Chapter 12 Night of the eclipse, part 4 : The Guardian of Mystery.
So this is the surface of the moon. Lantern thought as he stood up. It wasn't the pale-silvery surface he had seen in pictures, but a dark copper color, almost like rust. He looked up, and saw what could only be described as a super eclipse. The earth looked just like the moon would during a solar eclipse: only magnified a hundred times over. The moment of awe inspiring wonder was interrupted however, when he was forced to dodge a swing from a scythe that nearly took his head off.
"I must admit I'm impressed. You managed to hitch a ride and follow me here Lantern." Pitch said. "But your efforts will be in vain. There's nothing you can do to stop me now." Then from out of nowhere there came a third voice. A voice that was both loud and booming, but also gentle, kind and innocent sounding.
"You're wrong Pitch. Lantern is the one to defeat you." Now, if Pitch or Lantern had a bird's eye-view of the moon's surface, they would have seen the giant, round, craters-for-eyes face looking up at them.
"We'll see about that, old friend." Pitch raised his scythe over his head like a pickaxe. Realizing what he was about to do, Lantern charged forward and blocked Pitch's strike with his lantern, which had just turned it into a claymore.
"Fine." Pitch said with a sneer. "I'll finish you off before I finish off the moon."
"It doesn't need to be this way Pitch." Lantern said, his knees beginning to shake under the strain. "It may sound contradictory, but fear is an important quality that we all need. Fear is only bad if you let it consume you."
"What are you blabbering about." Pitch said bearing down on him.
"I'm blabbering about you becoming a guardian along with me. Let's go back together and work together to help the children of the world." Pitch glared at Lantern for a moment, then said, in his coldest voice yet.
"North made me the same offer once. I wouldn't take it then, and I'm not taking it now!"
The Scythe dissolved back into black sand, that struck Lantern square in the chest, knocking him to the ground, his lantern flew out of his and and landed several feet away. Before he could do anything, however, Pitch stomped down on Lantern's chest, and made a black sand sword and raised it above him, as if to thrust down.
(meanwhile, back on Earth)
Everyone was at a loss of what to do, even Loss. It was just so surreal. If Pitch's plan had worked, he and Lantern had just rode the earth's shadow all the way to the moon. The battle for the fate of the earth, wasn't even being fought on the earth.
"What do we do now?" Bunny said.
"We help Lantern, that's what." Frost replied.
"How do we do that?" Asked Tooth.
"By picking up where we left off." And he threw another snowball at Loss. Suddenly remembering they were still fighting, Loss shook of the snow and leapt at Frost.
"WHOW." The guardian of fun flew to the left as Loss collided into a boulder, cracking it in two. "Come on guy's, he's the last dark guardian. We beat him, Pitch will loss his strength and Lantern might stand a chance."
"Jack is right." North said. "We need to save this child." He turned his attention to the Yetis. "You need to hold him down."
The Yetis grunted they understanding and charged. Getting the idea, Tooth's fairies and the egg statues joined the fray. the fairies flew around Loss' head to distract him, the Yetis and statues knocked him to the ground and attempted to pin him.
"Get off of me!" Loss shouted. With a almighty lurch, threw all the Yeti's and egg statues off of him.
"Oh Crikey." Bunny said as he avoided one of his egg statues hurtling toward him. "What is it going to take for us to get through to this ankle-biter?"
"We need to help them." Tommy said. He and Jenny, unable to resist, had turned around and we're watching the battle from behind a tree.
"What can we do?" Jenny asked."
"I don't know, but I can't just sit here and do nothing."
Loss seized on of the Yeti's clubs on the ground, and charged at Bunny.
"Mate, don't do this. Were trying to help you." Bunny said as he jumped out of the way of Loss' swings.
"'Help me?' If you wanted to help me, then where were you when I needed you most?"
"Mate, there are limits to what we can do."
"And we're not supposed to get involved with what's happening in the world." Tooth added.
"Well then maybe you should." Loss threw the club at Tooth, which caught her in the stomach and knocked her to the ground.
"Tooth!" Frost and North both cried as they rushed to her aid. Sandy swung his sand whip at Loss, who caught it around his forearm. However, instead of Sandy throwing him around, the dark guardian swung Sandy like a tetherball and sent Sandy flying right into North, Frost and Tooth.
"Why you." Bunny leapt at Loss, but Loss grabbed him by the ankle and threw him on top of the others. Loss Picked up another of the Yeti's dropped clubs, and advanced toward the downed guardians.
"It's time to end this." As Loss raised the club over his head, North tightened his on his sword. It went against everything he believed in, he would be breaking the very creed he and the guardians lived by, but this at this point it may well be the only way to save the entire world.
"Hey!" Loss turned and saw Tommy and Jenny. This was the perfect moment. All North had to do was thrust and it would all be over. His arm tensed, ready to strike, but he couldn't do it. He just lay there, and watched as the two children slowly approached Loss.
"Get out of here you two." Frost said as he tried to get up.
"We won't." Tommy retorted. "Not until I've talked to him." Loss said and did nothing as the two approached.
"I'm sorry if I'm being nosy, but from what I heard, it sounds like Santa and the others let you down."
"They did." Loss replied.
"Well, I haven't known them for long, but I know they would never turn their backs on any of us."
"But they did turn their backs on me." Loss retorted. "And Pitch was to one who saved me, gave me these powers and a purpose."
"Only so he could use you. Do you really think he cares about you?"
"He's right Loss." Frost said. "Pitch doesn't care about you, he just wants to use you as a tool. But you know who does care about you: Lantern."
"Lantern lied to me. He pretended to be my friend so that he could learn about Pitch's plans." It wasn't until he spoke the words that Loss realized they weren't true. Lantern never once asked him about Pitch's plans.
"Maybe that's how it started out, but Lantern grew to care for you. He's the one who told us about your past, and that you need us to save you.". Loss opened his mouth, but closed it, apparently not knowing what to say.
"Lantern cares for you, he wants you to be happy, which is more than Pitch ever did." North said as he and the other guardians got up.
"All of you stop it! I need to think!" Loss screamed. He was clutching his head like he had a migraine and panting like he'd been running.
"What's there to think about?" Tommy said as he and Jenny walked closer. They reached out, and wrapped their arms around Loss.
"AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" Loss screams echoes throughout the forest. As he shouted, a stream of black sand spewed forth from out of his mouth.
"Rimsky Karsakov!" North exclaimed in disgust as the black sand sprayed into the air and disintegrated. Once the last grain had vanished, Loss passed out, and the guardians all felt a sudden boost in their strength. The boy was free of Pitch's clutches.
(back on the moon)
As Pitch raised the sword above him, he suddenly wobbled and stumbled backward, like he were carrying something heavy. "What the..."
This slip up was all that Lantern needed. Before Pitch could react, he rolled over, and made a bound for his lantern. The low gravity allowed him to reach it in one leap, and as soon as he got a hold, swung it hard and shot a jet of fire. Pitch leapt aside, but before getting a burn on his arm.
"What is happening to me?"
"It seems my friends saved Loss. That means all of you dark guardians have been defeated." Lantern replied. Pitch glared at him.
"So what! They all served their purpose, and got me here. Now, it's time to take what's mine." He made another scythe of black sand, and thrust the blade hard into the moon's surface.
"AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" The moon screams echoed all around them. The surface shook as the black sand began to seep into the ground, turning the red surface black. Lantern fired another jet of fire at Pitch, before transforming into a kangaroo and with a single bound, cleared the distance between them and kicked him into a crater.
"Are you okay?" Lantern asked as he looked down at the puncture Pitch had made in the ground. The black sand had dissolved once the blade had been removed.
"I'm fine, but do try to stop him from doing that again." The moon said with the air of someone trying to make light of a serious injury. While Lantern and the moon spoke, Pitch had gotten back to his feet, and launched a torrent of black sand.
"It's over." he said as the sand piled down on Lantern. Certain of his victory, Pitch made another scythe and raised it above him, unaware of the silvery beetle speeding toward him. Just before Pitch could strike, the beetle shot a fireball straight at Pitch's face.
"AAGGGHH!" Pitch shouted as he avoided the flames, but was not able to avoid the upper-cut Lantern gave him when he changed back. As Pitch fell prone upon the ground, Lantern leapt upon him, one hand gripped tightly upon Pitch's colar, in his other hand, his lantern became a knife, which he held to Pitch's throat.
"Don't make me do it Pitch." Lantern said sternly. "The world needs fear, and I don't want to take it away."
"Okay, okay, I give up." Pitch said raising his hands. "Can you blame me for trying. You don't know what it feel like to hated and unwelcome by everyone."
"Yes I do. That's how the others treated me." said Lantern. "That's why I invited you to join us. The offer still stands you know." Pitch looked at Lantern for a moment, then said.
"I can't. It's not in my nature, I'm not like you or the others."
"Your too hard on yourself Pitch, but if this is your choice, so be it." Lantern said.
Pitch gave Lantern a small smile, then disappeared again. Lantern stood up, his lantern back to normal and pointed in front of him like a gun, expecting Pitch to try a surprise attack.
"It's alright," said the moon. "He's gone back earth, you've won. Well done Jack O"Lantern. I knew I was right to chose you."
"But why did you chose me?"
"Because you just what the other s needed to combat Pitch; knowledgeable, wise, versatile, dark and mysterious."
"I'm flattered." Lantern replied.
"Also, I had hoped that you would be able to get through to Pitch. Do what North was unable to do and convince him to join you and the others."
"Well, it seems I failed in that regard."
"I don't know about that. I think you may have had more of an impact on Pitch then you think, but only time will tell."
"Not to change the subject, but how exactly am I supposed to get back?" Lantern ask as he looked up at the Earth. "I know better then to try and open a door here."
"No need to worry my friend, I'll send you back myself once the eclipse has passed." Manny said calmly. "In the meantime, want to see the spot were America landed on my?"
(back on Earth)
For a while the guardians and children looked up at the moon. Watching as the eclipse slowly came to an end.
"How is Lantern gonna get back." Frost finally said. No sooner had he spoken the words then the moon's glew brighter, and a ghostly image of Lantern appeared before them. The projection grew more and more solid, and before they knew it Jack O'Lantern stood before them again.
"I'm back." Lantern said awkwardly.
"I take it you won." Frost said. They all burst out laughing, even lantern gave a monotone chuckle. They spent the rest of the night finding all of the children that Shock former victims and returned them home; Bunny's tunnels made it easy. It wasn't until dawn that they had finished. They had just walked the Bennet kids home when Frost said, "Hold on. I just remembered, Lantern hasn't officially become a guardian yet."
"Rimsky Karsakov, you are right Jack." North exclaimed. "What say you Lantern?"
"I'm ready."
"Then it time you take Oath." One of his Yesti's handed him the ornate book. Everyone circled around Lantern as North opened the book and read,
"Will you, Jack O'Lantern vow to watch over the children of the world, to guard them with your life, there hopes, their wished, and their dream, for they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be?"
Lantern took a deep breath, and said, "I will."
"Then congratulation Jack O"Lantern, for you are now and forever more, a guardian." Everyone was jubilant. North kissed Lantern on both cheeks, Bunny gave him a hearty pat on the back, and Tooth's fairies flew in formation and spell out the message, U...R...O...K. As if on cue, North's sleigh appeared out of nowhere and came to land in the middle of the road.
"Wow!" Tommy exclaimed as he and Jenny both ran up to get a closer look.
"Everyone loves the sleigh. North said proudly. He then cuffed Lantern on the shoulder. "Time to go."
"Go on without me. I have some unfinished business to tend to." He looked to the left and saw Loss hiding behind a tree. He had followed them all over town, but had always kept his distance.
"Lantern, you know we can not get directly involved." North whispered in his ear.
"I'm the best he's got. Please North." North looked at Lantern for a bit, then gave a resigned nod. As the rest of the guardians piled into the sleigh, their helpers were preparing their own ways home. The fairies flew off into the sky, the egg statues opened and leapt down rabbit holes, and the yeti's used a snow globe to open a portal back to the pole.
"Hang on." Lantern said, recognizing the elves that he had teased with a chocolate bar. He held out his hands, and in a burst of flames, made a giant chocolate bar and gave it to the elves, who gladly took it before returning home. Once they were all alone, Lantern approached Loss.
"So, Loss."
"Please don't call me that, my name is Nihat."
"Okay, Nihat." I know that you've had a lot taken from you, but now it's time you got something back." Lantern took Nihat to a well funded orphanage, and after assuming one of his more influential personas, got the boy set up. After the matron of orphanage gave them a tour, Lantern asked to speak with the boy in private.
"Well, Nihat, this is where we say our goodbyes." Lantern said as he returned to normal. "I know this isn't exactly ideal, but it's the best I can do for you."
"It's alright, thank you." and Nihat gave Lantern a hug. "Will I ever see you again?"
"Oh, I think you will." Lantern walked to a closet door knocked twice and opened it. Before he stepping through, he turned back and said, "but I doubt you'll know it's me." As he spoke, he changed into Nihat himself and with a small laugh, walked through the door and closed.
The end
I hope you all enjoyed this final chapter. Well, maybe that's a bit misleading. I do have planned a bonus chapter just for fun. My hope is to get it posted on Halloween so I'll get started on it right away. I would also like to inform you that this bonus chapter will be preceded by a special announcement for all of my followers. Fun fact, Loss' true name is actual the name of my late uncle. I thought this would be a nice little tribute to him. I'll see you guys on Halloween, and remember, I'll have a special announcement.