Broken but Still Beating
Chapter Eight
Pitch couldn't enter North's realm or castle but he could enter Annalisa's dreams. He had seen from his darkness viewing orb that she was asleep and a perfect time for him to pay her a little visit to dine on some more of that delectable fear and anguish she provided him. The guardians were planning something so he had to move fast while he still had the chance. He couldn't tell the future but from watching the girl she didn't have very much longer to live. Pitch rode saddled up on the largest nightmare he could conjury, one that he had created from Annalisa's own fear and rode into the recesses of her mind.
Annalisa had always had vivid dreams since she was a child. Here in North's castle although it was strange enviroment was no different. She dreamt of Aster and her adventures so far and for a time inside her dream she was happy and didn't fear anything. Aster's tales of the Pooka villages and the great forests he used to guard became clear in her mind like she was there. There was also a bright glow that seemed to follow her around the dream. Aster was handsome in his Fae form and strong and dependable in his rabbit form. His nickname was Bunnymund which she had to giggle at. Although she was just an observer in this dream she still could see her physical self as the dream went on.
She was sitting by a stream next to the Pooka village watching the Fae go about their daily lives. She leaned over and saw herself in the stream still dressed in North's clothing her features vibrant and healthy. At least here in her dreams her illness and the foreshadow of death couldn't haunt her. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of the sun, the happy voices and laughter round her, the soft grass beneath her, and the soothing caress of the wind as it floated through her hair. When she opened her eyes again it was dark and in the sky was a large, luminous, and beautiful moon.
Entranced she looked up at it and its rays came down brighter then the actual moon should glow. Annalisa grimaced squinting her eyes but watching as the rays touched the stream and the light actually took the form of a somewhat humanoid figure. Her blue eyes focused on that image and she watched entranced as it glided over the water's surface towards her just a reflection of the moon's ray but still very much alive it seemed. She felt no need to be afraid really but only awe and surprise. Soon it came to rest in front of her and she watched curious.
"Annalisa..." a soft feminine voice whispered
"You know my name?" she asked softly to the glowing image.
"Annalisa...do not be afraid." It whispered to her reaching a glowing appendage towards her
"Who are you?" Annalisa said leaning forwards and reaching towards the glowing image trying to touch it on the shimmering surface of the water.
"Do not be afraid..." it whispered again
Annalisa as if hypnotized almost felt her fingertips brush the water and touch the glow reaching towards hers when suddenly a bitter cold envloped her. She watched in shock as the water below her fingertips quickly turned to black ice. The beautiful glowing being screamed as if in pain and disappeared beneath the surface. Annalisa stared horrifed jumping up and stepping back. She looked around and saw the sky above her that was once a soothing violet and azure dyed from the moon's brilliant glow turned an inky and dreadful black and spread throughout. The trees and the village wilted and disentegrated as the black enveloped it like a rushing wave. Annalisa could only watch in terror as the darkness swept throughout around her and all that was left was a barren, dark, and frozen wasteland. She stood trembling not knowing what to do.
"Wake up." She whispered grabbing her head with her hands and closing her eyes trying to will herself to awaken. She opened her eyes once more and hoped to see North's workshop but found herself still in the black wasteland.
"No. Wake up!" she cried shutting her eyes tightly as tears squeezed through her lashes. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
Pitch watched amused from atop his steed as the girl desperately tried to will herself awake. However she was in his domain now and nothing could take her away. The girl had fallen upon her knees still whispering the soft mantra as if it would ward him off. How humans amused him.
"Oh my dear please do not despair...I mean do despair." He chuckled
Annalisa gasped raising her head and her bright blue gaze settled on him. "Pitch." she whispered
"You remembered my name how delightful." he crooned
Annalisa felt sick and the cold seemed to seep through her clothes and down to her bones. She shuddered grabbing her arms at the sensation her eyes not leaving Pitch and his nightmare. Her breath came out in cold pants and her trembling increased. She felt the same choking and drowning sensation from before as pain started to slowly blossom in her chest. She gave a strangled cry grabbing her arms harder.
"If you fight me it will only hurt worse. Be a good girl and just give in as much as I like to see you suffer I do have other places to be and you are starting to bore me little one." He said annoyed
Annalisa opened her eyes staring down at the ground. Was this real? This was supposed to be her dream not a nightmare. Maybe this was just a figment of her imagination. If it was she could control it to an extent. Pitch was curiously as she let go of her arms and placed her palms on the ground and slowly with great effort pushed her form to a trembling stance. He quirked an eyebrow in questioning the girl should be to weak to stand let alone be conscious still. When two bright blue and teary eyes landed on him in a fierce and determined glare he felt his anger boil.
"L-leave me alone." she snapped
"I see you have a bit of fight still left in you little one." Pitch said urging his steed forwards the Nightmare snorted billowing red flame like breaths that licked at the ground yellow eyes glowing with power.
"You're damn straight! This is my dream and my life I won't let you take it!" She cried and didn't move as he climbed down from the Nightmare and aproached her.
Pitch gave her a rueful smile standing only inches from her his presence so close weakened her body and gave a cry grabbing her chest. He stood there patient only to scowl again as shakily kept her stance from a hunched position still determined to fight teary eyes glaring heatedly at him.
"Your mother should have told you not to pick fights with those bigger than you little one. I admire your steadfast brava but you will fall to me." He said raising his hand summoning his Nightmare to do his bidding. The large steed dissolved with a roar and Annalisa watched in terror as he collected it in his hand. It turned into large tenderils spreading out and licking around his body like warped and terrific poisonous vines of hell.
"Wh-what is that?" she asked with fear making Pitch look at her with a stoic expression
"Why dear Annalisa...this...is your fear." With that he thrust out his arm and the tendrils shot forwards.
Annalisa could only scream as her fear consumed her.
Sandy looked up from his book as his senses prickled. He sensed Pitch. His eyes shot to North who also sensed it and in turn all of the guardians became aware of the demonic and dark presence of chaos.
"Pitch. Pitch is here." North breathed
Aster sat up at full attention before reverting to his rabbit form and quicker then anyone could blink was on all fours bounding towards the stairs. He took them in three leaps before coming to North's workshop and bursting throug the door. Aster cried out in pain as Nightmare sand billowed out lashing at him. He watched in horror seeing Annalisa consumed by it her limp form trembling gasping and twitching as it slowly sucked the life out ofher.
"NO!" Bunny tried once more to enter but was knocked back North barely caught him as he came up behind him followed by Jack, Tooth, and Sandy.
Tooth gasped looking in covering her mouth with both hands. North held onto Bunny as he regained his senses and he too looked on in shock. Jack was silent as well as the guardians looked on helpless.
Bunny shook his head as his blurry vision cleared and he tried once more to go into the room but North held on to him. "No Bunny you will be killed."
"I don't care! I ain't gonna let em have er!" he cried desperate trying to fight off North.
"Bunny!" Tooth cried desperate looking to Jack who quickly came to North's aid holding the large Rabbit back.
"Bunny you can't help her like this calm down you idiot!" Jack grunted
"LEMME GO! I SWEAR IMA TEAR EM APART!" Bunny cried
Tooth looked on to Sandy who was calmly surveying the situation with a strange sort of curiosity. Desperately she flitted over to him grabbed his arm. "Sandy! Do something please."
Sandy looked at her golden eyes focused and he nodded quickly gliding over to Bunny. He used a little of his dream sand sprinkled carefully to calm the guardian down. Aster fell woozy to his haunches and Jack and North let him go as he collapsed half awake on his side.
"Oh that's great what are we supposed to do now?" Jack snapped at Sandy
A loud scream reverberated off the walls and the four standing guardians flinched looking on to Annalisa who was surely dying. "If we're going to do something we need to do it now Sandy!" Tooth snapped with an edge of demand in her voice
"What can be done Sandy? Can we save her?" North inquired hopeful
Sandy nodded pointing to Jack then to Bunny and rapidly explained his plan. He told them he could create a link between Annalisa's dream and Bunny's mind. Pitch wasn't in the physical form here but acting through Annalisa's mind which was like a conduit. He explained the Nightmare Sand was in fact from Annalisa herself it was her own fear. If he could get Bunny's mind and concsiousness into Annalisa there may be a chance that he could give her the strength to fight Pitch off. He would use Jack's magic which was powered by Joy to enhance his own dream sand.
"Can this work my friend?" North asked desperate
Sandy shrugged and Jack rolled his eyes cracking his neck and gripping his staff "Who cares she could die either way we can't let this bastard win."
Tooth nodded her consent too emotional for words as she stared at the poor girl slowly dying only feet in front of her and she was helpless to help her. North patted Sandy's shoulder and righted Bunny up. Sandy came over placing hand on Bunny's forehead and the limp barely awake rabbit didn't respond. He motioned for Jack to come over and place his hand on top of his. Jack followed his example and felt his power connect with Sandy's. Sandy grimaced at the sudden invasion of the additional magic mixing with his own before holding out his free hand and reaching towards the Nightmare Sand. The tendrils shot out and latched onto him and there was a brilliant blinding light.
Aster blinked rapidly groaning as he awoke. He felt like he had been hit by a steam roller. He sat up rubbing his head and realized he was in his fae form. He blinked rapidly and suddenly the memories slammed into him. Annalisa! She was in trouble he jumped up and his surroundings dawned on him. He wasn't in North's palace he was in some kind of archaic wasteland straight out of a horror movie or better yet a Nightmare. A shrill painful shriek diverted his attention and he recognized it.
"Annalisa!" he cried and sprinted off without a second thought towards the sound of her pain filled screams.
Annalisa was stuck between agony and fear if she had to describe it. There was no end to it she felt like her skin was burning off and someone was pouring ice water down her spine all in the same sensation. She was spread eagle hanging limp in the air as the tendrils wrapped around her limbs buried into her flesh creating spidery decaying black lines. All she could do was screamed as more of tendrils invaded her body. Pitch stood grinning at his work of art he could end it quickly but taking his time was not only much more fun but gave him more power. He could draw this out as much and as long as possible. However her screams were coming rather bothersome and annoying. He flicked his wrist and a rather large tendril literally wrapped around her throat and her mouth. Blue eyes were the only thing that could convey her torture as she stood splayed out as the Nightmare and fear slowly tore her apart.
"I will always remember you my dear this is the most fun I have had in ages."
Tears leaked down her cheeks as her eyes dulled and her head started to hang limp. Pitch pulled back slightly his power just enough where she jolted coming back to life only to start to fade again. He played her pain like strings on a violin indulging in the resonance of her agony.
He stopped his fun short growling turning his gaze landed on Aster who stood only a few feet away his expression wide with horror at the scene. In all his lifetimes he had never seen anything like it. Pitch sneered facing him and Aster blinked quickly drawing his Boomerang and Pitch raised his hand.
"Ah...ah...ah...one more move and she dies...now." Pitch said
Aster froze glaring at him before turning back towards Annalisa's still and tortured form. His heated stormy green gaze came back to Pitch and he dropped his weapon standing placidly. "Yer gonna kill er anyways...whats stoppin me from doin ya in now Pitch."
"Because my dear guardian you do not have it in you. Yes she will die but slowly. Maybe you can even figure out a way to save her." He mocked laughing
Aster trembled in anger wanting nothing more then to strangle the demon in front of him. "I see Sandy brought you here with that brat's assistance."
"What are you talking about?" Aster asked through gritted teeth
"You simpleton you don't even know where you are do you! You are inside the girls mind in her Nightmare." Pitch scoffed curling his lip.
Rabbits didn't have fangs but Aster was showing a set of pearly white sharp teeth as he bared them at Pitch snarling at him. "If ya kill her...I will tear ya ta shreds."
Pitch chuckled "Tear me to shreds? With your buck teeth Easter Bunny. I am so afraid."
Aster growled low and Pitch watched in surprise as his form shifted a gift all Pookas shared. Instead of a rabbit though the form he took was honestly so grotesque that even Pitch had to give him credit. Soon a snarling seven foot beast crossed between a wolf and a rabbit stood hunched before him. He had the long lithe front end of a dog but the powerful hind quarters of a rabbit. Each large and beastly paw had long jagged talons. A long neck curved down and a his blunt and flat head revealed a wide mouth set with powerful jaws. Claws flexed and glowing green eyes focused on him as drool dripped from sharp jagged teeth. His long lithe body pivoted digging his lower legs in that flexed with power ready to spring the moment the girl took her last breath and large ears more pointed backwards. The dark soft grey fur had shifted to a mute and dark soot like color.
Pitch stared impressed "Why Aster...I must say good fellow that is absolutely terrifying."
"SHUT UP!" Came a garbled and warped shriek from the beast
"This was quite unforeseen although not unpleasant it has been far to long my dear foe since we have clashed in such an array." Pitch chuckled.
His entire being shifted becoming larger losing the humanoid shape turning into a towering curtain of dark with two glowing yellow orbs. The atmosphere turned darker and more malevolent. A booming deep voice chuckled and moved the girl infront of the frothing and tense beast as if to tease him.
"You pathetic fool. She is a mortal. A human. To lose your head over one such as her. She is dying anyways."
"I SAID SHUT UP! Do not touch my human!" Bunny howled his mind consumed by the rage of a killer beast
"My, my, your human?" Pitch mused
Annalisa didn't even have a grip on reality anymore. She didn't know if she was dead or if she was alive. She floated in a grey bog lost and hopeless. She heard voices around her Pitch and Aster. Her senses prickled hearing Aster's voice. Suddenly she saw the image of him and looked upon horrified. What had happened to him! If she could have cried she would have. Desperately she wanted to reach out to him.
"Aster..." she whispered regaining her voice
"Aster..." she said a little more firmly
"ASTER!"
Under the ice where the glowing image of the moon had been trapped started to vibrate and the dark stone like ice shifted. At first it was a soft glow then it became a brilliant wave and the figure burst forwards and shot out free from the darkness' clutches. As if drawn to the showdown between guardian and darkness it flew forwards. Like a streak of lightning it hit between the two. Pitch shrieked as the bright light exploded his hold on the girl weakening momentarily.
Brought back to life she gasped as the tendril wrapped around her neck and head disappeared and she blinked rapidly. Weakly she croaked at first then pushed her voice out desparately.
"ASTER!" she shrieked
Aster froze looking at her. "A-annalisa." He said
The light came forwards touching him and slowly he shifted back to his Fae form. Without hearing words or wondering why he knew what he had to do. He couldn't fight Pitch not here Annalisa had too. Standing surrounded by the glow he looked upon her as the darkness started to recover.
"Annalisa ya hafta ta fight it! Dun be afraid!" he cried desperate
"FOOL!" Pitch cried
"Aster...help me...please..." Annalisa begged sobbing
"I can't help ya Annalisa...ya got ta do it on yer own." He said softly
"Aster..." Annalisa said closing her eyes. He watched in horror as her body hung limp in the tendrils hold. Pitch chuckled darkly only for a few moments before he felt something pulling at him from inside.
Aster looked up feeling it as well hopeful. All of a sudden Annalisa's eyes snapped open and she screamed not in pain but in force. Pitch wailed as his hold on her waned and she thrashed against him.
"LET GO!" Annalisa cried fighting desperate as she reached towards Aster.
Aster reached out to her. "NO! You will not! YOU ARE MINE!" Pitch cried
Annalisa touched the ground pulling with all of her strength. "Come on Annalisa! Ima here...for ya!"
Tears fell down her cheeks more rapidly then when she had been in the throes of Pitch's clutches. Her whole life she had been afraid she didn't want to be afraid anymore. Her fingertips brushed his hand and she gasped being pulled back. Aster watched helpless he couldn't reach towards her she had to do this all on her own it was the final test.
"I'm not afraid." Annalisa whispered softly before struggling forwards once more and clasping his hand. The light surrounding Aster shot forwards from his body and through Annalisa. Pitch's hold on her instantly dissolved and with a pathetic wail his existence was wiped clean from her mind his hold gone.
Aster caught her as she fell forwards into his arms. As the darkness receeded he looked up in surprise and shock seeing his village and the forest he grew up in and protected as a Pooka warrior. He looked back to Annalisa who weakly lay in his arms. He knelt holding her gently. She looked up at him smiling weakly.
"Is this right? Is this how your home looked?" She whispered
Aster closed his eyes a moment before getting the strength to smile back at the young woman. "Yeah Sheila I'd say pretty spot on. Ya got yerself a powerful mind."
"Aster I don't want to go but I'm not afraid anymore." She whispered
"Aye I know Sheila."
"I want to stay...stay with you." She gasped softly before her eyes drooped
"Ya will always be with me Sheila dun ya worry." he assured her.
Annalisa gave him one last smile her bright blue eyes alight before they closed and her human life faded from the plain of the living.
The light faded from the guardians as they became aware. Sandy fell back on his bottom thoroughly exhausted wiping his forehead. Jack leaned on his staff breathing hard. North was not as effected as he still held on to Bunny but he too felt the strain. Tooth had pressed her self tightly to Bunny's side as the light enveloped them. She had been determined to help even though she couldn't give her power she would give her strength. Her violet eyes opened taking in the seen.
"Well...that was fun." Jack said before fainting.
"Jack!" Tooth cried quickly flitting to the sprite's side.
North checked on Sandy who gave him a thumbs up and a weak smile before looking down to Bunny. The rabbit groaned opening his eyes and North helped him stand.
"My friend you are okay?" North asked
"Aye..."
"And...baryshnya?" North asked hopeful
Bunny looked up into the room which looked as if it hadn't been a swirling pit of nightmares only moments before. It was still brightly decorated and painted North's knickknacks untouched but the fire had died out. North instantly knew as Bunny walked forwards into the room. Tooth looked on curious before her eyes widened. Bunny knelt picking up the limp and cold body before turning to his friends.
"Sheila fought em off tooth and nail like a right brumby she did." He said softly
Sandy hung his head as North came over to Bunny and gently touched the still girl's cheek. No sign of life remained in the body and yet she looked like a fragile china doll. Her skin was pale as snow even her lips and dark lashes lay on at cheeks. Her blonde hair was dull and limp. North sighed "May she rest peacefully."
Bunny hung his head ears drooping as he could only clutch the body of the dead woman to his chest.
~ Fin ~ End of Part I
****Part II Broken but Still Beating: Library of Time and Fate ****
COMING SOON! :3
MUAHAHAHAHA! Done! BOOYAH MUDDERS. I stayed up till 4AM and wrote this beast in one sitting! Be grateful you welps! Kidding, kidding! Seriously thank you so much for all the reviews, favs, watches, and so forth. I am completely and pleasantly overwhelmed by the response to this story. It honestly started out as a fun little shenanigan and I didn't think I would finish it let alone make it a multi-parter. Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger but I had to stop somewhere in order to begin the next phase of Annalisa and Aster's journey. She had a destiny but what that destiny is no one knows yet! I am still debating on making her a guardian because the whole 6th guardian thing is kind of over played and misplaced. I mean I'm already fudging with the whole cannon with adding the dreaded OC so I'm still finagling out the odds and ends of that mental confusionary concoction. She will take up a mantle VERY similar to Mother Goose but I will tweak it and make it my own. So stay tuned loyal readers and for the love of the Man in the Moon REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I want to hear your pleasant little voices and possibly also not quite so pleasant. What can I say it comes with the job?
CIAO! XOXOXOXOX 3
**Maiko ** :3
