"Jack! Wake up!" Jack couldn't see anything but darkness and a silky voice that told him to give in while another told him to wake up. He didn't like the first voice but he realized that he was leaning towards giving in and the screeching stopped. That was all he knew.
"Wake up! Come on mate, wake up!" Jack cried out in pain as bright white lights greeted his eyes before he closed them again, he slowly opened them after a moment again to find that everything around him was blurry and unfocused. He realized he was on a bed as his eyes began to refocus and that focus was on Bunny. His voice was raw and raspy when he spoke, as if he'd screamed for hours as he looked around, trying to figure out where he was. The room was a soft white, like the snow that was falling outside and there were other beds that had white sheets like the one that he was lying on; a yeti was stocking supplies in a nearby cabinet.
"Here..." Bunny handed Jack a cups that had a strange, brown liquid in it, but it actually tasted good for once. The Pooka's eyes were filled with what seemed to be relief. Jack drank the liquid, it strangely tasted like vanilla.
"How long have I been out?" His brain felt like it was pulsing, a headache forming.
"God my head hurts." He looked from Bunny to see that all the Guardians were standing around him.
"Coupla hours mate. Ya gave me a right scare."
"Sorry, I don't know what happened. All I remember was a ringing noise and then nothing." He looked at the group, feeling self conscious and woozy from the medicine. He fell back into a sleep soon afterward.
"It's Pitch." Mysterie said, having been standing back from the group as they'd ringed around Jack's bed. She'd been watching the others, only Tooth didn't seem surprised when they turned to face her, moving away to allow Jack to sleep.
"Tooth drove him away the other night. I'm surprised she didn't tell any of you... We can't leave Jack alone." They glanced at Tooth who gave them a sheepish shrug before they turned back to Mysterie as she moved over to Jack, sprinkling golden sand over him to ensure peaceful dreams.
"I don't know what he plans... but we should be on guard."
"We? Mate... you can barely even summon enough of your sand to lock a door, let alone fight." I sigh, not too surprised that Bunny had noticed the locked door the other day.
"I know... but there's no choice. I was the one who agreed ears ago to be Jack's guardian... even if I'm not really one of you." Bunny snorted a little.
"Might as well be much as ya hang around here." Mysterie wasn't sure what to say to that as North shared a meaningful look with Sandy and then looked at Mysterie. She knew that look.
"Maybe when this is all over North... but not now. Besides... I don't think Jack would want to miss that." They all nodded, glancing over to Jack again; they were reluctant to lead to get back to their duties but each of them did except for Mysterie and Sandy; Sandy dozed nearby while Mysterie sat on the edge of the bed. What are you after Pitch? What could you hope to gain?
The peaceful dream didn't last long before he was pulled into another nightmare.
"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" Jack screamed at the dark sand creatures that were closing in on him.
"You, Jack. Give in, become one with the darkness." The voices whispered non-stop as Jack cried in fear as he felt slithers of darkness wrapping around his legs slowly and he screamed when he noticed that he was in a pool of living black liquid that was engulfing him.
"NO! STOP PLEASE! I DON'T WANT THIS!" Then he heard Shadow's voice, but there was a nasty tinge to it.
"Oh, but it is Jack. You want to destroy them. The Guardians, to show them you're not a tool to use." Slowly at first, fire rapidly spread on his body and Jack screamed in pain, the scream torn from his throat as he thrashed in the infirmary bed in the throes of the nightmare. Jack was swallowed whole by the black liquid that forced itself down his throat. He screeched with no sound as the tendrils forced their way into his body.
"JACK!" Mysterie reached out to stop the nightmare only to screech in pain, as if burned, when the Nightmare that was created from the dark dreams slammed into her instead; Sandy is jolted awake only to be distracted from Mysterie by other Nightmares that appear, leaving her to deal with the one that sent her flying. Jack struggled as he was drawing int he squirming masses of darkness, a velvety silk voice hushed him.
"Don't fight it Jack. Let it take over, you'll love being dark. Come on... that's it... succumb to it." Jack slowly closed his eyes, falling deeper into the darkness.
"Jack!" Mysterie struggled to get up, sand snapping at the Nightmare that was holding her down and it disappeared as it exploded but more and more of them arrived. Mysterie scrambled to Jack's side, silver whips in hand to drive the Nightmares back, but they just kept coming and even with the other Guardians joining the fight it doesn't look good. She stood on the bed, keeping herself between Jack and the Nightmares even as she heard a familiar cackle.
"I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you finally brought to your knees dream walker..." Mysterie stared up at Pitch, eyes widening a little. Nightmares were one thing, but did she have the strength to take on Pitch? Jack slowly goes through a change, falling under Pitch's control; his hair turned as black as the night save for a single white strip on his left side, his skin darkened to a gray and his hoodie darkened until it was black with black ice skittering along it where there had once been just frost. The tan pants also darkened to a dark gray. Pitch smirked, Jack was under his full control.
"Jack, wake up." He purred and instantly Jack's eyes snapped open, they were no longer the brilliant blue Mysterie had come to love, but a red orange that looked at her with no emotion in them; they were simply blank, almost soulless in a way. She could only stare down at him, not sure what it was she felt, but it hurt... it hurt a lot... She turned her gaze back to Pitch, anger sparking there as she roared in absolute fury.
"PITCH!" Ignoring the cries of the other Guardians, she summoned her sand to fly at Pitch, her doubts about whether or not she could take on the shade forgotten. All she could think then was that she'd been too lenient before when she had "punished" him for going after Jack... This time she intended to make sure that the shade was afraid of even his own shadow. Before she could reach him, Jack was forced to interfere, pain shooting through him as he tried to still fight, but he couldn't control his body anymore and ice slammed into Mysterie's back even as Jack cried inwardly, tears leaking from his unblinking, red orange eyes. She halted where she was at and spun about, staring at Jack. Her hands balled into fists... she couldn't hurt him and glanced away, but it was a ploy as a thread of silver sand crept up to lash at Pitch in the shape of an arrow. Pitch growls, snapping his fingers and Nightmares take the brunt of the attack to keep him safe. He smirked at her.
"We should be going now. Come Jack." He smirked darkly as Jack followed blankly like a puppy following its master. The nightmares whinny, sniffing at him and licking his hands as if they were his puppies as the two of them were engulfed in black sand. It dissipated and Jack and Pitch are gone.