[2 Years Later…]

[Late Winter of 1711]

It was a cool crisp afternoon. The sky was clear and the sun shining down on the village of Burgessön; it's light reflected off what little pockets of snow and ice were left from the slowly fading winter. There was still a light dusting of snow and frost around the houses and especially around the farmlands and wooded area, where human feet did not tread enough to brush it away.

The children were getting the most out of the snow that was still around; having little snowball fights, building snowmen and forts. Some children played in groups while others kept to themselves playing with pets or making their own little snowmen.

Out in the farmlands, where the snow was at medium thickness on the ground, the laugh of a teenager could be heard.

"Come on, keep up with me! Hahahah!" He laughed. He was holding a large turkey bone in his hand, left over from the lunch he had shared with the head sheep herder. Chasing after the boy and the "treat" in his hand was a large black and white Border Collie dog, tail wagging, tongue hanging out of his mouth and barking up a storm as he chased after his playmate.

Jack ran around snowbanks, jumped over stones and potholes, keeping the bone away from the hungry dog. "Hehehehe! Come on, big guy, you can do better than that! Hahaha-whoa!" Jack miscalculated his ability to run backwards; he tripped over a small log and fell butt first into a large pile of snow.

"WHOO! That's cold! Hahahah-oof!" The dog tackled Jack, landing atop of him and laying across his stomach, licking and pulling at the bone with a playful growl. "Hehehahahah! Hahah! O-Okay! Okay, you got me, here's your treat!" The moment he released the bone from his grip, the dog made off with it and back toward the farmhouse that was his home.

Jack let out a few more chuckles as he stood up, brushing off what little snow stuck to his clothes and winter poncho. Humming to himself, he began walking out of the field and down the dirt road toward town and his home.

Aaron, the head sheep herder, had given Jack the rest of the day off. He wanted Jack to rest up to prepare for the next few days. Two days from now, the shepherd and his wife were going to the next town over to take care of some personal business. So it would be up to Jack to take care of the sheep while they were gone, along with the shepherd's son and another young herder in training.

The overtime would promise an increase in pay and, like always when Jack got extra money, he'd make sure to spend it on his mom and sister. People often commented on Jack always forgetting to save some of that money for himself. People can barely remember the last time the boy had a pair of shoes for his own; he was always walking around barefoot! Jack never really thought to invest the money in himself, he always told himself that his sister and mother needed the money more. Afterall, he was technically the "man of the house". It was his job to make sure the women in his life were well fed, safe, happy and healthy. If that meant spending what money he had on their needs first, so be it.

Besides, Jack didn't mind walking around barefoot. He felt more at one with nature that way. As for the winter months, sure his feet and ankles got a little numb from the cold, and at its coldest, he DID have to borrow a pair of old boots from a neighbor. But, all in all, the cold never bothered him anyway.

He stopped, stretching his arms behind his head and above. His mind began to wonder about what he'd do with the rest of his day. Maybe he'd go the bakery and try to flirt with Mrs. Lawders for a free piece of freshly baked bread! She was a widower in her 50's and always enjoyed Jack's company. Jack would always go up to her saying how young she looked, purposely mistaking her for a 20 or 30 year old. Even though she knew very well he was only doing that to get free treats, she gave it to him anyway. He was a sweet kid and always made her smile.

Or maybe he'd play a prank on the Vunderein Twins. Those two boys were rather mean spirited in a nasty kind of way. They would often tease Mary about her small stature or claim they were going to sneak into Jack's house and steal something of theirs. Of course Jack would always get back at them and/or catch them in mid prank...and turn it around on them. Sometimes he'd strike first with a prank of his own like pushing them in the pond or dumping buckets of filth on their heads. It might've been slightly mean but they started it first!

Besides, Pitch always told him that every action has a consequence. Sure an eye for an eye wasn't a great moral to live by but at least it was funny for Jack!

And speak of the devil, Jack felt the familiar prickling feeling of the hair on the back of his neck standing up. His smile grew wider.

"Hi, Pitch!" He looked around. He didn't see anything, just snow, trees, the dirt road and the farms in the distance. Odd...whenever he had that feeling it always meant Pitch was nearby. Either that or a chill ran up his spine-

"Boo…"

"Gah!" Jack's startled yelp soon melted into chuckles as he turned around. Sure enough, there was Pitch Black standing behind him with a smirk on his face. "Hahaha! How do you always do that!?"

"I'm the boogieman, Jack...it's my job to be stealthy and silent...best time to catch someone off guard and give them a good fright…"

"But it's the middle of the day and we're not near any big shadows so how'd you-" Jack stopped himself short. He let out another short chuckle before looking down at his feet. Of course Pitch had a shadow; Jack's shadows was cast behind him so obviously Pitch was able to pop up from it. "Oh...right...hahaha!"

Pitch rolled his eyes then they both began walking down the path…

In these past two years, Pitch had been coming back this village on a regular basis. The spell never diminished, nor has he discovered how to take it down. Jack's mother kept that book under lock and key, always vowing that so long as she had her children, she would never let Pitch get his hands on the book. At one point, Pitch had tried to trick Jack into retrieving the book for him...only to find out that his mother had moved it from it's original hiding place. And since he couldn't enter the house through his normal means, he was blind to where she could've possibly put it.

So in return for keeping him from what he wanted, he did the same to her. Namely, her desire to see Pitch leave her children alone.

Just out of spite, whenever he wasn't in another town collecting fear and trying to find new ways to cause more effective nightmares, he would return to Burgessön and, as Jack's mother would often describe it, "haunt" Jack and Mary.

His mother hated him for it and Pitch was loving every moment of it! As much as she wanted to, she couldn't touch him! Not while Jack was around. She loved Jack so much, she wouldn't dare break his trust and confidence by hurting one of the few adult figures/friends he had in his life.

Still, while it was amusing to cause his mother such grief over his presence, Pitch had to admit he's grown...fond of Jack over these past two years. He watched him grow and mature. In just those short years, Jack, now 15 years old, had a couple of growth spurts and was now tall enough that the top of his head reached Pitch's chin. His voice had broken half a year ago and, after much teasing and shyness over it's constant awkward cracking, it finally solidified into that of a youthful tenor; perfect voice for someone like Jack. The boy was still rather skinny but he was quickly growing into a fine young man.

Pitch was conflicted. When he's outside of Burgessön, he was the Nightmare King. Indifferent, apathetic, cruel and sinister. He struck down lesser spirits without a second thought and gave children terrible night terrors with delight. He was downright evil and he loved it!

But then...the moment he stepped into Burgessön, the moment Jack came near...he felt...different. It was troubling and scary; this change was against his will. He'll try to be menacing and dark but all it took was a single touch from Jack and BAM, just like that, his animosity and ill intent went right out the window! It was like...being in this town, especially around Jack and his family, was making him docile and weak; he hated it! His mind told him to hate and hurt the boy but his body and magic wouldn't listen!

After a year of trying to force himself to hurt Jack through his nightmares, regardless of his mother's warnings, he gave up. His own little voice in the back of his head told him to just stop trying, be patient and treat his time in the village as little mini-vacations. From his endless work of trying to find the Guardians and MiM's weakness, and of trying to scrape up every sliver of fear he could. It took every ounce of his will to force himself into not tearing into the boy and his mother...but, eventually, as the time went on...he began to look forward to seeing Jack. He began to enjoy hearing him talk, hearing him talk about what spirits he saw wandering around.

For the first time in a long time...Pitch actually felt...at peace. Him, Pitch Black, the Nightmare King, destroyer of worlds, stars and constellations, being at peace! It was so fantastical to him that if he were told he'd feel this way months ago, he'd have laughed at the concept then kill whomever it was that told him such a thing!

But the feeling of calm and peacefulness was familiar to him...it took some time to force himself to do so...but he finally began to relax into it...accept it...enjoy it…

While walking down the dirt path, Pitch took a moment to reflect on Jack's growth. He was glad the boy was finally starting to grow up and mature a bit. Albeit, he's still a bit childish on the inside; always playing pranks, telling stupid jokes, making his sister and the other little children laugh, playing their little kiddy games. Though, some things that Jack did as a kid those two years ago, he didn't really do anymore. Like hugging Pitch at random or always asking to hold his hand when they walked to his home. He was at least thankful for that much…

Speaking of Jack's home, after 20 minutes of walking with Jack and listening to him tell him about his day, their home came into view. There, tending to her vegetable garden was Jack's mother along with his little sister, Mary, helping her out.

"Hey, ma!" Jack called out, smiling and waving his crook. Alerted to her sons return, she stood, wiping her dirty hands off on her apron. However, at the sight of Pitch walking next to her son, her smile melted into a severe scowl. Pitch was no better. His calm demeanor turning devious and his evil smirk returned. Jack saw their looks and sighed.

Ever since that first meeting, he's been desperately trying to get his mother and Pitch to get along. He didn't know what began the hostilities, or how, but he didn't like it.

They finally reached Jack's little home. Pitch and Jack's mother proceeded to stare each other down. Jack could swear he could see violent sparks bolting between their eyes as they gave each other their most fierce death glare. They looked like they were both about to throw down that very second.

"Come on, guys. Can you at least say hello to each like normal people? You know, no name calling or angry stares or threatening to kill each other?"

Pitch scowled at Jack and his mother looked at him in annoyed disbelief. The things she did to keep that boy happy. Growling, she turned toward Pitch again. They were once again silent, neither one of them wanting to speak to the other first. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, his mother spoke first.

"...Black…." She began, her voice trying to sound as neutral as possible. But there was clearly anger behind those words.

"...Salmhofer…" Pitch smirked back, staring her down.

She looked down at Jack. The end of his staff on the ground, he held the hook with both hands and he leaned on it, smiling at the two of them. She huffed, rolling her eyes before speaking again. "...zee weazer is nice zis day…"

Pitch didn't have to look at Jack; he could feel his expectant stare boring into him. "...yes...quite nice…"

Another moment of awkward silence...and Jack's mother turned on her heels, going back into their home. Mary tilted her head at the scene. From her point of view, her mother and brother were both starting to go insane; all she saw was his mother talking to thin air and Jack smiling at the spot. Though, after two years of this, Mary had gotten used to it. She figured it was something she and Jack were doing that she wasn't old enough to know about yet.

'Weird...' She thought as she turned to follow her mother with her basket of potatoes in hand.

Jack chuckled, lifting his staff to rest around his shoulders. "Man, what is with you two?! I swear I cut the tension between you two with a chainsaw!" Jack joked. Pitch simple huffed and adjusted the collar of his robe.

"She's the one who started it. Why should I be nice to a woman who's always threatening to kill me?"

Jack simply chuckled again as Pitch crossed his arms. "Hehahaha! How is it I'm younger than the both of you but at the same time, I'm the most mature one here?"

"Oh shut up…" Pitch said but that just make Jack chuckle and laugh even more. Pitch kept his straight face up for a few moments more before letting a small smile appear on his face at Jack's laughter. This boy was something else, he'd give him that.

Done with his little giggles, Jack looked up at Pitch, adjusting his staff so it was resting on one shoulder and held with one hand. "Hey, later today, I'm gonna take my little sister ice skating! You wanna come with us? Maybe I can finally get her to see you, this time!"

Pitch rolled his eyes at the thought. He may have found peace in this little village but that didn't mean he was going to let himself go completely soft. He wasn't one to play games or go ice skating. It was entirely beneath him in every way! Besides, sneaking up on Jack and scaring him is just enough "fun" for him.

"...I don't think so, Jack...that sounds awfully dull…"

"Well...how do you know-"

Pitch sighed, waving his hands at Jack in a dismissive sort of way. "Yes, Yes; 'how do I know I won't like it if I haven't tried'-look I just know I won't like it, alright?"

With Pitch's rejection, Jack's smile fell but didn't completely go away. He was used to Pitch dismissing him on his suggestions. It hurt sometimes but he didn't complain like he used to. He was just glad to have Pitch around.

"Okay...well, if you change your mind, I'm gonna take her down to the pond. Maybe we'll even have a snowball fight, huh? Heh heh heh!" Jack looked in the direction of the pond that was just south of their little cottage. Before Jack could say anything else, Mary called out to her brother to help her peel the potatoes for tonights dinner. Jack said his goodbyes to Pitch then went to heed his sisters call.

Jack was now out of sight so he didn't see Pitch's fond smirk spread across his lips. Even as a young teenager, Jack still held a child heart in his chest. Granted, a heart he could not fill with fear...but a heart that Pitch has become very fond of.

"...Specter…vait..."

Pitch heard Jack's mother speak to him. He turned to look at her over his shoulder and his smirk melted into a sour frown.

Jack's mother stepped out from the doorway of her home, taking slow steps toward Pitch. His body tensed. She's kept to her word to Jack and has not tried to hurt him...but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. He was ready to defend himself at a moments notice should it come to that. These past two years, even with the taunts and evil smirks they threw at each other, had Jack not been around, they probably would've been at each others throats already…

"What do you want now, cow?"

Her pale green eyes were narrow and unmoving. Jack's mother; her face was like stone but danger was written clearly in her eyes.

"Dämon...youf been haunting mein son for two years...it ends today…"

Pitch smirked. He turned fully toward her now. "...oh? What brought this up? I believe you said so long as I didn't harm him, you'll have no qualm with me. I've not laid a finger on him-"

"Your presence is becoming a danger to mein kinder...zee people of zee fillage are starting to sink he is mad...he forgets zat only he und I can see you…"

Pitch scoffed. He understood what she meant now. Jack was the only one in the village who could see Pitch. So whenever he talked to Pitch, it just looked as if the boy were talking to himself. After two years of this behavior, the other villagers must've believed Jack to be mad. Even with the spell active, paranoia was a way of life for people in the colonies. A strange boy walking around talking to spirits that were not there...it was a frightening things for adults…

Oh, if only that spell weren't there, he could increase that paranoia into full blown terror. Sure they might hung the boy, thinking he was a witch...but at least Pitch would get a healthy helping of fear and misery from the people.

However, not only did Pitch know this, so did Jack's mother. She had seen it coming for a long time and now people were starting to avoid Jack. They thought the boy was strange and didn't want their children corrupted by his apparent "growing insanity". Jack's mother knew what this kind of paranoia could do...and it usually wound up with someone dead before it ended...she would not like her son be sacrificed to the mob like her father and so many of her witch and wizard comrades were.

She folded her arms, glaring at the nightmare king before her. "Today is zee last day…"

Pitch raised a brow. "The last day for what…?"

"Zee last day you haunt Jack….you vill leaf his presence after today...you vill leaf zis fillage. You vill nefer return...or else I vill kill you, regardless of vhat Jack vants. You are efil. Vhat you do is efil. Eferysing about you is efil...und if zere is a risk zat your fery presence vill put mein sons life in danger, I vill stamp out zat efil viz no regret…"

Pitch chuckled. This woman was so full of herself to think that she could order him, Pitch Black the Nightmare King, to do anything! He had half a mind to take her head off his with his nightmare scythe if he weren't so suspicious of whatever tricks she might have up her sleeve.

"Oh? And how exactly do you plan on MAKING me do this thing you've ordered?"

"Trust me...I know quite a few friends back home und here in zee colonies who vould be more zan villing to vipe you from zee face of zis Earth…you vill heed my vords, dämon...leaf my son be...or else I vill be zee last person you efer see...before I cut your sroat…."

She was serious, Pitch could tell. The witch hunts he triggered wiped out a lot of witches and wizards from the world, good or evil. But there was still no telling whether some of them managed to find refuge somewhere or escaped into mountains, forests or swamps. He didn't have any doubt that White Witches, like the dark ones, kept track of each other when in close proximity.

So, it looks like things have finally come to a head between them. After two years of being forced to endure each others presence, there can no longer be neutrality between the two of them.

"So...it seems as though Jack can longer protect me, hm?" He smirked then glared over at the woman. "You're little threats mean nothing to me, woman...I am the King of all that is dark and terrifying...I rule the shadows with an iron fist; what I want, I get and I will get that book eventually...no matter how many little spells you chant, you'll start to weaken over time. You are just a simple mortal...while I am an immortal being...I can outlast you, my dear…hehehahahahahah!"

He smiled as he began stepping backwards, the shadows of the tree growing even darker as they enveloped him; the only thing left visible were his glowing yellow eyes and the whites of his shark like teeth.

"...I have all the time in the world…."

Finally, he was completely gone...his laughter echoing ever so slightly before that too faded away…

"You vill nefer hafe mein kinder...I vill die before sat happens…" With that last promise of protection, Jack's mother retreated back into her cottage home…

[Later that evening…]

"But mom, come on! I promised Mary I'd teach her how to ice skate today; why the sudden change of heart?"

"Jack, I just do not sink it is a good idea tonight...I am just...vorried is all..."

That evening, just half an hour after dinner, Jack was getting a pair of skates ready; polishing and tightening them. He had told his sister earlier that he was going to give a skating lesson on the pond by their home. She was excited and happy to be able to play with her brother by the pond. She loved to play in the snow with Jack, making snowmen, snow igloos and having snowball fights. However, their mother happened over hear them...and told them she'd rather them stay inside…

"Mom, we're just going down to the pond near the house. We aren't gonna go far."

"Jack…"

"It'll be fine...besides, I'm gonna be so busy at the farm in the next couple of days, I wanna get in as much play time with Mary as possible! I'm the man of the house, gotta make sure my girls are happy, right?" Jack joked and chuckled along with his mother and sister who was also chuckling.

"You can't haf fun all zee time, Jack, heheheh!" Smiling, she looked down at the quilt was sewing, losing herself to her thoughts for a moment, before smiling back up at Jack. He was already set to go, with their skates slung over his poncho clad shoulder, an excited Mary holding his hand, smiling at their mother, giving her best rendition of the puppy eyes as she could.

His mother sighed. Her mind was telling her not to let her son and daughter go, keep them inside where they will be safe and watched by her matronly eyes. Her conversation with Pitch had made her very paranoid. But Jack's smiling face and Mary's sweet little eyes...she was completely wrapped around her children's fingers. Sighing, she set aside her quilting and stood up, nodding toward the door.

"Alright, you can go…" Jack and Mary both smiled at each other before smiling at their mother who held the door open for them. Mary rushed for the door, pulling her older brother with her in hand. She wanted to get to the pond right away and start playing with her elder brother.

Their mother smiled warmly at them before speaking once again.

"Be careful…!"

Jack chuckled, pausing to look back and reassure his mother. His sister had other idea, tugging and pulling at his arm, urging him to hurry up.

"Hahah, don't worry! We will!"

She watched as they both made their way down the dirt path and toward the pond, laughing and joking. Maybe she was being overly paranoid. The spell her mother cast was obviously powerful enough to keep Pitch Black away. It's been two years since he's been hanging around their village and she's yet to hear of anyone being plague by terrors or nightmares, including Jack and Mary. Her mother was such a great witch...so loving to make sure that her grandchildren would be safe even after her death. And even if Pitch did try anything, she was not lying when she said she knew other White Witches willing to help her get rid of him with her. She nodded to herself...yes...everything would be okay...her children would be fine…

Jack walked down the snow covered path with his sister in hand, smiling and teasing her as he did. He joked about turning Mary into an ice ballerina by the time he was done but Mary would just be glad to actually stay on two feet this time.

That Jack, always full of smiles. And he really knew how to sweet talk his way in and out of things. Pitch chuckled as he watched the boy walk by from a distance. Pitch had overheard his conversation with his mother and how concerned she was. He could feel that small twinge of fear in her heart over letting her boy outside. He smirked at the thought of making her paranoid with fear with her child.

Jack and Mary reached the pond now. They both slipped on their skates in a hurry and Jack was the first on the ice. Funny. Mary was so excited to do this...but now that she was here, skates on and laced; she was frozen with anxiety and nervousness. Pitch watched from his spot on the far side of the pond, hidden by the shadows. His arms folded, he leaned one shoulder against the tree as he watched the children play and slide around.

Jack was a bit more experienced than his sister. Mary had her arms extended out, trying to keep herself balanced as Jack pushed her around by her shoulders. Once she got the hang of it, she began shifting around on the skates on her own.

Jack was all smiles, praising his sister for her bravery. "There, you go! See, it's easy!"

Mary laughed and carefully turned herself to skate back around her brother. Jack's smile suddenly grew mischievous. His hand suddenly shot out and he pointed toward the woods behind her. "Mary, look! A BEAR!"

"AH! Wha-Where?! WHAA!" She moved her head from side to side, trying to see the so called "bear". The action disturbed the perfect balance she had found herself and she quickly went falling butt first to the ice.

Pitch chuckled slightly as Jack laughed, skating over to pick up his sister who was quite unhappy with his little joke, even going so far as to pull his hair in revenge. But Jack kept up his smile. He always smiled...it made Pitch unconsciously smile with him…

Strange...while he watched Jack, a...feeling...began to rise in his chest. It felt so strange...so old and familiar. Was it loneliness? No of course not...maybe it was sadness. Possibly not. Anger and vengefulness was more Pitch's forte. Still, these strange feelings in his chest…

Perhaps it was nostalgia he was feeling…?

Crack…!

Pitch picked up a small sound through the laughter...what was that? Was that a twig snapping he just heard? No, it was much too dull to be wood…

Crick...Crack…!

There it was again. Pitch took a quick glance around...then looked down at the pond.

While Jack and Mary were happily sliding and skating around...crack began to appear in the ice. But it was fine just a moment. Jack and Mary's playing, jumping and falling must've weakened it's integrity. Jack and Mary were now literally skating on thin ice…

Down at the pond, Jack was sitting on the ice, unlacing his skates. The moon was getting high in the sky, almost time for them to get home. However, Jack let Mary practice skating by herself for a little while more, she was having so much fun, he didn't want to ruin it for her.

"She's going to fall...Look down at her feet...or else she'll fall through…"

Jack gasped; the hair on the back of his neck began to stand up on end. Pitch? He was here? He looked around, smiling...and then he spotted the Nightmare King just on the edge of the pond, closest to where Jack was standing.

"Pitch! Hi, you decided to come-"

"Jack, she'll fall if you don't pay better attention…"

Jack rose a brow at Pitch as he got up on one knee, his skates in hand. "What do you mean? She's doing…" In mid sentence, Jack turned his attention toward Mary...and to his shock and horror, he realized what Pitch was trying to calmly tell him.

Mary was skating in small circle, practicing on her balance and form...and in the middle of the mini circle she was making...cracks in the ice appeared…

"Mary...Mary, STOP." Jack called out, his voice resounding with fear.

Mary's giggles began to slow as she took in the look on her brother's face. Her expression went from happy and fun filled to confusion and concern. Then, as she looked down...her eyes filled with fear...and terror…

Pitch could feel their fear pulsing from their hearts and prickling at Pitch's skin. It was wonderful...but he couldn't bring himself to enjoy it now...he stood there, still and silent, waiting to see what would happen next…

"Pitch...can...can't you do something?" Jack asked with a quiet and shaky voice.

"No, Jack...I'd just phase right through her...you know that…."

Jack inwardly cursed whatever god came up with that kind of rule for magic spirits. He began to slowly set his .

"Mary...Mary...look at my...j-just...keep looking at me…okay?"

The young girl let out a pitiful whimper, her hands shaking with fear and the chill of the cold weather. She glanced down at her feet then back up to her brother, keeping her eyes on him. She wobbled again and whimpered again; Jack put up his hands out of instinct, trying to calmly reassure her as he slowly set down his skates..

"It's okay...it's okay...don't look down, just...look at me…"

CRACK…!

Another crack in the ice appeared, it echoed in their ears, making all three of them freeze…

Then, with utter terror in the little girls face...she looked right into her elder brothers eyes…

.

"Jack...I'm scared..."

x~x

He should've known better..

He should've seen it coming..

It's happened before, after all…

Darkness. The night was cast in total darkness. The little pond, once filled with laughter, now a place of utter silence...and death…

The boy was so fearless, so brave in the face of possible death. He thought and acted quickly and saved his baby sister's life...at the cost of his own, of course…

A short time had passed between the time that Jack fell between the ice and the moment his sister Mary ran away in fear to get their mother. In the meantime, Pitch stayed there, watching the spot where Jack had fallen through the ice…

His heart was clenching...he felt...alone. Was he mourning the boys death? Maybe. Lost in his own thought, Pitch reflected on what just happened.

This was the second time he lost a little companion. After the first time, he should've known better than to get attached to a mortal. They were all so fragile, so short lived...insignificant…

Insignificant...that was phrase he used, wasn't it. All those years ago, when he battled the guardians in the Dark Ages, another little boy used to follow him around, day in, day out. He had been cast away from his own village all because he had a little misshapen lip. Human were so superstitiously stupid. [1] Like Jack, that little boy wasn't afraid of him...though he wasn't as happy and energetic as Jack was…

Back then, he let himself get soft over the child...if only for a short moment. He liked walking the lonely roads with the boy...listening to him talk and the boy, in turn, would listen to him.

But then he died...how he died, Pitch was unaware. Most likely he died of the plague or drank some fouled water that killed him in his sleep…Pitch had only known the boy for a week before he had passed…

"...well...at least you last longer...two years even...I doubt that boy would've lasted as long as you did…." Pitch began speaking aloud to himself.

He didn't know why he was so melancholy. Compared to him, human lives were no longer than a blink of an eye. Short...worthless...trivial...why would this boy be any different?

Well, it was fun while it lasted...but now it was time for Pitch to take his leave…

He walked across the ice, passed the jagged hole where Jack had met his death. "Say hello to Grim for me, kid…" Pitch sighed, making his way back toward the forest. He shouldn't linger too long. Most likely that girl would've made it home by now and is now telling her mother everything that happened. The most logical move would be for Mary to run into town to get help while Jack's mother came to lake, hopeful that she might be able to save her son. But it was too late. If Jack hadn't resurfaced by now, the boy was obviously dead.

Pitch had just made it to the edge of the forest when the clouds began to clear and the full moon was in total view. It's glow illuminated the pond and the borders of the forest. It was so bright and so big...it's moonbeams showering down on the iced pond…

At first, he noticed the moons light shining on the tree in front of him...then the light got unnaturally bright...and warm...and tingly…

His steps came a stop...he slowly looked back over his shoulder…

A singular moonbeam shined from the heavens above and settled over the spot in the ice where Jack had fallen through...of all the light the moon shined down, this singular beam was the brightest...it pulsed with powerful magic…

"No…" Pitch's voice was bordering a whisper, his eyes were wide as saucers as he looked up at the moon then down at the ponds surface. Pitch couldn't believe what he was seeing. Jack, that annoying little boy that hounded Pitch constantly: the MiM was making him a spirit?! An immortal spirit?! What the hell for? For what reason?!

"...really...him? The boy? You're turning him into a spirit? Why, what could you possibly..?" Pitch kept his voice down, confused and astonished, trying to determine if what he saw was actually happening or not. No matter how many times he blinked, the light would not fade. It was really happening. The Man in the Moon, for whatever reason, had deemed that skinny boy from an isolated village worthy of being an immortal spirit…

Pitch stayed there, watching and waiting to see what would happen. However, out of the corner of his eye, he could see the faint lights of lanterns quickly making their way down the path and toward the pond. His sister must've gotten help sooner than expected…

His slack jaw expression turned neutral once again and he slowly sank further into the shadows behind him. Time to see where this little story would go…

Pitch waited and waited for what seemed like hours…

Jack's mother and a few men from the village had come to search for the boy, but the ice had already frozen oven the hole where he had fell. Still, they searched for his body, in hopes of giving him a proper burial. But it was so dark and the pond was very deep; the cold night air would have frozen the ice even further...still, they dug and chipped at the ice and once they hit the water, Jack's body was no where to be found…

The entire time, Pitch was watching and waiting to see what kind of spirit Jack would become. He didn't expect the villagers to find Jack's body. Pitch didn't know what Manny did to make mortals into magical forever living spirits like him and the guardians, but he suspected that he took their bodies to the spiritual world as well as their souls. One cannot survive without the other afterall…

After hours of hopeful looking, Jack's mother, with tears in her eyes, was finally convinced by the village men that her son was dead and gone; he fell through the ice and drowned…

That was several hours ago...and now, after dealing with another lurking spirit who was attracted to Jack's soul...to his great interest, Pitch was now witnessing the fruits of Tzar Luna's labors..

The light quickly faded. Everything was quiet. The moon had yet to return to it's normal size but other than that, the night was like any other…

But then...the ice cracked...little tiny pieces of ice began to fall away...and out lifted a body...Jack's body. Pitch watched from afar as the body was lifted into the air, the bathed in the light of the moon; as if the moon were admiring a piece of artwork he had finished carving.

To be honest, there was nothing all that different about the boy, he looked the same as he did earlier that day, same clothes, same face, same body...except for two things. His once tan skin was now an ivory white, almost milky in its complexion. And his hair. His chocolate brown hair now a silvery shade of white.

'What had Luna turned the boy into? What would be his power?'

The boy took a few gasping breaths before his chest finally calmed into normal breathing. Only then did the moon set the boy back on his feet, the ice beneath him magically coming back together in solid form.

Pitch's earlier questions were answered as Jack picked up his shepherd's crook that was forgotten by the villagers. In an instant, a surge of magic shot through the end of the staff. Little fern like swirls of frost coated the surface of the ice behind Jack…

He watched as Jack tapped a tree and, to the boys delight, the same thing happened. He tapped another, and again, frost formed! It was amazing! Jack was quickly enamoured with his new power, laughing and skating across the pond, his trademark smile spread across his face!

Pitch chuckled at the boys joyous antics but was quickly taken aback when he saw him shoot into the sky, the wind carrying him high enough for him to see for miles!

As much as it amused Pitch...he was still confused. What did MiM want with the boy? Why did he give him this power? The last time the moon gave a human such powers was when…

The guardians first appeared…

Pitch's mood turned dark...so...that was it. Manny was going to turn Jack into a guardian wasn't he? Him? A child? Maybe it made sense in the long run. Who better than to protect children than a person who could understand children the most: another child. Even if Jack was a teenager of 15, he still had a childs heart.

He scowled. Weren't those four freaks enough for MiM? Was it enough that the guardians stole his believers away from him and used their belief for his own; hoarding power and magic that should've been him!

Pitch's eyes darted to the sky; Jack lost control of his powers quite quickly and plumped down the ground, managing to grip onto a tree branch.

He should destroy him...the boy was weak, untrained and vulnerable...now that he was apart of the other plane of existence like Pitch was, it would be so easy…

'...but why does he have power?'

The voice in Pitch's mind snapped him out his anger. Wait...why did Jack have power? If Jack was given this power to be a guardian, why did he have the control the ice and fly as he does? Did it have something to do with the fact that his mother was a white witch? Magic is a hereditary trait. Not every child inherits the gift but each child that does would have great potential, no matter who they were. And Jack certainly had potential...a potentially great ally…

He already had the boy wrapped around his finger in life, why should it be any different in death? After all, once the endorphins of discovering his new powers wore off, the boy would be scared, confused, looking for answers…

Pitch smiled. He watched as Jack nimbly jumped down from the tree, skated across the pond and tried to fly into the air again. He failed the first few times but after getting a feel for it, he managed to launch him into a clumsy glide through the sky...and back toward his village…

This should prove to be most interesting…

"Uoof! Wha-whao!"

Jack had just crash landed into the main square of Burgessön village. He would have to get a handle on this flying business, as cool as it was! He managed to get himself upright and looked around, a wide smile on his face. He thought people would be smiling at him; after all, he just flew through the air! He flew!

But no, no smiles or laughter. Everyone just went about their normal business. Huh, maybe flying was a common thing around these parts. Oh well. First things first: finding out where he was. Jack didn't have much luck the attention of a few passing adults. They were too wrapped up in their own business he guessed. Then he saw a cute boy chasing a little border collie dog down the road.

"Oh-Uh! E-Excuse me, could you tell me where I am-"

The boy phased right through him, he stood up right, gasping from the shock, placing his hand over his chest. What was that? He just...the boy just...walked right through him? How?!

Jack gasped again, another person walked through him, then another, then one more!

"Hello? Hello!" He called out. No one looked at him. No one could see or hear him. No one knew he was there; it was like he was a ghost! But why? How!? Jack stumbled toward the edge of the town square, patting his chest. He was solid, that much he knew for sure. But no one else saw or heard him…

Jack clutched his staff to his chest, ice began to spread out in a small circle from his feet and onto the ground. Was he going to be like this forever? Was he cursed? Was he going to roam the earth for eternity...alone...unheard?

Jack was scared...very scared...so scared, he didn't notice a dark being rise up from the shadows behind him. The figure stood behind Jack for a moment, watching his reaction, soaking in his fear. He smiled down at him before a deep chuckle left his lungs.

Jack gasped, turn right around toward the source of the chuckle. He took a few steps back from the figure, confused and frightened...it was so dark, the man was completely covered by the shadows, the only thing visible of him was his glowing pale-yellow eyes.

Another chuckle left the man's lips before he finally spoke to the boy..

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" *

Jack gasped, frozen with fear, his staff clutched tighter in his hand. The ice on his feet began to spread even further as he stared up at the man.

'Deja vu...' Pitch though to himself as he looked down at Jack. He reacted this very way the first time he met the boy two years ago. Which was strange...why would Jack be so scared of him? He knows him. Jack constantly told his mother that he was his friend. Not that he didn't enjoy it but he began to wonder: why would he be so frightened of him now?

"Who...who are you?" Jack asked, taking a few more steps back.

Pitch was taken back slightly. Who was he? Did Jack not remember him? What his death that traumatic that he lost parts of his memory? He took a few steps forward, as Jack took the same steps back, letting himself come into the light a bit more.

"You...don't know who I am…?"

"N-No...I-I don't even know where I am...I-I tried talking to some people but they just...th-they just-"

"Walked right through you?" Pitch finished his sentence, recieving a look from Jack that could be best described as a mixture of relief and surprise.

"Yeah…" Jack looked back at the people walking by. They were putting things away and putting out pit fires for the night. As Jack watched the people go by...Pitch slowly walked up to stand next to Jack, watching the people with him. After moments of silence, Jack spoke, looking up at the Nightmare King…

"Am...Am I dead?"

Pitch looked down at Jack. There was such a look of desperation and fear in Jack's eyes. So unlike who he was when he was alive. It was most strange to Pitch.

"No...you're not dead...just...special…"

"Special…?" Jack repeated, looking up at him.

"Hm…" Pitch thought to himself. How far did this boys memory loss go? He didn't remember Pitch but amnesia can be selective.

"What's your name, boy?"

Jack froze. "My...my name…?"

What was his name? He knew it, he know he knew it...when he first awoke...he heard a voice speak to him. When he hung there in the sky, staring at the big bright moon, it came into his mind, clear as day…

"It's...Jack...Jack...Frost…"

Pitch's eyes widened. He had total amnesia. The boy didn't remember his own name, it took him a whole 2 minutes to respond. This...this was most fortunate for Pitch! Before, he expected Jack to resist and want to stay in his village, desperately trying to contact anyone. And since his mother was a white witch, she would only make it worse since, regardless of belief, she would be able to see Jack with no issue!

But now...now Jack was a blank slate! He didn't know anything and remembered nothing of his old life! Pitch could carve and mold him however he saw fit. And then, when the time was right, he'd use him as a tool to strike back at the Guardians. He'd destroy the guardian using a spirit created by the Man in the Moon! Oh, how delicious that was going to be!

Pitch's evil smile spread across his face as he looked down at Jack. "...my name is Pitch...Pitch Black...and what I said before is true, Jack. You're special...you and I both..."

"We..We are? How? Why?"

"I'll tell you what...why don't you come stay with me? I can give you a place to sleep, eat and learn...stay with me, and I'll tell you everything you'll ever want or need to know...come with me...and you'll never be alone…" Pitch pulled a hand out from behind his back, extending the hand as an open invitation.

Jack hesitated...could he trust this man? He was kinda scary; so tall and dark, like an evil specter. Still...he was the only one who could see and hear him...he said he was like him...if he went with him...he wouldn't be alone..

Finally, Jack swallowed the lump in his throat...and took Pitch's hand. The Nightmare King smiled. He stepped forward and placed a gentle arm around Jack's shoulders before leading him away from the village.

While Jack kept his eyes on the path ahead, Pitch gave the moon the most evil smile he could muster…

Pitch would bend and mold Jack in his image. He'd use his power for his own goals, destroy the guardians and the Man in the Moon and burn this world with fear and terror. If things went according to plan, Pitch's dream of being all powerful and rule over all would be a reality!

Little did Pitch know, getting Jack Frost on his side would indeed be the best thing that happened to him…

And also...the worst…

AUTHOR'S NOTE

WHOO! I can't believe I got this chapter done in one day! Amazing what a good spark of muse can do for your creative process! The beginning of this chapter did start out a bit clunky (in my opinion) but finally, we're getting to the good stuff! The "Prologue Chapters" are officially over and done with so now we're getting to some of the stuff I really wanna write about!

Now, for the things I wanna talk about from this chapter:

[1] Some of you may or may not have notices but that passage in the chapter was inspired by the well written and well drawn "Rise of the Guardians" fan comic by Rufftoon of DeviantArt! You can see the complete gallery of her comic here (just remove brackets and spaces): [rufftoon].[devianrtart . com]/[gallery]/[42940059]/[Rise-Of-The-Guardians]

I loved the comic she made so much I decided to integrate a few elements of it into this FanFiction.

And lastly, for my fellow Zelda fans, I put in a special little reference just for you guys! See if you can spot it!

Today's letters are:

E = A

F = F