A/N: Hey, all! Not many people read this anymore - that's probably why I haven't had the motivation to update it like I said I would. In any case, here's this next chapter. I'm thinking about changing the story description to include something about Jack's change. I think it'll grip more readers... what do you think? Also, I don't know why, but I'm unable to break up my chapters into paragraphs anymore. So I have to add physical horizontal lines in. Kind of ugly ugh
Lily followed the trail for what seemed like miles. Just how far did he go? Ahead of her, the path seemed to turn brown.
As she got closer, she realized the snow dropped off sharply about three feet and only the bare ground was left. What the –
Lily jumped down into the ditch, landing lightly on her feet. It was… kind of warm?
The arctic air was already beginning to cool the surface, but she could tell that it must've been pretty hot a little while ago.
She considered turning into something that would get her to Jack faster, but had recently discovered that shifting forms really tired her out.
Besides, it was probably best to approach him as she usually was.
With that thought, she continued to walk, skirting the perimeter of the trench where the ground had cooled the most.
Jack finally stopped walking. Without the wind to carry his weight, he got tired quicker.
He cringed as he climbed up the snow bank and out of the deep path he'd been making.
The snow sizzled under his feet and he sighed. What a bother. He couldn't even sit on the snow. Instead, he climbed a nearby tree.
There weren't many trees around these parts, but Bunny had made some grow specially for him one Easter.
Of course, they had to be pines… even with magic, no other kind of tree was able to grow this far north.
In fact, these were the same pine woods Jack trained Lily in only a couple of months ago. Jack gripped his staff tightly.
If it wasn't for that nightmare bastard. Jack's eyes began to glow as anger began to engulf him like a wildfire.
That piece of shit is what caused all of this! If he wasn't such a dirty player, I wouldn't have ended up this way!
Jack's fury pulsed through his staff and the branch he was sitting on, unbeknownst to him, started to smoke.
He stood up, unable to contain himself. "PITCH, YOU ROTTEN BASTARD!"
His yell, caught by the wind, travelled far across the tundra. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
Before, this amount of emotion would've caused a blizzard, swallowing anything and everything in sight.
But instead, the tree he was standing in was billowing smoke and ignited suddenly, burning quickly until it was ablaze in its entirety.
Startled out of his blind rage, Jack jumped from the tree and into the melting snow below.
Though he had been standing in the midst of a white hot fire, he didn't feel the intense heat he knew it must've been emitting.
He watched in horror as the tree blackened and cracked loudly, charred wood raining down.
He knew his blizzards and hail storms often caused destruction… but it was usually just for the sake of fun. This was not fun. This was dangerous.
As Lily continued to walk, a plume of black smoke rose into the sky, not too far ahead of her. What the hell is that?
Suddenly, a flash of bright orange erupted from the woods and she saw flames dancing over the tops of the trees. Jack? JACK?!
She began to run toward the fire, feeling the heat sting her face as she got closer.
She saw the back of a familiar blue hoodie at the base of the burning tree and slowed.
As she approached, she put her hands up to shield her face from the intensifying heat and cautiously called out, "Jack?"
Jack turned around slowly to face her.
Though his eyes were no longer blue, they looked at her with the most devastating sadness she had ever seen.