Jarida Drabbles

Sacrifice

Merida gazed at the dark boy before her. His eyes glowed with an unnatural light, tinted with a darkness she had never seen there before. She realized this was not the Jack she knew as a child. This Jack was darker. His teeth glinted as he flashed her a cold smile.

"What's the matter, Merida?" he asked taking a step toward her. "Are you… frightened?" His eyebrows twitched up as a look of evil glee spread across his face.

"Who are ye? An what have ye done with Jack?" She glowered, lifting her bow armed with an arrow.

The dark man before her smirked, "I am Jack. Don't you recognized me?" He came closer.

"Git back!" She growled, "where is Jack?!" Her voice grew shrill as the creature continued his advance on her. "Ye may look like Jack. But ye aren't him! Ye can't be."

"Heh. If that's what you want to believe." He shrugged, twirling his shepherds staff with an expertise that Merida recognized. They were the same movements Jack used.

"Ye aren't Jack." She repeated, hoping that if she said it more, it would be true.

Jack sighed, "sure, alright. But if I'm not Jack, how would I know that on your 16th birthday, you attempted to change your fate by turning your mother into a bear?"

Merida's eyes widened with every word and her lips quivered, "that was an accident." She whispered, her grip on the bow wavering.

"So you said." He arched a dark brow, "I'm beginning to wonder if it really was. I mean… maybe that's what you wanted all along. Maybe you just wanted your mom out of the picture, because with her gone, you would have people who understood you. You wouldn't have to answer to anyone for your behavior." He grinned darkly, "that's what I think."

Merida's eye filled with tears, "that's not true."

Jack shrugged again, "sometimes what we want is hidden by our subconscious, because it's too dark and scary for us to comprehend."

"You are a liar. What has Pitch done to you?" She cried.

Jack smiled softly, a glimmer of his older self showing through, "he did what I agreed for him to do." Came his whispered reply.

"Why?" She asked, lowering the bow slightly. "Why Jack?"

"To save something precious."

Merida stared at him in shock, when she found her voice again, she asked, "wha-what is that?"

Jack's dark gaze met hers, but he said nothing. Merida didn't need him to, she knew what it was. Her throat constricted as she felt the soft wood chafe her hand. Jack had sacrificed himself for the group. For Rapunzel, Hiccup, Eugene, Astrid and her. She read in his eyes, mostly for her. Without another word, the dark boy vanished. The wind carrying him away in a strong gust, leaving the princess alone and feeling colder than she ever had before.