A Child's Life

Jack softly landed outside the elementary school. Behind him, he heard North's sleigh touchdown, but from Tooth's gasp and choked sob, his suspicions were confirmed.

They were all too late to save a single child.

"What use…" Jack's throat tightened and the tears threatened to fall. "What use is being a guardian if we couldn't protect them?!" he cried, slamming his staff against the ground; tendrils of frost scattered from the point of impact. He fell to his knees, leaning heavily against his staff as the tears freely flowed from his eyes.

"Oh, Jack…" He felt Tooth pull him into a hug, comforting him. Then he felt a large hand on his shoulder: North. Bunny and Sandy also joined, and the group leaned heavily against one another for support.

Softly, then growing louder, there was the sound of a pipe cheerfully being played. Jack disentangled himself from the group, but didn't move away from them. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "What's that?" He half-raised his staff, thinking that it might be Pitch or someone else, but he really didn't have the heart to fight. Not when so many children had already lost their lives.

"Pied Piper," offered Bunny. His shaky voice trailed off.

"He takes the souls of the children who died, leading them with the sounds of his pipe. He takes them to a better place," finished Tooth, between sobs.

Before the group, the Pied Piper was soon visible as he stepped from behind a large van. He danced in little circles, twirling and jumping but still moved forward. In his hands, he expertly played the pipe without missing a beat, despite his acrobatic dancing. In mid twirl, he spotted the group of Guardians and gave them a solemn nod.

Behind him trailed 20 small children laughing and clapping as they followed the Piper down the street and through a portal where green grass and rainbows could be seen.

"He leads them to Heaven."

.

For the children whose lives were cut too short in Connecticut... as well as those children in China.