If I knew the reactions to my using a cliffhanger would be that entertaining, I would have ended every chapter like that. ;) Just kidding.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians.
The fever hit me somewhere around thirty minutes after the Tooth Fairy left. I had just set aside my soup, the wet rag falling from my face and onto the floor. Reaching over to pick it up, a wave of nausea met me head on and I found myself tumbling out of the bed. Only then did I realize how my chest was constricting, my breathing growing heavy and hard. The room spun, my hands clawing out for some type of support. Objects in the room seemed to twist and contort, going from seemingly innocent knickknacks to monstrous demons clawing out at me.
"Get away!" I croaked at them, scurrying across the floor in a sloppy crab walk. Hands, clawed at the ends and darker than the deepest abyss, reached out at me, sliding like oil across the floor. "Leave me alone!"
They slid up my legs and to my throat, wrapping around it and-
"Artemis!" a voice yelled, snowy white hair appearing in front of me as cool hands shook my by the shoulders. Blinking, I tried to recall the boy's name. Tried, and failed. He continued shouting, his voice fading into white noise as my head fell backwards and my eyes rolled up into my head. It was so hot, my shoulders freezing with his chilling touch. The white noise grew louder and louder, hurting my ears before finally separating out into words and voices. "Sandy! Can't you do something?"
"She's not sleeping, mate," an Australian accented voice stated, an apprehensive yet concerned tone to his voice.
"Are you saying she's hallucinating?" a familiar, light voice questioned, obviously worried. I tried to speak to them, tried to break through the darkness and tell them what was wrong. Maybe they could free me from the suffocating darkness. They couldn't hear me though, not even when I was sure that I must have been screaming at them.
"Help me! Get me out of here!" I screamed, suddenly feeling as if I wasn't even in my own body anymore. The 'ground' cracked underneath me, breaking open and causing me to fall into its foreboding abyss.
"Sandy says he will try help girl," a Russian voice floated into the abyss, warm and inviting. I wanted to follow the voice, it must lead out of this hopeless falling. As I reached out for some type of grip on something, a gold twinkly caught my eye. Suddenly, I was surrounded by them. They were everywhere. Each one was like a golden grain of sand. My falling slowed down, both of my bare feet touch a smooth floor that felt similar to that of Pitch's bedroom. The sand twisted around, lighting up the darkness as it danced before my eyes. Reaching out with one hand, I touch one golden grain and it turned black. Screaming, I backed away from the whirlwind of darkening sand.
"I'm sorry! I-I-I'll fix y-you!" I assured it, looking around for something. As I was immersed in my search, I was surprised by the sudden hand that landed on my shoulder. Spinning around, I found myself back in Pitch's bedroom. He was smirking down at me with brighter gold eyes than I remembered him having.
"Are you afraid of the dark, Artemis?" Pitch asked, his voice holding its usual taunting tone.
"You're not really here," I shook my head, pulling away and out of his touch as I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Denial isn't pretty on you," he responded, sounding as if he was right in front of me. Eyes snapping open, I looked up to see him right in front of me. On of his hands came up to touch my chin, tilting it upwards just enough to where I was looking up at him. "You and I both have been down this road with one another before."
"How are you here?" I questioned, not bothering to yank my chin out of his cool grip just yet. His smirk grew as he bent down, his lips coming up to my left ear.
"You're the one dreaming about me, ask the Sandman," his voice seemed to be fading, his body beginning to shimmer as he pulled away as if he was a ripple in a pond.
"Don't leave!" I found myself shouting, shocked by my own statement. My hand had flashed out to catch his. He moved back towards quickly. Before I could react, his face was barely two inches from my own.
"You have to wake up Artemis. I'll find you. I always have," Pitch promised, making the promise sound more like a threat or a warning. Cool lips pressed against my own, so briefly I almost believed that it hadn't even happened. "Now close your eyes, and wake up."
My eyelids fluttered shut, and I woke up to another slap across the face.
"What the heck, Jack!" I growled, clutching my cheek as I glared up at him. The room around me, including its new occupants, was blurry and disfigured until I blinked the fuzz from my vision. As my vision grew sharper, I made out the five figures now in the room with me. There was the Tooth Fairy and Jack, then a giant bunny/man/thing, and a tall, muscly looking man with a Santa beard and really cool tattoos on each arm- one Naughty, one Nice. The fifth was a short man, his body almost kind of roundish with a oddly youthful face and odd bedhead looking hair that stuck out in every direction. His robe was made of the gold sand that I had just seen moments ago. "The Sandman."
"Yea, that's Sandy," Jack regained my attention. Pointing to the man I almost called Santa, Jack began introductions. "And that is North, or Santa Claus. You've met Tooth. And this-" he paused to point to the bunny. "Is the Easter Kangaroo."
"He's a bunny," I said with a condescending tone just as the Easter Bunny came in with a 'I'm a bunny'. Turning to face him, I noticed him eyeing me carefully. After a moment, he finally settled back on his left foot and lost the apprehensive stance he had taken on when Jack had called him a kangaroo.
"You can call him Bunnymund," Tooth fluttered forward and into my face, eyes glittering just before she grabbed my chin and pulled it down. "They're so white! Not nearly as white as yours, Jack, but still! Someone took good care of their teeth. Although-"
"Tooth, I think Artemis would like her mouth back," Jack interrupted. She looked down at me, spotting my widened eyes and freaked out expression. Grinning sheepishly, she pulled away from me. After she moved away, I decided to stand. I began rising to my feet and was just straightening out when a wave of dizziness hit me and my knees buckled. A pair of furry arms caught me.
"I gotcha mate," the Australian voice from earlier assured me, moving me over to an armchair that sat off to the side in the room. As soon as I was settled in the chair, he pulled back and took two steps away.
"Where am I?" I finally asked, not wanting to think about how weak that had made me feel.
"My workshop!" North stepped forward, beaming proudly.
"I'm at the North Pole," I felt my jaw drop as my eyes widened. Shaking my head, I went back to my previous emotionless expression. "Why do I even bother to be surprised anymore."
"So when do I get to go home?" I scanned my eyes across the group as I after asking the question, waiting for one of them to reply.
"You can't go home right now," Jack finally told me.
"Why not?"
"You're sick," Jack told me, but I could tell something was being hidden from me.
"They have doctors where I live, Jack. Now give me the real reason," I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Pitch may go after you again," Jack stated, still skirting around the real reason.
"Jack," I almost growled his name. Throwing up his hands, Jack crouched on the ground with his head bowed. "Okay... Anyone going to tell me?"
"You're dying," Jack whispered, catching me by surprise.
"What? That's impos-" I moved to stand, gasping mid sentence as my stomach clenched painfully and I fell onto my knees.
"Let's get you back in bed," Tooth came over to my side, helping me to my feet and to walk on my shaking legs towards the large bed. Once laying on it, I refused the blankets she tried to cover me with.
"I'm fine. I'm not dying," I shook my head, letting it fall back onto the pillow out of sheer exhaustion. I can't be dying. There's no way. No one said a word more to me though, and I thought they had all left until the feeling of eyes on me caused me to turn my head to the right. Sandy stood there, looking at me worriedly. "Can I ask you something?"
He nodded wordlessly, waiting patiently for my question.
"It was your sand that I saw, right?"
Another nod.
"Why did I dream of Pitch?"
No answer. Sandy's head tilted to the side slightly and then he shrugged. I was about to ask another question when something touched my cheek. I looked up to see golden sand falling down on me. Suddenly, I felt drowsy. My eyes began to fall shut as someone pulled the covers over my body.
No Real POV here
Jack decided to see what was holding up Sandy, turning around and going back to the guest bedroom North had let him put Artemis in. Opening the door, he was caught off guard by what he saw. Sandy looked shocked, watched as his golden sand fell onto Artemis's peaceful face. Jack didn't see what was shocking him until he looked up slightly to see the beginnings of Artemis's dream. The golden sand had turned silver, slowly growing darker as if tainted by poison. Jack and Sandy shared a look.
"We need to speak with the others. Now," Jack turned on his heel and let the wind carry him down the halls, since air travel was always faster. Sandy followed closely behind. The others were in North's workshop, discussing what may be causing Artemis's condition. When Jack burst in the door, all eyes turned to him. "Pitch knows what's wrong with her."
That one sentence had all the hairs raised (or feathers ruffled in Tooth's case).
Longer? Why yes, yes it is. Lemme know what you think! Pitch will be back in person during the next chapter. ;)