(Darkness)
"Aah, my dear children." The silky voice broke into Crystal's concentration and she visually flinched. "Good to see you've missed me."
"What do you want Pitch?" Jack snapped, trying to distract him from Crystal.
"Oh...it seems the boy has gained a bit of spunk..." Chains creaked and Jack hissed in pain. "...or..." The Dark Lord's voice sounded closer, Crystal's heartbeat quickened, "You're wanting to be strong for your friend..." The cage she was in tilted and she flinched again. "Oooh..." There was an evil snicker and metal clanked. "It seems someone is afraid..."
"Pitch-!" Jack started before the Nightmare King cut him off.
"Oh hush Frost! Can't you see we are having a moment?" Crystal gasped and her eyes snapped open as her wrist was grabbed. She stared up at the glowing gold eyes, fear clearly evident on her whole expression. "Marvelous..." Pitch muttered and suddenly pulled her out of the cage.
Crystal cried out but quickly snapped her eyes shut and clenched her teeth. She couldn't help her breaths coming in short gasps as she tried to calm her fear and focus on her snowflake.
"Exquisite!" Pitch never released his grasp on her wrist and now turned it painfully as she whimpered. "I mean...the fear is coming off you in waves..." A giggle of evil, juvenile delight rippled above her. "It's so rare to find a reaction like this." Pitch's breath was hot on her neck. "Did you know you were so special, hm?" Crystal whimpered again as her wrist was pushed to it's limit. "Just...absolutely...exceptional..."
'Snap!'
Crystal's eyes shot open again and a blood-curling scream shot through her throat.
(Snowflake)
"Sandy..." Tooth looked over at the yellow Guardian worriedly as they hovered next to the snowflake that had dropped from its forward motion and fluttered down on a gentle breeze. The Guardian of Dreams shook his head and lifted his shoulders, adjusting the sand jet pack on his shoulders.
Suddenly the snow crystal fluttered up again and Tooth gasped before it shot away again. This time, it flew faster, and Tooth was barely able to see it in front of them. She became worried they would lose it when suddenly, it dropped to flutter in the breeze again. Tooth's colorful eyes caught the sight of something else falling with the snowflake as well. The fairy held out her hands and caught the chip of ice that fell from the tip of the snow crystal.
Tooth exchanged another worried glance with Sandy before the snowflake shot into motion again. The crystal never stopped again. Even when more parts of it fell away in slivers. It continued until there was only one small speck left. And the only reason why they could see it was because it turned red...blood red.
Eventually, the little speck seemed to to have had enough and slowly drifted down to the snow capped mountain peak nearby.
"No...no...no, no, no, no!" Tooth muttered in dismay as she knelt in front of the snow that was slowly turning red from the bleeding snow crystal.
"Tooth!" A dull sound of sleigh bells sounded in the mountain air. "Sandy!" There was a crash of snow, hooves, and wood. "What happened? Did-"
"Oh my..." The Easter Bunny murmured at the sight of the red snow.
"That's not good...it can't be good..." Tooth said panicking but it was Sandy who shook his head sternly and made a few images above his head.
"You are right." North boomed, "We must be close. Quick, we look for signs!"
(400 years ago)
A small girl had curled herself in a corner of a room full of paint supplies. Bottles of pigment and canvas' were stacked into a large bookshelf that took up most of the room. The single table that took up most of the floor space was scattered with half-grinded pigment, bottles of oil, and other various tools for grinding.
"Nives!" The booming voice caused the girl to flitch as the door was thrown open. "Where is my paint?" The big man in the door finished his bottle of alcohol and threw it at the girl. The glass shattered on the wall above her and showered down, causing small scrapes.
"M-Maestro..." Nives crawled forward and kept her face down at the floor, trembling. "The paint is ready on the shelf."
"Not good enough!" The girl glanced up in shock and horror. "You are always late! I trained you better than that." He slurred with drunk talk and grabbed a whip from the wall.
"No..." Nives inches away, "Please...Maestro..." The whip cracked against her shoulders and whimpers were the only thing that came from her again.
"Useless..." the man stumbled back in his drunken state, "Snow is always useless. That is why you are called snow."
So Nives is Italian for Snow. Props for who can guess why I put that little story of the past in. Sorry for the late update again. The reviews did help though so keep them coming!