Long golden tendrils floated through the sky. Black nightmares had turned into shining strands of dreams and gathered at one point, slid together, puffing up on one spot between two houses. Everything seemed to meet here.
The three Guardians stumbled along the street, still in pursuit of the dark man. He only always managed to escape their grasps every time, slipping into shadows, disappearing just when they thought they had caught him.
"North! Look!" a high, clear voice shouted. Her hand, dusted in feathers, pointed at the forming column of golden sand.
"You think that…" a man in red answered. Forgetting about the shadow he hurried towards the forming figure. An oversized bunny followed him.
"Sandy, please!" begged the tall man, bending down a little.
His prayers were heard and not soon after the round figure of a little golden man appeared! The cheer of the three was loud and happy. A bunch of small children came running up the hill. As soon as they saw the happy smiles on the faces of the other, they could not help but to join in the laughter. They jumped on the balls of their little cold feet, clapped their hands and smiled brightly.
The shadow in the corner moved again.
A whip faster than any of them could follow with their eyes, flew towards the shadow, hitting, grabbing… nothing.
"Where's Pitch?" asked the man who had been called North. "He was there! Just minute ago!" he explained, hands held out in front of him, palms showing towards the others. The golden man shrugged, as did the others.
"Probably ran off, mate!" the bunny spoke and placed a boomerang back into its holster on his back.
"And where is Jack?" came the voice of a boy in pyjamas. All eyes were trained on him. Yes! Jack! He was still there, where they had left him. Jack who had just been…
"No!" whispered the feathered woman, placing her hands over her mouth, stifling a gasp. In an instant she took off, flying as fast as she could. The others followed her, as fast as they could, hopping, running, floating. Hearts pounded, fear tightened their throats. The children did not understand. What was going on? What was wrong with Jack?

They heard her weeping before they could see her.
She knelt on the floor, a little away from the motionless body, a dark pool of what seemed to be blood around the teen on the ground. His eyes were closed, arms wrapped around his knees as if he had tried to keep himself warm. His clothes soaked in the dark liquid which tainted his hoodie the most. A big gap was torn through his shoulder blades right through him, leaving the same size of rupture in the front.
"Jack…" the woman whispered as the others came to a halt, closing in on her. Their footsteps had become slower as soon as they had seen the scene. The golden man had turned around and hushed the children away from that dark place. They were innocent and that was the way they should stay! They should not see the sad remains of the sprite who had brought them fun. They should not have to see the dark end of Jack Frost.

No one spoke a word. They could just stand around the cold body on the ground, everyone deep in their own thoughts, cursing themselves for not being able to have done something. Why had no one stayed with him? Why had they been so eager to catch Pitch when their friend was dying? How could they have left him alone?
For what did he have to die? In the end they had not managed to track down the dark man, he had escaped. And Jack…

Silent tears dripped down onto the ground.
Until the tall man gulped, wiped his face with a long red sleeve and bent down to pick the boy up. He felt colder than usual but very light. His limbs fell down, the whole body motionless.
The man managed no word as he took off towards his big sleigh. Carefully he placed the teen inside. The other Guardians had followed him, slowly climbing into the carriage. They all looked down to the wooden ground. Reins rattled, reindeers huffed and they took off.
Over the dark sky they flew, beneath the stars and the soothing light of the moon.

Hidden in the shadows, stood the tall dark man, a smile lit up his face.
"Don't look at me like that old friend! You call that Guardians? So weak and feeble? So it is a drawn. Next time, give me someone who is worthy to fight me!"