Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG. I only own the plot and the OCs.

Sorry for it being a week late... it was actually ready to be posted last week, but I found something out last week that was quite upsetting. I would have updated yesterday, but I received some even worse news... Consequently, I forgot to update both times. I hope you guys understand, and I'm sorry for not updating.

But enough of the depressing stuff - hopefully everything's going to be okay :)

This chapter is one that I've been planning for a long time. I would really like it if you reviewed and told me how well I wrote it, especially since I find it's easy to write something badly in a scene like this... Do think I should have done it in Jack's POV instead of Tara's?

Anyway, so here's the next chapter...

Chapter Twenty-One-Mind Battles

Tara's POV

I could feel Pitch's presence in my head, forcing me to do as he wanted me to, even though I didn't want to. It was like my body was detached from my mind - I had no control.

The four original Guardians' faces were a mixture of shock, disbelief and betrayal, much like the last time they thought I was working for Pitch. Nightmares surrounded them, and they were forced to fight them.

Jack, however, looked confused, afraid and sad, but also determined. I walked slowly and deliberately towards him, sword ready. I tried desperately to resist Pitch's control, but I couldn't.

When I got close enough to attack, I swung my sword in an arc over my head, and down at him. He raised his staff, and blocked it. I swung again, this time upwards at his left side. Once again, he blocked.

"Tara," he said urgently, blocking another of my blows. "Tara, listen to me: whatever Pitch has said to you - if he's told you that we don't care about you, that we would be happy to see you die - I swear, it's all a lie."

Even my hearing wasn't working the way it should - I heard Jack's voice, but as though from a distance, or as though he were speaking to me on a telephone.

"You abandoned me," I said, coldly. "You left me to die."

"No," Jack insisted. I wanted so badly to tell him that I didn't believe what I was saying, that I didn't want to hurt him, but I couldn't force the words out. "Tara, I tried so hard to help you. I was going to bring you home, but... but I was too late to save you."

"Trying isn't enough, Frost. Don't pretend that my death saddened you, when you all-but caused it. If I'd never met you, I'd still be mortal, living a happy life."

He flinched at my tone, at what I had said, and at the fact that I hadn't called him by his first name. Instead of blocking the next blow, he took a few steps back, lowering his staff. I advanced on him.

"I won't hurt you," he said. "I never could, and I never would."

"Well that makes my job a lot easier."

I raised the sword, but he just stood there. He didn't move so that he'd block the blow in time, he didn't move at all. He just gazed into my eyes, and somehow I knew that if I swung the sword, he would let me kill him. He was trying to prove to me that he wouldn't hurt me, he was trying to make me see reason - but he didn't know that I knew that, he didn't know that it wasn't me in control.

'No Jack, don't make me do this,' I thought desperately. 'I can't stop it!'

I pushed hard at Pitch's presence in my head, though I knew it wouldn't do any good. I thought of how desperately I needed to save Jack, how desperately I needed to tell him the truth, so that he wouldn't think that I believed the things I had said.

The sword paused in the air.

Was Pitch trying to prolong the moment, to make it worse for me? Or... Or had I somehow managed to regain some control?

I pushed against his presence again. This time, I could feel the change. I pushed harder, and forced my arms to shakily lower the sword.

Jack looked hopeful. "Tara?" he asked.

"Stay. Back!" I forced out. I was fighting the control over my mind, but Pitch had realized what was happening and was fighting back.

"Tara, please, tell me how I can help!"

He took a few steps forward, and I forced myself to back away. I tried desperately to instruct my hand to let go of the sword, so that I couldn't hurt Jack, but it wouldn't respond. I tried to gain more control over my body, but none came. I could walk, talk and stop myself from using the sword, but that was it.

Jack, seeing me back away, and possibly seeing the fear in my eyes, mistook it for fear of him - not realizing that it was, in fact, fear for him. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," he said gently.

"I know that," I told him, "I'm telling you to stay away for your safety, not mine!"

He frowned. "But you'd never hurt me..."

"Do you really believe that? After what's just happened?"

"Pitch just brainwashed you, or something... That wasn't the 'you' I know - the 'you' that you are now."

"It's worse than that, he has control over me - I've managed to regain control, but only for a moment! He could take over any minute now, and I wouldn't be able to warn you - you'd be caught off guard."

He looked hopeful. "I knew it, I knew it couldn't really be you trying to kill me - I knew you never would hurt me. You're too smart for Pitch to fool, he could never have tricked you into believing we were against you."

Something about the way he said it told me that he really meant what he was saying, that he truly believed it. It made me unbelievably happy to know that Jack thought so well of me, but at the same time, I remembered that though I would never hurt him, Pitch would - and he was the one who, in a few moments, would have complete and utter control over my actions.

"Jack, I haven't got much time - this is important." I forced myself to hold the sword hilt out to him. "Take it," I instructed.

He looked warily at it, clearly sensing the fact that it could kill immortals. "Why?" he asked.

"Because Pitch will soon have control over me, and when he does, I won't be able to stop myself from killing you. The only ways that will stop that from happening, is either if Pitch releases me, which he won't do until you're dead, or if I die."

Jack seemed to sense what I was thinking. "Tara..."

"You have to kill me, Jack," I told him. "You have to kill me before I kill you."

"No," Jack shook his head, backing away. "No way, Tara, I won't hurt you, and I certainly won't kill you. I lost you once already, I can't lose you again!"

I was about to tell him that I was dying anyway, that as soon as Pitch released me, a poison would be released into my bloodstream that would kill me within a day, but suddenly my head flared in pain. After a moment, the pain went, but I no longer had control - Pitch did.

Against my will, I sprang forward, attacking Jack with more force. Every time I attacked, he blocked, but he still wouldn't strike back. I had thought that telling him that I had no control would make him understand that he had to beat me in this battle, but I had been wrong. The fact that he now knew for certain that there was a part of the girl he knew locked inside me only made him more determined not to hurt me.

"Tara," he said urgently, "I know you're in there. You have to fight him - I know you can!"

'I can't,' I thought desperately, 'he's too strong.'

As though sensing my thoughts, Jack said, "You're stronger than he is. You can beat him!"

But I couldn't. I could only keep him out last time long enough to explain things to Jack, and Pitch had strengthened his defenses, meaning that I could no longer effectively fight him. Surely Jack could see that, if I could get control, I would have done by now? Why couldn't he understand that the only way to stop this was to end my life?

If Jack wouldn't do it, then someone would have to. But the other Guardians probably wouldn't do it either, and even if they would, they were currently occupied with the Nightmares they were fighting. Pitch wouldn't do it until after I killed Jack, and Jack wouldn't do it, so that left...

The thought shocked me. I had never thought, in all my life, that I would consider doing such a thing. But then I saw Jack - the best friend I've ever had, and the only boy I've ever loved. I couldn't let him die.

I pushed against Pitch's presence again, but no good came out of it. I pushed again, and again, but the same happened.

Meanwhile, Jack was still refusing to hurt me. "Tara, you can do it, I know you can! I believe in you, Tara!"

The last statement seemed to amuse Pitch. In his amusement, I felt his guard drop.

'When you are fighting a battle, there are several rules, Pitch,' I thought, quoting him. 'Rule number two - never let your opponent distract you.'

With that, I pushed harder than ever at Pitch's presence, and this time, it worked. In fact, it worked better than before - I managed to push him from my mind almost completely.

I could almost see and hear things normally, and it wasn't as much of a struggle to move my limbs as it had been the first time. But even as I gained the control, I could feel Pitch trying hard to take it back. I only had a few moments.

Jack had noticed my victory. "See," he smiled, "I knew you could do it."

"But only for a few moments," I told him.

I leveled the sword with my own chest, but before I could go any further, Jack realized what I was about to do.

"No!" He cried, and quicker than I had thought possible, he rushed over to stop me.

We struggled for control of the sword. The blade was only inches away from ending all this, but Jack wouldn't let it happen. I'd never realized, until now, how much stronger than me he was.

"Tara, don't do this," he reasoned, "there has to be some other way."

"There is no other way, Jack," I told him. "Let go! You have to let me do this."

"Tara, I know you can beat him, but this isn't the way!"

"I can't beat him, Jack - If I could, then I would have done already."

"I won't let you die Tara, especially not for me!"

"You don't understand, Jack, I'm going to die either way! If I don't do this now, then Pitch will - the only difference is that if I don't do this, then you'll also die!"

"You're not going to die, Tara. I promise! I swear, I won't let him hurt you."

"Jack, it's too late for that, he already-"

I cried out in pain as Pitch forced his way into my mind. Jack looked down at the sword, panic-stricken, thinking that I had won the struggle for the sword, not realizing that I had lost the struggle for my mind, not realizing the danger he was in...

Pitch appeared right behind me, and his power over me intensified due to the close proximity. I felt as though my mind was frozen in ice - I couldn't even try to resist his power, no matter how much I wanted to.

Jack still hadn't realized what was happening, and Pitch took this to his advantage. At his command, I reached out and tore Jack's staff from his grip, throwing it out of his reach. He looked at me in surprise, before realizing what had happened. He backed away, and I followed, sword ready to strike. Jack had no means of defending himself - all it would take to kill him was one blow.

Jack looked over my shoulder at Pitch. "Why don't you kill me yourself? Are you so cowardly that you have to force someone else to do it for you?"

Pitch spoke, and I could almost hear the smirk in his voice. "The whole point of this whole attack was this moment. This is the end for you, Jack Frost."

"Any last words?" I asked.

"Yes." He looked into my eyes. "Tara, I know you're in there somewhere. I know you can't stop this, even though you want to. I want you to know that it isn't your fault - I don't blame you for any of this. And... I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

He shut his eyes, as I swung the sword. As the sword came down, I heard Pitch's voice, both in my mind and in reality.

"I release you."

Suddenly, I could sense everything normally. I could see, hear and feel everything properly, and I could feel a strange tingling sensation in a point on my left shoulder. That meant that, though I still felt a little disorientated, I was also fully aware, and fully in control, as the sword in my hands traveled swiftly through the air, about to kill the boy I loved... But although I had complete control over my body, I knew that it was too late to stop the sword.

But I couldn't just... let it happen...

I'm not sure how I did it. All I felt was the need to save Jack, my body twisting desperately, and my hands releasing the sword.

But, whatever I did, at the end of it, I was facing the opposite direction, and the sword was spinning hilt over blade at Pitch. Pitch was so surprised that he only just managed to catch the hilt in time.

I glanced behind me, and saw Jack - wide-eyed with shock or relief, I wasn't sure which, but otherwise unharmed and most definitely alive. I felt a surge of hope and happiness. I had succeeded - I had saved him.

I turned back to Pitch, in time to see him reach out and grab me by the throat.

"Damn you, Tara Lumen!" He hissed, tightening his grip around my throat. I tried to gasp for breath, but none came. It occurred to me that, since I was immortal now, he could do this forever, and I wouldn't die.

"Tara!" Jack cried, I couldn't see him, but I could sense him attempting to come to my aid.

Pitch, however, had other ideas. He tossed me across the room, like a rag-doll. I hit the ground hard, and slid across the polished wooden floor, coming to a stop in the open doorway of the balcony.

I coughed and drew several ragged breaths, but before I could attempt to get up, Pitch appeared not far from me, and thrust out his hand. A wave of Nightmare Sand hit me, picking me up off the ground and tossing me out of the doors, over the balcony railing, and into the open air above the arctic landscape. I continued to sail upwards and away from the workshop for a moment, before plummeting downwards through the sky.

Bizarrely, I thought 'so this is what it's like to go sky-diving,' before remembering that, unlike in skydiving, I had no means of slowing my fall. No to mention that the ground was approaching fast... I screwed my eyes shut, and braced myself for the impact.

But no impact came. Instead, I was caught in a cold embrace, and set down lightly on the snowy ground.

I opened my eyes, to see Jack standing before me. His blue, worried eyes looked over me briefly, to check for any injuries. Then, to my surprise, he pulled me into a tight hug.

I remained stock still for a moment, before hugging him tightly back.

"You're alive," he whispered. "You're alive."

After everything I'd done, after nearly killing him, he saved me, and didn't seem to care about anything other than the fact that I was okay.

"I'm so sorry," I breathed.

Jack pulled away. "What for?"

"For everything," I answered. "For hurting you, for almost killing you-"

"Tara, that wasn't you, that was Pitch. He was the one in control, not you. You have nothing to be sorry for." He gazed into my eyes as he said the last sentence, making my heart melt. I had never realized before just how beautiful - in a guy way - they were. Right now they were full of some kind of complicated emotion that I couldn't even begin to figure out or explain.

Suddenly though, this turned to alarm and fear. "Look out!" He cried, pulling me towards him, as a blade swiped at me, narrowly missing.

I turned to see Pitch, towering above the two of us. Jack pushed me behind him, protectively, putting himself between Pitch and me. Although I found it slightly annoying as I could take perfectly good care of myself, and completely terrifying as I didn't want Jack to get hurt, I couldn't help but notice how sweet and chivalrous the gesture was.

"Why do you defend her Jack?" Pitch asked. "She tried to kill you!"

"That wasn't her, that was you," Jack answered. His staff was pointed at Pitch, held ready to unleash its power if Pitch should so much as take a step in our direction. "Tara would never hurt me."

I was aware that the tingling in my shoulder had increased to a mild, burning feeling. Pitch turned to me. "Can you feel it, Tara? Can you feel it burning in your veins?"

It took me a second to realize what 'it' was. The poison.

Pitch smiled, knowing that I had figured it out, even though I hadn't said anything. "It's started. The pain will get much worse, before the end. It would have been better for you if you had died, for good, on that lake."

Jack looked between the two of us, distrust for Pitch and worry for me evident on his face. "What's started?"

"The poison," Pitch answered, simply. "The drug I used to control Tara is also a poison. She has little under a day left to live."

"You're lying!" Jack sent a blast of icy energy at Pitch, who disappeared and reappeared several feet away.

"I assure you, it is no lie. She's dying. It will be slow, and it will be painful towards the end, but there will be nothing you can do." He dodged another of Jack's attacks. "I would have killed her now, to spare her the pain, but it's clear you won't allow that." He appeared right behind us. "Just remember, when you see her suffer, that if you had listened to me she could have gone painlessly."

With that, Pitch disappeared entirely. We looked around for a moment, checking that he really had gone.

Jack turned to me. "Pitch was lying, wasn't he?"

His eyes were scared and pleading, wanting to be reassured. But I couldn't give him that reassurance.

"Jack..." I looked down at the ground, trying to find the words. "I'm sorry, but..." I looked back up and into his eyes, watching, as much as I really didn't want to, as the little hope he had left them. "As far as I'm aware, what Pitch said about the poison was true."

Please review guys - you have no idea how nerve-racking it is when I don't get any (especially when I don't get any follows or favorites either)... I get really nervous that I've done something you don't like, or something...

Anyway, till next time!

MS.