winter love [j.f]

two.

"pitch! you shadow sneaking ratbag, c'mere!" bunny yelled, the guardians jumping down to the platform jack and i were on, running after pitch. pitch just smirked, disappearing into the center of the platform's shadows.

tooth turned around, seeing him on a higher platform, flying after him. though, she backed away as a nightmare appeared. avalon growled at the shadow horse. pitch laughed as he teasingly calmed the mare down, looking back at us after.

"look familiar, sandman?" pitch teased. "took me a while to perfect this little trick.. turning dreams into nightmares.." he smirked. avalon growled, stalking over to the rest of the guardians, jack not far behind.

"don't be nervous, it only riles them up more. they smell fear, you know," pitch chuckled, running his hands along the nightmare.

"what fear? of you? HA!" bunny laughed, tooth handing over one of his boomerang. "no one's been afraid of you since the dark ages!" bunny exclaimed, pointing his boomerang at pitch. "oh, the dark ages," pitch sighed, a blissful smile on his face as he ranted about how good they were for him.

"oh, look," pitch smirked as the palace around us began to crumble. "it's happening already," pitch teased.

"what is..?" i asked quietly as i looked over at jack. he just pursed his lips as he shook his head angrily.

"children are waking up and realizing the tooth fairy never came," pitch scoffed happily. "i mean such a little thing!" pitch shrugged, glaring happily down at tooth after. "but to a child..?"

"what's going on?" i asked quietly again, looking back at jack. jack looked over at me, his eyes softening. i pushed my mask up, confusion and slight fear written on my face.

"they.. they don't believe in me anymore.." tooth mumbled. i tuned out everything around me as i looked back up at pitch, realization sinking in, knowing pitch was talking to me.

suddenly, after something pitch said, bunny threw his boomerang, making avalon jump into the air and chase after pitch. i quickly pulled my mask down, leaning into avalon.

avalon blasted a plasma ball at pitch before extending her wings, stopping our dive. bunny threw eggs, the eggs exploding around pitch before he managed to get into a crack of shadows.

the guardians all landed on the ground, avalon landing right in between bunny and jack, making jack look over as avalon growled, looking around.

i sighed as i realized pitch was gone, pushing my mask up.

the guardians began talking amongst themselves as tooth was off to the side, holding a scroll.

i sighed and slid off of avalon, walking over cautiously and crouching down, avalon behind me.

"i'm sorry about the fairies.." i mumbled.

"you should've seen them," tooth sighed. "they put up such a fight.."

"why would pitch take the teeth?" i asked as jack walked over, crouching down next to me.

"it's not the teeth he wanted.. it's the memories inside them.." tooth explained. i looked up at her confused. "what do you mean?" i asked.

"that's why we collect the teeth, astrea.." tooth sighed. i've gotta tell them to stop calling me that.. i thought.

"they hold the most important memories of childhood.." tooth continued, flying over to a small painting.

"my fairies and i watch over them, and when someone needs to remember what's important.. we help them.." tooth sighed. "we had everyone's here," tooth shrugged, "even yours," she looked over and smiled.

confusion bubbled in me.

"my memories?" i asked. tooth nodded, flying back over to jack and i. jack looked over at me, raising a brow. i chuckled dryly, "what memories?"

tooth tilted her head. "your memories from before you were a guardian." she told me.

i froze for a moment, looking behind me at avalon.

"i was someone before i was.. me?" i asked softly, jack's eyes widening as he looked up at tooth. tooth looked back at jack, giving him a look before looking at me. "you were," tooth nodded. "we all were."

i looked back up at tooth.

i need to get those teeth.. i thought to myself.

"we're getting the teeth back." i stated firmly, climbing onto avalon. "what?" jack asked. "we're getting them back." i repeated, clipping myself to the saddle and adjusting things that were out of place.

tooth gasped as feathers started falling off of her.

"what?" i asked, looking up.

"the children.. we're too late.." tooth whimpered.

"no.. no!" north yelled, waving his swords around. "no such thing as too late!" north continued.

i hummed, thinking as north did the same.

after a moment, a smile formed on north's face.

"wait.." north mumbled. "wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" north slightly got louder before turning and pointing his sword at bunny. "idea!" north laughed, bunny leaning back.

"we will collect the teeth!" north yelled excitedly as he continued to wave his swords around. though, he stopped as avalon stalked over at bellowed, annoyed.

tooth and north went back and forth, the guardians happily agreeing to north's plan, bragging about how much they do in a given amount of time. after a moment, jack looked over at me, the guardians following his movement. "i'm not going to say how much i do," i shrugged, making the guardians attitude become less confident. "but," i continued. "i have a dragon," i smirked, pulling down my mask.

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