Hello my readers!

Sorry if you thought I had abandoned you.

School is pretty difficult lately.

But now I am back, and with a new chapter!

Enjoy!


Chapter 9

Truth

Jack's gaze went from Pitch to Tooth and back again, trying to understand what happened.

"I don't believe I have introduced myself yet," Tooth said, finishing the knot she put in the ropes that contained North, Bunny, and Sandy. The rope shown a pale purple. It cut off Sandy's power and Bunny's ability to make his tunnels. Tooth took a deep bow, her gray feathers making a fan behind her, "My name is Decay. It is nice to meet you all for the first time since my betrayal."

Bunny's face was a mass of emotion. Disbelief. Anger. Sadness. Love. "Tooth? What's happened to ya, mate?"

Decay's face became distorted with rage. She slapped him with such a great amount of force that all of them tipped over. "I AM NO LONGER THAT WEAKLING TOOTH THAT YOU FANCIED!" She regained her composure and landed lightly on her feet. She walked slowly to Jack, who had eyes almost as wide as the baby's on North's doll.

She kneeled down, grasping Jack's chin and pulling him up to face her. "Hello, my love," she whispered, making sure only he heard her. "We shall soon be together, I promise. All that needs to be done is the sweeping away of one piece of rotten candy." As she said this, Jack saw her gaze wonder over to Hollow, how was still on the ground after getting hit by some of his ice.

His eyes grew even wider when he realized what she meant.

Jack had been tricked. And so had Hollow. It must have been Decay who showed him her past. Since it was so early in their relationship, Jack hadn't gain enough trust for her, which was stupid on his part. And now, Pitch was planning on killing her.

Pitch was going to kill his own daughter.

Before he could scream, Decay muffled his mouth and nose with a sweet cloth. His vision went fuzzy, and he blacked out, only thinking of how terrible he felt and how much of a jerk he was to her for her last few moments of life.


I stood with the help of my father. I gazed over at Jack's limp body, which lay on the ground like a rug. Even like that, I couldn't help but think of how cute he looked.

"Hollow..."

I shook out of my thoughts and turned to North, who had whispered my name. I walked over, my heel's clicking like reindeer hooves against pavement.

"What could you possibly want with me, Claus? I'm the traitor, remember?" She leaned down, towering over North.

His eyes shown with tears. "Hollow, I know you are in there somewhere. I know you can hear me. All I want to know is why? Why join him?"

I shrugged my shoulders, glancing away as a single tear raced down his bright red cheek. "I joined him because I needed to. I should have accepted his offer before my heart was hurt so bad."

"Jack loves you still."

I stared at him, my eyebrows furrowed. "Why would he still love me? I'm a witch that put a 'love spell' on him. He should hate me with every ounce in his body."

"But he doesn't!" North said, gaining her absolute attention. "When he came back after seeing your past, he was crying. He hasn't cried for years. He cares for you, and he just can't believe you could have changed. If he didn't love you, you would have been block of ice."

I looked down as tear rolled down my face with his next words: "He held back because he still loves you."

"Hollow."

I turned to see father, glaring at North. He turned to me, his gaze softening, "Has this man said things to upset you, Hailey?"

I merely stood and walked over to the workshop window I flew through when I first came here. I stared at the white canvas before me. Behind me, I heard Pitch kicking North in the gut, saying something along the lines of, "What is your belly saying now?"

After a few minutes, arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a hug. I turned to face Pitch, returning the hug.

"It's okay, my little Hailey. Father's here now," Pitch whispered, stroking my hair gently.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to you sooner," I choked, gripping his black cloak.

Nothing was said as we stepped through a dark hole, heading back home to Pitch's lair, Decay's mini "toothaches" carrying the Guardians through too.


Jack woke up slowly, feeling like he had been drowned once more. He was in a dark cell, his hands and feet chained to the wall opposite of the door. He tried to yank them free, but he knew it was useless.

"Why are you even trying, Frost?"

He turned to his right, seeing Hollow in a chair in the corner. Her hair was a deep chocolate brown, curled and down to her chest. A blue strapless dress was draped over her figure, a slit on the left side that ran up her thigh. The fabric was shimmery and it gave off a vision of cascading water. The dress ended at her feet, which were bare. A silver chain wrapped multiple times around her neck. What caught his attention most was her eyes. They changed multiple times, going from pink to purple to red to green. So many colors, making her eyes shine in the darkness.

"Hollow, I-" he began, but he was silenced by a harsh slap to the cheek. She now stood before him, her arm crossed over her chest, her palm splayed open. Her eyes burned with a hateful sadness.

"You can shut your mouth," she whispered, making every word clear. "I am done listening. I am done being your little play thing." Her voice softened as she turned her gaze down.

"I understand that you're hurt," Jack said quietly, making her slowly meet his gaze. "I know I am responsible for it too. I feel absolutely terrible because of it too. I don't know why I didn't trust you. I think the whole thing just shocked me. And I'm sorry for doing this to you."

Hollow had tears in her eyes as she spoke, saying, "I wish I could understand you, but where would be the fun in that?"

"I guess that's a good thing then," he whispered, giving a small grin.

Silence passed between them for some time. Jack looked into her eyes with love showing in his. She went up on tip toes to meet his lips in a soft kiss. Her lips were soft and warm, heating up Jack's core. She pulled away, looking at him through her eyelashes.

Jack suddenly remembered Pitch's plans. "Hollow," he said, getting her attention. "Listen, Pitch is planning something big, and I'm afriad it has something to do with you."

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Decay said something about 'sweeping away a piece of rotten candy'. She looked at you when she said it too," Jack said, his eyes pleading. "Pitch is going to kill you."

"No," she said suddenly, backing away. "Father told me you would try to convince me otherwise. He warned me, but I didn't want to believe it. I thought you had changed."

She opened the door, looking back just as she was about to close it. "He is going to spill your blood so that Decay, Pitch, and I can become our own group of Guardians." And she left, locking the door.


It was midnight now. The Guardians had been gathered before Decay, Pitch, and Hollow, all waiting for the said ceremony.

"It is time for you to realize what power we hold. How much more powerful we are compared to you," Pitch stated, raising his right hand which held a silver sword not too unlike North's. "The blood that is spilt tonight will be the bond that will help our cause."

The ropes around the Guardians wrist fell slack suddenly. Pitch moved quickly, gathering Hollow in his arms.

"The blood of Halloween will be the greatest and most powerful bond.

And with that, Pitch stabbed Hollow strait through the middle of her back, the sword going strait through her chest.

He extracted the sword, blood splattering over the stones beneath. Hollow coughed up more to add to the ground. As the Guardians ran to her aid, Pitch and Decay disappeared through a tunnel of darkness.

Jack held Hollow's dying body, tears rolling down his face.

"Jack..." she whispered, barely audible.

He silenced her by placing a finger to her lips, staining his fingers crimson. "Shh... don't talk..."

"I just need to say... one thing before... I die."

He gazed at her, her eyelids struggling to stay open.

Her last words came out in a weak breath:

"I love you, Jack Frost."


Yea...

I'm terrible...

First I disappear, and then I reappear and give you this crazy chapter.

Sorry...

But you will see Hollow again soon, in a way you never seen her...

Or read of her, I guess...

Whatever...

Please stay tuned!