Hey guys! I'm going to stop pretending that I have a schedule at all, and that I'm late to post a chapter. I am however, sorry that I have left the story so long! I have a plan and I will carry it out until the end. It will begin to pick up very, very soon so stick with me!
Thank you to all of my faithful readers, especially the ones who review. And to any new readers welcome! I hope you all enjoy!
Jet took a few strides into the room and turned around, surveying his surroundings. The room was quite dark, but not entirely. A small amount of light was given off by one of several table lamps set on a number of coffee tables around the room. Not that the dark state mattered to him though, he could see through it quite easily thanks to his genetics. Besides the tables and lamps in the room, there were several comfortable looking chairs, though, Jet had the sneaking suspicion that they were rarely used, as they all looked brand new. The youth turned his attention back to the guardian of hope, noting that the spirit had not moved from his position beside the door. The room went silent as the teen waited for the spirit to speak. After a moment, the expected voice sliced through the semi dark room to reach his ears.
"How long?" it said.
Jet was taken aback by this, this was pretty much the only question he hadn't been expecting. "What?"
"How long have ya been having nightmares every time you fall asleep?"
"Oh, uh, forever I guess," Jet began to formulate his answer. "I can't remember ever being able to just, sleep."
The guardian nodded, appearing to mull it over in his head.
"And your sister? She's never even had one?"
"No, Seneca has never had a nightmare. I've always made sure of that," Jet said. His eyes widened slightly for a moment, but he erased the look from his face as quickly as he had made it and replaced it with a calm, neutral expression, hoping that the Pooka had missed it. His hoped were dashed as the older spirit spoke yet again.
"How? How could ya protect her from them?" When he received no response from the teen but an expression of self-annoyance, he decided to rephrase his question. "Look kid, I already know that ya have magic. I even know what kind. I just want to know how ya can use it to take away nightmares instead o' giving them."
"It's pretty simple. All I have to do is use my sand to dilute his, then absorb it. It dissipates with the rest, and she sleeps peacefully for the night," the youth explained deciding to tell the Guardian the truth. He looked at Jet with a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and understanding.
"Well no wonder ya've nightmare ev'ry night! Ya have that bloody dingo's magic in ya!" the Pooka blurted out, moving forward slightly, his hands moving in small gestures.
Jet, mildly surprised by this outburst, had to stop himself from taking a half-step backwards. He was not yet used to the Hope Guardian's aggressive nature.
There was a momentary silence as they both collected themselves. The large spirit was about to speak again, when the door opened a little and Tooth peeked in.
"Is everything okay?" she asked sounding a bit timid. "We heard yelling, so I thought I would come and check on you."
Bunny, who had turned to look at her when he heard the door open, glanced back at Jet before making his reply.
"Yeah, everything's fine, Toothy," he said.
"Okay, if you say so," she said, and after a moment of silence, she pulled her head back out of the room, and closed the door.
"Why didn't you tell her?" Jet asked a little confused. The ancient spirit sighed before answering.
"The way I see it kid, it's your business what you do to protect your sister. That said, I think you should work off whatever extra magic ya absorb. Having 'is magic inside ya provides an even stronger link between the two of ya." He let the silence stretch for a moment before continuing. "I'll make ya a deal: As long as ya burn off the magic ya absorb, I'll keep ya secret." As he said this, Bunny put one of his paws forward, prompting a handshake. "Deal?"
"Yeah," Jet nodded solemnly, taking the older spirit's paw in his own hand, "Deal."
The two shook hands very seriously before releasing. The guardian of hope glanced up at the clock on the wall to his right, then back to the boy in front of him.
"Ya'd better get upstairs to your sister. She'll be waiting for ya."
The youth glanced at the clock and nodded again, a slightly less solemn gesture this time, before turning and heading for the stairs.
The Pooka watched him go for a moment before shaking his head, and re-entering the dining room.
Once Jet was out of sight, he picked up the pace. How long had she been waiting already? He ran up the stairs and rushed to the door of his and Seneca's room. The dark haired teen took a deep breath, then entered to find Sophie and Seneca playing near the beds with two of the little one's dolls. He heard Sophie speak as he closed the door.
"Alright Seny, the deal was that we could play until Jet got here, now get into bed."
"Aww! Do I haf to?" Jet smiled and scooped her up in his arms.
"Yes, you have to go to bed. Little princesses need their sleep," he said affectionately while walking over to her bed and setting her on it.
"I guess Sophie an I can play tomorrow," the little girl said crossing the legs.
"Welp, I'm out. I need to sleep too," she said yawning loudly and exiting their room.
"Actually Seneca, Sophie won't be able to play with you tomorrow," he said gently, sitting down beside her.
"Why not?" the little girl asked turning her big green puppy eyes on him as they rimmed with tears. Jet sighed, this was getting harder by the second.
"She's going back to burgess in the morning Sen," he said softly, rubbing her back soothingly.
"She's leaving?!" Seneca cried as the tears began to roll down her cheeks. Jet grimaced at the sight of her tears and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Sorry baby, but she's got to go back to work," he said rocking her back and forth slowly.
Seneca didn't have anything more to say on the subject. She just let her tears talk for her. After a few moments of silence accompanied only by sobs, Jet loosened his grip a little and began to sing softly to her.
"When I look up from my pillow
I dream you are there with me
Though you are far away
I know you'll always be near to me
I go to sleep
And imagine that you're there with me
I go to sleep
And imagine that you're there with me
I look around me
And feel you are ever so close to me
Each tear that flows from my eye
Brings back memories of you to me
I go to sleep
And imagine that you're there with me
I go to sleep
And imagine that you're there with me"
Jet looked down at his little sister, she had gone still and her breathing had evened out. Even though he didn't finish the slow song, it had been enough. Now, he laid her down in her bed, tucking her in securely and kissing her forehead before slipping out of the room.
Jet took a deep breath. Telling Seneca that Sophie wouldn't be staying at the Pole had gone smoothly as it could have. Still it was hard to see her cry. He had seen enough tears to last a lifetime, and didn't think a child as innocent as his sister should shed any more.
Tears are strange things. They can make a seemingly impossible situation seem a little better, or make the simplest of situations seem a lot more complicated. Some people go out of their way to make someone cry, just to make themselves feel a fraction better. Some do crazy things to prevent someone they love from crying. Jet was one of the latter, and as he walked down the hallway in the direction he hoped lead to some sort of exit, he wished there had been some crazy thing he could do to banish his sister's tears that night.
After wandering through the North Pole's many twisting corridors, Jet finally came to a pair of large, elaborately carved doors. He tried to ask a passing Yeti if it was the way outside, but couldn't understand the creature's response in the slightest. Jet shrugged off his failed attempt at communication, and pushed one of the doors open. He was rewarded with a blast of ice cold wind, and began to wish he had thought to grab a coat before he had left his room. Luckily, he had remembered his boots, or he would have been wandering through North's city-like castle all night.
Jet stepped out into the snow, looking up at the clear night sky. The full moon and stars were bright that night. He tried to identify familiar constellations, but couldn't find any, so he turned his attention to the area around him. Rolling hills and breathtaking cliffs were all around him, covered in snow that sparkled in the moonlight. It was dazzling, but fell flat in his eyes. After all, Jet wasn't looking for a beautiful scene. He was looking for a good, deep shadow. The kind that were cast only at night, and only by large massed of solid substance. The kind of shadow that not even a nocturnal creature with the best night vision could see past. A cliff with the moon behind it would cast just such a shadow, but the only cliffs were at Jet's feet, and he had no wish to descend them just to find a shadow. Instead, he turned to the Pole itself. The shadow cast by the Pole wasn't completely ideal, as the moon was not behind it, but it was deep enough to serve Jet's purpose and he stepped into it.
The teen felt the frigid air of the eternally frozen North Pole replaced by a different type of cold for a moment, but it returned after but a moment. This cold was slightly subdued compared to the top of the world however, it was still biting. Jet looked around the woods he had come to love so well. The very same woods where he would come whenever he was upset when he lived in Burgess. Jet looked toward where he knew the town lay. He thought about his friends, how worried they would all be right now. The nightmares they must be having without him there to erase them. He almost took a step towards the town, towards the people who had taken such good care of him and his sister when their mom passed, but he stopped, and forced himself in the opposite direction. He walked, and walked, until he had no idea where he was anymore. Then he stopped and rubbed the heat back into his arms, taking in his surroundings. He could see a small clearing through the trees, and moved over to it.
The clearing was empty, save for a fallen tree. It would do nicely.
Jet closed his eyes, steadied his breathing, concentrating, calling up the power within himself. Slowly, steadily, he let it worm in his outstretched palm. He let it ebb, and flow, and soon it was a twisting mass in his hand. Jet heightened his concentration, and manipulated the black sand into a whirling tornado. He opened his eyes, though they were still lidded, and watched the spinning black mass for a moment.
It was almost hypnotic. It's amazing how things move, once you give them the freedom to do so. It was as if each grain of sand had a mind of its own. Moving in chaotic, yet somehow regulated motions. It was a shame that the black sand brought such unhappiness. The substance itself was actually very pretty if you took the time to look.
The wandering, pondering state of Jet's mind was soon changed and replaced with that of determination as he remembered what he had come for. He sent his small mass of sand to the fallen tree, and sent it spinning around and around it in a ring. The sand accelerated and was soon but a blur of motion. The glittering substance seemed a ravenous monster with a life of its own as it seemingly devoured the section of tree it had been set upon.
After several minutes, Jet dispersed the sand to examine his handiwork. The tree had been completely worn through, the only thing remaining of the section of wood being the thick layer of fine sawdust coating the ground around it. Jet looked at his hands. His power really had expanded. Something like this would have drained him a year ago. Now it barely put a dent in his energy.
Jet set his jaw. He had come to expend his energy, and that was what he intended to do. He backed away from the log and raised both his arms. Sand darker than the night sky above him engulfed the tree, and, as before, began to rotate around it. The black mass twisted and writhed, spinning faster and faster.
Soon Jet's breathing became labored, and sweat began to form on his brow, but he kept going. He added more sand, more speed. He pushed himself to the limit, and when he was through, there was nothing left of the tree but a thick layer of dust mingled with snow. Jet dispersed the sand and collapsed on the ground. His body felt hot inside and out, and the cold of the snow felt good. Before he knew it, he slipped into the sweet embrace of a deep sleep.
(* * *)
(The Moon)
"Please Father, He'll die if this continues!"
"No Adriana. We must not interfere. He is not our responsibility."
"Please Father! He is scarcely more than a child! Barely older than the ones you swore to protect!"
"He is more. He should possess his own judgment, he should be able to see what to do."
"If we do not act, he will fall to darkness. Do you want to surrender him to the fearlings? To let him fall as Kosmotis did so many eons ago?"
"Of course not. But what can I do? He sleeps too deeply for a beam to wake him."
". . . Let me go."
(* * *)
(With Jet)
A dark wispy shape somewhat akin to a man materialized in the shadow of a tree. It gazed toward the dark haired teen laying in the snow for a moment. They really did look alike. The creature's stare shifted to a nearby shadow as one of its kin appeared there. They were taking shape all around the clearing, filling the shadows and preparing to attack. They could not fail.
The creature's attention was turned back towards the boy in the snow as a movement caught his eye. The boy had started shivering. Ha! He was so weak, even the cold debilitated him! The dark being turned its attention back to its brethren. They were almost fully formed. A shift in the lighting and another movement in the clearing. Was the boy reanimating?
The dark spirit turned to the clearing again, but had to look away again quickly and duck behind a nearby tree. A small, yet radiant moonbeam had entered the clearing. The creature almost laughed. A stray moonbeam could not defend the boy by itself no matter how bright it was! Another change in the lighting caused the creature to peer around the tree he was hiding behind. There was no longer a moonbeam in the clearing, but a pale female spirit.
"Leave this place dark ones!" She called in the old language. This was, unexpected. "This boy is now under my protection." A bright light appeared in her hand and blinded the dark creature. The light of the mysterious girl exploded into a flood of light that traveled through the surrounding forest.
The dark creatures hastened to retreat, scrambling to find even the slightest shadow, anything that would provide escape. Soon they were all gone, and the two young people in the clearing were alone. The young spirit girl shook Jet lightly, then with increasing intensity as she began to panic. She began to speak.
(* * *)
"Wake up."
"Please wake up!"
"Please, please, wake up!"
"Don't die, please don't die!"
(* * *)
Jet awoke soaked and freezing with a strange girl kneeling next to him, seemingly trying to return warmth to his body. His vision was blurry, so he couldn't tell for sure, but he thought he saw tears in her eyes. He tried to ask her what had happened, but all he could manage was a groan and a shiver. Even this seemed to be a huge relief to him and she released what he could only guess was a sound of happiness. He managed to sit up halfway, using his arms to support himself, but she flung herself into him in what he could only assume was a hug and not a strangle hold. Normally, he would be highly unnerved by this but his brain was foggy and all he could register was that he was cold, and she was warm. Had he been more coherent, he would have noticed the hot tears soaking into the cloth of his shirt. All too soon, however, she withdrew from him, taking her body heat with her, and he was forced to sit up, and then to stand.
"Does any part of you emanate pain?" She asked, collecting herself. Jet simply shook his head. "Are you sure? Can you walk?" Jet tested his legs tentatively. They were stiff, and sore, but undamaged.
"Y-yeah. Yeah, I can move ok," He said, voice slightly rusty.
The girl sighed in relief. "Good. Can you still travel through shadows?" She asked.
"How did you know I could do that?" Jet asked her confused.
"There is no time for idle conversation at this point in time. All will be explained, but first answer. Are you still able?" She said a slight edge in her voice.
"Why isn't there time?" Jet asked even more confused.
"The shadow creatures may return if we linger. Let us go immediately if you are able."
"Oh, ok." He replied more confused than ever. "I think I can pull it off, but I've never really taken anyone with me."
"I know. Do you believe you are able to manage the North Pole? It is a long journey, even by shadows."
"Maybe. Shall we try?" Jet asked extending his hand to her. She hesitated, then took it. There was no time for debate.
"We shall."
Jet led the pale girl to a deep black shadow cast by a tree, and they disappeared into it.
What do you think guys? Let me know in the comments below, and I will see you in the next chapter!
Never stop believing in yourself!
~Autum
(Sorry I had to upload this twice! I was made aware of continuous misspellings in the chapter and I needed to fix them!)