Chapter 2
Ember was staring at the King of Nightmare's trying not to think of the last time she saw him. It had been decades at least, and she wasn't entirely pleased to see him again. In truth, the last time Ember had seen Pitch was when she was still a foolish human. She scowled at that thought, but she kept it hidden best she could. The last thing Ember needed was for Pitch to bring up her past again.
"So do you have any ideas on how to plan to destroy the guardians?" she tsked, cocking her head to the side. "Or are you planning to shout profanities at them from this god forsaken hole?"
"Don't you ever get tired of being snarky?" Pitch hissed seizing her chin in his hand. He forced her to look him in the eye, but still no fear. She only glared and allowed the flames that licked her skin to flare up and force Pitch to take a step back. "I wish you'd stop doing that."
"Don't like the light?" Ember smiled sweetly cocking her head to the side, but when the boogeyman glared at her, she calmed the fire on her skin back to a dull dim. "I can't help that I have a tendency to make things glow."
"Or that things catch on fire around you," Pitch snarled shaking out his robes to snuff the part that had been flaming. When Pitch finally had everything back in control, he took a deep breath and smiled grimly down on Ember. "I can leave this hole if enough people start to believe in me again."
"I'm not about to cross dress," she said shaking head joking about turning herself into Pitch. "I could catch a few houses on fire?"
"That doesn't help me," he frowned. "I need to smell the fear and take it over. Then, we can take out the guardians."
"Well do the guardians have any pets?" Ember asked, and she grinned with Pitch. He had a glint in his eyes as he started to plan something.
"I have an even better idea," Pitch cooed again touching Ember's scarred face. His nails started to dig in, but Ember only pushed forward. The pain reminded her of everything she had been through, and there were days she craved the anger and pain just as Pitch craved fear. "How are your acting skills?" But before Ember could think of answering, she was thrown against the wall and black sand formed restraints across her entire body.
Her gaze never wavered from the Nightmare king, and she shut her eyes in content as her head leaned back against the cool wall. Fear never once radiated from her; Pitch, after all, wouldn't call her down here just to kill her. She didn't trust him, but she'd allow him to do with her as he thought was necessary. The first strike caused her to flinch from the unexpectedness of it, but after that, the blows just faded away as she relaxed. After all, she had been through far worse pain; her scarred body was proof of that.
However when Pitch's hands slid up her shirt to come into more contact with her burn that stretched like tatters across her abdomen, her eyes shot open. "Watch it," she hissed, "or you'll find yourself with similar marks." Ember didn't mind the pain, but she didn't like to be touched softly… softly meant care, meant love… meant things she didn't want. The punches came back.
"You look lovely covered in blood," Pitch purred into her ear, and she smiled at that. Pitch always said the nicest things to her.
…
Jack laughed as he soared through the air. The cold gusts felt like home to him, and for a moment, he considered just heading back to his pond… but he figured he should stop and at least bother Bunnymund. The kangaroo had gone too long without a visit from the winter spirit, and it had been even longer since Jack had given the Warren some snow.
Without even saying it, the wind adjusted and brought him to the Warren in the briefest of moments. Frost landed quietly and looked around the bright spring like area. It wasn't burning hot here like it was back in his home town. Little eggs ran around the moment he landed, and they were scurrying every which direction.
Knowing he didn't have a ton of time, Jack raised his staff and caused a flurry of snow to fall down. The eggs started to freak even more, running for cover as the cold wet fluff fell down. Jack could only throw his head back and laugh.
"Oh no you don't!" Bunnymund yelled half way across the Warren. "Get rid of it! Get rid of it!" Bunny was standing right in front of Jack now, his full height towering over the winter spirit. "Get. Rid. Of. It!"
"Oh come on Kangaroo," Jack smiled enjoying the usual games they played. "You haven't had snow here in a bit."
"Three days Jack," Bunny warned. "You are making it impossible to get work done."
"That's because you need a break," he sighed exasperated. "Have fun you know?" Jack leaned over on his staff.
"Go give North a snow day," Bunny said with a glare. "He's in overtime with summer in full swing."
"Tell me about it," Jack frowned.
"Don't like the heat?" Bunny grinned liking the idea of the winter spirit being uncomfortable with something, but Jack only shrugged as more snow came down. Before Bunny could even say another word, a blizzard picked up. Jack jumped into the air with the intention of flying off. "JACK!"
And with that, the spirit of fun knew when to run. He didn't want the Easter bunny eating him alive for this, but it was still worth it. While he'd prefer to hang a bit longer, Jack decided he should at least go talk to Jamie today. It had been a few months since he was able to talk to his first believer after all.
Jack had been able to wave, but with Jamie being a teen, they hadn't had the time to really talk. He was hoping he would get the chance since Jamie had seemed excited earlier, so Jack used the wind currents to drive him back to the town of Bugress. He had barely landed near his pond when he felt the shift in the air.
If Jack didn't know better, he could have sworn it was hotter. Jack looked to his pond to see it was starting to melt from all this heat, and he just grinned before touching his staff to the water's edge. It immediately froze back over, and everything seemed better. Jack just ignored the feeling that he was being watched.
Grinning, he headed towards the forest's edge hoping Jamie would be there waiting. The sun was just barely sitting on the horizon, so Jack was sure Jamie would have made some time by now to see the winter spirit. Jack had barely made it a few feet towards the forest edge when he heard a whimper. His staff was immediately up and he was circling around trying to find the source of the sound.
Behind him, he heard Jamie call his name, but his eyes narrowed. He knew he heard someone or something else. Jamie was jogging up to Jack, but he barely paid the teen mind for the moment. The whimpering occurred again, and Jack stepped towards it.
"Jack, what's wrong?" Jamie asked frowning.
"I hear something," he said looking over at the teen to see how well he had grown. "Don't you?"
The teen looked like he was straining to hear something, but he only shook his head. "I'm sorry Jack, but look, I really wanted to talk to you."
"Please help," a voice called out. "Anyone, please?" It was pathetic and weak, and Jack now knew the direction. Jamie followed him at a careful distance. He could see that Jack was ready for a fight which told Jamie to be wary.
Finally, the two walked into a clearing, and temperature seemed to sore another ten degrees. Sweat rolled down the poor winter's spirits face. He panted from the exertion of being in such heat, but if someone was calling for help, it was his duty as a guardian to try.
"Who's there?" Jack called out.
"Can you hear me?" a voice called back in turn, and finally, Jack could see where the voice originated. Laying on the ground was a girl in a black skirt and a halter. Part of her face was scarred by what looked like a burn, but the rest was covered in blood and bruises.
"Jack what do you see?" Jamie asked.
"You can't see her?" he asked taking a careful step towards the injured girl. She grimaced in pain, and the temperature went up again.
"No, see who? Is it another spirit?" Jamie asked, his voice rising in excitement.
Jack knelt by the girl, and she frowned up at him. She looked to be in a lot of pain, and it appeared that she had been dragging herself away. Jack moved to touch her, but stopped when he realized the closer his hand got to her body, the more heat he felt.
"You're a spirit," he said in confirmation, and the girl nodded, hissing between her teeth.
"Summer spirit," she coughed out, and her body shuddered. "Ember… is.. my name," she panted out.
"We need to get you some help," Jack said. "If I touch you, will it hurt?"
"Probably, but I am painted black and blue," she muttered. His fingers brushed along her back where another part of her skin was raised from a burn, but it was old, healed and long scarred. Jack tried not to cringe at the heat running into his fingers, and Ember shook from the cold running into her body.
"How did this happen?" Jack set his staff down as he decided he had to get her to North. It wasn't going to be pleasant, but it had to be done.
Her eyes closed as a few tears brimmed her eyes. She was able to choke out one name, and it was the last name Jack ever wanted to hear again. "Pitch Black…"
"Pitch is back," Jack muttered to himself more than anything.
"Pitch is back!?" Jamie cried, and when Jack looked to the teen to calm him, the winter spirit didn't notice the smirk that played across Ember's features. She knew that the teen would spread the name, and with Pitch's name, it would spread the fear… it would spread like a wildfire.
Chapter 3 Preview: Jack takes Ember to the pole to get the much needed care she 'needs' not knowing it's all part of the plan. The Guardians get together to try and figure out Pitch's plan without realizing she's sitting among them :P
OOC: Still not romance, but Ember is sly. She knows how to manipulate, so be ready for the games. R&R :P.
