Fragile Moon

Chapter 3: The More You Know!

Author: Welcome back guys, hope you all are enjoying the fan fiction so far owo!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Rise of the Guardians or Guardians of Childhood. The only thing I do own is this story and the Ocs that come with it.

I had cursed to myself day in and day out as I waited for a few days for the cursed police to leave the school and let me finish my job. Sure I got as much as I could out of the shadow child who caused the whole slaughter, but there was another job for me to finish: to put the souls of the children to rest. Yes I was not able to really go back into the Spirit World till I was done, but I could at least save these children from wandering the abandoned school till this endless search was over. MiM would understand... right? Looking up I could see the crescent moon in the sky that had gotten a bit bigger over the days; then again it had been about three days since I was last at this school... or was it four? I couldn't really remember.

But that was not the point; I had enough strength to go back to the school without any big worry other than the police still being there. Did they really think I would rob the dead? I mean yes they didn't know I was the Grim Reaper but there was no way there were any more corpses and even if they were I wouldn't be standing in the hallway by myself. Besides I was sure I was scaring the shit out of them since they were nervous and, to them, I was the only solitary figure in the dark and, presumed, haunted hallways of the school.

"So far so good..." I said to myself as I looked from the trees and at the school. There were no lights and I didn't see any police cars, though that didn't mean that there were any in the bushes or something spying and watching. But I had to try my luck. Though I had to say the good thing about it all was that the Guardians weren't there... or at least I couldn't sense them anyway. I had enough on my plate as it was and I didn't have time to deal with their teamwork when I had a job to do. Granted it has been a while since I had been with them but still... in this stressful time trying to track down one Fearling possessed spirit I didn't need any more stress, especially from the one called Jack Frost.

He, in my own opinion, was a moron. He had given little thought to his life for a measly three hundred years and then Man in the Moon decided he was Guardian worthy! Him? A Guardian?! That was the most preposterous and idiotic thing I had heard in my life and it didn't help that he seemed to take it with such a carefree attitude!

'Calm down... breathe... find your center plane of existence...' I chanted in my head, knowing that it was not time to rant to myself about how I believed that MiM had chosen poorly. The child did defeat Pitch after all so maybe he was worth something... even if he did take his job less than seriously.

My hidden eyes then turned back to the school, which was absent other than the shadows of children calling for their parents and wanting to go home since they were hurting. I could only feel sorry for them; they only had half a mind about what had happened to them and some may not even realize that they were dead. But that was my job, to guide them from being chained to the Earth to the Spirit Realm where they could grow up and not be stuck in limbo for all eternity. So to get them back to the Spirit World by gathering them together and letting me lead them I can finally be done with the school and move on to any leads that may come up.

'Let's get this over with quickly' I thought to myself before making my way to the school as quietly and quickly as possible. Thankfully I didn't have to worry about tripping or stumbling around this time around, so me getting around in the school should have been very quiet. Tricky part was being able to guide the children to me without people seeing lights and calling the police again. Though I was sure that it was around two or three am in the morning so it should have been safe...

"Thgin ydal..." called a small voice, causing me to look towards the small voice that had called me. It was the small boy I had talked to the other night.

"Yes, little one?" I asked in the tongue of the spirit.

"Have you come back to ask me more about the bad shadow?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"No little one, I know you have given me all that you can. I have come to guide you and the rest of the children back home," I told him.

"Does that mean I'll get to see mommy? I... I have something to tell her..." he said with a saddened tone of voice.

"Of course you'll get to see mommy, I'll make sure that the two of you will meet each other to where I take you and the others" I assured him. I felt bad because I was sure that, as he was under the influence, he probably did something with his own family. But there was no time to pity the shadow child; it was time to guide the children back to the Spirit World before continuing on my search. "It is time that thou children be guided to the next world." I explained as I brought out my scythe only to have it glow and change into another form. It was a long pole that was arched at the top with a lantern at the end of it. The lantern glowed a low, yet vibrant, light.

Seeing the glow from within the building, I saw the shadow children rise from their hiding places and come toward the light. I remembered how I used to be amazed at this when I started to do so, but as I grew in experience I was no longer affected by this light... or at least I didn't seem to be. Through the years I had gotten colder and less sociable, but I had my own reasons that no one had business to know about.

"Do not be afraid, little ones, I am here to guide you," I called out to the few that were reluctant. Though I do not like to rush things as delicate as this ritual, I was sure there would only be a matter before I was caught again by the police. "Shall I sing to you? Will that calm thy fears?" I asked, though there was no response given to me "Then let me sing to thee, sweet children," I said softly. I then took a deep breath so to sooth the children with my voice. But before I could, my ears twitched and I stopped myself, turning around to see what I was sensing.

I couldn't see at first since it was dark and nothing seemed out of place even in a trashed building like the school. I made the lantern turn back into a scythe and prepared myself in case of an attack. But soon, before my curiosity could search the premise that alerted my senses, I found I had no time to do such a thing. I saw a light blind me before hearing several shots ring out as I felt warm and wet liquid on my body and clothes. The last thing I remember before losing consciousness was the cold winter wind caressing my body.

"It was good thing you came when you did Jack," North commented after the winter spirit came with Death cloaked in red blood. It caused him alarm and told his Yetis to take the Reaper to the infirmary that was within the building.

"I did what I could, besides it was heartbreaking just to watch Death being riddled with bullets while just doing nothing, even if I don't like him," he said. North looked at the boy with a questioning face

"Jack, I get that you may not have been put up to speed but-" before North could finish his sentence a flash of grey fur came into the room.

"What's the problem now?" asked Bunnymund, looking around with his ears twitching before looking to North. "I can only take bein' called so many times in one week"

"Ah Bunny! Good to see you arrive!" North said happily, forgetting what he was going to say to Jack.

"Bunny? What's he doing here?" Jack asked, a bit surprised at the Easter Bunny's appearance.

"I called him of course! I thought he'd want to be here," North responded, causing confusion in both of them "Ah right, Jack, why don't you check on guest while I tell Bunny the situation" he told his fellow Guardian.

"Yea... sure" Jack said as he floated away to where the infirmary was... though he had no clue where it was so he asked one of the Yetis who pointed him in the right direction "Thanks Phil" he said before flying to the room. As he stood at the wooden door he breathed and calmed himself since their last encounter he wasn't the best of meetings. "I might as well get this over with" he said with a small sigh before he began to open the door "Hey Mr. Reaper I know we got off the wrong foot and all when we met but-" he started to say but stopped in mid-sentence when he looked in the room.

As he stood in the door way he saw, standing next to the bed, a young girl with long and wavy midnight blue hair accompanied by pointed ears. But the thing that caused him to freeze was the fact that she was half naked. Her upper half was almost bare except a few bandages around her arm and chest. And as he stared at her in an awkward silence she slowly turned her head and stared at him with soul piercing silver eyes.

"Guest? What guest?" Bunny asked after Jack had left "What's this all about North? There has to be a reason you called me here again when it hasn't even been a bloody week" he told him. The Easter Bunny looked around and saw that neither Sandy nor Tooth was there so it was something that wasn't Guardian business. North took a deep breath before he actually answered

"Well... Nyx tried to go back to elementary school we were at few days before. Unfortunately it did not turn out well and she got shot several time," he started to say but was cut off.

"What?! Is she okay North?! Where is she?!" he asked in haste, making North put his hands up.

"Whoa Bunny... you need to relax, she is fine. Jack was able to rescue her and bring her here. She's resting in infirmary right now" he said but Bunnymund had no time to sit around. Immediately the rabbit dashed towards the medical bay and into the infirmary room where the one called Nyx was being held. When he got there... well let's just say he was a bit shocked at what he was seeing.

"Nyx!" he called as he got to the door but when he got there he saw Jack Frost standing in the doorway and, in front of him, was a half-naked girl standing there with long dark wavy hair. Bunny could feel himself well up inside with an emotion he long thought would be buried within his tough exterior of a Tai-Chi master. Because of this raging emotion he grabbed the back of Jack's hoodie and dragged him out of the room and shut the door.

"Whoa! Easy there Cottontail" he said, a bit flustered and confused on what he just saw "You don't have to be so rough!"

"What the bloody hell were you doin'?! You don't just walk in when a sheila's changin'!" he said with a stern voice.

"Hey, I didn't know she was going to be in there! I was expecting Death not a little girl!" Jack said

"That 'little girl' you're talkin' about IS Death; SHE'S the Grim Reaper ya dill!" he told him, which cause Jack to be silent for just a moment. But it only lasted one moment before he started to chuckle and then full blown laugh. Bunny crossed his arms "And WHAT exactly do you find so funny about this?" he asked, feeling like he was about to lash out in anger any second. He shouldn't feel this way; he should just be irritated, not angry to the point where he'd lash out at Jack because he found this situation funny. How the bloody hell was being yelled at about 'peeping' at a girl changing remotely earning a chuckle?!

"W-well that a little GIRL happens to be D-Death!" he said in between laughs "And to think people a-are AFRAID of her" he added. Unfortunately this only made Bunny angrier

"You best not underestimate her, mate, or you'll regret it. She's been doin' her job for over five hundred years and has more experience fightin' than you do. So you better not insult her!" he said, getting in Jack's face before easing up with a stern look on his features. It was one thing to have Nyx be seen half naked by someone, but then to have someone INSULT her on top of it was inexcusable to him. He knew her abilities probably better than anyone and she was someone you did not want to get on her bad side. He couldn't help but think how ignorant Jack was even though it wasn't his fault and that he would need to be brought up to speed so he could understand everything.

"Hey lighten up Bunny, I was just baffled about what she looks like. I imagined she'd be really tall and a skeleton... and a guy" he said, trying to defend himself.

"Not everyone looks or acts the way others portray them, be sure to remember that," said the Easter Bunny before he went away from Jack and entered the infirmary. When he entered the young girl known as Death was finally fully clothed, shoulder guards and all, and was fixing the neck part of her tunic when Bunny came in. He wasn't sure what it was but it wasn't any of his business and he knew that even if he asked she would not tell him. "North told me that you were shot, several times in fact" he told her

"What of it?" she asked, not looking at him but still dawning that cold expression along with the monotone voice that she spoke in while putting on her gauntlets.

"You were SHOT, do you know what could have happened if Jack wasn't there?!" Bunny asked her, a bit frustrated that she didn't care for the wounds inflicted on her.

"They were just bullets, mere bullets can't kill Death. You shouldn't worry about something so trivial anyway... or worry at all. Mind your own business" she told him.

"I know that, Nyx. I'm talkin' about how the humans could have taken you and done who knows what to ya! And I am mindin' my own business, I'm just tellin' you to be careful!" he said. He knew that Death could not be taken by humans, if she was then a lot of souls were going to be trapped on Earth unless they rescued her.

"That is not necessary, I can handle myself fine" Nyx told him, causing him to sigh mentally

"She's right Bunny, she has power to protect herself" North said as he came into the room

"Yea yea of course she does, that's why her body got a barrage of bullets and probably would have been done for if yours truly didn't step in" Jack said with a smile. "You really need to learn how to say thank you" he told her, though Nyx just narrowed her eyes in annoyance

"Your ignorance is your greatest weakness" she replied back to him

"And your seriousness is yours. Really lighten up for once will you? I'm sure it wouldn't kill you to crack a smile once in a while" Jack told her. There was an obvious dislike of each other and the longer they stared at each other the more the air tensed.

"Now now, no sense in fighting" North said as he went to Nyx and handed her the cloak, which caused her to nod before taking it and putting it on her shoulders. "Ah yes we have yet to have official introduction yes?" North asked after realizing that despite Jack already meeting Nyx beforehand there was no actual introduction to the two. "This is Nyx Nocturne, she, as you know, is Grim Reaper and currently guides souls of the dead to Spirit World. And Nyx, this is Jack Frost newest addition to Guardians, Guardian of Fun!" the man said proudly.

"I noticed..." she said "It amazes me that a child like him got picked as a Guardian," she commented

"He is relatively new as well as young, but he is a good Guardian. Manny was wise to choose him for his new strength helped us defeat Pitch and protect the children of the world" North told her. Bunnymund looked to the large man before he spoke

"North, I think she gets the idea-" he told him but Nyx cut him off

"I do, and I still do not see how he, of all people, was chosen for such a role" she told them. This caused Jack to get closer to her, towering over her since he was more than a head taller than her.

"Such a big accusations by someone so small. But I hate to break it to you but I was the one that was picked and I became a Guardian, not you," he said. Bunny did not like where this was going "And you have no say who and who can't be a Guardian, only Man in the Moon can and last I checked he chose me. So I'd show more respect to a Guardian if I were you," he told her, his face getting into hers with a cocky grin. She gave him no emotion whatsoever though Bunny was sure that it was time for Jack to stop or else something bad was going to happen.

"Jack that's enough" he told him "Don't go rubbin' it in that you're a Guardian to everyone ya meet"

"Oh c'mon Bunny what's she going to do, kill me? No one would be bold enough to-" Jack started to say, but in a blink of an eye there were sounds of glass breaking and a large shard flying at him. It nearly cut his head off but he managed to get out of the way in time. But only to be up against a wall with a scythe blade only a few inches from the right of his face and embedded in the wall. It was like she was actually TRYING to murder him.

"You are too slow, you'd be dead right now if I really wanted to kill you" she told him. It was pretty evident at this point that Jack probably thought Nyx was bat shit insane.

"W-what the hell?! You just don't RANDOMLY throw glass and a SCYTHE at someone in the middle of a conversation! How the hell did you even make the glass break anyway?!" he cried.

"A Guardian must be prepared, must be able to fight at all times. If you lack even that basic knowledge then in my eyes you are no Guardian, just a child who naively thinks having a title as 'Guardian' makes him a fierce warrior worthy of such a title," she told him. She then grabbed her scythe and pulled it out of the wall before she left the room. "Nephelae" she called and then a grey mist came around her that was revealed to be the cloud she had a few nights before.

"Have to go so soon? You should stay and visit for a while" North told her, but she did nothing but keep her back to him and answer in her monotone voice.

"I cannot rest, the longer I do the farther away that Shadow Fearling will get, I must keep going"

"You'll tell us when you find him... right?" Bunny asked her, hoping she'd answer that. But the only thing she did was turn her head slightly back to them before the cloud went completely around her, and she was gone.

Author: Yes I got this up pretty much right next to the last chapter. But my good friend AnimeGirl144 (aka Kyra) beta read it for me and corrected my mistakes (most of them anyway) and so I thank her for it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one!