Hello once again! Final Chapter T-T it's okay guys, it'll all be good! See you at the end, and I own nothing!
Aster raced over the countryside towards his home and the black mass of clouds fearing the worst. He left Sandy far behind in the dust to catch up. As he approached the entrance to the manor, he leaped off his horse's back and sprinted full tilt to Jack's room. He threw the doors open only to find that Jack wasn't there. He turned around and did the same to his own bedroom, hoping beyond all hope that Jack would be laying peacefully under his covers. No such luck. He went over to the wide windows that overlooked his rose garden and gazed in shock. There stood Lorre, pinned against a rosebush, trembling in fear. Across from him stood a boy who looked disturbingly like his beloved Jack. But it couldn't be! His Jack had snowy white hair and bright eyes, not hair the color of a moonless night, and a twisted smirk. Aster ran through the empty corridors and hurried to his garden.
Aster stood before the two teens, looking back and forth between the two. "Jack?" He barely managed to whisper. "Is that really you?" The dark teen turned his golden gaze upon the lord of the Warren.
"Welcome to the party Bunny. We're about to get started. We're just waiting on the guest of honor. I think," he conjured a rigid black staff between his hands and shot dark magic at Aster, "you should sit down and wait for him!" Aster was thrown back into one of the bushes, black petals scattering around him. "Ahh, I think my love is coming!" Jack said with manic glee. Lorre took that brief moment of distraction to run off into the manor.
From the still growing cloud a form descended. A tall, lanky man with gray skin and dark clothes. Pitch Black. He landed beside the dark sprite and collected the smaller form into his thin arms. "Oh Jack, sorry for making you wait, I'm here now." Jack leaned into the embrace smiling fondly.
"It's alright Kozmotis, just promise me it will never happen again." Aster was confused, why had his beloved frostbite changed, hadn't Sandy's dream magic helped at all? Why was Jack suddenly in love with...Kozmotis? Was that Pitch's real name? Aster tried to stand on unsteady feet.
"Jack, step away from him. He's evil remember? He sent you those night terrors!" Aster pleaded with the boy. "Jack, this isn't you, you are kind and loving, and although sometimes a pain in the arse, you still have compassion. I lo-"
"Ha! Stupid man, those weren't night terrors, Kozmotis was only trying to help me see that he was the only one who truly loved me! As for you," he brandished his staff once more, "I think it's about time you disappeared from here, forever." Jack shot forth another burst of dark magic, aiming for Aster's heart, but his hands were jerked aside by golden ropes. On the other end of the ropes, which turned out to be whips, was the Sandman.
Pitch glared at his age-old nemesis. "You, I will personally deal with. Jack, kill the bunny and be done with it." Pitch conjured up a weapon of his own, his beloved scythe. He launched an all-out attack against the smaller dream wizard, leaving Jack to his own devices.
Jack once more aimed his staff at the man he once loved. "Jack," Aster whispered, close enough to be heard by the teen, "I love you Jack, I always have, and no matter what happens, I always will." Jack blinked at him, conflicted.
"No! You don't love me, nobody but Kozmotis does!" He placed the end of his staff upon Aster's chest. "And nothing will get in the way of our love."
Jack was about to cast the spell that would kill Aster when the man in question uttered, "Remember Jack, I asked you out on a date. You said you wouldn't turn me down, and I intend to have that date with you. I love you Jackson." Jack's eyes wavered uncertain of what to do and Aster took advantage of it, placing his hand lightly on Jack's cold wrist. "Remember when I took your hand at the ball? I said that I was prepared to do so, and I meant it," he moved to grasp the now trembling hand, "and I will be by your side no matter what to protect you."
"B-but you left me all alone." Jack stuttered, voice almost normal, lacking any malice. He took a breath, and his voice returned with its evil affliction, "But that's all over now Aster, we're over, now die."
"I think not, Frostbite." Aster pulled the boy to him roughly, knocking the staff from his small hands. He pulled Jack's face to his and placed a gentle, tender kiss to his pale lips. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again." Jack gave a small cry and at first tried to resist Aster's loving touch, but the darkness inside him was already melting like snow in the springtime. He himself melted into Aster's strong arms and allowed himself to be held by the one he loved most.
He looked up into emerald eyes and smiled weakly, "Aster, you...saved me...I love...you." After uttering this confession, the boy fainted from sheer exhaustion and Aster lovingly set his body down upon the grass.
All the while Aster was trying to bring Jack into salvation, Sandy and Pitch fought, neither one coming on top, both evenly matched in nightmares and daydreams. Behind the two dueling wizards stood great forms out of dreamsand, enormous dinosaurs and sea creatures also doing battle. Sand was flying everywhere, blanketing the air around them. It seemed that the fight could go on for eternity due to their even match, but Aster knew he had to help his dear friend now that his lover was saved. With one final glance at the sleeping form of Jack, Aster summoned all the magic he could and used his trump card, transformation magic. It was an archaic spell that he had found once but had never tried, his bones began to elongate, as well as his ears and feet. Fur coated his body, and his arm tattoos, normally hidden, graced the fur as well. He pulled out his enchanted boomerangs and threw himself, new pooka form and all, into the fray,. He tore at Pitch and his nightmares, slashing them to bits with his weapons, returning volley after volley like a madman. Aster laughed at the frightened expression of Pitch's face, he certainly had not been expecting Aster to use transformation magic, let alone survive Jack's magic. Aster heard the tell tale peals of laughter through his mind Glad you could join us old friend! I'm amazed though, you can't keep me out of your mind with a basic blocking spell, but you can manage transformation! Who knew? Sandy sent help to the battling pooka in the form of dream creatures. Together, they fought against Pitch who was now struggling to hold his ground. At one point Pitch lost hold of his footing and as he began to fall, Aster struck him hard in the chest with a boomerang, knocking him to the ground.
"Wha- how are you still alive, where is Jack?" Pitch looked around furiously, wondering where his dark price had gone. "Don't tell me you killed him Aster." he sneered.
Pitch slowly got to his feet and started advancing on Aster once more when a sharp object poked his back. "Of course he didn't Pitch, he loves me." Came the response. "Now I think it's time for you to go." Pitch whirled around just in time to see Jack standing before him- hair as white as snow and eyes as blue as the northern sky, trademark smirk upon his lips- before being blasted with bright white-blue light. As the light faded, all the remained in the Nightmare King's place was a small hand-held mirror. Jack picked it up and frowned at it. Aster began approaching his love but stopped when he noticed frost lacing the reflective glass.
"Jack, what are you-" The glass shattered and scattered across the grounds, already being blown away by a gentle breeze.
"Don't worry, I didn't kill him, it'll just take a few millenia for him to reform, but by then who knows, he probably won't even be strong enough at that point to be a threat ever again. But someone'll be there right, to stop him again." Jack turned his bright eyes to Aster once more, a smile plastered on his face. He ran to the pooka and wrapped his arms around his neck, bringing him in close. "I missed you so much." he whispered into the fur.
Surprised, Aster hugged back and nuzzled the boy's neck, "I missed you too Snowflake." Jack pulled back a little to look at Aster's face and laughed.
"I guess I have every right to call you Bunny right now." He smirked at the man. Aster groaned and turned to Sandy.
"Hey mate, how do I change back?" Sandy laughed, gripping his sides, Just think about your human form Aster, that should do the trick. Aster did so, and Jack smiled as he was once more in the arms of the man he loved to the ends of the earth.
"It's all over now, we can go back to loving each other in peace." Aster nodded and kissed Jack full on the mouth, pulling all of his love and compassion into that one kiss. It was a promise for eternity, for love, and for...everything. Jack reciprocated and in doing so, left all his fears of abandonment behind. The two souls that sought one another out, that had been torn apart by darkness, had found each other once more, would always be together forever, and they both knew it.
A/N: So that's it for this story! First some news: 1) I have an epilogue (three in fact) planned for this story which will (hopefully) come out next week, so stay tuned! If you don't want to read them and end with me here, I totally get it, considering this story is now finished! 2) As for this announcement...well, you'll get it after the epilogues ;) I'm mean, I know. I'm sorry if the action wasn't very good, or if it seemed anti-climactic, (or if you were expecting smut (still not too great at writing it yet, but I have tried)) hopefully my writing will mature and I can get better at all that jazz.
This is really bittersweet for me, as you all know, this first started off as a dream I had, and for it to have progressed into a story I absolutely love and am proud of is truly remarkable. I've always had a hard time finishing anything that I write, so those of you who encouraged me in your reviews or even just by following this story, this chapter goes to you, because without you, this story would have remained one or two chapters long and I never would have finished it, so thank you. And thank you if you even bothered to read all this, I know it's a lot!
Well wishes and lots of love,
-EnigmaFire