The only one brave enough to take the sword, is the one it holds closest to its heart - for . .head

Winter was the most dangerous season. That much was common knowledge for both spirits and mortals alike- but did it follow that spirits who was a part of that season was also dangerous?

The answer was simple.

Spirits were no more dangerous than knives. Mere tools- harmless by themselves. They could be used safely, to aid people- or they could be used for violence. It depended entirely on who took up the knife. But the greater the spirit, the greater the power- the longer and sharper the knife... And so winter spirits were among the sharpest. They were often used for great good in the world... but would happen... if darkness took the knife?

What would happen if the winter sword was turned on those it protected?... And who would dare take it back?

An explosion from outside. Jack and Bunny flinched- throwing their arms up to keep their balance, as the impact shook the ground.

"The bloody hell was that?!" Bunny shouted.

"Well I'm assuming... it's something bad." Jack drawled, a strange mix of annoyance and boredom in his condescending tone. "Unless you expect firework displays at the North Pole." He added, the comment a clear insult.

"Shut up." Bunny muttered, starting to get a little riled up at the winter spirit. Tooth zipped in, with Sandy floating just behind her.

"Did you guys hear that?" She asked, concerned.

"Hm? I'm sorry- did you say something?" Jack said, feigning deafness as though he hadn't just heard the explosion- or Tooth. Everyone ignored the comment.

He'd been like this since he arrived at the pole. Somewhat grumpy; casually throwing out mean, or provoking, comments; caring even less about the North Pole's 'keep pranking to a minimum' policy than usual. He'd probably just had a bad day with non believers they reasoned- or perhaps he'd had a bad night sleep.

"Oy- cut it out, smart alec- the North Pole could be under attack!" Bunny chided, glaring at him- but the spirit remained seemingly oblivious to his scolding gaze.

Bunny turned away, inwardly sighing as he looked at Tooth- silently grumbling to her, as he met her eyes. Honestly, I swear that kid wants me to get up in his face sometimes. He told her, wordlessly. I know, just bear with it. She answered, somewhat apologetic on Jack's behalf. He's probably just had a bad day. She told him. Bunny closed his eyes in another long, internal groan, then answered her initial question.

"Yeah- any idea what it was?" Bunny asked. She shook her feathery head, about to reply when they heard a clattery bang.

Jack's staff slamming into the ground- demanding attention. The spirit swung back and forth on the ancient staff.

"Then what are we still doing around here, then?" He asked, rolling his head in a way that screamed boredom. "Lets get out and see what it is already. Or are you just big babies?" Bunny opened his mouth to come up with an angry retort, when Tooth flew between them in an attempt to diffuse the tension. Stop it. Her eyes told Bunny- then to Jack, she said.

"We need to wait for North." Tooth explained to the irritable winter spirit. "We can't rush in there alone, or blindly." She informed. He should already know that, Bunny thought to himself grumpily.

"But North's already out there." He informed, casually.

"WHAT?!" The others exclaimed, rushing to the door to head outside.

In their haste, and worry for North, they forgot to ask some crucial questions. How did Jack know North was out there? ... And why didn't he tell them sooner? Perhaps, if they'd been a little slower, and kept an eye on the winter spirit, they would've noticed the dull, grey colour of his usually blue eyes...

...and the sly, dark twist of his lip as he followed.

They dashed out into the open tundra. There small lump in the distant snow. Bunny couldn't spot any signs of movement- and even from this great distance, his enhanced eyesight should've been able to see some kind of movement, if he was running towards the Pole like he should've been.

"North!" Bunny called. Tooth took off towards him, Bunny and Sandy following seconds later. All of them unaware of Jack's leisurely stride as he turned round swinging his staff.

If only they had been paying more attention to him- they would've known for certain that something was up. Because why would he have frozen the doors shut behind them? They rushed on to North, completely blind to the deadly trap they were walking straight into.

As they approached the Christmas Guardian, they noticed that he was lying there- bound and gagged. Dread hit them. How, in the name of the moon, had this happened?! North was still within the magical boundaries surrounding the Pole- how had something something managed to do this?! Something, somehow, had broken into the the Guardian's stronghold- and that rattled them. But not only that, it had they captured, tied and gagged North! The swordsman was always equipped for a deadly situation, and he did not go down easily, so what had happened? Just what were they up against here?! It could only be something really bad- and they really didn't like it.

They finally reached his side. The Guardian was desperately trying to shout something to them- eyes screaming a warning they were unable to decipher. But he seemed..unharmed? Other than being tied up, he looked completely fine! Not only had something subdued North, they'd done it so easily they hadn't even needed to harm him. This just kept getting worse- they needed to know what they were up against, and they had to get North free.

Bunny reached for the gag to free his mouth, as Tooth and Sandy grabbed his bonds. The all cried out as searing pain burnt through them.

"THE BLOODY HELL?!" Bunny yelled, as the burning subsided somewhat. He hadn't payed attention to what the bonds were made of- none of them had- and now, they found themselves stuck to it. "Ice?" Bunny muttered, confused. But the only person who used ice around here was-. He realised in disbelief. What was-?

Amused laughter echoed across the ice, as the one remaining Guardian stood laughing at their predicament.

"Oh, ha ha- bloody hilarious mate!" Bunny shouted as he tried to pull his limbs free- thinking this was all just a practical joke. "Now would you let us go already- you've had your stupid joke." He demanded, angrily.

"Now why would I do that?" Jack asked, everything about him suddenly turning cold. "I've got you exactly where I want you." He told them, a slow menacing smirk sliding across his face.

"What are you blabbered on about?" Bunny asked, oblivious to the deadly aura coming from the spirit- only half paying attention to what was going on as he continued to tug against the ice. Then he froze needle of ice jutted towards his throat.

"You guys were just too easy.." Jack muttered, the air surrounding them turning even colder and more sinister. "I don't see why Pitch ever had any trouble." Tooth's eyes darted about in alarm and confusion, as the needles of ice slowly circled around them.

"What are you saying..?" She muttered.

"'Who turned on the northern lights, I was in the middle of a snowball fight'; 'but North's already out there.'" He quoted. Then, they saw the giant heap of collapsed snow resting up the side of the pole- almost as though someone had thrown a giant snowball at it, enough to make a resounding boom throughout the entire workshop... That hadn't been an explosion, had it...

They put together the clues together... He'd wanted them to come out here- it was all him! He'd activated the northern lights- he'd tied up North!

"I'm disappointed, really." He carried on, drearily. "It's basic kids knowledge. You don't stick your tongue on a frozen lamppost- you don't place your hands on solid ice." He said, like some kind of sinister teacher, looking down at them disdainfully.

"You're not the real Jack." Bunny realised. The spirit turned to him, a terrifying light behind his eyes.

"Aren't I?" He questioned stepping forwards- almost nose to nose with the Easter Guardian. "Look closer." He whispered- eyes staring straight into the Guardian's.

A shadow flitted behind dark grey eyes- and Bunny drew back in horror.

"That's the darkness..." He whispered. Those exact eyes- he'd seen them before... on Pitch Black.

Jack backed up slightly, but not so far that they couldn't see the menacing darkness behind replacing the glint of mischief and hot in his eyes. His skin paled, turning slightly ashen- like they were watching a film that wasn't quite black and white, but somewhere between colour and monochrome.

"You catch on quick, rabbit." He sneered, darkly. "But not quickly enough." He noted. He was too late. Far too late to do anything about it. They all were.

"Jack, what happened to you?" Tooth asked trying to hold back her despair- still in denial, unable to make the connection between the darkness and him.

"Shall we call it an awakening?" He suggested, tauntingly. "Well, I mean, it should be obvious what happened, but since I seem to be dealing with idiots here, I guess I'll have to spell it out for you." He muttered distastefully, looking at them like they were dirt beneath his feet.

"That last little scuffle with Pitch wasn't a really a battle." He told them. Wasn't a battle? They thought. He'd attacked them- what else could've been? "It was all a test- auditions, if you will- to see who would be taking old Pitchy's place." He explained, grinning darkly. "He's been failing for too long- centuries too long- so the nightmares decided to bring in some fresh blood... And guess who got promoted." He finished, grinning sadistically like it was some huge achievement.

LSay hello to the new Shadow King." He told them the darkness behind his eyes growing stronger as though revelling in its new power.

Pitch? Jack? Auditions? Oh Manny, no. The darkness had been searching for a new host. It'd finally given up on pitch- and looked for someone more powerful... Auditions... That meant it had been looking at all of them as candidates- it could've been them stood there, betraying their friends, and they wouldn't have been able to do anything about it!... But if the shadows really had taken over Jack, as he said it had, he stood no more chance of breaking free from it than Pitch did. No- they refused to consider it... No! They still grasped onto the fragile hope- the illusion- that this was all an elaborate joke, this couldn't be real... But the darkness behind Jack's eyes... and that malice in his voice... It couldn't be faked. The Jack they knew would speak like that- and he knew the line that defined when things went too far, he'd never cross it this far. But thinking of this as any more than a prank meant it was true- he really was consumed by the darkness- and they couldn't accept it!.. But, at the same time, it was just all too possible.

Jack was the perfect host for the darkness to corrupt. Winter was dangerous no matter how you looked at it- and Jack already had a shadow of darkness hanging over him from all the misery winter had caused over the last three centuries. It wasn't his fault, they knew that, but he bore the scars of responsibility for it. Not only that- with the power of an entire season, with both the wind and ice at his command, the darkness would have been all too eager to claim him. But worst of all, he had the inside knowledge- and the inside trust of the darkness' greatest enemies... It must've have been so easy to lead them straight into this simplest of traps... And they'd fallen for it.

They'd stupidly fell for the one of the oldest traps in the book- but how could they have ignored North in his distress?... They couldn't have just stood there and done nothing... and Jack knew that. He'd twisted their good natures against them, and now... They daren't even think about what happens now. What he might do, now that he had them right at his mercy.

By now, only Bunny was still grasped onto hope that things would be okay- but even he was only clinging to one last shred of hope.

"So why haven't you killed us yet?" He pointed out. The others grasped on to his way of thinking. He was right. If he really was completely consumed by shadows, why were they still alive? Why hadn't he finished them already? If this was Pitch, they'd have been long gone. Jack laughed at him harshly, like he thought he'd just told a great joke.

"What you think it's out of sentiment?" He chuckled. "That I still care somewhere? Deep down? Oh no, I'm just enjoying myself." He grinned, sadistically. "I mean where's the fun in victory if I don't savour it first?"

Their last bit of hope vanished. They really didn't stand a chance- they were only still alive because their executioner was enjoying the victory. They were dead... at the hands of one of their own.

"But alright, if you insist. I guess I've had my fun." He said darkly.

What? No! That's not what they meant! They could see the dark spirit taking full pleasure in their panic.

"Time to say goodbye." He said, smoothly raising his staff to point at them, like the barrel of a shotgun, but infinitely more powerful.

"Jack- stop!" Tooth called, trying to get through to the Jack that she knew and loved- praying he'd hear her-... but there was no response from the spirit, other than dark, twisted amusement. Bunny remained silent. He's not going to do it, he's not going to do, he repeated over and over in his head. "Just think about this- think about the children! You know what this'll do!" She cried- and then she stopped with a choked gasp... He did know... He just didn't care. There was such a look of dull indifference in his eyes... she could no longer recognised them as Jack's. This really wasn't him. This spirit didn't care about the children- he didn't care about them! He really had been completely consumed by the darkness... He stood no more chance of breaking free of it than Pitch did... and that meant they stood no chance either. They were dead.

She watched the ice blue light working its way up the staff. The harsh glow of arctic power almost blinding. She closed her eyes. It was over

...

... Or was it?

There was one small problem the darkness hadn't quite eradicated yet. The one thing that could turn things in the Guardian's favour... But was it enough? There was one flaw at the heart of the shadow's plan...and that was his heart.

If the Guardian's could've see deeper into Jack's eyes than the initial shadow of darkness- through the windows, into his soul- they would've seen an ocean of black water. His mind was completely overrun with the power of darkness... But in the distance... in the furthest reaches of his mind... was an island. An island just barely bigger than the crouched figure sat upon it. Trapped, helplessly, as the sea level slowly rose to swallow him. A single touch of a single drop of dark water leeched away at his existence, and tried to pull him into oblivion. He'd tried to avoid it as long as he could, but it was hopeless... The water just kept rising. Pretty soon it would claim him... and there's nothing he could do about it.

He shifted his arms as he hugged his knees, head bowed in defeat... He'd given up. The last remains of Jack Frost had abandoned all hope... He was just sat awaiting the water's cruel touch, that would slowly swallow him whole.

He buried his head a little deeper, trying to block out the darkness' endless screams surrounding him. Why wouldn't someone just make it stop?! Please! He didn't want to hear it! It whispered endlessly to him: 'you're a fool, little winter knat- the Guardian's were playing you for a pawn- they never truly cared about you... and look at where you are now... you're pathetic- too weak to save your own skin- and too cowardly to save them. He tried to block it out. He wasn't listening. He wasn't listening. 'What- no fight, little knat? I was told that Guardians were strong- that they never let themselves fall to darkness- where's your fight?' He remained silent, wishing for it all to stop. 'Maybe you aren't a Guardian after all.' It whispered, maliciously.

No... no! He was! He did belong-... He-...! He defended to himself, but even to his own mind it sounded weak... His faith was starting to slip... No- no... please... The water started to rise faster. It was almost lapping at his toes... but he struggled to bring himself to care about it... He just wanted this to be over... It was only going to claim him anyway, what was the use in struggling? It wasn't like he could've won anyway... Maybe he should just let the water take him- maybe it would be easier that way...

The ocean rose even faster... It was about touch his feet, when he heard an impossible voice of an angel.

"...Jack..."

His eyes snapped open. The water halted briefly... But that was... He thought, standing quickly to search around him for the source of the voice.

"Emma...?" He whispered. Had that really just been her? Or was he imagining things? No- it couldn't be her. What was he thinking- she was long gone. She was dead... But knowing that he was also supposed to be dead, was it so strange he almost expected see her there?... It really had sounded just like her... But it was all in his head... right? Then again, all of this was in his head, but... no... surely... She couldn't be. He was making it up.

"Jack!"

He heard the voice again, and span round- it was closer this time. That was her! It was actually her! No, it was just his head! No-! He didn't know what to think! Where was she?

"Emma?!" He called, hoping upon hope- praying upon a prayer that she'd hear him and reply.

His foot vanished into the dark water, as he didn't look where he was going. Momentary panic flashed through him, as it faded out of existence at the touch, and he quickly drew it back out. The water was much closer now- the ocean now surrounding his feet in a miniture ring. He couldn't move without touching it. Oh god- it was so close! Full blown fear raced through him. He was about to get swallowed by the dark water! Forget any stupid thoughts he'd had about wanting it to end- that was just the stupid darkness twisting his thoughts around- he was terrified! He didn't want to die! The water was so close... Help.. He thought, almost trembling. Someone, please... Help me..

"Jack."

He looked up from the ever shrinking circle around his feet, and froze... There, surrounded by a nimbus of pure, white light... was his little sister. His mind reeled like it was working double time for his motionless body. It... She... Em... Was-?.. No... Even his thoughts wouldn't form coherently. She smiled, then laughed, at what he guessed was a dumbstruck beyond belief, smacked by a frying pan, jaw open, eyes wide facial expression. The sound softened him, and he managed to release his breath that had been stunned stiff inside his chest.

He reached out towards her, numbly- stretching out his arm in a daze of disbelief... He had to know if she was really... Could he actually...? A sudden stab of the dark water's leeching, soul sucking void pulled away at his foot- siphoning his life energy into the void, as the darkness started to devour him. His panic returned in full force. Oh god-oh god! He'd drowned once- but as if the flashbacks weren't terrifying enough, this time the water was alive and actually consuming him. He didn't want to die! Not drowning- not again! Please- help!

"Emma!" He cried out again, desperately leaning out as far as he dared to try and reach her, but it still wasn't far enough. He didn't stop- she was just so close- maybe if he leaned a little further, if his arm stretched a little more it might somehow reach her... He just had to keep stretching... Just a little-! His heart leaped into his throat- stopping for a moment- as he lost his balance, almost falling head first into the deadly water.

But somehow, he managed to regain his balance, and was left frozen... shaking on the spot... Not daring to move a single muscle... He might as well be teetering on the edge of a cliff that surrounded him on all sides.

"You need to fight it, Jack."

He looked up at the glowing angel of his sister, as she spoke again. Fight? What did she think he'd been trying to do?! But what could he do- he couldn't magically control the water! He can't fight water- no one can! There's just no stopping it! No matter how hard you struggle- how hard you kick out- it still drags you down- and freezes your limbs- and chokes its way down your throat- and-... He stopped himself there... He wasn't just talking about right here... He knew from experience: water always won. Once it tried to claim you, there was nothing you could do... He tried to fight the tremble running through his limbs, but he was reliving his death... There almost nothing, in the whole world, that could terrify him more than the thought of vanishing into the depths of cold, merciless water again...

He could feel it crawling up his ankles, lapping at his calfs- and it kept climbing higher- and higher-! He fought to stop himself hyperventilating.

"Em..." He said, shakily- his voice cracking. "I'm scared..." He whispered. The admonition suddenly made the water ride even quicker- climbing up his thighs, until almost his entire legs were sucked into the void of non-being.

"It's okay- its okay..."

He heard the quick but calm reassurances from just in front of him, and latched onto them desperately like a lifeline.

"Don't look down..." She told him... And, slowly, he raised his head... to gaze straight at her. She smiled, reassuringly. "Just look at me..." She said, calmly.

He tried to get some control over his overactive breathing... Be brave... be brave.. He told himself. Everything was going to be okay- it was going to be fine. He repeated, over and over. He locked eyes with her's... and he felt the fear start to loosen its hold on him... The water slowed. Fear, he thought... That's how it works... The darkness was using his fear- feeding off it to consume him even faster. That was it! He just had to relax... calm down.. stop being afraid... be calm...

But no matter how much he calmed himself, the water just kept on rising... Either he wasn't relaxing well enough...or it was still carrying on regardless. The flow was much slower now, but it still carried on. It seemed like there was just no way to completely stop it! But he held his nerve. He looked back up at Emma.

"How do I fight?" He asked. he'd done all he could to try and stop it in its tracks- now all he needed to do was find a way to battle against it, and get rid of this dark ocean surrounding him.

"The same way you always have."

She told him. What? He frowned in confusion. That told him nothing! Could she not give him more than a vague hint? He was a mental figure in a taken over mind- in what part of anywhere did this seem remotely normal?! How did he 'always' fight?! He was pretty sure it didn't apply in mental, figurative fights against black water!

"But, I don't know what to do here." He told her. This was just a confusing mindscape- full of water. It was supposed to be his mind, but now he was now a stranger in it, and he had no idea how to do anything here! What could he do to fight?! He had no idea what to do.

"Then find something you do know how to use." She said, raising her arm towards him.

A wisp of the pearly white mist surrounding her stretched out of her hand, and back beyond it...eventually resolving itself into a long stick of wood. A familiar hooked 'C' curving at the end.

His eyes lit up in recognistion... and wordlessly... he stretched out his arm to grab it.

He wrapped both hands around the ancient staff- even feeling the swirling grain of the twisted bark beneath his fingers... Was this real? He wondered. It felt so lifelike... But then... He looked past the staff, at Emma... Did that mean she was real?... Or was she just a figment of his imagination?... Did it matter, a part of him thought. Real or not real, she felt real to him. She was right there in front of him- and besides, all of this was inside his head right now- none of it was real, physically- but that didn't make it meaningless. He almost laughed as he realised the full scale of what he was contemplating. He was a mental figure inside the head of the spirit of a dead kid from three hundred years ago- talking to his sister, who wasn't even a spirit but was still here somehow, surrounded by an ocean of manifested darkness; and he was wondering what real was. Seriously. He'd gotten to the point where real was meaningless- what really mattered was the nonexistent.

This was the battle for the control of Jack Frost. Sure, the darkness had everything in its favour- he had a stick. But now, he wasn't helpless. Now he knew exactly what to do... He could fight back.

He grinned at Emma. Now this was something he could work with. How to stop water.. You make it freeze.

He slammed his staff into the water now surrounding his waist. A whole ring of solid ice shot out from where he stood. He could finally feel his legs again! There was still an entire oceans worth of darkness out there, but bring it on! He was ready!

He whirled his staff round in sweeping circle, and a huge arc of the once dark water in front of him transformed into pure, white ice. But the darkness wasn't letting go- and a full scale monsoon erupted in his mind- collosal waves rolling all around him, but he wasn't giving up!

A giant tsunami wave reared towards him- as tall as a mansion with the speed and power of a charging. He almost ran from it, but no. He gripped his staff and ran straight at it, head on. He was playing very dangerously- the water only had to douse him and it was all over, yet he was running towards a giant wave that could easily engulf him. Seconds before the water would've hit, he slashed his staff through the water. The towering mass of dark water froze into a giant rolling curl of snow, which collapsed in on itself.

He grinned. Yes! He was doing it! He was beginning to feel actually quite confident of himself.

Then the entire ocean rose up, erupting like a geyser around him. He was completely dwarfed by the sheer amount of water above him. It like a huge never-ending waterfall that surrounded him on all sides- if gravity had flipped on its head, and decided to make water go up instead of down.

Any confidence vanished in that instant. The huge swathes of water he'd transformed into ice were nothing compared to the sheer overwhelming size of the remaining ocean.

Then, as though gravity reasserted itself, the whole thing collapsed inwards on itself- falling towards the miniscule Guardian. An entire dam's worth of black water about to completely engulf him. There was no way he could get out of this- even his staff couldn't freeze this amount of water. He was dead.

He threw his arms up uselessly, as the dark water dropped towards him like a fist. Then suddenly, Emma was there holding him-and he was completely encapsulated by her glowing light.

"I've got you." She whispered into his ear. He couldn't see anything her blinding aura was so bright, but he heard the crash of water break around him. She was protecting him!

"Thank you... for giving me the time to save you." She whispered... her voice slowly growing more distan... her embrace melting away... as he felt her presence fade...

"...Emma?" He called out, experimentally, but he could no longer see or feel anything... Until the light vanished to reveal an open arctic landscape.

The Guardian's were all huddled in front of him, looking at him- somewhat awestruck, somewhat terrified. All of them were stuck together with strips of ice that encircling North like ropes. A distant rumbling made him look up, as the remains of an avalanche crawled down the side of a far away mountainside an explosion of frozen spikes sticking out from near the top of it. What just-?

He blinked, frowning. The memories of recent hours started floating away like clouds in the wind. Within seconds, the whole thing had turned into a giant haze of confusing blurry, white light. All the last hours becoming a incomprehensible blur, and the last thing he remembered was planning to fly to Burgess to have a snowball fight with the kids.

He blinked again, retaking in the Guardians lying before him, and he frowned. Why did he get the feeling like he'd just missed something?...

"Erm... What just happened?" He questioned.