I haven't updated this fic in ages. The reason I came back to this story is that I found this old journal with plans I had for this story, and even this chapter's first draft. I had some good ideas and the story doesn't seem that long. So, I'm just going to finish it.
Chapter 3: The Light
Darkness surrounded the small bedroom. It circled around Jamie like a prey, and it was growing, rapidly. Each step it took made the room turn icy cold. Darkness swallowed the light of the room. Eventually, it even became hard to breathe. Jamie felt the air burn his lungs. His hands clawed at his chest in desperation. He tried to scream, but he remembered this was Pitch.
His pupils grew larger and he could make his way around the darkness. A figure ran towards him and his heart raced.
"Jamie!" Sophie screamed. He was so relieved and quickly held her in his arms ready to protect against any harm. Her tiny hands did the same and they held each other close. Suddenly, her body jerked and grew heavy.
"Sophie! What's wrong?" he managed to yell through his dry vocal chords.
His eyes met his sister who was pale as snow. No heartbeat.
"Soph-?" he couldn't speak as tears streamed down his eyes and fell on the lifeless body of his little sister. She faded away from his protective hands. "SOPHIE!" he tried to catch his fading sister and in the end just held his burning chest.
His eyes met the floor and there lay all the guardians. Lifeless and cold. Their eyes were wide in fear. Their bodies piled together and covered in Pitch's dark sand.
"NO! THIS ISN'T REAL!" he held his burning head.
At that instant, he woke up in Pitch's lair against a cold wall trapped in nightmare sand. Wrapped around him like a rope.
"Jamie do you still believe in the guardians," a voice echoed through the walls. Jamie's eyes wandered frantically trying to find the voice.
"I do!" Jamie didn't hesitate.
A growl echoed and Pitch emerged from the shadowy walls. "At this age! To believe!"
"I'm not afraid of you," Jamie said rather weakly.
Pitch laughed in relief. "For a moment, well I'm being too personal here," he paused to laugh some more, "I thought history would repeat itself." Pitch's smile faded and was filled with anger from the memory of his defeat.
Jamie tried to say something.
"Well, the last light, that defeated me, temporarily. You've grown weak? Age does get to all of us. Especially humans… oh humans, you fear death," he continued.
The old Jamie would've excitedly jumped and called out his hypocrisy. Even, if that much younger Jamie didn't know how to spell that word. That old Jamie would've said, "Why you call us weak when you need us to believe in you! You are the weak one!"
However, death was too close. It was crawling in the corners of his home and trying to take his mother. It was in the hospital and It was waiting for his mother's final breath. He imagined It above his mother who would try to be resting through all that agonizing pain. Slowly It's hand would reach towards her. He closed his eyes.
"Jamie, Jamie," Pitch slowly reached out to Jamie and gave him a mocking pat on the head. The boogeyman looked back at the globe behind him. He walked closer to one of the lights. "It was about time you know. That you stopped believing. One must move on and grow into adulthood," he walked closer to Jamie's light.
"The guardians protect-" Jamie spoke more to himself.
"Can they protect you from death?" he reminded him. Jamie remembered Sophie pleading Jack to cure his mother. Jamie didn't say anything but he was also like her begging Jack for help. Jack can't save them. None of the other guardians can.
"Jamie, do you still believe in the guardians?" he looked at the globe and saw the light go out.
Jack's legs grew weak and he fell to the ground.
"Jack!" The other guardians yelled in panic.
"I'm fine," Jack picked himself up with his staff and pushed away any helping hand. He was a little wobbly like if someone punched the air out of him. "I-"he didn't know what to say he looked up at the moon above him. The moon reflected on his pale skin. As he reflected that something faded away from him, "I need to check something!"
He flew off towards the globe. He hovered close to Jamie's town. It was a small town and well, he visited a lot. That place was a magnet and Jack hated to admit he had favoritism. He memorized all of his believers they were new and upcoming. They weren't as much as the others, but they were growing. North repeatedly reminded him about that with pride.
"Jamie… Jamie…," he looked around and couldn't find his light. "Pitch! Pitch has Jamie!" He didn't know how he knew but he felt it.
"I was a fool!" North hit his head. Of course, Pitch would be go after the light for revenge.
All the guardians raised their heads. Pitch had gone too far. The guardians rushed out with each clenching their fist and each of them held their weapons close. They were out for blood. They flew on the sleigh not really knowing where to go. They didn't know where Pitch was hiding this time, but they knew he would appear. He would taunt them with the child.
They went to Burgess, Jamie's town, and it was dark. Too dark. Even the town lights could brighten the place. They knew Pitch was near and walked around where their last battle was.
"Be ready," North said in a dark tone. A Night Mare rose from the ground and neighed at them. Tooth punched the Mare into dust and let out all the anger on that creature.
"Pitch! Stop being a coward and come out!" Tooth growled. More Night Mares appeared and circled around them.
The guardians took out their anger on those Mares.
Pitch appeared in front of them and held Jamie by the collar. Jamie's eyes looked at the ground, but he wasn't fully there, lost in his own fear.
"Pitch let him go!" Jack yelled and pointed his staff angrily at him.
"Watch, where you point that staff," he held the collar tighter and Jamie gasped in response. Jack quickly put down the staff.
"What do you want?" North said weakly. The sight of the child being held in that way almost brought him to tears.
"That child is no use to you, Pitch!" Bunnymund yelled.
"You are right, I got my revenge anyway," he placed the child on the ground. Jack rushed towards him. "I just planted seeds... my work here is complete," he said. A boomerang was thrown at him and he rushed off.
"Jack, take care of Jamie!" Tooth shouted as the rest of the big four ran off.
They ran off after Pitch as he went underground and faded away. Bunnymund angrily punched the ground in frustration.
"He bloody ran off!" Bunnymund yelled and punched the ground again. Tooth saw North lost in thought and flew close to him.
"Why did Pitch do all of this? He is concentrated on revenge?" North wondered and looked up at the barely glistening moon.
"What did he mean by seeds?" Tooth asked. Suddenly a whip hit her and she was thrown into a tree.
"Tooth!" North yelled.
"Sandy, mate?" Bunnymund looked at Sandy who was ready to fight. His eyes were red like blood. He swung his black whip towards the big four.
Thank for the read. Reviews are appreciated! I will update every other week or every week type schedule. I don't know if I should keep the K+ rating I didn't feel I went too much in this chapter, but if you think T is better feel free to tell me.