Hey, guys! Welcome back to RFL 2: Into the Dark! Gahhh, I'm so sorry that I kept you waiting for so long! I've been super busy lately with social stuff, pre-college stuff, and lots of personal anxiety stuff. :( But hopefully, I'll be able to pull myself together soon and make for more regular updates! For now...review time!

Thanks so much to WinterCrystal1009 (Don't insult the Fearling or you'll be next XD But yes, he is quite talkative lol, as you'll see more of in this chapter in particular. I decided to give him quite a bit of personality XD) and Demi clayton for reviewing!

As a warning, torture continues here! Again, not too bad yet, but...well, it'll get worse, as you'll be able to guess by the end. Just a heads up!

With that said, on with the chapter!

Chapter 16: Needle Points

When Jack finally came to, the first thing he noticed was that there was no longer copious amounts of water building up in his lungs. He couldn't remember if he had somehow coughed it all up at some point, or if the Fearling had stopped him from drowning, but he was relieved to realize that his breathing was no longer prohibited.

That, however, was the only relief he could find.

He very quickly also realized that the pain that permeated his entire body had significantly increased since the last time he was conscious. Not only was his skin still stinging badly from the scalding water, but the aches in his muscles also seemed to have worsened, likely from his continued time in his extremely uncomfortable hanging position.

Now, however, his position seemed even less desirable. Upon opening his eyes and restoring their dark-vision glow, he noticed that, not only were his limbs now suspended at odd, bent angles, his whole body contorting most uncomfortably to match, but he was also being precariously held in place by dozens upon dozens of needle-thin ice spikes surrounding his slender form, their pointed tips already painfully digging into his arms, legs, and back. His heart beat rapidly as his eyes darted around, trying fruitlessly to properly see through the veritable wall of spikes that surrounded his body on all sides.

If he dared to move even an inch, he would surely be mercilessly impaled.

Even breathing seemed dangerous at this point, as every rise of Jack's chest brought it dangerously close to the pointed ice tips just above that spot. Already, they had littered the front of his tunic with tiny, pinprick holes, and with each breath, he could feel them just barely scrape across his skin. It wasn't quite enough to actually draw blood, but more than enough of a promise to do so should he attempt further movement.

After a few tense moments of silence, Jack realized that a small space around his mouth had been left clear, likely to permit speech. The boy's glowing eyes narrowed ever so slightly. That jabbermouth of a Fearling just isn't content unless he's able to hold a conversation, is he? he thought bitterly. Although I'm sure what he really wants is for me to beg and plead for mercy...as if doing so would even be worth the breath spent.

Suddenly, as though summoned by his thoughts, a cruelly jovial voice suddenly sounded from somewhere in front of him. "Ah, you're awake, I see! Tell me, how are you enjoying the new accomodations?"

Jack scowled. Speak of the devil…

"I spent quite a lot of time on them, you know. I must say, it wasn't easy making those ice spikes so thin without breaking them. Ah…" The Fearling chuckled lightly. "Possessing a vessel with natural ice magic is even more useful than I thought it would be! It gives me the chance to properly bring my creative vision to life...and of course, I've always been one to jump at the chance to do that."

"Well, you've certainly got a flair for the dramatic," Jack mumbled sarcastically, trying to ignore the pain his rasping voice brought to his throat.

Though the young sprite still couldn't properly see the Fearling from his position due to the ice in his way, he could practically hear the smirk in the dark creature's voice as he spoke again. "It's true; I've always had more of a taste for style than many of my brethren do. They're willing to go for more traditional tactics of drawing out Fear…why, I'm sure that any one of them would simply be content with doing nothing but clawing away at you as you screamed. But as for me...I've quickly realized that the richest Fear comes from the most creatively horrifying scenarios. And rest assured, dear Guardian...I have plenty more up my sleeve for you."

Jack would be lying if he claimed he didn't have to suppress a shudder at the Fearling's last statement. Just my luck...of all the Fearlings I could have been captured by, I get the most morbidly creative one possible.

"You talk too much, Fearling," the young Guardian hissed. "Your monologues make it difficult to take you seriously."

The Fearling laughed. "Oh, you'll take me seriously soon enough, Guardian, I assure you," he said calmly. "For now, I've simply been enjoying the conversation! I can't remember a time before now when I've been able to freely converse this much...forgive me for wanting to treasure it."

Jack merely rolled his eyes in contempt.

"Speaking of…" the monster continued. "I've been rather excited to share this bit of information with someone...I've thought of a name for myself! Would you like to hear it?"

"No," the sprite deadpanned.

Unfortunately, he was promptly ignored. "Well," the Fearling began, his smirk once again almost audible in his voice. "I realized that, as aggravating as Onyx always was, her chosen name was certainly admirable. Named after a stone as black as the night...it was almost poetic, yes?"

I wonder if this is part of the torture, Jack thought dully.

"Naturally, I wanted my own name to be of a similar ilk...so I began to think. I first considered 'Obsidian,' though eventually deemed it too gaudy. 'Shadow,' of course, was a bit too on the nose...then 'Midnight' was too feminine, and 'Ebony' even more so. However...the last one had me thinking. While undesirable in its current form, it did produce a certain...dark and elegant sort of effect. Perhaps all it required was a slight tweaking?" He chuckled slightly. "And thus...with the removal of one letter, I had found my proper name...Ebon."

"...Ebon," Jack repeated dryly. All that grandeur for something as simple as a name...I suppose they're held in much higher regard for creatures that usually go nameless.

"Indeed!" "Ebon" confirmed, sounding quite pleased with himself. "I, personally, quite like it. And, as I'm sure the Nightmare King will no doubt allow me to use it upon his return...you may refer to me as such from now on, alright, Guardian?"

Jack scowled slightly. "I have a name too, you know," he growled, making a point of ignoring the Fearling's request. "You don't need to keep calling me 'Guardian.'"

However, just as Jack had ignored Ebon, Ebon ignored Jack in return. Instead, he merely asked, "So...how are you feeling now, Guardian?"

Through gritted teeth, the young sprite bitterly replied, "Just fantastic, Fearling."

It was a lie, obviously. Jack may have been somewhat accustomed to pain due to encountering many sprite hunters during his time on the run (and not escaping unscathed from many of the meetings), but he had decided that what he felt now was in a league of its own. Not only was the pain nearly constantly wrenching its way through his entire body, but he couldn't even move into a more comfortable position. At the very least, the frigidity of the ice didn't bother him, of course, but unfortunately, his immunity to the cold did nothing to guard him against the spikes' painful tips.

The boy found himself wincing as the needle-like edges dug into his skin, though the movement, however slight, only served to let the pointed ice sink a bit deeper into his back and shoulders. He might have imagined it, but he could have sworn he felt droplets of blood begin to streak their way down his shoulderblades.

How much more of this will I have to bear…? Jack thought nervously, biting down on his lip hard to keep himself from making a sound. He's barely put in any effort, and already I can scarcely remember the last time I wasn't in such pain...what the hell could he be planning next…?

Not for the first time, Jack felt a knot of fear begin to form deep within him, but he fought as hard as he could to ignore it. He had to persevere. He had to retain his mind and will. He had to survive this encounter and make it back to tell the other Guardians.

He had no other choice.

Unfortunately, keeping calm was no easy feat with a Fearling constantly taunting him. "What's the matter, Guardian?" he asked smugly. "I'm sensing quite a bit of repressed Fear...are a few ice needles too much for you? Ha! I never thought a Guardian of Childhood would be so soft...I suppose they truly were acting out of desperation when they recruited you, hm?"

Now he's beginning to turn to mind games… Jack thought numbly. No...no problem. All I need to do is acknowledge the fact that he's trying to mess with my head, and simply not listen to him. I have no reason to fall for his lies…

Never mind the fact that the dark creature was more than likely to delve into his mind and pick apart each and every one of the young sprite's wide array of insecurities. Jack forced himself not to think of the possibility, no matter how nauseatingly plausible it was.

"Tell me, Fearling," Jack began, somehow managing to keep his voice from wavering. "Exactly what is preventing me from purposely allowing myself to be impaled through the heart? All it would take is one quick movement...and then you've lost your power source."

Ebon gave a light chuckle accompanied by a shrug. "Well," he replied. "Technically, you're right. Nothing is physically stopping you from doing that. No...it's your force of will that's preventing you from resorting to suicide. You still want to have a chance of escaping, no? To get out of here and warn the Guardians about me?"

Jack suppressed a flinch. Am I really so transparent…? he wondered. Though I suppose that thought process is only logical, given the situation…

The boy took a deep breath and continued. "I...won't deny that the thought has crossed my mind," he answered carefully. "But...you seem rather unconcerned about it. Perhaps you know something I don't?"

If the Fearling noticed Jack's further attempts at probing, it didn't say so. Instead, it merely said in response, "Perhaps. But rest assured...by the time I'm done with you, even if you do somehow manage to escape, you won't be able to tell them anything."

Jack stiffened, eyes narrowing. "What, do you intend to cut out my tongue?"

To the sprite's surprise, this merely made Ebon laugh. "Hardly!" he exclaimed. "Far too simple for my tastes. No, Guardian, you'll simply have to wait and see." The monster chuckled darkly. "I promised to break you, and I'm a man of my word."

"You're more of a monster than a man," Jack spat, a scowl once again coming to his face, not only to convey his anger, but also to hide his fear. "And a monster that talks far too much, at that."

Ebon laughed again, but it sounded significantly more sinister, rather than the Fearling's previous jovial tones. "Oh, poor, little Guardian…" he taunted softly. "I may be a monster, true. But little do you know...you'll practically be begging to hear my voice before long…"

Feeling his anxiety begin to rise once more, Jack gritted his teeth and practically growled, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Frustratingly enough, Ebon merely snickered slightly and waved a hand. Suddenly, at least twenty of the ice needles surrounding Jack surged forward, causing him to cry out in pain as they pierced his skin, many of them forcing their way right through his thin form and appearing, bloodied, on the other side. The boy's body convulsed with the pain that now permeated the entirety of it, which only caused more of the spikes to mercilessly puncture him.

Thankfully, it did not appear as though any important organs had been pierced by the ice, but Moon above, it hurt. It was as if Ebon had painstakingly calculated the precise spots on the body where the chance of lethality would be lowest, but where the pain would be the absolute worst. And, by the Fearling's smug declaration of, "Possessing the son of a doctor has its perks, you know!", that appeared to be exactly the case.

Even when the ice needles retracted, the pain still remained. Jack let out another agonized gasp as every spike suddenly vanished altogether, leaving nothing to hold him in place and allowing him to sway precariously from his chains. Letting out a string of hushed curses, the boy struggled to lessen his momentum, but even his most desperate efforts produced few results, so he was forced to wait for the chains to come to rest on their own.

"I tire of you, Guardian," Ebon drawled nonchalantly, as though he wasn't currently watching a pained, bleeding sprite flail before him. "Besides, I can't risk disappearing for too long...wouldn't want my plans to go awry hm?"

Out of spite, Jack didn't bother answering.

Either completely apathetic or simply oblivious, Ebon continued. "I've had my fun with you for now, but right here is where the true entertainment begins." His yellow eyes glinted with a cold light briefly before suddenly shifting back to the cobalt blue of a snow sprite. He smiled amicably, speaking with only Arios' voice once more. "If I'm truly going to shatter your spirit, first, I need to make you susceptible. If I'm right...it should only take a few days."

Trying his best to push down the pain, Jack frowned. A few days…? he thought numbly. What does he mean by…?

Ignoring Jack's visible confusion, the dark creature turned his back and made for the door. Then, as if as an afterthought, he glanced over his shoulder and smirked. "See you then."

Without another word, Ebon exited the room, shutting and locking the door behind him, as though it made any difference to Jack. At first, he let his shoulders sag in relief, but then suddenly, without the overly-conversational Fearling there, the silence in the cell seemed almost deafening. Wordlessly, the boy glanced around the dark room, feeling his nervousness steadily growing. Suddenly, his physical pain didn't seem to be the most pressing issue anymore.

Jack gulped.

He had a feeling he was going to be left alone for a long time.

Uh oh...poor Jackie Boy's in for a rough time. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, and be sure to leave a review and tell me what you think! I'll see you next time!

For now, Sapphire316, out.