Dark Moon, High Tide

By Uniasus

Chapter 11 - The Moon

A/N: Last chapter guys! So read this slowly to make it last.

The fact that Jack's soul was still among them brought Kokab both great pleasure and great pain. No doubt Jack was filled with agony, but if his soul wasn't completely devoured by the fearling, if a part of him was still left, maybe he could be saved.

They needed to destroy the fearling. When it was destroyed, all that would be left would be Jack. Kokab should be able to heal him from whatever shape he would be in then.

As he watched, Jack pushed himself to his feet. He was unsteady, even leaning against his staff, and Kokab knew that he wouldn't last long in a fight. If Pitchiner truly wished to shelter the fearling until it was at full strength, the Nightmare King would have to retreat soon.

It was a pity Sanderson couldn't fight both the old general and Jack, he was the only one with a weapon that could kill the fearling. They'd have to get Sanderson to attack Jack again, but prevent Pitchiner from stepping in. Someone else would have to get involved, two-on-two, and if Pitchiner took that as breaking the rules then nightmares circling them would most likely attack too. They had to attack the general and shortly there after had to deliver the killing blow to the fearling.

They needed a distraction for Pitch and Jack.

Jack hadn't joined the battle. He was instead shuffling backwards towards the edge of the circle opposite of where the Guardians were standing and Kokab found he couldn't look anyplace else. His friend's body was obviously injured and Kokab could only wince in sympathy. But he had the inkling of a plan. Eventually, Kokab would give Jack all the help he could.

Tooth could still feel the adrenaline running through her veins. She had been knocked around a bit, but she was by no means finished with this fight. Unfortunately, the nightmares around them had no inclination to let her fly to Sandy's aid judging by the occasional yank on her tail feathers. She wanted to do something! She wanted to fight!

Unable to do that she thought. Jack had a soul. Jack's body had a soul. A soul that contained magic, a personality, memories? As if on cue she felt warmth against her thigh through the bag on her hip and she already knew what it was before her fairy's chirps sounded through the leather.

The toothbox. The one Jack/Manny had been carrying around. The one that had lit up so brightly only to die so suddenly. The one with a child's face on the side which, now that she considered it, looked a bit like Jack's. So that meant it was Jack's toothbox.

Oh. Did that mean - when the light stopped glowing - that had been when? - if she had activated the memories then - would Jack be like this now?

She stuck her hand into the pouch to feel the golden canister but didn't pull it out. No use letting the nightmares and Pitch know about it.

"Guys," she hissed.

Bunny's ear swirled toward her and North shifted closer. Manny stayed where he was, frowning as he looked at Jack, but she wasn't sure how well the lead Guardian could help right now. He couldn't touch anything after all.

"What is it?" Bunny asked, eyes noting her hand in the pouch.

"I told you that toothbox I got before was important. I'm pretty sure it's Jack's."

"You sure?"

"Pretty sure. It's warm, a sign he need the memories now." They all looked to where the fearling host was standing. The fight with Sandy had really taken it's toll. His cat eyes were narrow slits, his cheat heaving, and if it wasn't for the nightmare next to him Tooth doubted he would be even standing.

He looked like he needed a lot of reminding of happier times.

"I can activate the memories, but it'll take me time. It won't be easy, not with the way he is now. I don't know how much a partial soul would be able to remember, or if I could even get the memories into his mind past the fearling in his body. But I'll do my best."

"See if you can select memories of his sister." Manny tore his gaze from Jack to look at her. "Those would resonate the most with him, are most essential to himself. At least, to the self he was before I turned him into a spirit. He also didn't remember those when he woke up, it would be quite a shock to him."

"Do we want to shock him?" Tooth asked.

Jack looked so frail right now. She worried a shock would kill him.

"Yes, it would give us an opening."

An opening. Tooth did not like the direction Bunny's thoughts seemed to be going.

"We are not hurting Jack any more then he is already!"

"Tooth, look at him. He's already in pain. Jack's had his soul ripped, I can't image that to be pleasant. The least we can do is put him out of his misery."

"We can help him-"

"How? In all the years the Golden Empire fought the creatures of darkness, no one had been able to bring back a person devoured by a fearling. They eat the souls, Tooth. There's been nothing left to save. Jack might have a little part left, but he's not whole. Not anymore."

"You didn't hear him," Kokab added. "The way he screamed when Pitchiner forced the fearling into his mouth. Dying would have been a mercy after all that pain, but now Jack's living with the echos of that and will never be free of it. The fearling will keep him trapped there in his own body and Jack will never find peace unless we kill him."

"They are right, Toothy." North came up to put a hand on her shoulder. "We can do no more for him."

"I don't like this," Tooth sobbed, tears running down her face. She brought one hand up to brush them away, keeping the other on the tooth capsule. "But I have a sneaking feeling you're right."

"We are," Manny said, and oh if he didn't sound old and tired. Had he made choices like this before? Seen things more tragic than this? Suddenly, Tooth was very glad he led the Guardians and watched from above instead of her.

"I'll get Sandy's attention," Bunny said. "I'll tell him that on our cue to attack Jack. Tooth, you start working on activating those memories. North, cover her."

"Bah, like you have to say that. Of course I do."

Tooth gave North a watery smile and then closed her eyes to concentrate. She focused on her fingers, the pads pressed against the metal of the toothbox. The little fairy in her pouch was next to her pinkie, both hands on the metal and giving Tooth all the help she could give.

Normally, a quick touch would activate the memories and Tooth could feel them flowing into the mind of the child. But with Jack, the memories left and were halted on their journey just like the wall of fear had stopped her not an hour ago. The memories built up and up, flooding and oozing to the side looking for a way around the wall but there was no path. They were active, they had to go somewhere, and Tooth found herself the receiver.

She winced as the memories entered her mind. This always smarted a little. Both the memories and her body knew they didn't belong to one another and so there was always discomfort. But better then a blasting migraine that could leave one with a muddy brain for life if someone else tried.

Taking Manny's advice Tooth shifted for the memories that involved Jack's sister. The first one could only have been Jack's death and Tooth quickly pushed that one away. He didn't need to be reminded of that so close to a second one. She wanted to give him happy memories.

Tooth found two. One of a night telling stories to a bunch of kids near the fire in the center square, adults around the edge smiling and listening while pretending not to. The other of a warm fall day, climbing trees and picking wild apples while he tossed them to his sister who caught them in her basket.

And then came the hard part. She used her own bit of magic to push at the fearling's block of Jack's mind. It was hard work, painful, and somewhere outside of her mind she felt North grip her elbow. The fearling was stronger than anything she had to push a memory at before and Tooth found herself glad it wasn't at full strength because she wasn't sure she would have been able to make as much headway as she was.

She brought up memories of her true strength, her determination to protect the children and to never let the important memories fade away. She grabbed onto Jack's memories, solidified her center, and pushed.

The barrier in her head disappeared, shattering into thousands of pieces. Tooth sagged against North for just a moment, just long enough to see Sandy launch himself at Jack while Jack himself crashed to the ground with pain, before the nightmares surrounding them attacked. North pushed her away, a little bit up, and she took to the air immediately.

Jack had a dreamsand sword in his throat and a golden St. Bernard sitting on his chest to stop the boy from jerking. Sandy was slashing his whips at the nightmares circling him and Jack. Manny was running, phasing through nightmares as he made his way to the fallen winter spirit. North was all dazzling metal as he charged at the nightmares around him. Bunny was low and crouched, boomerangs in his extended arms as he stood his ground against Pitch.

Pitch himself was wearing a look fiercer than anything Tooth had ever seen. It was rage, it was disbelief, it was a sadistic need to rip into flesh, and worse of all it was desperate. North and Sandy could take care of themselves. She dove down to help Bunny.

Nightmares, Nicolas thought, weren't the most terrifying thing he had ever fought. But they were tricky, easily slipping out of the way. When he slashed at one with his sabers, Nicolas could never tell if it had deformed naturally to reappear behind him or had been destroyed. Even an easy opponent could wear a Guardian down if there were many of them, and there were many nightmares.

There was a yelp of pain - Bunny - and North looked over his shoulder to see the Pooka hit a cave wall. Pitch stalked towards Sandy and Jack, only to be deterred by a spinning Tooth rocketing into his side. His friends would be okay. Pitch might be desperate, but desperation could only get one so far. The Boogeyman would fight strongly, but stupidly, and since Pitch was already weak Nicolas did not believe the fight would be short for all it's fierceness.

Nicolas tumbled forward, forcing his swords into to mares on either side of him and made his way towards Sandy. The shooting star was frowning at the black sand around them, slowly absorbing it. Nicolas's eyes went towards Jack. He was lying still on the ground, golden sword in his throat, and Manny was brushing the spirit's hair while whispering into Jack's ears.

As if feeling his gaze, Manny looked up and locked eyes with Nicolas. He was crying.

"Tell everyone to cover their eyes."

"Tooth, Bunny, zakroyte glaza!" Nicolas was glad they knew at least basic commands in Russian and threw his hands over his eyes just as the space around him grew warm.

Even through his eyelids, Nicolas saw bright yellow. Pitch's scream was horrendous. Nicolas open his eyes again only after the light faded.

Manny was glowing, still giving off light of the kind that had drawn the Guardians to him earlier. The glow was fading, making the cave a golden dawn. The nightmares were gone and Pitch was on his knees, the heels of his hands pressed into his eyes. Even though Manny had the appearance of a round six year old child, Nicolas could feel the command and power radiate off of him.

This was Kokab Lunanoff. Man in the Moon. Leader of the Guardians. Ruler and Last of the Constellations.

"Pitch Black. You have been running free too long, abusing the body of my parent's general, and I will not stand for it to continue."

"I didn't realize I had angered you so much."

Manny glared. "You have always angered me, but I had hoped your time here on Earth, and with those here, would have changed you for the better. That you would have learned to tame and control yourself after being defeated."

Pitch laughed. "Control myself? Control fear? When it exists to run wild and revels in the chaos it creates?"

"Chaos that didn't always threaten the stars. It, you, changed, and I had hoped you would again. But I see now that I was wrong."

"Yes," Pitch hissed, slowly getting to his feet.

Nicolas glanced towards the other Guardians, Sandy beside him and Tooth and Bunny just behind Pitch. They wanted to fight, but were hesitant to step-in.

"Yes, you were wrong, child. Because something that has once been caged will always crave freedom and take revenge for the caging."

"In that case, I'm sorry for what I must do."

Nicolas knew Manny was powerful, but this much? Manny spoke the old tongue of the stars, words heavy to the point Nicolas was hard pressed to keep standing. He couldn't understand what the boy was saying, but Sandy obviously did, because the shooting star was lifting Jack's limp body and carrying it to Manny.

Manny placed a hand on Jack's forehead, there was a flash of vivid blue light, and Jack was standing strong before Pitch while Manny was no where in sight.

There was something small glinting in Jack's hand. He raised it and jabbed it into Pitch's chest. Pitch screamed, there was another flash of light, and when Nicolas could see again Pitch Black was lying still on the rock floor, Jack Frost standing above him, while the rest of the Guardians gaped with open mouths.

When Jack started falling, Nicolas, Tooth, and Bunny all raced forward. Sandy, being the closest, gently laid him on the floor.

Before he had been turned into a spirit, Aster had been familiar with magic. As in, felt it once or twice. And then he had developed a bit of talent for it himself almost a thousand years ago thanks to Manny. He thought he knew it.

He was wrong.

Manny, when he wanted to be, was downright scary. The blast of heat and light left him dizzy, the Verbal spell had him on one knee, and the result of seeing a comatose Pitch Black at the feet of a standing Jack Frost had Aster's heart beating with hope in a way it had never done before. But then Jack was falling and Aster wasted a precious second getting to him by going down on all fours before moving forward.

Sandy laid the spirit down gently and Tooth landed next to him, ankles under her thighs. "Jack?" she whispered but Jack just shook his head.

"Sorry, I-" he broke out into a coughing fit and North quickly lifted Jack's head to help him breathe better before setting Jack's head onto his lap. Except, the voice that came from Jack wasn't Jack's. At least, Aster didn't think so. He had never heard the actual Jack Frost speak, just the two-toned merger of Jack and Kokab, but the voice that had come out of Jack's mouth hadn't been the younger of those two.

"Jack's gone, isn't he?" Aster asked, settling onto his hind legs.

Kokab nodded. "I had to use his body, I could forge the weapon with magic but not wield it, and so merged us again but...it's not like it was before."

He tried to sit up, but another coughing fit hit him.

"Sorry, Jack's body isn't a hundred percent right now."

No. It wasn't. It had most likely taken an internal beating when the fearling took it, and then fighting with Sandy hadn't been a walk in the park either. The winter spirit looked battered and bruised, needing a week of bed rest. The gash in his neck was healed but covered in blood, dripping onto Jack's sweatshirt. It was a miracle Kokab could even talk.

Sandy signed a question mark. What now?

Kokab turned his head towards Pitch. "There's a prison that I built, on the dark side of the moon. It's similar to where the fearlings had been kept, not as strong, but" - he turned to smile at Sandy - "you defeated the last fearling. I had hoped Pitch would turn back to Pitchiner at that moment, but he hasn't. Maybe he will later, or maybe the time playing host to them has forever taken away my old general. I doubt anyone goes through that unchanged.

"This time, moonbots will guard it, and I will visit only occasionally. No need to repeat past mistakes."

"And Jack?" Tooth whispered.

Kobab closed his eyes and sighed. "His body is still here, so he must be as well in some part. But if it is, his soul is so tiny I can not feel it. I intended to speak a spell of merging, but the magic wouldn't let me and I had to speak one for possession. When I'm back on the Moon and slip into my own body, I will make sure Jack peacefully moves on."

Tooth's breath hitched and Aster envied her good heart. He felt sorrow and a little pity for Jack Frost, but didn't mourn him. They had never met, not truly, and Aster's grief was more for the lost opportunity than anything else. He didn't know Jack Frost and never would.

Kobab patted Tooth's knee and her eyes started watering.

"I saw his memories, while trying to get his body to accept them. He would have made a fantastic Guardian."

"Would have? Boy was," North insisted."He was one of us, and we will remember him. For giving Manny a chance to walk among us, for doing his best to protect the children, for having a hand in Pitch Black's defeat."

"He'd like that," Kokab said as he slowly pushed himself up. All the Guardians placed a hand somewhere as they helped him stand. "If I find a piece of him before he leaves, I'll tell him that."

"You do that," Aster said.

Sandy mimed something about flying and Kokab shook his head. "I might have just used a lot of magic, but I assure you Sanderson it left me no more drained than turning each of you into spirits. After all, I gave you each a bit of my soul for that. I won't need your ship to get to the Moon."

Kokab looked down at Pitch. "I wouldn't however say no to help getting both of us to the surface. That might be a bit much for this body."

North hurried to lift Pitch and Aster scurried forward to help lift from the other side. He got a close look at the weapon in Pitch's chest, a white crystal with a hint of blue. Something about it made him sad and Aster found himself thinking it had been made from tears. Whose, Aster didn't know.

Sandy patted the spot next to him on a cloud and Kokab gently climbed onto it with Tooth's help. Tooth led the way through the tunnels, her mini fairy at her side, and within a few minutes they were on the surface and blinking at a setting sun.

Kokab disembarked from Sandy's cloud and Aster helped gently drop Pitch around his shoulders. Kokab stooped under the weight, but held it.

"Manny, you will come back, yes? Tell us how things are?" North asked.

Kokab smiled at them with Jack's face. "I will. Look for me at the next full moon."

A moonbeam appeared behind Kokab and he stepped back into it, dragging Pitch with him. A second later, they were gone, teleporated away through the light.

"North, I could use a bit of your vodka if that's alright." Aster rubbed a paw over his face.

"Yah, you are all invited. After today, we all need a bit."

Sanderson had wondered how Lunanoff looked grown up; the last time the shooting star had seen the Tsar he had been just a boy. The man who stepped out of the moonbeam on the full moon only had hints of his child form - the blonde curly cowlick, a bit of roundness - but he looked strikingly like his father S'hay.

"Manny!" St. North boomed and strode forward to wrap the man in a hug. Sanderson waited until it was finished before speaking.

-My Tsar, it's good to see you well.- Sanderson bowed to Lunanoff but the star quickly chastised him.

"Please, Sanderson. There is no need for formalities. I have no people to rule now."

-I'm still here.-

"So you are, but I'd much rather have a friend then a subject."

-As you wish.-

Toothiana pushed forwards and gave Lunanoff a hug. He smiled gently at her, no doubt already expecting her question, but before she could ask turned to Bunnymund to great the pooka.

"Come, come, we wish to show you something." St. North hooked his arm through Lunanoff's and lead the way into the Pole, the Tsar smiling as he went along.

Sanderson bobbled along behind, stopping to pat Toothiana's shoulder. She had formed a connection with Jack Frost like none of the other Guardians had; she was the only one who had a idea of who the spirit had been as an individual. In fact, Toothiana was the only spirit on Earth who could say that and it had turned her a bit protective over Jack, even posthumously. She was obviously anxious to hear if Lunanoff had found a bit of his soul to communicate to before it passed on.

St. North led them towards the Globe Room and Lunanoff halted when he noticed a painting on one of the walls. It was a mural of Jack Frost's life, from interacting with his sister to stabbing Pitch in the gut with a star crystal formed of tears. Toothiana had dictated the memories to Bunnymund, who had sketched the mural and painted it with St. North's help. Sanderson had mainly helped by offering extra hands and floating shelves, but also contributed bits of dreamsand that Bunnymund had mixed with pale blue paint to mimic Jack's frost.

"It's beautiful," Lunanoff whispered, stepping forward and reaching a hand up to touch one of Jack's feet.

"He was never officially made Guardian, so could not add him to floor. But this, this we could do."

"He'd love it."

"Did you, did you find him? At the end? Did you tell him we'll remember him?" Toothiana wrung her hands.

Lunanoff radiated on the x-ray spectrum, and by the way Bunnymund suddenly stiffened something in the man's scent also gave away the fact he was about to lie.

"I did. His sense of self was so faint, I wasn't sure he'd hear me, but before it faded away I felt a tiny bit of joy. Jack knows." Lunanoff spoke staring at Jack's face above him, a scene from when he had joined the Guardians in collecting teeth. An image as much as Jack Frost as Kokab Lunanoff.

"Oh, I'm so glad." Toothiana clasped her hands to her chest and closed her eyes in relief. St. North patted her shoulder.

"And Pitch?" Bunnymund asked.

"Like I said, imprisoned and guarded by moonbots." Lunanoff turned around to face them. "He has no fearlings that can sneak under their armor, Pitch is nothing but a dangerous star at the moment. I did check on him before coming, he still sleeps. He probably will for many years."

Bunnymund nodded.

-Come, no more sad things. You completely missed what else is new.- Sanderson purposely floated over the Guardian's symbol on the floor. He formed a sand arrow and pointed it down.

Lunanoff walked over and looked at the logo.

St. North had been able to change this as Lunanoff was a sworn Guardian. Since none of them knew how their leader looked, the Cossack had instead whittled the the surface of the moon behind the center G. Faint craters dotted the wood, and when seen from afar it looked like a face smiling behind the letter.

"It's wonderful."

"We may not see you very often, but you are Guardian too Manny. We remember Jack and we remember you. It is only right."

Lunanoff turned around and threw his arms over St. North. "Thank you."

It struck Sanderson suddenly that Lunanoff was quite young for a star and it no doubt was lonely up on the Moon. He had not given thought before as to why Lunanoff had merged with Jack, what made him go to such extremes. Sanderson suspected loneliness played a great part in it.

"It is good to see you in person, old friend," St. North said as he came to stand beside Lunanoff. "Three hundred years of silence is too long. Come like this, walk amongst friends."

-Yes. Come. You are my Tsar, it did not feel right to ask you to interact with us. But you are also a Guardian, the first Guardian. St. North calls you friend. I'd like to learn to do the same.-

Lunanoff smiled at him, no doubt understanding that though Sanderson may be a spirit now, years ago he had been a shooting star and getting past the formal boundaries of that culture would take centuries.

Toothiana and Bunnymund crowded close and Sanderson saw where Lunanoff had given him the hints of ghost children and long lost people when he had been merged with Jack Frost. Once, long ago, Sanderson had left Lunanoff alone and the result had been a dead Nightlight, a missing royal family, and a crash to Earth followed by a long sleep as he was transformed. Twice now Lunanoff had saved him, by sharing his soul and then disrupting Pitch Black's spell. Looking at Lunanoff now, it seemed like he needed saving too and it had already started to mend in the presence of the newer Guardians.

They had lost Jack Frost before they ever know him, drowned in the high tide of fear. They had never had Kokab Lunanoff though they had known him for centuries, standing on the dark side of the moon and looking at his ancestors.

Sanderson vowed to put things right and floated closer to his friends to join in their mirth.

The End.

A/N: Done! If you guys are curious as to what's next for me, head over to Ao3 where I'm actively working on the next story in the Company of Others series. Or you can hang around here and wait for when I publish it on when it's finished.