The Ugly Truth
I do not own Pitch or Jack Frost sadly. They belong to DreamWorks!
It was a cold winter this year, the winds chilling and the snow never ending. Some would say that Jack Frost was not having a good year. Little did they know how true that statement was... It has been twelve years since Jack became a Guardian and he never felt more lonely. Sure, things started out great; kids started to believe in him again and the guardians started to warm up to him and Pitch was all but gone from the world. But this happiness didn't last as long as Jack had hoped. Jamie started growing up and so did his believers; the other Guardians were always busy with their holidays, and Jack was left unnoticed. At first he thought it wouldn't last, but as the years went by without change Jack started to have second thoughts. But even then he still tried to have fun and not let it get to him..but that all changed at the beginning of this winter. It started out like a normal day for the Frost Prince, going around causing mischief and giving kids snow days. He was currently in Moscow giving them some snow when he saw it. A horse-like shadow darting into an alley way in-between two buildings. Jack clenched his staff in worry.
'That looked like a Nightmare...' he thought as he floated down to the street across from the alleyway.
Jack approached the dark alleyway with caution, his ice blue eyes darting from side to side searching for any abnormal shadows. He clenched his staff tightly as he took in a steadying breath as he slowly entered the dark passage. He kept a steady stalk forward, searching for anything odd as he pointed his staff forward. He nearly jumped a foot into the air when a startled alley cat screeched its distress as it was startled from its meal in a knocked over trash can that Jack had just bumped into. He put a steadying hand over his fluttering heartbeat as he watched the black cat run out of the alley into the fading light of dusk. Jack shook his head, laughing nervously to himself as he continued forward.
'Jeez come on Jack, what is there to be nervous about? Pitch is gone and you could take him anyway,' he scolded himself.
Jack jumped this time when he heard a dark chilling chuckle carry down the alley way. His hands tightened in anxiety as his throat thickened in fear. He knew that laugh all too well.
"Did someone say my name?" the voice taunted through the darkness.
Jack's eyes widened as his enemy the Nightmare King himself appeared from the shadows, a devious smirk on his face as his yellow eyes glowed in malice. Jack took a small step back from Pitch as he slowly waltzed towards the anxious Guardian of Fun.
"Why so nervous, Frost? Aren't you happy to see me?" Pitch asked, opening his arms gesturing to himself with obvious amusement.
Jack's eyes flickered to the side, considering on turning and making a run for it. Pitch's eyes darkened when he too noticed Jack's intention. He smirked as he gestured behind Jack with arrogance.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Jack." he said calmly as he gestured behind Jack.
Jack turned around slowly behind him to almost stagger in anxiety. Behind him a whole herd of Pitch's Nightmares were blocking Jack's exit, leaving him trapped between them and their master. Jack's jaw clenched in agitation as he slowly turned to face Pitch. He felt like a trapped animal. Pitch's eyes nearly sparkled in the dull lighting.
"W-what do you want, Pitch?!" Jack slightly snarled, his hands tightening even more on his staff, causing frost to crawl up the length of the wood.
Pitch quirked an eyebrow at the younger spirit, amused at the agitation rolling off the forever teen. He clasped his hands behind his back as he looked down his nose at the young Guardian.
"To talk," he answered as he watched the boy.
Jack quirked his own eyebrow at the older spirit as a snort of disbelief slipped out. He leaned onto his staff a disbelieving sneer on his face.
"Yeah...sure ya do Pitch. If you really wanted to talk then why this whole ambush the frost boy scheme?" he stated as he crossed his ankle over the other one, waiting for the older spirit's answer.
Pitch mentally rolled his eyes in his own agitation as he gestured around them with slight exasperation, "do you expect me to be stupid enough to waltz right out in the open while your precious Guardians are keeping a watchful eye on you?"
He took the boy's silence as an answer as he paced slowly as he continued, "you see Jack, I am not as reckless as you are when it comes to these things. I wait for the right moment..."
"The right moment for what?" Jack asked on edge.
"...to strike," Pitch whispered from right behind him in his ear.
Jack spun around trying to get the Nightmare King in his sights, but he had already faded back into the shadows. Jack stood on edge as he tried to locate the dark man.
"You see Jack, I have decided to forgive your refusal to my previous offer twelve years ago," Pitch continued as he appeared where he was before, looking at the young spirit with mirth.
Jack turned back to face Pitch with slight annoyance at hearing that, "and what makes you think the result will not be the same as the last one?"
Pitch smirked slightly as he turned back to face the frost spirit.
"Because this time I have proof of how the world truly works for people like us Jack," he stated as he pulled out a silver cylinder from his black robe.
Jack eyed the cylinder with interest and caution, "what is that?"
Pitch held it out to the forever teen with a hidden emotion in his yellow eyes.
"Proof," he stated simply as he held out the cylinder in his shadowed hand.
Jack swallowed nervously as he took a cautious step towards the dark spirit, his hand slowly outstretched in caution. The cylinder glimmered slightly in the dim light as Jack slowly approached, almost encouraging him to touch it. Pitch watched as Jack slowly approached him, his eyes glued to the cylinder with burning curiosity. Jack cautiously paused a few feet from the Nightmare King, his blue eyes flicking up to Pitch's face searching for any trickery or danger. He must of saw none before he cautiously raised his hand up to curiously touch the silver cylinder. The cylinder glowed a bright silver as it floated up into the air a few feet before slowly opening up. Jack watched in complete curiosity and awe, his blue eyes wide. As the cylinder opened, a silver like screen appeared in the air as an image started to focus on the screen. Jack's eyes widened in surprise when Jamie's image appeared on the screen, now 18, as he seemed to be walking with some of his friends from childhood. They were all laughing at some hidden joke as they walked down the streets of Burgess. Jacks eyes widened even more when one of the kid's question for Jamie caught him off guard.
"So Jamie...do you remember what happened when we were kids?" the kid questioned.
Jamie turned to the kid with an eyebrow raised, "Yeah what about it?"
The kid continued as the continued walking down the street, "Ya know with the boogeyman and stuff and that guy Jack Frost?"
Jamie chuckled a bit as they crossed a street, "what about 'em?"
The kid seemed to grow braver as he turned to look over at Jamie.
"You don't still believe in that stuff do ya? I mean, I get it when we were kids, but now...it's kind of weird," the kid said.
Jack's eyes grew round with fear as he continued watching, a lump forming in his throat.
'No...please not Jamie...'
Jamie snorted as they came near the park where they used to play as kids, his eyes looking up into the sky watching the snow fall.
"Jamie?" the kid pressed, watching his friend watch the snow with a thoughtful look on his face.
Jamie turned back to his friend and smirked, "nah! I mean their Fairytales for children! There's no such thing as the Boogeyman!"
His friend chuckled as they continued walking, "what about Jack Frost?"
Jamie turned to his friend, then looked back up to the sky at the snowflakes, "pfft! Nah there's no such thing as Jack Frost."
The scene faded from the screen as Jack gasped, his hand flying to his chest as he sank to one knee, his breathing raged, tears forming at the corner of his eyes. Pitch watched emotionless as he took the cylinder back and put it back into his robe. The Frost Spirit was holding his chest, gasping for breath his eyes hooded.
'Jamie...how could he...he doesn't believe in me...why...'
Jack heard Pitch tsk as he walked forward and rested his hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack stood up quickly, smacking Pitch's hand away.
"Why did you show me that!" he cried as he stood there, weak and holding his sinking heart.
Pitch stared at Jack with an unreadable expression on his stoic face as he watched the weakened forever teen.
"Because Frost...I know what it's like to feel hollow! Empty...without someone's faith and support!" he said as he slowly circled Jack like a wolf, eying him.
Jack quivered in suppressed emotion as the older spirit circled him, his eyes on the ground.
"To lose one's faith that you trusted and cared for so much! This emptiness...this loneliness," he whispered as he looked down at the shivering boy.
Jack felt tears slide down his cheek as he held back a sob. He wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball in a hole of ice and snow and fade away. He felt Pitch's hands on his shoulders again, this time he didn't have the strength to push them away. Pitch yanked the boy to him as he held the boy as he cried. He stroked the frost Guardian's silver locks in a soothing matter.
"Didn't I warn you that this would happen Jack? It never lasts, sometime it always fades..." he whispered to the quivering teen in his arms.
Jack clutched onto Pitch's dark robes, burying his tear soaked face into his chest, not caring who he is anymore. Just that someone sees him and hears him.
"The...Guardians never...said it'd hurt like this..." he choked out against the silk like fabric.
"The Guardians didn't tell you a lot of things. I guarantee you that they wont even care or notice Jamie's disbelief," Pitch said as he looked down at the boy.
Jack stiffened in Pitch's arms, and he slowly backed away from the Nightmare King, his eyes narrowed in disbelief.
"No...your wrong, they would care...they have to," he stated angrily, his fists clenching, frost slowly crawling up his sleeve.
Pitch shook his head at the ignorant boy, "if you believe that your precious Guardians are incapable of such, why don't you go see for yourself?"
Jacks mouth set into a firm line as he looked at Pitch with determination, "I will!"
Pitch snapped his fingers and the Nightmares parted at the center, giving Jack a pathway out of the alley. Pitch held out an arm, gesturing to the path.
"Go on then, Frost. Do tell me how it goes why don't you?" Pitch stated as he watched the boy with cool, calculated eyes.
Jack stared at Pitch with disbelieving eyes, "Y-you're letting me go?"
Pitch bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment. Jack cautiously approached the pathway before looking at Pitch. Pitch jerked his head to the path slightly, confirming that he was letting the boy go. Jack clenched his staff in determination.
"Wind! Take me to the pole!" he called as the wind gathered around him causing him to fly off out of the alley away from Pitch towards the pole.