The Star-Crossed Guardians

Chapter Eight- Attack on Christmas

I reached for Jack in the dark and when I found him, we pulled each other close.

"Do you think it's her?" I asked.

"Either that, or Pitch Black has come back to haunt us," he chuckled. I couldn't stop the small giggle escaping my lips.

"Keep your eyes open though. She could be anywhere..." He tapped, what sounded like, his staff on the ground and a soft blue light illiuminated the room.

"Won't that give away our location!?" I whispered loudly, afraid.

"Maybe, but it's better than being attacked in the dark."

We circled around, on watch for any sort of movement. Finally, light bursted around us and we could see again. What's worse...

"The toys..." I breathed. Half were destroyed, half were still standing, surprisingly. But still... So many toys were in ruin.

"No..." Jack whispered behind me.

"Iz everyone okay? Ze breaker blew a fuze, it would zeem-" North stopped in his tracks and gasped. He no longer had his coat on. "No..."

"What are we going to do?" I asked.

"Well, you can just sit by and do nothing and just let me take over, if you want," called a snide voice. We turned up toward the top of the globe, where Eris and Lethe were waiting.

"You... You are trying to deztroy Chriztmaz!?" yelled North, infuriated. I pulled off my bow and held an arrow at the ready.

"Of course! How else am I to make the little children suffer? To make you Guardians feel defeat? To cause CHAOS!?" she cried, jovially throwing her hands in the air.

"We won't let you get away with this!" called Jack.

"But you see, dear boy... I already have." She gestured to the globe beneath her, where, little by little, the lights were flickering out.

"They... They're starting to..." I looked over at Jack, who was clutching his chest, North, who's color was starting to already fade, Bunny, who seemed a little shorter than usual. No... I couldn't let this happen!

Silently, I held up my bow at eye level and pulled back, listening to the bowstring stretch. I breathed in and...

"Release."

A large ball of pure darkness appeared in Eris' hands, which were still above her head. It was growing larger by the second. I let go of my arrow. It hit the ball straight in the middle and it exploded into tiny, pink shimmering crystals that floated slowly, quietly to the floor. It was like a movie moment. I felt so exhilarated that I hit the target that I almost started jumping up and down. But the moment didn't last.

"AAAAAAAAAAGH!" Eris screamed.

"Someone's unhappy," Jack commented with a grin. "Nice shot!"

"Oh, it was nothing," I smiled and blushed at the compliment.

We watched as she battled with what just happened.

"I'll get you if it's the last thing I do!" she cried. She threw her arms up again, then down, then out to her sides and started to spin. As she spun, her black hair circled around her head as she spun faster and faster.

THUNK! A black arrow was protruding out of the desk I was standing next to. I held my bow up, ready to use it as a shield, if needed. I heard another thud, but this one came from the other side of the room. Then another thud. And another.

"Everyone take cover!" North yelled. I ran and hid behind the desk. Bunny sought refuge behind a pillar, his boomerangs at the ready. Jack and North stood still; Jack had his staff in a fighting position and North had his swords crossed in front of him.

More arrows shot out of Eris's hair, hitting everything, including the toys that were still undestroyed.

"We have to protect the toys!" I yelled to the others. They nodded to me and took action. Bunny ran away. I'm guessing to get blankets or sheets or something to cover the toys. I ran out from behind the desk, hitting away arrows from the toys that were standing on said desk.

It was complete chaos. Arrows we're flying everywhere, all five of my senses on high alert. Yes, I mean all five. It was strange. It was as if I could taste the arrows that were flying by. They tasted of ash, old blood, and... can you taste misery? It's what I would imagine misery would taste like.

I hit away, arrow after arrow. Bunny had come back with as many sheets and blankets as he could carry. As I predicted. Jack was now helping him hang them, as fast as they could, but to no avail. I watched as arrows tore straight through the sheets like they were paper.

"Jack, it's no use! We're going to have to hide away the toys until she calms down or something!" I called to him.

"Or... Maybe we could attack her straightout!" he yelled back.

"No! She's got Lethe on her- WAH!"

An arrow very nearly hit me, but I smacked it away just in time.

"Cupid..."

I looked and saw a green tipped arrow jutting out of his arm. What a coincidence. The "naughty" arm.

"North!" But I couldn't take it back. It should've been me. Jack and Bunny came over to us, the arrows finally stopping.

"Whut happened? Whut happened!?" growled Bunny, angrily. We watched as North twisted and turned and knelt to the floor in pain.

"This isn't good..."

Special thanks to my Dow COP director, Mike, for providing the idea as to how to get Santa Claus there hit with an arrow. Thanks Mike! You're the best!