THE MASK GUARDIAN
Chapter 4; Calm Before The Storm
"Tooth Palace ." North said into one of his snow globs. He threw it in front of the sleigh and a portal opened. As soon as they crossed through, they were greeted by a sight they had seen before. Countless nightmares were swarming around the Tooth palace, and Tooth's fairies were doing there best to fight them off.
"Oh, no not again." Tooth said. Without warning, Jack and Sandy took to the air. Jack fired blast after blast of ice, freezing the nightmares in midair, while Sandy cracked his sand whips, making them crumble to dust.
"I won't let this happen again!" Tooth said, and she took to the air as well.
"This has happened before?" Lantern asked.
"It's a long story mate," Bunny replied. "but it'll have to wait. Now put that Lantern of yours to use and melt these buggers!" He threw his boomerang taking out a pair of nightmares. following Bunny's instructions, Lantern stood up from his seat and swung his lantern violently, launching fireballs at the nightmares, melting them into glass. For several minutes the guardians battled Pitch's minions, but even though they were badly out numbered, they managed to fight them off. Once the threat had ended, Tooth met up with some of her fairies.
"Alright, what's the damage?" The little fairies squeaked rapidly, and while it was nonsense to the others, Tooth understood perfectly.
"Good news, our losses are minimum. We've managed to protect most of the teeth, and they didn't get that may of my fairies, but we need to get them back soon." Tooth said.
"That's good to hear." Jack replied."
"After Pitch's last attack, we've been doing regular training drills. This time, we were ready for them. Tooth said proudly.
"But why did he attack here again?" North said.
"Probably because Tooth and Sandy work 24/7. If he wants to ruin the hops and dreams of children, this is a good place to start." Bunny said.
"Not to ruin the moment," Lantern interrupted. "but what do we do about them?" He gestured to the two unconscious children in the sleigh. No sooner did he point them out that the boy began to wake up.
"Ugh, what happened?" The boy said said. He then saw the Guardians and said, "I must still be dreaming. I'm seeing Santa clause and the Easter Bunny." North walked up to the boy.
"What is your name, little boy?" He said, putting his hand affectionately on the boys shoulder.
"Tommy Bennett, and this is Jenny, my sister." Jacks eyes widened at hearing the boys name, but no one took notice.
"Tell me, what happened before you wound up here?"
"Well, I was woken up by a noise in my closet. I opened the door, but nothing was there. I turned around, and I was jumped by some kind of black goo. Then," he paused. "I don't remember much after that. Just darkness and, you know that feeling you get when your startled? It was like that but it wouldn't stop."
"I think I've heard enough." North turned to Sandy. "Sandy, if you would please." Sandy nodded and sprinkled his sand over the two kids and they fell back asleep.
"We should get them home. Tooth said.
I'll take them back." Jack blurted out.
"I'll go with you." Lantern said.
"Well, alright, but come straight to the Poll once your done." Tooth said. "You remember what happened last time you didn't show up." She said sternly. Both Jacks picked up a child in one arm, and wrapped their other around the others shoulder and took to the air. For a while they flew in silence, then Frost said,
"Lantern, thanks."
"For what?"
"It was your attack that saved these two. If it wasn't for you they would still be trapped in that slime."
"Your welcome." Lantern said flatly, but Frost could tell that he was sincere. He smiled and said,
"Can I ask you something?"
"You just did." Lantern replied. "But you may ask me another question."
"You can change your appearance, and be seen and talk to normal people, right?"
"That is correct."
"So, what have you been doing all this time?" To Frost's surprise, Lantern cracked a small smile.
"I have been using my time to learn. For hundreds of years I've been gathering information, and mastering the modern."
""Okay." Frost said uncertainly. Seeing his confusion, Lantern clarified.
"I took on multiple personas to accomplish multiple goals and learn new skills. I've been involved of many great accomplishments throughout the centuries; behind my mask of course."
"What kind of accomplishments?" Frost asked.
"Everything to be frank; science, sports, music, politics: you name it."
"Wow, sounds like you've done it all." Frost said impressed.
"And I've learned a lot on the way. If your interested, I know some facts about rabbits that I'm sure Bunny wouldn't want you to know."
"I'm listening." Frost said, exited. Not wanting the children to hear what he was about to say, Lantern leaned closer and whispered into Frosts' ear.
"No way, gross!" Frost exclaimed with a laugh. "Oh, I'm going to hold this over Bunny for a long, long time."
"Now let me ask you something." Lantern said. "What can you tell me about Pitch Black?" Frost looked at him surprised.
"Why do you ask?"
"It's best to know as much about your enemy as you can, and you've known him longer then I have."
"Fair enough." Frost said with a shrug. "Well, back in the Dark Ages, Pitch had the power and freedom to spread fear every. Then, The Man in the Moon chose the guardians; minus me at the time, to bring joy to kids, and make the world a brighter place. He caused trouble about thirty years ago, and he nearly threw the world into a second dark age, but Manny chose to make me a guardian, and with the help of a good friend of mine, we managed to defeat him."
"Interesting, but what can you tell me about him personally." Lantern asked intrigued. Frost looked at him confused, but answered.
"Well, when he's not being wicked, he can be very manipulative. He told me about how bad it was for him being cast aside, and to have no one believing in him, and he nearly got me to join him."
"Interesting." Lantern said. "You might think badly of me for saying this, but part of me can sympathize with him." Frost looked at him surprised, but before he could ask what he meant, Lantern pointed at a town they were passing over and said, "Jack, bring us down there."
"Why?"
"I'll get use the rest of the way." Frost landed them by an apartment complex, and Lantern walked up to a nearby door.
"Lantern, what are you doing?" Frost asked. Lantern knocked on the door three times, then turned to Frost.
""Opening the door." and he did just that. The door opened, but not onto a Chinese apartment, This was obviously a child's bedroom. As they stepped inside, Frost realized that they were indeed back in Burgess; he could see the familiar street out of the window.
"Not a bad trick." Frost as as he laid Tommy on his bed. They then walked quietly across the hall and put Jenny in her room.
"Alright, Frost, lets get back to the…" But his sentence was cut short when the door of the master bedroom opened and outstepped a middle aged man. He had messy brown hair and a round face. He walked right past them the two Jacks. He couldn't see them, Frost kept his eyes on him as he went down stairs.
"Do you know him?" Lantern asked.
"I use to." Frost said glumly.
"Let me guess. He was once a child that your were very fond of, but now that he's grown up he lost both his belief and ability you?"
"Sight yes, belief no. His name is Jamie Bennet, and last time Pitch attacked, he gave us the strength to beat him, and he help me find my center."
"I'm sure this must be hard for you, but I think it's time we get back."
"You're right." Frost said. They both turned and Lantern knocked on Jenny's door.
"What was that?" They heard Jamie say downstairs, but the two Jacks stepped through the door and were gone.
"Back at the north pole, Frost and Lantern stepped out of a broom closet.
"Let's get to the globe, I'm sure that's were the others are there waiting for us." Frost said.
Sure enough, the other guardians were at the globe, observing the lights; a couple of elves were the top looking for the chocolate bar they would never find.
"Ah, your back." North said as the two Jacks came into view.
"Has anything happened while we were away?" Frost asked.
"Not so far, it looks like Pitch is laying low for now." Tooth said. But the question is what is his grand plan? If he's not trying to stop the children from believing in us, what is he planing to do?"
"He said that his plan was going to happen this week." Bunny replied. "So what's happening this week?"
"Several things; political discussions, sports games, birthday parties, fifth grad field trips, the list goes on." Lantern said flatly. The others looked at him with odd expressions. "Unlike most of you, I stay in touch with what is going on in the world."
"No, Pitch wouldn't be interested in anything like that, it's got to be something bigger then anything here on earth." Frost said.
"The eclipse." Lantern said.
"Ay?" Bunny asked
"Yesterday, I told my fourth grade students that on Friday night at 9:30 PM there is going to be a total lunar eclipse.
"I don't get it." Tooth said.
"'ll show you. Over here." Lantern lead the guardians to the window. After fogging up with his breath, he drew two circles, one much smaller then the other. "Lets say that this circle" he pointed to the bigger of the two. "is the earth, and this one" he pointed to the smaller circle. "is the moon." As you all know, a solar eclipse is when the moon passes in front of the sun and casts it's shadow on the earth."
The guardians nodded in agreement.
"Well, a lunar eclipse is the opposite. It's when the earth passes in from of the sun and casts it shadow onto the moon. He drew two lines from the top and bottom of the earth circle so that the moon circle was between the two.
"But what is big deal?" North asked curious. "Why would Pitch be interested in that?"
"I have a theory, nothing more." Lantern said and he drew a letter 'P' in the middle of the earth circle. "From what I've seen, Pitch can move through darkness, traveling from place to place through the shadows that they cast. While it sounds too grand to be true, celestial bodies; like planets and moons, cast shards as well.
"Cut to the chase mate." Bunny said impatiently. Lantern put his finger on the 'P'.
"I believe, that if Pitch were powerful enough at the moment the eclipse reaches it's peak, he could ride on the earths shadow and go to the moon."He drew a line from the center of the earth circle to the center of the moon circle, and drew a letter 'P' in the middle of it.
"Go to the moon?" Said Frost, sounding perplexed. "But why would he want to do that?"
"We can only guess. That's assuming my theory is correct." Lantern added.
"Meanwhile, in the dark depths of the boogyman's lair, Pitch was counting the teeth and fairies his nightmares had brought him; he was disappointed.
"This is all you managed to get!?" He shouted,frightening the nightmare, which crumbled into dust. "They've learned from the past." Pitch said, turning to face his children. "My old tricks wont work again."
"What do you want to do?" Primal asked.
"We divide and conquer." Pitch said with a smile.
TO BE CONTINUED
I hope you enjoyed my chapter, not any action, but it did help move the plot along. I hope you like my running jock of the elves and the chocolate bar, I though it would be funny. I have one question for my readers. I'm trying to make my OC Lantern slightly creepy and mysterious, and I would like to know how I'm doing. Hope to get some reviews. Seen you next time.