I am on a creative roll today! Two chapters in one day!? Unbelievable! Oh, but get this, I'm nearly finished with the final chapter. If i'm lucky, which for once it seems that i am, I will be able to finish this fic today. Wouldnt that rock?
Chapter 17: Sandy Returns; Pitch's Defeat
As Pitch was backed into a corner by the Guardians and three out of four spirits, Windsong joined the children in following a long stream of golden sand.
"It's over, Pitch." Jack said firmly, as they all glared at the Nightmare King.
"There's no place to hide." Casey joined in.
Pitch looked around, then grinned and disappeared into the shadows. As they looked around, weapons held, ready to strike as Pitch cackled, neither Jack nor Casey were aware of the Nightmare King appearing behind them, a large scythe made entirely out of his nightmare sand held over his shoulder, ready to strike.
Bunnymund saw when he turned. "Jack, Casey, look out!" he yelled and threw his boomerang at Pitch. It did nothing however and Pitch began swinging the scythe down on the winter and water spirits. The two turned, but were paralyzed where they stood. Just as the scythe came down, a whip of golden sand shot out and grabbed both of Pitch's wrists. The whip tightened and Pitch was pulled away, sliding across the snow-covered ground.
The Guardians and spirits looked at each other in confusion before following the path Pitch had been pulled down. When they got to where he was, they saw a large whirlwind of golden sand spiraling. Then, to their joy and amazement, Sandy flew out of it. The look of terror on Pitch's face made Jack and Casey burst out laughing. Sandy pulled Pitch closer until they were face to face and he shook his index finger like a parent getting onto a kid. After he'd done that, he threw Pitch into the air and made him float there.
The kids gazed in awe at Sandy, who smiled at them, and conjured a bowler hat made out of sand and bowed dramatically at them. Once he'd done that, he pulled Pitch down and raised his arms as the Guardians and spirits gathered round him. Pitch lay on the ground behind them, golden butterflies dancing around his head.
Windsong landed on the ground next to Sandy, tears filling her eyes. She quickly pulled Sandy into the tightest hug she could muster, which earned smiles from everyone. Jack and Casey shared smiles and Jack wrapped his arms around Casey as Casey lay her head on his chest, both of them watching Windsong and Sandy.
Two different voices made them all look away, Windsong and Sandy included. Windsong's ears twitched as she strained to listen to the voices.
"So that's the Sandman I've heard about."
"Solar Flare, you downright knew who Sandy was. Mom's crazy about him."
Casey looked around and saw two teenagers, a boy with fiery hair and a girl with white-grey hair, both taller than Casey herself. Casey knew for sure that she recognized one of them.
"Solar Flare." she muttered. She had met Solar Flare only once back in 1843 and the two had played a prank on Bunnymund. When he'd disappeared, Casey had doubted she would ever see him again. From the sound of things, Solar knew Windsong. And, when she looked at Windsong's twilight blue eyes, Casey understood that Windsong knew Solar as well.
"Zack? Lindsey?" Windsong said. "Is that really you? All this time, how did I not know?"
"I see." Casey thought. "Solar and the other girl, Cloud Whisper, was it, are Windsong's son and daughter, from her human life from the sound of things."
As Windsong reconnected with her children, Sandy gathered sand together and floated up into the sky where he spread the sand all over the sleeping children, sending them dreams of the Tooth Fairy.
In the depths of Pitch's lair, Baby Tooth and the rest of the mini fairies felt their ability to fly return and they darted to the teeth containers, one by one opening them for the children, who regained their belief in the Guardians.
Back in Burgess, Sandy had his sand creations flying everywhere, dolphins, dinosaurs, manta rays. A school of sand fish swam by Jamie but as he reached out to them, a snowball slammed into the side of his head. Looking around, he saw Jack tossing a snowball up and down, a wide grin on his face. That started something. Pretty soon, everyone was throwing snowballs at each other.
As the snowball fight continued, North pulled Jack and Casey aside. Looking at Jack, he gestured to the snowball fight. "Your center?" he asked.
Jack grinned wider. "Well, it took a while, but I figured it out."
North turned to Casey. "And what was your center, young Cassandra."
Casey smiled and turned her head to look at Maddy as the little girl ran from Narain and Bunnymund, both of whom were chasing her with snowballs in hand. "It was faith, I think." Casey finally answered, looking back at North. "Maddy reminded me of a very special someone. Someone that I've missed very dearly."
North chuckled and handed both Jack and Casey small Russian dolls painted in their likeness. The two spirits grinned at him and he grinned back, that is, until a snowball nailed him in the back of the head. Turning around, they saw the twins, who immediately pointed at the elf between them. North made a snow ball and raised his arm.
"You're all on naughty list!" he yelled and started chasing after the twins.
Smiling, Jack and Casey rejoined the fun just as Pitch regained consciousness. He frowned deeply, ducking as a sand manta ray flew over him. "You dare have fun in my presence!?" he growled. "I am the Boogeyman, and you will fear me!" He ran to attack Jamie, but the boy just passed right through him. Pitch stopped for a moment, yelling, "No!"
Jack, Casey and the others looked up at him as he began to back away. A few seconds later, the Nightmare King was bolting for the forest. He ran across Jack's frozen lake, where he ran straight into North and was knocked back on the ground.
"Leaving so soon?" Narain asked, jumping up and wrapping her arms around Bunnymund's neck and smiling at Pitch.
"You didn't even say goodbye." Tooth said, flicking something at him.
When he opened his hands and saw a quarter, he looked up at Tooth in disbelief. "A quarter?" However, once he had looked up, Tooth's fist flew out and punched Pitch square in the jaw. A tooth shot out of his mouth and Pitch groaned with pain and looked up at the Guardians.
"That's for my fairies." Tooth said and her fairies flew in Pitch's face, chirping angrily.
"You can't get rid of me, not forever!" Pitch said. "There will always be fear!"
"So what?" North said. "As long as one child believes, we will be here to fight fear."
"Really?" Pitch said menacingly. "Then what are they doing here?" He gestured to the Nightmares surrounding them.
North chuckled. "They can't be my Nightmares. I am not afraid."
Pitch's grin fell into a look of fear. Jack and Casey grinned. "Looks like it's your fear they smell." Jack said. And with that, the Nightmares attacked. Pitch ran, but he wasn't fast enough. The Nightmares caught him and dragged him down the hole leading to his lair. The last thing the Guardians heard was Pitch's yell of terror before the hole closed itself up.
Another good chapter? It was pretty fun to write. The part of the bit with Solar Flare and Cloud Whisper seeing Windsong is straight from MistyLilyValley's RotG fic. Sorry if there hasnt been much fluffiness between Jack and Casey. My cohorts are better fluff writers then i am, but i'm learning.
Next chapter: Song, Narain, Jack and Casey are inducted into the Guardians and i readdress that issue from Chapter 12, with Casey's pond being polluted. Dont worry, I didnt forget about that. Not one bit.