Darker Than Dark Chapter 6: Forgiveness

North's POV

*“Best we can do is try his favorite spots. Then, split up to search if we don’t find him.” Everyone nods at my idea. We begin to walk slowly into town, hoping to run into Jamie. I feel a cold chill down my spine. I look behind me with the feeling we were being watched. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a black figure race by! A nightmare?! I turn quickly to look. Nothing is there…

“North? What is it?” Tooth looks back at me. I stare into the woods, but there is no movement.

“No, is nothing. Let’s move on!” I smile. They all turn back and march forward. I look back, following them. Pitch is dead. His body faded by the time we got back to his lair. Therefore, nightmares roam free. It is their natural course and a balance for Sandy’s dreams, nothing to worry about. Yes, Pitch is dead…*

"The park would be an ideal place, or maybe his house. That's about all I got on him, mate. Only two places I would normally hid the eggs," Bunnymund spoke, finally recovering from the flight. Each hop brings a pleasant crunch to the ear.

Sandman waves his arms in an attempt for our attention. He poses an exclamation mark above his head along with a sand illusion of the mountains just a small distance out from the edge of burgess.

"Now why would he be all the way over there?" Bunny asked.

Sandman quickly pictured the boy dreaming. The boy mimicked Jamie's appearance, revealing his true dream was of climbing a mountain.

"Ah, now I get," I spoke aloud realizing Sandy's meaning. "Jamie always asked for climbing gear. 'is father take him climbing eeeeeeeevery summer. Was one of his favorite activities."

"Well why didn't you say so?" Bunnymund directs his voice toward Sandy, who answers with the tapping of his foot and arms crossed. His face fell flat in expression. My eyes wander over to Toothiana, who had become oddly quiet.

"Tooth?" She shows no response to my call. "Tooth!" I repeat with a bellowing tone. She removes her eyes from the ground, meeting my own.

"Uhh.. sorry. I was just thinking of other possible places to look for Jamie. I could have one of my fairies check his memory box." Tooth lied. We all knew exactly what she was thinking about. The last time she was back in this town, that we all were, was the day of Jack's death. With Jamie's revival, she had higher spirits for a brief time, but upon reaching the place that holds such painful memories, she's become like a wandering soul.

"That would be very good. In meantime, we look in places we know." She nodded and began to instruct her fairies to search Jamie's memories.

"So where to first?" Bunny questioned, looking to me for guidance. "Jamie's house. Is his rebirth day. Likely, if he 'as memories, he'll be with family."
If he has memories... it had just hit me, and from the others' expressions, they were thinking the same. Jack was the first spirit we knew to have his memories withheld from him by Manny. As to the reason, seems as if Manny wanted him to learn a lesson from it. Jack may have been the first, but he could not be the last. Jamie might also have a lack of memory. That might be why he had not come to us in the past.

"We best be prepared for anything..." Bunnymund broke the silence.

"Yes..." I reply "If he does not remember us, we must be ready."

"Should we lie to him... or tell him we know him...? If Manny wanted him to know his memories, wouldn't he let Jamie have them?"

"Manny did not want Jack to know until he met us. If same for Jamie, Man-in-Moon's given us permission to reawaken those memories when he picked Jamie."

Tooth nods, her eyes dropping at the mention of Jack once more. I put my hand upon her shoulder, providing some comfort.

"It might be better to search the pond first, in case the boy doesn't have his memories." Bunny brings up a valid point. Sandy agrees with a slight nod. My eyes fall upon Tooth, asking approval. It's the last place any of us would expect her to go. Her grip tightens as she leans her head away for a moment.

"Tooth, Bunny and I can go search the pond while you and Sandy search 'is house." She looked up at me with her saddened eyes, nodding gratefully.

"Let's go find Jamie," She finally spoke.

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Jack's POV

*"No! I'm not letting you go! I already let one person go, I'm not letting you go, too!" Other... person...

"Jamie..." She looks up at me, and nods...

"Yes, I let Jamie go instead of me... I should've been the one to die that day... but he took my place. I let him go... I'm not letting you go, too!"

"Arrrrgh!!!" I rip myself away from her, breathing heavily. My feet scraping the snow as I push her off. "You don't get it do you?! I killed Jamie!"*

Her eyes meet mine... she's shocked, stunned at the words I have fed her. Finally, you see me for the monster I am. I am death, not fun. I killed your brother.

"I don't believe you..." She spoke, her eyes outline my bare feet.

"Look at me." I hold my glare firmly on her.

"...no... it's not true, you're lying... you're trying to protect me..."

"LOOK AT ME!" I scream at her, startling her body to a jump. Her eyes meet mine reluctantly. "I killed your brother, not pitch. I murdered both Pitch AND Jamie. And since that day, I've killed hundreds of others with my storms." I walk forward to her, tipping her chin. "I'm not saint. I'm not Guardian. I am only... death."

Her silence enlightened me on her thoughts. Yes, you know know. You'll run away. Hate me, child. You'll end in my comfort.

"...You're lying. The Jack I know would never do such a thing-"

"The Jack you know is DEAD!" I scoff at her, turning my body to walk further away. "He died the night your precious Jamie died." Her eyes scan my face, attempting to find some hint of inaccuracy, but there won't be any. I did exactly as I stated. And no matter how hard she searches, she will only come up with one truth. That is-

"So that's it..." I feel a touch in my hand, I turn with furrowed brows, laying my sight on the pure soul. "You didn't mean to kill him... but you blame yourself anyway.."

"Insolent little brat! How dare you call me a liar!" With the whisp of the wind, a hand flys straight toward the girl's cheek. The color of red has began to show against her pale skin. You'll think twice before ignoring my warnings. Her head leaned to the side for a moment, slowly, she looked up at me with watered eyes. Still, she refuses to cry, and watches my face.

A warm embrace secures me. I gasp for breath as the young woman surrounds me with her body... I can't move...

"You don't have to be alone anymore... I know now... how my brother died. You don't have anything else to hide from me... so come home Jack."

How can she still have faith in me?! How can she still believe I am a good guy?! I've killed her only brother, I've done nothing but hurt her since we met! I am the soul existence of her pain! My arms react with my feelings; I throw her to the ground.

"Foolish girl! I am DEATH! I will not hesitate to kill you!"

She stands, ignoring my warning, and proceeds to return her limbs around me.

"You wouldn't kill me. I know you. Just like you wouldn't kill Jamie, it just happened... and you know what... he would forgive you too..." She looks up at me with hopeful eyes. "You've been living with this burden alone for too long, Jack... Come home with me... Let's talk to everyone again."

"No, you little-" The crunching of footsteps reach my ears. I don't have time take off now. It could be the spirit who caused this mess. If it weren't for this particular spirit, I wouldn't even be here. I wouldn't have to deal with Sophie.

"You think Tooth's doing okay?" The familiar voice caught my attention. Bunnymund.

"She'll be fine. The sooner we find him, the sooner we can leave. That is what she wants." North.

"She can't avoid this place forever."

No time to run. Sophie won't let go, her grip tightens even now. I bare my teeth with a grit. Snatching the woman, I pull her behind a tree, moving her body close to mine and covering her mouth. I make sure I'm in a blind spot to the Guardians and peer around from my vantage point. Luckily, the girl did not struggle. With the cover of night, I wasn't spotted in my movements.

"hm... Not here," North spoke, stroking his beard.

"This is the first place we've looked. He could be anywhere, mate."

They're looking for someone. I assumed they thought I was dead by now, but apparently not. Maybe one of them spotted me, or perhaps Manny tipped them off on my trail. My brows furrow, was that your plan? Get me to come here in search of the disruption and then call the Guardians on me. Only you could be as scheming as that MiM. My hand loosens from Sophies mouth as I tighten my fists.

"Perhaps Tooth and Sandy are having more luck. We should see how they're doing."

"Alrigh-" Bunnymund's ears retreat to an alert position. The girl gave me away! Her breath of air slipped too loudly for the rabbit not to hear.

I scoff. It's too late for hiding now. There's only one way to escape. I begin to summon the black dust that once served the great king of nightmares. My arms shake as I call them forth, nightmares but not in the for of horse-like creatures, in the for of pure fear... of blackened, shifting dust. Sophie's body begins to shake against mine... I can feel the fear dust affecting her, the tempature around us dropped at least 10 degrees lower... It's time.

"What in the blazes-!" The dust creeps around the darkened trunk of our hiding point. I send the sand barreling at  them.

"It cannot be!" North draws his weapons, prepared for the fight. Bunnymund instinctively displays his boomarang.

NOW! I dig my nails into sophie, lifting her off of the ground as I take to the sky.

"There! A figure!"

"Two! is not pitch, is not-" A nightmare horrifying figure pulses from the dust, a mixture of mouths and faces strick at the fat man.

"North!" The rabbit calls to his comrade, attempting to aid him.

"North! Bunny!" Sophie cries out from her silence.

"Stupid girl!" I speak to her in a cracking tone.

"Soph?!" Bunnymund speaks aloud in shock.

"he 'as the girl!" North points his sword to me. The dust covers me from their vision, and with the cover of night, I slip away into the distance.