He and Sandy chased down the Nightmare. They saw Bunny chasing a different one, so did Toothiana and North. But the one Jack and Sandy chased after vanished in a sewage.
Out of a shadow came Pitch.
"Hm, you noted this Nightmare faster then expected.", said Pitch, "It's bemusing that you think you could help your fairy friend."
"Oh shut up, spook.", said Jack.
Sandy used his sand to form two whips. Jack, though aware that his second friend got these, is still surprised. Sandy then attacked Pitch who dodged, not smoothly, but stressed. Pitch then conjured a black scythe with a very long staff.
Jack isn't too surprised, scythes are very popular weapons for quite a lot of spirits. Mainly Death-lings, though. Apropos Death-lings, Pitch used his scythe very differently. He wielded it like a baseball bat while the Death-lings kept it closer to their body, holding it like a martial arts staff.
Anyway, their fight was fast. So fast, Jack was unsure how to join in. Sandy's whips hit and hit and hit, it was hard to follow. The flowing movements of Pitch's scythe not helping the least.
After a while, one whip wrapped around Pitch and pulled him, before slapping him into a street. Pitch looked scared. And Sandy was angry. Jack had the feeling something was off with Pitch.
And that feeling turned out to be right.
Multiple Nightmares emerged and their fight got airborne. North on his sleigh and Toothiana joined it. Bunny was in the sleigh, lesser scared. He focused on Pitch and his corrupted dreams.
Bunny threw his boomerangs, and Jack used his ice magic, shooting blasts with his staff. But countered with his Nightmares. Not that they have much of a chance against Sandy's whips.
Pitch knew quickly that Sandy is a hindrance to his plans. He conjured an arrow of nightmare sand and shot it at Sandy with an invisible bow. It hit Sandy into the chest. From the impact point, nightmare sand spread over Sandy's body and turned him into the corrupted sand. He turned to dust.
The guardians cried in pain seeing their friend dying, they weren't even aware that spirits can die. Jack hated Pitch for this even more. He shot into the air, readying an ice blast. He didn't notice when his watch started to glow. He only noted this when the blast was stronger that he ever could imagine.
His magic destroyed most of the nightmares, turning them to ice before they shattered in the air. Before Pitch fled, Jack fainted.
Toothiana caught him and laid him down in the sleigh. Bunny, who was very aware of the watch had no idea why it glowed. It is just a watch, unless Jack's has a few more secrets than his own.
The Guardians held a funeral for Sandy. The normally hyper elves chimed their bells slowly. Jack kept his distance, but still watched. With his friend now gone, he considered joining them.
After a while of silent thinking, he left and walked into the cold of the north pole. He pulled some of his bandages out of his sleeve and started to infuse them with ice magic. He will become a Guardian, not sure what kind of Guardian, but one able to beat Pitch. But for that, he needs a better weapon.
He made a few iced targets and started to train his idea.
Bunny was looking for Jack. They decided that they will help with Easter. But where is Jack?
Toothiana told them that Jack was friends with Sandy. Admittedly, Bunny was a bit angry that Sandy didn't tell them this... in hindsight this explains how he got Jack to the pole so easily. Bunny would have borrowed a few Jedi and would have had them put Jack into a sack, to bring him forcefully to the pole. That, or just opening a tunnel under his feet, but waiting until Jack chills somewhere... the sack would have been faster.
While looking for Jack, Bunny saw a Yeti, Phil, and some others looking out of a window. Whatever they saw had to be interesting. He wasn't able to understand Yeti-tongue, but their speech sounded excited.
"Oi, fellas, what's so interesting?", he asked.
Phil just gestured to the window. From there he saw Jack flying around the snowy pole. And he saw Jack's bandages. While Bunny wondered a bit about these, he did not expect Jack to use them in a similar fashion like Sandy's whips. Is he doing this because Sandy is gone or did he have that idea for a while now?
Even though it was cold like whatnot, he had to speak to Jack. But it was cold, so he just opened a tunnel. Jack looked to the shop, saw Bunny and understood the memo. He jumped into the tunnel and came out besides Bunny.
Bunny had to admin, he was surprised how well Jack handled tunnel travel. His mates constantly complain when using them.
"Frostbite, we decided that all guardians help with Easter. Are you going top help?", asked Bunny. "Also, uh, Tooth told us you were friends with Sandy? Why did he never tell us this?"
"He never told you, because I asked him not to.", replied Jack, "And I will help you, of course. I said I help you with Pitch, didn't I?"
Bunny's warren was pure beauty. Though, the legged eggs were weird. Not as weird as Toothiana's obsession with teeth, but still uncanny. Not as uncanny as the shit the Death-lings keep around... still uncanny.
Also uncanny was a noise coming out of a tunnel. But that turned out to be a little girl. Turns out North forget a globe of his at Jamie's, allowing his sisyter Sophie to get there.
But that girl was easily distracted.
They painted eggs, kept an eye on Sophie and the eggs, because they have legs.
While Jack was painting some, Bunny sat besides him. Bunny had a few questions, and he wants answers.
"So... that watch around your neck, where do you get it from?", asked Bunny, "And what did you do with these bandages? And why bandages?"
"The bandages? I have them for years, little incident with a few summer spirits. Season rivalry. What I did? I tried to make them into ice whips, similar to Sandy's.", explained Jack. "The watch, I don't know where I got it from. I always had her, since I became a spirit. I can't say why it glowed either. I always thought this is just a normal watch."
"Normal is relative."
"Yeah, Sandy told me it is a Pooka watch.", said Jack, "I assume Toothiana told you about my lag of memories?"
Bunny nod. "She is a chatter box."
"I've noted.", replied Jack. "Shouldn't we bring Sophie back to her home? Her parents probably miss her."
They sat there and painted. Jack was considering telling Bunny about his form, now that Sandy was gone. The Sandman always said it would be better if Bunny knows. Sandy is rarely wrong. And he would like to have someone who knows about this. Sure, Mythra knows, but she knows every secret in existence.
He wanted to test the waters.
"Apropos pooka... did you hear the rumors?", asked Jack, "The rumors of a rabbit-like spirit?"
Bunny replied rather angrily, "Don't tell me you believe these? This rumor is just a cruel joke, probably by the death-lings!"
"Don't you think there could be a pooka out there?", wondered Jack. Jack wondered this himself quite often. If he and Bunny existed, maybe there are more. He always hoped there are more like him.
"No... not after that... You probably don't know, but we guardians aren't from earth, Mother Nature and Pitch aren't either. That's why it was so weird why he choose you.", explained Bunny. "Pitch, when he became the Nightmare king, killed so many, including my planet. I wish there would be more Pooka out there, but I doubt there are any."
"I'm sorry for asking.", said Jack.
"No need, frostbite.", replied Bunny. "Hey, why did you never insult me? Not even nicknames like 'cottontail' or calling me a kangaroo?"
Jack could answer he heard these himself from Sandy, Mythra and the Death-lings, but he just said, "Eh, didn't feel the need to call you such."
"You know, I asked about the watch in the chance that you may have met a pooka, and stole it from them."
"Seriously?!", complained Jack, "You thought I stole that watch?!"
"Sorry! Sorry! After the blizzard of '84-"
"See the bandages? I lost control over that blizzard because of a summer spirit attack.", told him Jack, "I tried to stop it! Now excuse me, I bring Sophie home."
"You need to stay! What if Pitch comes!", said Toothiana who heard their argument, "We need you!"
"This won't take long.", he replied, "And I need distance from Bunny."
Jack picked up the sleeping Sophie and flew off. Baby Tooth, the fairy who wasn't taken because she had hidden herself in Jack's hoodie, followed him. Not before blowing Bunny a raspberry.