FINALLY! I'm so sorry for the wait, you guys! I've been really busy! But here's chapter two, and there's more in the works!
WARNING: From this point onward there will be mention of physical and psychological torture, and HEAPS of angst. If that's something you can't handle, tread carefully!
"Something troubling you, Frost?"
He tensed.
He'd know that voice anywhere.
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"Pitch." He spat the name without turning around.
"Oh, that's sweet. You remember me." Pitch purred, sliding closer on his oil slick of Night Mare sand.
"What do you want?" Jack asked, remaining rigid and alert.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all, Jack." Pitch assured him.
"Then why are you here?"
"I hear you're loosing believers."
That struck home.
Jack's whole demeanor changed. His eyes widened, and his jaw clenched. He was no longer showing anger, but shock, and hurt, and fear.
"Ah. Thank you." Pitch seemed to stand a little straighter, his sand to shimmer a little darker, "That was just what I needed."
"Needed...for what...?" Jack asked, horrified by what he knew the answer was going to be.
"This."
Pitch leapt forward, his movement fluid and quick, like that of a viper.
He knocked Jack's staff from his hand, and in seconds had an iron grip around the sprite's throat.
Jack twisted and thrashed, causing Pitch's claw-like fingers to draw blood.
"Oh, this is lovely," Pitch chuckled, "I haven't felt this powerful in ages."
Jack's lungs burned as he tried to suck air past the vice of Pitch's hand.
"But I'm not through with you yet," Pitch continued, "You're coming with me."
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Tooth came whizzing into the workshop in a flurry of leftover snowflakes, and speech that was blurred by the speed at which she was trying to force the syllables out of her mouth.
"Woah, there, Tooth," Bunny stopped her forward motion by placing his paws on her shoulders, "Slow down, and tell us again."
"Jack is missing!" She gasped.
"What?!" North jerked to his feet, shocked, "How you know this?"
"I found his staff...and...and..." She shuddered, and held out her hand.
In her palm, a pool of nightmare sand undulated as though it was a living thing.
Sandy quickly approached, and with a swipe of his hand, the sand turned golden and poured in a glittering stream onto the floor.
Both North and Bunnymund cursed almost simultaniously.
"Pitch..." North said, "How can he be back so soon?"
"I dunno, Nick," Bunny said, grimly, "But if he's got his claws into Jack, we need to find his new hidey hole. And fast."
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Jack's eyes snapped open, struggling to make out any sort of form in the endless blackness.
"Finally come around, have you?" Pitch mocked, a hint of dry humor in his voice.
Jack shot upright, trying to scramble back, and tripping over something in the dark.
Pitch's disturbing laugh echoed through his consciousness.
"You can't escape, Jack." He said, "And besides. Once you realize what's going on, I don't think you'll want to."
Jack frowned, standing slower this time as Pitch came into view. An actively burning flame writhed in his hand.
"You know...I'd imagine it's awfully difficult to make frost in a fire..." He mused, "Especially when you don't have your precious staff..."
Jack felt the chill of fear settle deep in his core. Pitch faded away, leaving the flame to float, and expand.
The space that Jack had woken in slowly began to take shape around him.
A burning house.
Jack panicked. There was bright fire everywhere, scorching everything it touched. The heat made his skin crawl. He had to get out.
He staggered towards where he somehow knew the door would be. Wait...why did he know where the door was...?
No. That wasn't important right now, he just had to get out.
Hot ash stung his eyes, and the glare of the flames made it almost impossible to see. He tripped over anything that got in his way, scalding his feet on burning debris.
Why did this place seem so familiar...?
"Jack!"
No...no, he knew that voice. He'd never forget that voice.
"Jack, get us out of here! It hurts, Jack!"
He turned around, pure terror putting everything in hyper-focus.
And then he saw them.
Jamie and his little sister, trapped in a cascade of flaming wood and insulation.
Jamie...
He could see the pain and fear in the eyes of both of the children as he pushed himself through wave after wave of heat and pain to get back to them.
A deafening crack pealed through the air, and a section of the ceiling, set ablaze, finally gave in over the two children.
"JAMIE!" Jack screamed, skidding to a stop before the burning pile.
No longer caring what happened to him, Jack clawed at the scalding wood, taking beams and shoving them out of the way. No. Jamie could not be dead. Not Jamie. Not Jamie.
The sleeves of his sweatshirt soon caught fire, sending the heat licking up his arms, but he didn't stop. He had to find Jamie. Had to find...
More of the ceiling gave, crushing the frost sprite in an impervious wall of searing pain.
He screamed. He screamed until his throat and lungs felt like they were full of broken glass.
And slowly, everything else dissappeared, until Jack's whole world was reduced to this endless inferno, shot with pain, guilt, and the knowledge that sooner or later, he would have to die.
So...yep. There it is! Hope you like it! R&R, please?