Oh My MiM! 310 reviews! Do you have any idea how much I love you right now?

Special thanks to:

ShawnaCrazyGirl, Everlark-forever12, CatnipFrost, MagicGold34, Edam Aster Bunnymund, KrystalINSANEGirl, Faleno, Revenge of the Red Pen, OinkyThePiggy, TheAngelofIego, creatorX33 , Alexia04, RJguzman318, AnonymousWolf, AGR2016, crazyguy1313 and ObsidianLove for all your reviews and support and for being awesome.

Did you noticed we have a cover now? did you see how awesome it is? How scared Gaia looks? thanks so much to the gorgeous Hanna (I don't know about the outside, but on the inside you are gorgeous) for this, I know you worked really hard and it shows.


Sandy didn't have to fly too far with Mandy. A couple of blocks away they found a search party calling her name. She was pleased that her husband was not amongst them. They had had this conversation before, in the darkest hour: they would not risks their lives to save each other. One of them should always make it, for Jamie and Sophie. She knew he had been edgy since the kids disappeared last spring, avoiding work trips overseas and coming home in time for dinner most days. She knew he would happily give his life to save hers or the kids' and she was proud of him for staying behind, for doing the right thing. She felt Sandy laying her down gently, a few yards away from the rescuers.

Mandy imagined how Jamie's 'the boogeyman took my mom' must have sounded like to the others and she assumed they were looking for some sort of wild animal. Good thing her skin was all scratched from the sand.

"Thank you, Sandy" said Mandy with a big smile and the Sandman was surprised that she was looking in his direction. Just like Bunny, he wondered if she could see him.

Amanda figured that, just like The Easter Bunny emanated hope, Sandy most also have a feeling to him and she correctly guessed that it was 'dreamy'. And as soon as she thought of it, she realized that she was imagining herself being taken by a big bear and escaping in the nick of time, which by the way, provided the perfect story to justify her disappearance. She smiled. She had just discovered her own way to see the Guardians.


Bunny was sitting on a chair next to Gretchen's bed when it happened. His thumb was drawing circles in her inert hand, his eyes lost somewhere in a simpler world where he didn't love this woman, where he wouldn't care if she lived or died. But as he thought about it, he realized that that world was not a couple of days ago, it was more like a couple of centuries ago. 'I... love you... too. Always' her voice resounded in his head. Always. Did she mean since the beginning? Did she mean they could have been together for centuries, should have benn together for centuries? He felt like kicking himself for all the time they lost, for all the time he hoped they will have now.

Bloody Pitch had guessed correctly that she had internal injuries. She had lost a lot of blood and there were no blood donors for a pooka/fairy hybrid. The yetis healed her injuries, but it was all they could do. They would have to wait and see, give her body some time to recover and hope for the best. 'Hope' he sighted.

Aster was lost in his own thoughts, in his own pain, when something stirred a couple of beds away. The man opened his eyes, disoriented. The last thing he remembered was his daughter's voice in the lonely prison he was guarding. He stupidly opened the gate where the voice was coming from, realizing a second too late that he had fallen into a trap, before he was attacked by countless fearlings.

He could not make sense of his surroundings, but he tried his best to asses the situation. Someone had obviously helped him, rescuing him from the fearlings. He was lying on a comfortable bed, unrestrained, so he was not a prisoner. He looked around and saw two long ears. A pooka. The pookas must have saved him and he must be in their village now. He was safe. He was definitely amongst friends. Or so he thought.

"Hello?" he called, sitting up.

Something in Bunny snapped when he heard his voice. All those emotions stirring in his chest finally found an outlet and he hopped to Kozmotis' bed, his eyes filled with hatred.

"You. Did. This!" he rasped, his nose touching the man's who looked back at him fearlessly, ready to defend himself if it came to that.

Pitchiner realized what was going on. He saw the girl lying on the bed before the Guardian jumped at him. But it was still very strange behavior for a pooka.

"I'm sorry" replied Kozmotis "I do not remember anything, but if she got hurt because of me, please accept my most sincere apologies." he tried to look at the pooka in the eyes, tried to convey sincerity. Pitchiner was a warrior, but he was unarmed, and the rabbit was much more agile and stronger than he was, not to mention obviously irrational.

"Sorry! You are sorry! Do you have any idea what you've done!" screamed Bunny as a yeti pulled him away from the man while another one went to get North. "You killed everyone! My family! And now..." Bunny turned around to look at Gretchen.

Pitchiner could not believe this was a pooka, and he wondered what had he done that was so terrible to provoke this reaction in a practically emotionless being. But even his wildest guess didn't come close to the truth.

"I am sorry I had caused you such pain. I never meant to. I'm a warrior of light, I was trying to rid the world of fear. Please tell me what I did and what I can do to help." said the man.

Bunny looked at Pitch and realized that this was not the Boogeyman. He was just another victim, condemned to be the very thing he hated the most for centuries. Nevertheless, he needed to get this out of his chest, he needed to hurt him somehow.

"The pookas. I am the very last one. You mercilessly killed them all. Women, children... every single one of them" he said, his voice still full of hatred as he smoldered Pitch.

Kozmotis closed his honey colored eyes. He couldn't face the pooka anymore. It couldn't be, he couldn't have done such a thing. An entire race of intelligent, good natured beings... gone. He felt the pain of the thousands of souls whose life he had stolen. He felt dirty, his hands stained with the blood of the innocent.

North, Sandy and Tooth ran into the room, staring at both the man and the pooka.

"Bunny? Are you Ok?" she asked, holding one of his hands in both of hers.

He didn't reply. He just kept staring at Pitch, breathing heavily, trying to decide what to do next.

"Kozmotis" said North. The man just realized he was standing by the door. "walk with me." added the Russian, gesturing outside the room with his hand.

Tooth held Bunny as tight as she could, and he lost himself in her embrace, fighting the tears welling his eyes. Sandy looked towards the door, but decided to stay put.

"How are you feeling?" asked North, guiding Pitch through a long hallway.

"Is that true? Did I really... the pookas..." Kozmotis sounded like a man in agony.

"That was not your fault. We saw the fearlings that possessed you. You have kill nobody" added the Russian, looking at him kindly as they walked along a very long corridor.

"Why... why are you doing this? Helping me? I'm a... monster!" asked Pitchiner.

"My son, he went through... something similar, except that it looks like he will have to live with his demons forever. He also did terrible things, including trying to kill me and his girlfriend, but we forgave him, healed him. That was not him. It was the other Jack. Kozmotis Pitchner didn't kill anyone, Pitch Black did. The fearlings did" replied the Guardian decisively.

"Could I... talk to him? Your son?" asked the man, he needed to talk to someone who had dealt with this guilt he was feeling. He wanted to talk to someone who could really understand.

"Not for a few days. He was gravely injured. We're keeping him sedated because he's in too much pain. He will recover faster like this." added North casually.

"Did I do that as well?" Kozmotis was trying to understand what he had done, but most of all, he was trying to understand why this man was showing him so much undeserved kindness.

"Only indirectly. But don't worry. I'm sure he of all people will understand. He'll be perfect fine very soon. Cookie?" offered the Guardian stealing a tray from a passing elf but Kozmotis refused. He couldn't stomach anything right now.

"This is your room" said North, stopping in front of one of many doors along the corridor. "We better keep you away from Bunny and Gretchen until she gets better."

"What if she doesn't?" asked Pitchiner.

"Then we'll have to keep you away from Bunny for quite some time. But she will get better. I feel it, no? In my belly" added the Russian patting his stomach.

"Can I have a weapon?" asked Kozmotis again. He was really nervous about the crazy pooka whose whole kind he had destroyed.

"That, would be pushing it..." smiled North.

"But, what if the pooka tries to kill me?" he retorted.

"Bunny wouldn't do such a thing. He just over reacted back there. We've had very rough last two days. Don't worry, we are Guardians, we are the good guys." North winked. "You're safe here. If you need anything, let an elf or a yeti know. I'm Nicholas St North, by the way" said the Russian, shaking his hand. "I'll come back to check on you soon. I need to see how the others are doing and then I'll asnwer all your questions."


North went back to the medical room where Bunny was once again sitting on his chair, holding Gretchen's hand. Tooth was standing behind him, her hands were squeezing his shoulders. Sandy was standing next to her.

"Are you OK?" asked Santa, entering the room.

"That's not Pitch, is it?" said the pooka.

"No. Pitch Black is dead. Jack killed him." replied North decisively.

"And we rescued an innocent in the process." added Bunny, although he looked like the words were burning his insides.

"Exactly." replied the Guardian of Wonder.