The Friendly Ghost (Jack Frost fanfic)

Chapter 14 Fate

Friendly's ears rang as she heard someone screaming. She looked around and saw nothing but darkness. Then she realised that the scream was her voice. It was her that was screaming.  

"Friendly! Friendly, wake up!"  

She could barely hear the worried cry over her hoarse screaming. She felt hands gripping her as she thrashed about. 

"Open your eyes!" 

She did what was asked and still found herself in darkness. Then her screaming calmed slightly when light began to creep into her vision. Soon she found herself staring into very worried looking blue eyes. She gasped for breath then threw herself into Jack's arms before bursting into tears.  

Bunnymund, who had just arrived to visit, heard the commotion and was hovering in the doorway. "What's goin' on in 'ere!?"  

Jack looked at Bunnymund with concern in his eyes as he stroked Friendly's hair. She was sobbing on his shoulder. She had never been this afflicted by anything before.  

"Shhh, it's okay. It was only a nightmare..." Jack soothed. 

The Pooka's ears shot up at the word 'nightmare'. "How can she be havin' nightmares when Sandy has been protectin' her from 'em?"  

"I don't know. Friendly, please calm down. Tell me what happened." 

Friendly tried her best to compose herself but all she could gasp out between her sobs was "Pitch...h-he...his sand...is in my bloodstream...he can get...into my head...he wanted...me to scream." Her voice was thick from the cries and yells. She had given in and given Pitch what he wanted. She was afraid that what Pitch had shown her was about to come true. She had to warn them.  

Jack's eyes turned dark and icy. How dare Pitch. How dare he. He picked the sobbing ghost girl up bridal style and headed towards the infirmary. "Bunny, get North. Sandy too." He ordered. Bunny was slightly shocked by Jack's low tone, but he obeyed and hopped off in search for North and Sandman.  

Friendly gripped onto Jack's hoodie. "Jack...don't let me sleep again...please..." She gasped out. 

Jack nodded. "Don't worry, you'll be fine, I promise." 

She sniffles as her sobbing calms down a little. "P-Pitch...h-he wants to hurt you...and the others."  

"It's alright, he won't get us. Right now our main priority is getting that sand out of you." 

"B-but how?" 

"I don't know. But we will, I promise." 

"W-will it hurt...?" Friendly couldn't stand the thought of going through anymore pain. The pain Pitch inflicted on her in her nightmare was unbearable and so real. Jack saw her fear and didn't want to scare her, though he was entirely unsure to what they would have to do and he didn't know how painful it would be. Hopefully it wouldn't be painful but if she didn't want to sleep again, it would be a lot harder. 

He sighed in defeat. "I don't know..." He whispers. Friendly sniffs and buries her head in his shoulder.  

When they reach the infirmary, he places her on the bed. He noticed that the wound on her arm had opened up slightly from when she was thrashing around. He grabbed a rag and began mopping away the blood. He growled when he saw a few grains of black sand glistening in the red liquid. How could they have missed that!? Pitch had access to Friendly's mind and they didn't know anything about it. Jack was infuriated. He really wanted to know what happened in her nightmare but he didn't want to press her. 

Light gently sniffed and poked Friendly's face with its white nose, attempting to wipe her tears away, but they were just replaced with more tears.  

Soon, Bunnymund, North, Sandman and even Tooth enter the infirmary. "What is going on, Jack?" Tooth asks, worriedly. 

"Pitch's sand is in Friendly's blood stream. He's been giving her nightmares to hear her scream." Jack informs. 

Sandman's jaw drops at this. The guardians look at him hopefully. "Sandy, is there anything you can do to get it out of her, mate?" Bunnymund asks. 

Sandman gulps and sadly shakes his head. The guardians were devastated. If they didn't get the sand out, what would happen to Friendly? Sandman looked at Friendly, sadly and began to sign to her. 'There is nothing I can do to get it out. The only person who can do that is Pitch himself. If it is not done soon...' He stops and grimaces.  

Friendly tilts her head. "Go on." She smiles, weakly, encouraging him to continue. 

Sandman blinked hard then continued. 'The sand will soon take over your body and Pitch will have control over you.'  

Friendly's shimmering eyes widened in shock. That was Pitch's plan? But why her? Why did he want her? The guardians stared at Friendly in confusion. Jack only knew a little bit of sign language so he didn't understand what Sandman had said. Friendly gulped. She didn't want to worry the guardians but she had to tell them. She breathed out, shakily.  

"He said that he can't do anything about it. Only Pitch can remove the sand, but if it's not removed soon, it will take over me completely." She said as calmly as she could. 

The guardians gasped as they realised Friendly's fate. Jack angrily threw down the rag and marched out of the infirmary with an enraged yell. Tooth darted after him and North, Sandman and Bunnymund stared at Friendly, sadly. They didn't know what to do. There was no way Pitch would remove the sand. What was he going to do with her when she was under his control? Torture her? Give her nightmares? That's what he wanted. He wanted her fear to give him more power. They all boiled with rage.  

Mostly Jack. If Jack wasn't a winter spirit, he'd be a burning inferno. He sprinted down the hallways, startling elves and yetis, a trail of frost spreading out behind him. He angrily banged his hand on walls making frost spread out in a rough and angry sort of way.  

"Jack, calm down!" Tooth called after him. 

Jack ignored her and continued to run. He jumped out of a window and darted into the cold air, landing harshly in the snow. 

"Jack, wait! We can save her!" Tooth assures. 

"How!?" He screams. "I promised that I'd protect her and now look at what's happened! Pitch is gonna torture her until she's nothing but an empty shell! How are we supposed to get that sand out of her if Pitch is the only one who can!? God dammit!" He furiously waves his staff, spreading ice across the soft snow. He drops to his knees and tugs at his white hair, growling in frustration. Tooth was shocked. She had never seen Jack so riled up before.  

"Jack, we'll figure it out somehow. She'll be fine." She says softly, keeping her distance.  

Jack stuck his staff into the snow and pressed his forehead against it. He tried to steady his breathing and calm himself down. He suddenly heard Tooth gasp. He looked at her and saw that she was staring at something in shock. Jack followed her gaze and soon he had the same expression.  

Friendly felt a sudden sharp pain in her head and she looked at the window. She walked over to it and her eyes widened. The guardians also looked and soon they were all staring at something in the distance with shocked expressions on their faces. 

"Holy Easter eggs..." Bunnymund whispered.