A/N : Thanks to everyone for all the reviews! It's a joy to read them and motivates me to continue writing. ^_^

TheShapeshifter100 : I know what you mean with reading the same like „Good job" over and over again, but I still think it's better than no comment at all. Maybe it's just me longing for feedback. :P

Skypeoplephoenix732 : Oh yes, that makes sense. That happens to me with E-mails and notes, I read them while being busy with other things and tell myself to reply later and then forget it. :P

WinterCrystal1009 : It was my intention to have a „faster" chapter because it takes place in the middle of a battle and there's not much time for conversations or thoughts as it all happens rather fast. I don't write action scenes like this one very often so I can see how it seems unusual compared to the other stories I have written.

Ardoa88 : I wondered, too. We'll find out now. ;)


Pitch knew he had lost. His horses were still outnumbering the guardians, but their quantity had decreased considerably. It was only a matter of time until the last ones were defeated and he had to retreat. He balled his fists, mad at everyone and himself. That's when he noticed he still had the broken staff in his hands. The last straw he could literally clutch at.

STOP IT!"

Everyone halted in their tracks and stared at the Boogeyman after his roar had echoed through the icy wasteland. The black steeds shot curious and confused looks at their master while the guardians' eyes shone with worry at the sight of him holding the two halves of Jack's ancient shepherd's crook up. Now it also became clear to North, Tooth and Sandy what had happened to the winter spirit.

„Surrender now I'll completely destroy this pitiful piece of wood and we will see how it affects your beloved Guardian of Fun." he spat out with pure hatred.

A moment of silence followed, with the guardians darting concerned and uncertain glances at each other. They couldn't allow Pitch to hurt their youngest even more, but if they gave up now it would lead to a catastrophe. With the exception of Bunny the others had no inkling of his original plan, but they were all fairly sure it must be something vicious. And yet, was it worth risking Jack's health for it? The teen was in an extremely bad shape already and the mere possibility about him suffering even more wasn't anything they could tolerate. They just couldn't.

North was the first to nod faintly and slowly bent down to lay his swords on the frozen ground.

„N-no..."

They suddenly heard a trembling and weak voice speak quietly. All eyes were directed at the white-haired youth, who was struggling to get up but not managing to do so. Eventually he supported himself on his forearms and tried to form coherent sentences. It was quite a challenge since he was still stuck in a sea of pain and his mind was as blurry as his vision. He wished it would finally end.

The first time Pitch had broken his staff it had been bad, but the agony was short, like an extremely forceful kick into his stomach and chest that left a sore feeling afterwards. When the Spirit of Autumn, Flann MacHarvest, had repeated the ordeal it had felt more intense, so intense that he immediately blacked out. Though that might have also had something to do with the fact he was beaten up by him and Sam Hain, the Spirit of Halloween, right before that. After he had woken up again he needed a while to recover and it turned out to be more difficult to fix his staff than the previous time. But what he was going through right now made the other two incidents appear like a mild stomach ache. The pain didn't end, didn't even fade the slightest. Like an old wound being ripped open again and again it got worse and harder to heal with each time.

He had only vaguely witnessed what was happening around him, but Pitch's yell and the following attempt at blackmail had alerted him so much that he mobilized the remains of strength he had to prevail against the agony in his body.

„D-don't believe him. It-it's a trap." he stuttered through shaky breaths.

„But, Jack..." Tooth started.

„He's g-gonna attack no-no matter what. D-don't mind me, I-I can...deal with it."

The frost teen was lying and everyone was well aware of it. He could barely deal with his current condition and what was yet to come would without a doubt be an increase of whatever agony he had endured by this point.

„We know, but we don't want to be reason for Pitch harming you more." North stated calmly.

The other three guardians nodded their heads in approval, albeit unsure about the Boogeyman's next move. Bunny put his boomerangs on the ground, just like North had done with his swords. Sandy and Tooth landed next to them so the whole group was standing there, unarmed and vulnerable.

„Guys, no!" Jack groaned and shot pleading looks at each of them, begging them to pick up their weapons and ascend back into the sky and fight until the last Nightmare dissolved into nothing.

„Good choice." Pitch spoke with a sinister smirk and an eerily amused voice.

In the blink of an eye he summoned a gigantic wave of nightmare sand, higher than several of the glaciers surrounding them, and aimed it directly at the guardians.

Jack's perception was in a daze. He could hear Pitch's almost maniacal laugh. He could see a huge blurry mass of black threatening to drown them all. Frightened gasps of his friends, which sounded as if they were miles away, reached his ears. His friends, they were in danger. Because they had insisted on protecting him. No, he couldn't just lie here and allow them to get hurt. He had to do something. But what? He was badly injured himself and didn't have his staff anymore. How could he defend them? How could he save them? Panic, adrenaline, fear and anger welled up from deep inside him. That bastard wasn't going to get away with it. No one attacked his friends, his family.

He felt his powers building up, caused by the intensitiy of emotions he was going through. Like over a decade ago right after Sandy had been seemingly killed by Pitch. But unlike back then the frost teen had no conduit of power through which he could release all that pent up winter magic. His body was flinching due to the assault of his own energy. Just when he thought he was going to explode and the wave of nightmare sand was dangerously close he forced himself into a half-kneeling position, raised his right hand at it and electric blue flashes of ice shot out of his fingers. Strained screams filled the air as bright blue light iluminated the darkness. The black mass was warded off and crumbled into dust. Jack barely realized what he had just done as he collapsed to the ground and gasped for air.

The guardians couldn't believe their eyes. How had the weakened and injured teen managed to do that? Without his staff? But he had been right, it was a trap. Pitch would attack them, no matter what they did. And he wouldn't spare their youngest teammember either. There was no choice, they had to fight!

Pitch was furious. Why did that darn kid keep on ruining every single one of his attempts to pull his plans through?! He was going to chop that staff up into tiny pieces. Right when he wanted to do exactly that a whip made of dreamsand knocked him off his feet, forcing him to let go of the shepherd's crook, which was grabbed by a golden lasso. The Boogeyman reacted quickly and whistled at his Nightmares to catch it before the Sandman was able to haul it in. A sickening grin appeared on his face when his loyal steeds had succeeded and triumphantly held Jack Frost's ancient possession in their jaws. It was too late for another rescue. One Nightmare simply bit it into halves while two others fought for the second piece and eventually ripped it apart as well.

Never would any of the four guardians forget the blood-curdling scream that echoed through the icy wasteland and pierced their souls. Jack spasmed violently as his back arched off the ground. Every muscle and every nerve in his body radiated excruciating pain. His insides felt as if they were torn to shreds, beaten up, burned and this all at the same time. All he could do was dig his fingernails into the ice under him and let out one agonizing cry after another, wishing the pain would finally subside.

That's when Bunny saw red. Seething with anger he sprinted towards Pitch and destroyed every single Nightmare which dared to cross his path until he had reached him. The dark man had just parried another attack from Sandy and was caught off-guard by the fuming mad Australian. Before he could react he was grabbed by the throat and slammed against the nearest ice wall. He struggled to free himself but the 6'1 rabbit was too strong and he had to realize that most of his remaining power had been used for the last attack and defending himself against the Sandman. His air supply harshly being blocked didn't help the situation either.

„Ya went too far this time, ya bloody bastard!" Bunnymund snarled like the wild animal he was right now.

Even if Pitch had had the nerve to say something he wasn't able due to the iron grip around his throat. Earlier during the battle he had definitely sensed the furry guardian's fear, although it was masked by a layer of anger. But that had changed. It still had to be there somewhere, though he couldn't make it out anymore. All he was faced with was rage. Pure, unadulterated and intense rage.

For a change it was the Boogeyman who felt a shiver run down his spine.

„North!" Bunny bellowed at his comrade, who was successfully fighting off several Nightmares.

„Gimme one of yer swords!"

„What?" the Russian Santa asked dumbfoundedly as he destroyed another black horse.

„Yer sword! Now!"

The pooka's voice dripped with impatience, urgency and fury. North was too busy with the attacking Nightmares to further question his friend's motives. He could fight with one sword only. With a smooth move he threw the weapon over the icy ground and into Bunny's direction. The Guardian of Hope bent down without loosening the hold on his victim. Pitch's vision was blurry but as soon as he had noticed the glistening silver metal in front of him his yellow eyes widened in shock. Was the rabbit going to...no, he was a guardian, he wouldn't do that.

„I'm gonna end this here, once and for all." Bunnymund spoke in the deepest and most threatening tone he had ever heard.

Strangled noises were all that could be heard from the Nightmare King as the blade was placed on his throat.

The other guardians stared in horror at the scenario, not believing that their friend was actually doing this. Whereas Pitch had definitely deserved it, it was utterly misguided for a guardian to kill someone else. They were torn between the desire of the dark spirit being wiped out from the planet and the knowledge that doing it this way was simply wrong.

Tooth attempted to put a reassuring hand on the frost teen, but immediately pulled it back since he was still squirming in pain and not being able to hold still. Seeing her beloved sweet tooth in such a fatal condition was enough to push her bad conscience aside and wish for nothing but the Boogeyman's death.

North knew he should have tried to stop Bunny, but something dark inside him approved of what he was planning to do. Even Sandy, who was the most patient and calmest one of them, decided he could live with the fact that the Boogeyman wouldn't be around anymore.

There was hate. So much hate. Drowning their fear, their worry, their concern. And it was all directed at him. There wasn't going to be any mercy. Pitch glanced pleadingly at the pathetic rest of his Nightmares. Why had they stopped fighting against the guardians? Why were they merely standing there and watching him?

The blade was slowly pushed aginst his skin until it drew blood. Pitch knew it was over. He was trembling. He was panicking. He was scared.

A second before his throat was sliced a whirl of Nightmares came dashing towards the two spirits and engulfed both of them. The sword was tossed to the side, just like the anthropomorphic rabbit. Pitch's relief and Bunnymund's frustration didn't last very long when they realized what was happening. The Nightmares hadn't intended to save their master. No, they were smelling his fear, his weakness, his defeat. For the second time in his life the Boogeyman was dragged into the shadows by his own creations, giving him a brutal taste of his own medicine. The last sign of him was a hysterical and frightened scream as he vanished in the darkness.

Bunny snorted uncertain about whether he should be disappointed or satisfied. He had failed at killing the scumbag but he had gotten his punishment anyway. From his own Nightmares. Again.

Talkin' 'bout déjà vus..."

As soon as the thought appeared in his mind he was reminded of Jack. Together with Sandy, who had picked up the pieces of the staff which the Nightmares had dropped, he hastily scampered to the teen who was already surrounded by the other guardians. It broke his heart to see the boy he considered as his little brother like this. While his body had stopped convulsing he was still shaking visibly. Judging by his contorted facial expression he was still plagued by pain, but Bunny assumed he simply didn't have the energy to further show it anymore.

„It will be alright, Jack..." Tooth whispered and gingerly stroke his head.

Strands of white hair were sticking to his forehead and she carefully brushed them aside. Purple eyes narrowed in worry and confusion as the realization sank in.

„Guys, he's sweating."

„But he's winter spirit. He can't sweat." North reasoned.

Bunny moved closer to the youth and put a gentle paw on his forehead. His face darkened the moment he had touched the pale skin.

„Well, seems like he can. And he's got a fever."

Suddenly Jack, who had been pretty much unresponsive, turned away from him, forcing him to let go of his head, as another wave of agony engulfed him. They others knelt there helpless when all they could do was watch him roll on his stomach and cough violently. The Guardian of Fun put his hand to his mouth in a miserable attempt to muffle the sounds escaping from his lungs. What was this weird metallic taste in his mouth? Through blurry vision he spotted something red on his hand. It had also dripped down to the white ground under him. A hand touching his shoulder nearly gave him a heart-attack. His body protested against the reflexive flinch and he groaned loudly as he tried in vain to sit up. Two furry arms held him in what would have been a comfortable position if he hadn't felt like he had been put through the mangle.

„Easy, mate." he could hear Bunny's soft voice.

Soft? That was unusual. Only now did he notice that neither Pitch nor his Nightmares were around anymore. When exactly did that happen? And what did happen?

„Y-you okay, guys?" Jack asked hoarsely.

Everyone mustered the injured young man as he lay there. Blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth, beads of sweat ran down his temples, his skin appeared to be paler than usual and in general there wasn't much left of the Jack Frost they had learned to love.

„Yes, thanks to you." Tooth tried to smile, but the nagging concern was overshadowing her features.

North and Sandy nodded their heads while Bunny almost had to bite back a chuckle. Even though he was battered and bruised the teen still had their well-being in mind. The pooka's internal alarm bells started ringing when cerulean eyes slowly closed.

„Mate? Stay with us, ya hear me?"

The Australian accented voice sounded muffled to Jack. His brain was so foggy he could barely understand anything.

„Jack!"

Someone cautiously shook his shoulders. But he didn't care. Now that he was assured that his friends were safe and their enemies had been defeated, he finally allowed himself to succumb to unconsciousness. Away from the pain. The last words he heard were merely a faint whisper at the edge of his perception.

„You'll be fine again, mate. I promise..."


A/N : I...better go hide somewhere now.