Breath taker

Part 28- The Calm After The Storm

Everyone stood still after the glass shattered. The Guardians, Pitch, Reapers, Lorelai, even the triplets. Moments passed in silence as everyone realized what happened.

The Guardians moved behind, preventing Pitch from moving backwards.

Then the Reapers moved forward, weapons raised as they moved to stand by their queen, creating a circle around Pitch.

Hecate moved forward and Melinoe and Nyx completed the circle as they moved to join her, Nyx as close to her sisters as possible.

Pitch's eyes shifted to each person as they moved closer, the Guardians and the Reapers, prepared to fight, Lorelai, pure fury carrying her forward, and the three small children, two prepared to fight, the third trying her best not to run and hide. He grinned at that.

"It's over Pitch." Jack said. "There's nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide."

Pitch laughed. "That's what you think. I'll see you soon darling." he smiled at Lorelai as he created a sandstorm around him and disappeared within it.

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"Where'd he go?" North asked, confused.

Sandman pointed up, showing his answer. Up to the surface?

"Impossible, the only way out is the gates. You can't just teleport out." Min said.

Everyone looked at Lorelai. "Is this true?" North asked.

"It should be." she replied, staring at the place where Pitch had disappeared.

"What do you mean should be?" Bunny asked her.

"The gates let souls in and to get out you need my permission. Spirits are a little more complicated. As a precaution made from... experience, I don't want spirits to get in. So to enter, you'd have to have had a recent near death experience, or be a reaper since they've got my blessing to basically go wherever. Spirits have magic given to them, by the moon, who is a thousand times more powerful than me. Because I'm older than most spirits, I've found ways to block some things you guys can do while you're here. So some of your magic is weaker or won't work." she said.

"That was you?! Mate, I thought that it was being around all these freaky dead people." Bunny asked.

"Hey!" Melinoe and Min said at the same time.

"No offence." he replied halfheartedly.

"Much taken." Melinoe replied, eyes narrowed.

"Wait, does that mean..." he thumped his foot on the ground.

"No tunnel? Grim Reaper!" he exclaimed angrily.

"I take precautions. This entire place is warded to keep my kingdom safe, I can't just override a system that's been in place for a millennia in five minutes." she replied.

"So how come Pitch could use magic here?" Tooth asked.

"He's older, and stronger than me. My magic isn't enough to stop his. The best I can do is place as many illusions and problems as I can to try and keep him from getting in." she explained.

"So your kingdom has a million safety precautions, and it can't stop the most dangerous spirit in the world from wreaking havoc in it?" Bunny asked sarcastically.

"The idea was that if he can never GET IN, you wouldn't have to worry about him GETTING OUT!" she answered, annoyed.

"Well that worked great didn't it?" Bunny replied, testing fire.