Nothing like a piece of cake and some music to get one writing like a mad women.
Again, sorry about making you guys wait for around 10 days. I'll try to update every two days, a week max. If I go beyond that limit, then you can nag me all you want. PM me, Review me, bother me on my Tumblr account, anything until I have an explanation or I get the chapter posted.
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Reminders:
~Any grammar, spelling or punctuational mistakes, then PM me or mention it in a review
~Any other problems or confusion, then PM me and I'll reply ASAP
~Disclaimer: I don't own the Characters of Rise of the Guardians. However, I do own Andrea and this stories entire plot.
ONWARDS, MY READERS!
To say Jack panicked would be a major understatement.
Within moments of hearing the all to familiar voice, Jack was already in an attack position; his staff pulsing with bright blue energy as it prepared to strike at any enemy.
"Pitch!" Jack called, circling around the area as his eyes frantically searched for the Nightmare King.
He only received a chuckle, echoing from everywhere yet nowhere at the same time, "Nice to see you again, Frost."
"Come out, Pitch! You can't hide under your bed forever!" Jack mocked, a light grin forming across his lips.
"You're such an idiot, Frost. If I really was here, wouldn't I have killed you why you were distracted?" Pitch questioned, making Jack worry, "I'm not here, Jack. I'm somewhere where you can't find me and your little..." Pitch chuckled, "Feathered friend."
"What have you done to Tooth?!" Jack growled, his staff growing brighter as he threatened at the looming shadows.
"Oh, she's fine, Jack. Nothing that can't be fixed, so you can't stop pointing that stick in the shadows as if I'm actually here." Pitch spat.
"If you hurt Tooth in any way, we'll find you and-"
"And you'll what, Jack? Kill me?" Pitch laughed, "Because that worked last time, didn't it?"
Pitch chuckled at Jack's impatience and irritation, the Winter Spirit getting frustrated with whatever Pitch was trying to do.
"Besides," Pitch continued, "Toothiana is immortal, she'll survive. You have more...mortal friends to take care of, especially Andrea-"
"Don't you dare touch her!" Jack screamed, sending a blast of ice through the shadows and covering a mural in frost.
"Oh, somebody is getting angry!" Pitch mocked, "Did I touch a soft spot? Is Andrea so precious to you?"
"I already told you, since it's pretty obvious that you were the one to create that nightmare, if you lay a single finger on Andrea, me and the Guardians would find you and kill you."
"Oh, but it would be much easier and less painful for Andrea if I just kill her now, instead of let her tear herself apart like she is doing."
"You lying-!" Jack began to argue.
"I sent that nightmare as a warning, Jack. You must have clearly forgotten that, even if I kill her or not, she is going to die!"
"Shut up!" Jack yelled, "I won't let her!"
"Even if she doesn't die now, she'll die eventually. You've forgotten, Jack, mortals get harmed. They age and crumble away while you stay forever young, immortal. She is mortal, so she will age and die while you can only watch and do nothing!"
"No!" Jack screamed, slamming his staff down and sending the corridors of tooth boxes into a frosted, bitter cold.
Jack won't hear this, he won't allow it. He wasn't going to listen to such things that he was already thought of thousands of times.
His sudden outburst left the corridor in silence, not a single chuckle or sound coming from the hidden Pitch.
"Don't you want her to die happy, Jack?" The question surprised Jack, leaving him dumbstruck for a moment.
"She isn't going to die-" Jack grumbled between gritted teeth.
"But, What if she did?"
His mouth remained agape, no words escaping his open mouth for he couldn't find anything to say towards the Nightmare King.
"You saw her memories, Jack. You saw what a terrible life she had, and that was only proved by preview of her childhood, you only saw the surface of what she has suffered. Children should have memories of happiness through their whole childhood, yet Andrea didn't."
What was Pitch saying?
"She's held such pain and misery, Jack. If she does die- which she will -wouldn't you want her to have the memories she cherished and loved? Memories of fun and joy, of friends and pranks, of you and the Guardians?"
"She isn't going to die, though-" He attempted to repeat again, more louder and stern this time, but to no avail.
"She could, however. I know that you and the Guardians would do everything within your power to keep her alive, but what would happen if that wasn't enough? You could at least give her the peace and dignity of good memories as she dies."
Dreadful silence filled the dark corridor as Jack stared at the ground, his hands clutching on to his staff until they hurt.
Even though he hated himself for agreeing, Pitch was right. Andrea deserved happiness, of childhood of happy memories that she never truly had.
"You and the Guardians don't have to do anything. Just..." Pitch paused for a moment, "give me the box, and I'll handle it all for you."
'Oh fuck no!'
So that was what Pitch was planning, making Jack surrender her memories so Pitch could taint them! Twist them and form them until they were something else completely different and cruel.
His hand flew straight towards his hoody pocket, the golden case held firm within his hand, as his other hand put his staff back into an attack position.
"Never!" Jack yelled a reply, "Never in my immortal life would I give them to you!"
"Fine, I won't offend your decision." Pitch responded, "But, her fate as she dies has been decided by your choice. She'll now die in misery and pain."
Pitch's voice began to fade away, and Jack turned around to leave the corridor before Pitch spoke again, "Oh, and Jack." The Winter Spirit looked back, even though Pitch wasn't there, "Tooth's fairies are small forms of herself, right?"
"Yes." Jack grumbled a reply, his knuckles turning a more paler white as he clutched his staff.
"So they must have some sort of...bond, correct?"
"...Probably."
"Then they might know where Tooth is, if you ask them." Pitch chuckled, "Farewell, Jack. I'll tell Andrea that you said 'Hi'." And then, with a booming, cold laugh, Pitch's presence was finally gone.
The Winter Spirit stood there for a moment, before he glanced at his shoulder where Baby Tooth stood, "Andrea is at the opposite side of the vault, isn't she?" Baby Tooth nodded, "Shit."
Now, Jack never swore much but, due to the situation he was in, he believes he was allowed to let a curse slip. He sprinted through the corridors, Baby Tooth squealing and point at directions for Jack to go.
Oh, the privileges of having a fairy that knows this vault left, right and center.
"Andrea!" Jack cried as he sprinted past the never-ending walls of teeth boxes, frost spreading rapidly at this wake, "Andrea!" No response came, sending Jack into a frantic panic.
What if Pitch had got her?
What if her hurt her?
...Or worse?
"Andrea-!" His cries stopped suddenly as a sudden force crashed into him, sending him and the person he crashed into on the tiled ground with a heavy thump.
"Jack, what the hell?!" He heard Andrea exclaim as he obtained his vision and regained his footing. Jack glanced beside him, to see a surprised Andrea glaring at him as she stood up.
"Andrea, thank god! I thought-"
"No time, come on!" Andrea interrupted, clasping his wrist and sprinting out of the large vault and it several, steel doors.
"Andrea, whats wrong? Did something bad happen?" Jack frantically asked.
"No, it has almost been three hours." Andrea responded, looking back at Jack, "If we don't find the Guardians in time, they're gonna think Pitch kidnapped us or something and they would freak."
'Well, that almost happened.' Jack thought, as the pair continued racing through the corridors.
"Andrea, how do you know where we're going? What happens if we get lost?" Jack threw more questions at her, "Where are we going, Annie?"
It was an accident.
A complete slip of his tongue.
But that slip made all the difference.
Andrea's breath caught in her throat, halting to a sudden stop which made Jack almost collide with her. She stared at him, her bright, hazel eyes showing confusion, realization and then-
Rage.
She spun Jack's wrist that she held, twisting his arm and thrusting him on to the ground. He cried out and began to argue, his complaints muffled as his face was against the cold tiles, until he noticed Andrea slipped her hand inside his hoody jacket and pulled out the golden tooth box within it.
Andrea released Jack, him reacting by immediately standing up in a rush and looking at Andrea.
She stood there, a few meters from him, glaring down at the box that radiated golden light. Turning it to its side, Andrea gazed at the face printed on the box and her hands violently gripped upon the canister.
Jack could only watch, speechless, as he saw the hurt and betrayal held within her eyes.
'She's already suffered enough, why did you make it worse?' That thought made Jack's heart ache and plummet as guilt overwhelmed him.
Those eyes held such pain, held such pain a person shouldn't have. And then, within that second of Jack seeing how vulnerable Andrea was, the pain was gone; replaced with a blank glare that showed withheld anger and fury .
She tossed the canister towards Jack, who fortunately caught it and placed it back safely within his hoody. Andrea glared at him with her blank, furious glare.
Words blurted out of Jack's mouth as she glared at him, "Andrea, I didn't mean to. It was an accident-"
"Later." She grumbled, her voice tense and emotionless.
"I'm so-"
"I said later!" Her outraged scream made Jack flinched, before Andrea clasped his wrist again with a tight, painful grip and continued to run through the corridors.
Why the fuck did he do it?!
Andrea's memories didn't belong to him, no matter what permissions she gave him. Yet, he still looked through her memories, he still fucking did it.
And now, he definitely regretted it.
He knew not a single apology would make Andrea forgive him, she'll hate him for what he has done and, the terrible thing was, he knew that he deserved it.
Jack's self-loathing thoughts distracted him from their traveling through the corridors, and was shocked when they were suddenly bathed in the exotic sunlight that shone past the gardens of the Tooth Palace.
He couldn't gape at the gardens for long, however, because Andrea was already dragging him through the emerald grass and lovely scented blossom trees towards the large pond where the towering, bright mural of the Tooth Fairy stood. The sleigh was still beside the pond and its small waterfalls, occupied by a rather bored Bunnymund and tense North.
They looked towards the pair, and North released a large sigh of relief as Bunny just looked, rolled his eyes and then returned to whatever he was doing before.
"All clear?" North asked, glaring at the duo as Andrea released Jack's aching wrist and stepped away from him.
"Yep, no sights of Pitch or his nightmares." Andrea replied with an enthusiastic nod.
"Same for me." Jack added.
'Liar, Liar, Liar, Liar!' His mind chanted, even though it was true since he actually didn't see Pitch. Also, Pitch wasn't truly there, and if he told them then they would waste time finding Tooth and bother him about what Pitch was there for.
He really didn't want to have a conversation about what Pitch told him, he'd rather push those thoughts to the back of his mind and keep them there for a long time.
"Alright then. We'll go to Burgess and pursuit Pitch's lair, for that might be where he has hidden Tooth." Andrea began to say her plans, not taking a single glance at Jack, "Sandy will stay here and guard Tooth Palace, in case Pitch attempts to attack while we're gone-"
"Now, hang on. What if we need Sandy-" Bunnymund started to complain, yet Andrea thrust a hand up to stop him.
"Sandy would be the best person to defend against a sudden attack by himself. Cause, one, he has control over dreamsand and, two, he's better than all four of us combined. No offence." Andrea added the last part quickly.
"Alright, I see your point." Bunnymund surrendered, and remained silent as Andrea continued.
"Right, we'll enter Pitch's lair, hopefully retrieve Tooth and we'll kick Pitch's ass if we have some time to spare." A small smile formed on Andrea's lips, which eased the guilt that overwhelmed Jack, "Any questions?"
North and Bunnymund shock their heads, yet Jack piped up.
"Hang on, I learnt something that could help us find Tooth easier." Jack eagerly said, turning towards Baby Tooth that looked at him with her wide eyes.
"Go on." Andrea replied, her voice blank and her head turned away from him.
Jack flinched slightly at her tone, yet shock it off and cupped Baby Tooth in his hands, "Baby Tooth, you're connected to your mother, right?"
Baby Tooth nodded.
"Do you think, you could find a way back to your mother?"
Her bow furrowed for a moment, in deep thought, before she gently nodded and flew out of Jack's palms. Baby Tooth hovered there for a minute, all eyes upon her in eagerness, including Andrea's, until she straightened up and her wings began to flutter quicker as a smile appeared on her face.
"You know where your mother is?" Jack asked, hope in his tone. She nodded energetically, a series of delighted squeals escaping from her. "Great, then we'll follow you to your mother."
"Right, new plan." Andrea spoke, "We'll all go in the sleigh. North, Bunny, you both survey Pitch's lair while me and Jack follow after Baby Tooth-" A yelp escaped Andrea as Baby Tooth petite hand clasped her finger and dragged her towards Jack, who also got his finger taken.
Baby Tooth bounced within the air in hyper glee, begin to twist and jump about until she was a blur of blues and greens. She began to spin around, still gripping on to Jack and Andrea's fingers and forcing them to also spin.
They spun so fast that the Tooth Palace became a series of bright blurs, Jack's stomach violently twisting as the speed continued to increase and the blurs began to change.
Pinks changed to greys, Purples to dark browns, and Blues to deeps greens. His head began to spin as he watched the colors shift, and the world change around him.
Baby Tooth then stopped, forcing them to a sudden halt which made Jack sway and want to vomit.
"Wooh, what just happened?" Jack questioned as Baby Tooth released his finger and he straightened his arms to regain his balance. The dizziness subsided and his vision recovered, giving Jack the opportunity to survey his surroundings.
"Well, I didn't know that you guys can teleport." Jack commented, glancing up at Baby Tooth who had her chest puffed out in pride.
The bright, beautiful landscape of the Tooth Palace was long gone; replaced by a plain surrounding of dried dirt and remains of slushy snow. ('Note to self, make more snow.' Jack thought) Trees surrounded the small area, yet no plant life within the forest went beyond the tree line and into the dirt plain, like the wildlife avoided the place.
Even though it seemed to be around early evening, the area was terribly dark and eerie. Dark wood scattered the dirt, remains of frames from burnt down and destroyed houses.
Jack didn't like the feeling of this place, and he turned towards Andrea to she her eyes glassy and her brow furrowed. He guessed that she didn't like the place, either.
"Right, lets find Tooth and get out of here." Jack spoke. Baby Tooth piped up a squeak and then flew away from the pair, Andrea walking away and trailing after the feathered fairy.
Jack sighed, before trudging past the broken, splintered wood near his feet and beginning to search through the piles of rumble in the dead town.
Okay, this chapter was supposed to be much longer and have another scene, but I'm so tired and desperate to get this published that I cut it out and adding it on to the over chapter (For that scene was able to go either way: On the end of this chapter, or the beginning of the next)
Thank you, everybody, for all your gratitude and patience towards this story, and also giving me encouraging and sweet reviews which made more determined to get this chapter published.
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All replies concerning about my Authors note (Which shall be deleted for I want that thing to burn in freaking hell!) have been replied via PM.
FrostyJam: OMG! Shit-aki mushrooms, that sounds similar to a TV program I watch a kid! *Clicks fingers* Oh, what show was it!? Gah! I'm gonna think of that for hours, now!
Don't second guess your guesses, just go 'Fuck it' and hope for the best. XD
I think you scared my homework away, for I haven't had homework for a week now...
Are you like, the Pitch Black of homework or something?
You asked your parents permission?! You're such a innocent person, my mum doesn't even know I have account...or that I'm writing...or a fangirl, actually.
And my mum always said I never 'open up' to her enough.
Nanu Kitty: Nanu, you have to get used to the fact that I'm a sadistic bitch and, nine times out of ten, if I have the chance to leave you guys on a cliffhanger, I would.
SO YOU WERE THE ONE THAT MADE JACK STALK ME! I KNEW SOMEBODY WAS UP TO IT!
Jack has been giving me several blizzards and snow/hail since Monday, and I had a fogged handprint on my window yesterday...and it was inside (Yes, ladies and gents, I believe that Jack Frost is in my freaking house and is fucking stalking me!)
I won't give in to your blackmail, Nanu! NEVER! (Note: Bribery is a better option...possibly...a certain animated DVD that has just come out in America, perhaps? *Grins wickedly*)
CrystalxRose: I love your reactions towards my cliffhangers, they're so dramatic and loud and they just make me laugh hysterically.
...Because I'm a sadistic bitch, perhaps? (Just be glad I only gave her a terrible backstory and not a agonizing death...yet *Evilly laughs and runs away into the sunset*)
DoctorWhotaliaandtheOlympian s: Would you guys stop calling me awesome!? Seriously! Staup! I'm not worthy for such compliments! *Cries tears of joy*
ParadoxMagic: First off, are you the guest that always commented 'More please'? If so, hello, thank you for reviewing and welcome to
Also, were you the person that followed me on Tumblr? If so, *Attacks you in a hug* THANK YOUUUUU! I LOVE YOU SO FREAKING MUCH!
MysteriousSherlock:...I'm not sure you understand how I write. If I have the chance to end with a cliffhanger, I'd do it. If I have a chance to give you guys feels, I'd do it. By any chance could I make you guys cry and break your fangirling heart in two, I'd do it. I'm a sadistic bitch, we all must remember that.
Cheshire-cat-ways: I play with emotions a lot, I'm rather proud of it.
