Believe in Me

Hope Deprived

((Sorry for the short update, I dont have much time.))

A week had passed.

North paced back and forth in front of a crinkling fireplace, its warmth reaching his body but not his spirit. Jayna had rushed back in a panic, informing everyone of what she must have seen. There weren’t many choices to pick of why this was happening, humans standing unable to die. Grey had left and within a day later his job, which he took dead seriously, started going undone? The large man wasn’t sure if Grey Loss had turned so darkly to Pitch’s side that he simply quit, though he couldn’t imagine that happening, or if the reaper had no choice. If that were the case he was either captured or out of his mind somehow… They had heard the story, if the monster that was in the grim had taken over, there was even more to worry about than this. Jack returned soon after Jayna did, confirming that Jamie and his friends were safe but scared. The child’s mother had nursed an old man who should’ve died from the heavy heart attack he had, but was left in terrible pain with no relief. Sandy and Tooth had set off immediately to try and ease the children’s hearts all over the world, but it would be a hard task for sure. Bunny left to search every crevice for Pitch’s lair, but reported that the entrance under the broken bedframe in the forest near Burgess was closed up like it had never been there in the first place. Ilia was in a panic of her own, not just for the man she looked up to, but for the animals that couldn’t pass on either without Grey’s help. Every day she would return with another animal, ranging from rabbits to even a tiger just earlier. The elves especially were thankful that no matter what beast returned with the small girl, they seemed to stay completely tame as long as she was within the reach of their sight or smell. The child’s room was littered with shed fur and feathers, but the comfort that the creatures gave her was enough of a help, so North made sure that the animals were fed and given what they needed. Most of them were sick or in pain somehow, supposed to die but kept from that fate, so it seemed both the beasts and the fox girl comforted each other, not just one way.

There hadn’t been a word from Pitch, not a sighting, not from him, Chaos, nor the spirit of wind that had deserted Jack a while ago. Wherever they had been, there was no chance they were just sitting around. Were they planning something? Pitch usually would’ve at least come to flaunt his steadily growing power, how easily he was winning against the guardians on his second try to overcome. Despite how much they held on to their hopes, hope was evading them more and more every day, like they were chasing some sort of balloon that only grew higher and farther no matter how fast they ran for it. Fear was definitely taking over now, with almost zombiefied humans trapped in life when they should’ve passed on weeks ago, with pained and agonized voices rumbling from each window, hope seemed so fleetingly far away, it was difficult for even the ones that were made to keep everyone happy to be happy themselves.

“North?” The door creaked open just enough that Jack could poke his head in, bright blue eyes slightly dimmed but still holding the strong determination he always had. North wasn’t sure if he hadn’t understood the weight of the situation or if the winter spirit was just stronger than all of them to take it on without so much as a sigh. Still, he pulled himself from his thoughts and looked to the boy. “Yes, Jack, what is it?” He said, trying to keep the joyful confidence in his voice with little result.

“Bunny’s back, says he found something that could be Pitch’s lair,” The teen said, trying to pull one of his well-known grins and almost succeeding, surprisingly. “Maybe we can find Grey and figure out what exactly’s going on.” This was relieving to hear for the older man, who nodded and quickly followed Jack out of the room. Sure there was a chance that Bunny could be wrong… but he wasn’t going to let his hopes fall once they had finally risen, even if just meagerly.