The freak snow storms in Russia and Egypt had the Guardians spilting into two teams to try and find Jack. Tooth and Sandy stayed together in order to search and try to preformed their duties and dispell fears as North and Bunny searched with the sleigh. Anywhere strange weather was reported they hurried to but always too late. None of the locations made sense and would bounced from one side of the world to the other then reverse. Six storms in total which were started to collide to create one big super storm. If that happened not even Jack would be able to disperse it.
And there was no trace of the opening to Pitch's lair. They had search every inch of the forest around Burgess with no luck, but the Earth was a large place and it could be anywhere. Phil was monitoring the large, trying to locate the largest cluster of believers. Pitch would be located somewhere close to there. So far, he narrowed things down to England, in between two of the spreading storm. There was already a heavy fall of snow. It hours the storm would be on it and any traces of the lair covered.
North steered the reindeer in that direction and opened a portal. Time was not on their side.
. . .
Jack was on his hands and knees on the cold stone floor, panting from excertion and a growing mygrain. Nightmare sand flowed around him, brushing against his arms and legs, increasing his fear and trying to push him to his limit.
"Please stop," he whispered, trying to keep himself from passing out. Pitch had managed to put him under four times since being brought to the lair. Four times where he coax the growing power out of him and let it last out at the world above. Jack had no clue how it was being directed but feeling it distrupt regular weather patterns. Each time his powers would soar as new Believers came about, their fear fueling Pitch and making him more demanding, as if he could never have enough fear. But for Jack it just made him sick. The added power he fought to control, the light headness, the fight just to stay on the ground. It was too much for him. He didn't want this, not any more. He wanted to go back to how things were before, where he just had a handful of kids who believed in him and let him play with them. He wanted his family back where he could bicker with Bunny, read with North, fly with Tooth or dream with Sandy. He didn't want any more nightmares or pain. He didn't want to have to fight to control his powers.
"Just one more," Pitch promised, kneeling next to him.
Jack shook his head. "No..no more. Please..."
"Shh..." The Nightmare King took his slim shoulders and made him sit up. "You can do it, Jack. I can see the power already building up again." He placed one grey hand against Jack's chest. "Yes, there it is. Not enough to make you change forms but enough to create one more...what do you say to hitting Burgess straight on?"
"No..." He shook his head desperately. "Pitch, please, don't..."
But Pitch was already summoning the shadows again, forming a large portal above his head as they had the last four times. "Your friend Jamie likes snow days, doesn't here?"
"Please...I'll do anything."
His pleas were ignored as the nightmare stand raced up his body, creating a waking nightmare in Jack's already tormented mind just like the last four times. Apparently wakeful nightares were far more affective and traumatic the sleeping ones. Jack tried to freeze the sand as it moved up him but his body was too tired to listen to him. Nevertheless, Pitch moved behind him, catching his wrists in one hand. He slipped Jack's crooked staff into his hands, aimed up toward the portal then wrapped his other arm around the boy's waist and pulled him against his chest, enjoying the feel of Jack shaking in fright as his power was released into the world above.
This time was far more powerful, The staff boosting what little power Jack had left. His magic was nearly completely depleted but it would be enough to frighten people, considering it was late August and the growing storms in Europe, Canada and South America. Soon the whole world would be covered in thick snow and ice and people would be too afraid to go outside. No children would play or have fun and soon fear would push away the powers of the other Guardians. Soon fear would rule the world. Fear and cold.
Pitch hugged the child to him, making sure to untangle his fingers from the staff before throwing it aside, no longer needed at this time. Jack's head lulled against his shoulder as the last of his power drained away. Pitch let go of his hands, letting them fall at the boy's sides. "You should sleep," he said gently.
"No..." But the objection had no force behind it.
With a snort, Pitch picked the smaller spirit up. "Suit yourself, but I plan on reclining somewhere more comfortable."
"Put me down...I can walk."
"Pah! As amusing as it would be to watch you stagger about I've tired of antics." He hefted Jack small form higher in his arms as he slipped from one shadow to another until he reached his thrown. He sat back in the large chair with Jack on his lap.
"I'm not a child!" Jack growled, trying to push himself out of the tight grip despite his exhaustion.
It took no effort for Pitch to yank him back in place. He grasped Jack's chin and turned his head until Jack was facing the rusted old iron globe in the center of the room. It shone brightly. "See that? Those are all your Believers. Look at them. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Not if its hurting them."
Pitch snorted, pushing Jack's head back against him. "You're but a child. In time you'll appreciate all I've done."
"Never."
Long hot finger drew a line down Jack's cheek. "Never is a long time, Jack, but I have patience." His hand moved to Jack's forehead then slid over his eyes.
"Stop! Don't..."
"Sleep. We need your strength to rebuild for the next storm."
Jack tried to fight it, he really did but the nightmare sand was just as powerful as Sandy's dream sand and Jack was powerless to stop it. He was pulled down into endless darkness as he body went limp in Pitch's arms. But this time no nightmares assaulted him, only crushing blackness.
Pitch watched Jack's sleeping form for several long minutes. Dark bags hung under his eyes and his deathly pale skin was nearly white. Despite the large number of believers Jack now had, conducting that much magic world wide in such a short amount of time was taking its toll. A good new dose of believers would fix that.
Taking Jack to the room he desinated Jack's when he first decided to make the child his - one way or another - he deposited him on a bed of nightmare sand designed to keep Jack under until his strength reached its maxium and Pitch awoke him, depending whether or not he desired to use him that way. Nightmares and waking nightmares had such interesting affects on Jack's abilities. There was so much he wanted to experiement with, but first he needed to generate more believers for Jack.
Summoning his Nightmares he sent them out in all directions, their only goal to bring fear of Jack Frost to as many boys and girls presently affected by the storms.
. . .
"There!" Bunny bellowed over the wind as Nightmares emerged from a dense forest just south of Ispwich. They had flown over the majority of England with no luck.
They waited for the dark creature to leave before landing the sliegh in a clearing. Bunny leapt out of the sliegh before it touched the ground and began sniffing, searching for the Nightmare's scent. The smell of brimstone filled his senses. After twitching his nose he pointed toward the dark forest ahead. "This way," he called to North.
Together, weapons drawn, they followed the scent until ten minutes later they came across an old, rotted out bed frame with a large hole partially hidden underneath. "This is it. Should we call Tooth and Sandy?"
North's eyes were dark with anger and growing exhaustion. "No," he growled out. "There's no time."
Bunny gave a nod. His feeling were the same. Dark magic oozed from the hole. There was no telling what it and Pitch were doing to Jack. Judging by the black storm clouds and swirling snow it wasn't good. "Gonna have ta dig, mate. Hole's not big 'nough for ya...no offense."
North said nothin, just gestured for him to get on with it while he took point, ready to defend them from any approaching danger. The temperature was quickly dropping as the wind picked up. Thunder cracked above them as the storm cell brushed against one another. Time was not their friend. If they didn't reach Jack soon there may be no way to get the storms under control.
