Rise of the Guardians 2

The Choice Is Made

Back to Crystal...

"What?" I ask in complete shock. That's a really random question to ask someone when they just wake up.

"Just tell me," Jack says in between a shout and a whisper.

"I - I" I stammer confusedly "Why should I answer that question?"

"Just do" Jack whispers starting to cry. He grabs my shoulders. "Please" My arm, with the black, starts to rip with pain. I fall backwards onto my back as Jack lets go of me. I curl up and shudder.

"Crystal?" Jack pleads "No. What's wrong?"

"You know perfectly well what's wrong," I say know-it-all and struggling for breath. He kneels down next to me and pulls me up onto his lap.

"You can't leave," he says as a tear runs his face.

"I don't want to go," I say as if out of breath "What do I have to do?"

"What do you mean?" Jack says confusedly "How would I know?"

"Don't pretend. I heard you talking to Pitch." I give a little smile "I just didn't hear all of it"

"Not here," he says faintly "Please" I close my eyes tightly, in all of the pain that I'm in, and I feel light around us. I open my eyes. Where are we?

"Jack" a big voice comes out of nowhere. I look up and see North and the rest of the Guardians here. We're at North's workshop. How did we get here? What happened? My arm starts hurting again. I try not to show the pain.

"Where were you?" Bunny asks suddenly

"I don't know," Jack says sadly. Another tear runs down his face.

"What's wrong?" Tooth says gently

"I just -" he stammers in sadness "I know another way to save Crystal"

"What?" Bunny says confusedly "You know a way?"

"Yeah," he says looking down at me sadly "I know two ways"

"Then use one of them" I struggle to say.

"I can't," Jack says standing up, still holding me. He puts me down on a nearby red couch and walks away. Why did he walk away? Too many questions and only a small amount have been answered.

"Jack" Bunny hops down the huge hallway to find Jack. I don't want to hurt anymore. The rest of the Guardians sit down next to the couch and say nothing.

With Jack...

"Jack" I hear Bunny call from down the long, huge hallway. I keep running and lift off and fly down the hallway. I get to a room, thinking there's a window I can jump out of. I fling the door open and there's no window in here. Bunny hops into the room.

"You alright, mate?" he asks caringly

"No," I say sadly and sit down on the bed next to me.

"What's wrong?" he says sitting down next to me.

"I can't let Crystal die," I say looking up at him

"Well, then use one of the ways you know," he says trying to cheer me up. I look down at the ground again and stare at it in sadness.

"I can't" I say

"Why not?" Bunny says gently

"Because one of them involves me dying and the other involves losing Crystal," I say tears filling my eyes.

"What do you mean 'lose Crystal'?" Bunny says curiously

"I mean," I say sadly "I'll lose her. She has to touch Pitch in order to survive. The other, I have to die in order for her to live, but she's the one that has to kill me"

"But," Bunny says sadly "That's horrible"

"Yeah," I say trying to hold in my anger "I can't let her die and I know she won't kill me herself"

"Well," Bunny says "If she joins Pitch then I promise we'll try to get her back. Even if the Guardians say it's impossible"

"Thanks, Bunny" I find myself hugging him "She'll touch Pitch and we'll get her back. Right?"

"Exactly" Bunny smiles pulling out of the hug. I stand up, walk out of the room and Bunny follows me. I go back down the huge hallway and back into the globe room.

"Can you excuse us for a minute?" I say importantly "You too, Bunny" I whisper. Everyone leaves and I'm left with Crystal on the couch. I walk over and kneel down beside her.

"Jack," she says happily, pulling me into a hug. I can see she's in pain.

"I know what must happen now," I say sadly as Crystal pulls away from the hug.

"What?" she says curiously and her smile fades. A tear runs down my face.

Crystal...

Jack and Bunny run into the room.

"Can you excuse us for a minute?" Jack says importantly. I hear him whisper something to Bunny. I push it from my mind. Everyone leaves the room and Jack walks over to me.

"Jack," I say happily. I pull him into a hug, ignoring the pain I'm in.

"I know what must happen now," he says sadly as I pull out of the hug.

"What?" I say curiously. I make my smile disappear and I see a tear run down Jack's face.

"What's wrong? What must happen?" I say curiously sad.

"You have a choice," Jack says. His voice in between sad and important.

"What choice? To do what?" I say curiously

"You must choose to in order live," he says trying to hold back his sadness "You must choose to die or live"

"Live, of course," I say obviously

"Then I promise I will come and find you," he says as more tears fill his eyes. I'm so confused.

"What?" I struggle to say. He doesn't say anything and leaves. Pitch arrives a few moments later.

"Jack!" I scream. I need him.

"You've made your choice," Pitch says darkly "He won't come yet"

"What?" I struggle to say. He will come, I know it.

"You said you wanted to live, so he won't come yet," Pitch says evilly.

"I don't understand," I say confusedly. Pitch comes forwards.

"If you want to live" he whispers darkly "Then you have to join me"

"No" I whisper scaredly. I raise my voice. "I will never join you"

"Then you will die" Pitch smiles.

"I don't care" I shout. Suddenly, Jack runs in. He's come to save me. He grabs my wrist. What is he doing?

"I'm sorry" he whispers sadly. He makes me reach out and touch Pitch's hand. What has he done? The last thing I see is Jack's eyes fill up with tears.

Jack...

I leave the room after the conversation. I press my ear to the door and hear Pitch talking to Crystal.

"I will never join you" Crystal shouts. She has to. She'll die. My eyes tear up, but I quickly wipe them away. Pitch says something I can't hear.

"I don't care" Crystal shouts. I can't take it any longer. I rush in and I can see Crystal's face light up. I grab her wrist.

"I'm sorry" I whisper sadly and regrettably. I make her reach out and touch Pitch's hand. My eyes tear up again and Crystal closes her eyes. What have I done?

"Good job, Jack" Pitch smiles "You'd make evil look bad" I look at him and run off.