Night Shade
Disclaimer: I only own the plot and the OC. Kudos to Theophilus Seven for reviewing, I will improve on that!
Chapter Five
A beat of silence. Then,
"What?!" Jack cried out in shock. He whirled around to face the four Guardians. "Pitch and the Moon were allies?"
Nyx nodded. "The best of friends. Inseparable. They were the first Guardians, if you would believe it."
Jack looked to North for confirmation, and was surprised when the large man nodded solemnly. "Pitch was not corrupt at first. He brought nightmares to those who needed something to warn them. But then Pitch became evil. Manny could not help him, and left. In a few decades, he managed to summon enough power to imbue us with powers, and we defeated him, ending the Dark Ages."
"Man in the Moon never tried to help my uncle!" Nyx spat, venom dripping from her words. "Your precious MiM saw what was happening, and fled to space, abandoning my uncle to-" The raven-haired girl stopped abruptly.
"To what?" Tooth asked suspiciously.
"It is not for me to say." Nyx replied smoothly.
Tooth laughed cynically. "She spouts MiM's secrets and keeps Pitch's! Obviously, this girl is not on our side. Why is she still here? She turned down Guardianship, so let's fight him ourselves! After all, we did it last time!"
"I keep Pitch's secrets because you can use it against him! Plus, I actually respect my uncle. Now shove off, toothpick!"
Tooth let loose an angry scream, and flew into the air, raising her sword. She plunged down, but before any Guardians could stop her, Nyx rose into the air, blocking the thrust with her dagger. Inky black wings unfurled from her back, and they were feathery, a sharp contrast to Tooth's colorful ones. She pushed Tooth back, and deadly black eyes glared into angry purple ones. "You're useless to us," Tooth hissed. "Why don't you leave? All you do is mess things up! Remember last time?"
Nyx let loose a soft breath of air, and Tooth went in for the kill. "He would have lived, if not for your interference."
The other girl screamed, slashed at Tooth, who managed to fly out of the way, and dove out the open window. A banshee-like shriek tore its way out of her lips, and a tear poured down her cheek. She landed roughly on a snowy cliff, but she didn't seem to care. Nyx would not admit just how much the fairy queen's words had hurt, and wiped away the tear angrily.
She heard a noise behind her, ever so subtle, and without even turning, she flung her dagger backwards. A yelp and the absence of the scent of blood told her that she had missed. Sighing, she turned around, and saw Jack Frost.
The boy was an enigma. He seemed to hate Pitch, but he didn't seem to quite worship MiM. Nyx immediately realized that Pitch had not overestimated the Frost spirit. She sensed his power, an icy blue aura pulsing gently above his skin, longing to be used. The boy didn't even need his ridiculous staff to use it. She almost reached out to his aura, wanting to taste the minty coolness. An aura like that would keep her sated for centuries. No, she told herself firmly. For this plan to succeed she would have to resist the temptation. Perhaps she could siphon off some of the Easter Bunny and North's aura?
"Are you alright?" Jack asked hesitantly. She scoffed.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Nyx deliberately let a defensive edge blanket her voice. It would evoke his protective nature, she knew.
He sat down next to her, legs dangling off the cliff. "Tooth went too far." He stated, and Nyx was surprised. Jack Frost would defend her against his friends? "No one should be bullied like that."
"Why aren't you taking your friend's side?" Her voice came out slightly bitter.
Jack sighed. "It's not nice, making people cry." Oh. Right. This was the Guardian of Fun she was talking to. Could she use this to her advantage?
Staring out at the endless sea of white, Nyx scowled. She wanted to spread her darkness, but it was still early in the afternoon at the Pole. It was annoying. "Do you ever want to leave the Guardians?" The question caught Jack off guard.
"Sometimes," He admitted. Nyx was puzzled yet again, but secretly relieved. Her job would be so much easier with this knowledge.
"Why?"
Jack sighed. "I don't really want the responsibilities. I mean, what if I fail to destroy a Nightmare? If something happens to the kids, I'll never forgive myself. Besides, I don't want to always bring snow on time. Snow is meant to be free, not restricted! They even control how much snow and frost I bring!"
Nyx listened quietly to him rant, filing away information. "Maybe you should take a break from all this Guardian stuff," She suggested slyly. "Tell them you need a break, and will return when they need you."
The spirit frowned thoughtfully. "Just a little break can't hurt, right?"
That's what you think.