Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Winter Child!" =D This chapter's also a short one, but it's still pretty important. XD Other than that, I don't have anything else to say other than I hope you all enjoy this chapter! ^u^


~ XXXVI ~

Insidious Shadows, Part Three

A risky plan it was

But what choice did they have

For evil shadows were lurking in the dark

And needed to be removed

Before they could leave their mark

...

As he expected, the Guardians and Ombric were wary of his plan.

Rephrase: The Guardians and Ombric were shocked by North's plan.

Now, the ex-Cossack expected this, but he thought that they wouldn't be this hesitant. But when he thought over his idea again, he could see why they were so doubtful of it. And, in all honesty, North was somewhat doubtful of his scheme as well.

Tooth, Aster, Sandy, and Ombric were silent for some time, processing what North had just told them. The ex-Cossack stood in front of them. The creatures who resided in the library crawled around, continuing their everyday work. Some stopped to listen, and others listened and worked at the same time. Mr. Qwerty was one of these creatures. Jack was with Katherine and the other village children; the parents of Santoff Claussen wanted them to get some air, so they sent them to the forest to join the woodland animals in a racing competition. Something that the children just couldn't say no to.

The silence dragged on. North shifted on his feet. He cleared his throat and asked, "Well…? What do you think?"

"I think that this is an unsound idea," said Aster. He crossed his arms. "Ya want us ta leave the children in Big Root to attract the Fearlings and Nightmares, and attack them once they crawl out?"

"That is what I said," said North.

"What if there's some in Big Root?" asked Aster.

"I will be here to protect them," Ombric said. He ran his fingers over his staff. "Although, I still think it's a bit dangerous."

"Nothing will happen," said North firmly. "We'll be near Big Root the whole time. I don't want children getting hurt either, but this may be the fastest way to get these things out."

A golden question mark coiled over Sandy's head. "But what if it doesn't work?"

"It has to," said Tooth. She rubbed her arm. "Because if it doesn't, we won't have time to think up anything else. We have to get Pitch's Nightmares and Fearlings out of here before they cause any serious damage."

Aster sighed. "I guess you're right." He turned to North. "And where will we be positioned?"

"Outside Big Root. Hidden of course," said North. "The Fearlings and Nightmares are attracted to fear, and they're in large numbers. They'll attempt to go after the children, and won't care if we're armed."

"It sounds doable," remarked Aster. He looked at North. "But we have to be sure that none of the kids get hurt during this."

"We can't promise that completely," said Tooth. Her wings fluttered with determination. "But we can try our hardest to make that be so."

Ombric and Sandy nodded. North patted Tooth's shoulder. He turned to Aster, who still looked doubtful.

"Well? What do you say, Bunny? We can't do this without you," he said.

Aster was silent for a few moments. Then, he finally sighed.

"It's worth a try," he replied. The Guardians smiled. "Now all we got ta do is tell the others. And it's going ta be a lot ta convince them than us."

It was a lot more difficult to convince the adults of Santoff Claussen. They objected to the idea at first, saying that there had to be a better way, a better solution. No one wanted to put their children in danger.

"How do we know they'll be alright?!" one mother shouted.

"We can't leave them at the mercy of those monsters!" another yelled.

"Everything will be alright!" Tooth cried over the crowd. Upon hearing her raise her voice, everyone silenced. "We know you're scared, but so are the children. And the more few we emit, the more Fearlings and Nightmares will come to our village! We need to get the ones that are already here out as soon as possible, and this may be the fastest way to lure them out! We can't let them stay here any longer than they already have. It's riskier having them stay here longer than forcing them out all at once."

"Tooth is right," agreed North. "We need to do something, and we need to do something now. Ombric will watch over the children while they stay in Big Root. No Fearling or Nightmare will harm them." North looked at each of the Guardians. "You have all of our word."

The village was quiet for some time. Then, Petter and Sascha stepped up.

"Well if the Guardians are going to be there, then I have no problem with being Fearling bait for a little while," said Petter.

"Same here!" Sascha chirped. "It's about time those devils got out of here anyway."

"I'm sick of nightmares!" Fog stated. He threw his fist into the air."Out with them, I say!"

"Out, out, out!" the children chanted, Jack and Katherine amongst them. The adults stared at them, awed. The Guardians couldn't help but smile.

"They're a brave bunch, eh?" remarked Aster.

"That they are, Bunnymund," Ombric said proudly.

With the children volunteering to attract the hidden Fearlings and Nightmares, the adults could no longer say no. And those who attempted knew that their children would find a way to Big Root anyway. The Guardians reassured them that no one would get hurt. Some parents, however, were still wary, and so the Guardians found a way that they could still be near their children, which became a special of the plan that North had concocted).

The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing for that night. The Guardians pulled out their weapons, and defense mechanisms and traps were erected and activated. The children put on their pajamas before going to Big Root. They treated this gathering as if it were one giant sleepover instead of a baiting. They needed to be brave for the Guardians and their parents. And for themselves too, for if they panicked, they'd attract more Fearlings and Nightmares, which none of them wanted.

The day was long and full of preparations, so the children were tired as their parents dropped them off. Though sleepy, they greeted each other as if they were headed to classes. Jack had brought his Wawa and was happy to see his bestest friend Katherine among the group. The evening sky began to grow darker, and fireflies blinked in the twilight. Light spilled out of the open door of Big Root, warm and inviting, but before Jack headed inside, he turned around. North stood behind him.

"Are you going to be okay?" the young snow sprite asked worriedly.

North smiled softly. "I will be alright, moy mal'chik, don't worry."

Jack looked down at his feet and sniffed. "I…I'm scared that I'll lose you…"

North kneeled in front of Jack and lifted his chin. "Tooth, Sandy, Bunny, and I will be just fine, Jack. Nothing will happen to us, because we don't want to lose you either."

The ex-Cossack pulled Jack into a hug, which the winter child lovingly returned. He pulled away from North and headed inside Big Root, giving one last look at North before joining the rest of the children. North heard giggles and laughter come from within. Ombric glided into the doorway.

"I will guard them with my life," said Ombric. North chuckled, and he patted the wizard's shoulder.

"You've always had a thing for dramatics, old friend," he said. Ombric smiled, and he walked back inside Big Root. He closed to door, taking in all the light and warmth with him. The Guardians stood outside; the night was quiet.

Everything was still. Too still.

North joined Aster, Sandy, and Tooth up in the front. The Tooth Fairy gripped her swords, her feathers twitching warily.

"The children are safe," she whispered. "Now what?"

North peered into the shadows. They shifted under his gaze.

"We wait," he answered.


Author's Note: Dun, dun, dunnnnnnn!

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you al lin the next one! =D

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203