*cowers* Please, have mercy! I didn't want to not update for an additional week-ish, but I couldn't! C'mon, moving sucks!
But, I also have taken the fragile feels of many people and crushed them underfoot, so I suppose I might deserve the wrath a bit. Honestly, I can't even reply to half of them, because they were mostly angry rants and people questioning my sanity(no pun intended), so, I will answer/comment on the ones I can, and even that will be minimal, but I'm going to copy the ones that amused me most, or I liked in particular, because… I'm weird. Get over it.
Alysiana- Well, let's see if the end of this chapter suits you better.
bluealonealexarose- Okay, I have to call this out. Not that I'm complaining about it, or anything, I swear, but all you ever say is "Cool man update soon". I just killed off the main character and doomed the OTP of many people. I'm just curious why that's all you ever say. Nothing personal.
Tippy- (I only copied the second half of the review)
So, with that said, on to the review of this chapter!
You did it again. My words, they're tumbling around in my mind and I can't seem to pin them down. I certainly hope Manny has something up his sleeve! I love this. Absolutely love it. Everything led up to this perfectly. My heart ached for Willow when she confessed everything to Jack, and then I thought I was going to lose it when he lost her. That was SO unfair. but oh my, the feels! You're on the right track, keep it up! I will wait patiently for the next installment!
*SPOILER ALERT*Well, Manny actually isn't going to interfere much, which probably isn't reassuring right now, but… I'll just shut up now so you can just read it.:D
UltimateOne- Well, it wasn't exactly soon, but it will NEVER be this long again, if I even have to kill someone to update.
sassysaw- Um, I guess all I can say is to read on.
Kira- I just killed off my OC, that's what happened.
KikaKatTIOI- Oh shit, not a construct! That humore is supposed to stay in the GL:TAS universe! But just read it and see if you still want to kill me.
Counting Sinful Start- *hugsand hands chocolate * All will be well. (Hehe, Saint Perfect. Kika gets it.)
Fluffythorne-Sweet baby Jesus I love this chapter. This is the best chapter you've ever written and if it feels like I say that a lot its because you keep improving. I did not expect this chapter from you. Not because you're not a good writer but it feels like you improved ten times as fast. This chapter shows how much you have grown.
You kept everything logical and followed a unique plot. I really feel like you're taking ROTG and making it into your own story. So many things happened in this chapter and it all just was perfect.
Willows death was such a great scene (forgive me for my blasphemy ). And I'm not talking about Willow dying because that literally ripped my SOUL apart, but the scene itself was perfect. It wasn't overly dramatic but you didn't rush over the scene either. I like how you took such a cliche thing such as mocking your own death and made it uniquely Willow. This was a death scene, but it wasn't just any death this was WILLOWS DEATH. I really feel as if you mastered the pace of this chapter.
And Jack confessed his feelings for Willow. Perfect timing too. Then he goes into a rage. The spirit of winter fun is angry? This contrast in character makes it all that more terrifying. There will be Hysterium to pay.
Awesome suspense with Aly. Keeping us readers in suspense (something I don't generally like but not this time) I think Hysterium's plan for her was perfectlt plausible and I admire your meticulous planning. Great chapter.
Love it. Need it. Want it. Breathe it.
Um, oh wow. I have nothing to say that hasn't already been said in person…
Icthelight- Um, I dunno. I suck at guessing(unless it's a story plot, then I'm often right/close), but I also don't like being in the dark. WHO ARE YOU?
MoonGirl1155- Oh, jeez…
There are...no words to describe the amount of pain I am currently experiencing.
Actually there are about a few thousand and I am going to write every single one to you right now.
It is currently late at night, and I was PLANNING on going to sleep right after I finished this chapter, but clearly that is not going to happen because MY FEELS ARE BURNING!
You. You. YOU!
Please. I'm begging you. BECOME A FREAKING AUTHOR AND CAUSE A MILLION READERS OF YOUR BOOKS THIS PAIN BECAUSE I FEEL A KNIFE INSIDE MY CHEST! There is nothing else in the world right now except for Willow's death and the UNBEARABLE pain that is pulsating through by chest with each beat of my heart.
I. CRIED. T-T
I was NOT expecting her to die, AT ALL! You are a freaking Creature like Hysterium and Pitch, you're so unpredictable! And I FIRETRUCKING HATE HYSTERIUM I HOPE JACK RIPS HER THROAT OUT BECAUSE SHE MURDERED WILLOW AND RUINED HER LIFE AND JACK FELL IN LOVE WITH WILLOW AND IT TOOK HER DEATH FOR BOTH OF THEM TO REALIZE HOW MUCH THEY LOVE EACH OTHER!
When Willow was dying she was going to tell Jack that she loved him. She was. But she died before she could complete her sentence. T-T
WHY?!
My heart is broken.
THIS IS OFFICIALLY THE BEST FANFICTION STORY ON THE ENTIRE DAMN CITE! I wrote a Fanfic and I killed my OC, with a knife...and while I was reading this I was thinking 'damn my writing is crap conpared to this death of feels.' I am going to go edit that death chapter...
Man, my book SUCKS compared to this one.
YOU WRITE LIKE A PROFESSIONAL WRITER ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE NOT J.K ROWLING PRETENDING TO BE A 15 YEAR OLD FANFICTION WRITER?
I'm serious, I'm reacting to this fic as strongly as I would react to the Hunger Games or Harry Potter or the Maze Runner, all of which MADE ME BAWL MY EYES OUT!
My goal in life is to become a professional writer, and I think you just crushed my self esteem with your beautifulness, you gift from God you.
One day a few years from now we are both going to be published authors competing against each other for the market and you will outsell me, and I'll meet you somewhere and we will both be completely unaware that I used to SCREAM AT YOU TO BECOME AN AUTHOR!
But seriously. The children in the future need to die like I am dying right now.
Have you read my fanfic by any chance? It is terrible but a bunch of crazy people seem to like it...I seriously need to edit some parts because compared to this book IT IS TERRIBLE!
How does my fic have more reviews than this?! HOW!? I am totally promoting this book because it should have more reviews than any other fic in the entire fandom.
So...there you have it. I could rant for another hour, but I have a so called 'life' to attend to tomorrow morning, and I need my sleep...
NOT THAT I WILL BE GETTING ANY!
Not that I'm mad either, because the OVERWHELIMG ANGUISH that has consumed my entire being right now is the entire reason books and writing exist. TO GIVE US PAIN AND EXPERIENCE AND DEEPEN OUR SOULS!
So...yeah. I need to edit my fic. ;)
UPDATE ASAP BECAUSE I WANT WILLOW YO COME BACK TO LIFE!
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!
My god, that was a lot. No, I'm not J.K. Rowling, I promise. I am in high school, and hate people. Um, wow… Uh, I think you'll be able to sleep.
ELLE55-Nah, you're fine. Now, MoonGirl up there said quite a bit, so don't sweat. Not much to say to that either. Sorry?
PCM- *points at screen* I wrote more.
I HOPE THIS KEEPS YOU CRAZY PEOPLE SATED. NO MORE DEATH THREATS.(I was seriously PMed a death threat. I'm hoping they were kidding.)
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
The quiet footfalls of Aly's feet were like the steps of a prize stallion in the suffocating silence of night. She was fairly certain someone was shouting behind her, but she couldn't hear what they were saying. Or, really, anything, for that matter. After Willow told her to run, Aly's brain had shut down almost everything, save her legs and enough coherence not to run into something.
Though the pond had been in view of where the strange woman had attacked them, it was still quite a ways off, and it now felt like miles to the little girl.
Another scream, much louder this time. Aly didn't really want to think about who's it was and why they were screaming.
"It's not Willow, she's gonna be okay. She promised." The little girl whispered, clinging to it like a mantra of hope.
Her hands scrabbled around the base of the tree with the large rock resting against it. Numb fingers pushed aside the tough, stringy weeds, that looked brittle, but were firm beneath her palms and were apparently strong enough to survive the weather.
The inside of the tree was surprisingly warm. She ran her hands over the tree's smooth, wooden interior, quickly finding the small, but deep, grooves.
Despite the tremble in her knees, Aly was able to scale the embedded ladder quickly. Once she was about twelve feet from the ground, the grooves forked to either side and the space in front of her was slightly more sunken in.
With one hand, she skimmed her fingers over the depression, finding a small hole about the size of a quarter. She gripped it with two fingers, tugging on it firmly. The panel popped out of place, revealing the branch to, indeed, be hollow.
Tucking the thick disk beneath her arm, she stretched her arm into the branch. Breaking through several cobwebs, she was met with a soft bundle, what felt like the corner of a wooden box, and a large, spiral-bound book. She pulled out the book first, holding it at her side for a moment before allowing it to slip through her fingers. It landed with a quiet thump on the dusty ground. Next, the box.
The wood was also smooth, but not the warm, natural smooth of the tree. A more artificial, lacquered smooth. The front had a slightly tarnished latch with a dull, silvery glint, lined with four numbered dials that kept it shut tight.
She shook it carefully, hearing a muffled rattle. It was surprisingly light, given its size. She dropped it to the bottom as well, hoping there was nothing inside that would break.
She reached for the bundle, but the moment her fingers touched it, she didn't want to let it go. It gave her a sense of security, of… hope.
Clutching the soft bundle close, Aly crawled carefully into the hollow branch, scooting in backwards and tugging the round panel into place in front of her.
Her fingers stroked the silky fabric as she huddled in the branch, peering carefully through the small hole at the thick shadows.
Now, it was a matter of waiting.
(*)
Hysterium's form blurred in and out of tangibility as she moved. Not for the first time, she tried to reach out and sense the girl, but was only met with more failure. This was another reason she had wanted the child. The same mysterious force that had given her the gift of the Sight had also made her untraceable to supernatural detection. And excellent advantage had the child been smart enough to cooperate.
She stopped at the pond, knowing this is where the child's protector, Willow, was trying to get. Eyes of ice scanned the clearing, but they were met with only shadows and snow.
Cursing, her form blurred once more. She knew she had to move quickly, or that god forsaken Winter Spirit would catch up to her, and she knew the odds were not in her favor after angering him as she had.
She melded with the shadows for a moment, utilizing the black cloak of night as means of camouflage, but she was still met with nothing.
One last place to check she thought.
The inky silhouette blurred one final time to mark the Creature's departure. Only a single wisp of thick, icy blue remained.
(*)
Nothing.
Not pain, nor guilt, nor sadness.
Jack felt nothing but pure, unbridled rage.
Or maybe hatred. One in the same to the enraged Winter spirit. Not that he cared anyways.
At this point, it wasn't even about revenge. No, he was hell bent on making Hysterium suffer, just as she had made her suffer.
Hysterium to pay.
Had he not been driven solely on anger, he might have found a touch of humor in such a pathetic pun. But not tonight.
Not tonight.
(*)
The haze of blue emerged from the shadows with unannounced haste, striding purposefully through the rows of stones, ranging from small, simple arches, to elaborate marble markers.
Hysterium quickly made her way to an old, weathered slate headstone, the inscription nearly worn away.
The child would often linger over this particular grave, the cemetery some kind of twisted sanctuary for her. Upon hearing her, seemingly mindless, mutterings, Hysterium deduced that the girl was particularly intrigued by this tombstone, because she seemed unable to commune with its owner.
It had never occurred to her why, though, until now.
(*)
Another wave of snow was kicked up as Jack slammed into the ground once more, this time near the frozen shoreline of the pond. Never before had ice burned so brightly as his rage filled glare cut the darkness in search of one of its inhabitants.
To fuel this anger, he came up empty handed.
About to abandon the place to continue his search, his hateful eyes chanced upon a familiar tree, nostalgia fluttering weakly outside the bristling wall of rage that clouded his mind.
He hesitated.
In that moment, the slightest drop of rationality managed to slip between the thin cracks in his muddled barrier of rage that clouded his thoughts. The Guardian in him struck the steel emotions with a diamond edge across the slightest notion of duty returned to him, He had a child to protect. And, for better or for worse, a brief recollection of why...she… was lost, pushed that notion even further. This young girl must mean quite a bit to...her, if she was willing to sacrifice her life to keep her safe. It could not be in vain.
Though he could not bring himself to think her name or associate her with what had happened, he knew the only reason any of it had happened was to keep this little girl safe.
He paused and took a deep breath, trying to barricade any emotions and, any thoughts, really, except for the task at hand. He had to, for the sake of the little girl.
His eyes opened once more, but they were blank, focused in a flat stare that verged on an almost dead look. No mischievous sparkle, playful light, or enraged flame. Just… utter nothingness.
His steps made no sound as he approached the tree, not sparing a single glance for the large boulder resting against it. He knelt carefully beside the patch of stringy weeds, pushing them down gently with his hand.
Glancing inside, he saw a spiral bound sketchbook, and a wooden box with a natural lacquer and a combination lock lying on the bottom, but no girl. He vaguely remembered something being said about… a hollow branch, was it?
"Aly?" he said softly, but his voice was as lifeless as his eyes, coming from the mouth of, what might as well be, the mouth of a living corpse. "It's me, Jack Frost. I know you're here, but you have to come out now to stay safe. I promise I won't hurt you."
Several long seconds passed before he heard a light rustling. He peered up into the nearly non-existent light to see the faint silhouette of a small arm poking out of the side of the tree, clasping some sort of round disk. Then, a head. As Jack's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw a thick mess of springy curls bouncing beside her face as Aly peeked down at him.
"Thata girl. It's alright, you don't need to be afraid. I'm going to keep you safe." he told her, trying to sound reassuring, thought that was a difficult task when the stone could have spoken with more charisma.
But she had been told by her most trusted confidant that she would be safe with him. So, albeit reluctantly, Aly climbed down from the hollow branch, still clutching the soft bundle in her hands.
Jack lifted an eyebrow at the wrapped cloth in the girl's hands, but forced any further thoughts on it from his mind.
Once she reached the bottom, Aly's wide brown looked at him, the hesitation easier to read than words on a page.
It only took one look into the deep pools of warm chocolate for Jack's numbness to fade. Innocent eyes wide with fear, Jack's demeanor softened to the girl.
"Jack Frost?" she asked, her voice soft, but clear.
"That's right. I'm going to take you home as soon as I can, but I have to catch the woman trying to hurt you first." he said, a bit of life in his voice, though his words were blunt.
"The same lady who hurt Willow?"
There it was. Nearly blinded by the wave of fiery agony that smoldered in his chest, that one name brought more pain than the crushing loneliness of three hundred years of solitude combined could bring if multiplied ten, no, a hundred fold. Tears threatened to wash away his very soul, but he clamped down on them with every last shred of strength he could muster.
"Come on, we have to go." He held out his hand, and, after a moment, Aly shifted her grip on the bundle to one hand and accepted it. He helped her from her hollow sanctuary and pulled the girl onto his back. She clung to his shoulders with surprising strength for a girl so young, but he took to the skies.
Aly did not speak or tense up, but the dense silence spoke volumes. Brisk winds buffeted them without viable restraint, but neither thought much of it.
The trees whipped by as the Winter Spirit's speed increased, though, despite his pace, he wasn't certain where it was he was going.
"Try the cemetery."
Jack glanced back to where Aly clung to him.
"Why the cemetery?" he asked.
"Because I spend a lot of time there, and she probably knows that, if she knows I can talk to ghosts. That's why I go there, to talk to the dead people. Except one. There's a headstone, but I've never been able to talk to whose grave it is." she said, her high voice lowered.
"Whose grave was it?" he questioned, wondering why he even cared.
"Somebody named Jackson Overland. It's been there for over three hundred years, so maybe they got to go to heaven." she answered, not realizing Jack had stopped listening after the fourth word that had come out of her mouth.
He had a grave here?
Shaking his head sharply, he pushed the thoughts from his mind. he didn't need any more distractions. The winds shifted and their course veered to the right.
(*)
Weaving over the ground like a snake, the thick blue wisp darted through the shadows, never venturing into the moonlight.
The moon, however, seemed to have other ideas.
A thin beam of light seemed to focus and zeroed in on the wisp. When the pale light touched the icy tendril, it seemed to recoil and hiss, but the beam kept it captive. After a moment, it faded, leaving the wisp with a soft, bioluminescent aura that it had not previously posessed.
It roiled with drastically increased power and took off once more to find its keeper.
(*)
Jack landed lightly on the snow, scanning the rows of stone but they were predictably empty.
"Over there." Aly pointed. It amazed him how she seemed to answer questions he hadn't even thought of yet. She was a strange child, but it was plain to see how easily someone could become attached to her.
He walked through the varying ranks of stone to the small grave marker, not even entirely certain if he wanted to see it, but he continued anyways.
When his eyes fell upon the worn inscription, the world seemed to pause for a moment.
Jackson Overland
1687-1704
A loving son and hero to his sister. May God guide him home.
His fingers trailed lightly over 'hero'. They thought of him as a hero? She was his sister, to him, he had just been doing his job as a big brother to keep her safe.
He glanced over at Aly, and he saw someone else, too.
She studied his eyes for a moment, before asking, "Jack? Is this your grave?"
A moment of shock at her uncanny ability to almost read his thoughts. Maybe she really could talk to the dead.
Maybe she could talk to his sister.
No. Even if she could, he wouldn't ask that. It was a past for a reason. He wasn't Jackson Overland anymore.
"No. But it is someone that I knew pretty well." he answered.
"Do you think he went into the Light?" she asked. "I can't talk to him, so I thought maybe God took him to heaven."
Jack gave the grave one last look.
"Yeah. I bet he did. He was a good guy."
(*)
Hysterium watched the ouse from the thick shadows. By this time, the Winter Spirit was bound to have claimed the girl, and it would be futile, and foolish, to continue searching for her. Instead, she lurked by her home, to wait them out. She would have to return home eventually, and she would be waiting.
She looked as she snow threw the moonlight in all directions, almost giving her a pointed glare.
"Oh, don't look at me like that, Tsar. I haven't caused any trouble for your precious Guardians since the Asphodel affair, and I barely even had a part in that. It wasn't even my intention to drag them into this, but that ridiculous girl had a nasty habit of getting in the way. She wasn't even a child, so stop meddling in the affairs of Creatures." she hissed, not expecting any kind of response.
She was a bit surprised, though, when she got one.
Creatures may be outside of my power, but you will come to regret your actions against the human girl.
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, will I now? Your little Guardians can't kill me anymore than you can. Hollow threats, Tsar, hollow threats."
She was met with silence, this time, and only her soft chuckles could be heard. She quieted, however, when the winds suddenly changed direction in an almost sharp manner. The Guardian was close, presumably with the girl. He didn't have anywhere to bring her than her home, and her parents would be waking in a few hours.
She watched the dark blue sky, and, correct to her assumption, several minutes later, a nauseatingly familiar mop of white hair neared the house, but the dark shape on his back brought a wicked curl to her lips.
"All wrapped up with a bow. How nice"
(*)
North glanced up from the intricate ice sculpture in front of him. A hauntingly familiar itch tingled on his left arm, bringing him to place the ridiculously small chisel down and glance at his arm. Squinting at the small text that made up the designs in the tattoos, his blood ran cold to see the name Willow Bronwyn pick up a slight glow, before fading, bringing the text with it.
"Oh no." he whispered, large strides bringing him from the office to the massive globe just outside of it. He flicked the controls around a bit and it rotated to bring the North Pole to eye level.
No light to be found, blue or otherwise.
He rotated the globe once more to bring Pennsylvania into view. An alarmingly dim light shone a baby blue, flickering a moment, before fading.
For a moment, North couldn't comprehend what had happened.
The light had faded, which happened whenever a child stopped believing. But her name. It had earned a place on the Nice List, and it wouldn't have faded, too, unless…
"Bunny!" The Russian called. A few seconds later, the Pooka appeared.
"What is is?" he asked.
"Where are Jack and Willow?" The rabbit could hear the urgency in the man's tone, and his brows furrowed.
"I thought they were by the fire." he answered, but he was already heading to the Hearth Room. Something was amiss.
The pair entered the room, and the air seemed to chill when they found it to be empty.
"Um, where are they?" the Aussie questioned.
"In trouble. Send out Lights, I will get sleigh." North commanded, tone slipping into its leadership timbre.
Bunny nodded, though he wasn't exactly looking forward to the trip in that death machine. He pushed that aside, though, because there were bigger problems than his phobia at hand.
Approaching the massive Belief Globe, Bunny took a moment to examine the lights.
No blue.
It dawned on him why North was so worked up. Yes, they were in trouble.
He grabbed the gilded handle, twisting it sharply and pushing it down. A ripple of multicolored light ran up the column, and he could see the bright ribbons weaving across the sky, shining with different hues.
His powerful legs pushed him towards the stable, and he burst through the doors to see North already fiddling with the controls, the reindeer uncharacteristically quiet.
"Just in time. Let's go." the rotund man said, his tone somber. Bunny hopped into the back of the sleigh, trying desperately to ignore the churning in his stomach as the sleigh lurched, brought by the crisp snap of the whip.
The usual loops and twists that entailed the trip in the sleigh were omitted, instead replaced by a steady acceleration as they picked up speed.
They shot from the opening in the ice, their way lit by the colors that danced above their heads. Within minutes of taking off, Tooth appeared on the horizon, shifting her flight path to meet up with the sleigh.
"What's going on?" she asked, landing beside Bunny, Baby Tooth the only fairy with her this time.
"Jack and Willow in trouble." was all North said, so she turned to Bunny for a better explanation.
"North called me over to the Globe, and asked me where they were. I assumed they were by the fireplace, like usual, but when we checked, they weren't. Then, he told me to send out the Lights, and he went to prepare the sleigh. I saw the Globe had been moved, and I realized, the sheila's light is gone." he said, glad to have a distraction from the motion of the sleigh.
Tooth's magenta eyes widened as the situation fell into place for her as well, and Baby Tooth gave a small squeak. "So, do we know where either of them are?"
"No." answered North, "But we need to hurry."
"There's something else to this." Bunny said, observing his demeanor. He doubted North would have sent out the Lights if a couple of teenagers had snuck out. "What haven't you told us?"
There was a long pause."Willow's name has faded from the List."
Bunny regretted asking.
"Wait, you mean…" Tooth trailed off, not wanting to face the only possibility this brought.
The grim silence told the heavier story, and her hands rose to cover her mouth. Baby Tooth dropped to her shoulder, wings drooping.
The somber quiet lasted until they ran into Sandy, as well, who joined them. Bunny explained what was going on to him, as well, and the images swirling around his head came to an abrupt halt when he realized what was happening, fading away with a soft sprinkle of gold.
The remainder of the trip was silent, but filled with prayers to the Moon that, somehow, things weren't as they seemed.
(*)
Aly watched as Jack dropped from the roof to stand guard on her front yard, and she stepped away from the edge. She was supposed to stay on the roof of her house to Jack could get her away quickly if he needed to. She was also out in the open so she couldn't be cornered.
She pushed the snow away to reveal a small patch of shingles, where she crouched down and wrapped her tiny arms around her body and tried to keep warm against the night's chill. The winds had been blowing when she had first left her room, but they had stopped all of a sudden after just a few minutes.
The sky held the slightest touch of light, and she knew morning would be coming soon. In a few hours, her parents would be up, so she knew things were going to be cut close.
The stars blinked down at her, and she gazed at their unending patterns. For a moment, she wondered if this strange lady was even from this planet. She knew they couldn't be the only world with living people, and the spirits didn't even stay on this world forever. Maybe this woman came from the place they went.
Or maybe she had to leave.
The woman was very… harsh, for someone who would have crossed over, so Aly thought it made sense if she was kicked out, or something of the sorts.
She was pulled from her reverie, though, at a flicker of motion.
The woman had arrived.
(*)
Hysterium formed in front of the Spirit, one hand on her hip as she gave him an irritated glare.
"These antics bore me, boy. We are going in circles, and I am growing tired of your running." she sighed, though she knew her words were dangerous as they would only enrage the boy more.
"Good, because this ends now." the blatant menace in his tone was unmistakable, and it sent a rare chill down her spine. For the first time, she wondered if he had bitten off a tad more than she could chew by angering him. After all, it was because of his power that he tipped the scales in the Guardian's favor against Pitch. He was not to be underestimated, and she feared she had done exactly that.
Jerking sharply to the side, a thin bolt of razor-like shards of ice whistled past her ear, severing a short lock from the ends of her hair.
"Oh, what a shame to cut that pretty hair." Jack hissed, his tone low and mocking as he advanced.
Several small knives shaped in her hands, but they now felt insufficient to her. Perhaps she had overstepped a bit in killing the girl, but his feelings for her were much stronger that she had thought. It made her nervous that she could taste the smallest sliver of Insanity within him, as well. She had pushed too far.
She let three knives fly, sparing a small glance on the girl huddled on the roof. It would be useless to go after her now, because the Guardian would be right behind her. Her best chance would be to lure him into the shadows of the forest and kill him as well, then come for the child when she had no one to protect her.
Wishing she had been graced with true flight, her body blurred to intangibility and she moved quickly towards the cover of the forest. She struggled to dodge the attacks of the Winter Spirit, wincing when they struck her in her vulnerable state.
She hated the thought of running away, but she knew she could gain the upperhand in the shadows.
Fshhh.
Another shot of ice hit her, and she recoiled. The winds had picked up again, and they seemed to cut straight to her core. The cold rarely bothered her, and, like other Creatures, she could feel exactly how cold it was, but she rarely ever felt cold.
Now, though, the chill ran bone-deep and she fought the urge to shiver.
The forest was close now, and, despite the light in the sky, the shadows were still thick and would allow the tables to turn in her favor.
The dark cast forms of trees beckoned her, and she leapt into the inky pools, melding with the smooth darkness.
The boy landed on the snow, calculation eyes searching the trees.
"Cowering in the shadows now? Just like Pitch, you're pathetic." he called, his deep voice hard and bitter.
He ducked just in time, and two knives sank into the tree behind him.
"Be careful who you call pathetic, boy. You forget, the shadows are my ally. You walked right into my trap." Her voice echoed from all around him, and streaks of blue swirled from every direction. He continued to turn in a constant circle, tense for her next attack. The encounter was hauntingly familiar, much like his with Pitch in the underground cavern so many years ago.
"Really? If you're so cocky, why don't you stop hiding and prove you're not a coward." Jack challenged, but he was received with only a chuckle.
"If you really think you can simply bait me into a fight, you are sorely mistaken. No, you will simply have to pray I end you as quickly as I did her. But I must warn you, mercy is not my specialty."
Jack's hands tightened on his staff at her mention, anger flaring up again. He concentrated, and the winds began wi circle the clearing, picking up both snow and speed, until a small whirlwind was born, whipping about the trees and scant vegetation, snapping off dry limbs.
The wisps of blue soon faded as the wind increased, and the collected together. Eyes opened and Hysterium glared at him as the rest of her body took shape.
"You don't play very fair, now do you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
"No more than you do." he said, then swung his staff at her. She ducked below it, and swept her arm in a high arc over her head, catching the end of his it in her grip.
She pinned the sturdy wood beneath her arm, twisting it sharply as she swung her leg in a high arc. Jack grunted as her foot connected roughly with his jaw, conveniently right on top of an old bruise from an accidental swing. His staff was wrenched from his grip, and he nearly fell to the ground, stumbling, but remaining standing.
"Ooh, what a pretty toy. I break toys." The latter half of her statement morphing to a distasteful sneer. She held it at the end, holding it high above her head and swung it at the ground with all her might.
Jack lunged, and for the second time that night, Hysterium found herself flat on her back in the snow.
The staff slipped from her grip, and before she could realize what exactly was happening, its curved top was pressing harshly into her throat.
She gulped, and saw the murderous rage in his eyes.
"Now, it's my turn to break you." he hissed. The crook began to glow brightly, and she held her breath.
"Stop."
Her eyes widened, and Jack turned his head to see a slender olive hand gripping his shoulder firmly.
"Let her go."
As if he was in some sort of trance, Jack stood, releasing the mad woman, but she had not moved. His eyes never moved from their face.
"Willow." he whispered, afraid if he said it aloud, she would fade like a mirage.
"Hey." She offered him a small grin. "Long time no see."
Her attention shifted to the Creature on the ground, whom had still not shifted an inch.
"B-But...how? I thought…" she trailed off.
"You thought you'd killed me." she stated flatly. "But you're going to have to do quite a bit better than that. I can be quite stubborn." She marched over to where the woman lay, wrapping her fingers around her arm and jerking her upright harshly. "But I'm going to give you more of a chance now that you gave me, and he was going to give you. I will give you ten seconds to run, or I promise, I will make you wish you were dead." She said, then released her.
"What makes you think you can do anything to me?" she asked, flinging more knives.
"No!" Jack shouted, prepared to defend her, but he stopped when he saw… he didn't need to.
The wall of rock crumbled to sand and dissipated in the, still strong, wind, and the soft green in Willow's eyes faded to their normal hues.
"Sorry, but I've got some new tricks, too." She raised her arms, and several small stoned lifted from the ground, eyes alight once more with the intense pale green glow.
Hysterium's eyes widened further. "Y-You're a Creature."
"So I am. Thank you." Willow smiled and she took a step back, realizing this was a battle she would never win.
"Until next time, then." She saluted and dissolved.
"Coward." she muttered, and the stones dropped to the ground. Upon closer inspection, Jack saw the strain on her face, and that she was panting a bit.
But before he could say anything, she took a deep breath, straightened, and turned to him.
The void that seemed to have consumed his soul was filled the instant he looked into her eyes. Her hair was, for the first time, completely smooth and hung in its thick, voluptuous waves that framed her body. Her usual dark clothing had been swapped with a v-necked tank top, the right side trailing down halfway to her knee. Gray boots came to her knees over pale blue jeans and gloves of the same shad reached her elbows. One thing that hadn't changed, though, was her black jacket, with the sleeves pushed up to reveal the gloves.
It was like she was never gone.
His eyes were drawn to her crystal necklace hanging around her neck, unbroken once more. It seemed to shine with a continual silvery light from its glass-like depths.
"Jack." Her voice was quiet and he saw tears well in her eyes. "I-"
She was cut off when he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms tightly around her, her arms equally as firm around his torso.
"How did you do that?" he whispered, not letting her go.
"I don't really know. There was this… voice. It told me what to do. And I think I have a new name." she whispered, clinging to him as well. "It told me that I'm Terra."
Jack withdrew. "Terra?"
"Yeah. I like my name better." she shrugged, and he studied her beautiful bicolor eyes, and the way they reflected the moonlight. He reached up to cup her face, thumb stroking her cheek.
"So do I."
On some unspoken signal, she threw her arms around his neck.
The dawn broke, lighting up the two, but it was pale in comparison to the fiery passion of their kiss.
Satisfied?