Past...
The Pixie King, known as Dusk, paced the cave in agitation. He could feel the dark fearlings crawling on his back, reminding him of his sins. Of the many times that he caused a child to fear the dark. He gained power from it as well, the belief that the child had, so strong and now so twisted in fear. But it didn't feel right. The Pixie wanted laughter and joy, like with his pixies. He saw the pale light of the moon, and he peered out.
There is was, so full and so bright, the Moon.
Dusk narrowed his eyes in anger and stepped out fully into the light.
"Why don't you do something yourself?" The Pixie King accused. "You sit up there on your seat and you watch, You watch as we- no, Pitch takes this world in fear."
"Why are you yelling at the Moon?"
Dusk whirled around to see a shining boy. The Pixie king noticed that this boy looked very much like a skinny twiggy human, but then looked sort of like himself a little. He had long twiggy arms and legs, like himself. He noticed the boy was holding a staff with a diamond on the top. This boy, Dusk noticed, had the same green eyes that were filled with curiosity.
"I'm yelling because I can," Dusk replied, as he walked past the boy.
He saw the boy tilt his his as if asking a question.
"Who are you?" Dusk asked in annoyance.
"I am Nightlight," The boy answered. "What are you?"
The Pixie King looked at Nightlight and he blinked. He wasn't sure if he could trust this boy, but then he was reminded of his pixies.
"I am Artemis, the Great Pixie King."
Present...
When Jack woke back up, he noticed that a large form was next to him. He jerked away, thinking it was Pitch again, but when the form turned to look at him, the Frost spirit realized it was Story. Jack narrowed his eyes in confusion as he saw the Pixie King was covered in gray and black, very much like Pitch. But the eyes were the same crisp green as he knew.
The Frost Spirit suddenly remembered about the Fairy and he started looking around frantically for her, "Baby Tooth!"
"She's right here," Story said offering the tiny Fairy to Jack.
The boy saw the Fairy sitting on the large darkened hand and he quickly took Baby Tooth from the corrupted Pixie, and backed away from him.
Story noticed this and sighed, looking away and his wings drooped in sadness.
"You might want to get your staff," Story said, motioning towards the broken item.
"Why did you do it?" Jack asked abruptly. "You didn't side with Pitch did you?"
"Jack long ago, I agreed to a deal with Pitch," Story said, not looking at the Frost Spirit. "Long before I even knew the Guardians existed."
Jack felt his heart break at this revelation and he looked at the Fairy for a moment, seeing her fear. He looked back at the Pixie King and he placed the tiny Fairy on this shoulder as he moved closer to his friend. He placed his hand on Story's arm and saw the Pixie look at him.
"But you didn't destroy Easter did you?"
"Oh I did," Story confessed, his eyes darkening for a second. "Aster knew of you. He knew that you were eager to have a friend, to be seen. But not once did he open his mouth to the other Guardians to help you. To help the eternal child that you are."
Jack started noticing that the Pixie King was advancing on him, and he backed away, as Story seemed to become someone else entirely.
"Oh no," Dusk said, stopping. "Not once did they stop to realize, to help a fellow Guardian."
Jack saw the Pixie King look at the broken staff and frown. The Winter Spirit watched as the Pixie reached out and took the staff. He then saw the green eyes look at him, as the creature offered the broken item and once again he saw his friend, Story.
"Jack you are a Guardian."
"But I'm not," Jack said, taking the pieces of the staff. "I don't think the Guardians even want me now."
"My dear Frost Pixie," Story said, standing up. "Do you have your tooth box?"
"Yeah," Jack said, pulling it out and looking at it. "I almost threw it away, and I still want to. But then I can't."
"Baby Tooth? Can you help out, by allowing Jack to see who he was?"
The Fairy glared at the Pixie for a moment, then nodded and squeaked.
She crawled down to the box and placed her hand on it. It opened and Jack saw a box full of baby teeth. He blinked as all sorts of memories flooded into his mind, and he gasped as the Winter Spirit remembered.
He remembered growing up with his friend Story, who always came to visit him every year, from spring to early winter. His friend was the greatest story teller that he had seen.
He remembered playing with Nyfe for a bit and even grew close to the little dark Pixie.
Jack was there, for his sister's birth. He remembered looking for a gift with Nyfe for his new sister. He remembered making a wooden stick for her, so he could protect her.
He remembered that he heard laughing and saw his sister and her friends below him. He grinned as he allowed himself to drop a bit, scaring her as he hung from a branch. He laughed as she looked up at him, relieved that it was him.
He carried his sister, Mary on his back, as he hurried to get to the fireside where his friend Story was about to tell another tale. He heard her urging him to go faster and he chuckled. Both knew Story very well, as Jack grew up with the boy. Both knew that it was the last they were going to see Story for the winter. And the teen knew that Story was going to tell the last greatest story ever told, the one with a Starlight named Nightlight. He remembered that Mary had to hear it.
During the winter, he entertained his village with the stories that he remembered Story telling him, and even acting some of them out. The best one, he used a pair of antlers from a deer, causing his sister and her friends to laugh and smile. He remembered that it was almost as good as Story's.
He remembered promising to take his sister out skating for the last time before the Spring's thaw. And now she was so eager to go.
He remembered the fear. The fear on her face.
"Jack!" Mary said as the ice cracked under her feet. "I'm scared."
He had quickly taken his ice skates off, as to not further crack the ice. He wasn't sure why the ice was thin now, spring thaw wasn't supposed to be for another two weeks. But he knew that he had to save her.
"Don't worry," Jack said, trying to appear calm. He smiled as he had an idea. "We're going to have a little fun, okay."
He saw the uncertainty on her face.
"No we're not!"
"Would I trick you?"
"Yeah!" Mary said in fear. "You always play tricks."
"Not this time," Jack promised, as he scanned his surroundings. He saw a shepherd's staff nearby and he knew what he was going to have to do to get her to safety.
"We're going to play hopscotch like you always do," Jack said, forcing himself to smile.
"One," He said as he moved closer to the staff and pretended to be on a string. He heard her laugh as he took another step. "Two."
He picked up the staff and looked at her smiling, "Now it's your turn."
"One," He said as she moved a foot forward. He saw the ice crack more under her feet. She moved closer again and he tightened his grip on the staff. "Two."
"And three!" He said as quickly used the crooked top of the staff to yank her onto the ground. He had to use himself as an anchor and smiled in relief as he saw her look up at him safely. Without thinking, he stood up and grinned at her, as she also stood up.
Suddenly the ice below him cracked and he fell. He fell into the freezing icy waters and he looked up to see the moon. He tried to swim to the surface, but his body refused to respond to what he wanted. And he realized that he was drowning. The last thing he saw as everything slowly went black.
Jack gasped as he remembered that he was Jack Overland and he looked at Story. A grin came to his face as he looked at the Moon.
"I am a Guardian!" He said looking at Story again. "The Moon was right! I am a Guardian."
Story smiled as a bright light came up to them. Jack blinked as he saw a tiny form in the light and realized it was a pixie that looked like Nyfe. Then he realized it was Nyfe. He looked at Story, as if asking a question.
"Jack, this is Nyfe," The Pixie King assured. "I will finish giving you the rest of your memories."
Jack saw Story step closer to him and placed a hand on the boy's chin. Jack looked into Story's green eyes, getting lost in them.
And he remembered.
The many nights that he flew with the Pixie King under the light of the moon. The many times that he had banished fearlings from scaring the children. Both made a promise that both were going to defeat Pitch for good this time. Both knew that Artemis, the Pixie King had made a mistake in accepting the dark's man offer. Nightlight understood that the Pixie wanted out of the deal, but was trapped. And he knew that Pitch only had sway in what Artemis did, but yet no control over what the Pixie thought.
And he remembered the growing need to destroy Pitch, if only to save his friend.
Then Pitch kidnapped Katherine.
He remembered going to Artemis for some help, only to find that Artemis had made a deal with Tsar Lunar and was now the Storyteller.
And he remembered that Pitch started to try to turn his Katherine into a Fearling Princess.
He remembered Artemis and himself working together from different ends to save her, but in the end Nightlight realized that he has to give up his light to save her. He remembered falling with her, as he gave her the truest kiss that ever existed.
Jack gasped and opened his eyes as he pushed himself away from Story. He landed in the snow and he looked up at his friend. This time he saw the sorrow in the green eyes.
The Winter Spirit reached out and got his staff. He put the two pieces together and he focused on sealing it together. He now knew that it wasn't a part of him, but a conduit. But it was one that was needed. He used his magic to make it whole again and finally looked up at Story. No Artemis, he knew now.
"Nyfe," Story said motioning towards the shining pixie. "And Jack. You two were once the same person, but because your sacrifice wasn't supposed to be, your light took a form of it's own."
Jack looked at Nyfe and held out a hand to his other half, as the Pixie King continued.
"You still have your light," Story informed the Winter Spirit.
"You are keeping your promise, aren't you?" Jack asked, looking back at his friend.
"I will try," Story said, glancing away. "It's up to you to save the Guardians. I will do what I can."
"You better," Jack said smiling. He saw Nyfe fly up to him and settle on the other shoulder. He glanced at Story, seeing the Pixie King return the smile.
Jack waved and shot off into the sky with Nyfe and Baby Tooth. He knew exactly where he was going to go.
He was going to deal with Pitch.
Ah, plots and twists...and another wait for the next chapter, lol. Don't you just hate those?
Someone presented to me, that this story is confusing now. So I want to assure you that everything has a reason for being. All will be revealed soon.
I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter, because this story is soon coming to it's end. But before that, things are going to get a whole lot worse...heh heh.