Forgive me since I, Celiyan author of this fanfiction had committed the worst crime ever: Not updating for.. what, two weeks? Okay, you can all kill me. But not before you've read the chapter! I'm sorry for the late update, but I got serious problems at home. I try to make time for updates, but they can take a while.. Also, I didn't have quite the time to edit this chapter, so if you see anywhere grammatica mistakes.. I'm sorry! I'll edit the chapter and replace it with the edited version when I have time.
It was only a few hours after Jamie had agreed to help as they searched for Jack. Since the last snowstorm had died down, it wasn't easy to find him. It seemed like Jack took a pause, which they where glad about. They'd rather want him to stop for a moment then snow more people in.
Through the snow, they where able to find footsteps. Fresh, they thought, so followed them to the source. Each step they took, the more the footsteps faded away. It was still snowing though the snowstorms where gone. They kept following what was left from the footsteps as they ended up in a forest, one Jamie recognised all to well. It was the forest near the lake Jack had awakened from. Where he'd been 'born' to be said. The guardians hadn't thought Jack would hide in the most suspicious place, but seen the circumstances Jack was in at the moment, it wouldn't be to weird.
From good turning to evil, nightmares occuring your mind and body, unable to do anything as you're being threated by a slave, by creatures who don't even really exist.. it would be hard for the little Jack that was left inside the darkness. They wouldn't be surprised to find Jack somewhere nearby. Seen as the snowstorms had stopped a while ago, and the footsteps where fresh, as North said.
Jamie was ahead of the guardians, looking around. Sometimes he tought to have catched a glimp of the young guardian, but it was in vain. They'd been searching for so long, yet they couldn't find him. The foosteps stopped as the rest faded away behind them, and they lost track on Jack. How hard would it be to find a troublesome teenager? Apparently, hard. As they groaned, and Bunnymund moaned because he couldn't feel his feet anymore, they came to a stop. Jack was nowhere to be seen, and North decided they would stop for a moment. Taking a break, resting and later on trying to find the youngster again. They had to think, think of ways to somehow find Jack, or a new track of him.
And then, they heard a chuckle.
A low chuckle.. one they all knew too well.
"Jack!" Jamie cried out, running forwards towards the source of the laugh. But soon enough he got stopped as Bunnymund jumped in front of him, holding up his boomerangs. "Kid, like we said before, this isn't the Jack you know." Jamie frowned. He'd remembered how many times they'd said Jack had changed, but he couldn't quite believe it. He'd promised to help them get Jack back, but the way he heard Jack laughing was way to familiar. He didn't hear any change in it, but the guardians apparently did. And if they said something was wrong with Jack, something was really wrong.
"Jack, come out of your hiding place. We don't vant to play hide and seek." North spoke up, pushing both Jamie and Bunnymund aside. He couldn't help but feel guilty, thinking he'd been the reason Jack had changed into.. this, so at all costs he would protect the guardians. Another chuckle was heard, closer this time, North spun around, and was soon enough eye to eye with a upside-down Jack. Jack's bangs where hanging down, a grin on his face. Not a happy or friendly grin, more like a grin a murderer would have while watching his victim slowly die and bleed out.. it made North shudder. Jack kept staring, grinning and chuckling, waiting for North to finally say something.
But North fell silent, what should he say? 'Jack you have to stop and come with us so we can rip the darknes out of your mind, sould and body?' yes, that would be a perfect thing to say.. if they wanted to play hide and seek again and search the whole world for Jack. North sighed frustrated. "Vhat is it that you want."
"Revenge." Jack smiled. North couldn't help but frown. This wasn't Jack.. this wasn't Jack.. he can't forget that isn't the Jack he knew. This was the nightmare sand, which had taken over Jack's body. This wasn't their cheerfull guardian. "I wan't you all to bleed, to be tortured until death is upon you. I want you to cry, beg for mercy." Jack's grin grew wider. "All of you."
"Even me, Jack?" Jamie interupted, stepping in front of North and face to face with Jack. Jack went silent, landing with his feet on the ground as he crouched down, looking Jamie in the eye. Jack's expressions where mixed; hatred and sadness, sympathy and care.. it seemed like Jack was struggling against the nightmares to at least talk to Jamie. Jamie could see what was happening. Jack shivered, gripping his staff tighter to himself and eventually stood up. His violet eyes frowned towards the young boy, and Jamie sighed in defeat as this really wasn't Jack anymore, and Jack had lost the struggle.
"Get out of my way before I shall dispose of you, brat." Jack spat, shoving him aside and turning his stare back to North. "So, you brought this kid in order to bring Jack back, didn't you?" It was funny how Jack talked in third-person.. but then again, this where the nightmares who where talking. Another things was that the situation wasn't funny at all, so we are supposed not to be joking about it-
"Vhy wont you let our Jack go." North frowned. Jack just chuckled, and turned around to the tooth-fairy, completely ignoring North. "Answer!" North commanded, but Jack ignored him and walked over to Toothiana.
"Missed me?" Jack smiled. He got responded by one of Tooth's most disgusting frown as she crossed her arms, shaking her head. He could see the hatred in her eyes, not towards the real Jack.. no, but the nightmares. And they enjoyed it. Seeing the hatred in the guardians eyes, Jamie unable to do anything, and Jack unbale to struggle against the darkness. Jack chuckled again. Pitch would've never made it this far. And now he thought of it, where was Pitch? He'd been with the guardians a while ago, and now he's gone?
They must've gotten rid of it. He couldn't blame them since Pitch isn't good for anything anymore now he lost his powers. Jack was the almighty one now. Jack would be the ruler, and the guardians would shiver in fear. And Jamie, poor little boy.. he would be the main treat. Jack would rip the boy appart, in any way possible. Why you ask? Because Jamie could be the only one possible to bring Jack back. And he didn't want that. They didn't want that. Jack was theirs, his mind, his body, everything. Jamie couldn't steal that away from them by a single speech.
"Jack! Stop with these sick games and tell us vhat you want!" North roared, pulling him away from Tooth.
"I already told you, didn't I? I want you all to suffer." Jack smiled, petting North's shoulders. He could feel North's grip tightening around his upperarms, but not enough so he wasn't able to move. He shrugged the big hands off of him. "You all had let me suffer, so now it's time for payback.
Jack's grin faded away. His expression turned into something the guardians would've never thought to see on the boy's face; pure hatred. Hatred, so much hatred towards the guardians. Too much for the own boy's- nightmares- good. They shot up, clenching the staff tigh in his hands, and shot down a blast of ice, right in front of North. "Let this be a warning, since I'm not planning on revenge towards you yet." he started, and shot another blast just besides Jamie. "I've got nightmares to spread, children to freeze in, and families to ruin."
He chuckled, and faded away, while Jamie stood wide-eyed behind Bunnymund who protected him. The boy couldn't believe it, Jack really had changed.. so much. The guardians where right, this wasn't the Jack he knew. This wasn't Jack at all. But if he couldn't even get the real Jack to speak up, how would he ever be able to bring the real Jack back? He sighed in defeat, just as the other guardians had almost given their hopes up. Until Jamie looked up, and walked forward, deeper into the forest. The guardians, surprised of his actions, followed him. Deeper, and deeper.. until they reached a lake. It was Jack's lake, his birth-place. They where only meters away from it.. if they could get Jack back here again, they might even have a chance to really get him back.
Could I get 5 reviews? I'd love to archieve that goal ;w;
