Hey, guys! Welcome back to RFL 2: Into the Dark! We're really coming down to the wire here...after this, there should only be one chapter left, plus the soundtrack! I'll write a longer note then, but for now...let's just get to the reviews!

Thanks so much to Demi clayton and Milly34k for reviewing! I'm glad you guys liked the chapter! And I know...poor Sandy :(

With that, on with the chapter!

Chapter 31: Hope

From the Journal of Arios Fletcher

Why hello there, Arios! I know it must come as a bit of a surprise to hear from me directly, but...well, I figured that it was about time for me to properly introduce myself to you! We can't have you referring to me as "the Fearling" in all of your silly little writings forever, can we? Of course not.

While I am, indeed, a Fearling, I am quite a bit more important than your average Fear-sucking shadow. Unlike the general masses, I do, in fact, possess a name, just as I currently possess you! Feel free to use it as much as you wish-I do quite like it, you know. So, from now on, you may call me Ebon.

Now, I suppose you're wondering where in Soluna you could possibly be. Quite a reasonable question! Well, do I have news for you...you, my friend, have recently become one of the very few lucky individuals to ever stay in a guest room at the Tsar's palace! Wow! Though...I suppose the palace does not exactly belong to the Tsar anymore, does it? Ah, well...either way, it serves as quite a luxurious prison for you, no?

Oh, but I'm sure you're still hung up on the "prison" aspect of things, rather than the luxury. I suppose that's to be expected, but...aren't you used to it by now? You have been a prisoner in your own body for a while, you know...I should hope you would adapt quickly.

I suppose I shouldn't blather on so much, or you might get bored of me (though you've filled these pages with quite a bit more boring drivel than I have, I'll have you know). You're a studious fellow, yes? Curious? Always striving for the truth?

Well then, I do believe I can deliver.

As I've shown you before, the Nightmare King has been freed from the magical chains that bound him into a prolonged sleep. Yours truly was responsible for that, of course...and, not to brag, but in return for my services, I've been promoted to the rank of the King's right hand! Hah...if Onyx still had a proper face, I'm sure it would be absolutely twisted in anger and jealousy!

Ah...but I digress. You know nothing of the Nightmare Army's hierarchy, and I'm sure you wouldn't care to learn.

Anyway, as I was saying, the Nightmare King has indeed been unchained, and his army has risen once again. We swiftly took the Tsar's (former) palace, in which you now reside, then moved on to attack another location...can you guess where?

Correct! New Iskald! What a quaint place...or, at least, it was, up until recently.

Yes, your lovely little hole in the ground is no more. Though, don't blame us for that...it was actually one of your own that collapsed the place. That Callia girl is surprisingly fiery for a snow sprite, you know, hah!

Forgive me. Inside joke. You had to be there.

Oh, but don't worry, none of your precious people suffered any casualties. Not that killing them was our goal anyway...you can't collect Fear from a dead victim, after all. What you CAN do, however, is drain them dry until they can barely speak without bursting into tears, and then shove a Fearling in them to make them useful again!

We've done that to...oh...I believe about half of those citizens by now? Only the ones that chose to come with us in the first place, though...heh, the pitiful fools all thought they were following you instead of me, right up until they were all possessed. Now, I do pride myself on my acting skills, so I should like to say that my natural charisma was what made them so easy to convince to join me, but...well, let us say that Fear can be a wonderful motivator as well!

One more bit of news for you: the Guardian of Dreams is gone. Corrupted! Converted into a lifeless swirl of Nightmare sand. It's almost poetic, truly.

The other Guardians still live, unfortunately, but...it's only a matter of time before they each crumble as well. Believe you me, Soluna will fall to its knees in the face of our army, and rest assured, it will not take long.

I suppose I should thank you! Without a vessel, I too would have fallen unconscious when the King was chained the first time. So, in a way, you being too weak to resist me is the main cause of our impending victory!

Won't that be fun to think about while trying to go to sleep at night? Heh...I think I'll hand control over to you for a while so you can agonize over your own guilt.

This was fun! I should hijack your little diary more often, Arios. For now, though...have a good night!

If you can, that is.

~ Ebon

.

...the monster has written to me. I am not entirely sure what to think of all this, but...no matter what my thoughts are, one thing is certain: with this bangle on my wrist, and with my body under someone else's control, I am powerless. I physically cannot do a thing to help anyone else, let alone myself, at least for the time being.

All I can do is hope that someone on the outside is still fighting.

()()()()

Jack was left out of the initial meeting between the other remaining Guardians and Rayla and Shiro. Normally, he would have been upset at this decision, and would have argued against his being treated like a child. He would have demanded to stay and help as best as he could.

But this time, staying away was his choice.

He knew he wouldn't be able to handle it. He just knew it. If he had to stand there and listen to them talk about everything that had just transpired, how they had fallen into a trap, how the Nightmare King had sent them running off with their tails between their legs, how they had lost Sandy, Jack knew he was going to break. And there was no way he was going to let that happen.

And so, before the other three Guardians had gone off with the councilmembers to discuss their status, Jack had quietly pulled Toothiana, the one he was sure would understand best, aside. He had told her plainly what was wrong, that he wasn't mentally ready to talk about what had just happened. Just as he'd expected, her expression had softened and she'd told him that it was alright, and he deserved a chance to rest. Then, she had moved to a different room in the workshop with the others, leaving him alone with Simon and Lily.

Lily, however, had been forced to exit as well, in order to find some supplies to tend to her burned hands. At first, she had apologized for needing to leave, but Jack had simply shook his head, telling her to go take care of herself. Without any more argument, she had gone.

After that, there was essentially nothing left for Jack to do other than wander the workshop, looking around while Simon not-so-subtly tailed him, likely to ensure that he didn't suddenly collapse on the spot.

He was still exhausted, even after being able to relax a bit on the sleigh, but he didn't quite feel ready to get some sleep. He was jittery, on-edge, and, quite frankly, traumatized after all that had transpired, not to mention the soreness in his arm that had begun bothering him again.

Simply put, he was a mess. And he had absolutely no idea what to do with himself now.

After the Guardians and councilmembers had left the entrance hall, the rest of the snow sprite refugees had exited as well, and seemed to disperse themselves throughout a small part of the building. Some returned to prepared guest rooms to rest, while the few that had children with them stayed in areas that looked like they were actually used to make toys. Such places seemed to have already been occupied by an assortment of strange beings; some were creatures that were completely covered in fur and extremely large, while others looked like round-faced, pointy-eared men that barely came up to Jack's knee.

If I'm not mistaken, these are yetis and...some especially small variety of elf? Jack thought to himself, dark eyebrows raised. I'm sure North has to have mentioned his helpers to me before, but...I didn't expect there to be so many of them.

Indeed, many of each type of being seemed to be roaming about the area, most of them interacting with the refugees in some way. The yetis seemed particularly considerate, bringing trays of food and glasses of water to the sprites, and giving toys to the children to keep them occupied. The tiny elves weren't quite as helpful, instead running about the place, getting in the yetis' way, knocking over things and generally making mischief, but at the very least, they provided a comedic distraction for the distressed refugees.

Other yetis appeared to be transporting various personal belongings that had been brought to the workshop on the sleigh's previous trips. They trudged back and forth between the guest rooms and a large mound of boxes and sacks (with what looked like a few saddlebags here and there) filled with the snow sprites' personal belongings, carrying heavy loads in their immense, furry arms. Occasionally, a sprite would offer to help, but would be waved off immediately by the yetis, who clearly only wanted their guests to rest.

Jack couldn't help but let a sadness wash over him as he watched the moving process ensue. These people have all had their lives suddenly uprooted again, all because we Guardians failed to do our job, he thought mournfully. From one hiding place to another...sure, they're above the surface now, but the process should have been more gradual. The Nightmare King should have no shortage of Fear with all that he's done so far...damn it…

Jack's ear twitched slightly as a soft clearing of the throat sounded just behind him. Heaving a deep sigh, he slowly turned his head to see Simon standing there, eyebrows creased in concern.

"Are you doing okay…?" the archer asked tentatively, stepping up to stand beside the boy.

For a moment, Jack considered lying, but he had a feeling that Simon would see through it immediately. As such, he simply sighed and shook his head. "Not...really," he murmured, looking out across the workshop once again.

Simon frowned, head tilted slightly. "Do you...want to talk about it?"

The young Guardian shrugged helplessly. "I don't know...I guess I'm having a hard time processing everything? But...I also feel guilty…"

The archer's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Guilty?" he asked. "Why is that…?"

Jack lifted a hand, gesturing generally at the scattered refugees. "I mean...look at everyone here," he explained miserably. "I know their living situation wasn't ideal before, but...everything I've done or otherwise failed to do has forced them into hiding again. Sure, they're in a nicer location now, but that doesn't take away the fear that had to come with escaping so quickly…"

Simon looked at the younger boy incredulously. "Sorry, what? 'Everything you've done or failed to do?' Jack...none of this is your fault, not at all." He sighed, bringing his hand up to rub at his forehead. "I thought we went over this...there is no possible way you could have had the foresight to prevent any of this from happening. What happened, happened. No amount of guilt is going to change that."

Jack bit his lip nervously, eyebrows furrowing in distress. "Yes, but-"

Before he could say anything more, Simon abruptly shook his head and held his hand out in a silencing motion. "Stop. Just stop, Jack. You can't keep doing this to yourself! You get so caught up in your own head that you can't see what's in front of you. Look out there, okay?" He waved his arm in the direction of the other occupants of the workshop. "What you see is people who have been forced out of their homes multiple times, right? People forced to live in fear for no reason?"

"Um...yes, exactly…" Jack answered hesitantly, unsure of where Simon was going with this.

"Well, you know what?" the archer continued. "I see something more than that. I see people who, though they've certainly had a rough time of it, are still here to tell the tale. They've suffered, but they're still here. There's still hope of a better future for them, and for their children." He turned to face Jack head-on. "And you know what, Jack? They're just like you."

Jack couldn't help but pull back in surprise. "How...how do you mean?"

"Can you really not see it? Of course, there's the fact that they are your people, but...they've also been through some of the same things you have. They were cast out for no real reason, forced to hide. They were singled out by the Nightmare King, who fooled some idiot humans like me into thinking they deserved to be hunted down and killed. Yet these people in particular...they're still alive. They still have a chance to have a better life. Just like you."

"I-I…" Jack stammered, uncertain. "I don't...know if I really believe that. Simon...I want what you're saying to be true. I want to believe that there's a better life waiting for all of us on the other side of this mess. Trust me, I do. But...who's to say there is an 'other side'? The Nightmare King...he's so much more powerful than before...I don't know that we can beat him."

The archer placed his hand on his hip, giving the younger boy a stern look. "If you think like that, then he's already won," he said firmly. "How can you be giving up so easily…? You're supposed to be a Guardian of Childhood, aren't you?"

"I don't know anymore!" Jack suddenly snapped in frustration. "Simon...do I look like a Guardian to you? All I've done throughout this whole ordeal is constantly let myself get pushed around by the Nightmare Army! I've accomplished nothing! How can I call myself a Guardian when I haven't even done anything to deserve it?"

Simon opened his mouth to respond, but then slowly closed it as his gaze shifted to something just behind Jack. The young sprite frowned in slight confusion, then turned around to look as well.

He was met with the sight of a large, grayish yeti standing before him, holding something brown and fuzzy in its huge hands. The yeti said something in a garbled language that Jack couldn't understand, then held out the object, allowing Jack to get a better look at it. The boy's eyes widened.

It was a small, stuffed bear. Though a bit of sand still dusted some of its fur, it was still in good condition, as it had clearly been expertly made. A pale blue ribbon was tied around its neck, and written across the material was Jack's name, inked in a childish scrawl.

Jack slowly reached out and took the small toy, staring at it for a long moment. He then lifted his head to look up at the yeti once more, but it had already gone, heading back towards the pile of the refugee's belongings. He looked back down at the bear, stunned.

After a few more seconds of silence had passed, Simon awkwardly cleared his throat. "Er...what is that?"

"...one of the toys North gave me to take to Motoraus…" Jack murmured, not looking up. "I originally went there to deal with bandits who were holding children for ransom, remember…? We figured that I should give them some blankets and stuffed toys after I got them out, to provide some comfort after the ordeal. Only...they gave one back to me, as thanks. I put it in one of my saddlebags when I left, but I was separated from my belongings in New Iskald, so I never got the chance to take it back out...I had entirely forgotten about it, actually. That yeti must have just found it now…"

When Jack finally glanced back at Simon, there was a decidedly smug grin on the archer's face. The boy blinked, confused. "Um...what is it?"

Simon chuckled lightly. "Nothing. It just...well, it kind of seems to me like you did do something to deserve being called a Guardian. It might not be related to the current problem, but...you saved a group of kids, right? Sounds rather 'Guardian-worthy' to me…"

"But...I…" Jack trailed off, looking back down at the bear in his hands as he considered Simon's words.

He...he's right, isn't he…? the boy silently realized. I haven't thought about my original mission since I wound up in New Iskald, but...I did go to Motoraus to rescue those children. And in that...I succeeded. I got them away from the bandits and back to their families...they were safe because of what I did…

The young snow sprite absentmindedly ran his thumb over the stuffed bear's soft head. A small smile came to his face as he recalled the gratitude in the Motorean children's eyes when they presented him with the toy. He remembered the happiness he had felt that day. The pride at the fact that he had been able to do some good in the world. He had almost forgotten such feelings, seeing as they were soon followed by anguish and trauma, but his time in the darkness had not made the light any less real.

He suddenly realized how badly he wanted to find that light again, not just for himself, but for his rediscovered people, his friends, new and old, and the other Guardians, his family.

The boy's smile widened slightly.

"You know what, Simon…?" he said softly. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I can be a decent Guardian after all."

The archer smirked in return. "That's the spirit."

Jack tucked the bear under his arm and took a deep breath, glancing at the door they had entered the room from. "And if I'm a Guardian...then I should be meeting with the others."

Simon frowned, mildly surprised. "Are you sure? I thought you said you weren't ready yet…"

"Truthfully...I still don't think I am," Jack admitted. "But...I can't keep hiding away while the others do all of the work." He managed a weak smile. "Besides...I'm sure they're done recounting everything that's happened at this point, right? It should be time to start planning out our next course of action...and I wouldn't feel right about sitting out of that. Like you said, I'm a Guardian. I need to act like one."

Simon appeared as though he had some misgivings about Jack's sentiment, but if so, he did not voice them. Instead, he nodded reluctantly and said, "Well...if you're certain. But don't push yourself, alright? Being a Guardian doesn't mean that you don't have your limits."

Jack nodded in return. "I understand...I'll be okay, don't worry." He chuckled slightly. "Though, if you're still concerned, you can always come with me. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind you being there."

The archer shrugged. "Alright then...I'll do that." One of his eyebrows lifted slightly. "If only to make sure you don't fall over on the way there."

The boy couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Come on…" he mumbled. "I'm not that weak."

"You seriously look like you're about to collapse on the spot."

Jack shook his head, waving Simon off. "Fine, fine, I promise that I'll take a long rest after the meeting. Happy?"

"Are you sure you'll uphold that promise?" Simon asked skeptically.

"So long as you uphold your promise to start training to become Soluna's greatest magic-wielding swordsman, then sure."

"...fine. Deal."

()()()()

As Jack had predicted, the other Guardians had already finished explaining everything that had happened to Rayla and Shiro by the time he and Simon found the room where they were meeting. In fact, they seemed to already be discussing what further action needed to be taken going forward.

"The scouts I sent out still haven't come back," Toothiana was anxiously telling the group as Jack and Simon entered. "I can't think of any other explanation...the Nightmare King must have found and taken them..."

"They may still return," North reassured her gently. "Could be...in hiding, rather than captured?"

Aster nodded in agreement. "Don't lose hope, alright? Those fairies are fierce little things. I'm sure they'll be fine."

Though she still seemed tense, Tooth nodded reluctantly. "Alright…" She sighed. "But...even if they are alright, for the time being, this means we're entirely without information on what Pitch might do. We already know he's capable of blocking Clairvoyance Charms, and likely other magic as well...as of right now, we're operating blind."

"Then what can we do?" Jack suddenly asked, causing all eyes in the room to turn towards to door, where he and Simon stood.

There was a brief beat of surprised silence before Aster finally spoke. "Good question, Frostbite," he said casually, as though Jack's appearance at the meeting wasn't unusual in the slightest. "The short answer? Not much. If we don't know what's happenin' outside, we can't plan accordingly for it. We don't have scouts, we're heavily outnumbered in terms of fighters...as we are now, we're just about stuck." His eyebrows lifted. "Though...I don't believe we have ta stay that way."

Jack frowned slightly. "Meaning?"

This time, it was Shiro that spoke up. "Meaning…" he mused, eyes narrowed in thought. "While we can't take immediate action, we can still prepare for the future. We could train up the able-bodied citizens, perhaps? It would take time, but...snow sprites wield powerful magic and can move as swiftly as the wind. We also still have a few powerful sprite-bred horses, suitable for being ridden into battle. Believe me, the last thing I want is to endanger our people even further and pit them against their own brethren, but...we don't seem to have any other options."

Rayla, though she seemed concerned, nodded slowly. "I agree...it is dangerous, but the fact of the matter is that we need more warriors. We lost all of our proper guards to Ebon's influence, which makes us heavily outnumbered, even without counting the Nightmares and Fearlings. We could use any willing volunteer we can get."

Simon cleared his throat loudly, causing everyone's attention to shift towards him. "I might not be a snow sprite, or any other powerful being, but...I know I'll be a willing volunteer in this. You have my bow." He paused, then winced slightly. "Once I...get a replacement for the bow Ebon broke, of course."

Rayla smiled warmly. "Thank you, Simon," she told him with a nod. "I don't believe we deserve it after how we initially treated you, but...we are grateful for your help."

The archer chuckled lightly. "Ah...don't worry about that. I'm not one to hold a grudge."

"Not anymore, anyway," Jack mumbled with a slight roll of his eyes, while Simon shot an offended look in his direction.

"Hm...Simon," North suddenly said out loud, having been studying the younger man for a few moments. "You know...I have been toying with idea for few months now, and...hmm. I would like to know something. How would you feel about wearing artificial arm?"

Simon blinked in mild surprise. "Er...I'm not sure," he answered, bewildered. "If it were just my hand, I suppose something could be designed to help me hold my bow properly, but...a whole metal arm? I doubt I'd even be able to lift it, so it would do nothing but...hang there. I don't really see the point in just...making it look like I still have both arms."

North shook his head. "Oh no, no, this would not be made from ordinary metal. You see...I have been researching enchantment for a while, and I believe I may be able to give you arm that is infused with magic that would allow you to move it yourself. Would not be perfect, of course...you would not be able to feel with it, it would take time to learn how to use, and wearing it may not be comfortable, but...is worth shot, no? Could make it easier to shoot arrows and to fight? You do not have to accept, of course, but if you want it...I will make it."

Simon's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open slightly in shock. "W-Wait…" he stammered. "You mean...it would be a functioning arm…? You...you can do that!?" He shook his head, bewildered. "Damn...I really should have started looking into magic sooner…"

The older man gave a light chuckle. "So...I will take that as yes?"

The archer nodded quickly. "Yes! I...I thought I'd never be able to hold a bow properly again…" He took a deep breath. "...thank you, really. I've sort of gotten used to living like this over the past couple of years, sure, but...hell, if there's a chance that this will work, then I'll gladly take it. How much would I owe you for it…?"

North laughed and waved him off. "Do not worry, money is no issue! This is favor for good friend. Consider your help in our fight to be payment enough, okay?"

"Are you sure…?" Simon asked reluctantly. "There's still the materials, and your time...I'd hate to trouble you during such a difficult time…"

The man simply shook his head with a smile. "Again, do not worry. I have plenty of magic-infused silver to work with, and enchantment costs nothing. Besides! You heard everyone; we cannot act right away, yes? Project like this will help pass time until we can act. Now, no more talk of money! Understand?"

"Y-Yes…!" Simon replied breathlessly, the look on his face a mixture of delight, gratitude, and disbelief. "A-Again...thank you so much!"

"You are very welcome," North chuckled. "Do not mention it."

Jack couldn't help but smile slightly at how happy Simon appeared to be at the prospect of receiving a new arm. I suppose that is yet another sign that, even in these dark times, we can still find something to look forward to, he thought. That there still can be hope for a light at the end of the tunnel.

After a few silent moments passed, however, the Guardian of Wonder's jovial expression gradually sobered and was replaced by resigned solemnity. "Now...there is nothing more to discuss right now, yes? Nothing more to be done at present moment?"

No one disagreed with him.

He heaved a deep sigh. "Then I suppose it is nearly time for all of us to get some rest. Is very much needed after all of this." He frowned. "But first...I believe we should honor our fallen friend."

I hope you guys enjoyed! Don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you think, it really does help me a lot. I'll see you all next time for the final chapter of RFL 2: Into the Dark!

'Til then...Sapphire316, out.