Sickness has finally come to an end. After forty-three chapters, here is the epilogue to a great adventure coming to a close. Please enjoy this final chapter:

(Guardians)

"Frost!"

The Pooka hopped into the room. His tribal tattoos were hidden by the pink that coated his wet fur. Jack's antics were getting too far. It was alright to bring a little "fun," but when that fun is ruining Bunny's shower by putting pink dye in the water, someone would have to teach the boy is place. All he knew was that Jack Frost would pay. Within the room was a few elves and little Eddie surrounding a Christmas tree, taking down the colorful bulbs and streams that were used as decor.

Christmas was three days ago. Though North had a bit of a panic attack, Christmas went swell by being led by the the yetis and elves, even the fairies came to their aid.

"Oi, where's that show pony?" The rabbit scowled at the elves in the room, though with the pink, it only added onto his lost manliness.

The young yeti shrugged his shoulders, and the elves followed his example.

"Ugh, I swear, when I get my hands on that little..." the yeti and elves heard no more as the Pooka rushed down the hall in his search for the winter spirit.

Nathaniel the elf and Eddie exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

The other elves in the rooms only looked at them in confusion until Nathaniel pulled out the bottles of dye and Eddie brought out a wrench did they join into the fit of laughter.

Someone else peered through the door way with a bandage over his head. Eddie turned to see Phil, his father, up and moving around. Before Eddie even knew himself, his little arms wrapped around his father. Phil returned the hug and went down on one knee.

He looked at the wrench still in his son's hands and the dye in the elf's. Eddie unconsciously pulled away, expecting some type of scolding to only hear a bellowing laugh escape from his father. After a quick glance around the elves and yeti joined in with Phil, his hand patting the young yeti on the back.

.../\...

Elsewhere at the North Pole Jack sat on the roof, looking up at the waning moon. The nonstop chatter and banging and clattering of objects was starting to get on his nerves. He'd been so used to only the company of the wind and moon and the occasional eavesdropping into other people's conversations that all of it was just too much for him. He'd just been a loner for too long.

A light snowfall fell around him. It always did when he was nearby and simply thinking. It was an unconscious habit, like how a person doesn't just stop breathing. It's like how North will always have a childish curiosity, or Tooth a perky personality. It was just who he was.

His mind swam through everything that had happened the past few weeks, how it all started with a bad injury to his leg, to a darker copy of him being made, to discovering Pitch's wife- Zenova was her name- and then to Kozmotis gaining his mind back only to sacrifice himself.

Kozmotis was a living example of how decision can change everything around us. One action made by him ended the Golden Age. That's a lot of weight to put on someone's shoulders. Jack knew that he'd rather be ignored and nonexistent than hated or feared. But Pitchiner had also been a good man. He loved his wife and child dearly. He would have given his life to protect them, Jack knew it without a doubt.

Even though Pitch Black had done so many things, Kozmotis Pitchiner, the real him, was what mattered- a father, husband, friend, even guardian.

Maybe, if things had been different, Kozmotis would have joined the guardians as a protector over childhood for children like his daughter, Iris, for children like Jamie, the boy who Jack considered his little brother.

The trapdoor that led to the roof burst open, exposing the workshops light and warmth to the chilled night, but Jack didn't react. He didn't even look over to see a pink pooka emerge.

Bunnymund had finally found that pesky... Why hadn't Jack reacted? It wasn't like Jack to not make a snappy comment if prank had been pulled by him. But, Jack didn't even look at him. His arms wrapped around his legs, his chin resting on his knees, and eyes looking up towards the moon.

"Eh, snowflake," Bunny dropped his voice down to a whisper. "You alright?"

Without looking at him, Jack responded with "fine," nothing long or snappy that was normal for the teen, no jokes or much emotion.

Jack heard the snow crunch beneath the Pooka's feet, each becoming louder until they stopped beside the winter spirit. With one final crunch, Bunny was sitting beside Jack with his arms wrapped around himself, too. He wasn't meant for the cold. He was made for Spring where flowers bloomed and leaves bore the trees, not white blanketing the grass.

After sigh, Jack muttered, "You don't have to be out here. I know you're no fan of snow."

"You make it sound like I don't like you." When Jack didn't respond, Bunny sighed. "What's troubling you so much your not inside?"

Jack shrugged. "Thinking. About Kozmotis..." His eyes never met Bunny's, only the never ending white and stars and Moon. "I keep thinking what would he be doing if h was still here. Would he be along with us? Would he, maybe someday, get a child to believe in him in a good way?"

Bunny lent on his arms behind him. "A lot has happened to Pit-err, Pitchiner. He's been here for a long time, sort of impossible to comprehend. That's a lot of time to make up. Maybe, this was a way to fix everything. And, maybe he can finally be at peace. After everything that has happened, I'd want the peace."

"I guess you're right. I just wish I could have done more."

A paw patted Jack's shoulder. "He's like us, you know. He was a protector of children. He was doing what we would have done to protect the children."

Jack finally tore his eyes from the Moon and looked at the Pooka. The boy's eyes widened suddenly, and a laugh escaped his throat.

"What?"

That only made Jack's laughter boom. "Y-you," Jack said between his laughs. "You're... You're pink!"

With finding Jack in his melancholy state, he'd forgotten the fact that he was bright pink. His fur was crusted from chilling in the cold air.

Jack's laugh didn't stop. "I never thought I'd see a pink kangaroo!"

"Frostbite!" Bunny shouted as the boy jumped out of arms' reach and jumped down the trapdoor into the workshop with a pink rabbit hot on his trail. The saddened talk was left forgotten under the Moon's watch.

.../\...

(Pitchiner)

It surprised him how warm it was. He always expected death to be cold and lonesome, but it was warm. It wrapped itself around him in a comforting embrace, It did not bring him pain and sadness. It did not scold him for what he had done in his past, but looked at who he was.

Instead of hating him for bringer others as well to death's door, it welcomed him with kindness. But how could it just let him in so freely when he'd done so much? He'd brought so much pain, so much fear. He tricked others for his personal gain, he injured the innocent, and yet death looked over all of that and comforted him. It just didn't make any sense.

It was dark at first, even bringing a little fear to him. He lost all feeling in his body for it to come back moments later along with his sight.

He found himself... in a place he never expected to see again. It was a shipyard, one that did not exist on Earth. Crates of all sizes and colors were stacked all around the dock. It had been a place that now only existed in his memory, but every detail was perfect as if it were real. Except that the sky wasn't its usual blue. Instead, it was the color maize. The place did seem a bit more brighter than normally as well, plus the shipyard was vacant. He'd never seen the place without a single human or animal in sight before.

It was too quiet. His steps echoed as he searched for people. There was no wind either to tousle his hair or whip his black robe.

Was this all there was? To live in a memory alone?

Only one ship was tied down to the planet, one ship that Pitchiner had ridden on for months at a given time. Curator, guardian. How ironic how he commanded this ship, the guardian, yet fought against the guardians. The Curator floated alone, still tied down by several lines with no crew to manage it. It saddened him to think that such a glorious ship, one with golden swirls and delicate crafting, could be left with no owner.

"I missed you."

It was only a faint whisper, but he heard it over his the fall of his steps. A woman's voice. One sweet with no edge in it, only relief.

He turned around to see a woman in his favorite green dress of hers. Her dark hair curled softly around her heart-shaped face. Her long thin eyelashes brushed her cheeks as she battered them over her luminous blue eyes that stared into his very soul. She hadn't aged a day as if millions of years hadn't gone by.

"I'm sorry," he started off. "I'm sorry for not finding a way to help you. I'm sorry for not being their for our daughter. I'm sorry for all the things I've done, for all those lives-"

The girl made her way to him in only two stride and pressed her index finger to his lips. "Shh... Don't be sorry of you can't control." She removed her hand and replaced it with her own red lips. They were soft against his. It brought a familiarity that he hadn't felt in a long time. Too soon for him, she pulled away. "You are Kozmotis Pitchiner, not Pitch Black. Pitch is gone and you have been brought back to the light." Her voice cracked at the end.

"But, all those things can't be erased."

"Maybe not, but wounds can heal. Give them time and love, and they will fade. Trust me."

Kozmotis held her hands in his. "I do trust you. I just don't trust myself. So much has happened, so much loss, so much pain. How am I to forgive myself?"

"The same as I have, Kozmotis." Her hands reached for his face. "After all this time, I have never blamed you for anything."

The warmth of her soft skin touching his eased him. He leaned into her hands, his eyes closing. "I missed you too, beloved. Though I didn't know it, I longed for you."

"And now we are together. Kozmotis, would you like to see our daughter?"

His eyes suddenly opened. "She wishes to see me?"

Zenova nodded. "As much as I did. She's waiting for us. The Curator will take us to her." She took a step towards the ship, her hand held out towards Pitchiner. "Are you ready to be a family again?"

Without a moment of hesitation, he clasped his hand with hers, stepping beside her. "I always have." He pulled her to his side, wrapping his arm around her torso. Oh, how long he has waited to hold her again, to feel her warmth, to smell her scent of vanilla. The two made their way towards the Curator. The stepped onto the gangplank that led them up to the ship.

As his feet touched the ship, he felt his skin flush. He looked down at his hands as his skin changed from ashen gray to a healthy tan. He looked down to see his clothes changing as well. No longer was he in a black robe, but his general attire.

"It's as if nothing has changed," Zonova commented beside him, noticing the sudden change of her lover. A smile tugged at her lips. "You're beautiful."

The lines untied themselves, releasing their hold on the Curator, and the ship moved forward, lifting higher into the gold sky.

With their hands locked together, they stood as the light of the sky encased them, taking them away to somewhere where no pain or suffering existed, a place where time did not exist, a place where there was no end.

After millions of years of waiting, they were together, and no one could ever change that.

.../\...

Special thanks to those who have aided with fluff, character names, and scenes:

CloakiSchemer

Lovepuppy316

papersnowflake [Sunkissedcheeks]

To those who reviewed and kept me going until the very end:

Darkblade County

AlexJohnD

SeeingBeliever98

number1percyjacksonannabethf an (I love your username!)

VideoGameFreak1213

Darkblade 2.0

RintinDestiny

MyHeartsDesire

Lindyn Guards

likhitata

Dancing With The Clouds

And to everyone who has pressed follow for this fanfic or ever reviewed, even once, thank you. I love you all. This has been a great adventure, and you've all made me wish to become a better writer. If you were to look back at my first ten chapters, it's incredible to see how the writing style has changed. Now, I hope to hear from all of you again. I ask that you now go to "Our Favorite Guardians," my drabble fic. The fic on Pitch's past will be announced in there, not here.

For good all times, please review. Tell me if you like or didn't like the ending. If you think Pitch's ending needs improvement. If there were parts of the fanfic that you liked/didn't like. Anything.