It has been two months and I FINALLY completed the latest chapter after the Shedding the Light mini-arc. I've been dealing with a lot of stuff away from the keyboard, mainly dealing with new volunteer workplaces, sending in possible job applications, and taking care of my dog. But this is worth the time and effort, after writer's blockage, rewriting and making sure that everything flows well. I thought I might let you guys know that I have taken up a RotG fanfic challenge on AO3, I wish I can dive into more details...BUUUUUUUUUUUUT I think it would be better to leave it as a surprise! ^^
So, on to the guest review replies.
To GuestSun's Eye: I don't mean to have the title "loyal lurking follower" sound rude and/or mean, if so, I humbly apologize. But to be fair, since you have taken on the anonymous route, I have no idea who or what you are without the knowledge of gender or nationality. I know you have your own reason of not having an account, but it would be much easier for you to keep updated. Regardless I must say that I do appreciate your support and enthusiasm for my respective stories, as long and detailed(ish) as they are. And I do appreciate the help and suggestions, but I think I have a handle on this. And as for your questions concerning about the next chapter, you have to wait and find out for yourself. Best of luck!
To Guest (aka Flicker/Jack Shipper): It is up to you whether or not you should continue this story.
With that said:
Previously on Flicker, we made a few discoveries about Flicker from his "birth" and his discovery of his powers to his interactions with forgotten gods, anthromorphic personifications as well as his eventual meeting with certain figures such as the Boogeyman and Jack Frost. We get back to the main story where Flicker made a vow to take Jack by any means necessary. Now back to the said main story…
Flicker Chapter 19: Stealth and Research
"…What?"
It was the first thing on his mind that Jack had spoken out loud.
All he could do was to stare at the veteran Guardians blankly all the while Pitch watched the scene play out before him with his hands clasped behind his back. All the while the said Guardians seemed to be stiff at this, Tooth seemed to be fidgety while hovering midair as she glanced around back and forth.
"North said that…" she began before Jack cuts her off.
"I-I get what he said…I just don't believe it."
It was true, and yet oxymoronic at the same time, considering the fact that he was amongst those that rely on Belief of children until they reach either preadolescence to late teens. Or is the proper word ironic? Either way, he was still processing what had occurred no more than 10-20 minutes ago.
Let's do a short recap…
"Well, the thing is that…"
North was nervous about this. The fact that they had already come across the solution to Bunny's ailment and yet they had to prolong the inevitable by finding an alternative was too much to bear. Not to mention that Jack had high hopes for an answer at the moment. And it all falls down to him.
Ah the burdens of being the leader…
But he had taken the oath a long time ago, and he had to live up to them.
After all, he still needed to make up all those past centuries that he had-and hadn't- done.
He took a deep breath and exhaled out slowly; steeling his nerves despite the fact that he still had that unpleasant feeling in his belly. He had to tell him this. They had to tell him this. As much as he hated to admit it, Pitch had a point about this. If Jack were a normal human, he would be one more year away from being a legal adult.
Damn that blasted Nightmare King and his sound logic.
"We…actually found a cure for Bunny."
Ok, that was a good start. Start out with the obvious.
Jack simply nodded as he leaned against his staff in a relaxed manner. Although there was something tense about his posture, intently staring at him.
"Go on." He urged on, keeping his tone calm and even.
North made an audible gulp at the two words that he had dreaded to hear. This is going to be harder than he thought, especially the way that his bare foot was silently tapping.
"We come across this book…" North continued on, choosing his words carefully while stealing a glance at his two colleagues and silently asked them for some assistance. However, they're keeping a good distance between them, leaving him to handle this alone. He couldn't help but feel betrayed at this, they were supposed to be a team. He then turned to Pitch who just stared back at him impassively.
Well, he was truly on his own on this one. Manny help him…
Jack blinked when North spoke those words and only gave him a brief nod, silently telling him to proceed where this is heading. He didn't need to look to see if Bunny was now prone and relaxed, due to the sudden silence.
At least he wasn't trying to escape from his bounds.
"…And we have come across the information concerning about the flowers." Oh there was that bad feeling in his belly again. It somehow had gotten worse than before. "We figured out the meanings behind them." Then he paused. "Mostly the second flower."
Alright, now they're getting to the hard part.
Jack blinked at this as he straightened up; his grip on his staff was tightening a bit in anticipation.
"What is it? What should I do? Is there anything I can do?!"Jack shot off each question with lightning speed, staring at North as if he had all the answers in the world. He couldn't blame him for that. Ignoring the ever growing bad feeling in his belly –please just be this ulcer that he was hearing about- North continued on with what he had to say.
"Don't be too hasty, Malchik. You need to know this first. We found out more about the flowers that Flicker have and…well, apparently they held three gifts of the sun. Fire, Passion, and Rage." He listed off each aspect on his fingers. "You might have been given the first flower."
"The Fire one," Jack nodded, remembering his experience. "That really hurt a lot, even when thinking about it." Then he looked up to North. "And Bunny took the second one for me…the Passion right?"
North nodded in response, all the while being momentarily proud on how bright he was. But yet at the same time dreading if he had to reveal more to their youngest protégé. "Da…" That bad feeling was getting rather uncomfortable right now. "There is also passage that we found in the book."
"And the passage would be?"
"Well, the first flower awakens the body in flames…" Jack grimaced at the memory. That flower almost killed him the first time. And from what he remembered, it might have taken a long ice bath to get the heat down. "And as for the second flower, it takes the host's internal feelings into "acts of lust"." That much Jack knew already-along with knowing Bunny's true feelings to him- considering the past events which brought a chill to his cheeks. He hoped that it wasn't evident while trying to keep his composure.
"Ok, that much I get it," He spoke up, almost sounded impatient. "Is there a way to wear off the effects?"
"I'm getting to that, Jack," North reassured him before inhaling through his nostrils and exhaling out slowly. "As I said...the second flower transforms Bunny's feelings for you into lust, which can only be quenched when those desires are…met."
Jack stared up at him in complete and utter silence. His face was neutral and void of any form of emotion, making North rather nervous as he glanced around a bit. After a rather long moment, the winter spirit finally spoke up.
"…What?"
Now back to present time!
If Jack were a normal human, his face would be as red as a tomato. Instead, his face was close to a shade of plum. Even if his knowledge of…the birds and the bees…are rather limited but he can read between the lines. However, his first two (and a half if you count Flicker's…) times of being touched and also getting his first kiss, his knowledge was expanding a bit. Learning this new piece of information added to that.
"This…this is a lot to take in." He finally spoke up.
And that was just the understatement, what the book was trying to tell them that the one way to cure Bunny's situation was to…go all the way. Everyone-sans Pitch- stared at him with sympathy, understanding what he was going through. Along with transitioning into adolescence, each child had to get the Talk (also known as the Birds and the Bees) from their parents at some point in their lives. It was an awkward situation, but that was another part of the task as Guardian. Childhood wasn't meant to last forever.
Tooth was the first one to actually fly up to Jack and gave Jack a much needed hug, pulling his head to her feathered chest.
"Shh, shhh, it's ok," she soothed him. "We're currently looking for an alternative as we speak."
"No, there wasn't." Pitch spoke up, still blunt as ever.
Tooth whipped her head to his direction. "Pitch!"
Both Sandy and North turned and shot a glare at the Boogeyman as well. Honestly, can he pick the worst time?
Pitch simply stared at each of them and shrugged. "What? It's the truth."
The fairy queen let out a scoff before stroking Jack's hair. "Don't listen to him, Jack," she spoke in a motherly tone. "We will find another way." Then she turned to North and Sandy. "Won't we, guys?"
North gave her a smile. "Da, of course!"
Sandy simply gave her two thumbs up, showing that he was on board with them.
As much as Jack wanted to believe them, there was an uncomfortable twisting feeling deep inside his stomach as doubt slowly but surely pushed its way through. Pitch somehow made that feeling worse when he let out a scoff and rolled his eyes.
"Oh, for the love of MiM, enough with this sugarcoating!" He stepped forward into the very center of them, looking at each and every one of the Guardians –sans Bunny- in the eye. "You all had to accept the fact that there is no other way. And not only that, you must accept that Jack is old enough to know of this." Then he glared at Tooth. "And DON'T patronize me on what is best for him."
"If I have my swords with me, I would skewer you!" Tooth snapped as she glared back at him, unconsciously held the younger spirit tighter.
"Skewer me?" Pitch barked out a laugh. "Try doing so without running into a billboard!"
Jack actually felt the feathers on Tooth's person bristle as they tickled his nose a bit, which prompt him to gently-but firmly- push himself away from her grasp. Sensing that there would be another argument brewing, he decided that he had his fill of having his ears filled with pointless arguing.
That and he needed some air.
"Guys, guys, guys! Calm down, alright!" He protested, as soon as he regained his personal space. "I-I'm ok! I…I just need some time to think about this."
It somehow didn't sound convincing, even when he said it out loud. He wanted to help Bunny sure, but…was he really ready for something like…this? Other than kissing, he had absolutely no idea. Once in a while, he often hear things like "popping the cherry" or "doing the deed" among the classmates that Jamie hung around with. For a moment, he finally understood on how his first Believer learned that game "Nervous". He mentally berated himself for that, he spent among children for so long that he hadn't learn how to interact with teenagers. Granted that he was reborn and still maintain his inner child but still.
North shook his head as he made a step forward.
"No, not this time, Jack," he spoke in a familiar authoritative tone. "Last time, you have been gone for more than an hour and who knows what have happened between you and HIM." North pointed an accusing finger at Pitch, who then coolly turned his attention to him with what seemed to be a look of a mocking appalled expression.
"Such accusation, North…" There was a mixed hint of sneer and sarcasm in the tone of his voice as he placed a hand over his heart. "After the trouble I went through of saving Jack from Flicker? You insult me, sir."
"Wait, WHAT?!" That was when the Guardians all whipped their attention back to Jack, who was rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"I just thought that it was a good idea to see if I would get something out of him." Then he paused as he thought about it for a moment. "Looking back, I didn't really think that through. So, that would count as my mistake."
North only stared at him with an agape mouth for a moment before shaking his head, regaining his stern demeanor upon his bearded face.
"No matter, you are not going on your own with crazy shenanigans this time!" he declared, shaking his thick finger as he does so. Jack would have found it amusing on how fast North was taking on a paternal role if it weren't for the fact that he just had received the confirmation of Bunny's cure and yet he was forbidden to do something with it.
"But North!" he protested.
"But nothing! You are officially grounded!"
Jack was completely speechless at this, he never thought he would take on the role that far before. Thankfully, someone amongst them took the words right out of his mouth.
"Honestly, North, don't you think you're being ridiculous with this?" Pitch questioned as he raised a nonexistent eyebrow. Despite the tense and dire circumstances around them, he seemed rather relaxed.
"Zatknis'!" North snapped before turning to see Phil, who just came in from re-organizing the toys as well as reinforced the defense. "You bring Jack to one of the guest rooms, and make sure that he doesn't come out." The head Yeti gave him a nod before taking a lumbering step forward to Jack who immediately made a small leap back.
"Whoa, whoa, you can't be serious!?" He exclaimed, holding his hands up. "Look, I know I made some mistakes, but I know I can help! Just at least let me try!"
"Nyet, I'm not taking that chance." Then North turned to Phil. "Be sure to be on your toes, he can be tricky."
"Harblah-harblah!" Phil replied, in a rather sarcastic tone as he made his way over to Jack and quickly grabbed him before the latter even had the chance to take into the air. Honestly, how long he had been dealing with this kid's shenanigans before his eventual recruitment? Phil made sure that his grip on Jack's arm was firm and started to drag him along.
"North, you can't be serious!" Jack objected, as he began to tug away but couldn't. "Guys, listen to me!" However, all his protests fell on deaf ears as he was being hauled out of the room, his protests were fading. All the while, Pitch watched, scratching Onyx behind her ears before turning to the Guardians.
"Was it truly necessary?" He questioned blankly. "You know that he's right, deep down. You just can't accept it."
"How would you like for me to give you a dollar for another sucker punch?" Tooth responded, cracking her knuckles for emphasis.
"GAHH!" Jack cried out as he was literally tossed into the guest room. As soon as Jack regained his footing, he then turned to shoot the light tan yeti glare while placing his hand on his hip to show his displeasure. "You know, you should work on your manners a bit more. It's getting rusty nowadays."
"Harblah Harblah!" was all Phil could say as he waved it off before walking out and closed the door behind him. Jack's ears picked up the soft click on the other side and the shadows shifting a bit in the crack beneath the door. Just to be sure, he walked over to reach for the door handle and gave it an experimental jiggle. He let out a soft but frustrated sigh as it confirmed his suspicions.
"Of course…" he muttered to himself.
He would freeze it, but then again, there is a possibility that North have placed an ancient and complex security spell upon the door to alert Phil to bring in some back-up. So he couldn't risk that. He could wait it out for Phil to fall asleep so that he could pick the lock the old fashioned way. But there was the guard shift…
Hmm…breaking in was hard enough, but breaking out is a real challenge.
"What should I do?" He said to himself as he looked around the room.
There had to be some sort of opening that they have overlooked, but this place has been around longer than his rebirth. From his past experience, Jack could see both the exterior and interior are ancient but yet up to date. Probably due to the Atlantian magic that North had been telling him about. Along with the constant construction thanks to the powerhouses that are the Yetis. Then he turned to the window and immediately a triumphant grin grew on his face.
"They didn't checked the window~." He spoke in a sing-song voice before walking over to it.
Jack gave the window a good look over. It was a modest size, big enough for him to slip out. The locking was rather standard. Though he could call on either Wind's or one of his Icelings' help, the last thing he wanted was to send in a red alert to the Yetis. So there was only one thing to do.
"Nothing wrong with the simple stealth." He carefully made sure that there was no complicated magic alert system, but thankfully, North didn't seem to have placed some security spell on it. Slowly but carefully, Jack widens the window, making sure the hinges doesn't squeak as it does so. With his years of well-practiced grace (and some parkour), he silently climbed out of the window before hanging on to the ledge by his hands. Not before signaling for Wind to quietly shut the window behind him.
"Alright…easy part's over…now comes the hard part."
This brought him back on the days when he tried to break in the Workshop for fun.
But not this time…this time, he was on a mission to save his best friend.
Now where did North keep his snow globes?
"…Nothing…nothing…nothing…oh!" North perked up for a moment before immediately deflating when he read the contents of the current book in his hands. "Nothing…"
He let out a sigh as he nonchalantly tossed the book over his shoulder, which was thankfully caught by one of Sandy's morphed dreamsand hand and was placed neatly upon a piling tower of books before placing another on top of it. He let out a silent sigh of his own as he picked up another. Tooth seemed to be having a hard time keeping awake, had to place her own down in order to rub exhaustion from her eyes. This was impossible compared to her normal job, literally had to memorize every street that held every child in all six continents. Right down to different baby teeth of sizes.
"This is getting us nowhere…" She muttered.
"I don't know…" Pitch's voice spoke up, making the Guardians look over and see him leisurely turning a page of a random book while leaning by the fireplace. Onyx was lying down in a relaxed position by his feet in a manner of a loyal dog. "This is rather nice going down memory lane…the time when I controlled one of your inventions and tried to steal spells…only to be foiled by the Ombric."
North glared at him, momentarily wishing that he had one of his pistols with him.
"Don't even think about it, Pitch," He warned him. "I prefer not to be a shrunken down and be made a doll again!"
"Oh?" The boogeyman spoke, looking up from the current book that he was holding. Even go as far as raising an eyebrow. "But you were so adorable like that. Fitting to have tea parties with…isn't that right, Onyx?"
Onyx let out a soft neigh, as if agreeing with her master. If the small Nightmare would have a humanoid form like in the past, she would have been smirking.
"…I would throw a lump of coal at your face."
"Oh, tish-tosh, as if I would repeat the same trick twice." Pitch spoke in a no nonsense tone as he simply waved him off before getting back to the current book that he was reading. "Hmm…interesting…it seems to be…"
Then he immediately stood up from his spot as he held the book in front of his face, his eyes widen in shock as he stared at the contents.
"THIS IS IT!" He exclaimed. "The cure to the rabbit!"
All at once, the Guardians dropped what they were holding as they all turned to him with expectant wide smiles that were enough to split their faces. Tooth was practically hovering from her spot and seemed to be eager to zip over and grab the book from his hands to see if it was true. North seemed to be shaking, almost like a dormant volcano waiting to explode. Even Sandy was floating up as he was literally glowing.
Could it be that Pitch Black...their sworn enemy that would stop at nothing but to cause disbelief and nightmares upon children…actually found the cure for Bunny?
Pitch read the contents before closing the book as he stared at all of them with a blank look.
"That's how it sounds like if one of you spotted one."
…Or not.
The sounds of lumbering feet were heard as the two yetis have a small conversation between themselves while making last-minute check up on the defenses around the Workshop. The last thing they wanted was another surprise attack from their fiery friend. They both noticed a slight chill in the air but assumed that there might be a draft someplace as they made their way down the corridor. As soon as they left, a mop of white hair peeked out from a hallway before looking around to make sure that the coast was clear. If his guess was right, most of the elves should be either doing their usual such as janitorial or testing out toys. Or once in a while, try to sneak out some cookies being the yetis' backs.
So, he had a better chance of finding where North stashed his snow globes.
That is if he could find it…
So far, the only rooms that he knew of are North's office, the Globe Room, and the library (one time).
"North really needed to set up an interior map of this place…" He muttered to himself as he allowed himself to wander around but kept his guard up. The last thing he wanted was being caught like the past centuries.
Jack figured that he should just peek into the doors until he could find the one that he was looking for. Although there was a chance that there might be someone inside the rooms but what other choice does he have?
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Jack then started with door number one and carefully turned the knob before slowly opening it. He only made a slight crack, wide enough for him to peek through but not enough to catch the occupant's attention. To his relief, there was no one inside. But on the other hand, it wasn't the room that he was looking for.
"Time for door number two then…"
He had no idea how long he was searching around the halls, occasionally dodging elf and yeti alike all the while peeking behind doors. Some of them are locked but others are thankfully unlocked. The situation hilariously reminded him of that one film that Jamie had shown him one time, with someone named Tom and doing impossible missions…and that catchy theme music that took a while for him to get it out of his head. Oh and that one scene with Tom being suspended on wires.
But he digressed, back at the topic at hand.
Normally someone would just give up and leave. But Jack wasn't that someone. He got Bunny into this mess, and he'll be getting him out. It was the least that he could do for his best friend.
…best friend.
Does he really see him as a best friend, after knowing how Bunny really felt about him?
Well, they both had a rocky start but as time passed they grew closer over the years since Burgess. There was some teasing here and there- nothing malicious this time- but so far, they've been making some good progress. As time pass, Jack was starting to notice something different about Bunny. He didn't know when it happened but lately he has been having some strange thoughts, and most of them are about Bunny. Like how nice his green eyes were as they shone with pride whenever he finished a beautiful design on one of his eggs. Or wondering if his own hand would fit against his paw…
At the time, he just assumed that he was just being confused. But it soon became apparent that he had a feeling that he wanted to be more than just a simple friendship. There are certain events showed him that.
There was the one time that he visited the Warren to see Bunny, relaxing in a patch of daisies and red poppies. From what he remembered at the time, they are collaborating in a new design for the upcoming Easter event. Jack soon realized that he was a little bit drowsy lately, considering the fact that he was still getting used to having an actual bed thanks to North. He would have just fall asleep upon the flowers, but for some reason he picked Bunny as an overgrown pillow. He relished the soft texture of the fur as he slept, wondering if he could stay like this forever if possible.
Of course, Bunny would assume that he was a touchy-feely type due to his experience of being literally unknown. But that didn't stop there.
And then there was the time that he had come across the Warren empty.
He remembered calling his name, searching every nook and cranny of the subterranean oasis. Then he even dared to venture into the deeper parts of the Warren, all thoughts of whatever fate befalls on Bunny is worst then the last since that day in Burgess. He had to venture on foot since there are vines and low hanging branches, which robbed him of his flying and had to endure the feeling of an occasional rock or fallen branch beneath his feet. But that didn't stop him as he trudged onwards. He didn't know how long he had been searching but when he finally found Bunny, he couldn't help but practically ran over to him and held him tight. Not even caring if it was awkward between them. Until Bunny explained to him that he was searching why his eggs were disappearing to at the time but still, he was glad that he was safe.
He had to admit, it was kind of embarrassing hovering around Bunny for three days straight since then. To be fair, Jack was only trying to make sure that Bunny was indeed alright until he was given enough reassurance that the Hope Guardian was indeed fine. No words could describe on how worried he was, not knowing what he would do if he found Bunny hurt.
There were even daydreams that he tends to have that consisted of him and Bunny being together…like how the couples are from what he seen in his 300 year wandering. They come in various ages, race, sizes, even different genders and sexualities as time pass as the laws and society became a bit more lenient. But they all have that one thing that they all shared.
It was that certain look that they gave to each other, as they simply enjoy each other's company. No matter the location, whether or not that they're doing something exciting or mundane, nothing would change that look of utter devotion. Sure, he had learned a long time ago that nothing lasts forever, but he had seen how people acted to this wonderful feeling.
They have reacted differently to heartbreak.
Some broken down into hollow husks and swore to loneliness until death, others pick themselves back up and learn to find new love once again.
In all of his years of bringing forth snowballs and fun times, watching couples bask in the beauty of his work was one of his favorite moments. One of the moments that he remembered was watching a couple, two guys from high school, a curly haired athlete and a nerdy kid with the classic bowl haircut. He didn't catch their real names so he made them up on the spot, Curly Winds and Square Root. They're both from two different cliques (a word that he had been hearing about from teenagers with funny glasses) but yet they were somehow drawn to each other.
It was near Christmas season a while back-give a year or two- and they were leisurely walking down the park surrounded by Christmas lights. Jack recalled of Curly Winds offering Square Root his scarf when he realized how cold her was, even going far as holding his hands to provide extra warmth. The way that the light bounced off of the snow against the night sky created some kind of glow around them as they gaze into each other's eyes.
It was a mysterious thing but beautiful and wonderful nonetheless.
He found himself comparing their relationship to his and Bunny's. Then he thought about the past incidents as well as his thoughts before coming to a conclusion. Deep down, he was beginning to want more than just a simple friendship with Bunny. However, Jack wasn't sure how Bunny felt about them being together. He had been told about Bunny's past by North. How he came from an ancient Pooka race and he was the remaining survivor when they were wiped out by Pitch a long time ago. Long before Earth was discovered.
So, with Bunny as the last of his kind, Jack wasn't sure if it would be possible. The primary problem was that he was biologically male. That obviously meant that he can't give what Bunny would have wanted even if he begged the Moon or any other form of higher being above to give him that ability to give him children.
As much as Jack wanted to be selfish, he couldn't find in his heart to do so.
Besides, Bunny might not feel the same way as him.
That is until now.
"When did this became so complicated?" He muttered to himself, as he took the handle and slowly turned the knob.
Jack was held his breath and gingerly opened the door. He was half-expecting to be another room full of toys or something, but imagine his delight and relief that he had finally found the exact room that the was looking for. Before his eyes were possibly an infinite number of snow globes decorating the shelves. The light from the Moon himself shone through the window and the reflections danced against the smooth glass surface as the snow fluttered gently within their spherical home. He was sure that they might be the enchanted kind compared to the ones that were made by humans.
"Bingo!" He grinned as he let himself in and close the door quietly behind him.
After being with the Guardians for a few years, he had learned a thing or two about them, North in particular. Jack noticed that North had always kept a decent supply on him whenever he goes out, which explains how he managed to deliver presents within a night around the world. He had to make sure that he had enough to cover all bases before heading back to the Workshop for another year. The procedure on using a magical snow globe seemed simple enough after seeing it in action so many times.
Just say the location, give it a shake, and smash it to reveal the portal.
"I think North wouldn't mind if I take a few." Jack spoke with confidence as he took a decent small looking one and casually tossed it in the air a bit before pocketing into his hoodie and gathered a few more.
Now that he found the snow globe supply room, he had to find some way to get the Guardians away from Bunny.
A frustrated groan was heard as Tooth practically faceplanted herself in the middle of the book that she was reading.
"Nothing…" She moaned out pathetically. "There was nothing in these books that would help us to cure Bunny!"
The stacks of books somehow towered higher around her; some of them seemed to be close to falling over like the jenga blocks at any moment. Thankfully, Sandy was able to multitask as he adjusts the book towers with morphed sand hands as he place a book that he was reading on a tower of his own. He let out a silent heavy sigh, sharing Tooth's exhaustion.
"We have to keep trying!" North urged them on, although he looked worse for wear himself.
"That's what you said at least an hour ago!" Tooth groaned out, though her words were muffled thanks to her resting place in the current book that she was holding. "And an hour after that…and an hour after THAT…"
Pitch simply flipped over the page while Onyx was taking a nap by his feet.
"Oh, Krampus…I remember him. A rather nice fellow from what I remember." He spoke in a rather condescending tone as he read through the contents. "It's a shame that you had to let him go back to that amateur summoner, North. He would be more effective than placing those lumps of coals that you place out nowadays every Christmas."
He was too dignified to say "I told you so" but watching them like this was too much fun. And it was a good time to catch up on some reading.
North snapped his head up and gave the Bogeyman a rather hard glare.
"Put. That. DOWN."
The way he spoke each word was low and dangerous, promising to show him WHY he was known as the Bandit King of the Cossacks before he became the man he was today. However Pitch simply turned the page and ignored the threat.
"I was just reading. No need to be hostile."
Oh, how he wanted to throw a mother of all coal lumps straight at his smug face.
Sandy floated over and gave the Russian a reassuring pat on his tattooed arm. The dreamsand images morphed above his head, forming a bed and a cup of tea. Even in his fatigued state, North seemed to know what he was trying to say.
"I guess you are right, Sandy," He responded, closing the book. "I think we should take a break."
"THANK YOU!" Tooth piped up, her feathered head immediately lifted up from the book that she was faceplanted in.
Pitch didn't seem to care much about the going on before him, fully focused on the book that he was reading.
"Finally accepting the inevitable?" He asked rhetorically.
The answer came in swift yet hard and firm.
"NO." North and Tooth are the only ones that are vocal with their decision while Sandman held up a really huge X above his head as he made the same sign with his tiny arms.
Pitch let out an aspirated sigh before turning another page. Well, he gives them points for persistence and stubbornness. It would only a matter of time when one of them finally reached their breaking point. Judging by the frazzled appearance of the tooth fairy queen, it was really close.
Just as the Guardians were about to relax, there was a sound of a loud crash heard somewhere in the Workshop, followed by the sound of heavy running footsteps until a familiar yeti appeared by the door way, seemingly out of breath. North stood up with a confused look, groaning when he felt his joints pop from sitting in the same position for so long. For a moment, he actually remembered what it was like to feel like an actual old man, just like the time when all Belief was almost nulled. But he buried that in the back of his mind, right now he had to deal with this.
"Phil, what is it?" He spoke, trying not to let fatigue show in his voice. Although the fact that one of his best yetis come running in here had him concerned, especially when he seemed like he had ran a marathon.
Phil managed to inhale a deep breath and slowly exhaled before standing up straight to respond to his superior.
"H-Harblah…Harblah-Harblah!"
North narrowed his eyes as he mentally translated the language to make sure that he was hearing it right.
"What about Jack?" he asked with caution. The tone seemed to have caught Tooth's and Sandy's attention. Even Pitch's as well, even though he was still engrossed in the book.
"Harblah…" Phil then took another deep breath before continuing. "Harblah Harblah-blah!"
North's blue eyes widened with horror at what the light-brown Yeti have said. No, no, he wouldn't! He made sure that Jack would be secured in that room!
Unless…
"Show me." North's face was steeled, signifying him being in serious mode compared to his usual jolly demeanor. Phil nodded as he ushered his superior to follow him to the room that he placed Jack in. This seemed to have rejuvenated the tooth fairy and the sandman as they respectively floated up from the ground and instantly went to his side.
"What's going on?" Tooth asked, feeling her mother hen instincts were kicking into overdrive as she fluttered over his head.
"Jack was missing, somehow snuck out the window." North replied bluntly to her. "I should have reinforced the windows…"
But then again, it would backfire on him since Jack could barely sit still for a few minutes.
Sandy let off one symbol after the other as he kept up with Phil's and North's wide paces but they were almost too fast to decipher. So far, only Tooth caught what looked like a snowflake, a padlock, and a question and exclamation marks. Along with an X symbol give or take.
"Sandy's right!" She spoke up after giving a thorough translation. "What made you think that locking Jack up is a good idea?!"
"It worked with the sack!"
A frustrated sigh was heard from the feathered fairy as Sandy facepalmed himself. As soon as they left, Pitch finally looked up from his book. After hearing everything, he then turned to Onyx who lifted her head from her relaxed position to stare back at her master.
"What do you think, Onyx?" He asked. "Should I go after them, or stay here?"
The small Nightmare let out a soft whinny as she cocked her head to the side akin to a dog would do. After a moment of having a silent conversation, Pitch let out a dramatic sigh as he close the book shut.
"I guess there was no other choice then," He muttered before placing the said book on the mantelpiece. "This book was rather dull anyway."
Pitch gracefully stood up from the wall next to the fireplace, stretching his arms a bit as he felt the satisfying sensation of his joints popping back into place. He straightened his robe a bit before turning to Onyx who immediately stood up.
"Shall we?" He spoke before they head over to the shadowed part of the room.
They would go for the simple route, but this way was better and faster. Besides, Pitch would be lying that he wasn't worried either. After all, he wasn't that much of a monster…
As soon as the room was void of any life save for Bunny, whose breathing was the only audible sound, a colorful swirl appeared out of thin air in front of the fireplace and out tumbles Jack who barely made a landing.
"…Dang it, still couldn't get used to it," he muttered as he dusted himself off.
Jack checked the contents of his hoodie pocket, making sure that none of the items were broken. Thankfully they weren't, not even a single crack on one of them. He didn't know what would happen if one or all would break inside of his hoodie, but truthfully he didn't want to know. If those scifi films about portals taught him something, it was that you would never open a portal near your person. It would only leave behind a mess.
But enough about that, now that he had the Guardians (and Pitch) away from here…it was time to initiate Phase 2.
He took a deep breath and exhaled out slowly to calm his nerves. However it does little to the fluttery sensation that he was feeling in his stomach as well as the rapid beating of his heart that seemed to have kickstarted every second. The incident of the first time was still fresh on his mind, and even though he was fully prepared, Jack knew that this was might be a bad idea. And maybe he could have thought this through a bit more.
But he couldn't delay any longer than he should have.
He got Bunny into this, and he would get him out.
After taking a moment to strengthen his resolve, he dug through his pocket to pull out another snow globe and give a good shake.
"The Warren." He whispered before throwing it to the ground to activate the portal. Then he turned to Bunny, whose ears were twitching with excitement as he suddenly rose from his passive position and locked on to Jack. He was surprised that he didn't flinch when the Pooka once again struggled against his restraints, trying get to him.
Maybe it was because he wasn't afraid of his best friend since fear would have given him away due to Pitch's presence.
Or maybe it might be something else…
He blushed when the memory flashed in his mind as he shook his head. There was some sort of limited time that the portal was active, and he had to make tracks before they returned. This is the point of no return for him.
Jack took another deep breath as he raised his staff high above. And as soon as he slowly released his breath slowly, he slammed the butt of the staff hard upon the floor, releasing a sounding thud that echoes throughout the room. Then frost began to form and swirl from the staff and towards Bunny, creeping along the chains and dreamsand at the same time. Jack braced himself, carefully timing as the bonds around Bunny were weakening while their soon-to be former prisoner struggled harder. Looking rather eager to be released from his bounds and get to him.
Just a little more…a little more…
Jack ears picked up the sudden opening of doors and he had a moment to look over to see North and the other Guardians, as well as Pitch and a small group of yetis armed with chains and ropes. He could see the shock and disbelief on the older man's face as the latter realized what he was doing.
"What are you doing…!?" It was the first thing that North managed to voice out, not knowing on whether or not he should move. The others seemed to be frozen on the spot, and he couldn't tell what kind of expression that Pitch held as he stood in the back. Was he just as surprised as the Guardians? Or was he expecting that Jack might pull off? Either way, as guilty as he was feeling of doing this behind his friends'-no, family's- backs, there was no turning back now.
His attention went back to Bunny as soon as the sound of the chains breaking reached his ears. And as if in slow motion, Bunny positioned himself to sprint from the chair that once held him. However, unlike the last time, Jack was ready for him.
Before the Pooka could get to him, Jack sprang backwards into the portal, with Bunny following suit. The sight was enough for the Guardians to finally snap out of it and made a leap forward their friends.
"JACK! WAIT!" Tooth cried out, zipping forward since she was a faster flyer than Sandy.
However the portal closed down before she had the chance to make a grab for him, causing her to almost crash into the wall if it weren't for Sandy's quick thinking of lassoing her around the waist with his dreamsand rope. The Dream Maker let out a silent sigh of relief before looking at the spot where the portal was with worry. North was lucky enough to have an extra ice globe on hand and was quick enough to pull it out from his pocket.
"Warren!" He commanded before throwing it to the ground.
What he got was a soft clank of the glass meeting the carpeted floor, the snow globe harmlessly rolled across the red fabric for a moment until stopped between him and Sandy and Tooth. They all stared at it in confusion before North walked over to pick up the snow globe in order to examine it. Within the glass interior, the snow that was once fluttering with life was now sitting still against the curve.
"What…" He whispered with disbelief.
Normally his snow globes would open up a portal within a second. It worked for Jack apparently, which reminded him to have a word with him despite the fact that he was feeling a bit pride that he was actually paying attention to his surroundings.
"I don't understand…" Tooth spoke up as she fluttered over to him, staring at the snow globe. "Why wouldn't it open a portal?" Then she turned to Sandy, hoping that he might have the answer. Unfortunately for her, he didn't have the foggiest when he gave her a shrug.
"I was afraid of this…"
Everyone then turned to Pitch, who was silent up until now. Judging by the look of his face was the look of dread and horrified realization. They only had seen that look only once when he had lost not only his conquest of his own Belief, but also the control of the Nightmares. As much as he was their enemy, they're not heartless enough to not be at least sympathetic. But empathy aside, they all had the same question on their minds.
Only North was the first one to say it out loud.
"What do you mean?"
To be continued.
Next chapter...let's just say that it's going to be...steamy. The uncut version will be uploaded on AO3 as always. Best to prepare the tissues.
Until then, please comment and/or review!