A/N: I really did appreciate all who took the time to read the last chapter. So thank you! Ahem...and now without further ado, on to the next chapter.

"All alone and without any way to defend yourself. It pains me to see you reduced to this, Jack," Pitch practically hissed his name and despite all of Jack's efforts, he found it impossible to stand up and confront the Nightmare King on equal footing. He simply did not have the strength. In frustration, Jack pressed the back of his head against the rain-sodden ground and responded by mumbling something inaudible under his breath.

"What was that?" Pitch taunted, leaning his towering form closer to pitch. He tilted his head slightly so his ear was hovering over Jack's lips and continued, "I didn't quite hear that."

On cue Jack gathered a wad of frost in the back of his throat and spit it directly into his ear. Ice sprayed across the side of Pitch's face and the man calmly stepped away, wiping away the frost with a brush of his hand.

"Fine," Pitch said as he straightened to his full height. His tone was soft but dangerous. "So that's how you want to play."

Before Jack could try to defend himself, Pitch placed his foot over Jack's chest and stomped down. Hard. The weight was heavy enough that Jack gave a shuttering gasp. He refused to allow Pitch the satisfaction reacting to the pain any further and bit his lip to quiet himself from screaming.

Jack clawed at the foot that had him pinned down. He struggled to free himself but Pitch had the upper hand. Pitch ground the heel of his foot into the center of Jack's stomach. Pain ripped within Jack and his arms slumped. He couldn't do it. He fell back into the ground, gasping. His own breathing pounded so loudly in his ears that he almost couldn't hear Elsa screaming.

Not at him.

She was screaming at Pitch.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

It must have been as much as a surprise to Pitch as it was for Jack when Elsa suddenly sent a barrage of ice daggers that seared through the air toward Pitch. Jack could feel the cool rush of ice gust past him as the ice hit Pitch.

In an instant, Pitch's fury boiled over. All Jack could hear was infuriated screaming.

Pitch's foot lifted from his chest and suddenly Jack could breath again. He rolled his body onto his stomach, earning some distance between him and Pitch. What he didn't anticipate was for the sudden movement to send a dizzying rush to his head and he closed his eyes, waiting for the world to stop clouding around him.

"No...!"

Jack's eyes snapped open at the sound of Elsa's fear-stricken scream.

He watched as Elsa's lips parted in terror when she saw Pitch swoop upon her, black sand dripping from his palms which were full of poisoned dreams of frightened children and fusing into the shape of an arrow aimed directly at Elsa.

"Pitch, don't!" Jack called. He tried to move toward Pitch who continued to advance toward her. This wasn't her fight. "Leave her out of this!"

But Pitch ignored his cries to stop.

Being without his staff had taken its serious toll on Jack's strength. His stamina was nearly gone and in spite of how exhausted he was, he found the strength to freeze the rainwater that had fallen on the ground, coating the grass with the thickest ice he could muster and immediately froze the ice around Pitch, freezing him in mid-step.

His feet were frozen solid to the ground.

What he saw was Elsa's eyes open, wide with realization at the possibility of what Jack had done. Or maybe it was at the realization of what was about to happen.

Pitch shattered the ice as easily enough, twisting one foot out of its icy trap. Then the other.

Then he aimed the arrow at Jack; and now Elsa was running towards him. She was running faster than Jack had ever known her to run.

Jack shook his head, hoping she would notice. He tried to tell her to stop but was worried his voice, as weak as he felt, would fail to be heard. Why did he feel so protective over Elsa? It was irrational but despite all reasoning, Jack tried. He outstretched his hand toward her, signaling her with a gesture to stop.

Don't come any closer.

Elsa stopped.

That was all Jack saw before lifting his gaze to greet Pitch and a smirk crawled across Jack's features.

As Pitch pulled back on the arrow forcefully in his grip until the gray knuckles turned white from the strain. Jack's gaze dropped back to Elsa who seemed frozen where she stood.

"I win," Pitch said in pride before finally the arrow fused of black sand disintegrated willingly before Jack's eyes.

The unexpected sign of mercy that Pitch had shown by tossing aside his arrow that could have caused a fatal blow could only mean that Pitch had schemed something far more sinister. Before he could question it further, Pitch lifted Jack by the collar of his hooded sweatshirt and slammed him back against the ground, knocking the air from his lungs and he spoke that chilling statement again.

"I win."

Again Pitch lifted Jack up and slammed him back into the ground.

"You think you know fear, boy?" Pitch asked him. He lifted Jack up one last time, hovering his lips close to his ear. His lips curved into a thin smile. "Wait until you see what I do to that precious girl standing behind us. Wait until you hear her screaming with fear. It will be like nothing you've ever heard before. I wonder, Jack. Will your name be the one she calls?"

Jack tore his eyes away from him and fixated his gaze back on Elsa before Pitch dropped him again against the ground.

He had to try and stop him.

That was the only goal on Jack's mind. It was the only thought he had when he hastily raked a fistful of frozen ice he had materialized on the ground moments ago and clenched his fist around it to make a ball, sending the ball of ice to fly directly at Pitch's head.

Pitch reeled around and struck Jack with a heavy kick.

A sharp pain exploded just below Jack's ribs and the pain radiated through his entire chest. Jack swallowed hard, his stomach twisting at the sudden affliction of agony. He clutched the wound against his chest. Fear boiled deep inside him after the threat he made on Elsa.

Jack found the strength within himself then to pull himself on his feet.

He had to stop him.