From Darkness To Light~ Jack Frost Fan Fiction

Chapter 4~ Despair

Sophie hid her face in the collar of Jack's hoodie, gripping his shoulders for dear life as they flew through the night. They flew as fast as the wind could carry them, directed towards the North Pole. Sophie shivered despite the warmth emanating from Jack. He quickly removed his jacket, slipping it over her head with barely a tilt in the wind. She smiled softly, now warm and cozy, feeling safe in Jack's strong arms. She closed her eyes, settling herself in his arms. Jack gently shook her,

"C'mon Soph. You can't fall asleep. Not until we get to HQ..."

He trailed off. She groaned, struggling to keep her eyes open. Jack grew uneasy, the feeling taking root in the pit of his stomach. Something was not right. Ever since the lights had gone out, Sophie had been tense, unable to say much. Two seconds before the power had failed, Jack had heard the Man in the Moon call out in desperation,

"Darkness affects those of the greatest light."

That was all he could process before the shadows began slinking into Sophie's room, seeming to ooze from every corner and crevice of her walls and floor. There were whispers everywhere, fear seeming to restrict the amount of airflow in the room. Once engulfed in complete darkness, Jack had to fight in order to make it out of Sophie's bedroom window. The site which once had been a place of solace, now was overrun by shadows of various pain. After he'd gotten the both of them out, Jack asked the wind to get them to St. North's as quickly as possible. He looked at Sophie's comely face, her eyes fluttering shut and face beginning to pale. Her will to hang on was dwindling, as she was becoming limp in Jack's firm grasp. He began to panic, tightening his grip on the girls' frail body.

"C'mon, Soph. Hang in there, please baby girl... I can't lose you."

Jack pleaded desperately, clinging to her as she clung to him. He whispered sweet nothings and compliments into her ear. Jack begged her not to give in to Pitch, he begged her to hold on, doing everything in his power to keep her with him. As Jack grew closer to the pole, he heard whooshing around them. But it wasn't the familiar whooshing of the winds that had carried him around the Earth for over three hundred years. No, this was more like buzzing, like millions of wings flapping at once. Suddenly, as St. North's castle came into view, these flying things bombarded Jack and Sophie, causing them to be knocked out of the grasp of the winds that had been carrying them. Jack struggled to hold onto Sophie, her hands slipping out of his, as though they were being pulled apart; which they were. The shadows wrapped themselves around her ankles, the masses of them taking form as locusts. They yanked at her body, pulling at her hair, jacket, belt loops, anything to possibly get her away from Jack. For they knew he grew stronger as he neared the other Guardians. As a whole they were close to indestructible. However, individually, it is easier to take them out. With one firm shove to the shadows, he shook off their hold on his shoulders and kicked them off of his bare feet. He pulled his love back to his chest, wrapping her arms back around his neck. Sophie sobbed silently, her tears running down his collarbones, staining the skin along his neck with her mascara. He didn't mind, after all, he was preoccupied with fending off the demons known as shadows. The creatures screeched, suddenly fleeing away from the pair. Jack looked down, his heart stopping and reflex preventing them from pummeling into a cliff on the mountain. He took a deep breath, consoling Sophie, who was barely able to string together a coherent sentence. About two yards from St. North's castle, Jack heard Pitch chuckle, almost as though he were whispering between his ears. Anger flared inside of him, stubbornly willing him to leave his girl alone.

"Oooh. Protective are we, Jack?"

Pitch taunted. He blew air out from his nose in anger.

"Leave her be!"

Jack demanded, his voice echoing all over the mountain.

Pitch only laughed in response. There was a tilt in the wind, tripping Jack in the process, Sophie's grip having loosened as she slipped from Jack's arms. She screamed, her arms flailing for Jack, or something to stop her descent to the icy death that welcomed her.