I'm SOOOOO sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I had a fight with one of my best friends and it kinda made everything come to a standstill; but it's better now and so here I am! I've upped the rating on this story because of this chapter... well there goes the idea of making this a kids movie...
So I'll stop yammering and let you get to the long awaited next installment of Return of the Guardians
Don't own it. Want to. But don't
Jamie and Cupcake sat on the floor in his room, slaving over a History project. They'd been working for hours with little success; Jamie was just about to give up when his window frosted over. That could mean only one thing—"Jack!" Both Jamie and Cupcake rushed to the window and threw it open. Jack and Chroma tumbled through in a flurry of snow and leaves. "Jack?" The two spirits stood up, embarrassed.
"Hey Jamie!" Jack pulled his friend into a hug. "How are you? How's Sophie. Is that… CUPCAKE?!"
Chroma stood awkwardly off to the side as the three friends embraced. Cupcake glanced in her direction and saw nothing; Chroma expected Jamie to do the same, but he pulled back from Jack and turned to Chroma. "Who's your friend, Jack?"
"What?!" Chroma gaped at Jamie, "You can see me?" Jamie nodded.
"He believes in about everything—or, more like he believes that anything is possible—there are probably only one or two spirits that he wouldn't be able to see." Jack explained before turning back to Jamie and Cupcake. "This is Chroma Reign, the Spirit of Autumn."
Cupcake blinked and gasped softly. "You're pretty."
Chroma blushed and looked down, then blinked. "Wait. You can see me now?"
Cupcake nodded. "Once I knew someone was there, it was easy." Chroma moved closer, enjoying the warmth of friendship the teens shared.
"Jamie, have you told Cupcake what's going on?" Jack whispered and Jamie nodded.
"I had to give her a reason for being grounded. And she'll believe the truth."
Chroma interrupted, "So you're Jamie, huh?" She ruffled his hair. "Ya' seem like a good kid. "An' Jack said you're his first believer?"
Jamie ducked away from her, laughing. "Yeah, four years ago. Cupcake was there too."
"Four years?" Chroma paused. "Wasn't that when Pitch attacked?"
Jack nodded gravely, "I told you Jamie'd helped before."
"No way! Ya' guys are, what, fourteen?" Jamie and Cupcake nodded and Chroma shook her head. "You kids are incredible."
Everyone laughed until Jamie gasped, his eyes widening, and doubled over clutching his side. Jack grabbed his shoulder to hold him up; Jamie's face was pale as he grimaced in pain and his breath was coming in short gasps. "Jamie!" Cupcake hurried over to help put him on the bed while Chroma watched worriedly. "Jamie, what's wrong?!"
"My-my-my s-sid-de…" Jamie managed to gasp out, his voice strained. Jack pried Jamie's arms away and pulled up his shirt slightly.
Three horrified gasps filled the room—the scares on Jamie's side were an angry red and he jerked when Jack ran a finger over the marks. "Chroma, how many people can you carry?"
Chroma understood that Jack was asking about her teleportation and answered. "That depends on how far. But I should be able to get all of us to the Pole."
"Do it." Jack picked Jamie up and Chroma gripped his wrist as she took Cupcake's hand.
"Here goes nothing." They vanished, leaving the room empty.
^^^^ROTG^^^^
"North! We've got a problem!" Jack's shout brought everyone running.
The newer four stopped short when they saw Jamie and Cupcake, but North immediately took an unconscious Jamie from Jack's arms. "What happen?'
"That's the problem. We don't know." Bunny hopped over immediately, followed closely by Tooth. Fawn and Asteri came more slowly, and Seamair after them—Kalo didn't move.
"That is Jamie, is it not?" Fawn's voice was soft as she watched North set the boy carefully on an empty work table.
Jack nodded. "He just collapsed all of a sudden… he seemed alright, but then-" His expression crumbled. "I thought I could protect him…" he whispered dejectedly.
Chroma slipped her fingers through Jack's and squeezed his hand, pulling him close. "It's not your fault; you know that." Jack just shook his head. Before he could respond, the air exploded with golden dust. Everyone was still for a moment, then all eyes fell on Sandy, who was pointing frantically at Jamie.
The spirits, back on task, quickly surrounded the table. "I think it's his scars, they were really red at the house." Cupcake whispered and Jack nodded. Without another word, North lifted Jamie's shirt to check the scars again.
Gasps echoed through the large room as Jamie's side was revealed. Fawn, having suddenly turned a sickly shade of green, backed hurriedly away; Cupcake did the same, covering her eyes. Jack squeezed Chroma's hand tighter and pulled her slightly behind him; even Kalo- who hadn't moved since Jack's return- grimaced at the sight.
The scars weren't scars anymore. They had reopened; as red and raw as if Jamie had just gotten them, if not more so, and oozing blood. North and Bunny, who were both used to wounds and the sight of blood, tried everything to stop the bleeding. Nothing worked. Layers of gauze soaked through in moments; the same happening when they tried thicker materials. Even the cream North had used before had no effect.
Finally the two stepped back, staring helplessly at the others. Bunny shook his head in defeat. "I've neva' seen a wound like this before… nothin' we do makes a difference. Must be some kinda magic involved."
Asteri stepped up to the table, cautious, curls swaying gently. She put her hand over the gashes and closed her eyes, concentrating. For a long moment everyone was silent. Watching. Then all at once, her eyes snapped open, she breathed in sharply, and her glow flared. "It's Dracula." She stated. "He's causing this." For a heartbeat there was silence, then the room exploded.
"How?!"
"I'll tear 'im to shreds!"
"What do you mean?!"
"What do we do?"
"When I get my hands on him…!"
Asteri flared again, quieting the others. "It is not unusual for a Vampire to create a link between themselves and their victim. With it, they can do anything to that person from a distance. Anything."
Jack's shoulders slumped. "That's why he told us to enjoy our victory. The only thing that threw him off balance was the distinction between pain and sacrifice."
"So whadda we do?" No one had an answer for Chroma and Jack bit his lip despairingly—then a low voice spoke.
"Sunlight." Heads whipped around to look at Kalo. "Isn't that a Vampire's main weakness?"
"Kalo you're a genius!" Asteri hugged Kalo and – to everyone's surprise – Kalo blushed slightly.
Jamie suddenly jerked violently and his eyes snapped open. North placed a hand on his shoulder but Jamie started bucking against the hands that now held him down; Jamie's eyes were blank and lifeless even as he fought North with a strength he didn't possess. "What's going on?!" Tooth cried as everyone was asking themselves the same question.
"The sun's gone down…" Cupcake's terrified voice spoke. "Now there's nothing weakening the connection."
The table under Jamie was covered in blood and Jamie's thrashing only made it worse. "How much time do we have?"
North looked up at Jack worriedly. "No time."
Asteri snapped her fingers, getting everyone's attention. "Kalo, help Bunnymund hold him down. North, you and I are going to make something." As Kalo joined Bunny, North and Asteri disappeared into North's personal workshop.
Jack hugged Chroma tightly. They were in a race against time.
^^^^ROTG^^^^
Dracula grinned at the darkening sky; he could hear the worried voices of the Guardians as though through a badly tuned radio—a radio that was getting clearer as the sun set. He had been biding his time since the young boy had made a fool of him—waiting for the perfect chance to strike.
"Enjoying yourself, Dracula?" Pitch drawled.
The Vampire turned to him. "Quite. When the full force of the connection is opened, that boy has minutes to live… unless I decide to prolong his suffering."
Pitch smirked. "Losing Jamie will definitely stop Jack Frost."
Dracula shrugged, knowing first-hand the power vengeance can give. "Perhaps, perhaps not. Either way, it's a wonderful bit of revenge, is it not?" Pitch nodded as the last light of day fell into the night. Dracula's eyes turned red and his teeth flashed in the darkness as Jamie's mental scream echoed clearly in his head.
I swear I didn't do it! *Runs and hides* This chapter was a case of me writing the chapter and then looking at the page and going, "What did I just write?! How could I write something like that?!" You know the feeling?
Some people have been asking if there was going to be romance for Jack; and the answer is "what do you think?" If you wanted FrostFairy, I'm sorry, cause that just doesn't work in my head. I mean, Ewww...
I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner. Ciao!
~~Wavelength