Hi everyone, SkatingDJ here:)

Summer is almost at a close for me:( Goodness gracious, this is like the third chapter I've written this summer for anything, all summer! Writing feels so foreign to my fingers XD I've been more busy than I want to be, I'm sorry for the long delay:/ And... 9 reviews?! That's the most reviews I've gotten in a single chapter ever! Thank you all for the kindness and love, it means so much! ^^ WOW, I simply can't believe it, thank you!:) Enjoy chapter 2!

Warning: Some frightening and slightly disturbing moments, language and insanity.

Disclaimer: I (sadly) do not own Rise of the Guardians

Previously - General POV

"Jamie's the last light again."

"Kids just don't believe like the used to."

"He's slipping, he needs help, fast."

"He needs us as much as we need him."

"How can we bring him back?"

"Well, there's one thing going for us."

"Bunny, can you bring him back?"

"Why me?!"

"Because you're the best hunter."

"Very well, but what's going for us?"

"Well, Jack's not dead."

Jamie's POV

8:54 AM

My eyes were half open with sleepiness as I sat on the edge of my bunk. My legs apart, my elbows resting on my bony knees, my head bowed down resting on the palms of my hands, my gaze boring into the cold stone ground beneath my shoes. Some days I oversleep and some days I don't sleep at all, yet I'm always tired. My mind was deep in concentration, my brain racing with thoughts about what was about to happen in exactly six minutes. To my surprise, I felt exceedingly nervous for the test. My hands were shaking with anticipation and heat was pressed to my cheeks, flustering my face in a cherry red. I felt very conflicted. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was doing something bad, that perhaps this wasn't the best thing to do, and not just for me somehow, but for others as well. As if I were doing a disservice to someone if I went through with this...

"But who? Come now, Bennett, who could possibly want you in this state? Who would need you like this?" Demented mumbled to me.

I pursed my lips together with annoyance, Demented had returned. Demented is a name I like to call a little voice inside my head that takes a role in my madness. He arrived during my time in school three years ago. He comes and go's as he pleases, each visit being very unpleasant however. His voice is extremely tempting and persuasive, infectious to my mind and poisoning it, tricking me into believing every word he says. I hate it. However, I find myself talking to him more frequently now. His presence is always very disturbing, yet he does give me company. He was not a friend to me at all, but he was someone I could talk to. That being me of course.

"I don't know, I just don't like this position I'm in." I countered back to Demented, my voice just above a whisper.

"Bennett, this is what we dreamed of... peace and harmony." Demented hushed soothingly.

I snorted, "When did this become a we?" I hissed.

"Ha..." Demented dryly cracked, "I am only a voice inside your head, my dear, sweet Jamie. Your own subconscious. I am you, Jamie. The rational part of you, the part of you that just wants to help you and guide you back into the light..." He said in a sickening sweet voice that echoed through my head, a sadistic purr that engraved it's way into my brain.

"Rational? The... Light?" I croaked.

"Yes, Jamie. You do realize that this is the best for you, correct?"

"How? Am I really insane?" I said, hurt evident in my voice as if I just realized my state of mind.

"Oh Jamie, don't you know that only people like you talk to themselves like this? Look at yourself, listen to yourself speak. You need this to happen. Nobody can help you now."

"No, I refuse to believe it! I'm not insane! They are- were- real! I'm not falling for your stupid mind games, Demented!" I barked at myself, my trembling hands finding their way to the sides of my head, clutching my skull in an attempt to drown out the voice inside it.

I could almost feel Demented smirk at me devilishly. "Nice try Jamie, the humans that are insane are the ones who don't know about the voice inside their head. You act as if I were a person, Jamie. Which I am... in a way. But you, Jamie, being a "Believer" and all, fantasize on how everyone around you is wrong. You need to face the facts, Bennett."

"YOU are WRONG. YOU are INSANE. NOBODY LOVES you, SEES you, HEARS you. The Guardians AREN'T REAL. You should just DIE. Why can't you just LET IT GO? FORGET!"

"SHUT UP!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

The voice in the back of my mind shattered, leaving me, but he would return. I threw myself out of my bed with anger. With a new rage, I hastily leaned down to pick up a rock before chucking it as hard as I physically could into the already-cracked mirror placed on the opposite wall of me. I watched as the stone made perfect contact with the mirror. A powerful clang followed by a bone-crushing crunch and snap as the cracks spread over the mirror pane like a spiderweb.

I gazed at myself in the broken mirror; for a moment, my mind didn't process that the mirror was broken, for a moment, I believed that I was gazing at a physically broken boy. I didn't see the same kid I was a few years ago. I now see an unwell kid, skinny as a stick, paper white pale skin, and distant, lost, lonely eyes. Confusion, hate, pain, swimming in the pupils. I only caught this glimpse of myself before the mirror gave out, the broken shards sliding out of the frame and collapsing to the floor, each piece shattering on the ground, creating more sharp pieces. But I didn't even flinch.

I sank to my knees and began to carelessly and absentmindedly pick up the shards, the edges cut into my skin, but I felt no pain. My depression washed over the cuts like a warm cloth, the pain standing no chance against the storm of emotion welling up inside me. Soon, I almost had all the little shards of glass in my pink-red palm. The shards covered and smudged with rusted or fresh blood. I looked down and saw my scattered reflection in the little mirrors, I saw nothing but a broken boy looking up at me, a shattered kid with lost dreams and foolish hopes.

"What's going on in there?" A voice boomed from the corridor.

I gasped with shock and dropped the pieces, making little dinging noises as they gave a weak clatter to the floor. My head snapped to the wall clock beyond my cell: 9:00. "Dammit!" I scowled with worry and haste. I was impatient to get started, yet the wait wasn't long enough.

I was just not ready.

I turned around anyways to face my escort guard. "Nothing." I replied curtly.

"I thought I heard voices." The man sneered gruffly.

I gave a pitiful chuckle, "Probably just your imagination."

The man glared at me while he opened my cell. "I'm not the one with a mental imagination..." He scowled.

The man walked into my cell and shoved me out of the room where another guard was waiting in the hallway. The two men escorted me down the hallway to where my destination was.

At times like these, one would take it all in and be grateful of their inevitable outcome, calm even. But not me, I just kept my eyes glued to the floor and couldn't stop the sickening feeling of dread pooling around in my stomach. There was nothing to be afraid of. I guess you could put it into a similar metaphor; such as walking in college to graduate. But for some reason to me, it was nothing like that. There was an instinct within me that was screaming at me to run. To fight and get out of here. And the voice wasn't Demented's. But what could I do? That wouldn't do me any good at all. No one was going to rescue me. I was taking this experiment as if I were walking to my execution. Praying and saying goodbye to myloved ones... knowing they wouldn't be praying for me. But I still cared for them with whatever goodness I still had.

But did I really know what I was in for?

The man had claimed that the experiment hadn't been performed before, therefore, they wouldn't know what happened. There may be no pain, but how was I to trust them if I had no idea what was in store?

And knowing myself now, I wasn't the trusting type.

My head snapped up with realization. Luckily, the guards didn't notice. Sweat trickled down my face as my movements became more sluggish if I were in slow motion, my mind in another realm. I was stalling. What was really going to happen to me? How could I know that this was going to work? Who knows what these guys would do to me? How could I have been so stupid to accept when I could basically be leading myself to my slaughter? I haven't felt this scared in years. The rush of heat consumed me as I felt Death creeping around the corner, surely ready to swallow me whole like prey. The sense of fight or flight came to me. Reality had just slapped me in the face, hard; I could die.

And for some reason, I didn't like that outcome.

And there it was again, the urge to run. Where would I go? What would I do? I didn't know. Nor did I really care. Just as long as I was away from here, I'd be okay.

Without warning, I lunged myself at one of the guards much to his (and even my own) surprise. I butted him in the head with my own, bringing him to the floor before kicking him hard in the head, successfully knocking him out. However, before I could turn around, I too was slammed to the ground. A dull yet extremely painful ache blossomed on the side of my head as a pulsing sensation clouded my senses. I also felt something warm trickle down my nose and my side temple; blood. I made no effort to clean the blood as I struggled to turn over to look up as my hands were still cuffed behind my back. My vision had gone blurry from the impact, besides the instinctual layer of tears.

I could see the second guard patting his bat in his hand before leaning down to my level. His hand grabbed onto my hair as he yanked me up on my feet. I yelped with pain as I felt tufts of my hair being yanked out. The guard then pinned me against the wall and spat in my face. He said nothing, but he stared at me with such evil, he did not need to say a word to get the message across to me. He then peeled me off the wall and dragged me down the aisle, having a much quicker pace. My head, still dizzy, lolled to the side, catching sight of the man dragging me to my doom.

That's when I saw it.

The flicker in his eyes. That unmistakable glint of evil hunger. Unblinking and terribly, horribly focused. The pupil, small and lost, as if it had no life to it, no soul. I stared into those eyes, almost getting lost myself and driving me to a breaking point. It was almost unnoticeable. If I hadn't been so intent at staring at his eyes, I would never have caught it. Nobody had or would. At the center of the pupil was a hint of golden yellow. However, once I stared at that little golden speck, I began to see the pupil. Why, it wasn't even a pupil! It was more like a mist. A small compacted mist that was shaped like the iris, black mist. It was moving. Swimming and floating ever so slightly in the eyeball. It was grainy and sparkling... it looked so regular from afar, like a regular human eye. But it was not. That sickening color for destruction, pain... and fear.

Oh. My. God.

"It took you long enough to figure it out, Jamie Bennett." The guard snarled.

My mouth became agape with terror as my eyes became as wide as saucers. I could see the man's skin crawl with black... sand? I jumped back in fear and looked once again into the man's eyes. To my utter horror, the black mist that created the man's iris began to consume the entire eyeball. And the hint of gold began to grow into the iris. He wasn't even human!

The lights decorating the hallway began to flicker before shattering, creating a very haunting effect. Only a few being able to survive, just giving me enough light to see when they flashed every few seconds. A subtle and chilling wind began to pick up around me. I backed against the wall and sunk downwards, cowering into myself for heat and comfort. The walls began to crack as the sound rippled through the corridor.

The man was forced to let go of me as his hands turned into hooves. I was too frozen and shocked with fear to even move. The man's shrieks of pain (of transforming) turned into grunts and eventually mare whinnies. Black sand swirled around the man as the substance consumed all of him. It was a terrifying sight. His body contorted into a bigger, more stout body. His bones constantly shifting, gruesome growls of pain were forced from his mouth. His skin had now turned into black, grainy sand. It's face jutted out long, it's neck stretched outwards, it was poised on all fours, it's torso now as thick as a log. He wasn't human anymore, he had turned into a horse.

I couldn't bare to watch so I forced myself to look away. My eyes fell upon the man that I had knocked out. A mere second later, the body just collapsed into black sand and was whisked away in the wind. I couldn't believe my eyes. I screamed but as I opened my mouth, bile poured out. Once I had recuperated after a series of hacking, my gaze returned to the figure before me.

The transformation was complete. Now stood before me, was a Nightmare.

I could never forget those things for as long as I lived. Even after death I might not forget them. A large, black mare made entirely of black sand. Golden, glistening eyes. Horns protruded from it's nostrils, forehead and hooves. It stood a monstrous eight feet tall. It's hooves were as big as my face. It slowly began to approach me, snorting angrily as steam came from it's nostrils. It was going to kill me!

This is not how I want to go.

My breath hitched in my throat as my lungs refused air out of panic. I scrambled away on my backside in a desperate attempt to escape. But I was in a labyrinth, I could run but I couldn't hide, and I couldn't run for long. I was lost and scared and alone. I had nothing to defend myself with. This was it...

The Nightmare inhaled deeply, pausing briefly as to absorb my fear. It's brazen nature buffed it's appearance as it devoured my fear. However, the Nightmare decided to take mercy and pity over me as it gave me one last haunting look with those treacherous golden eyes before charging straight at me in a flurry of darkness.

I screamed and covered my face with my arms. Yet I couldn't block my stare from those evil, golden eyes...

WHACK!

I screamed again as the black sand was thrown at me. Air blew ferociously past me and threw me back a few feet. I shielded myself as if a sandstorm were upon me as I finally shut my eyes. The final whinny of anguish of the Nightmare filled my ears. I sat up and huddled into myself and trembled with fear. The wind had calmed down and the lights had begun to softly glow again. I was afraid to look up. It had happened so fast... but what had happened?

"Jamie? You alright, mate?"

My eyes snapped open, but my face was still hidden in my arms. I vaguely remembered that voice. In the far depths of my mind. I know this voice. That familiar, loving Australian accent echoed in my mind as it clawed for any recognition. In a dream perhaps. In some fantasy land maybe. But it wasn't true, the voice... it was here. I gathered the courage to look up.

There before me, was none other than the Easter Bunny.

"Bunny..." I whispered, the word foreign to my lips. As if it were second nature. If I had looked at the creature, I wouldn't remember the name. It had simply just come to me. My mind rattled suddenly, a pain like a needle was stabbed into my brain. Something within me told me that this wasn't real and the creature before me was just a mirage, a vision from my disastrous mind. Demented, perhaps. But the voice was faint, it was weak, it was unconvincing. I looked at the creature once more, I feel like I know this rabbit, like in a dream. But deep down, I know it wasn't a dream. I know this rabbit, and he knows me. We were friends... I should trust him.

However, he looked different. He was small. I could faintly picture a large rabbit instead, a looming six feet tall. But now here's a one foot tall bunny rabbit. Did I really know him? He seemed so familiar. With his gray blue fur, evergreen eyes, distinct navy blue ink tattoos, and a single boomerang tucked underneath his arm. It looked quite silly, in fact. Like a figment of my imagination. Was this really happening?

"Jamie, mate. It's me, Bunny." The rabbit said as it hopped over to me.

I began to scramble back once more, afraid of the talking creature. There was no way I could be acquainted with this thing! But, then again... he's so familiar... I must know him!

The rabbit stared at me with hurt in his eyes. "Bloody hell..." He moaned scornfully, "What did that bloody bastard do to ya?" I could almost see the tears in his eyes as the rabbit inched closer to me, I couldn't find myself to run away. "Pitch will pay..." He snarled, his hurt demeanor changing into a furious one on a dime.

Pitch?

The word shook me down to my very core. The name almost sent me into a breakdown. That monster of a man who had tormented me in the past years? He hasn't bothered me lately but I remember him more than I remember this rabbit. I could never forget the name of that horrible man. He will forever be within me. That's why I almost went into a panic attack when I heard his name.

"Jamie!" The rabbit yelled, snapping me out of my trance. "We can't stay here! We have to go back to North's place. We'll explain everything when we get there-"

The bunny hopped away from me before skidding to a stop, a considerable distance away. He tapped his foot twice and a hole magically appeared in the earth. I stifled a gasp and fought the instinct to run once more. I shook my head at myself. This was dangerous. What had become of me? I needed to get out of here. North's Place? Where in the world was North's Place? A little talking rabbit just saved me from a Nightmare? This had to be a dream. Everything was so familiar yet so distant, this was all simply from my mind when I was a child. This wasn't real. What did this little thing expect out of me? That I just go along with him? Why... I barely have my own senses!

He was not the Easter Bunny. The Easter Bunny is dead. The Easter Bunny doesn't even exist. Get a grip, Jamie!

I slowly and defiantly stood up on my feet. My head was focused on the ground, my hair casting a deathly shadow over my eyes. The rabbit stared at me with sincere, hopeful eyes. It almost pained me to turn around, but I turned my back on the creature. This wasn't real, after all. I was about to open my mouth when the rabbit rushed in front of me and held out his paw. I scowled at the creature. What did he want?

"Jamie, take my hand." The rabbit advised soothingly.

That's when the seal broke. My anger had been unleashed. I wanted to kick it. I wanted it to be gone and out of my site. So I walked forward, pushing the rabbit out of the way and walking down the hall. I didn't know where I was going, but anywhere from here would do. I didn't look back. I frowned and huffed when I heard the patter of the rabbit's paws follow me from behind.

"Jamie, you're hurting. That's why you're so confused." The rabbit said.

"Why do you care?" I said as I stopped in my tracks, the rabbit almost bumping into me. "Where were you when I needed you?" It took great willpower not to burst into tears that were building up within me. I heard the little bunny gasp. "What do you know of pain and loneliness? Nothing. It's too late to make amends, I'm a lost cause. Go find someone else to help you. Because quite frankly, I don't care!"

This time, I actually did kick the rabbit intentionally hard. With my foot, I socked the creature to the side. The little rabbit grunted with pain and tumbled to the side into the wall. And the sick part was, is that I had no remorse. At least, a part of me didn't. I began to pick up the pace, I didn't want to hear that stupid rabbit's voice any longer. If I stayed around, I think I would go (more) insane. So, I began to walk away.

"I didn't want to have to say this but- Jamie, do ya really wanna face Pitch... alone?"

I stopped in my tracks once more. This time, I was downright furious. How dare he speak of him in front of me! He was just toying with my emotions! What did this little pest want?!

"I know about the voice inside your head, Jamie. We all do. It's Pitch, he's been twisting your mind and heart with sick words all along. Demented, you call him. It's just Pitch. He's been trying to target you for some time now and he had almost succeeded. This place was nothing but a mirage built by Pitch to capture and kill you. You're the only one stopping him from world domination, Jamie. Oh, and that other voice? The rational one? The Man in the Moon has been trying to guide you back into the light, but Pitch has gotten strong. You need our help us much as we need yours. You aren't crazy. If you leave now, Pitch will continue to torment you till the day you die, and all hope will be lost. But if you come with me, we can fix this. And not just because we need you, we want to help you, as a friend."

"We can explain more later. But- We. Can't. Stay. Here."

I absorbed the words. A single tear trickling down my face. It was so true. But now only one question remained: "Why should I trust you?"

"I'm not asking for your loyalty, just yet. And we are not asking for forgiveness the least bit, we understand that. We have been trying to get to you Jamie, but Pitch has always stopped us from getting to you. Luckily, just when he was going in for the kill, he let his guard down, thinking he had won. You are the Last Light, Jamie, again... and now the whole world is at stake."

"Will you help us? Please, Jamie?"

I turned around and faced the rabbit; he was the Easter Bunny. A friend to me all those years ago. I could almost see clearly now. At this point, it wasn't about me. If I was going to make it through, this was the way. It was suffocating as I realized my mistake. All those years I wallowed with self-pity and allowed Pitch to control me. But that wasn't going to happen anymore! I was going to bring back the days where I believed and was strong! The Guardians were alive and they need my help! I don't care anymore whether I live or die while trying, I'm tired of fighting only for myself. Now it's all about to change. I'm going to fight for the people I care for. I'm not crazy! No more bowing down to Pitch! If I was just brave enough, we could win and everything would be as it was! All I had to do was believe that I could pull through!

It was almost too sudden. Too sudden that it was unbelievable. The mist of depression surrounding me vanished. The cloud of fear evaporated. And the weight of pain was lifted off my chest. I physically felt lighter. My vision became more clear and my mind and heart stopped aching. I felt as if I had just taken a fresh breath of air after years of living underneath water. However, it was almost like a piercing hole remained in my body. A hole that could grow bigger and bigger and my fear and pain would return before I would simply fall into that hole. He was still there: Pitch. Getting over the past few years wouldn't just heal in an instant. This was my own battle I had to fight. To resist Pitch's temptations of fear and remain in the light. I just had to focus.

I finally felt joy again. A purpose in my life. A smile found it's way on my face and my eyes lit up with excitement, something that hadn't happened in years. My heart was racing with joy as I looked at Bunny with meaningful eyes. In a heartbeat, he understood.

Without a moment to loose, I took Bunny's small paw and jumped in through the rabbit hole. Only leaving a small crimson flower behind, before the Insane Asylum crumbled to black ash and an evil cackle rippled through the land.

General POV

"Fools, they think they can still win with that lost cause. I almost feel sorry for them. It was over the moment I destroyed Jack Frost. After all, he was the most powerful member, and those foolish Guardians just give the job to someone else... just like they're doing to Jamie. They will never win, not like this."

"Oh, and Jamie won't live for long. Man in Moon thinks he can still guide him into the light. Well, he's wrong. I almost don't feel like personally killing the boy myself anymore. I would rather watch him suffer and eventually fall into his insanity once more. Let's watch him destroy himself from the inside out."

"They have all underestimated me, now let's watch them pay the price for it."

Hopefully that makes up for the long wait:) Sorry if there are mistakes, I just really wanted to post this asap since I haven't written in a while and school's right around the corner, along with a hurricane:p Guess what? A certain spirit will be joining us next chapter! And don't worry, if you are confused, more explaining will be done in the next chapter. Anyways, PLEASE make sure to leave a review! You've already done so awesome!;) Perhaps you'll get more chapters from me! Peace!

-SkatingDJ