I FINALLY GOT THIS WRITTEN. I hope it doesn't seem rushed or anything ^^;
This is a very emotion bit. I hope.
Chapter 14: Sand
The black sand hit against the sale and sides of the flying boat with the force of a hurricane, slamming against the wood and tipping it dangerously to the side. Jack and Hal yelped in unison and grabbed onto the sides- but Jo's head flopped back, his stomach churning as he slipped backwards towards the edge.
Jack's eyes widened in horror as he watched the smaller boy tip backwards. "NO!"
He reached forward, and by some shred of luck his outstretched fingers managed to grasp the fabric of his hood. Hal lunged forward to grasp the steering stick in time to pull them back upright, and Jack managed to drag Jo's limp body back on.
He shook his roughly. "Hey, come on man, you can't quit on us now-"
"LOOK TO YOUR LEFT JACK-A-ROONIE!"
Jack's head twisted around- and the hoof of a Nightmare slammed right into his shoulder. That was all the boat- and Jack's thin frame- needed to tip to the side again, only this time both Jack and the barely conscious Jo fell right off the side.
"AAAAH!"
He grasped his cane in fright and turned in the air, catching onto a gust of wind and looking around hysterically for Jo. Hundreds of Fearlings whipped past him like arrows and he could barely see through them all.
"JACK!"
He looked over and spotted Hal, who was struggling to keep the boat upright, point downwards. Jack dived downwards- as he'd just spotted a silver blue falling below.
But before he could get anywhere near, yet another horse slammed into him and he was again knocked off balance. He plummeted downwards and he felt his stomach leap. Jack yelled out in alarm- then felt something grab his shoulders and pull him away.
He looked over his shoulder and spotted Tooth dragging him onto the slay; North tugged at the reins as Bunnymund landed beside Jack, tossing another bunch of egg bombs into the fray.
He glanced at the disoriented Jack. "Where you been?"
Jack didn't answer- instead he dived towards the side of the sled and leaned over, terrified of what he might see. Then, he breathed out and grinned.
A golden cloud had materialised below them and was rising up towards the sled; Sandman standing whip two golden whips in hand; Jo sitting by his side with his head bent. His silvery hair masked his pale face.
"Sandy! Jo!" He called down, "You alright."
His spirits faded as Sandman gave him a less than certain look before turning his head down to stare at Jo. The colour- the little that was there to begin with- had drained from the boy's face. He sat with his back leant against his mentor; eyes shut and head flopping.
Tooth's anxious gasp sounded behind the winter sprite and he lowered his head a little.
"HYA!"
North tugged on the reins, so that the sled tipped downwards and away from another cloud of Nightmares that thundered towards it. He pulled out a sword and began cutting away at them as if they were mere weeds in the garden. Bunnymund readied his boomerang.
"Sandy'll look after Jo, mate!" He called to Jack and Tooth over his shoulder, "We have to worry 'bout these dustballs!"
"Right!" Jack hopped onto the wing-like side of the sled and began shooting at whatever speck of black sand he could spot first.
Tooth leaped from the sled and whipped through the sky; blade-like swings slicing them at the neck. But no matter how many they cut down, more and more began to appear.
Jack's breath was laboured and his arms were aching from all the pressure. He blinked, looking around him quickly before shooting another blast of cold ice at a passing Nightmare. "I can't see Hal!"
He could barely see anything...it seemed to be getting darker...
Fear began creeping into his chest. Jack gripped his staff shakily, trying to focus on the nightmares and destroying them.
Darkness...everywhere, everything...
Sandman was surrounded.
He tightened his grasp on his sand, heaving the long golden thread over his shoulder and whipping it over the black cloud surrounding he and Jo. The black, ooze-like dust slithered onto the brightness; clawing at the light. Like ink it blotched the sand and dragged its way towards the small man and the boy.
Sandman, his brow furrowed with effort, whipped again and again; arm over and down, and again. But the gold faded with every second; ever hit was futile. The black sand was all around them; the golden flickering away.
He looked upwards and saw it was almost about to engulf them. His whipping slowed down as he stared with wide-eyes at the sand.
He could sense such power, such...strength in it. A cold chill had filled the air; the sky was darkening.
Time itself seemed to slow.
Jo's hazel eyes were barely open. His head leaned against Sandy's side, almost like a sleeping child with his father. The boy looked up at him though foggy irises. The blurred, shifting image of the Sandman looking down at him and focused for a second.
"S-Sandy..."
"S-sandman!" Jo whispered, smiling widely. Sandman returned the smile sleepily, raising a hand and waving tiredly.
Jo laughed quietly. "I..didn't think I'd see you..." The Sandman tilted his head curiously. Jo lowered his eyes.
"I'm sorry..." he said. The Sandman looked surprised, and he tilted his head to the other side, obviously asking for him to explain.
Sandman ran a gently hand through the boys hair, with a single warm smile, exactly the like the one he'd shown the first time he'd seen him; when Jo had awaked many years ago, a lonely boy, to find the kindly Sandman beside him. The smile he'd seen when he'd grieved for his mother.
It was then, just a moment later.
That the arrow pierced his back.
Jo's eyes snapped open and he stared, horrified and distraught, as Sandman's whole form stiffened. His eyes, too, were wide, and he stared ahead in utter shock.
"Hahaha..." Jo looked past him and saw Pitch, above them, staring down through the black sand closing in on them. A smile played about on his face, eyes alight with sickening delight and excitement.
Blackness had began to spread over Sandman's golden body, and he stared at his hand in silent alarm. Jo reached out and grasped his palm; afraid and helpless.
He couldn't loose Sandy. Not Sandy...
He didn't want to be alone.
Don't leave...
"Don't fight the FEAR little Man..."
Sandy's silent gasp alerted Jo of the black sand entangling itself onto his arm. It slicked past their shoulders; around their chests. Jo pulled at it, tears spilling down his cheeks as he stared back at the elder. He sobbed just a little; too numb to cry out
Sandy's head moved a centimeter from side to side, stiff and frozen. Maybe it meant sorry. Maybe it meant disbelief. He reached out to the boy.
Then, his eyes slid shut as the darkness overtook him.
The last thing Jo saw as his teary, blurred eyes faded into nothingness, was Pitch, staring back at him with a cold but otherwise emotionless.
"I'd say sweat dreams. But there aren't any left."
"I mean...I didn't really believe in you before all of this..." Jo immediately regretted saying it, for Sandman's look morphed into a sorrowful, almost hurt one. He felt immensely guilty. What must it be liked, to be told something like that?
"I'm sorry. I guess I just didn't give you a chance." Sandman seemed to consider what he said. Then, his smile returned. Jo looked at him hopefully.
"So...do you forgive me?"
Sandman, again, smiled sleepily and nodded.
And the Light went out.
"NO!"
Jack lunged through the air, heart pounded, blood rushing through his cold veins. The wind whipped past his cheeks. Pitch watched him coming with a cold frown, then raised his arms up- and with them a giant wave of black sand, where the Nightmares charged down.
They slammed into the boy and Jack was thrown backwards- but with a roar of anger he thrust his staff forward and hit it against the wave.
SPARK.
the Guardians below gasped. Pitch's eyes widened.
"What?!"
Two burst of colour flew through the black wave. First came the bright blue-white light from Jack's staff; spreading over the darkness; freezing and immobilizing it. It clutched around Pitch's wrist and before he could pull away...a purple burst of lightning crashed into it and the whole thing exploded in the air; throwing him back out of the sky.
Jack, tired and aching, fell downwards through the air. His mind was numb and he barley felt Tooth's arms around him, catching him and pulling him to safety.
He looked past the darkened silhouettes of North and Bunndymund as they crowded around him. Instead he looked into the grey sky; and he could have sworn he'd seen...
That he'd seen a dark blue-black figure; with black shadowy wings; flying to catch a falling boy with silver hair.
Anguish stood with is back to the battlefield the sky had once been; head bent, arms clasped behind his back, fingers gripping each other tight.
He stayed in the shadows.
But more than ever, he wished he had been closer to the light. The light that was no longer there.
"To gain one must loose. But no-one said it has to be accepted easily...At times like this I wish...I..."
You wish what?
He paid no head the deep voice nor the bright green pupils that watched him from even deeper darkness from beneath their hood.
"Nothing...Nothing at all..."
Though deep down, he wished many things.