14. Sleet
Note: Hi people! Back to Jack for a while. Sorry that recent updates are taking so long but school is really stressing me out & making it difficult to feel inspired.
Atlantic Ocean
90 feet up
It's the calm before the storm, was Jack's first thought as he scanned the new spirit. April Showers hadn't moved since Pitch's introduction. She just…hung there. Jack shifted uncomfortably as her magic clashed against his, it was eerily like the effect Midday had, but almost worse. Midday's just hurt while April's…he actually didn't have a word for it. The dampness seemed to seep into him, making his limbs feel heavy and his clothing stick awkwardly to his skin. He felt nauseous, confused, and the little jolts kept him from concentrating. It was awful.
At last, April shifted, looking directly into his eyes. Hers were dark gray, the only part of her face he could see, as the rest was hidden in the shadows of her hood. "Jack Frost," her voice was quiet, almost part of the wind, "We know what you are looking for. Turn back or perish." The Guardian blinked, surprised by the demand. "I don't know what you're talking about," he tried, fingers tightening around his staff, "who are 'we'?"
"The Lady acts in accordance to Mother's will. You can not and will not stop her." Jack kept his eyes locked on hers as Pitch began to move, slowly to the side, closer to the female spirit. "You want us to just sit around and wait to be killed? Yeah, not happening." Pitch was getting closer. "If anything, you should understand what we're trying to do! Midday is a nature spirit, one of you. Doesn't that mean anything?" Jack felt angry on Midday's behalf. Even her family didn't care enough to save her from Pitch's influence. Gray eyes narrowed as ice blue faded to white. "You don't care at all!" Jack hissed, a cold, cracking noise surrounding his words. "She's alone! Suffering! For centuries! And you don't care!" April backed away, holding her umbrella in front of her protectively as the wind howled around them. "How dare you try to stop me!"
To her credit, April kept calm in the face of the winter spirit's rage. "It is Mother's will that Midday remains powerful. Our court does not tolerate weakness and Middays former regard for humanity made her weak. She does not need to or want to return to her lesser self."
"SHE WAS NOT LESSER!" Jack screamed. "SHE WAS NOT WEAK! SHE WAS KIND, AND BRAVE, AND IF YOUR IDIOT OF A MOTHER-
Pitch's eyes widened in horror. Insulting Mother Nature in front of a nature spirit was suicide. He tried to move back but it was too late.
The Storm had arrived.