Jack shuddered, falling to his knees; trying to stop the cold but his core was letting out all he had like the storm from '68. Jamie did his best to curb the power, sending most of the storm harmlessly off to some mountain ranges while he moved over to Jack.
"Jack... come on now... keep it together." Jack panted for air, the storm shimmering but his mind was in shambles; he felt no love, he felt as if he had no one, but he knew Jamie was there, but he felt different. As if he was not the same Jack that he used to be. He sniffed.
"I let them all down... I let those people down Jamie... I let you down!" Jamie landed next to him, murmuring softly.
"I'm sorry Jack... that last one was my fault... I could have done something else... but I let Jakoul get to me again... I... I'm so sorry. I'm... I'm not as strong as I should be... as I should have been... I failed you..." Jack looked at Jamie, in tears.
"It is not you who failed me, but I have failed you." He looked down at the floor, his wings drooping as the the temperature around him dropped to below zero and the fairies nearby were shaking like maracas trying to stay warm. Jamie sighed.
"No... I'm the reason we're even in this mess to begin with." He gently wiped away Jack's tears. He'd mess up... big time... He wrapped his arms and wings around Jack. He knew he could have done something else... but his doubts and fears had gotten the better of him... he'd let them all because of a few simple words. Jack shivered, violently coughing in pain; Jamie felt the same, it was Death's way of calling.
"Did you kill the rabbit yet?" Jack coughed, shaking his head.
"N-no sir, he escaped." Jack wheezed.
"Well FIND HIM!" He yelled in Jack's head, Jamie didn't get as much pain though because Jack was supposedly the one to collect the souls. Jack shook in pain, collapsing into near unconsciousness.
"Trying..." Jamie replied as he shivered violently. Tooth could only watch, horrified.
"Better or I'll be coming down for you two." Jack managed to push through the pain, forcing himself up.
"W-we will s-sir." Death glared at Jackson.
"Jackson, return to me at once." Jack shook his head, wondering if the other spirit suspected.
"Jame, stay there, Jack will be back after we have our chat." The pain was gone as soon as it had been, along with Death's voice. Death left right after. Jack looked at Jamie with tears.
"I have to go... he'll suspect..." Jamie nodded, shaken.
"I-i'll be here... b-be careful Jack." Jamie turned to Tooth, his eyes pleading her to help. There was little she could to do interfere, but she did send Baby Tooth to go with Jack; something both would wish she hadn't done. As Jamie stared into a crystal she provided so that they could see what Jack would. Jack had followed the mental directions out to some woods only for him to be dragged down to the hellish caverns yet again; Baby Tooth hid deeper in Jack's hood as Jack lost his breath when he came face-to-face with an angry Death.
"You remember, don't you? You remember it all." Jack glared at Death angrily.
"Looks like a dip in lava then the river Styx for you... or how would you like reliving drowning over and over and over again?" Jack paled.
"NOO! Please! I beg of you anything but that! Please!" Jamie winced then looked up at Tooth.
"He sent us after Bunny... we warned him... I... I think that he's going to target each of the Guardians... He didn't say why. I think he's trying to get revenge... in his own way. WE can run... but as you just saw... we can't hide." Tooth nodded thoughtfully.
"Well... maybe you can actually."
"What?"
"It's been a long time... but perhaps it's time you paid a visit to Ombric. He might have a solution for you." Jamie gave her a funny look and she began to explain about the old wizard. Jack screamed in pain as Death had him whipped, hung, and then had re-drowned him for what seemed like hours on end but had really only been three minutes. Jack screamed, gasping for air once again; the crystal Jamie held burned red hot and Jamie had dropped the thing when it became too hot, causing it to crack. Broken, Jack cried out.
"Please! I'll listen! Stop please!" Death smiled.
"Good, find the Guardians; take their souls... and Jamie... punish him for me." Jack looked down limply.
"Yes s-sir." He flew up back towards the palace, wincing and breathing heavily. Baby Tooth followed Jack closely, filled with worry as she'd hidden during the torture. Jamie looked at Tooth who seemed angry at Death now.
"Yes... I believe Ombric can help you both." When Jack returned his hair shadowed his face, with a flick of a wrist he held his scythe.
"Jamie, your punishment is clear. I shall do it only because I have to. Tooth, your death is now." Jack's eyes were a purplish color as he wielded the scythe to take her soul.
"I will fight with force if necessary." Death had taken hold of Jack's mind and if he fought back all he got was pain.
"Run." It was all Jamie said and Tooth flew off while Jamie stepped between Jack and her, a grim look on his face... knowing that things couldn't get much worse... Jack's soulless eyes only stared as he swept Jamie off his feet, blade to his neck.
"Your punishment shall be first then." He raised the scythe, having no control over himself, and brought it down; he missed only because Tooth had returned, tackling him as she had wrapped herself up in titanium for protection from Jack's cold and the touch of death. Jamie recovered quickly enough to send Tooth back with a blast of wind.
"Stop trying! You're only going to make things worse! You have to warn the others!"
"But what about you?!"
"I'll be fine! Just GO!" Before she could protest he yelled out.
"Wind! Take her to the pole!" Tooth yelped as the wind did as he commanded, leaving Jamie to deal with Jack... Whose ice cold demeanor only became colder as shadows surrounded Jamie.
"Why do you fight? Why not give in like the tortured soul you are? You deserve punishment like these Guardians." There was not even a hint of emotion in Jack anymore as he sliced a shallow cut into Jamie's side that burned more like he'd been set on fire.
"Because I have something worth fighting for... love... friendship... things you, Death, would know nothing about because you have never tried." Jamie hissed through the pain.
"And what would you know about love? You gave everything up and let me fall into the pit alone... would you say that wasn't worth fighting for then? You disgust me." Jamie knew it wasn't Jack who spoke as Jack slammed Jamie into the ground, pinning him beneath him.
"How about I take this slow and," Jack carved Jamie's arm with the blade slowly, the pain doubling as the ever-sharp blade slowly cut into him.
"steady... You like that Jamie; cutting... I know it brings you relief. How about now?" Jamie said nothing, but shameful tears fell silently. He didn't make a single sound despite how painful it was. Jack screamed from inside.
"JAMIE! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM! IT'S NOT ME! PLEASE! Please, I don't want this to happen! Stop me please!" Jack was silenced as the other snickered. Jamie didn't say a thing. It was true... in a way... but Jack hadn't been alone... They'd both been forced into this... All he could for the moment was feel the shame that was brought by those words... It was his fault this had happened... he'd made such a huge mistake... Now he was paying the price for it. Jack fought against the other, he jolted forward, dropping the blade he'd been using as sand slammed him away from Jamie and encased him in a sandy bubble. Jack only stared out.
"Hello Sandman, you're last on my list to take. I can be patient." Jack said in a non-caring tone, as if he was talking about the weather. Bunny helped Jamie up and started patching his wounds.
"You alright mate?" Sandy blew sand out of his ears and a string of curses appeared above his head as he had Jack tied in sand chains before he knocked Jack out. Jamie winced a little, but not so much from the physical wounds.
"Yeah... I'm fine. Tooth said something about visiting someone named Ombric..."
"Iz good man. He help you. I take you to him." North said and Jamie was ushered into the sleigh despite protests that he would be fine. The robes hid the cuts well enough and he didn't really want the others to know what Jack had actually managed to do... That was a matter between him and Jack. Sandy dragged Jack along on a sand cloud as they took the two of them to Ombric; Death was furious.
"THOSE DAMN GUARDIANS!" The hellish place exploded quite literally from the spirit's anger. Jack began to regain consciousness when the group finally landed.
"W-what happened?" He was no longer under Death's control anymore.
"J-jamie?" Jamie stared at the tree the sleigh had landed in front of, barely noticing Jack was stirring as he was surprised.
"He lives here?"
"Haz for long time. Good man. Great help during war with Pitch before Jack's time." North replied and Bunny nodded.
"Ain't no better mate." Bunny moved forward and gently knocked on the door that was quite literally a tree house... it wasn't what humans would call a tree house, but a house that was also a tree... and a very large one at that. Jack groaned groggily as North carried him like a sack of potatoes, the sand chains made grating, shackling sounds as his wings struggled to free themselves; making him struggles as it hurt so much.
"Don't struggle. Only make you hurt." North said, depositing Jack in a plush chair with a high back in what appeared to be a living room. The door had opened on its own. There was a clock on one wall over a fireplace and a set of stairs that spiraled up out of sight to what would be the second story. On the stairs an elderly man appeared, he was dressed in a long silver robe, he had a long white mustache and an even longer beard that was slung about one shoulder. His eyes twinkled though when he saw the group.
"Bunnymund! Nicholas! Toothiana! Sanderson! So good to see you! I see you have brought guests as well!" The four Guardians smiled at the man as he came down the steps in a way that was between a dignified person of his stature and a child who was excited for presents on Christmas. Jack snarled, struggling all the while, his wings stretching until finally, with a snap, they were free; the sand snaked around him again tying him still; Jack glared at North angrily.
"Settle down Jackson and Sanderson you should know better. Honestly." Sandy looked a little sheepish and backed down. Jamie was silent, just watchful. Jack glared hatefully at the man, not knowing who he was he was in no mood to just sit there.
"Who the hell are you?" Tooth gasped.
"JACK!" The man waved away Tooth's objection.
"No, no. Introductions are in order. I know all about you Jackson, but I'm sorry to say our first meeting couldn't have been a more pleasant one. I am Ombric Shalazar. I created this place, you see. You've nothing to fear while here, this place is protected against any whose hearts aren't pure. Yours is as pure as they come, not counting your counterpart of course. That was an unfortunate side effect of your years spent alone. You can bet Manifred heard quite a bit from me on that score when I found out, but as terrible as it was... it was also the only path that led you to him." Ombric motioned at Jamie who still hadn't said anything; Jack looked at Jamie, heaving heavily and feeling like he wanted to kill everyone in the room. The chains around him tightened a fraction, just in case.
"Yeah, well, why didn't he tell me this in the first place?" It was a touchy subject, they all knew how he felt about those years alone, especially Jamie.
"He couldn't. He barely had enough energy to tell you who you were once you were reborn. He was silent for 300 years, even to the Guardians because he lacked the strength to communicate to even them through moonbeams until Pitch finally reappeared. It's all he can do to communicate with any of you here." They each nodded.
"Now then, would anyone like any tea?" The Guardians each shook their heads, Jamie did as well. Jack glared at the man, for some reason he didn't like this man and felt he was only trouble to him; he had to destroy him and he struggled in the shackles.
"We don't want your God damn tea! All I want is answers to why this is happening!"
"Choices. The boy made his choice and that is what has landed you here. There's no denying that. As for Death... well, he just has a grudge. I'll consent to release you from the bonds if you consent to be civil. I can't imagine why you don't like me, well... aside from the fact that your counterpart might have tainted you against me. You want a way to escape from Death though, no?" Jamie winced, but still said nothing. Jack glared angrily.
