Thank you for the follows! I truly appreciate it. I am so sorry for the really long break. I know how frustrating it is to read a fanfiction and the author take forever to post. Aside from distracting myself from Arrow/Olicity fanfiction (which by the way i may be posting a one shot story collection of that soon, to those who like that), College work has been crazy and i am just about done with it, so i will have a lot more time to try and finish this story up. I know this may not be much, but at least i got something up for all of you. I promise to try and post quicker. I am sure we all had that point where we get stuck, and trust me that was me. but i think i am at a better place to where i want the story to go. Hopefully! So here is the next chapter! Thanks again for those who are sticking with me!
Chapter 9:
North, Tooth, and Sandy rushed through the workshop. They could hear Bunny yelling for Sandy and telling Jack not to fall asleep. What was happening, they all thought. They burst through the doors of the infirmary. The smell of blood instantly filled their noses. There was black sand mixed with blood all over the floor. Bunny was hovering over Jack trying to put pressure on his wounds. His gray paws, staining with blood. Jack's eyes were close to closing. He looked like he was trying to fight a battle he had no chance of winning. He was flushed and if it was possible he looked worse.
"Bunny!? What happened?" said North.
The rest of the guardians gathered around Jack, grabbing supplies to help tend to Jack's wounds.
"Sandy! The nightmare sand is in Jack. You got to get it out! Now! He can't stay awake much longer and if he falls asleep with that in him, we're in trouble," said Bunny, panic etched in his voice.
Sandy immediately placed his hands on Jack's head. He could feel the nightmare sand flowing through Jack's system. It was everywhere. He could sense it mixing with Jack's blood. He tried to pull it out, but it would not obey.
"I…I can't do it," whispered Jack, his breathing slowing down.
"No! Jack please!" cried Tooth, "Sandy is going to fix you up. Just hang on a little longer."
Sandy quickly tried changing the nightmare sand to his dream sand. If it wouldn't come out, maybe at least he could make it his own dream sand. Then he would be able to pull it out that way. Plus it wouldn't do harm the way the nightmare sand could.
"I'm…sorry…," said Jack.
His eyes fully closed. They were too late. He was asleep.
"Sandy! Did you get it out!?" asked North.
Sandy did not let go of Jack, but shook his head. He quickly drew a picture above his head to say that he was trying to change the sand, but it wasn't working fast enough.
"What are we going to do?" whispered Tooth.
"Hope," said Bunny, "We hope Frostbite can fight off the nightmares, until Sandy can change the nightmare sand."
"What if he can't? He's so weak as it is." said Tooth.
"He's strong," said Bunny, "Frostbite has been through so much. We have to hope that he can push past this. Fight off Pitch. We have to…"
"Believe," said North. "Jack is a guardian. He can do this. I know."
Jack was standing in the middle of his lake. He was alone, again. He looked down, his shadow casting over the frozen lake. Suddenly, it came to life. Peeling itself from the ice until it stood in front of Jack. Jack took a step back. The shadow version of himself had formed, yellow eyes like a fearling. Shadow Jack opened its mouth, Pitch's voice filling the area.
"This is who you shall become Jack. The best version of yourself," he said.
"No," said Jack, "Stay away from me. I will not join you Pitch. Never!"
"You act like you have a choice," said Shadow Jack, taking a step toward Jack. "In your words, it's time to have a little fun."
Before Jack could move, the shadow jumped him.
"Jack! Please wake up!" called Bunny. "Sandy is it working?"
Sandy shook his head. The nightmare sand wasn't changing quickly enough. It was as if it was latching Jack and fusing with him.
"He won't wake up just yet," said a new voice.
"Pitch!" yelled Bunny, "Show yourself!"
Pitch emerged from the shadows, taking the form he took earlier. Bunny threw his boomerang at him, but it just went through him.
"Nice try, Rabbit. I am not actually there with you," he snickered.
"What did you do to Jack?" demanded North, pointing his sword at Pitch.
Pitch laughed, "I promised I would break him. Now I will break him from the inside out. Having trouble removing the sand Sandman?"
Sandy looked up at Pitch, but didn't stop trying to turn the nightmare sand to dream sand in Jack's body.
"You can try all you want, but it won't work. When Jack wakes up, let's just say he won't be the same Jack you knew. He will belong to me."
"Jack is strong! Your nightmare sand can't change who he is," yelled Tooth.
"Want to bet? Time to wake up Jack," he said before slipping back into the shadows.
Suddenly, Jack shot up. The Guardians jumped back.
"Jack?" said Tooth, flying closer to their youngest guardian.
Jack's eyes opened slowly, but instead of blue eyes, they were completely black. Tooth gasped. Jack's head turned in her direction. Nightmare sand that had covered the floor, slowly began lifting into the air, encircling Jack. He rose his arm, and a layer of ice fused with the nightmare sand.
"Stay away from me," said Jack, his voice fused with Pitch's voice.
"Jack. It's me Bunny," said Bunny, "We are here. We are trying to help you."
Jack let out a soft laugh, "Help me? Why should I trust you? You have left me alone for 300 years! You promised me that I wouldn't get hurt. Not anymore! But look at me!"
Bunny winced, "I know we made a lot of mistakes. We are trying to fix them Jack. We are your family."
"What would you know about family?"
"Jack, this isn't you," said North. "Pitch's nightmare sand is in you. He is controlling you! You aren't thinking straight. Let Sandy help you get rid of the sand."
"No! I finally see everything clearly!" yelled Jack, "I was weak before. But with Pitch's help, I will be strong."
"Pitch will kill you mate! He's just using you! He's the one who has hurt you!"
"I will not die, not again," said Jack.
The Guardians stared back confused.
Jack laughed at their expressions, "Right, you don't know do you? Don't know my story. Never bothered to ask how I became what I am. Did Manny ever tell you I died to become this? He took my memories and left me alone for 300 years! Never seen, never heard. Every spirit I ran into, hurt me or ignored me. Then I got my memories back and what do I see? Manny bringing me to life, taking my memories away, and leaving me alone. But I will not die. Not again. Pitch will help me. Cold and darkness. A perfect team."
"No, Jack he won't. We can help you. Remember the good times we have had this past year," said Bunny. "Remember Jamie?"
Jack's eyes flashed to Bunny, his eyes flashing from blue to black.
"Jamie, your first believer. Your friend," piped up Tooth.
"And us," said North.
"You are my family Jack. You're like a brother to me," Bunny continued, trying to get through to him, "You have to fight off Pitch. Fight the nightmare sand. It's twisting your mind. Come back to us."
Jack continued to stare. The colors of his eyes changing back and forth between blue and black. Jack placed his hands on his head. He seemed to be having a debate within himself.
"Jack, please," said Bunny.
Jack's head shot up at Bunny and his eyes flashed back to black, "NO!" he yelled, throwing the nightmare sand and ice at the Guardians. They flew back into the wall. Jack raised his hand and the bits of staff came flying to him. He placed the pieces together and fused them with nightmare sand. His staff turned black and Jack rose from the bed. He hovered above them. Pointing his staff at the Guardians.
"You are nothing. You are all liars. There is only one place for me to go," he said.
He shot out the window into the cold.
"Jack! No! Wait!" yelled Bunny, scrambling to get up.
He ran to the window but it was too late. Jack was gone.
