I have one review so far and I'm pumped! (Thank you Quidditchexpert…) It's mid-winter break for me, and I have nothing better to do… so I'll be updated stories a lot this week. This chapter will be longer with a lot more excitement, so hold on to your seats!

Chapter 2: The Eclipse

The shock nearly knocked me out of the tree. My mind went dizzy, and I felt numb. I could barely tell what was going on, I just knew that it was bad. I thought back to earlier that day. That couple… they must have been talking about the eclipse! I've seen one before, a few actually, but I never felt like I got punched in the gut when it happened.

I remembered what the man said. Ten whole seconds. It was going to last for ten seconds, five more now. I counted down the seconds, willing it to stop: five, four, three, two, one. Nothing happened. The eclipse was still there. I took a deep breath and hoped I miscounted, but another wave of heat washed over me.

Winter's over boy, and the moon is gone. Serve me, that is your only purpose. Serve me…your master…

No! I shook the voice out of my head, that horrible, fiery voice. Clutching the tree, I fought the urge to believe everything was dull and gone, like the voice wanted me to believe. Children still played, and I still had a purpose, but it wasn't to serve some nagging voice. Stealing a peak at the sky, my heart sank when I still couldn't see the moon. I may resent that the Man in the Moon kept me in the dark for three hundred years, but this seemed wrong.

With a final shake of my head, pushing the dark thoughts away, I took off into the sky, desperate to find one of the other Guardians. They should know what was happening; they talked with the moon before, so they were better equipped than I was…right?

I accelerated towards the Frozen North; North was the closest Guardian to me. I neared his workshop, and I skidded to a stop, tumbling in the snow a few times before I could jump back to my feet. Running in, I stopped once again, bewildered. The place was empty! Strolling the hallways, I didn't see a soul, not even a little elf.

As I pondered this, a large figure rammed into my side and threw me into a wall with a thud. I leapt to my feet and pointed my staff at the shadowy figure. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?!" I demanded.

The figure, about seven feet tall, stepped forward. Squinting at it, I gasped. "Bunny?" I whispered in disbelief. "What are you- Umph!"

He swung a furry fist at my jaw, catching me by surprise. Growling, he lunged at me on all fours, pinning me to the ground.

"If you're still mad about that blizzard in '68, then I'm sorry, but…" I laughed nervously, cringing at his sour, carrot breath. "How 'bout a mint, big guy, you need it!" I blew out frosty breath in Bunny's face, making him stumble off of me. "Now can we just call it even?" I pleaded.

Bunny shook his head violently, then snarled and looked up at me. I realized with a shock that his pupil was all black, and the whites of his eyes were stained blood red. Bunny was foaming at the mouth like an animal. (That was just an expression…) He lunged again, but I rolled to the side just in time.

I froze the ground, ice spreading from my fingertips. When Bunny started to run towards me, he stayed in place for a few seconds then slipped onto his back. All of sudden, the ice melted, giving Bunny traction again. How on Earth did the ice melt in the North Pole! While I stared at the scene, dumbfounded, Bunny had another chance to knock me over. He took his boomerang and held it to my throat as he sat on top of me; the only keeping his razor-sharp weapon away from me was my staff, held protectively in front of my face.

With a push, I heaved the impressively large rabbit off of me, and threw him back with a blast of ice. Movement in the corner of my eye got my attention, and I chanced a glance over my shoulder. North stood behind me, breathing heavily. "North!" I exclaimed, "Bunny's gone cra-" The flat of one of North's twin swords knocked against me, and I saw that he had the same black and red eyes as Bunny. "You too?" I asked in growing horror and disbelief. What was going on here?

Before I had time to think, both Fuzzy-butt and Saint Nick charged at me. I leaped into the air, allowing them to collide with each other. I watched them try to pull themselves off of each other, feeling a lot safer in the air. That is, until someone else charged at me from behind and sent me spiraling back towards the ground. I looked up and caught a glimpse of Tooth; her eyes looked the same as Bunny's and North's, and she twitched involuntarily. I fell in a pile of sand, quickly drawing me in. I scrambled at just to face Sandman, red-and-black eyed and looking dazed.

The four Guardians closed in on me, not saying a word, except for Bunny, who was growling. They backed me up against the wall. I held my staff up, still unwilling to hurt them. "Why are you doing this?" I questioned, hoping that they were about to break to reveal doubled-over people laughing at me and the prank that they just pulled, but they just continued to close in on me. "We serve the master now," they answered in unison, all with a monotone voice.

"Yes, Jack," a new voice chuckled, eerily familiar. A man stepped out from the shadows, his form practically radiating with a blinding light. "And now, dear boy, you will give up your will and serve me as well, or you will die."

I love cliffhangers. I'm sorry, but they are fun to do. However, I do edit often, so you be waiting for like a year or something like some people might make you do. (*cough* Rick Riordan *cough*) Please review, and I'll be back soon! (Maybe even later today if you're lucky…)