Dark Jack

84 2 7
                                    

Chapter 2: Rapunzel

I struggled until the gag moved from my mouth.

"Now, now, Rapunzel, stop fretting. I don't need you anymore." Pitch chuckled.

"But you won't bring Jack back." I said angrily.

"Hm... No. Do tell your little friends though, I will come at midnight. I hope you'll be ready." My bonds disappeared and I ran.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was back in my room. I'd told the others what had happened, they'd stayed silent. Hope was disappearing fast now. I lay back and sighed. Jack. Stupid, childish, fun Jack. Gone. Why did this have to happen?

I smiled slightly as I remembered our first snowball fight. I’d never played with snow when I was in my tower, but after I ran away and Sandy found me, I met Jack. We were good friends, but I never got to see much of him. I was training to be Sandy’s partner, helping him create and spread dreams to the millions of children of the world. Then one day we were talking and he found this out. He instantly took me outside and we battled for hours, laughing and throwing at each other. Even though he had the advantage I did quite well for myself.

I played with a fraying edge to my dress. That was a long time ago…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack:

 My eyes burst open. Darkness. I couldn't remember anything, wait... A flicker of a memory.

The Guardians. I hated the Guardians, and I had to get rid of them. Pitch was going to help me, I was going to rule the world. I smiled.

"Oh good Jack, you're awake. Are you ready?" I saw Pitch emerge from the shadows.

"For what?"

"Our revenge of course... It's time we paid the Guardians a visit." He gestured to a mirror on the wall. I stepped forward and looked at my reflection, and my bright green eyes glowed as I grinned...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rapunzel:

Pitch was coming for us. Everyone was busy preparing themselves as midnight approached but I stood lost in the mist of their hurry. Could we really do nothing but fight Pitch? Could he not be reasoned with? And why wasn't anyone acting worried about Jack? He was meant to be the new Guardian, we needed him, but everyone was too busy sharpening swords or practicing combat moves.

 "Rapunzel, aren't you gonna practice with me?" Bunny asked.

"I can take perfectly good care of myself thank you." I answered.

"Yeah right, I could easily take you down in a second, if you want to survive Pitch, you'll have to be able to beat me." I scoffed and the room seemed to go silent.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe it is."

"Then you may regret it." I took my stance and Bunny just grinned. Quick as a snake he threw one of his many boomerangs at me which I easily avoided, careful to dodge its return journey too. I ran towards him and he braced himself for impact. But it didn't come. His body tensed up as I slid underneath him I pulled his legs back and he fell flat on his face. I quickly managed to tied him up with my hair before sitting back and smiling. 

I grinned as a Yeti passed another some money. They'd actually bet on this. 

"Okay then, you win. Now let me out!" I gave him a look and he rolled his eyes. "Please?" I tugged the knot and he was spun around several times before falling over dizzy. 

"Well, she can handle herself after all." North muttered.

"Exactly. And that's why I'm coming tonight." A shadow flickered across the floor.

"Let's go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack: 

I watched from the rooftop as the Guardians appeared from a portal. Pitch signalled to me and we landed in front of them.

"Ah, the Big Four. I'm a little starstruck. And Rapunzel, I believe you already are already acquainted with Jack here." He said gesturing to me.

"Jack, no..." She whispered. Who was she? I vaguely remembered her face, but it was, distant. Like one face in a crowd. 

"Oh Sandman, that reminds me. I found a few of your dreams, being the kind and generous person I am, I thought you should have them back..." 

Behind me I turned to watch the tidal wave of nightmares rage towards them. 

Instantly they took they're positions and started to fight the onslaught while I sat back and watched. There were too many for them to handle, I didn't have to do anything. I rode the wind up into the sky to get a better view of Sandy's battle, after all, he was why we were here. He was surrounded, his little golden cloud an island in the darkness. I joined Pitch in the sky. He gave me a small grin then formed a sabre out of the nightmares. He pulled it back on an invisible string then launched it through the night. It stabbed Sandy through the back and I heard that girl scream.

I laughed as Sandman disappeared in the cloud then turned to the other Guardians. One down, three to go. Well, three and a half. Rapunzel or whatever her name was stood on the top of a building, and she was frozen, unable to move. Perfect.

Grinning wildly, I dived.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rapunzel:

I couldn't move, couldn't breathe... Sandy. He'd been like a father to me, or an uncle. Now he was gone. But that wasn't why I'd frozen. I'd seen Jack. Not just seen him though, I understood.

His eyes weren't blue anymore, they were bright green.

He was being controlled.

Awake and AliveWhere stories live. Discover now