A/N : Thank you to KitoH and Kilgharrah1 for the reviews!
Long fluffy ears poked out of the snowy ground, listening carefully to make sure they weren't jumping right into the arms of Pitch and his army of Nightmares. After realizing the coast was clear the Guardians of Fun and Hope climbed out of it and scanned their surroundings. They were several miles away from Santoff Clausen. In fact, they could only spot it vaguely in the distance because they were aware of its existence and its lights were shining faintly in the dimness of the polar night. Bunny had decided to quickly check the vicinity outside North's home. If they had arrived before Pitch did then they could still stop him and prevent him from reaching the workshop. Judging from nothing but silence coming out of this direction Bunny was pretty sure that no battle was taking place.
„Well, what now?" Jack asked unsure of what to do.
Just as he wanted to suggest that it would be best to warn the Russian guardian as long as they had the chance for it the anthropomorphic rabbit held his hand up as a sign for him to be quiet. His grey ears twitched as he kept focusing on something far away Jack couldn't recognize yet.
„They're comin'." Bunny said sternly, his glare fixed on the area next to a particularly big glacier.
It was too late for running to North anyway. Even if they had gone straightly to him he wouldn't have had enough time to prepare for the attack. The black sandhorses invading the workshop and getting their hooves on the colossal amounts of toys would be an utter disaster, even if the guardians managed to defeat them. No, this was up to Bunnymund and Jack. This was their fight.
A quick glance was exchanged between the two friends and with a determined nod at each other they dashed into the direction where a black mass of sand, which even stuck out from the sunless firmament, was approaching swiftly.
Pitch growled furiously as he spotted the winter spirit flying and the rabbit running through the snow towards him. He couldn't tell if he was shocked, anxious or simply pissed off about the two idiots trying to ruin his plan, the plan he had been working on for such a long time. Even if it had merely been a few years, it had felt like eternity. An eternity ruled by desire for revenge. And now they were standing in his way. No, he would teach them once and for all to not mess with the Boogeyman! Menacing yellow eyes narrowed and disturbingly sharp teeth were bared as he bellowed his order at the army of Nightmares.
„KILL THEM!"
As soon as the words had left his mouth the dark steeds lunged at the guardians and the battle began. Black sand, blue ice and boomerangs were shooting through the sky as both sides fought for dominance. While a single Nightmare's powers weren't even close to competing with any of the guardians', their threat was determined by the sheer number of them. Like back in the forest of Burgess, it seemed like the more Bunny and Jack destroyed, the more followed.
Their relentless defiance against him enraged Pitch with every sandy horse that dissolved into thin air after it was hit by ice or the force of a boomerang. He could have sent a group of his mares to keep them busy, just like he did earlier. In the meanwhile he could have taken the rest with him to attack the workshop and use the time it took them to catch up for his initial plan. But his fury had snuffed out any kind of rational thinking. All he craved for right now was extinguishing the light that still shone brightly inside of them. Especially when his glare met Jack's.
With a fierce snarl he summoned a decent portion of his nightmare sand and shot it at the winter spirit. The young immortal reacted quickly and blocked it with a blast of electric blue winter magic. An eerie sculpture consisting of black ice was formed as their powers collided, sharp and deadly looking spikes protruding and seemingly cutting through the air. Despite the smaller size, namely around a half of it, they resembled what the two spirits had created during their encounter in Antarctica over a decade ago. It reminded both of them of the past events and infuriated their fury even more. More similar attacks were aimed at the white-haired teen but he managed to dodge or ward off everyone of them. Just like the other way around. Jack had to admit that Pitch had definitely regained power again. Too much power for his liking.
At the workshop North, who had no clue about the fierce battle taking place only a few miles away, hurried through the production section for the probably hundredth time this week to make sure everything was going according to the schedule and that the toys were created in the utmost quality. He was a true perfectionist after all.
"All fine? Ah yes, this is good colour! I like it!" he cheered and patted the yeti who was painting several dozen miniature boats on the shoulder.
The hairy creature let out a heavy sigh of relief and continued its work. Everyone was focused on the toys. Christmas was only a few weeks away and still a lot had to be done. Suddenly a yeti came running towards the Russian Santa with a flustered expression which went along with the upset gibberish he delivered. North's eyes widened in concern as he followed his helper down to the globe room where he pointed out of one of the large windows.
In the distance single bolts of electric blue light pierced through the darkness. Jack had been busy spreading winter lately, so he wouldn't have unspent energy to release. There wasn't any reason for him to be upset and blow off steam either. Whatever was going on, it caused an immediate bad feeling in the old man's belly.
"Tell Phil he is in command for now." the Guardian of Wonder told the yeti next to him in a strict voice before he activated the Northern lights.
Bunny groaned as the rising number of spiky ice sculptures made it increasingly harder to fight the perceived steady number of Nightmares. Now he also had to watch out to not accidentally slam against or throw his boomerangs at them. Dust of ice and sand continued to whirl around, making it difficult to see where exactly the enemy was located.
Pitch Black ascended from the misted ground to get a better view of the scenario while his loyal steeds kept the winter and Easter spirit low on the ground with their attacks. He balled his fists when he saw the green and pink shine of the aurora borealis in the sky above him. So the others had been alerted. Damnit! The success of his scheme had once and for all receded into a very far away galaxy. But he wouldn't let those who wrecked it get away with it. Glaring down at them a sinister smile formed on his face. Unnoticed by the two guardians the dark horses slowly but surely pushed them towards a gigantic crevasse. This was his chance!
A tremendous spiral of nightmare sand was fired at them. When Jack had seen it coming it was almost too late. At the very last second he had risen his staff and tried to hinder it from striking them with full force. An explosion of sparks of light blue ice and billions of black sand grains filled the air. The impact was still strong enough to knock them off their feet and throw them dangerously close to the end of the glacier.
There wasn't enough time for Jack to realize his ancient shepherd's crook wasn't in his hand anymore when he saw his friend sliding over the edge with a panicked yelp. Four grey furry fingers which clawed at the slick surface were the only sign that the pooka hadn't plunged to his death yet.
„BUNNY!" Jack cried out as he got back on his feet and rushed towards him.
Just as the ice beneath his paw broke and he prepared himself for a very painful fall he felt a firm grip on his arm. Lifting his head he stared into the cerulean eyes of the Guardian of Fun.
„Don't worry, I got you." Jack spoke in a strained voice.
The 6'1 rabbit surely wasn't a lightweight and the lean winter spirit had trouble to keep his hold on him. With his other hand he tried to support himself as he leaned over the edge, the rest of his body lying flat on the ground. He knew very well that the Australian had a fear of heights. Even if he had gotten used to traveling with North's sleigh by now he still despised and avoided it as much as he could.
„Just...don't look down, okay?"
The crevasse seemed to be at least 200 feet deep, with icy ocean waves slamming against it at the bottom. Bunnymund's eyes followed the worried gaze of the young man and widened in horror as he realized just how high above the ground, or rather water, he was.
„Ugh, which part of 'don't look down' didn't you understand?" Jack scolded him.
„Crikey, mate, just pull me up already!" the terrified Easter spirit forced out, his whole body paralyzed by the fear.
The younger guardian groaned and tried to pull him up, but it turned out to be more difficult than he wanted to admit.
„What do you think I'm trying here?!"
Not far away from them Pitch was observing the dramatic scene with glee. This was a real pleasure to watch. Right now the brat and the rabbit were completely at his mercy for they couldn't defend themselves. His ominous grin widened even more and an almost mad glint shone in his eyes as one of his Nightmares came trotting towards him. With Jack Frost's magical shepherd's crook in its muzzle. The Boogeyman wrapped his grey fingers around the now frostless and ordinary piece of wood, enjoying that he was holding the winter spirit's conduit of power in his hand. With nonchalance he stepped towards the nearest formation of black ice and took a moment to glance at the razor sharp spikes protruding from it.
Jack was still struggling to bring his friend into safety as he heard Pitch's disturbing voice, somewhat muffled by the distance but still loud enough to send a shiver down his spine.
„Hey, Frost! Are you ready for a déjà vu?"
He couldn't see how his staff was slammed onto the sharp edge of the frozen nightmare sand. But he could definitely feel as it broke in half. Never had he experienced such a horribly intense pain. Although he had gone through the misfortune of his enemies using his connection with his ancient weapon against him two times already, the effect it had on him now didn't even remotely compare. His eyes widened in shock and agony as he gasped for air. He wasn't even able to scream. It felt like someone was ripping his insides apart and setting them on fire simultaneously. It stung, it burned, it hurt beyond imagination.
The moment he had given a heavy wince of pain Bunny's startled yelp immediately called him back to his senses. He had loosened his grip just the tiniest bit but it was enough to make the Australian rabbit drop down several inches. Not much in relation to the height he was dangling in, but it caused his heart to drop as well.
Jack stretched out both of his arms to keep the pooka from falling further, his fingernails digging harshly into the grey fur. Bunnymund cringed and was about to utter a remark when he looked up. His line of thought stopped as soon as he noticed the anguished face of the young guardian. Blue eyes were clenched shut, teeth gritted and he was shaking visibly. And yet, he didn't let go. He couldn't. There was no way he would allow his friend to fall to his death. Not as long as he was here. In fact the fear and worry about Bunny's well-being was the only thing that kept him from losing consciousness. He couldn't black out now, it would seal both of their fates.
„Mate, what-" the Easter spirit began as an awful cracking noise interrupted him.
Both males shot horrified looks at the edge of the ice, right under Jack's chest. It was starting to break because of their weight. Their hearts skipped several beats, knowing fully well that their situation had just worsened dramatically. As if it hadn't been disastrous enough already. Time was running out.
Adrenaline pumped in Jack's veins, helping him to fight the still not fading pain in his body. With a strained and agonized cry he used all of his strength to pull the 6' 1 rabbit up, ignoring how every nerve inside of him was protesting against the physical effort. Just when Bunny's feet had finally touched solid ground again the edge of the crevasse crumbled beneath them. The moment it broke the Guardian of Hope used his quick reflexed to grab the frost teen by the waist and jump to safety with him in tow. It had all happened so fast. What had felt like eternity had probably been only seconds, maybe a minute at most.
Bunny placed his comrade down and sat next to him catching his breath.
„Woa, mate, that was close!" he sighed in relief and waited for an answer.
But the only sound he could hear was weak and erratic panting. Green orbs narrowed in concern as he turned his head and stared at the limp form of the winter spirit. He was lying on his stomach and seemed to have trouble breathing. His face was still distorted and his fingers scratched into the icy ground under him in a vain attempt to deal with the apparent pain he was going through.
„Jack, what's wrong?" Bunny whispered, his voice full of worry, as he put a gentle hand on his shoulder.
And again he didn't get a reply. At least not from the person he had addressed.
„Oh, isn't it obvious? You are certainly not the brightest rodent on this planet, are you?" he heard Pitch chuckle maliciously.
The anthropomorphic rabbit sent a death glare in the Boogeyman's direction and couldn't suppress a shocked gasp when he noticed the broken shepherd's crook in his hands. He knew about the connection between the ancient piece of wood and its owner. Jack had told them about it and the effects its destruction had on him. Furry fists balled in anger as the realization about what had happened sank in.
„Ya bastard! I swear ye're gonna regret this!"
„You are really not in the condition to holler out threats at me, rabbit." the Nightmare King stated confidently.
The events of the past few minutes, namely his revenge on the winter spirit, had clouded the knowledge that the other guardians were already on their way. He simply didn't care about them right now. All he could focus on was the suffering teenager on the ground and the exasperated Easter Bunny, whose fear he could smell even through the layer of fury. Not scared about himself, not scared about the herd of Nightmares which was standing around their master, no, he was scared about the boy's well-being. It was delicious.
„After all, you seem to be in quite a minority, now that the little brat has decided to opt out." he scoffed and took a few steps towards the pair.
It was enough for Bunnymund to get down all all fours with his legs placed behind and his arms in front of Jack. He towered over him like a lion, ready to protect him no matter what.
„Don't ya dare to touch him!" he hissed towards his opponent.
„Or you're going to do what?" Pitch challenged him.
He didn't bother to hear the answer and gave a sign for several of his Nightmares to attack. The fur on Bunny's shoulders and back stood on end as he glared daggers at the fast-approaching horses. He would destroy them, every single one of them. And then Pitch would be next in line. With an animalistic roar he struck the first Nightmare with his boomerang, then the next one and another one dissolved into a cloud of black sand after he had delivered a heavy kick with his hind paws. He stayed nearby the barely conscious youth, immediately striking at every mare who dared to come too close. Even though he successfully managed to keep them at bay he knew that the situation could make a turn for the worse any moment. If he didn't pay attention one of them could lunge at Jack, who was in no condition to defend himself. But he didn't have much time to dwell on that worry as more and more of Pitch's horses raced towards him.
Bunnymund just fended off one of them which had attacked from the front when his ears twitched and alerted him of something coming from behind. In a twinkling he turned around and could only stare in awe at the mass of nightmare sand which was mere inches away. Exactly then, when he already thought it was over, a sudden golden light blinded him. As he opened his eyes again he discovered that the pearlescent black sand had transformed into sparkling golden sand. This could only mean...
„Sandy!"the Guardian of Hope shouted in joy and relief as he spotted his comrade in the sky above.
A blurry whirl of green and blue feathers darted between the furious Nightmares and smote them with razor sharp wings. At the side of the ice field the majestic sleigh, which the Australian had never been so happy to see, landed and the last of the team jumped out. With two imposing swords in his hands North ran towards the scene of battle and joined the rest.
Pitch let out a frustrated and crazed yelp when he noticed the three guardians. He had been so close to wiping out at least two of them. Why had he deemed it appropriate to wait and tease them instead of simply getting over with it as quickly as possible? By assaulting the winter spirit with nightmare sand when he was struggling to save his furry friend he could have killed two birds with one stone. But no, he had to give in to his sadistic glee and watch them suffer. And now the others had come to their rescue.
The white wasteland had transformed into a wild mass of feathers, swords, boomerangs, black and golden sand. It was almost impossible to focus on anything but the nearest Nightmare or the swirls of nightmare sand the Boogeyman aimed at them. In the middle of the commotion Tooth used a moment to catch her breath while she was fighting close to Bunnymund. As she turned around a gasp left her mouth at the sight of the frost teen lying flat on the ground, barely moving except of frantic breathing.
„Bunny, what happened!?" she squealed but he didn't even look at her.
„Stay with him." he spoke with a firm voice and jumped towards the attacking horses to beat his way to the Nightmare King.
A/N : Hating me now already? Then wait for the next chapter. :P
And I have to mention something because it really disappointed me last time. I can see how many people are viewing each chapter and how many followers I have. And yet barely anyone took the time to write a review. I'm not expecting much, but I write these stories mainly for you guys because I love sharing my work and entertaining fellow fans. As an artist and writer feedback is what keeps me going and encourages me to create more. So if you like what you read, then please let me know because otherwise it feels like nobody cares and it's rather demotivating.
Sorry for the rant.
