Frozen Heart
Chapter 83
Things had been going so well.
The Warren was untouched by the turmoil aboveground, spring-bright grass and pastel colors, with tens of hundreds of thousands of eggs waddling about through rivers of paint, color-spouting flowers and lively vines to be colored and patterned accordingly.
“Easter is about new life, new beginnings.” Bunny had explained to Jack, soft and happy as he gently urged the eggs on with his paws. “It’s about hope. An’ that’s what the world needs right now.”
His words had bolstered the winter-girl’s enthusiasm, whatever lingering resentment left towards spring washed away as she leapt into preparations.
Baby Tooth zipped about like the hummingbird she resembled, flitting from flower to flower to aim them properly or to coax out more eggs, twittering encouragement the whole way.
It may have taken them all night, but all the eggs were prepared and ready to march down their designated tunnels just as the sun’s rays started painting the sky in faint pink hues.
Bunny grinned, proud, as he overlooked the sight with his fellow Spirits.
“Alright, go on!” He ordered, causing the army of eggs to split up into each major tunnel like little painted soldiers. “Hide yerselves good, now! Don’t want the sprogs ta fin’ ya too easy!”
Jack Frost let out an exaggerated sigh, flopping onto the sweet grass with a groan as Jack stretched out her sore back, humming as Baby Tooth landed over her ear with tired chirps.
Well, that was harder than expected…
Tooth went still as a ruckus came from one of the tunnels, and it was as if the entire world held it’s breath-
Nightmares burst out and swarmed over the herds of eggs, crushing the helpless shells under galloping hooves, and Jack leapt forward in a heartbeat.
A blast of cold froze the front-most Nightmares solid, like dark ice sculptures, and Bunny dashed into the fray with new fury.
“Stay away from my googies!”
The battle was pitched to begin with; while the Guardians could keep the horde at bay, more Nightmares kept flooding in from the tunnels, a never-ending barrage of hooves and bodies that bore down on them from all sides.
Swooping through the air like a hawk, Jack brought her staff around in a powerful arc, releasing icicles that pierced through torsos and heads like gunfire as she twisted away from a Nightmare’s flailing hooves.
Baby Tooth squeaked in her ear like a siren.
Crying out as a mass of dark sand crashed into her chest, the breath was knocked out of her as she was slammed into the grass, struggling to restart her lungs as the mini-fairy twittered frantically.
Gasping as her vision fogged with lack of oxygen and the jarring hit to the head, Jack rolled onto one side with a cough, blinking groggily as Baby Tooth’s voice came in and out of focus.
Gotta get up, can’t stay here, need to keep fighting…
Just as she started to lever herself upright, thick nightmare-sand ropes wrapped around her shoulders and pulled the winter-girl back down, mouth covered to keep from screaming.
Thrashing as tethers grabbed hold of her legs and arms, Jack winced as hooks grabbed onto her staff and pulled.
Growling at the threat, she brought one leg around to kick the nightmare-sand into a harmless spray, staff glowing as she brought it up in a heavy swing-
Jack gave a muffled scream as the dark sand dug into her arm, forcing her to release the icy wood so it clattered to the grass, out of reach.
Baby Tooth yanked on the sandy ropes, wings buzzing at such a pitch it was almost a drone, before they lashed out and pinned her down.
“Mother! Mother!”
The little fairy’s mouth was covered swiftly after that, and Jack struggled as she was covered with black sand, freezing and cracking as she twisted to reach for her staff.
It was as if two hands rose up from the shapeless mass, taking hold of the harmless length of wood and-
She screamed as it cracked in two, splinters flying as tears filled her eyes.
The nightmare-sand swarmed over her, and that was the last thing she saw.
The Warren was untouched by the turmoil aboveground, spring-bright grass and pastel colors, with tens of hundreds of thousands of eggs waddling about through rivers of paint, color-spouting flowers and lively vines to be colored and patterned accordingly.
“Easter is about new life, new beginnings.” Bunny had explained to Jack, soft and happy as he gently urged the eggs on with his paws. “It’s about hope. An’ that’s what the world needs right now.”
His words had bolstered the winter-girl’s enthusiasm, whatever lingering resentment left towards spring washed away as she leapt into preparations.
Baby Tooth zipped about like the hummingbird she resembled, flitting from flower to flower to aim them properly or to coax out more eggs, twittering encouragement the whole way.
It may have taken them all night, but all the eggs were prepared and ready to march down their designated tunnels just as the sun’s rays started painting the sky in faint pink hues.
Bunny grinned, proud, as he overlooked the sight with his fellow Spirits.
“Alright, go on!” He ordered, causing the army of eggs to split up into each major tunnel like little painted soldiers. “Hide yerselves good, now! Don’t want the sprogs ta fin’ ya too easy!”
Jack Frost let out an exaggerated sigh, flopping onto the sweet grass with a groan as Jack stretched out her sore back, humming as Baby Tooth landed over her ear with tired chirps.
Well, that was harder than expected…
Tooth went still as a ruckus came from one of the tunnels, and it was as if the entire world held it’s breath-
Nightmares burst out and swarmed over the herds of eggs, crushing the helpless shells under galloping hooves, and Jack leapt forward in a heartbeat.
A blast of cold froze the front-most Nightmares solid, like dark ice sculptures, and Bunny dashed into the fray with new fury.
“Stay away from my googies!”
The battle was pitched to begin with; while the Guardians could keep the horde at bay, more Nightmares kept flooding in from the tunnels, a never-ending barrage of hooves and bodies that bore down on them from all sides.
Swooping through the air like a hawk, Jack brought her staff around in a powerful arc, releasing icicles that pierced through torsos and heads like gunfire as she twisted away from a Nightmare’s flailing hooves.
Baby Tooth squeaked in her ear like a siren.
Crying out as a mass of dark sand crashed into her chest, the breath was knocked out of her as she was slammed into the grass, struggling to restart her lungs as the mini-fairy twittered frantically.
Gasping as her vision fogged with lack of oxygen and the jarring hit to the head, Jack rolled onto one side with a cough, blinking groggily as Baby Tooth’s voice came in and out of focus.
Gotta get up, can’t stay here, need to keep fighting…
Just as she started to lever herself upright, thick nightmare-sand ropes wrapped around her shoulders and pulled the winter-girl back down, mouth covered to keep from screaming.
Thrashing as tethers grabbed hold of her legs and arms, Jack winced as hooks grabbed onto her staff and pulled.
Growling at the threat, she brought one leg around to kick the nightmare-sand into a harmless spray, staff glowing as she brought it up in a heavy swing-
Jack gave a muffled scream as the dark sand dug into her arm, forcing her to release the icy wood so it clattered to the grass, out of reach.
Baby Tooth yanked on the sandy ropes, wings buzzing at such a pitch it was almost a drone, before they lashed out and pinned her down.
“Mother! Mother!”
The little fairy’s mouth was covered swiftly after that, and Jack struggled as she was covered with black sand, freezing and cracking as she twisted to reach for her staff.
It was as if two hands rose up from the shapeless mass, taking hold of the harmless length of wood and-
She screamed as it cracked in two, splinters flying as tears filled her eyes.
The nightmare-sand swarmed over her, and that was the last thing she saw.