The power of Love

12. He sees him

The icy walls rush back in as Jack reels back
from the memory. He sees Baby Tooth.

"Did you -- did you see that?"

She shakes her head 'no', tweets 'of course not'!

"It -- it was me! I had a family! I had a girlfriend! I had a sister! I saved her!"

His excitement suddenly turns to realization.
He looks up at the opening above. The moon peeks out from behind the clouds.

"That's why you chose me." He whispers to Manny. "I'm, I'm a Guardian." He says to himself, as the moon seems to shine a little brighter.

"Adora!" Jack quickly looks down at his lap and sees that her eyes are now colourless, and the black sand has spread over her hands, and it has bow reached the corners of her face.

She's running out of time.

She clutches her chest in pain, and Jack realises the inevitable is coming.

"We've got to get you to the Pole, you need help." Jack says, with determination.

The girl shakes her head. "N-no...help the rest of the Guardians...first."

Baby Tooth tries to take flight but she sputters and lands back in the palm of Jack's hand.

"We have to get out of here." Jack looks down at the two halves of his staff, and picks them up. He tries to fit them back together, but nothing happens. He tries again, this time using every ounce of strength left in him. Baby Tooth watches, her eyes widening as nothing happens.

The once pink, happy, girl shakingly sat up, which Jack's support, and she grabbed the broken staff and with Jack behind her they both fit the pieces back together.

Suddenly, a spark of blue and pink light shoots off the staff as they both continue to push, until a the icy blue light spreads and melds the two ends of the staff back together. Jack smiles at Adora, but quickly realises that she's using what is left of her powers.

Jack, with Baby Tooth tucked safely in his jumper, and with Adora in his arms, he shoots out of the fissure, high into the sky and through the clouds.

The Mini Teeth twitter as Jack lays Adora next to the globe in Pitch's lair. He jumps from cage to cage, opening them as he goes. Jack opens another cage and notices the fairies standing still.

"Come on, let's go!" Jack looks around and notices that all of the small fairies are still in their cages. "What's wrong?!" The fairies are just standing around, listless.

"None of them can fly Jack." A weak voice calls to the boy. He turns around and sees a standing Adora. "Look." Baby Tooth directs Jack's attention to the Globe at the base of Pitch's lair.

"The lights..." Jack looks at them all.

At the North Pole...

A Yeti very carefully sets the last of a group of newly painted red robot dolls on a shelf. He breathes a sigh of relief, until suddenly, the entire factory begins to shake, knocking the robot doll to the ground. He dives after it, juggles it in the air, and catches it just before it hits the ground.

But then, streaks of black sand whooshes up into and around the factory. The dark sand snakes its way up and around the globe, causing the Yetis and Elves to scatter and knocking toys to the floor.

The Yetis and Elves look up in horror as the black sand, now covering the globe, gives rise to Pitch, who stands before them cackling.

"You're all free to go! We won't be needing any Christmas toys this year, thank you! Nor ever again!"