Sorry for this being updated later than usual. Lectures have started at uni, and Mondays are very long days. So this will be the average time for an update on a Monday from now on.
Now, thank you to LunaArchery and eldergrayskull for favouriting!
On with the show!
"Guys, thank goodness you're okay!"
"Jackie!" Cried the other Descendants of Jack Frost and began bombarding me with questions.
"Where were you?"
"What happened to you?"
"Where'd Mr. Bunnymund come from?"
"What happened?" was the general question.
"Basically I was helped by a Descendant of Pitch who had decided to turn traitor and since there was no one else we headed to the North Pole to find the Guardians."
It was a simple explanation, but the implications swept over the listening audience, which wasn't just Descendants of Jack Frost, and they all gasped in shock.
"So you met them?"
"Yes."
"And you actually got them to help?"
"Well you're here aren't you? If you're desperate to ask them, there's two over there."
I didn't know the people I was replying to, and it was getting a little annoying that they wouldn't leave me alone, to the point of becoming jumpy. I had grown up avoiding company and I didn't know how to deal with all of them, now I just wanted my own space.
"Erm, can you excuse me please?" I asked, but before I got a response I walked off, away from the crowd so I could calm down a bit.
I sat on a rock far away from the crowd and sighed, my fingers pinching the bridge of my nose beneath my glasses. I needed to keep it together, but that crowd, I just couldn't deal with it.
"You okay?"
I looked to see Jack walking over to me with a concerned look on his face.
"Yeah, just needed to get away from the crowd. They all want to ask me the same questions and there's just so many of them. I needed to get away from them before I freaked out. They're acting like I'm some kind of hero."
"Well, you kinda are." I looked over at Jack, confused.
"Well, you're the one who got us all together, who convinced us that we needed to get involved, and Bunny's Descendants, you helped save them. Of course they're going to act like that."
"I couldn't have done it without Penelope."
"Yeah, but keeping up the barrier, convincing us to get involved, freeing Bunny's Descendants, that was you."
"Hmmm." I looked around for a bit, "Speaking of Bunnymund, where is he?"
"He's opening up access to the Warren to the other Guardians, he'll be back soon, then we just wait for the others."
We sat there for while in silence. I needed some time alone, but at the same time I was glad that Jack was still here.
After a while of sitting there was a humming noise and I whipped my head back and forth, looking for the source.
"Baby Tooth? What's wrong?"
I looked back over at Jack, who was talking to one of Toothiana's fairies, who was chattering away. He seemed to understand, and looked at me worriedly.
"Toothiana's having some problems, some of Sandy's descendants have been contaminated; and Bunnymund can't get a proper entrance up."
I sat there for a second, then got to my feet, and idea forming in my head, would I be able to pull it off though?
The idea evolving in my mind I jumped from my rock and ran back to the crowd, standing just above them. They were chattered quite loudly, so I fired a burst of ice into the air to get their attention.
The chattering died down instantly and the all turned to look at me. I felt my knees begin to shake, but I needed to remain calm.
"Toothiana and Bunnymund are having problems getting the Descendants of Sandman to safety. Several have been contaminated and Bunnymund can't get a proper entrance open."
"How do you know?" called someone from the crowd and my heart sank, were some of them suspicious of me?
"A messenger from Toothiana managed to get through the entrance. I need volunteers to go and help Toothiana and get the entrance open."
Silence for a moment, then movement as someone pushed their way to the front.
"I will." Called Billy.
From the group of Jack Frost Descendants Stephen stepped forward. "I will."
Finally another Descendant of Bunnymund stepped up. "And me."
He was taller than Billy and solidly built, with thick black hair that hung over his blue eyes.
Not seeing any more movement I called out, "Anyone else?"
No answer.
"Okay, we leave now."
The three of them got to my position, which was impressive for Stephen, being blind.
"Jack, reckon you can make sure a riot doesn't break out?" I asked. I never thought for a second that I was somehow in charge, but I needed someone who would stand up for me if the naysayers got too loud.
He nodded and we walked over to the wall, where the unnamed Descendant of Bunnymund slammed his hand against the wall.
"Where are we going?"
"North America, possibly New York or New Jersey."
"That's not the most helpful you know." He said, eyebrows raised.
"That's all I've got I'm afraid, just try."
He sighed, nodded to himself and the wall seemed to collapse under his hand, forming a tunnel. He and Billy bounded forward, Stephen rose into the air and flew forward while I formed ice to skate on.
I quickly caught up with them, even though I was travelling the slowest, and finally asked Stephen something that had been bothering me.
"Stephen, are you blind?"
"Yes." He answered neutrally, he must get that question a lot.
"Then how come you seem to get around just fine without your eyes?"
"You know that I have power over wind, I have refined that power so I can identify disturbances in the air, and almost see with the air."
"That's impressive."
"I suppose, but I expect you could do the same thing with your ice."
"I have every now and again, when I needed to navigate when I either didn't know where I was going or if I couldn't see."
"How long did it take you to master it?"
"Not long, I practice often."
"It took me years to perfect it and I was practicing almost constantly. I guess it goes to show what the others have been saying, you're pretty damn powerful."
"Well, I imagine that your way is more difficult anyway, you have to pay attention to all around you, I just go in a straight line until I hit something."
"Still that should take a while to master."
I blushed in the dark Tunnel; I didn't like the idea of being more powerful than normal. I doubted that I'd like the attention that came with it.
Ahead of us we could hear someone grunting in frustration.
"Come on earth, what's the matter with you?"
We quickly came alongside Bunnymund, who had tunnelled upwards, but it seemed to be blocked.
When we got next to him he turned and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw us.
"Hey kid, didn't think I'd so glad to see you."
"I've brought help." I said, and I could hear Bunnymund chuckle.
"You'll never hear me say this again, but right now, I could really use it."
As the unnamed Bunnymund Descendant walked past me I said to him.
"I never got your name."
"It's Phil." I could hear the grin in his voice, since it was too dark to see properly.
He walked up to Bunnymund and pressed his hand against the ceiling at the same time as Bunnymund put his paw there. They both pushed against the earth as the rest of us got ready.
Finally the earth gave way, almost melting as a hole appeared in the ceiling. Bunnymund poked his head up and jumped out and we all followed in suit.
An author's note at the end of a chapter? I never do that!
I just wanted to say this, the idea of Stephen being blind came from Toph from Avatar the Last Airbender. I thought a blind airbender would work in the same way Toph's earthbending does, sensing changes and vibrations through the air to 'see'.
So, yeah, that's why Stephen is blind.
Shapeshifter out.