Sanderson ManSnoozie was not one that liked to dwell on things. In fact, most who had ever met him came out with the completely correct conclusion that he liked to let things slip off his back and forget about the past. For the most part, the past was the past and there was nothing and no one that could ever change it, so why worry about it?
But that was before he had 'died'.
As it was, death was a bit of a foreign concept to Sandy. Not to say that he was not aware of it or that it was visited upon the mortals all the time, but that he had never had to face any type of mortality on his own. Contrary to what the other Guardians thought, Sandy had been quite young when he had become a Guardian, barely into adulthood when the Man in the Moon had called him to action. So the thought of his death had never really crossed his mind as a mortal and when he had become an immortal, why, he had all the time in the world. So why think about it?
And, then, in the battle against Pitch all of that had changed. There he was, one moment fighting with everything he had, knowing that it was to be his last stand and then waking up to face a different battle with new rules. He was grateful that he was given a second chance and that he had been able to help his fellow Guardians and the children and it was a chance that he would not waste. But he could not help but think on that dreadful time in between when all there had been was this awful nothingness.
His hand was buried in the soft cloth of the leg of his pants, smoothing wrinkles out of the garment only to place new ones a moment later. His agitation was only growing with this train of thought but he could do little to get his mind off the topic.
Now over three years had passed since that battle. Sandy should have been able to get over the problem by now, because what is time to an immortal being that has lived for thousands of years? But no matter how hard the keeper of good dreams tried, the nagging of that empty feeling kept pushing against his subconscious time and again, forcing him to revisit that memory-or lack thereof- at the most inopportune moments.
That was what brought him to here and now, over the coasts of Estonia, creating ever more complex and detailed dreams one after another, hoping that the work would take his mind off this disturbing development. At that moment he was creating an intricate ballet fairy tale complete with a magic forest and a fairy prince for a young girl awaiting her first dance recital the next day.
"Wow, Sunshine, I didn't know you were in the process of becoming a dance instructor."
Startled, Sandy let his concentration slip for the barest of seconds, but that was more than enough for the dream to unravel and become nothing more than shapeless dream sand once more. With a silent sigh the golden guardian turned to give the hovering form of Jack Frost a withering glare. The Guardian of Fun held his hands up in a placating gesture and gave the shorter man a wry grin.
"Sorry, sorry. But, wow, that's a little more work than you usually put into a dream, isn't it?"
Truly it was, but there was no need to tell the other that.
Sandy had to constrain himself not to roll his eyes and instead gave the other a small smile, showing that he really wasn't mad. Now that he had company, Sandy gave up and shaped a simple ballet dream and sent it off before turning his attention to the winter spirit.
What are you doing so far north this time of year?
Jack quirked his head to the side in question before he seemed to understand and smiled. Indeed, it was summer in this area of the world and the icy spirit was normally not one to frequent places so warm. Sandy had noticed the way that Jack had had to cut visits short with Tooth in her palace and how he seemed to frequent the Warren earlier in the spring season more often than not. The younger Guardian never said so, but it his discomfort with heat was obvious to the others and they did their best to convene at North's home.
"Well," Jack said as he turned to float upside down with a large grin, "I was looking for you, Sunshine. North is planning a get together to discuss something-or-other, I don't know. But instead of using that fancy little light trick he has, I thought I would be a pal, and lend a hand."
Sandy had to hand it to him. Jack was nothing if not amusing.
And I suppose this has nothing to do with having an excuse to be in the Warren, would it?
The frost that erupted over the younger Guardian's face was telling. Oh, yes, very amusing.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
Pale arms crossed over a lean chest as their owner glared at the dream weaver. Sandy could not help but laugh silently at the younger man. North and Tooth might not have seen it yet, but it was all too obvious to Sandy that there was some underlying tension in the interactions between one Pooka and the Guardian of Fun. There was little to no doubt in his mind that sooner rather than later that very tension would come to a head. He was very much looking forward to that particular incident. But for now…
Sandy rolled his eyes and grinned, attempting-and succeeding-in disarming the other. Reluctantly, Jack relaxed and allowed his own smile to return to his face with all traces of earlier embarrassment gone from his form.
The younger looked down and watched Sandy's dream sand do its work. His eyes lingered on none of them, but his smile began to fade. He could read the worry in the other's expression and knew that it matched his own doubts.
You said something about North wanting a meeting?
Jack blinked and the shadows in his eyes vanished.
"Oh yeah! He said that he wanted to see every one as soon as they were available, so…"
Jack trailed off, gazing down to the little town below meaningfully and then looking back at Sandy.
Try not to agitate Bunny too much. Sandy signed with a smirk.
Jack sputtered and turned, readying himself to take off for the Tooth palace.
The shorter of the two shook his head and tossed some dream sand down and allowed it to take form as it landed at each home. Sometimes it was better for a generic dream to take effect than for none at all. Nodding to the other, Sandy manipulated his sand into his favorite plane form and steered it toward North's home, not bothering to look and see the other he left behind. He knew that Jack would show up soon, and whether or not that was with Bunny was to be determined.
Sandy, as a rule did his best to be nice and agreeable to everyone he met, but there was something about North's elves that set him off faster than a firecracker in a blacksmith's shop. They were nosey little creatures, always into everything and were, unfortunately, not that bright. The only redeeming quality that he could see in the nuisances was that they kept the place clean. The fact that one continued to try and steal his eggnog was not doing any favors for his opinion though.
"-and he asked me blue or red! These yetis, I do not think they know of good taste, yes?"
Noticing eyes on him, Sandy raised an eyebrow at his host and gave a noncommittal shrug. North laughed and turned back to the papers on his desk, giving the smaller man a chance to flick away the elf that was once again reaching for his cup. The pointy headed creature gave a satisfying squeak as it bounced off the ground, before getting up, glaring in his direction, and scampering off somewhere into the bowels of the workshop. Sandy grinned to himself. Now that the bothersome being was gone, Sandy was able to enjoy the environment of the others study. The dark wood and the warm fire that roared in the fireplace gave the overall impression of quiet and hospitality. There were hundreds of books that lined the walls and he would love to pick through them, but Sandy knew that the others would be there soon and then the meeting would begin. Some other time, perhaps.
Placated at the moment, Sandy drifted closer to the other man and looked over his shoulder to the long list that he was examining. It was a supply list for the upcoming season with various things such as lumber, gears, and stuffing- normal things that one would expect to see. He was confused as to one item toward the bottom of the list, though. Using his sand he pointed at the item in question. The color that suffused the bearded man's face could have been from either embarrassment or anger, Sandy did not know.
"Ah, yes. Elves found chocolate laxatives," North grumbled as he scratched at the back of his neck. "Where I do not know, but gave them to reindeer. Was not pleasant sleigh ride."
The fit of giggles that hit the sandman could not be helped regardless of the amount of scowling that the Guardian of Wonder did. It was difficult to rise from the floor when gravity and hilarity plotted against you. And that was the way that the last three members of their little group found them, with North half-heartedly huffing at his desk and Sandy rolling on the floor in silent laughter.
Toothiana fluttered over with a grin, her bright lavender eyes sparkling with glee as she observed the golden man quaking on the ground.
"So what did we miss?"
North stood and rolled the still giggling sandman out of his way with his foot. With much patience he guided his more collected guests around the golden obstacle and from the room.
"Is not important. But now that we are all here, there is much to discuss! Come my friends, we shall convene in Great Room."
The others glanced back at the small man, but merely shrugged and followed. After several moments, finally done with his moment of levity, Sandy was able to remove himself from the floor and follow the others out of the room, but not without a few amused glances from the others. He would tell them later.
The Great Room, as its name suggested, was truly great. The room was nestled into the mountain, making it safe from any attacks that might be waged against the workshop, but that did not mean that it was stifling. It was large enough to have housed two Warrens comfortably and still have had room to spare and the ceiling spanned up so high that the light from the huge wall sconces barely lit the beams that crossed it. In the center a large ornately carved table was placed, big enough to seat over two hundred guests, though with the amount of yetis that worked in the place it was likely that it had seen more than that. A fire was lit in the enormous fireplace that stood behind the head of the table, casting even more light along the walls of the room and giving it more of an inviting feel.
Sandy took his seat next to Jack as the younger looked about in wonder. Across from them Toothiana and Bunnymund sat with North at the head.
"Geez North, think you have enough room?" North chuckled.
"You like? I have been thinking more company would not be remiss."
Jack looked over Sandy's head at the other man with a raised brow.
"Ya think?"
North smiled.
"Yes, but this is not why I have called you here," North stood from his chair and let his gaze pass over each of them. His brow furrowed and the mood took a more somber tone. "You are all doing well, yes? Duties taken care of?"
Each nodded and looked up at the large man. Tooth cast a worried glance back at Bunny, absently rubbing at a feather. When she turned, her eyes locked for a moment with Sandy's. He sent her a questioning look but the fairy merely shook her head and focused on North. Confused, he glanced at the other two, doing his best to study them as covertly as possible. Bunny was doing his best to maim Jack with only the heat of his glare. All the while, the winter spirit was trying so hard to avoid that gaze that if he stared any harder at it, Sandy was sure that the table would suddenly combust. Sandy's brow furrowed and he rubbed absentmindedly at the cloth of his pants, wondering what had happened between the two in the hour since he had seen the Guardian of Fun.
There was no use speculating about it now, but the short man was determined to corner one-or both-of them after the meeting to get the scoop. For now, he supposed, it was best to focus on the here and now. With that in mind, he turned his attention back to the hulking man at the head of the table.
"There have been no problems?" Jack and Tooth shook their heads and Sandy was also about to reply in the negative when Bunnymund slapped his paws on the table and rose violently out of his seat.
"What is the bloody deal? I'm tired, I just finished off Easter and you want a little heart-to-heart? Just tell us what this is all about, Mate!"
North sighed and raised his hands in a placating gesture. Slumping his shoulders the bearded man fell into his chair and looked up toward the ceiling.
"The Grand Council has called for a meeting and they wish for all immortals to attend."
Bunny's eyes grew large as Tooth gasped. Unable to articulate anything more, Sandy merely allowed a question mark to form above his head to signify his disbelief. The only one that did not react was the youngest of them all who looked around uncertainly.
"Who is the Grand Council?"
"How do you not know who the Grand Council is?" Bunny growled at the frost spirit as he turned to pace along the table. "Where have you been, Mate? Under a rock?"
Jack visibly bristled under the verbal attack and Sandy could see frost forming under the younger spirit's feet. Leaning forward in his chair, Jack pinned the Pooka with a glare and gestured pointedly with his staff.
"Well, if someone gave enough of a crap to talk to me for even a minute in three hundred years maybe I would know more about your little secret club!"
Sandy knew that they each felt guilt even now for the fact that they had paid no mind to Jack for so long, but it was evident that despite the guilt Bunny was not going to give on this one. He was much too agitated, doubly so with the mention of the Council. The Pooka whirled on his paws to face other and growled low in his throat.
"Listen here you little-"
"Enough!"
All eyes turned to the form at the head of the table. North stood with his hands braced on the wood, looking imposing with the light of the fire illuminating his frame and his normally bright blue eyes hardened in anger. He narrowed his gaze on the two quarreling individuals and Sandy was for once glad that he was short enough not to be accidentally caught in that stare.
"There will be no fighting in my home," North glared harshly at one then the other not once relenting. "Do you understand?"
Reluctantly both the Pooka and the frost spirit nodded and relaxed back into their seats. North held his stare for a moment longer before giving an exasperated sigh and plopping back down into his chair. Several minutes passed with silence reigning before anyone dared to speak but Sandy continued to watch the two warily.
"The Grand Council," Toothiana began helpfully, eyes darting between Bunny and Jack for a moment before continuing, "is a group of five of the oldest immortals on Earth that govern over us all. They are responsible for keeping the balance between those of us that share the seasons and even between us and the human world. They are the ones that keep the order and make changes if that order is upset. Though they have not called a meeting for over five hundred years now."
"Oldest immortals? But I thought-"
"You thought what?" Bunny sneered at the younger guardian. Sandy rolled his eyes, something was going to have to be done about those two and soon. North cleared his throat from Sandy's other side causing the Guardian of Hope to shut his mouth before his next retort could be spoken and slump down in the chair.
"We have been here some time, yes." North supplied, "but there are others that have been here longer. Surely there are others you have come across?"
Jack blushed and fiddled with his staff.
"Yeah, I just guess I never thought of it before."
North nodded sagely and opened his mouth to continue when, suddenly, one by one the torches lining the walls in the sconces flickered out, leaving only the fireplace as the only source of light in the room. A weighted silence fell over the room, seeming to make the air harder to breathe. Sandy could see Tooth slump in her chair, violet eyes frantically searching for any indication of movement. Bunny and Jack did the same, though both sat stiffly in place, as if a single movement would break the terrible tension and bring something worse upon them. Sandy himself listened for any indication of an intruder, hoping all the while that it was merely one of the elves playing a prank, though he could tell from the set of North's shoulders that it was no such thing. Though he could hear nothing out of the ordinary, he found himself listening to the silence so hard that he startled when North growled and turned his head sharply to stare at something in the shadows.
"What is meaning of this?" the large man shouted as he lunged to his feet, his chair clattering back to the floor from the force of his movement. Sandy turned his gaze to where the other man was staring and was shocked to see none other than a Nightmare staring right back. The dream weaver shot out of his seat and into the air, vaguely noting the others moving as well. If there was a fight to be had, never let anyone say that they were ones to cower down.
Sandy pulled his sand around him, ready to either attack or defend at a moment's notice and scanned the corners of the room searching for the owner of the beast. Several moments passed with no movement on either side, each waiting for the other to make a move.
"Pitch," North's voice bellowed out, "come out and fight if that is what you are here for!"
Getting a sense of where his allies were, Sandy spotted Bunny facing to the left, spine straight and boomerangs at the ready. Tooth was floating to his right, keeping a firm eye on the Nightmare in case it where to make any sudden movements. Jack was still on the ground behind him with his staff held out firmly in both hands as North stood to the right; brandishing a sword that Sandy had no idea where the other had procured.
Seconds crawled by and still no move was made. The only noise that could be heard was the heavy sound of their collective breathing and the pop of the fire that still blazed. The Nightmare did not budge, keeping its eyes set firmly on the Sandman. Sandy felt a chill travel down his spine. There was something definitely not right here.
The whole room tensed as the beast snorted and tossed its head, but it made no move to attack or retreat, its eyes never tearing from their target. Sandy frowned. Bright yellow eyes followed his every move, every exhale, not once seeming to notice the presence of others in the room, almost as if they held no importance to the animal. The way that it looked at him, looking as if it were trying very hard to look inside him and figure out what made him tick, gave Sandy the feeling that it wanted something, something from him in particular. Several more moments passed, and with no indication of movement from the beast and scanning the room once again and finding nothing to alarm him, Sandy began to lower himself to the ground and approach the shadow creature.
"Sandy," Bunny hissed, "what do you think you're doing, Mate?"
The Nightmare shrank back at the exclamation but did not appear as if it were going to flee, at least not yet. Sandy kept his eyes locked with the creature and waved off the concern of his fellow Guardian. Something was wrong and he was determined to figure out what it was. The Nightmare tossed its head agitatedly and stamped a hoof on the ground, but otherwise did not move and he recognized the stance of a distressed animal in the behavior.
Slowly, so as not to startle the animal into running, Sandy extended his hand, palm up. He could feel the others tensing up behind him, but paid them no mind. It would not do to spook the animal more than it already was. He waited for several silent moments neither pushing forward nor pulling back as he waited for the beast. It tossed its head again, mane flying back and shifted its weight from side to side, never allowing their eyes to break contact. Tension filled the air and no one dared to breathe for fear that it would be enough to break the moment and send the animal running.
Just as he was ready to give up and pull his hand back, the Nightmare slowly moved forward and sniffed at the outstretched limb. After a minute, apparently finding nothing worth fearing the beast stepped closer and pushed its head into Sandy's waiting hand, inviting him to gently stroke along its muzzle. The contrast between gold and darkest black was startling but the dream weaver kept his hand moving gently on the soft form of the creature.
Sandy could feel the others moving slowly behind him as he worked to soothe the creature, making sure not to startle the beast and cause it to lash out violently. The Nightmare shifted, heavily favoring its left side and Sandy raised a brow. Still moving slowly and keeping one hand against the beast, Sandy moved sedately from muzzle to neck to withers to flank, all the while watching for an indication of flight from the animal. The small man pressed a palm against the left flank of the beast, feeling a strange heat from the area and pulling away immediately when it shied away in pain from the touch. Golden brows furrowed and he looked grimly to the large bearded man who had moved in from the side.
It's hurt.
North shook his head in confusion.
"What could hurt a Nightmare, I wonder?"
Sandy did not have time to try and formulate an answer as at that moment the Nightmare pulled away from his touch and turned to lip at his arm gently. Sandy silently gasped as dark teeth pulled on his clothing, seeming to guide him back to the creature's side. Toothiana stuttered forward as if to pull him away and back to safety but one wave of a golden hand was enough to stay her. It would not hurt him, if nothing else this was something he was sure of. Sandy allowed himself to be guided to the side of the animal and was almost shocked to the point of scrambling back when the Nightmare lowered its front to the ground, clearly wanting him to climb on. The beast rested on the floor, calmly watching the small man, giving no indication of moving until a decision was made.
Amber eyes stared into gold, silently willing the dream weaver to trust that the animal meant him no harm. Time seemed to still for Sandy. Everything around froze and he could hear nothing but the sound of the animal's breathing and his own heartbeat. He held the gaze almost afraid to break it for fear that the moment he did, everything would fall down around him. Clam yellow stared back, calming in their depth. Sandy's heart began to slow from its rapid pace and the moment the animal blinked, something snapped into place in his mind. He knew, in this moment, without a doubt, that this Nightmare needed him and it would do nothing that might keep him from giving that assistance. Time restarted around him and the man stepped forward, fully intending to pull himself up onto the back of the beast and allow it to take it where it would.
"Now hold on just a minute!" The Sandman turned his head to give a questioning look to the Guardian of Hope. "You aren't actually thinking of going with that thing, are you? This could all be some sort of plot just to get us into some sort of trap. Who knows what Pitch could have planned?"
Bunny pointed his boomerangs at the Nightmare who still stood bowed at the front, waiting patiently for a decision.
"I, for one, am not ready to walk willy-nilly into a trap, thank you very much!"
Sandy pleadingly looked to North. This did not feel like a trap, it did not feel like there was anything more to it than a desperate plea. For what, Sandy did not know, but he was willing to find out. North sighed and shook his head.
"Bunny is right, Sandy. This could very well be a trap. I do not know what Pitch is trying to do, but I do not think it will do to walk into his plans like fools."
Tooth was nodding her head silently and Jack had his arms crossed tightly with a scowl on his pale face. Troubled, Sandy turned his eyes back to the animal in front of him. Golden eyes met amber once again looking for something to indicate any other intention but what he had felt from the beast before. There was no deception in the placid gaze, nothing but intelligent question and a deep desperation. A moment of silent understanding passed between the two and Sandy knew that his mind was made up for him.
Wasting no more time the dream weaver levered himself onto the beast's back and clutched handfuls of mane as it stood to full height. He turned his gaze to the others in query. He would go with or without them, but he hoped fervently that it was with.
Bunny groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose with one paw.
"Well, hell! I guess we're gonna walk right into our own party, are we?"
Sandy flashed the Pooka a bright grin.