Alrighty! I've had the first part of this written for a few days but the end wouldn't come to me. And now it has, so enjoy!
One request down, two to go. You're next, Seryyth! Speaking of which, pranks people! I'm not good at them and I need ideas!
Disclaimer: IDOROTG
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Revenge Served Hot Part II
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It was impossible. Summer was covering a whole half of the Earth – stretching from east to west – how were they supposed to find one small spirit in such a large area? And it certainly didn't help that they weren't even 100% sure he was in summer in the first place. After all, all they had to go on was a vague remark from Pitch, and it was quite clear they couldn't trust the man.
They needed to think rationally about this. From what they'd been able to reason from the few words Pitch had spoken back at the Pole, he had definitely done something to Jack. Therefore, the chances that he'd left guards to stop the winter spirit from intervening in the Boogieman's latest attack were highly likely.
Jack had also been gaining more and more believers as time passed, so to prevent unwanted intervention, Pitch would have had to have left him somewhere where humans didn't normally go.
The first thought that came to Bunny's mind was not one he really wanted to think about. A desert. But there were a lot of deserts in the southern hemisphere. Far too many to just pick one and hope for the best.
"I don't even know where to start," Tooth said sadly, effectively breaking Bunny from his thoughts as she gazed around the arid landscape.
"I'm thinking a desert," Bunny relayed his thoughts, watching as Tooth's expression of horror matched his feelings.
"That doesn't really narrow things down."
"Then maybe we should get some help."
"Who did you have in mind?"
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As it turned out, locating seasonal spirits who weren't Jack and therefore whom they knew next to nothing about and who didn't have a small lake/pond/thing that they constantly returned to was harder than the two Guardians on rescue-duty had anticipated.
They didn't even know where the spirits of spring and autumn went in the off-season, so that left only Lleu. But where was he?
Careful to stay hidden from humans (they were far more likely to be spotted than Jack or even Lleu), Bunny and Tooth jumped from town to town, country to country, in search of the being they hoped would be able to help them. For hours they continued with no results.
"Maybe he's not in a populated area," Tooth suggested after their most recent failure.
"A'right," Bunny grumbled, pushing his ears back with a paw. "Then let's keep looking. We're not gonna find either of 'em if we just stand here."
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In the end they found him completely accidentally. But, as they say, you generally find what you're looking for when you stop looking for it. To be precise, they didn't actually see him. They saw the nightmares, which was pretty much a dead giveaway.
Tooth went into a rage when she saw what was going on.
The nightmares, usually cruel, had reached a new low. The two Guardians watched in horror and disgust from the edge of the canyon-like space as a limp body was hauled out of the water, only to be thrown around a bit before being dumped back in.
And was that… steam coming from the surface?!
Before Bunny could so much as lift a finger to stop her, Tooth held up Jack's staff menacingly, a cry of rage ripping from her throat.
The nightmares all looked up upon her approach, seemingly forgetting about the winter spirit who had not resurfaced as they faced the new threat. Tooth was relentless. Having no idea how to properly use a staff, much less a branch, she resorted to using it like a blunt dagger or a bludgeon, hitting the black sand horses with more force than Bunny had thought her capable of. It was a rather frightening sight.
Bunny vowed never to get on her bad side.
Quickly recovering from his shock, the Easter Bunny pulled out his boomerangs and joined the fray, throwing a few egg-bombs now and then for added effect.
"Tooth! Jack hasn't resurfaced!" he called out to her. "I'll handle these guys."
Tooth nodded, fluttering out of reach of snapping jaws as she navigated towards the small pond-like body of water.
The nightmares interpreted her attentions and split up; one group staying to deal with Bunny, the other hurrying after Tooth.
Tooth could hold her own in a fight, but against so many with only a stick she didn't know how to use for defence and with a far more important task to complete, the odds were against her. With another egg-bomb and a thrust of his weapons, Bunny dispatched the last of the nightmares that had remained with him and hurried to aid his colleague.
Tooth quickly forced herself to a stop mid-air as a nightmare burst out in front of her. Recovering from her shock she tightened her grip on the staff and charged out, narrowly avoiding having her wings bitten. Her attack knocked some of the black sand from the horse's form, but not nearly enough to stop it for good. She dodged trampling hooves, still trying to get past to where Jack had remained in the water.
An unpredicted attack from the side knocked her weapon from her hands and she gasped, watching it clatter on the ground loudly before turning her attention to the newest assailant. She was surrounded and unarmed. Not good.
A familiar battle cry was all the warning the nightmares got before a colourful blast disintegrated the two in front of her while a boomerang came around the side and took out the two behind.
"Thanks, Bunny!" she called out to him as he continued on to chase another.
"Focus on Jack! I'll cover you!"
Bunny was right. Jack was their number one priority. She had no time to be dealing with nightmares.
The Tooth Fairy hovered over the steaming water, scanning the depths for any sign of their wayward winter spirit. Steam. Steam wasn't good. Steam meant heat. Which meant that this must be a hot spring. Even less good. Winter and heat did not go well together. She needed to move fast.
Judging herself incapable of locating Jack from above, Tooth made a split second decision. Folding her wings flat against her back she dived down, well aware that she would now be unable to fly. The water was warmer than her preferred temperature and she could only imagine how it must feel to Jack. Her thoughts only pushed her harder to find him.
There! He was floating a little further down, where the light barely penetrated, his eyes closed. Panic gripped at Tooth's heart and she forced herself to swim deeper until she was able to reach out and grab one of Jack's limp arms. With all the strength she could muster she kicked her legs, struggling to pull them both back up to the surface.
Bunny was there in an instant, helping her pull the winter spirit up onto the shore. He was bright red – either flushed or burned, it was hard to tell – but he managed to take a breath that quickly dissolved into a coughing fit.
"Let's get 'im back to the Pole. I think some cold air will do 'im good," Bunny suggested, moving over to pick up Jack's staff from where it had been abandoned before opening a tunnel.
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"Is that the best you can do?" Pitch taunted as he easily dissolved into darkness before North's sword could slice him in half.
They were not faring well against the Boogieman. He was stronger than when they'd faced him the last time, but nowhere near the power level he'd been when Jack had been recruited by Manny. Sandy was perhaps the best suited to fighting the man, but North found himself equally missing Bunny's fierce never-give-up nature, Tooth's determination, and even Jack's recklessness. He silently hoped the Guardians of Hope and Memories would be able to find the boy. Wherever he'd gone.
North was drawn back into the fight unfolding before him as a sand whip slammed into the ground to his right, missing its target. The room held too many shadows; it was far too easy for Pitch to jump around and avoid them. It would be so much easier if this fight had occurred outside in the snow.
"Pitch! Show yourself!" North growled, trying to locate the enemy.
Sandy stood at his back, likewise scanning the room.
There! By the fireplace! Swords at the ready, North charged, Sandy floating overhead, striking out with lashes of his dream sand whips. And so the dance began anew.
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Jack gasped, his eyes springing open to find… snow? Yep, he was definitely lying half-buried in snow. That was strange; hadn't he been at a hot spring a moment ago?
"Sweet Tooth?" a hesitant voice called.
Only one person called him that. Jack turned his head to see a very worried, very cold Tooth kneeling by his side.
"Are you okay?"
Ignoring her protests, Jack pulled himself up into a sitting position, resting his head in one hand. "Better than I was a moment ago," he told her.
"Care to tell us what happened, mate?"
Ah, Bunny was here, too. He looked freezing despite his coat of fur, but his face was creased in worry more so than discomfort.
"Pitch snuck up on me," Jack said, rolling his shoulder. The burns he'd received from the hot water had mostly faded by now. A few more minutes and they'd be completely gone. "Knocked my staff away before I had the chance to react."
Speaking of which… Jack's body went rigid as he remembered the fate of his conduit. "My staff–"
"Is right 'ere," Bunny assured him, handing the undamaged stick over to him. It was coated in a layer of frost the moment it came into contact with Jack's hands.
"So where's Pitch?" Jack asked, using the staff to help pull himself to his feet. "I have a score to settle."
"Wait, Jack, you need to rest," Tooth said worriedly, fluttering upwards so they were at eye level.
"I'm fine," he held out his arms as if it were clear proof. "Thanks to you guys. Besides, he's up to something; and whatever it is, it's not going to be good."
Looking around, Jack noted that North's workshop was visible in the distance. They'd obviously brought him close for a reason… but why not closer?
"He's in the workshop, isn't he?"
No response. That was as good as a yes. His expression morphing into steely determination, Jack allowed the wind to lift him up and he flew towards the building, a single destination in mind.
Tooth and Bunny were calling out to him and he twisted so he was facing them. "You guys coming or what? I've got an idea!"
"What sort of idea?" Bunny called back, bounding across the snow and easily keeping pace with him.
"A fight is what Pitch wants, right? So let's give it to him… my way."
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North would never admit it but he was getting tired. He wasn't as young as he used to be. And while Sandy could float over to wherever Pitch had vanished to, North had to run. And half the time the Boogieman had disappeared again by the time he got there.
North barely managed to hold up his blades in time to block the sand scythe that came crashing down towards him. A golden stream wrapped tightly around the handle and Pitch was swung heavily into the far wall.
"Go easy on the building, Sandy," North said, eyeing the damage disapprovingly.
Sandy shrugged sheepishly and returned his attention to Pitch, who was pushing himself off the ground.
"You'll pay for that," the Boogieman snapped, baring his teeth in a near-growl.
They all froze as something blue-green burst into the room, appearing to stumble through the air, if that was even possible.
"Tooth?" North raised a brow.
The Tooth Fairy in question quickly righted herself, clearing her throat in an attempt to look dignified. She threw a glance back over her shoulder which could have been a glare before settling her gaze on Pitch.
"Um…" she thought for a moment before her face brightened. "What time did the man go to the dentist?" she asked brightly.
They all looked at her like she was insane. Maybe she was. Maybe she'd gotten too excited on a tooth run and had simply hit her head a little too hard on a billboard this time.
"Two thirty!" she exclaimed. No one laughed. "Get it? Two thirty, tooth hurty? Oh come on, guys. Fine, how about this one? What did the dentist see at the North Pole?"
"…Snow?" Pitch guessed, despite himself.
"A molar bear!"
The three who had been interrupted shared a look.
"Man, tough crowd," Tooth commented.
"Was there… a point to this, Tooth?" North asked. "Did you find Jack?"
"Yep, she was distracting you and buying me some time."
They all looked up at the rafters to see a grinning Jack Frost staring down at them.
"Jack!" North beamed. "Are you alright?"
"You?!" Pitch spat.
"The one and only," Jack smirked. With a small gesture he pointed his staff at Pitch and let out a small burst of frost.
Seeing the attack, Pitch quickly melded into the shadows. Jack's smile didn't falter.
A cry of pain drew their attention to the other side of the room, where Pitch was shaking his foot, trying to dislodge a mouse trap from his foot.
"That's what happens when you go scurrying around," Jack laughed, using his staff to freeze the ground around the Boogieman.
In his struggles, Pitch slipped on the ice, sending him staggering forwards where he tripped over a piece of thin rope stretched taut across his path. The Boogieman fell flat on his face, and even as he began pushing himself upright the movement of the rope was setting off a series of reactions. They all followed the rope with their eyes, watching in horror (Pitch) and amusement (everyone else) as a precariously balanced bucket of… something was tugged downwards, its contents saturating Pitch from head to toe in… was that honey?
"Release the elves!" Jack called to the door, which promptly burst open courtesy of Bunny and a swarm of elves hurried into the room.
They caught one sight at Pitch and froze, their little eyes widening.
"N-No!" Pitch cried, scrambling to get back on his feet, but the ice covering the floor was making it near impossible. "Stay back!"
Elves, of course, rarely do as they're told and bounded towards him, eyeing the honey dripping off him like it was a gift from the heavens.
Pitch yelled in protest, indignation and disgust as he fell prey to the small creatures, who promptly tried to consume as much honey as was physically possible, scooping it up with their hands or just straight out licking his clothes.
Pitch somehow managed to manoeuvre himself into a nearby shadow cast by the control panel of the Globe, disappearing for good without so much as a goodbye.
"And that," Jack said, gently landing on the ground in front of his family, "is how you deal with a problem my way."
They all silently vowed never to become a 'problem'.
Guest Review Responses:
SaiyanPrincess: I hope this is satisfactory ^_^ Thanks for reviewing, as always :3
PomegrenatePuppy: Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it ^w^ Sorry about the wait