Chapter 8: Lantern vs the guardians
"He's going to kill Manny?" North said, his voice shaking.
"I…I don't understand. What will happen if he does?" Jack said, though he felt he did understand. For his answer, Sandy made a miniature earth of sand above his head, which shook violently, then erupted in a mushroom cloud.
"Sandy is right." Bunny said, "If Pitch takes over the moon, he will have power over Earth it's self. The season, the tides, nearly every force of nature will be under his control"
"Not only that." Tooth said. "but he will also have power over us too."
"What do you mean?" said Jack.
"Manny is the one who gave us our powers and position as guardians." North said replied. "And if Pitch take's Manny's place, he could easily 'fire' us," He used the air-quotes with a grim tone. "and everything that we put into the world; wonder, hope, dreams and fun will be gone." Jack was flabbergasted.
"Well, how long do we have before the eclipse?"
"Three day, 15 hours and 27 minutes, and counting." Tooth blurted out, everyone looked at her.
"When manage as many helpers as I do you develop a keen sense of time." She said matter-of-factly.
"We'll, then we've got to move, we've got to stop Pitch, now!" Jack said.
"And what do you suggest we do, mate?" Bunny said bitterly. "We've lost our homes, our resources, and our helpers. We have no idea where Pitch is. He's getting stronger, were getting weaker, and Lantern; the brilliant rat bag, he's probably hatching up some new plan for Pitch as we speak."
"Well I can't just sit here doing nothing! We've got to…" But what they had to do, the rest of the guardians never found out. As Jack spoke he leapt into the air, but instead of flying, he just fell straight back to the ground. "What the." He jumped again. This time he managed to stay in the air, but it took every once of strength he had just to say up, and slowly fell to the ground.
"What's going on?" One look at the globe answered his question. The lights were going out at an alarming rate.
"See mate." Bunny said. "We can't fight like this."
"Then what do you suggest? Frost replied bitterly.
"We need to get our strength back," North said. "and the only way to do that is to get the children to believe again. We need to get back out there, and do our jobs. Here's what we do. Sandy, you and I will help Tooth collect the teeth. Bunny, you and Jack team up and do what you do best." Everyone starred at North. His plan seemed half backed, but half baked was better then not cooked at all. Mustering up what strength they had, they took off into the sky, flying in opposite directions.
In the Eastern hemisphere: the night time side of the planet, North's team was busy gathering what teeth they could. This time, however, there was an uncomfortable vibe about them. Hearing Pitch's plan had understandably put a damper on there spirits.
Although North was doing his best to hype them up they knew he was just as shaken as there were and was trying to mask his concerns.
They hit as many houses as they could, but if the children the children weren't taken by the black slime, they were in hospitals: ether turned into withdrawn emotionless shells, or becoming violent and feral. However, it was not a lost cause. North decided to break tradition and bring a little christmas cheer in October. Normally he would show some restraint and waited until November, but this was a crisis. He strewn up christmas lights all around the hospital, and brought presents to the young patients. Meanwhile, Sandy spread his dream sand, and brought the wild and withdrawn children a calming sleep.
On the other side of the world, Frost was bringing an early autumn snowstorm. Because time was a factor, Frost made his blizzards short but intense, dropping a foot or so of snow, then abruptly stop. His strategy seemed to work, the friends and families of Pitch's victims came out and were able to forget their troubles and have some fun. Bunny played an important role too. Even though Easter had been months ago, he left many of his painted eggs (Painted in halloween colors and decorations) in the snow. This resulted in an egg hunt that had everyone digging in the snow like huskies.
The guardians were not the only ones who felt the children's belief be restored. Deep underground, Pitch was watching his own globe of belief, and the lights on it were coming back on.
"Everyone, come to the globe." Pitch's voice echoed throughout his lair. Shock and Primal arrived quickly, but Loss and Lantern were no where to be seen.
The two in question were tucked away in a corner. Lantern was entertaining Loss by putting performances as some of him more famous personas. He had just finished a speech as Mahatma Gandhi and was about to put on a performance as Marilyn Monroe, when Pitch appeared out of the shadows.
"I believe I called a meeting." A shadow extended beneath all of them, and they fell, landing at the foot of the globe.
"What is it Pitch?" Lantern said in his own voice as he got to his feet and returned to normal.
"It's the lights. There coming back on. Why is that." Pitch said, a hint of malice in his voice
"Lets find out." In a burst of flames, Lantern transformed his lantern into a computer. You see, unlike Pitch or the guardians Lantern liked to keep in touch with what was going on in the world of normal humans. He had been following current events ever since The Man in The Moon saved him and granted him these powers, and he had been following the news story of what was happening to the worlds children especially closely.
"It seems that things are taking an upturn." Said the female reporter. "As we've reported before, children all around the world have the focus of much unwanted attention. When they haven't disappeared completely, they have for some unknown reasons gone feral or have completely withdrawn. Pediatricians and child psychologists are baffled, and law enforcement's world wide have made finding the lost children priority number one. However, despite all of this doom and gloom, things have begun to improve. At this children's mental hospital in Britain, Doctors were alarmed to find that many of the children who had been admitted for either of the reasons I've listed before, suddenly have come around for unknown reasons. Our International correspondent, Robert Grayson is live on the scene." The camera cut to a black male reporter at the fore mentioned hospital.
"Thank you Gwen." Said the new reporter. He was standing in a room full of children playing with toys, and seemed to be enjoying themselves. "Last night doctors reported that many of these children behind me were either in a state of none emotion, or were suffering from some condition that left them in rabid and feral. However, just this morning, nearly every patient admitted for those reasons have spontaneously recovered. Further more, many of them were reported to have received gifts from some mass secret santa. Christmas isn't for another two months people, but thank you."
"Turn that off!" Pitch ordered. In a burst of flames the computer returned to it's true form.
"The guardians are getting their second wind." Pitch said coldly. "I am not happy about this. If this keeps up I won't be unable to take full advantage of the eclipse.
"We'll take care of them." Primal said with a growl.
"No." Everyone turned to Lantern. "We've already lost Lonesome, we don't want to loss any more of our number. You all stay here and let me handle the guardians." Pitch looked, not sure what to make of this bold declaration.
"Very well, but take the nightmares with you." Pitch snapped his fingers, and the Nightmares appeared at his side.
"I won't need them." Lantern said flatly. Those buffoons have insulted and disrespected me. I want revenge, and I will do it myself." And Lantern's tone was so firm, Pitch didn't push the matter. He just snapped his fingers and the nightmares disappeared. "Thank you." Lantern replied. He made his way to his exit (a doorway that Pitch had taken from a home improvement store) when…
"Lantern." It was Loss. Lantern turned on his heel and the boy hurried towards him. "Be carful."It was rare that Lantern saw Loss show emotion, though he was hardly any better, but this time he could tell that Loss was genuinely worried about his safety. Lantern held out his hands and closed his eyes hard in concentration. In a burst of flames a bar of chocolate materialized in his hand.
For a candy bar it was a rather pretty thing. It's wrapping looked more like gold leaf than aluminum foil. But the real beauty was the illustration. This bar was embossed will a beautiful picture of Lantern and Loss. Every detail was so fine and life-like the picture seemed to be breathing.
"Hold on to this," Lantern said handing Loss the bar. "and when I get back we'll share it." Lantern gave a small smile, and Loss returned it.
"Aww, how adorable." Pitch said in mock affection. "Now, I believe you have somewhere you need to be." With that, Lantern walked over to the door, knocked three times, and stepped through the door, and disappeared.
Back at the Antarctic safe house the guardians were having a small rest bit and sharing their stories of what they did. They laughed and joked, and even forgot about the severity of the situation.
"Did you run into Pitch or and of his ankle biters?" Bunny asked.
"Actually, no." Said Tooth happily. Then she spotted the look on Jack's face and added, "and we didn't see Lantern either, at least no as himself."
"We will find him Jack." North said, patting him on the back.
It was then that they heard a pounding at the entrance. They all readied their weapons, and slowly made there way toward the trap door. With lightning speed, they threw the door open and leapt out, knocking over the penguin that had been pecking at the door.
"Oh, sorry mate." Bunny said, helping the poor bird up. Once the penguin got to it's feet
waddle towards the safe house entrance.
"Hold on there buddy," Jack said flying in front of the bird. "There's nothing for you in…" He paused. What was this penguin doing here all alone? How was it able to make such a loud sound just pecking? And did they normally come this close to human settlements, albeit abandoned ones? It was then that Jack noticed an orange tag clipped to the birds wing, with a Jack O'Lantern face.
"It's Lantern!" Frost shouted. Before the other guardians could do anything the penguin erupted in flames, and transformed into a five foot tall blaze orange dragon, a gold collar with a red jewel around it's neck.
"Lantern, listen." North said as the beast swung a claw at him. "We realize we were unfair to you. We wouldn't trust you just because you were different from us." A jet of fire shot from the jewel on the dragons neck. North dodged it, but his beard had a few inches singed off. The beast readied another attack, but then a boomerang then caught it on the side of the head. It turned to Bunny.
"we all agree with North mate. Give us another chance. We'll make it up to you." The dragon however, didn't seam to care. It rushed forward, but tripped over. It looked, and saw a whip of golden sand had been wrapped around it's legs.
"Lantern." The dragon looked up and saw Tooth and her fairies hovering a few feet above
it. "I was the one who treated you the worse. I was bitter to you because of you holiday's customs. I'm sorry." The jewel on the dragon's neck began to glow orange when.
"Lantern!" Everyone turned to face Frost.
"I haven't know you long, but I felt I had a good idea of who you were; quiet, smart, unusual but not bad. I believed that you would be a great guardian, and that you and I would be good friends. I was really hurt when you went over to Pitch, but if you come back now and help us stop him, I can forgive everything. So please Lantern, come around." Frost's voice shook as he spoke. There silent for a moment, then in a burst of flames Lantern returned to his true form. He got up, shook the sand for Sandy's whips of his trousers, then spoke.
"Don't you remember what I said last time we spoke Frost? 'Over the years I've learned to read between the lines, but anyone can see that I don't belong here. I'm learning that Pitch's plans are far more rewarding then being a guardian, and I await instructions on how to proceed forward.' I have found that I made a wonderful choice, and have even befriended his accomplice 'Loss.'
"You would rather help one of Pitch's ankle biters then the children of the world? Bunny said, incredulously.
"I have found the two to be one in the same, and he needs my help." Lantern said. "I will promise you this though. At 9:30 PM this Friday, the world will change forever, and it's happening in Burgess, Pennsylvania. I hope to see you there." Then, without warning, he pointed his lantern at the icy ground and released a massive fire blast. This resulted in a massive cloud of steam that engulfed the guardians.
"Were did Lantern go?" Frost shouted. For an instant he thought he heard a high pitch buzzing and saw a small flash of orange out of the corner of his eye, but it was so brief he must have imagined it. Frost summoned gust of wind that blew away the steam, but Lantern was nowhere to be seen.
"He must have escaped through the hut's door." Bunny said. "He's probably back with Pitch by now, that mangy,back stabbing…" but his rage died down when he saw Frost. Jack was looking as miserable as Bunny had been angry. It was beyond sadness, it was utter devastation. Not sure what else to do, the other guardians made their way to him, and gave him a hug.
"Where is Lantern?" Pitch said. "He should have been back by now. "A day had passed since Lantern had left, and Pitch and his dark guardians hadn't seen him since.
"He met his end at the hands of the guardians?" Primal asked. "The fool should have taken the nightmares with him."
"Perhaps." Pitch said with a sigh. Lantern had proved to have been a worthy ally, and if he had met his end at the hands of the guardians, well his plan would go on without him, but it was still a heavy loss. Primal and Shock were indifferent to Lantern's disappearance, but Loss was easily the most upset. The beautiful bar of chocolate Lantern gave him was clutched tightly in his hand.
To be continued
I hope you enjoyed it. It feels good to be creating again. Next chapter, we begin the countdown to the eclipse. I hope to read some positive reviews, and gain some new followers. Until next time.