After leaving Loki's side, Jack flew up to the roof Pitch was hiding on. With a few well-placed ice blasts to the guarding nightmares, freezing them in place, he set Pitch off running. Jack tried and failed to hit Pitch with a blast and set off in a chase after him. Down below on the streets, Bunny and North set out to join the chase after the nightmare king. "All yours, mate." Bunny called after North after conjuring up a tunnel.
Pitch had led Jack into an attempted trap, throwing a stand spear much like the one he used on Sandy. Right as it was about to hit the winter child, Tooth flew passed and cut through the spear with her wings. Jack yelled out his thanks as she sliced through another sand creature.
Bunny jumped up from a chimney with a puff of soot. "Ho ho ho." At the last ho he threw his trusted boomerang and took out a pair of mares. North, however, made a slight miscalculation. "Wrong roof." He said slightly confused as he watched the battle from a roof across the street. He didn't have much free time as the other guardians had driven Pitch to flee once again. Unluckily for the Boogeyman, his escape was met with North's swords, causing him to fall to the ground.
Pitch had just enough time to conjure up a scythe as North went straight into attacking him again. Although he managed to disarm the Cossack, Bunny jumped in right on time, making himself the next target. Pitch swung a bit to hard as his scythe came stuck after missing Aster, giving the perfect opening to throw a boomerang. Pitch danced around the onslaught of attacks from Aster, Tooth and even Jack as he was made to back into a corner. "It's over Pitch. There's no place to hide."
In a moment of forgetfulness, they had pushed Pitch into a shadow cast corner. Using the shadows to his full potential, Pitch sank into them. His echoing laugh and shadow bouncing on the walls, making it hard for the guardians to locate the source. They were so distracted that they didn't notice Pitch reemerging in the same place, preparing to swing at Jack. Bunny saw just in time and yelled out a warning, throwing a boomerang as well. The weapon bounced off of the scythe and Pitch nearly made contact with Jack. But the impact never came as a whip of golden sand wrapped itself around his arm.
The guardians scrambled to follow Pitch as he was being dragged atop a hill, towards a twister of golden sand. Pitch looked up in fear as the middle of the twister glowed brightly. In utter disbelief he stared on as Sanderson Mansnoozie himself emerged. The guardian of dreams pulled the nightmare king closer, mutely tutting disapprovingly. Still holding onto his dream sand whip, Sandy reeled back before uppercutting Pitch, sending him flying high into the sky.
"The sandman!" The children said as the arrived to the scene. Sandy turned to face them, creating a hat to tip in greeting. As Jamie saluted him, Sandy felt a slight tug on his whip. He pulled it down hard, letting it disappear as Pitch fell down with a bounce. The guardians cheered as North lifted Sandy in joy. "Mate, you are a sight for sore eyes." Bunny commented as he too greeted his old friend.
Jack saw Loki running to them, still pumped from the battle he was in. Jack laughed as he intercepted his friend. "Chill, Lokes, battle is over. And guess what! Sandy is back!" Jack jumped in joy as Loki calmed down. The mage let his skin return to a more suitable color and set his daggers away. He pouted slightly as he confirmed there were no more Nightmares around to destroy.
Sandy lifted up on a cloud of dream sand. Oncehe was high enough, he released a whole set of tendrils, sending dreams back tothe children with the intent of getting them to believe again.
---
Children all over the world regained their belief, strengthening each guardian, and thus their helpers as well. Baby Tooth felt her strength return as she watched the lights come back on. Without wasting a second, she flew up to the cages and unlocked them all. The newly freed fairies rushed to the discarded tooth canisters below them and released each living child's memories, further strengthening their beliefs in the guardians and filling them with hope and wonder once again.
---
Gorgeous dream sand creatures filled the streets and skies of Burgess, spreading out in a diameter around Sandy as he spread his dreams.
The children looked on in awe as they interacted with the dream sand. Jamie almost got to pet a fish, before a certain winter spirit hit him with a snowball. He looked to Jack, who was bouncing another ball, a silent invite to a snowball fight. Jamie laughed as he gathered up enough snow for a ball and set it flying. Monty didn't dodge in time and fell back after getting hit. His friends all laughed and prepared their own ammo as they set out to attack.
As everybody was enjoying themselves, North approached Jack. He gestured to the fight and raised a knowing brow. "Your center?" Jack smiled, proud he had figured it out and seeing the effects of it right in front of them. "Well, it took a while. But I figured it out." North smiled back proudly and threw a tiny wooden figure, much like his own. Jack caught in and studied it, appreciation radiating off of him. North laughed and turned Jack around, pointing at a still skulking Loki just a bit away from the snowball fight.
Jack approached his friend, laughing at the elder's mood. "Come on, Loki. Everybody is having fun!" Loki scowled and crossed his arms. "I do not lower myself to such childish battles. They would not stand a chance against me." Jack simply laughed as he nudged his friend. "We both know that's not true. You love playing when you get to fight me." Loki's scowl deepened even more as he turned his head. "Well I am simply not in the mood, Frosti." Now it was Jack's turn to pout. "Aww, come on, you know I don't like that nickname. Jokul hated me from the moment he heard of my existence." Jack's scowl turned into a smirk as he noticed Jamie had rolled a snowball his way.
"You know," he started as he picked up the ball, "I bet I can beat you with ease." Loki looked at him suspiciously and took a precautious step away. "Don't you dare, Jack. I will destro-" Loki was cut off by a well aimed snowball. He wiped off the snow from his face as Jack hysterically. Now it's on, the brat had asked for it. Loki smirked mischievously as he conjured up a small set of snowballs. Jack noticed just in time and knew that look meant trouble. As Loki chased him, Jack ran off screaming as his plan worked.
North laughed at Jack's antics. The boy really had earned his spot as the fifth guardian. He was brought out of his musing as he got hit in the back of the head. He turned to see Caleb and Claude, pointing at one of the elves. Saint Nick bellowed a laugh as he gathered up his own snowball. "You're all on naughty list!" He yelled out to them as he looked for his target. "Bunny! Think fast!" Aster didn't have enough time to dodge as he got hit straight in the face.
Pitch awoke to everybody having fun in their friendly battle, dream sand creatures passing him by without much care. Angrily, he stormed onto the battlefield. "You dare have fun in my presence. I am the Boogeyman!" He yelled out, catching Jack's attention. Pitch want straight for Jamie, trying to catch the playing child. "You will fear me!" But Jamie did not as he passed effortlessly though the nightmare king. Pitch cried out in disbelief, making sure he as still a solid to himself. He saw that the guardians looked on with pitying gazes. Before they could do anything, Pitch ran away into the forest.
Pitch ran all the way until he ran onto a frozen lake, fearfully watching behind him for if he were to be followed. This ended up being a fatal mistake, as he ran straight into North's belly and bounced off, landing on his ass on the ice. "Leaving the party soon?" The Cossack questioned as the others gathered behind him. Tooth fluttered in front of them, twirling a coin between her fingers. "You didn't even say goodbye." She threw it at him. "A quarter?" He questioned, looking up in time to see Tooth punch him square in the face. He fell back from the force at it set one of his teeth flying. "That's for my fairies." She said as she shook off the pain in her hand. Loki stepped forward and threw an ice dagger into his shoulder. "Consider this a parting gift." He said, enjoying Pitch's pained cries a bit too much. Jack elbowed him slightly. "Loki, that wasn't nice." He scolded as the god simply raised his shoulders. "He deserved it and you said I could stab him."
Pitch stood up shaking in pain, grasping the freezing dagger. "You can't get rid of me!" He cried out. "Not forever! There will always be fear." His words held no threat as North casually blew him off. "So what? As long as one child believes, we will be here to fight fear." He said confidently, the rest backing up his claims.
"Really?" The defeated nightmare king questioned as he gestured to the shores of the pond. "Then what are they doing here?" Nightmares had gathered on the shoreline, surrounding the whole lake.
North let out a laugh, not at all intimidated by the creatures anymore. "They can't be my nightmares, I'm not afraid." A chorus of similar claims sounded from the others as Jack looked at Pitch triumphantly. "Looks like it's your fear they smell."
Pitch reeled back in fear as he realized it too. The nightmares grew restless and began their attack. Pitch tried in vain to run from his own creations as the sand engulfed him. They dragged him back to the same bed covered hole he lured Jack in. Desperately he tried to claw out of the force pulling him in ,but it was no use. As Pitch and the nightmares disappeared into the hole, it dragged in the tattered bedframe as well before closing itself up.
Clouds parted from the full moon as Tooth celebrated their victory by hugging Jack. Realizing what she did, she pulled away shyly and fluttered back over to North.
"Are you ready now, Jack?" Santa asked, "To make it official." Jack could already hear the grumpy music elves from before giving a silent threat. They will play their tunes, whether he likes it or not. Loki laughed as he conjured up his bucket of popcorn again. "Oh, this is gonna be good." He laughed as a yeti brought North a big, old book. "It is time you take oat." He stated as Jack smiled brightly. Everybody was there to witness it, even Jamie and his friends. Maybe best of all is that they left out the torches this time.
North opened the book and flipped through several pages before he landed on the correct one. "Will you, Jack Frost, vow to watch over the children of the world? To guard them with your life; their hopes, their wishes, and their dreams? For they are all that we have, all that we are and all that we will ever be." Jack looked back Loki, who just threw a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth. The winter child laughed as he looked at Jamie, who nodded encouragingly. Confidently, Jack turned back to North.
"I will."
North tried his best to hold in his joy, still having to finish the ceremony. "Then, congratulations, Jack Frost. For you are now, and forever more, a guardian!" Everyone cheered as North walked up to Jack and picked him up by the shoulders. "Klasno!" He exclaimed as he hugs the boy before giving him a kiss on the cheek. North laughed at Jack's expression as Bunny cheered. "That's my boy! Wooooo!" 8 little fairies for med a heart as they swooned for Jack. "Keep it together girls. Let's not disgrace the uniform." Tooth commented right as one fainted.
The children cheered loudly as North's sleigh appeared back in the air, fully restored and complete with reindeer. Jamie, with Sophie in hand, walked up to inspect it with the other children. Bunny couldn't help himself but lean over to North. "Everyone loves the sleigh." North smiled as he placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Time to go."
Sandy took his que and created some dream sand fireworks I the air as they all prepared to leave. "You're leaving?" Jamie asked, a bit of fear sparking back up. Jack walked over to his young friend as Jamie expressed his growing fears. "What if Pitch comes back? What if we stop believing again? If I can't see you I-"
Jack cut him off as he kneeled down to be at eyelevel with the young boy. "Hey. Hey, hey, slow down, slow down. You telling me you stop believing in the moon when the sun comes up?" Jamie looked down a bit as he admittingly answered a no. "Okay, well do you stop believing in the sun when clouds block it out?" He continued as Jamie laughed at the question and repeated his previous answer. We'll always be there, Jamie. And now...we'll always be here." Jack said as he pointed to Jamie's heart. "Which kind of makes you a Guardian too. Besides, worst case scenario, I send Loki back in." Jack laughed as he stood up.
Loki choked on his popcorn and walked over to the pair. "You what? I will do no such thing, Frost!" Jack laughed and brushed away Loki's playfully threatening finger. "Admit it, Loki. You like doing good." Loki huffed and crossed his arms defiantly. "I will admit no such thing, I was merely enjoying the destruction of those blasted creatures and getting some sweet revenge on that wannabe king." Jack laughed as he started making his way to the sleigh. "Sure, Lokes, Keep telling yourself that."
As he almost reached the other guardians, Jamie cries out after him, tackling him in a hug. After returning the hug, he booped Jamie on the nose and got onto the sleigh. As North tugged the reins, Jack called out a final message to his good friend. "Oh, Loki! I'm sure Thor will let you join the Avengers after I tell him all about you next Saturday!"
"Jack! Don't you dare! I will skin you alive if you even utter a syllable about this! Frost!" Jack's laugh echoed in the air as Loki yelled after him, lit by the bright shining moon.