How long has it been? Four months? Well, I hope that you all have been good, cause this took me a while but I did it. I hope this chapter is worth the wait. And on May Fourth above all days. In this chapter, we get a first glimpse of the origins of Flicker as well as Pitch coming across the same hint to Bunny's dilemma. And let's just say he wasn't happy.

May the Fourth be with you.

Flicker Chapter 15: Hell Hath No Fury

The first thing that he noticed was warmth.

It soothed him from the inside out, down to his very core. And it made him feel safe, almost like being in a mother's womb. Only problem was that he didn't know what a womb felt like…or what even a mother is. All he knew that he wanted to curl up in this darkness and never leave this wonderful feeling. That is until he started to notice the darkness getting brighter. But for some reason, it didn't bother him. Then he heard something. It was like hearing someone soothingly whisper him to wake up from a long nap. The voice sounded deep…and it was soothing…

It was warm…

…er…

Flicker…

…Flicker…

Flicker?

Is that his name?

He slowly stirred awake from his slumber, opening his eyes and realized that not only he was sleeping (was he really sleeping?) but he was also floating in a middle of what seemed to be a cavern room. As if by some unknown force, gravity slowly pulled him down to a stone table as he unfurled from a fetal position. A shudder went up his spine as soon as the soles of his bare feet touched the hard surface. As soon as he looked down, he noticed that he was naked.

Strangely though, Flicker wasn't ashamed.

"Huh, this is interesting." It was the first thing that came out of his mouth. While he felt lack of shame of his own nakedness, he was rather confused how it came to be. Not to mention, where he was exactly. The coldness from the stone table made him shift with discomfort, frowning at the sensation. It wasn't really unpleasant just foreign to his body's reaction. That was the closest thing that he could describe it.

Then he felt the familiar warmth washed over him as the room lit up a bit. Flicker looked up and saw the Sun shining down at him from the cloudless blue sky. Strangely enough, despite looking straight at the Sun, his eyes didn't hurt at contact of the light. And also, he felt as if he knew the Sun.

Hello, Flicker.

"…Hello." He replied back, feeling a smile grew on his lips.

His name is Flicker.

And how did he know this?

The Sun told him so.

"…WHAT."

That was all Pitch could say at this point, all the while giving the Guardians the most deadpan look that he could muster.

They're kidding, right?

They had to be kidding.

Right?

…RIGHT?

Unfortunately, the way that they seemed to fidget, they're not really kidding.

"What we just said is that we are still working on it." North was the first one to speak up, while at the same time seemed to look unsure for some reason. Then he looked around to see the growing stacks of books that he and the others had went through. "And so far…no progress." He let out what seemed to be a nervous chuckle.

All Pitch could do was to facepalm himself as he felt what seemed to be a migraine coming in.

How did that old man see in him as his promising successor?

"All these books…the eons upon eons of various ancient magic and language of all tongues of animal and insect…and yet you can't even find a SIMPLE cure?!"

He could understand that Tooth and Sandy had never seen ALL of the archives that the wizard have (granted that this might be the 1/3 of his collection) but North…Nicholas St. North, former Cossack leader and Bandit King, the man who combined science and magic and surpassed his mentor…

…Couldn't find a simple cure for the Rabbit's predicament.

There was a word to describe a situation like this.

"So…there's no cure for Bunny?" The small voice of the youngest guardian spoke up.

Everyone turned to Jack who held his staff against him, the way he looked made him younger, almost reminiscent of a child clutching to the closest thing to a comfort toy or a security blanket. The very sight was a painful reminder for the Guardians, for numerous reasons. Pitch let out a sigh before shaking his head, mentally maintaining his resolve. There was a reason he was here…he cannot get distracted.

"We are still looking!" Tooth finally spoke up, fluttering a bit higher than usual. "We still have more to go through, right guys?" There was a tone of uncertainty as she turned to her colleagues, hoping for them to give some back up. After a moment of delay, North instantly brightened up, although a bit too bright in Pitch's opinion (no pun intended). Sandy, however, looked rather distressed by the way he looked over to the remaining books and let out a silent sigh.

"But the question is, how long?" Pitch pointed out. "Despite your efforts, Bunnymund would be out of his bounds sooner or later." Then he paused as he observed Bunny again who was calmed down at the moment. But he knew it was only a matter of time. "Emphasis on sooner…"

"Then we would DOUBLE our search." North countered, now regained his confidence as he glared at the Boogeyman. "We will find that alternative, no matter what!" He seemed to be more than willing to challenge him on that statement, there was a fiery determination burning in his blue eyes. He never felt this pumped up since the Battle of Burgess or when he first perfected his own magic.

Pitch simply stared at him impassively before shaking his head, letting out a sigh. It would seem that he is more willing to stick with his stubborn pride than admit his faults. Then he noticed something odd when Onyx nosing one of the book piles that were strewn rather messily. North's handiwork no doubt.

"Onyx, what is it?" Pitch spoke up.

The small Nightmare just continued nosing through the book pile, similar to how a dog was trying to sniff out a culprit. Soon, she finally come across what she is searching for and tugged at the ribbon bookmark the best she can to drag it to her master. Pitch raised a nonexistent eyebrow as he eyed at the book that she brought before him. Onyx let out a soft neigh before pushing the book towards him with her nose, urging him to pick it up.

Jack watched as Pitch bent down and picked up the book with not only grace but also with surprisingly good strength considering his lean physique. He watched as the taller man flipped through the pages before landing on the page that was bookmarked by a satin ribbon, its edge was torn at the fray by time. The pair of golden eyes quickly scanned the text of the ancient tome and emotions were shown just by the subtle movements of his eyes.

Narrowed with absolute concentration as he read every word, widened with what seemed to be shock when he found what he was looking for. Then after a moment, Pitch slammed the book shut so hard it let off a loud noise. Everyone that were present in the room jumped as a result, save for Bunny who once again became passive. But he was still staring at Jack with the same intensity. The only sound in the room was Pitch's breathing as he inhaled and exhaled through his nose slowly a few times. After a few moments of meditative breathing, he finally gathered his bearings.

"Is this…the only book that you have found concerning Flicker?" The tone in his voice was calm and collected. It was soft but thanks to the absolute silence in the room, it would seem louder to their ears. North was now feeling nervous despite the bravado that he had shown earlier. But he couldn't afford to show fear, after all, Pitch WAS their worst adversary who actually feeds on fear.

Compared to Flicker at the moment…

"Well, yes, but-but we are looking for other books as well." He admitted, hoping that it would be enough to satisfy the Boogeyman. But it sounded more like a question than an answer. Since his back was turned on them, he seemed to be calm. However, if they were on Jack's line of view, they could have seen how tight he was gripping the book as the greyness upon his knuckles were taking on a lighter tone.

"And THIS actually gave you the answer to your current problem?" To the ears of the Guardians, it sounded like a statement instead of a question. Instantly they looked each other with nervousness before quickly returning their gaze to Pitch's back.

"…Y-yes."

"All this time you have been wasting was a so-called alternative, when you only have…this?"

"Yes."

There was another moment of silence. The air suddenly felt uncomfortable for Jack, sensing the thick tension. He looked both parties with uncertainty, not knowing what they are talking about. Are they talking about the cure for Bunny? Did they actually found it?! If that is the case…why are they nervous about it? He noticed how tense the Guardians looked, compared to how they reacted to Sophie when she accidentally wandered into Bunny's Warren those years ago. Admittedly, it took some time and work but they managed thanks to Jack's three centuries worth of experience. There was a saying among humans that playing is children's work. Jack fiddled his staff a bit before turning to Pitch, as if to see how he could respond. He got his answer when Pitch spun around to face them, and what he didn't expect was the very sight that could definitely remind him why the taller man has the title "Nightmare King".

"Are you BLOODY SERIOUS?! YOU LITERALLY PICK THIS OUT ONE IN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BOOKS AND YOU WASTED PRECIOUS TIME FINDING A SO-CALLED ALTERNATIVE?!"

Jack flinched at the sheer volume of Pitch's outburst. He didn't see how the Guardians reacted but he was pretty sure that they were overwhelmed as he was; that kind of level was enough to wake the dead. And once again, there was some sort of flux of whatever power that Pitch had left. It created a rather unsettling dark aura around him. Onyx, while still keeping her petite size, seemed to be affected by Pitch's emotions by the way her eyes glowed in what he could describe as soul piercing.

"We had to!" Tooth barked back, her wings were fluttering a bit faster. "We have read between the lines, and we can't have him go through them!" That is when Jack became confused as he shifted his blue eyes between them. Read what between the lines and couldn't let him go through what exactly?

"I see that the years of spending time with the boy built up enough trust, after my departure," The way Pitch placed an emphasis on the word trust with a simple turn up of his nose in a regal manner. "How noble you lot are, this shows how far you have gone."

"He is a child," North spoke in a low and dangerous tone as he stepped up to Pitch. "And as Guardians, we have to protect him."

Pitch barked out a laugh at this as he glared back at North.

"You, the so-called Guardians, see him as one of your dear, precious children and have to protect him?" He questioned. "How ironic considering the fact that you ALL left him alone for 300 years! And now you consider him as worthy for your protection? You make me sick, Nicholas."

Those words alone were enough to set them off, and Flicker had done an excellent job of making them feel worse than garbage. North was the first one to blow up. The last thing he wanted was their former enemy to give them advice on children.

"That is in the past, and we are working on it!" The old man argued, clearly not showing that he is backing down. "And furthermore, he is too young to know of this!"

Wait…know of what? And also, Jack might be young, but he's not that young!

"Ha! That's a laugh…when he was "reborn", he was 17. That is close enough to consider him old enough to make his own decisions. You haven't reached to the stage where he learns about the "birds and the bees" talk?"

"And since when are you an expert on children!?" Tooth snapped at him, zipping forward by North's side. "All you ever tried in the past was to turn innocent children into Fearlings! I highly doubt that you know what it's like to almost lose someone you love and care about!"

That alone was enough for him to stare at the fairy queen in utter shock. Of course it was only temporary when Pitch regained his composure and shot the iridescent guardian a glare that could only be describe as bone-chilling. Jack swallowed the lump in his throat when he noticed that the air became so tense and thick, it needed to be cut by one of North's sabers.

"How DARE you…you think you know me enough to judge me?!" Then he glided over to her, until his face was merely inches to her face. It could be Jack's imagination, but he could have sworn that Pitch grew at least a few inches…or feet. Honestly he couldn't tell exactly from where he was standing, but he was at the height where he could see Tooth eye to eye. From the corner of his eye, he could see Sandy tensing. It was almost as if he was ready to leap into action in case Pitch does something.

"Well, tell me, o Queen of the Tooth Fairies, can you comprehend having feeling like you have a hole in your heart with the knowledge of never seeing or speaking to your loved ones ever again?"

Jack soon had enough of being quiet and took a step forward. Just as Tooth was about to have a chance to retort back to Pitch, he raised his staff on high before slamming it down hard to the floor. That action released out a strong gust of cold wind into the air, sending a few loose leaves of paper to flutter about. Any words that were about to be exchanged ceased the moment they all felt the instant chill that died down as soon as it happened. It would also seem to rouse Bunny out of his calm state, his whiskers twitching outside of his muzzle. It didn't take long for him to tug out of his bonds once again as he tried to reach to Jack. But he didn't pay him any mind, Jack's attention was solely on the Guardians and Pitch at the moment. While clearly he is the youngest by chronical age, it doesn't mean that he is ignorant or stupid.

"Could someone PLEASE tell me what are you all talking about?!"

He looked straight at each elder spirit in the eye, clearly didn't want either one of them to make up some poor attempt at an excuse.

Pitch looked over to the Guardians from the corner of his eye, feeling slightly amused on how they flinch underneath their protégé's- for a lack of better term- icy glare. As always, Jack seemed to be filled with surprises. That also included the fact that he grew stronger over time thanks to growing believers in the coming generation. Such as that one night when he went toe-to-toe with him those years ago…right after, incapacitating Sanderson, which he suspected have a bigger grudge against him compared to Toothiana's. Truly, he is quite a wild card in many ways.

And he could definitely see why MiM picked him.

Pitch cleared his throat, gaining his hosts' attention as he stepped forward.

"You heard the boy," He spoke in a civil tone, not in his usual smug overconfidence. "Tell him. He deserves to know the truth, no matter how awful it is. And no matter how much it hurts."

No good would come out of having petty arguments concerning what is best for Jack. They have two rather huge elephants in the room. And one of them is currently bound to a chair with amplified spellbound chains and Sanderson's dreamsand. Not to mention under the influence of a magical flower…

North took in a deep breath and exhaled, mentally steeling himself on the burden he was about to take. He is a leader but he is also a Guardian. Just as Jack said when they first "recruit" him, he has the responsibility. And that is exactly what he was going to do.

"Jack…" He began, before clearing his throat. There was an unsettling feeling inside his belly, obviously telling him that it was a bad idea but ignored it before thinking of the right words to say. "We…actually found a cure for Bunny."

Ok, that was the easy part.

"Uh-huh…" Jack pressed on, his eyes never leaving North's.

Now here comes the hard part.

North briefly glanced over to Pitch, who was surprisingly neutral as he nodded at him, urging him to continue. He felt a lump forming uncomfortably inside his throat before swallowing. This is definitely going to be difficult.

"Well, the thing is that…"

A pair of ember eyes flashed open as Flicker took a sharp intake of breath before springing up from the bed of soft grass. He then let out a groan when he felt sharp pain upon his chest at the sudden movement. For a brief moment, he didn't remember what had happened. That is until the past events came back to him in a flash; from mouthing off to Sunny before he sets to his confrontation to Jack. It was ok now that he thought about it, just him and Jackie bantering like always (it was their way of flirting). But what really drove him to the edge was what Jack said next.

"I'd rather be raped and torn to shreds by him, than to have to look at your ugly face any longer."

Those words rang inside his head and instantly he felt himself literally burning with rage, he reached down and clawed at the grass beneath him. The small area instantly turned into blackened crisp upon contact as the flame ignited from his hand and traveled upwards, completely engulfing him. As soon as he was completely covered in flames, Flicker slowly stood up from the spot. He felt whatever injury he might have had (maybe some broken ribs) being healed at a rather slow pace. But he didn't care at the moment.

The one thing he cared about was the fact that his intended Soul Mate would rather be with that…VERMIN than with him.

"Why...?" It was the first thing that he growled out, feeling the flames getting stronger and stronger.

Why would he choose him over me? Why…why…

"WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYY!?"

The flames escaped from his mouth as he roared at the night sky, along with expanding the surrounding forest area and burned whatever is near him into charcoal and cinders. As soon as he let out his rage, the flames died down but he was breathing in a rather heavy manner. Puffs of smoke escaped with each breath, his eyes burning brightly with rage hatred.

Never before he had felt this much anger in his life. The only time that he felt that surge was during the Dark Ages…

Wait…

It took a while for him to calm down before carefully analyze what had occurred. He remembered that when he felt the force slammed onto him, Flicker could have sworn that he saw yellow eyes within the darkness before blacking out.

Those eyes that resemble the lunar eclipse…

Oh…now he gets it.

A smile stretched his lips as he let out a dark chuckle.

"Well, well, never thought to run into him again so soon."

This is going to be interesting…

Review Reply/Replies:

GuestSun's Eye: Thank you for your support and input, as well as recommendations. While I wish I could reveal the whereabouts of KudaKano and FrostInTheWarren, I'm sorry to say that I can't. They're probably busy with their own business. Though it would be easier for the both of us if you get an account of your own here so that you can keep up to date on my stories as well as communicate better, but whatever the reason, I understand. And also, I have heard the shows that you have mentioned and I do enjoy them. I am sorry that none of the scenes in this story might not live up to your expectations but I did try my best. I hope that you would stick around for more! Best of luck!

AAAAAAND CUT! For now...I know there are a lot of you guys out there who wanna know the origins of Flicker. The first scene, it's just an appetizer. You will bet a full course meal...in pieces. Let me know what you think of the chapter! Comment, Review, Critique! Stay golden!