Believe in Me

The Side of Darkness is Growing

Jack felt at peace, Ilia did too and so did Jamie. Jack was relieved over anything that Ilia was alive, even if he hadn't known the girl longer than a few hours or so, it had always been a part of him to protect everyone around him. Ilia had her first actual contact with both a human. She had met another spirit before, her work with animals and plants gave her the chance to see the mysterious man pleanty of times in rabid attacks or huntings. It had always driven her mad that humans could kill animals for violence, yet the animals were shot and killed for sport of all things and no human was punished badly at all for it. Death was the only one she had known to understand that, to really understand anything. She called him a friend, though when they did meet, they very rarely talked. Even if they did, it would always end in the cloaked figure saying something cryptic, beyond her mind, then walking off. She had never touched a human, never could, rarely tried, and now she had one hugging her like she meant something. It was the most amazing feeling, to finally be loved by an actual human, the creatures she thought didn't have any love left in them at all. She wasn't normal, didn't humans avoid things like her? But here was one... it made her feel better than she probably had. Then Jack Frost.. she finally realized why Pitch might've wanted to have her watch him. He was kind, though his embrace was cold as ice, his heart was the complete opposite. And here she was.. finally having something she could call friends, people who cared for her.

After a few minutes, Jamie sat up, Jack pulling himself up when the boy did and they both looked down at her with a smile. "I have to go now, my mom's gonna be home any second," Jamie started, but, recieving Ilia's look of nervousness, smiled softly. "But don't worry, you're always welcome back." Jack stood, picking Ilia's small, light form gently off of the bed. "Time to go, kiddo, lets see if the wind listens now so we can get to North." Her eyes showed signs of panic but she took a deep inhale and nodded slowly. Jack was about to turn to the window when something caught his eye. Jamie's bedsheets. They were soaked with blood, the white barely visable in the area around where the form of natured had laid, the red staining giving off a slight iron-like odor from the time they had been there. Jamie noticed Jack's glance, and before the winter spirit could speak he shook his head. "It's alright, I'll clean them off before anyone sees," he explained quickly. The snow-haired teen wanted to object, he could easily soak the blankets with snow to wash them out, but Ilia was hurt and it was already dark out. He didn't want any fearlings flying at them while they were traveling that he couldn't see, at least if the wind even worked for him. The thought sort of frustrated him. Why did it stop listening? He was nice if anything, or at least he tried to be, never barking orders but saying as askingly as he could. He sighed, rubbing his eyes with the forearm that wasn't holding the child onto his back. "Then we're of..." 

"Jack?" Blinking at the interuption, the winter spirit turned back to Jamie. The boy's eyes were focused on the ground, troubled. "Sorry for being angry at you.. for not coming..? I should've known that you we're trying to avoid me.." Jack's eyes flickered in the faint light of the moon. He has assumed that Jamie wasn't mad when he saw the boy. He didn't let himself take it too far to heart though, at least he had arrived on time before Jamie got too upset. "Sorry for worrying you," He smiled, the usual mischieviousness playfulness in his voice. "Oh.. and expect me back within a week. Up for a snow day?" He laughed at the kid's overjoyed expression, then waved and rushed down the stairs, running off the grasses of Jamie's front yard just as the car his mother drove pulled into the driveway.

Pitch sat in his throne once again, his face in his hands as the regret and self hatred still bore strong. How could he have let his anger wash over him like that? He hadn't even known it was possible. Don't let it bother you, Master.. the girl is safe now, no damage has been done," A fearling whispered into his head, sounding like the simple cracked neighing of the nightmare horse to anyone else but its ruler. "I know.." the dark man muttered, rising and pacing across the room back to the doors. He was still angry and he would still do as he planned.. he just needed to stay in control. That was all. Pitch smiled at the thought of his next plan, evil but not deadly like before. "I'll just push them right up to the line, now that Death is on my side, I can stop that from happening again," He sighed in relief. He had honestly enjoyed beating the spirit of nature, watching the disgustingly happy light in those too carefree eyes burn out, being replaced with the fear he weilded. Each scream gave him power, each tear she shed gave him strength and with her fear alone, he had worked up enough power to get himself going again. But it wasn't enough.. he was still enraged, almost extatic with the overdose of anger flooding him, it was hilarious how much he wanted to destroy the man in the moon, the guardians, all of them! And it was even funnier to him how fast they would fall once his plan set into action. Suddenly, the dark sand parted from the walls as a figure robed in red and black stepped in, his face blank but heavily weighted with sorrow and strength combined. "I have told them as you asked," Death said in his low voice, looking up at Pitch with red eyes... red like the blood that would be shed so soon. "Good.. and the girl?" 

"Alive, still injured. She's being taken to the Pole by the spirit of winter for healing." Pitch snorted. Oh how Jack would try.. but Death wasn't the only spirit in his league now. Though he was out at the moment, Pitch had pulled Jack's greatest ally into his own team. The wind was on his side now, not that cursed boy of fun's. With both Death and Jack's only option of reaching the guardians, the nightmare king was practically in control of the boy, a thought that turned his meager humor into a sadistic laugh. Death glanced up in slight confusion, but didn't ask what Pitch had found so funny. "You've done well, Grey!" The sharp teeth and grey lips burst out. "You've made a good choice, joining my side! We'll be believed in and the one who cursed us with such horrible eternal lives will be shattered! But first.." The darkness of the nightmare sand surrounded first Pitch's feet, then his ankles, spiraling up him like a tornado. "Let's go pay our young friends a visit.. shall we?"