Dex Zabeth – Thank you, I appreciate you reading.

Nameless – Apologies, life has it's funny ways of throwing you a curve ball. But I'm back on track.

This chapter had to be rewritten as my other laptop died and took all my progress with it. If you wish to know where I've been the last year or so, read my profile page. Thank you.


Chapter 8 – Realities merge.

Pitch observed himself in a window, Frost's body made a good host, though he couldn't help the slight spark of annoyance every time he saw his face. Mentally Jack had been a bit quiet, periods of silence followed by ceaseless chatter. It was physically draining keeping the winter spirit trapped in his head, limiting the control that Jack had on the body, but it was all going to plan. The ten years before Zoe had been reincarnated had given Pitch time to contemplate his escape and revenge. He was tired of the same old story, trying to kill Jack and trap Zoe, this way was a lot cleaner, smoother even. Being just an essence was restrictive at first, but he had learnt to siphon energy and grow stronger. Part of him was always stuck with Zoe, no matter how much strength he gathered and so he was tied to her no matter what. But he'd managed to implant small parts of his essence in places he'd need them for his plan to succeed. He sighed as he felt the presence of Jack let itself be known. 'You're deluded if you think you're going to be able to take the Guardian's on, or hurt her,' Jack said defiantly.

'Oh suck a snowflake, Frost.' Pitch muttered to himself as he drifted down an alleyway and into it's comforting darkness. He rolled his eyes and imitated a mocking voice, 'you're deluded if you think, blah, blah, blah. Your never ending chatter simply bores me, nothing else,' he replied with playful hand motions. He summoned some of his tainted dream sand and watched it whisp around his fingers. 'At the end of the day Frost, you know nothing and you are truly in the dark,' he chuckles. Jack felt a pulse of fear shoot through him which only riled on Pitch. 'That's it, give in to your worries,' he grins as he catches his reflection.

'You'll never -'

'- Get away with it?' Pitch snickered. 'What a cliché you are. Shall I tell you why you are all doomed to fail?' He asks rhetorically. 'You see, they cant remove my essence from your body without killing you, which of course they would never kill a precious Guardian. As for Zoe, you are all so stupid, the answer to her is staring you in the face. There's a reason she was able to hold onto me for so long, that she was strong enough not to succumb to my mental attacks for all these years.' He leans against the wall as he manipulates the sand that wove around him. 'Poor little Frost, you thought you were alone for all these years, that the man in the moon has completely abandoned you. Zoe isn't a mortal,' he said simply. Jack's shock was almost palpable, it warmed Pitch deep in his soul.

'W-What do you mean, isn't mortal?' Jack asks anxious for an answer. 'Of course she is, the Guardian's watched her grow up, she ages, she can't see... spirits,' he finishes knowing that the last bit was wrong. She had seen him with no trouble at all, in fact when he was with her, other adults could see him as well, his powers barely worked when he was around her. Pitch left Jack for a dew minutes, he could feel the turmoil racing through the winter spirits mind, the satisfaction it provided was glorious.

'Well that would be telling wouldn't it, where's the... fun in that?' He laughed, with extra inflection on the word fun. Jack mentally screamed in rage at Pitch but he was ignored. Pitch had other things he needed to do, time was of the essence, so to speak. It was growing late in the day and the shadows were closing in, perfection. He chuckled to himself as his sand formed a picture of a scythe, he closed his fist around it, crushing the delicate image. 'Soon,' he promised. 'Soon.'

'How long do you think it'll be before she wakes up?' Kit asked as her tails swayed behind her. She was leaning against one of North's work tables, fiddling with her hair as she watched Zoe sleep. Bunny, Tooth and Sandy had gone to do their respective duties, though reports were coming in with worrying news and disturbances of that town. They were trying to keep an eye on Pitch/Jack but it was becoming harder. North sighed and rubbed his eyes, they had taken a journey to Zoe's residence, Kit suggested picking up the dogs and a few of her personal items, she couldn't go back there for a while. The dogs were currently chasing elves and shaking them like toys, finding the bells irresistible. Zoe stirred for a moment when an elf was thrown past her in a hail of ringing but she soon settled back down in her slumber, they wouldn't wake her as they didn't know what to do when she woke.

'This is mess, I did not think she retained memories,' North muttered as he looked through Zoe's sketch book at the drawings of himself and the other Guardian's. 'What is going on? Jack is possessed, Zoe has some idea of who she was. You almost told her of relationship when she was reaper and with Jack, naughty Kitsune,' North said giving her a look. The fox grinned, showing off her canines.

'There's something about her, something I can't figure out. When I was with her, people could see me whether I wanted them to or not,' she chewed a nail. She really did have multiple personalities in her mind, came with being the Kitsune; yet when she was around Zoe, they really did become more of a hindrance rather than who she was. 'It was strange North, it was like I really was becoming mortal. But that's impossible, I just don't understand it.'

'I don't know little fox, this world confusing enough,' North replies. 'We just have to ask her when she wakes. Then we find Jack and pray this be reversed,' he says looking at Zoe with eyes of concern and worry. Her dogs had settled by the chair that she was curled up in and snoozed by her feet. They needed answers and fast, the longer Pitch had control of Jack the more damage that could be done. Zoe stirred for a moment as her breath hitched in her throat, something was going on in her mind and he wondered what.

-I'm crying, tears streamed from my eyes making them sting and burn yet leaving a cold trail down my cheeks. I move, feeling the sunken glass tear through the muscles in my shoulders, blood dripped from the glass, it was sticky and each droplet was audible as it fell from my skin. I brace myself as I bite my lip, the salty taste of my blood bursting from the slit caused by my teeth, as I force my body to rip itself from this glittering prison. I hear my voice cry out as I fall to the floor. I had felt my skin split and rupture, the deep burning enveloping my shoulders. I could feel my body and shudder as the pain flowed through my being, I keep my head bowed. Jack could see remnants of my skin and tissue covering the long, vicious glass fixtures that had rooted my wings to my spine. I could practically feel his eyes fixate on my body. There was nothing to hear but the steady drip of my blood as I stood up. My knees buckle but I lift my head defiantly.-

Zoe jerks upright as the dream becomes too real to handle, her scream piercing the very rafters. Lauren lunges forward to grab her flailing arms but only succeeds in getting a backhand across the jaw. North ignores her beating fists as he picks her up to restrain her until she settles. 'Not all memories are good ones,' he says looking at Lauren who has tears in her eyes seeing her friend in such distress. 'This will be painful for her.'


It's short I know, but I'm getting back into the swing of things and writing isn't easy with a newborn ;)