Author's Note: So a few of my friends and I met with my Spanish teacher after school to play jeopardy and I won (hence why I'm a little late with this update X)). What was my reward? I got to play any song I wanted in front of everyone, and they'd be forced to listen.

And what song did I play, you ask?

*Looks around mischievously* *Whips out microphone* *Inhales*

NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UUUUUUUUP! NEVER GONNA LET YOU DOOOOOOWN! NEVER GONNA TURN AROUND AND - DESERT YOUUUUUUUUU!

My friends loved me for that one. ='D

And that's not my only good news! I'm almost finished with the Promised Neverland manga! *Screams* This series flew by so quickly (probably because I'm a fast reader, lol-), but I love all the characters so much (Norman being my favorite as you can probably tell by my new picture, haha XD), and the storyline is so FREAKING GREAT. If you haven't read it already...GO AND READ IT pretty please! (Though I will warn you that it is pretty dark and gory at times...but I think it's tolerable).

Sadly, I have to wait FOUR WEEKS on our school's virtual library for book nineteen. Now that's just an estimate, but I'm still feeling quite impatient right now. XD Thankfully, I snagged twenty so I wouldn't have to wait for it when I get nineteen, haha. I'm definitely planning on writing some TPN fanfiction sometime in the future, but I'll do that once I finished the manga. I'm hoping to watch the anime too (once I save up for Crunchyroll ='D), but season one only since the creators did a really bad job on season two from what I've heard. =')

Last but not least, I FINALLY updated my fanfiction profile after, like, forever! And by update, I just mean I rewrote the whole bio part. XD The previous one was really long (and I sounded super cringy 'cause I wrote that when I was 13 ='D), so I chopped it down and rewrote it so that it properly reflects my writing style now. ^u^ I also added a list of upcoming stories and one-shots so you guys know what's coming next from me (I'll add summaries once I write 'em!).

ANYYYway, hello everyone! =D Welcome back once again to this little fic "The Winter Child!" This chapter marks the beginning of a new arc in this story. I think this had to be one of my favorite ones to write, but I had suuuuch a hard time doing so. QwQ I still don't think it's perfect, but I may be wrong and you guys might like it...Or not. ='D

Well, I'm meeting this out here anyway regardless of how meh I think it is, because I think everything I write is meh, but you guys usually think otherwise, so *yeets "Drowning in Darkness, Part One at ya'll* I hope you enjoy this chapter! =D

Oh, and Jack's sixteen in 'ere by the way. =D BAM! TIME JUMP! XD


~ LX ~

Drowning in Darkness, Part One

It was supposed to be simple

It was supposed to be fun

It was supposed to be a quick trip

But as he sunk under

Grasped by the shadow's grip

He knew

He fell right into their trick

...

It was two days before North's birthday, and Jack was having a crisis.

Well, that may be a little overdramatic. It was two days before North's birthday, and Jack was in a panic. There, much better.

Though Jack considered himself somewhat organized (though his sock drawer would suggest otherwise), the snow sprite had completely forgotten about North's upcoming birthday. He had good reasons, though. Jack had been helping Katherine with Kailash; the goose had recently had a growth spurt and was even bigger than before. Then there was his schoolwork, which only become more and more as he grew older. Jack was also busy helping Tooth with deliveries across town, helping Bunny reorganize things in his studio, searching Sandy's lost goggles, and helping North with his projects. He was assisting Jamie in math, helping Sascha and Petter with a science experiment, oh, and then there was—

Jack shook his head; he had a lot on his plate. He had perhaps bitten a little more than he could chew, but the snow sprite only wanted to help those around him. And many appreciated the assistance he gave them. Jack liked helping people, it made him feel good. Seeing others content and happy made him feel happy too.

But now his thoughts were getting off track…The snow sprite stopped pacing and flopped onto his bed. Right now, he should be sleeping, but he had just realized that North's birthday was in two days, so he was staying up (without North knowing, of course) to think of ideas for a potential present. He did consider making North something, but he had already done that several times before. Jack was sixteen now, and he wanted his gift to reflect his maturity. He had enough money to buy something, and North trusted him enough that he was free to go where he liked (within the boundaries of the village).

So a handmade card or sculpture was crossed off of the list. Jack sat up and began to pace again, mumbling ideas to himself in the faint candlelight.

"Alright, I have enough money to buy something, but I want to give North something different. Something unexpected…something that he really wants. But what in the world would North want that he can't make?"

Being the son of an inventor made gift-giving difficult. North could make almost anything, and Jack wanted to get him something that he never would've expected. As the snow sprite paced back and forth, his thoughts spun and whirred as he racked his brain to come up with something that North always wanted.

A new set of tools? He already had several.

Some interesting books? North didn't read all the time. And Jack wanted to give North something he could actually use.

What about an automatic organizer? Then North wouldn't have to rearrange anything ever again—Oh, wait, he could just invent that.

Jack groaned. "This is ridiculous. I've lived with North for sixteen years and I don't even know what to get him for his birthday." He huffed. "I'm a horrible son."

From outside, the Wind whistled sympathetically. Jack looked out the window, where a full moon was hanging in the night sky.

"I don't suppose you have any ideas, Wind?" asked Jack. The gentle breeze gave a low flute.

Jack smiled lightly. "It's fine. The present should be something from me anyway."

Jack sat down on his bed and propped his head in his hands. "Now, what's a good gift for Nort? Something that he can't make, something that he really wants. Something…special…"

And just like lightning, it hit Jack. No, not the present but the idea of the present. Jack smiled. Why hadn't he thought of it before?! North had never spoken of it for a long time, and Jack knew how much he'd appreciate it if it were replaced.

But first, he needed to ask Katherine for help. Because this particular thing required him to leave the village.

"You're leaving?!"

"Shhhhhh!" Jack hushed. He looked around to make sure no one had heard. The two were in the library, however, and apart from the animals and Mr. Qwerty, they were the only ones there. Jack let out a breath. "Yes, I'm leaving. But only for a little while. I just need to find something."

"For a vase that you broke twelve years ago?" Katherine restated.

Jack nodded. When he was four, he had broken a vase that North wasn't able to replace. Now, he knew he could make a vase out of ice, but Jack wanted to find the ingredients used to make the vase and ask Ombric to recreate it. When he asked North what it was made out of, the ex-Cossack said that special sands somewhere in Olsolustria were used to create it. The sand was light, almost like stardust. And when heated, the glass was like crystals. North had received it through trade, but after Jack broke it, he couldn't replace it since they weren't being sold in markets anymore.

Jack couldn't travel all the way to Olsolustria without his absence being noticed. So after doing some research, Jack found a location about an hour's ride away with the very same sand North had described. All he needed to do was collect this sand and bring it to Big Root, and Katherine could help him cast the spell to make it a vase.

"I'll take the sleigh out and be back as soon as possible," said Jack. "North'll busy all day; he won't even notice I'm gone."

"Jack, I don't know about this," said Katherine.

"Come on, Katherine! I'll be gone for only an hour," Jack begged.

"But North's bound to notice something! Have you forgotten about the feelings he gets in his belly?"

Jack scoffed. "Those haven't been scientifically proven to predict anything."

"Well, there have been enough coincidences," Katherine retorted. She softened. "What if something happens, and we're not there to help you?"

"I'll be fine, I promise," Jack reassured. "Besides, what's the worst that can happen in an hour?"

"Anything," Katherine said. "Which is why you need to be back here before anything can happen."

Jack nodded. "I will. Just remember not to tell anyone where I am, okay?"

"Too late!"

Katherine and Jack whirled around. Behind them stood young Jamie Bennett, a smirk on his face. How long he had been standing there, neither of the two teens knew. But by the excitement in his voice, Jack knew that he had probably been standing there a while.

"Jamie? What are you doing here?" asked Katherine.

"I was going to ask Jack if he wanted to play," said Jamie. "But he wasn't home, and North said that he went here. Then I heard you guys talking about Jack leaving the village, and—"

"Shh, Jamie! No one's supposed to know!" Jack hissed.

Jamie blinked. "But no one's in here except us. Well, and the bugs, but they're busy."

Jack sighed. "I trust that you won't tell anyone?"

Jamie nodded. "...But, you'll have to let me join you."

"Are you serious?"

"As serious as I can get."

"Jamie, the forest isn't for eight-year-olds."

"And nor is it for sixteen-year-olds who are going in without permission."

"Who said I'm going without permission?"

"You didn't tell North!"

"Yes, but I have my permission. And that's enough."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Can we focus please?"

"Please let me come, Jack, please!" Jamie begged, bouncing on his heels. "I won't tell anyone. I just want to have an adventure!"

Jack ran a hand through his hair and huffed. "Alright, fine. You can come, but you have to do what I say!"

Jamie grinned. "I will, I will, I will, I will!"

Katherine chuckled. "Then I guess it's settled." She turned to Jack. "You both should leave now if you want to come back in good time."

Jack nodded. "Grab your coat and things, Jamie. We're headed on an expedition."

For such a large vehicle, Jack and Jamie actually managed to sneak the sleigh out of the village. North wasn't home when the two came to borrow it, and everyone else in Santoff Claussen was too wrapped up in their own work to notice two young boys riding into the woods.

Now, Jack had never learned how to drive the sleigh, but he had watched North do it so many times, that he assumed it would be simple. It turned out that it was much more difficult than he thought. The reindeer were feisty and constantly fought against Jack's grip. It took him a long time to figure out the steering and get the reindeer to obey him. While Jack struggled in the front, Jamie was in awe in the back. He had never ridden the sleigh before, so he was filled with exhilaration and wonder as the trees rushed by and the Wind rushed through his hair. The boy laughed, reaching out to touch the nearby foliage.

Jack smiled. "Don't lean out too far. You might fall out."

Jamie giggled, and the two continued their way into the wood. The location was just up ahead according to the map, and the two had been gone only thirty minutes. Jack pulled the reins and the reindeer skidded to a halt. Jack and Jamie leapt out of the red vehicle and onto the forest floor below.

"The last time I went through here, I was moving with Mom and Sophie," said Jamie, looking around.

"Yeah, well, we're going to be heading off the path," said Jack. He pointed toward the trees. "The lake's that way."

"Lake? I thought we were looking for sand!" Jamie said.

"We are," said Jack. "The sand's at the lake."

"Oh."

The walk was a short one, so it wasn't long until Jamie and Jack stepped into a clearing. It was a wonderful fall afternoon, and sunlight leaked through the colorful tree canopy above. The Wind whispered through the trees, making the branches sway. The lake stood before the two boys, shimmering like glass. The sand that surrounded it sparkled like stardust. Jack smiled. Jamie stared, awed.

"This is the place," said Jack. He looked at the lake, which was frozen over. "This place would be nice for ice skating."

"I've never been ice skating before," said Jamie. "But it looks fun."

Jack pulled out a bottle and a small shovel. "I'm going to collect the sand, and then we'll leave. Try not to get into any trouble, alright?"

Jamie smirked. "You say that like I do it all the time."

"With that heightened curiosity of yours, you would," stated Jack. "You can explore, but don't wander too far. And be careful around the lake, okay?"

"'Kay!" Jack chirped, then he was off. Jack smiled.

"That kid is really something else," he murmured. He walked near the lake's edge and started collecting sand, keeping an ear out for Jamie, who laughing and running around nearby. As he scooped the sand, Jack wondered what design the vase was going to be. He couldn't remember exactly what North's old one looked like, but he didn't want to make the new vase exactly the same as the original. He'd ask Katherine if they could put something special on it when they returned.

Jack didn't know how much sand they would need, so he decided to fill three bottles. Each time he returned to the lake's edge, he felt something…strange. He couldn't quite describe it, but he felt as if he were being watched.

Once Jack filled the last bottle, he placed it in his satchel and put it in the sleigh. That odd feeling he had been feeling was becoming strong and stronger, so he wanted to leave before anything happened.

"JACK!"

Jack spun around at Jamie's cry. His eyes widened when he saw Jamie stranded on the ice. The boy was trembling as cracks crawled out from underneath him. Jack's heart thudded against his chest, alarm flashing in his eyes.

"Jamie! What are you doing out there?!" Jack exclaimed, dashing for the lake. "I told you to say off the ice!"

"I-I know!" Jamie wailed. "B-but I s-saw something and th-then I s-s-slipped and—Jack, I'm scared!"

The more Jamie panicked, the wider the cracks became. Jack held a hand out toward Jamie.

"Jamie, it's going to be okay, just calm down," said Jack, trying to keep his voice from trembling.

Tears rolled down Jamie's cheeks. "Jack, help me!"

"I will, I will just hold on!"

The snow sprite scanned the ice. It was thin, very thin. If he tapped his staff against it to freeze it over, it would definitely break from the pressure. Also, he couldn't freeze the lake while Jamie was on the ice. Flying over and saving him was another option, but Jack feared that if he did so, Jamie would jump for his hand and cause the ice to break.

Jack drew in a breath and decided to rescue Jamie the best way he could. Slowly, he placed on foot on the ice, causing that small patch to freeze over. He made careful steps toward Jamie, thickening the ice below him as he went. Once he was a few feet away from Jamie, he locked eyes with the boy.

"Okay, Jamie. I need you to take careful steps toward me. Then I'm going to grab you and pull you over to the thicker ice, okay?"

"W-What if the ice breaks?" Jamie cried.

"It won't, I promise I'll catch you," Jack said. He readied his staff. "It'll be like hopscotch. You're going to take one step at a time."

"Jack—"

"Jamie," Jamie stared at the snow sprite. His eyes shone with sincerity. "You're going to be alright. You're not going to fall in. I won't let you."

Jamie let out a breath, and he nodded. Jack gripped his staff.

"I'm going to count to three, and you'll make your way over," said Jack. "One…"

Jamie whimpered as he took a step toward Jack. The ice creaked.

Jack held out his staff. "That's it, that's it…Two…"

Jamie held back a cry as he took another step forward. The ice screamed in protest.

"Three!" Jack threw his staff forward as Jamie took another step closer. He pulled the boy to the thickened ice. The force of the pull threw Jack where Jamie had originally been standing. Jamie yelped as he crashed against the hard ice. When he got up, he only had a few scratches. The young boy looked at Jack and he smiled. Jack grinned back, and he took a step forward.

Though Jack was nimble, and though he was quick, he forgot to make the ice thickness.

The ice gave way and the waters swallowed Jack whole. Jamie screamed his name as he went under. And Jack felt an ancient cold that he had only felt once before.

Eyes of amber flickered in the water.

Jack now understood what Jamie had seen.

Fearlings lurked within the murk of the lake.


Author's Note: Tsk, tsk, tsk...Jack, why do you keep doing this to yourself?

Everyone: "Is this really another Jack drowns and almost dies fanfic, Moon?"

Pffft, naw! This isn't a Jack drowns and almost dies fanfic! This is a Jack drowns and almost dies fanfic AND gets- Oh, wait, I see what you're doing.

Luckily for you, I'm not spoiling anything! =D But you guys will only have to wait until tomorrow to find out, which isn't so bad compared to FOUR BLOODY WEEKS-!

*Ahem* Excuse me. =')

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one! =)

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203

P.S. - Holy heck, you guys are insane...over 13,000 views and 220 reviews for this story? Get out of hereeeee!

(Translation: Arigatogozaimasu, this really means a lot to me ='3)