...
(Y/N)'s P.O.V
"It was awesome!" Jamie's voice comes from his room as Jack and I watch from the window. "So then I was flying down this hill and it was like, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh through these cars!" He explains, dramatically waving his toy around. "And then this truck was coming at me but then got slowed down! And then the sled hit this-this thing and it was like way up in the air!"
He leaps up, landing onto bed and on his back.
"And then bam! A sofa hit me, and see? My tooth came out!" Jamie shows Sophie his missing tooth, making her giggle as she reaches for it.
"All right, you," his Mom laughs, shaking her head. "Tooth under your pillow?"
"Yeah, I'm ready." He firmly replies, clicking his toy on to light up the room as he grabs his flashlight from under his pillow.
"Now, don't stay up trying to see her, Jamie," his Mom reminds as he shines his light around. "Or she won't come."
"But I can do it this time! You wanna help me, Soph? We can hide and see the Tooth Fairy!"
"Hide, hide, hide, hide!" Sophie grins, clapping.
"Uh-uh. Straight to bed now, mister," their Mom shakes her head, grabbing Sophie as she whines before giggling.
"Mom!" Jamie groans, sighing.
Jack's magic frosts over the window, making me look up at him. His smile drops when he notices it, shaking his head as he clears his throat.
He gracefully leaps on the rooftop, waiting for me as I look back at the happy family. With a sigh, I fly up, joining him.
"You okay?" I softly question, sighing as I look around at the handful of people walking along the sidewalk.
"I just... I don't get it." Jack grunts, sighing as he looks towards the Moon. "If there's something we're doing wrong... Can you just tell us what it is? I mean, I've tried everything... And she... She is known to be Cupid! And yet... No one ever sees us."
Manny was quiet as I sadly watch Jack, sighing softly as I sit on the rooftop.
"You put me-- us here! She was alone way before you put me here. The least you can do... Is tell us why."
I frown as only silence was heard in response.
It was true. Like Jack... I don't know why I became 'Cupid'. I only knew my name and my title... And that was all.
Jack grips his staff as he plops down on the roof next to me with a huff, his hoodie over his head.
I look around with a small frown, gasping when I spot a young woman walking towards a young man, who was texting while he waited at the bus stop.
"I know what will make you feel better," I grin, flipping his hood down and pulling him to his feet as he chuckles.
"Oh?"
"Come on, come on!" I reply, dragging him closer and we both fly up, landing on electricity lines. "Okay, see that woman?"
"... No," Jack sarcastically responds, making me sigh and lightly punch his arm as he yelps with a laugh. "Okay, yes. I see her. So?"
"You're going to help me make those two meet," I grin, my bow conjuring in my hand and an arrow appearing in my quiver.
"Wait-- really?! Yes!" He cheers, jumping in the air and balancing on his staff as he grins, eagerly looking down at me. "Finally! I get to help you. So... what do ya want me to do?"
"When I say 'Go', lightly freeze the sidewalk in front of the man," I instruct, taking my arrow and notching it on my bow. "Then, she will slip, and he will hopefully catch her. That's when I shoot between them, and bam! Love at first sight," I dramatically finish, watching my arrow change from silver to a bright pink.
"Wow, I mean, I knew that was a thing but never thought I'd get to see it happen to someone else," Jack nods, making me pause.
He knows it's a thing?
"Wait, so you've experienced--" My eyes shift to the two, and I notice it was time. "Oh! Go!" I yell, making him jump as he quickly jumps off his staff, waving it and freezing the sidewalk as I aim.
The man looks up with a gasp as the woman slips backwards, making him lunge forward to grab her. He slips with her, managing to grab her and twist their bodies so he fell on the hard ground while she fell onto him.
"Oh! That's gotta hurt," Jack flinches, shaking his head. "Guess I overdid the frost. Sorry--"
I cut him off by shaking my head, gently exhaling as I pull the arrow back. Jack looks at the couple as I grin at his expression, his eyes curious as a small smile forms on his face.
The man's cell phone clatters onto the floor as the woman gasps, frantically apologizing as the man groans and opens his eyes.
Now!
I let my arrow loose, and smile as it twirls in the air and forms a heart around the two before disappearing.
The two make eye contact, the woman pausing her rambling as she begins to blush, slowly rising to her feet as the man sits up, bashfully grinning as he rubs the back of his head. She takes his hand, helping him up and apologizing once more as he picks up his cell phone. The man laughs as she continues apologizing, promising to buy him a new phone. She takes his cracked phone, putting in her number.
He blushes as she smiles sweetly at him, their bus coming into view.
"Good thing you stopped her," I snort, shaking my head as the two get on the bus, sitting side by side as they talk. "She would have walked right past the bus stop."
"Yeah," Jack laughs as we watch the bus pull off. "So... what will happen to them now?"
"Well... I don't know," I reply, my bow disappearing. "I assume they'll become closer as time passes, and eventually start dating, and... go from there."
Jack nods slowly, frowning as he watches the bus. "You mean you've never watched it happen?"
I don't speak for a moment, my eyes watching the bus driving away as I sigh.
"It'd be too painful to watch something I could never have," I quietly respond, making him look at me with confusion.
He opens his mouth to respond before I quickly cut him off, noticing Sandy's magic slowly forming, its golden glow lighting the area.
"Right on time, Sandy," I grin, watching the bright yellow strands of sand dance around.
Jack chuckles before flying in the air, pausing and waiting for me as I quickly sprout my wings and fly after him. He taps one of the strands, making a dolphin appear. It flips and jumps around, spinning around us before flying off.
...
Third Person P.O.V
Cupcake sleeps peacefully in her bedroom, Sandman's magic forming above her head as she happily smiles.
Her dream was of her riding a unicorn, the unicorn bouncing happily with each step.
A voice suddenly laughs maliciously, and Pitch appears from the shadows.
"Oh..." He mockingly coos, "I thought I heard the clippity-clop of a unicorn." Pitch approaches the girl, watching her sleep. "What an adorable dream! And look at her..."
Cupcake sleeps with a smile, hugging her unicorn tightly.
"Precious child. So sweet... So full of hope and wonder. Why... There's only one thing missing," Pitch watches the unicorn before reaching out to it. "A touch of fear."
He taps the unicorn, making the sand blacken as the unicorn seems to die, Cupcake whimpering in her sleep as Pitch laughs.
"That never gets old. Feel your fear, come on," Pitch uses his magic, twisting her dream into a Nightmare. "Come on... That's right."
A dark horse neighs as it was formed, running around as Pitch chuckles.
"Yes... What a pretty little Nightmare," he admires, smirking at the horse as it snorts. "Now... I want you to go tell the others the wait is over."
The horse snorts, neighing as it races off.
"Don't look at me like that, old friend," Pitch speaks condescendingly as he leaves the girl's room, looking up at Manny. "You must have known this day would come. My Nightmares are finally ready... Are your Guardians?"
...
(Y/N)'s P.O.V
"I love watching his magic," I breathe out, smiling as I tap one of the strands.
A small (F/A) appears, happily bouncing along and running around me. Jack chuckles as it walks to him, making him pat its head twice before it vanishes with the rest of Sandy's magic.
My smile falls when I sense something... evil.
What is that?
I look around, looking back at Jack in confusion. His grin falls slightly as he notices my expression.
"Hey, what's wrong? You okay?"
"Um... I--"
I yelp as something races past me, making my stomach drop as Jack exclaims in surprise.
"Woah!" He looks after whatever it was, tilting his head and taking my hand as he flies off.
He lets me go as I grow my wings, flying after him as we chase it. I peek out from behind Jack as he stops by a tree, my wings faintly making a small noise as I hover.
"What was that?" I whisper, making him look back at me.
"I dunno," he whispers back, his voice on edge. "Come on, stay close."
We both gasp as something else races above us, making me pause before racing after Jack.
That's... not the same thing from before.
Jack runs along cars, making their alarms go off as I fly besides him. He floats in the air for a second before landing on a large truck, holding his staff in a defensive way as he looks around.
I land on the ground in front of him, squinting as the blur races past me. Jack lands besides me, holding his staff as my hand hovers above my forearm length dagger.
Dogs bark in the distance, making me look around as Jack and I go back to back, covering each other.
"Hello, mates," a familiar voice makes us both gasp, Jack pushing me behind him as he aims his staff. "Been a long time."
Bunny looks to me, pausing in thought, "Haven't seen you since..."
"About... fifty years ago, I think. There were... lots of single parents at that egg hunt," I reply with amusement, relaxing as I recognize the silhouette of Bunny twirling his boomerang.
"Right," he snorts, Jack looking at me in confusion as I lightly push his staff down. "And haven't seen you seen the Blizzard of '68 I believe."
Bunny emerges from the shadows, pointing his boomerang at Jack as he glares at him, the atmosphere becoming tense.
"Easter Sunday, wasn't it?" Bunny demands with a glare.
"Bunny!" Jack greets, casually throwing his arm around my shoulders with a grin. "You're not still mad about that, are you?"
"Yes." Bunny replies lowly, lifting his boomerang up before exhaling and shaking his head. "But this is about something else."
"... I didn't do anything so I'm just gonna go--" I nervously laugh, shaking my head.
"Aw! You're gonna ditch me?" Jack whines as I reach back, lifting his arm over my head and ducking out from it.
"Yeah! You obviously did something, and this is none of my business!" I state back bluntly, Jack groaning and mocking pain as he grabs his heart.
"Sorry, (Y/N). But this does involve you," Bunny's words make me pause, Jack and I looking to him. "Fellas?" Bunny calls, a soft yelp leaving me when I back into someone.
I exclaim in surprise as I was grabbed, my world becoming dark as I was shoved into a bag.
"Hey!" I hear Jack yell before he also shouts out, and next thing I knew he was shoved in the bag with me.
"Yetis?!" I mumble, shoving Jack away from me. "Couldn't you have used separate bags?! I feel like I'm suffocating!"
"Let us out!" Jack yells, making me grunt as he flails around.
"Stay on your side!" I hiss at him with a huff, grabbing his arms and wincing as we were jolted around by the yeti carrying the bag.
"What side is my side?!" He demands as we were flailed around, yelps leaving us.
I hear a portal open, and the Yetis speaking gibberish to Bunny.
"Me? Hah!" He laughs derisively, "not on your nelly. See you back at the Pole."
I hear him tap his foot, and knew he used his tunnel. The Yetis speak gibberish, and I gasp as the bag was pulled back.
"Uh-oh. Jack, hang on!" We both yell as we were suddenly thrown, and from that point on... Everything began to change.
...