Disclaimer: Koko no own.

Chapter 5: Crazy Winter Spirits

In through the nose

out through the mouth

"Hey, Echo?"

"Hey Echo?"

Jack smiled. It was a small, broken sort of smile, but it was a smile.

in through the nose

out through the mouth

"Don't worry, I'm sure that we'll find a way out of here."

"Don't…find way…"

in through the nose

out through the mouth

"Oh, we will find one. There's…there's always a way out." The winter child pulled in a deep draft of air, the musty taste of oxygen lingering on the back of her tongue, shuddering in her lungs. Jacklyn didn't need to breathe-one of those perks that came with dying-but she liked to anyway. Breathing had this way of reminding oneself that, no matter how dead one was, they were still…here. There. Wherever they were. Wherever she was.

in through the nose

out through the mouth

And that's what Jack was telling herself. 'I'm still breathing, so I still exist. I have an echo, so I still exist.'

It was all very logical.

Or so Jack told herself.

Echoes and shadows, inhales and exhales… all evidence of an actuality.

in through the nose

out through the mouth

Someone would come for her. She knew it. She'd promised Bunny a lunch date, so she knew he'd realize something was wrong when she didn't show. Jack never missed a chance at free food.

in through the nose

out through the mouth

Someone would know she was gone and come looking. She just knew it.

in through the nose

out through the mouth

'But they didn't come before. They never came before. They knew you were out there, alone in the world. And they never came them. Why should now be any different?' whispered a malicious voice in the back of her mind.

in through the nose

out through the mouth

"It's different now." Jack told the Voice. "We're friends now."

in through the nose

out through the mouth

The Voice seemed to come from the outside now, and the crisp, cool tone sounded suspiciously like Pitch Black's. "Friends?! How!? They needed you to defeat the boogey man, they needed you because you were strong. And, once you helped them, they'll forget about you. Oh, they're not doing it right away, of course. They feel guilty, so they'll visit you, spend time with you, pretend to care about you. But with time, it will all go away. It always does. You know this Jack, you've already learned these lessons. Why are you forgetting them so quickly?"

inthroughthenose

outthroughthemouth

"Now you're just being silly." The spirit's voice was breathy, and sharp, with a desperate note that sent her words lilting upwards at the end. "We're friends; I trust them. They'll come for me, you'll see."

inthroughthenose

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Laughter. This laughter didn't have an echo, so it must be fake.

Mustn't it?"

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outthroughthemouthoutthroughthemouth

"Jackie, Jackie, Jackie. Such a naïve little child."

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outthroughthemouth

Gone. Silence.

in through the nose

out through the mouth

"Hello? Are you still there?"

There was no answer.

There was not even an echo.

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outthroughthemouthoutthroughthemouthoutthroughthem outh

"Hello?"

No echo.

"ANSWER ME!" Tears were falling now, turning to ice before they even reached her nose, clinking to the ground in small, rhythmic notes of sweet music.

Even her tears did not have an echo.

She did not exist.

Jack curled in on her self, her breath coming in sporadic bursts of panic.

She couldn't be alone. She had to exist. Couldn'tcouldn'tcouldn't…..hadtohadtohadto….

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.

The Winter King merely flicked a hand and the icy guards stationed periodically throughout the throne room surged forward.

"Winter!" Tooth shouted over the clomp of ice on ice. "We're you're friends; don't do this!"

If the old spirit had heard, he gave no indication. The soldiers kept marching.

"So that's the way it's gonna be, then?" Bunny growled. "Alright!" The Pooka leapt right into the middle of the ice men-not such a smart idea.

"Ow!"

North laughed, pulling his swords from his belt. "Do not be stupid, Bunny! Haven't you ever heard saying 'Look before leap?'"

Sandy let out a silent giggle, a dragon flying from a cliff flickering over his head before his infamous whips appeared in his hands. A dark look stole over the small man's face as he wrapped the twin sand ropes wrapped around a soldier, yanking it up and flinging it into several other ice figures. Here was a force to be reckoned with.

Tooth zoomed through the room, landing well-placed kicks and punches and darting away before the cracked sculptures could react. Though the Guardians were well enough off at that moment, she knew deep down that none of this really mattered. Old Man Winter could easily conjure ten soldiers for every one they destroyed, and, sooner or later, the powerful spirit would come after them himself.

The solution was simple: Winter had to go. But how?

Sandy!

Tooth swooped down to sand back-to-back (well, more like back-to-leg) with the Sandman. "Sandy. Hey, Sandy! I've got an idea!"

"This isn't workin'." Bunny muttered as he chucked a couple of egg bombs at several soldiers. "We need a plan. Any suggestions, North?"

"GGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGH HHHHHHHHH!" was the only answer the Pooka was to receive as North swung his swords in what appeared to be a Russian equivalent of a berserker.

"Good plan." In E. Aster Bunnymund's book, there was no such thing as too much sarcasm.

And just as suddenly as the chaotic battle had begun, it ended. Ice soldiers stuttered abruptly to a stop, and several began to melt. Between the dispersing chunks of ice, Bunny could see a very satisfied looking Sandy, perched on the sunken belly of a very asleep Old Man Winter.

"Ah! Bloody brilliant, Sandy!" Bunny exclaimed with a grin, sliding his boomerangs back into his bandolier.

The dream weaver gave a small bow as he wound a string of sand around Winter's wrists, then gestured to Tooth much the way a magician would gesture to a 'lovely assistant'. The fairy blushed modestly. "I just suggested it."

Bunny inched closer and reached out with an oversized paw to nudge Winter's limp arms. "What should we do wiv' 'im?"

Tooth winced sheepishly. "Yeah…didn't plan that far ahead."

A groan pulled their gazes to the center of the throne room, where North was picking himself up of the floor, wringing melted ice from his fur coat as he stumbled towards his friends. "Ohh…my head…vhat just happened?"

"You did yer freaky rage monster thingy and Sandy knocked Winter out. I'm thinking' we should tie 'im up and make 'im squeal. 'E knows sommat about Jackie that 'e's not tellin' us."

North's bushy brows lowered to brush his lashes. "Who we make squeal?"

"Ol' Man Wintah, ya drongo. If ya'd been payin' attention…"

"I don't think we should torture him, Bunny." Tooth interrupted with a frown. "That's not very nice."

The Pooka snorted, rolling his eyes at her naïvety. "Don't be ridiculous, Tooth, of course it's not nice. That's the point."

Sandy jumped as a soft voice hissed from Winter's lungs. "Hate to disappoint, Guardians, but I'm afraid Old Man Winter will not be saying anything."

Lunging forward, Bunny snarled as he scooped the winter king up by the front of his robes. "What're ya sayin'? Tha' you're not Wintah?"

The spirit let out a low cackle, dead black eyes staring distantly into space. They never once flickered to Bunny or his companions. "Of course I'm not Winter, you idiot! What kind of a question is that?"

The Guardian of Hope was about to say just what kind of question he was asking, when he felt a warm, meaty hand settle on his shoulder. "Bunny. He is trying to get rise out of us. Just leave be."

Not-Winter cackled again. "Yes, Bun-Bun, just leave be."

North glared at the man. "Do not think that this gets you off of hook. Ve must discuss vhat has happened, zen ve vill be back to discuss things wiv you." The threat hung unsaid, hovering in the crisp, arctic air.

With a firm tug, North pulled Bunny away from the bound king over to a corner where Tooth and Sandy were standing anxiously. The Cossack had been expecting Tooth's questions to flow like water as soon as the two arrived, but she merely said, "What are we going to do now?"

A heavy breath of air puffed from North's lips. "I do not know."

The horrible music of bone grinding upon bone sounded throughout the room as Bunny clenched his teeth. "I'll tell ya what we're gonna do. We're gonna cut off that traitor's fingers, bit by bit, till 'e tells us where Jackie is. Then, when 'e finally tells us, we'll string 'im up by 'is toes and leave 'im here."

Tooth flinched, as much from the teeth grinding as the vivid picture Bunny brought to mind. "That's a little…excessive, don't you think?"

"Of course not."

At that moment, a horrible scream erupted from across room.

"Winter!" gasped Tooth, diving toward the spirit. "Winter, what's wrong?!"

The voice coming from Old Man Winter was not the same one they'd heard just moments before. Instead of the sinister whisper, this was a soft, gentle tone, whose quiet confidence was corrupted by panic. "Tooth! Tooth, I need my staff! You have to…"

"Don't listen to him!" screeched the malicious voice. Winter's body remained absolutely still, but his face twitched, as if some great battle was going on inside. "He's just an old man; he's senile, crazy, even! Don't…"

Another yelp and the soft murmur was back. "Toothiana, you must place my staff in my hands-both my hands! Not matter how I struggle, it must touch my hands! Please…"

"Nooooo!" The words were howled. "NOOO! Don't listen! Lieslieslies…"

"Please, time is running out! For both me and Jacklyn!"

The Guardians all exchanged bewildered looks.

"Winter, vhere is staff?" asked North in a calm manner, though his face looked anything but calm.

"Don't listen to this old bat! He's crazy, absolutely nutters…"

"It is behind the throne, in an ice case. You must hurry, Nicolas; I do not know how much longer I can hold the madness off."

"Bunny..."

"Say no more." The Pooka bound over to the elaborate throne, tipping it onto its side, and carefully extracting a long, glass-like box from underneath the chair. Flicking open the lid, he couldn't stop a small gasp. The staff was beautiful; a long stick of ashy grey iron, wrought through with dark swirls of navy blue. A pile of diamond-like crystal shards were bound to the top with thin, but strong, strips of a black, silk-like material.

"Bunny! Ve need staff!"

"Right, right." Bunny darted back to the legends, and tried to hand Winter the staff.

"No! No!" shrieked the old man, shying away from the metal as though it were trying to burn him. "Get that thing away from me! Devil stick! Witchcraft! Black magic! Take it away, take it away!"

North, his lips pinched with grim determination, grasped the staff and pressed into the winter king's hands.

Light. Blinding, bright, pure. It filled the castle, dispelling every shadow that had ever dared, and ever would dare to enter. It pulsed and swelled, darting through every room. But soon, it ebbed and shrank, retreating.

And then it was gone.

And then there was silence.

Oh muffins, has it really been over two months?!

I'm sorry.

Really, I am. I have some good excuses: lots of schoolwork (aka-a read-my-mind-if-you-want-to-know-what-your-assignm ent-is math teacher), clubs, the musical, writer's block, family troubles, and I've been sick-I have a medical condition that gets aggravated by stress, and trust me there's been a lot of that. But I'm not complaining. Life could've been a LOT worse. (:

And sorry for how short this chapter is...and the crappy writing...um, yeah.

But thanks so much for all the reviews, and the favorites, and the follows...you guys are just the sweetest! You really helped me get this chapter out! Have a cookie! (::)

(Don't worry, those aren't raisins XD)

And guess what! We've got one (maybe two) more chapter left, and possibly an epilouge! Yay! I've got some more fem!Jack oneshots I'll be writing in the future, but after this story gets finished, I think I'll start up some stuff with Marvel's Earth 3490 Natasha Stark/fem!Tony Stark. What do you think?

Again, sorry for the long wait, and the crappy editing, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway! ^-^