The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

Chapter 51

Here we are at the second to last chapter! There may also be an epilogue, it just depends on how long the last chapter ends up being. Thanks for sticking around for so long despite my very slow updating speed(:
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Jack's POV
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The light is so bright that I have to shield my eyes, wincing as it bites painfully behind them despite the fact that they're squeezed tightly shut. After a few moments in pained blindness, the harsh light seems to dissipate. I tentatively open my eyes again, squinting at first to see what in all the worlds that seem to exist could have happened. My eyes widen however when I see nothing but my reflection in the ice-wall of Elsa's castle staring back at me owlishly. Pitch's entire army of Nightmares he just sent moments ago is now completely obliterated. But how, and by whom?

"Nice try, Pitch, but yer not gonna lay a finger them, ye got 'at?"

That accent...no way...

I whirl around, my eyes widening even further when they rest on the group standing behind me near the entrance to the castle. Merida stands near the middle, still in the stance of someone who just fired an arrow, a smirk spread across her features and her unruly red hair a stark contrast to the crystal ice around her. Next to her stands Rapunzel, her eyes filled with concern as she takes in the situation around her. From what I can see, she looks pale and like she's struggling a bit to stand, and maybe that's why Eugene stands directly to her side, arm slung around her waist. Astrid stands to Merida's other side, a wicked looking axe brandished in her grasp. And above them hovers Toothless, a snarl on his face, Hiccup sitting on his back confidently, very unlike the last time I saw him bumping into walls in the gym.

I blink as my jaw goes slack, unable to quite believe my eyes. All of them managed to make it out of whatever Pitch plunged them into? And for the most part, they all look like they escaped unscathed.

My mind travels back to only a short time ago, back before we arrived in Arendelle. Before we left, I had trouble believing in the group that now stands before me, in believing in their ability to hold their own in the dangerous situation they were willingly thrusting themselves into. I even yelled at them, delivering my thoughts to them in a way that wasn't pleasant in the slightest, although at the time, I didn't have it in me to care. I lashed out, terrified that while I tried to save someone I'd lost too many times, I would end up losing all of them as well.

Never have I been so wrong before in my life.

They told me to believe in them. Now, I know that they were right all along.

Before I can say anything, although I don't think I could even find the words, Anna laughs in pure, unrestricted joy and relief.

"You guys! You-you all made it!"

I turn to her, watching as tears brighten her eyes as a smile lightens up all of her features. I can't help but allow a smile to spread across my own, and for the first time in this fight, I finally feel like we have a real chance at winning.

A growl of anger pulls me out of my musings however, and we all direct our attention to the man dressed in black above us, his face masked in unrestrained fury.

"How...how dare you interfere!" He roars. His hands tighten on the ice railing he leans over, and I watch with wide eyes as darkness slowly spreads across the castle walls, tainting it with a mixed black and blue color.

I've seen Pitch Black angry before. I've seen him angry enough to kill, to attack children. I've seen him angry enough to do many things. However, I have never seen him this angry.