I woke from the nightmare feeling dazed and frightened. My heart rose to my throat as it dawned on me that I had been moved into another room. I was floating in some kind of blueish liquid, a mask on my face and cords in my arms, legs, and chest. Around the tank there was machinery beeping and flashing in a confusing manner.
Jack was leaning against the wall, toying with his staff. Another boy stood beside him, his skin was a sandy black, darker than any night sky I had ever seen. He was dressed in clothes that looked like they were made of black sand, and his hair and eyes were the same color as his clothes. I shuddered at the sight of him, he reminded me to much of my father's fearlings. Jack must have created something similar to them. Jack looked up from the staff and wickedly smiled. He stepped over to the machine and started pressing buttons, saying something to the boy without looking at him. I tried to struggle, but could find no energy in my broken body.
The liquid around me started pulsing and suddenly waves of energy were coursing through my body, so much I felt like I was to explode. The energy kept coming in waves overwhelming me until everything went dark.
I woke in a dark room laying in a large four poster bed covered in sandy black sheets. I sat up in the bed and looked around. A door was on the left wall of the room, and a mirror next to it. Next to the door was a pair of black lace up combat boots. My boots, I realized with joy. A black nightstand stood next to the bed with a hairbrush and a glass of water. I got up from the bed and walked over to the mirror, examining myself. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and was startled at what I saw, I looked like myself again, like who I had been before Jack had ripped me away from my father and my home. I had orange hair that had a strange glow to it, reminding me of fire, and my power to control it. My eyes were a startling red with flecks of black covered with long dark lashes. Dark tattoos picturing fire ran down my arms and ended at the tips of my fingers, they were how I channeled my powers, I thought, confused, remembering how Jack had removed them so I wouldn't be able to use my powers against him. I wore black jeans with chains on the pockets and a black sleeveless top with a flame design on the side. From my neck hung a small silver chain with my heart-shaped locket my father had given me.
I wandered over to the door and turned the knob, testing my luck. To my surprise I found it opened. I stepped through the doorway and into a small dining room. Seated at the table was a man in a black dress with dark slicked back hair and yellow eyes. He had sandy gray skin and sharp, angular features. I shouted with happiness when I realized it was my father, Pitch Black. He looked up as I walked through the room and smiled. Standing up, he walked over and embraced me.
"Ava, darling, good morning. I'm glad you're awake" he stroked my hair lightly and sat in a chair beside mine.
"How am I here?" I asked, confused. How did my father find me? How had he gotten me away from Jack, and then healed me so quickly?
My father grabbed my hand, stroking it with his thumb, "I rescued you from Jack, it's a good thing I got there when I did. He was trying to strip you of your power before you could finish your training. When I rescued you, you were in pretty rough shape, he had beaten you within an inch of your life." my father look upset, more than I had ever seen him before. Anger, and pain flashed in his eyes.
I thought of my father and I playing together when I was a child, learning how to control my powers with him, learning as he taught me all there was to know about the spirit world. I remembered brief fights with the Guardians, and with a wave of hate, I remembered my rival and enemy, the Guardian of fun, Jack Frost. Just the thought of his name drove me crazy. I wanted to rip away from him everything he loved and held dear to him, just as he had done with my father. I remembered Jack Frost dragging my mother away to be put on trial with the Man in the Moon, who had ordered her to never see my father or I again. I remembered Jack Frost dragging me away from my father and beating me within an inch of my immortal life.
"Father, can I ask you a question?" my voice was dripping with anger at Jack Frost and the other Guardians.
"You can ask me anything." he smiled gently, giving no sign he had detected the anger in my voice.
"Why haven't we destroyed the Guardians yet?" I spit the word Guardian out like poison.
"You haven't fully mastered your powers yet, darling, you know that. I promise we will as soon as possible. We must finish your training by your one thousand eighteenth birthday. Remember our plan?" he answered.
"Yes" I looked up at his golden eyes and smiled. We had devised a plan just before Jack Frost had kidnapped me. Before I turned eighteen, my father would complete my training. My father would alter my appearance and I would pretend I was a newly created spirit and reveal myself to Jack Frost and the other Guardians. Once I had gained their trust, my father and I would destroy them from the inside out.
"Wonderful." my father smiled, "Because your birthday is tomorrow."
My father was leading me down a dark, narrow hallway. We were heading to the training room my father had made for me when I was young. As we neared the door I smiled, remembering all of the training I had already endured. I enjoyed training with my father, it allowed me to uncover undiscovered areas of my powers, and it also helped ease my mind. My father pushed the door opened and ushered me through. The walls were scorched from my fire and I smiled, remembering how this room had gotten it's burns. Training dummies and targets scattered the room, and a forgotten pile of coals lay in the corner. My father walked to the middle of the room where a table sat with a strange object. As I neared the table, I could see the object was a large snowflake, covered in intricate designs.
"This is the last part of your training my dear." my father said, gesturing to the snowflake. It seemed to glow and pulse with odd intensity. Suddenly it exploded in a flurry of snow, covering the room in white. My father was gone, leaving me in the room by myself. I searched, frantic, trying to find my father. I turned to see a pale teenage boy standing in his place. Jack Frost. I gasped as he smiled wickedly at me. With a roar I summoned the fire within me, creating an inferno with the anger towards Jack. All the pain he had caused me was pulled into this one gigantic blast of heat. With a roar I released all the energy at him, directed straight to his black heart. A stream of molten lava erupted from my hands, hitting Jack square on. Just as he had appeared, he was gone. My father stood in his place looking pleased. Confused I asked, "Father what just happened?"
He smiled and answered me, "I created an apparition of Jack, and allowed you to kill it. This was your final test, and it proves you are ready. You have passed your final test with flying colors my dear. Congratulations." he smiled at me and embraced me in a warm hug. I hugged him back, tears streaming down my face. When he realized I was crying my father's face looked concerned. He reached down and wiped the tears from my cheek. "I know my darling, I know. But we must do what is necessary to destroy them. Do you think you are ready?"
I sniffed and then regained my composure. "I am ready father."