Believe in Me

Unleashed

Grey's red eyes opened before he awoke fully, the world around him seeming blurred, distant. He was laying on his back, blood red eyes imitating the feelings that were deeper in the pit of his gut than ever before. Why was he so heavy feeling..? He couldn't lift his head for the life of him, couldn't even move. Pitch must've found out that his invincibility rested in his scythe but.. how? It wasn't exactly a secret but Death didn't brag on about it, it was kept quiet to anyone outside the rumors from the few spirits who knew. Pitch wasn't one of them. It was possible for one of them to tell Pitch what they knew about him, Grey wouldn't make the assumtion that the nightmare king wouldn't try to scare a spirit into telling him, but most of the spirits and humans were more scared of Death than actual fear. The thought seemed to work its way into his head. Death is a form of fear.. you're just a branch off of Pitch Black's reign. You were made to be ruled by him. The voice wasn't the familiar run-ons of his concious but the man was too delirious to make out who's voice it was exactly. Damn.. he thought with a quiet groan, a groan that was just loud enough for the others in the room to hear. His head turned weakly to look over at them, studying each of their faces and expressions with alertness before his glance lowered downward. They were all giving him that look, though trying to hide it. The rabbit was peering at him out of the corner of his eyes, looking away quickly once their glances locked. The sandman noticed his minor shifts of movement and pulled away from him, just finishing with the bandages and turning away, seeming to be uneasy to be near him. The fairy, however, smiled as she saw Grey awaken, flying to his side and sitting down on the table there. "You're awake," she said with a smile, the first welcoming smile from anyone other than Jack or Ilia in the past few centuries. "Yeah," he said quietly back, turning his head to stare back up at the ceiling, seemingly unaffected by her words. The others weren't the only ones uneasy around the man, how could she not be? He was intemidating in nearly every way, the shreaded end of the cape hanging off the bed, the lack of much emotion at all... but the eyes topped it, the bright red, alert eyes beyond anything Tooth had ever seen. It wasn't normal, it was scary in a way, but she wouldn't show it. You have to judge people by the heart. He DID bring back Jack's staff after all and didn't attack when you and the others went to Pitch's lair.. thats enough to trust, isn't it? The hummingbird hybrid agreed and decided she would step forward and be as kind to the reaper as she had been to everyone else. He didn't seem to notice or care, but she could tell there was a slight, very very vague flicker of surprise at her kindness. It was both saddening and joy-raising, seeing the faint bit of shock that leaked through those blood red eyes. Tooth wondered with a slight pain in her sympathetic heart if he was always treated like what he seemed to be. He WAS Death in its form after all, the one that could bring you to hell, the one who wouldn't die.. but he also brought humans to heaven, he also had kept the balance of the world on his shoulders. If people didnt die then they would rot away while still being alive, turning to dust and still having their concious until their brain was finally too corroded to keep thoughts sending through. The thought of it sent a shudder through her from the tips of her wings to her elevated feet. "I thought you should know that you're all alright. Ilia is resting for now, Jack is healing..." 

"Thats good." He doesnt talk much, Tooth thought in the depths of her mind, not a smile escaping his lips, just the slight brush of relief passing through his face before fading into the blank look as usual. It made her wonder what was going on behind the wall he seemed to put up, if he even had thoughts at all. "And... we're working on fixing you up too," she continued with a weak smile. For this, he didn't seem to reply, no relief or much caring at all passing through. If anything, he seemed a little upsetted by this, his gaze moving from the purple eyes of the fairy to the white bedsheets that were still stained red from when they were first brought in. They all had slept the entire night, not exactly peacefully though. Though Death was quiet, he still tossed and turned, giving quiet grunts, his fists clenched and his eyes shut as tightly as they could, teeth barred with a pain that couldn't be seen by anyone watching. Ilia was curled into a ball despite the cut across her chest, hugging her tail closer to her. She whimpered and cried throughout the night, breaking Tooth's heart. She was so small and still Pitch was putting her through this.. Jack coughed and thrashed in his sleep, mumbling things that she couldn't quite make out.  Tooth had been told by North to get some sleep but she couldn't, not with the three of them in the condition they were in. If something went wrong, if they needed anything and woke up in the darkness alone.. she knew she would be scared out of her mind. They still didn't know what the spirits had been through in Pitch's lair, but with all of the injuries and the nightmares that somehow worked their way past Sandy's magic sand, it didn't seem good at all. Now Jack and Grey were awake, and Ilia was sleeping calmly enough. It seemed like the greater effects only happened in the night, but they had only been there for a day. There was no way to know what Pitch was thinking when putting them through what they had been in.. and it was scary to think of how angry he must've been to physically beat not only three spirits but two who were younger than most, Jack's mischiviousness and happiness somehow amazingly seeming to survive with him, even still. 

Tooth quickly blinked, realizing that she was staring down at the floor, still sitting at the table at Death's side. He didn't seem to notice or mind, giving a quiet sigh of weariness before closing his eyes and turning over. The rate of his breathing showed that he wasn't asleep, but since his back was to everyone else in the room, it was pretty obvious he wasn't comfortable being a part of the big group. Grey was used to being alone, the concept of being surrounded by people was new to him and he wasnt sure if he liked it or not. Something was plaguing his mind with anxiety as well.. the dream he had had. He so rarely had dreams, but when he did, whether nightmare or dream, it was a sign of some sort. The only blessing of the Man in the Moon to him other than the small fox child sleeping peacefully in the bed beside his. If something bad were to happen, he would know. The dreams were cryptic but true every time.. something that was both a blessing and a curse when the nightmares came into the equation. That night had felt much more real.. real enough to scare him. The spirit of reality had wandered from his domain, pushing aside the thought that he had been trying to forget, hold back. Jack was in this nightmare.. a nightmare too real to be fake. 

Pitch rested on his throne, his hand supporting his lazily leaning chin. A smirk was crossed over the greyish skin of his face, a smirk of truth, of power. He had been less worried lately about scaring the children than the guardians... and something had happened that night that might help him even further in his quest for both revenge and more power. Being the king of nightmares, Pitch could see into every bad dream of anyone, spirit or human. Sure he could put his own darkness into them, but most of the time he just let his fearlings work their way through the minds of the victims to find their greatest fears, their most troubling worries whether they knew it was bothering them or not and bring them forward to replace the peace of sleep. He had done so that night, being too in depth of thought and in hopes of a good comeback. Grey and Ilia had gotten away, the reaper using the very last of his power to make a portal out while Pitch was left. Grey never slept unless he was too weak or conflicted.. last night, though, he was both, leading to the greatest welcome Pitch could ask for. The truth behind the quiet, prideful figure. The nightmare king had watched the scene that unfolded in both the minds of Death and Jack Frost, the monster that couldn't be anyone but Grey, the damage he did and the rage that screamed from him. Pitch saw what happened afterwards just before he lost the ability to see... Jack had actually been cut by the beast-like claws that Death's new, monsterous form honed, the slices across his cheek all too real. It was perfect, the beast was so out of control, so rage filled... it would be so easy to take over, to manipulate. He had only wanted Death for the want of the deliverer of death himself to bow at his feet... now he wanted the monster that Grey Loss hid behind the strong but at the same time weak wall he held up to keep from being discovered. If he had that.. thing.. he would gain so much power, Jack and the fox girl wouldn't let anything hurt the beast if he was still Grey. All he needed to do was unleash the rage that Grey kept so cleanly held in and take control of the fear that came along with it.. it was all perfect. Pitch's mind thought back to everything from before, everything he wanted. Revenge to the guardians, mainly Jack... he would get it now. The nightmare king didn't feel like he had done enough to the boy, simply locking him up wasn't enough for his tastes. He was too focused on his full fledged anger at Death but now it was time to get back to what he intended from the start. "Jack Frost.. prepare yourself," he sneered, ending the words in an almost maddening laugh. "You wont be smiling for too much longer..."

I'm not sure how good this chapter was. I personally don't think I did as good on this one, my mind is a little unfocused lately. This will lead to more, hopefully it was enjoyable ^^" Have a good night.