Okay I'm Back! Well here is the next chapter! It may be slightly slow, and that's a warning. But i hope you like it and enjoy reading! (don't own Rise of the Guardians) OC

Aster tapped his foot on the floor and a great giant gaping hole appeared and swallowed up the other guardians soon Aster came close behind. Leaving Jack behind, in the care of the yetis. The tunnels twisted and turned until they hit the light of day once more a long way away. They scuffled to the ground as they where thrown. Looking around at the city that stood in ruins as Bunnymund started to dust himself off and looked up at the old tower. He pointed up to the top, "That's where Karma is."

Tooth, North, and Sandy looked around, seeing how barren it was. They started to move towards the tower looking at the old homes that have long warn away from time. It looked like there was disasters strike here, "What happened here?" Tooth asked looking at old homes that were demolished and bones buried slightly under the dirt.

Aster looked around, "I don't know, when I came here last was so long ago. It didn't look like this. It shouldn't look like this." His voice was questioning.

Then the fog started to ooze down from the tower, covering the sun and making uneasy chills run up their backs. All of them in a ready stance to strike from any angle. The mist engulfed them, swallowing them as the monstrous scarlet stead started to circle them slowly, but looked like a glowing red with it's eyes gazing down in the mist. It then would disappear into the haze then appear once more with the sound of the hooves pounding as it would beat on the ground in a steady hit.

Karma's voice was sharp and thunderous voice boomed, "Don't you recognize it Aster, why don't you tell pretty little tooth ache here what it should have?"

The four didn't speak as they stood still waiting to attack as her voice circled around them.

"Well," A tinge of disgust was in Karma's voice as she spat, "if you won't, I will. Old Father Time, decided to pay my town a little visit right after I met old Aster here. Old Man Time, didn't like the payback he got after he 'paid his dues to mischief', just like everyone else in existence. So he decided to try and put me in a 'time out'."

"What happened Karma?" Aster's voice was steady as the fog ate his friends out of his sight.

"What do you think happened!?" Karma's voice roared in fury, "That Old Man wanted a fight! So I gave him a fight, a fight for the ages! At what cost though? Oh, why thank you for asking!" Her voice became a low rumble with hate and pain in each word, "We fought for years. Ever hear about the plague? Well, lets just say that's what happens when Old Timer and I decided to dance. Thousands, of innocent lives died because of it. Hundreds of families, rotted in the street. The stench of death was poisoning! Old Man Time decided we were finished when we fought over the last place I wanted it to be. My home. All of the people here; died of that. Burning the homes so that it wouldn't spread, well it failed. The king died, the queen, what ever was left of my home, burned in flames. So tooth ache, you want to know what should be here right now? Well children, families, people, your joy, hope, wonder, dreams, good memories; should all be here, but I took that away. I do not cause happiness in anyway, my home should be having life prospering, and contentment but it's too late. Now, LEAVE ME ALONE!" Her voice was like cracking thunder then it just dissipated into the fog as it retreated slightly so that the Guardians could see each other again.

"Please," Tooth asked gently putting her hands down and set down to the ground, "Karma, I know you are mad and I don't blame you; but we want to help Jack and-"

"What does that have to do with me?" Karma barked cutting her off, "I did what I could and it failed. Besides I can only cause pain."

Tooth took a breath and then continued, "You can help, we need your help Karma. You don't only cause pain, you give relief, but also good things happen. It's not just when something bad happens you arrive, but when someone has earned a reward you guarantee it. You are a person of your word and that is why we have come. You knew it wasn't right to let Jack suffer, so you tried to fix it."

"And failed." Karma replied to her angrily.

Toot looked up into the fog around her unsure where Karma was, "That wasn't your fault. Something just triggered when we started to doubt you. So please, we know you want to help."

The monstrous beastly crimson steed stood looking down at Tooth with Karma sitting properly with a stern face. "How?" Her voice was bellowing down.

"We need Jack's staff." Tooth spoke keeping her head up but feet on the ground.

"How do you know this will help him?" She questioned.

"We don't," Tooth answered, "But it's all we have to go on."

"To trade such a prize like the magical staff of the Jack Frost. It would be a big down trade for me."

"Karma, please."

Karma slid gently to the ground and stood in front of Tooth now holding the staff in her left and at her side, "Tell you what," Her voice was light and a cocked grin on her cheek, "Let's make a deal."

"What deal?" Tooth eyed the staff then looked up at Karma, carful not to look her in the eye just in case.

"The staff for the boy's perfect mischief. It makes for such a prize in my collection I only need a little. And just in case you where thinking of asking, no, I won' take anyone else's, only that Jack Frost." Karma gave an easy grin now holding out her right hand. Tooth looked back at North, Sandy, and Bunnymund; for some type of reassurance. North and Sandy thought for a moment then nodded yes to her. But Aster shook his head slowly, Tooth looked at him then said softly, "It's all we have." Then taking a deep breath Tooth held her hand out just as Aster said mildly, "She will cheat. I know she will."

Before taking Tooth's hand Karma looked up at Aster as her averted her eyes, "I don't cheat. I play fair."

"I'm just saying that it will back fire on us some how. Why don't you make a deal with us Karma? Why Tooth?" Aster said with distain in his voice.

Karma's grin started to fall, "Silence Aster," She flashed her eyes twice giving Bunnymund a broken hearted feeling, "the girls are talking. And don't you remember I can still work my magic if your not looking me in the eye silly."

Then Tooth looked back at Karma as she looked back too with a simple smile, then took her hand and shook on it. Tooth felt a tinge hook in her throat at Karma's touch then was taken back when she found the staff standing alone in her hands. Karma disappeared into the mist before they could see her go, as if she was a ghost and then the sun started to beat down once more out of the fog.

They looked around for a trace of her but Karma was out of sight.

Aster shook his head slightly, "You had no choice."

"It's okay Bunny," North said slightly, "at least we have the staff."

"But we just made a deal with Karma, and I don't think she will let up this time." Aster's voice said as he tapped his foot again to the dusted ground.

I hope you enjoyed reading. Thanks for reading. Please keep reading. Tell me what you think, how it should play out, how you think it will end, I'm very open to ideas? Or just tell me what you think.

-Nik