No Longer Believe

Flee had never been so scared in all her life. She would have never thought the Guardians and Kozmotis would be so close. She never thought that a sword would come out of the forest and break the ice.

Flee had never felt this scared before. She never thought she would die. She was so scared and truly thought she would never see her friends again. She would never see her brother again playing tricks and laughing. She would never see her mother making meals and scolding them for silly stuff again. She would never see Kozmotis's smile or frown again or the roll of his eyes when annoyed. She would never see Night or the other horses joking around again. She would never see her Jamie laughing or comforting words ever, ever again.

At that moment, she was terrified. Truly, truly terrified. She didn't know what to do as the ice cracked under her. But like everything else, her brother was there. He was there to help her. He was there to ease her fears as he tried to get her to safety. He was always there for her, just like all those times before. Jackson would make sure they were both out of harms way.

But she knew it was different this time. Because Jackson did save her. He made fear into something fun. He made her laugh and reassured that they would be alright. But it wasn't alright. She was safe on the thicker part of the ice, while Jackson…

While Jackson took her place.

When she saw it, she couldn't believe it.

Her brother smiling face turning into one of shock and realization as the ice gave way. And then she screamed, "JACK!"

But she wasn't the only one. Mother had screamed as well as she got off Onyx and made a run for it. Her horror and tears made her heart break even more. Flee had got up then and made a run for the ice. Maybe she could save him.

"JACKSON!" Flee whimpered as she heard Kozmotis's screams. She turned to see him running towards them as well. He created a whip out of sand in hopes of reaching Jackson before he was completely gone and out of reach. But as she feared, they were too late.

They had all collapsed on the ice and stared at Jackson as his movement got slower and slower, and as he sank deeper and deeper. "JACK! COME BACK!" She could not stop the flow of tears or the heart-wrenching sobs that left her lips. Her body shook as her mother cried and cried. The broken words left like a knife that was cutting through her heart. She had wanted to stop the pain. She wanted her brother back. She tried to move closer to the hole, but her mother held her back.

"JACKSON! JACKSON!"

Her arms felt warm around her. They trembled and shook as she screamed and cried. Her mother felt the same. Her mother was just as heartbroken as she was. She whimpered ever so often whenever Jackson's movement got weaker and weaker and when little bubble flowed out of his mouth and towards the surface. He was suffering so much. She couldn't imagine what he must be thinking or feeling as the icy cold water entered his deprived lungs and licked his pale skin. It must be so cold down there.

"NO, JACKSON!" Flee didn't want to look at Kozmotis. His voice sounded broken, much like theirs. There was grief, longing, horror, and denial. When she finally did look at him, she cried even harder. There was only one word to describe Kozmotis. And that was shattered. Tears were following down his gray face. His hands and shoulders were trembling as he tried to keep himself from screaming and lashing out.

Flee couldn't believe this was happening! Jackson was drowning and very close to death. Her tears continued to fall as she stopped struggling in her mother's arms. Her arms were loosened when she noticed this.

The sound of two wailing horses soon caught up to her ears. Mixed with their own screams and cries were the distinct whines of Night and Onyx. Flee felt her heart sink further in pain. Night's whines sounded so heartbroken. Flee knew Night was made for Jackson and had come to love the both of them. Flee couldn't imagine what she was feeling at this moment. It was too hard to listen. But even if that was the case, she still gathered her courage to look behind her.

Flee gasped quietly as she got a good look at Night. Night was injured and crying in pain and sadness on the ground with Onyx next to her. Black tears with swirls of yellowish gold were leaking from her yellow eyes. Black sand was swirling around her front right leg, which was almost completely severed off. Onyx, who was close by, was moving the black sand back into the cut of Night's leg. It seemed that all the fear and sadness around them was helping her fix the wound on her leg. But even then, it still felt horrible and sad and heartbreaking to hear and very, very lonely and painful.

"Pitch is crying?" Flee frowned at the disbelieving voice. She shifted her gaze to three unknown figures. The female voice came from a woman with tan skin. Flee noticed that she looked like a human size hummingbird with feathers as her hair and body. The feather made a somewhat upward style and was a mixture of blue, green, and yellow. The feathers on her body were the same colors but were much smaller. There were also long feathers that started at her waistline and ended near her knees. In a way, it looked like a dress. From this distance, Flee could see the colors of the hummingbird's eyes. The left was a bright pink, while the right was a bright green. That was actually pretty interesting. It made her look beautiful. However, Flee noticed that the strange woman had a frown on her face as she looked at Kozmotis, who was crying harder. Flee didn't like the look, though. It looked disbelieving, but there was also a hint of concern, sadness, and shock in them. She seemed unsure too as she fluttered around.

Next to her was a very intimating man. He was tall, buff, and round. He had blue eyes that were filled with grief and shock; they looked haunted. He had thick black eyebrows, and a long white beard and mustache. On his head was a black fur hat (she briefly wondered what kind of animal he killed to make that.) and a long red coat with black fur trims. Flee could also see a red plaid shirt. Flee noticed that the man was very pale as he started at them in guilt. Flee noticed his hands were shaking as he held a familiar sword in his left hand. Flee found herself stiffening as she recognized the sword. So that sword was his?

The last person with them — or should she say kangaroo — was a very tall, six or seven-foot tall rabbit (kangaroo?). He had grayish-blue fur, flower-like symbols on both his forehead and shoulders and the brightest emerald-green eyes she had ever seen. Flee found herself standing up and walking away from the ice. As she walked, she eyes scanned the rabbit's boomerang that was in his hand; the same one that was near Night. The rabbit didn't move; he seemed stuck in place as he watched the sad scene in front of him. He looked stunned and grief-stricken.

"When did he start caring for the children?" When the woman asked that question, however, the rabbit's demeanor changed. His emerald eyes grew hard and filled with hatred as he glared at Kozmotis. Flee found herself hating the rabbit as she saw a small twitch of a smile forming on his lips at Kozmotis's pain, followed by a disbelieving scoff.

"The ratbag doesn't know anything about caring for kids," he stated, coldly. "He's nothing but a monster, a murderer."

"Bunny," the older man warned shakily, but it was obvious he was struggling to speak through the pain and grief he was feeling.

"The only monster here I see is you!" Flee was surprised by the anger that filled her voice. The three figures stared at her in shock.

"No!"

The hummingbird flew towards her. She had a kind and gentle smile on her face. One that said that she meant no harm and that she wanted to comfort her in her time of grief. "Sweetie, you don't understand. Pitch is…" she began, but her voice trailed off and her kind smile fell when Kozmotis's broken wail reached a new height. It made her shiver in despair and anger.

"Jackson! Don't go!" And then it clicked. She knew who these beings were. And she was not happy about it; it hurt.

"Don't understand?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You are the ones who stupidity attacked and blamed a person who was not in control of his actions!" she snapped, ignoring the gasps from the Guardians and the whines from the two horses.

"Don't leave me!"

"You blamed him for what the Fearlings did! You raged war against him and killed the last of his people that were here!" The female Guardian stepped back in shock.

"Please, come back!"

"You are so stupid for thinking that you can destroy fear!" Flee snapped as frustrated tears fell from her eyes. "Fear is needed for the balance!"

"We just found each other!"

"By destroying fear, you are destroying the natural balance of nature!"

"We were going to be a family again!"

"What would you know, Ankle-Bitter? You don't know Pitch as well as we do! He's nothing but a monster!"

Flee glared at the Kangaroo with all the hatred she could muster. "You, no go for nothing Kangaroo!" The Guardian was taken aback by the name and huffed slightly at it, but she didn't let him comment on it. "You are no Guardian!"

"LITTLE BROTHER!"

"YOU DESTROYED MY FAMILY!"

And then Kozmotis screamed, "NNNOOO!" Flee closed her eyes as he screamed. She couldn't stand to see the Guardians. They were no Guardians. When she opened them to glare at them…

Nothing.

They were gone.

Flee shook her head and frowned, feeling her anger disappear into emptiness. Flee vaguely noticed strange human-like shadow creatures flying around the area and blasting the ground, but they did not touch her, though. With a saddened heart, she walked towards Onyx and Night and collapsed and sobbed.

Flee buried her face on Night's neck as she continued to sob. The pain was so much. She whimpered as Kozmotis's screams grew louder and slightly hysterical; it almost bottom lined inhumane. She didn't want to look behind her to see what was going on with her family.

"NIGHT, ONYX! GET HER OUT OF HERE!" Flee was slightly startled by her mother's voice. Her voice sound strained, grief-stricken, and fearful.

Both Onyx and Night neighed in distress but obeyed to the frantic command. Flee lifted up her head and turned towards her mother and was started with what she saw.

Kozmotis was surround by a dark aura. The shadows around them burst to life; many seemed to exit the very shadows of the trees and plants that surround them, while others seemed to exit Kozmotis body. There were hundreds of human-like figures with red eyes. Many looked like buff warrior and spears, while others look skinny shapeless black ghosts with no distinct features. They flew around and attacked, but they were attacking nothing from what she could see. It was confusing when some screeched, disperse into wisps of smoke and traveled back into Kozmotis. But what worried her the most was Kozmotis's eyes. They were no longer the silver-gold she came to love so much. They were pitch black. And scream made her shiver in fear. It was like a million voices at once. Were these the Fearlings?

"MOM! KOZMOTIS!" was all she could yell before she was shadowed away from the death and madness around her.

I can't lose you too.