Between Light and Dark 4

Finding demons was surprisingly easy. They possessed far more people than Jack imagined and while he couldn't see them as well as Pitch could it soon became obvious there was a large variety of them. Pitch was very precise on the type of demon they needed to find, no mere low life would do. While a lot of them possessed criminals there were more that seemed ordinary. Mothers and fathers, even the odd child. The more Jack learned the more frightened he became. How was it that the Guardians didn't know about this? Even if they did was there any way to stop them? Pitch didn't seem overly concerned by them, according to him it was a natural occurrence. It had been happening since the beginning of the human race. Most were harmless, others quite deadly. The type Pitch was searching for was very particular. It took possession of those in power, police officers, judges, mayors, world leaders, even church officials. It shocked Jack just how many of the people humans were supposed to rely on were not who or what they seemed.

It took longer to find the demon than Jack anticipated. He had hoped to simply find one, beat the information out of it and be on his way to rescue his friends by now, not play hide-and-seek around the world. Pitch didn't want just any Light demon, he wanted a specific one.

By the time they reached China Jack was anxious and tired of searching. His arm was beginning to sting more and he was bored out of his mind. He began pacing telephone wires and freezing just about everything in sight. It didn't matter how much Pitch snapped at him or threatened to have the Nightmares and Fearlings drag him back to the palace and lock him in his room until he found what he was looking for. He went as far as to threaten to not allow him to help rescue his friends. Jack had only laughed. No matter how much the big bad Boogeyman denied it, he was worried about the Guardians.

"This is pointless," Jack grumbled, laying back in a pile of snow on the roof of a house. Clouds obscured the moon with the promise of more snow. He was tempted to leave Pitch and attend to his usual duties. It was only his fear and worry for his friends that made him stay put. His mind danced with different plans to save the Guardians. If he could only figure out where they were.

"There," Pitch suddenly announced, melting into the shadows without Jack.

Looking over the edge of the roof, Jack watched him reappear in front of a small woman who looked to be in her eighties. "Oh no…" Jack moaned, fearful that Pitch was simply going to scare some poor elderly woman. To his amazement she stopped and stared up at Pitch as if recognizing him. He jumped down and landed next to the dark spirit, surprised again when she looked directly at him.

"Minsu," Pitch greeted her, his voice dark and velvety. He gave a slight bow, his eyes never leaving hers.

She returned the gestured. "Pitch-san," she said gently, her dark browns eyes steely and challenging. "How may I help you?"

"Information, my dear," he said smoothly.

She looked him over suspiciously. "What type of information?"

"The entrance to your realm."

Jack blinked in surprise. This was the demon they were searching for? This elderly old lady who was almost a head shorter than him? She looked utterly harmless, too frail to even stand on her own. She leaned heavily on a cane and stared up at them almost tiredly.

Glaring at Pitch she pushed passed him, displaying more strength than Jack had given her credit with. "No," she snapped, her voice holding power as she made her way to a bench. "You don't know what you ask, Pitch-san. Much danger lay there."

Jack rushed to her. "Please, my friends are trapped there. I – we need to save them."

She shook her head. "If they were taken there they are gone."

Pitch glided up to them, his hand going to Jack's shoulder to silence his protest. "Minsu, you can either give us the location or I can broadcast your location to every demon presently in this realm. If I remember correctly there's a bounty on your head. Dead or Alive?"

Her eyes widened. "You would not be so cruel."

He looked studied his nails for a moment, as if no longer interested in her. "There's a reason I'm the Nightmare King. Come along, Jack. I know another who can assist and would happily do so for her location in exchange." He gathered the shadows around them, ready to leave.

"No!" Minsu cried, standing suddenly and grabbing Pitch's robes. "Alright, alright, but you understand that you cannot enter. It is a realm of the purest light. Shadows do not exist. The light will eat at you, destroy all that you are. Nothing you see or hear will be real. You will not survive…unless you can bring them to you."

"Them who?" Jack asked, frantic now that they were getting the information they needed.

"The Knights. They are the six most powerful of our kind. If your friends still live it will be under their eye. They are most cruel. They will get what they want from your friends. Whether or not they survive is another question."

"Where Minsu?" Pitch asked one last time.

"Where the unrest is most felt throughout this world," she said. "To the West and the Arab deserts. There you will find a temple in the rocks. Enter when the sun is at its peak and you will be there." Before they could ask more she was gone in a flash of light.

Pitch shielded his face with his cloak, the shadows making up his wardrobe crying out in agony at the bright light. Jack sat on the bench, dejected and lost. He leaned his elbows on his knees, wincing slightly at the pain in his arm, and placed his head and his palms. A realm of pure light? How was that possible? And it had to be in the Arab desert of all places at the midday when the sun was at its highest and the heat its worse. What were they going to do? He would have to enter alone and hope that he was strong enough to take out the six. He had managed to freeze two completely but that was with the other being distracted by the Guardians. He needed help. He needed Pitch by his side…or maybe the Yetis. They weren't going to like the heat, not with their thick fur.

Pitch, however, had other plans. "Come, we're going to the Earth's core. I have something that may help." The shadows quickly surrounded them and pulled them into the darkness.

. . .

Pain, burning, searing pain filled every inch of North as he was returned to the Guardians prison. Despite it he held his tongue as he had throughout the entire interrogation and torture. He had not screamed, no matter what they had done and refused to answer any of their questions, all of which related to Jack's whereabouts and Pitch's lair. Each time he defied them they who beat him, cut him, burn him but nothing worked, not even their mind tricks. Now he was exhausted and on the verge of passing out but still he fought. He was not about to give up to these twisted creatures.

Once again he hung from the wall and struggled against his bonds as they moved on to Bunny. The Pooka lashed out, kicking out whenever they got close to him. Unfortunately, one managed to land a solid hit to his temple and Bunny fell limp between the two jailers.

"No!" North yelled out, trying to free himself and help his friend but they and Bunny were gone before he could do any more but bang his head against the wall.

Tooth cried out, begging them to explain what they wanted but got no response. She turned to North with wide violet eyes. "What's going on, North? What do they want? Oh my God! What did they do to you? Oh, Bunny! They're going to torture him, aren't they?"

"Hush, Tooth," he said softly, his head swimming in pain. "They're after Jack and Pitch. They wish revenge for their fallen comrade."

"The Chaos demon? But it nearly destroyed our world, if we hadn't…"

"I know," he sighed, letting his body go limp as his strength ebbed. He prayed Bunny would be alright. The Pooka was strong. He had survived the genocide of his race, countless battles against Pitch, and even months trapped in the form of a small bunny. He would survive this. With luck he might have an idea of how to escape because North had been unable to see any.

. . .

Jack stared at the black armor in confusion. "How it that supposed to help us?" he asked as he watched the Nightmare King slip it on.

It wasn't regular armor, not like the knights of old – although there was evidence of suck armor littering the many corners of the room. No, what Pitch wore was more form fighting, lighter and covered him head to toe. He was in every aspect of the word, Pitch Black.

"It absorbs light," he explained, tucking the helmet under one arm.

Fearlings of every shape and size were also slipping on armor. As they did so they began to change, becoming more solid and real to the touch. Jack watched in fascination. He had never seen anything like it.

"What's it made out of?" he asked when one of them handed him a chest plate.

"Lead," Pitch answered as his now fabric cloak fell into place. If Jack had not seen him put on the armor he would not have known he was wearing any, as if it had been molded to Pitch's body. Knowing the Boogeyman as he did it probably was. "It has never seen light but when it does it sucks it in. It will protect us against the Light demons. Now quickly, get changed."

"You want me to wear this? Seriously, I don't do the knight thing very well."

Pitch frowned and shoved the armor in his arms. "Stop being childish and get changed otherwise we can leave the Guardians there and let Belief die. As much fun as Fear is spread across the world I rather not go through another near nuclear war. Do you?"

Jack swallowed hard and gave a tiny nod.

"And you are not wearing that blasted hoodie into the demon realm. I have something…more appropriate in mind."

Giving a small moan Jack began tugging the offending article of clothing off. He was almost afraid to ask what the shade had in mind. Their taste in fashion clashed all the time. However, right now they didn't have time to argue. He hoped whatever Pitch had planned worked because they were about to travel to a land at a time of day that was not good for either of them, Jack the intense heat and Pitch the sun light. This was not going to be easy by any means. The plus side, he had learned much to his astonishment, the Nightmares – made from dreamsand stolen from Sandy, could withstand the light. They and the armored Fearlings would be travelling with them. So would a handful of Yetis and Warrior Eggs. The tooth fairies had offered to go as well but Jack declined. With Tooth missing they needed to keep up her duties to keep the children believing. They had already lost far too many Believers. There wasn't much time left. They had to find the Guardians now. He had a gut feeling that Minsu might be right, if they didn't save them soon there might not be anything left to save and Jack was not about to lose his family to anyone one, be it demon, man or a grumpy Nightmare King. They were his family and he would fight for them. He was just happy he had a small army to help him, including the aforementioned Nightmare King. Even if it meant he had to dress up in armor and whatever else Pitch had planned.