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Pitch had slipped away, leaving the Guardians in a much more somber mood, the depressing thoughts he had left them to contemplate weighing heavily in the air. Conall's shuddering breath filled the room, hiccups wracking his body as he tried to inhale much needed oxygen through his tears. Bare feet padded across the floor, the soft slap of steps resonating in the room. Kneeling down in front of the young boy, Jack gently reached out to him, wiping away the flowing tears. Raising his bloodshot eyes, the young boy met the winter spirit's sad gaze.
As he stared into those frightened but hopeful eyes, the white haired spirit could not help but recall the same look staring back at him from the brown eyes of the first boy to ever see him. The same terror reflected back at him from Conall's piercing gaze brought him to the realization that he could no longer allow himself to wallow in pity. He had wandered the globe for three centuries without relying on the belief of a single child. The children of the world could ill-afford for him to wallow in the mire of self-pity in which he had been so content to indulge.
Resolved to focus on the children whose interests he had been created to protect, he allowed a smile to spread slowly over his face. Exhaling slowly, the ice wielder used the moisture from his breath to form small crystals in the air. The tiny ice pellets started to drop, their momentum only halted by the youngest guardian's frigid hands catching them in their descent. A small spark traveled from his finger to each of the droplets, the energy causing them to rise from his palm once more. The frozen globules of water bumped against each other, their behavior bringing a small grin to the little boy's face.
Leaning his back against the wall next to the window, Bunnymund watched the interaction, his lips gently quirking upward. The older brother approached quietly, the rabbit's ears twitching with each step Piers took. He said nothing as he leaned against the wall beside the pooka, both of them content to watch the mischief maker's antics. The younger brother's giggles peppered the air, his mood quickly lightening after the ominous proclamation the nightmare king had delivered. In the grand scheme, the hare mused, Jack's actions might mean little in defeating Annis. At this moment, however, they were everything to one little boy. A slight cough to his right caused him to turn his head as he raised an eyebrow.
"What do you plan to do?"
"Dunno yet, mate." The silence lingered between them as they watched the others. Tooth's fairies were flitting about the pair, flying in circles through the sculptured ice Jack created. A smirk quirked the hare's lips as one of the pixies smacked into an ice figure as it was being formed, playing at fainting. Its still fluttering wings exposed the ruse, as did the wink the tiny fairy bestowed on the boy when the ice wielder deliberately looked the other way. Despite being a completely impromptu display, the entire scene could have been choreographed. The memory guardian's infatuation with the winter spirit's perfect teeth had apparently allowed him to develop an ability to seamlessly communicate with the small nymphs in her employ.
Bunnymund's brow furrowed slightly as he mulled over the apparent behavior. He was not certain that it could help them in a battle against the harridan, but it could prove useful if either Piers or Conall could be counted on to identify the spice their grandmother had used against Annis. The hare turned his full attention to the older boy, studying the wistful smile that spread over the mortal's young face. Unfortunately, the events in Piers' life seemed to be forcing him to be growing up far too quickly. The pooka fervently hoped that they would be able to return a bit of carefree abandon to the boy's life.
"Would you be able to identify the spice?"
Startled, the boy jumped slightly before turning to face the overly tall lagomorph. "Pardon?"
"If you went to the grocer's, could you identify the spice?"
Shaking his head slightly, Piers frowned. "Not by its appearance. Conall and I could both give a fair guess by the taste, but gran always shoos us out of the kitchen when she's baking."
"Hm." The rabbit considered the news. While not entirely as positive as he had hoped, it certainly did not obliterate the idea fermenting in his mind. Pushing off from the wall, he walked over to North and Sandy. As he examined the dust images the dream weaver was forming, he concluded that they were considering the same plan that had occurred to him. Seeing the sand image of the spice bag the boys' grandmother had used followed by one of the boys, Bunnymund decided to announce his presence. "Too right."
The Australian laughed outright at the startled jump Sandy gave, completely dissolving his dust models before spinning around and shaking a finger at the pooka in irritation. Chuckling, North placed a hand on the ancient guardian's shoulder. "He is just offering his opinion, Sandy."
Unappeased, the glittering spirit used his sand to form unflattering images of rabbits sneaking through tall grasses. As the sand-bunnies came to the edge of the field, a farmer's garden came into view. Skittering across the cultivated dirt, the hares of the dust-image kicked up soil from the guardian as they burrowed underneath the ripened food before pouncing on unsuspecting vegetables. North could not suppress his chuckle as the image focused on a single carrot, showing it faint as the lagomorphs approached it from behind.
"That's hardly fair, mate." Sandy raised a single eyebrow, to which the pooka responded with a cheeky grin. "I'd never try to eat you the way that bunny's chowing on that veggie." Glancing back at the sand image, the dream weaver frowned, waving a hand through the picture to cause it to dissipate. Shaking his head in amusement, the hare tried to refocus their attention on the matter at hand. "I just meant we had the same thought. Piers says he would know the taste of the spice, even if he didn't know it on sight." The older boy nodded when North and Sandy glanced to him for confirmation.
"Khorosho. We will take them with us to find some of this any seed. But how do we distract young mat'? She is bound to be wanting to keep boys in sight."
"No worries. We only need to borrow Piers for this, so we'll only have to run interference for one of them." A mischievous grin spread across Bunnymund's face as he turned to face Toothiana. "Sheila, we're going to need your fairies to go play outside with Jack." The tiny pixies looked up at the pooka in confusion with the ice wielder following suit.
Unable to find what they were looking for in the first three shops, Piers was beginning to feel a little hopeless. The plan had been a relatively simple one. Toothiana happily carried him from shop to shop, her hummingbird wings making their travel swifter than any car in which he had personally ridden. Once they found the right substance, he would purchase a small amount to take back so the others would know which spice they should be seeking. Unfortunately, all of the stores to which Tooth had taken him had only sold ground spices. He had known the taste would be different from the whole seeds his grandmother favored, but none of the ones he had tried so far had even come close.
After the third failed shop, he had convinced Tooth to carry him over to the next town. Four shops and several irate store clerks later, they were still unable to obtain any of the sought-after seasoning. Piers would have readily admitted that he was beginning to lose hope in their chances of success. As a result, he was exceedingly thankful when Tooth noticed the spice shop as she sped them through the town.
Rolling his eyes at hearing the bell over the door chime when he entered, the elder of the two brothers could not help the slight fatigue that infused his manner as he approached the counter. As a result of his weariness, his speech was slightly slurred when he spoke to the young lady standing behind the counter. His query for the apparently elusive 'any seed' finally garnered him a response other than complete confusion.
"What do you need the spice for?"
The question effectively energized him. He stood straighter, nearly bouncing on his feet as he dared to hope. "So you have some?"
"Anise seed? Sure. But if you just want it for cooking, the powder is better." Piers was so happy that she seemed to know what he was talking about that he dared not question her assertion. She smiled broadly at him as she went to the back to grab a pound bag of the spice.
"I know this will seem an odd request, but..." His voice trailed slightly as he tried to decide the best way to phrase his question. "It's just, my gran sent me after it, and I want to make sure I get the right thing. Could I taste a small amount of it?" She did give him an odd look, but agreed to his request. Using a one-eighth teaspoon measuring utensil, she gently opened the bag and scooped out a small amount. He opened his palm, watching with continued hope as she slowly measured the fine powder into his open hand. Lifting the appendage to his face, he sniffed delicately. He gingerly extended his tongue, tasting the substance. A smile spread fully over his face. "That's it!" His elation caused the clerk to giggle a bit as she totaled his purchase. Handing over the funds to pay for the bag – which far exceeded their expectation on amount – he thanked her profusely for her assistance before leaving the store.
"That's it then?" The fairy's voice bubbled with barely contained joy. When Piers nodded she squealed loudly before picking him up and carrying them back to his house as quickly as her wings would take them.
Their success in obtaining the coveted spice was celebrated for a scant few seconds before the group set about determining the best way to use the powder. Several minutes of deliberation ultimately resulted in the conclusion that small pouches carried by Toothiana's fairies would likely provide them the best coverage, ensuring that should Annis attempt to flee from them as they attacked her, she would not be able to run far from the airborne pixies.
As they had debated, the boys had been dividing the powder into smaller sachets, including an amount for their grandmother. The tiny fairies picked up the packets, chirping to each other as the Guardians discussed their roles. After numerous variants were proposed and one solid plan was finally agreed upon by the group, a soft voice posed the question that they had studiously avoided discussing in front of the boys.
"How do we lure her to us?"
Bunnymund rose from his crouched position, walking over to Conall. Squatting down to be eye level with the young boy, his voice was somber as he responded. "You will not be present." His eyes cut quickly to Piers. "Neither of you. We won't risk a child's life just to draw her out."
"It's the best chance you've got!" The younger brother's emphatic outburst was punctuated by the tears rolling down his cheeks. The hand that landed on the pooka's furred shoulder was a boon to him. The hare stepped aside without hesitation, glad that someone else was willing to address the difficult issue.
"Conall, listen to me." Jack's voice was gentle as his cerulean gaze captured the boy's own. "Annis is not someone that you trifle with."
"I'm not afraid!" The younger brother's chest puffed outward with the forceful statement. Knowing that delicacy was of the utmost importance, the white haired guardian took the boy's hand in his own, patting it gently before he responded.
"I know you're not. And I know Piers isn't either. But your mother is." Conall's shoulders slumped slightly. "So is your grandmother. They don't want to lose you – either of you. There are so many parents who have lost children, and there is no need to add either of you to that number."
Toothiana cleared her throat behind him. "How do we find her, though? It's a valid point."
The ice wielder's brow furrowed as he considered how he could tell them he had been thinking about the nightmare king's words earlier without sounding more conceited than they likely already thought him to be. Finally shrugging, he resigned himself to simply making his point regardless of the consequences. "Do you remember when Pitch was here earlier, talking about how he didn't have my essence and couldn't make my hand whole?"
"Da. What is point, Jack?"
"Well, if the boogeyman doesn't own that missing piece of me, then it must still be within Annis." Forming sand images, the dream weaver summed up the winter spirit's intent. "That's right, Sandy. I don't know if it'll work, but it's the best shot we've got, I think." The ancient guardian nodded sadly. Clapping him on the back, North tacitly agreed to the proposal. Toothiana nibbled on her lower lip as she debated any other possible alternatives. Not able to determine a better solution, she gave him a brief nod. Bunnymund glared at each of them, eyes narrowed dangerously as he approached Jack.
He shook his head emphatically. "No. I won't agree." Exchanging glances, Piers and Conall quietly rose and exited the room, taking their grandmother's sachet back to the kitchen. "If you do have a connection and she tries to kill you for tracking her using it? What then? What if she succeeds? I..." The rabbit's voice trailed off as a single tear dampened the fur of his left cheek.
Giving the hare a sad smile, Jack used the pad of his thumb to smooth the salty water from his companion's fur. "It's not about me. Remember?"
The pooka scoffed. "And since when do you take advice from the likes of Pitch Black?"
"For once, I think he has a point. When Jamie stopped believing, I was devastated. I felt lost, and I wondered what the point was. If they're going to grow out of us, why bother? And that's something else he had right – we don't stop caring about them when they no longer remember us." Sighing, he let himself give the rabbit a sturdy hug. "It's not about us. It's about the kids. It's always been about them. I just lost sight of that for a while."
Having been listening outside the door, the two brothers smiled, and nodded, tiptoeing away as quietly as they could. They reached the main hallway of their modest home in time to hear their grandmother's return. She muttered about it getting dark too quickly as she made her way to the kitchen. They both noticed that her hands were empty and hoped she would be pleased by her surprise. Neither expected the quiet squeak that had erupted as she opened the sachet. It was followed quickly by a loud sigh, and the sound of their highly sought-after spice being dumped into the garbage bin.
"If I've told her once, I've told her a hundred times." The voice carried through to them as they remained hidden in the shadows of the hallway. "Star anise isn't the same thing as aniseed, and no matter what those store clerks say, you can't substitute." Exchanging a worried glance, the two boys ran quickly back to Conall's room, arriving just as the magic portal bearing the Guardians away closed.
It had surprised them all when Jack's first attempt at locating Annis had resulted in immediately pinpointing the witch. His shocked gasp as he could see an image of her when he focused on the harridan concerned the group. Unsure as to whether the youngest guardian could be used by the hag to find their location, they determined to debate that issue at a later time. The sun was just setting. She would immediately be ready to seek a meal, something they could not allow.
Tooth's fairies scooped up their sachets, the bags weighing them down slightly. When Jack described the location he could clearly see in his mind's eye, North knew instantly where to take them. He had not realized that the boys had stumbled on her lair near that canal. As the ice wielder had not seen the area with any amount of precision – even the waterway had been murky to his eyes – he was completely oblivious to the fact that they had previously stood in the very spot they found themselves transported by the magic globe, prepared to hopefully defeat Annis.
When she emerged from the cave, the pixies did not wait for any commands. They dive-bombed the witch, spice packets exploding on impact and covering her in a fine powder. She coughed a bit, but was otherwise unaffected by the seasoning peppering the air. Waving a hand in front of her face in order to clear some of the dust from the air, she smiled maliciously as her eyes landed on Jack.
"Foolish boy. Almost as bad as that mortal. The Chinese plant is nothing like the Mediterranean one." Her tongue clucked in mock chiding as she slowly shook her head. "You poor deluded fool." She launched herself at him, her talons slicing into the wood of the staff as he held it out to defend himself. Turning the weapon in his grasp slightly so that its end was aimed at the vile hag, he jabbed with it, connecting soundly with her abdomen. The witch doubled over, gasping. When she straightened once more, the anger she felt towards him was palpable. Jack grinned, the act earning him a snarl from the livid harridan.
"I'll let you in on a little secret, Annis."
"What do I care for your intrigues?" Her voice dripped with disdain, even as she wheezed against the pain, trying to recover her breath.
"Well, it's not really a secret anyway." Twirling his staff, he thrust the butt of the shepherd's crook against the ground once more. The shaft of the weapon glowed an eerie fluorescent cyan, clashing slightly with the shade of his eyes as they flashed with his ire.
"Oh, what are you blabbering about?" She was finally able to right herself, standing straight as she stared at him.
"It's simple really." Raising his staff, the winter spirit allowed the moisture in his breath to guide him in drawing the moisture from the air, easily forming more of the powdery precipitate at their feet. Slamming the staff against the icy terrain, he steadied himself as the shockwave sent the witch flying from her feet. From her position on her back, she looked up at Jack when he towered over her prone form. His eyes were hard, his face appearing as stone. "I hate you."