Disclaimer: I own naughta

Chapter Seven: What lies in the darkness

Jack, truthfully, hadn't the slightest idea where he was going, only away and safe, and the wind did the rest, carrying out his will on its own, for which he was grateful, sadly, as he was unable to draw himself from the sight of torn bodies and blood, Jack was certain he'd crash. Something he wished to avoid at all costs, for while Rion was something not human and Jamie was now immortal, thus meaning they'd both survive the crash, the ex-guardian wasn't sure he'd be able to stand seeing any of his loved ones hurt, not even from the tiniest scratch, for a long time.

The winter spirits two passengers remained silent, Rion's head burying itself in Jack's chest and Jamie's fingers intertwining with pale white, giving reassuring squeezes every now and again. Eventually they reached their destination, an abandoned house on the mountain side, surrounded by snow and blocked from sight by towering evergreens, small animals scattering as the two immortals gracefully landed—for Jamie had be practicing, though he still wasn't as graceful as Jack.

"Rion," the ex-guardian called softly, slowly lowering the child to the ground and watching fondly as midnight blue flickered up to his face before a small yawn, silent, made itself known, and small hands came up to rub at sleepy eyes. For while Rion was something not human, he was still a child, and thus needed sleep.

"Let's go in." Jamie suggested, stepping forward and opening the door, a small smile twitching at his lips when a squirrel planted itself on his shoulder. The inside was cold, though none noticed, and only the light frost already on the inside of the windows gave it away.

The inside was also rather dark, so Jamie wound up stumbling on furniture and a few other things Jack was unable to identify, though with the smooth way Rion practically hovered over to the coach, set in a room to the right, hinted that the child did.

"Tired?" Jack asked the room, his own eyes drooping, before Jamie grasped his arm in the dark and softly pulled him to another coach, pointed out by the half asleep child. "I think we all are." Jamie lightly laughed, "Hard not to be, after…that" Jack cringed, "and then the rather speedy departure."

Laughing slightly, with some strain, a sad hitch, Jack agreed and the lovers finally went to sleep on the coach across from the death-child, though not before Jack wondered, eyes sleepy slits, if he'd forgotten something.

0-0-0-0-0

Sandy had been worried when the lovers had wondered off, sure, they did it often enough, so often, in fact, that no one else was worried, but he couldn't ignore the feeling, even if it was silly, even if the others where right and he was acting like a doting parent, he couldn't help it. Mrs. Bennett, currently sixty, had rubbed off on him.

Though, with a sigh, he had to acknowledge the fact that he hadn't the slightest idea of where to look, and after wandering around pointlessly for several hours, he was about to give up and simply concentrate on his work. However, some of his dream sand branched off into an entirely different direction, carrying dolphins and snowflakes, and he knew those dreams anywhere. Leaving behind sandlings to finish his work for him, Sandy followed the trail to a desolate home, dark and cold.

With a sigh, Sandy summoned a glowing ball of sand and silently entered the home, following the trail to a room off to the right, and sighing upon the sight of the lovers curled up together. Although it was a mystery as to why they were out here in the first place, the two were adventurers at heart, so it made some sense that they'd find an abandoned home. So long as they were alright, then everything was well.

Turning around the sand man almost jumped out of his skin (if it could be called that) when his light reflected off blank midnight blue eyes, "Who are you?" the child before him, covered in blood, asked.

Shaking his head in dismissal of the question Sandy motioned to the boy, drawing up a bandage above his head. The boy ignored him.

"Ah," the emotionless voice rang through the darkness, seeming to dance with it, "so you must be Sandy."

At the sand man's exclamation the boy blinked, motioning to the figures behind him, "Jack told me about you."

Now Sandy could only stare in question, before shaking his head and drawing up a bandage again, forcefully pointing at the child then gesturing about, allowing the golden shimmering ball of light to float in midair.

The boy shook his head, "I don't live here, no one does, and no one has, for a very, very long time, bandages are out of the question."

The Guardian let steam come out of his ears while he stomped his foot, once again gesturing around.

"I've already looked."

Then the sand man gestured to the cuddling lovers, then to himself, a question mark floating above his head.

"Taking me to see other Guardian's is a bad idea, even if it is to help."

The question mark increased in size.

"Jack talks about his family allot—" Sandy practically beamed at the term, "however, I shouldn't be here, in this world," the boy quickly clarified.

Now several question marks danced. But the boy didn't answer, he only sighed, shaking his head and glancing at the floor, before turning on his heel, notably torching the ground, and walking into the shadows, far too much like Pitch for Sandy's liking.

Quickly following, floating over the mysterious burn, Sandy used his floating golden orb to bring light to the surroundings, increasing the intensity until the whole hall shone with it. Spotting an arm before it vanished around a corner Sandy speed up his pace and trailed after the mysterious boy who walked into another pitch black room.

The room was soon found to be the bathroom, door busted open, mirror cracked and splintered, sink stained, floor stained, toilet destroyed, and bath full of murky water tinged red and hair hanging off the back, attached to a skull, held in place by nothing more than a chain attached through the jaw.

A screeching sound startled the currently stunned Guardian, turning he found the child turning the sink knob, ever blank eyes staring directly at him and unblinking when, finally, the sink gave way, opening it's pipes and gurgling as what should have been water came from the faucet. If Sandy was capable of puking he would have done so, for instead of water came ground pieces of flesh, splashing into the sink, a stench suddenly filling the air and making the sand man hold his breath.

The boy let out a rather broken laugh at the sight, "Fate is rather vindictive, if things don't go his way, exactly his way, then he eliminates the problem, using any means necessary." Walking past Sandy the boy extinguished the golden light with a flick of his wrist, "beware the light, for it reveals the truth hidden in the dark, and you beings of good haven't the slightest idea what that means."

0-0-0-0

A/N: Yeah, yeah, I have yet to receive my two reviews, but I'm posting this up for a reason, I'll be busy for a whole year (give or take a few months), and I won't be able to write for any of my stories, so I'm updating them all today, as a parting gift if you will. I, of course, will return, but in a year or so, so it'll be awhile before I update anything. Hopefully, when I come back I'll see at least one review; otherwise I might just leave this fic as it is, which would be sad, considering I absolutely love writing it...