I'm a sad girl because I just realized we're reaching the end of our story. Only 3 or 4 chapter to go :(

I'd like to ask... Could we please make it to 300 reviews? We're so close that just a couple of extra reviews per chapter would make it. Please, pretty please? It would mean a lot!

faleno, I don't know, whatever your muse tells you to do. You could do some Jack and Tooth or draw the Algea or something. Drawing is not my thing at all, so I'll leave it to you. Whatever you create will be amazing, I'm sure. Thanks a lot for this ;) if you want just send me an email and we'll discuss some ideas.


The sun shone through the old theater's windows as the clouds suddenly cleared.

"It's over!" said a woman.

"We're going to make it!" celebrated a man, hugging his pregnant wife.

Strangers hugged each other, hope filling their hearts as the warm rays of light touched their faces. It wasn't the end of the world after all.

The doors of the improvised shelter opened and most of the men and some of the women stepped outside, assessing the damage. The sun was out, the storm was over, but what used to be a lively town was now reduce to debris. Only a handful of ruined buildings were still standing. Absolutely every house had been taken by the tornado.

Pitch was inside the theater, hiding from the uncomfortable sunlight. It didn't really hurt him, but he did prefer to stay away from it. Besides, he had business to attend to inside. He was invisible to adults, of course, and thanks to that insolent Frost he was invisible to all the children as well. But for the first time, being invisible was an advantage. He couldn't touch any of them, of course. But his nightmares could. He just had to sit down and wait, wait until her mind played her, wait until fear pierced her hope just enough for his fearlings to take her. He knew it would happen. Times were really tough for the humans.

It was not the children he wanted. Of course not. Their hearts were full of hope and wonder. He could hear the little voices thanking the stupid Guardians for the sunlight. No... it was not the kids he wanted. Too risky to take a kid, knowing that if they stopped fearing they could transform his black sand to gold with a single touch.

He had studied the Guardian of Fun for a long time. He had seen the winter spirit taking comfort in her arms, smiling in her presence, wearing her gifts with pride. He had followed Jack enough to know that the woman was his best bet, because just as he thought of North as his father, the hellion saw this human as his mother.

"Mommy!" said Jamie, smiling widely "the Guardians did it! Uncle Jack did it! They rescued Mother Nature!"

"It looks like, sweetie" she replied, smiling as she caressed his hair. Just then, the image of Jack a few hours ago crossed her mind. He looked so scared and weak. Mandy could hear Jack's voice in her head 'I may be putting you in danger... she takes away my powers..." why wasn't he here? Was he injured? She expected him to run to them when it was over, to let them know that it was OK, that he was OK. What if something did happen to him?

Finally. Beautiful fear. An evil smile stretched across Pitch's face as two of his mares moved closer to Amanda. She couldn't see the black sand wrapping around her waist, but she could feel the fearlings tugging her body away from her son.

"Jamie! Run!" she managed to scream before she was pulled out of theater by the twin nightmares.

"Mom!" screamed Jamie "Dad!" he jelled, forgetting for a moment that his father was outside. "Jack! Bunny! North!" and just as his mom reached the window, just as he noticed the Guardians weren't around, he saw the Boogeyman smiling at him, waving goodbye before disappearing into the shadows.


Gretchen felt Jack's hands around her wrists. He had obviously forgotten about the pain because he was almost hurting her, forcing her to let go of the blue fabric.

"Jack" panted Gretchen, looking fearful at the hellion.

"Oi!" yelled Bunny, hopping by their side, realizing what was happening.

Jack pushed the Groundhog's hands away from his body and flew in the old theater's direction as fast as he could. Tooth, Sandy and North followed him.

"Jack, noooo!" screamed Gretchen, stretching her hand trying to stop him. That was a mistake. The sudden movement made her side hurt even more. She would have collapsed on the floor had Bunny not been there to catch her.

"Gretchen!" said Aster, lifting her face up, staring into her teary eyes. "Are you OK?" he asked, caressing her cheek.

"Fine" she breathed, a tiny smile trying to hide the tears that were menacing to betray her.

He knew she wasn't fine. He could hear her breathing loudly, painfully, gasping to fill her lungs with air, unable to stand up straight.

"I'm taking you to the yetis right..." he started, before the laugh made him turn around.

The other Guardians didn't have to go too far to find Pitch. But where was Jack's family?

"Looking for someone?" asked the Boogeyman maliciously.

North looked around for any sign of the innocent as Jack glared at Pitch. Sandy and Tooth hovered on either side of the winter spirit, still worried about his injuries.

Pitch disappeared in the shadows, only to reappear a few meters away from the pookas, attracted by fear.

"What do we have here?" he asked, a sickening smile on his face.

Bunny looked at him murderous, standing between Pitch and Gretchen in a protective gesture.

"So... cutie is still alive... such great news" he said, circling them. "I wonder for how long... I mean we know that her rib is piercing her lung... lack of oxygen, internal bleeding... How long has it been, gorgeous?" he asked, hiding in the shadows only to come out behind Bunny "Too long... congratulations rabbit, it looks like you will be the last pooka very soon..." said the Nightmare King, disappearing again into the shadows.

But Bunny was the Guardian of Hope for a reason. He knew Gretchen was tough. He knew she would be OK. And if he had any tiny spec of fear the Groundhog reassured him.

"Leave... him... alone!" she growled, her green eyes glaring at the amber ones.

Aster smiled and so did the rest of the Guardians who were now surrounding them, protecting them from Pitch. This woman was amazing. She could barely stand, yet she had the the courage to stand up to the Nightmare King... to stand up for him. He was the one who was supposed to be protecting her.

"I've had... worse" she said, looking at Bunny now. He had to smile again this time.

"Sure you have, Love" he replied, tapping the ground with his paw to open a tunnel. He was not risking her any longer.

Bunny scooped her in his arms as quickly and gentle as he could and they both disappeared down the rabbit hole.

"Very well, so your fried just abandoned you..." smiled Pitch maliciously.

"Cut the act Pitch, we all know I don't need him to get rid of you!" rasped Jack, menacingly.

"Jack, Jack, Jack... you really should start showing more respect..." replied the Boogeyman, just before the shadows revealed a herd of fearlings surrounding the Guardians.

And just in front of the winter hellion, wrapped in black sand, was Mandy, her brown eyes wide with terror. She couldn't see what was happening, she only knew that she was restrained somehow and had been dragged to this place, away from her family.

"Jack! What's going on?" she managed to say, before the black sand covered her mouth.