Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, I've been at my grandmother's and there is no signal there. Hope you guys are all safe during these uncertain times, I think of my readers each day. :) I had to rewrite this one a few times till it flowed like I wanted, hope you enjoy.
(Burgess, the Bennett home)
A quiet calm had settled over the small home. Silence now echoing within its walls, hanging heavy with melancholy.
In the Livingroom Pitch, the Nightmare King, sat in an armchair, his expression one of thought as he mulled over events of late. Every now and then his golden eyes would glance at the long couch where Darkness lay. The shade had yet to stir since he had been found by Jack outside.
A heavy sigh of frustration escaped Pitch, if Darkness would just wake, they would at least know who they were dealing with and perhaps find a way to get Sam back.
"Come on Pitch,it'll be ok."
Golden eyes glowered at Patrick who was sitting on the small love seat, "Really now? And what makes you think that?"
Patrick grinned,"Because, Pitch, I'm here."
Pitch raised an eyebrow, "And that makes this all better how?"
"Because with me here your luck will change."
Pitch blinked, hoping that Patrick was joking when he saw the broad smile plastered on the spirits face he could tell he wasn't, "Wonder if Iris would miss him?"
While downstairs his brother was contemplating murdering Patrick to distract from waiting to find out information, upstairs inside the room that had been set aside for him, Jack held the answers Pitch was looking for.
However, the poor winter spirit was fighting within himself as to whether he should tell anyone what he knew, since Jack had been instructed that if he were to do so, Sam would suffer.
"Why does everything in my life have to be so complicated!" Jack shouted to the sparse furniture that decorated the room. He paced up and down the length of the bed, unaware that tendrils of frost followed his every step.
A low squeak echoed in the ever-chilling air as the winter spirit sank onto the bed, feet dangling off the side. "I don't know what to do…" Jack's voice was a bare whisper as the teen buried his face in his hands.
A soft knock on the door startled the teen
"Jack, it's me Iris. May I come in?"
"Sure." Jack's face fell as Iris walked in, "Aw I thought Pitch had forgotten." The teen couldn't help the whine that escaped when he saw the satchel Iris held.
"Pitch, forget? Hah, that man has a mind like a steel trap." Iris smiled at the teen as she placed the satchel on the bed "Now move over and let me take a look at that injury."
A huff escaped the teen; however, Jack obeyed the order. The teen turned himself, so he was facing Iris as the woman sat beside him.
"Now let me know if I hurt you ok?"
Jack simply nodded as Iris began her examination, the teen bit the inside of his lip when she pressed on the skin above the wound.
"Pitch was right to call me Jack." Iris's expression was neutral, though Jack see the worry in her emerald eyes, "This is one of the worse puncture wounds I have ever seen." She glanced into her bag and grabbed a tube from within, "How did it happen?"
"Well…" Jack couldn't help the whimper that escaped as Iris messaged a thick cream around the bruised skin, "We had gone to the Vaults…ow." The teen yelped slightly when Iris moved her hand closer to the open wound, "to rescue dad."
Iris smiled as she tried to keep the boy distracted as she grabbed a rag to clean the wound itself. "That was either dumb and or very heroic."
"Funny how those two get mixed up." Jack grinned, "I was doing pretty good on my own until Stitcher showed up and skewered me with that Sai."
Iris leaned back, "That wench attacked her own grandson!"
Jack had to duck as Iris's golden wings flared outwards, echoing her anger
"How dare she!" emerald eyes flashed dangerously, "To attack one's own flesh and blood is despicable!"
"It's ok Iris." Jack spoke quickly trying to get her to calm, "It really doesn't hurt anymore."
Iris stared at him for a moment
To Jack's surprise she began laughing, "Iris?"
"I am sorry Jack," Iris smiled as she composed herself, "It's just right then you sounded so much like Pitch."
"No!" Jack gasped, "Take that back."
"Ok ok." Iris chuckled, then she became serious, "All joking aside Jack, this wound could very well have been your end."
Jack became quiet as Iris placed a bandage to his chest
"The Sai not only tore skin, but muscle as well." She shook her head, "If the blade had hit just a centimeter lower it would have pierced your heart and Stitcher would have been able to unravel your very being."
"I know." A shiver went down the winter spirit's spine, the feeling he had of being torn apart when his grandmother had stabbed him surfacing, "I got lucky."
Iris chuckled as she stood, "Don't let Patrick hear you say that. He'll claim he saved you."
Jack startled when she wagged a finger at him
"You are not to be moving around too much understand? It is healing well on its own, but too much movement could shatter the ice that is mending it."
"And I don't have any more power to spare brat. So, you'd be on your own if that happened."
Jack rolled his eyes as Rancor's voice rippled through his mind
Iris didn't seem to notice as she continued "My suggestion is that you don't do anything too strenuous for the next few days."
"Sure, no problem." Jack nodded, though he knew in heart there was no way he could do that.
"Ok try and get some rest ok Jack." Iris patted his arm, "Everything will look brighter in the morning." A slight huff escaped her, "I better get back downstairs before your brother murders Patrick, since if I know my husband, he's annoying poor Pitch at this moment."
"Thank you, Iris." Jack patted the bandage now on his chest.
"Anytime dear." Iris gave him a smile, then she exited the room closing the door gently behind her.
Jack fell backwards onto the bed, "Now that that's done." The teen folded his arms behind his head as he stared at the ceiling, "I should really try and get some rest…" a sigh escaped as Jack closed his eyes trying to clear his mind so that he could sleep.
The teen was just about to slip into the realm of sleep when a bone rattling hum shook him to the core.
Jack was on his feet, his hand instinctively grabbing his staff from its place against the wall.
"What now?" A shiver went down the teen's spine when the hum rippled over him again. Jack whimpered when another wormed its way into his mind.
"Child of my blood save me from my fate. Do so quickly, before it is too late."
Jack shivered when recognition dawned on him, "Dad…" the teen's own voice was a bare whisper as his father's continued.
"Retrieve my crown, make wrong right. Before the Universe fades in White."
A sense of urgency swept through Jack like a wave, instinctively the teen hurried to the door; he had just twisted the knob when voices echoed in the hall
"…will it repair soon?"
With the utmost care Jack cracked the door so he could hear better.
"No Rashana I am afraid that the seal has been compromised." Abyss's words were underlined with a tone of panic though the man spoke calmly, "It will take weeks…if not longer for the seal to be restored to its fullest."
"Can't we simply strengthen the seal? Before his power lashes out?" Rashana's voice held a hopeful tone.
Jack waited as silence answered the question, he was about to go ask what they were talking about when Abyss let out a sigh.
"If I were to try and strengthen the seal here, I might accidently harm the humans that reside within Burgess. Do you remember what happened last time?"
"I do…"
Jack frowned, his mother's voice was heavy with sadness
"Wait brother!" Suddenly her tone shifted as if Rashana had come to a solution, "What about using the Hotham!"
"The Hotham…" A quiet filled the hall as Abyss seemed to mull that over, "Yes, yes that might work!" the Void Keeper's voice held a note of relief, "The stone would strengthen the existing seal until it could mend on its own."
Jack could hear Abyss's wings rustle, the appendages reacting to his excitement
"I will return to my Palace immediately and retrieve it." Abyss's tone suddenly became tight, "Rashana, it is dangerous to be near Chand at this moment so until I get back do not go into his room."
Blue eyes narrowed, what right did Abyss have to order his mother around like that? He had a good mind to go tell his uncle exactly what he thought about that.
Before he got the chance Rashana beat him to the punch.
"I am not a child that you need to chastise 'brother'." Rashana spat at her sibling, "I am aware that being around Chand at right now is hazardous." A low growl escaped her, "That I can't even be near, let alone heal, my soulmate or it would hasten my end!"
Jack stiffened as a sob escaped his mother
"So, even though my beloved is in pure agony…"
The teen heard his mother inhale
"I cannot ease his suffering!" Rashana's words echoed with frustration and anger, "All because I am now so weak that any day should be my last!"
"Please Rashana, you can still help him as you have for the last few centur…"
"Yes! Why didn't I think of that!" Rashana's voice growled, "Sitting powerless on the sideline watching as my family is forced into extinction by whatever twisted fate the Universe has cooked up is what I do best!"
Sudden pounding resounded, telling Jack that his mother was heading to the stairs.
"Rashana wait!" Abyss's voice began to fade indication he was trying to catch her, "I didn't mean…"
Jack resisted the urge he had to go comfort her, since he was pretty sure both she and his uncle would be upset that their conversation had been eavesdropped on. Instead the teen stayed in place, listening to the steps of his mother and uncle fade away.
Once Jack was certain the hall was empty the teen cracked the door open further, after scanning the empty hall Jack quietly crept into the corridor.
"I should really go tell them about that message I just got…" the teen's gaze drifted from the end of the hall to the opposite side, "Or I can go check on dad and ask him why he sent me that cryptic message."
Bits of frost dusted the carpet as the winter spirit turned and ran to room that was located at the end of the hall.
At the door however Jack paused, energy like nothing he had ever felt pulsed like a heartbeat just beyond the polished wood. A steady hum, not unlike the thrumming of a thousand throats drifted through, seeping deep within the winter spirit's bones.
"Ok just breath, it's just your dad." The teen exhaled then opened the door.
Jack had walked perhaps two steps in before halting abruptly, the teen's heart filled with a mixture of fear and awe.
Laying upon the bed was Chand…but yet it wasn't.
Chand's entire body was surrounded by an aura of brilliant gold, pulsing rhythmically as if it were attuned to the man's heartbeat.
It wasn't the aura that really caught Jack's attention, no it was the two thick horns on the side of his dad's head. Each obsidian bone twined like twisted vertical knives each so long their tips were leaving scratch marks in the headboard.
Jack eyes left the horns, their gaze falling now upon a circular wound that stood out amongst his father's white hair.
Whatever had happened must have occurred long ago, since the edges of the wound had scabbed over though the middle, he could tell was bone. Upon closer inspection Jack could see that the healed bone was jagged, as if blade of some kind had been used.
The winter spirit frowned as he noticed that there was more than one wound, each one identical to the other. In fact, the wounds wound around Chand's head just like a…
"Crown…" Jack spoke the word under his breath, his father's words whispered to him striking like a hammer. He stared at Chand who had not woken, "Is that what you meant dad, you want me to find whoever caused these wounds?"
In response to his question the aura around Chand pulsed a sickly green
"Whoa!" Jack stepped back as triangular scales began to slide from under Chand's skin
These scales twined like creeping vines, each one the deepest black that Jack had ever seen. Upon closer inspection Jack could make out bits of bright crimson speckled like bleeding stars within each scale.
"Oh wow…" Jack stared at the shimmering scales that now covered the entirety of Chand's arms and outlined his face with one or two upon forehead. Curiosity overcame the teen, without thinking Jack reached to touch one of the strange scales that now covered his father's skin.
However, before his fingers connected the room echoed with the sound of the doorknob being turned.
Jack smiled at Rashana who was now walking into the room
"Abyss are you back so soo…Jack?" Rashana's wings rustled when she realized that it wasn't her brother that was in the room but her son, "What are you doing in here? It's dangerous!"
"Why would it be dangerous?" Jack scrunched his brows, "It's just dad."
Rashana let out a sigh as she stepped to the bed, "Right now your father is reverting to his true form. During this process Chand needs to draw in energy to fuel the change." She pointed to the ceiling, "That's one reason Abyss put those up."
Jack followed her direction, the teen just now noticing the pulsing red letters that ran the perimeter of the room.
"Those Runes are feeding the energy your father needs to change as well as keeping his power contained within this room."
"Oh…" Jack mulled that over for a moment, "Is… dad like you?" the teen motioned to his mother's wings. To his surprise pain etched onto her face.
"That would have made things a lot easier I suppose." Rashana exhaled as she ran her hand gently over the glistening scales on Chand's arm, "To answer your question Jack, no. Your father is in no way the same as me or your Uncle. Your father's family hails from Beyond, a place billions of light years from this cosmos."
Jack's eyes widened, "Are…are you saying dad's an alien?"
Rashana chuckled "Jack dear, you have encountered creature's beyond imagination, people with powers unheard of, yet the fact your father is from beyond our stars astonishes you?"
"I just didn't think that…" a sheepish grin came to the teen's face, "I thought dad was a human-turned spirit like me. I mean… dad looks so human I…"
"Chand is as far from human as they get nephew."
Jack glanced at the door where Abyss was now
"I thought I told you not to come in here without me Rashana?" Abyss shot a look at Rashana
"Uh oh…there's about to be a fight." Jack watched as his mom straighten her shoulders, "Is that the Hotham?" the teen pointed to the large sapphire stone in Abyss's hand hoping to dissolve the tension that had erupted in the room.
Abyss raised an eyebrow, "How do you know about it? The Hotham is a sacred artifact passed through you mother and I's family." He glanced at Rashana, "Did you tell him about it?"
"No brother, I haven't." Rashana fixed the teen with a look, her agitation at her brother forgotten "Jack?"
Jack sweat dropped when his mother fixed him with a look, "I ummm…" he rubbed the back of his neck, "I kind of heard you two talking in the hall earlier."
"Of course, you did." Abyss snorted. "And even after you heard that it was dangerous to be near your father so you thought 'Hey, I'm going to go see him'" amber eyes rolled as Abyss moved the teen aside, "Typical, mother like son."
"How dare…" Jack stopped his retort immediately when he caught sight of the aghast look now on Abyss's face, "What's wrong?"
"Rashana have you seen this!" Abyss ignored the teen, instead his hand reached out to touch the weird wounds that circled Chand's head.
Jack felt a shiver run down his spine as the color drained from his mother's face
"The Crown…it's gone!" Rashana grabbed Chand's hand stroking it, "Abyss how could this have happened! Who could have…" her eyes looked at her soulmate's face, "Why wouldn't he have told us!"
Jack glanced between the two and his dad, the teen completely at a lose as to what had them so upset.
"Of course, Chand wouldn't tell us." Abyss's face scrunched, "The stubborn fool would never admit that he lost such a critical piece of himself."
"Hey!" Jack shouted interrupting them, "What are you guys talking about!"
Rashana and Abyss seemed to just remember that he was there
"Oh, I am so sorry Jack!"
Jack startled when her wing brushed his face
"I forget that you have never seen your father's true form before." Rashana motioned to the wounds on Chand's head, "That is where eight horns used to reside, they formed what your father's family called The Crown of Extirpation."
Jack glanced at the wounds, "So what happened?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Abyss's voice was tense, "Someone has taken the Crown."
"But that makes no sense Abyss!" Rashana's voice shook with fear, "Chand has not reverted in over a millennium! No one would have been able to have gotten near it!" her wings shook violently, "Besides, no one would have been strong enough to take it."
"Unless Chand allowed them." Abyss held up his hand when Rashana started to protest, "Look sister…" he motioned to the wounds, "Each bone has jagged scrapes as if they had been…"
"Sawed off…" Rashana finished for her brother, "Oh Abyss! Why would Chand allow someone to do that to him?!" she grabbed Chand's hand in hers as if the man were about to fade away, "Doesn't he care that he has given them control!"
Jack felt ever hair rise on his neck, "Abyss, what does mom mean?"
"The Crown is an intricate part of your father's soul; it is an extension of his power and himself." The Void Keeper shook his head, "If someone were to hold them, they would be able to use the pieces to invoke part of Chand's power for themselves." Abyss shook his head, "And just a piece is all it would take to bring this world to its knees."
"Chand had to have had a good reason." Rashana's voice quivered as she gently stroked her husband's face.
"It was because of me."
Jack glanced at Abyss, noticing that his uncle's body had begun to shake
Rashana stopped and stared at her sibling, "What do you mean brother?"
"While in the Vaults Stitcher told me the true story as to how my wife and son were killed." Abyss's words dripped with grief, "It was not Chand as he has led me to believe all these centuries…but me." Amber eyes rimmed with tears, "Stitcher said she sewed a demon to my soul, that I went mad…that… that I killed Ire and Ragnarök."
"That can't be right…" Rashana shook her head, as if she couldn't believe it, "Chand told me after he rescued you that they had been killed by Stitcher, that you hated him for not reaching them in time."
"He lied to protect me." Abyss glanced at Chand, "And now I am certain he offered the Crown to the demon sewed to my soul as a means to make it leave."
"Oh Chand!" Rashana sank to her knees, burying her face in his side.
Jack couldn't take the amount of shame and pain in his uncle's face, "Wait, Rag…"
"Jack don't!"
The winter spirit stopped as the voice of his cousin resounded through his mind, he quickly closed his mouth.
"Don't worry Rashana we'll find some way to get the Crown back." Abyss continued as he gently placed the stone, he held on the bed side table, "I swear this to you."
Jack watched as Abyss placed a hand on her shoulder, his black wings touching her white ones. The teen quietly stepped to the door, not wanting to disturb the them.
Once out in the hall the teen leaned against the wall, "So Rags, want to explain what that was?"
"There is no reason to burden my father with the knowledge that I am alive at this moment."
"Burden him?" Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing, "How in the world would that be a burden! He'd finally know that his son whom he has thought dead for centuries isn't!"
"And what then Jack?" Ragnarök's voice trembled, "What could that knowledge bring him but more pain? I can't exist outside of your soul for an extended amount of time…there's no way my soul can be returned either, since by now my body has either faded or is lost to the ages." The boy's words faltered, "I am just as dead now as my father thinks I am."
Jack frowned, he hated to admit that his cousin made a bit of sense, though he was going to do something about the hopelessness that radiated throughout the boy's words, "Look Rags, I told you I would find a way to get you back into your body, or at least find a vessel for you to be in so that you could live again."
"Thank you, Jack, but I can wait for the moment." Ragnarök's voice held a tone of worry, "You need to focus on getting Sam back."
"Thank's cuz." Jack grinned as he started to the stairs, "But right after I promise."
"Then you need to go get that stone to help get Darkness's memories back."
"Oh right, forgot about that…" Jack sighed as he glanced at the stairs, then he decided to use the banister instead, "Ok, after that."
"I'll hold you to it." Ragnarök's voice faded as the teen once again settled within the winter spirit's soul.
Jack took the first step then leapt onto the banister and slid down, "And he sticks the landing!" the teen grinned as he landed on his feet at bottom of the stairs.
"Yeah! Jaf was amsin!"
The teen grinned at Sophie who was clapping her hands
"Thank you, thank you." Jack made a show of bowing to his little sister, who responded by squealing with glee.
"Must you act like a wild animal all the time?"
Jack grinned at Pitch who was rolling his eyes, "You're just jealous I know how to have fun."
"He's got you there Pitch." Patrick laughed from where he was sitting on the small couch with Iris, "Ow!" the spirit yelped when she hit his arm.
"Be nice Patrick."
"I am being nice." Patrick pouted as he made a show of rubbing his arm, "I could have said something mean, like 'You wouldn't know fun if it bit you in the butt.'"
"Jack what are you doing up?" Pitch decided to ignore his friend, "I thought you had gone to bed?"
Jack pointed at Jamie and Sophie who were both sitting on the floor, "Their still up."
"In my defense I tried getting Sophie to sleep." Jamie pointed to Sophie who had gotten up and was now hopping around the room, chanting bunny, "But after I thought I had tired her out playing she insisted that she needed to…" here he made air quotes "Help Darkness."
At his words Sophie's face lit up, "Yes! I can helf Darkess."
Before anyone could stop her, the little girl rushed over to Darkness and placed her hand onto the man's back.
Three things happened instantaneously
One: The entire room grew heavy with power
Two: Thunderous rumbling shook the room
Three: Golden light erupted from Sophie's tiny hands completely engulfing Darkness in a cocoon of brilliance.
Everyone in the room was slack jawed when Sophie stepped back as the light dissipated
"Alls beffer." Sophie grinned, then her eyes rolled, and she slumped sideways.
Pitch lunged caught her before she had fallen an inch, "Sophie!" the Nightmare King didn't bother to hide the fear in his voice as he checked his little sister over.
"What just happened?" Jack hurried over to where Pitch was kneeling with their sibling, "Is she ok!"
"She's just fainted." The relief in the shade's voice was almost visible, "As to what just occurred…" Pitch cradled Sophie to his chest, "I don't know."
"Ummm guys…. Darkness…"
At Patrick's voice both turned to where the shade was laying, to their surprise the spirit who had lain unmoving since being discovered was now blinking rapidly as he started to wake.
"Darkness! You're ok!" Jack grinned at the shade; his smile faded instantly when silver eyes turned to him. At Darkness's next words the winter spirit's heart fell.
"Who are you?"
Cliff! Please let me know what you guys thought. I love reading your reviews :) Hope you all stay safe during this time. Till next time.
