As we escaped from Pitch, Jack came up with a genius plan.
Jack led the group on the streets of Burgess. Each sledding on their own makeshift sled. Lilac was holding onto a trash can lid, sitting in between my legs. She cheered as we made our way through town.
"Yeah! Come on!" Jack laughed, flinging the staff about to basically create a roller coaster out of ice. The wind was at our backs, propelling us forward when we really should've stopped blocks ago.
"Whoa! Cool!" Jamie shouted loudly.
Lilac cheered still.
As we zoomed by the houses, Jack made his own little stops. He was picking up Jamie's friends, I knew. Still didn't stop me from having fun with Lilac.
I stood up on my feet, using them to control the sled. It curved us harder into the turns, making us spin as Lilac and I zoomed by. My own wings would push us forward also.
After a particularly harsh turn, Lilac shouted that she wanted a new sled-partner. She immediately retracted it by hugging tightly to my leg. Sentiment, ugh.
That tough girl-Cupcake-joined us. I showed off my skills by firing an arrow into her sled. With a rope I connected it to mine, making more dramatic turns and spins which made Cupcake's sled copy. Cupcake went insane laughing about it.
When Jack took Jamie up to help those other kids, I picked up Lilac to put her on my shoulders. She screamed laughing as we dashed on the makeshift-sled race.
Then came the twin boys' house. North had two presents ready-two sleds we'd collected in the way for them. I had an arrow ready, firing it so it could push open the window. North tossed the presents up.
"Merry Christmas!" North cheered as the boys walked to the window.
"Happy Easter!" Bunnymund shouted up.
"I shoot arrows for fun!" I cheered, spinning myself and the sled. Lilac yelled in delight, gripping tighter to me.
"Don't forget to floss!" Tooth yelled up.
There friends dashed by behind us. The twins didn't pause another second.
Soon we had all the kids down. Lilac was controlling the sled now, making it move in simple but fun ways. I sat behind her, letting her have her fun.
"Yeah!"
"Jamie you were right!"
"The Easter Bunny's real!"
"And the Tooth Fairy!"
"And Santa!"
"And Cupid!" Cupcake laughed
"They're all real!"
"Woohoo!" Lilac threw her arms up as another turn came.
I copied her, howling.
==CR==
The wind stopped pushing us on a quiet street.
Well quiet, except for the wave of Nightmares.
Other than that, normal.
The Guardians all climbed off their sleds. The ice path had stopped as the wind did, so that was that.
Jack-myself beside him-led the odd mixed pack forward. He was gawking in horror at the wave. I was grinning in delight.
The skinny blond child charged forward, still cheering in excitement. The cheering stopped as he saw the wave. He ran back behind us. I snorted when he did so.
"You think a few children can help you?" Pitch shouted down from atop his wave. "Against this!"
He showed off the other Nightmares, all of them making a slow crawl to the city.
I had to fight back a giddy laugh.
At Jack's side, North tried to lift up his sword. It fell-the kids believed in him but they were losing faith at the encroaching horde.
Lilac shuffled to hide behind me.
I stepped aside, taking away her hiding place. She squeaked. "Lilac. They're only nightmares. Remember to be strong."
She shivered, curling her arms around her body. She stared up at the dark clouds, blue eyes sparkling with withheld tears. "I don't feel strong."
"Exactly!" Lilac gave me a 'are you really as stupid as mom always says you are' look. "You prove your strength when you're scared."
She swallowed.
"They're just bad dreams, Jamie." Jack assured a terrified Jamie.
"And we'll protect you, mate." Bunnymund promised, despite the fact that even I could crush him under my boot if I was so inclined.
"Aww, you'll protect them." Pitch mocked. "But who will protect you?"
My hands tightened to fists.
They loosened when Lilac and Jamie took protective stances in front of us.
"I will!" Lilac shouted, in a very 'I will take the Ring to Mordor!' sort of way. She proudly stood in front of the Guardians, probably glaring hotly at Pitch.
"I will." Jamie agreed.
One by one, the other kids moved to stand beside them.
"I will." Cupcake nodded.
"I will." The twin boys agreed.
"And me." Pippa joined in beside Jamie.
"I'll try." Monty admitted as he walked up.
I gave him a fist bump. Monty beamed from it.
Jamie and Jack exchanged a brief nod, though Jack was stunned by their decision.
Lilac hadn't looked back. She continued to glare down Pitch Black.
"Still think there's no such thing as the boogeyman?" He taunted.
There was a loud crackle of lightning. A wave of Nightmares ran down the street way towards us.
"I do believe in you." Jamie admitted as it got closer. "I'm just not afraid of you."
"I've never been scared of you." Lilac revealed herself.
She and Jamie held up out their hands as the wave rushed forward. The moment the black sand touched them it burst into streams of gold.
The kids all cheered in excitement as the golden sand dashed around the city. It did what Sandy's sand always did.
And it was like that sand-the reminder of our fallen friend-that cemented the belief in the Guardians.
Tooth was the first to recover. Her wings extended out. They fluttered at hummingbird pace. She flew up off the ground, swirling over the heads of the kids.
"Yeah, Tooth Fairy! Whoa!" Cupcake cheered loudest.
North was next. He raised up his swords, yelling in delight.
Monty applauded. "Whoa, yeah!"
"No! Get them!" Pitch yelled at his Nightmares from the building top he was perched on now. "Do your jobs!"
I flew up. "Well come on then, scaredy cat!" I shouted his direction. "Unless you're too scared!"
Pitch growled in rage.
Below me, Bunny had his paws crossed. "Oh yeah, come on, come on!" Then he saw the Nightmares. "Oh, crikey!" He hopped off.
I pulled out arrows. Each changed to purple once I took them out from the quiver. With waiting for the others, I began firing them out at the Nightmares.
As North charged with his yetis, I watched as a Nightmare caught up with Bunny.
"I'm just a bunny!" He yelled before hiding under a car. The Nightmare pulled him out, revealing a rabbit the size of a kangaroo. "G'day, mate!" He kicked the Nightmare's face.
I would've watched more except a Nightmare ran my way. Three arrows to the face shut it up.
Pippa cheered as the Nightmare faded away. I smirked at her, closing to her side. "Wanna help?"
"Yeah!" Pippa nodded, eyes wide in excitement.
I docked another arrow, firing it at another Nightmare. "You saw what happened when Lilac and Jamie touched it. Just copy them!" Pippa saluted me, running to her friends.
She made it to Cupcake first. Pippa told her what I did, making Cupcake y'all out a loud battle cry that got the other kids charging.
The first Nightmare they touched burst into gold.
I looked up in Pitch's direction.
An evil grin spread on my face.
==CR==
Jack blasted ice at Pitch. It knocked down more Nightmares. When Pitch stepped back I fired at arrow at his back. He howled in pain.
He turned to glare at me. I waved my fingers at him.
He charged his Nightmare at me. Jack jumped- sending another blast of ice at it.
I flew up, doing a backflip onto another roof. There were Nightmares coming up from all sides. If one got close, I fired arrows at it. Jack stood at my back, doing the same with his ice.
Pitch had apparently tried to attack us with a blast of pure nightmare sand. Tooth flew by, dispersing it.
"Thanks, Tooth!" Jack yelled as I shot another horse. He and I focused on the horses while the Guardians converged on Pitch.
Bunnymund popped out from a chimney. "Ho, ho, HO!" He yelled before throwing boomerangs. It took out five Nightmares.
Pitch tried to escape them- only to be met by North and his swords.
I flew down, using an arrow in hand to slice at Pitch's arm. He yelled in pain.
The others were giving their own attacks. Each of us bringing Pitch down another level.
==CR==
Lilac traced Dream Sand with her hand. She loved feeling it between her fingers. She could feel the good dreams from the Sand, feel the memory of happiness in a dream dancing under her skin.
"Look at that!" One of the other boy's from town was saying. He was showing off how the Sand curled around his hand.
"I got it." Jamie realized suddenly. Lilac turned to him, confused. His friends were the same. "I know what we have to do! Guys, come on!"
Jamie started running off, his friends following.
Lilac looked over to the Guardian fight. She saw her aunt- dressed in battle greens with her bright blonde hair flying about. She was firing purple arrows at Pitch- dodging every attack with her fast moves and thinking.
She followed after the Burgess kids.
==CR==
AN: Sorry for being late! I got caught up in work and school. All the love this story has been getting us keeping me writing! Don't stop now y'all! We're so close!
Thanks to Sparrowhawk8.20, ShadeVarden, Redrock04, and dream lighting for favoriting
Thanks to Redrock04 and dream lighting for following