Dawn of Faith

Chapter 30

An eternity passed as we stared at the place where Tooth had once been, no trace left aside from one small green feather. Their faces cycled between horror and distress, none of us truly able to believe Tooth had vanished so quickly. My gaze fell upon the feather that rested upon the bare wooden floor, and I gingerly reached down and scooped it up, watching as it began to glow a soft purple. It resonated with the pendant that still clung from North's hands. He slowly handed the necklace to me, as if afraid of letting go of the precious spirit inside. As the pendant rested in my palm, the feather merged with the sun and moon metalwork, emitting a powerful blast of lavender light.

When the glare had softened, I returned my eyes to the pendant. It glowed with pulses of yellow, purple, and pink. The song it had begun to hum grew stronger. I stared down at the shifting colors for a long time before slowly returning the necklace to its proper place, sighing heavily as the loss of two close friends settled upon my heart.

"They're truly inside there?" Jack asked, the strain to his voice betraying his anguish.

"I believe so, yes...or at least a small part of them. Maybe their whole spirits are confined in those fragments, or perhaps...I only have a fraction of the Guardians they used to be."

Bunny's jaw tightened at my words. Jack's expression dropped as it sank in that the Guardians we once knew may very well be gone.

"I hope it is former," North noted, standing upright. Heartache weighed upon his shoulders, and the usual jolly expression had fallen from his face.

"Explain what is happening, right now." Bunny ordered, ears drooped and fists clenched. His voice lacked the strength of accusation, more of a sad plea than an angry demand.

"I'm not questioning you, Dawn, but I'm afraid I don't understand what's going on either." Jack added, moving closer but deliberately skirting the circle where Tooth had vanished. North turned toward us, saying nothing.

"I...I wish I knew. Bunny, it is true that I am not fading as quickly as the rest of you, and...I may not be fading at all. But I promise I am no traitor. Even though I don't know what to do...how to stop this from happening...I will stick by your sides until the very end, and I will never give up on you, or Jack, or North."

Bunny looked sideways at me, his expression melting from anger to resignation. "I didn't mean to accuse you of anything so harsh." He paused, as if debating whether to continue, then drew a deep breath. "The truth is, I was scared. It's driving me nuts not being able to do anything. We're playing a game of cat and mouse, and we're the bloody mice." He shook his head in both frustration and shame.

"Bunny, I—"

"No, now let me finish. I saw the mural, where only you, Pitch, and Fear remained. My first thought was maybe the final battle had to be between you three. But when you returned to say Sandy had vanished...I let my anger lash out at you...and...I'm sorry." He cringed, as if the apology was fire coming out of his mouth, but his words were sincere. I gave him a warm smile.

"Thank you. Right now, the best thing we can do is stick together. For Sandy and Tooth."

Though visibly distressed that I was as clueless as he was, Bunny nodded in agreement.

My heart swelled. Perhaps, finally, things were looking up. If we could work together, maybe we still had hope for counteracting their fading. Then Bunny's face changed, replaced with a feral, instinctual expression I had never truly seen on his features before...

Fear.

He dropped quickly to the floor, eyes wide as he fumbled to regain his control.

North rushed to his side, supporting him as Bunny's limbs grew weaker. Jack took a startled step back before falling to his knees beside North.

"No, you are not giving up on me!" Jack cried, his voice cracking.

Bunny's jaw was clenched, his eyes fierce, wild, piercing...as if he were fighting the forces that pulled him away. Then his body went lax, and his eyes closed, only to open once more with calm, serenity.

His face turned to North, a small smirk lifting the corners of his mouth. "I know the Guardians never really had a leader, but you did a good job of keeping us all afloat. Try to keep these two in line." He weakly gestured to Jack and myself, laughing softly. "I still think Easter is more important than Christmas."

A strained smile found its way to North's face, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Bunny coughed, eyes flicking towards me.

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Dawn. I never really believed you were ready to be a Guardian. You proved me wrong. I see why Manny chose you now. I hope you can figure out how to stop Fear. And if not...well, we'll all be waiting for you."

As I fought back the floodgates, his gaze turned towards Jack. The winter spirit struggled to meet his companion's eye, unwilling to acknowledge his friend's fate.

"I'll never forgive you for that blizzard," Bunny chided, and Jack's face fell. "But, in the end, you turned out alright. Promise me one thing, will you, mate?"

Jack nodded instantly, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Frost began to creep up the staff where his fingers clenched the wood tightly.

"Take care of the Warren and the eggs for me. They're delicate...they need a tender hand. And perhaps even a little fun." Bunny laughed again, sounding strained, but a smile clung to his face. He closed his eyes, peacefully relaxing into North's arms. Then he shimmered away, leaving only a small tuft of blue fur behind. Tears streamed down Jack's face, frost curling out from where he rested on his knees. Shapes in the form of decorated eggs dotted the icy formation.

North stood and walked away, his fists clenched and expression mixed between anger and sorrow. Two of his closest companions had faded in his arms, and there was no doubt it was taking a heavy emotional toll. I embraced Jack, trying to calm him down, even as crying overtook me. We stayed like that for several minutes, both of us attempting, and somewhat failing, to maintain composure. After his body ceased trembling, he broke from my hug. Eyes and cheeks still wet, he gestured bleakly towards the tuft still abandoned on the floor. I reached down and gently touched it, watching with a heavy heart as my pendant absorbed the last piece of Bunny. Orange and green began to shine alongside the yellow and purple, before slowly fading back into the metal.

"Why is it happening so fast?" Jack asked me, ravaged with grief.

"I don't know..." I whispered, wishing I could rewind time and bring them all back.

Unable to face their despaired faces, I retired to my room, collapsing into the solitary rocking chair. The fireplace was empty, populated only by ashes stirred by the harsh winds battering the chimney. The howling gales beat against the window like a drum, drowned out only by the ticking clock in the corner that rang in my ears like a gong. I sank further into the wooden chair below me, burying my face in my hands. The chill in the room felt warm compared to the cold gloom that had settled within me. In the face of three lost Guardians, I couldn't prevent my mind from straying to dark, negative thoughts.They were gone, and I couldn't help but feel as if it was my fault, my guardianship that had caused their fading.