1692

The moon was at its peak in the sky illuminating what it saw below. Black-barked trees curled like gnarled fingers clawing at the ground. The autumn wind picked up and danced with the brittle leaves and caressed the dead grasses. His heavy footsteps crunched and his hands held tight to his sabers. He searched. His eyes looked from his left to his right to his left again. His enemy was near and that was all he knew. He kept on. Walking deeper into the forest; sabers ready at a moment's notice.

A flash of silver and a breeze cold as death swept in front of his eyes. Half a second later there was a thud to his right. He jolted back and slashed out into the air. His eyes followed what his ears heard and he saw a double-sided blade sticking from the tree to his right. He twisted his head to see who had thrown it.

There were two eyes burning brightly like the embers of a fire that looked back at him. He froze for a moment; forgetting nearly everything he had been telling himself. Her eyes trapped him for only a moment. He faced her and tightened his grip on his sabers.

She looked him up and down as if reading him, "You're afraid. Are you afraid of me?"  Her eyes glistened and a wicked grin curled her lips.

"No. I'm afraid for you." He replied calmly.

She drew in a breath and furrowed her brows, unamused. "For me?"

"Yes. After everything you have done you don't have a single friend anywhere. All you have are enemies. Enemies that want you destroyed."

"And you don't?"

North dropped his swords to the ground. Celeste watched him carefully. She hesitated a moment calculating the risk.  She then stepped forward slowly till she stood in front of him and cupped his face tenderly. Her expression was soft and her voice even softer, "You have so much kindness." She looked into his pale blue eyes, "That kindness is going to get you killed one of these days."

Gold flashed around her wrists and she pulled away quickly, "Nick..." she frowned deeply and scoffed, "Handcuffs? Really? You couldn't even get your hands on something sturdier like Iron?" She flicked her wrists and shook her head at him disappointed, "We could have gotten along or at least tolerated each other's existence. But now you've forced my hand..."  The seething confidence in her voice soon sputtered out as she realized she was trapped.

She huffed and looked down at her restraints that still decorated her wrists, "What is this magic?" She backed away from North as the disgust twisted her face.  She flicked her wrists again expecting the cuffs to unlock and fall from her hands.

"Ombric-"

"Of course..." She hissed, cutting North off before he could even finish.

"It's over, Celeste", North picked up his swords once more.

Rage seethed through her teeth, "It's never over."

North noticed a silver glimmer from the shredded fabric of black skirts she wore. Celeste twisted around and grabbed a knife from her skirt. She sent the blade cutting through the air. It clanged harshly off his saber instead of sinking into his heart.  The sheer force of the blades clashing together made his wrists ache as he felt the impact in his bones as if the sabers were merely an extension of his own body.

"When I'm finished with you I'm going to make that grey beard drip with red."

 "Not today, mate." A voice cut into the darkness.

Celeste spun around to face the soon-to-be pelt she planned on having when she was free of her cuffs. She heard a buzz and twisted again.

"Thief of Teeth", Celeste sneered.

"Celeste." The Queen replied.

"No, no. You're supposed to play along. I have so many more names for you." A rope of golden sand wrapped around Celeste's waist. The witch turned and faced North again, "Is this what you wanted?" she raised her chained hands.

"This isn't about what I want." North pulled out a glass globe and tossed it to the ground. "The Man in the Moon has plans for you."

Celeste tried to pull away when Toothiana and Bunnymund held her by her arms.

Her burning ember eyes flickered with realization and her eyes grew wide in panic.  "Nick, no! Don't do this. If you do this you will regret it!" North walked into the portal without another word. "Let go of me, fleabag!"

"You haven't lost your charm, Celeste."

Celeste bared her teeth at the rabbit and growled, "You will regret this."

The Guardians took Celeste through the portal. When they walked through the other side Celeste's ears popped. She gasped in shock, shook her head, and swallowed her own saliva. The air was much cooler, but it wasn't the frigid air of the North Pole as she had been expecting. She was in a large corridor with white columns and marble floors. Clouds billowed in the corners of the room. Celeste's expression went foul. She narrowed her eyes at the figure making its way towards them.

"Cupid..." Celeste growled.

The young man wore a solemn expression. He nodded at her in acknowledgment then cleared his throat, "Thank you for bringing her here."

"You're welcome, Cupid-"

"You can't be serious!" Celeste snapped viciously.

"I had council with the Man on the Moon. He has deemed this place worthy of holding you."

Celeste scoffed, "You will never be worthy of me, Cupid."

Cupid furrowed his blond brows and blinked the moistness from his eyes before looking away from her. He cocked his head, motioning for the Guardians to follow him, "Ombric came today and assured me that everything is ready for her. There is no way that she could escape and no way for her to use her powers. She'll be as good as human."

Celeste's breath caught in her throat and she whispered, "Human?"

The Guardians brought her deeper into the palace until they reached a room surrounded by golden shimmering bars. Inside the polished marble floored room were a bed, sink, bath and an extra seat with a small table; all the same color as the fluffy grey-white clouds that billowed around the perimeter of the room.  Upon seeing her prison cell Celeste halted. She bucked, grunted, and fought with all her strength, but with no success. Her captors held tight until they threw her into her new home and locking the door. She reached through the bars and shrieked, "No! You can't do this!" She sank to her knees slowly and whimpered. Cupid froze when he saw the brilliance of her ember colored eyes cool down until it came to the color of pale honey. It was obvious the toll the charmed room took on her powers, but she found enough strength in herself to stand up again. She pounded her fists against the bars. When she looked out she didn't see The Guardians anymore. Only Cupid stood there, frozen and pale blue eyes wide. Celeste trembled with rage.

"I did this to protect you, Celeste."  He blurted out at once, not doing a good job of hiding his emotions.  He held his arms around himself and did everything to keep a single tear from falling down his cheek.

"And who will protect you?"  She couldn't help but smile in disbelief.

"I don't-"

"You don't think I'll just forgive this, do you? I am going to spend every moment of my time in here thinking about how to make you pay for this."  Her voice kept strong inspite of it all.

"Celeste, what would you have me do?!"  Cupid pleaded.

"Suffer." She licked her lips, "Until you beg for death. And when you do I'll gladly give it to you."

Cupid turned his back to her and began his way out quickly. He wrung his hands nervously.  What had he done?

"I will get out of here, Cupid! And there will be nothing you can do and no one there to save you!" Celeste let go of the bars and watched Cupid leave, "I look forward to that day."