. Even after Easter, he still stayed with them. This was how they repaid him for his actions. She was disgusted with herself.
Tears flew down her cheeks, collecting in a puddle on the earth below her. She didn't even react when a large hand touched her shoulder, nor when she was lifted into North's muscular arms. All she could do was cry as she watched through foggy eyes as Bunny gently scooped Jack up.
The whole ride back to the Pole she felt numb, only registering one emotion: grief. She understood deep down that no matter how many tears she shed or how many times she whispered 'sorry', Jack was not coming back. She wanted so badly for him to jump up and shout 'ha, tricked ya! Aw Bunny, you do care' like his usual mischievous self, but he didn't. He lay, limp in the Pooka's arms as he was gently cradled, afraid if he held him too tightly he might break into a thousand pieces and float off into the night sky. He couldn't let the happen. He had failed to protect him up to now and he was going to hell for it. But he swore to never let anyone lay a finger on Jack or any of his friends again. He knew they didn't have the best relationship, but the fact that Jack had essentially died for them, he couldn't fathom. And for that, Bunny was not ashamed to let a tear trickle down and fall to the floor.
North stayed silent in the front of the sleigh, guiding him and his friends home. In less than a month, Pith had stolen two spirits from this world. Two spirits who deserved so much more. Sandy was one of his oldest and closest friends and, though he only known Jack a short while, he'd already begun to see him as the son he could never have. Misery and anguish flowed through his veins making his every movement feel harder than the last. How had he failed to protect them? They could both still be here right now if only he had tried harder; done better. But he hadn't, and everyone else had paid the price.
No one was sure of what would happen next. Would they defeat Pitch? They didn't know. But hell, they would sure try. Jack and Sandy's deaths wouldn't be in vain and at the end, however this ended, they would be viewed as the heroes of this story. But for now, all anyone knew was grief. So in unison, without speaking, they bowed their heads for their fallen companions.
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So much sadness, I'm sorry (not really mwahaha). I know not much really happened in this chapter but obviously it's important that the other Guardians find Jack and I felt like I should show their reactions because whether they knew him well or not he's still dead.
I hope everyone is well, please review!
*The song is 'There's a light' by Emmylou Harris
