Hey my beloved readers! I am so sorry that its taking so long to give you updates! I am currently at a large crossroad of life you could say and I've been figuring things out...Lots of stress, if you know what I mean. However, I have not forgotten this story and plan to see it to its completion. This being the case, I am giving you to chapters with this update instead of one!

Once again, I do not own any characters from Rise of the Guardians. I only own Shade, Spook, the sprites aaaannnnd maybe some future characters ;)

Chapter 8:Guilt

Looking at each other quickly, the Guardians nodded and began following the small spirit further into Carrow Woods. As time went on, the forest seemed to warp around them and the trees...they were dying. The further they went, the more trees appeared dead...the soil dry...the plants...withered. It was almost like life itself had been sucked from the vegetation.

"...What's happened here...are we even in the same forest?" Tooth asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Bunny sniffed the air, "Nah...I'm na sure where...but its somewhere south...far south...bu...it can't be..."

"Vhat is it Bunny?" North asked.

"At firs...I thought we were near Brazil...but I don' know anywhere there that's...well...like..." he trailed off as he gestured to the surrounding area.

North was about to respond, when suddenly they all fell to the ground holding their ears as screams, of what sounded like children, echoed through the trees. They were screams of pain...of fear...and then they heard laughter as the screams faded.

Laughing loudly, an old friend of theirs appeared out of the shadows, "What's wrong? Can't handle a little fear Guardians?" Pitch asked with a grin on his face.

Everyone took out their weapons as Bunny demanded, "Wha are ye doin here Pitch Black?!"

"Oh don't worry about me you overgrown rabbit...I'm only feeding off of all the delicious fear!" Pitch said leaning on one of the few trees that didn't look as if it would turn to dust at a touch.

Jack looked at him in confusion, "So you really don't have anything to do with what's happening? You aren't going to fight us?"

Pitch turns to them, a wicked grin on his face, "Now why would I waste my energy on you fools?"

"Who are you calling a fool?!" Jack said lifting his staff, preparing to attack, only to be stopped by Bunny's paw, "Leave it Frostbite...we ave' somethin more important to do." He stated gesturing to Spook, who was sitting up on a branch in a nearby tree.

"Yes...run along little Guardian of Childhood! But I must say...Have you seen our dear Shade Hollow recently? Her sprites seemed to have gotten much more fun as of late!

Bunny, who had begun to walk, froze at Pitch's words and quickly turned, grabbing his neck in anger, "Wha do ye know about Shade?!" Bunny roared at him.

Everyone watched as Pitch's mouth turned into a knowing smirk, "Now Bunny...what do you care? After all...she is just another dark spirit...isn't she?"

At his words, the Guardians froze as they remembered the words that they themselves had said...The words that may have sealed a dark fate...

Pitch shook off Bunny's paws easily with a dark chuckle, "That's right Guardians...This" he gestures to the dying terrain, "is your fault...I am completely...innocent" And with those final words, Pitch Black faded into the shadows...Leaving behind the forlorn Guardians and a silent cat.

After a few moments of silence, Spook ran and jumped up to Bunny scratching his paw, startling him and the others out of their thoughts. Looking down at the small spirit, Bunny nodded in understanding "Yer righ' Spook, nows not the time ta stand aroun'...let's go..." And with those words their trek through the darkness continued...