Jack was gone. He noticed. It made sense to him, and he hated it. Jack was the first person in 600 years to befriend him ( other than himself, even if it ended badly), now he was gone, and she missed him. Missed Jack. The crystal reacted to Blacks emotions, and for the first time in a long time, she was happy. She was happy, because of him. And thats what waoke the crystal in the first place. Thats what was making glow growled to himself. Black was his, whether she wanted to be or not, and he was not going to let anyone else have her. Especially not that little Guardian. Pitch thought to himself. " You 've had enough peace for now." And he gripped the shard tightly in his hand. He watched as Black gripped the srm of the couch desperatly, clutching her chest in pain, fighting off violent coughs. Pitch laughed and held the shard tighter, and Black lost it.
Black began coughing viciously, struggling to breath. Blood dotted the floor with each cough, and the pain that rose from within herself was almost unbearable. Her nails dug into the velvet, creating tiney holes with hr nails. After a few minuts of watching Black suffer, he decided to try and waken the sickness within her, and spread it once more. He shut his eyes with deep concentration, and imbeded his own energy into the shard, intertwining it with himself.
Black stared out the window, at the flashing lights in the sky, thinking about Jack again. she had been sleeping, and had no idea how much time had passed, but she knew he had been gone for a long time. She knew it would still be a long time before he came back. IF he came back. she sighed. She was still tron between wanting him back and wishing he would never come back. She missed him, though she hated that fact, and it scared her, she missed him. But she never wanted to hurt him, and thats why he cant come back. She sighed again, wondering now that she as able to, she should leave. But he found her once, thousands of miles apart he found her, though she had no idea how. If he could do that, what if he could do it- Her thinking was cut, and she felt another fit, slithering its way through her body, exausting every part of her body. She gripped the arm of the sofa, and tried to fight it, but it came anyway, much worse than it had. She tasted blood and it spewed from her mouth, and clutched her chest as a new wave of pain erupted.
She could barely breath as the coughing consumed her. Her eyes watered and her lungs and throut burned. It gre worse as the minuets passed by, and suddenyl she felt something she hadnt in years. Something that was moving within her, of its own acord, independent of all the pain and confusion she felt. It swirled within her own being, and made her skin crawl as she felt it overtake her body. She knew this feeling, though she didnt believe it. She didnt want to, couldnt bring herself to it. Pitch! she choked out. He felt him begin to pulse his power from within herself, trying to intertwine it with hers. She felt his presence, his very being, wrap around her, looping, and knotting itself so that it felt as if he would never brak free. He could feel a hatred, that was not hers, she felt his emotion, is power inside of her.
Terror overcame her, but she would not let him. She shut her eyes, concentrating, struggling against his power, against the coughing fits, against the pain she felt. She stumped him, and began pushing him back, fighting to break herself free. They began a tug of war that lasted hours. Blacks forehead was drenched in sweat, as she held her head in hr hands, stuggling to keep him away. She didnt know how, but Pitch had found a way inside her power, and she would not let him start the plague again. She would not hurt anyone any more, and she would not let him hurt anymore either. Even if ti killed her. the pai inside her turned numb, and she was exausted, but finnaly, she felt Pitch stop, and the feeling of his power left her.. she pantd out of breath, and collapsed.
Pitch slammed his fist down on the Pedestal, still clutching the shard. He rested his forehead against the cooll stone, panting. His fists were clenched into balls as he panted, trying to shake off his tiredness. He growled. She was able to fend him off! He knew he wasnt quite as powerful as he once was, but he had no idea how mch stronger SHE had gotten. He could never use her powers from this shard alone, he would need the entire gem. He grinned menecingly. But that wasnt a problem anymore. He could find her, now that he could use the gem. He could feel her, and knew she was weak. The guardians would never know until it was too late, even if Jack told them. she was close, he knew it, by the time they reached that little rotting house, they would be long gone. She was weak, and he knew he could take her. He may have to outrun the Nighmares, but once he got his hands on Blacks staff he could wisk himslef away in a second. He gripped the shard tightly, and dashed back down the rocky hallway, and out the opening.
He stood as still as death, listening for any indication the Nightmares were around. Nothing. The winds howled, and a few birds sang off in the distance, but no sound of hooves could be heard. He clutched the shard tightly, and instantly felt Blacks presence far off, but close enough to be able to reach hr in just a few short hours. He smiled grimly, and darted off.
Black collased in exaustion, staining to breath, or hold er head up, or even see strait. She had fallen to the floor, dizzy, and scramble her way back on the couch. She layed on her back, panting shakily, trying to find the energy to stand, or sit up, something, anything. She knew she had to get up, and get to her staff, propped up on the corner. She was in no condition to fight, but she could at least shadow herself somewhere else. She knew black could easily get to her if he wanted now, she could feel him just a few hours away, and she knew he could feel her too. Scince he had created her, that had had that connection, and as they grew 'close', that bond strengthened so one could tel the others emotions, or if they wer in trouble, or get to them if need be. She scratched the back of the couch, trying to grip something to help pull her up, but the fight had worn her out compleatly, and she could barely wrap her fingers around anything.
Suddenly, she felt it again, that little flicker of hate that was not her own. " Pitch," she whispered with shaky breath. She braced herself to fend him off again, but he simply rubbed against her. She knew he was coming for hr now, and she had to get to her staff. She only had a few hours to get ready, and she could barley get off the couch. she knew then that it was prolalby it for her. Jack was farr off with the guardians, whi problably wouldnt want to come to her aid anyway, no matter what Jack told them. she was on her own, and severly weakened. She breathed heavily, and heaved herself up with great difficulty on shaky legs. She wobbled and swayed, but did not fall. Panting, she locked eyes on her staff. It was problably it for her, she knew that. But she wasnt going down without a fight.
_
Jack arrived at Norths place, in the midst of a queral with the other Guarians. He could hear them from the other side of the workshop before he could see them.
" But- that just cant be? How culd he be back! we just fought him off, he should still be weak, not to mention those-those THINGS chasing after him!"
" I telling you, I know vat I sav!" He heard north arguing with Tooth.
" No way mate, he just...CANT!" Bunnymund joined the argument.
Walking through the workshop, he could see the yetis already had a good head start on the new year, feverishly making toys for next Christmas. Christmas! Jack thought. He still had the glass orb north had given him last holiday, but he cracked it rying to see Black, the very person he and Tooth told him to stay away from. How was he going to explain that? He shook it off, hoping that whatever North summoned them there for would distract him from asking about it. When he finnaly came to the group, the three didnt seem to notice, far too wrapped up in their argument. Sand man was the only one to see him, and gae a little wave. " So whats wrong?" Jack asked him. The little golden man turned to the arguing legends, fiddling his hands nervously. He turned to Jack, and a horse appeared above his head, made of shimmering golden sand. " Horse?" JAck thought. He still had trouble communicating with Sandy.
" Horse?...Pitch?!" Jack ghasped. at the sound of Pithces name, the other three legends turned around. " Jack! so happy to see you!" Tooth fluttered around in a circle over him, and opene her mouth to say something else, but ended up going off ad telling her little faires more adresses. " Jack, glad your hee, North is having some delusion about-" " I KNOW VAT I SAW!" North snapped. Before they could start arguing again, Jack asked what exactly was wrong. " Oh, the old geezer over hear thinks hes seen Pitch again." Bunnymund said flatly. North went on and on about seeing Pitches shadow over his globe again, and feeling sick to his stomach, before coughing up a storm. When Jack heard this, a knot formed in his stomach, thats what happened to Black! Did Black do this? Was it her shadow he'd seen? Or... " I know vat I saw! And I know vat I felt!
Bunnymund still shook his head. " Pitch is long gone, you sw him! he wont be back for a while, and even if he wasnt, he cant just make you feel sick like that!Not his style, not in his powers." Bunnymund crossed his arms. " Maybe your just working yourself too hardlately, have you stopped making toys scince you got home chirstmas?" Tooth added between adresses. " IM FINE! " he snapped. North wasnt just some old man, making stuff up or seeing things, Jack knew him. If he says hes seen Pitch, he's seen Pitch. But Jack also wondered if it want Black he was seeing, but why? He had been with her the whole day and she hadnt done anything harmful. As much trouble he new he was getting himself into, he new sooner or later he would have to some clean. " Its not North." Jack stated. " Oh rally? What makes you say that?" Bunnymund challanged. Jacks eyes shifted to one side of the room to the other nervously. He wouldnt look any of them in the eyes.
They noticed this. " Jack, whats wrong? whad;ya see?" " Jack? Whats Happened?" Even Toth looked up from her fairies, and Sandy listened intently, stilll fiddling with his hands. Jack sighed, defeated, and told them how he tracked Black down, and had, sort of, been living with her, in a ghost town. Intstantly, they went into a frenzy. they all began yelling over one another until it was an angry jumble of yells. " You VAT AFTER i TOLD- AH I VARNED YOU YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED" " JACK HOW-BUT-WHY, OH I NEVER SHOULD HAVE SHOWEN YOU HER MEMORIES I NVER WOULD HAVE THOUGH, H JACK I TOLD YOU WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED!" Even Sandy was fantically creating symbols above his head so quickly Jack couldnt even make any of them out.
Jack listened gultily, not looking any of them in the eye, until he couldnt take it any more. " HRY! just, LISTEN!" He snapped. They glared at him. " I know, shes done some...bad..things in the past, but she's, shes changed. I spent time with her, she doesnt want to hurt anyone, she lives out in the middle of nowhere so she wont! Shes just, sad, and alone-" " Shes not you Jack." Tooth interupted. " Its not that she is evil, its just...she is dangerous, without meaning to be." " Shes right Jack, she wont mean to, but she'll infect ya, and then you'll be suffering horribly." Bunnymund added. " It only takes one look in her-" " one look in her eyes." Jack finished her sentace. " But Iv been with her for days, and Iv looked in her eyes a hundred times, and saw a sad girl, whoes been thorugh hell and back, forced to live off on her own, but Im o.k., maybe things are different now, maybe shes learned to controll herself-" " Its still dangerous Jack!" " but-" " Wait a minuet, North, you said he felt sick when he saw that shadow, is Black the one thats doing this?" " What?! It cant be, iv been with her the entire time, she hasnt been doing anything! Infact, somethings going on with her too!" Jack told them of Blacks coughing fit
When he was done, they all remained silent. Jack clung to the hope, that they had change their minds about Black, and didnt blame her anymore, or think she herself was dangerous, or causin trouble anymore. " If I saw Peetch again," North started " And both Black and I felt seek, maybe hes found way to her power." He suggested. " Not possible, her staff channels her power, Pitch coulnt be able to do that without it." Tooth said. " The it has to be her. Pitch cant-" " It isnt her!" Jack argued. " Jack if a disease spreads it has to be her," " It cant be her!" Jack thought as hard as he could of a way to prove her innocent, he thought of every second they spent together, the snowball fight, the chopping wood, the ice creations at the pond, the sparkling look in her eyes as she talked about her favorite book, or the way she cried as she thought of all the things she had done, the way she seperated herself from the rst of the world for their own protection...there was no way Black was doing something. It had to be Pitch, it just had to. He racked his brai for something, anything that would convince the others to leave Black alone.
The more he thought, the more he just kept coming back to Pitch. He remembered Blakcs past, and the way Pitch held her, the sickening way it made him feel. He remembered the lies he told her, the false comfort he gave her, and they way he betrayed her. Betrayed her. He remembered so clearly he could almost see it happeining again. Black'sstaff raised high in the air, Pitch yelling for her to stop, and the way the street pole shook ash she struck it. He saw the gem shatter, and a piece falling to the ground, sending waves across the streets, and felt the same peace wash over him again like the light. The shard, sending off the waves...the shard...Thats it!" " Black didnt do it, Pitch has a piece of her gem!" " What?!" the others said in unison. He told of how Black ended the plague exactly, stressing Pitches involment and the piece of gem that broke lose from the others.
Pitch took it with him, and-and now hes figured out how to use it somehow!" Jack said. " Look, iv been spending time with Black, and im perfectly fine, and I know her, she would never hurt anyone anymore, shes put herself thousands of miles away from everyone else to make sure she doesnt! You told me just being around her would start the plague again, if thats true, why does she stay so far off?" Jack waited as the others thought about this, when he felt the hairs on the bac of his neck rise, but he didnt know why. The longer he waited, the more it creeped up on him, setting his nerves on edge. " If thats true, we have a real problem on our hands. Bunnymund finnaly said. " Jacks right, its in Blacks memories, Pitch could have taken it." Tooth agreed. Jack wa relieved, but the uneasy feling still lingered. " Pitch cant just control her like that from a simple shard." North stated. " Not if she fought back. He would need her whole staff to start anything up again." Jacks stomach dropped. He knew what that ment, and what the started the uneasy feeling.
"He's going after her!" Jack yelling.
_
After much stuggling, Black managed to retrieve her staff, and slowly regiaining hr energy, began prreparing herself to face Pitch. She could still feel his presence, getting closer and closer with each passing second. It had been a few hours scince their little game of tug-a-war, and even longer scince Jack left, and she prayed he would come back soon, she would need all the help she could get. She could stand and walk without stumbling now, but her reactios were still slow, and she fel weak. She knew she couldnt defeat Pitch this way, or even defend herself proporly, but she had no other choice. She could try and shadow herself elsewhere, but if Pitch could find her onnce, he could do it again. she would always have to keep moving, and the strain of that would only weaken her further. She wished the Guardians were here, even if they didnt like her. She wished she at least knew where any of them were to get help, but she was on her own until Jack came back. If he came back.
She flet his precence get closer and closer, and timed it five minuets before he would arive. She took a deep breath. After 600 years of running from him, after he used her, betrayed her, and tried to...she shook herself free of the memories. she could not afford to be scared now. she had to hold her ground, even though she knew she wasnt going to win. She was not going down ithout a fight. She wouldnt run away like seh did last time. her grip on her staff tightened, and the crecent blade emergeed from the wood. She felt him, so close she was sure he entered the outskitrs of Bodie now. She marched out the door, into the snowy decreped streets. She would come to him this time. She ran, as best she could, in the direction she could sense him. At last, after a few turns she saw him, pating from the running, scoweling with 600 years of pent up anger, smieliing memecingly. All of her confidnce vanished, the second their eyes connected. She felt like she did all those years ago, scared, betrayed, hurt, compleatly inferior to him in every way. Weak.
" Well well," Pitch taunted. " I see your doing well for yourself..." He gazed over the rotting houses, unamused. " Such a shame. If you hadnt gone all heroic on me, we'd be on top of the world right now." He mused. " While all thoe innocent people suffer? Not again Pitch, now leave!" Black spoke strongly, but her voice shoo a little. Pitch chuckled at this. You havent changed much have you? Still that little, stupid girl, no idea what to do with herself." Black glard at him. " Cant be around nayone else, but your little rats, head in the clouds, no purpose but the one I gave you, but oh, you ran from that didnt you? So tell me, is this any better?" she stayed silent." Casting yourself off into a rotting town, no one but yourself, no meaning ot anything anymore, just you and you alone." Pitch stopped, and chuckled again. " haha, No, I shouldnt sya alone not should I?" Blacks eyes grew wide.
" that little Guardians taking quite a liking to you hasnt he?" " Leave him be!" Black snapped. He laughed again. " Oh, I wont hurt him, im sure youll do that son enough." She stared at the ground. " haha, yes, if he stays, sooner or later, you will infect him, and make him suffer more than I ever could. Youll be alone again soon enough." " She reained silent. " Of course, IM still here, you cant infect me, Black, ill-" " want to infect thousands of people over again!" black glared at him. " I wont let that happen! Not if I have to be alone for the rest of etrernity, I wont let you use me to hurt anyone anymore, NEVER AGAIN!" she yelled. " Black stared at her, a disgusted look on his face. " Very well." And her lunged at her, A a great black pick axe sprouted from his arm, growing well over ten feet long, compleatly made of shadows. He charged at Black, and swung the blade at her, refusing to hold bakc anything. At the last second, Black jumped back, and caught the curved blade with her own, stopping it mid swing. With all her might, she heaved it backwards, spinning Pitch back around in a ful circle. He skidded to a halt, and smiled devilishly at Black. " I see you finnaly found some spirit in you." she glared at him. " I can take care of that." And he lunged at her again.
The realization hit Jack like a train. Pitch was going to go after Black, and he just left her on her own, weakened after a fit of coughs. " what is Pitch did that to her? Those coughs? What if he wanted her weak so he could take her easily?" The others thought on this with shock. they had never really thought of Black much, and now she posed both a threat, and a friend, if she can fend off Pitch for a while. Jacks breathing quickened as he began to panic. shes alone. He thought. " What if hes there now?" " We have to go." they agreed. With many protests from the others, bunnymund tapped his foot on the ground, and instantly a portal opened up from the ground. It was the quickest way, they all knew that, though they preferred the sleigh ( most of them). Without another though, they lept into the hole, and where whisked wyw at the spead of light into Bodie. Jack was practically thrown out, but lept to his feet quickly, spinning on his heel, trying to remember the way back to Blacks half dead house.
The sound of clashing blades rang from afar, and they charged in that direction. After a few turns, they sounds grew ouder, and he could hear Black cry out. Finnaly, as they rounded a caved in building, they saw her, a block away, fighitng Ptich himself. At the sight of them, he growled. " Black!"Jack cried out. At the sound of her name, she turned, giving Pitch an opening.
Black blocked another attack, already exausted. Their blades collided again, and she fought to fend him off. Her arms shook, and her legs threatened to give away. She breathed heavily, and struggled to hold her firm gaze, glaring at Pitch. She was just about to break, and he knew it. She had gone beyond her limits, and it wouldnt be long before she could no longer solf her scyth up much less use it. Suddenly, he heard someone cry out Blacks name, and in the distance he saw the Guardians. NO!Not this time! Not again! He thought. Black turned at the sudden calling, and he lung back his blade, letting the shadows dissapate back withing his arm. The force of the impact sent Blacks arms flying outwards, and she stumbled to hold her balance. That last hit was driven with enough force to finnaly fell Black. The wind was knocked out of her, and the blade in her staff retracted. She would no longer be able to fight. Pitch reached out, grasping the staff, and swung it around, so she faced the guardians. she still held the staff, clutching it for her life, as Pitch used it to trap her against himself. Her skin crawled as she felt the pressure of his chest against her.
the guardians watched in shock at the battle. Pitch spun her around, trapping her with her own staff. She cried out, and they could clearly see she was weak. she gave a few pathetic struggles against him, whimpering with fear. Pitch leaned in until he was right next to Blacks face, and whispered in her ear, just loud enough for the others to hear. " Ta,Ta," and vanished in a cloud of black smoke, surrounding them form Black's staff. The last thing Jack saw, were Blacks crimson eyes, widened with horror. Then they were gone.