The Darkness Within

Chapter Eight

Jack stood there, his feet stuck to the snow as if he had froze them himself. He watched as Rapunzel ran deep into the woods. It was after he couldn't see her that he decided to go after her.

"Ro, wait!" He called, running through the trees. But she was no where to be found. Rapunzel had left without a trace. Jack hopelessly made his way back to the children. He felt as though he had betrayed her, in a sense. He saw the fear in her eyes. She feared being feared. And if anything, Pitch was an expert at snuffing out fear.

"What happened with her?" Jamie asked as soon as he got back.

"I'm not sure, Jamie. I guess... She was afraid..."

"Of what?" His eyebrow arched. A flashback played in Jack's head. The sound of ice cracked beneath his bare feet. The last thing he heard was Rapunzel calling out his name before he splashed into the cold, unforgiving waters below.

"The ice..." Could Rapunzel have... Remembered something? Did she remember that horrifying day they lost each other? Before finding each other three hundred years later? A new thought popped into the winter spirit's head: what has she been doing for all of those years?

"I've got to get to the North Pole. And you've got to get home. I'll see you later Jamie." He waved before soaring through the skies, using the wind to guide him to North's workshop.

At North's workshop...

"North!" Jack called as he burst through the door. The jolly man entered the room, munching on a cookie.

"Ho, ho, Jack! What seems to be trouble?"

"It's Ro. She's missing." After Jack told him the story, North immediately signaled for the Guardians to come. They got to the workshop as soon as possible.

"What's the problem, mate?" Bunny asked.

"Ro has gone missing." North said. Tooth gasped, placing both hands on either side of her face.

"Oh, no! Ro is gone? We have to find her!" She became frantic and frightened.

"No need." A voice said. The Guardians all turned to see Rapunzel standing on top of the globe. "I'm right here." Jack's face lit up. She was back! But how?

"Ro, we were so worried about you! Where were you? How did you get back here?" He asked.

"Oh, I had some help..." A Nightmare horse slowly made its way to Rapunzel's side. "From a friend." Her lips formed a malicious smile. The Guardians gasped in disbelief, but Jack knew exactly what was going on. Pitch had gotten to her first.

"Ro. Whatever Pitch did to you, you can fight it. Just try and remember us. We're your friends." Jack tried his best to persuade her, but she simply scoffed.

"Friends? You think I'd want to be friends with someone like you? Like any of you? You all clearly don't see what I am or what I'm capable of. You're all weak. It takes all of you to defeat someone like Pitch. It's such a shame really." This wasn't like Rapunzel at all. Something was definitely wrong with her. It was surprising that not even Jack could break Pitch's binds on her.

"But I didn't come to make you all feel lower about yourselves than you already are. You have to try and put up somewhat of a fight. I've come to tell you that Pitch is ready. His Nightmares will be released all around the world, and there won't be anything you can do to stop him. There will be nothing but fear and darkness. You can all count on that."

Bunny couldn't hold it in anymore. He grabbed a boomerang that was strapped to his back and flung it and Rapunzel. But she caught it as soon as it came close enough. Her reflexes were enhanced.

The boomerang shriveled into dust, and she allowed the remaining bits of it to blow away like sand.

"You're going to have to be better than that if you ever want to beat Pitch." The possessed princess climbed atop the Nightmare horse and rode away through the opening in the ceiling, making her way back to Pitch. The Guardians were left, still speechless.