Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to Rise of the Guardians, Brave, Tangled, or How To Train Your Dragon
Claimer: I however do own any OC's in the story.
Alright everyone! This is the last chapter for Frozen Roses! This story has finally come to a close! I hope you all like it and loved it! Please Review for me! I'd like to hear what you think! Feel free to read any of my other stories!
The nightmare's and the dark waves of sand seemed to have retreated from the light that exploded from her. They knew what would happen if they got too close to that light; they'd be completely obliterated from existence. So instead they hid behind their master and disappeared back into the sand he held.
"You can't fight anymore Pitch," Crystal told him, walking towards him a few more steps, continuing to push the nightmare's back.
"We can still fight," Pitch grumbled, too stubborn to admit defeat yet.
"Does it look like they can fight?" Bunny asked, looking at his fallen crew that could no longer fight against the Guardians.
Baby tooth came out from nowhere, swirling around Pitch and making him see even a small fairy could take him right now.
"Baby tooth," Tooth scolded, making the small one fly over to her.
Sandy stood by Crystal's side, holding a sand whip in his hands to grab Pitch if he came towards them at all. Crystal put her hand on the top of his head, shaking her head slightly at him so he would but the weapon up.
"Why fight anymore?" Crystal asked, folding her wings in so they rest against her back.
"You wouldn't understand," Pitch glared, his defeat, making him slump over slightly.
"Try us," North pushed, wanting to help Pitch even though he tries to fight them constantly.
"Because he wants people to see him." Jack told them, remembering his hatred before about people ignoring him once the Guardians came into existence.
"We see ya," Merida said confused.
"We can see him perfectly," Hiccup agreed, petting Toothless as the dragon growled a bit at the villains.
Pitch stared at them with his eyes all but slits in his anger. "It doesn't matter if you see me or not!"
"Why should it matter?" Rapunzel asked, looking at the Guardians for an answer, instead she got an answer from Sera.
"When a spirit is created, they strive for belief. If no one believes or talks about a spirit such as Santa Clause, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman, Jack Frost, and," Sera began pointing out, looking at the guardians. "A Guardian Angel," She nodded to Crystal. "Or the Boogeyman such as my father, they will disappear and cease to be. They live due to belief, and when someone believes they see such spirit."
Crystal looked at Pitch sadly, remembering how rough it was for Jack to get people to believe in him and know he was there. Before it was mainly adults who talked about him, and that's what kept him there, even if they didn't see him. She breathed out, trying to think of how to reassure Pitch of his own fears.
"But doesn't that mean we believe in him?" Hiccup asked, eyebrows pulled together in thought.
The light bulb flashed in Crystal's mind as she looked at Pitch with a smile. "Exactly!" She looked over at Jack, seeing him nod at her in agreement to her thoughts.
"Pitch, they aren't spirits!" Crystal told him, pointing at the three teens who were watching Pitch warily. "They are living people who know you are real and believe in you!" She watched him for any change, her smile dropping as he looked at her like she was stupid.
"But they aren't scared of me." He told her with a sigh.
"Why do they have to be scared?" Jack asked him, making Pitch open his mouth before clamping it back down in his own thoughts. "As Seraphina said, they just have to believe and talk about us."
"There will always be some children who will watch their closets and the underneath of their beds for the boogeyman." North told him with a nod.
Sandy walked up to him, flashing a horse jogging around a kid's head like his nightmares did. With Sandy twisting his sand around another kid. Next he showed two hands shaking as if in agreement of a deal and a check mark appearing over them. He held out his hand to Pitch, the pictures explaining a deal he was trying to make for Pitch.
"You're saying I can still give some kids nightmares? You're willing to let me do that?" Pitch asked his smaller foe, seeing Sandy smile up at him with a nod.
"He's going to let you do it occasionally to help others believe, but you can't do it to the same child." Bunny explained to him a bit more.
Pitch looked around at all of them, most of them finding it fine if he agreed to their rules and limitations that they'll explain if he wants to try.
"you have to work with us if you want to allow people to believe in you. That means you need to work with the Guardians." Tooth told him strictly.
"We all want people to believe in us. No one can do it alone." Jack said, grabbing Crystal's hand again as she made her wings disappear.
Crystal smiled at him as he looked at her uncertainly. "You don't have many options left Pitch." She looked around again at the basically nonexistent crew he had. Gothel was now a pile of dust once again, Bor'du had changed into his spirit form, Dragoon was submissive to Toothless who was showing the Alpha dominance, and Max was still up on the cliff, clashing with himself on why Crystal didn't finish him off when she should have.
Pitch pursed his lips, finding himself at a loss with no people to back him up anymore. He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes going to his daughter who pleaded him with her eyes. He couldn't stand knowing he was the one who made her so sad all these years. He hated that his own daughter would rather be around Crystal than him, but now he understood why. It was hard not to get caught up in the light once you got a taste of it.
"Fine," He said with a sigh, his hand clashing into Sandy's own outstretch one. "It's a deal. I'll work with you Guardians from now on."
No one really knew what to do once Pitch's hand was in Sandy's. The air felt lighter than it had been for so long. It was a new feeling when Pitch was around.
"Father!" Sera shouted, running over to Pitch and jumping into his arms.
She wrapped her arms around him, tears of happiness dripping down her cheeks warmly. Pitch stood still at first with arms on either side of him, unsure of what to do. His arms went around his daughter, missing her hugs that she used to give him as a child.
Crystal clapped her hands, turning her back to the family reunion, suggesting the others do so also. "How about we eat something and rest, then I'll send you back to your homes?"
"Aye, my wee brothers are prob'ly wonderin where I am." Merida nodded, the thought of her rough and tumble home bringing a smile to her face.
"No kiddin. My dad will be furious that I wasn't there to help with the dragons." Hiccup said with a groan.
"But you have Astrid," Jack winked at the boy, seeing the blush on his face rise.
"And of course Flynn is probably driving your country crazy." Crystal laughed, looking at Rapunzel with a warm smile, knowing Flynn meant the world to her.
"I'm hungry!" North said with a smirk. "Let's go eat!"
"Something other than just cookies and milk." Bunny chuckled, giving North a stern look.
Everyone began to walk towards a hole that Bunny created in the ground. Crystal stopped, looking for Sera in the group. She turned around and saw Sera standing next to her father with her hand gripping his own desperately, too worried to let go.
"Jack," Crystal whispered, catching the boys hand as he tried to fly past. She jerked her eyes at the father and daughter, making him glance at them too before seeing the pleading in her eyes that were boring into him.
"After what just happened?" Jack asked, worry more in his eyes than distrust.
"I still have a few things to get done before I eat anyway." She told him. "Gothel and Bor'du are gone; Dragoon…" She looked at the dragon that seemed to have all but turned into a baby dragon once more with his personality. "I doubt he'll do anything now with Toothless there. Max," She sighed, her own feelings conflicting on herself. She hated him so much, but at the same time she didn't want to treat him like they did to her. "I should send him back. Maybe I can get time to erase this part of his memories."
Jack put his forehead against hers, sighing and letting his cool breath run over her face. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his, letting the need to kiss him take over. His arms wrapped around her waist, deepening the kiss and breathing her in with how close they were.
"What was that for?" He asked with a smile. "Not that I'm complaining."
"I felt like it's been too long since we've had any time to kiss or touch hardly." She said, leaning back and letting her mind clear the frost in her mind.
Jack sighed, seeing the smirk on her face and knowing that wasn't the only reason why she kissed him just then. "Fine, I'll bring him along."
"Thank you," She smiled at him, pecking his lips once more before stepping away. "Sera," She got the girl's attention. "Why don't you and Pitch join them?"
"What about you?" Sera asked, catching the 'them' part that Crystal tried to hide.
"I have some things to handle first before joining all of you." She said, looking up at Max who was still on the top of the cliff clashing with himself. "It's gojing to take more than just a few minutes."
Pitch dropped his head slightly, knowing it was his fault she had to deal with all of this. Crystal smiled at him and put a hand to his shoulder, letting her reassurance flow from her to him.
"It's alright. This will be the first step to working with us." She told him warmly. "Stay next to Sera, she'll show you the ropes around the place."
Crystal waved to them and gave Jack one final squeeze to his hand as she headed towards the cliff. She jumped and floated to the top, landing in front of Max who glanced up at her with a mix of anger and guilt in his eyes.
"Come on," Crystal whispered, holding her hand out to Max.
"Why?" He asked, hoping she could answer his confusion.
She sighed, still not sure herself why she was being so forgiving of him. She sat down next to him, folding her legs to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "Maybe it's because that's how mom and dad raised me." She shrugged. "Maybe that's just how I am personally. Or maybe it's because I know how bad it hurts for someone to be cruel to you, and how great it is for just one person to hold their hand out to you."
"An outstretched hand huh?" He huffed, finding that the easiest answer to go along with from all of it.
"If it weren't for Jack giving me an outstretched hand, I don't think I'd be the way I am now." Crystal told him with a smile, seeing Jack usher Pitch and Sera towards the others and the hole. "Even though you weren't the best of Guadians a kid could have, but you guys always came to check up on me, you gave me money to get food and what I need, and I got to do what I wanted. So it wasn't so bad."
Max let out an airy laugh next to her. "Only you would see good in anything we did to you. We were horrible to you, there's no good to it."
Crystal smiled again, standing up and holding her hand out to Max once again. "Well then, will you take my hand?"
"What's going to happen if I do?" He asked warily, thinking it was going to be some trick.
"I'm going to take you back to how your life was before all of this." She said, knowing he was going to forget his new attitude.
He reached out and grabbed her hand, allowing her to tug him along. She had him lead her to where her aunt and max lived currently. She looked through the window, seeing her Aunt laying on the couch asleep with the television on.
"She's waiting for you," Crystal said, giving him one last smile.
"Will you come visit?" He asked, getting the idea in his head that he could get his wife to change also. "If I tell her what has happened, I'm sure she'll want to start over too."
Crystal's smile dropped as the corner of her mouth was forced up sadly. She shook her head at him, waving her wrist around and contacting Father Time through it. He stepped through a door in the air; Max looked at her in confusion, wondering if it really was a trap.
"It's for the best if you don't remember any of this. About Pitch, the dark crew, the Guardian's…or me…" She said, feeling slightly lonely that she was leaving them once again.
Max opened his mouth, but Father Time had already raised his hand past his forehead, a fine mist surrounding his head before his eyes went into the back of his head and closed.
"His memories are erased now," Time told her with a nod. "You sure this is best?"
"Thanks," She said, stepping back from Max. "I have to put my own feelings aside on this one and do what is best for everyone else."
Time nodded, grabbing her wrist and pulling her through the doorway just as Max was coming back to his normal sense. He looked around confused, trying to remember how he got to his house. He shrugged easily and opened the door, glancing once more outside, but this time at the spot Crystal had been standing before.
"I hope Crystal's happy wherever she is." He whispered, furrowing his brows in confusion at the sudden warm feelings. He shook his head of the thought of Crystal and continued on in to the house.
Father Time had taken her through his dimension and dropped her off into Bunny's place, giving her a small smile and a wave as he shook his head for the invitation to join them. It was exciting at dinner as everyone was happy the battle was over finally, but it didn't take long for most of them to leave and the others to start falling asleep.
"So how'd it go?" Jack asked, grabbing her hand.
"It was hard letting go again." She said, watching as he laid down by the small lake with his arms behind his head. She walked over to him and laid herself down on top of him with a sigh. "Do you think what I did was right? Erasing his memory and all?"
"I do." He said, placing a hand on her lower back with his arm around her.
She put her cheek to his chest in exhaustion; her fingers beginning to trace the frost marks on his sweater as her thoughts jumbled together. Jack looked down at her, seeing her troubled face and how deep in thought she was. He turned his body, flipping them both to their sides as he made her look him in the face.
"Stop worrying. Whatever you do, I'll back you up 100%" Jack told her, cupping her face gently with his thumb rubbing over her skin.
She opened her mouth to say something, but it gave Jack the opportunity to lean the rest of the way and cut her off with a kiss. He wasted no time to bit the bottom of her lip and then slide his tongue inside. A small groan escaped her mouth as her stomach raged with a million butterflies. Her heart pounded against her rib cage as she tried to keep her head clear. But it was impossibly as he kept brushing his icy fingers along her bare arm, shoulder, and neck; his cool tongue and minty breathe making him taste all the better.
She peeked her eyes open at him, seeing his electric blue eyes staring at her intensely and pulled her closer to his body. Her mind was lost. It was as if he had stolen her completely and captured her in a cage that she didn't mind getting trapped in.
All too soon he pulled away from the kiss though, a sigh of discontent coming from her and her hungry mouth. He smirked down at her, seeing the glaze over her eyes and the bruised, plumped look on her lips now from the intense kiss.
"Now that this battle is over, we have all the time in the world to do what we want." He said with a smile. He ran his thumb over her lips, and feeling her lightly kiss the tip of his thumb as he did so. "We'll send our friends back to where their homes are, and we'll go back to our lives of fun…and pleasure."
A sigh of content came out this time while her arms wound around him to his back and she nuzzled into his chest, taking comfort in the slight chill that ran over her.
"You sure that ice hit didn't hurt you?" He asked, this time worried for his own reason of accidentally hitting her with his attack.
She smiled against his sweater, shaking her head slightly. "I'm fine. I'm warm and ready to take on any chill."
Jack smiled, letting out a small laugh and squeezed her to him. He kissed the crown of her head on her hair letting the soft tufts brush against his lips and cheek like feathers. He breathed in her flowery scent and seemed to be lulled towards sleep the more he did so. His eyes closed momentarily before he shot them back open in surprise.
"Crystal?" He whispered before hearing her hum against him and the vibrations went through his chest.
He sat his head up, realizing he had tilted back slightly and was laying on his arm as a pillow, along with Crystal's head as she curled into his body with her nose in his neck. She had long fallen asleep on him as her chest slowly bobbed up and down with her breathes, and her hair had slipped over her neck towards him from their tilted position. He yawned and put his mouth on her hair again, letting her scent lull him back since everyone seemed to be asleep already.
"Aw, they look like wee ones in their sleep." Merida whispered, making Crystal stir from the noise.
She blinked her eyes a few times, before sitting up on her arm and looking up, seeing Hiccup, Merida, and Rapunzel all staring down at the two of them with wide smiles.
"Sleep good?" Rapunzel giggled, pushing her hair back as it tried to slide over her shoulder.
"Seems they slept like rocks." Hiccup chuckled with her.
Crystal sat there for a moment, trying to clear the sleep fog in her mind before she realized they had been watching her and Jack sleep with one another. It was a late reaction with her face turning red, but it seemed to please the other three just as much.
"Jack," She whispered quickly, pushing on his shoulder while she sat up completely.
He groaned as he curled slightly, clenching his hand trying to find her head there again. His brows furrowed when he didn't feel her there and curled further until his head was on her lap. A smile broke his face as he wrapped his arm around her waist, happy to have found her quickly. Crystal's face flushed even more as the others laughed at the show of affection.
"Jack!" she whined, pinching his cheek this time and making him groan at the pain.
"that hurt," He mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his bed head hair with his hand. He woke up quickly and saw the others staring down at him. "Hey! How did you sleep?"
Crystal all but fell over at his lack of embarrassment for the situation. Her head ran into his shoulder, causing him to look back down at her and see her red ears that she forgot to hide.
"What's going on?" He asked, patting her head and running his finger through her hair. "You have tangles in your hair." He whispered to her quietly, gently trying to get the knots out of the golden silk.
"She is a wee embarrassed we saw you two being all lovey dovey in your sleep." Merida said with a laugh, making Crystal curl up more into Jack, hearing the echoing chuckle vibrate through his chest.
"I thought it was cute how close you two are." Rapunzel said, trying to reassure Crystal.
Jack smirked at Hiccup and vice versa, like a communication between the two was going on. Crystal groaned as she peeked up at the two boys who were talking with one another secretly.
"Stop it," She whined, feeling like her head was going to explode from the embarrassment.
He grabbed her hair and tucked it behind her ear as he smiled. "It's nothing to be embarrassed over."
"Bu…!" She was cut off on her argument as he leaned forward and kissed her lips.
Her mind shut off as he entranced her with his cool touch, making her mind go far from the embarrassment she had felt seconds ago. He pulled back with a smirk on his face, seeing the glazed over look in her eyes.
"Alright you two love birds," Hiccup said, snapping Crystal out of the daze to look at them once again.
She shook her head and stood up, trying to keep the pink from her cheeks that was trying to rise. "Ok, I bet you all want to go home." She said, diverting their attention from her and Jack's kiss.
"Aye," Merida agree, smiling excitedly.
Crystal breathed in deep, this time completely pushing the embarrassment from her mind so she could concentrate completely on what she was going to need to do. She turned towards the lake, letting the breeze blow slightly around her and reached her foot out. He foot touched the top of the lake, the ripples on the water spreading out from where her foot touched.
She breathed again, walking along the water as she spread her hands out slightly, making the some of the water follow after her towards the middle of the lake. The small tentacles of water brushed past her ankles and gathered into a ball in front of her that was moving and wiggling. Her hands came up and pressed on the ball, spreading it out into a tall oval shape, looking like a mirror with its reflective properties. Once more she put a hand right in the middle, her necklace glowing and spreading through her hand and into the mirrored water. A landscape of a forest was before her as the light disappeared.
"Merida," She said, turning and looking at the redhead.
"Is okay to walk on this?" She asked, looking down at the water.
Crystal smiled and looked at Jack for help. "Jack," All she said.
Jack nodded and stepped in front of her, making a path of ice towards Crystal and the mirror. Merida seemed to be wary of the path, but began walking along it any way as Crystal and Jack waved her over.
"Home," She sighed, reaching her hand out. She stopped moments before touching the mirror. She turned around quickly and launched herself at Crystal, wrapping her arms around the ice spirit and the light spirit. "Make sure you come visit you 'er?"
"We will," She smiled, hugging the redhead back tightly. "Now go home, I'm sure your brothers are causing all kinds of trouble without you there."
They watched as she stepped through quickly, waving back at them before running off out of sight. Crystal worked quickly on the next one with a tall castle in the background with a town in front of it. Rapunzel ran up to them for a hug, near tears as she walked backwards towards the mirror. Finally it was Hiccups turn as they showed Berk with Dragons flying around. Toothless jumped around excitedly, leaping towards the two spirits and nearly knocking them over.
"Toothless!" Hiccup complained as the dragon licked the both of them and leapt through the mirror. "Seems Berk is going nuts without the dragon tamer." He said, shrugging his shoulders around as he stalled time.
Dragoon leapt through the mirror after Toothless, finding he should go back to his home of the dragons. Crystal watched Hiccup look at his home longingly, but at the same time he liked it here where he had other friends that seemed to understand him well.
Crystal walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Go home. We'll come visit and you can show us all around Berk."
Hiccup nodded as he hugged her back lightly, and slapping Jacks hands in a man's farewell. "Make sure you keep that promise or I'll have to get Toothless to come after you!"
Crystal and Jack waved at the Viking, seeing him jog toward his home and the growing crowd of his people that were excited he was back. She dropped the mirror, letting the water fall back into the lake.
"Bunny doing work?" She asked, seeing the giant rabbit gone.
"Yep, meaning," Jacks said with a smirk. He picked her up and spun her around. "We should go ice skating at our pond."
Crystal smiled down at him happily. "I think I like this new way of living once more."