Hey guys! As promised, I'm back with Chapter 2 of Running for Life! Once again, feels so good to be back!

Before I begin, I'd like to thank AFandomLostInTheEcho (I named Jack's horse Zephyr because I intended for the horse to be this AU's equivalent of the Wind, and a zephyr is defined as a "soft, gentle breeze"!), saraj8ne, Guest (This is an AU, or alternate universe. Jack isn't a spirit here, and therefore doesn't need belief to be seen/heard.), Rose, onewhodies, DanniMeamea, PurpleLightning12, and Serami Nefera (As it stands, I'll only be including the Guardians from the movie) for reviewing! You guys really know how to make an author feel good about herself. :)

Well, without further ado, on with the chapter!

Chapter 2: Taken Alive

"C'mon Livi!" he shouted, pulling his sister by the hand through the burning village. "We've gotta get out of here!"

"Take your sister and leave," his parents had said. "Do not fear for us. We love you very much." He shook the memories away and kept moving.

"W-Wait!" the girl shouted, her short legs hindering her. She tripped and stumbled, but he would not let her fall. Not at a time like this.

"We can't!" he called back, moving like clockwork towards the entrance to their hometown. "We have to go!"

"I want Mama and Papa!" the girl wailed, tugging at his arm and digging her heels into the ground. "W-We can't leave them here!"

Though the heat seared his skin and clogged his lungs, he stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. His sister was staring up at him, tears streaming down her ash-covered face. "W-Where are they…?" she hiccupped softly.

His eyebrows furrowed as he knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder. He opened his mouth to speak, but choked on his words. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Liv, I...I don't think...I mean...they…"

Suddenly he screamed as a large hand knocked him aside. He tumbled a few feet before he was able to push himself up, eyes wide.

A huge man was standing over his sister. She took a step back, but faltered, not wanting to leave him behind. He scrambled to his feet and, without an ounce of hesitation, grabbed her arm and ran from the threatening figure.

Unfortunately, however, they didn't get far. The man quickly caught up and swung around in front of them, causing them to screech to a halt. His eyes widened in terror. Slowly, he raised his free arm in a protective position over his sister as they trembled in the man's tall shadow.

()()()()

The pale winter sun was on the cusp of setting by the time Jack finally reined Zephyr in, allowing himself and the stallion a much-deserved break. The boy let out a long breath as he rested his back against a sturdy oak, slowly letting himself slide down the bark until he touched the snowy ground. A slight smile formed on his face as his hands touched the cold blanket of fluff, the bite of the low temperature revitalizing him. Finally, a place where he didn't need to wear his hood.

Jack ran his slender fingers through his shaggy white hair as he stared up at the sky. He figured he had lost his pursuers a few miles back, but he was all too aware of the fact that one could not possibly be too careful when on the run.

"How did we end up like this, Zephyr?" Jack wondered aloud, rubbing another stab of pain out of his arm and watching as the blue expanse above them gradually became streaked with the soft colors of dusk. "Everything used to be so peaceful–remember that? There were trees to climb, games to play, magic to learn…" His wistful expression shifted to reveal his years of carefully disguised sadness. "And now…'tis gone."

As if sharing his owner's nostalgia, Zephyr, who, being a snow sprite-bred horse with increased stamina and strength, had recovered well from the taxing run, craned his neck downwards to nuzzle the boy's cheek, nickering softly as he did so. Jack chuckled and gently stroked the horse's muzzle. "Okay, so maybe not all of it is gone," he conceded with a small smile.

Suddenly, Zephyr's head shot up, ears twitching and hooves stamping the ground nervously. Jack's sapphire eyes widened; he had heard it too.

The young snow sprite slowly stood up, running a hand soothingly across the stallion's neck. Jack's elfin ears could pick up sounds that regular humans' couldn't. This trait consistently proved to serve as vital to his survival, and this time was no different.

There it was again; the soft crunch of a booted foot sinking its weight into the snow. Jack stiffened, but otherwise gave no signals to suggest his awareness at the fact that he was being watched. He picked up his staff, which he had made sure to keep close by, and allowed a fine layer of frost to spread across it. Running his fingers through Zephyr's white mane, Jack adopted a confused expression and began to murmur soft soothing phrases in the horse's ear.

The arrow was expected. Hunters of both animals and sprites usually favored them, due to their speed and accuracy. Jack, having dodged hundreds of them in the past-disregarding the one whose poison still tormented his left arm-darted out of the way and mounted Zephyr, all in one fluid movement. "Hyah!" the boy yelled as he kicked his horse's sides, urging the animal to run.

Nearly plowing straight into a sword however, was not quite as predetermined.

The shining silver of the blade flashed in between two trees, spooking Zephyr and causing the stallion to rear up in fear. Jack yelped as he fought to maintain his hold on Zephyr's mane, but his attempts were futile. He hit the ground in a dazed heap, painfully aware of his staff landing just barely out of his immediate reach, and of Zephyr's hoofbeats as the stallion bolted from the area.

Jack's sharp senses cleared almost immediately and he scrambled to his feet just as the offending sword's wielder stepped into view. "I should have known you would follow me," Jack spat, eyes narrowing into mere slits.

"Yes, you should have," North agreed calmly. The man crossed his arms as best as he could while still holding his blade aloft and gazed upon the boy with something akin to disappointment. "And to think my hopes were high for you," he said, shaking his head. His sword did not lower, and neither did Jack's guard.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Jack asked with a glare, fingers twitching slightly. If he could just keep North talking long enough to retrieve his staff…

North must have sensed his plan, for he stepped forward, blade still not falling. "You struck me as resourceful. Clever. Smart, even," he replied, hardly acknowledging his own movements as he continued stepping closer. "And yet I have caught you."

"Don't assume you've won just yet," Jack retorted coldly, though he immediately cursed himself for his arrogance. This kind of impertinence could easily get him killed. Then again, for one such as he, being killed was a consequence far from being exclusive to disrespect.

North raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Oh? And why is that?" he asked, curiosity present in his tone. Jack stiffened, unnerved by the fact that North seemed so calm. This kind of demeanor in a hunter usually signaled the possession of a plan-a plan Jack was sure he wouldn't like. North had a job to complete, and he was likely to attempt nearly anything in order to do so.

Still, Jack knew he could not consent to the man's wishes, or there was a glaring possibility that he would be killed within the week. He put on the most cold, emotionless expression he could muster and subtly tensed to move. "Because," he said. Jack swiftly dove to the side, scooped up his staff, and was in the air in a matter of seconds. "You haven't yet caught me."

The boy allowed himself no more than a second to smirk at the shocked look in North's eyes before zipping up into the trees with a gust of wind. Jack alighted silently on a branch he knew was outside of the hunter's line of sight. He heard the man let out a long string of curses under his breath before five or six arrows were loosed into the branches of various surrounding trees. Jack narrowed his eyes and held out his hand. It momentarily sparked with a soft blue magic, and a snowball formed itself in his open palm. With phenomenal accuracy, the young snow sprite lobbed the spherical snow as far away from his perch as he could manage.

"There," Jack heard North mutter to himself. He smirked as footsteps sounded down below, no doubt chasing after his decoy.

The boy waited silently until, he estimated, North was well out of earshot. "That's taken care of. Now to find my horse," he murmured to himself as he leapt to the ground, landing lightly in the snow. Wincing, he rubbed his poisoned arm as his eyes scanned the surrounding area.

His crystal blue gaze fell on a trail of hoofprints leading away from the spot where he had fallen from Zephyr's back. Jack floated a few inches off the ground, covering the imprints he had made when jumping from the tree with a fresh layer of his own snow. Satisfied that the evidence was well-hidden, he began to follow the stallion's tracks, careful to make no marks in the snow himself.

The trail led into a small clearing, ringed by a various assortment of coniferous trees. In the very center, Zephyr's hoofprints seemed to abruptly end, as if the stallion had simply vanished.

"Or was stolen…" Jack whispered to himself, still not daring to let his bare feet touch the ground as he observed the clearing from the very edge. Each of his senses was in overdrive, and the boy turned his head at the slightest of sounds.

He didn't trust the clearing to be even remotely safe-someone was toying with him, he realized bitterly. However, if he was to reunite with the one living being who wasn't out to get him, Jack would have to investigate.

After much consideration, the snow sprite silently landed on the ground and forced back the frost that usually spread across his staff. Internally acknowledging that whoever might be waiting for him here would already know what he was, he pulled his hood up to cover his hair and ears. Better safe than sorry, as it was.

Jack stiffly moved out from the cover of the trees, cautiously making his way towards the center of the clearing. Sure enough, the prints made by his panicked horse had suddenly been cut off, with no explanation as to how or why. Biting his lip, Jack glanced around, feeling a stab of genuine fear for his lost companion.

The boy abruptly tensed as the crunch of footsteps in snow sounded behind him. Still not allowing frost to creep across his wooden weapon, Jack gripped the staff tightly as he slowly turned to face the source of the noise. Upon seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he took an uneasy step back, his every instinct screaming at him to run. He had been sure he had heard something, and yet it still appeared as if he was alone.

Of course, appearances are well known for being nothing short of deceiving.

"'Ello, mate," a gruff, strangely accented voice growled in his pointed ear.

Before Jack even got a chance to blink, his staff was torn from his hands and an odd, sandy sort of cloth was pressed over his mouth and nose. The boy felt a rush of panic as he kicked and struggled. Gradually, Jack's eyelids drooped, his mind swimming as he was forced to breathe in the sweet-smelling particles that dusted the cloth. His adrenaline faded as quickly as it had come, and he felt himself collapse into someone's arms, only half-conscious already.

Diversion... was all he could think. How could I have fallen for…?

He couldn't finish his thought. The darkness had already enfolded him.

First couple chapters are a little short, I suppose, but don't worry, they will get longer! Hope you all enjoyed, and Chapter 3'll be up next Saturday! In the meantime, please review, and I'll see you guys then!

For now, Sapphire316, out.