Hey guys, sorry I'm really erratic about updating, but here's the next chapter, enjoy! Umm... a few notes before we start ;) I apologize that I most likely made mistakes with the way the story goes in the movie, it's been a while since I've seen it, and I have a terrible memory :/ I'm trying to be as accurate as possible, please forgive lapses. And now, without further ado, on with the story!
Jack flew back to Burgess, and checked up on Jamie and Alana. Jamie and his family were fine, but when he flew to Alana's window she wasn't in her room. He flew around the house, looking in all of the windows, and saw Alana's parents in the living room, reading books. They looked fine, even though their daughter wasn't in the house. Jack thought she must have gone for a walk. Sure enough, when he reached the front porch, he found footprints in the snow, leading away from the house, towards his pool.
When he got to the pool, he saw she had sat on a rock, then moved to the pool, evidently skating by the marks on the ice. He also saw her boot marks in the snow near the ice where she had apparently stepped quite a bit, and then gone back to the ice to slide around.
Jack continued searching, and saw boot tracks walking towards town, turning suddenly, then backing themselves up against a tree. There were faint hoof prints, and he could just barely make out human footprints as well, sinking in more as they headed towards the hoof prints. Next to the hoof prints, there was an iPod. Alana's iPod. Jack picked it up and continued following. The hoof prints ran away, then sunk in greatly as apparently the horse had…flown?
At that point Jack stopped, scratching his head with his hooked staff, thinking horses couldn't fly. Suddenly, he remembered at the Pole and afterwards, when they had gone to the Tooth Palace to find the fairies missing and those nightmares flying everywhere.
Jack realized where Alana had gone.
She had been taken by Pitch.
Jack ground his teeth and yelled, "Wind! Take me to the Pole! Pronto!" The wind picked him up and flung him forward. He jetted over Burgees, and over more snowy territory. He was quickly over an ocean, and then more snow and ice. In short order he saw the top of the Workshop, and once he reached the window to the meeting room, he pounded the glass with his fists. Yelling for anyone to hear him and let him in, it was an emergency. North rushed in and opened the window, allowing the winter spirit and the cold wind that followed him into the meeting room.
Jack was breathing hard, and when he had caught his breath, he looked up to North and said, "You're gonna want to call everybody else." North nodded and turned the handle that released the Northern Lights.
The Guardians were coming.
I sat, staring at nothing, listening to the occasional chirp from the fairies, dried tear tracks staining my cheeks. I had cried silently, not wanting to give Pitch the happiness in hearing my sobs. I was scared, but the feeling was only a dull ache in my chest now. I couldn't feel anything else besides it. One of the fairies had been quite persistent with checking up on me, but I didn't really pay any attention to it. I was done feeling. I was sure it was night outside, and I wondered dully if my parents were worried or if they wouldn't worry, just assume I was out walking still.
I had already tried to find my iPod in my pockets, but realized I must have dropped it in the snow when I got captured. I hummed an excerpt of 'Hold Me Now' by Red to myself, imagining there was someone in the dratted cage that would give me a hug and tell me it would be alright. Unfortunately, no one was there.
Fall asleep to dreams of home,
Where the waves are crashing.
The only place I've ever known,
Now the future has me.
I see the fire in the sky,
See it all around me.
I said the past is dead, the life I had is gone.
Said I won't give up,
Until I see the sun.
Hold me now,
'Til the fear is leaving,
I am barely breathing.
Waking up and letting go,
To the sound of angels.
Am I alive or just a ghost?
Haunted by my sorrows.
Hope is slipping through my hands,
Gravity is taking hold.
Said I'm not afraid, that I am brave enough.
I will not give up,
Until I see the sun.
Hold me now,
'Til the fear is leaving,
I am barely breathing.
Crying out,
These tired wings are falling,
I need you to catch me.
As I burn,
As I break,
I can't take it anymore.
I'll return to the place
Where the water covers over everything.
Rescue me somehow.
Hold me now,
'Til the fear is leaving,
I am barely breathing.
Crying out.
These tired wings are falling,
I need you to catch me.
Hold me now,
'Til the fear is leaving,
I am barely breathing.
"You're telling us that Pitch captured a kid? Really, Frostbite! How could you let that happen?!" Bunny thundered at Jack.
Jack flinched and hung his head, but it was because Bunny was right. It was Jack's fault Alana had been captured.
"Will you help me find her?" Jack asked, dejected.
"We know where she is, Jack. The problem is getting her." Tooth replied sadly.
Jack flew over Burgess (A.N. yes, I know I have it written differently in the other chapters, but this one really feels right to me. I don't know if that makes sense or whatever, it just does.) remembering his meeting at the Pole with the Guardians. He had felt so fired up, but then Bunny chewed him out, and Tooth lost confidence in retrieving Alana. Eventually, Jack had simply left, feeling too sad to talk to anyone anymore.
He flew to his pool, looking at the ice and remembering the spattering of moments he had shared with Alana – with and without her knowing – and eventually he brought his knees up and hugged them, putting his head in the cavity between his chest and legs.
"Jack!"
He looked up, grabbing his staff and hovered a few feet off the ground. He knew that voice…
"Jack, help!"
He raced towards where it was coming. He stopped at a clearing with the decaying frame of a bed in the middle.
"Jack, I'm scared."
He ran to the bed, and looked down. He saw a hole, maybe a yard across.
"Jack!"
He stabbed his staff down, frantically trying to break the one board that impeded his path. It broke, and he jumped down the hole, head-first.
What he saw was dark. There was little light, and the place seemed like a maze. Jack looked around, straining his ears to hear the voice again, and he heard it,
"Jack!"
He bolted towards the sound, and found a huge pile of gold tubes. He picked one up, realizing that they were the tubes that held children's teeth. Each tube had a face on it, and he picked up several, trying to find his.
"Looking for something?" A silky voice said.
Jack turned, pointing his staff at the owner of the voice, Pitch Black. Pitch was holding something gold. When Jack looked at it, he saw that it had a face much like his painted on the end. He reached for it, and Pitch tossed it to him.
Jack caught it, reveling in the feeling of having his memories so close, when Pitch spoke again.
"I'm honestly surprised you came here with only that in mind. I have something else that…was precious to you, apparently not anymore." Pitch looked up, and Jack turned, also looking. What he saw, were birdcages; huge birdcages holding little blue specks. He flew up to one of them, seeing the tooth fairies trapped in there. They were twittering and gesturing wildly to another cage, isolated from the rest. Jack slowly flew towards it, and as he did he heard a song,
As I burn,
As I break,
I can't take it anymore.
I'll return to the place
Where the water covers over everything.
Rescue me somehow.
Hold me now,
'Til the fear is leaving,
I am barely breathing.
Crying out,
These tired wings are falling,
I need you to catch me.
Hold me now,
'Til the fear is leaving,
I am barely breathing.
He looked through the bars.
"Alana?" he whispered.
At the name, the figure inside jerked her head. Jack gasped when he saw her face; her eyes were swollen and her face was red. She had tear tracks streaming down her face.
"…Jack…?" The girl whispered.