BURGESS

If there was one thing that Jada could say about the Guardians, it was that they were quite good at thinking ahead.

The children had all been gathered, North had already left more than half of the world presents (Gosh, he was fast), and the only thing left to do was to wait for Pitch's next move.

Jada set Maia down gently on the pavement from her back. The girl did a double-take at seeing nearly all the Guardians there, before immediately rushing to Jamie.

"Jamie!" she cried out, instantly enveloping him in a hug. Jamie, who looked much better than before (except for the slight puffy redness around his eyes) hugged her back, and the rest of the children clustered around them.

"So what's up?" Jada looked to Jack for an answer. "What's going on?"

Before Jack could answer, a grim look on his face, there was a deep cackle that made her squeeze her bow tighter, and a wave of black sand barrelled towards them.

Jada instinctively leaped forwards to protect the children, as did the rest of the Guardians.

Jack raised his staff high in the air with one hand and surrounded them all with a thick barrier of ice and snow as the barrage of blackness threatened to consume them head-on.

Jada shielded her eyes with an arm against the brilliance, only looking up once the first attack had ended.

"Pitch." Bunny snarled, paws clenching around his boomerangs.

"Rabbit." The Boogeyman acknowledged. "Frost. Tooth Fairy. Sandman." His gleaming yellow eyes flicked towards her for a grudging instant. "Shade. I would have thought you to be incapacitated."

"Bad luck," She declared defiantly.

"It appears so." He switched his gaze to the other four, standing together as one united front. "And where is the bumbling elder? Don't tell me he's trying to make up for lost time."

"And what if he is?" Jack challenged. "Then your plan has all been for nothing!"

Pitch tilted his head, as if in pitying amusement. "Oh, Winter Spirit. It seems even when you are at the height of your strength, your cunning escapes you entirely." He raised a hand, and Jada tensed. "Whoever said that ending that pitiful celebration was my plan?"

A horde of nightmarish creatures emerged, from the sky, from out of the very ground itself. An even larger army of Nightmares than ever before, in various grotesque shapes with bulging eyes and gaping jaws.

These were not just the rearing horse-like apparitions anymore.

These were truly monsters.

"Getting rid of all of you together is more than enough to satisfy me!" Pitch slashed his hand down, and the creatures charged.

But the Guardians and Jada were more than ready for them, already moving, surging forwards together.

It became one chaotic mess of a battle, as Jada nocked and shot countless arrows into the shadow monsters, Jack spread ice and blew away attackers with cold winds, Bunny threw his boomerangs again and again, taking down enemies with every swing, and Tooth sliced through groups of them with her wings, using incredible speed.

But it was becoming more and more difficult. There almost appeared to be no end to the monsters, even with Sandman's golden dream-sand transforming and evolving Nightmares into harmless forms, along with the children's help.

They were missing something. Someone.

"There's too many of them!" Bunny yelled over at them, as Jada shot a screaming arrow straight into a Nightmare's eye.

"Doesn't matter!" Jada shouted back. "We have to keep going!"

They had to hold on. They just had to.

For the sake of all the frightened children in the world. For the same reason she had saved her younger sister.

For the same reason she was beginning to realize how much she wanted to join the Guardians.

Courage.

And just then, a booming laugh echoed all throughout the city streets. It was one of the most welcoming things Jada had ever heard in all of her many, many years of living.

"You started without me!"

North drove his sleigh forwards, scattering Nightmares as he slashed and thrust his swords into them as he accelerated forwards.

Pitch let out a cry of outrage, but North was fighting like a whirlwind.

Encouraged, the rest of the Guardians and Jada continued harder than ever, working like a seamless team with years of practice.

Jada shot arrows accompanied by flying bursts of ice. Tooth and Bunny soared and threw boomerangs in unison. Sandy and North battled side by side, with the children punching their fists into the air and shouting triumphantly. Jada had never before felt this amount of adrenaline-and she was sure the others had to be feeling it as well. North laughed like a madman as he danced with his swords, and Jack had an infectious grin on his face that spoke numbers about just how much he was enjoying himself. Tooth cheered excitedly as she flew through the air like a deadly bullet, and Bunny couldn't help but smile himself, along with Sandy and the whooping children.

Soon enough, the Nightmares were severely limited, and outnumbered.

Pitch appeared to be livid, darkness swirling around him in a furious mass.

"What? But you-you-" He thrust his arms into the air in anger. "You fools! How could you have survived?"

"That's what happens when you don't stay under beds," Bunny grinned.

Pitch let out a howl of rage and a gigantic mass of black sand threatened to engulf them all. Jada flew up, bow at the ready, as Jack summoned another shield, with Sandy's help.

This was going to end now.

When Pitch saw her coming, he shouted and blasted darkness at her over and over, which she deflected and dodged as she continued to fly at him.

"Give it up, Pitch!" She shouted, hovering to face him in mid-air. She looked down and saw that the Guardians had put an end to the last of the Nightmares, North and Bunny high-fiving in victory. "It's over."

Pitch's lips curled in a vicious sneer. "Oh, you little pest. If I can't get rid of the Guardians, I can still get rid of you!"

And he lunged forwards, raising an immense barrage of blackness that she knew she would never be able to dissipate.

At the last desperate moment, she heard the Man in the Moon's calm voice in her mind again.

Your true power is unlocked with your true name. Once you have found it, you will have the strength to defeat the powers of malice.

She heard Jack shout her name, heard the others cry out in alarm, but she just stayed still and closed her eyes as the darkness washed over her.

Your true name. Believe.

Pitch laughed madly as the darkness swallowed up the young spirit. "The little fool! Stubborn until the end!"

But just as he turned to leave, a light flooded his senses, brighter and more strong than anything he had ever known-other than the Man in the Moon. "What-?"

He turned back, just in time to see his black cloud burst open to a thousand beams of the same white glow, blinding him. He howled in pain.

At the center floated Jada, or what appeared to be her, anyways.

But her bow was now topped with a glowing crescent moon, and her eyes glowed pure silver.

"How?" Pitch demanded furiously, shielding his eyes with an arm. He was involuntarily trembling with awe. "What are you?"

She gazed upon him with a blank silent stare, which chilled him to the core. "I am Jada Artemisia Shade," She said, in a booming voice which could have been heard from over three cities away. "Protector of the Night, Goddess of the Moon. And you, Boogeyman, are no longer welcome in this world."

Pitch shrieked in outrage and rushed forwards, intent on ending her right there and then.

But that outcome was not to be.

Jada raised her bow in one hand and the moon's light arced down to meet it. She pointed the bow at Pitch, and the beams of light struck him square in the chest.

He released an unearthly scream which made the Guardians and the children safe on the ground quickly cover their ears.

And before their very eyes, Pitch Black...had vanished.

He was gone. The only trace of him was a single wisp of darkness, twisting in the air before dissipating in the fading light.

It was over.

Just like that, the final battle had been won.

Jada floated slowly to the ground, her eyes never losing that unnatural glow. When she finally reached the ground, she collapsed. Fortunately, Sandy was there to catch her with a soft cloud as she tipped forwards. The Guardians immediately ran over, the children not far behind. "Jada?" Jack shook her arm when he reached her. "Hey, you OK, kid?"

She groaned softly, and shook her head. When she opened her eyes, they had faded back to normal. The only difference was that now they were silver.

"Did...we win?" She managed to get out.

"Yes!" North pounded his chest in pride. "We won, Jada! The Guardians have bested Pitch!"

The Guardians let out a collective cheer of triumph, which was echoed by the laughing children as they danced around with their idols.

"We did?" Jada looked confused.

"Yeah, you blasted Pitch," Jack filled her in. "After you went super-Saiyan moon goddess with a scary voice." He shook his head, smirking. "It was admittedly pretty cool."

"Oh. That's great," Jada murmured, with a sleepy smile. "I'm going to take a nap now."

"Oh, no you don't." Jack hoisted her up with a grin. "You're going to have time for that later. North?" He nodded towards him. "It's time, don't you think?"

Bunny caught on. "Just don't expect me to let her run around wild on Easter." He said dryly, but smiled all the same. "Yes!" Tooth fluttered down to grab Jada's hands. "It's time! Are you ready?" "Uh...for sleep?" Jada muttered, still out of it.

"No, silly! To become one of us!"

"One of...oh!" She sat up straight at last. "Yes!"

She cleared her throat at the Guardians' stares. "Uh, I mean, yes." She nodded at North, more confidence than she thought possible filling her to the brim. "Yes, I am ready."

North only smiled, brilliant and warm. "Then let us begin."

The ceremony was quick, but memorable.

The yetis and elves surrounded the Guardians and the children in a circle, like some sort of honour guard. Jack waved his staff to decorate some of the trees with a artful layer of frost.

North brought out the thick volume, and had her recite after him, which was difficult considering how much she still very much wanted to just lie down and rest for a couple hundred years.

But excitement and anticipation kept her more than enough awake, and before she knew it, she was now officially-"...The Guardian of Courage." North finished, closing the book and beaming warmly at her. "How does it feel?"

"Amazing," Jada admitted. "Guardian of Courage, huh? That definitely has a nice ring to it."

"Still not as cool as Guardian of Fun, though." Jack teased, and poked her playfully with his staff. She swatted it away with a laugh. "True, but it does fit me."

"That's so cool!" Maia ran forwards, and Jada bent down to greet her. Maia's eyes were bright with wonder, and for a second Jada felt a pang of nostalgia at how much she reminded her of another little girl she had once known. "You think so, huh?" She ruffled her hair, grinning as Maia giggled. "So should I call you Artemis or Jada?"

"Yeah, I was wondering that as well." Jack added.

Jada thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Whatever you want. I only just recently found out this whole 'true name' business, so...Jada works for now."

"OK!" Maia chirped, happy as ever, and Jada smiled.

North cleared his throat loudly, and beckoned her towards the sleigh, where the other Guardians were waiting expectantly.

"Are you leaving now?" Maia looked downcast by Jada's nod.

"Don't worry." Jada reassured her. "I'll see you soon, kiddo."

Maia beamed and threw her arms around her neck. "You're amazing! I can't believe I got to meet all of you Guardians, plus a real-life goddess too!"

Jada hugged her fiercely back, and slowly stood up to go over to where the sleigh was waiting.

But just as she got on, she turned and gave the little girl one last cheerful grin.

"Don't you forget about the Moon, now."

And with a crack of the reins, North's sleigh took off into the endless blue winter sky, now carrying five united Guardians as one.

The children were laughing gleefully as they ran behind them and waved and waved until they were finally out of sight.

THE END

Author's Note:

Hey! It's been over 3 years since I first fell in love with Rise of the Guardians, and decided to write a crazy fanfic with my own character. It's been such a long ride, and to be honest, I'm glad it's finally come to a satisfying end.

I was only a little kid when I first wrote the beginning to this story, which is why a lot of details are glossed over and Jada herself may seem an unintentional Mary-Sue.

But I'm so grateful for the support, and am so very proud to finally post this last chapter to what was my very first fanfic. I'd like to thank all who ever reviewed before, and all who stuck with me (and Jada) until the very end.

Thank you so much!

-GirlWonder29