*runs into room in a flurry of papers* DON'T WORRY, I'M NOT DEAD!

Yikes, sorry about this, guys, but it's nearing the end of the school year and my school is doing its best to kill me before finals even start. HOWEVER, NOT TO WORRY, MY LITTLE GEMS, SAPPHIRE'S BROUGHT A LONG, IMPORTANT CHAPTER FULL OF EXPLANATION FOR YOU!

...oh my God I'm slowly losing my mind.

OKAY so before I go completely insane, let's handle the reviews! Huge thanks go out to WinterCrystal1009, Yukomin, rwbygirl, BooksAreMedicine (Ah, it's just that flights kind of an ace up their sleeves to keep secret most of the time and only use in dire situations. The attack was a dire situation, yes, but, as it was also a fire situation, the heat made it so they couldn't operate as well as normal, because...well, snow sprites and heat don't mix, haha), Randomly Talented (You'll see!), FrostyFirebender (Thank you!), Guest (Well, welcome back to the fandom, and thank you!), Guest, Lexismash (Awesome! Happy [belated] birthday to you as well!), Serami Nefera (Aw, thank you so much!), Guest, Guest, Guest (Just gonna keep saying your name for each review even though I can tell you're the same person XD), cerALL (Wow, thank you, that means a lot! :D), Prince Maggie (Thank you!), Guest (...okay this is officially my new favorite review. And yes...you are correct XD), Guest (Glad I could send you on an emotional rollercoaster, and thanks for the song suggestions!), yesthesameGuest (Sadistic blue corundum...I like it XD), Guest, Guest, SylfElf (Yeah, I'm okay, don't worry! Just really busy with school), Guest, Guest (XD), Guest (Don't worry, I know what you meant XD), and SylfElf (Welp, here I am!)!

With all that out of the way...on with the chapter that'll hopefully answer a lot of questions!

Chapter 36: Daughter of Fear

He didn't much consider the people he had run into during the fire. He knew that one was female and the other male, and that they were both equally cruel. Besides that, they never really crossed his mind.

Unless, that is, they showed up in his nightmares.

It didn't happen often, but sometimes, he would recall the wicked face and piercing yellow eyes of the woman he had just barely escaped from, as well as the high, cold tones in which she spoke. He had not seen what the man looked like, of course, but his inhuman voice terrified him as well.

He could not shake the feeling that the two of them were monsters.

For some reason, he had sensed something off about them the moment they were close to him. A heavy darkness had seemed to hang around them, the man especially, and his fear had spiked to a dangerously high level in their presence.

It did not happen often, but at times, their voices would sound while he was fast asleep, tormenting him until daybreak. This happened less and less as he got older, but the recurring dream never failed to strike back at least at some point.

He grew frustrated with his own terror, but there was nothing he could do about it. The thing that brought him the most comfort in the dark of the night was sleeping while leaning up against his horse's side. The contact reminded him that, though he had no humanoid companions, he was not completely alone. Unfortunately, however, the voices of the man and woman were not deterred by the mere presence of another living thing.

If he had known that the voices belonged to the Nightmare King himself and his second in command, he might have understood, but for years, all he could do was wonder why the sounds plagued him so.

()()()()

"You...you're...what!?" Jack exclaimed, dropping his staff in pure shock. "Th-The Nightmare King has a daughter!?"

Emily Jane sighed, nodding. "Yes," she said. "I know it's hard to believe, but...he wasn't always 'Pitch Black'..."

The boy frowned, slowly picking his staff back up. He studied her jade green eyes which, just minutes before, had been a sharp yellow. "What do you mean…?" he asked cautiously.

The young woman took a deep breath and said to him, "Alright...I don't have much time before Onyx takes over again, but I'll tell you all that I know. First...there wasn't always such thing as the Nightmare King. It's true that he's been around for an impressive amount of time, but long ago, he did not exist. Only the Fearlings did."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Not the Nightmares…?" he asked quizzically.

Emily Jane shook her head. "Not the Nightmares," she confirmed. "The Nightmares are my father's creation. The Fearlings, on the other hand, are ancient, even primal beings. Some believe their birth indicated the first manifestation of evil in the world, while others say they were born of the hatred and fears of mortals. Still others claim that, since a mortal can be turned into a Fearling through the right process, even the very first of the species was a transformed human."

She raised her eyebrows. "You've experienced what it's like to be a Fearling...what did you feel…?"

The young sprite frowned, somewhat taken aback by the question. "I...well, I…" He took a deep breath. "Hungry," he said simply. "I felt hungry. All I could feel was this...this longing to taste Fear, to drink it in, to practically breathe it...there was no motive to it, I just...needed it."

By her nod, Jack assumed that Emily Jane had already known what his answer would be. "Yes," she said. "A Fearling knows only one thing; the desire for Fear. It sustains and strengthens them, which in turn gives them the ability to obtain more Fear.

"They...are remarkably simple creatures, despite their threatening reputation." She sighed. "As I'm sure you've guessed, Onyx is a Fearling. She has been possessing me for millennia, so...I know the hunger you described. It might be hard for you to fathom how creatures of pure evil can exist; after all, morals are grayscale, not black and white. But the only things driving Fearlings forward is their desire to taste terror from as many people as possible, and so they are naturally wicked."

Jack slowly nodded in comprehension. "I see…" he murmured. "If Fearlings are 'primal', like you said, they could have easily come from a time when morals were simply in black and white...and they most likely have not evolved much if at all, so...all they know is survival and strength."

"Yes," Emily Jane agreed with a nod. "You're exactly right."

Jack paused, a slight frown on his face. "Hold on…" he said slowly. "You said the Nightmare King wasn't always...well, the Nightmare King. Who was he before…?"

Emily Jane was silent for a long moment, eyes staring past him as though she was reminiscing. Finally, she spoke in a soft voice. "My father's name was Kozmotis Pitchiner," she said. "He was a general, a war hero known for being adept at fighting off Fearlings."

She lowered her head. "That said...he wasn't immune to their powers. No one was, after all, for everyone was terrified of them…"

"...thus only giving them more power," Jack finished quietly.

The young woman offered him a slight smile. "Good...so you did figure it out." As Jack nodded, she took a deep breath and continued speaking.

"The time of which I speak was thousands upon thousands of years ago, and the setting is a land far from this one. So far, even, that it could be considered an entirely different world. In this land, there had been a period of desolation and death known as the Dark Ages. During them, Fearlings ran wild, devouring fear, reaping terror, and sometimes quite literally scaring people to death. Some were driven mad and ended their own lives, while others' hearts simply stopped beating." She sighed. "True to its name, it was a dark time.

"Soon, however, a young soldier devised a plan to lure all of the Fearlings in the land together and capture each one of them. I never learned what that plan was, but it worked. The Fearlings were locked away, and the Dark Ages gave way to the Golden Age. The peace and prosperity lasted a long time, and my father was hailed as a hero and promoted to general.

"However...not all was well." Emily Jane stiffened slightly, and Jack sensed that, whatever she would say next, it would not be easy for her to tell.

"Due to his heroic deeds, my father was given a special job that everyone believed only he was worthy for. He was given the post as guard at the Fearlings' cell." She took a deep breath before continuing. "He worked this job since before I was born, so I never knew a time when he wasn't there for most of the day.

"I never went to the cell, but I overheard him telling my mother how awful it was to hear their dark voices constantly whispering in his ears...still, despite that, he managed to stay sane. At first, merely thinking about my mother and I was enough for him to ignore them. Eventually, however, it grew more difficult, and he began to take a locket with my picture in it with him to keep him grounded."

Her already present frown deepened. "That's how the Fearlings found his weakness. They saw the picture of me, made the connection, and delved deeper into his mind to harvest his Fear. They mimicked my voice, made it seem as though I was within the cell, crying out for help. His mind was already fragile, and that was the breaking point. He flung open the cell doors and…" Her voice broke and she fell silent.

Jack gave her a few moments to compose herself before he quietly prompted, "And…?"

"And…" the young woman sighed. "And he was possessed by hundreds of them," she finished stiffly.

The boy's eyes widened. "Possessed...by hundreds...all at once!?"

Emily Jane nodded. "Yes...he is now completely under their control...with so many Fearlings in his body...Kozmotis Pitchiner is dead."

A solemn silence fell between the two. Jack might never have known Kozmotis, but he could understand the man's actions. After all… he thought silently. If Livi was...was alive...and it was me in that situation, and I heard her voice...I think I would do the same thing…

Finally, Emily Jane spoke again. "That day...the Dark Ages returned. They were even worse than before, and within a day, the world I knew was ravaged. Countless mortals tried to escape, but very few actually made it. Small groups of humans, Pookas, sprites, Sand-Spinners, and others managed to reach this land, settling here amongst the citizens that were already present. I was able to get here as well...but I never saw my mother or many of my friends again, and Onyx possessed me very soon after my arrival.

"Another group that managed to escape was the royal family. They came to this land in search of safety...but did not know that the Nightmare King was following them. They were forced to abandon the ship they had come in before landing on this planet in a smaller boat...the ship, the Moon Clipper, became this world's moon, which is why each Tsar and Tsarina can use moon magic...it's because of their connection to the ship…"

At this point, Jack was lost. He had no idea how a ship could possibly be used to travel anywhere but water, or how it could become a moon itself. Wouldn't it have to be nothing short of colossal to do such a thing? Still, he said nothing. He could see that Emily Jane's eyes seemed to be getting a bit lighter, and he was afraid that Onyx might be close to taking over once more. He decided to simply nod and let her continue.

She shook her head. "Anyway…" she said. "Long story short, my father chased the royals here and overthrew the kingdom that was already in place. The Dark Ages continued for a long time until the royals, with the help of the newly chosen Guardians, managed to beat him back and take control of the area, which then became the tsardom of Soluna that you know today."

Here, she paused, and Jack was allowed a moment to think. So now I know the Nightmare King's origins...I know how he got here...I know what he's done… he mused. Then, the young sprite frowned. But...what of his plans in the present…?

Emily Jane seemed to read the confusion on his face, and nodded. "You're wondering about recent events," she said. "Don't worry, I can explain all of that as well."

"Then please do…" Jack told her quietly. "What did the Nightmare King want with us…? Why did he kill or capture everyone…?"

"Multiple reasons," Emily Jane sighed. "First and foremost...he had heard that Tsar Lunar planned to choose a snow sprite as the fifth Guardian of Childhood."

Jack gaped at her in shock. "S-So he decided to eradicate all of us!?" he exclaimed.

The young woman nodded gravely. "He thought it best to be perfectly safe from them," she said. "And so the first thing he did was spread rumors about them. My father...no, the Fearlings possessing him...they're experts at creating mass terror. They knew exactly what to say in order to plant seeds of doubt within everyone else's mind, then cultivate them until they had flowered into fear, which then in turn led to hatred.

"The Nightmare King knew that he would easily be able to coerce adults into killing other adults for him, but wasn't so sure about young children. Some individuals might be so callous that they would be willing to kill a child, but most would be more likely to show mercy. Because of this, he got an idea. He would tell the mortals that he planned to 'save the young sprites from their horrible destinies' by stripping them of their powers and rendering them completely human.

"Since he didn't want to be recognized, he sent me-or rather, Onyx-to spread the word, and so the children were rounded up whenever an attack was launched. People were told that the younger they were, the easier they were to turn, so many of the older children who were passed over simply perished in the flames often set." Her expression darkened. "And quite honestly...that was the kinder fate."

"Because the captured children were experimented on...and many of them didn't make it…" Jack whispered, feeling a lump forming in his throat. "L-Livi told me…"

Emily Jane sighed. "Yes…" She looked at him sadly and quietly said to him, "I'm sorry about your sister, Jack..."

The boy gulped and nodded. Then, not trusting himself to speak again without his voice breaking, he signaled for her to continue.

She nodded and spoke again. "The experiments were failures for a while...any child older than seven died from them, which, of course, is how we knew to go after the younger ones. Then…there was your sister. She was the first to survive the process, and the results were declared perfect. After that, things sped up, and many more sprites became human."

"But...why?" Jack asked, finally able to speak steadily. "Why did any of this even happen…? I understand having to lie to the mortals in order to get their help, but why go through all the trouble of actually following through…? Why not just kill them in secret…?"

"Because it wasn't just a lie," Emily Jane explained. "My father actually did want to take their powers from them...in order to fuse them with his own. It didn't work with him personally...he would have needed the magic of billions and billions of children in order to have it meld with the large amount of Fearlings within him. However, he was able to create hybrids between the ice magic and either Fearlings or Nightmares. Not many were able to be made, but they are extremely powerful. Be wary of them as you go further."

Jack gulped nervously. Extremely powerful… he thought. That does not sound good…

Then, he paused, thinking over something. "Wait…" he said. "My sister...she told me she was trapped for two years...was she let go right after her magic was taken from her…?"

The woman shook her head. "No," she said. "The experiments were deemed successful only a few months after she was taken."

Jack frowned, confused. "So then...why was she kept so long only to be let go…?"

Emily Jane gave a slight smile. "Because the children weren't supposed to be set free," she told him. "Just like right now, I was able to temporarily take control of my body back from Onyx. I helped the children to escape and, though I regretted having to do this to them, I put them on the market as servants in order to scatter them across the tsardom so they would be safe. However...Onyx took back control soon after. I managed to block her from access to those particular thoughts for a long time, but my will eventually broke. Those kidnappings in Kilatai the Guardians have surely mentioned...that was Onyx retaking the turned snow sprites from the area. She got ahold of all of the children from that region, and is now working on Iskald…" Here, she sighed. "...as you know."

Jack looked down, once again falling victim to the memories of his sister's bloodied body lying stretched out in front of him, the pool of red slowly expanding beneath her. He shoved them aside and lifted his head again, forcing his voice to remain steady. "So...why does the Nightmare King still need them…?" Good, Jack, you're not showing your mental breakdown. Keep it up.

Emily Jane was silent for a long time, and for every second that her mouth remained closed, Jack's sense of foreboding grew. Finally, she spoke.

"They...well they still have a bit of their power inside of them...it is hidden and cannot be accessed at will, but...if certain methods are used, it will show itself…" Her tone was uneasy. Jack didn't like where this was going.

She took a deep breath. "Jack...all of the sprites that Onyx managed to bring back here...they've been turned into Fearlings…"

Jack's heart nearly stopped.

With horror, he remembered the desperate hunger and bloodlust he had felt as a Fearling, then imagined a child feeling the same. He thought of children he used to tell stories to and entertain whenever they asked, reduced to primal beasts with nothing but the taste for Fear and death. He felt ill.

"N-No…" he stammered. "All...a-all of them!?"

The woman nodded gravely.

He stared at the ground. He didn't even realize he was speaking until he heard himself say, "Can't...c-can't they be turned back to normal…? The Tsar's magic! 'Twas what saved me, I mean, can't it-!?"

"I'm sorry, Jack…" Emily Jane interrupted with a sigh. "It can't...if the Tsar saved you, he would have used up a substantial amount of magic that will most likely leave him drained for a very long time...and you are just one person...to do the same to dozens of children without the entire process taking centuries...it's simply impossible…"

He supposed he should have expected as much, but still, Jack felt a stabbing pain in his heart as a lump formed in his throat. They...they cannot be changed back… he thought numbly. 'Tis…'Tis impossible...n-no...innocent children's lives...lost…

He felt a hand take his and looked up with a start. Emily Jane met his gaze and stared at him with an intense determination. "Jack," she said firmly. "You must not let yourself break down, not now."

Jack knew she was right, but he was finding it difficult to breathe, let alone nod his assent.

"There are so many more former snow sprites scattered across Soluna," she continued. "Former snow sprites that will be recaptured and turned into Fearlings if my father is not stopped. They're counting on you, Jack Frost. You and the other Guardians need to keep fighting."

"O-Other…?" he managed to stammer past the shock that still tried to strangle him.

The Nightmare King's daughter nodded. "Other. Like it or not, Jack, you are one of them. I knew it the moment I-or Onyx, rather-looked at you. The Tsar chose you for a reason. You have a Center. You are a Guardian."

There was a word he hadn't heard in a while. "Center". The concept was still as confusing to him as it was at the time that North had delivered his short speech on it. With a frown, he reached into the concealed pocket within the folds of his cloak, removing the tiny doll that North had given him. He was idly surprised that it had remained there all this time, but pushed that thought aside and instead silently studied the small wooden toy.

"But I will say that once you have found it, you will realize that it has been there all along," North had said.

Jack could safely say that he had no idea what that was supposed to mean.

With a sigh, he replaced the doll and looked back at Emily Jane. A frown found its way onto his face as he realized that she seemed to be in pain, and her eyes seemed even lighter than before, jade beginning to turn to peridot. "Emi-"

"I'm fine!" she gasped. "I-It's Onyx...she's fighting back harder...I do not think I have much more time to talk…"

The young sprite bit his lip nervously. "I see…" he said. "Do you have anything else to tell me…?"

"O-One thing…" she said, a shaking hand moving towards the back of her neck. She seemed to fiddle with something for a moment, then reached under the front of her collar, pulling an old locket from around her neck. He knew the moment he looked at it that it was the locket she had mentioned before. The one that had kept Kozmotis Pitchiner sane for years. "Take...t-take this…"

She handed him the locket and instructed him to open it. When he did, he was met with a transparent image springing up in front of him. He gasped in shock, nearly dropping the locket, but just barely managed to hold onto it.

"Magic…" he muttered under his breath. "I see…"

The image was of two people, one a man, and the other a young girl. By the girl's black hair and emerald eyes, Jack easily guessed that he was looking at a younger version of the woman he now spoke to. The man's identity was obvious as well. Though Jack had never actually seen the Nightmare King, he knew there was no one else it could be.

Emily Jane winced, then spoke quickly to him. "P-Please...show this to my father. I-It sh-should distract him long enough f-for you to bind him w-with the chain I s-saw the Guardians carrying…" She coughed, then continued. "W-When Onyx stabbed you...y-you didn't d-die...the Tsar's p-protection...h-how many more t-times…?"

"One…" he answered with a frown. "I was shot by Simon and then stabbed by Onyx...I have one more safety net available to me."

She nodded, taking a rattling breath. Her eyes were extremely light now. "A-Alright...b-be careful all the same…"

Jack bit his lip and nodded. "I will…" he told her.

"G-Good...I will send you b-back to the others...b-but first...you must kill me…"

Jack's eyes widened. "Wh-!?"

Before he could even get the word out, a dark mass sprung forth from Emily Jane's chest, causing her to let out a piercing scream of pain that made Jack's elfin ears ring. The form instantly retreated into the shadows, leaving Jack and Emily Jane alone.

"W-What the-?" Jack stammered.

"O...Onyx…" Emily Jane rasped, sounding far weaker than before. Her eyes had returned to their regular deep green, but they were no longer vivid and light. "S-Such a...c-coward…" She coughed and continued feebly. "I c-couldn't l-let...Onyx t-take over...f-figured y-you wouldn't k-kill me...b-but I n-needed to s-scare her…"

She sounded like she was dying.

"E-Emily Jane…" Jack breathed softly, realizing what must be happening. "Onyx, she...she was the only thing keeping your body alive…"

The dying woman nodded slowly. "Y-Yes…" she said, then took a deep breath. "J-Jack Frost...t-take the l-locket...h-help thwart my f-father's plans...a-avenge y-your kind...p-prove yourself…"

The young sprite gulped and nodded, shakily putting the locket around his own neck. "I will…" he whispered. "I promise…"

Emily Jane smiled. "G-Good…" she whispered back, then took another deep, rattling breath. "N-Now g-go...y-you will b-be returned to the G-Guardians...g-go...I-I know you can...do...it…"

And then she died.

...see you guys next time. :)

(Whichprobablywon'tbenextweekbecauseIhavesomuchschoolstufftodojustbepatientwithmeguysahhhhhh)

'Til then, Sapphire316, out.