Hey everyone! This chapter I'm kinda 'iffy' about how well I wrote it so sorry for any mistakes.

IMPORTANT: I will be taking characters, creatures, and names that are present in the books but not in the movie. I will also be taking the backstories of the characters as well. THEY DO NOT BELONG TO ME! They belong to the author.

Happy reading!

-The Bleached Inu

Chapter 6: Guardians, Pirates, & Puppets

Jack had no idea what was going on. He was thrown into a sack, and tossed into a portal. Next thing he knew he was in the North Pole being told he was a Guardian.

Huh?

Flustered, Jack could only watch as Elves danced around his feet playing numerous instruments and Yetis dancing with flaming torches (frankly, it didn't seem all that safe). Small Tooth Fairies carried a necklace made of small multicolored snowflakes and tried to put it around his neck. He waved them off only to be tugged on by an Elf demanding he wear…wear…shoes!? Ugly ones at that!

Jack was angry now; who the hell did they think they were? Who gave them the right to do whatever the hell they want? North was approaching him with a large book in his hands marked with the letter 'G'. Oh no, Jack was having none of that. With a scowl, Jack raised his staff above his head and brought it down, hard. The wood hit the stone with a crack; a cold wind blew through the workshop blowing the Yeti's torches out and covered the floor with a thin layer of ice sending the Elves sliding. The room was deathly quiet.

"What makes you think I want to be a Guardian?!" Jack shouted,

Silence.

North threw his head back in a loud obnoxious laugh.

"Of course you do," He sighed, "Music!" He commanded with a snap of his fingers.

The elves began to play yet again- "No music!"

One elf threw down his trumpet and pushed another elf out of the way. Under other circumstances, Jack would have laughed.

But Jack was fuming. After all these years, all 300 years, this Guardians hadn't even spared him a glance. They ignored him completely. They knew about him! And did they do anything to help him? No. And now they're saying he's a Guardian? They were asking him for help?! When he got none! No. No they didn't get to do this. Who were they to not give him a choice? They never spoke to him! Not even now… No. It was Pitch. Pitch was the one who took him in, who taught him, who cared for him when there was no one else. They had each other. That was all they had. Don't they know how much they had hurt him? All they needed to do was say something to him. Acknowledge him; but that was the point…They didn't try. And now all of a sudden he matters when they need him. If the Guardians thought even for a second that he would agree, then they were wrong. Oh so wrong…

"No."

Bunny scoffed, "No?"

"No!" Jack said louder now turning to glare at the people who didn't care. "If you think that I would- after- that I would help any of you-!" Jack growled, frustrated, and turned his back on them.

"Jack?" Tooth's wings beat as she cautiously made her way closer to the spirit.

Jack took a deep breathe, calming the chilling air around him, coming back to himself, like Pitch taught him.

"You don't want me," Jack said flatly turning back around to look at his audience. He forced a sly smile, hiding his fury, "You're all…paperwork and deadlines. I'm snowballs and fun times."

Bunny snorted, "Yeah, that's exactly what I said."

Jack opened his mouth to retort when Tooth fluttered forward, her voice gentle, "Jack, I don't think you understand what it is we do."

She gestured to the large glowing globe behind her. It was similar to the one in Pitch's main room. He had explained that the lights represented the innocent children in the world. Jack had almost been a little sad at the small amount of those lights.

"Each of those lights represents a child." Tooth explained,

"A child who believes." North added, "And no matter how good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them."

"Aaarghuaa-"

North sighed, "Tooth, finger out of mouth!"

Tooth yanked her hands out of Jack's mouth, (he was tempted to just bite her). "Oops! Sorry. Their beautiful."

Man she's weird…

"Alright, no more whishy-washy!" North snapped, waving his arms above his head, "Pitch is out there doing who knows what!"

Jack's breathe caught in his throat. Is this what is was about? Did they know he was with Pitch? What did he have to do with this? No. No if they knew he was with Pitch, claiming he was a Guardian was defiantly now how they would approach him. Jack swallowed his nerves and forced out a breathe that he hoped didn't come out as a nervous laugh,

"You-you mean the Boogey-Man?" Yup, he sounded nervous.

"Yes!" North turned his scowling face towards Jack, "When Pitch threatens us, he threatens them as well!" He exclaimed pointing to the Globe.

Jack swallowed again, turning his face hoping they didn't see his panic, "Maybe you should pick someone more qualified." Jack was partially speaking the truth; he doubted he could beat Pitch in a fight. He began to walk away, egger to leave.

"Pick? We pick? No! You were chosen! By Man in Moon."

Jack whipped around, "What?"

"Last night, Jack." Tooth said, "He chose you."

"Maybe." Bunny muttered.

Jack scowled up at the moon, casting its light glow into the room, "The Man in the Moon. He talks to you?"

North nodded, "You see, you cannot say no to this destiny."

"Why-why wouldn't he tell me that himself?" Jack felt like his world just fell out from underneath him. His anger was back, fiercer than before. He raked his hand through his hair and down his face,

"Ha! Three hundred years and this is his answer?" He spat, "To spend and eternity like you guys?! Cooped up in some…some hide out thinking of…of new ways to bribe kids?! Oh No. That's not for me!"

Knowing it would piss him off, he turned to Bunny, "No offence."

Yup, he was pissed. "How-how-how is that not offensive?" He demanded, "You know what I think? I-I think we just dodged a bullet! I mean what does this clown know about bringing joy to children anyway?"

Jack snorted, "Uh, have you ever heard of a snow day? I mean it's no hard-boiled egg but kids like what I do."

Bunny rose to his full height, stalking closer, "But none of them believe in you, do they? See, you're invisible, mate; it's like you don't even exist."

Jack ground his teeth, nodding his head. He refused to show pain. Refused to let this ass know that he had directly struck every insecurity and fear that he had.

Tooth gasped, "Bunny! Enough!"

Jack shook his head, "No, no. The kangaroo's right."

Bunny barked out a laugh, "Wha-what? What did you call me? I'm not a kangaroo, mate."

"Oh, and this whole time I thought you were…" Jack mocked, "Well, then if you're not a kangaroo then, what are you?"

He leaned in close to the giant rabbit, glaring hard at him. Bunny glared right back his nose inches from Jack's.

"I'm a bunny. The Easter Bunny. And people believe in me."

Jack glare faltered, but he didn't move. It hurt more than he'd like to admit.

Sandy let out a silent breath and tugged on North's pants, jerking his head towards Jack.

"Jack," North spoke, "Come with me."

"No."

North and Sandy blanched,

"No?"

"No." Jack said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He took a step back from Bunny, aiming his glare at all of the Guardians now.

"After everything? After all these years?!" Jack's voice began to rise, a cold wind sweeping through the Pole.

"After all those years of being ignored, being left behind, and now you need MY HELP!?"

Elves clung to anything being held down trying to keep from flying away in the brisk wind. Tooth and Sandy shielded their faces while North and Bunny gawked at the showcase of power and anger. Hair whipping, eyes nearly aglow, Jack rose into the air, hail spinning all around him like a hurricane.

"I needed help! I needed YOU! And where were you? Waving off my existence like I was nothing! Made me feel like I was nothing! And you have the nerve to ask for MY HELP?!"

A blast of cold burst from Jack, sending the wind and the snow and the hail blowing into the shop around him, covering it with a layer of ice and breaking the windows. The remaining lights on the globe flickered as it jerked at the sudden force. The Guardians, elves, and Yeti's were flattened and skidded across the slick floor, all to shocked to stand.

Jack stayed afloat, his eyes still aglow. His glare was filled with so much hate, so much hurt, no none could find the words to speak.

Silence.

Jack turned towards one of the large shattered windows before looking back over his shoulder,

"I bet Pitch Black is kinder than all of you."

And he left.

Jack was halfway across the North Pole when he heard a familiar neighing.

The Wind stilled allowing Jack to turn and see Nightwing galloping gracefully towards him; the tips of his black tendrils of a mane frosted in the cold.

Jack offered a weak smile as the Nightmare reached him. He felt exhausted. He never felt so…angry before. It was, in a word, freeing. Seeing the look on the so called Guardians faces

"Hey, Buddy. How much of that did you hear?"

Nightwing burred, shaking his head, jerking his head back. Pitch sent him.

Jack swallowed; how did he know? Would he be angry?

Nightwing neighed again impatiently.

"Alright, alright, don't get your tail in a twist." Jack smirked, hauling himself up onto Nightwing's back. Once secure, the Nightmare took off.

Once home, Nightwing vanished to join the other Nightmare's in rest. The spirit wandered deeper into the "lair" peeking into all the rooms he could think of. The Globe room, the library (Pitch had slowly begun to fill it as he schooled Jack), his room, the training room, but Pitch wasn't in any of them.

"Pitch?" He called, "Pitch! Where are you?"

There was a moment of silence, before-

"Here, boy."

Jack turned, following the voice. He breezed up a flight of stairs and down the long…familiar…hallway. Jack froze, he knew where Pitch was. He layed his hand flat on the wall, slowly walking forward, until he hit a slightly open door, almost completely covered in shadow.

Jack pushed it all the way open to enter.

Pitch stood in the center of the room near an old shelf, barley seen, with a sword cradled delicately in his hands. It was the sword Jack had found all those years ago.

The Boogey Man's hands gently glided over the metal, over its patterns near its hilt.

"It had been centuries since I have laid eye and hand on this sword." Pitch spoke without looking up.

"I hoped I would never have to again." His eyes grew sad, "Too many memories…"

His voice was distant, the tips of his fingers traced the letters EJ on its hilt.

Jack swallowed, Pitch has never acted like this before; it was unnerving.

"Why take it out now?" He asked,

Pitch looked up then, "Because I must."

"Why?"

Pitch gripped the hilt firmly.

"They have come to destroy what is left of me."

Jack was starting to get tired of being the one to always ask the questions. "Who?"

"The Pirates."

Pitch slashed the sword into the shelf cutting its wooden structure causing it to crumble, sending dust flying. Jack jumped, startled by the sudden act. The word 'Pirates' was spoken with such hate and anger, that the winter spirit found himself speechless.

Pitch took a breath. Then another. He lowered his arm, his sword following naturally like an extension.

"I will need your help, Jack."

Pitch lifted his golden gaze into Jack's icy blues,

"I need you to play the Guardians. For my safety and yours, I need you to play them like a puppet on strings."

Thank you so much everyone! Your reviews always make my day! R&R, and until the next chapter! :D

-The Bleached Inu