*slowly creeps back in*

*peers around the corner*

*shifty eyes*

*yelps and withdraws head as multiple arrows hit the wall around me*

GAH! Guys, uh...chill! I know you're all freaking out, but um...don't kill me? Heh, heh heh, heh...I REGRET NOTHING, OKAY!?

Ahem, well...*dusts self off* Now that we've established that I'm not above killing off a ten-year-old...let's get to the reviews! Dang...quite the turnout this time around. And most of the reviews have at least some part of it in all caps, oh my God XD Anyway, thanks so much to The hazel-eyed bookworm, Nekohime1, StarG4zer, readwithcats (Hmm...you just might be forgiving me :), OneWhoDreamz (Aww, you're sweet! Thank you so much, and don't worry, I won't hold it against you if you don't review1 :D), BooksAreMedicine, Brenne (*continues running through the hills* AHHHH I'M SORRYYYY [except I'm really not sorry :)]), Ravenclaw667, Serami Nefera (What can I say? I'm evil! :D Thank you though, I'm glad you're enjoying it that much!), AFandomLostInTheEcho, OutOfThisUniverse (I am running for my life, don't worry XD And...ha...stabbed...ha ha...ha...), jackandelsaforever101 (*runs away* AHHHH!), lazig33 (You'll see...), Tiredandlazy, justsomeone (Mwahahaha...), Demonicsis, Daziy is SoniQ, lirg eht, laurcuna (AHHHH RUN AWAYYYYY [thanks! XD]), Guest (WELCOME BACK, ALL CAPS GUEST), BlueFireRunes, WickedInk (*runs through the hills screaming* AHHHHHH GET AWAY FROM MEEEE [you know I hear bike pumps double as soul-reinflators]), Randomly Talented, and Guest!

...I love you guys. ;)

Anywho, one more thing before we get started: the song lyrics in this chapter don't belong to me. They're from the song "Kingdom Come" by The Civil Wars. Very good song, you guys should look it up, haha. That being said, I'm curious: do you guys know of any songs that you think would fit well with this story? As like a soundtrack, I mean. I already have a few in mind, but I'd love to hear if some of you guys have some ideas of songs you think fit! If you guys agree to do this, at the end I'll probably form a chapter with the titles of the songs I accept, along with whoever suggested it...well, I'm getting ahead of myself. Just let me know if you have any ideas!

With all that out of the way, on with the chapter!

Chapter 20: Red

"Run, run, run away...buy yourself another day…"

He would often recall a soothing song his mother and father used to hum so long ago.

"A cold wind's whispering secrets in your ear…"

He remembered falling asleep to its first few soft lines, hardly ever staying awake to hear the full song. However, across the uncommon occasions that he was able to properly listen, he couldn't help but memorize every line.

"So low only you can hear…"

At times, he would sing it to his sister when she was upset in order to calm her. She was the only person he would ever sing for.

"Run, run, run and hide...somewhere no one else can find…"

He had always loved that song for some reason that he could not place. Perhaps it was the lilting notes, or simply the fact that he had learned it from his family. However, he had never used to really focus on the lyrics.

"Tall trees bend and lean, pointing where to go...where you will still be all alone…"

He could have never expected just to what extent those words would ring true.

"Don't you fret, my dear...it'll all be over soon…"

Regardless of the eerie parallels to his own situation, he never once considered abandoning the song. After all, it was one of the few things he had left from his old life. It would kill him to forsake it forever.

"I'll be waiting here…"

He closed his eyes and lost himself in his thoughts as his lips continued to form the words he knew so well.

"For you…"

()()()()

He wanted to kill her.

The greater portion of Jack's consciousness had faded at the sight of his baby sister's spilled blood, leaving him with nothing more than a primal protective rage. He couldn't think. He couldn't speak. He couldn't move.

All he knew was that Onyx had to die.

Without him really noticing, a thick layer of ice spread across his wounds, not healing them, but stemming the flow of his blood. Numbly, he watched Onyx's eyes widen in shock as he slowly stood up, his own eyes all but glowing a fiery blue. She took a nervous step back as the temperature in the room plummeted.

"What...what the hell!?" she exclaimed. She backed away further. "A snow sprite!? No...no, they're all dead! I made sure of it myself, they're all-urk!"

Jack's hand abruptly clamped itself around her throat, effectively cutting off her words. He felt nothing aside from wrath, though his face betrayed not even that much. Snow swirled around the pair of them, obscuring their actions from the horrified onlookers. If Jack had been able to think clearly, he would have taken this as a good thing. After all, what he was doing was not something that three children should witness.

Then again, had he been able to think clearly, he wouldn't have been about to commit murder, no matter the circumstances.

His grip tightened. He could practically feel Onyx's windpipe struggle to re-expand as his hand crushed it mercilessly. The woman's unsettling yellow eyes were wide as, with one hand, she scratched furiously at his cold fingers, and with the other, fumbled with something concealed at her waist. His eyes were blank as they stared down into hers. Ice began to spread from his fingertips, bent on cloaking Onyx in a frozen barrier.

Suddenly, before the ice barrier could spread very far, Onyx jerked her arm forward, revealing an obsidian-colored knife, which she wasted no time in plunging into the boy's side. In an instant, the spell was broken.

Jack cried out in pain, sinking to his knees before Onyx could get the chance to yank the knife from his flesh. He didn't bother trying to hide his screams of anguish, caused not only by the three stab wounds the Nightmare King's ally had inflicted on him, but by the fate of Olivia, the sister he had only just been reunited with. Regardless of this, however, he refused to let tears stream down his face. He did not cry.

He never cried.

"Ugh...y-you little piece of…" Onyx rasped, rubbing her neck as she glared daggers at the fallen boy. She shot another glance over at Olivia's alarmingly still body. "Damn it…" she seethed. "Pitch is gonna kill me for letting one die...whatever. I'm getting the hell out of here." With a strained laugh, she nodded at Jack. "See you later...sprite." With that, she seemed to sink into the shadows, her form gradually fading until there was nothing left of her presence save for the knives currently embedded in Jack and Olivia. Onyx was gone.

Jack was once again frozen in place, staring at his sister's limp form. Ever so slowly, he reached out with his good arm and placed his index and middle fingers on her neck.

No pulse.

She was gone.

He felt sick, squeezing his eyes shut tightly in hopes that the room would stop swirling around him. The boy didn't notice that he was slowly sinking to the ground until he realized his cheek was warm and slick with Olivia's blood. He didn't bother moving to a more comfortable position. He wasn't even sure that he could.

The young sprite thought he heard footsteps in the hallway, but they could have just been part of his imagination. Jack heard shouting and grimaced. He wanted the noise to stop. It only made the pain seem worse. To block it out, he sang a song in his head.

Don't you fret my dear...

Jack tiredly closed his eyes, grimacing as the possibly-hallucinated footsteps and irritating voices drew closer. Why couldn't they just be quiet and let him be?

It'll all be over soon...

As the ice covering his wounds gradually melted, allowing for a greater amount of blood flow, the winter boy curled up in a ball, a low whimpering noise sounding in the very back of his throat.

I'll be waiting here...

Within seconds, unconsciousness had taken him.

For you...

()()()()

When Jack woke up, it was with a strange sense of calm that he surveyed his surroundings. He was lying alone in a bed that was located within a room with red walls, and a red door, and a reddish-brown floor. The comforter on the bed was also mostly red, but he suspected that it was supposed to have been a different color. What could have stained the blanket red?

The sheets were also red, and, upon looking closer, he could see that there were also spots of red on the floor. Frowning vaguely, Jack pushed down the blankets a little and looked down at himself. He wasn't wearing a shirt, but the bandages around his torso were red too, as well as the ones around his shoulder and his leg.

Why is there so much red? he thought curiously. Then, I don't like red. Why didn't he like red? He was confused.

Then, the red door opened, and a tall man with red cheeks and red clothes entered the room. His hands were stained red too, as though he had dipped them in red and it hadn't quite come off yet. Jack felt like he was supposed to know this man, but all he could focus on was the red.

"...Jack," the man in red said softly. "You are...awake."

Jack nodded. He was happy he could move his head without feeling pain, but the same couldn't be said for his left arm and right leg, not to mention anything he moved that also jostled his right side by extent. "Hello," he said to the man, his voice sounding strange in his own ears. Weird, he thought. Why do I sound all...raspy? Doesn't that usually happen when people don't talk? I talk.

"You have been unconscious for four days...we were getting worried."

Oh. That explains it. Jack didn't know who "we" were, but it made sense that his voice would sound strange after not having used it for so long. He blinked and shifted slightly into a more vertical position. The pain in his side was agonizing, but he was unable to react to it. He simply blinked again, looking around the room.

"There's a lot of red here," he said matter-of-factly. "See?" He pointed at the walls. "Red." He pointed at the door. "Red." He pointed at the floor. "Red." He pointed at the blanket. "Red." He pointed at the sheets. "Red." He pointed at the man's clothes. "Red." He pointed at his bandages. "Red." He looked up at the man and nodded. "Lot of red."

The man said nothing, only nodding slightly. He looked sad.

Jack tilted his head slightly. "You look sad," he said.

Taking a deep breath, the man looked down at his red hands. "Jack…" he said quietly, then trailed off once more.

"That's me."

The man nodded again. "Yes," he said tiredly. "That is you."

"Mmhmm." Jack thought for a few minutes. It was a slow process, seeing as all the red was clogging up space in his head, but he eventually came to the conclusion that something wasn't right. "I feel funny," he said, blinking up at the man in red.

"Yes...it is because of medicine that Aster gave you…" the man explained, his voice still strangely quiet. Jack was confused. Why was the man so sad? Still, he let him continue, because it was the polite thing to do. "It speeds up healing process, and helps you sleep better, but...also makes you, ah...slightly loopy."

"Oh." Jack smiled. "That's a funny word," he said, deciding not to focus on who this "Aster" person might be. He gave a slight giggle. "Loopy." He cocked his head, looking up at the man with all the innocence of a young child. "What does 'loopy' mean?"

"It...does not matter," the man in red said with a heavy sigh. "Here, I...I need to change bandages."

Jack nodded wisely. "Yeah," he said as the man approached him. "They're too red. Weird..." He cocked his head the other way. "Can they be blue this time? I like blue. Blue's a good color. Better than red."

"...yes, Jack, they can be blue…"

This confused Jack. The bandages in the man's hand were clearly white. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he beamed. Maybe they're magic and they'll turn blue! he thought excitedly. The man seemed to not understand why he was smiling so widely, but Jack didn't mind. The man was probably just trying to keep it a secret, so Jack could be pleasantly surprised when the bandages turned blue. Jack wanted to be nice, so he didn't say anything that would spoil the surprise.

Once the bandage around his torso was removed, Jack was met with the sight of even more red. "Whoa…" he said in frightened awe, staring at the hole in his side. Despite the fact that it was sealed, it looked like it was only being held together by a few strands of thread, and a trickle of red was seeping through. "I look broken…" The boy's lower lip trembled slightly, and he looked up at the tall man in red, eyes filling with unshed tears. "A-Am I broken…?" he asked fearfully. "C-Can someone...get tools? And you know...fix it?"

"We fixed it, Jack, you are not broken," the nice man in red said gently, patting the shoulder that wasn't red. "We may need to adjust stitches a little...but you will be okay."

"Oh." Jack blinked the tears away, the sudden sadness gone. "Okay," he said, letting the man pull at the strange thread in his side. It hurt, but it didn't bother him. He simply looked up at the ceiling as the man sewed him back up again.

I'm like a stuffed animal, he thought with a silly grin. Someone ripped me, and I gotta be fixed...I wonder what kind of animal I'd be.

"Maybe a fox," he said out loud. The man looked at him strangely, but quickly returned to his work. "I like foxes. Not a red fox though. I don't like red. Maybe a white one. Yeah, a white fox is good."

"Alright, Jack," the man said as he finished sewing and wrapped Jack's torso in the white, soon-to-be-blue bandages. He then changed the bandages around Jack's shoulder with no complications, then moved on to the ones around the boy's upper leg. It was then that Jack realized something.

"I'm not wearing very many clothes," he commented, noting his lack of shirt and pants. "Any less and this would be weird."

The man in red gave a long-suffering sigh and nodded. "Sure, Jack…" he said, tightening the threads in Jack's leg. He soon finished with it and reached over to the red nightstand beside the red bed. The man picked up what looked like a sharp silver sewing needle, and dipped the pointed tip into a strange green paste sitting beside where it had previously been.

"Don't I usually have a cloak?" Jack asked, tilting his head to the side. As he did so, the man in red gently inserted the point of the needle into a small hole in the side of his neck that seemed to have been reopened by such an act multiple times. "Feels...weirrrrdddd withoouut ittttt…" He laughed as the colors in the room suddenly blurred together, most of it being red. "Whoaaa…" he mumbled, letting his head sink back into the pillow as his already-fuzzy thoughts swam. "Whaaaaaaa…? Whasgoin' onnn…?" His mouth felt like it was full of cotton, causing his words to slur together into an almost unrecognizable flurry of random sounds.

Through the low buzzing that had taken over his left ear, Jack heard the man apologizing. "I am sorry for putting you to sleep when you just woke up, Jack...but is time for more medicine...you need to heal...and you need to rest more…"

"BuIidhat...fofoays…" That's funny, Jack thought amusedly. I was trying to say, "But I did that for four days". I wonder why I can't talk. It's a mystery...I like solving mysteries! This is fun!

The nice man in red still sounded sad. "I am sorry Jack," he said softly. "But we just want you to get better…" He sighed and said something much quieter, something Jack figured he wasn't supposed to hear. "And if you are awake...and your mind is clear...I do not think that will happen…"

Jack smiled as his eyelids drooped. They want me to get better! he thought joyously. They like me! I don't know who "they" is...but they must be nice! I guess if they think I should sleep, I will. But why can't my mind be clear? Wait...my mind is clear! I'm thinking! Hm...I don't think I should tell him. He seems sad. But it's okay! I'm okay! I must be really okay if I'm getting better like this while I'm thinking clearly. But it's okay, I'll let him take care of me. He's nice! Even though he's wearing red. I don't know why, but I don't really like red. Oh well…

With the silly smile never leaving his face, Jack allowed himself to slip peacefully into the realm of sleep, the medicine helping him to be blissfully unaware of everything around him.

So...I may have had way too much fun with delirious Jack here, so, spoiler alert, there'll be more of him in the next chapter. XD Don't worry though, once I've had my fun, we'll bring Jack back to his senses and let him remember everything that happened. :) Hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see you next week for Chapter 21! (They grow up so fast~!)

Until then, Sapphire316, out.