-crawls under a rock to hide-
Disclaimer: See previous chapter. The warning in the first A/N still stands, especially for this. I have to admit that I had a hard time writing this chapter, as it upset me quite a bit.
X-x-x
Jack watched the Nightmare King circle him for a moment, before Jack felt a hand drop down to rest lightly on one of his shoulders. Jack wanted to shudder at the contact, but found that even that kind of reaction couldn't be done on his own. Pitch really did have complete control over his body with that spell he had used. Except for his eyes, and Jack found his eyes' movement was limited in any case. Maybe it was some sick gesture of Pitch's to allow him to fully see what was going on around him.
Jack failed to tense up as Pitch guided him along gently toward some shadows between a few trees. Jack was unnerved as they phased through the shadows easily, and the winter spirit didn't think he'd ever get used to the way Pitch chose to travel. It had seemed like Pitch had taken delight in having him drop through shadows on occasion when they fought. Jack tensed again when he saw that they had emerged into an area near the Tooth Palace.
Jack's panic was starting to rise. This was really happening. Pitch was actually following through on his threats after all these years. Jack could have sworn Pitch was all talk, but with what was happening...Jack was standing still now, and he could see Tooth's mini fairies darting to and fro from the nearby structures. The need to flee became more prevalent, but Jack's body made no outward movement.
A hand curled around one of Jack's upper arms, and Pitch breathed into his ear, "I think I'll have you go take care of Tooth now, and do try to be quiet while you do it." A horrible smile split Pitch's face as he watched Jack fly off on the wind without a word in the direction of the Tooth Palace.
X-x-x
Toothiana was busy as she always was, so she didn't see Jack coming into view. Tooth was flitting back and forth, calling out suggestions and requests to her mini fairies, completely wrapped up in her work. Tooth's attention was drawn from her current fawning over a tiny tooth one of her fairies had brought in, when one Baby Tooth started up a long series of cheeps. Tooth handed the tooth over for it to be placed in a case, and turned to see what the causing one of her fairies to be so vocal.
Baby Tooth, seeing that she had gotten Tooth's attention, zipped around her head a few times, before the tiny fairy angled in the direction she wanted the Tooth Fairy to look in.
Tooth tilted her head, and she brightened when she saw what Baby Tooth was trying to show her. Tooth's feathers flared out a little before dropping back into place as she caught sight of her fellow Guardian.
Baby Tooth darted forward toward the winter spirit, chirping excitedly.
Jack saw that Baby Tooth, Toothiana, and many of the other mini fairies had caught sight of him, and was mutely trying to urge them away, but knew it was useless. He landed lightly on one of the lower structures, and heard the cheerful chirp of a Baby Tooth making a direct beeline for him.
Before Baby Tooth reached Jack, she suddenly stopped short, an uncertain peep emitting from her when she realized that Jack wasn't smiling at her like he normally would have when he saw her. Baby Tooth darted back and forth uncertainly, especially after seeing Jack's blank face. She chirped a little in alarm when she finally decided to look into the winter spirit's eyes. The look her friend was giving her frightened her. It was a pleading look that was tinged with fear. That wasn't normal. Baby Tooth couldn't look away, so she started to cheep ceaselessly in alarm.
"Jack?" Tooth flew quickly to be near Baby Tooth, reaching out in an attempt to calm the distressed fairy.
The mini fairy flew out of reach, working herself into a tizzy with how wrong it was for Jack not to be smiling. Baby Tooth was very worried for Jack, but some sixth sense was warning her to leave before something happened. But she wasn't leaving without Tooth. She needed to leave, and get to the other Guardians. Baby Tooth cheeped, but failed to get Tooth's attention. This distressed the little fairy, so she shot off in an attempt to get the other tiny fairies to leave.
Tooth turned her attention to Jack when she found she was unable to calm Baby Tooth. Tooth peered at him closely, concerned when she saw his expressionless face and how still he was standing, "Jack, what's wrong? Are you okay?" She hovered closer to Jack, checking him over for any potential injuries that would have caused him to behave like this. Finding nothing, she flitted closer and rested a hand on Jack's shoulder gently, a feeling of dread taking hold in the back of her mind, as a thought occurred to her, "Did Pitch do something, Jack?" The continued silence made the feeling increase, and Tooth peered wordlessly into Jack's eyes, a small gasp escaping her. What greeted her sight was even worse than when Jack had given her a haunted look after Pitch had tormented him decades ago.
Jack wanted to shove Tooth away from her and scream at her to fly away as quickly as she could. Not to be so close, touching him and within reach of him. Jack didn't know what exactly he was going to do, but he knew that it was going to be far worse than what Pitch would have done had he been planning to attack Tooth himself. Since Jack couldn't speak, he tried to communicate with his eyes, and found that Tooth finally got the message that she was in danger, and there was nothing he could do to help her, because he was the danger. Jack's eyes widened in horror when he felt Pitch urging him to attack Tooth already, and he let loose a silent cry of protest as his body moved to obey the silent command.
Tooth barely had any time to react, as Jack's staff struck out with no warning, knocking her away and into the air, where she gasped as frost settled across her chest. The mini fairies, seeing this, all started to flutter about in a panic, chirping and cheeping in alarm. A low chuckle caught her attention, and Tooth quickly spotted Pitch lounging against a nearby wall in the shadows. Tooth's attention was drawn from Jack as her feathers flared in outrage, "Pitch! What have you done?"
Pitch smiled in a rather mocking way, obviously pleased with himself, "I don't have any idea what you could possibly be talking about. Maybe Jack just decided after all these years that being a Guardian wasn't worth it anymore."
Tooth's eyes flashed dangerously, "Jack would never think something like that." She darted toward Pitch, launching forth several weapons at the Nightmare King, "I'm not going to even give you a time frame this time. You stop whatever you're doing to Jack now, or I'll make sure you regret doing this to a fellow Guardian in my presence."
Pitch melded into the shadows out of range of the attack, and his voice echoed all around, "I don't think you will be able to make me regret anything. After all, I'm not the one your attention should be on."
Tooth had no time to respond, as a sudden blast of frigid ice and frost hit her, encasing her wings in ice. Tooth dropped out of the air with an alarmed cry, collapsing to the platform of one of the structures. She struggled to right herself, and found Jack landing a few paces away from her. Tooth shook her head, "Please, Jack. Don't let Pitch do this. You're stronger than that. You stood up to him once, so do that again. Don't give him what he wants." Even as she spoke, Tooth knew, deep down, that no amount of pleading with Jack was going to stop him, since it appeared that it wasn't in his power to do so. Whatever Pitch had done to the winter spirit had such a strong compulsion over him that it made Jack helpless to resist.
Jack approached her, and as he made motions to start a new attack, Tooth focused on the panicked and pained expression in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Jack. I guess we didn't take care of you as well as we thought we had."
Jack felt unshed tears form as Tooth's last words rang in his ears as he went in to finish things with bursts of ice and the swing of his staff.
"I don't blame you, Jack, this isn't your fault."
Pitch, nearby, closed his eyes and basked in the fear, despair and loss coming from Jack and the terror coming from Tooth's mini fairies. Pitch's lips twisted. He supposed it never crossed Tooth's mind that the Nightmare King would do such a thing to a Guardian. The fear increased tenfold as the mini fairies watched their leader fall, and Pitch allowed himself to be swept up in the resulting waves of fear. Once the fear from Tooth vanished, Pitch stepped languidly out of the shadows, sending sand arrows forth to strike the mini fairies out of the sky. Pitch batted aside another fairy attempting to attack him, and called up to Jack, "If you'd help me dispatch these little feathered nuisances, we will continue on to out next destination."
Pitch stopped his own attack and watched in sadistic pleasure as Jack flash froze the mini fairies with short bursts of ice from his staff. The peeping became increasingly terrified, but soon vanished altogether, as did the sound of fluttering of wings.
Baby Tooth, the one who had first spotted Jack, had hidden herself as soon as the attack had begun. Her tiny heart was beating rapidly as she looked in horror at what had become of her family. She kept silent, willing herself to cut off her fear. Baby Tooth's wings drooped against her back as she knew it would be a death sentence should she show herself, or to have Pitch pick up on her fear. Baby Tooth shivered, but luckily for her, it seemed like Pitch oblivious to her presence as he focused on Jack.
Smiling happily, Pitch strode forward to where Jack stood, and he remembered with fiendish delight that the winter spirit disliked it when he came too near. Pitch leaned in close as the fear and pain rising from the mute Jack rose in its intensity. Pitch propped his head on Jack's shoulder as he breathed in the fear, observing the still form of Tooth over Jack's shoulder, "I bet the terror in her eyes would have been a wonderful thing to see up close." Pitch tilted his head to glance at Jack, and smiled widely when he saw a flash of anger and hurt in Jack's eyes, "What? Do you have something to say, Jack? Or can you not speak anymore?"
Jack squirmed uncomfortably at Pitch's touch and his close proximity, though outwardly he was still immobile. The pale teen found that he could talk again, though it was difficult to form the words, and they ended up coming out a little roughly, "You'll pay…for this…"
"Oh? And why is that? It wasn't like I was the one who killed Tooth and all of her little fairies." Pitch stated in tone of injured dignity, stepping away from Jack.
"Your…fault." Jack responded, ice blue eyes dancing with rage now. How dare Pitch try and blame him for this. He would never have harmed his friends willingly. It was the Nightmare King's fault, and trying to play himself of as innocent made a cold anger take place in the pale teen's gut.
"Hush. I think I'll ask you to be quiet now." Pitch smiled at the frustration in Jack's eyes, and was ready to take Jack away from the Tooth Palace, when he sensed something. A twisted smile crossed his lips, "Oh, it seems we've overlooked someone." Pitch reached into a nearby shadow with a quick motion. When he pulled his hand back into view, he held Baby Tooth clenched tightly in his fist, the tiny fairy chirping in a mixture of anger and alarm.
Pitch gave the fairy an unimpressed look, "What? You didn't think that I could sense your fear? You were broadcasting it quiet clearly before you tried to stop it." Pitch gritted his teeth as Baby Tooth began to repeatedly ram her beak into skin, but Pitch merely laughed through the little flashes of pain, "You caught me by surprise the other time you did that, but not this time." The motions continued with an indignant peep. Pitch squeezed a bit to stop the attack, and turned to Jack. With a swift movement, he tossed Baby Tooth into the air, "Dispose of this so we can take our leave."
Jack cried out in mute horror as he felt his hands raise the staff to point at the flailing Baby Tooth. The terrified look in her eyes as she gave a tiny shake of her head, coupled with her expression, tugged at Jack's heartstrings. No. No, no, no. Baby Tooth gave a small, mournful chirp, before she was struck with ice. Jack watched as she fell from view, and he felt like he was being pulled in all directions on the inside as he tried to convince himself that the fairies would thaw out and be okay.
Pitch spared the briefest of glances to follow Baby Tooth's falling progress, before he rounded on Jack, acting as though the incident with Baby Tooth hadn't just occurred, "Come with me now. We have a busy schedule for the rest of the evening and the night." Pitch patted the other's shoulder, pleased that he received nothing more than a hostile glare. Pitch gripped Jack's upper arm loosely, and tugged the compliant winter spirit toward the waiting shadows, "Let's go see the other Guardians, shall we?" Pitch bared his teeth in a sharp smile, "I believe I'll save your demise for the very last. I could use some back up when dealing with the others."
Pitch perked up, as though he had just remembered something, "Ah, yes, and you know how I told you that I shouldn't be able to have much influence over you for very long?" Pitch slid a glance in Jack's direction, enjoying the nervous look that had appeared in the ice blue eyes, replacing the cold anger. Pitch continued, relishing the effect his words had on the pale teen, "I lied. I found the perfect spell; one where you're only released from my control when I allow it."
Jack's desperation began to grow as Pitch led him through the shadows, and the pale teen's desire to break free of what Pitch had done to him intensified at the thought of running into the other Guardians. None of them would have any idea what had happened to Tooth. Nor what had happened to Jack, for that matter, until it was too late.
X-x-x
It took Pitch some three hours to figure out where the Sandman was, even with the help of some of his Nightmares looking around. As soon as Pitch locked on to Sandy's location, Pitch dismissed the Nightmares. He didn't want to alert the Sandman of his presence. No, Sandy would only be seeing Jack, and Pitch was counting on Jack's condition to distract Sandy, and in that distracted state, allow the Nightmare King to take Sandy down with ease.
Pitch turned to Jack, who was perfectly still and eerily silent. Pitch indicated the distant golden sand in the air, before pointing to a nearby telephone pole. "Go over there and wait. No talking. I want this to go off without any hitches."
Jack silently took to the wind, heading for the telephone pole, Pitch's soft laughter following him as he flew.
X-x-x
The Sandman found the quiet evening a little out of the ordinary, but nothing to be too concerned over. As he sent streams of golden sand out to give dreams to the children in the area, he felt a cool breeze pass by him. The Sandman turned, knowing that a sudden cold burst of wind usually meant that Jack was paying him a visit. He enjoyed their conversations, and had been delighted that Jack had gotten quiet good at making out the sand pictures he put forth over his head to communicate. It made the talks go over smoothly, and it was nice when he didn't have to make too much of an effort to get his thoughts across.
Sandy turned to greet his fellow Guardian with a flurry of sand images, but found that Jack wasn't as close as he had thought. Sandy gave a little shrug, and drifted over to where the winter spirit was resting on a telephone pole, staff resting over one shoulder. Sandy gave a little wave, deaf to the wordless calls coming from the immobile teen, who was trying to urge him to stay away.
Jack felt the horrible sense of dejavu as he saw Sandy getting closer. Jack could only stay where he was crouched, as his body wouldn't make a move until Pitch told him to. Jack wanted to get the precariousness of the situation across to Sandy more quickly than he had with Tooth, in the hopes that the Sandman would understand the silent plea.
Sandy had already gotten the sense that something was wrong as soon as he got a good look at Jack. The pale teen was expressionless, like he was exhausted and ready to topple over. The little man wondered if Jack had gotten into a fight with Pitch that evening. Sandy didn't see any immediate danger around either himself or Jack, so he peered more closely at his friend. A sand image of a question mark appeared over Sandy's head, followed by an image of a snowflake and one of Pitch, sending the message of wondering whether Jack and Pitch had fought recently.
The silent Guardian received no response, and that put him on guard. Something was very wrong. No matter how tired Jack could have been, he would have said something, even if it was only a hand full of words. Since Jack's expression gave him no clues, Sandy looked into Jack's eyes. The little man's eyes widened as he clearly saw the look of absolute terror in Jack's eyes. That was not an expression that Sandy had ever expected to see from Jack. Something was definitely wrong, more so than Sandy had initially thought and he grew more concerned when the look in Jack's eyes changed into one of shock and horror. It was then that the Sandman felt something strike him between the shoulder blades with unerring accuracy. The familiar sensation sent a quiver through the Guardian's body as the realization of what had just hit him.
Jack screamed soundlessly as he watched Pitch strike the Sandman with a black sand arrow. Jack watched, sick to his stomach as the golden sand around his friend began to change to black. Pitch sending him to distract Sandy had worked, and Jack could only watch as Pitch had slunk up from behind and made the motions of releasing an arrow. Jack felt even worse when he and Sandy locked gazes again.
There was anger in Sandy's eyes as he rounded on Pitch, letting the gloating male know that he disapproved of what the Nightmare King was doing to his friend. The Sandman turned back to look at Jack one last time, and offered a look of sorrow for what the pale teen was going through. Mustering as much dignity as he could, Sandy stood tall as he vanished beneath the black sand, most likely never to return.
Pitch had nothing to say, and merely waved a hand for Jack to get down from the telephone pole. Jack was distressed to find that even wordless gestures made him do as the other wanted. Jack didn't think things could possibly get any more emotionally damaging than what had already happened.
He was wrong.
X-x-x
Jack's continued dread grew, so did his fear, as he and Pitch emerged from the shadows at the North Pole to pay North a 'visit.'
Pitch wanted to savor the moment, so he didn't have them enter North's home directly from the shadows. Instead, they were outside the entrance, where the yetis discovered them in short order.
Phil was the first of the yetis to realize that something was obviously wrong. He was in charge of watching the entrance that day, and nothing of note had happened that evening, until now. Phil was understandably suspicious when he saw the curious sight that was before him. The fact that Jack was doing nothing to stop Pitch as the two headed for the entrance together caused the yeti to know that something was up. Phil gave a low growl, and lifted the weapon he held in his hands. He instinctively knew that warnings needed to be made. Not taking his eyes off of either of the two beings before him, Phil let out a rapid bark of warning that was taken up by the yetis within hearing, taking the shouts all the way back to where North was likely to be, in his workshop.
Pitch wore a bored look on his face as he spoke in mock fright to the pale teen next to him, "Oh, whatever shall we to do? Those brutes will give us such trouble with those awful weapons of theirs. We're really only here for North, but if they insist in getting in our way…" The act was dropped in an instant, and Pitch spoke in a dangerous tone, "They really aren't worth the trouble. Take care of them, would you Frost? I want to save my energy for North." Pitch watched with gleefully glittering eyes as Jack flash froze each of the yetis that came near them, encasing Phil in a block of ice as the yeti charged toward them. Pitch walked with a little spring in his step as he passed the frozen creatures, gesturing imperiously for Jack to follow him, "I'm sure North has been properly informed of our presence. We shouldn't keep him waiting."
Jack followed Pitch, even as his mind protested, knowing what was coming. The helplessness of his position was terrifying, but Jack's frustration with this was starting to take root. Pitch likely knew this, but chose to ignore Jack's emotional distress in favor of the confrontation that was about to occur. As the two of them entered the room with the globe, Pitch directed Jack to freeze the elves that came nearby. Jack was disgusted by this, as a majority of the elves were oblivious to the danger he presented to them. A few were even offering food and drinks as his staff reached out and froze those who came within his reach.
Pitch found it faintly amusing that the stupid little things didn't even realize the danger they were facing. Though, after seeing their fellows frozen, the dumb little creatures had enough sense to scatter and make themselves scarce.
"Jack!"
The disbelieving voice of North sounded from the right, as the large man approached the now immovable Jack and the pleasantly smiling Pitch. North's grip on the weapons in his hands tightened as he shot a look between Pitch and Jack. North immediately caught sight of the look in Jack's eyes, and he rounded on Pitch, his voice carrying a dangerous note, "What have you done?"
Jack realized that North knew exactly what Pitch had done, and was obviously very upset with the Nightmare King.
"I figured it wouldn't be much fun to do it to you, North. After all, you made a terrible toy all those years ago. You were a horrid conversationalist too." Pitch slid up next to Jack and draped an arm over Jack's shoulders, leering at North, "I found a much better spell to use after all these years, and I quite like the effect it has. Complete awareness of what he does under my command, while being helpless stop himself. Such a wonderful little spell, wouldn't you agree?"
North leveled a sword at Pitch, in no mood to mince words, "You let Jack go, Pitch. I am thinking that takes things too far."
Pitch looked as if he was giving the other man's words serious thought, before he shook his head and tightened his grip around Jack's shoulders, "No, I don't think I will." Pitch fell away from Jack with a chuckle as North made no response other than to come charging at him.
Jack stood helplessly rooted to the spot as the fight raged before him. Jack came to realize the worried looks thrown his way throughout the fight and the sorrowful look in North's eyes were the Guardian of wonder's way of apologizing to him. That he and the rest of the Guardians had failed the winter spirit in a terrible way by not realizing that Pitch would do anything like this.
As the battle dragged on, Pitch decided that he had had enough fun, and that he was in slight danger of North causing him some kind of injury. Pitch gave North a wolfish smile, "Oh Jack, come over here, would you.? You like to have fun, don't you?" Pitch snickered as North barely dodged a blast of frigid frost. The Nightmare King brought forth a sand scythe, and between the sweep of his blade and Jack's icy attacks, Pitch could tell that North was beginning to wear down.
Jack found himself sending pleading looks in North's direction every time they clashed with their weapons or dodged by one another. He wondered if the other Guardian would be able to stop him, even if that meant hurting him in the process. It would be worth it, even if he was badly wounded. Even knocking Pitch out to take his control over Jack away would work. Jack wanted this hellish torment to come to an end.
The looks Jack had been sending North, however, had unfortunately caused the man to hesitate. North knew he should have tried to incapacitate Jack, but found that he couldn't bring himself to strike his friend, even though he knew the danger he was in. This hesitation and conflicting emotions between the right thing to do and the consequences of doing such a thing to the winter spirit, allowed for Pitch to swoop in from behind and land a heavy strike of his sand scythe.
Jack watched in wordless horror as North collapsed to the floor without a sound, weapons sliding out of his suddenly limp grasp. He didn't rise up to continue the fight, as Jack expected him to. He didn't move, and Jack felt fear start to overtake him as he silently pleaded with the limp form of North to get up. To help him fix what was happening. To stop him and Pitch from causing any more harm. Jack's pleas went unheard, of course, and his hope that Pitch hadn't struck a critical blow soon faded as the minutes ticked by. No. No, no, no, no. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't…North couldn't be gone. He was strong, a little thing like that shouldn't have…
Pitch sent the scythe away with a flick of his hand, and he stared down wordlessly at his fallen opponent. Then, without a backwards glance, he strode over to Jack, gripping the other's arm and tugging him along once more through the shadows, leaving behind any remaining elves and yetis at a loss of what to do.
Jack stumbled along in Pitch's grasp, despairing that he wasn't even capable crying for the loss of his friends with the state he was in. The winter spirit's face was expressionless, as it had been since Pitch had put the spell on him. Only his eyes could convey his emotions, and they were full of sadness and unshed tears.
Pitch didn't notice this, as he was trying to figure out the best way to confront Bunnymund. The Nightmare King knew that Bunnymund was going to be harder to defeat, and he needed to approach this carefully.
X-x-x
Jack watched as Bunnymund came out of a hole in the ground back into the Warren, and Jack could tell, from his expression, that the Guardian of hope had just found out what had happened. Jack was afraid that Bunnymund was going to blame him for what happened, but mentally kicked himself for thinking in such a way. Surely Bunnymund would figure out what had happened, and that Jack never would have hurt the other Guardians in the way he had found them.
Bunnymund went to pacing his Warren, trying to decide on a course of action. He was in shock, of course, but a burning rage soon filled him. He was so upset that he hadn't even realized that Pitch and Jack were already there, waiting for him. Bunny had gotten a sense of unease when he had noticed that none of Tooth's fairies had come for teeth in a city he had been wandering in. At first he had believed it was an oversight, but when he checked a few more places and found many more unclaimed teeth, Bunnymund went to the Tooth Palace.
Bunnymund paused in his pacing, shaking his head. What he had found was too terrible for words, and it far was worse because it looked to be completely Jack's doing. Bunny felt ashamed that he had believed for even an instant that Jack could have done such a thing. Bunny's mind locked on to what had happened as soon as he had come across some still fairies that had a thin trail of black sand over them. Bunny's teeth had ground in agitation as the pieces fell into place. He had stomped the ground and dropped into the hole, racing to go and check on Sandy and North. He was horrified to find the other two Guardians in similar states, with evidence of both Pitch and Jack's presence.
Bunny's nose twitched, his ears raising as he heard something. He spun about, thoughts of the past driven from his mind as Bunnymund threw a boomerang to knock Jack's staff wide, avoiding getting his body frozen by the resulting ice and frost. Bunnymund wasted no time in acting. Quick as a flash, Bunny drew his other weapon and charged not at Pitch, but at Jack, clashing against the winter spirit's staff hard, successfully driving the weapon from the other's grasp. Bunny locked eyes with Jack, blinking in a sort of acknowledgment of understanding of the winter spirit's precarious situation, before Bunny lashed out with one long hind leg, striking Jack squarely in the chest.
Ignoring Pitch's hiss of displeasure, Bunnymund used the momentum of the kick to drive Jack backwards to the ground, where one clawed hind leg quickly turned the stunned teen onto his stomach, before the foot rested lightly but firmly on Jack's back, keeping him from retaliating. With Jack out of the picture for the time being, Bunny locked eyes with Pitch, a dangerous growl in his voice, "I didn't think you were actually capable of doing this. An enslavement spell? That's low, even for you, ya shadowy rat fink."
Pitch still looked displeased at how effortlessly Bunny had disabled Jack, before he smirked, brushing off the insult, "Why not? It's such a wonderful way to get what I want. Otherwise it could have taken me years of taking you Guardians out, which would have given the rest of you a chance to gather and retaliate."
"How about I even the odds then? I'll bet he would be more than happy to help me take you out." Bunnymund indicated the prone Jack beneath one of his paws, before he completely ignored Pitch in favor of muttering something other his breath in as rapid a way as he could without stumbling over the words. Bunny only hoped he could finish in time.
Pitch's eyes flashed as he saw Jack twitch, and the Nightmare King listened for a moment in disbelief. The meddling Guardian was trying to cast a counter spell on Jack. Pitch hadn't even known that Bunnymund would even know of such a thing, and where on earth he could have picked it up from.
Jack, though his chest hurt terribly from the kick Bunny had landed on him, felt the first stirrings of hope when he felt himself be able to twitch his fingers on his own. Bunnymund was somehow breaking through the spell that Pitch had put on him. Jack's short lived happiness at making a move on his own was short lived, as Bunnymund let out a grunt of pain amidst a snapping sound. The weight was lifted from Jack's back, and his skin crawled as he felt a hand drop onto his shoulder, and a different voice start to mutter. Jack almost cried out in despair when his own movements ceased.
"Get up."
Jack's hope shattered as he realized Pitch had stopped whatever Bunnyund had been trying to do to help him. When Jack felt himself rise, he could feel the aching in his chest, and the pain it cause him reflected in his eyes. Jack saw Bunnymund struggling to get back up, and Jack realized that Pitch had broken the leg that had been pinning him down.
Pitch was furious. He had never imagined that the blasted creature would have been able to almost pull Jack from his control. Pitch ignored Bunnymund painfully bracing himself on one hind leg, ready to do some damage. Instead, the Nightmare King locked eyes with Jack, "Freeze him. Now."
Jack's eyes met Bunnymund's as he raised his staff level at his wounded friend. He felt grief wash over him as Bunny gave him an uncharacteristically defeated look, before the gaze softened minimally and the Guardian stated something similar to what Tooth had said.
"Not your fault, mate."
Jack wanted to close his eyes to what was about to happen, but couldn't, and was forced to see himself freeze Bunnymund in a solid prison of ice and frost, the point where he could no longer make out any shape of the Guardian who had been standing there moments before. Jack waited in place, hoping that this meant that Pitch was going to destroy him now that the rest of the Guardians were gone.
He was wrong, again. Pitch did something far worse, and he did it in two ways that completely floored Jack.
Pitch waved a hand lazily through the air, calling up shadows and black sand, before sending it toward the frozen Bunnymund with vicious accuracy.
Jack watched in utter shock as Pitch used the black sand and shadows to shatter the block of ice into numerous shards. Jack was numb with disbelief as the pieces settled on the ground, that he hadn't noticed his enemy approaching him.
Pitch invaded Jack's personal space again, breathing in deeply the shocked fear and horror rising from within the winter spirit. "Didn't think I'd actually do that, did you? I might have left him to freeze to death, but what with him trying to take you from my grasp…" Pitch picked up a tiny shard near his feet and twirled it around in his hand, "I guess I couldn't stop myself."
Pitch allowed himself to bask in Jack's overwhelming fear. Once he was satisfied, however, Pitch melded back into the shadows, and surprised the last Guardian by releasing him from his control. Pitch watched gleefully as Jack collapsed to the ground with a strangled, horrific cry,"I think I'll deal with you later, Jack." Pitch stated simply, vanishing from the Warren and leaving behind a broken and now sobbing Jack next to the shattered pieces of ice that had once been one of his friends.
X-x-x
-peeks out from underneath the rock-
I did say that this was going to be the worst chapter of the whole story, didn't I? I don't even know how well I kept the characterizations of the characters by the end of this. This is likely to be the longest chapter of the entire story. I really hope this chapter would still be considered T, as I think I avoided anything graphic.
I am going to finish editing the next chapter and post it so that I'm not leaving you guys stuck with this terrible end to a chapter.
I don't know if many people will be interested in this fic as a result of what's just happened, so opinions (reviews)/favs/follows would give me a good indication of how it is going.
I do appreciate the reviews/favs/follows this story already got after barely posting it, though at the moment I feel bad for writing this chapter. At the same time, strangely enough, I'm finding that it's helping me to improve on my writing skills.