The Elemental's Curse

Vinter

The nightmare horses didn't stop until they were deep within Pitch's lair in the undergrounds of Burgess. Jack held onto his horse's mane tightly as they galloped across the rough terrain.

"Pitch!" he shouted. "He took my staff! I need my staff back!"

The horses stopped in the main room where the two spirits had their second confrontation a year ago, and Jack immediately jumped down from his horse.

"Are you even listening to me? I need my-"

"Be quiet," Pitch groaned, getting off of his horse and reaching into the darkness. Jack's eyes widened when he pulled out Jack's staff and tossed it to him. Pitch frowned seeing his face. "You still don't trust me, do you?"

"I don't care if you're my gramps or not," Jack narrowed his eyes, clutching his staff tightly. "You attacked me and the Guardians a year ago. Why should I trust you?"

"Family doesn't always get along, Jack," Pitch said as he dismissed the horses and paced around the area. "We all have our rough patches and disagreements, don't we?"

"But family doesn't normally try to kill one another."

"You heard what I told Ebenezer," Pitch replied seriously. "And I meant every word, Jack. I tried my best to keep you out of harm's way without the Guardians realizing what I was doing. I never imagined you'd get involved with anything that included the Guardians. I had never known that Manny chose you as a Guardian. No one but Seraphina did until he told the Guardians. It's why I tried to get you out of the way, or at least on my side."

"Aw, feeling the love," Jack smirked.

"Shut up."

XXX

Pitch found himself hours later in the Globe Room at the North Pole, nursing some eggnog as North recalled his days of being a bandit to Pitch, which Pitch found most amusing. He looked around the room to see Sandy putting Jack to sleep with a dreamsand story, with his head on Tooth's lap, who ran her hands through Jack's hair happily. Baby Tooth had cuddled herself into Jack's hoodie, hugging his ear. Bunny kept himself warm by the fireplace, sneaking cookies from a nearby tray when Tooth was distracted.

"And the time the lads and I tried to get to Atlanta!" North bellowed, catching Pitch's attention again. "Kept a note to myself afterwards: burly Russian thieves cannot craft water-breathing potions." That brought a chuckle to Pitch's lips, causing North to smile. "Pitch, I must thank you. You helped save Jack, even after everything that happened last year."

"He's my grandson, North," Pitch reminded him. "Why do you think I focused practically everything on Jack? I was trying to get him out of the fight so I wouldn't have to hurt him. But breaking his staff and throwing him into that cavern? I let the pure rage of betrayal take over, and Jack had no idea of the true reason. It never occurred to me Manny had created him a Guardian; Seraphina never told me he was a child of both. It hasn't happened in centuries."

"Jack's not the only one?" North asked.

Pitch nodded. "A young English girl, if I remember correctly. Her name was Johanna. She mostly kept ground England during the Black Plague, trying to keep the children, both healthy and ill, happy and enthusiastic. In 1355, when the plague finally disappeared, she disappeared along with it. We never found her."

North thought deeply before noticing something behind Pitch. "Ah, Seraphina. Didn't expect to see you so soon."

Pitch turned to see his daughter and the three other seasonal elementals walk into the Globe Room. Seraphina smirked at her father.

"I never thought I'd ever see my father drinking eggnog with Santa Claus."

"They kidnapped me," he defended himself. "How is Ebenezer?"

"Knocked out in his cell in the dungeons," Seraphina shrugged. "The bear guards got tired of listening to him yell."

Bunny chuckled, getting up from his chair and nodding his head towards Pitch. "So you're never going to try and take over again?"

"That wouldn't be any fun, would it?" Pitch joked.

"Admit it, gramps," a voice joined in. Everyone focused their attention on a smirking Jack, now sitting up. "You love us."

"Oh, go back to sleep, you annoying brat."