Believe in Me

Clouded Minds

Two Days Later

Jack's bright blue eyes stared up at the warm wooden ceiling of the infirmary's roof. Over the past two days he had so much medicine and painkillers, his thoughts were really sort of pushed aside, his mind a little foggy in itself. Ilia and Death were still back there.. that was the only thought that wouldn't leave, his mind refused to let it go. He didn't have a choice to go or not, but Death didn't know that. Were they okay..? Probably not. How come Jack could get bandages and medicines to ease the pain when they needed it most? Especially Death who was torn apart enough to kill anyone else and beyond that. Tooth stayed by his side most of the time, her look filled with understanding but almost with caring, happiness, the love that Jack had missed from the guardians. Tooth was the only one who still smiled, still seemed to go on like nothing was wrong. Sandy visited every now and then, tried to put on a small grin, but it was obvious his mind was clouded with too many negative thoughts to smile. There was too much to deal with, Pitch being back and the constant arguing Jack could hear almost hourly from the other room. North had tried to keep it down, but Bunny must've forgotten to because their words were loud and clear. Bunny didn't see why they had to help the spirits, North said they must. It was now around the twentieth time in just two days that Tooth had to fly from her chair beside him and shout over them to quiet down. They all meant well.. but Jack couldn't find the happiness he remembered. Bunnymund was angry and irritated, relieved that Jack was back, despite what he tried to show, but frustrated with the events that had played out. North was trying to take care of the responsibility plus Bunny's arguments, and even though he tried to keep a positive atmosphere, he didn't seem very jolly in the slightest. "I wish they would just stop arguing.." Tooth finally sighed while she was sitting with him, helping to distract him as a yeti changed out the winter spirit's bandages. "They know full well it doesnt do any good." 

"Guess this all got everyone in a bad mood, huh?" Jack said, giving her an understanding half-smile with a small shrug. He was healing enough to make small movements like that thanks to the twenty four hour care he had been given, but he still had a few days at the least before he was well enough, before North's promise to help the other two spirits came into effect. Tooth was the only one who seemed to understand. She was troubled herself, but still put on a smile, still tried for the positive. The atmosphere in the pole was dreary overall. 

North sighed and rubbed his temples as Bunny's irritated growl ran through his aged ears. "Bunny, this discussion is over. We must save Ilia and Grey." 

"It doesn't make bloody sense though! They've been all but bad to us! We've been given the job to protect children, not spirits! North..!" 

"Bunny, thats final!" The santa claus found himself raising his voice yet again. Why did Bunnymund have to be so stubborn..? Sure it would put them all at risk yet again, but he had already promised Jack that they would go back for them. He wouldn't just lie on that. The rabbit's head fell and he sat down, sighing as he stared down at his large paws. "I'm sorry, North.. I guess you're right," he muttered, closing his eyes. He hated apologizing but it was deserved. If they kept arguing on this forever then it would just kill their relationship. He didn't want that at all. "I just.. I dont see it."

"I know, Bunny.." North's voice softened into something calmer, nicer. Less demanding. It was amazing how he could do that, go from powerful to gentle as it was needed, not staying angry despite the crap Bunny had realized he had been spurting out for a while now. "Well.. I'm gonna go visit Jac..." His words froze right in his mouth as there was a sound, almost too quiet to hear, a sound sort of like shattering glass, but sounding distant, faded. It was coming towards behind him, and as he turned, his and North's eyes both widened.

Grey Loss was standing in front of the wall furthest of them, a black portal like a black hole in space behind him slowly shrinking down to nothing like it was never there. His large scythe was held loosly in his left hand, vanishing into dust a few second after he arrived. Bunny had heard he could do that, make his weapon vanish then reappear when needed so he didn't have to watch over it all the time or carry it around like Jack had to do with his staff. His staff. Realization hit Bunny but was quickly startled away as Death now held another item. The long brown wood of the sheapard's staff was dusted and seemed abandoned in a way without the frost it honed while Jack had it in its grip, but it wasn't broken, It was there. Why would Grey Loss of all people bring it..? Maybe hes not the bad guy you've thought he was. Whatever.. he grumbled back. The small familiar blonde had her arms around the reapers neck, her head laying on his shoulder, eyes closed peacefully in a sleepy, relaxed look that almost made him smile. She was cute.. but she was still the one who had ruined his hunts multiple times every year. Bunny turned his head slightly away as to not smile nor glare. Death didn't look so good, neither of them did. In fact... they looked beyond horrible. Ilia had a deep bruise on her cheek, slashes and more blue and purple skin all over her small pale arms, cuts that were scabbing but had been recently opened by something. Death though.. he looked.. well, dead. Every bit of him was cut, broken, or damaged, galiant clothing torn, the already ripped cape he was known so well for covering an especially deep tear in his left sleeve. Bunny could just barely make out something black on his skin, but assumed it was just extra nightmare sand that hadn't been brushed off from Pitch's lair. The freakiest thing was, he had a gaping hole right through his stomach, deep enough to see right to the wall behind him. It was both gross and horrifying, not just the cut, but how he could stand with it like it wasn't there. The second the rabbit thought that though, the man gave a quiet grunt and fell forward, passing out right on the floor with the child still sleeping on his back. North rose quickly, calling his yeti's in a loud, booming shout. As they hustled in and picked up the two new spirits, North glanced to Bunny. "I guess argument ended on time?" 

"Guess so, Mate."

Short chapter, sorry ^^' Did two today so *shrugs* guess that makes up for it.