Sixth Year's Snow (Hijack/Frostcup)

Chapter Thirty

The night was calm. Candles flickered in the windows of small buildings. The day had been a long one and at the time, finding Hiccup seemed nearly impossible. I and the others had split apart, and I took whatever land was to the west. There was almost nothing there but trees and frozen river, large plains of grass and amazing scenery. I had been here before, but I couldn't put my finger on why. Or when. My reminiscent thought went on for a while until I heard a rustling in the tree beside me. I shook it off at first, calling a bird or squirrel. But the rustle echoed again and I decided to take a peek. I looked over the foliage, trying to search for whatever was stirring. A glittery twinkle shined through the maple leaves, and whatever it was it saw I was there and fled in the opposite direction. I swiftly followed, fast in chase until a break in the trees came up and I nearly fell from the branches. Two nightmares zigzagged along the rooftopsof a village, searching for victims. A collection of simple timber houses with thatched roofs were layed out in a circle. As I made my way into town, settlers were warming their hands by a campfire. I didn't recognize anyone, but they all seemed familiar somehow... maybe I had seen it in a dream or something? I didn't have a clue. Once again, a black glint caught my eye and I looked up at the nightmares which were now running across the rooftops. I ran along the dirt pathways until the wind gave me a boost to the top of the houses. I was in hot pursuit as one angled off, heading for a nearby window. I was quick, but not quick enough, and took a shot. The ray of ice struck the horse and POOF! It exploded into a cloud of golden dreamsand.
"One down, one to go."
I raced off towards the last nightmare, and before long I was already on its heels. It made a sharp turn down into the forest, but I was quick to follow. The Nightmare then veered up the trees into the canopy. Blindly, I whipped a blast from my staff and hit the Nightmare.
"Yeah!" I laughed. The pattern it left on the tree was oddly twisted and a black shade. I stayed for a while, inspecting it until...
"Jack..." an eerie echo called out to me.
I stopped, confused. Where was that voice coming from? He looks out across the woods and the sound of the echoed voice rang in my ears again.
"Jack?"
That voice, I know that voice...
With that, I leapt off the offshoot. Carried by the wind, I flew across the woodlands toward the sound of the eerie voice. I landed in the middle of a thickly wooded area. It was spooky, to say the least. I quickly scanned the forest when I saw the decrepit remains of a rotting frame from a child's bed. Even creepier. What would that be doing in the woods, and how long has it been here? I took my staff, and broke through the damaged frame, revealing a hole leading deep underground.
"Jack!"
I couldn't take it anymore and threw myself down the hole, plummeting into the thick darkness. I slid out, scattering onto the floor, and my staff sclattered a few yards away.
It was a dark cavern, filled with twisting staircases and gothic cages that hung from whatever was hiding in the darkness above. All the fairies that had been stolen fluttered up once they saw me approuch one of the pinfolds. I hushed them all, hoping that whoever was keeping them wouldn't hear. I looked down and saw the tooth drawers from Tooth's Palace. Mounds of them heaped to the ceiling. And inside the drawers must have been the missing teeth. Suddenly, the chamber became dark, as if a cloud had covered the sun in an already shady place. A thick laugh echoed throughout the caverns.
"Looking for something?" It asked.
"Where is he?" I tried my hardest to sound as stern as possible.
The cavern suddenly went darker than it already was. I finally looked up, as a shadow of Pitch crawled up a nearby column. I swung around with my staff, shooting a beam of ice as the malevolent outline, but Pitch Black was too quick.
Abruptly, a hot breath blew into my ear. "Searching for your little boyfriend?"
I gasped, quickly trying to scramble away. There stood a long, lean man with ashen skin and golden-grey eyes. He smiled at me, his sharpened teeth extremely white in contrast to his lips. He bent at the waist as he straightened himself. He took a step towards me, which I returned with a step back.
"Don't be afraid, Jack. I'm not going to hurt you."
His enmitic timbre made my bones shake with panic.
"Afraid?" The question jumped from my mind to my lips.
"Mmm hmm... Everyone's afraid of something." Pitch began to back away, becoming one with the darkness laughing as he disappeared.
"I'm not afraid of you!" I shouted into the dimness.
"Oh, but I know what you are afraid of, Frost." His voice echoed through the dark chambers. "You will have to watch him die!"
Panic suddenly filled me. As i stammered back, the chamber filled with shadows, and I was spun around. Disoriented, I thud into a wall, which after trying to bring my thoughts together, I realised was the floor. Pitch, unseen now, chuckled. I was completely unsure of where I is. I picked my head up and looked back to see the cavern entrance- Right back where I had started. A shadow towered over me, leaning forward into the light where a long face was revealed.
"Oh, Jack..." he sighed, "Why did you end up like this? Unseen. Unable to reach out to anyone. But still, he believed. You just want to kiss him- But you're afraid of what the Guardians will think. Love, hm?"
My head still spinning, I choked out an answer. "What do my- you... know about love?"
A dark laugh blew through his teeth. "I had a life before all this too, you know. The only difference is I remember it all."
"How?"
A slender arm held out a small box "It's all right here." My eyes widened at the sight - the face of a young boy etched into it, and under it is the name "Jack Frost".
"Do you want them, Jack? Your memories?"
I stared at the golden case, taking everything in my power not to take them.
"They don't matter anymore..." I tried to tell myself more than Pitch, "I have Hiccup's love back."
He scoffed, "cliché." He wandered back off into the darkness, becoming invisible.
I hopped to my feet, running after Pitch, but never finding him.
"Fine. Take him back. He whines too much."
Hiccup suddenly lurched out of the darkness, stumbling into my arms.
"Jack!"
"Hic!"