The boy spun in mid-air and smiled in greeting to Ashley, diamond staff in one hand as he gave a small wave with the other.
"Still not talking, huh?" She mused, more to herself than him, waving back as she looked behind the glowing boy to Jack. "Hey, Frost, come meet my buddy, Glowy!"
The winter spirit blinked. Somehow... this didn't surprise him. Ashley made odd friends about as easy as he made frost, he guessed... "That's... His name's not Glowy. It's Nightlight. And... since when did you know him...?"
"Oh," She waved a hand dismissively, "Like a day or two ago...? He's still my bud, though. I gave him a cookie and stuff. He's a Guardian... I think... maybe... he-he didn't really say or anything, so I'm just kinda wingin' it, here, really."
"He is a guardian," Jack confirmed as he leaned on his staff, "The very first Guardian. He single-handedly defeated and trapped Pitch for some thousands of years."
Ashley's eyebrows shot up. "Woah... You're flippin' old, man. You must use one hell of a moisturizer." Jamie giggled at her comment as Jack walked over to three of them and shook Nightlight's hand.
"Hey," Jack greeted rather awkwardly, "How's it goin'? Taking a break from guarding Pitch, I'm guessing?"
Nightlight gave a shrug and nodded as Ashley perked up. Pitch? Like, the fuck that she nearly killed? The guy that she needed to both kick in the trachea and apologize to? That Pitch?
"Hold on a sec, you guard Pitch?" She asked Nightlight, "As in, the Nightmare King?"
As Nightlight nodded, Jack nudged her. "What other Pitch is there...?"
She rolled her eyes and nudged him back. "Shut up," She told him off-handedly before looking back at the glowing boy, "Where is he, can I talk with the guy?"
The second she was done talking, Jack told her firmly and flat-out. "No."
"Aww..." Her shoulders fell and she huffed. "But why...?"
"Because Pitch nearly-no wait, he did kill you." Jack's salt and pepper eyes drew together as he scolded her, "We already had one big scare. I don't want another one."
Jamie's eyes shot up into his hair. "You died?!"
"It was one time!" She defended, raising her arms, trident and all, in exasperation. "And even then, it was only because I was slightly loopy from falling a thousand feet from the air, and I was stressed out because I wasn't sure if you'd be okay or not and 'cause I almost killed someone, and I was tired; my adrenaline had run out! It's not that big of a deal..."
The white-haired teen heaved a sigh and slapped a hand to his forehead. "You may not know this, Ash, but dying is sort of a big deal."
A bemused look crossed her face. "Maybe, but... I came back." She snorted and gave a crooked grin. "What'cha afraid of, babe? Think I'm gonna go and get myself killed or something?" She barked a laugh. "Ha! As if... Death is for squares, I'm not gonna get blown up. So no worries, 'kay?"
He gave her an unamused look. "Not 'kay. Because You're not going."
Ashley raised a brow and went silent a few moments before looking at Nightlight. "If I ask, will you take me with you to see Pitch?" The glowing boy nodded, though looking unsure while he did so, and Jack protested loudly.
"You're not helping!" He scowled, lower lip forming a rather childish yet adorable pout.
Finally, having reached her patience's limit, she finally motioned for everything to stop and told Nightlight to wait a minute before wrapping an arm around Jack's shoulders and leading him away.
"Okay, babe," She finally breathed, "You know I hate talkin', but sometimes I've gotta... What's your beef? I'm a big girl, man, and I can decide what I wanna do, when I wanna do it. What's the issue...?"
His features softened a bit, but he still looked pretty stern. "Look, I know you can take care of yourself, but... I'm not sure you realize just how bad you looked after Pitch stabbed you. Zach was terrified, Bunnymund was worrying himself to death, and I... I don't want to go through that again. Once was more than enough."
For a moment she just stared at him, when it hit her. "Oh... Oh! You-you think-you're worried that I-naw!" A goofy laugh escaped her lips before she could stop it, and she pulled him closer and nuzzled the side of his face with a crooked grin on her face. "You... you're adorable. I just-I can't even-is that all this was? You're just worried, yeah...?"
He grunted shortly, despite the fact that he was all but melting to her touch, leaning in without a second thought. "That's one way to put it, yeah... And I'm not adorable!"
She scoffed. "Lies. But listen, darlin'... I'm not dying until I say so. And I'm not planning to do that for quite a while, so be cool."
He raised a brow. That was a new one... "Did you call me 'darlin'?' I... what...?"
A light blush dusted her cheeks, and she grimaced. ""I... yeah. Yeah, I did. Gerad's redneck accent rubbed off on me, so sue me! I don't really think before I talk much, you of all people should know that."
He smirked and wiggled his eyebrows, only to get a hand to his face as she pushed him away.
"You suck," She grumbled, "And I hope you know that I am going, you know, no matter how sweet you are."
He frowned and his shoulders sank. "Dang... I kinda thought I had you, there." His hand fidgeted as he gave her a kicked puppy look. "Are you sure you can't just... forget about this? About Pitch?"
She gave a wry smile and lightly bonked her head against his. "Yeah... No worries, Nipper, I won't take long. I'll be... quick as a bunny." She wiggled her eyebrows at her pun, expecting to get a laugh at her joke only to get, not really a big surprise, nothing. "Why do I waste my jokes on you people...?" She finally huffed, throwing an arm up in exasperation. "I'm wasting my brilliance on-on-on frickin' sacks!"
Nightlight cocked his head to the side curiously as she walked over. "Come on, Glowy, let's go see Pitch." The glowing boy shot a look to Jack, who just nodded curtly.
"Yeah, just go," Jack sighed. "She's more stubborn than a brick wall, I'm not gonna be able to stop her... Just... just keep an eye on her, alright...?"
Nightlight nodded and shot the boy a small, reassuring smile before grabbing Ashley's wrist.
"So how does this work?" She asked curiously, "Do you, like, teleport, or have the tunnels like Bunny does, or-Baaallllllllllllllllllsss!" She ended up screaming as the two shot into the air like a rocket and disappeared into the clouds.
Jamie looked over at to the winter spirit. "Jack?"
"Yeah, kiddo?"
"I think I'm in love..."
The teen nodded in agreement before double taking and giving Jamie a bewildered look. "Wait, what?!"
Ashley collapsed to the floor and swallowed bile. "By God, you're worse than Jack!" She wheezed between dry retches, "I didn't think it was possible, but you're worse!"
The boy gave her an apologetic look as he rubbed her back.
"Please..." She breathed, "Please tell me we're where we need to be... If not, man, just leave me here to die... I can't." When he nodded, she nearly screamed with relief. "Thank you God," She muttered under her breath, "Thank you baby Jesus..." Before standing up on shaky legs, using her trident as a crutch and motioning for the boy to lead the way.
Nightlight nodded but threw her a concerned look.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," She told him, albeit a bit weakly. "Just lead the way, Glowy."
He nodded and began walking towards a cave she had never even noticed. Black, almost oily looking stalactites and stalagmites stood in rows at the entrance, reminding the girl of a maw with sharp and jagged teeth. As she followed him into the cave, she was quick to notice how dark it had gotten, so quick.
Soon, the only source of light was Nightlight, his staff, and her trident which faintly glowed. Ash tripped and stumbled over rocks so much that her palms were bloody by the time they reached a cavernous room.
There was a single beam of light that came from the roof, that shined on a single spot in the middle of the place. But that wasn't what had her attention... No, it was everything around that. Every few seconds, she swore she saw something shift within the shadows, or the faint glow of eyes blink, as though waiting for something. It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop... and, to be honest with herself, it scared her. She could hear the faintest grunting and growling within the shadows.
Ashley had never been one to be afraid of the dark, and she still wasn't... She was more worried about what was in the dark.
Her attention got drawn away from those concerns when Nightlight gently put his hand on her shoulder, motioning for her to go to where the beam of light stood.
Something dark contrasted against the beam of light, and as she stumbled over, a head lifted. "Pitch." She breathed to herself.
As she neared, she winced. His face was battered and bruised, nose broken and busted with dried blood on one side of his face. His hands were bound and chains wrapped over his arms and torso. She set her trident by her feet as she kneeled down and pulled a damp rag from her back pocket.
Pitch winced as she put the cool rag to his face, only to exhale in relief. "Has it been so long already," He asked, "That you've remembered I still exist, and have come to take pity on me...?"
Ashley shrugged. "It actually hasn't been all that long. Only a couple weeks..."
"But the question still stands... Come to take pity on the old boogieman?" His voice was emotionless as he frowned at her.
"Not really pity," She answered, pulling away the rag once the dried blood no longer caked his face, "More... sympathy, really."
"Just another word for pity." He shot back.
The girl paused and raised a brow as she looked at the man. God, he looked so tired... "I used to think that, too." She confessed quietly. "But it's really not..."
The Nightmare King heaved an exhausted sigh. "Why have you come here...?"
Again, she shrugged. "I don't know..."
The man frowned as he watched her, and grunted as he sat himself up a bit. "You know... you're not the first to have visited me. Another one has... someone you know."
"Yeah?" She cocked her head to the side.
He nodded as his face almost turned... mournful. "The faceless watcher of fate."
"Slendy...?"
"Yes, my dear, yes," Pitch told her quietly. "Listen to me, and listen well... I believe we can still do this. We can still join together, control this pitiful earth-"
"Pitch," She sighed, "I'm not taking over the world with you." She pointed to herself. "Good guy, remember...?"
"No, listen," He said, voice tinged with desperation, "That is not the reason I ask this of you!"
"Then what is?"
"Something is going to happen!" He barked, "Something to you!"
"What is?"
"I don't know," He told her sorrowfully. "Something that may break you... The fate watcher, the one you call 'Slendy' said that something might happen, and depending on how things go, will hurt you... It will hurt you, like every blasted person has done so to me... If you join me now, maybe, maybe we can stop it. It will be such a big change, there will be no way for this to take place."
She frowned as she studied him. He seemed genuine, but... "It might happen...?"
"There's a large possibility," He confirmed with a nod. "And there's a chance it will break you."
"Like... kill me, break me...?"
Pitch shook his head. "No, my dear... It will break you in spirit."
Ashley raised a brow and asked him dubiously, "So... you want me to let you out, kill all the Guardians and Spirits, just so you can keep something that might not even happen, from happening... if it does."
"You don't understand," He pleaded with her, getting more and more worked up, acting more insane with each word. "You didn't see it... I did. We can still stop it!"
She stopped and stared at him for a minute before asking slowly. "Okay... Let's say I believe this... But, why do you care? I turned down your offers before... I nearly killed you... Why would you care if I 'broke' as you put it...?"
The man gave a heavy, labored breath. "I had a daughter, once... She was everything to me... and you... You remind me of her. So spirited, so loyal... The fearlings, always whispering to me, telling me to stop trying to get you to join me, but they don't understand. Not like you and I do... I know what you long for... You long for respect. For the chance to-to prove yourself. People seem to have so little faith in you and your abilities..."
"But not I," He continued. "My trust in you shall not waver... and even if you should fail, we can always try again. We could be a family... I will never keep anything away from you. I'll believe in you like no one else has. When you need me, I'll be there for you, always... I'll even spare your little beloved Guardians and what-not, that one little boy you are so fond of... Please."
Ashley glanced back at Nightlight, who watched cautiously, muscles tensed as he prepared to step in.
"Look at him," Pitch murmured to her, "Doesn't trust you at all... He already thinks you'll betray him, them, the man in the moon; and you have yet to even utter a word..."
She looked back at him, mind spinning with all the 'what if''s before pulling the Boogie man into a hug. Pitch froze as his eyes widened, before sighing contentedly and melting into the embrace.
"I knew you would see reason." He breathed. A lump grew in her throat.
"I do," She told him, voice cracking with emotion. "I do see it. But... I'm still not gonna do it-I'm sorry..." As Pitch gaped at her, she looked up at the sky light. "Even if-even if something does happen, I-I can't dwell on it. To join you, that would be giving up. Surrendering... And I can't... actually, I could, but I won't. I know you're trying to help me, and I appreciate it, and I know you're right, but... I can't do this, turn my back on everyone, just because I'm scared of fate." She gave a weak smile. "Shit happens, Pitch... Life sucks. I've gotta take the good with the bad, even if the bad outweighs the good, because the good is still there. Always. Even if it's a hundred to one... People always forget that..."
She grabbed her trident and used it to pull herself up. "I'll come and see you soon." She promised quietly. "I'll try to bring you something... Do you like tea or coffee, more...?"
He looked at her in disbelief for the longest time, before finally letting his shoulders fall and sighing. "Tea, if you would. Hot, with cream and sugar, if you would..."
Ashley nodded. "Sure. I'll see ya..." She told him before turning away and stumbling away.
She didn't get very far, before Pitch called her. "Ashley." When she turned back to him, he sighed. "I think you're making a big mistake."
"I think I might be making a big mistake, too," She confessed. "But that's just a part of life. You live and learn... I think I'll bring you some chocolate, too... That okay?"
He frowned but nodded. "Sure... That will do," He mumbled before turning away. "I'm always here... Hopefully, I'll be seeing you..."
"Definitely," She called back. "Oh, and Pitch...? Who says that fear always has to be bad...?" When his head slowly lifted, she grinned. Hook, line, and sinker... "Fear can be good. Fear gives you adrenaline. Adrenaline keeps you alive. It makes you fast when you need to be fast, and strong when you need to be strong. Think on that for me, will ya...?"
The girl scrambled up the rock to Nightlight, who gave her a sheepish, apologetic look, but she just waved him off.
"Don't sweat it, Glowy," She assured him, gesturing for him to lead the way, "I would have stressed some, too, if I were in your spot..." She yelped as she trips and slid onto her already bloody and throbbing palms. "Glowy, please let me grab onto you," The girl pleaded, "At this rate, by the time we get out of her, my hands are gonna be stubs."
When the boy nodded and helped her up before holding his arm out for her to grab.
She exhaled in relief. "Bless your face..." Nightlight breathed a laugh as she grinned at him. "Now all we need to do is fly me home without makin' me nearly puke..."
"That didn't work," Ashley gasped as ran to a bush, "This time was worse." She wasn't able to swallow the puke in time, as she heaved her breakfast into the brambles.
She heard Jack yell something to Nightlight before footsteps neared, and a familiarly chilled hand rubbed her back. "You okay, Ash...?"
"I dunno, yet," She grunted as she swallowed another wave of bile and shuddered. "Oh, Jesus... I know now, why humans weren't made with wings..." She wiped her mouth and grabbed a handful of snow, stuffing some into her mouth and letting it melt (which didn't really take all that long) before swishing it around in her mouth and spitting into the bushes. "No offense, Glowy," She called as she stood up straight, "But next time I'm visiting, I'm getting Frost or Aleksei to take me... ugh..."
Said boy frowned at her and wrapped an arm around her. "Wait, what do you mean, next time? You're going again?!"
Ashley nodded and rested her head against his cool shoulder. "Yeah... I am."
Jack groaned. "You're insane."
"I know," She mumbled.
The teen gave her a look before catching sight of her red-stained palms. "And what happened to your hands?!"
"I fell." She answered. "Like, fifty times. It was dark as hell down there..."
The winter spirit sighed. "What am I going to do with you?!"
She just shrugged as she nuzzled his neck. The thought occurred to her that maybe, maybe she should tell him about what Pitch said, but she was quick to decide not to... Whatever happened, happened. She would deal with whatever it was when, or rather, if it happened. But until then...
"You know what...?" Ashley finally said slowly as it dawned her. "I can finally get out of here... I can explore the world!"
Jack raised a brow at her sudden and seemingly random burst. "What...?"
"Let's go to China!" She exclaimed as a grin grew on her face. "No, how about Paris?"
"Paris...?"
Ash faltered. "Y'know, you're right; that place is too wimpy, too cliché..." She jumped up. "Let's go see the Coliseum!"
Still confused but deciding, just roll with it, Jack scoffed. "Do you know how freaked out people would be if a snowstorm formed in Italy...?"
"Exactly!" She laughed. "Let's make world news headlines! 'Freak Snowstorm in Italy!' Can you see it?"
Jack blinked as he thought about it, and his lips curved into a smirk. "You think it would really make world news...?"
"Man, are you kidding?" She chuckled and threw her arm over his shoulder. "All sorts of mess makes world news! We could do this!"
He grinned mischievously. "Count me in."
Ashley laughed and kissed his cheek. "Let's do it, Nipper!"
Yeah... Things were pretty sweet, right then... Whatever was coming, she would be able to take it, no doubt. Hell, she had the winter spirit and the Easter Bunny on her side!
Bring it on.
~End
Author's note~
And, at last, we reach the end. But fear not! The end is merely the beginning to another great adventure... and I have always wanted to say that, woo! Look at me, yo, gettin' stuff accomplished!
Ahem, anyways... This really was the end. I thought about keeping it going, but the major conflict's at an end, and there's other stuff I wanna work on. But no worries, guys! There will be a sequel! Just... not for a bit. I'm gonna have some R&R from our spirit of courage. Get a few other stories done, 'cause my brain just really wants to focus on other stuff.
SO. I LOVE YOU GUIZ. NO FLIPPIN' JOKE. I can honestly say that I love each and every one of you. This whole thing has been a trip, and you guys have been so supportive and I don't even know why. But I for damn sure appreciate it... every fave, follow, review, every single read-even if you didn't particularly enjoy my story, I appreciate that you took the time to look at my goofy tale.
I would say to bear with me (ʕ´ᴥ`ʔ), but I guess I don't really need to anymore... I'M NOT SOBBING TO MYSELF, I JUST HAVE SOMETHING IN BOTH MY EYES.
Thanks for the adventure, guys!
, Blue