Hi guys, wow over a hundred reviews 0-0. I am speechless :) Thank you so much for the support of my story it means the world to me. You inspire me to update each day. Please enjoy the story and as always characters belong to their owners and story and my characters belong to me ;) Enjoy
(North Pole)
"Pitch has been gone a long time." Bunnymund commented as he glanced at the clock.
North laughed, "He is probably chasing after Jack."
Bunny smiled, "Yeah, the little devil's probably having the time of his life." he rose to his feet, "Suppose I should go give Pitch a hand."
"Just hurry back," Tooth called as he opened a tunnel, "The food is getting cold."
"Back in a jiff." his voice was distant as the hole closed.
(Back in the forest)
The wind swirled softly around the unmoving man, not quite sure why he was not going after the boy. The wind tried to clear the still bleeding wound free of snow without causing farther harm. It was perplexed as to why he remained so silent and still. As it blew the falling snow gently away from his open eyes the wind noticed their color. Somewhere a memory of those eyes stirred. The wind realized it knew this man, but how? It was overcome with a need to be close to him, though it didn't know why.
As the wind swirled around him Pitch lay helpless, staring with unblinking eyes at the moonlit night overhead. He cursed himself for allowing Muertes to take Jack. He should have known the bastard would put something on his blades to immobilize his kills. Muertes had a sick sense of pleasure. He needed to get Jack away from him as soon as possible.
"Jack! Pitch!" a voice echoed through the trees
Pitch tried to call out, but his vocal cords refused to work
The wind instantly recognized the voice as of one of the Guardians. It hesitated, not wanting to leave the man on the ground. When the voice called again, heading in the opposite way, it made the decision to go. It rushed toward the direction of the voice.
"Just great." Pitch thought as the now unhampered snow fell into his face. Minutes later the snow was blocked as Bunnymund came into his line of sight.
"What happened mate?" the Guardian asked as he knelt beside him
"Go after Jack you idiot!" Pitch wanted to scream, but his voice was trapped in his throat.
Bunny glanced at his bleeding shoulder, "Don't worry, we'll get you fixed up." the forest echoed as he opened his tunnel
As Bunny slung him over his shoulder Pitch wanted to scream, but all he could do was wait, powerless, as they got farther and farther away from Jack.
(Farther in the forest)
Cazador walked quietly behind the bound winter spirit. The boy had stopped struggling and was walking with his head down; he would periodically stumble and lean against a tree. Muertes would then grab him roughly by the arm and pull him forward. Cazador cringed each time his brother's grip would create a new bruise on the boy's arm. He was impressed that Jack didn't make a sound.
Suddenly the wind began to blow harshly, whipping up snow.
Muertes growled, "No interfere."
The wind of course didn't listen as it blasted them again, it hated that the boy was also affected but it was the only thing it could to slow his captors.
"We take shelter!" Cazador shouted above the howling wind, he gestured to an old abandoned cabin
"Fine." Muertes pushed Jack toward the cabin. Once inside he threw him to the floor, he then stormed around the cabin searching it.
Jack grunted slightly as his body hit the wood, he simply laid there. His body exhausted from the rough pace set by his captors.
"No food." Muertes spoke angrily as he came back into the room
Cazador looked at him, "I smell squirrel straight way from here."
Muertes grinned, "We hunt then"
Cazador looked at the boy on the floor, "What do bout him?"
"He no go nowhere." Muertes smiled and pulled a rope from his pack. He grabbed the boy's ankles and firmly wrapped it around them. He then wrapped another around his legs. He patted Jack's face, "We be right back."
Jack simply glared at him, "Where the hell does he get all these rope?" He thought as the two left him.
(At the Pole)
"We need to stitch that wound." North said as he looked at the wound in Pitch's shoulder
The Guardians had all been surprised when Bunny had jumped from his tunnels with a wounded Pitch flung over his shoulder. They had abandoned the food and hurried him to the infirmary. They had been trying for the last hour to get some response from him, but all they had managed was to confirm that he couldn't so much as blink.
"I contacted Patrick; he should be on his way." Tooth said as she came into the room
"Damn Leprechaun." Pitch stared at the ceiling, "Damn lights." he was extremely frustrated, he needed to get these morons to understand that they should just leave him and go find Jack. His vision suddenly went black as a hand pulled his eyelids down and placed a soft rag over them.
"That should help with your eyes Pitch." Tooth's voice was kind as she placed a hand on his arm
Pitch sighed, yes they were morons, but they were caring morons.
"Hey Sandy, there you are." North's voice spoke to the Guardian coming into the room
Instantly Sandman was beside his brother, his face full of concern. A question mark formed over his head.
"Don't know mate. I found him like this, wounded and unable to move."
"We are glad you are here, we need to stitch his shoulder. But I don't want to give him anything since we don't know what is paralyzing him." North's voice was calm despite the anxiety he was feeling
Pitch felt terror at what they were suggesting, if he fell asleep now they would find out. They would witness his burden that Moon had given to him. He did not want their pity; "I deserve my fate." were the last thoughts in his mind as he drifted to sleep.
As soon as North saw that Pitch's breathing had become steady he began cleaning the wound. Once that was done, he pulled a needle from the medicine cabinet and sterilized it, "Ok, here we go."
The others cringed as the needle pierced the skin. They watched as North carefully closed the wound. Within minutes the wound was completely sealed, North then wiped the excess blood away, "There, piece of cake."
Bunny noticed black sand swirling above Pitch's head, "Umm guys."
The others followed his gaze; they stared as the sand began to take shape. It formed into sand images of Reaper crushing Bunnymunds arm, then dragging Jack into the blackness.
"Why is he dreaming of this?" Tooth asked
Bunny looked at the sand, "What a second…I remember now! This was the dream I was having nights ago. Although I didn't remember having it till now." he looked thoughtful as the sand swirled again, this time changing to Reaper standing over Jack. His eyes lit up with realization, "He's been taking our nightmares!"
"What are you talking about Bunny?" Tooth asked as the sand shifted once again, this time to Tooth reaching out toward a disappearing fairy.
"Pitch talked to me a few days ago about an incident with Jamie…" the other Guardians listened as Bunny told them about his conversation with Pitch.
"So he has been taking our nightmares into himself?" North asked as the sand continued to swirl
Bunny nodded, "But why?"
"He is the Guardian of Innocence, right?" a voice spoke from the door, "And to keep innocence, corruption must go somewhere."
They turned to see Patrick standing in the doorway, he removed his glasses and placed them in his pocket, he walked over to the bed
"What do you mean?" North asked as the Leprechaun stood beside them
"Pitch was never meant to create nightmares, Moon chose him to take nightmares away, to make it so that the children never even remembered them."
"Why would Moon do that?" Tooth asked quietly
"He did it because of Pitch's sacrifice."
The others looked at him in confusion
Patrick sighed; "I can't say anymore." he looked at Pitch, "He'd kill me if he knew I had said what I just did. Pitch will tell you when he's ready." he placed a hand on Pitch's shoulder, "So what's wrong with him?"
Bunny shook his head, "Don't know, I was looking for him and Jack. The wind led me to the forest, and I found him lying in the snow still as a statue. Sandy just put him to sleep so North could fix his wounded shoulder."
"So he was paralyzed?" Patrick rubbed his chin thoughtful
"Yeah, can you help him?" Tooth asked anxiously
Patrick smiled, "I'll see what I can do
(Back in the cabin)
Jack struggled against the ropes binding him, "When I get the chance I'm going to trap him a glacier." he thought as the ropes cut into his skin. He stopped struggling; with a sigh he laid his head on the floor. It seemed like hours past when suddenly he heard heavy footsteps, he hoped against hope that it would be someone there to rescue him. His heart fell as Muertes stepped through the door
"You miss?" he laughed at the glaring spirit. He went into the kitchen, he returned with a pot. He kicked the captive boy as he walked by, his face filling with a smile at his muffled cry. He then went back outside
"No, I take it back. I'm going to freeze him in a glacier, then sink it." Jack thought as the pain from the kick radiated though his side. He could smell smoke as it drifted into the cabin, then the smell of cooking meat. His mouth watered at the smell, his stomach suddenly very angry at the fact he had missed supper. Jack listened to the brothers growling at each other, "Moon, their more like animals than people."
The door to the cabin opened suddenly as they walked in, Cazador carrying the pot. He went into the kitchen with Muertes following. Jack could hear them as they ate whatever it was they had hunted. Within seconds they were finished, and both came back into the room.
"I sleep room." Muertes said to Cazador, "You watch boy."
Cazador simply nodded, he lit a match and tossed it into the fireplace. Jack cringed slightly as it came alive with flames. Cazador didn't notice as he placed the little bit of firewood into it, "Flame be hungry soon. I find it more food." he then walked outside
Muertes smiled as Cazador left, he had seen Jack's reaction to the fire. He knelt beside him, "You no like flame?"
Jack did not like the sound of pleasure in his voice. He suddenly found himself being dragged by his ankles across the floor. Muertes drug him right in front of the roaring fireplace. Jack struggled as the heat from the fire began to suffocate him. Muertes grinned at his struggles, "Have good sleep." he then left the winter spirit and went upstairs.
Sweat began to pour from Jack's body as the heat seemed to radiate through him. He bucked and strained trying to inch away from the heat. But he didn't have the strength to try for long and after only a few minutes he stopped.
"Why you move?" Cazador asked in a puzzled voice as he came in with an armful of sticks. He placed them in the firewood holder and knelt beside Jack, he noticed the sweat pouring from the boy, "You too hot?"
Jack nodded
"Then why in front of fire?" the boy was confused
Jack just rolled his eyes. He was suddenly surprised as Cazador picked him up and set him on the couch. He then pushed the couch a good distance from the fire. Jack sighed in relief. His stomach chose that moment to growl its unhappiness to the world
Cazador cocked his head, "You hunger?" his face brightened; "Of course you hunger!" he happily went into the kitchen. He came back with a bowl of soup. He set it on the couch beside the boy. He put his finger to his lips and motioned upstairs.
Jack looked at him not really understanding, till the boy undid the gag from his mouth. He swallowed trying to moisten his dry mouth. "Thanks."
"Shhh, keep voice down. Brother no like this." Cazador smiled kindly at him and held a cup to his lips.
Jack eagerly drank the cool water, relishing in the way it cooled him down. "I don't suppose you would be willing to untie me too?" he looked mischievously at Cazador as the boy placed the empty cup on the floor.
Cazador laughed softly, "I no have kill wish. Brother no like if I free prey." he then grabbed the bowl, he held the spoon to Jack, "Squirrel, I hunt myself."
Jack had to smile at the pride in the boy's voice, "Umm, I've never had squirrel before." he timidly took a bite. His eyes lit up at the flavor, "That's really good." he greedily ate each spoonful that was offered to him.
Cazador smiled, "I get you water." he jumped up and walked into the kitchen, he was back in seconds. Once again he held the cup for the spirit to drink.
Once he had finished, Jack sighed, "Thanks Cazador."
The boy smiled, "Welcome." he frowned slightly, "Who man in white?"
"Oh you mean Pitch?"
Cazador nodded, "He say things to Cazador that confuse him. He say that Master is mean, that Master no love me." he looked at Jack almost pleading, "Do you think Master love Cazador?"
"Who is your Master?"
"She called Death." he smiled, "She very pretty."
Jack shuddered, "To be honest Cazador, I don't think she does." he continued quickly when the boys face fell, "But that doesn't mean you can't be free to find someone that does."
Cazador's face lit up, "That what man in white say, he say I could be free." his face became thoughtful, "I would like to be free."
Please review and let me know what you think. Your reviews are what I look forward to each day. I am so enjoying this story and all of your comments keep em coming ;) Thanks again
