Enjoy!

After what seemed like an age, Jack finally stopped falling and landed neatly on his feet, barely wobbling. The surface beneath him felt like sand; it seeped through his toes, making him shudder.

Jack looked above, straining his eyes in the darkness, but there was no evidence of the entrance he had fell through. There was no light to be seen, and it was hard to imagine that he had only been up there moments ago, sitting beside Raven Wing.

Thinking of his new horse made his stomach lurch in worry- he wasn't sure if it had even been a full day since he 'tamed' the stallion, but he already felt a large amount of fondness for him. But now, Raven was miles above him, and the spirit was alone again.

What unnerved him the most, however, wasn't the fact that Raven Wing wasn't with him- it was the fact that being in the dark reminded him of drowning. Sure, he had been in here once before, but he was distracted. Now that he was alone with nothing to follow, the darkness seemed to close in on him. It had the same suffocating feeling…the same uncertainty…

Jack closed his eyes and pushed his thoughts back. He had to focus on what he was going to do now, not what had happened. He had to push his fears and doubts from his mind. He had to save them. It was what he was meant to do.

Jack opened his eyes again, not that it made a difference to his surroundings, and silently tapped one of the daggers onto the ground he stood on. Frost erupted from the edge of his blade and crawled across the floor- he could hear the ice cracking as it curved around the corners. The spirit stood on top of the frost and began to follow it carefully, hoping that it would lead him in the right direction. Occasionally, his feet would stray from the ice underneath him and he would have to spend a few minutes brushing the ground with his toes to find it again, but soon Jack was looking at the globe in the centre of the room from a crack in the wall and realised it was light, and that he could actually see.

The spirit's glee was cut short, however, as a series of hooves echoed off the walls, raving towards him. Jack cursed and looked for an escape.

I can't draw attention to myself…I can't fight…more will come and then he will know. He thought desperately, Come on! There's gotta be something!

Jack backed against the wall in panic. The hooves were getting closer, closer…

The spirit's hand brushed against a rock that jutted out against the wall. Struck with sudden inspiration, he quickly flung himself around and dug his toe daggers into the wall and began to climb it. His feet scraped against the stone noisily as he heaved himself upwards, arms trembling.

Don't let me fall…Moon have mercy…

One of Jack's daggers suddenly sloped inwards, making him slip dangerously. He could hear the horses beneath him now, snorting angrily. Hissing, the spirit tried to plunge his dagger in the stone again, but he only stabbed air.

A dip! He realised, sparking with hope. If I could just…

Jack pushed himself into the hole and found that he could fit inside quite easily if he tucked his knees in his chest. He held his breath and listened as the nightmares below him. Their snorts and whines grew fainter; Jack sighed in relief, letting himself flop against the wall. He waited a few minutes silently, still and unmoving, until the sounds died altogether, and he was alone with the darkness once more.

Slowly, he slid down the stone again and crouched onto the floor, hiding himself in the shadows. Using the wall as a guide, he began to move forward to where the globe was standing. On it, a few, scattered lights shone dully; some flickered alarmingly. Jack turned away and crept around the globe, searching for any kind of clues.

Why are there no guards here? He wondered. He shoved the thought away as he saw a singular opening hidden in the darkness. He slowly advanced forward, clutching his daggers tighter.

—

"Why so glum?" Pitch asked from the shadows. He stared at the prisoner in front of him. Her once colourful feathers were now split and dull; her purple eyes were glazed with grief and hate. She was bound to the wall by dark chains made of black sand. "It has been so long, but you still look sad…why?" The Boogeyman laughed softly and walked closer to her, narrowing his eyes. The fairy looked away, staring at the wall next to her.

"Are we still playing the silent treatment?" Pitch turned and moved away from her again, fading into the shadows again. "Shame…"

A snort of disbelief came from the fairy, but she did not speak- only glared. Pitch chuckled again.

"Don't give me that look…" the nightmare king then sunk into the shadows entirely, his laughter still echoing off the walls. Once he left, the fairy let out a choked sob and let herself hang loosely from the chains.

"Don't escape now…I've got a special nightmare to take care of that…" Pitch's voice came as a whisper by her ear; she flinched and ceased crying immediately. Laughter echoed again and then silence.

A scuffle.

The fairy snapped her head over to the direction of the sound, feathers raising instinctively. A cold, familiar chill breezed past her and she narrowed her eyes in the darkness.

—

The voice stopped talking and Jack braved himself to dodge the speaker as he came out the door.

But he never came.

A few minutes passed, and the spirit decided that it was safe to enter the room. Slowly, he dropped into a crouch and advanced forward making no sounds. Pausing, he let his eyes adjust to the darkness that surrounded him.

Could this be- his thought was cut off as he accidentally slipped- his hand dropped the dagger he was holding and it made a quiet thump onto the floor. The spirit froze.

Then he heard a noise. It was small, as if whoever else that was in the room didn't want to be heard, but it sounded like a muffled sob. He tilted his head in confusion.

Nightmares don't cry…

Slowly, he crept forward and into a lighter section of the room. His blue eyes shone as he moved closer and a single lock of hair escaped from his hood. He didn't realise this, however, and kept moving closer until he was halfway across the room.

Jack could see the person in the room slightly better now; he saw the outline of it and thought it must be covered in spines or something close. Suddenly, purple eyes pierced his blue ones and he moved closer, realising…

Not spines. Feathers.

"Tooth?" He breathed; it seemed unreal to him…if it was her…

The figure visibly stiffened and her purple eyes grew wider.

"Who…who are you?" She asked. Jack felt a overwhelming sense of relief and happiness as he hear the voice he had heard so many times, telling stories of her kingdom.

However, the happiness didn't block out his caution. He crept even closer and could see chains hanging off her wrists and chest.

The spirit stood up slowly and pulled down his hood, letting his white hair fall to his shoulders.

"Jack?" Tooth gasped; Jack grinned and waved slightly with his free hand.

"Hey, Tooth." He replied. Tooth's eyes widened and she slowly began to smile, until she was beaming.

"Jack! I can't believe it!" Jack swore he saw his feathers brighten. "It's been so long…I thought that…" her eyes brimmed with tears. Jack smiled and walked over to her chains, studying them. He then began to saw at one with his dagger, and wedged the other into a crack in the wall.

"Hey…I'm fine…let me just get you out of these…" The spirit smiled at the tooth fairy reassuringly. Tooth laughed weakly.

"I'm just glad your okay." She said, staring at him. "I just can't…I must be dreaming…"

"I hope not." Jack grinned as one of the chains finally snapped. Tooth let her hand drop, sighing in relief.

"Where's your staff?!" She asked suddenly. She noticed the daggers. "What are those? How did you even get-"

"What is it?" Jack asked as Tooth cut off suddenly.

"There's something there…behind you…" she whispered. Suddenly, a bellowing roar rattled the walls; Jack spun around, shielding Tooth, and his eyes widened.

Staring back at him, with blazing red eyes, was a enormous black bear, made entirely out of dream sand. The bear rested on its hind legs and roared again; Jack clutched his dagger tight.

"Jack, don't-"

"I'm not leaving without you." Jack interrupted. "Not after you've waited this long."