...please don't kill me for being a couple hours late. This chapter is worth it, I promise!

...well, worth it for me. You guys'll probably hate me by the end but you know what that's okay! I'm the author here, it's my job to make you guys hate me! :D

Anyway, before all that happens, let's take care of the reviews, shall we? Huge thanks go to StarG4zer (The feels are killing you, huh? *pauses, thinking of plans, then calls out* Okay, we need someone to write a eulogy for StarG4zer, stat!), AyameKitsune, Brenne, Serami Nefera, justsomeone, AFandomLostInTheEcho (You'll see! ;), Randomly Talented, BooksAreMedicine (You'll just have to wait and see!), and Guest (NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE FOR CAPS, THEY'RE ALL GOOD, SEE!? Haha, in all seriousness, glad you're excited, and thanks!)!

Well...with that all being said...on with the chapter...*sweet not-so-innocent smile*

Chapter 19: Onyx

The Guardians' reaction time was impressive. Jack had barely even finished speaking before the four of them sprang into action, gathering their weapons and warning the human family. Jack, meanwhile, could do nothing but stand stiffly next to the door, clutching his staff to his chest.

I'm not afraid… he attempted to assure himself. I'm not afraid…

Despite this mantra, the boy could already feel the familiar wave of artificial fear wash over him, causing his legs to shake and his hands to tremble. It unsettled him how violently his body and mind were reacting, while his subconscious remained eerily calm. With a shudder, Jack acknowledged that the disturbing abilities of the Nightmare Army were nothing short of demonic.

And humans really put snow sprites on the same level as these...creatures? Jack though, giving a shiver paired with a grimace. They're clearly the demons in Soluna, not us.

Jack could sense the Nightmares getting closer to the house; not only had the shrill whinnies grown louder, but his heart rate quickened with every hoofbeat his sensitive ears picked up. His inner child screamed at him to find a dark, secluded corner to curl up in and squeeze his eyes shut tight, hood pulled low over his face.

But he didn't listen.

He had something worth protecting now, and-damn it-he wasn't going to back down without a fight. Guardian or not, it was still his job to keep his little sister safe, and, by extent, the family that had been taking care of her. Jack squared his shoulders and held his head up high. I am not going to give in to fear.

Despite his determination, he was not so foolish as to rush outside on his own. Instead, having nothing to gather for himself, he waited for the Guardians to come back, anxiously drumming his fingers on the familiar wood of his staff.

They did not return.

He must have only waited for a minute or two, but to Jack, it felt like three eternities. His anxiety level rose steadily as he paced back and forth across the room. Where are they? he thought nervously, azure eyes flicking around, watching for any sign of the Guardians. I understand that they may wish to exit the house via a less obvious location, but wouldn't they have at least come back to tell me what it is I might be able to do to help? Although perhaps they still do not fully trust me to assist them…

Suddenly, a crash sounded from a little ways deeper into the house, followed by a jolt of panic rushing through him. Jack's eyes widened, muscles tensing considerably as his fingers violently twitched.

They're here.

He wasn't still for long, as the thought of all of the children in the building being exposed to the despicable equines again quickly brought him to his senses. Jack took off running down the hallway from which the noise had sounded, his heartbeat quickening not just from the movement, but also from the ever-strengthening false fear that cloaked him completely.

What the hell are you doing, idiot? his rational side asked as he bit his lip nervously. You can't fight; you've never been able to fight. Swinging your staff around wildly at those things will only do so much. What are you going to do once that plan inevitably fails? Fly them to death?

For the first time in a long while, Jack rejected his carefully-instilled rationality without so much as a millisecond of consideration. I just found my sister, he told himself. I have to find a way to protect her no matter what happens, even if it kills me.

Jack rounded a sharp corner and stopped in his tracks at the sight of the scene laid out before him. North and Sandy were currently locked in combat with a herd of about a dozen Nightmares, while Jamie and Sophie crouched a little ways in back of them, fear evident in their wide eyes as they took shelter behind a small overturned table.

Despite the fact that he was taking on three Nightmares at once on his own, North was the first to notice the young snow sprite's arrival. "Jack!" he called, slicing through the dark horse directly in front of him with one of his blades. "Look out!"

The boy's blood ran even colder than usual as he felt hot breath brush the back of his neck. Without thinking, Jack whirled around to face the Nightmare he knew was behind him, staff brandished stiffly before him. His heart nearly stopped when an adrenaline-induced bolt of ice surged from the hook of the wooden weapon, freezing his opponent where it stood. The boy, registering the startled gasp that escaped Jamie's lips behind him, cringed, unable to move.

For the last two and a half minutes that the small fight lasted, no Nightmare dared stray too close to Jack. They seemed to have been stirred into a frenzy at his display of power, but if they meant to attack him, they were doing quite the poor job of it. Similarly to real horses, the equine monsters seemed rather skittish.

Soon, the sounds that came with a battle faded out, but Jack had not yet turned back around. He simply stood stock-still, staring at his reflection in the icy hide of the frozen Nightmare. It disturbed him how easily the Nightmare sand had blended with his own magic, as though the two were somehow meant to meld. Regardless of his inner turmoil, his expression remained blank, and he silently waited for the inevitable post-battle conversation to begin.

As he expected, it was North that spoke first. "Is everyone alright?" he asked, not appearing at all winded by the skirmish.

Jack assumed the others must have nodded, for no one verbally answered the Guardian of Wonder's question. Instead, Sophie let out a soft whimper. "Are...more of them gonna come?" Jack's heart nearly melted at the innocent uncertainty in her tone.

"If they do, we will protect you," North promised gently, his words paired with the sound of what Jack figured was Sandy forming a few comforting images for the young girl.

The boy couldn't quite say what prompted him to do it-perhaps he simply wished to be rid of the foul thing-but for whatever reason, he felt compelled to reach out and, ever so gently, push on the frozen Nightmare's muzzle, tipping it over. The crash it made when it shattered on the floor silenced the others, and he felt all eight of their eyes land on him.

He didn't care.

"Where are the others?" the sprite intoned huskily, still refusing to face them.

North hesitated, but eventually responded with, "We were split up by ambush after helping Laura and little girls hide in your sister's room." He bit his lip nervously, scratching at his short, dark beard. "Tooth and Bunny should be on other side of house."

"Then 'tis best to help them," Jack said flatly. "For all we know, they could be swarmed by quadruple the amount of Nightmares we faced here." Jack allowed a slight frown to spread across his face-not that the others could see it. "Why are they out here?" he asked, gesturing vaguely in Jamie and Sophie's general direction. He hoped he had only imagined seeing the younger boy flinch out of the corner of his eye.

"Sophie tripped and fell before they could get inside room with others," North explained. "Jamie went back to help, and Nightmares blocked them from returning to room, so they came with us." Apparently noticing Jack's tense shoulders, North added, "Don't worry. We made sure your sister would be safe there before we left to draw Nightmares away."

"Good," was Jack's stiff reply. "Then let's get going."

Before he could take a step forward, however, he was stopped by the sound of Jamie's frightened voice behind him. "Wait!"

The older boy said nothing, only turning around to look at Jamie, dark eyebrows raised. Internally, his heart sank at the sight of the fear in Jamie's eyes. Jack had to admit that, despite his earlier barrage of questions, he rather liked the young boy, and it hurt him to see the brunette looking at him with such horror. Still, he kept his expression neutral.

"You...just used ice magic," Jamie stated shakily, curling a protective arm around his sister, who didn't seem to understand exactly what was transpiring. "Does that...does that mean you're a…"

"Snow sprite?" Jack finished, when it didn't seem the other boy would be able to. He turned away to stare at the shattered remains of the Nightmare he had destroyed. "Yes."

Later, he would deny that he had flinched at Jamie's fearful intake of breath.

"Is true that he is sprite," North intervened quickly, the frown he wore almost audible in his tone. "But he is not bad! He has proved as much, no?"

"But…" Jamie seemed conflicted, torn between what he had always grown up hearing and what he had experienced for himself regarding Jack's character. "Everyone always says snow sprites are demons…"

"We're not," Jack said simply. He wasn't expecting Jamie to accept his words as truth, but he could not help but speak them. Someone has to say it, he thought. Someone who knows the truth...although with what I've done, I suppose in many people's eyes, I would be regarded as something of a demon, snow sprite or not. Still, that does not reflect upon all of the others.

To the sprite's immense surprise, the next word that left Jamie's mouth was a quiet, "Alright…"

"...you're awfully trusting, kid." Jack noted after a short moment of silence passed. "I've given you no proof regarding my benevolence, and yet you're willing to believe me."

"You saved my sister," Jamie said, obviously fighting to keep the tremble out of his voice. "And me. And...And you're Olivia's brother. That's proof enough."

Jack was silent for a long moment.

When he finally spoke, it was in a toneless voice, but he wore a small, hidden smile on his pale face. "You're much more mature than any adult that's ever found me out," he commented. He turned back to look at them, masking his slight smile with a layer of indifference. "We've wasted enough time. Shouldn't we get to the others?"

Sandy nodded and proceeded to lead the way through the halls, golden whips clutched firmly in his hands. North and the two Bennett children followed close behind, while Jack brought up the rear of the group.

Amazing, he thought as he walked. He took my actions into account rather than the rumors he's spent the past years hearing. Who would have thought that children themselves could behave less childishly than most adults tend to?

()()()()

The five of them reached Olivia's room without running into Tooth, Bunny, or even a single Nightmare. Jack glanced up and down the hallway in front of the door, but could not see any evident traces of black sand. He allowed himself to breathe easier, acknowledging the idea that his sister was most likely safe for the time being. However, he also acknowledged that that fact could very easily change in an instant.

It was because of this that he spoke up, addressing the two Guardians and saying, "You two go ahead, I'll stay here and make sure everyone is well-protected."

Sandy and North shared a glance, then seemed to come to a tacit agreement and nodded. "Alright," said North. "We will be back soon. Be careful, Jack."

"I always am."

With that, the Guardians of Wonder and Dreams ran off in the direction they had last seen their missing colleagues heading in. Jack took a deep breath and ushered Jamie and Sophie into the room, following and closing the door behind him.

At the sound of the door closing, Laura's head instantly shot up from the ground-watching position it had been in before. She let out a short gasp and got to her feet, running over to hug her niece and nephew. "Jamie, Sophie!" she cried, overwhelmingly relieved. "Oh, thank goodness you two are safe…"

"Yeah, Aunt Laura, we're fine," Jamie laughed awkwardly, returning his aunt's embrace.

"The Guardians helped us!" Sophie piped up, beaming freely now that there were no Nightmares in sight. "And Jack!"

Jack found himself shifting uncomfortably as Laura looked up at him with a smile. I killed this woman's husband, his subconscious reminded him. And she has no idea.

He was startled out of his dark thoughts by Laura suddenly standing up and wrapping her arms around his slim frame. Tensing more than he knew he could, Jack held his breath in concentration, trying to reign in the cold temperature of his skin to at least make it seem like it was only Iskald's winter weather that had chilled him a bit.

The woman didn't seem to notice, instead saying softly, "Thank you so much." She pulled back and smiled at him. "You've done a lot of good for this family in the span of less than twenty-four hours. We're in your debt."

Jack felt ill.

"Thank...Thank you, Miss Thener, but…" The boy paused, swallowing thickly. "I don't believe I deserve your praise…"

She tilted her head, eyebrows creased in slight confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Why not?"

For a moment, Jack couldn't speak. Any words he tried to cough up merely caught in his throat, then slithered back down and out of his reach. If I don't tell her, I will live with the guilt forever, he thought. If I do...then I don't know what will happen. I don't know how she will end up taking the news…

After a long few moments of silence, Jack took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes, his expression one of grim resolve. "Please, Miss Thener," he said steadily, his voice growing increasingly more formal as he gestured behind him at the door to the hallway. "I must...I must speak with you."

()()()()

Jack hated knowing that he had been the cause of the sadness in Laura's eyes when he explained to her what he had done. For a long time, she said nothing, staring at him as though viewing him in an entirely new light. The tear that slid down her face nearly shattered his resolve, but he refused to break down. He kept his shoulders squared and his gaze even, despite the fact that he wanted nothing more than to sink to his knees, tearing at his hair and screaming out his guilt.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, as if something as trivial as an apology could help at all in this situation. "'Twas...never my intention to kill. I...lost control, and…" He trailed off, knowing that nothing he said would make any difference. The young sprite lowered his head and waited for the spat insults and curses that were sure to come.

They never did.

Instead, Laura said softly, "You killed my husband...left my daughter without a father…"

Jack cringed and opened his mouth to speak, but the brunette woman wasn't quite finished.

"But...you helped to save Elizabeth, Jamie, Sophie, Olivia, me...and everyone else in this town from the Nightmare Army," she continued, not meeting his eyes. "And I...you've...you've made it clear that it was...a-an accident...I-I'm not sure if I believe you, but…" She took a deep breath and looked up at him at last, brown eyes wet with tears. "I won't hold a grudge against you…"

Jack frowned in confusion. "I...don't understand," he said slowly. "Why wouldn't you…?"

"Like I said...regardless of the past, you're still helping to protect this family now…" Laura said quietly, wiping away her tears. "A-And I won't withdraw my thanks. All that I ask is that...the moment this is over…" She sighed. "I'd...I'd like you to leave. I-I'm sorry, I just…"

"I understand," Jack interrupted with a solemn nod. It was understandable that Laura would not want to have to be around the one responsible for her husband's murder any longer than necessary. That idea may be the only part of this I understand… he thought with a frown. Although it makes sense that she'd be conflicted...never mind. I suppose I do understand where she's coming from with all of her actions here. After all, if say, someone saved Olivia's life but unintentionally killed my father in the past...I'd be rather torn as well.

"For what it's worth…" Jack said slowly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Your husband, he...he seemed brave. When I was found out while passing through this town a few years ago, most people ran, but he came after me...he came because he thought I was a threat, that I was a demon that would hurt his family without showing any remorse." The boy looked at Laura, lowering his hand and saying gently. "He was trying to protect you, and Elizabeth, and the rest of the townsfolk here, while the only one I was trying to protect was myself." He shook his head. "I should not have been the one to walk away from our encounter."

Jack would never know what Laura's response to his words might have been, for the moment she opened her mouth to speak, a piercing scream sounded from within the room the children were occupying. A scream that Jack knew too well.

Olivia's scream.

His crystalline eyes widened as he ran to the door and flung it open before racing inside. He stopped in his tracks when an outstretched, gloved hand filled his vision, inches away from hitting him in the face.

"Not so fast, kid," the figure before him said. It was a relatively young female, with a voice like poisoned silk. "I'm afraid you and I have no business...so back off."

Jack didn't move, for his entire body had gone numb. His heart pounded in his ears and his eyes were as wide as saucers, staring into the palm of the woman's hand. Memories from years before came flooding back to him.

He knew that voice.

()()()()

-shadows themselves, a woman appeared-

-came to a halt-

-sneered coldly at-

"What have we-

-voice was like poisoned silk-

-end of the line, sprite-

-no escape."

Heart pounding-

-threw a snowball-

-spluttered in anger-

-scrambled to his feet and ran—

()()()()

"You…" Jack whispered, his voice completely inaudible to all but himself. He took a careful step back in order to see her face.

She was pale, even more so than he was, and had cruel golden eyes. Her beautiful but sharp features were framed by jet black hair, and her red lips were twisted into a cold smirk. Rather than a dress, she wore a black tunic with a matching long-sleeved undershirt and leggings, and Jack had a sinking feeling that multiple weapons were concealed somewhere on her person.

Fighting to keep his voice at least somewhat steady, he stammered, "O-Onyx, is it?"

The woman gave an unsettling smile. "Oh, you know me? I didn't realize I was so famous…" she drawled lazily, lowering her hand down to rest on her hip. She arched an eyebrow, observing him. "Hm...interesting. You know my name, but I don't know yours. Care to share?"

"Not particularly," Jack replied stiffly, his grip on his staff tightening. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jamie and Elizabeth kneeling protectively in front of Sophie, who looked frightened and confused, and Olivia, who was curled up in the fetal position, arms over her ears and silent tears flowing from her eyes. Jack's chest hurt at the sight of her so scared, but he forced himself to concentrate on looking Onyx in the eye.

"Hm, shame," Onyx said, shrugging flippantly. She looked him up and down, studying his pathetic excuse for a battle stance with an amused smirk playing at her lips. "So it's a fight you're looking for, is it?" She laughed, the eerie sound sending shivers down Jack's spine. "Well, I just came for little Miss Olivia, but I suppose I could spare you a few moments if you really want!"

Before Jack could have time to register what she had said, Onyx whipped a knife out from seemingly nowhere, plunging it into the boy's shoulder before abruptly tearing it back out again. Jack nearly let out a cry of pain, but cut himself off at the last second. As an alternative to screaming, he fell to his knees and bit his lip so hard he tasted blood.

Onyx's chilling laugh sounded again. "That was only a warning stab," she snickered, a cold glint in her golden eyes. "Still think you can take me, kid?"

Jack gritted his teeth, using his good arm to push himself unsteadily to his feet. "I'm...not...a kid…" he panted through the pain. He clasped his hand over his shoulder in order to stem the flow of blood, but knew that it would not suffice for long.

"Right, and I'm not a terrible person," Onyx said sarcastically, seeming to revel in her own antagonistic ways. She gave a slight chuckle and ran her finger along the flat end of her knife. As she examined the bit of Jack's blood that stuck to her glove, she said matter-of-factly, "If you want to die, then I'd suggest challenging me. If you don't, then-"

She didn't finish her sentence, for Jack had roughly tackled her to the ground. With one hand loosely gripping her neck and ready to tighten in order to cut off the woman's air supply, he growled, "What do you want with Oliv-AGH!"

The knife reentered his body, this time through his upper leg. He couldn't stop himself from crying out, nor could Laura, who was unarmed and helpless in her position by the door, and the children, who still huddled fearfully by the wall. Though his vision swam, he could still faintly see Onyx slip out of his hold and stand, grabbing him by the collar and holding him up to face her.

"I reiterate," she hissed. "If you want to die, challenging me is the way to go." She held her knife up to the side of his face and made a thin cut through the skin over his left cheekbone. "Now, I don't know who you are, or why you're trying to defend the little brat, but you should know that anyone who gets in my way…" She chuckled darkly. "Well, they don't live to tell the-AHH!"

Her words were cut off completely when Jack suddenly kicked his staff up off the ground with his good leg and jammed the end of it into her stomach, successfully knocking the wind out of her. In her surprise, Onyx dropped the boy and stumbled backwards a few paces, gasping for air. With a downright murderous expression on her face, she regained her breath and lunged forward, knife raised to deal the final blow to the winter boy on the floor. Jack lowered his head and waited for the blade to pierce him.

"NO!" he heard his sister scream.

He waited.

The knife's blade fell towards him.

He felt nothing.

"Ah, damn it…" Jack heard Onyx mutter irritably. "Pitch is not gonna be happy about this…"

Jack allowed a slight frown to cross his face. How am I still alive? he thought confusedly. There's no possible way she could have missed… The boy slowly raised his head, wincing slightly through the pain of his wounds, in order to see what had occurred to cause his life to be spared.

His heart stopped.

There, lying on the floor in front of him, was Olivia, blood pooling around her and the knife sticking out of her chest.

...well...um...

*starts running for the hills before you all kill me*

ByeguysIhopeyouenjoyedandI'llseeyouguysnextweekformoreRunningForLife!

FornowSapphire316out!