Chapter Twenty-One

Dreams Become Reality

"Jack, what Tooth trying to say-" North was cut off by Tooth, who firmly told Jack what she actualy meant. Nicely. She was obviously still trying to avpid the true issue, which bothered Jack to no end.

"I'm sure's really nice Jack but...you know, you should be careful, you're only young and... you don't know what the other spirits are like. We just don't want you to get hurt. None of us really know her." Tooth was saying gently, while the team walked down the street they'd been called to. It was...chaos, put simply. The street ended at a large metal gate that lead into some sort of park, where it looked like tents had been set up earlier, many of which were now toppled over.

Jack could see families huddled together, adults trying to comfort children who were obviously frightened. There was a small truck on its side in the middle of the camp ground, which must have lost control and left the road, crashing through the chain they had seen hanging limp from its posts either side of the gate they had come through.

"Why were we called? Is an accident." North asked; a moment later the group heard an all too familiar sound from the trees around the camp site as dozens of nightmares emerged from the shadows.

"Blimey that's...a lot of them, isn't it?" Bunny asked, pulling his bommerang from it's home on his back and ready for the fight. It didn't take long for the creatures to charge at the Guardians; including the nightmares who had formed behind the group, unknowingly to the Guardians. The sudden strike from behind knocked the team apart, sending Jack flying ahead and landing on the ground, where he was quickly swarmed by a large clump of the nightmares in a cloud of black sand.

He scrambled, trying to attack them, to defend himself from the sudden onslaught but he couldn't find his staff anywhere in the dark cloud that was around him. It must have been knocked from his grip. He didn't dare to open his mouth to call for the others, in case the sand decided to flood his throat like it always did in the dreams. What could he do now? He had no staff, nothing to help him direct his magic; he was hopeless at doing it from his own body. He needed his staff.

He had to keep fighting them off, until he could figure out what to do. That's the best he could do.

Jack felt movement beside him, the cause of it lost in the mass of sand that was trying desperately to get to his face, which he was shielding with his arms while he could feel his back being pressed down against the grass beneath him.

Again, movement beside him, something scrambling around next to him in the cloud of black sand. It was likely Pitch come to end him; something warmer than his own skin grabbed at his wrist and shoved something...wooden and familiar into his hand and close his fingers over whatever it was. The sudden jolt of the cold run up through his arm from his hand felt familiar and safe; something he knew well. He felt the familiar bubble push past his body, making enough breathing for him, so he could open his eyes and suck in some air -thank god - before pushing himself off the ground and onto his feet. He was rushing to get out of there before the sand could get back to his face; the sound of the whinnying had become louder, more frantic as it raced forward again to continue what it was made to do; to defeat a Guardian.

Jack raised his staff and brought it down, slamming the bottom of it against the ground between hs feet with a cracking noise that made him panic; he'd broken this staff as well. North was going to be furious with him.

Cold air surrounded him as veins of bright blue light spread up like cracks in running across the top of a frozen pond, moving through the sand as it slowed and suddenly burst, shattering into a cloud of blue sand, which was blown away on the wind. He could hear the wind as it carried the sand away. It was very impressed with Jack. Movement behind him again; Jack spun without thinking and pointed the crooked end of his staf at whatever was there behind him. He was greeted by grey hair and dark eyes than seemed to be made up of liquid. A mouth with a split lower lip smiled gently at him as she held her hands up, palms facing him.

"Hey kid." She said, smiling at Jack. He stared at her, his body shaking; taking in deep breaths of air as he tried to process what had happened.

"...How did you bring it to me?" He asked in a whisper. No one was meant to be able to touch it. If she could, Pitch likely could; he was stronger than any of them. "You did, didn't you?"

"Grabbed it, it put up a fight." She told him. He stared at her for a moment, until she sighed and adjusted the sleeve of the hoodie she was wearing, made of green and brown fabric, to show him her wrist. The skin was red and blistered, where it had been hurt by something. "Words were exchanged, in a manner of speaking. If it helps, I'd rather never touch it again."

"Jack!" Tooth's voice finally reached him, as she raced to his side. "Oh thank goodness, we couldn't...anytime we got close, the noise they made was...we thought they were getting worse when we got closer. Sandy couldn't break through with the sand either and we just-"

"Tooth! Christ, let the kid breathe for a sec." Bunnymund told her, moving to stand next to her. "That was impressive, Frosty. How'd you do that?"

"I...with my staff, I guess." Jack said, lowering it, which seemed to relax her. "I- oh." Jack was looking at her, just over her shoulder, where he saw someone standing. The man was watching them quietly, and seemed to hesitate before moving closer, walking slowly. North and and Sandy had been approaching, but stopped when they saw Death walking towards Jack and the others.

"Child." He said, catching her attention; she turned slowly to look at him but didn't move from where she was standing.

"...What?" She asked, folding her arms in front of her chest, staring at him.

"...Perhaps you will visit me, when you are finished here?"

She gave a small nod before turning her attention to the others, who were looking at the man. They all looked so...unsure of what to do.

"You have all done well here tonight, luckily there is no...need for me, after all. Well done to you all." He said told them, glancing at Jack and smiling kindly. "I am quite impressed, young man."

"Oh, um, thanks..." jack said, looking at the ground, avoiding anyone's eyes as the man gave his farewells and left them, returning to where ever he lived. Jack wouldn't admit it but, the compliment felt good. When he turned again to look at the girl who had appeared in the storm of dark sand with his staff, she had already disappeared.