Authors Note: Sorry guys, gonna be a short chapter. School sucks, and my sister just had a baby last week, so I've been busy. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
After a half a dozen snow angels, I start to realize why Arizona never gets snow. It's really friggin cold! Pitch notices me shivering and is instantly next to me, summoning a coat from shadows. Jack beats him to it though, tossing his hoodie to me with a wink. Pitch looks angry, but I giggle and pull the hoodie on, noticing how cold the fabric is. But it warms up soon enough, adjusting to my mortal body heat. I can't help but look at Jack shirtless. It's not a bad sight. Pitch notices this and looks angry again. I try to distract him.
"Hey now that Jack's here to "protect" me, can I please explore!" I ask ever so innocently. Pitch looks caught off guard. I've been bugging him since dinner the first night I was here to take me on a tour of his home. He always dismisses it, saying it's too dangerous for me to go alone and that he's busy working. (His work includes making new forms for his Nightmares and reorganizing his room.) Every day it seems he's trying something new. I imagine it must have been boring for him to be stuck down here after Jack and the Guardians forced him into his lair a few years ago. Still...I'm seventeen! I need some entertainment!
"Katie I don't think it's a good idea. The nightmare-"
"Aww come on Boogeyman, I can handle those things. I did a pretty good job of whooping them last time." Jack smirks, slightly taunting, and crouches on top of his pin straight staff. I want to gawk at the trick, but my attention has to stay on Pitch so I can wear down his resistance with my best pair of Puppy-Dog eyes. Pitch gives Jack a glare and goes to tell me no, but gets stuck when he sees my innocent little trick. I even stick my lip out slightly. He looks absolutely confused! I'm sure he has never made an exception just because something is cute, but apparently I'm different than anything else. Pitch makes a sound that's half sigh, half growl and mutters, turning to a Nightmare Stallion that's just appeared.
"This will go with you. To keep you away from anything dangerous." At first I think he's talking about the large Stallion, which seems contradictory considering the purpose of the horse, but then he reveals something in his hands. I nearly squeal at how adorably cute it is! A monkey the size on my palm looks up at me with wide golden eyes. The rest of the little creature is black, but those eyes are so brilliant. Much like Pitch. The monkey makes a weird sound and hops from Pitch's palm to my shoulder, nuzzling against my cheek.
"A monkey?" Jack asks skeptically. Pitch sends a sharp glare at him before returning his gaze to me.
"It will tell you if you're headed for danger. As well, it will keep any...unwanted company away." He explains, looking at the monkey. The monkey salutes dutifully and goes back to nuzzling my cheek. "I have work to do. I'll see you both for lunch." He says, kissing my forehead and vanishing into darkness. I look at Jack for a moment, than at a promising tunnel and arch and eyebrow. We both take off without another word.
"Come on is that the fastest you can go?" He asks with a wide grin as he floats in front of me on the air. I stick my tongue out at him.
"Not all of us have the luxury of riding the wind Jack!" I point out, then gasp as my foot gets caught on a rock and I nearly fall forward. The monkey instantly wraps his tail around my wrist, grabbing a stalactite and holding fast before I can fall. Both Jack and me look at the impressive little thing for a moment as I recover. It nods dutifully and hides in the pocket of Jack's hoodie.
"Some present." Jack acknowledges. "What is it about you? The Nightmare King never acted like that, then you show up and suddenly Pitch is totally whipped." He smirks. I blush but try to hide it by being indignant for Pitch.
"He is not whipped!" He does not buy it at all, smirking even wider.
"Whipped like the family pig." I roll my eyes and,needing a distraction, grab his staff, twirling it like the color guard flags Carter used in Marching Band. All insults about Pitch are instantly forgotten. "Hey be careful with that!" I hold it like he did earlier, in a defensive stand and playfully nudge him with it in his chest.
"Way to make a good impression on Pitch by the way. The second thing you say is all about how annoying my sister is." It's my turn to smirk as he looks distraught at the mention of Carter. Once again, he's forgotten all about our previous conversation as he jumps into complaining about the girl I was forced to live with for far too long. I prop his staff over my shoulder and half-smile as he goes into detail about her crocodile tears.
"I just don't get how you could stand it for seventeen years!" He enunciates it dramatically. We're walking again, but at a leisurely pace. He still seems completely oblivious that I still have his weapon. I shrug in response to his complaining.
"Remember I was a kid for about five of those years. Who remembers things from five down?" I point out. He doesn't seem interested in my attempt to take it easy on Carter. She made my life hell, but she is still my sister. Whether or not she's also the reincarnated sister of Pitch Black as well is totally just a side thing. She was my sister this life, so there!
"Hey whats that?" Jack stops dead and looks down a long hallway. There's some sort of pale gold glow emitting from further back than I can see. I shrug and go to walk forward, but the monkey springs from the jacket pocket and holds up his hands in protest. I look at Jack. The monkey is supposed to be watching out for me and keeping me safe. But I'm so very curious! He grabs my hand and flies me over the protesting monkey and swiftly down the hall.
"What if Pitch finds out?!" I whisper, clinging to him as he flies. A slight scoff/laugh comes from Jack. The monkey is following us, still trying to stop us, but Jack ignores him.
"I'm not scared of Pitch. And besides, I doubt he'll hurt you." He assures me with a sly smile.
"It's not me I'm worried about. Somehow I sense you two are not that great of friends." I explain. The monkey tries to wrap his tail around my ankle and stop me, but Jack grabs his staff from me and shoves the monkey back.
"It's a complicated relationship. He did actually like me once. Even offered me a place as his partner in crime. But I turned him down. And well it turns out the Boogeyman is a sore loser." He explains with a soft smile. I smile too, despite the jab at Pitch. The monkey hasn't given up on trying to stop us, but he can hardly get Jack to pause. Finally he huffs and runs off, probably to get Pitch.
"Uh oh. I think we're gonna get tattled on." I smile.
"Then we better hurry up." Jack smirks, pointing to a door. It's from under the door that the strange light is emitting. I hesitate so Jack pushes the door open, and then respectfully lets me go forward first. I slowly walk forward, looking around curiously. The room is...empty. Completely empty. Save for one thing in the very middle of the round room. It floats in midair, perched at about five feet off the ground. Just floats. And I'm really not sure what the hell it is.
"Jack. What the fuck is that?" I ask quietly. He walks forward ever so slowly, towards the object. It almost looks like a ball, but I can't stare at it too long. It's really bright, almost sun-worthy. But it's so tiny. Jack has to cover his eyes as he gets closer. He's just about to reach out and touch it when the door to the room slams closed. We both turn in fright to see Pitch glowering at us, the monkey perched faithfully on his shoulder. We are so fucked.