Chapter 9 - Nightmare
Note: I have added the nightmare sequence, people who have already read this chapter re-read! Also I want to thank legendoffullmetal for giving me some helpful advice!
You watch as Jack flies away and into the sky, getting smaller and smaller, until you cant see him anymore, you wipe the tears from both of your eyes before walking over to your bed and getting in the covers, leaving the window open just in case he comes back.
I hope he'll be alright... You think as you close your eyes and let your mind wander as you fall asleep.
You wake up, to only see darkness, no light, just complete and utter darkness which makes the knot in your stomach get tighter. You get up, and start walking forward, hostile toward your surroundings.
"(Name)..." You hear a familiar voice call.
"Jack?" You reply, walking in the direction from where you heard Jack's voice.
"(Name)..." You hear again, but its not Jacks voice, it's your mothers, coming from the same direction Jack's voice came from.
"Mom? Jack? where are you!" You shout into the darkness, starting to run towards the voice.
"(Name)...(Name)...(Name)" More voices chant, your fathers, Jamie's, all saying your name at the same time. you keep running, trying to find them, then that's when you see it;
All of there bodies, laying limp and lifeless on the floor, just staring up into the darkness, all mutilated, there own blood creating a puddle around them, the back of Jacks snow white hair now a light shade of crimson.
"(Name)..." Jamie frail voice choked up, coughing up blood in the process "H-Help us..."
You ran towards them, only to smack into an invisible sort of wall.
You kept banging onto it, hoping it would break, hoping, you could get to them and help them, but it was no use.
"I-I cant..."
Tears clouded your vision, you let them spill, not caring anymore, you fell to your knees, and started to cry.
"How it joys me to see you this way..." a man said, someone unfamiliar to you, with a British accent.
You looked up, with a tear covered face, to make eye contact with a pair of silvery-orange orbs.
Ones that look exactly like the fearling you saw earlier.
You knew who this was.
"Pitch Black" You replied, gritting your teeth
"Ah, so you know me..." His voice echoed through the darkness, all you could see was his eyes, burning into your own soul.
"W-why have you done this..." You ask looking down at the dark floor, not wanting look look into his soul burning eyes any longer.
"This is what you fear isn't it? All the people close to you, dead, with you doing nothing to save them, oh, the pain you must feel, all rifled up in that heart of yours, hah, well... i'm not done yet..."
Everything starts to disappear and change, soon enough you were back in your bedroom.
You notice its daytime, maybe thinking you might have woken up, so you put on your slippers, go downstairs and open the front door, once you walk outside to see Jack and the others having a snowball fight down the street, you smile.
"Just a nightmare" you thought to yourself, you chuckled and walked over to them.
"Hey guys!" you shouted, causing Jack to turn around, the smile on his face wiped away once he saw you, and was replaced with an angry look.
"I thought i told you to stay away?" You gave him a confused look
"What do you mean Ja-"
"I told you to stay away from me, I mean seriously, don't you get the hint? I don't like you!" Ouch, that hurt
"Jack i don't understand what yo-"
"_, I don't love you, i mean come on, look at you!" He gestured towards your body, your heart felt like it had been ripped to pieces.
"Jack I-"
"Save it _, leave me alone!" And with that he walked away, Jamie and the others following.
A lone tear escaped your eye, you just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
"Hurts doesn't it" You turn around to see those same orangey-silver orbs, now with a visible body.
"Having the one you love, so dearly, reject you like that..." You clench your fists together.
"Why are you showing me this? please, just stop!" You cry out.
"Well, I AM the nightmare king" He retorted, walking forward a bit with his hands behind his back.
"I like seeing people suffer, to feel fear, to feel pain, it's who i am, and what i'll always be. And since you've gotten close to that Frost boy, you've gained my attention"
"What do you mean, gained your attention?" He chuckled
"Your a teenager, are you not?" you nod slowly
"No teenager has believed in any of the guardians for over 100 years, for me well, I haven't been believed in by a teenager since the dark ages, that, is what gained my attention"
"The only teenager?" He nods
"Usually children stop believing after 10 years old, but you, you haven't stopped believing at all, which is quite a mystery, you must be special, someone quite useful in my plans"
"I'll never help you" You spat
"It's not a choice" He says darkly.
"What do you want exactly Pitch? Revenge? Justice?" he chuckles
"No, no, i want something more than that"
"And what's that exactly?" He smirks, looking at you with vengeful eyes, the atmosphere around you started to get darker and you could feel the pathway cracking under your feet.
"I want to be believed in..."
That's the last thing you hear or see before you feel a cold sandy substance wrap around your legs and drag you down into the darkness below.
Meanwhile, at the pole...
Jack had just arrived at the pole, where the others were waiting, at least he wasn't shoved in a sack and chucked through a magic portal this time.
North and the others were already there, North pacing back and forth, he noticed Jack and stopped, then smiled.
"There he is!" North beamed, causing Jack to jump slightly at the volume of his voice
"I saw the call, I guess you found out to, huh?" Jack said, getting straight to the point. North's smile ceased and Sandy, Tooth and Bunny's faces had a confused look on them.
"What do you mean, mate? whats going on?" Bunny said worriedly, walking forward a little, North sighed.
"It's Pitch..." North replied, his heavy Russian clearly showing.
"What about him?" North looked at each of the guardians.
"He's back..." Bunny's ears perked up.
"Well, we can just fight him again, like you said north, if one child beli-"
"He's gotten stronger" North interrupted "Much stronger, man in the moon told me that... He plans to make everybody in the world believe in him, like in the dark ages, a world COMPLETELY full of fear, with no guardians to stop him" Tooth flew over to North, worry clearly shown on her face.
"You mean like an endless amount of nightmares, all over the world?" North nodded.
Bunny walked/hopped over "But how can he be so strong in so little time?" North sighed.
"That, my friend, is what we have to find out" North looked at Jack and raised an eyebrow.
"How did you know Pitch was back?" North said suspiciously.
Jack was silent for a moment, He knew pitch was back because you told him about the fearling you saw.
"I saw one, by the pond not so long ago" Jack lied smoothly, looking at North trying not to show any signs that he was lying. But North could see right through it.
"The truth Jack." Jack knew there was no escaping now, he sighed and flew over to the table near the globe and sat on it.
"A few days ago, I met a girl, she had just moved to Burgess near Jamie, and she could see me" North chuckled.
"That's great! but what has that got to do with Pitch?"
"Shes a teenager, North" North stopped chuckling and his eyes widened, as did the others.
"A teenager?!" They all shouted simultaneously, Jack nodded.
"Shes about my age, my physical age anyway, I met her one day when going to see Jamie for the first time after the Pitch incident a few weeks ago, me and her have gotten close over the past few days and I took her to show her something I created about an hour ago, she told me after we got back to her house that she saw a fearling."
"Close huh?" Bunny said, he chuckled and walked over to Jack "Who would have thought, frost has got a girlfriend!"
Jack eyes widened and he glared at Bunny, the frost where he held his staff growing thicker.
"A girlfriend? please, me and her are just friends, I would never like her in that way..." Jack replied, questioning himself about what he just said. The truth was, Jack didn't really know how he felt about you, it had only been a few days, but Jack had grown close to you, but in a different way to Jamie, Jack doesn't know what it is to be in love, or to have crushes, because he's never felt that way before, but with you, or even thinking about you, it makes his heart race, it makes him feel Warm
Something he hadn't felt since he was human.
Even thinking about you makes him want to smile.
"Then why are you blushing?" Jack snapped out of it and looked at Bunny.
While thinking about you, Jacks cheeks had slightly turned pink.
Jack didn't know what to say, so he just looked away.
"Bunny stop it" Tooth scolded flying over to Bunny glaring at him with her glistening violet eyes, bunny rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, leaning against the workshops wall.
"Fine" Tooth smiled then flew over to North, who was deep in thought, she tapped his shoulder, making him look at her.
"You okay?" North shook his head and turned around to face Jack.
"Did the fearling happen to see her?" Jack shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm not sure, she didn't tell me, all she said was that she saw the fearling at the pond, but the fearling must have seen us to be there."
"This is not good" North concluded and started pacing back and forth again before stopping and turning to the guardians.
"If pitch knows your close to her, she's in a vulnerable position, and he could use her to get to you" Jack felt fear at the pit of his stomach. What if something happens to you? he has to make sure your alright, he's left you all alone and for all he knows pitch could be trying to get you right now.
"I have to go back, I have to make sure she's alright" North looked at him, before nodding, he took a snow globe out of his pocket and threw it to Jack, which he caught.
"A faster route" Jack nodded and turned around
"Before you go" Jack swerved round, looking at north.
"If i'm right and if there's any sign of a nightmare once being there, any at all, she might have to be brought to the pole" Jack nodded, Sandy then flew forward, creating an image of him going through the portal with a sandy looking image of Jack.
"What are you trying to say sandy, you want to go with Jack?" Sandy nodded, then changing the image above his head of him by your bedside.
"Ah i see! you can protect her from the nightmares so she doesn't have to come to the pole straight away" sandy smiled, nodding his head vigorously.
"Great idea Sandy! Jack, sandy will go with you to the girls house" Jack chuckles
"Her names _ North" North raises an eyebrow
"You mean _ _?" Jack nods slowly
"Yeah..."
"Ah! I remember _ quite well, such a nice girl, when she wants to be" Jack chuckles
"Yeah, that sounds like her alright, ready to go sandy?" Sandy flies over and nods
Jack and Sandy look at the other 3 guardians as if to say goodbye, he then shakes the snow globe and takes it up to his lips, then whispers;
"Burgess"
A picture of the town appears inside it, Jack knowing the town quite well he can recognize the buildings, he then chucks the snow globe to the ground and a bright white spinning portal appears from it.
He looks at sandy then back at the portal, before jumping in, sandy after.
After a few twists and turns, they find themselves on the lake where Jack was just a few hours ago, the spindles of intricate frost still intact.
Jack flies up in the air, as if to lead the way, with sandy close behind, he then flies in the direction towards your house, making it there in a matter of minutes.
He flies to your window, seeing you with your back turned to the window, you look like your sleeping normally. he smiles, glad to know your safe, but it's short lived when sandy taps his shoulder.
He looks at Sandy, who's eyes are on the windowsill, Jack looks and his eyes widen slightly.
Tiny grains of black sand were scattered slightly on the windowsill, Jack traced his fingers along it, feeling the texture.
A nightmare had been here
The one at the pond must have seen you with Jack, which means it must have told pitch, and now, Pitch knows he can use you to get to Jack, for whatever dark deed he's plotting.
He was going to have to take you to the pole for protection.
Jack felt a pang of guilt, he was the reason you were in this situation.
But he vowed to protect you, and along the way would have to find out these feelings he was having for you.
They flew into your room, where you were sleeping, you still seemed normal, but it wasn't until they got a good look at you that they realized you weren't
Your face was covered in cold sweat, your breathing was a bit faster than normal, and you were gripping the bed sheets slightly.
You were having a nightmare
Jack went over to you, worry clearly shown on his face, sandy then flew over after, Jack looked at Sandy with worry.
"Can you stop the nightmare?" Sandy nodded placing a hand on your forehead before closing his eyes, after a few seconds your rapid breathing slowed, you loosened your grip on the sheets, and you were once again sleeping peacefully, the nightmare that was once there was replaced by a dream.
Jack looked at your sleeping form and smiled, glad to know you were actually alright now, he looked at Sandy once again.
"Thanks Sandy, I'll take it from here"
"Sandy smiled, he looked at your sleeping form for a final time before flying over to your window, he turned towards Jack once more and gave him a smile before flying out of your window and into the sky, stopping at a certain point before unleashing a mass amount of dream sand all over the city, giving dreams to the children, all over the town.
Jack smiled, watching some of the dream sand fly across your bedroom window.
He turned to your sleeping form once more, seeing a picture of snowflakes dance around your head.
You must be dreaming about him
Jack chuckled before placing his staff to the side and lying next to you, watching you sleep. After a few minutes he scooted closer to you ever so slightly, before carefully wrapping his arm around your sheet covered waist, hoping not to wake you, you seemed to recognize his cold touch, because you turned over, snuggling closer to him, he blushed slightly, but smiled, he liked being this close to you.
Soon enough, he closed his eyes also, and fell asleep, with you in his arms.