The voices were hissing, swarming all around him with a vengeful ferocity. Voices of the past, voices that had merged as one, all hell-bent on making him suffer. First it was his brother, then his sister, Leuce, and then Rapunzel. It continued that way until Jack felt as if he were being destroyed by guilt; a dark emotion that was corroding his soul to the point of nonexistence.

"Jack!"

He groaned. The cycle was starting again.

Jack half-expected to open his eyes and find the haunting eyes of Rapunzel, her skin bloodless from the drainage of her powers, mouth opened in an anguished scream as she disintegrated before his eyes, only to be replaced by the scowling face of his brother.

Bright-green eyes illuminated his vision and he squinted, not quite believing the change in the cycle. He expected repetitiveness, the same ghoul of his memories, but it wasn't.

It was truly her. It was his goddess.

"Rapunzel," he called in a sob, and she ran to him, calling his name, though it was lost in the torrent of his thoughts.

"Rapunzel..." he murmured, darkness overcoming his visage, drowning him back into the pool of nightmares.

~~O~~O~~

She found him that way, half-delirious and moaning as if he were in pain, hands covering his eyes, and body curled in a fetal position.

"Oh, Jack," Rapunzel breathed.

His skin was cold to the touch; much colder than his usual temperature.

"Jack... Jack, are you okay?" she asked urgently. In turn, he could only whimper, blue gaze catching hers.

Rapunzel flinched at what she found in that gaze. His eyes were glassy, as if preoccupied by a faraway memory and the pupils were tiny, pin-pricked with fear.

Her hands fluttered uselessly over his face and shoulders as she tried to bring his attention back, to free him from the prison of his own fear.

It didn't work.

She called his name again, but he didn't respond, chest heaving up and down rapidly in what was the beginnings of a panic attack.

"Jack!" she exclaimed, but it only made him panic more, hands clawing in the dirt as his face scrunched up in terror.

Rapunzel glanced around the dark place, trying desperately to find something – anything – that could bring Jack out from this trance-like state. A lock of her hair fell in front of her face, obstructing her view and she pushed it back in agitation.

A thought struck her.

She unwrapped her hair from its messy braid, coiling the strand around Jack's twitching palm.

"Please, let it work," she whispered.

Rapunzel held her breath and sang the magic incantation.

The words left the caverns of her mind, drawing themselves down to the tip of her tongue where her vocal chords put it into a melody; a melody so familiar to her that it was an integrate part of herself, the very foundation that made up what everyone knew as Rapunzel: song, light, spring and hope.

Light filled the dark cave and Rapunzel could vaguely make out the presence of a few dungeons. She thought she saw a pair of red eyes staring at her from inside the bars, but she paid no notice, holding on tightly to Jack as she continued singing.

As soon as the glow in her hair receded from his palm, Jack woke up with a gasp. He lurched forward, grasping his chest as he inhaled sharply.

"Jack!" she cried. "You're all right!"

Rapunzel placed her hands on his cheek, relieved at the warmth she felt there; the slight thrum of life under his skin. His eyes were back to normal, but dilated with surprise.

"Rapunzel, how...?"

"I don't know," she said quickly. "All I heard from Nyx was that Pitch brought you down here. I came as fast as I could."

He exhaled, jaw clenching. "That bastard."

"He will pay."

Jack glanced at her, gazing curiously. "You're well." The gaze of curiosity deepened to that of shock and he gave her a once over, gripping her upper arms in a harsh hold. "You're well...you shouldn't be...Tartarus would have drained you of all of your powers, how-"

"It's a long story and honestly, you could just say thanks and be done with it," she replied, smidgen of annoyance in her tone.

"Thank you," he said pointedly. "I am grateful, but you have to... did you eat fruit from the Tree of Darkness?"

The fear in his voice was so tangible that Rapunzel felt a chill run through her body that had nothing to do with the cold.

"Tell me," he demanded. "Tell me, did you?"

"It was the only way I could save you!"

"But you ate from it!" he retaliated in a loud voice. "You're now as wretched as I am-"

"Oh, really?" Rapunzel said venomously. Jack was taken aback. He had never heard her use this tone on him.

"Because I feel completely like myself, so are you saying that I was wretched all along?" she questioned, lips set in anger. "Can we please concentrate on our priorities? We need to handle what's going on up there before we sort out what's between us!" she asked, her tone tinged with exasperation.

For the sake of their predicament, Jack let it go, taking a deep breath to calm himself from the onslaught of questions he wanted to unleash on her.

"Alright. Where to first?"

"Nyx's cottage," Rapunzel said and a vestige of fear lighted in her eyes, instantly sending Jack on edge. "Pirro's in trouble."

~~O~~O~~

Rapunzel realized that she may have developed a tiny case of paranoia towards shadow traveling, as she couldn't help but think of the probability of getting stuck in oblivion. Jack had wasted no time in asking her what was wrong with his young friend, instead bringing them from the abyss of Tartarus to Nyx's cottage in the blink of an eye.

They appeared in the living room, much to Nyx's surprise. She gasped when she saw them and ran up to Jack, assessing him with trembling hands.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked him for the umpteenth time. Rapunzel didn't want to barge in on their reunion, but she felt they were wasting precious time.

"Pirro...?" she prompted.

Jack's eyes widened and he disappeared, just like the time he donned the helm of invisibility. He reappeared a second later, a pale Pirro in his arms.

"Oh, Gods," Rapunzel whispered as she gathered the young boy in her arms.

Without hesitation, she wrapped her hair around the boys abdomen, singing the same incantation, and watched as color came back to his cheeks and he started breathing normally again.

"Pirro," she breathed in relief. "There you are."

He looked around in surprise, astonishment written on his expression. His gaze landed on Jack and he smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

"It wasn't a problem," Jack replied, looking relieved as well. His look of relief transitioned into one of sternness, and Rapunzel could feel Pirro shrink deeper into her arms.

"Next time, do not attempt to do anything such as that ever again, all right?"

Pirro nodded, eyes wide with fear. Jack lunged towards him and for one blind second, Rapunzel thought that he was going to hit the boy.

He embraced him instead.

"Don't ever give me a fright, ever again," he mumbled into the boy's hair. Pirro could only nod and the young goddess let her arms fall lamely to her side, letting him and his guardian have a private moment.

They broke apart and the atmosphere in the room was at once calming and electrifying. They had not yet forgotten the threat raging outside this house, very near the walls.

"How long have they been at it?" Jack asked grimly.

"Ever since you've been gone. Constantly at it," Nyx replied, gesturing to the fighting that could faintly be heard.

"Are you going back outside?" Pirro asked, glancing at Jack with something akin to awe.

"I have to," Jack retorted. He turned to the Night goddess. "Nyx, please, take care of Rapunzel and Pirro here."

"I will-"

"You can't," Rapunzel said loudly, in a voice that brokered no resistance. "If you make me stay here, they won't see reason – Jack, you have to let me go out with you; this war is because of me," she pleaded. "I have to be the one to stop it before more people get hurt."

Jack looked like he was about to argue, but shut his mouth at the last instant.

"Tell me, did you or did you not eat from the Tree of Darkness?"

That question momentarily stunned her, but she realized that he was serious. The decision to have her on the field seemed to weigh on her answer.

"Yes," she answered back. "But I don't see-"

"How much did you eat of the fruit?" Jack cut through, eyes hard.

"I-I don't know...maybe six seeds, I wasn't sure..." Rapunzel trailed off, afraid at what her reply might mean and feeling annoyed that he constantly kept interrupting her.

"Then that's enough," he said abruptly. "You're coming with me."

"Are you sure, Jack?" Nyx asked. "They could spirit her away when you're not careful."

"Why should they?" he asked, taking his beloved's hand in his. "When she's already my wife?"

A/N: The Jackunzel fandom will never die. Mark my word, Fates. Oh, and Jack and Rapunzel are finally married, whee!

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, I enjoyed reading them all and please, don't hesitate to tell me what you think!