Hey hey hey! Tell me what you guys think! Oh, and just for the record- we skipped forwards about 300 years. Also, Jacqueline lived a very close to Jack *hinthint* they had a 'special' relationship. So if you read this... foreshadowing!

Chapter 3

I walked along the power line, not worrying about being seen. My desire to be seen had died years ago. 300 years old, over it! In fact, I didn't really like being seen nowadays. Basilica slid underneath the power line, following my path. People never saw us, only spirits. Actually, people do occasionally see us, but just as glowing orbs- the will-o-the-wisps. I'm basically supposed to appear in front of people who are in danger and lead them to safety. Unfortunately for me, people think will-o-the-wisps lead you to danger.

People should be able to fend for themselves, right? If they don't appreciate me and let me help them, then I won't. Anyways, I only help children. I swung my bow around into position and notched an arrow. I fired off a stream of the silver-blue arrows near a teenager. They exploded into a small fire and he ran away, scared. OK, so maybe will-o-the-wisps are a little mischievous, but there was a snake there and it would have bitten him. So technically I did help.

I stared up at the moon and sighed, floating off the power line. "What I am supposed to do?" I questioned. I didn't really expect him to respond.

But, of course, he did.

" 'Ello Sheila." I heard an Australian accent. I looked lazily over to the source. My lip curled ever so slightly. I saw a large Kangaroo- the Easter Bunny- a boy with snow white hair, a staff, blue hoodie, and tattered pants- Jack Frost- and a small hummingbird fairy- Baby Tooth Fairy. What do they want? Snooty Guardians.

I nodded to them, touched down on the ground, crossed my arms and waited.

Jack Frost stepped forward, eyeing Basilica suspiciously. "We need you to come to the North Pole with us."

I raised an eyebrow, "Oh? You ignore me for 300 years, then want to be all buddy-buddy? I'll pass." I stalked over to Basilica, "By the way, don't look at her. She doesn't like it. You wouldn't believe how… difficult… it is to get someone back to flesh form from stone." I smiled venomously at then and climbed onto Basilica's back. She bounded away before they could say another word.

"Prats…" I muttered. "I honestly have no interest in becoming a Guardian. What about you?" Basilica snorted and froze a passing squirrel. I laughed breezily as she snorted again as shook her head, "I thought not." Over the years, as Basilica's kind was hunted down and killed, she preferred to convey her thoughts through sign's rather than words.

I stroked her neck and slid off her back and led her further into the woods. I had barely noticed entering the forest… In fact, when we were talking, we were still in the city… Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. This forest was dead. JACQUELINE. Basilica's voice slipped through my mind. Basilica knew something was wrong too. In fact, just her talking was a bad thing. She never talked anymore. Ever.

I looked behind us and stretched out my senses. We were surrounded by thousands of miles of forest.

Uneasiness filled my veins. Where were we? Is this dream? I stepped the hard, dead soil more through my toes with a sand-like quality. Not a dream, then.

"Correct. This not a dream Jacqueline." A silky voice purred out of the shadows- a.k.a. the voice enveloped me. Luckily, with my majorly enhanced my senses and I was able to pinpoint the speaker. I stared into the shadows where he was. A frown tugged the corners of my mouth downwards as the heartbeat disappeared. A hand gripped my shoulder and spun me around. I started as I stared at a man who was a good five inches taller than me with grayish skin, glowing yellow eyes, and spiky black hair.

"Um. Are you another Guardian? Because, just for the record, I already declined your offer. So, screw you and go away. Ya-deeya-deeya." I said bluntly. See, there is a reason why I chose to be such an antisocial person.

"Guardians," he spat, "no, I am not Guardian, but I did already know about your declination of their offer."

"Oh, yippee. I chose to not talk to anyone for like, three freaking centuries, and then in one bloody day, I get stalked, offered 'friendship', and kidnapped. Because taking me into a nightmare forest does justify as kidnapping. Which is illegal. Just saying." I grinned and distanced myself from him. The closeness was freaking me out. He did really seem like that kind of person. Ya know the kind that would rape you in middle of the street. So I'm absolutely positive that a deserted creepy dark forest would be no problem.

"Anyways, why do you hate them so much?" I questioned, picking up on the hatred oozing off him. It was like breathing in water, it filled the air, polluting it. Hatred was another reason to avoid people. I could hate them for avoiding me, but I don't. It's a waste of feeling. My mother always said I was an 'extra empathic' person.

He smirked, "A story for another time. Let me introduce myself- Pitch Black, at your service. And you are Jacqueline…" He left off their, hanging a question at the end. Should I tell him? I'd heard some pretty nasty things about Pitch Black, the Boogeyman, King of Nightmares. Will-o-the-wisps know loads of stories and notions. We were the best story tellers around. But, being the last one, I acquired all the information and knowledge of the past will-o-the-wisps. And I know this man is bad news. Dangerous. I stared at his hand, contemplating swiftly at whether or not I should say.

"Jacqueline Pierre and Basilica." Basilica hissed in acknowledgement as I stuck out my hand to shake his.

Any enemy of the Guardians is a friend of mine.

Though I do prefer to think of myself as the neutral party.

Like Switzerland. Go Switzerland!

Go Switzerland! Yay :P

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Songbook12