Chapter 19
The Giant Dream-Eater let out a roar and slowly disintegrated, releasing piles of golden dream sand.
"So that's why it's gold huh…?" Chayim sheathed his twin blades and looked up to the roof, "Jack, tell North that we must destroy the Giants; they're stealing the children's dream."
"On it!" Jack immediately flew away.
Chayim looked around and saw many Dream-Eaters standing on every house, peering into the bedrooms of sleeping children.
Now where is he, he thought quizzically.
"How do you like that!" Bunny threw both of his boomerangs at the nape of the neck of a Giant. He then caught his boomerangs and hopped towards a roof of a house and threw them again.
Anya ran on the street while Tooth was flying above her, "Is it following us?" Tooth asked as Anya looked over her shoulder and saw a Dream-Eater running towards them.
"Yeah…"
"You ready for this? Cause this will be a one way ride!" Tooth asked excitedly as they turned left on a corner.
"Yeah!"
"Let's go!" Tooth shouted and both of the girls turned and faced the Dream-Eater. The cement on the road suddenly cracked and opened as Anya, with all of her might, summoned a large, hard vine.
The Dream-Eater, who made a turn, hit and tripped on the vine and began to fall. Tooth flew towards the Giant and with immense power, she hit the front part and passed through the back of the neck of the Giant.
"Woo-hoo!" Tooth shouted in excitement and landed beside Anya, who smiled.
Jack flew high above a Giant and pointed his staff at it. His staff produced a bright, blue lightning filled with ice and hit the neck of the Giant.
"That's one. Now where on earth is Pitch?" Jack looked to the streets, some alleys, parks, and found no sign of his nemesis.
"Give me a boost Chayim!" North shouted. Chayim held North's right hand and pressed the trigger on the hilt of his blades. They both swung towards a Giant.
"You're heavier than I thought!"
"Thanks!" North said as Chayim let his hand go.
North fell and slashed the neck of the Giant with his swords. He then landed on the roof of a house and looked at Chayim, who jumped from the roof of a house and thrust himself behind a Giant. The Giant then disintegrated into dream sand.
"That kid sure has moves…" North appraisingly said with a chuckle.
"Yes…despite having an ugly form in the inside." North, suddenly alert, swung both of his swords to Pitch, who suddenly appeared behind him.
"Pitch. I knew you were here." He growled.
"Of course North, how can I control my new Fearlings if I'm not here?" Pitch chuckled sinisterly as his black sands began to form behind him.
"Then it's time for those giants to be eliminated!" North lunged himself forward and swung his right sword, which the black specter blocked using his own weapon – a scythe – made from black sand.
"Oh, this is getting fun!" Pitch, with quick reflex, avoided the sword of the old Guardian. He was walking backwards, avoiding every attack from the Guardian.
"I've had enough with your antics, Pitch," North jumped and swung his swords at the black specter, "Why don't you stay in your liar?!"
Pitch blocked it with his scythe and shoved the other back.
"You can't stop fear, North!" Pitch, after he saw an opening, kicked the old Guardian in the belly and swung his scythe at him, "It's elementary."
North, just in the knick of time, placed his swords on his right shoulder and blocked the tip of the scythe. North pushed the scythe away and lunged himself forward, attempting to pierce Pitch in the chest. Pitch, however, moved to the left, avoiding the blades, and jumped back.
The two were breathing hard after their intense battle.
"You'll never win…"
"Why North? Is it because I'm the bad guy?" Pitch asked, mocking the old Guardian.
"No…" North raised both of his blades and pointed them at the black specter, "It's because you never learn how to learn from past mistakes, nor how to move on." North then grunted and ran towards the black specter.
Pitch laughed and swung his scythe at the old Guardian. "Move on? No! I will never move on! I will defeat you!" Pitch pushed his scythe harder against the Guardian
"So be it!" North lunged himself forward again and pushed Pitch back. Both men fell and hit the roof of a house where they were standing.
Pitch grunted and tried to stand up but the weight of the Guardian prevented him from doing so.
"This is over for you Pitch!" North pointed the tip of his right sword at the neck of the Boogeyman, breathing hard.
"Over…? Oh no North, this is your end." Then a loud bang echoed through the night sky.
Chayim thrust past, spun, and slashed the neck of a Giant. He landed on the roof of a house with a grin.
"That's 22-" suddenly he heard a loud bang that echoed throughout the neighborhood. He darted his eyes around, looking for the source of the sound.
That sound…a gunshot? He then stopped and looked at a roof of a house and saw North, rolling towards the edge. Something bad had happened.
"North!" Chayim rushed towards the falling Guardian. He jumped across the roof and caught him before he hit the ground.
"North! North! Are you okay?"
North, breathing hard, coughed and slowly said, "He…got me." He grunted in pain and covered a part of his stomach which was stained – by blood.
"North!" Jack landed behind Chayim and gasped when he saw the bloodied hand of the old Guardian.
"You're going to be alright!" Chayim attempted to carry the old man but North slowly raised his left hand and held Chayim's left shoulder, stopping him.
"It's…alright-" he coughed again.
"No! It's not! North let us help you!" Jack attempted to help but North made a gesture not to, and continued.
"Pitch…must-" Chayim felt a liquid warmth hit his face. He wiped it off and noticed that the wet spot was blood.
He was about to carry him when the two Guardians heard a sinister laugh. Chayim and Jack looked behind them and saw Pitch, emerging from a large shadow, standing on the snow-covered ground.
"My, my, my…look how the mighty have fallen." Pitch said, mocking the injured Guardian.
"You son of a bitch!" Chayim unsheathed his two segmented blades and lunged towards the black specter. Pitch smiled as the boy jumped high, spun violently, and swung his two blades.
"I'll kill you!" Chayim shouted violently. However, just as his blades were about to slice the Boogeymen's head off, he was thrown away after he hit something hard that even his blades couldn't break.
Chayim landed hard on the snow-covered ground before the black specter laughed.
"Is that the best you can do?" he snickered and continued, "Ah…you're truly a boring Guardian without your hideious other form!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Chayim, clouded by anger, shouted and cursed. He quickly ran towards the black spirit, his two blades readied to slice again.
Chayim swung, but just like before, something blocked it.
Pitch took a step backward after the boy's blades hit his 'invisible' shield. He smiled triumphantly while watching the futile actions of the boy.
Chayim grunted in anger as he repeatedly slashed and hit the invisible barrier around the Boogeyman. He moved forward, then jumped again to gain distance, then lunged himself forward repeatedly.
"Just give it up! Chayim! Your name sounds dreadful-!"
"SHUT UP!" Chayim answered after he swung his two blades again.
Pitch smiled in a mocking away as Chayim continued his fruitless attack.
"Go on then! Continue your stupid assault you dimwitted Titan!" Chayim shouted in anger and hit the Boogeyman's shield and just as he did, a loud crack echoed through the night.
"Chayim!" Jack ran to Chayim, who fell to the ground after a bright spark of grey and black exploded.
"Ughh…." Chayim tried to stand up but he was shocked after he saw his segmented blades, their tips broken, cracked, and detached from the middle.
"No…not now…" Chayim said as the Boogeyman laughed.
"Oh, how the mighty Titan has fallen." Chayim gritted his teeth in anger. Jack looked at the Boogeyman sharply.
"This is going too far Pitch!" Jack pointed his staff, which produced a powerful blast of snow and lightning.
But Pitch's strange shield stopped the lightning and left him unharmed and without a scratch.
"Heh…you're still weak Jack." Pitch said while he fished something in his pocket. Jack's eyes widened in fear after Pitch took out a small vial.
He's summoning a Giant? No…Chayim was still in shock! Jack readied his staff but Pitch threw the vial to the ground.
The vial, after it made contact with the ground, cracked and exploded and released a green flame. The Boogeyman laughed as the green flame enveloped him and disappeared together with the flame.
"Damn! He escaped!" Chayim cursed and stood up from the ground.
"Jack, Chayim!" the two boys turned around and saw Anya together with the Guardians, running towards them.
"Are you two all right? Are you both hurt?" Tooth asked as she buzzed towards Chayim.
"Wait! North is injured!" Chayim, quickly ran to North, who was gasping for breath on the already blood covered ground.
"Oh by the moon…North." Tooth gasped after she saw North's injury.
"We must get him to the Lorax, or to his Yetis! They'll know what to do!" Bunny, panicking, slowly lifted the other Guardian, who grunted in pain.
Sandman, who silently gasped, assisted the rabbit in carrying North. They slowly walked towards the sleigh.
Anya watched, worriedly, as the group retreated with the injured Guardian, "Let's go, Chayim, Jack…" Anya turned around and looked at Chayim, whose eyes were about to release tears.
"Chayim?"
"Yeah…" Chayim began to walk. Anya then looked over at Jack, whose face was formed in a sad expression. The girl was heartbroken for the winter sprite. He was usually so happy, she couldn't imagine what Jack's face looked like if he was sad. And now she saw it, and she didn't like it.
"It's all right Jack…" she said after she held Jack's right hand. Jack slowly and painfully looked at her and forced a smile.
"Yeah…I hope so…" he said quietly as the two walked silently towards the sleigh.
Special thanks to Sumi-Sprite :) Oh, Pitch has a new power and its stronger than the guardians what could it be? Till to the next chapter :)