(Darkness)

Hopeless, tear filled blue eyes opened and gazed up at the one in the cage. The emotion transferred and the their expression saddened.

"What power!" Pitch's voice reverberated in the darkness, "I could go on for years living off your fear! It took a while...but I now think we've made it to the hopeless fear stage." Insatiable, golden eyes filled her vision. "I cherish every moment I'm with you, my dear."

Crystal winced, her back had been torn to shreds by a whip. She could feel the blood run unevenly over her wounded shoulder blades. Her body burned in agony. Everything felt like it was burning...and to a winter spirit, that was...bad.

Pitch cooed and cradled her cheek against his palm. "There, there, my little snowflake. I won't let you die...but your fear in suffering...why...that is what makes you unique."

The hand suddenly stiffened and was gone as the air churned in his quick movement. "What was that Jack?" His voice boomed and Crystal thought she heard Jack's voice but she was fading into unconsciousness.

Crystal didn't care, she just wanted to forget the pain. Her eyes drooped halfway shut and she eased her body into a more comfortable position. She was vaguely aware of the stone ground turning to ice but her body noticed it and absorbed the cold eagerly.

Awareness returned and Crystal saw that she was on a layer of ice. Any inquiry on why the ground changed became unimportant as she looked up and saw her friend and her enemy facing each other. Jack held out his arms as if balancing and his fearful eyes glanced at the ice beneath his feet. Instinct kicked in and Crystal struggled to help her friend in need.

Her back felt like it was on fire as she got on her hands and knees. She had to pause and wait till the burning eased and she could push herself to her feet. The movement opened the plowed lines in her back and she cried out in pain as blood flowed down her back and onto the ice.

Pitch turned his head at her cry and grinned evilly, "So you finally decided to join us, Crystal?"

She grind her teeth together in agony and faced fear boldly. It was true Pitch used her terror of flogging against her but he had also helped her. For hundreds of years she had lived with this fear of the physical abuse of her childhood and Pitch had opened that emotional wound through his torture. However, the opportunity allowed her to relive her past and face fear from the source.

Crystal realized the event was horrible but she did not have to be defined by it. She could admit it was a part of her life and it made her stronger because she wasn't going to let it stop her from living...or from saving her friend.

The immortal sternly set her expression and stepped forward. The movement froze when the ice cracked.

"Uh-oh...looks like someone is a little scared Jack." Pitch taunted, obviously trying to push Jack further into his fears.

Horror crossed Jack's face and he was visually struggling emotionally. Crystal frowned and glared at Pitch. "I am not afraid." Surprise crossed Jack and the Nightmare King's face, "And you shouldn't be afraid either, Jack. He is only using our traumatic events against us. But reliving them helps us move on. You have to re-experience it, Jack. Every detail-"

Crack! The ice shifted under Crystal's feet and she made sure her face stayed stern as she stared at her co-worker. "Jack please..." They exchanged a look and Jack seemed to calm down. Crystal let a soft smile touch her lips as the ice shifted again. The surface cracked and open wide to swallow her into the glacial, black depths.

(80 years ago)

"Jack, I don't like it. You know I don't like it. Why am I here?" Crystal whispered vehemently as the two winter spirits lay on their stomach's looking at the North Pole's workshop below.

"I told you, I need your help." Frost said with a grin that was supposed to reassure her.

"How? You want me to Ninja-flake them to the wall?" She hissed.

"Actually...yeah!" Jack said, a bit surprised, "How did you know?"

Emotions flitted across Crystal's face: anger, shock, and then defeat. "I'm Sherlock Holmes."

Jack giggled at the mental image of Crystal in a silly hat and a pipe. "Indeed! Then we really must be off then, Holmes!"

Crystal tried to protest but Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her into the wind. They were soon at the mouth of a cave that the sleigh used. "Jack..." Crystal almost whined, "Why are we here?"

"I haven't tried the stable entrance."

The simple reply came with another gust of wind that shot them into the winding caverns. They apparently had taken a short one because they soon landed in a mine-shaft area with lanterns on the walls. Suddenly, a yeti came out of nowhere and grabbed Jack. Instinctively, Crystal threw up her hand and star-shaped snowflakes pinned the yeti to the wall.

Frost whistled, "I knew I brought you along for a reason." He glanced at Crystal and his eyebrows furrowed in concern, "Cris?" She was looking deeper into the mine and her eyes were full of...horror?

Jack's gaze followed hers to the group of yeti's coming out a dark hallway. Apparently, it was the stables for they were armed with an assortment of barn things: pitchforks, sleigh bells, reins and whips.

"Oh...hey guys, we were just...spelunking. Yeah...and we didn't know you were here." The winter spirit backed away slowly and a Yeti grumbled a 'Yarg?'

"What do you mean we? Me and..." He glanced over to where Crystal had been but the spot was empty. "Me and myself, I guess." He mumbled as a Yeti grabbed his ear, "Ow!" and showed him to the door.

Thanks for the reviews guys! They were helpful in getting this one out. This chapter was a toughy for me but I hope it makes sense. I always seem to end up having my characters rant their thoughts (which I was trying to avoid b/c I wanted to do a "short story"). Rant your thoughts of this chapter and what I might do to make it better! If you can't think of anything, try guessing what will happen next!