~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Author's Notes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wow, so here is the next installment. I hope you all enjoy it took a while to come up with the perfect into for Pitch. I wanted to thank those of you who reviewed. It's helped motivate me and keep me coming up with new ideas for all of you to enjoy. Also a thanks to blackkyu, I didn't know that was happing. I'll be sure to double check my work. If I have spelling errors I must apologize, late night writing after all day of work isn't the best of ideas but hey what can I say. When your muse hits you your trapped, now without more blathering it's time to begin.
DISCLAIMER- I don't own any Rise of the Guardian characters or any quotes like the tile (inspired by Nightmare before Christmas)-I only Stevie and his family.
Chapter 4: Then Mister Oogie-Boogie Man Can Take the Whole Thing Over Than…
Creeping like the shadow he was Pitch made his way through the streets of Burgess with one goal in mind. Find the fear that filled his senses and make it grow. Street lights flickered as he passed by them in but he didn't care. In fact he would have been more pleased if they would just blow out completely, but he knew his powers should not be wasted on something so insignificant. No, right now there was a child who needed corrupting.
House after house was filled with sleeping children but none of them held fear of him. Peering into a random window he scoffed loudly, the sight had repulsed him to no end. Two children spelt warm and safe in their beds with little golden images dancing over the heads. If only he could reach in to the room and spread a little fear into the mix.
Whining from one of his nightmares broke him from his thoughts. "You're right my dear, we have bigger dreams to smash," and with that he proceeded forward.
It wasn't much longer that he stumbled upon the small house where the fear was located. Gliding along the walls and into the dark bedroom he located a small child in his bed. Pitch stepped out of the darkness and approached the bed slowly. His eyes settled upon the boy's face which was contorted in a sort of pained expression. Tears feel gently down his check and seeped into the pillow below his head. A smirk found its way to Pitches lips as he lifted his head to star at the sand images above the boys head.
"Now what do we have here? Playing along with your friends and is that Jack Frost I see?" he mused as he stole another glance and the boy. "How happy you seem in these sands but I wonder." Lowering himself over the sands Pitch watched on as the images danced and played on. Reaching out his hand he placed a single grey finger over the Jack figure. With one swift motion he taped the image and black sand intertwined with gold.
Jacks figure was encased in a small black cage and all the children except the boy himself had dissipated. Jacks little figure squirmed against the cage while the little boy picked up a small black key. Pitch watched on expecting the boy to run to the Guardians aid where Pitch would make it impossible to do. However what had next shocked Pitch tremendously. Instead of trying to help the spirit the boy pocketed the key and sat down before cage like nothing was wrong.
Baffled the spirit of fear looked down at the boys face to once again be surprised. This small child was not cowering at the touch of fear, he was embracing it! A small smile had replaced his frown and his tears had all but stopped flowing. This child was actually happier with Pitch's nightmare than with the happy dream that little sandbag had given him.
Pitch stood up and glanced back and forth between the boy and the nightmare above him. His yellow eyes narrowed and his lips parted into a smile that showed all of his pointy teeth, "Oh my dear boy, what a wonderful child you are for showing me this."
Turning toward the window Pitched raised his hands into the air, his head thrown back in to a deep and hearty laughter. "Let's see if I can't help your dream come true." Stealing a glance behind him he whispered to his now favorite child. "Rest up little Stevie, you're going to have a big day tomorrow."
Leaping out the window Pitch glided up to the sky fallowed by his now stronger nightmares, but before the boy's dream could come true he had to pay his favorite Guardian a little visit.
***At Lake Burgess***
Jack sneezed harshly and shook his head as a cold sensation ran down his spine, what an odd sensation to have when you were a Winter Spirit. Gliding along the ice of his lake he decided that tonight he would simply enjoy this cloudless night.
Even though the man in the moon did not speak to Jack he knew he was there watching him. He would always light up the lake with his rays to make it glisten on nights like these. Jack had come to appreciate the little gesture; it was about all he expected Manny to do after all. True he would have liked more but at least he was getting something out of him, so he didn't push the matter.
Jack was so involved with what he was doing that he didn't notice the nightmares that were forming around him, but Manny did and he wasn't happy. Manny's shine dimmed and the lakes brilliance began to fade. Jack looked up to the sky puzzled at the sudden change in atmosphere. It was then that he felt something off about the surrounding woods.
"Enjoying yourself Frost?" a voice broke the silence, an all too familiar and unwelcomed voice that is.
"Well I was, but I can't say that I much like the company." He retorted raising his staff ready to strike if need be.
"So eager to fight and I haven't even said what I came here for. My Jack your manners are quite terrible."
Jack twisted his lips into a smirk and continued to look around for the invisible enemy, "Well what can I say; you don't call or write anymore I started to think you didn't like me."
Pitch appeared out of the shadows and rolled eyes, "As sarcastic and juvenile as always I see."
Jack shrugged his shoulders "Well you're no looker yourself." Pitch sighed deeply and placed his head into his hand his other arm drifting behind his back. "Really Jack…"
Even though the two of them bantered back and forth like old friend, neither one of them dropped their guard. They circled each other at a slow pace each waiting for the other to do something stupid.
"Perhaps I should get back to the reason why I am here, shall we?"
"Yah, why are you Pitch. I thought you were going to I don't know migrate or something."
"Migrate? What the Hell Frost is that really the best you could do?"
Jack paused for a second and then nodded, "Never though id need an insult, not with you all cowering in a corner and all. I make it a policy to not kick a guy when he is down."
"What are you doing now?" Pitch motioned between the two of them. "Well you don't look so down to me at the moment, now why are you here."
"Oh yes we do keep getting of topic, but if you must know I 'm here to give you a little bit of friendly information. As one out cast to another sort of speak."
"I highly doubt that."
Ignoring the retort Pitch continues, "You should really trust me on this one Frost, you are in a world of trouble and you don't even know it."
"Oh yeah, how so?"
Pitched stopped circling the lake and looked at Jack with feign kindness, "It harsh of the Guardians not to tell you this, and was sure that they would have."
The Young spirit could tell that there was something he wasn't getting, but he wasn't about to let the older one have the satisfaction of knowing it. Pitch wasn't fooled however and thus continued his speech.
"Have you ever heard of over-believers?" Jack said nothing. "It's pitiful really, to have such a thing happen to a child."
Hearing this Jack stiffened and raised his staff, "What did you do?"
"Why I did nothing, if anybody had a hand in this it would be you."
Jack was taken aback at the accusation thrown his way, his grip loosened on his staff and his shoulders dropped, "You had better start making yourself clear."
"Jack you have never really been believed in before this point in time so I am not the least bit surprised that you didn't know. You have always thought there were only two forms of children: those who believed and those who didn't. What you were not privy to was the third form of child that lingers out there. This type of believer is called the over-believer and they can be dangerous."
"Wait so first you say that it's horrible to not be believed in; which I know, and now you are saying that being believed is just as bad. In the words of bunny 'you aren't being very convincing here mate'."
"Oh being believed in is wondrous there is no doubt about that, but to be over-believed in can be just as bad as not being believed in at all." Pitch leaned against a tree and plucked some sand off his sleeve and flicked it away waiting to see what Jack would say next. Just as he suspected the boy was looking down trying to process what it was he was being told.
"Let me explain this in simpler terms since you aren't quite grasping this." Summoning black sand to come forward Pitch formed a little box in the shape of a present. "Take Christmas and that belly–full-of-jelly North for example. Children who don't believe in him tend to get presents from just their parents and loose the real wonder of the season. Children who believe in him however area rewarded with wonder and gifts from both their parents and him. Children who over believe however will only except gifts from Santa and will eventually result in receiving nothing. They become a threat to not only the spirits but to themselves. These are the kids that start laying traps and cameras out, rather than sleeping in their beds like they should."
"Kids stay up all the time in hopes to catch a glimpse of the man, that's just normal behavior for a kid." Jack protested rather unconvincingly.
"Do you really believe that?" Pitch remarked back just as quickly. "Tell me have you ever seen the Guardians spend as much time with children as you, or at all in fact? No, you don't because they watch them from afar and help them when they are asleep. Strange isn't it that people who are supposed to be so found of kids don't actually spend time with them?"
"They said it was because they were too busy…" Jack whispered just loud enough for Pitch to catch it.
"Yeah, I bet they did. However I know the truth, they just wanted to avoid thinking that such children even exist. Tell me Jack, you haven't seen any of these children have you? Because I think that you may be in danger with as much as you have been with them. I'll tell you what, out of the kindness of my heart I will help you prevent such a thing from happening with those kids you care for so dearly."
There it was Jack thought steadying himself, the real reason that Pitch came here. He wanted something and he was about to let it be know, "I suppose you're hopping that if I agree with this ridiculous little concept that you are looking for something in return?"
Pitch Black had to hand it to the kid, he was sharp and surprisingly less gullible as he would have hoped but nonetheless he has already fallen into phase one of his trap. "I will give these kids a small taste of fear, just enough so they will not become over possessive of you. In return you will let me have free reign to do as I please without interference from you or the other Guardians."
Jack practically burst out laughing at the absolutely ridiculously request. "What makes you think I would even consider such an outrageous offer?! I got to tell you, you really had me going there, but now I see what you're after and I'm sorry but no deal."
Pitches kind expression vanished and his head tilted forward so his eyes were barely visible. He knew Jack would never go for it, but that was all part of his plan. "I gave you a second chance to join me Jack, and again you rebuff me. I came here to warn you, but I see I am falling on deaf ears. So I'll tell you what we will have a little fun. I'll give you one day to find the child weather he be girl or boy, young or old that I speak of. If you don't find them by day's end then I will personally make sure that there obsessive ways become your downfall and trust me Jack you don't want that."
Just as Pitch finished his last word Jack had leapt forward, his staff raised in a position to strike. However he never reached his target for all the nightmares that had surrounded earlier converged on him. Knocked to the ground Jack hit his head hard, as his vision began to black out he could just barely hear Pitch laughing in the distance. It was then he knew this wasn't a game, this was challenge and Pitch was aiming to win.
