(Present)

Jack was falling through the air. There was no wind or breeze to help him. He tried to turn and grab at anything to slow his descent but there was only the darkness he was falling through. The floor came as a shock. He bounced once, losing his staff, and crumbled, writhing in pain on the stone.

"Ah Jack, so good of you to join us." The voice tugged at a familiar cord in his mind but his head was spinning. It took him several minutes till his eyes could focus in the darkness. He gasped for the air that had left his lungs and turned onto his stomach to push himself up on his hands and knees. Blue eyes focused in the dull light in front of him. A figure sat in a chair and a darker one stood above him. Squinting, Jack gazed up at the closest figures face. The light was poor but he could still make out the the narrow nose, the shallow cheeks...the gold eyes.

"Pitch!" The boy gasped and stumbled to his feet, casting a glance at the figure in the chair and his heart dropped. Blue eyes met his in fear. "Let her go." The winter spirit demanded, glaring at Pitch and clenching his teeth.

The boogeyman smirked but put a mock show of considering his request. "Umm..." His gold eyes flashed in cruel enjoyment, "No."

"Pitch, so help me..." Jack clenched his hands and suddenly his eyes widened as he searched the floor.

Pitched almost purred as his smirk grew wider. "What was that Jack? You need help? Did you lose something, oh Guardian of Fun?" He withdrew his hand from his back and twirled the staff.

Jack Frost froze as he stared at the staff. His eyes drifted to figure in the chair. Crystal was chained and gagged and her eyes were so afraid. Jack had only seen happiness and sadness on her face. Fear was not an emotion fitting for her. It looked wrong.

"So here is how it is going to go Jack," Pitch brought his attention back to him. "You two are going to sit in here and forget about all your duties. Think of it as a vacation. You both work so hard bringing winter to the world, I think you deserve a break."

The fake concern was mocking Jack who almost growled in anger. "Why?"

"Global fear, my dear boy." Pitch's smile churned his stomach, "I'm making Global Warming a reality." The boogeyman chuckled and suddenly the sickening sound of snapping wood resounded. Jack's blue eyes were wide. He stared at the pieces of wood in the Nightmare King's hands. His hand moved involuntarily to his gut and he suddenly let out a ragged breath of air. Something inside had broken again.

"Sorry to beat a dead horse Jack," Pitch said, casually tossing the pieces behind him as he stepped towards the boy. "But when there is a weakness, you have to take advantage of it, right?"

Jack's sight was going in and out of focus as he kept forcing himself to breathe. He stumbled back as he felt the dark presence come close. He looked up at the gray face above him. The smile on it slowly turned into a deep scowl. "Payback's a bitch, Jack."

Then the blows rained down. Jack grunted as the first punch sent him flying to the side and then tried desperately to curl in on himself as punches and kicks brought excruciating suffering. He spared only groans to the pain, not wanting to give Pitch the satisfaction of a scream. But when a loud 'CRACK' snapped from his side, his eyes popped open and yelled in agony.

The blows stopped as the boy clutched his side and moaned, writhing uncomfortably on the ground. "Did we break something Jack?" The cool voice came from above and a slitted blue eye glared up at the Shadow Lord.

"Ah...such a pitty..." Pitch ran his hand through his hair to slick it back in place. "And I was just feeling less...frustrated." The last word stung the air and lingered painfully. Golden eyes shifted to the figure in the chair who stiffened and blinked at the tears that had run down her cheeks.

"No..." Jack croaked out desperately grabbing the ankle in front of him.

"Oh come now, Jack my boy..." Pitch lifted him off the ground by his collar and the boy cried out, twisting and tearing at the black sleeve. "You can only have so much fun till you have to move on." He was suddenly tossed and landed against bars as the floor swung and chains creaked. Jack opened his eyes and saw he was in one of Pitch's hanging cages.

"Pitch..." Jack's voice wavered in misery, "...please...don't..."

Yellow eyes flashed in mirth, "Begging is new to you, Jack. Did I finally put you in a hopeless situation?" The boy shut his mouth, there was nothing else he could do. Pitch smirked, "This won't take too long..." He turned towards the other figure and cracked his fingers, "I just have to assure you two won't return to work any time soon."

(150 years ago)

"Crystal?" The question tentatively lingered in the air as if any sudden movement would displace the currents in the room. A soft sigh slipped through pale pink lips. Small, lithe hands finished twirling a speck of ice into a beautiful snow crystal and then rubbed the tension in the fingers. Weary blue eyes were rubbed next as the figure stood and yawned.

Crystal turned to see Jack Frost studying one of her sculptures and faintly smiled at the childish curiosity on his face. "Ah...well hello, Jack. It is good to see you! I feel like we haven't seen each other in ages!" She tried her best to sound as welcoming as possible as she crossed the space between them swiftly and gave him a warm hug (or in their sense, cold).

Jack gave a crooked grin, "Actually it has been over a year..."

An astoned look crossed her face and she let out a dazed murmur sound, "It has?" Crystal whispered and rubbed the space between her eyes. "Being immortal does make time pass differently..." Eyes rimmed with tired lines looked back up at the boy in front of her. "I am so sorry Jack. I didn't mean to let my work get the best of me..."

Jack grinned and raised his hands in an 'Ok' statement. "I understand, Crystal. You have been having to keep up with my demands anyway." Crystal's tight smile lightened her exhausted features. "I actually came to compliment you on the snow at Niagara. Those were some of your best designs! They came down beautifully and everyone loved them. You even have Cupid's gratitude on bringing her multiple successes."

Crystal let a deep sigh release the tension from her shoulders and she closed her eyes a moment. Jack frowned in worry slightly but resolved to wait. She hadn't looked this tiered in a long time. When her blue eyes finally did reopen, joy had lit up her features and her big smile was contagious.

"Come on..." Crystal said, rubbing Jack's wild hair and gliding towards the exit. "After being cooped up in here for a year, I need a little destresser..." Her blue eyes twinkled back at Jack, "And there's nothing a bit of snow can't help."

BaronoftheSky: Thank you for being my first reviewer! I have tossed around that question and I haven't come up with a longer name I enjoy.

If anyone has suggestions on a longer name for Crystal, please suggest away! Oh and keep reviewing! They are always a delight.