Welcome to the third installment of Darkness. If you have not read Darkness or the second part Healing you will be extremely lost. If you are a returning reader of those two, I welcome you to the next part; if you are new I suggest you read those two first if you don't want to be like 0-0 what is going on. Or if complete oblivion is your thing, then welcome ;) Characters belong to their owners, mine to me theirs to them, and the story is all mine. Enjoy
(North Pole)
"Been through a lot haven't you kid?" Bunny thought as he watched the sleeping winter spirit. Bandages covered his arms and legs hiding raw skin and cuts. His ankle had been set; Bunny cringed at the memory of Jack's screams as they had started before he was completely under the influence of the dream sand. A light blue cast had been plastered on the ankle to keep the bone from moving. He frowned as Jack's face scrunched and he began to toss. He realized the boy was having a nightmare, "Jack, you need to wake up." he spoke softly as he shook the boy's shoulder
Blue eyes shot open as the boy bolted upright, "Cazador!" his voice sliced the air. He struggled, confused, with the blanket that was draped over him.
"Calm down mate! You're safe!" the pooka grabbed the struggling spirit by the shoulders.
Jack blinked in confusion, and then he collapsed back into the bed, his rapid breath slowing. He looked at Bunny, "Pitch?" the question could be heard in his voice
"Can't seem to kill him." Bunny smiled, "I think he's part cockroach."
A smile formed on Jack's face, "Where is he?"
"North stitched him up and had Phil put him in his room. Patrick is with him now."
"And Cazador…" the boy's voice was low
"He won't hurt you again." Bunny was surprised as tears began falling down the boy's face
"He tried…" Jack's voice broke as a sob escaped him, "he tried to protect me."
Bunnymund stared at him, silent
"He doctored my feet when they were hurt." Jack's body shook, "He died saving me." a fresh wave of frozen tears streamed down his face
Bunny spoke, his voice quiet, "His sacrifice allowed us to catch up to you."
"He's free now…" Jack suddenly looked at him, "Can I go see Pitch?"
"Your ankle…" Bunny's heart melted at the pleading look in his blue eyes, he sighed, "Fine, but only for a few minutes." the pooka then gently picked the boy up and carried him from the room.
(Out in the snow)
A flurry of shadow's erupted from the pure white snow. A boy stood where the shadow's had once been, his black hair shimmering with the afternoon sun. The bits of bone braided into it glinting. He shook his head, he'd have to get used to this new way of traveling. His scared chest expanded as he inhaled deeply, a predatory smile came to his face, "No sleep tonight, Muertes come to kill!" he screamed to the heavens. Then his body seemed to ripple as his muscles bulged, within moments a massive black wolf stood where the boy once had. The creature tipped its head back and howled his murderous intent to the heavens above. Then he was galloping toward his prey, a wicked snarl on his muzzle at the thought of the blood he was going to spill.
(In Pitch's room)
"Are you sure he's alive?" Jack asked from Bunny's arms as he stared at Pitch. The man was unmoving, his eyes closed. His normally gray skin had turned a pale white, his chest was barely moving.
Patrick nodded, "He's just recovering kid." he smiled, "Pitch is one tough customer. It'd take more than a little cut to slow him down."
Jack looked at the bloodstained bandage around Pitch's neck; he knew Patrick wasn't telling him something. He had seen Pitch's injury, had seen all of that blood that had poured from him, he looked at the Leprechaun, "You wouldn't lie to me."
"No kid, I won't." Patrick sighed, "We don't know if he will recover. Pitch refused Moon's pity, so his body is having to deal with a shit load of pain. It's gone into shock from all of it; he hasn't stirred since he went unconscious." Patrick looked at his friend, "We don't know if he'll ever wake up."
"But he has too!" Jack's voice was pure anguish, "He just got a second chance. It's not fair!"
Patrick smiled sadly, "Pitch's life has always been unfair. Poor guy can't seem to catch a break."
Jack shuddered as pain laced up his ankle, he hoped Bunny hadn't noticed. He wasn't that lucky.
"All right, you've seen him. Now I'm getting you back into the bed." Bunny turned and left the room
Patrick smiled, "Don't worry kid, he'll be fine." he called after their disappearing forms
"But I'm fine." Jack tried to protest as they walked down the hallway back to his room
Bunny snorted, "Yeah right." he entered the room and deposited the winter spirit carefully into the bed. He then opened the drawer and took out a bottle of medicine, "All right, Tooth said to give this to you when you started hurting." he held out a spoon to Jack
"Do I have to?" Jack hated taking medicine, especially the kind that made him sleep.
Bunny raised an eyebrow, "Yes."
Jack sighed; there was no arguing with a six foot rabbit, "I'll take it, but under protest."
"Duly noted." Bunny smiled as the boy swallowed the medicine
The boy quickly washed it down with the glass of water offered to him, he sighed and laid back into the bed, "Bunny, promise that you won't let Pitch wake up alone."
Bunny looked at him, "What do you mean?"
Jake's voice was drifting as the medicine began to activate, "I know what it's like to be alone…" he struggled to keep his eyes open, "He needs to know that he has family now…to..." blue eyes closed as the winter spirit lost the battle and fell into painless sleep.
"To be there for him." Bunny finished for the boy. He smiled at the sleeping child, sometimes Jack Frost was a complete and utter troublemaker. But other times, he seemed wise beyond his years. Bunny rose and walked out, he hated leaving the boy but he had to keep his schedule on time, he passed Tooth on her way to the room, "You going to watch him?"
Tooth nodded, "Yeah, I have my fairies on tooth patrol." She smiled, "Although Baby Tooth refused to not come."
The little fairy chirped from her shoulder, tugging on Tooth's feathers trying to get her to hurry to Jack.
Bunny smiled, "Don't let him talk you into letting him up, even if he begs."
Tooth smiled, "I won't." she then walked into the boy's room
Bunny then stomped the ground, a hole appearing to his Warren, as soon as he went through a flower appeared.
(With Death)
"How can he be alive!" the woman shrieked at the shadows cringing around her. The woman sank into her obsidian throne. Her face twisting in rage, "I ordered Pain to get rid of him." she drummed her fingers on the stone arm, leaving tiny dents. "How is it that all of my help are complete morons!" she threw the glass of wine she had drinking against the wall, relishing in the way the glass shattered.
"My Queen."
She turned her head and glared at the wisp of shadow, "What do you want?"
The shadow flickered, terror coursing through it, "Your Majesty asked to be notified when your Reaper reached the Pole."
Death smiled, at least that was going as planned, "How much longer?"
"At the rate he is going he should reach it within the next few days. North has hidden his place well. And Muertes is not as good at tracking as Cazador was."
Death's smile faded, "Did you just mention a failed experiment to me?"
"No, no my Queen!" the shadow cringed as she rose from her throne
"You really need to learn what to say," Her eyes glinted, "And what not to say." in a swift motion she pulled the shadow from the floor and crushed it in her palm, a smile came to her face as it screamed then was silent.
All right! First chapter of Death. Please review and let me know what you think. I can't wait to hear from you guys. I am going to apologize in advance if I can't update tomorrow, I am swamped with work ;( Why can't I just write all day? Anyway, review and let me hear your thoughts on the new installment.