Naw, you guys are all so lovely. I have the warm fuzzies :3

(SPOILER warning - although you find out in like the second paragraph) I'm not entirely happy with Pitch's motivation in this one (and wow this one's a bit long, huh?), but meh.

Also, I forgot to mention this in the last chapter (Blizzard), so I'll just stick it here: In my headcannon, I see the blizzard of '68 being a way Jack tried to get attention - specifically from Bunny - but I somehow got that instead :P

Disclaimer: IDOROTG... Onwards!

Of Elves and Staffs Part III

...
Pitch Black chuckled to himself as he walked slowly away from the decrepit building. Honestly, if they didn't want to be scared, why did kids even bother with 'tests of courage'? Not that he particularly minded; he enjoyed it.

Without warning, a large portal appeared before him. Pitch took a large step back, his whole body anticipating fight or flight, but instead of a large oaf in a reindeer-pulled sleigh, all that appeared was a dull brown stick, which clattered loudly as it fell to his feet.

"Well, well, well," Pitch smirked, stooping to pick up the staff. "What have we here?"

He ran the staff over in his hands, noting that there was no evidence of its earlier breakage. How had he done it? Wasn't the staff the source of his powers? Then why had he been able to repair it, to come back, to play a significant role in his downfall?

Pitch knew he now had leverage over Jack Frost… but how to use it…

Pitch stepped back, allowing the shadows to consume him. In a matter of seconds, he had reappeared behind one of the Guardians; but not the one he was searching for.

Suppressing a sigh, he called, "Tell me, Toothianna, where's Jack?"

The Tooth Fairy spun around so fast, for a moment Pitch thought her neck might just snap. No such luck. The small fairy by her side quickly moved behind her.

"Pitch!" Tooth practically snarled. "What are you doing here?!"

"Well, I was hoping you would answer my question," he replied, rolling his eyes and waving the staff in front of him for emphasis.

Tooth's eyes widened at the sight of the stick, her gaze flickering constantly between it and the Boogieman. "Where did you get that?"

"Oh this?" Pitch looked down at his new prop with mild interest, as if he hadn't noticed he had it. "It was the funniest thing; it just landed in front of me. I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said I only wanted to give it back…"

If the glare was anything to go by, no she didn't. "Well then," she said, her tone obviously forced, "Give it to me and I'll make sure Jack gets it." Tooth held out her hand.

"Oh no, no, no," Pitch tutted. "I'd really rather give it to him in person. Where can I find him?"

"I don't know. And even if I did I wouldn't tell you."

"Shame," Pitch smirked, disappearing once more into the shadows.

...

...

Jack staggered back as something green zipped about in his face.

"Whoa, whoa!" he gasped, putting up his hands in a placating manner.

The green blur slowed, revealing itself to be Baby Tooth, who was squeaking and gesturing frantically.

"Baby Tooth? What are you doing here?" Jack frowned, unable to understand what the anxious fairy was trying to tell him. "Slow down! I can't–" he cut himself off as he caught sight of the rainbow coloured lights stretching across the sky.

"Looks like Tooth's found it," Bunny said, hopping over.

Jack couldn't bring himself to smile. Why was Baby Tooth so flustered? "…Something's wrong."

"Ah, here you are."

Jack could have recognised that velvety tone anywhere, and so he wasn't surprised when he turned to see Pitch Black leaning casually against a tree. Nor was he all that shocked to see his staff resting on the Boogieman's shoulder. Suddenly Baby Tooth was starting to make a lot of sense. If history was any indicator, this was not going to end well.

"Pitch!" Bunny growled.

"Is this how you greet everyone who comes to see you?"

"What do you want?" Jack asked, his tone dangerously calm.

Pitch turned to him with a strange glint in his eyes. "I see you still remember our last little heart-to-heart," he spat like it was poison on his lips.

"I learned a lot that day; I guess I should thank you."

Pitch narrowed his eyes. It was clear that was not the response he had been looking for.

"I'm only going to ask one more time: what do you want?"

"I thought that was clear?"

"How is stealing Jack's staff going to make children believe in you?" North's voice announced his arrival before the sleigh touched down on the forest floor. Sandy and Tooth climbed out alongside him.

"It's not the staff that's going to do it…" Pitch swung the staff lazily. "Do you remember, Jack? When I said 'what goes together better than cold and dark'?"

Jack lunged, a cry of rage escaping him. Pitch used the shadows, teleporting to another spot on the other side of the clearing.

"Ah, I see you do remember…" He held the staff out towards the winter spirit. "So what do you say? I'll give this back, if you do a little job for me."

"My answer hasn't changed! You can do whatever you want, but you have no power over me!" It didn't escape the Boogieman's notice how Frost's eyes flickered quickly over to his fellow Guardians and Baby Tooth, all of which, par the tiny fairy, were watching in confusion.

"Is that so?" Pitch's lip twitched. "Well in that case, you won't mind if I do this." On the last note, he held the staff in both hands and cracked it down over his knee.

The snap reverberated around the clearing, but was quickly drowned out by the short cry of pain that escaped Jack Frost.

Much like the first time, it was like the Boogieman had snapped away part of his soul, tearing it cruelly from its place, leaving a metaphorical hole in his chest.

Pitch was smirking again, one of the halves held firmly in his hands. "Or this…" the half was snapped again, and this time Jack was not able to remain standing.

Falling to his knees, Jack gripped the fabric of his jumper directly over his heart, the pain distorting the cries of his companions. He looked up at the shadow man, who was easily dodging the attacks launched at him.

"One little word, Jack," he taunted. "Just one little word and I'll give it back."

"…No," Jack gasped out.

Pitch's calm melted into anger. "Fine!" The remaining half was broken, and with it went another part of the winter spirit's heart.

Why does it hurt this much?! Jack placed a hand down onto the soft grass to steady himself. It's only a conduit! …It's only… a conduit… Jack's eyes widened, his expression quickly morphing into steely determination. With great effort, he pulled himself up onto his unsteady feet.

"You have… no power over me!" The ground around his feet was starting to frost over, icy tendrils creeping out towards the source of their creator's animosity.

Almost comically, surprise overrode the smug look on Pitch's face, but only momentarily, as black sand swam up, forming into two nightmares.

"What goes together better than cold and dark?"

Jack remembered exactly what had happened when cold and dark came together. And it didn't work out so well for dark.

He knew he was nowhere near as powerful without his staff – he didn't have a conduit for nothing – but that didn't make him powerless. All he had to do was get close enough… or let them get close to him.

Jack hobbled forwards. Pitch was grinning like he'd already won, and pointed to the winter spirit. Without the need for words, one of the nightmares charged. But this was what Jack had been counting on.

"Jack!" he heard his friends cry out in warning and silently willed them not to interfere. No such luck. In the corner of his eye he could see the others running towards him.

"Sorry," he managed, before sending ice cascading across the grass. Unable to gain a grip on the slippery surface, Bunny and North tumbled, taking Sandy and Tooth down with them. He was going to be in so much trouble later.

At the last moment, with Pitch laughing victoriously in the background, Jack held up both his hands. The nightmare collided with him, and for a terse second, Jack wondered if he hadn't made a mistake. But then he could feel the cold flurry of his powers seeping, spreading across the black sand. The nightmare was frozen solid in seconds.

Pitch gave a cry of rage, and Jack turned his attention to the shadow man. Another nightmare rose to take the place of its fallen brethren and both it and the remaining one broke out into a sprint towards him.

Jack crouched down, placing his hands flat onto the grass, using the earth like he would his staff and creating a line of pointed icicles. Unable to stop in time, the two nightmares impaled themselves, disintegrating into piles of dust.

Now only Pitch remained.

This was going to be harder than the nightmares. The other Guardians were starting to pick themselves up, all fiercely determined to stop Pitch.

Pitch raised his hands as if to conjure more of his black sand creations but suddenly froze, his face telling tale to the utter shock he was experiencing. There was a loud rumble as two thick vines broke out of the ground and wound their way up his legs and torso.

"What?" seemed to be the overall thought echoing around the clearing.

"What in the name of Manny is going on here?!" an uncomfortably familiar – and angry – voice called. All present turned to the source in time to see a plump woman dressed in various shades of orange and brown come in to land on the edge of the clearing.

"You," she spat, pointing at Jack. "I thought I told you to be gone by the time I got back. Why are you still here?"

"…Uh…" Perhaps he could use this to his advantage. "Him!" he gestured almost manically to Pitch. "It was his fault. He picked a fight with us."

Ceres raised a brow, glancing briefly at the other Guardians before turning her attention to Pitch. "Is that so?"

Pitch visibly gulped.

"Tell me, Pitch Black, why did you think it was okay to pick a fight with him," she waved in the winter spirit's direction, "knowing full well that his blasted ice would freeze up my season?"

Pitch said nothing. Which was probably the best thing he could have done.

"Leave. And if I ever see you messing around with autumn again, you'll regret it."

Pitch took her word for it, retreating into the shadows the moment the autumn spirit released him from the vines.

"As for you…"

Jack resisted the urge to swear colourfully.

"You are on thin ice, boy. Now get lost before I change my mind."

Jack nodded mutely, hurrying (which in this case means hobbling at a rushed pace) to gather up the remains of his staff and clambering up into the sleigh. A rather dazed looking group of Guardians, who had sense enough not to comment on the last few minutes while in the presence of the intimidating woman, followed him.

...

...

Jack sighed, holding up two pieces of his staff and testing them to see if they were supposed to join together.

"Sorry about your staff, Jack," Tooth said forlornly watching curiously as Baby Tooth shook her head at the two pieces Jack was holding.

"Don't worry about it," Jack shrugged, putting down one of the pieces and picking up another one.

"Maybe we can fix?" North suggested, not taking his eyes off the sky ahead.

"Doubt it would work the same," Bunny said, sharing a look with Sandy.

"No, it's okay," Jack shook his head. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment. "Aha!"

All occupants of the sleigh jumped at the sudden exclamation.

"What?" North asked.

Jack didn't answer, simply furrowing his brow as he stared in complete concentration at his broken staff. Blue-white light erupted from the break, glowing to near blinding before dying down to reveal a single, undamaged stick. Jack smiled in satisfaction, moving on to the next piece, which Baby Tooth helpfully picked out for him.

"Wha… How?" Bunny gaped.

Jack spared the Pooka a second's glance before focusing on the task at hand once more. "It's not the first time I've had to do this," he said by way of explanation.

"What does that mean?" Tooth asked suspiciously.

"Ah… it was a while ago… long story."

Sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere – there would be time to interrogate the kid later – Bunny brought up something that had been bothering him for a while. "I don't think I've ever seen Pitch so terrified."

Jack laughed, now only one piece away from completing the repairs. "I told you, Ceres is really scary when she's mad." He held up the fixed staff triumphantly and silently vowed to freeze every single elf he came across when they got back to the Pole. He was never letting his staff out of his sight ever again.

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SaiyanPrincess: Naw thank you =^w^= You're so great.