Dark Side of the Moon

FIRES CRACKLED in Ai's ears as her feet crunched against the sand, her eyes taking in the streets in the distance – the tubes of smoke deepening her frown as she moved over to Niu. Moving past a soldier's corpse, she shook her head and cleared her mind, quickly walking toward the robed man as he finished speaking to one of his subordinates.

"Alright." Niu huffed and turned to Ai. "Go after him."

"Shi." She nodded and headed off to the docks.

THE WATERS rocked the boat slightly as Hans moved across the upper deck, bypassing some crewmen entering into his office, Locking the door behind him, he walked up to his shelf and got the box out and opened it, looking at what laid within fondly. He sat at his desk and fished out a pendant, holding it closely and smiling as he reassured himself of their situation.

"It's not over." He clenched it when the room shook.

Coming out of his office, he looked around the upper deck, seeing the crewmen walk around in a frenzy, each of them looking at the water below. Moving up to a guardrail, he looked at the ocean, seeing that the water around the ship was frozen solid. The vessel jerked as a large wave shot towards it, destroying the deck as Ai crashed onto the ship.

She wove water around her, whipping two soldiers aside and raised her hand, summoning large spikes that broke through the ship's hall and killed most of the soldiers and crewmen. A soldier swung a sword at her and she sidestepped, grabbing him by his neck and forging an icicle, ready to stab him.

"Wait!" Hans drew her attention, halting her as he approached. "Let him go! Take me instead!" She raised her brow in surprise and he walked towards her. "Why're you attacking my people? Why do you cause so much pointless death?" She frowned and looked away from him, sifting her mind. His brows stitched as he looked at her. "Why're you doing this? I can't believe a person can just be cruel and just do it because they want to." She let go of the soldier and backed away from him. "I can see the sadness in your eyes – you don't want to do this?" She looked up at him and frowned as he got closer. "You don't have to."

The spikes slowly melted as the ice around them turned back to water, letting the ship go back afloat. She looked at him once more and water erupted through the floor of the deck, submerging the vessel.

COLD WINDS blew into the foyer of Jack's castle as the door slid open, the Guardian in question descending to the floor and walking onward slowly. Creaks and clanging echoed through the halls as he moved on, bypassing the cathedra that slowly turned red. Shaking his head out of the apparition, he flew on and moved into a hall and went into the lounge, swooping down and sitting on a wooden chair.

Setting his staff beside him, he looked around the room and sighed, taking in the items placed around the floor. His eyes roamed over the objects in the room; snow globes, a reed basket, blocks of wood, a pile of hay and a pair of brown roller skates. His brows stitched as he stood and moved over to the skates, lifting them slowly and rubbing his thumb against the fabric, sighing miserably.

"What're you doing here?" He set them down and rose to his feet, turning to Tooth who flew passed him.

The fairy looked over the things lining the wall, stopping before a snow globe that she picked up. "You remember that kid you always hung around with when we first met?"

"Jamie Benet." He frowned slightly.

"I just went to his place today, he's fourteen." She chuckled. "Oh, how much time passes."

"Yeah; I think he was eleven back when Pitch made his return." He sat down.

"Yeah." She stood up and set the globe back down. "He was so enthralled with the lore of the Guardians and now he's moved on – studying ecology."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"You changed his life, Jack." She turned to him. "He was a lonely kid back then; everyone thought he was a freak, but by helping his friends believe, you changed who he'd have become."

"Tooth, I don't wanna talk about this." He moved over to the window.

"Jack, there's a lot of good you could do in the lives of children; you taught us how much we needed to spend time with them, how important it is to be there for them. They need you, Jack."

"I'm not abandoning them." He frowned.

"You are. By never showing your face, their belief in you, in us will die." She moved up to him. "Of all of us, you're the one who can spend real time with them."

"I'm done talking about this." He opened the window.

"And where are you going? You're going to run away again?"

"I don't know."

"Stop driving everyone away!"

"I'm not!"

Tooth's brows stitched when something caught her eye, making her look out the window. "The signal." Jack turned in the direction she was looking and saw the Northern Lights.

NORTH, BUNNY and Sandy stood around the Guardian moondial, looking up to the opening in the ceiling as the light bled in. The doors swung open and Jack and Tooth moved up to them, the latter looking up to the sky. "What's going on?"

"A message is coming through." North gestured to the moondial.

The moonlight moved slowly over the floor and up to the moondial, illuminating the square and brining up a circular shadow, morphing into the shape of a mermaid. "Is that a mermaid?" Bunny raised his brow.

"Is that supposed to be the person we're dealing with now? Aren't we supposed to be preparing for Pitch?" Tooth frowned.

"Yes, but this? This is just as bad – if not worse." North walked off.

"Worse? How's a walking fish worse?" Bunny chuckled.

"That fish is no joke – might be even more dangerous than Pitch." North moved up to a shelf and picked up a book.

"More dangerous than Pitch?" Tooth raised her brow.

"It's an ancient force that's existed for centuries. " Placing it on his desk, opening it to its centre. "The Moon Spirit Lamia."

"Moon Spirit? I thought the Man in the Moon was the Moon Spirit."

"Well, there was another." North flipped to a page showing a Ying Yang symbol. "For many years, there've been many spirits that resided in the moon, some on the light side and the dark side."

"The dark side? What like Transformers or something?" Bunny crossed his arms.

"Unlike that movie, what I said before is no joke." North flipped the page again, showing a map. "Over a century ago, there were four nations; the Fire, Earth, Water and Air nations – nations with people that could control the elements. The Fire nation sought to subjugate the other four nations by any means and that included destroying the moon which the Water Nation derived power from. There were two powerful spirits that resided in koi fish and a Fire Nation General named Zhao killed them, believing it would destroy the moon forever – he was wrong." He turned again, moving to an image of the moon with a shadow. "By killing the spirits, he broke the seal they linked their lives to."

"And that was what held Lamia?" Bunny raised his brow.

"Without the two spirits, Man in Moon was unable to seal Lamia off completely and had to do so every few decades on earth to keep her at bay. He picked us, the Guardians, to prepare for the time when she'd awaken once more and today is that day."

"Well, why does he need us this time? He's been handling it on his own all this time, so what makes things different now?"

"The fact that he's contacted us means that she broke the seal long ago and has regained her power – none of us can take her own alone, so we need to do this together."

"So, where is she then?" Jack raised his brow. North looked up to the opening in the roof as the light receded and turned to the globe, seeing a series of islands glow.

"Where's that?" Tooth moved up to it.

"They're island countries around Eurostralia." North squinted. "The brightest light is in ... Arendelle – that must be where her energy's strongest."

"Arendelle?"

SUNLIGHT SEEPED calmly into the bedroom, bringing a frown to Anna's face as she lay against the headboard of her bed. Her eyes were set straight ahead, squinted thin though unfocussed on the wooden floor – dilating upon seeing two feet walk up to her. She jerked back and sighed, gasping for breath as she realized Kristoff stood before her.

"Phew, you scared me." She placed a hand on her chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Um, I didn't – I was taking a shower." Kristoff frowned. "Remember?"

"Oh, right." Her brows stitched as she watched him move toward the wardrobe – her gaze trailing along his toned back.

"So, I was thinking after what happened three days ago and I've decided to call off the vacation." Kristoff sifted through his clothes, picking out a pair of trousers.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it's not doing you any good. I can see you forcing yourself to have fun and pretend you're enjoying this."

"No, no, Kristoff, don't call it off." Anna got off the bed, moving up to him. "You and Olaf are having so much fun –,"

"But you aren't." He turned to her. "This was about getting different scenery, going somewhere other than Arendelle to clear your head and it's not working."

"No, I'm fine, Kristoff." She stood before him. "I just needed some time to think things through." She smiled. "I'm fine."

"You sure? You kinda slipped back after last time."

"Well, it took a little while, but, everything's okay now." She placed her hand on his chest.

"Okay?" He raised his brow as she leaned into him. "Is this you ... trying to seduce me?"

"Is it bad?"

"Yeah."

"Is it working?" She smirked.

"Yeah." He nodded.

Pulling him by his closer, she pressed her lips against his and pinned him against the wardrobe, clinging to his towel as his hands ran along her body. Grabbing the hem of her blouse, he lifted it off and massaged her breast, picking up her leg and moving over to the bed. He kissed her deeply and disrobed her, moving down to her neck and peppered her body with kisses and drawing gasps from her as he ran his hand up her thigh.

ANNA RAN her hand through Kristoff's hair, smiling at him fondly as he drifted off into deep sleep. Rising from the bed, she draped herself in her morning robe and went into the bathroom, moving up to the sink and looking into the mirror. She drew out water from a basket nearby and began washing her hands, jerking back as she saw blood flowing out.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she shook her head and continued pouring, seeing water stream out. She disrobed and moved toward the tub, stepping in and jerking back as it cold. Placing her hand in it, she heated it up and stepped in, submerging herself. She sighed and laid back, frowning as she saw blood around her, huffing and closing her eyes deeply, opening it and seeing it remain unchanged.

"It's not real, it's not real." She clung to her head and chanting to herself as she shut her eyes. She opened them and saw her blood coat her body, turning to the wall and seeing more splattered over it, forming the word 'destroy'. "No, I'm not doing that!" Fire rose from the floor around her and she frowned, turning back to the wall. "You're not taking my life away! You can't control me –," She choked and fell to her knees, fighting for her breath as she clung to her neck and clawed at the tub. "Leave me alone!"

She screamed and spat fire out, spraying it around the room and growling, looking around her as it went up in flames. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes once more, holding out her hand and absorbing the fire, snuffing it out. She climbed out and grabbed the towel, wiping her face and moving past the mirror, sighing in relief as she was covered in water. She exiting the room and closed the door behind her, leaving a fire that rose in the corner of the room – a pair of red eyes appearing in the furnace.

ELSA GRUNTED as she hit the mat in the training hall, rising to her feet as Balder walked around her. "You're cheating." She groaned.

"I'm merely playing on your weakness; your powers." He paced around her.

"My powers?" She frowned.

"You rely on them too much – isn't the point to find a way to fight without them?"

"I'm not using ice here and that's the only reason you're winning here."

"Prove it."

"You can't be serious – you'd die."

"Let's find out."

"You asked for it." She took a stance, firing ice at him.

Balder sidestepped from it. "Your powers are limited by your fighting capability." He dodged another shot. "If your swings are predictable, your shots will be too." He jumped away from a blast. "Treat it as an extension of your arm." He moved toward her, manoeuvring through each jet swiftly. "I've trained myself to dodge projectiles and yours are just the same." He got up to her and held her hands. "Your aim is at a child's level."

"Whoa, don't hold back." She frowned and stepped back.

"I'm stating facts."

"Well, it doesn't matter cuz I can just cover a thousand kilometres in snow – tell me that can be dodged." She smirked.

"If you did, you'd be leaving yourself wide open for strike and suppose someone did dodge the attack, what'd you do then?"

"I'm still strong." She kicked a chair, knocking it through a wall and into the hall and shrugged.

"But Erhard could be stronger." He held her shoulders. "And you need to be prepared for that."

"And all that magic mambo jumbo?" She raised her brow.

"Baby steps." He stepped back. "Let's go and this time, try to take me down barehanded."

Giving a wide smirk, she took a stance and held her fists before her, frowning slightly as he held his hands behind his back. She threw two punches and he dodged them, grabbing her wrist and flipping her over. She hit the mat and quickly rolled to her feet, bouncing around and frowning as she took her stance again. She punched at him and smiled as he dodged, elbowing him in the chest and tripping him with a swift kick to the ankle, pinning him to the floor.

"Is that better?"

"Still at a child's level." He shrugged.

"Oh, shut up." She chuckled and sat astride on his waist. "You were always against the idea of having any. Why?"

"Any what?"

"Children."

"I have my reasons."

"You just need some convincing." She bent down and kissed him, slowly and affectionately, stopping to exchange breaths and leaving him hanging as she got up and took her stance. "C'mon, round four."

"And you say I'm cheating?" He got up.

"Let's go." She took her stance and smirked.

"WE'RE HOME!" Olaf disembarked the ship, holding up a tanning tray to his face. "Good old Arendelle." He toppled over and melted, becoming a puddle on the dock.

"And there he goes." Anna huffed as she got off with Kristoff.

"Well, at least he lasted the whole vacation." He pocketed his hands. "Doubt Elsa will be happy having to constantly summon him, especially that his memory's wiped clean each time." He chuckled. "Heh, he actually melted the flurry."

"I think he's addicted to heat." She stepped aside as a servant lifted luggage passed her.

"And getting outta shape."

"I can still hear you, y'know?" Olaf's voice muffled. "I think – should I be able to?"

Anna chuckled and shook her head, sighing when her eyes dilated in shock. "Oh my God, Kristoff, look!"

"Hans!" Kristoff turned swiftly and jerked back in shock as she saw Hans lay unconscious on the beach.

"We need to get help!" She ran to the guardrail and hopped off. A fiery pair of eyes watching from within the ship, shrouded in shadow.

HANS WINCED as he lay upon a bed in the dim infirmary, nodding to the doctor who left the room as Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Balder entered the room and moved up to him, the queen moving fastest as she came to his side. "Hans, are you okay?"

"Yes." He winced as he pushed himself up. "Just a little bruised."

"What happened?" She sat on the bed.

"The Southern Isles has been invaded."

"What?!" Anna's eyes dilated in shock.

"How's that possible?" Kristoff raised his brow.

"When did this happen?" Balder frowned.

"A couple of days ago. These men, wizards, attacked us and killed all the soldiers and took the city in hours – they were hunting for me." Hans grunted. "They were like Elsa and Anna; they controlled the elements, but it was different – like they were natural." He frowned. "It's like it was part of their fighting; I don't know how to explain it."

"That doesn't explain how you ended up on the beach." Balder's frowned deepened.

Hans scowled and sat up straighter. "There was this woman who controlled water that attacked my ship as we tried to escape and she sunk it – I don't know how I got here."

"So, the Southern Isles was completely taken over in less than a day?" Anna's face whitened in disbelief. "How's that possible?"

"I know it's hard to believe, but that's what happened." Hans sighed. "There was an army of them and they had these ... flying ships."

"Flying ships? What do you mean?" Elsa sat up.

"They weren't exactly like ships, they were like flying ... metal ... whales."

"What?" Kristoff raised his brow.

"I don't know what to call them! But they were nothing like I'd ever seen, just like the flying knight Elsa met."

"So, he was right." Elsa sifted her mind.

"If they're from the future or the past or whatever, how're we gonna fight them?" Anna stroked her chin.

"I don't know, but what I do know is that my people are at the mercy of these men and I can't abandon them." Hans frowned. "I need your help, Elsa."

"And we're going to give it to you." Elsa stood and headed for the door.

"Where're you going?" Balder held her arm, halting her.

"I'm going to get Commander Eyvindr to scramble our troops – we have to retake the Southern Isles."

"No, we can't."

"Why not?"

"We'll be sentencing our soldiers to death if we do this." He turned her to him. "The Southern Isles was just defeated in hours and their army is just as powerful as ours. We'll be facing an army of powered people."

"I can create an army as well."

"And for all we know, so can each and every single one of those men." Balder frowned. "We'd get slaughtered out there."

"So, what do we do?"

"We should fortify defences find a way to defeat them if they come for us." Balder looked to the others. "We'll assemble the Table before we make our next move – if we can get their help, the help of Berk and their dragons, we can save that kingdom."

Elsa sifted her thoughts and sighed. "I'll prepare the letter."

"I'll speak with Commander Eyvindr." Balder turned to Hans. "We'll retake the city, King Hans."

"Thank you, King Balder." Hans nodded.

Elsa opened the door and found a royal guard on the other end, nearly hitting him. "My queen, we have ... visitors."

"Visitors?"

MURMURS OF shock and amusement spread through the crowds as Tooth, Jack, North, Bunny and Sandy walked through the Arendelle toward the palace. "Couldn't we have sent an email or something to this place? Cuz I don't think they get visitors much." Jack jerked back as he saw a cold, steely scowl of a mother who pulled her daughter away from him.

"How is this possible exactly?" Tooth leaned into North. "We're in 2016, but it's like we've been pushed back to 1840."

"Well, it's June, so anything's possible, right?" Bunny gulped as he walked passed a greyhound.

"This is because of the convergence – did everybody feel it? How many times must I explain it?" North raised his brow.

"Sudden rip in space time in San Fransokyo opened a portal to a different dimension in November 2014 that caused different universe to combine? That's definitely something I completely understand." Jack shook his head.

"Yeah, my wormholes are as far as complex goes for me, mate." Bunny fished out his boomerangs, pointing at the dog warningly as it growled.

"Are we seriously talking about science right now? You know I don't like talking about that confusing stuff." Tooth crossed her arms and Sandy nodded.

"As confusing as a talking rabbit, Elsa the boy, a fairy and Sandman?" Pam raised her brow as she sat atop Elsa's head.

"Said the talking cat." Bunny sheathed his weapons.

"Touché." Pam smirked. "Santa, that I can understand."

Elsa, Balder, Anna, Kristoff and Hans stood before the group in the middle of the street – each of them manacled by confusion. Elsa brows stitched as she approached them. "Um, who're you?"

North cleared his throat. "Hello, I'm North, but you may know me as Santa and these are my colleagues, Jack Frost, Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and Sandman and we're the Guardians of Childhood."

"What?" Pam raised her brow.

"The Guardians of ... Childhood?" Anna's brows stitched.

"Yes, our job is to protect children and we are on just such a mission as we speak." North frowned.

SPLAYING A book atop a table, North stepped back and continued his explanation in Elsa's office as the others read its contents. "The Red Lotus?" Elsa looked up to him.

"They're a cult comprised of people from the four nations – Earth, Water, Fire and Air – and they're trying to awaken Lamia." He crossed his arms.

"That's it!" Hans pointed at an insignia on the page. "That's the symbol the men who attacked the Southern Isles had."

"Then they're already on the move." North paced around. "We have to make our move immediately – we can't let them get their hands on Lamia or the world will be in grave danger."

Elsa looked to Balder who nodded and she frowned determinedly. "We're going to Corona."

Pam licked her paw repeatedly, purring as she started kissing it when something caught her eye in the corner of the room, prompting her to jump off Elsa's head. The voices of the others diminished out of earshot as she approached her object of interest – her brows stitching in curiosity as she drew closer. A pair of red, fiery eyes squinted out of the dark shadows, focussed solely on Anna.

"Uh, who're you?"

"Oh, good gracious, you've found me!" A black cat with red eyes and red markings jumped out of the corner, its heavy armour of similar design weighing on him as he stood on his hind legs, wielded a sword and looked away dramatically. "Now my perfect cover has been blown."

"... Huh?"

He turned to her and gasped, scooping her and holding her back as if they were in dance. "Senorita, I have never seen such a vision of beauty in my entire life. Know this, that I would lay down my life for you, mi amore."

Her eyes drooped. "Huh?"

"Um, Pam, who's your friend?" Elsa turned to her.

"But, alas, I have dedicated my life already." The black cat dropped Pam and took a heroic pose. "I am Sephiroth, the mightiest warrior of Muspelheim and I swear on my breath to protect Anna till the day I die."

Kristoff raised his brow and crossed his arms, sifting his mind. "Another Pam?"

"Oh my God." Anna groaned and shook her head, taking a seat when the door swung open.

Olaf waddled into the room wearing a sweater. "Um, guys, I was just from the kitchen and I –,"

"Santa Maria, it's the devil from hell's kitchen!" Sephiroth jumped behind Pam who groaned as he whimpered.

RAPUNZEL PACED around her office worriedly, moving to and fro passed Eugene who stroked his chin. "The Southern Isles has one of the Table's strongest armies – how did they get defeated like that?"

"I dunno, but we need to get to the bottom of this." He frowned when a knock came at the door.

"Come in." She raised her head and a royal guard entered the room.

"Your Grace ..."

MOVING DOWN the dim, stony halls of Corona's military living quarters, Rapunzel and Eugene were led passed soldiers who mumbled to each other in surprise – each sending a look of shock their way. The soldier before them stopped before a room and turned to them, sighing and opening the door slowly as he let them in. the Queen gasped in terror and Eugene jerked back.

"We found him mere moments ago."

"My God."

A soldier's corpse lay on the ground before them, its skin lacerated and ripped apart along the exposed parts of its armour that lay in shambles. Its flesh was without blood, dry and wrapped tightly around the bones with ruptured eyes and contorted limbs that jutted out and bent inward. Rapunzel screamed and saw a Ying and Yang symbol carved into the forehead, quickly turning away and hugging Eugene tightly, crying into his shoulder in horror.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Universe!

We hope you enjoyed this chapter and are eager to see more because we're determined more than ever to getting back into weekly updates like we used to do. Like I'd said before, we'd like to delve more into other characters and facets of the story we didn't cover as much, so we're excited to get into more realms as we dive deeper into the story. Please tell us what you think in a review or leave some questions there. Thanks for reading.